Unveiling Paradise: Your Go-To Destination Wedding Podcast

What does inclusivity at a wedding mean to  you? Does it mean accepting a couple as they are - LGBTQ+ or otherwise? Does it mean not just working with vendors who are affirming of an LGBTQ+ relationship, but they’re actually a good, quality vendor? Does it mean regardless of the couple, allowing your wedding party to wear what they feel most comfortable in, even if that means the maid of honor wea...

Here’s a crazy thought… If you’re hiring a caterer for your off-site, outdoor wedding, you will likely be building a restaurant from the ground up. Tents, lights, ovens, plates, serving trays, and so much more. This is why hiring a professional catering with experience at your venue is a 100% must. Your wedding day food can make or break your wedding, so why wouldn’t you do whatever you can to mak...

SPOILER ALERT: This week’s topic isn’t glamorous or at all exciting, but it’s probably one of the most important topics we’re going to cover all season long: your wedding contracts. As you plan your wedding, you’ll likely spend more money and sign more contracts than you probably have in your entire life up to that point. We’re here today to help you understand the ins and outs of reading and unde...

It’s true, weddings are often about the brides. We love talking about the gorgeous wedding dresses, hair and makeup splurges, and all the pretty details. In today’s episode, we change things up and focus our full attention on the grooms. If you’re a groom, if you’re marrying a groom, or know a groom - this episode is for you! From tying a tie, to finding the perfect outfit to match your partner, t...

Serious question: Do you know exactly what your venue provides for your wedding? Do they provide tables and chairs? Forks and knives? What about trash cans? In this episode, we talk about the rental items you might need for your wedding, what in the world is a rain hold, and what rental items are the most forgotten. Gabrielle Richter, President of Accel Events and Tents, joins us and shares her ad...

Have you ever heard that faux flowers are cheaper than real flowers? How about the fact that you can save money by using bud vases? Are these floral facts? Or floral fiction? In this episode, we talk with Floral Creative,Jeff Alencaster, about common wedding floral misconceptions and help you figure out what’s true, and what floral falsities should be BUSTED. As a professional wedding planner and...

From weather disasters to wedding dress debacles, we’re talking about 5 of the most common wedding day emergencies. As a professional photographer and wedding planner, we’ve been through more wedding day emergencies than you can imagine. Hurricanes? YES! Food poisoning? YES! False Missile Alerts? ALSO YES! Tune in to this episode to hear our pro tips and advice to plan and prepare for these weddin...

We’re back! It’s season 3 and we’re stoked to bring you our fresh new episode - the final countdown to your wedding day. In this episode, Joe and I talk about what happens 1 month before your wedding, 1 week before your wedding, and 1 day before your wedding. Sit back, relax and get ready for… the final countdown! Support us: patreon.com/unveilingparadise ONE MONTH TO GO: Collect your RSVPs: You s...

HOT DAMN… We did it! We made it through season 2. Quick update: Tessa and Joe didn’t kill each other, and are STILL BFFs. #winning Here’s the deal - In the middle of season 1, we stopped answering our listener questions. Why? Because we realized that we talk way too much, and the episodes were getting soooo long! We had to make the tough decision to cut them (OK, Joe made that decision so blame hi...

If you strip away all the bells and whistles of a wedding - the extravagant decor, lush flowers, even (gasp!) professional wedding planning and photography - at the end of the day all you need to get married is you, your significant other, and an officiant. Your officiant is the person who will make your marriage legal, so this is the only “must have” on your wedding day. Our guest today, Kelehua...

When we ask couples what their priorities are for their wedding, the #1 answer is “good food, good drinks!” We 100% agree that good food and drinks are WEDDING MUSTS, but what exactly does that mean? In this week’s episode, we get a little tipsy with Chad McDonald, owner of Stir Beverage. He goes into detail about how to elevate your wedding day bar, from the actual cocktails to the staffing to th...

Everyone knows an engagement shoot with your significant other is a MUST HAVE. We get it… get to know your photographer, figure out your awkwardness level as a couple with said photographer, practice holding your smiles for hours while daydreaming about your prime rib dinner… again, we get it, we’re doing it. Now comes the tricky part… what can you do as a couple to prepare yourself for engagement...

