Has "luxury" lost its meaning in the wedding industry? Let’s redefine what truly makes an experience luxurious.

Luxury weddings. The term evokes images of opulence and grandeur, but has it lost its meaning in the wedding industry? Ashley Allan, an experienced wedding planner and marketing professor, tackles this controversial topic head-on. Ashley argues that the word "luxury" has been overused and misrepresented, diluting its value and creating confusion for both vendors and clients.

As Ashley explains, true luxury goes beyond high price tags—it’s about personalization, precision, and delivering an experience that anticipates client needs before they’re even realized. Drawing on her experience in both planning and marketing, she shares how couples seeking authentic luxury can spot the difference and why vendors should rethink how they define and market their services.

We also explore the critical touchpoints that distinguish a luxury experience from a standard one. Ashley likens it to her time dining at a Michelin-starred restaurant, where every detail, from service to ambiance, was thoughtfully curated. Similarly, in the wedding industry, vendors who aspire to serve luxury clients must master every aspect of their process to deliver excellence consistently.

Luxury is about exceeding expectations, not just using a buzzword to raise rates. Whether you're a vendor hoping to level up or a couple navigating the industry, this episode sheds light on what luxury truly means—and how it can elevate your wedding experience.

I think it’s so important for us as wedding professionals to be okay with finding success in the middle tier. I get why some vendors lean into the word "luxury"—it’s tempting because it feels like it justifies charging more. But the truth is, using that label without really delivering on the experience can create unrealistic expectations and lead to unhappy clients.

Remember these experiences often require a level of energy, resources, and constant attention to detail that can leave anyone feeling exhausted. There’s nothing wrong with finding joy and pride in working with middle-tier clients. These couples make up the majority of the market, and they’re just as deserving of amazing service.

At the end of the day, success isn’t about slapping a label on your business. It’s about delivering what you promise and creating unforgettable experiences for your clients. 

Highlights:

• The overuse of "luxury" in the wedding industry and its impact on client expectations
• Why true luxury is defined by personalization, precision, and exceeding expectations
• Key indicators of luxury weddings, such as cost-per-guest benchmarks and enhanced service
• How Ashley’s Michelin-star dining experience informs her understanding of luxury service
• The importance of vendors aligning their marketing with their actual service quality
• Actionable tips for vendors aspiring to elevate their client experience

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with fellow wedding professionals, rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and don’t forget to subscribe for more expert insights!

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Kevin Dennis (0:0.753)

All right. So welcome back to another episode of Mind Your Wedding Business. And it's holiday season, Ashley. Are we ready for it? You got your tree up? Things are good.

Ashley Allan (0:9.332)

Yeah, how can we these trees up? Presents are getting wrapped. We're moving.

Kevin Dennis (0:17.475)

Are you one of those that wait till the like the last minute to wrap your presents or do you you go early?

Ashley Allan (0:22.412)

No, so I am an obsessive rapper. I start planning my wrapping paper theme months in advance and buying product. Yeah, it's out of control. So every year I like post what my red, what my wrapping looks like and that I usually do like on Christmas Eve. But yeah, there's, there's a whole process and a lot of madness involved.

Kevin Dennis (0:29.042)

Ooh, I love it.

Kevin Dennis (0:42.111)

So you can't tell us yet what your wrapping is since you wait to post? Okay, all right.

Ashley Allan (0:44.950)

Nope, I can't do bullshit. But if you know me well and you know what I've been doing this year, then you probably have a good idea.

Kevin Dennis (0:50.275)

Oh, I have an idea. do. have an idea. So, all right. So Ashley, you're here to talk about luxury weddings with all of us. But before you do, tell us a little bit about yourselves for someone that may be new to the podcast.

Ashley Allan (1:2.070)

Yeah, well, my name is Ashley Allen. I am a wedding planner based out of Scottsdale, Arizona. We do weddings, of course, in Arizona, but also across the world. And what a lot of people don't realize about me as well is I'm a marketing professor. So I spend a lot of my time looking at the way that we in the wedding industry market ourselves and how we're a little bit different than a lot of other industries.

Kevin Dennis (1:26.311)

And you probably know how we could probably do it a whole lot better, huh?

Ashley Allan (1:29.908)

I mean, you know, everybody's on their own journey, but there are things that are even better.

Kevin Dennis (1:33.949)

Yeah, that's a good way to put it. I like that. Everyone's on their own journey. I'm going to start using that. going to steal that from you. All right. So we're talking about luxury weddings. And are you ready? So how do you feel about the term luxury weddings, Ashley?

