Wedding Pros who are ready to grow - with Becca Pountney

Hosted by Becca Pountney

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245

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Oct 2026

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About the show

Are you a wedding business owner that wants to grow your business for success? You are in the right place as you tune into the UK's leading Wedding Industry podcast - winner of the 2025 best business category of the British Podcast Awards. If you want to take your creative passion and turn it into a successful, profitable business doing what you love, you are in the right place. In the Wedding Pros who are ready to grow Podcast wedding business consultant and speaker Becca Pountney will share her expert tips and practical advice to help you find success. In this podcast you will find a mixture of actionable steps, guest experts and other wedding pros who want to share their journey with you. Get ready to laugh, cry and most of all get inspired to grow your dream wedding business.

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60 recent

October 29, 202655 min

What better technology means in our industry. With Emma Hardcastle

Show notes: This week, I'm joined by Emma Hardcastle, CEO and founder of Hostology, a venue management platform helping wedding and event venues bring everything together in one place. Emma has spent years working in marketing, digital products and technology, and she shares how her experience led her to create a solution for some of the challenges faced by wedding venues. We talk about why so many businesses are still relying on spreadsheets, endless emails and manual processes, and how making changes to the way you work could save you time and help your business run more smoothly. We also get into the reasons so many wedding professionals are nervous about embracing technology, from the fear of losing control to worrying about how much time it will take to get everything set up. Emma explains how the right systems can actually give you more time to focus on your customers and deliver a better experience. Plus, we discuss the growing role of AI in the wedding industry, why making decisions based on data is so important, and the mistakes business owners can make by sticking with processes or people that aren't quite right for them. And, as always, we finish with a brilliant reminder about trusting your instincts, believing in your ideas and having the confidence to make changes when something isn't working. If you're feeling overwhelmed by the day-to-day running of your wedding business, or you know there must be a better way to do things, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Emma's LinkedIn Find out more about Hostology Time stamps: 00:51 - Emma Hardcastle Founder & CEO of Hostology 12:36 - The Leap to Self‑Employment 17:56 - Developing Hostology: Insights from Venues 29:10 - Avoiding Tech Mistakes: What Not to Do When Adopting New Systems 33:36 - Giving Couples Control: How Technology Improves the Customer Experience 45:16 - AI and the Future of Event Technology 49:10 - WED Pros Live — Reflections and What's Next Mentioned in this episode: Find out more about Venue AI Ready to embrace AI in your wedding venue? Take some time to find out more about Venue AI or book a free demo. Find out more about Venue AI

October 22, 202653 min

How AI will transform your sales process. With Joaquin Corrales

Show notes: In this episode I'm joined by Joaquin Corrales, wedding venue owner, software developer and founder of Venue AI, to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming the sales process and what wedding professionals can learn from it. Joaquin shares how his experience building and running Gran Paraiso Gardens, a successful wedding venue in Miami, helped him identify one of the biggest challenges businesses face: generating enquiries is only half the battle. If you're not responding quickly, following up consistently and understanding what turns a lead into a booking, you could be missing out on valuable opportunities. Drawing on the systems he's developed for his own venue and through Venue AI, Joaquin explains how AI can help businesses manage enquiries, answer questions, follow up with potential clients and streamline repetitive tasks. While his experience comes from the venue industry, these lessons are relevant to wedding planners, photographers, florists and other wedding professionals looking to improve their sales process and make better use of their time. We also discuss why AI shouldn't mean losing the personal touch. From getting the right brand voice to knowing when a conversation needs a human response, Joaquin shares what business owners should consider before introducing automation and how to choose tools that genuinely support their business. Venueai Joaquin's Instagram Gran Paraiso Gardens Time stamps: 00:59 - Joaquin Corrales — Venue Owner & Tech Entrepreneur 08:15 - Growing the Venue: Building a Consistent Lead-Generation System 18:25 - Building Venue AI — prioritising conversational quality and accuracy 22:21 - Practical Lead Workflow: Automated Handling Until the Tour 26:54 - Preserving Personality: Preventing Lazy, Generic AI 39:05 - AI for Small Businesses — How to Evaluate and Adopt Tools 42:27 - The Future of the Wedding Industry 48:33 - The One Business Lesson I Wish I'd Known Sooner Mentioned in this episode: Discover Venue AI for yourself Ready to take your Venue Team into the future? Take a look at what Venue AI has to offer, find out more or book a demo now. Find out more about Venue AI

