Weddings Unscripted

About Weddings Unscripted

With over 18 years of planning and designing weddings, we have seen it all! Join us for a fun and insightful journey as we laugh, cry, and learn together on Weddings Unscripted – because planning a wedding is just as unforgettable as the big day itself! Subscribe today and be the first to listen! Launching January 10, 2025.

Publisher

Alexandra Pare

Category

arts · education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

21 Nov 2024

Latest episode

14 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

56 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   14 Oct 2026

   Ep 55 • How a Wedding Magazine Editor Picks Which Weddings Get Published (with Alexandria Taylor Craig of What's Up Weddings)

   Ever wonder why a gorgeous wedding didn't make the magazine? It's rarely about the wedding. Alex Pare and Alison Golt sit down with Alexandria Taylor Craig, editor of What's Up Weddings, the magazine covering Annapolis, the Eastern Shore, and Central Maryland. Alexandria walks through how she builds each issue, from sorting submissions and storyboarding in a spreadsheet to six months of chasing photographers and couples for details. She explains why a great wedding can still get passed over: venue and vendor balance, similar dress styles, and issue variety all play a part. The trio also dig into what's trending (more color, lace, drapery, vintage touches), why print is holding strong in a digital world, and why expert-sourced planning articles beat the content-mill blog posts couples often stumble on. Along the way, they talk Polaroids, wedding albums making a comeback, AI-generated florals, and how to make a wedding feel like the two people at the center of it. Key Takeaways Not getting published isn't a verdict on your wedding. Editors balance venues, vendors, dress styles, colors, and regions across an issue, so a beautiful wedding can lose out to one that fills a gap. Make trends your own. Alexandria says the weddings that stand out take a trending color or idea and adjust it to fit them, rather than copying what's on social media. Personal details beat perfect ones. Cocktails named after pets, a family car, a tradition from your culture, or a convertible gown with three looks are what make a wedding memorable and feature-worthy. Chapters (00:00) Welcome and meet Alexandria Taylor Craig (01:42) From rom-coms and Pinterest boards to editing a wedding magazine (03:11) What gets younger people into weddings now (hint: social media) (05:10) What Annapolis and Eastern Shore weddings look like: coastal blues, greens, and sailboats (07:08) How a twice-yearly issue comes together (08:20) 30 to 40 submissions for 18 spots, and couples who submit before the wedding (11:09) Why great weddings don't always make the cut (14:16) Storyboarding an issue and getting team sign-off (17:40) Trends: more color, lace, drapery, and vintage touches (20:25) Trends vs. making them your own (21:38) Why print still matters: trust and keepsakes (26:01) Polaroids, albums, and craving something physical (29:04) Feature articles, expert advice, and why they beat generic blogs (37:23) Permissions, photo rights, and couples who say no (43:50) Why the magazine avoids quoting prices, plus AI bouquets and Pinterest (47:42) Beyond real weddings: Get the Look and Obsessions (49:23) Personal touches and permission to skip tradition (53:37) Where to find What's Up Weddings Connect with Alexandria Taylor Craig, Editor, What's Up Weddings: Subscribe to the magazine: whatsupmag.com/subscribe Submit your wedding (Annapolis, Eastern Shore, Central Maryland): whatsupmag.com/weddings/submit Instagram: @whatsupweddings Find print copies at wedding boutiques around Annapolis, the Eastern Shore, and Central Maryland Connect with us: Visit our website: www.weddingsunscripted.com Cherry Blossom Weddings & Events: www.cherryblossomwe.com Follow us on our socials: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572429101755 Instagram: @weddings_unscripted TikTok: @weddings_unscripted

2. 

   29 Sept 2026

   Ep 54 • The Wedding Planning App You Need to Know: How Plannerd Helps Couples & Planners Stay Organized with Hannah Roze

