Wrapping Up 2024: Wedding Trends, Tips, and Favorite Moments
What a year it’s been! August and I are taking a look back at our favorite moments, key takeaways, and all the fun we've had with our amazing guests in 2024.
As we close out 2024, August and I reflect on some of the most memorable moments from this season. From heartfelt conversations about managing wedding stress with Brady Flores to the practical yet fun insights from Ginger of The Flower House, this year was packed with valuable advice and unforgettable guest appearances.
We dove into unique topics like courthouse weddings with Jen from Weirdo Wedding Photography and brought on industry pros like Chuck to reveal the magic (and logistics!) of Disney weddings. Whether it was kids at weddings or incorporating pets into your big day, our discussions brought new perspectives and plenty of laughs.
This year also introduced new segments, like hearing from recent brides like August’s friend Meg, and answering listener questions. These episodes highlighted the challenges and triumphs of wedding planning, offering practical tips for couples navigating this exciting time.
And of course, we shared our own personal favorites, behind-the-scenes stories, and moments that made us laugh, cry, and appreciate the joy of weddings all over again.
Highlights:
- The cutest episode ever: Kids at weddings through a 10-year-old’s eyes.
- Real talk about DIY wedding pitfalls with Ginger from The Flower House.
- Practical tips for bringing your furry friends to your big day with Veronica from Pawfect4U.
- How courthouse weddings can be just as magical as grand celebrations, with Jen.
- Insights from Disney DJ Chuck about creating a seamless and magical guest experience.
- Reliving listener-favorite episodes and why they resonated with so many.
Have wedding questions you’d like us to answer? Email us at podcast@fantasysound.com or send us a DM on Instagram! Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share the show with friends—it’s the best way to help more couples plan their perfect day.
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Transcript
Kevin Dennis (0:1.004)
ged, How Do I Get Married for:August Yocher (0:2.936)
very well.
August Yocher (0:15.096)
I did it very quietly.
Kevin Dennis (0:18.066)
All right, we're ready to go. So this one August and I decided that it would be really fun to do a recap of the year. first off, before we get going August, I want to thank you for coming on this journey with me of, you know, the now that I'm engaged, how do I get married? And thank you for stepping up to be our co-host. So it's I think it's we were having a lot of fun doing this and we have a lot of fun talking about the podcast outside of the podcast. So we say the word podcast in our office quite a bit. It's a lot of fun. But thank you.
It was, think, for those of you that don't know, August arrived on the scene at Fantasy Sound in June. And it was just as the podcast was going to launch. And she's our brand manager. So she was the one that really pushes it over the edge. Also, if you follow us on Instagram, TikTok, any of that stuff, she's also the one that makes fun of me and makes me look old and silly. And she gets paid to do it. I like that. So.
August Yocher (1:10.114)
Yep. Yeah, it's best job ever.
Kevin Dennis (1:15.218)
I know. So we went back through and looked at all our episodes while we love all our episodes. Our episodes are like my children. I don't have a favorite, unless your name is Ava. with that said, we have so many little nuggets. And we want to first off thank everyone that was part of the first year of Now That Engage, How Do We Get Married? But I want to first, do you have, I'll let you go first.
August Yocher (1:27.754)
Mm-hmm.
Kevin Dennis (1:45.034)
Favorite is going to be that the fact I'll start I'm gonna start August. Are you okay with that? Okay, so So when my daughter found out that we were doing a podcast, know She wanted to be on the podcast and I go, what do you know about weddings? I go if you can come up with something about weddings, know I'll I go I'll let you on it literally a couple weeks went by and she pitched me literally full-on pitched me on the idea that she could come on the podcast and talk about kids
August Yocher (1:48.992)
Yeah, go ahead. Yeah, you go start.
Kevin Dennis (2:14.600)
at weddings. And so we, of course, August and I interviewed her and it was, I was a lot of fun. And I'm going to be honest with you, she knocked it out of the park. I thought she was going to be horrible and we were going to have to cover her for the whole episode. I mean, she's only 10, but she really, she did a great job, you know? And so taking back, was one of my, I loved all the episodes all, but that was a lot of fun because it was extra special to me. But with that said, we were talking about kids at weddings.
August Yocher (2:30.432)
Yeah.
Kevin Dennis (2:42.604)
So what do we get out of that one August, what do you think?
August Yocher (2:45.690)
no idea that she pitched you the topic. That's awesome. No, wow. No, and honestly, like, I've told a lot of people about that episode and vice versa have heard a lot of people talk about that episode, not only because it's cute, but because I think they're, like I said on the episode, there's no better perspective on kids at weddings than from a kid themselves. So I thought that was really cool.
Kevin Dennis (2:48.446)
Yeah, you didn't? Yeah, it was all her.
Kevin Dennis (3:11.445)
Yeah.
August Yocher (3:13.474)
But yeah, but it was just kind of cool to see it through Ryan's eyes. You know, like, kind of takes you back to when you were a kid. And I think when I was a kid, I don't know if I attended a whole lot of weddings. Like I think I went to one of my cousin's weddings on a beach or something. And I remember the dancing part being my favorite. And us just, you know, kept going up to the DJ to request stupid songs. And the adults getting mad at us. Yeah.
Kevin Dennis (3:17.483)
Mm-hmm.
Kevin Dennis (3:30.603)
Ooh.
Kevin Dennis (3:38.225)
Oh, you're one of those.
August Yocher (3:40.748)
Yeah, so Shirley Temple in hand requesting songs, but no, I loved her take on it and she had a lot of really great points. I know some of our highlights were having an outdoor space for kids or just like a designated area for them. And Ryan was a big fan of food, so she definitely got into all of her favorite foods during that episode too.
Kevin Dennis (3:59.690)
Yes. Mac and cheese. You got to have mac and cheese. That was one of the things that she was, yeah, she made a big deal. She obviously went to a wedding and had mac and cheese because that was one of the things she kept talking about. So that was really, really fun. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And she obviously was very pro invite kids, even though that could be, again, the touchy subject. But she was also available for hire if you needed a kid or a flower girl or a ring.
August Yocher (4:13.730)
It was immediate, yeah, definitely on her mind.
August Yocher (4:20.138)
Mm-hmm.
Kevin Dennis (4:28.160)
Ring Girl or whatever you need. She was available for hire.
August Yocher (4:32.174)
Yeah, I believe she said $5,000, but then you said, no, Ryan, that's too much, and then she raised you a million.
Kevin Dennis (4:38.176)
Yeah. Yes. But I'm sure for good $50 or $100, you can have Ryan show up at your wedding as well. anyway, but that was a lot of fun. there was, think the top three takeaways we took was balancing pros and cons of having kids at a wedding, practical tips for making weddings kid-friendly. So we went through the kid spaces, menus, even hiring an on-site child care. We talked about that as well.
And then effectively communication about your child policies, whether your wedding is kid-friendly or not kid-friendly. And so it's funny because looking back, my wedding was not kid-friendly. I did not have kids at my wedding. would have been pissed off. with that said, but it also pissed off a lot of our family as well. But we were working on space. So it was either.
August Yocher (5:6.520)
Mm-hmm.
August Yocher (5:15.276)
Yeah.
August Yocher (5:21.064)
What would Ryan say?
Ha ha ha ha!
Kevin Dennis (5:34.492)
X the kids or X some of our friends. So that's what a decision we had to make. So again, tough decisions that we had to do. So all right, girl.
August Yocher (5:39.651)
Yeah.
Yeah, and I think if you're listening to this episode and you haven't listened to the kid episode yet, I think it is a good thing to do episode five. Just because I think that was one of my biggest takeaways personally. And when I've heard about weddings in the past, it's always the communication aspect of if kids are allowed or not. I feel like I've heard so many wedding horror stories or family dynamic issues because
Kevin Dennis (5:48.575)
Episode five.
Kevin Dennis (6:5.173)
Mm-hmm.
August Yocher (6:11.256)
Kids being there or not being there was not communicated effectively and feelings got hurt and vice versa. So I think that was definitely a big part of it. So if you are considering kids, episode five is a great listen.
Kevin Dennis (6:25.556)
Yep, head on back. All right, your turn now. Take us down an episode,
August Yocher (6:30.390)
All right, well, not to go in order or anything, but I think episode six was one of my favorites only because it was our dog episode. We had all of our puppies there with us. So go check that one out on YouTube. But we had Miss Veronica from Pawfect4U. She's a dog sitter for weddings and events. So it was really fun to have her on and talk through.
how to get married with your pup by your side and the logistics of having your dog at your wedding.
Kevin Dennis (7:3.550)
And it was awesome because our dogs were on screen with us for a good chunk of it. My two dumb, dumb boys weren't really into it. I had all three with me in the podcast studio. The two boys went in the chairs and slept and watched their sister take over. And she was the star of the show from representing my family. yeah, but someone that is...
August Yocher (7:12.342)
You had all three in the podcast studio, right?
Kevin Dennis (7:30.324)
Now a doodle owner, which I never would imagine me being a small dog doodle owner, but those dogs go everywhere with us. Not everywhere. We don't take them grocery shopping to do it, but they literally, we go to my in-laws, go, they go with me to drop off the girls to school. They are a major part of our family where I thought Veronica's business is perfect because this is a way for people to bring their dog and really include their dog.
Nowadays dogs are like children, you know, and so Yeah, mochi's your little little guy, right, you know
August Yocher (8:2.751)
Oh, thousand percent.
August Yocher (8:7.244)
Yeah, no, he's everything to me, which I think I said on the episode. Yeah. Yeah, no, I can't imagine life without him. And yeah, if and when I do get married, I would really like to have my Mr. Mochi man by my side.
Kevin Dennis (8:10.100)
Yep. Yeah.
Kevin Dennis (8:22.834)
That's right. He'd be your best best paw woman or man or whatever. We'll come up with a title for him.
August Yocher (8:28.727)
Yeah.
August Yocher (8:32.468)
Yeah, but I think our key takeaways from that episode that we got from Veronica, which honestly, guys go listen to that one too. really was, there was a lot of good nuggets in there. But we talked about detailed planning when it comes to your dog and having contingency plans. So, you know, something happens the day of there's rain, things go unexpected like having a plan B with your dog.
is always a good idea, especially based on their temperament or your venue's restrictions. Just being realistic about those plans. And then, really consider getting a pet sitter. Poffig for you, they are out on the East Coast, right? Like Veronica said, she started in New York, I think, right? Yeah, but there's definitely, she does travel and there definitely are options similarly, I'm sure in your area or we're out in the Bay Area.
Kevin Dennis (9:18.326)
Yep. But she does travel.
August Yocher (9:28.322)
And we also talked about just creative ways to incorporate your dogs into your ceremony, into your celebration. So having them there for the vows or cake cutting or even just like walking down the aisle with you, of course, all based on your venue's restrictions. But there's so many ways to incorporate them into your day.
Kevin Dennis (9:32.938)
Mm-hmm.
Kevin Dennis (9:50.282)
Yep, I agree. That was a lot of fun. We had lot of fun doing that one. all right. Well, I know we really probably should have everyone bring their dog because, you know, my Dum Dums like to be part of it as well. anyway, all right. Next episode that was a lot of fun was tips for choosing the right DJ. So we, speaking of Dum Dums, we had Glenn and Norm with us and they were...
August Yocher (9:55.180)
And now we need the dogs back, even if it's not a dog-related episode.
August Yocher (:Hmm.
Kevin Dennis (:Right? That's a good segue. But this was a lot of fun because I think August got to be the host of the show and interview the three of us. But it was funny because we just let our personalities come out. so it just, you know, it was, I don't know. I would say it was just, go ahead.
August Yocher (:Yeah.
August Yocher (:Well, Kevin, we talked about, know, and I'm sure maybe this isn't a very relatable comment, but Kevin and I were talking about earlier, listening back to episodes like in preparation for this, just hating to hear the sound of your own voice. But that episode, think you're right, Kevin. And again, like we said, podcast episodes are like our children, so we cannot pick a favorite one.
Kevin Dennis (11:1.225)
Oh yeah.
Kevin Dennis (11:9.514)
Mm-hmm.
August Yocher (:Episode eight with Glenn and Norm was definitely up there for me, one of my favorites. Because like you said, it was just so natural, so fun. Like we were all just goofing around, but still, you know, spewing out a lot of really good information for couples when it comes to choosing your DJ. But it was a fun time. I really enjoyed that one.
Kevin Dennis (:Yeah, no, and we were just silly. And I guess that's what I was trying to get out is like, it was a fun, silly side of us. And we had a good time. And by request, think Glenn and Norm are going to be back in 2025. We'll come up with another DJ topic and have them back because one, makes we have some we get some good B-roll footage out of it as well. But some of the top takeaways for tips for choosing your right DJ was prioritizing a compatibility over music preferences, because that's one thing that, you know, not every couple loves the same
type of music and or they don't like the same kind of music as their family so trying to choosing you know the right DJ that can work with all the music that you like and impact the personality you know so you had three kind of big personalities on that episode really kind of going crazy and then we kind of took everyone through kind of the the DJ the role on the day of you know and how how crazy and all the all the different things that people I don't think realize that the that the DJ
August Yocher (:Yes!
Kevin Dennis (:is either responsible for or has to take care of on the day of. So that was a fun one. Another one to go back and listen to.
August Yocher (:Yeah. Well, and specifically, really, I feel like I resonated a lot with Norm's top tip at the end of the episode. His top tip was don't just hire your DJ through email. And I never thought about that before, because I know it's kind of a whirlwind during the planning process, you get swept up with booking your creative partners and just checking things off of your list. And I'm sure it's probably easy just to kind of
Kevin Dennis (:Mm-hmm.
August Yocher (13:5.472)
skim pass and just like want to check off a box, but it is so important to meet with them, whether that is in person or on zoom, because like Norm had said, you need to see if they can communicate effectively because they are going to be the ones representing you the day of. So if you get to the day of and they're not a great public speaker and or can't handle situations well, then that's going to be really rough.
Kevin Dennis (:Yeah, I agree. It would be really, really, really bad. anyway, that was a lot of fun. I look forward to having those two dum-dums back on the episode next year. Yeah, it'll be a lot of fun. So it is, yes. Yeah, please don't take it the wrong way.
August Yocher (:Yeah, dum-dums is a term of endearment, by the way.
August Yocher (:All right, next episode, I really want to recap Miss Brady Flores from Flores Events. Yeah, so episode seven. And fun fact, if you guys listen to the episode during COVID when I wasn't in the industry because, you know, we didn't have events going on. Everyone has that story, but me and Brady worked together.
Kevin Dennis (:Oh, that was fun.
Kevin Dennis (:It was COVID.
August Yocher (:at an office building, just a really random job, but that's how I met her. And we kind of bonded over weddings, because that's kind of both where our backgrounds came from. And Brady was getting ready to launch Flora's events at that time as well. But it was really fun catching up with her and just getting her take on things. That was really fun episode too.
Kevin Dennis (:Yeah, so her topic was how to handle wedding stress like a pro. And I think she was a pro in telling us how to handle that stress, right?
August Yocher (:Mm-hmm.
August Yocher (:Oh, totally. And yeah, just some key takeaways from that episode. We talked about managing your top stress points. So I know Brady touched on like your budget, your timeline, external expectations from family and friends, you know, kind of juggling that setting boundaries, which was so important. And I know we kind of touched that on another episode, too. But one of my favorite things that she said, which was
Kevin Dennis (:Mm-hmm.
August Yocher (:my top takeaway from that episode was having an automated response. When family or friends ask you about the wedding planning, like how's it going? Have you done this yet? Have you booked that yet? And you just have an automated response ready to go like, you know what? No, we haven't thought about that. But our wedding planner is on it. It's Brady said it's kind of like an out of office, right? Because it's important to set those boundaries. You don't need to be in wedding planning mode all the time.
Kevin Dennis (:Mm-hmm.
Kevin Dennis (:Yeah.
Yes!
Kevin Dennis (:Well, and you don't need all the opinions from everyone as well. that was, I really liked that. That was a really good takeaway. So have an out of office ready to go. So yeah, but yeah.
August Yocher (:No.
August Yocher (:Yeah. Yeah. I mean, and Kevin, you had said to like your top takeaway was like, you know, we set boundaries with our clients and our couples, like they should do that with us too. So, you know, not everything is super time sensitive, like take a day off. I Brady had said to like no wedding Wednesdays. Like we don't talk about wedding stuff on Wednesdays. And I know Kevin, you've given that piece of advice a few times, like have a date where
Kevin Dennis (16:7.712)
Yeah.
Kevin Dennis (:Mm-hmm.
August Yocher (:You leave the wedding talk at home.
Kevin Dennis (:I think it's good to have both. You go out and have dinner and maybe it's like more of like a business meeting work on the wedding, but then you have another day in the week where it's no weddings. We're just going to work on our relationship and date and have fun and enjoy each other, not the whole stress of the wedding.
August Yocher (:Yeah, I agree. Because yeah, I mean, it's a lot. a big undertaking. And just like anyone else, you deserve some time off, turn that out of office on and just enjoy life. And yeah, she had a real a lot of really good nuggets. I think what she said specifically was, wedding planning happens around life, not the other way around. So don't feel like wedding planning has to be the forefront of everything at all times. Life happens around it. So
Kevin Dennis (17:8.641)
Yeah.
August Yocher (:You just have to be okay with that.
Kevin Dennis (:Yeah.
Yep, and it's I think it's the first real test of planning this wedding. It's the first real big test of a couple. So you guys are going to find out how you guys are going to do on the other side. So good luck to all of you out there. So all right, moving on. I'm to move on to episode 11. Mr. Adam from Adam's point of view.
August Yocher (:Mm-hmm.
Kevin Dennis (:Yeah, and we talked about finding the right photographer to make sure your photos feel like you, which is something that I struggle with when I have my photo taken. look at it and I'm like, that's not me. So I was really excited to talk to Adam about this. actually, Adam, throughout the episode, made me feel so comfortable that I will be reaching out to Adam in the new year because I need headshots. need new headshots. Yes, I need new headshots. And I felt like Adam will make me feel comfortable. And I feel like, you know, but we had it was.
August Yocher (18:1.236)
Yes!
Kevin Dennis (18:9.484)
silly and fun. So I'm keeping with the silly and fun thing that theme that we had going on there. anyway, was he talked about some of the top takeaways was building trust through engagement shoots, which I thought was really important. And I think that's where a lot of couples will hire a photographer but not work with them. Because I think that's a great time for photographers to get to know you, but also you get to know your photographer. And that you know, and that is really because I've heard of couples that have hired a photographer did an engagement shoot.
August Yocher (:Mm-hmm.
Kevin Dennis (:fired the photographer and went on to a different photographer because they learned they weren't compatible. So I think it's almost worth it to start with the engagement shoot, make sure you are incompatible, and then get the photos and do you like what they look like? Do you feel comfortable in them? Then we go on and move the photographer. But also, he talked about creating a calm and comfortable environment, which if you know Adam, it's...
August Yocher (:Ooh.
Kevin Dennis (19:6.220)
He makes weddings even more fun than they need to be. He's the life of the party. He rolls with all the punches that come his way. He does a really, really great job. And then prioritizing personality alignment. So choose a photographer who aligns with you and your personality and your vision as this relationship is key in capturing genuine, meaningful moments. Which is, that's what you gotta remember. You're gonna look back at your 50th anniversary, you're gonna look back at your wedding photos, right? And remember that.
August Yocher (:Yeah.
Kevin Dennis (:Amazing day with your dog standing by your side.
August Yocher (:Yeah, think. Yeah, I like how you said to like, he just makes you feel comfortable. mean, I think listening back to that episode to that was definitely what we all kind of had as our key takeaway. And there was a couple of things that he said that really stood out to me because I think during the episode, I had asked him, you know, like me myself, I sometimes feel awkward in photos or, you know, watching couples take photos in the past. They're always like, what do do with my hands? Like, how am I standing? How am I posing and
Kevin Dennis (:Mm-hmm.
August Yocher (20:7.543)
Adam was like, it's always my goal to put you in positions that you feel natural in, right? He was like, I'm not going to position you in a position that you've never done with your partner before, right? Like whispering sweet nothings in her ear or like being all contorted in some position, you know?
Kevin Dennis (:Yeah.
Kevin Dennis (:Yeah, with the bride turned sideways, looking back, leaning, and just like, yeah, they always, sometimes you see them photographers making the bride or the groom do something or the couple do something that's just not comfortable to them and not natural.
August Yocher (:Yeah, like.
August Yocher (:Yeah, so he said like, you know, we'll start off with you two holding hands and just walking along the beach or wherever you're at. And that's already a very natural pose for most couples. So that's where we'll start with just to get you comfortable and kind of go from there. And I really like that. And of course, that will translate in the photo to you, right? Like if you're comfortable during the shoot, the photo is just going to look that much better and more natural. And you know,
Kevin Dennis (21:5.516)
Yeah. Yeah, and then, no, I was just going to say, and once you feel more comfortable, he's going to work up to the Cirque du Soleil moves as well. Yeah.
August Yocher (:There you go. Baby steps. Yeah, no, but I really liked that episode too. Adam was great to have on and he's a really cool guy and I think he just in general is a very comfortable person to be around. So I think he definitely found his calling as a photographer.
Kevin Dennis (:Yeah, I really do too. Like I said, working a wedding with him, he's one of my favorites to work with. just because he makes the day fun for the couple, he makes the day fun for all the family, he makes the day fun for just even all the vendors that are there working on the wedding day. He is definitely a lot of fun. So good job. Anything else on Adam?
August Yocher (22:1.268)
Nope. Well, it's my turn. You chose Adam. Well, I'm just going to go right down the list to episode 12 because I really want to do more of these episodes. But episode 12 was our listeners asked. So we basically compiled all of the questions that we've received so far from you, our listeners.
Kevin Dennis (22:2.216)
Is it your turn or my turn? I lost track. Oh, thank God. Thank God.
Kevin Dennis (:Oh yes!
August Yocher (:And any questions that you might have about wedding planning or anything in the wedding process in general, we answered. we still have more to go. So we definitely want to do another episode soon. yeah, but please send in your questions. We're so happy to answer them and go through them with you. And if you want us to, you know, kind of touch more on a past question too, we can we can elaborate more if need be.
Kevin Dennis (:Yeah, we'll be doing one in January for sure.
August Yocher (:but send them to our email podcast at finnessysound.com.
Kevin Dennis (:Oh, very good. Good plug, because I was going to ask you, August, where can they submit those questions to?
August Yocher (23:3.360)
where can they submit those questions? And we're working on getting our website up too, to where we can have a place for you. Exactly. Yes. And you know, yes. And you guys know I'm the brand manager. I'm on Instagram. So you can always send them through Instagram too, if you prefer.
Kevin Dennis (:Questions submitted there. Coming soon in 2025.
Kevin Dennis (:Oh yeah, DMs. Slip into my DMs.
August Yocher (:Yeah, but we had a lot of good topics. So we talked about like how early is too early to start planning your wedding. We talked about simplifying your bridal party while still keeping it meaningful. We talked about kids again, plus ones kind of retouched on that subject. Staying stress free. Mac and cheese is the key to everything. Financial help, asking for that without it being awkward.
Kevin Dennis (:Woohoo!
Mac and cheese, mac and cheese.
August Yocher (:and then talking about timelines and setting up the Save the Dates invitation. So if any of that stands out to you, go back to episode 12 and we'll answer those questions.
Kevin Dennis (:Awkward.
Kevin Dennis (24:7.796)
And we won't be wearing these Happy New Year hats. We'll look normal. But speaking of... Go ahead.
August Yocher (:No, yeah. But Kevin, I was going to say, what's another episode that we were wearing hats in?
Kevin Dennis (:I was gonna say, well, I hope you're thinking the same one. Disney, right? Okay, I'm like, because I wasn't, well, I wasn't wearing a hat in Disney. had my little, I wore my, well, I had my Mickey Mouse hoodie with my ears, but it looked silly with my headphones on, so I didn't wear it. So anyway, so speaking of that, we had, so I amazingly got, I spoke at a conference in Orlando, Florida for the Central,
August Yocher (:Yeah. Yeah. I don't think we wore hats in another episode.
August Yocher (:You're a hoodie.
Kevin Dennis (:Central Atlanta, Florida Wedding Association. I forget the whole title of them, but they have their big conference in August and they asked me to be a guest speaker and Chuck was in the audience and I mentioned that our podcast and we're always looking for guests and Chuck submitted and I was so happy he did because he was such a pleasure to interview and it was so much fun. Yeah, because we learned we're both Disney nerds. You know, I have magic pass and we, you know, go and August goes when she can and but anyway,
August Yocher (25:5.208)
So much fun.
Kevin Dennis (:You know, she has a dog that she had to take care of and it's really expensive that mochi. But anyway, but that we love Disney. So it was fun to get that behind the scenes. What how how a Disney wedding happens, you know, like learning like what kind of music can you play? What can music he can't play? Definitely had stuff he couldn't do and he couldn't even start DJing the wedding until the guests were out of the park. And it was like not
August Yocher (:Mm-hmm.
Kevin Dennis (:They could, because it sounds like a lot of them happen in Epcot, you know, and so they could be in, you know, what over in it, because they go by country. So they're over in Italian, Italy, right? Until that guest walks out of the the the entrance, that's when he could start playing music. He gets the clear all and boom, go. It was amazing because everything.
as expected, is very orchestrated when it comes to Disney. he made it sound like it. it was just talked about the guest experience, which was amazing. He emphasized the importance of focusing on guest enjoyment and how to put in those personal touches like Minnie and Mickey helping you cut the cake. Right? Remember, he was told this about that one. That sounded amazing. But he talked all the magic of Disney and the logistics of it.
August Yocher (:Mm-hmm.
August Yocher (:Mm-hmm.
Kevin Dennis (:and also customizing the entertainment and avoiding trends. So that was the other thing he talked about as well. So that was an amazing episode, I thought. We had a lot of fun.
August Yocher (:I love that episode. felt like I was in Disneyland. He was just really good at illustrating things, I think. And I felt not to be dramatic, but transported to the parks. It was just so much fun. was great. And it was really cool to see how he could also translate that Disney magic into any wedding. So if you guys are Disney fans or you just...
Kevin Dennis (:I did.
Kevin Dennis (:Mm-hmm.
Kevin Dennis (27:4.801)
Yeah.
Kevin Dennis (:Mm-hmm.
August Yocher (:can't appreciate how organized and amazing Disney is as a company, even if you're not super big on Disney. Chuck kind of gave us a way to harness that magic into any way, even if it's not at a Disney park. And it was just so fun to get the scoop, the behind the scenes, the secrets. Like I loved all of it.
Kevin Dennis (:Yeah.
Kevin Dennis (:Yeah, well, and his voice was very Disney. Like he already has that Disney, like I can hear him doing voiceovers for the rides or all that. You know, like he really definitely had, he definitely had that Disney voice, but he like to your point, August, so he was, you know, making sure you tell your story. That's what it was about is this is the one time in your life that you get to tell your story out in front of all your family and friends and just making sure you do that and making sure you give your guests, you know, something that they'll remember.
August Yocher (:Yeah.
August Yocher (:Yeah
August Yocher (:Mm-hmm.
Kevin Dennis (28:7.474)
and walk away with some memorable moments. yeah, that was a...
August Yocher (:I know and kind of the perfect theme for Disney right telling your story like it was just yeah overall great talk really like that one.
Kevin Dennis (:Yeah, that was a lot of fun. all right, girl, we're getting up on time. So we got to go fast now. Rapid fire, rapid fire, rapid fire.
August Yocher (:All right, do want to do one more. Ravifier! I do want to do one more, which was episode 14. Just because this is a new segment that we like to introduce to the podcast. And Meg, my friend, was kind of our guinea pig for this new segment that we're calling, Now that I'm Married, How Can I Help Others? So Meg is one of my good childhood friends. We've been friends for over 15 years. And
Kevin Dennis (:Mm-hmm.
August Yocher (:She just got married. I did give a speech. I did give a speech. It was terrifying. Yeah, no. The DJ at the wedding knew Kevin and I hadn't met him before, but he was like, I'm going to tell Kevin about this. And I was like, oh, good. Oh, good. Great. But yeah, anyway, I was one of her bridesmaids and Lindsay had the idea of like, hey, why don't we bring on
Kevin Dennis (:And August gave a speech, August gave a speech, mentioned her boss.
August Yocher (:some past couples, brides, grooms, and have them give their perspective as a freshly married person. So I thought that was awesome. So Meg was our guinea pig. We brought her on. We talked about her wedding she just had this past August at the Brazilian Room. We kind of went over some do's and don'ts and kind of what she took from her experience during the planning process. So even if you're kind of looking for perspective from someone,
who isn't an expert like Kevin and I, maybe you're just looking for perspective from someone who, you know, didn't really have a huge background in weddings and got married themselves and you just kind of want to hear it from someone like that, then it's a great segment to listen to.
Kevin Dennis (30:8.332)
'll be doing more of those in: August Yocher (:Hmm.
August Yocher (:Mm-hmm.
Kevin Dennis (:Jen from Weirdo Wedding Photography out of the Dallas area was on there and talked about courthouse weddings are not boring. it was amazing because when she she pitched the topic to us, I was like, in a million years, I never thought we would talk about courthouse weddings. But you know what? She actually made them not boring. And I was in it, you know, for those of you that are just planning a wedding, but not looking for the big, elaborate wedding, you know, Jen made it sound like you can have a big, beautiful
August Yocher (:Mm-hmm.
Kevin Dennis (:big, beautiful, a small, intimate, but beautiful wedding. That's what I was trying to get out of my mouth. But she talked about the beauty of the courthouses themselves and personalizing the day through your attire and your details, which we learned is going to be a trend next year is the attire, going with the embroidery suits and all that kind of different thing, and then making the day memorable with some creative ideas, incorporating elements like mini photo shoots.
August Yocher (:Mmm. Yeah.
Kevin Dennis (:at your favorite locations or meaningful accessories to add magic to that day. that was a fun episode. really, you know, when she pitched it, I would have never looked for someone to talk about courthouse weddings, but I'm glad we covered that. That was fun. Episode 10.
August Yocher (:Yeah, I like that one too. I think like, you know, I think we can kind of get away from that sometimes. I mean, especially like fantasy sound or just the type of weddings we work, they do end up more than not being this very huge production and you can kind of get lost in the sauce there. But I think Jen kind of brought it back to the basics, right? Let simplicity is still beautiful. So even if you are having a more intimate gathering or a courthouse wedding or elopement.
Kevin Dennis (32:7.478)
Mm-hmm.
August Yocher (:There's still ways to make that unique to yourself, make it personal to your love story, and just show up to the courthouse as you. And it was really fun. Yeah, I think we learned a lot. And I've never been involved with elopements or courthouse weddings, so was really cool to get her perspective on it.
Kevin Dennis (:Well, no.
When she made me want, I would like, I would do that. And she made me like, I would want her to do my photography. She was, she made it sound fun, a lot of fun. So.
August Yocher (:Yeah, another photographer who I felt like super comfortable around. She was a good vibe. She was really fun.
Kevin Dennis (:Yeah, yeah, yep. All right, I'm gonna sneak in one more. You're rapid fire. So episode two, we had Ginger from the Flower House on, and this was pre, pre-August. This is when Kevin, okay, Good, because it's true. So Ginger from the Flower House was talking about when couples let Instagram plan their wedding, right?
August Yocher (:Are we doing more rapid fires?
August Yocher (33:1.048)
Pre-August, yeah. I did listen to the episode though, and I did take away a few things.
Kevin Dennis (:And that's where I think a lot of couples go wrong because they're following instead of making like how Jen just talked about telling your story, right? And making it about you. That's where I think if you let Instagram, you're telling everyone else's story. So it was a lot of fun. So personalizing your inspiration, balancing the budget and vision, because sometimes if you're looking at these Instagram weddings, it's going to help you go over budget by far. Right.
and then designing beyond the trends. So not just sticking to everything you're seeing on Instagram. Let's, you know, again, tell your story, get a little bit more involved, you know. So she gave us guidance on, you know, choosing colors and themes and styles that resonate with the couple. So.
August Yocher (:Yeah, there was two little nuggets that she said that I that really resonated with me. Yeah, no, I was doing my homework. Don't worry. But she said, Ginger said, stop thinking and just feel when it comes to your wedding decor, right. And she also said, you have to stay true to who you are, and you'll love your wedding forever. So I think that's, you know, kind of the point of the whole episode was like, I think couples do.
Kevin Dennis (34:1.854)
Ooh, you got, you go girl.
Kevin Dennis (:Mmm.
Kevin Dennis (:Mm-hmm.
August Yocher (:rely on Instagram and Pinterest just a little bit too much. And they have this, you know, big elaborate vision, but really it's just not who they are, you know? And I think she referenced in the episode two, she was talking about this couple that had a fall wedding, right? And they were looking into fall colors, like oranges, reds, browns. And then Ginger had set up like a tablescape for them and they said they hated it.
Kevin Dennis (:Mm-hmm.
August Yocher (:And then she kind of just had to take them back to square one. Like, are these even colors that you guys wear? Are these even colors that you guys like? And eventually they landed on something that they really love. So just stop thinking and just feel like what do you really want to see and what do you really love?
Kevin Dennis (:Yeah.
Kevin Dennis (:That's a good advice in life period. Stop thinking and just feel.
August Yocher (:It's not that deep guys. I say that too much.
Kevin Dennis (:Yeah.
Kevin Dennis (:not that deep, guys. All right. Should we sneak in one quick, quick one, because I thought it was important? All right. Dan, from good old Pama Vin Center in Casa Real, Dan, came in and talked about navigating family dynamics during the wedding planning process. So if you're struggling with family dynamics, which a lot of people are, I recommend you go back and listen to episode four, because Dan did a good job of guiding us through.
August Yocher (:Sure.
Dan!
August Yocher (:Mm-hmm.
Kevin Dennis (:The biggest thing we talked about was establishing clear communication, period, that helps with that. Setting boundaries early on, like from the get-go, And then, yep, and then Dan's was seeking professional guidance. hiring the right vendors and the right team for your wedding day to help you guys get through. And that'll help you with all the navigating the family dynamics. So like having Adam at your wedding.
August Yocher (:Mm-hmm.
August Yocher (36:0.686)
from the get-go.
Kevin Dennis (:to take the photos, because he can handle all the family dynamics that are coming your way. So,
August Yocher (:Yes.
August Yocher (:Yeah, yeah, really do lean on your team. know, they're there for a reason. They're there to help and you're not in this alone. So I know during the process, can seem like you said, Kevin, there's a lot of opinions unwarranted, but your vendor team, your creative partner team is there to help. So lean on them if you can.
Kevin Dennis (:I agree. All right. So if we didn't mention the episode, we still love it. But it was a good recap. We still love you. We love all our children. But let's look, that's a good look back, a good recap of 2024 as we tonight, tonight at midnight, we'll be putting 2024 to bed. And as we start for 2025. I'm not going to ask you what your new year's resolution is. We'll let that be a mystery. I think that's a good thing to be.
August Yocher (:We still love you. We love all our children.
August Yocher (:So cool!
August Yocher (37:9.388)
have a lot actually I think and I did this I did this last year and I kind of want to do it again this year where I wrote them all down but someone said that you should like burn them because it's like a way to manifest it like you're releasing it into the universe you know so I kind of want to do that but I kind of want to do some personal goals but also professional goals as well so I definitely want to be more what's the word um oh what's the word it'll come to me
Kevin Dennis (:I do too.
Kevin Dennis (:Mmm.
Kevin Dennis (:Diligent? don't know. That was my guess. Purposeful? Meaningful? I don't know. I failed freshman English, so that's why I'm good with design. Yeah, no. Yeah, that's all you, So, all right, well everyone. Ooh, that was horrible, but fun. We made it. Happy New Year, everyone, we made it.
August Yocher (:Nope. Purposeful? What's... there's a synonym for purposeful. Something like... yeah.
August Yocher (:Oh, that's my strong suit, so I'm just messed.
August Yocher (38:5.486)
Happy New Year!
Kevin Dennis (38:8.874)
ah, there we go as we go into: August Yocher (:Whoa.
That's season two.
August Yocher (:Yes.
August Yocher (:That's not true, but thanks.
Kevin Dennis (:I know. You're just making more fun. So that's what it is. Anyway, folks, happy new year. We can't say enough thank yous for coming along the journey with us, and we hope you find all the love and prosper in 2025.
August Yocher (:Retweet.
Kevin Dennis (:Tweet tweet. Bye, guys.
August Yocher (39:0.258)
future. Bye!
