Unveiled Interviews

Alyssa Vanzo
  • 5.0 (5)
  • EDUCATION
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A podcast dedicated to making the wedding industry a more transparent place for all.

  1. S2E19: Reviving Bridal with Allison Chou of Double Happiness Bridal

    11/07/2025

    S2E19: Reviving Bridal with Allison Chou of Double Happiness Bridal

    The economy, changing values, re-defining traditions, and the “virality-factor” of house labels are all pushing consigned bridal fashion forward as the leading option for so many brides looking for ‘the dress’  – but, what does this process of shopping used actually look like? In this interview, we talk with Allison Chou, founder and curator of Double Happiness Bridal, a luxury bridal consignment boutique in New York City. Though growing in demand, the work Allison does is still relatively new to the industry, so we ask her all about the how’s and why’s of consignment over new, what makes a fashion label considered “luxury,” and the mindset that brides should have when choosing their dress. Website: https://www.doublehappinessbridal.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doublehappinessbridal/

    1h 2m
  2. S2E18: The Art of Filmmaking with Mark Brown

    10/14/2025

    S2E18: The Art of Filmmaking with Mark Brown

    In this flashy, new-aged world of high-tech cameras and high expectations, it’s always impressive to hear from artists who embrace the art of a slower and more intentional creative process. The pressure to create for a dopamine hit is real, and has caused a massive shift in the way we consume, appreciate, and create works of art today. It’s no surprise that this pressure has landed in the wedding industry as well, where we have too seen a shift in the way weddings are created and then captured. In this episode, we hear from cinematography-extraordinaire, Mark Brown, a UK-based wedding filmmaker who travels the world creating wedding videos using only analog media. Mark’s work is whimsical and comedic, but also romantic and poetic. It’s not flashy or boastful, highly edited or high-definition, but in a way, that’s what makes it so beautiful and memorable. Through all the trends and advancements in film tech, Mark continues to hold tight the process and style that most resonates with his personal taste and values, even when it may polarize with the expectations set by modern standards – all the reasons we wanted to learn from hilm. In our conversation, we ask Mark all about his use of film (the why’s and the how’s), how it informs his process and style, and what his thoughts are on the impact of modern technology on the creative process. Website: https://www.markbrownfilms.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markbrownfilms/

    1h 18m
  3. S2E17: Planning Really Good Parties with Tory Smith of Smith + James Events

    08/19/2025

    S2E17: Planning Really Good Parties with Tory Smith of Smith + James Events

    Nearly all engaged couples have the same end goal in mind: showing their guests an incredible experience. But, what exactly does it take to accomplish this? Is it all in the food and beverage? The music or entertainment? Does a good experience depend on creative design or thoughtful amenities? What about the itinerary or wedding day timeline – is this the secret to a lasting impression? Given her business motto is all about “planning really good parties,” we figured the best person to ask all these questions to was Tory Smith, lead planner/producer at Smith + James Events. Tory and her team have done unparalleled work both executing events that perfectly fuse refinement with approachability, and reaching clients that also speak their language, so we invited her to find out: how do they do it? Website: https://www.smithjamesevents.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smithjamesevents

    1h 10m
  4. S2E16: Setting Your Wedding Biz Up for Success with Downey Street Events

    08/12/2025

    S2E16: Setting Your Wedding Biz Up for Success with Downey Street Events

    Building a thriving and reliable business, especially in the wedding industry, requires more than just creative talent or charisma. Many wedding professionals often get caught up in maintaining appearances through social media, blogging, submissions, and workshops, and while these are important for visibility, they don't guarantee long-term success or sustainability. Kelsey Connely, owner and creative director of Downey Street Events, brought a strong understanding of business-to-people relationships from her previous career in HR before later acquiring the premier wedding planning company. In our conversation, Kelsey and I delve into the often "daunting" aspects of business ownership, covering topics such as setting up bank accounts, saving for taxes, drafting and negotiating contracts, and strategizing to move a business into higher markets. Website: https://downeystreetevents.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/downeystreetevents/

