How does a husband-wife team build a wedding empire reaching over half a million people? Meet Dominic and Serena of The Wedding Duo, who've transformed their combined 30 years of experience into a thriving business that spans wedding planning, DJing, and viral content creation.
Their story begins unexpectedly – Dominic leveraged his stand-up comedy background to excel as a wedding DJ, while Serena built her career in event planning. Neither imagined their casual San Antonio side business would explode into a six-figure enterprise allowing them to relocate while maintaining operations from afar. When the pandemic halted weddings temporarily, they turned to TikTok out of sheer boredom. That spontaneous decision changed everything.
"Most brides are like 'Oh my god, I'm engaged, what the heck do I do now?'" Dominic explains. This simple insight drives their content philosophy – providing engaged couples with straightforward, judgment-free guidance through the wedding planning maze. Their viral videos featuring emotional ceremony entrance techniques have sparked industry trends, with couples specifically seeking them out for these signature touches. Their approach balances educational content with authentic personality, creating deep connections with followers who "feel like they already know them" before they even meet.
The duo shares fascinating insights about content creation for wedding professionals: the importance of showing your face consistently, capturing educational moments at venues, and balancing perfectionism with consistency. Their upcoming book "The Wedding Duo Way" promises to reveal how they've built their business model that allows them to operate as true owners rather than being trapped working in their business.
Want to transform your wedding business through authentic content creation? Listen now to discover how this remarkable team balances marriage, business partnership, and content creation while maintaining their genuine selves in a competitive industry.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi everyone and welcome back to the Wedding
Empires podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
My name is Ben and my name is Jack.
We'd like to welcome today ahusband and wife super team who
have a combined 30 yearsexperience in the wedding
industry.
We've got Serena, who's awedding planner, and Dominic,
who's a wedding DJ, and togetherthey've created a brand that
boasts over half a millionpeople in terms of their
(00:24):
audiences.
Between running their SanAntonio-based wedding company,
traveling for events andcreating wedding content, they
have proven that you can takeyour side hustle to a six-figure
income and more.
They launched their podcast in2022 and are looking to release
their book, the Wedding Duo Way,in the fall of 2025.
(00:45):
So big welcome to you guys.
Dominic and Serena, thank youso much for having us.
Yes, we're excited to be here.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
We're coming from the other hemisphere.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
It's 9 o'clock at night over in San Antonio.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Yeah, so we are in the other region of the world
and it is in the late hours ofthe evening for us.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
I said to Serena next time, bring a champagne,
darling, you're more thanwelcome.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
There should be a glass of wine on the table in
front of you, Serena.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
There should be at all times at this time of the
night.
Yes, absolutely, that's part ofit.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Well, it was a good time.
We just finished I'm coachingmy youngest son and his soccer
team, so we finished the game.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
I'm son uh and his soccer team, so we finished the
game.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
I'm like let's go back it up, we gotta get back
for the.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
Yeah, I was just gonna say, ben, we need to
change the name of this podcastto jack bowie encouraging people
to drink.
We need to talk.
I think the wedding isn't it.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
I don't know, I know it drives, drives us to drink, I
guess.
Um, there we go, take a big sip.
Let's start the story, I guess,about how both of you entered
the wedding industry.
Speaker 4 (01:46):
Yeah, no, that's a great path.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Well, I was there first.
I beat her by about five years.
I was doing stand-up comedy inCalifornia at the time and I had
a friend who had a DJ companyand I told him sometimes at a
corporate event at least in theStates they'll have a hypnotist
or a magician or a comedian.
Just do kind of someentertainment for the on the one
of the evenings.
And I said if you're everlooking for a half hour clean
comedy, I can do that.
And he said I could use somehelp djing and I've always had a
(02:11):
love for music and the hardestthing about a wedding dj is
being comfortable talking on oneof these things, right.
So for me the tip of the spearfor public speaking is stand-up
comedy.
Right, pretty close anyway forme.
That was like already a shoe-infor me and the stars kind of
aligned and I'm like, oh my God,this is a job I can do this for
a living.
And then one of the vendors thatI worked with one of the venues
(02:33):
was looking for somebody tohelp with the catering and the
events, and that's where Istarted.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
So I started in a event services role as just kind
of an assistant to the eventmanager and worked my way up to
my own event management position, and that's where it all
started.
So it started in NorthernCalifornia.
The wedding duo did not comeabout for much longer, and that
was when we moved to Texas.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
So yeah, I want to know, were you already together
before you sort of became thisbusiness duo?
Speaker 4 (03:01):
Yes, yes, so that we were dating at the time that he
introduced me to um, the galthat needed the help at her
venue, um, but I knew, though wewere pretty new yeah you know,
yeah, exactly, and he's like youwant to be in the wedding
industry, here you go, so yeahdon't screw this up I'm gonna go
(03:23):
, I'm gonna go rogue off thescript straight up and go
dominic, how do you do cleanstand-up comedy?
Speaker 1 (03:29):
it's an art it could be done.
It's it is the finest of thefinest point of that artwork, I
think.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
So it can be done uh, very young comedians, without
going on a sidetrack.
It's very, it's low-hangingfruit to be really blue and
dirty and tell raunchy jokes andthey tell you, like, don't go
down that road, because you cando that if you're established,
but if you're new you got towork clean and I just kind of
stayed in that lane and itworked really well for me.
Wow I love this wear, don't getme wrong, I love it.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Absolute respect to you, dominic, for doing clean.
Stand up, wow, wow.
So to the both of you.
What inspired you to combineyour talents and create the
wedding duo?
Speaker 4 (04:11):
Yeah, so that's another interesting part of our
journey.
There was actually never anintention to become a husband
and wife team and even to ownour own business, honestly.
So we had moved to Texas, wasworking a corporate job at the
time and he started DJing againright when we got there, just
for extra cash on the weekends,and so at that point we weren't
(04:31):
really thinking big picture, butit kind of just blew up on us
and I'm not just saying this,he's very good at his job and so
it was easy for him to startattracting more business and
people were booking him left andright.
And then, with my experience inthe planning, we just started
to make it make sense, right,like I left my corporate
position out of the planningteam.
(04:51):
It just starts kind of, likeyou said, a line for us in that
way too, like it was just neversomething we set out to like.
Let's start a business together.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
It's a pretty good gig, though we attend parties
for a living.
I mean, you know there's worsejobs.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
Together it's a pretty good gig, though we
attend parties for a living.
I mean, you know there's worsejobs.
So true and together right,which is really fun and you
haven't.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
You haven't tried to murder each other yet at all.
Like everything's good, no, no,that is not.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
It's challenging.
We do tell couples all the timethat you know, ask us about
being a husband and wife team,like how do you do it?
Because it's not for everyrelationship.
I will tell you that, like youreally have to work at the
marriage and being businesspartners because it can easily
kind of you know, and sometimesthe opposite is true.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
I always forget when we work together.
The guests don't always knowwe're married and I know there
have been whispers like the djis kind of handsy with the plan.
I'm like, oh, I forget yourhands, your hands, in your
pockets there, dj.
He's like he's all up in herface.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
That'd be a great trick to play on on couples on
the day.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Good job sorry, I'm gonna, I'm gonna ask, and it's
not a stretch.
I can see why you guys would begood at this, but what prompted
you to kind of go into thissort of short form video side of
things for your business?
Speaker 4 (06:04):
yeah.
So the short answer to that wascovid.
Covid was obviously, for theevent industry, just major and
we were sitting around the housegoing we had no events, you
know, and we were like, what arewe doing?
