The Leap Lifestyle Podcast

This week on the Leap Podcast, I'm thrilled to chat with floral designer extraordinaire Tabitha Abercrombie (she/her) from Winston & Main.This episode is loaded with information about how to approach floral design for your wedding,  including:how soon you should reach out to floristsHow to best allocated your floral design budget budgeting best practices including being intentional with floral placement (not every surface requires a floral piece!)why flowers are a reminder to be really present on your wedding daywhy its ok to want something for your wedding just because it's really pretty!and, Tabitha's best piece of advice is something we all need to practice in our every day lives, but it's particularly poignant for your wedding dayIt was such a fun and informative episode to record, and I'm so grateful for Tabitha's friendship and transparency.You can find Winston & Main on the web, instagram and facebook.And, for more interviews with wedding and lifestyle pros, visit The Leap Lifestyle.As always, thanks for listening!

This week on The Leap Lifestyle Podcast, I'm chatting with Julie Harris from Julie Harris Designs about all things bridal veil, accessories and capes! Julie brings a love of fabrics, trimmings, and all things gorgeous to her design of classic, romantic and dramatic bridal veils, capes and hair accessories. With more than twenty years designing custom veils and a deep-seeded belief that veils are iconic to the wedding experience,  Julie helps you bring your bridal veil vision to life and helps you find the perfect accessories to celebrate your unique style!  After all, the veil creates the magic!A few highlights from this episode include: Timing – how far in advance should you order your veil (spoiler alert – don’t wait too long!)The experience of creating a customized veil or capeHow to determine the length veil do you need to go with your wedding gown Factors to consider when choosing the length of your veilWhy you NEED to securely pin your veil into your hair! And a veil expert's tip for doing so!The various types of veils (straight cut or angel cut), and choosing the fabrication that works best for your dress and venue (yes, the venue matters)!Blusher vs. no blusher, and an expert's advice on when to lift the blusher during the ceremonyAlternatives to a veil, including weddings wings and capes! You can see samples of Julies gorgeous work on Instagram (her handle is @julieharrisdesigns) or on her website at www.julieharrisdesigns.com.Be sure to visit our website for this and much more content  www.theleaplifestyle.comand you can find us on instagram @theleaplifestyle As always, thanks for listening!

On today's episode of The Leap Podcast, I'm thrilled to have luxury destination wedding photography Chris J. Evans on the show. Chris' work is simply incredible. He began as a fashion photographer in Southern California, and when a move to Maui presented an opportunity to photograph a wedding, Chris discovered a world where fashion, nature and weddings collide.On today's episode, we cover topics from choosing a destination location, scouting  destination locations, whether you should hire a local photographer or hire a photographer where you're from (the answer surprised me), first looks, and so much more.You can find Chris on instagram here and his newly updated, gorgeous website here.As always, thank you 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 @tobelovedeventsFacebook www.facebook.com/tobelovedeventsPinterest www.pinterest.com/tobelovedeventsAnd be sure to check our website for fresh content and new shows weekly.www.theleaplifestyle.comAs 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 @whosthatdjDon't forget to visit The Leap Lifestyle each week for fresh content, and say hello on instagram @theleaplifestyleAs 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.comAnd, 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!

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 @whosthatdjDon't forget to visit The Leap Lifestyle each week for fresh content, and say hello on instagram @theleaplifestyleAs always, thanks for listening!

This week on the Leap Lifestyle Podcast, we're chatting with Rebecca from Rebecca Theresa Photography and she is sharing all of her best tips for getting your wedding photos featured on a wedding blog or printed publication. Some of her best pieces of advice include:Pay attention to the details. Publishers and Editors are looking for unique details that set your wedding apart from others, and photos of your invitation suite, florals, table design and ceremony design are some of the elements key to catching their eye.Don't have a huge design budget? Rebecca shares a few hacks for creating shots that editor's can't resist.Rebecca fills us in on what her favorite shots are in anticipation of getting in front of an editor.Why photos of the couple are standard, but it's the littlest details that are most often the element that garners the attention of publishers and editors. Why unique design details are key, and why copying something you've seen on the internet is less likely to get your wedding featured.And so much more! Listen today if you are thinking you'd like to submit your wedding to be considered to publication!You can find Rebecca on the web at www.rebeccatheresa.com, and her handle on instagram is @rebeccatheresaphotography.And you can find us at www.theleaplifestyle.com and our instagram handle is @theleaplifestyle.As always, thanks for listening!

This week on The Leap Lifestyle Podcast, we sat down with licensed cosmetologist Lauren Cory to talk through her best tips for having amazing hair on your wedding day, and an amazing experience getting there.Lauren has been styling hair for almost 20 years, and she specializes in bridal style. In today's episode, Lauren shares her best tips for:When to Book your Wedding Day HairstylistWhy it's Important to know what your wedding dress looks like before scheduling your hair trialWhy she always recommends scheduling a hair trial, and why communication at the trial is key to a worry-free wedding day hair experienceChoosing a hair style that works for your hair type...and color!How to prep your hair for your wedding day, including how to properly wash your hair for every dayAnd we talk about the importance of wedding day beauty schedulesThis episode is jam-packed with great advice, and if you're planning to have a professional style your hair on your wedding day, you don't want to miss this episode!You can find Lauren on Instagram @KBGlam and on Facebook too.You can find us on Instagram @theleaplifestyle, and be sure to tune in every Monday for new episodes of The Leap Lifestyle Podcast, and visit our website at www.theleaplifestyle.com for new content every week.  As always, Thanks for listening!