Ashley Allan (1:40.282)

You

Ashley Allan (1:49.722)

Well, I have strong feelings about it. I think the word that I've used recently is that luxury has been bastardized by the wedding industry. And as an educator, want to I always like try to make sure that I'm letting people know where I'm coming from. And so the term bastardization, the literal definition is to change something in a way that it lowers the quality or value. And we in the wedding industry

Kevin Dennis (1:58.376)

I agree.

Kevin Dennis (2:13.022)

Oh.

Ashley Allan (2:16.750)

I hear it constantly, every single vendor I talk to is a luxury vendor. And the thing is, is that's just impossible. And it's not a bad thing to not be a luxury provider. The majority of weddings that are happening in the US are not luxury weddings, and that is okay. There's still a beautiful celebration. And we as vendors still can make a living off of them without calling ourselves a luxury vendor if we aren't truly that.

Kevin Dennis (2:27.337)

Mm-hmm.

Kevin Dennis (2:43.365)

Mm-hmm. So do you think that people use that term because they want clients to hire them because they think they're luxury or?

Ashley Allan (2:54.326)

I think that this is twofold. luxury, you can slap the word luxury on something and suddenly you think that you can charge more. And there's a big piece of that that I want to talk about. But the other piece of that is that I think if you say luxury, you think you're going to just attract those clients with higher budgets. And that may be true, but you have to have some things in place to really back that up.

Kevin Dennis (3:1.949)

Hmm.

Kevin Dennis (3:15.763)

Mm-hmm.

Ashley Allan (3:18.878)

in order to continue getting that level of clientele. And that's where I see the disconnect is I keep seeing people in the industry, whether it's planners, florists, DJs, designers, across the board, even venues, calling themselves luxury when the experience that they're providing really isn't. And what that does is it devalues those vendors that actually are at that luxury level.

Kevin Dennis (3:47.775)

Hmm.

Ashley Allan (3:47.958)

My other little rant piece on that is as the provider, I'm never going to say I am a luxury XYZ. You need to wait for your clients to tell you that you are luxury before you can start saying that.

Kevin Dennis (4:1.865)

Oh, and why do think that's the case?

Ashley Allan (4:4.620)

Because they're the ones that determine what a luxury really is, right? The word luxury is both a noun and an adjective. Obviously, a wedding in and of itself is a luxury in life. That is the norm, right? But when we call ourselves a luxury planner, a luxury florist, a luxury DJ, then we're using it as an adjective. And that is where we're getting it messed up.

Kevin Dennis (4:11.091)

Mm-hmm.

Kevin Dennis (4:15.423)

Yeah, it is.

Kevin Dennis (4:30.640)

So what would you consider a luxury wedding? You kind of mentioned it, like what would you, you know, like define it to us?

Ashley Allan (4:36.910)

Well, there's definitely, sure, there's some key indicators. And I don't know that there's a strong definition, but I think that you could say that if you are, if the couple is hosting a wedding and it's roughly a thousand dollars or more per guests, we're in the luxury space. That's really like entry level luxury. When we're up to like $3,500 per guests, then we're, we're entering like some higher level, extreme luxury, you know,

Kevin Dennis (4:54.313)

Mm-hmm.

Kevin Dennis (4:58.152)

Okay.

Ashley Allan (5:5.838)

territory. But if you've got a hundred person wedding and they, and again, not to belittle what anybody is spending on their wedding because it's a huge investment no matter what, both of your lives together and of money, no matter what that dollar amount is, because money is relative to where we are in our lives and who we are and what we do and all those things. But if you are having a hundred guests and you are spending $30,000 on your wedding,

Kevin Dennis (5:6.943)

Mm-hmm.

Kevin Dennis (5:16.191)

Mm-hmm.

Kevin Dennis (5:20.435)

Mm-hmm.

Ashley Allan (5:35.756)

your wedding vendors should not be luxury wedding vendors. Because one, you're not going to be able to get the best bang for your buck because you're going to use a lot of your money on things, on somebody that is really targeting a higher budget clientele. And then you're not going to experience that luxury experience. And truthfully, most vendors should not be in that budget.