A with our time and b we werejust going a little nuts right,
like we have all this time onour hands.
(06:24):
So we started a TikTok accountin 2020, 2019.
I don't know whenever thathappened, and that's where we
started to just learn how muchfun we had creating videos and
started reaching people throughthese, either whether it be lip
sync or dancing, or just Actinga fool.
(06:47):
Acting a fool but beingeducational at the same time.
That was really where we kindof fell in love with that piece
of it.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
So, guys, what platforms have you found the
most effective for sharing yourvideo content?
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Yeah, it definitely is.
Tiktok is where we really gotthe traction and took off, and
that's still.
We have about 503,000 followerson TikTok.
We have 164 on Instagram andjust over 100,000 on Facebook.
But those were kind of later tothe party.
We focused on TikTok and thenwe just repurposed our videos
over there and then suddenlythey started to catch up too,
(07:20):
because whatever people are,their preferred format is that,
whether they're TikTokers orwhenever they lay down at night,
whatever they go to to startscrolling.
I mean, if you're in theindustry, you should be casting
a wide net, right, try to getthem wherever they're at.
But TikTok is what started itall and that's really where we
got our traction, for true.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
I'm not good at TikTok, so I want to know what's
the hack?
What's your kind of process forcreating engaging short form
videos, particularly for TikTok?
Speaker 4 (07:49):
TikTok is its own animal and people are
intimidated by it.
I think a lot I do hear thatoften, yes, especially in the
wedding industry because it'sless curated, meaning like
pretty pictures, something youcan edit and make it look nice.
There's a lot more rawness tothe videos on TikTok and so you
(08:11):
have to really be okay withshowing certain sides of your
personality and I, to be honestwith you, am not as comfortable
with it as he is.
I am very fortunate to have mydancey monkey here that will do
the videos and act a fool,because it's helpful, right.
(08:38):
But to your question about kindof what works, you know we
really have found thatexperimenting with what your
audience wants to hear from you,right.
Like you can look at trendingstuff that's going on in the
industry and mimic somethingthat you see, maybe put your own
twist on it, you know, and thengive your own perspective, your
own viewpoints.
That's really been helpful forus is to find our way through
inspiration from other people,honestly, and that's kind of
(08:59):
what social media is about.
It's like you're okay to be acopycat.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Well, and the wedding industry?
They are, at least in theStates.
They're very lopsided onInstagram and the same thing.
They're looking over the fencelike what's going on over in
TikTok?
And I'm like we do the same, wedo the same thing.
We don't do anything differentfor TikTok than we do for
Instagram.
However, we'll do a video andit'll do really well on one of
the formats and man on the othertwo, and then the opposite will
(09:24):
happen on a different video.
You think like oh, we got tofigure it out.
Like oh, my god, there, I meanwe maybe x on the wall where it
says bang head here, and you'relike um, what's, what's more
important is consistency,showing you know, we were doing
them in the beginning, duringCOVID.
Speaker 4 (09:42):
We were doing, you know, two, three videos a day.
All the time, right, don't goback and look at those early
videos, you know so you justneed to show up frequently and
be okay with it not beingperfect.
I guess is part of that too.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Guys, I've heard that obviously through all the the
interviews that we've done,showing up frequently is is the
key.
So how do you guys still showup?
Frequency and balance, runninga business and traveling and
events and creating content andmaintaining a friendship and a
marriage and all that sort ofstuff like.
How do you?
How does the juggling monkeyjuggle all that?
Speaker 3 (10:18):
we don't.
It's all's all fake.
Honestly, we fall apart halfthe time, yeah.
Well, one thing that we do, likethe first part, is with the
social media.
I have a list on notes on myphone because we'll see a
comment and somebody will sayhey, can you do this song?
If I do a song video, they'llbe like oh, what about this one?
What about this one?
I write if it's a good one,I'll write it down or I'll get
(10:38):
to it later and, just like allof your listeners, if you're a
photographer, you know the topthree questions that the brides
are going to ask.
So we have a list of just allthese questions.
And when I'm sitting in theairport waiting to board a
flight, when I'm walking intothe venue, whenever there's time
, I'm always like I shouldprobably do a TikTok.
Just take a minute, walk away,you know, throw it out there.
(11:02):
And when I walk into a venue,my, my feelers are out.
I'm like I'll see a cute guestbook.
I'll be like I'm gonna get atiktok on that.
I'll see a unique floor plan.
I'm like, oh, let me go up onthe balcony, shoot down and get
a tiktok from up there.
I mean, there's countlessopportunities, but I think some
people just walk by them andthey don't think, oh well,
because to me, if I seesomething cute, I'm like you
know who needs to see that?
Every bride planning theirwedding needs to see that and
they're, they'll just be likethey will eat it up.
(11:23):
You, you're at the fence, youknow what they're gonna ask.
The brides don't know.
Most brides are like oh my god,I'm engaged, what the heck do I
do now?
Right, like they don't know.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
Yeah, that changed our perspective when we decided
like, wait, we're in theindustry, we know these things.
You feel like maybe you'resaying something that's super
obvious, but the brides don't.
They love seeing inside, theylove seeing.
You know the behind the scenesand the little weird, cute
nuances to weddings, right?
Speaker 2 (11:48):
and we overthink it.
We're like I have to do atiktok, which means that I have
to set aside time and writesomething, and think of
something and set my lightingand it's such a good point, you
do not.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
You got to get over that piece, and that's hard
because it took me a while too,especially as a woman.
Right, it's like it's a littleeasier for him.
He doesn't have to put on themakeup and do the hair.
I still feel a little bitobligated to do that but, yeah,
the eyebrows about what he Iusually wear it out just to make
it look professional but yeah,you do kind of have to like let
(12:22):
go of a little bit of thatperfectionism that I see a lot
of us have.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
We don't all have beautiful hair like you, Ben.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Why, why, thank you.
I do put silver in it, mate,because it was going gray but I
thought, bugger it.
You can go gray, but you'regoing to go now under my terms.
So, yeah, hey, under my terms.
So, yeah, hey.
So I'm gonna go rogue againbecause I'm good at that.
You said that with these, withthe videos, and, and people want
to see more, the more raw andand the more, I guess, the raw
(12:50):
and less well lit, wellconstructed, blah, blah, like
proper video sort of thing.
Are you finding that that thatis a much better way to get
people engaged when they see thetrue, they see the raw, as
opposed to a nice constructedvideo?
Speaker 4 (13:04):
I think it's a bad thing, especially if you are in
one of the vendor categoriesthat is heavy in aesthetics,
like floral or videographyphotography to showcase your
ability to create beautifulthings right.
But for us in particular, we'retalking about the experiences
for our beautiful things right.
But for us, in particular,we're talking about the
(13:25):
experiences for our brides,right.
And so where we resonate withour clients is getting them to
trust us because we know whatwe're talking and they don't
care so much that we're in apretty place, right.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
But to your point, we do try to like.
We do a lot of videos righthere.
We have good lighting set up.
It's kind of a controlledenvironment, but it's nice to
switch it up sometimes.
Right, sometimes we'll sit onthe porch if we're at events all
the time, at events for sureairport, which is it's very
weird to be like.
You know they're sitting theretalking to your phone and people
walk by.
I'm always like it's uh, tiktok, o'clock, don't, don't, don't
judge me, I'm gonna try to dosome video, but you just have to
(13:57):
get over it, it to your it's.
