Weddings Unscripted

58:49

Ep 54 • The Wedding Planning App You Need to Know:...

Weddings Unscripted ·

2026/09/29

Tired of drowning in email chains with your wedding planner? Or buried in a 51-tab spreadsheet just trying to keep your wedding straight? Keep reading — there's a new tool built to fix that, for couples and planners alike. In this episode of Weddings Unscripted, Alex and Ali sit down with Hannah Roze, founder and CEO of Plannerd, a wedding planning platform born out of her own frustrating wedding planning journey. Hannah walks through how Plannerd blends structure with flexibility for both couples

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41:37

Ep 53 • From Church Basement to Retail Shop: Shelley...

Weddings Unscripted ·

2026/09/15

30 years of flowers, one wild career pivot, and the real math behind why your florist isn't overcharging you. This week on Weddings Unscripted, Alex flies solo and sits down with longtime friend and florist Shelley O'Neill, owner of Oyster Flower Company in Annapolis. Shelley walks through her unlikely start doing church arrangements for $60 a week, a decade running an event planning company, and the recent leap into opening her own retail flower and gift shop. They also get into Naval Academy

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41:39

Ep 52 • What We Think We Know About the Taylor Swift...

Weddings Unscripted ·

2026/07/21

In this candid summer check-in, Alex & Ali unpacks about Alex's birthday party, the heat wave, and a shoutout to the DC-area vendors who saved the day — before diving into the wedding industry's biggest talking point of the season: the rumored details of the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce wedding at Madison Square Garden. Working entirely from rumors, leaked photos, and speculation (no official details have been confirmed), they discuss why celebrity wedding photos typically take weeks to release,

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30:38

Ep 51 • How Event Planners Party: Hosting Tips,...

Weddings Unscripted ·

2026/06/30

What happens when a seasoned event planner throws her own party — and finally gets to do it exactly how she wants? In this episode, Alex is joined by longtime industry friend and mitzvah planning expert Danielle Couick of Magnolia Bluebird and Ghost Host — a lifestyle brand dedicated to the art of home entertaining. With Alex's 50th birthday party on the horizon, the two planners get into what it's really like to plan an event for yourself: the freedom, the overthinking, and the challenge of

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44:24

Ep 50 • Big vs. Small: What a Micro Wedding and a...

Weddings Unscripted ·

2026/06/03

11 guests. 160 guests. Same weekend. Wildly different chaos. What happens when your entire team is on-site at two completely different weddings at the same time? You get a masterclass in everything nobody tells you about micro weddings — and a reality check on why "small" doesn't mean "simple." In this milestone 50th episode, Alexandra and Alison pull back the curtain on a real behind-the-scenes weekend: Alex coordinating an intimate 11-person micro wedding at a private Airbnb estate in Middleburg,

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42:35

Ep 49 • The Design, Hospitality, and Details That...

Weddings Unscripted ·

2026/05/13

What happens when a DC-based wedding planner takes her 20-year expertise to a brand-new city — and pulls it off flawlessly? In today's episode, Alex recaps MacRae and Austin's stunning Charleston wedding at Lowndes Grove, and she and Ali spill everything: the vendor trust-building, the color hunt that took months, the beauty concierge game-changer, and why your breakdown documents might be saving (or costing) you thousands. Together, we dish on destination wedding planning tips, vetting

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48:11

Ep 48 • Music Without a Stage: Inside an Artist-Led...

Weddings Unscripted ·

2026/04/28

What if your guitarist didn't just play at your wedding — what if they walked through it with you? This week Ali goes solo and sits down with Dylan Galvin, a wireless roaming acoustic guitarist and DJ who's bringing a whole new energy to DC-area weddings and events. In this episode, Ali chats with Dylan Galvin — Berkley-trained guitarist, solo entrepreneur, and one of the most unique live performers in the DMV wedding market. Dylan breaks down his wireless roaming performance concept, how

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56:05

Ep 47 • Social Media Strategy for Wedding Vendors:...

Weddings Unscripted ·

2026/04/22

Are you posting constantly but still hearing crickets? The rules of wedding vendor marketing have changed — and social media alone won't save you. In this episode, we sit down with social media strategist Heidi Schmidt of Heidi Schmidt Creative to unpack what's actually working in 2026: from building authentic content and nurturing leads, to understanding Gen Z couples and knowing exactly where your clients are coming from. Heidi breaks down the full lead lifecycle, from follower to signed contract,

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52:58

Ep 46 • Building Community in the Wedding Industry:...

Weddings Unscripted ·

2026/04/15

What happens when a wedding florist with 25+ years of experience starts noticing that her whole industry feels disconnected? She builds something about it. In this episode, we sit down with Kate Denman of Floret and Vine — and repeat podcast guest — to dig into the origin story of the DMV Wedding Collective, the DC-area's fastest-growing wedding vendor networking and education organization. From intimate coffee dates and planner-florist roundtables to a viral 175-person holiday launch party at the

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45:04

Ep 45 • How to Start Planning Your Wedding: Budget,...

Weddings Unscripted ·

2026/04/08

You just got engaged — now what? Before you book a single vendor, there's a conversation you need to have (and most couples skip it). In this episode of Weddings Unscripted, we are breaking down exactly how to kick off your wedding planning the right way — from that first budget conversation to knowing which vendors to book first. With 19+ years of combined experience, we walk through the biggest rookie mistakes couples make (hello, "venue poor"), why you should never assume anything is included,

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41:30

Ep 44 • The Little Things That Frustrate Your Vendor...

