Best Made Weddings® Podcast Directory
Below is a complete directory of all of the past episodes of our podcast,
Best Made Weddings®, a wedding planning podcast by Best Made Videos®
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 0
A wedding planning podcast brought to you by Best Made Videos®. Our first podcast! Who we are, what we do, and what this podcast will be about. Thanks for listening, and stay tuned!!
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 1 (Wedding Planner Roundtable)
Our first official episode is here!! I sat down with 4 incredible Seattle wedding planners to answer your questions about COVID-19, rescheduling, the general state of the wedding industry and more!!!
BreeAnn Gale of Pink Blossom Events, Jen Owens of Jen Leslie Events, Lori Losee of Elegant Affairs and Rebecca Grant of New Creations Wedding Design & Coordination joined me for this education roundtable.
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Thanks for all of your love and support as we begin on this fun new adventure!!! . If you have a topic for an upcoming episode you would like us to discuss, please head over to www.bestmadevideos.com/survey to get started!
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 2 (Wedding Invitation FAQs)
If you have to postpone or reschedule your wedding, how should you handle save the dates / invitations? If you have to reduce your wedding guest list, how should you convey that to your guests? What is the etiquette about inviting guests to a bridal shower / bachelorette party if due to COVID-19, you can no longer invite them to your wedding? We tackle all of these questions and more in our Episode 2 roundtable of the Best Made Weddings® Podcast!!!
Camille Robinson of Robinson Creative House, Holly Goodman Grundel of Sablewood Paper Company, and Stephanie Clarke of Chloe Clarke, The Art of Paper joined me to tackle all of your questions relating to wedding invitations and much more!!
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 3 (All About Livestreaming)
Today on the Best Made Weddings® podcast we're talking all about livestreaming! If you are interesting in livestreaming your wedding due to part of your guest list being unable to attend, what do you need to know? What about music copyright, how does that work legally with livestreaming? What different options exist for sharing your wedding virtually with your family and friends??
We tackle all of these questions and more with Adam Tiegs of Adam's DJ Service and Jason Walsh of U.S. Disc Jockey Association / Bay Deejays who were so gracious to join me for this roundtable!!
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 4 (Wedding Venue Roundtable)
Today on the Best Made Weddings® Podcast we've assembled a roundtable of fantastic wedding venues to answer all of your questions related to rescheduling / postponing, guest safety at venues moving forward with COVID-19, tips for planning your wedding and more!
A special thanks to Briana Nasman of Orting Manor, Kellie Blair of Historic 1625 Tacoma Place, Kimi Chadwick of Craven Farm Inc. and Rebecca Venturi of Salty's on Alki for joining me for this educational roundtable / discussion!!!
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 5 (Wedding DJ Roundtable)
What is my wedding ceremony going to look like now? What should I do about dancing at my wedding reception?? What are some other ideas for entertaining guests during my wedding and how can a DJ help???
Lately, there's been a ton of questions being asked about wedding ceremonies, receptions, and alternative forms of entertainment. So, we assembled a killer roundtable of DJ's for our latest episode of the Best Made Weddings® Podcast!!
Alan Chitlik of Puget Sound DJ, DJ Gumbeaux of Magnolia Rhapsody DJ, and Greg Lowder of Affairs To Remember DJ Entertainment joined me for this educational roundtable, enjoy!!!
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 6 (What's it like photographing weddings right now?)
What's it like photographing weddings right now? What's it like attending weddings right now?? What's it like being a vendor at weddings right now??? I've seen lots of these types of questions posted online lately, so I gathered three incredible wedding photographers to find out the answers for our latest episode of the Best Made Weddings® Podcast!!!
Amy Soper of Amelia Soper Photography, Rebecca Anne Mortensen of Rebecca Anne Photography and Rebecca Phillips of Rebecca Jane Photography joined me to discuss their experiences and to hopefully answer some of your questions.
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 7 (Makeup Artist Roundtable)
What's it like as a makeup artist right now? What are some things you need to think about when hiring a makeup artist for your wedding? How can you set your makeup artist up for success for your wedding to ensure everyone stays safe?
We've assembled four incredible Seattle makeup artists for our latest episode of the Best Made Weddings® podcast to answer all of these questions, and to provide their own insights into the life of a wedding makeup artist in summer 2020.
Anne Timss of Anne Timss Makeup and Hair, Korrine Claxton of Korrine C. Makeup Artist & Esthetician, Kat St John of Kat St. John Makeup & Styling and Michelle Wight of Michelle Wight Makeup Artistry joined me for this educational roundtable!
