Hey Bride Wedding Podcast With Susana Rodriguez - Engagements / Weddings / Experts / Tips /

Episode 24 “Rainy Wedding – Lucky Bride ” “Patrick and I had about 120 guests, and about 3,285,098,235 raindrops.”   Join the fun and talented photographer Kayla and I on the 24th episode of Hey Bride Podcast to learn about her experience as a bride! Podcast Highlights   Funny Story:  The whole ceremony was down pouring. They could barely hear the reverend, let alone the guests. The only time it stopped raining was during the vow exchange (Which they wrote), and the second the reverend started talking, the heavy rain came back!  She is sure it was her dad (RIP), who had a great sense of humor.   Stressful moment: 1)Rain 2) She bought early in the wedding process a “cheap” dress. Was on sale, looked ok, etc…. But months after, when she tried it again,  she had a breakdown. Luckily everybody understood and encouraged her to get a new one that she loved. 3) Being from Ohio, everybody expected them to have their wedding back home. Bu

Episode 23 “From DIY bride to BusinessWoman”     Kara took their wedding in their hands…and she truly meant it. From a multi-purpose venue to hair and makeup, food and the bar, she made sure everything was beautiful – cost-effective and meaningful, which led her to her new career!   Join Kara and I on the 23rd episode of Hey Bride Podcast to learn about her experience as a bride and businesswoman. Podcast Highlights   Funny Story At the end of the night, many of the guests ended up swimming at the venue’s pool!   Stressful moment: The week of the wedding, the person in charge of keys to the venue didn’t pick up the phone.  They finally reached him and everything was fine… as she said “We blew everything way out of proportion”… Don’t blame her! I would freak out too!     Best decision: The property they booked. A full Villa rented via BRBO.com   Budget advice: For DYI – A beautifu

Episode 22 “I’LL MEET YOU ON CAMPUS ”     Caitlin and Ed met in college, playing basketball, so they held their ceremony at the Chapel on campus in 2014 – Talk about a meaningful venue!   Join Cailtin and I on the 22nd episode of Hey Bride Podcast to learn about her experience as a bride! Podcast Highlights   Funny Story 1.The MOH (her sister) left her ring in the pew and forgot about it until the exchange of rings during the ceremony and had to run off the alter to get it.   2.She wore her mom’s veil from 30 years ago  (she was so proud!) but she sat on it during the ceremony and accidentally ripped it out of her hair   3. Their Deacon accidentally skipped the lighting of the unity candle during the ceremony so they had to hop back inside after the ceremony to quickly light it!   Stressful moment: The last few weeks prior to the wedding. So many little details.   Best decision: Hiring a videographer   Budget advice: D

Episode 21 “A big Latin party never killed nobody” If you don’t know it by now, my accent might give it away. I’m latina, so I really enjoyed going thru Renata and Jorge’s day, since they got married in El Salvador. A typical Latin wedding might have a bigger guest list (what can I say?, we have big families!) and theirs had 380+ guests! Plus, her bridal party number was originally 20 and got went down to 16!   Join Renata and I on the 21th episode of Hey Bride Podcast to learn about her experience as a bride! Podcast Highlights   Funny Story Planning the music with the DJ they ended up having a full-on dance party!   Bride’s Tip for a fun wedding: Invite tons of young people and have great music!   Stressful moment: Narrowing down the guest list + The last dress fitting. – She lost so much weight with stress and diet that they needed an extra fix!   Best decision: Putting this modern dance floor – Something the groom really wanted. &n

Episode 20 “International Love Story” They wanted their wedding to be whimsical, enchanting, unique and full of personal details. To bring to life that vision of a rustic yet chic celebration, Mindy suggested the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa.   Join Kristen and I to learn more about this beautiful event, on episode 20. Podcast Highlights   Funny Story In lieu of favors, they made a donation on behalf of our guests to the Search Dog Foundation. As guests began to leave the celebration, they received a cookie in the shape of a ‘Milk Bone’ that explained the donation. But many guests got confused, asking if they were real dog treats or human cookies!   Stressful moment: Guest List: They cut down on some plus ones, kids, and had an honest conversation about who is really important in their lives.   From the bride: I secretly harbored the worry that people wouldn’t dance at our wedding. The Cowling Band immediately shattered that fear of mine. The dance floor was pa

