The Leap Lifestyle Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

This week on The Leap Lifestyle Podcast, I'm thrilled to welcome my friend Emma Seitz, owner and lead floral designer of Leta Verbena Floral Design, based in Los Angeles. Emma began her career as an attorney (!!), but transitioned into the hospitality industry as a wedding planner and florist, ultimately pivoting to solely focus on floral design.

In this episode, Emma and I discuss floral design from a budgetary perspective. First, we want you to know that every couple has a different perspective on their floral budget, and it's important to know that you have permission to have whatever budget works for you. Does that mean you will always get huge floral arrangements, no, but that does mean you have leeway to play with design options to find the perfect match between budget and the outcome you were hoping for when it comes to your wedding florals.

We also discuss best use of your floral budget by focusing on those florals that will be most prominently displayed at your wedding, as well as those florals that will be most photographed. Remember, your guests are not attending your wedding to see your flowers, they want to see you. That said, flowers are an important element to the overal aesthetic and finished feel of your day, so we're not at all saying you don't need flowers (spoiler alert, you do).

Emma and I touch on what homework you should do prior to having a consultation with a florist, why the magic begins at your floral mockup appointment, and so much more.

You can find Emma on the web at www.letaverbena.com and on instagram at www.instagram/letaverbena.

You can find Deanna at www.theleaplifestyle.com, www.deannanashevents.com, www.instagram/deannanashevents and www.instagram.com/theleaplifestyle.

As always, thank you so much for listening!

Hello friends! I've got a special episode of the pod this week welcoming my good friend and fellow wedding planner Holly Gray from Anything But Gray Events.
This week, Holly and I get real about wedding budgets, why we sometimes (kindly) say no, respecting your wedding vendor boundaries, and so much more!

While this episode may sound spicy at times, our approach is filled with respect for the couples we work with. Bottom line: We have years of experience as wedding planners, and we'd love to help you plan an incredible wedding, if you let us. Listen anywhere you find great podcasts for more of our conversation.

Where to find Holly:
Website www.anythingbutgrayevents.com
Instagram www.instagram.com/anythingbutgrayevents.  @anythingbutgrayevents
Facebook www.facebook.com/AnythingButGrayEvents

Where to find Deanna:
Websites: www.theleaplifestyle.com and www.deannanashevents.com
Instagram www.instagram.com/theleaplifestyle and www.instagram.com/deannanashevents @theleaplifestyle @deannanashevents
Facebook www.facebook.com/DeannaNashEvents

As always, thanks for listening.

This week on The Leap Lifestyle Podcast, I'm thrilled to welcome Wedding Planner and Designer Robin Baab Olascoaga from Los Angeles based RMBO Collective to the show. I have long admired Robin and her beautiful, unique wedding designs, and today she's sharing with us how to approach your wedding design.

Some of the highlights of our conversation include:
--Be original in with your wedding design! Almost every couple we work with tells us they want to create an original design, but it's very easy to fall into the trap of finding inspiration and recreating it. Robin's advice, use inspiration to foster new ideas, and eventually your wedding will be inspiration for future couples.

--Thinking big when beginning the design process. She explains how she likes to begin big, and then funnel down into the elements that really suit who you are as a couple.

--Visual Tools and how they can help communicate vision when it comes to wedding design.

--Is a Wedding Designer the same as a Wedding Planner? Robin explains the difference!

You can learn more about Robin and RMBO Collective on her website, and also via instagram @rmbocollective.

For more episodes and additional content, visit The Leap Lifestyle Website, as well as our instagram @theleaplifestyle.

As always, thanks for listening!

This week on The Leap Lifestyle Podcast, we're chatting with Leah Weinberg. Leah is the Owner and Creative Director of New York City-based wedding planning firm Color Pop Events and the Author of The Wedding Roller Coaster: Keeping Your Relationships Intact Through the Ups and Downs.

One of the most common stressors of the wedding planning process is dealing with family issues. Whether those issues  are concerns over the budget, or fundamental differences arising out of a difference of opinion on your wedding vision, Leah offers us great insight and advice on how to approach working with family while you plan your big day.

You can find Leah's Book, The Wedding Roller Coaster: Keeping Your Relationships Intact Through the Ups and Downs here.  Widely lauded for it's insight, Leah's book is a must-have for couples and wedding vendors alike.

As always, thanks for listening!

Wedding Day Photography - the most tangible takeaway from your wedding day are the photographs that capture the magic and memories as they happen. But did you know that pre-planning with your photographer can lead to both incredible images AND peace of mind?

In this week's episode of The Leap Lifestyle Podcast, we're chatting with Elizabeth from Elizabeth Victoria Photography, and she's sharing amazing tips and ideas for planning your wedding day photography. From shot lists to first looks, centering yourself at the altar, wrangling family for photos, and knowing your own personal photography bandwidth, Elizabeth is dropping ideas for you to consider as you approach your wedding day.

You can find Elizabeth on instagram at @elizabeth.victoria.photography, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/elizabeth.victoria.photography and on the web at www.elizabethvictoriaphotography.com .

And please visit The Leap Lifestyle on instagram @theleaplifestyle and on the web at www.theleaplifestyle.com .

As always, thanks for listening!

This week on The Leap Lifestyle Podcast, we're thrilled to sit down with Samantha Kin, owner and lead wedding planner of Los Angeles based To Be Loved Events.