    1h 3m
  5. S2E15: Building an Associate Team with Ali Beck

    08/05/2025

    S2E15: Building an Associate Team with Ali Beck

    As so many wedding photographers navigate tumultuous waters of business-ownership, many explore the pros and cons of expanding their team through associates. While many find this route to provide ease through added hands, others find that adding associates to their brand actually hinders performance of themselves or their business. With so many questions and unknowns around operating with associates, we invited someone much more experienced in the area – destination wedding photographer, Ali Beck. Through her career as a wedding photographer, Ali has dabbled in many forms of associateship including building an associate team then reverting back to solo. Throughout this process, she learned so much about her own personal and professional goals, all of which she so generously shares in this interview. Website: https://www.alibeck.co/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alibeckphoto/

    1h 13m
  6. S2E14: Curating Wedding Wardrobes with Bridal Stylist Gabrielle Hurwitz

    07/29/2025

    S2E14: Curating Wedding Wardrobes with Bridal Stylist Gabrielle Hurwitz

    For some brides, the tradition of shopping for “the dress” is warmly embraced, leading to joyous memories of "girl time" over champagne. But for others, the reality isn’t so simple or glamorous; its stress over finding multiple looks, refuting conflicting tastes, balancing price tags with budgets, and figuring out how to communicate likes (and dislikes) with the wedding party. Fortunately, for these types of wedding woes, we have professionals like Gabrielle Hurtwitz, a bridal fashion stylist based in New York City. Not to be confused with beauty artists or personal shoppers, bridal stylists like Gabrielle work closely with brides to curate thoughtful and thorough wardrobes for the entire wedding weekend.  As you can probably imagine, layering colors, textures, and budgets for not just “the dress,” but also other looks for the bride – and often her close family and friends – comes with many challenges, so I was thrilled to interview Gabrielle on all parts of her role and process. Website: https://gabriellehurwitz.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabriellehurwitz/

    1h 14m
  7. S2E13: The In’s and Out’s of Wedding Publications with Sarah Schreiber

    07/22/2025

    S2E13: The In’s and Out’s of Wedding Publications with Sarah Schreiber

    Wedding publications, magazines, digital editorial: Whatever you want to call it, what is going on in this space? What are publications' purpose in the wedding industry? What role should they fulfill? Are they genuinely helpful or relevant for couples planning their weddings today? For wedding professionals and vendors serving these couples, is it worth “paying to play” and why have the wait times for publication become so long?  With me in this episode is weddings editor turned media consultant, Sarah Schreiber, who, over the course of her decade-long career in digital editorial at Martha Stewart Weddings and Brides, gained a deep understanding of how this world operates. During our conversation, we discuss how (and why) this space has changed so much over the past couple of years—and what the publication landscape might look like with the rise of a new generation of both couples and technology. Instagram: @sar_schreiber

    1h 23m
  8. S2E12: Education in Wedding Photography with John Dolan

    07/01/2025

    S2E12: Education in Wedding Photography with John Dolan

    Though he prefers to say he is “photographer fascinated by weddings, rather than a wedding photographer,” John Dolan is recognized today as a pioneer who helped bring wedding photography into the modern world, where we seek creative and holistic storytelling and appreciate it as an actual artform. But, the appreciation of the artform has seemed to fog up a bit as a new industry has emerged – the industry of education in wedding photography. Suddenly, the focus seems to be more on the business side where photographers are seeking quick-fixes and immediate gratification. So we wanted to know… what is John’s take on all of this? Are we onto something or have we lost the point? John’s Website: https://www.johndolan.com/ John’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johndolanphotog  Memory Cult by Anastasia Pagonas: https://www.memorycult.com/ John’s Book “The Perfect Imperfect, Second Edition”: https://www.johndolan.com/print-shop

    1h 21m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

A podcast dedicated to making the wedding industry a more transparent place for all.

Information

  • Creator
    Alyssa Vanzo
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    44
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Alyssa Vanzo
  • Show Website
    Unveiled Interviews

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