It can be kind of a it's hardnot to like feel weird about it
sometimes, but I'm a dork anyway, so I don't channel my inner
dork yeah, I'm probably the sameas so many other people.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
I feel weird turning the phone on myself or turning
the osmo on myself and justtalking to it, because I'm like,
oh, people are gonna think I'mmental.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
But it's the way of the world though I know yeah, do
you scroll on TikTok just aslike a user?
Speaker 1 (14:24):
No, I have a disdain for TikTok.
Yeah, some people do, which Ishouldn't, you know.
But, with that said, I do havea TikTok account and I do have a
whole lot of videos and stuffon there, but I don't post on
there, I don't frequent it oranything like that.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
Jack, stuff on there, but I don't post on there.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
I don't frequent it or anything like that.
So, jack, do you?
Do you doom scroll?
Yeah, I'm more of an instagramcat video kind of girl, but you
know, the cat covered in a tiara, and this is my life, and you
know, um, trips to italy, thatsort of thing, um, that, that's
more my vibe.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
It seems to just, yeah, be constantly those two
things well, when we, when wepresent to wedding professionals
one thing that we always sayabout and it's not exclusive to
TikTok, but if you scroll onTikTok at all, usually you see
their face.
Right, they spin the cameraaround and they show their face
and, even if it's just thebeginning, saying, oh my God,
you got to see this guest bookand I do that video.
Then I flip my camera around,I'm like look at how cute this
(15:17):
is, whatever the thing is.
But tick, tock, like they learn, they learn who you are and
before you even open your mouth,they know what you're going to
say because they, like you, knowthey see us and they know what
we're talking about.
I mean, besides, we have ouremblem in the background, but
it's a, it's a thing, it's ahurdle you have to get over to
be comfortable showing your faceand that's all yeah like
marketing branding, right.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
I mean, we've kind of like taken it into that short
form video by showing our facesat least in a portion of the
video, so that, because somebodycan like a video and not know
who it's from you know what Imean, right?
Like you can like a reallypretty video but you don't
relate that content to theperson who created it.
But if we're in them all thetime then they're like oh,
(16:00):
that's the wedding duo stuff.
Oh, that's the guy that doesthe songs you know.
So then they start to identifywith what we're doing?
Speaker 1 (16:06):
yeah, are you guys very conscious about having that
educational aspect to yourvideos?
Because when you scroll throughvideos I get a little bit
concerned about the plight ofhumanity in 10, 20 years.
When you look at what'sactually what people are
watching and what's blowing up,you go, my God, like, is this
where we're headed?
Speaker 4 (16:26):
It's terrifying.
And we have three children, andso we're right at it, right
when they're growing up in aworld that looks very much
different than ours.
They get all their informationand all their social time I mean
, it's all revolves around theironline lives, right?
So we understand that and wereally take a different approach
when it comes to educating ouraudience, in that we really try
(16:48):
to give suggestions.
We never really want to be likeoverly opinionated or this is
the right or wrong thing to do.
We've always just kept kind ofa.
This is what we've seen work,this is our experience.
So take it or leave it, right,because we do.
We are mindful of the fact thatbrides have usually never done
this before planned a weddingand they're impressionable.
(17:10):
They feel, you know, stress andguilt if they can't afford
something.
You know all those emotions andwe don't want to be
contributing to that.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
They're trying to navigate between their vision
and their budget, right, andthey don't always align.
And so if you just watch thevideos, everybody posts the
videos from the really superbougie over the top weddings but
for every one of those there'shundreds in the church hall or
the VFW or the backyard ofPapa's place that they mowed the
back 40 or whatever.
Like they're not all like that,but that's like pressure on the
(17:39):
brides To at the back 40 orwhatever.
Like they're not all like that,but that's like pressure on the
brides to your point.
That's what they see right backin the day.
You'd only see your cousin'swedding and you know how many
weddings did you go to, but nowthey see them once.
Once the algorithm knows you'reengaged, well, here they come.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
Here comes the content yeah yep I'd like to
know has there been one, onevideo that comes to mind that
had a really significant impacton your business?
Speaker 4 (18:00):
Yeah, actually we did a video where the bride it was
a couple of ours and she had himinsert her voice into the track
that she walked down the aisleto.
So she had something she saidto her groom and before we made
that big entrance where weopened the doors, she spoke over
the students, over theinstrumental part of the song,
(18:26):
over the students over theinstrumental part of the song.
It was the most powerful, Imean emotional entrance, because
she's talking and the groomdidn't know what was happening.
So you can see him just nobodydid, nobody knew it was like a
madonna concert.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
You know coming yeah, it was very dramatic, very
dramatic she said something likeall right, any minute, babe, we
made it, I'm about to come downthe doors and walk into your
life.
And I was like, and it was justas he was holding it together,
he was like he actually said, heactually said in the video he
goes that's not fair, likethat's really not fair, it's
like yeah so that video didreally well millions of views,
(18:57):
yeah, and we got a lot ofrequests to do those kind of
mashups for clients.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
But, you know, and it kind of created a trend in the
industry of inserting your voiceinto the song that you're going
to walk down the aisle to.
So we've seen it happen sincethen, which is really cool.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
But I got another one , if I can add it in.
So I'm married to a planner,right.
So I feel like very comfortablein saying this.
The planners are usually A-typeand they're very much on
schedule, right.
That's their whole mission inlife.
We got to start on time becausedinner's starting at this time,
which is an event, right,that's what their job is.
So they're very A-type andthey're very like.
For me it was like okay, that'sthe parents song go, send the
parents.
That's the wedding party songgo.
(19:34):
That's the bride song go.
And the bride was like thedoor's open it and anxiety for
that moment.
And the doors open and they goand they run up to the altar and
I'm like wait, wait, wait.
Like you picked this song forthat reason, to get to the
chorus and you didn't even getto the lyrics, let alone the
chorus, because you ran up there.
So I started doing videossaying let's just wait, like
(19:55):
keep the doors closed, wait forthat moment when the crescendo
hits and then swing the doorsopen.
I would say there's a reasonwhy the music gets scary before
the shark jumps out of the water, which is maybe not the best
example, but my point is letthat build.
And then, oh my God, thebride's just latched onto that
(20:16):
and I've done a thousand videosof suggesting songs for that
exact moment, and that hasreally become a trend as well,
and I'm so happy about it.
Can everybody just wait aminute?
Speaker 2 (20:21):
It reminds me of my wedding.
I had my daughter I think shewas four at the time and she was
a flower girl and yeah, wepracticed many times that we
would walk slow and man, shejust took off.
Speaker 4 (20:33):
It was very funny, but yeah.
I think I asked for the littleones.
Yeah, yeah, I understand.
Wait, wait, wait.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
With all your videos that are going viral that are
doing so well.
Metrics is is such a big thing,so how do you guys track how
things are going, what's what'sgone berserk and how that's
impacting your business?
Speaker 4 (20:56):
yeah.
So something we do again goingback to consistency is that we
do find that there are certaintimes a day that when we post,
we get better engagement Laterin the evening.
It's kind of just common sense,like when people are off work
and they're able to look attheir phone more maybe.
So we measure those types ofthings.
We also find that the beginningof the video and I'm sure
(21:22):
everybody's heard this is veryimportant.
Right, you want to reallyattract the user's attention
quickly so that they stick withyou as long as possible, because
the longer they stay on thatvideo, the more the platform is
going to push it out to morepeople, and so we keep an eye on
that.
And then the length of thevideo total.
We've gotten to a point nowwith our following where we feel
(21:43):
pretty comfortable doing longervideos because we've built an
audience.