Episode 19 “Probably the most wonderful day of my life” Ponte Winery in Temecula, California was the place were Courtney and Martin celebrated their rustic-elegance themed wedding.   Join us to learn more about this beautiful event, on episode 19. Podcast Highlights   Funny Story During Garter Removal, Groom thought he could only use his mouth, and he couldn’t get a grip of the lace. To the point where parents had to go and get him “out of there” (by his ears).   Stressful moment: She forgot her planning notebook at home and realized it almost arriving to the venue (which was 2 hours+ away). A friend’s father went to her house and brought it to Ponte. Good thing she had a code to get in!   Best decision: Glowsticks for the exit – She couldn’t use sparklers due to regulations, but they worked perfectly!   Regret: Stressing out about things she couldn’t control.    Bridal Party: Funny enough, no drama around the bridesm

Episode 18 “We were setting the foundation of our marriage.” After dating long distance for only 6 months, this couple took a leap of faith and decided to relocate to the same city. But hey! When you know, you know. Kelsi and Billi, both die-hard college sports fans, made sure to include their favorite players in their wedding theme.   Find out how Kelsi stuck to a 15k budget and how she managed to spend only $65 on her wedding flowers, on episode 18 of the hey bride podcast. Podcast Highlights   Funny Story Kelsi’s very serious sister, found Kelsi in her spanks and a tank top right before getting into her dress.  Feeling goofy, Kelsi started dancing towards her sister.  Her sister was “freaked out” from seeing Kelsi in such a state so, as sisters will do, Kelsi continued making her sister feel awkward and danced some more!    Stressful moment: Letting a bridesmaid out of the wedding. – During the planning process Kelsi realized that she and

Episode 17 Chandani: Stay Sane and on your game with a wedding planner I had the pleasure of speaking with the talented Chandani Chandekar from Events By C, a company that specializes in Indian and South Asian weddings in the DMV area and Chicago. But don’t tune out if this is not your type of wedding, as everything we talked about can help any bride!  Chandani’s passion for creating the perfect wedding experience is fed by her seemingly unlimited creativity.  In this awesome conversation we talked about great wedding ideas, things that you shouldn’t stress about, hidden fees that might blow up your budget and tips (& reasons) on hiring a wedding planner.  Podcast Highlights    Breakdowns Every person is different, but from budget to vendors not being available, brides can have many reasons for breakdowns. As a planner my rule is to help guide them and find a solution. Tip: Remember it’s not the end of the world! And sometimes you end up happier with a diff

Episode 16 “I did have the perfect wedding” They don’t take each small things so seriously. That’s the key to their relationship and what made their wedding a major success.    Matt, who works in PR, is [greek] from Rhode Island. Josie, who works in fashion, is from the Dominican Republic. But after meeting over 4 years ago in NY, they knew there was something special.    Josie might seem shy on episode 16th of the Hey Bride Podcast… but trust me on this one (and on some of the pictures), she’s a hoot!   Podcast Highlights   Funny Story -[early in the day] They married at a [open] golf course, and some guests got into golf carts and started driving with drinks in hands.  -[late at night] After everything was over, new husband Matt found out he left his contact solution at his groom suite, and went walking in his underwear looking for it. Granted the groomsmen where there, and got everything on video.   Stressful moment:  Narrowi

Hey Bride Wedding Podcast, Episode 15: To Hold and To Have - Wedding Bouquets that last forever Have you researched how to preserve your bouquet after the day? It can really be annoying spending money on a beautiful bouquet that you will simply toss at the end of the day. Anna and her husband James on their wedding day. Photo by Peter Pousard. That's why on today's episode I spoke with Anna Coy, founder of To Hold and To Have. Anna had years of experience on the floral industry, and after helping countless brides, she wanted to make her own bouquet.  But her special day was a destination wedding, and flowers were an obstacle. That's when she decided to build her own crystal bouquet. And the rest is history!  Anna uses stain, crystals, paper and personal keepsakes to create unique, modern bridal bouquets, boutonnieres, flower girl pomanders, corsages and any other pieces that last a lifetime. She's not limited by Mother Nature's palette, so the sky is the limit as far as

