The Wedding Biz - Behind the Scenes of the Wedding Business

In today's episode, guest Andrea Eppolito, founder of Andrea Eppolito Events, shares her journey of becoming an event planner, how she establishes relationships with her clients and the magic of creating a unique and personal experience for couples. Andrea is all about bringing dreams to life and celebrating the miracle of love. To learn more about Andrea and her approach to life and planning, joi...

Carl Ray, celebrity makeup artist and beauty expert, has mastered the art of highlighting the inner beauty of each individual client. And, in the service industry, how you make people feel is the most important part of the job. Today, Andy Kushner and Julie Sabatino of The Stylish Bride dissect Carl's recent interview into tangible ideas and tips to help you apply them to your business. To learn m...

According to celebrity makeup artist, Carl Ray, makeup is a reflection of inner beauty and Carl is an expert on helping individuals express this. He is an esteemed professional with years of experience working with numerous individuals and high-profile clients. From weddings, celebrities, to traveling with Michelle Obama, Carl has seen it all. In this episode, Carl shares his experience and tips h...

The backbone of any successful business starts with the quality of your connections. There are many ways to establish long-lasting and mutually beneficial relationships, which Debbie Geller of Geller Events shares in this week's episode. Today, Andy Kushner and Guest Co-Host Sean Low, of The Business Of Being Creative, dissect these tips in order to help you break them down into smaller and conque...

Orchestrating an event that leaves a lasting imprint on the guests and hosts is no small feat. There are a plethora of factors that combine to create a high-end and luxurious experience, and that is a skill that can take years to perfect. Today's guest, Debbie Geller of Geller Events, is an experienced event planner who designs stunning and intricate events for high net worth families and more. De...

On today's episode of The Next Level, Guest Co-Host Shannon Leahy, of Shannon Leahy Events, joins Andy Kushner in reflecting on last week's interview with Liese Gardner. Liese is a blogger, branding and marketing strategist, and influential event industry leader. This episode is full of key tips you can apply to growing your own business. To hear more from this week's episode translated into tangi...

One of the most fundamental components of any business is marketing and communication. The art of learning how to create an effective marketing strategy is crucial. In this episode of The Wedding Biz, Andy Kushner interviews communications specialist, Liese Gardner, and unravels some of the industry secrets to mastering your marketing and expressing your brand. To hear more about creating a sustai...

Today Andy Kushner and guest co-host, Harmony Walton, host of The Bridal Bar, discuss Andy's interview with Jennifer Stein. Jennifer is the founder of Destination I Do Magazine and an experienced consultant with knowledgeable insight on business and the wedding industry. Andy and Harmony further discuss taking a leap of faith, keeping up with change, and how to determine a worthwhile business inve...

The only thing more magical than a destination wedding is putting it in print to share with the world. Today Jennifer Stein, Editor-In-Chief, Co-Founder, and publisher of Destination I Do Magazine, shares where she got her inspiration to begin her journey as a destination wedding specialist. Jennifer has insightful tips for anyone wanting to plan their own destination wedding or get involved in th...

Join Andy Kushner and guest co-host, Jennifer Stein, Editor-In-Chief of Destination I Do Magazine, in today's episode of The Next Level! Today Andy and Jennifer discuss key topics from last week's interview of event planner and designer, Rishi Patel, CEO of HMR Designs. Jennifer Stein is also the Co-Founder of Destination I Do Magazine, the premier magazine for Destination Weddings. It was Jennife...

"Luxury does not come without service. Service is luxury." Today, CEO of HMR Designs, Rishi Patel, talks about how service and luxury work cohesively to create astonishing events and a mutually fulfilling experience for the client and their designers.   In this episode, Andy and Rishi focus on establishing connections, finding your position in life and in your career, and how to showcase your work...

Welcome to another episode of The Next Level! This week Andy Kushner brings on another industry icon, Sean Low of The Business Of Being Creative, to discuss highlights from last week's interview with Andre Wells. Andre is a high-end event planner and designer who incorporates his elegance and love for fashion into every event. Andy and Sean tackle topics such as how to break into the industry, how...