But initially we were trying tokeep them to like under 30
seconds because people didn'tknow who we were as much.
It's just easier to completethe full video if it's that
short, so hard for me.
I'm like I got things to say itis hard for him.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
We still.
When she says long, 90 seconds.
If I go over 90 seconds, she'sediting something.
She'll speed my voice up.
I go.
Why do I sound funny?
Like because you have too much.
You sped you up so I could getit all under 90 seconds, but you
can do.
You see there's 10 minuteTikToks out there, but you
better have something.
Yes, there are you.
You would have something reallyimportant to say.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
So let's take it back to your business.
What do you believe sets thewedding duo apart from other
wedding businesses when?
Speaker 4 (22:35):
people are considering booking the two of
you.
You know it's funny.
You know how we were justtalking about the like
down-to-earth kind of you don'twant to give brides the
impression that, like somethingis wrong or right or, you know,
give them suggestions instead ofopinions.
We attract a certain clientele.
Maybe it's not necessarily haslike a huge budget, but they'll
(22:58):
budget for us, right.
Like we connect so deeply withour clients, I think that it
becomes just such a journey forus when we're planning with the
couple over a year or howeverlong it is, that when we finally
show up at their weddingwhether we're flying out of
state or, you know, going acouple hours it really is this
like momentous occasion for usto see them in person and that's
(23:19):
become really wonderful andfulfilling for us.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
Well, to the earlier point about showing your face,
and people hate to do it.
But in the olden days, thefirst call, at least with the DJ
, it's a very personality-baseddecision, right?
Photographers have a portfolio,caterers have a tasting.
The DJ is like do we vibe, am Ithe guy?
Do I get you right, your musictaste?
So it used to be like let'stalk on the phone and see if I'm
the guy for the job.
But now, when I get on thephone, they always say I feel
(23:46):
like I already know you becauseI've watched countless videos of
yours.
I'm like yeah, okay, it'salmost like just sign here,
right, because then it's just amI available?
And is it in the budget?
Because they're already a hugefan.
We'll go to wedding fairs andpeople show up like, oh my god,
I follow.
It's good for my ego.
I'm a boy, it's fragile, soit's nice.
But we've been recognized inairports, we've been recognized
at the grocery store.
(24:06):
It's really.
It's.
It's kind of freaky, but it's.
I mean, like I said, it'sreally fun, but uh, but it's I
mean, talk about good forbusiness.
We'll be at a wedding fair andpeople will say we came because
we saw on your social media thatyou're going to be here.
That's the only reason we'rehere.
I'm like great.
I mean, they don't even need aplanner, they just came to see
us, and next step will be whatBest-selling authors here's
(24:28):
hoping.
Speaker 4 (24:30):
If we can not argue on that, so is the book done?
No, probably 70%.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
Then it needs to go through like editing and all
that, can you give us a bit of asneak peek of what everyone can
expect?
Speaker 4 (24:46):
So the Wedding to Away is actually a little bit
more about how we built our SanAntonio company, because we have
a planning and TJ company inSan Antonio.
We don't actually live in SanAntonio, so we live in Ohio, and
so the book is a little bitmore about how, in the wedding
industry, we built a six figurebusiness and then moved and
(25:08):
we're basically absentee and westill are owners of this
business, and how that'spossible, you know, for everyone
out there to do, and just howwe went through the process of
building a team and reallyowning the ownership role rather
than working as you know thework.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
We talked through how everybody, when they start to
work for themselves, takes thatleap of faith where they jump
away from benefits or thesecurity or the paycheck that
they're getting at the otherplace Because it's a great
weekend gig, right.
If you're a photographer andyou work the weekends, but you
work at the bank Monday throughFriday, nine to five, whatever
it is, if you make that jump tobeing full-time, that's scary,
(25:48):
right.
But there's a lot of the bookthat we talk about our social
media and our tricks and ourthings we do, how we edit, like
the nuts and bolts Get yourselfa ring light, get yourself a
good lighting, if you're goingto achieve something like that.
Speaker 4 (26:09):
So we talk a lot about the nuts and bolts of that
too, and just the things we'vesaid here to show your face.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
Show your face, showing my face right now.
All right, it's a good start,ben yes I want to.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
I want to hear the answer to your question, your
famous question so, guys, at theend of, at the end of every
podcast, I ask a question that Iask everyone.
If if you guys, I guess you canyou can both answer this each,
if you like, because there istwo of you.
So if you walked outside now,run into an 18 year old version
of yourself, what advice wouldyou give yourself around life
(26:37):
and business and that sort ofthing, knowing what you know?
Speaker 3 (26:40):
now, we'll go first yeah, you go first yeah, dominic
, you go first yeah, I, you know, you look back, you know, and
you always think like man, I wasan idiot, right, I mean you
just because I'm sure I'll lookback at myself in 10 years.
But like you were an idiot,like, look back there.
But um, it's really hard whenyou're young to just really be
your true self, you know,because you're always trying to
fit the round peg in the squarehole of whatever society wants
(27:02):
you to be.
And I've always been silly andover the top and energetic, and
there's a lot of times whereit's like you just have to
suppress all that right.
So I would almost tell myself,like it's coming, there's a job
waiting for you that you couldjust just get behind that and
ride that wave all the way tosuccess.
You know and, but even then I'dbe like just be.
(27:24):
People will like you or theywon't, but you can't be
something you're not and thatreally our social media is like
that, like we really try to begenuine and that's the best
compliment I can give somebodyIf they're genuine.
You know how you meet somebodyand you're like I wonder if
they're really like, because allthat, whatever they're trying
(27:45):
to impress you or something, I'mlike just be yourself, be
yourself.
That's what I would tell myidiot younger self.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
Awesome.
Speaker 3 (27:53):
You've owned me.
I've channeled my inner idiotfor sure?
Speaker 4 (27:57):
Yeah, you know, I think when I think about myself
at that age and before some ofour success or any success in
life, there was a lot ofpressure that I put on myself to
figure it out right, likefigure out who I was or what I
was supposed to be doing or whatjob was going to complete me,
(28:18):
and all those questions neededto be answered.
And I still don't have theanswers, even at this stage in
life, to a lot of them, right?
But I would just tell myself tobe present because I really
feel like a lot of time goes byand we don't spend enough time
just enjoying like, for example,like what we get to do for a
living and be together at eventsand have fun with our clients
(28:42):
and with our kids and our family, right, Like you can just spend
a lot of time like focusing onwhat I need to do for the future
instead of enjoying the present, and that's something I'm
really trying to work on and Iwould like to have started
earlier.
So that's what I would tell her.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
Have you answered it, Ben?
What's yours Go?
Speaker 1 (29:03):
Wow, for me I think it's a kind of a two-pronged
answer.
For me it's it's just beyourself and don't care what
anyone else thinks, becauseeveryone else's opinion of you
doesn't matter.
That's one half of it.
The other half would be tomaster one thing and then move
on to the next, and don't try tospread yourself too thin.
So become, become the master ofone thing and then and then
(29:24):
continually move on to the nextand build your skills that way
instead of trying to, you know,be great at it.
Yeah that's a good one me jack,we haven't answered these
questions, jack I see thepressures on us.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
We're supposed to be all mine has nothing to do with
wedding or business.
It has to do with when I was 18, I thought I was fat and
darling.
You weren't fat, You're fat.
Speaker 4 (29:51):
Finding out I could be that kind of fat again.
See you on that one as a woman.