Weddings Unscripted ·

2026/03/31

Ever wonder what's actually going on behind the scenes of your wedding? Today, we are spilling. In this episode of Wedding Unscripted, we share the funny, unscripted moments that happen on the other side of every wedding day. Vendor meals, hotel bag drop-offs, transportation logistics, wild client requests — it's all here, told the way only two planners with 19+ years of experience can tell it. Consider this your behind-the-scenes pass to the wedding industry. KEY TAKEAWAYS A fed vendor is a

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31:24

Ep 43 • Planner Q&A Part 2: Wedding Communication,...

Weddings Unscripted ·

2026/03/24

What actually makes a wedding run smoothly behind the scenes? In Part 2 of this Planner Q&A series, we dive deeper into real feedback from our industry survey — unpacking one of the biggest challenges in wedding planning: communication. From navigating vendor relationships and managing client expectations to avoiding costly assumptions, this episode is a candid look at what's really happening behind the scenes—and how both planners and vendors can work smarter together. If you've ever wondered why

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40:07

Ep 42 • Planner Q&A: Wedding Vendor Relationships,...

Weddings Unscripted ·

2026/03/17

What do wedding planners actually look for when choosing vendors? Why do planners stop working with certain vendors—even ones they like? And how do wedding professionals avoid burnout in an industry that rarely slows down? In this episode of Weddings Unscripted, we asked our network of wedding professionals to send us anonymous questions through a vendor survey. From building trust with planners to navigating client fit, we share practical insights on vendor relationships, communication mistakes

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54:31

Ep 41 • How to Choose Wedding Entertainment: Live...

Weddings Unscripted ·

2026/03/10

What does it really take to build a successful wedding entertainment company from the ground up? In this episode of Weddings Unscripted, we sit down with *Rebecca Steele & Lauren Brettell*, the founders of Lucy Black Entertainment, a women-owned wedding entertainment agency known for curating live wedding bands, string ensembles, DJs, and immersive entertainment experiences. They share the story behind launching their company, how they create custom entertainment experiences for luxury weddings, and

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56:31

Ep 40 • Fixing the Wedding Dress Shopping Experience...

Weddings Unscripted ·

2026/03/03

What if wedding dress shopping feels overwhelming because the system itself is broken? This week on Weddings Unscripted, we sit down with bridal industry innovator Becca Wenning, former boutique owner and founder of Dress It and MyBria, to unpack what's really happening behind the scenes in the wedding gown world — from inventory overload and store locator frustration to decision regret and AI innovations. If you've ever wondered why brides visit multiple boutiques, struggle to find the exact dress

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01:02:10

Ep 39 • Planning a Maryland Eastern Shore Wedding: ...

Weddings Unscripted ·

2026/02/24

What really makes the Eastern Shore one of the most underrated wedding destinations in the DMV? This week on Weddings Unscripted, we're joined by Caroline Petosa, owner and editor-in-chief of My Eastern Shore Wedding - a digital planning resource and vendor directory to talk about what's actually happening across the Bay Bridge — from tent trends and bold design moments to building a tight-knit vendor community that's redefining what Eastern Shore weddings look like. Caroline shares how she went

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27:58

Ep 38 • A Sneak Peek at What We're Working on in 2026

Weddings Unscripted ·

2026/02/04

Ever wonder what really goes into designing weddings that feel intentional, personal, and seamless? In this episode of Weddings Unscripted, we share behind-the-scenes updates from our upcoming 2026 weddings — from destination celebrations to large-scale cultural events at iconic venues. We discuss how design concepts evolve, why cultural awareness is essential in planning, and the level of coordination required to bring complex wedding visions to life. In this candid conversation, we highlight the

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54:09

Ep 37 • Using AI Without Losing the Human Touch: How...

Weddings Unscripted ·

2026/01/27

Curious how wedding planners are actually using AI behind the scenes—and where they draw the line so creativity, connection, and trust stay human? In this episode of Weddings Unscripted, hosts Alexandra Pare and Alison Golt are joined by fellow wedding planner, designer, and mom of four, Jessica Ashley. Following her standout panel appearance at the DMV Collective, Jessica dives deeper into how she's using AI as a tool—not a replacement—to build efficiencies in her business and reclaim time in her

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45:54

Ep 36 • Why Word-of-Mouth Still Wins: How Benable Is...

Weddings Unscripted ·

2026/01/20

What if the most powerful marketing tool in the wedding industry isn't social media, ads, or algorithms — but real human recommendations? Welcome to Weddings Unscripted. In this episode, hosts Alexandra Pare and Alison Golt sit down with Tony Stubblebine, Founder & CEO of Benable, to explore how word-of-mouth marketing is evolving — and why it matters more than ever in a world shaped by AI, Gen Z buying behavior, and trust-based decision making. Tony shares the origin story of Benable, how wedding

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36:15

Ep 35 • The One Choice Wedding Guests Will Talk About...

Weddings Unscripted ·

2026/01/13

Ever wondered what really goes on behind the scenes when booking a live wedding band—and why logistics, timing, and trust matter just as much as talent? In this episode of Weddings Unscripted, Alexandra Pare sits down with Felicia Kettler of Sam Hill Entertainment to pull back the curtain on what it truly takes to book a live band for weddings and events. Felicia brings a unique perspective as both a wedding planner with Cherry Blossom Weddings & Events and a sales professional representing over

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