Member News – June 2021

As always, a big shout out to our members that have made the news. Below you’ll find members that have been highlighted or otherwise recognized. Thank you to those that submitted news this month and thank you to our members that continue to push the outside of the envelope in some way. 

One Above Entertainment won two Best of State Awards. One award was for best “Event DJ” in Utah and the other award was for best “Event Entertainment” in Utah. Cooper has been DJing since 2009 and is incredibly proud to receive these two awards for the first time. Cooper focuses on providing a personalized music experience for his couples and currently has 190 reviews, all of which are 5-stars. 2021 will be a fantastic year for One Above Entertainment!

Rebecca Grant of New Creations Weddings was featured on King 5 talking about the changes in mask mandates for WA state and what that means for weddings and events locally.  She has been a constant advocate for the safe reopening of weddings and events working directly with the Office of the Governor for the past 12 months.

Magnolia Celebrates  is thrilled to have been quoted in several articles including here,  herehere,  and here   

Alan Katz of Great Officiants is a confirmed speaker at this year’s Wedding MBA in Las Vegas. Alan will be speaking on: WORD OF MOUTH : OFFICIANT’S GUIDE TO PR. The Seminar will show ways to get your name out there in the media and how to write press releases.

Sam Jacobson with Ideaction Consulting was recently on podcasts with Flothemes (stop getting ghosted), Weddings For Real (wedding pro selling styles), The Tog Republic (overcoming objections), and Wedding Business Growth (general sales advice). Listen in for solid advice on how to book more clients.

“Stratosphere” by Scott Michaels Entertainment burst onto the scene in February 2021 with an unforgettable VIP party at The Hi-Fi Dallas, the newest event space in the DFW metroplex. Jeff Brummett, one of Dallas’ premier photographers, captured the event from every angle and collaborated with Scott and his incredible band to set his stake in the ground in the luxury marketplace. 

Scott and Jeff sat down together to talk through the finer points of what working with a high-end event band like Stratosphere entails: the energy, the diversity, and of course the “red carpet treatment” you’ll be provided to ensure your dance floor is packed and everyone departs with unforgettable memories. The full article, “Why You Need a Wedding Band” is available on Jeff Brummett’s website. We welcome you to follow Stratosphere on Instagram and Facebook.

Lauren Grunstein, Verstolo Fine Jewelry Vice President was recently featured on the Betches Brides podcast where she discussed their one of a kind Diamond Rental Collection for brides and trends in wedding jewelry.  Find the interview on the Betches Brides channel on Apple or Spotify. 

Tanya Pushkine aka The Vow Whisperer was featured on Love Stories Radio Podcast

Echo Talent Management has expanded to include an option to hire DRAG performers for weddings and events.  Owner and DJ+saxophonist Rob Bennion has been DJing weekly Drag shows since December and the troupe has now expanded to 3 weekly residencies. They are an LGBTQIA-Centered community of performers, celebrating Inclusivity, diversity, and community.  Echo Musicians have been performing weekly for weddings again and are glad to be back in the summer wedding season full-swing!

Christie Osborne of Mountainside Media addressed ‘Data-Based Decision-Making: What it Means for You and Your Business’ on Catersouce. Christie also evaluated the ROI of podcasts to decide whether or not they are worth it on Rising Tide Society.  

Jennifer Taylor of Jen Taylor Consulting gave advice on how to ‘Prepare Your Event Business for a Growth Opportunity’ on GoodShuffle. Jennifer also answers ‘Are You Ready to Outsource? The Three Things You Need in Place First’ on Rising Tide

Renée Dalo of Moxie Bright Events appeared on Get Carried Away Podcast to chat ‘Marketing, Language, and Pivots.’ Renee also revealed how to ‘Book The Right Podcast Guests’ on the Rising Tide Society Blog

Margaux Fraise of Harmony Creative Studio shared with Wedding CEO about ‘Elevating Your Client Experience with Effective Gifting Strategies’. Margaux’s work was also featured on Storyboard Wedding in ‘Dreamy White Cali Winter Wedding.’

Michelle Loretta of Be Sage Consulting was selected as a speaker for the virtual WeddingPro COR Tone Up that will take place on June 15 and 16discussing The CFO Mindset: How to Think Like a Money Master. She will also be presenting at The Special Event in July with the topic of Should I or Shouldn’t I? Testing the Success of a New Revenue Stream.