Like, yeah, like if I couldhave that metabolism back,
please, yes, oh dear.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
All right, well, thanks, oh dear, all right, well
, thanks, guys, it's been anabsolute pleasure having you.
I'm sure we've got lots of umother topics that we can.
We can talk about even, youknow, outside of video.
Guys, if you want to check outthe wedding duo, whether you're
going to book them or buy theirbook, the website is
theweddingduoco and you can, ofcourse, find them on tiktok,
instagram, all the platforms.
(30:22):
Their username is theweddingduo.
Thanks so much, dominic andSerena.
It's been a pleasure getting toknow you.
Speaker 4 (30:29):
Pleasure chatting with you guys as well.
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (30:31):
Thanks guys.
It's been awesome chatting toyou as well.
Hi everyone and welcome back to the Wedding
Empires podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
My name is Ben and my name is Jack.
We'd like to welcome today ahusband and wife super team who
have a combined 30 yearsexperience in the wedding
industry.
We've got Serena, who's awedding planner, and Dominic,
who's a wedding DJ, and togetherthey've created a brand that
boasts over half a millionpeople in terms of their
(00:24):
audiences.
Between running their SanAntonio-based wedding company,
traveling for events andcreating wedding content, they
have proven that you can takeyour side hustle to a six-figure
income and more.
They launched their podcast in2022 and are looking to release
their book, the Wedding Duo Way,in the fall of 2025.
(00:45):
So big welcome to you guys.
Dominic and Serena, thank youso much for having us.
Yes, we're excited to be here.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
We're coming from the other hemisphere.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
It's 9 o'clock at night over in San Antonio.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Yeah, so we are in the other region of the world
and it is in the late hours ofthe evening for us.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
I said to Serena next time, bring a champagne,
darling, you're more thanwelcome.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
There should be a glass of wine on the table in
front of you, Serena.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
There should be at all times at this time of the
night.
Yes, absolutely, that's part ofit.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Well, it was a good time.
We just finished I'm coachingmy youngest son and his soccer
team, so we finished the game.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
I'm son uh and his soccer team, so we finished the
game.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
I'm like let's go back it up, we gotta get back
for the.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
Yeah, I was just gonna say, ben, we need to
change the name of this podcastto jack bowie encouraging people
to drink.
We need to talk.
I think the wedding isn't it.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
I don't know, I know it drives, drives us to drink, I
guess.
Um, there we go, take a big sip.
Let's start the story, I guess,about how both of you entered
the wedding industry.
Speaker 4 (01:46):
Yeah, no, that's a great path.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Well, I was there first.
I beat her by about five years.
I was doing stand-up comedy inCalifornia at the time and I had
a friend who had a DJ companyand I told him sometimes at a
corporate event at least in theStates they'll have a hypnotist
or a magician or a comedian.
Just do kind of someentertainment for the on the one
of the evenings.
And I said if you're everlooking for a half hour clean
comedy, I can do that.
And he said I could use somehelp djing and I've always had a
(02:11):
love for music and the hardestthing about a wedding dj is
being comfortable talking on oneof these things, right.
So for me the tip of the spearfor public speaking is stand-up
comedy.
Right, pretty close anyway forme.
That was like already a shoe-infor me and the stars kind of
aligned and I'm like, oh my God,this is a job I can do this for
a living.
And then one of the vendors thatI worked with one of the venues
(02:33):
was looking for somebody tohelp with the catering and the
events, and that's where Istarted.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
So I started in a event services role as just kind
of an assistant to the eventmanager and worked my way up to
my own event management position, and that's where it all
started.
So it started in NorthernCalifornia.
The wedding duo did not comeabout for much longer, and that
was when we moved to Texas.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
So yeah, I want to know, were you already together
before you sort of became thisbusiness duo?
Speaker 4 (03:01):
Yes, yes, so that we were dating at the time that he
introduced me to um, the galthat needed the help at her
venue, um, but I knew, though wewere pretty new yeah you know,
yeah, exactly, and he's like youwant to be in the wedding
industry, here you go, so yeahdon't screw this up I'm gonna go
(03:23):
, I'm gonna go rogue off thescript straight up and go
dominic, how do you do cleanstand-up comedy?
Speaker 1 (03:29):
it's an art it could be done.
It's it is the finest of thefinest point of that artwork, I
think.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
So it can be done uh, very young comedians, without
going on a sidetrack.
It's very, it's low-hangingfruit to be really blue and
dirty and tell raunchy jokes andthey tell you, like, don't go
down that road, because you cando that if you're established,
but if you're new you got towork clean and I just kind of
stayed in that lane and itworked really well for me.
Wow I love this wear, don't getme wrong, I love it.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Absolute respect to you, dominic, for doing clean.
Stand up, wow, wow.
So to the both of you.
What inspired you to combineyour talents and create the
wedding duo?
Speaker 4 (04:11):
Yeah, so that's another interesting part of our
journey.
There was actually never anintention to become a husband
and wife team and even to ownour own business, honestly.
So we had moved to Texas, wasworking a corporate job at the
time and he started DJing againright when we got there, just
for extra cash on the weekends,and so at that point we weren't
(04:31):
really thinking big picture, butit kind of just blew up on us
and I'm not just saying this,he's very good at his job and so
it was easy for him to startattracting more business and
people were booking him left andright.
And then, with my experience inthe planning, we just started
to make it make sense, right,like I left my corporate
position out of the planningteam.
(04:51):
It just starts kind of, likeyou said, a line for us in that
way too, like it was just neversomething we set out to like.
Let's start a business together.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
It's a pretty good gig, though we attend parties
for a living.
I mean, you know there's worsejobs.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
Together it's a pretty good gig, though we
attend parties for a living.
I mean, you know there's worsejobs.
So true and together right,which is really fun and you
haven't.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
You haven't tried to murder each other yet at all.
Like everything's good, no, no,that is not.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
It's challenging.
We do tell couples all the timethat you know, ask us about
being a husband and wife team,like how do you do it?
Because it's not for everyrelationship.
I will tell you that, like youreally have to work at the
marriage and being businesspartners because it can easily
kind of you know, and sometimesthe opposite is true.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
I always forget when we work together.
The guests don't always knowwe're married and I know there
have been whispers like the djis kind of handsy with the plan.
I'm like, oh, I forget yourhands, your hands, in your
pockets there, dj.
He's like he's all up in herface.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
That'd be a great trick to play on on couples on
the day.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Good job sorry, I'm gonna, I'm gonna ask, and it's
not a stretch.
I can see why you guys would begood at this, but what prompted
you to kind of go into thissort of short form video side of
things for your business?
Speaker 4 (06:04):
yeah.
So the short answer to that wascovid.
Covid was obviously, for theevent industry, just major and
we were sitting around the housegoing we had no events, you
know, and we were like, what arewe doing?
A with our time and b we werejust going a little nuts right,
like we have all this time onour hands.
(06:24):
So we started a TikTok accountin 2020, 2019.
I don't know whenever thathappened, and that's where we
started to just learn how muchfun we had creating videos and
started reaching people throughthese, either whether it be lip
sync or dancing, or just Actinga fool.
(06:47):
Acting a fool but beingeducational at the same time.
That was really where we kindof fell in love with that piece
of it.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
So, guys, what platforms have you found the
most effective for sharing yourvideo content?
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Yeah, it definitely is.
Tiktok is where we really gotthe traction and took off, and
that's still.
We have about 503,000 followerson TikTok.
We have 164 on Instagram andjust over 100,000 on Facebook.
