519 TWB – BROOKE KEEGAN: Building a Dream Wedding Business
The Wedding Biz
Andy is happy to be welcoming to the show! Brooke is the visionary owner and creative director of Brooke Keegan Special Events, a leading firm specializing in custom, multi-day destination weddings, and since founding her company in 2009, she has garnered recognition from Harper's Bazaar and Brides as one of the world's top event planners! She is here with Andy in this episode to share, amongst other things, her invaluable insights from her years in the industry! As Brooke and Andy catch up, Brooke reflects on challenges faced, particularly the significant downturn in wedding engagements...
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518 TWB – BRYAN RAFANELLI: The Art of Lasting Success & Self-Fulfillment
The Wedding Biz
Andy really hopes that you will join him for this episode of The Wedding Biz as he welcomes back to the show Bryan Rafanelli of ! Bryan is a renowned designer and planner and is the founder and chief creative officer of Rafanelli Events, and he has been behind some of the most high-profile events in recent history, including Chelsea Clinton’s wedding and several of President Obama’s White House state dinners. His team has also worked on key campaign events for Vice President Kamala Harris! Bryan opens up about the pressures of maintaining excellence in a saturated market, admitting...
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517 DAVID STARK: Self-Actualization in Event Design, the Importance of Scale and Simplicity, Balancing Art and Business, and More!
The Wedding Biz
guest of the show returns for this episode of The Wedding Biz! David is a renowned event designer and planner with over 25 years of experience in the industry, and as the founder and chief creative officer of David Stark Design and Production, his impressive client list includes celebrities such as Glenn Close and Brad Pitt, SNL’s 40th Anniversary, The Whitney Museum of American Art, and The Metropolitan Opera. Listen in as David shares insights into his creative process, discussing the balance between designing for clients and creating art purely for himself. He reflects on collaborations...
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516 MEGHAN ELY: Aligning Your Brand for Luxury Wedding Publicity
The Wedding Biz
Longtime listeners of the podcast will likely be familiar with today’s guest as she has been on the show several times already! Join Andy as he welcomes back Meghan Ely, the owner of ! Meghan is a longtime industry speaker and writer and is a wedding pro educator with regular contributions to Wedding Planner Magazine, The Knot, Wedding Business Magazine, Catersource, and SpecialEvents.com. Meghan joins Andy for this episode to discuss defining and achieving luxury in the wedding industry. With years of experience and numerous accolades, including but certainly not limited to being recognized...
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515 ROBERT SHERMAN: How to Build Loyalty and Retain Employees
The Wedding Biz
Andy is so thrilled to be welcoming his business partner, Robert Sherman, to the show! Robert is Andy’s business partner at and is also the owner of , a legendary entertainment company established over 55 years ago. Together, Andy and Robert tackle the topic of employee retention, discussing how to keep employees engaged, happy, and loyal over the long term. Robert shares some valuable insights from his decades of experience, explaining how hiring for company culture is just as crucial as hiring for skill sets and emphasizing the importance of communication, ensuring that employees not...
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514 TARA GUERARD: Global Tastemaker with Southern Hospitality
The Wedding Biz
If you have been a longtime listener of the podcast, then today’s voice may sound familiar to you as it is her ! Andy is so thrilled to welcome back , owner and creative director of headquartered out of Charleston, South Carolina (and with an additional office in New York City). Tara is recognized as one of the nation's leading tastemakers globally, and she is here to share some exciting updates since she was last on the show. Listen as she and Andy reflect on the profound changes brought about by the pandemic and how it has influenced their approach to client relationships. Tara shares her...
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513 ANDREA EPPOLITO: AI for Wedding Professionals
The Wedding Biz
Andy is thrilled to once again be sitting down with , a renowned luxury wedding planner and author of . Andrea shares her initial hesitation toward AI and recounts how she dedicated daily time to understand and leverage this technology, highlighting its comparison to the invention of the internet in terms of impact. Hear Andrea's take on how AI, particularly ChatGPT, can serve as a powerful creative assistant, sifting through data, spotting patterns, and offering insights that would take humans weeks to uncover. She stresses the importance of training AI to emulate one's personal style,...
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512 REVISIT COLIN COWIE: The Gold Standard: Giving Your Customers What They Didn’t Know They Wanted
The Wedding Biz
Join Andy as he revisits his with this week! Having had celebrity clients such as Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Lopez, Ryan Seacrest, Kim Kardashian, Lil Wayne, Nicole Kidman, and Demi Moore, this episode’s returning guest has enjoyed quite the career so far. has also had many corporate clients such as Dom Pérignon, Warner Brothers, CBS, Whitney Museum of American Art, Architectural Digest, and so many more! Colin is also a published author, having written books such as , , and . Colin, as he discusses with Andy in this episode, is all about making sure that he delivers the ultimate experience...