FACT: At every wedding when there is something slightly out of place, someone will yell, “just photoshop it!” Every. Single. Wedding. Today, we have guest photographer Rachel Robertson talking about photoshop, and how to best prepare for your wedding day photos. Hint: The goal is always to do as little photoshopping as possible!! This episode will break down editing photos (also known as photoshop...

OMG… I’m excited to say that in this episode, we’re talking about EXECUTIONS. Before you get too excited, we’re not talking about killing people (this isn’t a true crime podcast)! Better yet, we’re talking about day of coordination and wedding day execution with Natalie Christensen, wedding planner and co-owner of Aloha Bridal Connection. Wedding planning encompasses a huge range of talent and ima...

Spoiler Alert: If you like awkward, you’re going to LOVE this episode. It’s awkward, it’s cringy, and it’s OH-SO-GOOD. Today, we’re taking the pressure off of you, and placing it onto your friends and family as we talk about how to be the PERFECT wedding guest. Tell your friends and family this episode is a MUST LISTEN, as we prepare you and your guests for wedding day success.  Have you heard the...

There are a few MUST HAVE details you don’t want to forget on your wedding day, and we’re here to help. As a professional wedding planner and photographer, we’ve been to more weddings than we can count, and we’ve seen everything. We’re taking our combined knowledge and sharing our expert advice on the small, but very important details that are often overlooked. Trust us, if you’re planning a weddi...

Why is using cheap shampoo better than a nice, fancy shampoo before your wedding day? When is it better to forgo sunscreen rather than slathering it on? Do you want to learn some tips to manage baked-in-the-sun-for-way-too-long sunburns? Professional hair and makeup artist, CJ Siepka, is here to answer all of these questions and more! In this episode, CJ shares her industry secrets on ways to stay...

Who’s job is it to create your timeline? Be the point of contact for your vendors? Cut your cake or work with your guests on their food allergies? Do these jobs fall to your catering manager or wedding planner? In this episode, we’re chatting with Amanda Douglas, the Director of Catering and Conference Services at the Four Seasons Ko Olina on Oahu, about catering managers vs wedding planners, and...

Weddings are A HUGE investment of time and money. We 100% agree. Our advice as a  professional wedding planner and photographer? Don’t waste your time and money on the things that your guests don’t care about. And trust us - there are things they don’t care about. In fact, in this episode, we list 7 things your wedding guests don’t care about… and 1 thing they absolutely do. Spoiler alert: Joe and...

We’re saying goodbye to 2022, and hello to 2023 with our predictions on what wedding trends we’ll be seeing this year. As a professional wedding planner and photographer, we’ve been to a TON of weddings last year (#craziestbusiestyearever) so we’ve got some strong opinions about what’s hot (and what’s not) for 2023. Hint: Viva magenta! And periwinkle? We barely knew you. Support us: patreon.com/un...

Have you ever sat through a wedding reception that felt like it was never going to end? Long, boring speeches, uncle telling inappropriate jokes, and weird pauses throughout the program can totally kill your wedding vibe! This is why we’re so excited to have Hawaii-based, professional MC, Nolan Hong, sharing his advice and tips on ways to make your wedding reception seamless and fun. Question : Wh...

Do you know anyone who’s been married 3x… to the same person? We do, and we’re EXCITED to welcome them as our very first guests. Megan and Andrew Tran have a wedding videography company together (@redefinedweddings), he also does commercial videography (@redefinedfilms) and co-hosts a podcast (@uncut_hawaii)! From being wedding vendors to a wedding couple, Megan and Andrew will share their profess...

Welcome to our first episode of Season 2! Did you know that there’s an actual “proposal season” - and it’s officially begun! From Thanksgiving through Valentines, more couples will get engaged than any other time of the year. Call it romantic, call it memorable, or (in Joe’s words), call it a way to bundle an engagement ring and Christmas present in one. Whatever you call it, we’re here for it! In...

Episode Summary WE DID IT! We made it to the last episode of season 1 and we’re rounding up some great advice from former couples. As a professional photographer and wedding planner in a very popular destination wedding market, we think we know everything (KIDDING!), but for this episode, we turned to some of our real life couples to get honest feedback and advice for future couples. Episode Notes...

Episode Summary We take on our favorite US-based destination locations in this episode. Being a professional wedding planner and photographer in Hawaii - it’s assumed Hawaii will make the list. Does it? Find out this answers and more in this episode. Tune in to hear Joe and I share our professional advice, and list our favorite locations for a destination wedding in the United States.  Episode Not...