   Tired of drowning in email chains with your wedding planner? Or buried in a 51-tab spreadsheet just trying to keep your wedding straight? Keep reading — there's a new tool built to fix that, for couples and planners alike. In this episode of Weddings Unscripted, Alex and Ali sit down with Hannah Roze, founder and CEO of Plannerd, a wedding planning platform born out of her own frustrating wedding planning journey. Hannah walks through how Plannerd blends structure with flexibility for both couples and wedding professionals, why she built it, and the differences between Gen Z & Millennial couples in researching and booking vendors. They also touched on where AI genuinely helps in the planning process, what's coming next on her app, and why building wedding tech "in the open" alongside real planners matters. Whether you're a couple planning a wedding, an aspiring wedding planner, or a vendor trying to connect with a new generation of clients, this episode is full of practical wedding planning tips and an honest look at how the industry is changing. Key Takeaways Gen Z couples research for months before ever reaching out — so vendors have to lead with transparency. Hidden costs are what blow up a wedding budget. AI is a helpful assistant for wedding admin, but a risky source for budget advice. Chapter 00:00 — Welcome to Weddings Unscripted 01:03 — Meet guest Hannah Roze, founder & CEO of Plannerd 01:36 — From dream wedding to elopement: Hannah's own planning chaos 04:08 — Why she built Plannerd: from spreadsheet overload to structure 08:10 — Building with experts: how wedding planners shaped the platform 10:54 — Where AI actually helps (and where it doesn't) in wedding planning 12:33 — The budget conversation every planner dreads — and how to get it right 16:29 — Inside the Plannerd toolkit: budget, timeline & to-do features 21:00 — Favorite features and why flexibility beats a rigid template 26:06 — What's next: turning static planning into a conversational experience 30:50 — Gen Z vs. Millennial couples: how research and booking have changed 37:35 — What vendors are getting wrong (and right) with today's couples 51:29 — Advice for planning teams & what's coming next for Plannerd Connect with Hannah Roze: Website: https://www.plannerd.com/ Instagram: @plannerdinc Hannah's Instagram/TikTok: @itshannahroze Plannerd (https://www.plannerd.com/) offers a free 14-day trial** Connect with us: Visit our website: www.weddingsunscripted.com Cherry Blossom Weddings & Events: www.cherryblossomwe.com Follow us on our socials: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572429101755 Instagram: @weddings_unscripted TikTok: @weddings_unscripted

3. 

   15 Sept 2026

   Ep 53 • From Church Basement to Retail Shop: Shelley O'Neill on Building a Florist Brand That Lasts

   30 years of flowers, one wild career pivot, and the real math behind why your florist isn't overcharging you. This week on Weddings Unscripted, Alex flies solo and sits down with longtime friend and florist Shelley O'Neill, owner of Oyster Flower Company in Annapolis. Shelley walks through her unlikely start doing church arrangements for $60 a week, a decade running an event planning company, and the recent leap into opening her own retail flower and gift shop. They also get into Naval Academy wedding restrictions, what actually goes into flower pricing, and why the wedding design world has opened up in ways it never used to. If you've ever wondered what it takes to build a floral business — or just want to know why your centerpieces cost what they cost — this one's for you. Key Takeaways Specializing isn't quitting — you don't have to do everything to build something sustainable. Smaller budgets aren't smaller work — an 11-person wedding or a 3-week turnaround event can demand just as much (or more) problem-solving as a 300-person affair. Flower pricing isn't arbitrary — global supply issues, contract timing, and the fact that florists (unlike grocery stores) can't treat flowers as a loss leader all factor into the final cost. Chapters 00:00 — Introduction 02:52 — Shelley's origin story: $60-a-week church arrangements 04:10 — How "we'll never do weddings" turned into a full floral business 09:04 — Learning the ropes on Naval Academy weddings and stretching small budgets 14:30 — Behind the florals at Alex's color-drenched 50th birthday party 20:27 — Opening a retail flower and gift shop 24:19 — What makes the cut on *Oyster Flower Co's* shelves 26:12 — Juggling a new retail shop during peak wedding season 30:00 — The real reasons flowers cost what they cost 36:23 — Why it's an experience, not just an event Connect with Shelley O'Neill Website: https://www.oysterflower.com/ ** (new site launching soon) Instagram: @oysterflowerco Connect with us: Visit our website: www.weddingsunscripted.com Cherry Blossom Weddings & Events: www.cherryblossomwe.com Follow us on our socials: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572429101755 Instagram: @weddings_unscripted TikTok: @weddings_unscripted

Who has been a guest on Weddings Unscripted

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Felicia Kettler
• Adrienna McDermott
• Sarah
• Jenna
• Whitney Bowen

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

11 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 60 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

89

Social presence

91

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

Contact Weddings Unscripted

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Weddings Unscripted