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511 LIENE STEVENS: Current State of the Wedding Industry and Investing in Yourself
The Wedding Biz
In this truly enriching episode, join Andy as he connects with Liene Stevens, the acclaimed author, behavioral psychologist, and CEO of Think Splendid! Liene brings a wealth of knowledge from her extensive experience in the global wedding market, having collaborated with clients across 97 countries and revolutionized operations for numerous luxury brands and resorts! Tune in as Liene shares her unique journey from an unexpected promotion at a nonprofit right out of high school to becoming a key player in negotiating the release of hostages with the U.S. State Department! Her unorthodox path...
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510 REVISIT JOSE VILLA & LAURIE ARONS – Discuss Working Together As Photographer & Planner/Designer and More!
The Wedding Biz
Listen in to this revisit as Andy chats with two guests, both of whom have been featured on the podcast multiple times in the past. Laurie Arons is a planner and designer of and has been featured in numerous magazine publications and has been listed in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Martha Stewart Weddings as one of the top worldwide planners. Her clientele is made up of trendsetters such as Sophia Coppola, Vanessa Getty, and Christy Turlington as well as prominent business moguls like Gary Friedman, Frank Caufield, and Eddie DeBartolo. Laurie has also created and runs a very successful...
info_outlineJoin Andy as he welcomes Alex Le Roux, the CEO and founder of ALR Music based in London, back to the show! ALR Music specializes in providing entertainment for luxury events worldwide, boasting an impressive clientele, including Idris Elba, members of the Royal Family, the Beckham-Peltz’s and events for high-profile brands like Google, Jo Malone, and Chanel.
In this engaging conversation, Alex shares insights into the expansion of ALR Music, which has nearly doubled in size since the last interview. The company now employs 400-500 musicians monthly, orchestrating 650 events annually across the globe. Notably, they've also successfully ventured into the competitive American market.
The discussion covers Alex's creative approach to designing unique and memorable performances for luxury weddings and events, and he emphasizes the importance of staying open-minded, drawing inspiration from various sources, and tailoring each experience to the client's vision. Alex shares anecdotes about crafting personalized ceremonies, orchestrating grand entrances, and incorporating diverse musical styles to keep all generations engaged on the dancefloor.
Throughout the interview, Alex expresses passion for innovation, constantly pushing the boundaries to create new projects and bands like Havana Heat, a Latin-themed ensemble with a visually stunning stage setup. He emphasizes the importance of delivering unique experiences for high-net-worth clients who seek something extraordinary for their special events.
Andy hopes that listeners find inspiration in Alex's dedication to reinvention, the pursuit of excellence, and the ongoing evolution of LR Music's global presence. If so, then please share the episode with a few good friends who might also enjoy it, and be sure to also leave a top review wherever you listen to the show, as that really helps the show out! Lastly, don’t forget to follow The Wedding Biz on Instagram and subscribe to the podcast so that you never miss a new episode when it drops!
Have you heard about Stop and Smell the Roses with Preston Bailey on The Wedding Biz Network? Listen as Preston shares the secrets, tools, and technologies behind his extraordinary ability to create a theatrical environment out of any space. Also, don't forget about Sean Low's podcast The Business of Being Creative, where Sean discusses the power of being niched, pricing strategies, metrics of success, and so much more. You can find both shows on The Wedding Biz Network.
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Time Stamps
[0:53] - This episode’s guest is returning guest Alex Le Roux of ALR Music!
[3:50] - Alex is inspired by concerts like Nile Rodgers, Chic, and Bruno Mars.
[6:21] - Aspiring to emulate Bruno Mars and Chic, finding skilled musicians with energy is the challenge for Alex.
[7:43] - From where does Alex find creative inspiration?
[9:56] - Alex argues that planners vary; some control everything while others value collaboration.
[12:36] - Andy expresses appreciation for clients and planners who involve musicians.
[14:15] - Alex’s team created a unique Lake Como entrance with 62 performers for an extraordinary experience.
[17:25] - Dealing with the challenge of short-lived, non-danceable hit songs is tough, especially for events.
[18:33] - Alex adds that keeping a dance floor engaged involves blending classics with current hits that appeal to diverse generations.
[22:19] - Alex reveals that he has almost doubled his business, employing 400-500 musicians monthly, with 650 events yearly.
[25:33] - Andy marvels at how remarkable managing transatlantic success is for Alex.
[26:42] - Client decisiveness has increased; they now rely more on online content, speeding up decisions.
[28:46] - Alex is thrilled by creating diverse, unique projects like Havana Heat, pushing boundaries and innovation in entertainment.
[32:22] - Andy reveals where Alex can be found online.
LINKS AND RESOURCES
Episode 273 ALEX LE ROUX - Designing Musical Entertainment In An Extraordinary Way
Videos:
ALR Strings | At Last
Brooklyn Soul | Leave the Door Open
Find Alex:
ALR Music - Website
ALR Music - Instagram Page
Follow The Wedding Biz on Social:
The Wedding Biz on Instagram: @theweddingbiz
The Wedding Biz on Facebook: @theweddingbiz
Support The Wedding Biz by clicking here.
Title Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Kushner Entertainment.