Episode 14 Kathryn Hamm on GayWeddings.com - LGBT Friendly Planning Tool Episode 14 of the Hey Bride Podcast features Kathryn Hamm. Kathryn is a pioneer in the gay and lesbian wedding industry, president of gayweddings.com, education expert for Wedding Wire and co-author of the new book “Capturing Love: The Art of Lesbian & Gay Wedding Photography” Inspired by the lack of information on gay weddings, Kathryn Hamm’s mom, Gretchen took action and started what today is the go-to place for Gay Couples that look forward to celebrating their wedding.     “Since 2005, same sex couples have enjoyed as many steps forward as steps backwards. By the end of 2010, five states and the District of Columbia had legalized same-sex marriage, with several states enacting propositions or passing legislation to prohibit gay and lesbian unions. Even so, more Americans than ever have come to accept same sex unions, and the mainstream wedding market has followed suit, embracing gay and le

Episode 13 Never Forget How You Felt That Day The Venetian was the place where Ashley and Matthew celebrated their wedding. Ashley wore a gorgeous Monique Lhuillier dress and her bridesmaids complimented her in luminescent, chiffon, champagne bridesmaid dresses.  From Snow to personalized Wine bottles, this wedding had a lot to remember.   Podcast Highlights   Funny Story When the boys needed to get ready, they realized none of the suspenders fit them. They got child-size ones, and somebody had to run to the store to change.   Stressful moment: DIY Menus and invitations (embossing and press). Shed a few tears in the process.     Best decision:  Even though it wasn’t a winter-themed wedding, they booked snow for the first dance. And it made it much more special.   Biggest stress: Weather stressed her out. She was obsessed checking the weather, as if she could control it. But in the end it was 66 degrees and sunny, the warmest day of the month.   Bu

Let's get real... we all want to improve our physique, one way or another. Specially for our wedding day. That's exactly why we wanted to talk to [engaged couple] and business partners Vera and Johnny. They have a coaching business targeted for brides, grooms and anybody related to the wedding. Let's see what "FitWed" is all about.  In this episode we spoke about: -Diet -Exercise (lifting weights, cardio, and more) -Cake tasting tricks.  -Macros And much more.  Vera and Jonny are wedding health & body transformation specialists who work with engaged couples (brides and groom or anybody associated with the wedding) who need to get the right advice/support/education on how to feel and look their best on wedding day, honeymoon and the rest of their lives.  

Episode 11 It’s kinda like a fairytale   She likes simple things. But her taste is simply beautiful.  Alison and Geoff really knew how to prioritize for their wedding. Great food, and an amazing band and photographer were non negotiable. Different J Crew dresses and different number of bridesmaids and groomsmen made this wedding extra especial. You can tell by the pictures that everything fitted perfectly without effort. But then again, when love is real, there’s no need to force anything to have a perfect wedding. Podcast Highlights   Funny Story Around noon the groom realized he left the pants at home!   Stressful moment: A bridesmaid wanted to change her dress last minute.   Best decision:  Her Grandmother's Handkerchiefs was wrapped around her flower bouquet. It seemed just like a nice but insignificant detail at the moment, but it was one of the most special moments of her wedding.   Biggest stress: Weather stressed her out. She was obsessed checking the w

Episode 10 Rob Adams: converting love stories into wedding films I took a few weeks off (something I’m not proud of), but this podcast might just make up for the absence. I had the pleasure of speaking with the talented Rob Adams from www.robadamsfilms.com and he shared a ton of great tips and ideas on hiring a professional wedding videographer/cinematographer. Rob Adams Films, based in NJ, has been creating wedding videos/films since 1999. His job? Converting love stories into wedding films. Rob Adams Films is also married to professional NJ Wedding photographer Vanessa Joy who I had the pleasure of interviewing as well (listen here). Podcast Highlights   Is video necessary? Video is one of the most underestimated aspects of a wedding. The stigma of old traditional-cheesy style wedding video is still on but what video has become now in terms of wedding is really moving photography. The type of production we are doing now, would have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars a few years ago