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 8 ("What now?" Emergency Podcast)
"What do we do now?" That's a question I've seen posted a lot online since the new regulations were announced on Thursday. While we don't and probably never will have all of the answers, I thought it would be helpful to gather some creative minds to start a discussion about how to re-frame the idea of wedding planning moving forward in 2020
Thank you SO much to Callie Hansen-Holcomb of Holcomb Weddings & Events, Kellie Blair of Historic 1625 Tacoma Place and Shiloh Zipp Abbott of The Bubbly Soirée for joining me for this roundtable. This is just one of the MANY conversations that are currently happening between couples, venues, vendors, etc. and I hope this episode of the Best Made Weddings® Podcast can be just one of many voices involved in this discussion
Thanks and take care!!
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 9 (Bartending Roundtable)
With all of the newest regulations coming out about weddings, what was originally planned to be a bartending FAQ video turned into a really honest discussion about what it's like working at and planning weddings in 2020 and beyond.
I want to thank Jan Fernandez of Party on the Rocks, Nigel Lindsey of Revolution by the Barrel and Rion McConnehey of My Perfect Bartender for coming onto the Best Made Weddings® Podcast for what I think is one of our best discussions to date!
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 10 (Wedding Officiant Roundtable)
With lots of the wedding planning discussion understandably focusing on what we CAN’T do right now, I wanted to have a discussion focusing on what couples CAN do to celebrate their special day. I gathered three wedding officiants who focus on creating unique one-of-a-kind wedding ceremonies to see how we can still make your wedding celebration special, in spite of everything else thats going on.
I want to thank Chanelle Carlin, Elaine Way and Rev. Ray Van Winkle for joining me on the Best Made Weddings® Podcast for this fun and hopefully helpful discussion!
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 11 (Micro Weddings)
Today on the Best Made Weddings® Podcast we're talking all about micro weddings. What are they? How should you create your timeline? What do you do AFTER the wedding ceremony? How can you have the most successful micro wedding ceremony possible??
I gathered three stellar wedding photographers to answer all of these questions and to give their own insights about the benefits of having a small, legal wedding ceremony right now. Thank you so much to Dan Manning of Dan Manning Photography, Irene Jones of IJPhoto.net and Satya Curcio of Satya Curcio Photography for your time and expertise!
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 12 (Talking with Married Couples)
Today on the Best Made Weddings® podcast I wanted to flip the script and chat with some couples who recently got married!! Why did they chose to get married right now? What was the most challenging part of getting married in 2020?? How did they follow all of the regulations on their wedding day and what advice would they have for other engaged couples who want to get married right now???
A special thanks to Lauren, Kelly, Bri and Kas who really opened up about their experiences, disappointments, feelings of accomplishment and more as they walked me through their entire wedding planning process and what advice they have for other engaged couples moving forward with wedding planning in 2020.
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 13 (Talking About Pricing)
Today on the Best Made Weddings® podcast we're covering a touchy subject, pricing. What kinds of "deals" should couples be wary of when it comes to securing their wedding vendors? How can couples get the "best bang" for their buck when trying to plan a wedding on a budget? How should vendors go about offering deals and discounts in a way that helps them find quality clients, but also doesn't undercut their competition in an unfair way? Oh YES, we cover all these topics and much, much more!!!
I want to thank Alan Chitlik of Puget Sound DJ, Irene Jones of IJ Photo and Jennifer Tai of Jennifer Tai Photo Artistry for joining me for this extremely sensitive subject. We are just four voices speaking on this important matter, but I hope we did an acceptable job getting our opinions across. Thanks for listening!!
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 14 (So are we posting photos right now?)
“Are we posting photos/videos on social media right now?” Bizarrely enough, that’s a question I’ve seen floating around online a lot lately. With the various degrees of regulations being followed, along with the sometimes jarring look of photos taken at socially distant weddings, some photographers, videographers and heck even other wedding vendors are left scratching their heads about what to do…
I want to thank Amy Soper of Amelia Soper Photography, Jamie Buckley of Jamie Buckley Photography and Jenny GG of Jenny GG photography for helping to shed some light on yet another FUN wrinkle we are facing in 2020!