Kevin Dennis of WeddingIQ shares insights on how ‘Weddings Are Back!’ on Special Events. He also dove into what wedding shaming is and how to handle it on Brides

Leah Weinberg of Color Pop Events sat down with two industry podcasts this past month, speaking with  Why Weddingsto discuss ‘The Wedding Budget: How to set one and keep it’ and Bridal Business Bootcamp to chat ‘A Sense of Calm.’ Leah also appeared live on Timeline Genius Community to talk ‘The Art of The Styled Shoot.’

Elizabeth Sheils of Rock Paper Coin was included in a roundup in Wedding Planner Magazine speaking to ‘Combating Cliques in the Wedding Industry’ and in Catering and Foodservice Events about ‘10 Ways to Make Outdoor Events Memorable.’ Rock Paper Coin was also featured on Team Flower in a guest article about ‘Use Tech to Streamline Your Floral Business (And Save Money!).’ They also shared advice about ‘Chic Ways to Follow Restrictions’ for Wedding Chicks.

Henry Chen of Wedding Chat Marketing is included in a roundup of ‘Favorite Clubhouse Rooms for Event Pros’ on Catersource.  

José Rolón of José Rolón Events is included in a roundup of experts on ‘How to Balance Work and Family’ on Wedding Pro.  

Dixie Bagley of The Farm shared with Special Events ‘Why It’s Crucial That You Nurture Your Relationships With Venues’ and how to ‘Implement Upcharges Smartly (Without Being Salesy)’ on WIPA.  

Meghan Ely of  OFD Consulting rounded up experts for her article on Brooklyn Bride on ‘6 Things You Should Know About Planning a Wedding Weekend in the City’ and ‘Chic Ways to Follow Restrictions’ on Wedding Chicks. She also discussed ‘Revisiting In-Person Networking: What’s Changed?’ on Special Events

Flexibility with fashion is key these days and Friar Tux wants to remind couples everywhere they can buy or rent a suit or tuxedo for their special day. Out of town groomsmen? Not a problem, Friar Tux has everyone covered through stores in Las Vegas and Southern California or online at FriarTux.com and StitchandTie.com. Are you a wedding professional looking to share exclusive savings with your couples? Join the Friar Tux Preferred Vendor Program and Stitch & Tie Wedding Professionals Program to start sharing suit and tuxedo savings with your couples. Friar Tux recently celebrated AAPI Heritage Month with their Honoring Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month Through Wedding Traditionsblog post. This curated collection of Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Buddhist Burmese weddings is a beautiful celebration of love and meaningful traditions. Stitch & Tie was recently featured in this Summer Honey & Lemonsinspired styled shoot and is now officially ready for Summer!

Two of a Kind Rentals has recently moved from NYC to Los Angeles in December of 2020. Krista Li, owner of Two of a Kind Rentals is overjoyed about living closer to her team in SoCal since she’s lived in LA for quite some time. The silver lining of 2020 and all that COVID brought with it was their SoCal expansion and opening an LA warehouse. The team is eagerly expanding the rental collection and has added a custom division where they build in-house items such as unique bars, backdrops and back bars for events. 

COR is back! WeddingPro’s next 2-day virtual conference is June 15-16! You’ll hear from some of the industry’s best during both on demand and live sessions, get As to all of your Qs in our Q&A happy hours, have the chance to win awesome prizes and so much more. Tickets are free—so sign up now!

Toast and Jam has now expanded from a The Knot’s ‘Hall of Fame‘ DJ company to offering DJ and photobooth services. These open air, ring light photo booths are now a huge addition with the images texted or emailed, digital gallery, physical prints, GIFs, custom patterns and fonts and even a sequin backdrop. DJ and photobooth services can be packaged together or individually. Additionally, we’ve implemented video testimonials for clients and vendors we’ve worked with. If you’ve worked with us and would like to share or want more information on how to create this contact us today. 

Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa will be breaking ground on a new outdoor venue starting June 2021. The beauty of the Arizona landscape is the inspiration for the newest outdoor space—The Desert Garden. This inspiring space, located in a serene courtyard and surrounded by a grove of mesquite trees, weaves together natural textures, materials, landscape and design to create an oasis in the desert. The Desert Garden will be unveiled in September 2021 and will be available to accommodate weddings and events of up to 360 guests. For more information and photos click HERE.