Cocktails with the Krewe

How can wedding vendors be better allies for LGBTQ+ couples? That's what we asked this week's guest Tia Nash of Tia Nash Photography. Listen in with hosts Rena Sweeney of Alchemy Events and Jessica Burke of NOW Weddings as we learn about being affirming versus inclusive and get Tia's advice on working with LGBTQ+ clients. Thank you to The Cannery for hosting, Hootdown for filming and Daniel Levy for showing us how to make this week's cocktail, A Classic Daiquiri featuring Seven Three Distilling Co.'s Black Pearl Rum.

Just what is going to be different about weddings as we move into the "new normal"? That's what we asked our guests Kellie Levy of Toulouse Gourmet Catering and The Cannery and Shelly Lauland of ELEMENT on this episode of Cocktails with the Krewe. Listen in as hosts Rena Sweeney of Alchemy Events and Jessica Burke of NOW Weddings find out what changes to expect in catering and discuss how you can take advantage of smaller guest counts to make your wedding experience even more fabulous. Thank you to The Cannery for hosting, Hootdown + Brian Jarreau Photography for filming and Daniel Levy for showing us how to make this week's cocktail, a Watermelon French 75 featuring Seven Three Distilling Co's Gentilly Gin.

They say when life hands you lemons, make lemonade. In this episode of Cocktails with the Krewe we look at ways to do just that. Hosts Jessica Burke and Rena Sweeney talk with Kellie Levy of The Cannery and Toulouse Gourmet about ways couples and vendors can change perspectives about event restrictions and find opportunities to find a bright side to weddings in today's event environment. Love isn't cancelled, nor is hope.  Mixologist Dan Levy shares how to make this week's cocktail, "The Bee's Knees", featuring Seven-Three Distilling Co.'s Gentilly Gin.

New Orleans Weddings Publisher, Jessica Burke and Rena Sweeney of Alchemy Events meet on location at The Cannery in New Orleans to discuss fashion for micro weddings with guest Jessica Schulman of Pearl's Place. Watch as mixologist Daniel Levy shows you how to create our featured cocktail, a Lavender Thyme Lemonade, featuring Seven Three Distilling Company's St. Roch Vodka.

New Orleans Weddings Publisher, Jessica Burke and Rena Sweeney of Alchemy Events meet on location at The Cannery to discuss changes coming for weddings in the aftermath of Covid-19, including virtual event options. Guest Brian Jarreau of Brian Jarreau Photography and HootDown talks about the benefits of live streaming your wedding to stay connected. Our featured cocktail this week is a Watermelon Spritzer by Toulouse Gourmet Catering, a lightly sweet cocktail featuring CIROC Summer Watermelon, fresh watermelon and mint.   

Julie-Ann Duhe-Keating from The Keating Law Firm, LLC joins The Krewe to talk about wedding contracts. 

In this episode, we chat with Susan Zackin of Z Event Company and Danielle Smith and Greg Czymbor of Elektra Cosmetics about thinking outside the box for your wedding. Mix up this week's cocktail, Bananas Over You, and join us for Cocktails with the Krewe!

Honeymoons are the topic of conversation on this episode of Cocktails with the Krewe. Guest Shannon LeBlanc, CRO (Chief Romance Officer) of Paradise Vacation Escapes tells us why honeymoons are so important and shares some of her favorite honeymoon destinations. Ellen Kramer of A New Leaf Productivity shares tips for packing and preparing for travel and tells us the questions you should ask your travel agent to make your trip as stress-free as possible.    Mix up this week's cocktail, iCaliente Cooler - a spicy, sweet and oh-so-refreshing drink brought to you by Republic Special Events.

Bachelorette yoga anyone? We're chatting with McKensie Kirchner and Zoe Thibeault-Stone of NOLA Tribe Yoga and learning all about this and other ways of dealing with the stress of planning a wedding and being more mindful. It's all waiting for you on this week's episode of Cocktails with the Krewe!   Mix up this week's cocktail, Green Tea Matcha-mony, and listen in!

Thinking about expanding your wedding business and diversifying your offerings in response to the ever changing wedding market?  Listen in as host Jessica Talazac of Republic NOLA and Jessica Burke of New Orleans Weddings Magazine chat with Stephanie Baker of Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts and Emily Sullivan of Emily Sullivan Events and learn how they determine which ideas to follow, brand identities, marketing insights and more.  While you're listening, enjoy this week's cocktail of the week, the Sicilian Spritzer. This fruity cocktail, featuring Grey Goose L'Orange, Campari and Blood Orange Italian Soda is light, bright, and perfect for summer!

Are you extra? Our guests on this week's episode of Cocktails with the Krewe sure are! Find out where Hiram Smith of Hiram Style and Kim Starr Wise of Kim Starr Wise Floral Events get their inspiration, how they push the envelope on event design and hear about the most "extra" weddings they've done.  Oh and head to your nearest retailer for some Abita Strawberry Lager to make this week's featured cocktail the "Straw-Bita-Rita" - a fruity summer beer cocktail host Jessica Talazac has mixed up with Casamigos Blanco Tequila. 