Kevin Dennis (6:2.943)

Yeah, it's funny that you say that because In the whole time you've been think you've been talking I've been thinking it's like we never market ourselves at luxury You know like to the luxury client like I'm always good for the middle of the road I mean that's kind of where a lot of our clients are they're not spending that you know, you know a thousand dollars But then a person but then we do get random you know, like a handful of weddings a year that will spend that and we're

Ashley Allan (6:30.849)

See you.

Kevin Dennis (6:31.539)

but we get more, I feel like in the entry level area. you could, and just from the, you know, just the level of service that we have to provide for that client is totally different than the level of service we have to provide for every other client. From, yeah, from more meetings, yeah, exactly. They want more, they feel they're a little bit entitled, I feel like a little bit too sometimes. It's like they,

Ashley Allan (6:46.190)

100%. There's an expectation.

Kevin Dennis (6:57.107)

You know, they can ask you to do things that you might not always do for all your other clients as well. So it's kind of interesting.

Ashley Allan (7:2.402)

Well, and that's also because they are most likely living in a luxury lifestyle within the rest of their lives as well. I like to equate it to if you've ever gone this summer, I had the lovely experience of getting to do a little bit of luxury shopping. And I also went to a three Michelin star restaurant. Things I've never done before. This is not the lifestyle that I live, but I got to live it for like a month and a half. So

Kevin Dennis (7:9.726)

Mm-hmm.

Kevin Dennis (7:22.899)

Mm-hmm.

Ashley Allan (7:31.724)

What I experienced in those were that my expectations were blown away because I'd never walked into a Louis Vuitton before and actually been shopping. I'd never been to a Michelin star restaurant before and experienced how different the service is. Like you don't go to, I'll use where I went for, as an example, I went to Gordon Ramsay's flagship restaurant in London. Incredible.

Kevin Dennis (7:42.717)

Mm-hmm.

Kevin Dennis (7:57.887)

Mmm.

Ashley Allan (7:59.882)

experience. Yes, the food was amazing, but the service was like a dance. I've never been so like, so impressed by how many times the table was touched, how many how lovely and pleasant and how my needs were anticipated before I knew that I had them. It was, it just blew me away. I don't expect that level of service when I go to Chili's, you know, and that's the thing like

Kevin Dennis (8:23.881)

Mm-mm. Yeah, I know.

Ashley Allan (8:28.590)

That is a luxury experience. Don't get me wrong, if I'm looking for some avocado ranch, Chili's is my go-to. I love a good Chili's dinner. But I'm not expecting that same level of service and experience and talking to their staff, knowing that some of them have worked for the restaurant for 20 years. That's what you're getting when you're paying for and you're expecting luxury. And the people that are...

Kevin Dennis (8:43.495)

service.

Ashley Allan (8:57.710)

clients in the luxury market, that is what they're used to in a lot of aspects of their lives. And so that's why when they come to us and they are wanting our top tier services and they're paying us a lot of money, they are expecting that level of service as well.

Kevin Dennis (9:13.373)

Yeah, and it's funny. just recently, I would love to eat at Gordon Ramsay's. Gordon Ramsay is my favorite celebrity chef by far. Probably because he cusses a lot. That's hands down my favorite. So in Vegas, I've eaten at a few of his restaurants, which are always good, but I would love to get that next level service. But in Vegas a couple months ago, I got to go to Michael Mina's restaurant and got

Ashley Allan (9:21.102)

and I'm going to to

So.

Ashley Allan (9:39.564)

Mmm.

Kevin Dennis (9:42.199)

greeted so special. I was a guest to someone's they took us to the restaurant, but that's the first time I experienced a level of service that I've never experienced at a restaurant before. From like you were saying, like, we got met at the door by the general manager of the restaurant and our waiter, and they're the ones that brought us to our table. And I you know, the waiter introduced I said my name one time, and he referenced my name, you know, every time that he direct a question at me or

And it was just like I was blown away by like you said, the touch points at the table, the little, you know, like the the the waiter bought us, you know, an extra serving of food, brought us out something special that he thought we would enjoy. mean, just like all these little touch points. And to me, that was luxury. And that was a different like I'm like I would never I can't imagine having this dining experience again. You know, it was it was that. Yeah. And it was the level of hospitality that

Exactly.

you just, you know, that you don't get at a Chili's or, you know, your average chain restaurant, you know.

Yeah. Yeah, even at like a nicer, nicer restaurant, like, you know, it's a celebration. We're going to the keg. You know, it's a good dining experience, but it's just next level when you are really truly in that luxury space. And I feel like in the wedding industry, the majority of us are not in that, that top, top tier luxury space. And that's okay.

