The Preferred List: A Wedding Vendor Podcast

James
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The Preferred List is a podcast that pulls back the curtain on the wedding industry, featuring honest conversations with the pros behind the scenes. From planners to photographers to DJs and florists, we dive into the real stories, lessons, and moments that make weddings unforgettable — and what it really takes to earn a spot on the list.

  1. 6D AGO

    Episode 14 Comfort And Craft: Lewisburg Studio by Melo Foto

    A single beam of light in a dusty barn changed everything. That’s the moment Melanie realized wedding photography wasn’t just a skill set—it was a calling to protect fleeting minutes, calm anxious rooms, and translate love into images that last. We invited her to share that journey from darkroom patience to dance-floor intuition, and the conversation goes deep on what couples and creatives actually need to thrive. We explore how military goodbyes and new motherhood sharpened her eye for meaning, why comfort is a strategy, and how a people-first approach turns timelines into breathing room. Melanie breaks down the studio’s workflow—two-photographer coverage, flexible “up to” hours, and why first looks can unlock cocktail hour without sacrificing portraits. She’s candid about boundaries too: photographers aren’t planners, yet on days without coordination they often hold the glue. Hear how she juggles bustling dresses, wrangling family, and keeping the couple present while still protecting image quality. For couples, you’ll get clear steps to cut through overwhelm: choose vendors you genuinely like, meet face to face to avoid scams, lean on preferred vendor lists for chemistry, and build a realistic timeline with buffers. For creatives, there’s grounded advice on scaling a team, delegating, staying organized across calendars and cloud backups, and using delivery platforms like Pixieset to elevate client experience beyond a basic file link. We also talk vendor collaboration with videographers and DJs so coverage stays in sync and the final story feels cohesive. If you care about honest images, low-stress wedding days, and vendor teams that actually work well together, this conversation will meet you where you are. Listen, take what helps, and share it with a friend planning their day. Subscribe for more real talk with the people behind unforgettable weddings, and leave a quick review to tell us what topic you want next. https://www.instagram.com/lewisburgstudio/ https://melofoto.mypixieset.com/

    51 min

  2. DEC 11

    Episode 13 From Family Estate To Dream Venue: The Barn At Silverstone

    Some wedding days look effortless; the best ones are engineered that way. We sit with Miranda, owner of The Barn at Silverstone, to unpack how a historic family estate became a nationally recognized, guest-first wedding venue—and what actually makes celebrations run smooth from first email to last dance. With nearly 800 weddings behind her, Miranda shares a decade of lessons that most couples never see but always feel. We explore how in-house catering, climate-controlled spaces, and a true indoor ceremony option remove friction and protect timelines. Miranda breaks down the planning portal she gives every couple—checklists, layouts, inspiration uploads, and vendor contacts in one place—plus why she reviews vendor contracts to catch missing details before they derail setup. She’s candid about vendor red flags (communication tops the list), the difference professional DJ gear makes, and how to vet photographers for the style you want, like golden hour portraits that actually glow. The tour of the property doubles as a masterclass in guest flow: solid-surface courtyard ceremonies, stables for an indoor-outdoor cocktail hour, and an upstairs reception flooded with natural light. We talk smart tactics—tray-passed drinks at the start of cocktail hour, seating charts shown early to eliminate bottlenecks, and repurposing ceremony florals to elevate the reception. On budget, Miranda champions less is more: choose refined pieces that photograph well, skip the clutter, and invest where comfort and beauty meet. If you’re planning a wedding or work in the industry, this conversation is packed with practical ideas you can use tomorrow—questions to ask venues, how to build a trustworthy vendor team, and ways to design a day that feels calm for you and easy for your guests. Enjoy the story, steal the systems, and come away with a clearer path to an elegant, stress-light celebration. If this was helpful, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review so more couples and vendors can find it. https://www.thebarnatsilverstone.com/ https://www.instagram.com/thebarnatsilverstone https://www.facebook.com/thebarnatsilverstone/

    52 min

  3. DEC 4

    Episode 12 Choose Presence Over Chaos: Treasured Events and Spruce Weddings and Events