But those were kind of later tothe party.
We focused on TikTok and thenwe just repurposed our videos
over there and then suddenlythey started to catch up too,
(07:20):
because whatever people are,their preferred format is that,
whether they're TikTokers orwhenever they lay down at night,
whatever they go to to startscrolling.
I mean, if you're in theindustry, you should be casting
a wide net, right, try to getthem wherever they're at.
But TikTok is what started itall and that's really where we
got our traction, for true.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
I'm not good at TikTok, so I want to know what's
the hack?
What's your kind of process forcreating engaging short form
videos, particularly for TikTok?
Speaker 4 (07:49):
TikTok is its own animal and people are
intimidated by it.
I think a lot I do hear thatoften, yes, especially in the
wedding industry because it'sless curated, meaning like
pretty pictures, something youcan edit and make it look nice.
There's a lot more rawness tothe videos on TikTok and so you
(08:11):
have to really be okay withshowing certain sides of your
personality and I, to be honestwith you, am not as comfortable
with it as he is.
I am very fortunate to have mydancey monkey here that will do
the videos and act a fool,because it's helpful, right.
(08:38):
But to your question about kindof what works, you know we
really have found thatexperimenting with what your
audience wants to hear from you,right.
Like you can look at trendingstuff that's going on in the
industry and mimic somethingthat you see, maybe put your own
twist on it, you know, and thengive your own perspective, your
own viewpoints.
That's really been helpful forus is to find our way through
inspiration from other people,honestly, and that's kind of
(08:59):
what social media is about.
It's like you're okay to be acopycat.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Well, and the wedding industry?
They are, at least in theStates.
They're very lopsided onInstagram and the same thing.
They're looking over the fencelike what's going on over in
TikTok?
And I'm like we do the same, wedo the same thing.
We don't do anything differentfor TikTok than we do for
Instagram.
However, we'll do a video andit'll do really well on one of
the formats and man on the othertwo, and then the opposite will
(09:24):
happen on a different video.
You think like oh, we got tofigure it out.
Like oh, my god, there, I meanwe maybe x on the wall where it
says bang head here, and you'relike um, what's, what's more
important is consistency,showing you know, we were doing
them in the beginning, duringCOVID.
Speaker 4 (09:42):
We were doing, you know, two, three videos a day.
All the time, right, don't goback and look at those early
videos, you know so you justneed to show up frequently and
be okay with it not beingperfect.
I guess is part of that too.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Guys, I've heard that obviously through all the the
interviews that we've done,showing up frequently is is the
key.
So how do you guys still showup?
Frequency and balance, runninga business and traveling and
events and creating content andmaintaining a friendship and a
marriage and all that sort ofstuff like.
How do you?
How does the juggling monkeyjuggle all that?
Speaker 3 (10:18):
we don't.
It's all's all fake.
Honestly, we fall apart halfthe time, yeah.
Well, one thing that we do, likethe first part, is with the
social media.
I have a list on notes on myphone because we'll see a
comment and somebody will sayhey, can you do this song?
If I do a song video, they'llbe like oh, what about this one?
What about this one?
I write if it's a good one,I'll write it down or I'll get
(10:38):
to it later and, just like allof your listeners, if you're a
photographer, you know the topthree questions that the brides
are going to ask.
So we have a list of just allthese questions.
And when I'm sitting in theairport waiting to board a
flight, when I'm walking intothe venue, whenever there's time
, I'm always like I shouldprobably do a TikTok.
Just take a minute, walk away,you know, throw it out there.
(11:02):
And when I walk into a venue,my, my feelers are out.
I'm like I'll see a cute guestbook.
I'll be like I'm gonna get atiktok on that.
I'll see a unique floor plan.
I'm like, oh, let me go up onthe balcony, shoot down and get
a tiktok from up there.
I mean, there's countlessopportunities, but I think some
people just walk by them andthey don't think, oh well,
because to me, if I seesomething cute, I'm like you
know who needs to see that?
Every bride planning theirwedding needs to see that and
they're, they'll just be likethey will eat it up.
(11:23):
You, you're at the fence, youknow what they're gonna ask.
The brides don't know.
Most brides are like oh my god,I'm engaged, what the heck do I
do now?
Right, like they don't know.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
Yeah, that changed our perspective when we decided
like, wait, we're in theindustry, we know these things.
You feel like maybe you'resaying something that's super
obvious, but the brides don't.
They love seeing inside, theylove seeing.
You know the behind the scenesand the little weird, cute
nuances to weddings, right?
Speaker 2 (11:48):
and we overthink it.
We're like I have to do atiktok, which means that I have
to set aside time and writesomething, and think of
something and set my lightingand it's such a good point, you
do not.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
You got to get over that piece, and that's hard
because it took me a while too,especially as a woman.
Right, it's like it's a littleeasier for him.
He doesn't have to put on themakeup and do the hair.
I still feel a little bitobligated to do that but, yeah,
the eyebrows about what he Iusually wear it out just to make
it look professional but yeah,you do kind of have to like let
(12:22):
go of a little bit of thatperfectionism that I see a lot
of us have.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
We don't all have beautiful hair like you, Ben.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Why, why, thank you.
I do put silver in it, mate,because it was going gray but I
thought, bugger it.
You can go gray, but you'regoing to go now under my terms.
So, yeah, hey, under my terms.
So, yeah, hey.
So I'm gonna go rogue againbecause I'm good at that.
You said that with these, withthe videos, and, and people want
to see more, the more raw andand the more, I guess, the raw
(12:50):
and less well lit, wellconstructed, blah, blah, like
proper video sort of thing.
Are you finding that that thatis a much better way to get
people engaged when they see thetrue, they see the raw, as
opposed to a nice constructedvideo?
Speaker 4 (13:04):
I think it's a bad thing, especially if you are in
one of the vendor categoriesthat is heavy in aesthetics,
like floral or videographyphotography to showcase your
ability to create beautifulthings right.
But for us in particular, we'retalking about the experiences
for our beautiful things right.
But for us, in particular,we're talking about the
(13:25):
experiences for our brides,right.
And so where we resonate withour clients is getting them to
trust us because we know whatwe're talking and they don't
care so much that we're in apretty place, right.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
But to your point, we do try to like.
We do a lot of videos righthere.
We have good lighting set up.
It's kind of a controlledenvironment, but it's nice to
switch it up sometimes.
Right, sometimes we'll sit onthe porch if we're at events all
the time, at events for sureairport, which is it's very
weird to be like.
You know they're sitting theretalking to your phone and people
walk by.
I'm always like it's uh, tiktok, o'clock, don't, don't, don't
judge me, I'm gonna try to dosome video, but you just have to
(13:57):
get over it, it to your it's.
It can be kind of a it's hardnot to like feel weird about it
sometimes, but I'm a dork anyway, so I don't channel my inner
dork yeah, I'm probably the sameas so many other people.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
I feel weird turning the phone on myself or turning
the osmo on myself and justtalking to it, because I'm like,
oh, people are gonna think I'mmental.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
But it's the way of the world though I know yeah, do
you scroll on TikTok just aslike a user?
Speaker 1 (14:24):
No, I have a disdain for TikTok.
Yeah, some people do, which Ishouldn't, you know.
But, with that said, I do havea TikTok account and I do have a
whole lot of videos and stuffon there, but I don't post on
there, I don't frequent it oranything like that.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
Jack, stuff on there, but I don't post on there.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
I don't frequent it or anything like that.
So, jack, do you?
Do you doom scroll?