Yeah. Yeah.

Kevin Dennis (11:2.355)

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

And we have to stop thinking of ourselves, of it being bad that we aren't luxury. Because like you said, like there's a lot of instances where we move into that space because of the great job that we're doing and people still hire us, even though we aren't marketing towards those top tier budget clients.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, and like for our example is it's a venue we work at all the time. And so that's how we got got that experience because, you know, they decided to have their event here, they decided they were going to spend a lot of money, you know, and it was and it was amazing. Like we provided them with a level of service that, you know, it's not an everyday, you know, like we were all like, like, our whole staff was fully exhausted after that wedding. We worked so hard, you know, and it was just a level of something that we don't normally

Mm-hmm.

Kevin Dennis (12:5.875)

So I always admire people that do do this, you know very regularly because there's a there's a full of florist in our market that that caters to that and and he's his stuff is amazing. The social media is amazing, you know, and it just it blows your mind. So

Ashley Allan (12:6.510)

What?

Yeah.

Well, and I like to be fully transparent. Like we are not in that market either. We have done maybe one wedding that was $3,500 a guest. The rest of ours, I would say, range from between like $800 a guest to like $2,000 a guest. we're kind of across the board. definitely tell our, in our advertising, we say we're for the luxe and in love, because I want them to know that they are the...

Yeah.

Ooh.

the ones that are luxury, but I don't ever say like we are luxury because as much as I subscribe to the Will Gadara School of Unreasonable Hospitality, I know that we still have work to do. We've been in the business for 10 years. We are still working to be the best that we can be. you know, I'm okay with the fact that we're not there yet because it gives us somewhere to go. But I think the thing is, like words come with expectations.

Mm-hmm.

Kevin Dennis (13:5.631)

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

And when expectations and reality don't align, then those words eventually become less powerful and eventually meaningless. And that's what I'm afraid of with the word luxury in the wedding industry. I don't want it to be meaningless in our industry.

Yeah, and that's too bad that it's really becoming that way. what and you've kind of touched on it, but why do you think people use this term? Like, why do you think so many wedding professionals jump to it? And especially when they're marketing, like you mentioned, you've got a marketing background, like when they're marketing doesn't even match luxury.

Yeah, I mean, I think it's because it's one of those hot words, right? Like the way that synergy was really hot on resumes for a long time. It's one of those hot words that people want to be associated with because they think that it will give you reason or give you value to your pricing or give signal to people that you are a luxury or that they want a luxury.

And again, like I said, like a wedding in itself is a luxury. So the jobs that we're all doing are already like such an incredible thing for each person to get, regardless of that level. I think where people just are getting it wrong is that when you're pricing your process and your personalization and even consistency and performance, so four piece, don't align, then

Mm-hmm.

That's where it just doesn't make sense. So I think you really have to look at like, am I giving my clients like something truly exceptional? Am I providing like that really luxury level experience? Are their needs being met before they know they have them? Are they coming to you with every question or are you solving the problems before they realize their problems? And then, you know,

I don't know, then is it really a word that you want to use again, because of the way that other people use it? Like for me, I don't really use the word luxury and our branding and in our marketing because I don't like the way it's used in the industry. Going back to like a tangible, oh, go ahead.

I like the look. No, I was just gonna say I and I like the way you use Lux and in love. You know, that's great. Yeah.

Thanks. I think using like another tangible thing for people to relate to when we think about hotels. When you go and stay at a luxury resort, you know, if you are at Ritz Carlton, if you are at a montage resort, the experience that you are expecting before you walk in the door is already elevated. The price tag is elevated.

Mm-hmm.

Part of the reason for that price tag is because they have more people on staff to make sure that that experience happens the way that you're expecting it to. Again, the personalization, the touch points. Like any of these extremely luxurious hotels are going to have your name in various places in the room. They're going to have like a welcome gift for you. They are creating opportunities throughout your stay for you to be surprised and delighted. If you go to the Holiday Inn,

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

You are not getting those experiences. don't get me wrong, the Holiday Inn, if you need a place to stay, has absolutely, and it does, it is clearly a profitable hotel chain. You know, they have a place in the market on both the perception curve and in the eye of the consumer, but you're not expecting Ritz-Carlton service at a Holiday Inn. So.

You

Serves its purpose. Yep.

Mm-hmm.