Best Made Weddings - Episode 15 (Wedding Planning Well-Being)
Today on the Best Made Weddings podcast we're talking all about "wedding planning well-being" and how couples can best prepare themselves for marriage with their partner. How can you improve communication skills? If you've had to delay your wedding how can you use the extra time given to truly make sure you have the wedding of your dreams?? How can you set you and your partner up for a successful relationship now, and for years to come???
This is a fantastic episode and one that I believe will be of great value for couples planning weddings now, and even when everything is back to some sort of "new normal." Grace MacLeod is a wedding officiant who also specializes in pre-marital counseling (among other things) and walks us through some verbal exercises you can do at home, to help strengthen the relationship you have with your partner either before you get married, or after. Thanks Grace for "gracing us" with your presence, lol!!!
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 16 Talkin' Sweets!
Today on the Best Made Weddings podcast we're talking all about SWEETS, and catching up with two of the sweetest bakers we know!! Thanks to Holly Stark of Hollywood Baked Goods and Kayla Heffner of Seatown Sweets for joining me to talk about fun dessert ideas for your wedding or event!
Whether you are having a small intimate wedding ceremony or a small reduced guest count wedding reception, there are plenty of safe and fun ways to make sure your guests get a tasty treat or a fun surprise to take home with them at the end of the night!!
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 17 (Elevating "Zoom Weddings")
2020 has seen the rise of the often feared and sometimes dreaded "Zoom Wedding." Although a great way to include family and friends who are unable to attend your wedding ceremony or reception, audio/video issues as well as challenges trying to navigate the various online video messaging platforms have left many couples shaking their heads, unwilling to try.
I want to thank Alan Chitlik of Puget Sound DJ and Greg Lowder of Affairs to Remember for joining me on the Best Made Weddings podcast to troubleshoot some common issues and for trying to figure out how to elevate the "Zoom Wedding."
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 18 (How to Have Excellent Photos Taken of You)
Whether during a wedding, engagement session, family session, boudoir session or having a headshot taken, feeling confident and having good photographs take of you is something we all struggle with. I sat with Ben Lucas of NOM Creative on the Best Made Weddings® Podcast to chat through some tips and advice for having excellent photos taken of you, no matter what type of photograph it is, and no matter who you have as your photographer!
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 19 (Saving the "2021 Wedding")
A common (and difficult) decision many couples have had to make over the last few months is to get married now, and then postpone their wedding reception to 2021 or beyond. But what does that "delayed" wedding reception look like for the couple AND for the guests? How can you recapture the emotions you felt on your wedding day with a reception that's over a year away??
I want to thank Alan Chitlik of Puget Sound DJ, Chanelle Carlin a wedding officiant, and Sara Haverstraw of It's Your Day Events for sitting down with me to brainstorm some ideas that couples can begin thinking about NOW, for when it comes time to truly celebrate their wedding day LATER. We're going to make the best of things and "save the 2021 wedding!"
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 20 (Making the Most of Your Time at Home)
Sometimes when you feel like you have all the time in the world to do something, it feels like you have no time at all; and being stuck at home makes it hard to stay motivated on doing the proper self-improvement on your business that you should be doing. As we wind down this "2020 wedding season" you might be wondering what are some things you can do to improve your business heading into 2021 and beyond.
I want to thank Kelsey Knutson, a wedding vendor in her own right as well as a business coach, for stopping by to give us 5 key ideas to work on (as well as bonus content) to make the most of our time at home during the upcoming potentially "slower" months! Even if you don't own your own business, I think there's some valuable content here for everyone!!
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 21 (Grieving Your Wedding)
The year 2020 has caused tremendous amounts of stress, anger and disappointment for EVERYONE, including those planning a wedding. But how do we handle that sadness? How do we plan for a wedding when we don't know what the future will hold?
These are all challenging questions and I don't know if we answered ANY of them, but I would like to thank Alan Chitlik of Puget Sound DJ, Annemarie Juhlian a wedding officiant, and Jenny GG of Jenny GG photography for joining me to talk through some of these questions!
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 22 (Thinking Outside the "Summer Wedding")
Although the Pacific Northwest is a beautiful place to work and live, there is definitely a "wedding season" that exists somewhere between May and October. With all of the postponements and reschedulings that have been happening in 2020, there is a very real possibility that you might have to choose a new off-season or off-peak date to hold your wedding, and that date might fall outside of the traditional summer weddings months.
I want to thank Callie Holcomb (a wedding planner with Holcomb Weddings & Events), Kellie Blair (a wedding venue manager with Historic 1625 Tacoma Place), and Rebecca Phillips (a wedding photographer with Rebecca Jane Photography) for joining me to give some tips and tricks that you should keep in mind if you are planning a wedding celebration outside of the traditional summer wedding season.
