Engaged, an authentic wedding planning podcast

The big day has finally come and gone! In the final episode of the series, your hosts reflect on what they learned about planning, compromise, managing the expectations of friends and family, and keeping an eye on what really matters.

The bride is often the center of the wedding planning process, but anyone who has been through it knows that it is often a two-way street. What is the best way to approach the role of the groom? Ryan, while at his bachelor party in Montreal, talks with 3 grooms who have been through it.

The big day is almost here and your hosts huddle for a final chat before guests arrive. Hear about what's worrying them, what's got them excited and that one question they keep getting asked. You may find you'll laugh at the one thing they forget.

How the heck do you find the right expert to guide you through the complicated world of wedding flowers? We dive deep into the industry with Kalin, the floral designer and self-described plant nerd who runs Stems & Sprigs. Hear tips on how to do it yourself as well as what you’re paying for when you decide to go big, whether it be with fruit trees or floral chandeliers.

Amy and Tony knew exactly what they wanted for their wedding. Then they talked to their parents. Needless to say, a lot changed. This cool couple tells us how they held onto what mattered as they navigated keeping their families happy as well as themselves.

Planning a wedding always involves some element of reacting to the unexpected, but what if the unexpected was so BIG, like changing your venue just months before the big day. We talk to a couple who to had to handle exactly that BIG curveball while planning their wedding.

Your hosts check in after a late night heart-to-heart to discuss why following the advice engaged couples get ("Don't sweat the small stuff" and "Don't stress") is nearly impossible to follow when you're in the thick of planning.

Do you really need a wedding video? Lots more couples are choosing them these days and we talk to an expert about why. Rachel Jo Silver of Love Stories TV Breaks down how wedding highlight reels have changed from the days of massive cameras with mounted lights. Learn how these works of art can inspire and give planners ideas, from gift socks to helicopter grand exits.

It's great to plan a wedding on a shoestring budget, but what if you want to pull out all the stops and throw that mega-party you've always dreamed of? We talk with John and Aaron about how it felt to go big, why they felt it was worth it and even how to get a free snow machine for the reception.

American marriages come with lots of bells and whistles, but they sound small in comparison to the ones expected of our guests on this episode. Hani and Amar join us from Karachi, Pakistan and describe Bollywood weddings with events lasting two weeks, custom choreography and, sometimes, a couple whose union was arranged by their families. They also tell us why they boldly decided all of that wasn’t for them. Power to the engaged!

Our last minisode, Top 5 Worst Things About Wedding Planning, was kind of a downer. But your hosts want you to know, it's not all bad. So we take you through our Top 5 Best Things About Wedding Planning. From seriously delicious desserts to silver linings.

Your wedding is supposed to be the happiest time of your life. Right? Well, that ain’t always the reality. And if you feel that way, you’re not alone. That’s the message of our guest in this week’s Engaged. She shares lessons from The Bare Bride, a “safe space” where brides can vent about how they actually feel. Happy, sure, but also anxious or depressed. Listen if you want to remember you’re not the only one.

Think you’ve got a lot of planning to do? Declan and Sofia got married three times. On three continents. That’s three ceremonies to plan, three dinners, three… everything. This couple shares the wisdom gained in seeing each celebration unfold imperfectly – and just how it was meant to be.

Everyone wants to make their wedding their own. But what if you literally had to build your wedding venue from scratch? We talk with Kalin and Matt about the challenges and rewards of creating your own venue from the ground up. And of course the most important lesson: we learn the definition of brushogging.

Your hosts are in their 10th month of wedding planning and emotions are starting to run high. We use this episode to shatter all the myths about the process and prepare listeners for the worst.

From dealing with blown fuses to building makeshift bouquets at the last minute, our guests on this episode have helped couples overcome all kinds of obstacles. These two entrepreneur wedding planners give us the lowdown on how to negotiate differing priorities among couples and families, all while separating irrelevant details from the stuff that really matters.

If you think planning a wedding is stressful, try planning a wedding and a family at the same time. Courtney and Matthew set their special day two months after finding out a special girl was on the way, and they tell us how only having so many options made them more decisive and kept budget items like bourbon and a fancy honeymoon in perspective. Plus, learn how they dealt with having 95% of invitees say yes!

There are so many decisions in wedding planning. Do you get married on a beach, in the mountains, in New Orleans? An intimate ceremony or one packed with family and friends? We talk to an amazing couple who did all that – and more – over 12 different ceremonies each month during their first year of marriage.

Wedding planning recently threw your hosts a curveball: The ceremony location just wasn’t going to work. Listen to how we navigate around that obstacle without getting lost or overwhelmed. Hint: It’s all about knowing your “Why.”

Think you have a tight timeline for your wedding? Try picking a date one month after you decided to get married. Kate and Ben take us through how they made that happen by focusing on what they wanted, taking things as-is, drawing hard lines, and still accommodating the people that matter most.