No.

we have to look at our own businesses in the same way that the hospitality industry, that the luxury goods industry, all of those do and ask ourselves, are we really that level? Like I always like to say, if we're talking about handbags, like I know as much as I would love for your Jubilee, my business to be the Hermes of wedding planners, I am totally okay that we aren't there yet. Do I want to be someday? Yes. But right now I think we're like,

Kate Spade, Marc Jacobs, and that's totally fine.

And totally good. Yeah. No, and it's funny. I think you got to think of it too, like luxury is going to be different where you are in the world. And that's one of the greatest. So being the WIPA president and got to travel all the different chapters, the greatest education I got out of that is learning about how, even though we are one country, we are so different everywhere you go and how we

Hmm?

Our weddings are different everywhere you go. And so do you think that luxury is different in different parts of the country? know, you know what saying? Like, is there...

Ashley Allan (18:4.343)

I think the perception of luxury might be different, but I think that the true luxury, luxury, high-end luxury clients are not, because those high-end luxury clients are traveling all over the world, and they're experiencing luxury in Nebraska, in New York, in Paris, in Shanghai. They're experiencing it across the world, and the one thing that is going to always be consistent

Kevin Dennis (18:7.475)

Okay.

is the level of personalization and customer service. ultimately, I think that is my biggest, I think, reason that this grinds my gears is that most vendors are not doing that level of personalization and process perfection that true high-end luxury clientele is expecting.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, and it's funny going even back to WIPA, like I've been in your market, you know, and stayed at some of the most amazing resorts. mean, you guys have the most amazing resorts there in the Scottsdale area, but I've also stayed at the business hotels in Scottsdale, you know, area as well. And then I even think about like Colorado, like being up in Vail and that whole, you know, that's a whole nother level of service. But I've also been downtown Denver and stayed at the AC Hotel.

Mm-hmm.

What?

You know what saying? But it's like what you expect and what you get out of it, you know, when it comes to luxury. So. Yeah.

Absolutely. And I think that's the whole thing is the expectation that comes with the word. And I think in most markets.

there's somehow like an understood expectation. So like, again, if we're talking about luxury handbags, there's some kind of an understood expectation among consumers that certain brands, you're expecting a level of experience. You're expecting a level of quality. You're expecting this. If it does not meet that, you hear about it very quickly. The thing with the wedding industry is that

Kevin Dennis (20:1.587)

Mm-hmm.

Ashley Allan (20:4.596)

Ideally, a consumer, a customer is going to come to you once and they're never going to need your service again, right? They're not going to get married multiple times, hopefully. And they're not going to need your service. So it's not like going to a luxury hotel where you're going to go back to that chain over and over again. It's not like buying a luxury good that you're going to become a brand enthusiast for and purchase over and over.

Hmm.

Mm-hmm.

within the wedding industry, there's not that continuity of purchase. So we're in this weird place where people can call themselves whatever they want because nobody is really arguing that that is or isn't what they are because they're not experiencing it from another vendor.

Hmm. Do you think this phrase luxury resonates with the couples of today or,

I do. I think a lot of people, well a lot of couples maybe don't.

I think a lot of couples that are truly luxury are looking at price and they know right away, like if you're calling yourself luxury, but your price too low, they know right away that you are not what you say you are. I think every couple wants to feel like their wedding is luxurious and that their guests are taken care of. And I think that that is completely possible at every price point.

Hmm.

Getting given the level. Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

But I do think that the expectation at a higher price point is significantly higher. I mean, I just look at even like some of our clients. I look at like how many emails I have per client and my clients with higher budgets. There are thousands of emails that go into their wedding where my clients with lower budgets, it's in like a couple hundred, you know?

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Ashley Allan (22:0.276)

It's completely different. The number of hours that I put in with my clients versus maybe some of the clients that our team takes, completely different. And like I said, we're not even at the top of that market.

There's, it's just, it's used so much. And I think everybody wants to be in that luxury space. Most people are like, what's your goal to be a luxury, whatever. But I think that's where we're missing the point. Like there's so much wonderful business and so much, you know, profitable business in those mid markets that like,

you

Mm-hmm. Oh, for sure.

Let's not call ourselves something that we aren't. Let's say like we are for you. We don't have to push every wedding to be luxury. They can be whatever they need to be and not carry that title and still be just as valuable.

Mm-hmm.