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 23 (Creating the "Perfect" Wedding Timeline Pt. 1)
In part 1 of a likely multi-part series, we set out to create the "perfect" wedding timeline. When should you schedule your ceremony (depending on what time of year/day of the week you get married)? How long do people actually dance for at a wedding reception? Should I do a first look and WHY should you almost always do a first look? We tackle all of these questions and many, MANY more!!!
I want to thank Alan Chitlik (Puget Sound DJ), Irene Jones (IJ Photo) and Rebecca Grant (New Creations Wedding Design and Coordination) for sharing their time and expertise on the podcast!
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 24 (Making a Plan for Those "2021 Weddings")
With all the constant changes in rules and regulations in the event industry (especially those that just went in place today) it's always good to have a clear and consistent safety policy as it pertains to your upcoming wedding day. Making sure everyone is on the same page including your friends, family and wedding vendors will ensure you have the most successful wedding possible.
Elisabeth Kramer is a wedding planner out of Portland, and joined me to talk all things pertaining to the current challenges in having weddings to go through some things you should be talking about and thinking about if you're still planning on getting married in 2020 and most likely 2021.
*This episode was recorded on 11-9-2020
Link to her policy - www.elisabethkramer.com/unwed/covid-19-wedding-policy-template
Altared event link - www.altaredpdx.com
Cindy Savage's article about not giving/asking for refunds - www.aislelesstraveled.com/covid-weddings
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 25 (Wedding Toast Do's and Don'ts)
Weddings toasts are an integral part of any wedding celebration. They are a chance for those closest to you to share a funny story about how you met and why you two are perfect for each other...BUT they can also drag on, take too long and draw attention away from an otherwise cheerful celebration.
I gathered three of the smartest people I know, Alan Chitlik (Puget Sound DJ), Greg Lowder (Affairs to Remember DJ Entertainment) and Irene Jones (IJ Photo) to talk through some wedding toast DO's, and maybe more importantly some wedding toast DON'Ts...
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 26 (A Podcast About Blogging! Alan Chitlik Takeover...)
Today on the Best Made Weddings® podcast, it's a takeover!! Alan Chitlik (Puget Sound DJ) interviews Lori Losee (Elegant Affairs) and Reid Johnson (Best Made Videos®) about everyone's favorite topic, BLOGGING!!!
They talk about Do's and Don'ts, tips for getting the most out of your blogs and what to do if you just don't have the ENERGY to blog anymore...wah! wah! Thanks again Alan for stepping in as host and I will graciously take back my podcast next week...
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 27 (The 2021 Wedding Season and The Vaccine)
Last week NBC News ran an article talking about the potential for a more "normal" 2021 wedding season with the impending rollout of the vaccine. This spurred much discussion in the wedding vendor groups, some with optimistic thoughts while others remaining pessimistic. We gathered a great group to share their thoughts and to hopefully add to the discussion of what the 2021 wedding season with look like with a vaccine on the horizon.
Many thanks to Alan Chitlik (Puget Sound DJ), Holly Shanelle (a bride and realtor), Loren Callahan (Alante Photography), Rebecca Grant (New Creations Weddings and Twin Willow Gardens), and Shawn Whittemore (Event Team Entertainment) for taking the time to join me for this discussion.
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 28 (The 2021 Wedding Season and The Vaccine Pt. 2)
How are you feeling about getting married in 2021? This is a follow-up discussion to our last episode where we sat down with wedding vendors to get their thoughts, feelings, and potential optimism for a 2021 wedding season. This time, we talk to COUPLES to get their thoughts!
Whether you are recently engaged or have been planning your wedding for some time now, this is a great check-in to see how other couples are feeling and navigating through these unprecedented waters. Thanks again to Claire, Mike, Holly, Joe, Jocelyn, Dan, Mercedes and Bradon for joining me!!
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 29 (2021 Floral Trends)
With "micro weddings" and intimate elopements on the rise, the need for breathtaking floral arrangements either for your ceremony or for your bouquet/boutonnière is more important than ever before. With a smaller guest count, you might even have more money in your budget to make that happen.
I want to thank Gina Thresher (From The Ground Up Floral) and Rebecca Raymond (Rebecca Raymond Floral) for joining me to discuss new 2021 floral trends you can use to elevate your wedding ceremony/celebration and how to make the most of your budget when it comes to hiring a florist.
