From 17 Weddings to 0 with Wedding Planner, Haley Brantley

Bride to Have Been

In today’s world, trying to get married has become... a hot mess. So, to all the COVID brides to have been, grooms and wedding professionals: you’re not alone. Welcome to Bride To Have Been, a StudioPod original podcast hosted by Emily Lewis, with the purpose of building a community by sharing the reality of this new normal in the wedding industry. Let’s keep inspiring each other and celebrate the thing we treasure the most: love.

What could be more stressful than being a bride or groom and having to restructure your entire wedding in the middle of a pandemic? Being a wedding planner. In today’s episode, Emily is joined by Haley Brantley, lead planner and designer at Hitched by Haley, to chat about how COVID hit her business, how she pivoted from the crisis, and the future of the industry in the new normal — it all comes down to empathy, adaptability, and being capable of spotting the silver linings! Listen to this episode to learn more of the magic behind the scenes of the industry, and to have a glimpse of what the future holds for brides across the globe.

Jump straight into:

(01:26) - On Hitched by Haley before COVID and the future for the wedding industry - “I definitely see smaller celebrations in terms of guest count, but you can still offer a really unique and personal experience for your guests.”

(08:02) - Difficult decisions and tough conversations - “There's definitely a level of therapist role that you play as a wedding planner. COVID, like a global pandemic, just really sharpens those skills for you.”

(14:57) - Pivot and adapt: The transformation of Haley’s business model - “ We've definitely had to get creative with how we're going to keep our little baby alive.”

(21:07) - The value of great teams and the secrets of wedding operations - “It's so nice to have an extra pair of hands on the day. Whatever it is, you have to keep yourself on track during the chaos.”

(24:18) - Stress overload, pandemic planning and the need for flexibility - “I thought it was going to be easy, and both 2020 and COVID taught me differently. It required a lot more planning.”

(29:12) - Spot the silver lining! - “And if anything good can come out from COVID, definitely taking care of yourself has to be a good one, right?”

(32:15) - How will COVID transform the bridal industry? - “I just feel like freedom is given to people now to really design the wedding of their dreams and not feel so much pressure from their friends and family or society.”

Resources

• Follow Haley on Instagram and Facebook
• Hitched by Haley
• Shelter in Place Wedding: 10 Ideas to Honor Your ‘OG’ Wedding Date!

Thanks for listening! Follow us on Instagram and feel free to send us your COVID wedding stories. Bride To Have Been is a podcast brought to you by GiftPod and produced at StudioPod. Edits were made at Nodalab and music was produced by GaryOAKland. Don’t forget to subscribe, rate and share with all of your fellow brides.