Sometimes we have to go through a preparation period before we're able to tackle our dreams head on. Today Andre Wells, event planner, designer, and fashion enthusiast, shares his own personal growth process and how it led him to create his own flourishing business.   Andre also talks about the positive impact he's seen in his career through pursuing a clear vision and putting forth the hard work...

Today, Andy and guest host, Julie Sabatino of The Stylish Bride, discuss highlights from this week's interview with Laurie Arons. Laurie is a talented, luxury event and wedding planner who previously shared many generous and thoughtful tips on how to build relationships, a social media platform, and your business. This episode breaks down and evaluates those tactics in a way that will help you imp...

We've all been told to "fake it till we make it," but sometimes honesty and tenacity are all it really takes to succeed. Today's guest, Laurie Arons, is a luxury event planner who has been named one of the top planners in the industry by esteemed magazines such as Vogue, Harper Bazaar and Martha Stewart Weddings. Based in San Francisco, Laurie's business caters to high-end and extravagant occasion...

Being able to create the perfect ambiance for a wedding or event that leaves a lasting impact is a skill that sometimes gets overlooked. In this episode, Shannon Leahy, this week's guest co-host and one of the top wedding and event planners in the world according to Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides Magazine and Harper's Bazaar, brings additional insight and wisdom to today's conversation about Nata...

Creativity can be sparked in a number of ways, but sometimes necessity is the best motivator. In today's episode, Natasha Miller, President and CEO of Entire Productions, talks about how hardship in her youth drove her to create the empire she has today. Not only has she managed to build a platform, she continues to exceed client expectations with her experiential design skills for hundreds of eve...

Today's guest co-host, Harmony Walton, joins Andy to help reflect on The Wedding Biz interview with Colin Cowie, Part 2, and how Colin finds innovation in everything. Harmony Walton is the founder of The Bridal Bar, luxury destination weddings and honeymoon blog site, Jet Fete, and host of the Bridal Bar Radio. She has a decade of experience in marketing, consulting and brand representation in the...

Designing and planning an event is creating theater and telling a story. Today's guest has a unique set of skills that he uses to tell these wonderful stories that we call weddings and special events. Colin Cowie, of Colin Cowie Lifestyle, is an iconic event planner and designer. Yet again, Colin is working on a host of exciting, fun and diverse projects that will take him all over the world. The...

In this week's discussion, photographer Greg Lawson takes Andy through his museum-like gallery in Sedona, Arizona, to explore the fundamentals of his philosophy on human nature. This is a departure from the typical episode, released on The Wedding Biz, in that Greg is not an event industry photographer. As Andy says, this is an unusually grounding conversation which he and so many of us need to ha...

As David Stark says, putting together a team is one of the most creative things you can do. That is just one of the dynamic topics Andy discusses with today's guest co-host, on The Next Level, Sean Low of the Business of Being Creative. Today, we discuss David Stark's interview - a Part 2.  David is Chief Creative Officer of David Stark Design and Production. High profile clients and events includ...

Today's guest is a Part 2 interview with renowned New York City event designer and producer David Stark, Chief Creative Officer of David Stark Design and Production, whose team creates events worldwide for weddings, entertainment, fashion, publishing, arts, media, and consumer product industries.   David's high profile clients and events include Brad Pitt, Glenn Close, Saturday Night Live's 40 th...

Weddings are compiled of moments, planning, and people who have invested their all into ensuring that the result is magical. Having someone along the way to capture those details is an investment you won't regret. In today's episode of The Next Level, Andy Kushner and Valerie Gernhauser, founder of Sapphire Events, discuss the valuable tips given by Bill Bowen in last Monday's interview. Bill Bowe...

Bill Bowen is the Founder and President of Suburban Video based out of Rockville, Maryland though he travels worldwide. Being able to look back and watch a video, that was so artfully created, is a gift that the rest of us can enjoy for the rest of our lives. Knowing how to capture all the precious moments, and the details that become so emotionally impactful, are what Bill is so gifted at doing....

Being able to curate an authentic experience that coincides with luxury is what ultimately differentiates a high-end wedding planner from another. Colin Cowie is a brilliant designer and highly sought after wedding planner, due in part to his special capabilities and desire to create a unique experience for every client. His clientele includes celebrities such as Oprah, Elton John, Jennifer Anisto...