226 | Networking & Referral Building—Events, Retreats, and Relationship Marketing

Text the Wedding Planning Hotline"Am I ready to go full-service?" is one of the most common questions in the wedding industry, and the answer almost never has to do with how many weddings you've done. In this episode, Desirée walks through five real signs that your expertise, your mindset, and your business model are already pointing you toward full-service planning. From the moment coordination starts to feel reactive to the way your clients are already relying on you for things outside your scope, this episode is for planners who have been wondering whether they're ready and haven't had anyone lay it out clearly. You might be closer than you think.Links Mentioned in the EpisodeFind the Full Shownotes HereWork with Desiree for business coaching and mentorship

Text the Wedding Planning HotlineThe reason you might be attracting the wrong inquiries isn't a visibility issue. It's all in what your business is communicating before anyone reaches out. In this episode, Desirée breaks down the subtle marketing cues embedded in your pricing language, your inquiry form, your copy, and even your imagery that signal alignment (or misalignment) to the clients you most want to attract. If you've been getting inquiries from couples who love your work but can't match your investment, or who need convincing instead of just feeling certain, this episode will change how you look at your entire online presence.Links Mentioned in the EpisodeFind the Full Shownotes HereWork with Desiree for business coaching and mentorship

Text the Wedding Planning HotlineMany pros in the wedding industry has "good branding" — but good branding and memorable branding are not the same thing. In this episode, Desirée shares five honest takes on wedding planner branding: why the most common brand choices are forgettable, what it means to look different enough to command higher prices, the problem with the word "luxury," why styled shoots don't do what you think they do, and why playing it safe is the most expensive branding decision you can make. If your brand has started to feel like everyone else's, or you're ready to charge more and want to know if your visuals can actually support it, this episode is for you.Links Mentioned in the EpisodeFind the Full Shownotes HereWork with Desiree for business coaching and mentorship

Text the Wedding Planning HotlineThe biggest risks in destination weddings don't happen on the wedding day. They happen in the in-between moments most planners don't plan for.In this episode, Desirée Adams breaks down the hidden risks that experienced destination planners quietly manage long before they become the couple's problem: flight delays and travel disruptions, jewelry and heirloom pieces moving between locations, and goods that have to clear customs on a wedding timeline. Links Mentioned in the EpisodeFind the Full Shownotes HereGet BriteCo InsuranceWork with Desiree for business coaching and mentorship

Text the Wedding Planning HotlineFall inquiry season is closer than it feels, and how you handle the first 24 to 48 hours after a couple reaches out determines whether they book you or move on.In this episode, Desirée Adams walks through the five actual tools inside her planning business at Verve Event Co. that keep the inquiry process structured, consistent, and conversion-focused, no matter how busy the season gets. From the inquiry form to her CRM workflow, email templates, scheduling tool, and the AI note-taker that protects her in client conversations, this is the back-end process that makes a high-touch client experience possible. If you're heading into fall wanting to book more of the right clients, this is where to start.Links Mentioned in the EpisodeFind the Full Shownotes HereEpisode 141 - Five Systems Every Wedding Pro Should HaveDubsado vs Honeybook for Wedding Pros: Which One is Right for You?Get 20% Off Your First Month or Year of Dubsado With Code DESIREEEpisode 150 - Top Money and Time-Saving Tools for Your Wedding or Wedding BusinessUnlock 3 Months of Fathom's Most Advanced AI Meeting SummariesWork with Desiree for business coaching and mentorship

Text the Wedding Planning HotlineThe first season of The Planner's Edit is officially a wrap. In this final episode, Desirée Adams recaps the themes and conversations that defined the season, from full-service planning and branding to systems, marketing, and venue relationships, and shares a glimpse of what's coming next fall. Share your input before the next season's planning begins: the guests you want to hear from, the topics you've been waiting on, and the questions you've been sitting on all year. Follow along over the summer for a fresh perspective on past episodes, and come back this fall for a brand-new season of your favorite wedding planner podcast.Links Mentioned in the EpisodeFind the Full Shownotes HereWork with Desiree for business coaching and mentorship

Text the Wedding Planning HotlineAre styled shoots worth it, or a well-produced waste of time? Desirée shares five honest takes on styled shoots for wedding planners: what they can do, what they can't, where most planners go wrong, and the framework she uses to decide when a styled shoot is worth the investment. Links Mentioned in the EpisodeFind the Full Shownotes HereWork with Desiree for business coaching and mentorship

Text the Wedding Planning HotlineVenue relationships are one of the most powerful and most misunderstood growth levers in a planning business. In this deep dive, Desirée walks through exactly how to become a preferred planner at the venues that matter — why alignment comes before ambition, how to build genuine relationships with venue coordinators by showing them what's in it for them, and why every single wedding day is an audition. If venue referrals are part of how you want to grow your wedding business, this episode gives you the full framework.Links Mentioned in the EpisodeFind the Full Shownotes HereWork with Desiree for business coaching and mentorship

Text the Wedding Planning HotlineIn this episode of The Planner’s Edit, Desirée Adams breaks down three different approaches to referral building in the wedding industry: industry events, curated retreats, and relationship marketing. Inspired by her recent experience attending Kinetic at the Inn at Perry Cabin, Desirée shares what creates meaningful industry relationships, and why strategic networking looks very different at higher levels of business growth.If you’ve been wanting stronger referrals, deeper industry relationships, and a more sustainable approach to networking, this episode will help you rethink how referral building really works.Links Mentioned in the EpisodeFind the Full Shownotes HereWork with Desiree for business coaching and mentorship

Text the Wedding Planning HotlineWedding content creators are everywhere right now. But are they actually worth the investment for wedding planners, or are they just another industry trend?In this episode of The Planner’s Edit, Desirée Adams shares her honest takes on the rise of wedding content creators, how she personally uses one inside her luxury planning business, and why high-quality video has become such a powerful part of modern wedding marketing.If you've been wondering whether a wedding content creator belongs in your marketing strategy, this episode will help you think about the investment more intentionally.Links Mentioned in the EpisodeFind the Full Shownotes HereWork with Desiree for business coaching and mentorship