Jill Donovan came on the show today to talk about the growth of catering company Donovan’s Dish, and her positive perspective in the face of overwhelming tragedy.   In March of 2016, Jill’s husband, business partner, and the chef of the company, TJ Donovan, tragically passed away.  Jill was left with businesses to run and 3 young girls to raise. With the help of her amazing village surrounding her, Jill has not only survived but has continued to grow both personally and professionally.   Listen in, it’s truly an inspiring story!     Episode 22 Guest Jill Donovan   TJ and Jill Donovan   Jill Donovan and her 3 girls   Donovan’s Take-Out Market. The first take-out market opened 4 days before TJ passed away in 2016.   Donovan’s Dish on Social Media: Instagram: @DonovansDishFacebook: @DonovansDish   Jill’s Beach on Social Media: Instagram: @jillsbeachFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jills-Beach-69787834084/   Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal  

Mollyann Russell, Event Sales and Marketing Coordinator at Empire Properties (Stockroom at 230, The Glass Box, and All Saints Chapel), comes on the show today to talk about Venue Tours and Venue Marketing. Mollyann has booked over 1,200 events at the 3 properties combined, so she has given her fair share of venue tours and has the insight into what clients should be asking both before and during the tour. Plus, she offers marketing tips to venues. Marketing isn’t easy, but if done the right way, can generate the right leads.

Comedian Freddy Valoy came on the show to talk about how to give a great and memorable wedding speech.

Together, he and Megan came up with the following tips:

1. Don’t Drink (Too Much).  2. Remember, Everyone is Rooting for You.  3. Don’t Bring Up Your Phone 4. Keep it Short. Under 4 minutes. 5. Tease, but Don’t Embarrass 6. Own The Moment, even if you mess up. 7. Be Honest, and Come from the Heart.  8. You’re giving a speech about the couple, not just one person. 9. Practice! 10. If you’re not sure about the material, ask someone. 11. No slideshows. 12. Don’t bring up exes.   With these tips, especially bringing it from the heart, you’ll be sure to give a great wedding speech!

Filmmakers Chris and Toni Wheaton from Heart Stone Films and Portico Pictures are on the show today! They talked about how they became business owners (and married) at 22 and 23 years old, their incredible marriage “streak”, learning to fight, filming Dale Earnhardt Jr and Emily Maynard’s weddings, being starstruck by Danica Patrick (they’re available for whatever date you choose Danica!), seeing Backstreet Boy AJ McLean sing at a recent wedding, some of the craziest wedding stories you’ll ever hear, trends they wish would go away, their reality TV show “Weddings with the Wheatons” on LoveStories.tv, mistakes that they’ve made, and why you need a wedding video

Happy 4th of July!

In today’s episode, we replay some of the best and craziest stories from the first three months of the podcast so far!

You’ll hear stories from:

Photographer Ginny Corbett (Episode 7, Instagram Stories and Wedding Photography Style)

Videographer Phil McInnis (Episode 5, Why You Need a Wedding Video)

Photographer Katherine Miles Jones (Episode 9, Moving Her Business from NYC and Putting Clients at Ease)

Author and photographer James Walters (Episode 12, Writing the Book of Wedding Stories)

DJ/Speaker/Podcaster Joe Bunn (Episode 2, How to Hustle and Grow Your Wedding Business)

Planner Nicole Smith (Episode 16, Wedding Planners and Venues Working Together in Harmony)

Ice Cream Entrepreneur Jared Plummer (Episode 8, Ice Cream at Weddings and the Explosion of Two Roosters)

Venue Owners, Planners, and Sisters Courtney Hopper and Dana Kadwell (Episode 13, Sister Entrepreneurs Courtney and Dana on Building a Wedding Venue)

We hope you enjoy!

This week, Megan brings on her husband Jason Gillikin, and they discuss the Top 5 Wedding Movies of All Time, and how they relate to real weddings that Megan has worked.

Top movie candidates include:

Wedding Crashers

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (fun fact, produced by Tom Hanks!)

Meet the Parents

27 Dresses

Bridesmaids (with the dreamy Jon Hamm)

The Princess Bride

Father of the Bride

The Wedding Planner (with its 15% Rotten Tomatoes score!)

My Best Friend’s Wedding

The Wedding Singer

Tune in to find out which is our #1 wedding movie of all time.

Nicole Smith, owner of wedding planning company Vision Events and former venue coordinator at The Sanderling Resort in the Outer Banks and the Marriott in Chapel Hill, comes on Weddings for Real to talk about how wedding planners and venues can work together in harmony.  Megan worked as a venue coordinator as well, so the two of them talked about several issues that come up that sometimes make the process much more difficult

Eclectic Sage’s Heather Miller comes on Weddings for Real today to talk about style, her wedding last year, The Royal Wedding, and the time a couple sued her over a color of a rose.