The We Do Wedding Podcast

Shiran Nicholson is the founder/owner of The Knowlton, a full-spectrum wedding/event venue, art gallery, and public space in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Shiran joined Cate and Regina in a fun, passionate conversation about his journey to (and with) the Knowlton and all of the things he hopes the space will one day provide for the city of Bridgeport and beyond.   Shiran radiated excitement about the v...

Jess Gonsavez is the owner of JH Events, a wedding planning and coordination business based in Connecticut. Jess joined Cate and Regina to talk about the fire that fuels all planners, the slightly unusual path she took into the wedding industry, and what her specialty is (she definitely likes a challenge!)   Jess and Cate reminisce about the wedding they worked together in 2021, and Jess and Regin...

This week we spoke with Amanda Parker, director of sales and event production at OnTheMarc Events. She got us seriously ravenous, talking about OnTheMarc's fresh, seasonal food and custom menus. OnTheMarc Events is a catering company based in Norwalk, Connecticut that works throughout the tri-state area and has exclusive relationships with several high-end venues. We talked about all the litt...

Cassie Torres is one half of a husband-and-wife team that owns Beet & Blossom Photography based out of Connecticut. Cassie joins the podcast to continue the conversation around why wedding photography matters. Cassie described her journey from English teach to full-time wedding photographer and talked about what makes a Beet + Blossom couple unique. We puzzled as to why, as photographers, the...

Tony and Tara of Costanzo Clothing join the podcast for a lively discussion about how clothing is so much more meaningful than we often think. Tara and Tony have owned and operated their Hartford-based custom clothier business for almost twenty years. They specialize in crafting tailored garments that are customized to fit a person's frame, style, and personality, and they do house calls and...

Kevin Bishop and Marianne Vogel of the Golden Scroll Soloists join Regina and Cate to talk about the string music ensemble group's fifteen years of experience and everything they've learned in that time. Kevin and Marianne educated us about what sets wedding musicians apart from concert players and how they accommodate clients' wide array of musical tastes with their custom musical...

Cate and Regina are back to launch a new season of The 'We Do' Wedding Podcast.  Listen as they reveal what the 2021 wedding season was like for each of them, what's in store for 2022 and why the podcast suddenly dropped off the face of the earth (wedding season hit hard, y'all!).  Tune in for some laughs, some vulnerability, and some wedding industry realness from the owners o...

Dr. Ilona Shternfeld is the owner of Inner Glow Aesthetics MD , a medical spa in Avon, Connecticut. Dr. Ilona joins Regina and Cate to talk about how our looks do and don't affect our mental state, feminism and aesthetic medicine, why her original expertise as an eye surgeon helps put her clients' anxieties to rest and when you should schedule certain procedures if having them done befor...

Myke Ross is the band leader of Le'Mixx Band , a wedding band out of Hamden, Connecticut. Myke and band member Randy joined Regina and Cate to talk about their longtime love of seventies music, growing up playing music together, and how a DJ just can't rival the energy of an eight-piece band. They're two totally different beasts. We talked about how Le'Mixx Band brings the part...

Morgan Ofsharick is the owner of MEO Photography , a photography company based in Connecticut. Morgan joins Regina and Cate to talk about how photography went from a casual hobby to an obsession and how the pandemic forced her to plunge headfirst into doing photography full-time. We talked at length about why Morgan focuses her attention on intimate weddings, and Morgan explained her process of co...

Paula DeLuise is the owner of The Best Day Ever Events by Paula , a wedding planning and event day-of coordination business based in New York and serving the tri-state region. Paula joins Regina and Cate to talk about how her big Italian family and childhood passion for throwing parties inspired her to start her business, and about being in that movie with Liam Hemsworth (two of the three of them...

Irma Garcia is the owner of Earth and Sun Co. , a photography and videography company based in Rhode Island and serving all of New England and beyond. Irma joins Regina and Cate to talk about how her passion bled from photography to videography and back again, why pretending to be someone you're not will always lead to failure, and the impact of aligned branding on reaching the right clients....

David Lang is an officiant and owner of Love, Honor, and Cherish, based in Vernon, CT. He serves all of Connecticut. David joins Regina and Cate to crack them up, talk about wonderfully nerdy weddings, and explain why there are photos of him officiating in a dinosaur costume on his website. David regaled us with a variety of delightful stories and shocked us with the number of weddings he officiat...