This week on The Leap Lifestyle Podcast, I'm chatting with Kari Dirksen, CEO of Feathered Arrow Events. Kari and I talk through SO MANY reasons you need a wedding website. From sharing the basic information like the who, what where of your wedding, to being really extra and going so far as to include a style guide for your guest's attire. Kari and I both agree that a wedding website is the place to include all the random nuggets of information that will, in the end, create a seamless guest experience so that you're guests remember your wedding as the best one they've ever been to! #weddinggoalsTo help you create the wedding website of your dreams, Kari shares the must haves for a wedding website, some fun extras that make your website unique to the two of you, Pro Tips such as including a wedding FAQ, and in addition to using your website to gather RSVP's for the big day, go ahead and utilize it to collect additional information such as guest count for shuttles and song requests for the DJ. And yes, it's going to take some time to create your wedding website, but with beautiful templates available from Minted, Zola, The Knot and many more, you'll be up and running in no time.You can find Kari via her instagram handle @featheredarrowevents and on the web at www.featheredarrowevents.com.If you'd like fresh weekly content on all things wedding, visit us on the web at The Leap Lifestyle, and on instagram our handle is @theleaplifestyle.As always, thanks for listening!

This week on The Leap Lifestyle Podcast, we're talking with wedding photographer Julie Shuford on the Importance of an Engagement Session with your Photographer.We're covering all the details, including when to schedule your engagement shoot, why your engagement shoot is so special and how it can be highly personal to each couple, how your engagement shoot helps build a relationship with your photographer that is so important on your wedding day, and we're adding a little-know tip from the pros: schedule your hair and makeup trial on the same day as your engagement shoot!She has been featured in Green Wedding Shoes, BeSpoke Bride, Huffpost Weddings, Pop Sugar, Inspired By This, Wedding Chicks, Ruffled Blog and Exquisite Weddings Magazine. You can also find Julie on her website at www.julieshuford.com and her handle on instagram is @julieshufordphotography.For more wedding and lifestyle content, visit The Leap Lifestyle at www.theleaplifestyel.com, and visit us on instagram @theleaplifestyle.As always, thanks for listening!

This week on The Leap Lifestyle Podcast, we're chatting with Wedding Planner Jp Vigliotti about the Post-Wedding Blues and Other lessons he learned as a groom.If you're deep in the weeds with planning your wedding, you may already have  sense that you'll miss this magical time in life once the I do's are said and the music stops, and you're not alone. It's not something often talked about, but the post-wedding blues are a thing. Our guest this week was a groom before he was a wedding planner, and today we're talking about how he overcame the wedding blues and eventually turned to wedding planning.However, that's not always a clear or viable path for everyone. Jp spent many years working in live theater, so he already had a sense of what was involved in the live events world. In this episode, we touch on how to test the waters to see if wedding planning is for you.We also touch on the planner/client relationship, and how that can evolve to friendship after the big day.There are so many good lesson in this episode - download today to hear our fun and informative conversation.You can find Jp at www.amplfiedweddingsandevents.com and on instagram at @amplified_event.Visit The Leap Lifestyle weekly for fresh content and new episodes of the podcast.As always, thanks for listening!

This week on the Leap Lifestyle Podcast, we're talking about wedding cakes with pastry chef Nika Yazdani from Sugar Studio.Chef Nika spent years in some of the most acclaimed kitchens including The Wynn Resort at Las Vegas, MGM Grand, FiAMMA, Bottega Louie and Susie Cakes Bakery. She then began baking from her own kitchen, and Sugar Studio was born.In this episode of The Leap Lifestyle podcast, we talk about the wedding cake process, from when to reach out to bakers, how to best communicate the ideas you have for your wedding cake design, and bringing that design to creation. The process of finding the perfect cake for your wedding is fun, interactive, and tasty!You can find Nika at www.sugarstudiola.com and on Instagram @sugarstudiola.And visit The Leap Lifestyle for fresh weekly content!

This week on The Leap Lifestyle Podcast, we're talking with Morgan Pirkle from Kept Record about Intimate Wedding and Elopement Photography. In this episode, we talk about: how intimate and elopement photography differs from traditional wedding photographywhat to expect on your wedding day if you've gone the elopement or intimate wedding routehow to best prepare to work with your elopement or intimate wedding photographerand Morgan shares her process, which is full of tips and tricks for your elopement.You can find Morgan on her website www.keptrecord.com, on Instagram @kept_record and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/keptrecord.And to grab your copy of Morgan's free elopement starter kit, click here!Be sure to visit The Leap Lifestyle each week for fresh content and each week's episode of the podcast. And, you can find us on Instagram @theleaplifestyleThanks for listening!

In this episode of The Leap Lifestyle Podcast, I'm chatting with the amazing DJ Dazzler and we're talking all about the importance of your wedding DJ and Planner relationship and collaboration. Along with your banquet caption, your Planner and DJ will work together to ensure that the flow of your wedding reception is seamless. In this episode, we cover:The importance of a dynamic relationship between your DJ and Planner, and how their collaboration benefits each coupleHow your DJ and Planner, along with the other vendors, are your A-team for the night, and how they work to ensure the best day possible for your weddingPerfecting the timing for your reception, and the importance of reading the room and being able to flex seamlessly as the evening unfoldsand so much more!This episode is for any couple interested in the behind-the-scenes action that takes place leading up to and on the day of your wedding.You can find DJ Dazzler on Instagram @dj_dazzler, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/djdazzlerlive and on the web at www.djdazzler.comAnd you can find The Leap Lifestyle on instagram @theleaplifestyle and on the web at www.theleaplifestyle.comThanks for listening!