October 15, 20261 hr 10 min

Wedding venue marketing, what actually works? With Jonathan Aymin

Show notes: In this episode, I’m joined by Jonathan Aymin, Founder and CEO of Common Sense Events, a venue management company in the US. Jonathan also hosts the VenueRx podcast and founded the Wedding and Event Venue Association, so he brings a wealth of experience and some refreshingly honest insights into running and growing a venue business. We chat about Jonathan’s journey into the wedding industry, from starting a staffing company to managing wedding venues across the US, and why being successful in this industry takes far more than simply having a beautiful space. We also get into the practical side of marketing. Jonathan explains why he doesn’t believe in writing off a platform just because it hasn’t worked for another business, and why looking at your own numbers is essential when deciding where to invest your time and money. From wedding directories and Google Ads to Meta, TikTok and AI-driven referrals, we explore why different platforms can work differently depending on your venue and your ideal client. One of my favourite parts of this conversation is our discussion about consistency. It can be tempting to give up when your marketing doesn’t seem to be generating immediate results, but couples may be watching your content for months before they’re ready to enquire. Jonathan explains why it’s important to keep showing up, track your results and look at the bigger picture rather than reacting to every individual post or quiet week. Common Sense Events The Venue RX podcast The Venue RX Instagram Time stamps: 03:53 - From Fired to Founder — Jonathan's Journey into Hospitality and Venue Management 19:20 - What marketing is actually working for venues? 34:02 - Measuring Social Media Success: What Metrics to Track 45:11 - People First: Turning Authenticity into Hiring and Culture 54:05 - Balancing Family and Work: Life with Seven Children 01:08:54 - Final takeaways: Track your data and next steps Mentioned in this episode: Discover Venue AI for yourself Looking to take your venue into the future? Why not take a look at Venue AI for yourself. Find out more or book a demo now.

October 8, 202657 min

How to make the internet like you. With Vivienne Wagner

Show notes: What happens when your ideal client stops Googling and starts asking AI who they should book? In this episode of Wedding Pros Who Are Ready to Grow, I’m chatting with Vivienne Wagner, CEO of Houndstooth Media Group, about the changing world of SEO, AI search and what it means for wedding businesses. Vivienne shares how she went from blogger to running a digital marketing agency with a team of specialists, and why the lessons she learned from building an audience still apply today. We talk about why blogging is still worth doing, how evergreen content can continue bringing people to your website years after you publish it, and why being clear about who you serve is more important than trying to chase every new marketing trend. We also get into the increasingly important relationship between SEO and AI search. Vivienne explains why SEO remains the foundation, but why simply being visible isn't enough anymore. AI is increasingly interpreting information from your website, social media, Google Business Profile and reviews to decide which businesses it recommends. One of my favourite parts of the conversation is the practical advice around Google Reviews. Rather than simply replying with "Thanks so much", Vivienne explains how your responses can reinforce what you do, who you serve and the experience you provide. Follow Vivienne on Linkedin Follow on Instagram Watch the FREE Bridal AIO Webinar Time Stamps: 00:08 - Episode intro — Meet Vivian Wagner & what to expect 01:52 - Vivienne's Journey: From Politics to Blogging and SEO 37:13 - Consumers trusting AI: where decisions and sales happen (and how businesses stay trustworthy) 42:31 - Pricing Strategy & AI: Transparency, Positioning, and Schema 53:26 - AI Was Coming: Lessons and Predictions for Business Mentioned in this episode: Find out more about Venue AI Ready to embrace AI in your wedding venue? Take some time to find out more about Venue AI or book a free demo. Find out more about Venue AI