Kevin Dennis (23:0.863)

Yeah, sometimes too, I feel like when you are dealing with a luxury client, they come in and they're looking for someone that's going to give them good service. They're not necessarily looking at you if you're luxury. So like if you provide something of quality that they feel is quality, then I think they will go with you. And then especially if you could build that trust and rapport with them as you're going through that process.

Mm-hmm.

I think that's a good step to get you there. I think it's very difficult to be, depending on where you are in the wedding world, but to be in that luxury market, it's hard to be in that market nonstop. Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Absolutely. It's very demanding. It's, yeah.

Yeah, you know, it's just, would, you know, it's like, it's always fun to do those big events, but it's like, I don't know if I could do them all the time. I'm getting older and grumpier as I go, so I don't know if I can still be the person. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? Like, it's just like, I'm very happy with what I'm doing now, so I've found my niche, so anyway.

Ashley Allan (24:5.198)

Yeah, no, I...

Absolutely. I don't know. mean, think, you know, luxury ultimately is in the eye of the beholder. And I think no matter what, no matter what your company does, no matter where you are, if you focus on your processes and just creating really the best possible experience for your current clients,

Mm-hmm. Totally.

you will move into that luxury space without having to call yourself luxury. Because, know, actions, of course, speak louder than words. And that is so true in the wedding industry, because we only get to do it once, right? You know, we only get to do our, we get to do our job for this couple one time. And if we don't get it right, and if we don't amaze them and make it the most incredible night of their lives,

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

We don't get any do-overs. It's not like shopping for a purse, where if you have a bad experience, you might have a better experience next time. This is it. So we have to blow people away. And if you do that consistently, you will naturally keep moving into a higher end market without having to call yourself anything other than your own brand name.

Kevin Dennis (25:0.583)

No.

It's it's and it's funny you say that because I always say the winning industry were the greatest at improv, know, like we you know, we deal with more problems and more, you know things that happen. We don't get it. Yeah. Oh, no. Hey take two we need a the bride needs to walk down the aisle again or you know, we need this to happen or again because it wasn't you know, and it's just kind of like sometimes I feel like we are the greatest at improv it just

Right?

It is what it is. In the wedding and even in the event industry, we don't get to take it and do it again and again and again.

Oh yeah. We had a wedding just a couple of weeks ago. One of the girls on my team was the lead of it. And we had a torrential downpour that was not on any weather scanner leading up to the event. They had to move everybody inside, but the couple really wanted to eat outdoors. And so our team and the venues team completely reset the entire outdoor space once the storm had passed to allow them to move back outside to eat their entrees.

That was... that's horrible to have to do.

It's hor- No, but it's, it's, but if you think about it, the guests probably maybe experienced a little bit of it, but didn't understand what was going on behind the scenes and got to experience it and enjoy themselves, you know?

Mm-hmm.

Exactly.

And the couple knows that we went out of our way to create the magic of what they truly wanted, despite what Mother Nature had in mind.

Mm-hmm.

Well, that if you think about that, that's luxury right there. You know, like, you know, yeah, that that is something special that happens. You provided a level of service. You've gone over and beyond, you know, and that that in itself is a luxury. So, all right, we're moving. I got like so how do we start? You know, I started my business and I want I want to be luxury. What do you you know, what do you think tips, tricks to get us?

Ashley Allan (27:5.251)

Oops.

to that end.

Um, I think the biggest things I mean, truly, I got an education this summer by spending some time experiencing luxury myself. Um, because again, I like I am I don't come from a lifestyle that is like living this luxury thing. Um, yeah, exactly. So I do think the part of it is if you really want to be in that space, have to understand that space. And so going not that you have to buy things, but

And most of us don't, so yeah.

Go shopping, go experience what it's like to be shopping in the places where your ideal customer is shopping. Go experience what it's like to be at a, you don't have to stay at a luxury hotel, but you can go and get lunch there. You can go and do a property tour. Even just watching how all of the individuals interact with each other at a property tells you a lot about

the experience that your clients are having when they're there. And so just be mindful of what's going on in these luxury spaces. That will give you really good idea of what your client's experiencing and what they're hoping to experience from you. The other piece of that, I think, is really digging into what your version of luxury is. So what is setting you apart from your competitors?

Mm-hmm.

And how are you making the experience for your clients really special? And what does that look like from a personalization standpoint? if you're a photographer, it's not just that you help them put together their photo album at the end, because most photographers do that. So what are you doing that's special? And maybe it's different for every client, because that truly is what luxury is. It's understanding your client and personalizing the experience to them.