Food! It's the topic of the day on this episode of Cocktails with the Krewe. We're pretty sure, no one does food like we do here in New Orleans and today we're talking with culinary curator Barrie Schwartz of My House Social and Sheena Mannina of RAW Republic, NOLA's source for organic, cold-pressed juice, to learn more about non-traditional trends in catering for weddings. Find out all about custom-curated menus that are perfect for the foodies among us to options for health-conscious couples that are as delicious as they are good for you.    Be sure to pick up some of RAW Republic's organic, cold-pressed celery juice for today's Cocktail of the Day, our "Cel-ebrate Good Times" margarita. 

Did you know that Wedding Planner is in the top 5 most stressful occupations? On this week's episode of Cocktails with the Krewe, we talk with Sharon Heno of Behavioral Health Counseling and Consulting about managing stress related to weddings. She shares tips for couples, families and wedding pros including the ONE WORD to watch out for when planning!    Also, swing by RAW Republic on Magazine Street to grab a bottle of Dr. Carter's Thyroid Juice and mix up some of this week's cocktail, the Love RX. This one will have you coming back for more!

We're exploring more cultural traditions in this episode of Cocktails with the Krewe. In this episode, we are looking at the tradition of extended weddings including multi-day events and extended receptions. We check out the pros and cons of these longer parties and how to make them happen (seemlessly!) with guests Samantha Capone of 3 Little Words Weddings, Leah Berhanu of Pigeon Catering and Events and Johnny Hosey of Blue Earth Productions.    Check out our drink of the day, a beer cocktail "The Stormy Roller", featuring Urban South's Holy Roller IPA, brought to you by Republic NOLA. 

We have lots of traditions here in New Orleans, but we don't have the corner on the fun wedding tradition market.    Guests Rena Sweeney from Alchemy Events and Manish Patel from Tava Indian Street Food, join hosts Jessica Burke and Jessica Talazac to tell us more about wedding traditions from around the world.    We discover just how many similar traditions and symbols there are across cultures and look at some taboos and challenges that have to be navigated when bringing traditions to new areas.    Grab a drink (preferably our cocktail of the day the Raspberry-Aperol Spritz) and get ready to learn more about wedding traditions from around the world!

We're talking New Orleans traditions on this episode of Cocktails with the Krewe. Join us, your hostesses with the mostest, Jessica Talazac of Republic Nola and Jessica Burke of New Orleans Weddings Magazine as we chat with Sherry Constance of Court of Two Sisters and Brian Jarreau of Brian Jarreau Photography about some of the things you'll probably only ever see at a New Orleans Wedding. From second lines, to Mardi Gras to Voodoo and Tarot wedding themes, New Orleans is one of the coolest and definitely most unique places to get married. We're all about "party first" here in NOLA, so mix up this week's cocktail, the Strawberry-Mint Sipper and listen in!

Just in time for Mardi Gras, we’re back for episode 5 of Cocktails with the Krewe. Host Jessica Talazac of Republic NOLA, serves up our cocktail of the week “Let Them Eat King Cake” as we discuss modernizing traditions for weddings and creating personalized experiences for modern couples.  Guests Amanda Price of Amanda Price Events and Matthew Diaz of Mateo & Co. share their insights on what traditions couples should never skip and share some of their favorite new traditions in weddings and how couples can make their weddings their own.  We also welcome Trixie Minx and Emily Conelly of Trixie Minx Productions and learn about how they create amazing, interactive experiences (including the most over the top wedding experience Trixie has created to date!).  Get ready for some great ideas to make your wedding your own!

In episode 4 of Cocktails with the Krewe, hosts Jessica Talazac of Republic NOLA and Jessica Burke of New Orleans Weddings Magazine discuss the element of surprise. Special guest Rena Sweeney of Alchemy Events who is know for creating unique, out-the-box events for her clients talks her creative process and shares details of  a magical wedding, full of surprises. that she recently coordinated.  We discuss the logistics and coordination involved in planning surprise events, including teamwork with other wedding pros. We also interview a recent groom who planned an epic surprise “Love Actually” inspired moment for his bride at Republic.  See more from Alchemy Events’ Magical Wedding: https://alchemyeventsnola.com/portfolio-item/brooke-matt/?fbclid=IwAR2Ro5dTnGtHR7LLRsWQm4z7OwFYBAKjBogb3hGOMfM-sGlGfr0ArKjWAwc

We're back for Episode 3 of Cocktails with the Krewe and this week we're discussing the importance of celebrating and enjoying the moment. Join hosts Jessica Burke of New Orleans Weddings Magazine and Jessica Talazac of Republic NOLA as they enjoy this week's signature cocktail "The Wedding Zinger" and chat with Lydia Noble and Nicole Hartman of Noble Events about how couples can relieve planning stress and have a wedding celebration on their own terms. Jessica Talazac shares her philosophy of the art of anticipation (and why this skill is something you should look for in potential wedding pros) and guest bride Laine Stewart shares how she planned her own wedding without worrying about what everyone else thought and her advice to other couples who want to do the same. 

On this week’s episode of Cocktails with the Krewe, we’re discussing the topic of trust. Joining us for cocktails and conversation are the luxury event designers behind Wink Design + Events and the ever captivating Brian Jarreau of Brian Jarreau Photography. In this episode, we learn why it’s important to talk budget early on with clients, why you must get things in writing and what Wink looks for in potential referral partners. Brian shares his insights on how to use reviews as both a wedding pro and client, how he makes his couples feel comfortable in front of the camera, the four letter word that you never want to hear from your clients (It’s not what you think!).