    Who’s actually in charge on your wedding day? If the honest answer is “us” or “our photographer,” this conversation will change your plan for the better. We sit with Taylor, an entrepreneur who runs both a planning company and a rentals brand, to explore how hospitality, budgeting, and smart systems create calm, guest-friendly weddings that still feel like you. We start with the real difference between venue coordinators and independent planners, then map planning packages to personality and budget: day-of for organized couples who want control without chaos, partial for teams who need early guidance and vendor matchmaking, and full for busy duos who want expert oversight end-to-end. Taylor shares a simple test for value—if it’s not you or your family, who’s orchestrating timelines, wrangling vendors, cueing speeches, and getting you to the aisle on time? From there, we dig into budget strategy and expectations. Learn why guest count quietly drives your costs, how to fund top priorities like bands, photography, or florals without starving everything else, and why the right coordinator protects your investment by freeing vendors to do their best work. On the rentals side, Taylor explains why renting beats buying: less waste, less storage, and smarter design decisions that consider ceremony flow, cocktail hour transitions, and repurposing decor. Expect practical trend talk too—big yes to repurpose-friendly floral pillars and group entrances; a cautious no to private last dances that stall exits and frustrate guests. Under the hood, this is a masterclass in proactive planning: timelines that ask the right questions, systems that eliminate guesswork, and a team-first mindset where vendors overcommunicate and collaborate. If you want a wedding day that feels present and unhurried—with design that works in the real world—hit play. If this episode helps you breathe easier, share it with a friend, leave a review, and subscribe for more candid, behind-the-scenes conversations. Treasured Events https://www.instagram.com/treasured.events/ https://www.treasured-events.com/ Spruce Weddings and Events: https://www.spruceweddingsandevents.com/ https://www.instagram.com/spruceweddingsandevents/

    1h 11m

  4. NOV 27

    Episode 11 Baking Legacy to Wedding Joy: Gable House Bakery

    A wedding cake once flew across the car—and that chaos became the catalyst for smarter structure, better delivery tactics, and a bakery that thrives on both art and systems. We sit down with Nikki of Gable House Bakery to trace a family legacy from her mother’s five-cakes-a-weekend heyday to a community-rooted shop known for elegant tiered cakes and wildly popular dessert tables. Nikki unpacks the real shift in wedding desserts: why couples now choose a small cutting cake plus a curated spread of macarons, tart bites, cheesecake squares, shooters, and sticky buns. She explains how packaging choices into simple bundles reduces decision fatigue and protects budgets, while still offering variety and flavor. We dig into recipes and techniques—her Pappy-approved chocolate cake, the signature Swiss meringue buttercream that keeps fans coming back, and the return of vintage piping that turns a five-tier centerpiece into a photo magnet. Beyond the sweets, this conversation is a practical guide for couples, planners, and venues. Nikki details booking timelines, tastings, and the hard constraints of food safety and texture: hot barns need late deliveries and airflow, air-conditioned ballrooms let flavors bloom at room temperature, and a little fridge space can save mousse and éclairs. She shares candid lessons on hiring, scaling, and recalibrating a team to stay financially healthy, plus how integrating family into the kitchen transformed work-life balance. We even preview her next experiment: a sweet grazing table that blends fresh fruit, dips, and confections into a lush, photo-first spread. If you care about wedding dessert ideas, dessert tables vs. tiered cakes, buttercream techniques, realistic timelines, and vendor coordination that actually reduces stress, you’ll leave with clear steps and fresh inspiration. Subscribe, share with a friend who’s planning, and drop a review telling us your dream wedding dessert lineup. https://www.gablehousebakery.com/ https://www.instagram.com/gablehousebakes/

    54 min

  5. NOV 20

    Episode 10 Rethinking Wedding Makeup: Vero Leigh

    The morning of a wedding can feel like chaos or calm—and the beauty team often decides which way it goes. James sits down with Veronica, founder of Verily, to trace how a bathroom meltdown sparked a thriving wedding beauty business built on service, intention, and rock-solid systems. From the first light and playlists to vendor timelines and touch-ups, we walk through the decisions that shape the entire day before the couple even sees each other. Veronica shares how treating artistry like a business changed everything: client experience over speed, staying for support, and using styled shoots as real rehearsals for collaboration. She explains why “no makeup” looks can fall flat on camera, how bronzing and subtle contour bring back dimension under natural light, and the questions she asks at trials to align makeup with the venue, dress, color palette, and hair. We talk vendor teamwork—planners, photographers, videographers—and the magic that happens when people lead with service, communicate early, and build buffers that actually work. We also get candid about trends. Hair is having a moment with soft shape and face-framing texture, but makeup feels stuck in beige. Veronica makes the case for color done right—olive lids, burgundy accents, depth without heavy layers—and shouts out the products that hold up to long days and dance floors. She reveals why her packages are built around staying, how she reads the room to set the right energy, and what couples can do to keep the morning on time: arrive prepped, clean, moisturized, and hands off the phone. Big news: Verily is adding hair to become a full-service team and launching education focused on the backend and client experience for wedding beauty pros. If you care about smoother mornings, cohesive timelines, and looks that last in photos and real life, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share with a friend in weddings, and leave a review telling us: clean glam or full glam—what wins for you? https://www.veroleigh.com https://www.instagram.com/veroleighco/