Kevin Dennis (29:2.236)

Mm-hmm.

So looking at how you can do that in your process and finally defining what your process really is. What are your touch points? What are the ways that you're surprising and delighting? And how does that work into a schedule with your plan for how you service your client? Because if you don't have a strong process, you're gonna be all over the place and you're not gonna have a level of consistency from client to client that's going to get you that next luxury client.

Yeah, and the more you were talking, the more I was thinking, it's like you have to experience it to understand how to do it. You really do. mean, it's just there's a difference from, you like you said, going to Chili's or like my experience at that Michael Mina restaurant, your experience at Gordon Ramsay's restaurant. You know, there's just a different, know, you have to experience to, I think, then appreciate it and then want to strive to take yourself to get there. So I think that's the biggest thing is like

Yeah.

Ashley Allan (30:8.941)

Yeah.

I always say I save all my gratuities to like have luxury fun myself. like, you know, if you get tipped at a wedding, put it aside and set go and experience a Michelin star dinner, go and experience, you know, buying your first piece from a luxury goods store, like whatever it is that like would be fun to you. I like it also, you know, whatever. But whatever would be fun for you, like set money aside and

Mm-hmm.

Give that as your reward for a hard season, getting to experience one of those things if you haven't gotten to experience it before.

Yeah.

I always throw mine in my travel fund. So when we travel, we could do extra extra fun. Like you said, nicer dinner experiences and doing all that different things that we don't get to get to do. Or like I didn't grow up with that way. And sometimes I feel like am I spoiling my kids because we go to these nicer restaurants and, know, they get to fly around and do different things. And I just think it's there's more to the more you experience and the more you see, I think the better you're going to you're going to be in life in general. Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, you have a better understanding of the world.

I really think so. All right. Anything we're missing on luxury? I think we covered a lot of it. What else do you think we got?

Yeah, think we covered a lot. No, think that's it. It's funny because I almost feel like luxury has become this fake word. But I think that we can bring it back to actually meaning what it means within our industry, because it is so clear in other industries what is luxury and what is not. I think we actually all should be striving to be luxurious within our own brand.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

and providing the best possible service that we can provide. And if you're doing that, then you've earned the term luxury. But I just don't know that everybody is doing that and has really thought about it.

Kevin Dennis (32:7.699)

Yeah, and it's so always asked for some tips at the end. But and one of the tips that I think resonated throughout, you know, our little discussion here today is that, you know, look at yourself and how can you make your your your touch points and even better in your brand? this maybe take you from, you know, maybe lower end to middle, you know, and start working your way up? And it's just like, what can we do to better service our clients, period? And then that's going to continue to work you up.

the food chain to luxury.

Yeah, think having patience too, because it always surprises me when somebody comes out the gate saying that they're a luxury vendor when they haven't been in the industry very long, because I think it's really hard to understand all of the challenges within our industry and instantly say that you are.

luxury. So I think being patient and really letting yourself learn from those that from your competitors. I think, you know, I will say what the wedding industry has been really good at over the last few years is becoming a more inclusive and community over competition space. And a lot of people are willing to teach and give of themselves and share.

Mm-hmm.

like little tips and information. And so if you're newer in the industry, just take all of that in and be patient and know that like with hard work and time, you can get to wherever you want to be. But the fast track isn't always the best track.

No, no, and it's good that you say patience because it doesn't happen overnight. even like, like, you know, I ran into you at wedding MBA, you know, we just got done with wedding MBA about a little over a month ago. But, you know, there's people there and they come back and they expect instant results from what they're doing or they they learn 15 new things and try to do them all at once. And then they get burnt out. It's like take one or two little tangible items. How can you improve your business?

And then, okay, you've achieved those, you're doing good, then let's take another couple bites off and do one or two more things, you and not overhaul what we're doing overnight. And then it almost like disrupts your business and it doesn't help your business. So, yeah, I think patience is a good one. And that goes even, you know, like, because we both have the WIPA background. It's one of the biggest complaints I got when I was WIPA president is I joined WIPA.

Absolutely.

and I didn't get any business. And it's like, well, did you go to an event? Did you go to this? And it's like, no, no, no. And it's like, no. it's just like, yeah. I'm a big believer even if you're trying to get in with a new wedding planner or you're trying to get in with a new venue or anything, it doesn't happen overnight. Unless you're a niche, I always say, unless you have a neat... I just interviewed someone that does pet sitting for weddings. Well, okay, that's very niche.

to be working building relationships.

