Mind Over Matrimony

Some rants are worth repeating... This one is a bit of a rant, friends. You saw it on Instagram. It looked doable. Then you get the quote, and it feels like a giant disconnect. This week, we are pulling back the curtain on one of the wedding industry's most persistent problems — the gap between what you see online and what things actually cost. No clean solutions, just an honest conversation a...

Team JLE is in Fall Wedding Season, so in case you missed it... What if your biggest growth move this year isn’t doing more—but instead making every move with intention? In this episode, we discuss how building a trusted committee over time can buy back your most valuable resource: time. From personal support to professional advisors, we cover: - Who and how to build your trusted committee - What...

The wedding industry has changed, and the strategies that worked a few years ago aren’t carrying us the way they used to. In this episode, I’m breaking down what it really takes to build a business that lasts: why volume and visibility still matter, how referrals actually grow, and why relying on one channel to bring in clients is a risk none of us can afford right now. We’re talking about cultiva...

This fall, so many of our couples have been asking the same question: how do we honor the people we love who can’t be with us on our wedding day? In this episode, I share the beautiful ways we’re seeing families do just that, from a memory wall paired with escort cards written on grandma’s plates, to heirlooms carried quietly down the aisle, to a grandmother’s recipe served at a family-style feast...

AI keeps coming up in every conversation, so today I’m diving in. I’m sharing how I use it in my business to help couples visualize their ideas, where I think it falls short (hello, wedding budgets), and why every wedding is a one-of-a-kind piece of art no chatbot can price for you. Plus, I’m giving you a sneak peek at a budget tool we’re building with AI, powered by real numbers from real wedding...

This week we're answering the etiquette questions we at JLE get asked on repeat: - Child-free weddings - The plus-one dilemma - Who should give a speech (and where) - Who pays - How to handle divorced parents or tricky family dynamics The common thread: have the hard conversations early, bring everyone into the room together, and write everything down before decisions pile up. Practical, real-talk...

Fall is in full swing, which means two things: we're deep in wedding season at JLE and our couples everywhere are deciding where they'll say "I do" next year. In this episode, I'm walking you through how my team researches destinations and sharing what years of planning around the globe have taught me about working with vendors in different cultures. If you're considering a destination wedding and...

Corporate events might be the most whispered-about side of the wedding industry. So many of us do them, but hardly anyone talks about them openly. In this quick "snack" episode, why I see corporate work as an incubator for creativity, a space where I can test new ideas before bringing them to someone's once-in-a-lifetime day. I also get into how different brands handle the mix, from...

*This one is for our couples* On this episode, I dig into how my process has evolved to meet clients where they are, recognizing that every couple communicates, processes decisions, and handles the overwhelming flood of wedding inspiration (hello, Pinterest and Instagram algorithms) in totally different ways. I talk through breaking big design decisions into bite-sized, bimonthly touchpoints, the...

In this episode, we dig into the delicate art of communication with wedding vendors, the fine line between friendship and professional partnership. We break down the difference between vendors you're "married" to (trusted, tested, go-to partners) versus ones you're still "dating" (newer relationships still being built), and why direct conversation, even the hard kind, is the key to keeping both wo...

Not our normal title, right? This season I said yes to five industry showcases instead of my usual one or two, and I'm calling it "the year of mistakes" on purpose. In this episode I talk about why testing my new team on high stakes, low budget passion projects has turned into the best kind of design bootcamp, and I tell you the story of WIPA weekend. A tent, 110 degree Texas heat, a...

Friends we couldn't jump from two heavy mind episodes to talking about the latest in 2027 wedding trends, so consider this your bridge episode. We've been pulling back the curtain and today, it all comes to a head. This episode is different. It's raw, it's messy, and it's the one I've been building up to for a year. I talk about what it feels like to let go of a story I&#39...

