Megan Gillikin, host of the podcast, has been a wedding planner in the Raleigh NC market since 2010. Over the last 8+ years, she has made some mistakes in her business. And today she opens up and talks about those, with lessons learned from the experience. Wedding vendors, hopefully you can avoid some of these.

Deanna and Grant of Harrison Wedding Films in Washington DC came on the show to talk lessons they've learned in their first year of business, communication tips for vendor collaboration and creativity, what they do differently that sets them apart from their competition, and the hurricane that took years off their lives! Deanna and Grant are such a fun and talented couple, and we're excited to share this episode!

Did you know that 40% of engagements occur between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day?!?! Wedding Vendors, is your business ready for engagement season? Megan Gillikin, qualified industry veteran, host of this show, wedding planner, and business coach (along with her completely unqualified but occasionally funny husband Jason Gillikin), gives her tips for making sure your business is ready!

Jaine Kershner, owner of Brklyn View Photography, has been featured in Martha Stewart Weddings, The Knot, Style Me Pretty, and many more, and she was even named by BRIDES Magazine as one of NYC’s best wedding photographers. Today she comes on the show to give her 5 tips to get your wedding photography published! Jaine also has a podcast, Tea with Jaine, so go give that a listen! Brklyn View Photography owner Jaine Kershner (image by Mekina Saylor) Jaine Kershner has a podcast, Tea with Jaine (image by Bethany Michaela) Jaine’s websites: http://www.brklynview.com/ http://www.brklynviewblog.com/ https://www.teawithjaine.com/ Brklyn View Photography on Social Media: Instagram: @brklynview Facebook: @brklynview twitter: @brklynview Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal

Laura Wasser, Celebrity Divorce Attorney, comes on the show to talk prenuptial agreements. What can and cannot be included in a prenup? How do prenups help with difficult future conversations in marriage? Can you get a post-nup? And of course, what are some of the weirdest clauses that Laura has been asked to put in a prenup? 🙂 Laura is the founder of ItsOverEasy.com and practices law at Wasser, Cooperman, & Mandles. She also has her own podcast, Divorce Sucks! And she wrote a book, “It Doesn’t Have to be That Way: How to Divorce without Destroying Your Family or Bankrupting Yourself“. Laura Wasser on Social Media: Instagram: @itsovereasy twitter: @itsovereasy Facebook: @itsovereasy YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0LdyqapFXeDcAi2Ln2LpWQ Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal

Megan and Jason walked around with a microphone at the Forest Hall at Chatham Mills Open House on Sunday, talking to wedding vendors and some engaged couples, and it was such a fun experience! Thank you Aneesa for having us, and thank you to everyone who let us interview them. They were:

Aneesa Glines, Forest Hall and Harmony Weddings (Forest Hall Instagram, Harmony Instagram)

Elyssa Kevis, owner of Kevis and Camera (Instagram)

Michelle Bonham, Magnolia and Grace Wedding Planning (Instagram)

Kristen Cleve, Slice Pie Company (Instagram)

Nina McCaskey, Wedded Kiss Hair & Makeup (Instagram)

Ashleigh Davis, Tenco Coffee (Instagram)

Michelle Clark, Makeup Artist (Instagram)

Brent Dietrich, Live View Studios (Instagram)

Forest Hall at Chatham Mills Vendor Group Picture! (from Live View Studios)

Nash Roberts is the lead singer and guitarist of The Shakedown Band in North Carolina, which plays a lot of weddings. So Nash has seen some craziness. But nothing could have prepared him or his bride Beth Quinton for what was going to happen on their wedding day, which happened to be the weekend of Hurricane Matthew in October 2016.  Nash and Beth talk all about the wedding, then Nash shares some tips for wedding planners in working with a band, what songs he loves to play, and what happens when a guest wants to get up on stage.   Beth and Nash First Look (wedding images by Graham Terhune)     Nash and Beth had 11 bridesmaids and 11 groomsmen!         The Shakedown Band – Don’t give them a “Bandwich”   The Shakedown Band 

Weekend Wine Down 8! Megan and Jason follow up on this week’s episode on Next-Level Instagram with Tyler J McCall, and Megan shares more of her Instagram no-no list, which is:

Do NOT follow/unfollow!

Do NOT crop a professional photograph!

Do NOT use bots!

Do NOT forget to tag the vendors!

Do NOT post photos you had nothing to do with!

We hope you enjoy, and have a great weekend!

Weddings for Real will be at Forest Hall at Chatham Mills in Pittsboro NC for their open house on Sunday November 4th from 4-7PM. Tickets are available at https://foresthall.eventbrite.com. We hope to see you there, and maybe we’ll ask you some questions!

The host of Weddings for Real is Megan Gillikin, owner and lead consultant at A Southern Soiree Wedding and Event Planning. She’s also available for wedding and hospitality business consulting and can be reached at megan@weddingsforreal.com.

Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Jason Gillikin for Happy Hippo Digital.