Episode 9 “I would have said yes anyways” They met each other at a dinner, both with their former partners, but when true love arrives, it find its way. Last year he proposed in The Palace of Versailles, France.   But no wedding story comes easy… besides their undying love, Daniela had quite the story with her flowers. “I was crying on top of my dead flowers… literally”.   Find out what it is about, Joining Daniela and I on the 9th episode of Hey Bride Podcast. Podcast Highlights   Funny Story “We were having a spring Florida weather, so everybody came dressed for a beach-sunny day. Short dresses, short sleeves. But it ended up being cold as cold can be. 50-something degrees, raining and gray. Everybody was shivering and keeping close for body heat”   Stressful moment: “I didn’t want flowers at the beginning, so 4 days before I ordered them from NYC. They sent the flowers 2 days before. But I made the vases myself with clear p

Episode 8 Vanessa Joy: Because life is worth remembering I had the pleasure of speaking with the talented Vanessa Joy of www.VanessaJoy.com - Vanessa is a professional New Jersey wedding photographer capturing NJ, NY and destination weddings. She puts an emphasis on photojournalism wedding photos with a vintage and rustic flair, a affair that’s rooted on generations ago, leaving her with a vintage camera collection that has been passing down her family. Vanessa Joy focuses on creating a unique boutique experience with each of her couple's wedding photography. Vanessa is an experienced photographer who has captured everything from Jersey Shore Weddings and elegant formal affairs, to farm weddings with rustic wedding photos and vintage wedding details. She's also married to Rob Adams Films of www.RobAdamsFilms.com - Who we will have in our podcast soon! Podcast Highlights   Funny Story “Compliments to the chef, he must have a great stove”  - Capturing a story is much more than good

Episode 7 The Hunt is Over He likes hunting, but nothing like this final catch. Jayson and Kami have a lovely story and I'm glad I got to speak with Kami about it on episode 7. They got engaged during Christmas eve; their 2 daughters helped with the proposal and later on walked down the aisle carrying signs for their parents. Kent Manor, Maryland was the place for their beautiful March Wedding , and even thou it rained and snow the days before and after the wedding, time stood still and they had a perfect weather on March 15th. Podcast Highlights   Funny Story -The husband had a surprise dance plus the garter removal was really funny; people were spitting their drinks. -Titanic-style shot while taking bridal party picture.   Stressful moment: Make up and hair trial: it was a disaster! And had to go search for a new stylist.      Best decision:  Her best friend got ordained and she celebrated the wedding. It made their day very special as it was very personal.   Budget advi

Episode 6 Wedding Planner Magazine’s Editor You got engaged? Great! Now what? – Today we speak with Editor and CEO of The Wedding Planner Magazine, Carmelina Karas.   We talk about stress, bridesmaids, small details that we might overlook, budget, and more.   The Wedding Planner Magazine, an online and quarterly print magazine in the Greater Toronto Area and rapidly expanding to the rest of Ontario, connects local vendors with local brides, helping to solve current market inefficiencies in the wedding planning process. Podcast Highlights   Best advice when choosing a wedding magazine: Shop local magazines as you can see real weddings and actually use the vendors that advertise.   Best advice when stressing out: Remember the reason why you are getting married: the rest of your life with the man of your dreams. The rest is icing on the cake!   Things that brides might overlook: 1)Music: make sure to add some songs that mean something to you throughout the whole wedding not

Episode 5 From Match to Marriage Online dating has it’s reputation (God knows I have some stories), but there’s a saying: some people are the rule, some are the exception. Our Episode 5 guest, Kristin, is definitely the exception.   After a 12 hour date, she knew she was going to marry this guy she met online. And they were not joking: 2 weeks later the L word was said, a month after the ring was purchased and a month after that they were engaged. In only 8 months they were married. Today, 8 years later, They are stronger than ever, with two beautiful kids and planning on having a few more.     Join Kristin and I on the 5th episode of Hey Bride Podcast, where she shares her experiences as a bride. And trust me, you don’t want to miss this… Kristen is Hilarious! Podcast Highlights   Funny Story Here just a few: 1)   Father of the bride got a bloody nose during ceremony 2)   There were tornado sirens during the ceremony 3)   Unity