Kevin Dennis (35:8.743)

And that Ashley, if I said, have a pet sitting business, you're going to be like, oh, you might be a little bit more open than me walking up to you. I'm a DJ. Well, you got a lot of the, you know what I'm saying? So, and I always feel like it's a two to three year process. And if you go in there with it, it's going to take you two to three years by going to WIPA events. And then eventually where you see the fruits of your labor for attending, you know, it's, you know, like I meet you Ashley and it's going to take two or three years.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

to develop a relationship to where you might give me an opportunity to do an event and then you go. It's not an overnight, yeah, unless you have the pet sitting or the cigar rolling or something that's very niche, but if you're a photographer, DJ, florist, one of the everyone else, and unless you're doing something that's very unique, you've got to put in the time and you've got to continue to show up. That's always been my little rant. So anyway, I ranted.

Thank

Ashley Allan (36:3.502)

I 100 % agree. Thank you. Thank you for making me feel not alone.

Kevin Dennis (36:4.411)

I ranted with you.

Kevin Dennis (36:9.543)

No. Never ever are you alone. All right girl. All right. Any other tips for luxury before we before we move on. All right. Perfect. I think we did a great job. So we always so new you're going to be the first person I asked this. So last year we always I asked everyone their favorite this year that we're in. I asked everyone their favorite part of the wedding. As we move into next year I'm going to ask everyone on mind your wedding business what's their favorite app.

No, I don't think so.

you

that they're using right now? Because I feel like technology is here to stay. It's not going anywhere. I always have my iPhone with me at a moment's notice if I ever need it. But what is your favorite app that you're using right now, Ashley?

Mm-hmm.

Okay, so I have two. One is Uplens. It is like, so it's like editing for Instagram, TikTok, all that it gives like really easy to use templates and makes it pretty easy to create content. So I really like that. U-P-L-E-N-S.

Ooh, I love it.

Oh, what is that?

Can you spell it really quick? Because I know these apps are really funky.

Okay, upwinds, I like it.

And then my other one is actually attached to my aura ring. It's the aura app. I am obsessed because it tells you so much about like your own health and how you are adapting every day to your surroundings. Um, so like it tells you how well you slept. tells you, um, how much activity you should do that day based on your recovery from the day before. Um, and

Oh, OK.

Oh.

As a person who is really bad at taking care of herself, it is a lovely reminder of like when I need rest, it tells me like, your temperature has been elevated for the last few days, you should probably take it easy today and things like that. tells me, hey, you've been stressed all day, you need to take time to breathe and relax. So it helps me take care of myself so that I can take care of all my people and my things better.

It's funny and you're like the third person to tell me about that. So I I feel like I need to get one of those because I don't I love my Apple watch but it you know it has a good health stuff but I don't wear my watch to sleep which they want you to do. I can't I tried it one night can't do it and I'm but you're like literally the third person. Yeah.

So.

Yeah, well mine never lasts long enough. My watch never lasts long enough. This, I charge it like once a week. It charges in 15 minutes and I can wear it all day, all night and easy.

Mm.

And you forget it's there and it's super simple. All right. You convinced me I'm going to get one. It's Christmas time. I'm going to tell my wife get me one of those. So anyway.

Yeah, it's a really good holiday gift if you're looking for a last minute gift for someone.

There you go. All right. And then you got to wrap it in the fancy paper and then we got to check out on when do we release you release your theme. All right.

Ashley Allan (39:2.114)

Yeah, Christmas Eve, I'll be releasing my wrapping style for this year.

Kevin Dennis (39:7.071)

All right. I cannot wait. We're only a week away, I believe. Yeah, a week away until we get to know the wrapping. I have a really good I have a really good idea, but I'm going to see if I'm right. So how do we how does someone get in touch with you, Ashley?

Yeah, just wait on David.

Yeah.

Yeah, well, so our business, you can find us on Instagram or really all of the social media apps, Your Jubilee Weddings. Or if you want to reach out to me personally, I'm at happilyeverashley.

I love it. All right. So we will have all that in our show notes and we will be sure to tag you on social media. So if you see Ashley on social media, be sure to follow her and her company and we'll be good to go. So Ashley, thank you so much. Happy holidays. Happy New Year. Thank you for coming back and ranting about luxury weddings. I love it.

Thanks, Kevin. It's always good to chat with you.

You too.