Samantha is a pro at fostering amazing relationships with clients and vendors alike, and in this episode we chatted about selecting the perfect vendors for your wedding. On the surface, planning a wedding may look something like:  hire great vendors, have a great party. But how do you find those great vendors? Samantha and I share our tried and true methods for finding amazing wedding pros at any budget level, including:
--The "right" order for hiring vendors
--How many vendors in each category you should interview (it's fewer than you may think)
--Who to go to for recommendations for great vendors
--Why honesty is the best policy when interviewing and hiring vendors
--Expectations for your vendors, and why that is a two-way street,
and so much more! This episode is jam packed with information that you can use immediately as you plan your big day.

You can find Samantha on the web at To Be Loved Events, as well as the following social channels:
Instagram @tobelovedevents
Facebook www.facebook.com/tobelovedevents
Pinterest www.pinterest.com/tobelovedevents

And be sure to check our website for fresh content and new shows weekly.
www.theleaplifestyle.com

As always, thanks for listening!

This week on The Leap Lifestyle Podcast, we're thrilled to have Danielle Pasternak, owner and wedding planner at DPNAK Events, and co-host of the Put a Ring On It  wedding podcast.

In this episode, Danielle shares with us why having a wedding is a luxury, and why it is so important to hire professionals to protect your investment in your wedding. By re-framing your wedding and approaching it as a luxury experience for you and your guests, there is a natural perspective shift that leads to a more enjoyable planning process overall. After all, you deserve to have fun, be present, and enjoy every minute of your wedding day with as little stress  and worry as possible.

Danielle also walks us through what a Coordinator or Wedding Manager is, and how hiring someone to be in charge on your wedding day (other than you, your mom, your bridesmaids) can positively enhance the experience you take away from your wedding day. As Danielle so astutely points out, a wedding day is a 24-hour day like any other day, where some things are going to go as planned, some not quite as planned, and having someone on your team to help manage the "not quite as planned" aspects so that you can focus on ALL the things that are wonderful about your wedding day, is so important.

You can find Danielle on the web at www.dpnakevents.com and on instagram @dpnak.
Also, be sure to tune in for more amazing wedding planning advice on Danielle's podcast Put a Ring On It.

And, you can find The Leap Lifestyle at www.theleaplifestyle.com and on instagram @theleaplifestyle. 

As always, thanks for listening!

This week on the Leap Lifestyle Podcast, I'm chatting with DJ/MC Matt Gudis from Who's That DJ about the important role music plays at your wedding.

Have you ever questioned whether you need music at your wedding? Well Matt and I are both here to tell you that you one thousand percent need music! Music is the heartbeat of every celebration, especially for weddings! In this episode, Matt and I cover:

• How Music sets the tone for every part of your wedding day, and how the nostalgia of music adds to the wonderful memories of any celebration.
• How to choose music for your wedding day. Pro Tip: Lean on your DJ for help! They are the pros! 
• Should you let your guests make music requests at your wedding? You'll have to listen to find out!
• Why the importance of what DJs do is often overlooked.
• Party time - what to expect from dance sets and how DJs help you set that mood and keep the party going!

We cover these topics and so much more! Tune in today on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Spotify.

You can find Matt on the web at www.whosthatdj.com and on instagram @whosthatdj

Don't forget to visit The Leap Lifestyle each week for fresh content, and say hello on instagram @theleaplifestyle

As always, thanks for listening!

This week on the Leap Lifestyle Podcast, we're chatting with Trista Hidalgo of Trista Maja Photography and  Dynamic Elopements.

In this episode, Trista and navigate the fine points of how a photographer plans adventure and elopement wedding shoots. If you're thinking this type of wedding is for you, you'll want to hear how Trista is a great resource for adventuring, and includes tons of research, from scouting the best locations for optimal light, to finding the best spot for a quick snack or amazing dinner.

Trista is one of the most genuine people I know, and that translates into her business as well. She fosters genuine and authentic connections with her couples, going above and beyond attending to every detail on your big day. So much so that she is often referred to as a bonus bridesmaid or grooms-person.

Trista began her career as a dog agility photographer, and that of course means she loves dogs. In this episode we chatted about including your pet in your wedding day photography, and she shared a few tips and tricks to getting great photos of your furry loved one.

You can find Trista on Instagram @tristamajaphotography and @dynamicelopements, and on the web at www.tristamajaphotography.com and www.dynamicelopements.com

And, be sure to visit our website www.theleaplifestyle.com for fresh content weekly, or find us on the 'gram @theleaplifestyle .

As always, thanks for listening!

This week on The Leap Lifestyle Podcast, we're chatting with wedding planner Renee Sabo of Boston-based  Urban Soiree and the host of The Confetti Hour Podcast. Renee provides full service planning for couples on the East Coast and beyond, and this week we're discussing the importance of determining a wedding budget that is right for you and the style of wedding you want to have.

In this episode, we dive into when you should begin discussing your wedding budget, steps to take to prepare yourself to have the all-important wedding budget discussion, tips for tracking your wedding budget and payment, how your guest count affects your wedding budget, and so much more! Tune in today to take advantage of this budget master's best tips.

You can find Renee on instagram  @urban_soiree and on the web at www.urbansoireeboston.com. And be  sure to tune into her podcast The Confetti Hour.

You can find this episode and more wedding content on our website, The Leap Lifestyle. As always, thanks for listening!