Yeah, I'm more of an instagramcat video kind of girl, but you
know, the cat covered in a tiara, and this is my life, and you
know, um, trips to italy, thatsort of thing, um, that, that's
more my vibe.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
It seems to just, yeah, be constantly those two
things well, when we, when wepresent to wedding professionals
one thing that we always sayabout and it's not exclusive to
TikTok, but if you scroll onTikTok at all, usually you see
their face.
Right, they spin the cameraaround and they show their face
and, even if it's just thebeginning, saying, oh my God,
you got to see this guest bookand I do that video.
Then I flip my camera around,I'm like look at how cute this
(15:17):
is, whatever the thing is.
But tick, tock, like they learn, they learn who you are and
before you even open your mouth,they know what you're going to
say because they, like you, knowthey see us and they know what
we're talking about.
I mean, besides, we have ouremblem in the background, but
it's a, it's a thing, it's ahurdle you have to get over to
be comfortable showing your faceand that's all yeah like
marketing branding, right.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
I mean, we've kind of like taken it into that short
form video by showing our facesat least in a portion of the
video, so that, because somebodycan like a video and not know
who it's from you know what Imean, right?
Like you can like a reallypretty video but you don't
relate that content to theperson who created it.
But if we're in them all thetime then they're like oh,
(16:00):
that's the wedding duo stuff.
Oh, that's the guy that doesthe songs you know.
So then they start to identifywith what we're doing?
Speaker 1 (16:06):
yeah, are you guys very conscious about having that
educational aspect to yourvideos?
Because when you scroll throughvideos I get a little bit
concerned about the plight ofhumanity in 10, 20 years.
When you look at what'sactually what people are
watching and what's blowing up,you go, my God, like, is this
where we're headed?
Speaker 4 (16:26):
It's terrifying.
And we have three children, andso we're right at it, right
when they're growing up in aworld that looks very much
different than ours.
They get all their informationand all their social time I mean
, it's all revolves around theironline lives, right?
So we understand that and wereally take a different approach
when it comes to educating ouraudience, in that we really try
(16:48):
to give suggestions.
We never really want to be likeoverly opinionated or this is
the right or wrong thing to do.
We've always just kept kind ofa.
This is what we've seen work,this is our experience.
So take it or leave it, right,because we do.
We are mindful of the fact thatbrides have usually never done
this before planned a weddingand they're impressionable.
(17:10):
They feel, you know, stress andguilt if they can't afford
something.
You know all those emotions andwe don't want to be
contributing to that.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
They're trying to navigate between their vision
and their budget, right, andthey don't always align.
And so if you just watch thevideos, everybody posts the
videos from the really superbougie over the top weddings but
for every one of those there'shundreds in the church hall or
the VFW or the backyard ofPapa's place that they mowed the
back 40 or whatever.
Like they're not all like that,but that's like pressure on the
(17:39):
brides To at the back 40 orwhatever.
Like they're not all like that,but that's like pressure on the
brides to your point.
That's what they see right backin the day.
You'd only see your cousin'swedding and you know how many
weddings did you go to, but nowthey see them once.
Once the algorithm knows you'reengaged, well, here they come.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
Here comes the content yeah yep I'd like to
know has there been one, onevideo that comes to mind that
had a really significant impacton your business?
Speaker 4 (18:00):
Yeah, actually we did a video where the bride it was
a couple of ours and she had himinsert her voice into the track
that she walked down the aisleto.
So she had something she saidto her groom and before we made
that big entrance where weopened the doors, she spoke over
the students, over theinstrumental part of the song,
(18:26):
over the students over theinstrumental part of the song.
It was the most powerful, Imean emotional entrance, because
she's talking and the groomdidn't know what was happening.
So you can see him just nobodydid, nobody knew it was like a
madonna concert.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
You know coming yeah, it was very dramatic, very
dramatic she said something likeall right, any minute, babe, we
made it, I'm about to come downthe doors and walk into your
life.
And I was like, and it was justas he was holding it together,
he was like he actually said, heactually said in the video he
goes that's not fair, likethat's really not fair, it's
like yeah so that video didreally well millions of views,
(18:57):
yeah, and we got a lot ofrequests to do those kind of
mashups for clients.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
But, you know, and it kind of created a trend in the
industry of inserting your voiceinto the song that you're going
to walk down the aisle to.
So we've seen it happen sincethen, which is really cool.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
But I got another one , if I can add it in.
So I'm married to a planner,right.
So I feel like very comfortablein saying this.
The planners are usually A-typeand they're very much on
schedule, right.
That's their whole mission inlife.
We got to start on time becausedinner's starting at this time,
which is an event, right,that's what their job is.
So they're very A-type andthey're very like.
For me it was like okay, that'sthe parents song go, send the
parents.
That's the wedding party songgo.
(19:34):
That's the bride song go.
And the bride was like thedoor's open it and anxiety for
that moment.
And the doors open and they goand they run up to the altar and
I'm like wait, wait, wait.
Like you picked this song forthat reason, to get to the
chorus and you didn't even getto the lyrics, let alone the
chorus, because you ran up there.
So I started doing videossaying let's just wait, like
(19:55):
keep the doors closed, wait forthat moment when the crescendo
hits and then swing the doorsopen.
I would say there's a reasonwhy the music gets scary before
the shark jumps out of the water, which is maybe not the best
example, but my point is letthat build.
And then, oh my God, thebride's just latched onto that
(20:16):
and I've done a thousand videosof suggesting songs for that
exact moment, and that hasreally become a trend as well,
and I'm so happy about it.
Can everybody just wait aminute?
Speaker 2 (20:21):
It reminds me of my wedding.
I had my daughter I think shewas four at the time and she was
a flower girl and yeah, wepracticed many times that we
would walk slow and man, shejust took off.
Speaker 4 (20:33):
It was very funny, but yeah.
I think I asked for the littleones.
Yeah, yeah, I understand.
Wait, wait, wait.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
With all your videos that are going viral that are
doing so well.
Metrics is is such a big thing,so how do you guys track how
things are going, what's what'sgone berserk and how that's
impacting your business?
Speaker 4 (20:56):
yeah.
So something we do again goingback to consistency is that we
do find that there are certaintimes a day that when we post,
we get better engagement Laterin the evening.
It's kind of just common sense,like when people are off work
and they're able to look attheir phone more maybe.
So we measure those types ofthings.
We also find that the beginningof the video and I'm sure
(21:22):
everybody's heard this is veryimportant.
Right, you want to reallyattract the user's attention
quickly so that they stick withyou as long as possible, because
the longer they stay on thatvideo, the more the platform is
going to push it out to morepeople, and so we keep an eye on
that.
And then the length of thevideo total.
We've gotten to a point nowwith our following where we feel
(21:43):
pretty comfortable doing longervideos because we've built an
audience.
But initially we were trying tokeep them to like under 30
seconds because people didn'tknow who we were as much.
It's just easier to completethe full video if it's that
short, so hard for me.
I'm like I got things to say itis hard for him.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
We still.
When she says long, 90 seconds.
If I go over 90 seconds, she'sediting something.
She'll speed my voice up.
I go.
Why do I sound funny?
Like because you have too much.
You sped you up so I could getit all under 90 seconds, but you
can do.
You see there's 10 minuteTikToks out there, but you
better have something.
Yes, there are you.
You would have something reallyimportant to say.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
So let's take it back to your business.
What do you believe sets thewedding duo apart from other
wedding businesses when?
Speaker 4 (22:35):
people are considering booking the two of
you.