October 1, 202650 min

Lessons from a disabled bride to be. With Charlotte Rowe

Show notes: What does accessibility really look like in the wedding industry? This week, I’m chatting to Charlotte Rowe, founder of The Unseen Weddings, about her experience of planning her own wedding as a disabled bride and the lack of accessibility and representation she has encountered along the way. From struggling to find genuinely accessible venues to seeing very little representation at wedding shows, Charlotte shares some of the experiences that inspired her to start The Unseen Weddings project. We talk about why simply describing somewhere as “wheelchair accessible” isn’t always enough, why asking couples what they actually need is so important, and how accessibility can look completely different from person to person. And it isn’t just about venues. We explore what photographers, florists, DJs, planners and other wedding professionals can do to make their businesses more inclusive; from asking better questions during consultations to thinking about sensory needs, mobility aids, photography and representation. Charlotte also shares some of the positive experiences she’s had, including a wonderfully accessible engagement experience at the Sea Life Centre, and explains her plans to create a directory of wedding suppliers who are committed to learning, listening and doing better. If you’re a wedding professional, I hope this episode makes you stop and think about your own business and the small changes you could make to create a more accessible experience. Unseen Weddings Instagram Time stamps: 00:57 - Charlotte Rowe — Founder of Unseen Weddings 08:45 - Sea Life Center: Accessibility Done Right 13:31 - Directories and Accessibility: Finding Accessible Wedding Venues 22:28 - When Wedding Planning Doesn't Reflect You: Realising You're Unseen 26:00 - Turning Frustration into Action — Starting Unseen Weddings 32:10 - Creating an Inclusive Supplier Directory and Accessible Events 39:34 - Asking About Accessibility: How Suppliers Should Start the Conversation 45:26 - A Word of Caution: Who Should Get Involved Mentioned in this episode: Discover Venue AI for yourself Ready to take your Venue Team into the future? Take a look at what Venue AI has to offer, find out more or book a demo now. Find out more about Venue AI

September 24, 202643 min

Breaking down barriers and finding success. With Lianne Cole

Show notes: In this episode, I’m chatting to Lianne Cole, a female wedding DJ, live vocalist and entertainer who is right at the beginning of her journey in the wedding industry. Lianne’s route into weddings hasn’t exactly been a straightforward one. With a Master’s in opera performance behind her, she’s worked across a whole mix of different industries and businesses before finding her way into DJing and entertainment. She now brings together her love of performing and her passion for music through LMC, combining live vocals with high-energy DJ sets. We talk about what it’s actually like trying to establish yourself when you’re new to the wedding industry, particularly as a female DJ in what has traditionally been a very male-dominated space. Lianne shares some of the challenges she’s come up against, from seeing the same male DJs repeatedly recommended in local wedding groups to feeling like female DJs can sometimes be brought in simply to tick a box. We also talk about why visibility matters, the importance of having more women represented in the industry and how venues and suppliers could help create more opportunities for people who are newer to the wedding world. Lianne's TikTok Time stamps: 01:37 - Leanne's Background & Opera Journey 13:57 - Gender and the DJ Industry: Women in Opera, Weddings, and Beyond 19:41 - Confronting Sexual Harassment in the Industry 27:34 - Unearthing the Gender Gap: Getting On Venue Supplier Lists 35:16 - Marketing on a Shoestring: Visibility Strategies for New DJs Mentioned in this episode: Discover Venue AI for yourself Looking to take your venue into the future? Why not take a look at Venue AI for yourself. Find out more or book a demo now.