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 30 (I Just Got Engaged, Now What? Photography)
One of the first and most important wedding vendors people hire for their weddings is their photographer, but where do you even start? We can all agree that doing generic posts on online groups might yield mixed results, so where should you go and what questions should you ask?
A special thanks to Aspen Jeannè (Aspen Jeannè Photography), Chelsea Abril (Chelsea Abril Photography), and Jamie Buckley (Jamie Buckley Photography) for joining me to help answer the question - "I just got engaged, now what?" when it comes to finding a photographer.
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 31 (You Can't Dance If You Want To...)
In all honesty, there probably won't be large group dancing at weddings in Washington State through the end of 2021. What does that mean to your wedding? Is it worth getting married if you can't dance at your wedding reception? I had a very frank conversation with three of the smartest DJ's I know about what this means for weddings being planned through the rest of the year.
Thank you so much to Alan Chitlik (Puget Sound DJ), Greg Lowder (Affairs to Remember DJ Entertainment) and Shawn Whittemore (Event Team Entertainment) for coming on the podcast to share their thoughts and expertise.
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 32 (Contracts and Rescheduling)
It's time for everybody's favorite topic - contracts and rescheduling!!!
Cindy Savage of Aisle Less Traveled joins me to discuss refunds and rescheduling fees as it relates to the current "new normal" that we are all living in when it comes to wedding planning. We discuss both sides of the situation - why you might want to refund or reschedule and also why your wedding vendor might be refusing to give you a refund - it's a FUN discussion for sure!!!
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 33 (I Just Got Engaged, Now What? - DJ's)
Today we're continuing our series of hiring specific vendors for your weddings with DJ's! How should you go about selecting your DJ for your wedding day? What information should you have before inquiring? What questions should you be sure to ask and how should you make sure your potential DJ has all of the equipment they need? We tackle all of this and more!
I want to thank Alan Chitlik (Puget Sound DJ), Greg Lowder (Affairs to Remember DJ Entertainment) and Mari Odette Kanotz (A Amore' Events & Entertainment) for joining me to share their knowledge and expertise!
Best Made Weddings - Episode 34 (Working Through Divorce)
Sometimes it can be difficult being in the "business of weddings" while going through your own personal or professional struggles. Rebecca Grant of New Creations Wedding Design & Coordination and Twin Willow Gardens joins me to talk through her own past of dealing with a divorce, and how she worked through that and came out better on the other side.
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 35 (I Just Got Engaged, Now What? - Officiants)
Today we continue our "I Just Got Engaged, Now What?" series with wedding officiants!
What should you look for in your wedding officiant? How much of your ceremony do you need to have decided before you reach out?? How can you balance having a "spiritual" yet "trendy" wedding ceremony in 2021??? We tackle all these questions and many more!
A big thanks to Chanelle Carlin, Elaine Way and Rev. Ray Van Winkle for joining me to share their thoughts, expertise and time!
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 36 (All About Tents!)
This episode of the Best Made Weddings® podcast is all about tents!
With the ever-changing weather in the Pacific Northwest, as well as all of the outdoor seating regulations that couples are facing when planning their upcoming weddings, having a suitable covered outdoor area is something that many are considering and researching.
A special thanks to Mallory Bailey of CORT Party Rental and Scott Alexander of Alexander Party Rentals for joining me to talk all about tents and the options that you have for your day!
Best Made Weddings® - Episode 37 "Why Can't I Get the RAW Photos?"
"Why can't I get the RAW photos?" - It's a question every photographer has gotten at least once and most clients have thought about asking at least once. But why shouldn't photographers give their clients the RAW photos, and why don't clients NEED them in the first place?
I invited Dan Manning of Dan Manning Photography, Jean-Marcus Strole of Jean-Marcus Strole Photography and Jennifer Tai of Jennifer Tai Photo Artistry onto the podcast to give their thoughts on the matter and to share their expertise.
Best Made Weddings - Episode 38 ("Drafting" the Perfect Wedding Reception Playlist)
Here's a fun one today!
I gathered three local wedding DJs and we all "drafted" our perfect wedding reception playlists.
This is a fun experiment and I really hope you enjoy it!
Follow along on the Google Doc!
Thanks to Alan Chitlik of Puget Sound DJ, Greg Lowder of Affairs to Remember DJ Entertainment and David Schwartz of Orion Entertainment for going through this exercise with me!