You know it's funny.
You know how we were justtalking about the like
down-to-earth kind of you don'twant to give brides the
impression that, like somethingis wrong or right or, you know,
give them suggestions instead ofopinions.
We attract a certain clientele.
Maybe it's not necessarily haslike a huge budget, but they'll
(22:58):
budget for us, right.
Like we connect so deeply withour clients, I think that it
becomes just such a journey forus when we're planning with the
couple over a year or howeverlong it is, that when we finally
show up at their weddingwhether we're flying out of
state or, you know, going acouple hours it really is this
like momentous occasion for usto see them in person and that's
(23:19):
become really wonderful andfulfilling for us.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
Well, to the earlier point about showing your face,
and people hate to do it.
But in the olden days, thefirst call, at least with the DJ
, it's a very personality-baseddecision, right?
Photographers have a portfolio,caterers have a tasting.
The DJ is like do we vibe, am Ithe guy?
Do I get you right, your musictaste?
So it used to be like let'stalk on the phone and see if I'm
the guy for the job.
But now, when I get on thephone, they always say I feel
(23:46):
like I already know you becauseI've watched countless videos of
yours.
I'm like yeah, okay, it'salmost like just sign here,
right, because then it's just amI available?
And is it in the budget?
Because they're already a hugefan.
We'll go to wedding fairs andpeople show up like, oh my god,
I follow.
It's good for my ego.
I'm a boy, it's fragile, soit's nice.
But we've been recognized inairports, we've been recognized
at the grocery store.
(24:06):
It's really.
It's.
It's kind of freaky, but it's.
I mean, like I said, it'sreally fun, but uh, but it's I
mean, talk about good forbusiness.
We'll be at a wedding fair andpeople will say we came because
we saw on your social media thatyou're going to be here.
That's the only reason we'rehere.
I'm like great.
I mean, they don't even need aplanner, they just came to see
us, and next step will be whatBest-selling authors here's
(24:28):
hoping.
Speaker 4 (24:30):
If we can not argue on that, so is the book done?
No, probably 70%.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
Then it needs to go through like editing and all
that, can you give us a bit of asneak peek of what everyone can
expect?
Speaker 4 (24:46):
So the Wedding to Away is actually a little bit
more about how we built our SanAntonio company, because we have
a planning and TJ company inSan Antonio.
We don't actually live in SanAntonio, so we live in Ohio, and
so the book is a little bitmore about how, in the wedding
industry, we built a six figurebusiness and then moved and
(25:08):
we're basically absentee and westill are owners of this
business, and how that'spossible, you know, for everyone
out there to do, and just howwe went through the process of
building a team and reallyowning the ownership role rather
than working as you know thework.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
We talked through how everybody, when they start to
work for themselves, takes thatleap of faith where they jump
away from benefits or thesecurity or the paycheck that
they're getting at the otherplace Because it's a great
weekend gig, right.
If you're a photographer andyou work the weekends, but you
work at the bank Monday throughFriday, nine to five, whatever
it is, if you make that jump tobeing full-time, that's scary,
(25:48):
right.
But there's a lot of the bookthat we talk about our social
media and our tricks and ourthings we do, how we edit, like
the nuts and bolts Get yourselfa ring light, get yourself a
good lighting, if you're goingto achieve something like that.
Speaker 4 (26:09):
So we talk a lot about the nuts and bolts of that
too, and just the things we'vesaid here to show your face.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
Show your face, showing my face right now.
All right, it's a good start,ben yes I want to.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
I want to hear the answer to your question, your
famous question so, guys, at theend of, at the end of every
podcast, I ask a question that Iask everyone.
If if you guys, I guess you canyou can both answer this each,
if you like, because there istwo of you.
So if you walked outside now,run into an 18 year old version
of yourself, what advice wouldyou give yourself around life
(26:37):
and business and that sort ofthing, knowing what you know?
Speaker 3 (26:40):
now, we'll go first yeah, you go first yeah, dominic
, you go first yeah, I, you know, you look back, you know, and
you always think like man, I wasan idiot, right, I mean you
just because I'm sure I'll lookback at myself in 10 years.
But like you were an idiot,like, look back there.
But um, it's really hard whenyou're young to just really be
your true self, you know,because you're always trying to
fit the round peg in the squarehole of whatever society wants
(27:02):
you to be.
And I've always been silly andover the top and energetic, and
there's a lot of times whereit's like you just have to
suppress all that right.
So I would almost tell myself,like it's coming, there's a job
waiting for you that you couldjust just get behind that and
ride that wave all the way tosuccess.
You know and, but even then I'dbe like just be.
(27:24):
People will like you or theywon't, but you can't be
something you're not and thatreally our social media is like
that, like we really try to begenuine and that's the best
compliment I can give somebodyIf they're genuine.
You know how you meet somebodyand you're like I wonder if
they're really like, because allthat, whatever they're trying
(27:45):
to impress you or something, I'mlike just be yourself, be
yourself.
That's what I would tell myidiot younger self.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
Awesome.
Speaker 3 (27:53):
You've owned me.
I've channeled my inner idiotfor sure?
Speaker 4 (27:57):
Yeah, you know, I think when I think about myself
at that age and before some ofour success or any success in
life, there was a lot ofpressure that I put on myself to
figure it out right, likefigure out who I was or what I
was supposed to be doing or whatjob was going to complete me,
(28:18):
and all those questions neededto be answered.
And I still don't have theanswers, even at this stage in
life, to a lot of them, right?
But I would just tell myself tobe present because I really
feel like a lot of time goes byand we don't spend enough time
just enjoying like, for example,like what we get to do for a
living and be together at eventsand have fun with our clients
(28:42):
and with our kids and our family, right, Like you can just spend
a lot of time like focusing onwhat I need to do for the future
instead of enjoying the present, and that's something I'm
really trying to work on and Iwould like to have started
earlier.
So that's what I would tell her.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
Have you answered it, Ben?
What's yours Go?
Speaker 1 (29:03):
Wow, for me I think it's a kind of a two-pronged
answer.
For me it's it's just beyourself and don't care what
anyone else thinks, becauseeveryone else's opinion of you
doesn't matter.
That's one half of it.
The other half would be tomaster one thing and then move
on to the next, and don't try tospread yourself too thin.
So become, become the master ofone thing and then and then
(29:24):
continually move on to the nextand build your skills that way
instead of trying to, you know,be great at it.
Yeah that's a good one me jack,we haven't answered these
questions, jack I see thepressures on us.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
We're supposed to be all mine has nothing to do with
wedding or business.
It has to do with when I was 18, I thought I was fat and
darling.
You weren't fat, You're fat.
Speaker 4 (29:51):
Finding out I could be that kind of fat again.
See you on that one as a woman.
Like, yeah, like if I couldhave that metabolism back,
please, yes, oh dear.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
All right, well, thanks, oh dear, all right, well
, thanks, guys, it's been anabsolute pleasure having you.
I'm sure we've got lots of umother topics that we can.
We can talk about even, youknow, outside of video.
Guys, if you want to check outthe wedding duo, whether you're
going to book them or buy theirbook, the website is
theweddingduoco and you can, ofcourse, find them on tiktok,
instagram, all the platforms.
(30:22):
Their username is theweddingduo.
Thanks so much, dominic andSerena.
It's been a pleasure getting toknow you.
Speaker 4 (30:29):
Pleasure chatting with you guys as well.
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (30:31):
Thanks guys.
It's been awesome chatting toyou as well.
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