September 17, 202656 min

Balancing a full time career with your business. With Ade Tokan

Show notes: This week, I'm chatting to Ade, a wedding MC and celebrant based in London and working worldwide, about exactly that. Ade has built a hugely successful wedding business, with 50 weddings this year, while continuing to work full time as a management consultant. His journey into the wedding industry was almost accidental, starting when friends asked him to MC their wedding in Athens. Five years later, he's worked on weddings around the world and has even been featured in publications including The New York Times and Vogue Weddings. If you're currently juggling a wedding business alongside another job, wondering whether you're ready to go full time, or simply trying to figure out what makes your business different, I think you're going to get a lot from this episode. New York Times article Time stamps: 09:55 - Benefits to Couples: Guest Experience & Value 19:37 - Breaking Down 50 Weddings: Where Clients Come From 28:20 - When Time Becomes Precious: Balancing a 9-to-5 and a Wedding Business 40:00 - The Pipeline: When to Quit and Go Full-Time 51:52 - What I Wish I'd Known Sooner — Essential Business Advice Mentioned in this episode: Find out more about Venue AI Ready to embrace AI in your wedding venue? Take some time to find out more about Venue AI or book a free demo. Find out more about Venue AI

September 10, 202658 min

Photography, Faith and Family, how to balance it all. With Olly Knight

Show notes: In this week's episode I'm chatting to wedding photographer Ollie Knight, who has been capturing weddings since 2011 and has photographed more than 400 couples. Based in Canterbury, Ollie has built a photography business around a documentary, unscripted approach, capturing the real moments of a wedding day rather than creating lots of staged images. But photography is just one part of Ollie's life. Alongside his business, he makes time for his family, his faith, music and his work mentoring and educating other photographers through Framed. One of my favourite parts of this conversation is our discussion around being niche. Ollie talks about how, in the early days, he sometimes compromised his documentary style because he wanted to attract more work. Looking back, he'd choose to double down on what makes his work different. And I couldn't agree more. You don't need everyone to love what you do. It's a brilliant reminder that your business doesn't have to consume every part of your life. You can build something successful while still making space for your family, your faith, your interests and the things that matter to you. FramED Instagram FramED website Mentioned in this episode: Discover Venue AI for yourself Ready to take your Venue Team into the future? Take a look at what Venue AI has to offer, find out more or book a demo now. Find out more about Venue AI

September 3, 20261 hr 4 min

Running weddings in an animal park. With Stephanie Betts

Show notes: What is it really like to run a wedding venue in the middle of a wild animal park? In this episode, I’m chatting to Stephanie Betts, Wedding & Event Sales Manager at Port Lympne Reserve in Kent, an award-winning wedding venue with a seriously unique USP. I was lucky enough to visit Port Lympne myself. From safari experiences and a stunning private orangery to exceptional customer service and a carefully curated recommended supplier list, there’s plenty that wedding businesses can learn from the way Port Lympne approaches its guest experience. Time stamps: 00:12 - Introduction to Wedding Marketing 05:34 - The Uniqueness of Portland's Wedding Experience 21:51 - Adapting to Changing Wedding Trends 30:02 - The Rise of Intimate Weddings 45:53 - Understanding Supplier Relationships in Event Management 01:01:29 - The Importance of Customer Experience in Weddings Mentioned in this episode: Discover Venue AI for yourself Looking to take your venue into the future? Why not take a look at Venue AI for yourself. Find out more or book a demo now.

August 27, 202631 min

Why AI is killing your marketing

Show notes: Is AI killing your marketing? I’m not anti-AI, in fact, I use it every single day in my business! But I am starting to see more and more wedding businesses using AI in a way that is making their marketing sound exactly the same. In today’s episode, I’m talking about how to use AI without losing your personality, creativity and unique voice. I’ll be sharing some honesty checks to help you work out whether AI might be hurting your marketing, the difference between generative and agentic AI, and exactly how I’m using AI behind the scenes in my own business. Because AI should be your partner, not your replacement! Download my AI worksheet The AI-Driven Leader: Harnessing AI to Make Faster, Smarter Decisions Time stamps: 00:03 - The Problem with Wedding Marketing 01:23 - The Impact of AI on Marketing 12:51 - Understanding AI in Business: Generative vs. Agentic 22:43 - Using AI as a Thinking Partner 26:52 - Using AI to Enhance Creativity and Efficiency Mentioned in this episode: Find out more about Venue AI Ready to embrace AI in your wedding venue? Take some time to find out more about Venue AI or book a free demo. Find out more about Venue AI

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