In this episode of The Best Dam Podcast, Jill sits down with Joni Moss Graham, the owner of Las Vegas Wedding Connection, to discuss her 35-year journey as a leader in the world-renowned Las Vegas wedding industry. From her early days as a florist in Houston to building a "tourism-first" wedding powerhouse, Joni shares how her career evolved from traditional floral design into managing a high-volume, multi-faceted events company.

Joni explores the vital role of the wedding industry in the Nevada economy, managing a significant portion of the 70,000 to 100,000 weddings that take place in Las Vegas annually. With a focus on unique "themed" experiences and deep community roots, this episode highlights the heart behind the "I Do" and the logistical expertise required to help couples navigate one of the most important days of their lives.

DISCUSSION

The Tourism-First Strategy: Joni explains her unique business model, where she views herself as part of the tourism industry first, allowing her to integrate major attractions like the High Roller and Meow Wolf into wedding packages.

1. The $2 Billion Impact: A look at the massive economic scale of the Las Vegas wedding market, which generates billions in revenue and includes a growing "vow renewal" segment that accounts for roughly 20% of the business.
2. High-Stakes Logistics: Joni discusses the critical importance of time management in a city with mega-events like F1 and NASCAR, where a 10-minute drive can easily turn into an hour-long delay.
3. The"Duck on Water" Philosophy: Reflecting on the chaos of the wedding day—from dresses stuck in escalators to brides needing to be sewn into their gowns—Joni shares how maintaining outward calmness is essential for a professional planner.
4. Mentorship & Education: Joni recounts her "full circle" moment creating the wedding planning curriculum for CSN (College of Southern Nevada), where she spent 12 years teaching the next generation of industry professionals.
5. Emotional Resilience: A touching look at the "vulnerability" of weddings, where Joni often finds herself acting as a counselor, psychologist, and even a surrogate family member for couples eloping alone.

LEARN MORE

• Las Vegas Wedding Connection: https://www.lvweddingconnection.com/ Providing comprehensive wedding, proposal, and vow renewal services in Las Vegas for over three decades.
• Services Offered: Specialized in unique themed weddings (including the Cadillac and Meow Wolf), traditional ceremonies, professional photography, floral design, and luxury transportation.
• Community Leadership: Joni is a heavily involved member of the Las Vegas Wedding Chamber and a Commissioner for the Nevada Commission on Tourism.
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LvWeddingConnection
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lvweddingconnection

KEYWORDS

Joni Moss Graham, Las Vegas Wedding Connection, The Best Dam Podcast, Boulder City Chamber of Commerce, Las Vegas Wedding Chamber, Nevada Commission on Tourism.

#JoniMossGraham #LasVegasWeddings #WeddingPlanning #VegasTourism #TheBestDamPodcast #BoulderCityChamberofCommerce

Podcast Transcript

Jill: All right, listeners today we have a treat. She's my special longtime friend, miss Joni Moss Graham, I am so glad to have you here today and she is with Las Vegas Wedding Connection. So we're happy to learn a little bit more about weddings and the wedding business. And the wedding industry and I've even got some stats I want to share with people 'cause I am just such impressed.

So I impressive that you do. So please share with us who your audience is and a little bit about what it is that you do.

Joni: Sure, sure. First of all, thank you so much for the invite and happy to be here. The audience, the audience is everybody.

Jill: True.

Joni: The audience is everybody. of course we have a lot of domestic and international, but when we say the audience is everybody, you can divide that audience into weddings, you can divide that audience into renewals, which actually is a bigger market.

Jill: Isn't that crazy?

Joni: It's crazy because you think about how many people are already married,

Jill: Right? That's true.

Joni: And then you have the lane of, proposals. So you have kind of three segments of that. But, What we do everything that's wedding related.

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni: Events as well, because, you know what happens when you're doing an event like a wedding, the only thing that kind of changes is the officiant.

You still need transportation and you still need a venue and flowers and so forth. So it kind of, we've crossed over to redoing events as well, but. I tell you, there's nothing like doing weddings. Yeah. the reward at the end of the day is the people's reaction.

Jill: There's special.

Joni: It's a special day.

Think about when you've been to a wedding. How did you feel that day?

Jill: Yes.

Joni: When you went Okay. And you come out and you're like, wow, that was amazing.

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni: You touched my heart. And so I get to do that every day.

Jill: Yes.

Joni: It's like, it's such a happy feeling.

Jill: Does it make you, and your relationship, does it remind you daily of the vows that you took and the special connection that you have?

I would imagine you're constantly reflecting on your own relationships.

Joni: You're, you are so right. Yeah, you're so right. And people at their, authentic self, right?

Jill: True.

Joni: You see?

Jill: Yes. Even the kind of the evil mother-in-laws or in-laws. I, yes. You and I share, we know this, we share a, like interest.

So I had my wedding event business for, many years and. I always found it fascinating that a lot of times the bride and groom just wanna get married and get it over with. They're just so excited to get to the party part and they're so excited to be together. And it was like the in-laws that were the ones that I had the hardest time juggling.

Right. That was emotional.

Joni: And you're absolutely right. You're so right. it's the in-laws and. Running close. Second is, a maid of honor.

Jill: Oh yes.

Joni: I am in control. We had one yesterday with a group of 35 people, and when it was a photo session, she says, I'll, she's telling the photographer, I'll get them for you.

I'm in control. I can do this. She says, please, this is my job. