What does it actually look like to have a strategy as a wedding vendor, not just hustle, networking, and hope?

In this episode of The At Last Podcast, Erica sits down with her good friend Erin Dienst, who is currently completing her MBA at Yale School of Management, to apply real competitive strategy frameworks to the wedding industry.

Erin brings insights from her graduate coursework in Competitive Strategy, and together they unpack what truly creates competitive advantage for wedding vendors in a highly networked, referral-driven market.

This is a must-listen episode for wedding musicians and wedding vendors who want to stop relying on random referrals and start building a business that grows strategically.

In this episode they cover:

• What "strategy" actually means in the wedding industry

• Applying Competitive Strategy to the Wedding Market

• How Wedding Vendors Build Real Competitive Advantage

• Marketing Implications for Wedding Vendors

🎧 Listen in for an insightful episode.

Resources for Wedding Vendors:

• 🎵 Honeybook: Streamline your contracts, invoices, and payments with Honeybook! Get 30% off your first year by signing up here: https://share.honeybook.com/erica8964375

• 💌 Flodesk: Simplify your email marketing and save 50% on your first year with Flodesk: https://flodesk.com/c/ALOHAERICA

• Wedding Pro CEO Program: Learn how to run your business like true CEOs, focusing on profit, team building, strategic systems, and sustainable growth to move beyond the hustle and achieve a better work-life balance. https://weddingproceo.com/application?utm_source=coach&utm_medium=erica&utm_term=&utm_content=&utm_campaign=wpceo-program-application

• 🌐 Wedding SEO Bootcamp by Sara Does SEO: Learn how to optimize your website for Google with this wedding pro-focused program. Check it out here: https://alohaerica--saradoesseo.thrivecart.com/wedding-seo-bootcamp/

💌 Let's connect! Share your thoughts on this episode and find more tips and resources at www.alohaerica.com/atlast.

Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend. Let's grow together and create the wedding business of your dreams!

Every January, we promise ourselves this will be the year we're more consistent, more organized, and more on top of things. And every year, most of those habits quietly fade by February.

In this episode of The At Last Podcast, Erica breaks down why New Year habits fail, what Atomic Habits by James Clear teaches us about building habits that actually last, and how systems, not motivation, are the real key to change.

This episode is especially for wedding musicians and creative wedding vendors who want to build businesses that support their lives, not consume them.

You'll learn:

• Why focusing on goals instead of systems keeps you stuck
  
  

• The four principles from Atomic Habits that make habits easier to maintain
  
  

• Real-life examples of habits built through systems, not willpower
  
  

• How small environmental changes create massive long-term consistency
  
  

• Why identity-based habits are more powerful than intention-based goals

Whether you're trying to get more organized, prepare better for weddings, or simply feel less scattered in your day-to-day life, this episode will help you rethink habits in a way that actually feels doable.

🎧 Listen in and start designing habits that work with your life, not against it.

Resources for Wedding Vendors:

• 🎵 Honeybook: Streamline your contracts, invoices, and payments with Honeybook! Get 30% off your first year by signing up here: https://share.honeybook.com/erica8964375

• 💌 Flodesk: Simplify your email marketing and save 50% on your first year with Flodesk: https://flodesk.com/c/ALOHAERICA

• Wedding Pro CEO Program: Learn how to run your business like true CEOs, focusing on profit, team building, strategic systems, and sustainable growth to move beyond the hustle and achieve a better work-life balance. https://weddingproceo.com/application?utm_source=coach&utm_medium=erica&utm_term=&utm_content=&utm_campaign=wpceo-program-application

• 🌐 Wedding SEO Bootcamp by Sara Does SEO: Learn how to optimize your website for Google with this wedding pro-focused program. Check it out here: https://alohaerica--saradoesseo.thrivecart.com/wedding-seo-bootcamp/

💌 Let's connect! Share your thoughts on this episode and find more tips and resources at www.alohaerica.com/atlast.

Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend. Let's grow together and create the wedding business of your dreams!

As the year comes to a close, it's easy to focus only on revenue and bookings. But income alone doesn't tell the full story of how your wedding business actually felt to run.

In this episode, we're stepping back to reflect with intention, not pressure.

Whether you're a musician transitioning into weddings or another type of wedding vendor who felt busy but not organized this year, this episode will help you close the year with clarity instead of chaos.

We cover:

• One thing that truly worked this year and why it's worth protecting

• One thing that drained your energy without delivering results

• One system that's worth simplifying before next wedding season

• A mindset reframe that reminds you growth doesn't always mean doing more
  
  

We also touch on how simple systems, like a CRM or email nurture, can quietly support you behind the scenes so next season feels calmer and more professional.

🎧 Listen now and give yourself permission to reset before the new year begins.

Resources for Wedding Vendors:

• 🎵 Honeybook: Streamline your contracts, invoices, and payments with Honeybook! Get 30% off your first year by signing up here: https://share.honeybook.com/erica8964375

• 💌 Flodesk: Simplify your email marketing and save 50% on your first year with Flodesk: https://flodesk.com/c/ALOHAERICA

• Wedding Pro CEO Program: Learn how to run your business like true CEOs, focusing on profit, team building, strategic systems, and sustainable growth to move beyond the hustle and achieve a better work-life balance. https://weddingproceo.com/application?utm_source=coach&utm_medium=erica&utm_term=&utm_content=&utm_campaign=wpceo-program-application

• 🌐 Wedding SEO Bootcamp by Sara Does SEO: Learn how to optimize your website for Google with this wedding pro-focused program. Check it out here: https://alohaerica--saradoesseo.thrivecart.com/wedding-seo-bootcamp/

💌 Let's connect! Share your thoughts on this episode and find more tips and resources at www.alohaerica.com/atlast.

Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend. Let's grow together and create the wedding business of your dreams!

Engagement season is coming and this episode teaches wedding vendors how to prepare their marketing plan so they can book more clients, strengthen vendor referrals, and upgrade their sales systems before inquiries surge.

If you are a wedding musician, planner, photographer, venue team member, florist, videographer, or any wedding professional, this episode walks you through the exact steps to get your business ready for the busiest booking season of the year.

• 💌 Flodesk: Simplify your email marketing and save 50% on your first year with Flodesk: https://flodesk.com/c/ALOHAERICA

• How wedding vendors can prepare their marketing before engagement season
• What to prioritize in your marketing plan for the new year
• How to structure weekly and monthly marketing tasks for consistency
• How wedding vendors can get more referrals from venues, planners, and photographers
• Strategies for increasing organic leads through SEO and blog content
• The most effective social media tactics for wedding vendors during engagement season
• How to set up your CRM, inquiry automations, and follow up workflows
• Why nurturing leads through weekly emails helps couples choose you faster
• How to stay top of mind with vendor newsletters
• How to use ManyChat to respond faster to couples on Instagram and TikTok
• Why Flodesk is the best tool for automated email marketing for wedding vendors

• Flodesk for automated workflows, inquiry emails, vendor newsletters, and weekly nurture emails
• CRM automations for faster responses during engagement season
• ManyChat for social media automation

Prepare your marketing now so you can stay visible, build relationships, and book more during engagement season. Lock in your Flodesk plan before pricing increases and start building the workflows that will carry your wedding business through your busiest season.

Resources for Wedding Vendors:

• 🎵 Honeybook: Streamline your contracts, invoices, and payments with Honeybook! Get 30% off your first year by signing up here: https://share.honeybook.com/erica8964375

• 💌 Flodesk: Simplify your email marketing and save 50% on your first year with Flodesk: https://flodesk.com/c/ALOHAERICA

• 🌐 Wedding SEO Bootcamp by Sara Does SEO: Learn how to optimize your website for Google with this wedding pro-focused program. Check it out here: https://alohaerica--saradoesseo.thrivecart.com/wedding-seo-bootcamp/

💌 Let's connect! Share your thoughts on this episode and find more tips and resources at www.alohaerica.com/atlast.

Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend. Let's grow together and create the wedding business of your dreams!

💌 Flodesk: Simplify your email marketing and save 50% on your first year with Flodesk: https://flodesk.com/c/ALOHAERICA

If you've ever had a couple or planner say, "We can't wait to work with you!" and then never followed up, this episode is your wake-up call.

Being unforgettable in person doesn't mean you'll be remembered later. Without a consistent, automated system to stay in touch, even the best wedding pros fade from memory.

In this episode, Erica shares how she went from losing hot leads to creating a simple, automated email system that keeps her remembered, referred, and fully booked, all through Flodesk.

You'll learn:

• Why most wedding pros lose leads even when couples love them.

• How to use Flodesk to create a welcome series that builds trust automatically.

• The 5 ways you can use Flodesk to stay top of mind with couples and vendors and why each is better than doing it manually.

• How email automation saves hours, nurtures relationships, and turns cold leads into loyal clients.

• Why now is the best time to join before Flodesk's pricing changes forever on November 28th.

If you want to finally stop getting ghosted, free up your time, and stay booked with less effort this episode will show you how.

🎧 Listen now to learn the simplest way to stay top of mind in your market and get fully booked without adding more to your plate.

Resources for Wedding Vendors:

• 🎵 Honeybook: Streamline your contracts, invoices, and payments with Honeybook! Get 30% off your first year by signing up here: https://share.honeybook.com/erica8964375

• 💌 Flodesk: Simplify your email marketing and save 50% on your first year with Flodesk: https://flodesk.com/c/ALOHAERICA

• 🌐 Wedding SEO Bootcamp by Sara Does SEO: Learn how to optimize your website for Google with this wedding pro-focused program. Check it out here: https://alohaerica--saradoesseo.thrivecart.com/wedding-seo-bootcamp/

💌 Let's connect! Share your thoughts on this episode and find more tips and resources at www.alohaerica.com/atlast.

Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend. Let's grow together and create the wedding business of your dreams!

Links for You:

🎵 Honeybook: Streamline your contracts, invoices, and payments with Honeybook! Get 30% off your first year by signing up here: https://share.honeybook.com/erica8964375

💌 Flodesk: Simplify your email marketing and save 50% on your first year with Flodesk: https://flodesk.com/c/ALOHAERICA

Ever wonder what makes some wedding musicians stand out and have clients raving about their experience? In this episode of The At Last Podcast, we're diving deep into how to create a smooth, professional, and memorable client experience from the very first inquiry to the day-of performance.

You'll hear my personal stories of lessons learned early in my career, including how a delayed contract led to losing a client—and how I transformed that into a streamlined system that keeps clients happy and bookings flowing. I'll share actionable strategies for nurturing prospective clients, setting clear expectations, managing contracts and payments efficiently, and preparing for a flawless performance.

Whether you're just starting your wedding music business or looking to elevate your current process, this episode gives practical tips and insights to help you deliver a seamless experience that leaves couples—and their guests—speechless.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• How to nurture potential clients after their initial inquiry so they feel confident and cared for.

• The key steps to streamline your booking process, from sending contracts immediately to setting clear expectations.

• Tips for organizing client communications, song selections, and timelines for a stress-free day-of experience.

• How automating certain processes can free up your time while keeping the client experience personal.

• My personal story of learning the hard way and what I do now to ensure no client slips through the cracks.
  
  

Who This Episode Is For:

• Wedding musicians ready to elevate their client experience and stand out in the high-end wedding market.

• Musicians wanting actionable tips to create smooth processes from inquiry to performance.

• Anyone looking to deliver a professional, stress-free, and memorable experience for couples.

Resources for Wedding Vendors:

• 🎵 Honeybook: Streamline your contracts, invoices, and payments with Honeybook! Get 30% off your first year by signing up here: https://share.honeybook.com/erica8964375

• 💌 Flodesk: Simplify your email marketing and save 50% on your first year with Flodesk: https://flodesk.com/c/ALOHAERICA

• 🌐 Wedding SEO Bootcamp by Sara Does SEO: Learn how to optimize your website for Google with this wedding pro-focused program. Check it out here: https://alohaerica--saradoesseo.thrivecart.com/wedding-seo-bootcamp/

💌 Let's connect! Share your thoughts on this episode and find more tips and resources at www.alohaerica.com/atlast.

Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend. Let's grow together and create the wedding business of your dreams!

Ever wonder how some wedding musicians make their ceremonies feel effortless, emotional, and unforgettable? In this episode, I break down exactly what it takes to perform wedding ceremonies like a pro—from the first note during guest arrival to the high-energy recessional.

You'll learn:

• How to guide couples in choosing the perfect songs for each moment of their ceremony
  
  

• Step-by-step tips for the processional, vows, first kiss, and recessional
  
  

• How to set the tone, read the room, and make every moment feel magical
  
  

• Pro tips on timing, volume, and positioning to elevate your performance
  
  

• Ways to prepare and practice so your performance flows seamlessly
  
  

Plus, I share my Ultimate Wedding Ceremony Timeline Guide for Musicians, a resource I use to plan, organize, and execute every ceremony flawlessly.

Whether you're ready to transition to weddings or want to level up your existing performances, this episode is packed with actionable strategies to help you stand out and leave couples—and their guests—speechless.

Download the Ultimate Wedding Ceremony Timeline Guide: https://aloha-erica-music.myflodesk.com/ultimate-ceremony-guide-for-musicians

Resources for Wedding Vendors:

• 🎵 Honeybook: Streamline your contracts, invoices, and payments with Honeybook! Get 30% off your first year by signing up here: https://share.honeybook.com/erica8964375

• 💌 Flodesk: Simplify your email marketing and save 50% on your first year with Flodesk: https://flodesk.com/c/ALOHAERICA

• 🌐 Wedding SEO Bootcamp by Sara Does SEO: Learn how to optimize your website for Google with this wedding pro-focused program. Check it out here: https://alohaerica--saradoesseo.thrivecart.com/wedding-seo-bootcamp/

💌 Let's connect! Share your thoughts on this episode and find more tips and resources at www.alohaerica.com/atlast.

Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend. Let's grow together and create the wedding business of your dreams!

Are you tired of feeling like you're just competing on price when couples inquire about your wedding music services?

In today's episode of The At Last Podcast, I'm breaking down how to craft a wedding music package that does more than list songs and hours—it positions you as the premium choice for couples who want a personalized and unforgettable experience.

We'll cover:

• Why packaging your services is about positioning, not just offerings.

• What makes a wedding music package irresistible (song choices, customization, and thoughtful extras).

• How to stand out from competitors in a saturated market.

• Pricing strategies that reflect your true value and attract high-end couples.

Whether you're just starting out or looking to elevate your packages to align with the luxury market, this episode will help you rethink how you present your services and ensure you're booking clients who value the unique experience you bring to their big day.

• The mindset shift from "selling music" to "selling an experience."

• How to infuse personalization into every part of your package.

• Smart extras and add-ons that instantly elevate your services.

• The psychology of pricing and how to position yourself as a premium option.

• Why offering flexible payment plans can make your premium pricing more accessible.

Resources for Wedding Vendors:

• 🎵 Honeybook: Streamline your contracts, invoices, and payments with Honeybook! Get 30% off your first year by signing up here: https://share.honeybook.com/erica8964375

• 💌 Flodesk: Simplify your email marketing and save 50% on your first year with Flodesk: https://flodesk.com/c/ALOHAERICA

• 🌐 Wedding SEO Bootcamp by Sara Does SEO: Learn how to optimize your website for Google with this wedding pro-focused program. Check it out here: https://alohaerica--saradoesseo.thrivecart.com/wedding-seo-bootcamp/

💌 Let's connect! Share your thoughts on this episode and find more tips and resources at www.alohaerica.com/atlast.

Thank you for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend. Let's grow together and create the wedding business of your dreams!