*Content note* this conversation touches on abuse, trauma, and suicidal ideation. The last secret I never told. I spent most of my life trying to make sense of my own story. This is a conversation overheard and I'm finally ready to share it. This week, I said out loud for the first time what I'd never made public: growing up with abuse, years spent trying to "pray away" being gay, a move to Israel...

Every year around my sobriety anniversary, the feelings show up right on schedule and this year hit harder than ever. We're talking about what happens when you numb feelings for years and then have to learn how to actually sit with them: the self-loathing, the grief for roads not taken, the gratitude that comes anyway. This is a conversation about therapy, sponsorship, ten years of sobriety al...

Etiquette used to feel like a rulebook. Now it feels more like a conversation, and that's exactly what this episode is. On today's episode, we talk through how the "rules" of weddings are quietly being rewritten, including: How (and when) things get shared on social media Whether you need to give a gift when attending a destination wedding Whether dress codes via Pinterest boards...

In this milestone episode, we reflect on 10 remarkable years of building Julian Leaver Events. We talk about how a journey that began as a destination wedding business grew into a company that's produced over 550 events to date. This anniversary also marks 10 years of my own sobriety, and the two milestones are deeply intertwined. I share what it feels like to evolve, growth with my team, mist...

This week, I'm opening up all the unsexy tabs in my brain - the work you never see on Instagram. On this episode, we cover: - Force majeure clauses - Rain plans A through E - Venue quirks + noise restrictions - I share our technology for guest experience optimization .... and more This is a Media Socialites Production.

We are BACK from my first true vacation in 10 years and of course it's right in time to provide you with ample commentary on our Royal Wedding - the wedding of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Today's episode is like a two-part episode - my comments pre-wedding and an episode recorded right after we saw the first sprinkling of details from the guests. This episode goes all over, but the real questio...

Our last Re-Listen episode and then we are back with fresh episodes next week! This episode explores how wedding planners charge for their services and why pricing in the wedding industry can be complex. On this episode we cover 4 types of pricing models for wedding planners: - Flat Rate - Percentage Only - Flat Rate Plus Percentage - Flat Rate Plus Commission

We will be back with fresh episodes next week, but until then... This one is for our lovely couples. On today's episode, we define the following terms that you will hear throughout the planning process and their respective roles: - What is a planner's role ? - What's a designer's role ? - What's a florist responsible for vs a production house? Most importantly, we talk through...

We are on a break so in case you missed it and it's feeling extra timely... Let's talk about budget transparency in weddings. It's one of the least clear and most misunderstood topics in the wedding industry right now, so we are going to handle it directly. In this episode, we break down: - Who really controls the process - How budgets actually work at the luxury and ultra-luxury level...

We are on a break so in case you missed it.. ... Surrender to win This episode is absolutely the most vulnerable to date. Mind over Matrimony, right? This one is all mind. On this episode, I share how I am processing when you lose an event - even if it was one that didn't make sense to have - and how to do so gracefully, but also honestly. Mid-episode, you will hear what sounds like the end, b...

A very unconventional episode for you. This is a rapid fire Q+A for our couples. We cover: - What to do first when you get engaged - The ONLY job we cannot do for your wedding - Venue Planning - Uncomfortable Family Dynamics - Thoughts on Taylor and Travis Kelce's Wedding ... And so much more Do we like these episodes? Let us know in the comments! This is a Media Socialites Production.

This is a non-tied-up-with-a-bow episode, okay friends? We cover the constant adaptation in communication and planning style when working with our clients. We chat about the importance of couples being open and transparent about how they learn, process information, and make decisions. Here's your biggest takeaway: wedding planning is a two-way dialogue, and honesty from our couples makes the e...

Not what you were anticipating from an episode? Lean on in. I shared these thoughts at a recent WIPA Philly Mastermind, so go with me here. If you want punchy and provocative:Sabrina Carpenter gave us chaos. Justin Bieber gave us a campfire. And somehow, both of them just explained the entire wedding industry. This week we're talking fireworks vs. fireplaces — and why the smartest move is choo...