    48 min

  6. NOV 13

    Episode 9 From Hunt Films To Weddings: Strata Wedding Films

    A single favor turned into a 13-year career, a stack of Vimeo links and DVDs gave way to story-driven highlights, and somewhere along the line wedding video stopped being an afterthought and started leading the must-book list. We sit down with Tyler from Strata Wedding Films to unpack how that shift happened—and how couples and creatives can make the most of it. We trace the path from hunting footage to heartfelt ceremonies, then get practical about what actually makes a wedding film watchable. Tyler breaks down why prep now earns seconds, not minutes, how he listens for a theme that threads the entire story, and why clean dialogue beats flashy cuts every time. He shares the simple planning move that sets his schedule—counting back from the dance floor—and explains why he shows up an hour early on his own time to scout power, shape light, and get the drone up before guests arrive. When budgets and timelines collide, he favors clarity over clutter and chronology over chaos. Gear talk gets real and useful: the third lav mic that quietly saves windy hilltop ceremonies, battery-powered lights that preserve reception ambiance while flattering skin, and drones as a value add instead of a risky upsell. We also zoom out: how to raise rates with confidence, juggle family weekends with edit weeks, and where AI helps organize but can’t replace human judgment. For couples, Tyler gives a punch list for vetting videographers—watch full films, compare packages across multiple sites, ask about audio redundancy and reception lighting, and beware subcontract mills. For vendors, we dig into respectful choreography with photographers so no one blocks the aisle or the moment. If you care about wedding films that feel like your day—honest, cinematic, and built to be replayed—this conversation is your blueprint. Subscribe for more candid talks with the people behind unforgettable weddings, and share this episode with a friend who’s planning or shooting a big day. Your reviews help more couples find storytelling that lasts. https://www.strataweddingfilms.com/ https://www.instagram.com/strataweddingfilms/

    55 min

  7. NOV 6

    Episode 8 This Is Your Story: Gabe McMullen Photography

    What makes a wedding photo unforgettable isn’t the trend or the preset—it’s the feeling you had when it was made. We sit down with photographer Gabe to trace his path from a $50 portrait to 250-plus weddings, and we unpack how trust, preparation, and a calm presence turn unpredictable days into timeless galleries. Along the way, he shares the lessons he learned by second shooting widely, building a community of mentors, and shaping a client experience that privileges comfort over contrivance. We dig into the real differences between documentary and editorial styles, and why expectations live or die with full galleries. Gabe explains how he earns genuine moments—letting groomsmen keep the beers for a few frames, talking couples through the nerves, and scouting rain backups before hello. He also opens up about loss and legacy, and why he now prioritizes parents and grandparents with the same care as the couple. For anyone planning a wedding, this is your blueprint for choosing the right photographer: evaluate consistency, ask better questions, and pick someone whose process you actually enjoy. There’s no fluff around business either. Gabe breaks down the hidden math of destination weddings, how diversifying into commercial work stabilizes income, and why a CRM, separate banking, and an accountant are a creative’s best friends. If you’re a vendor, you’ll find a playbook for sustainable growth. If you’re a couple, you’ll walk away with practical planning tips, clear timeline thinking, and a fresh lens on what really matters: a guide you trust and images that feel like your life. If this conversation helped you think differently about wedding storytelling, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review to help more couples and creatives find the show. https://www.gabemcmullen.com/ https://www.instagram.com/gabe_mcmullen/

    1h 13m

  8. OCT 30

    Episode 7 Turn Stress Into Confidence: Love It At Stella's

    The moment you step onto the platform, everything gets loud: opinions, trends, timelines, prices. So we brought in Angie and Grace from Stella’s to quiet the noise and show how a thoughtful stylist turns stress into confidence and a rack of dresses into a clear yes. We start with the human side of the shop: a 60+ year legacy, a historic schoolhouse space, and a team that doesn’t work on commission. That one choice changes everything. Instead of pushing price tags, they protect your vision, set group expectations, and lead with questions that matter: can you picture the aisle, does this feel like you, and does your body relax in the mirror? From there, we get tactical. We map the first appointment, use a lookbook to gather ideas, try a tight edit of silhouettes, and narrow by feel, not fear. We unpack timelines you can trust, the truth about bridal sizing, and how to avoid alteration headaches by ordering smart. Trends come up, but they don’t run the show. Yes, basque waistlines, brocade textures, and modern drop waists are having a moment, yet the strongest theme is authenticity. If a pink dress feels like you, wear it. If clean and classic calms your heart, lean in. We go deep on customization—necklines, sleeves, fabrics, skirt fullness—and how small tweaks can transform “almost” into “exactly” without blowing the budget. We also explore heirloom touches like memory patches and reimagined mom or grandma gowns, plus why a second dress can be both a vibe and a comfort strategy. By the end, you’ll have a framework for choosing the right entourage, steering feedback gracefully, and making the final call without pressure. Most of all, you’ll leave with permission to prioritize joy over noise. If this conversation helped you breathe easier about your dress, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review so more brides can find it. What’s the one feeling you want your gown to capture? https://www.loveitatstellas.com/ https://www.instagram.com/love.it.at.stellas/

    58 min
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The Preferred List is a podcast that pulls back the curtain on the wedding industry, featuring honest conversations with the pros behind the scenes. From planners to photographers to DJs and florists, we dive into the real stories, lessons, and moments that make weddings unforgettable — and what it really takes to earn a spot on the list.

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