Nebraska Wedding Podcast

Have you been hoping for something to keep your mind off this whole Global Pandemic business? Well, then do we have something for you! For Episode 30 of the Nebraska Wedding Podcast, Kelly sits down with Karly Jurgensen of Karlyn Music to discuss all of the unexpected ways music plays in to the big day.  Fun fact, “Karlyn” is actually Karly’s full name – which, of course, explains her business’ name.  She’s been playing the piano since she was 8 years old, and decided pretty early on she hoped to make a career of music. She attended Berkeley College of Music  in Boston, where she received a Bachelor of Music with a major in Songwriting. ( So YES – she totally knows what she’s doing.) After college she moved to NYC where she was part of the big city grind… until she met a Nebraska boy that swept her off her feet. The rest is history! (Some pretty cool history that includes a national TV appearance and subsequent musical career with Mannheim Steamroller (1:50) ) Once in Nebraska, Karly realized there was a legitimate lack of customized music in the wedding industry… one SHE wanted to fill. She now does 50 to 75 weddings in the Nebraska and Iowa areas per year. (2:50) Karly talks about the challenges of running a business while raising two very young children (8:00) and as we usually do around here, she reveals three things her clients may not know about her. (Her FIRST fact involves hanging out Billy Joel and Don Henley. Yeah, really.) Karly dives in to what questions she wishes brides and grooms were asking when booking her services, (11:49) as well as unique ways they can incorporate customized music into their big days. (15:40) She talks through some of the really cool stuff she can put together for both the reception and ceremony, and honestly, we’re shocked we haven’t heard more of this. It’s genius. (17:30) She also goes over what kind of music is best during which parts of your wedding, and how to determine what equipment is needed (because you want your guests to actually hear the vows you worked so hard on!) She also discusses some amazing ideas about incorporating your favorite songs in an entirely unique way you may not have ever thought of! You can find out more about Karly’s work, as well as listen to her absolutely stunning arrangements at Karlynmusic.com, on Instagram @Karlynmusic, or on Facebook.

For today’s episode, Kelly is joined by Stephanie Hile, general manager and co-owner of the Diamond Room in Omaha. The Diamond room is a wedding and events space, awesomely located almost exactly cattycorner from the Omaha ballpark, that bills itself as “industrial chic.” Think cool cement floors and garage doors – but make it fashion. Stefanie says couples love the space because it’s just so versatile – a cool and modern blank canvas. (2:30) Right out of college, Stephanie began a career in internet retail, (3:46) doing everything from social media, to SEO, and email marketing. She attributes this experience with giving her a solid base from which to begin her own business. Coming from the entrepreneurial family that she does, Stephanie’s dad and her sat down to draw a business plan for what later became the Diamond Room and began to look at spaces in 2008. (4:26)  After coming up empty handed for the perfect space, Stephanie moved on and continued working for internet retail for another 5 years.  One day her dad let her know that he had found the perfect place – and 3 months later she had the keys in hand. Today, Stephanie’s role primarily consists of assisting with tourism bookings and helping the clients through their planning process When it comes to weddings, she meets with couples at 60 days out, and then again at 30 days out to go over all concerns, questions and logistics – leaving nothing until the last minute – or worse – to chance. Stefanie likes getting couples into the venue space early on to truly visualize how everything is going to come together. A blank canvas can be overwhelming, but Stephanie guides couples throughout every step of the process. To walk couples through planning their perfect day, she begins by discussing what the couple is envisioning for centerpieces. (2:20) She then suggest table shapes and layouts, as well as head table options to create the look and feel they’re going for. In the past few years, Stefanie has definitely sensed a shift toward more unique, personalized weddings. While the first few weddings she did were all sort of the same as far as look and vendors, brides are now coming up with their own unique ideas and visions for what they want on their big day.(6:22) Kelly then asks Stefanie to share three things clients may not know about her. She shares a little about her fun role as a dance mom, her possible caffeine addiction, and her love of comparing her life to her favorite tv shows. (She’s a Charlotte, if you’re curious.) When it comes to things she wishes couples were asking, Stephanie reassures that they should feel comfortable asking anything and everything they want. There is no such thing as a dumb question, as we’re not all expected to be wedding pros. (That’s what the pros are for, after all!) She also wishes couples would really get into the weeds of their contracts with vendors as well as their venue. (12:00) Stephanie finally shares her advice on choosing vendors couples love (17:40) and prioritizing what is most important to them, as well as looking out for red flags that could lead to issues further along in the planning process. You can find out more about the Diamond room on Instagram @DiamondRoom605, or at www.diamondroomomaha.com  

Kelly is joined by Audra Pace, owner of Dream Big Events in Omaha. They chat about all things wedding planning and advice Audra has for couples. www.laceworkfilms.com https://www.dreambigevents.net/

On Episode 27 of the Nebraska Wedding Podcast, Kelly sits down for a chat with Ashley from Ashley Nicole Photography to talk all things wedding photography! Ashley is a film and digital wedding photographer based out of Omaha. She focuses on offering a unique, personal connection with each couple to most genuinely capture natural, timeless images of their special day. (0:58) Ashley started photography in high school as part of the yearbook staff, but set it aside in college seeing it as more of a “hobby” than a full-time career. In 2008, after taking a corporate job, she came across a blog that reignited her interest and passion in the art. She decided to get her hands on a new camera and start her old interest back up. (2:24) Meanwhile, she continued to work full time. In In 2015, Ashley was unexpectedly laid off from her job, but she quickly saw the silver lining: this was her opportunity to fully dive into her passion for photography. (3:27) She has now been running her own photography business full-time for over 5 years. In this episode, Kelly and Ashley chat about photography, her other artistic mediums, her new studio space, and the beautiful family inspiration behind it. Ashley then speaks on what she wishes couples knew going in to their wedding day (10:00) and the importance of trusting the vendors they’ve hired. At the end of the day, the planning should be DONE by time the wedding day rolls around – and couples should relax and let the professionals do their jobs on the big day. (12:20) She highly recommends engagement sessions as an opportunity to get to know photographers and figure out if the couple “clicks” with the one they’ve chosen. Personality conflicts should be figured out before the big day – and this is the perfect way to gauge that compatibility.   Ashley also touches on how to figure out if a bride has found “the one.”  Nope! Not the right groom, but the right photographer! Because there IS a right photographer for each bride. (17:00) It’s all about knowing what aesthetic they’re really drawn towards, and keeping that in mind as they search. Ashley also touches on the new vlogging project she’s working on to help educate brides on what they’re going to need to know while planning their wedding. (23:00) She’ll include topics such as timelines, contracts from a bride’s standpoint, and advice for their wedding day as a whole. You can find more info on Ashley, as well as her gorgeous work at Ashley-Nicole.net or on Instagram @AshleyNicoleCreative