Anna Powers is the owner of Seacoast Ceremonial Music , a wedding and event music ensemble business based in Kittery, Maine and serving most of New England. Anna joins Regina and Cate to discuss the weddings that have made a home in her heart, why learning the hard way is inevitable as a business owner, and that time she and her fellow musicians learned the theme song to Mortal Combat. We talked a...

Carly Kyd is the creator and owner of Queenie's Cocktail Bar , a mobile cocktail bar based out of Simsbury, Connecticut. In our delightful and light-hearted conversation, we learned about Queenie's origin story, the hilarity of trial-testing drinks (the words 'pond sludge' and 'frog spawn' may have been uttered), and why Carly's husband and fellow bartender often...

Diana Warner, owner and creative director of Eventistry by Diana , is a wedding planner based in Cleveland, Ohio. In our very frank conversation, we talked about what it takes to chart your own course (and be yourself) in an industry that often breeds conformity, competition, and perfectionism.   Diana is a straight shooter who doesn't have a problem telling it like it is. We had a refreshing...

Cait Fletcher Photography is a wedding photography company based out of Guilford, Connecticut. Owner Cait joins Regina and Cate to discuss the joy of shooting weddings, having a trusted network of professionals, and finding the style she's been working towards for the past seven years. Cait and Cate geeked out about taking the long view of wedding photos and what kind of photos they're b...

Rick Starke is the band leader of The Glorious Unknown , a wedding and event band based out of Western Massachusetts. Rick joins Regina and Cate to discuss what it takes to play a wedding, why he thinks having a female-fronted band is so important, and how he can pretty much guarantee they're going to crush any wedding they're hired for. The Glorious Unknown have been together as a band...

**This episode was recorded in early February 2021, prior to Connecticut expanding the size regulation of events.  The statement that vendors are included in your total allowed body count is no longer true.** Kristin Ferrarese is the Executive Chef and Creative Director of Fortuna's Catering Co. based in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Kristin was the first caterer to come on the podcast, and she di...

Yajaira Daniel of YD Beauty is a makeup artist based out of Branford, Connecticut. Yajaira joins Regina and Cate to discuss what she's learned in over a decade in the industry, why hair and makeup on a wedding all comes down to timing, and (as often comes up during this podcast) why it pays to hire someone with a lot of experience. Yajaira started out as a model and has been in the beauty ind...

Kim DeBose, owner and creative director of Curated by Kim , is a wedding coordinator (and budget wizard) based out of Connecticut. Kim was our first guest to arrive with a specific subject in mind: BUDGETS. In our conversation, we talked about how it all starts with a couple's hard-stop number, and Kim walks us through her process of helping clients allocate each piece of their budgetary pie....

Cate Barry, owner of Cate Barry Photography and co-host of this podcast, is a wedding and portrait photographer based out of New Haven, Connecticut. This was part two of a special episode where we turned the tables on the interviewer, and to do this, we invited Paulo and Irsa of John Paulo Films back to guest host with Regina! In our conversation, we talked about taking the long view of wedding ph...

Explicit Language Warning:  Regina's words get a little colorful at times, but they say swearing is a sign of intelligence! R egina Burrus, owner of Weddings by Regina Marie and co-host of this podcast, is a Certified Wedding Planner and Coordinator based out of Waterbury, Connecticut. This was a special episode where we turned the tables on the interviewer, and to do this, we invited Paulo a...

Reverend Orsella (or Reverend O, as people tend to call her) of Serenity Ceremonies is an ordained wedding officiant and pre-marital counselor based in Connecticut. Reverend O joined Regina and Cate for one of our deepest conversations yet, in which we discussed the heartbreak of having your dream wedding pulled out from under you, the new challenges engaged couples face, and the vital importance...

Royal Beats DJ Services is a complete-service DJ company based out of Connecticut. Owner Stephanie Stardust joined Regina and Cate in SUCH a thoughtful, smart, and candid way to discuss what her eleven years in the industry have taught her, playing to your strengths, and what it really means when people tell you you're "too nice." DJ Stephanie was such a joy to talk with. She's...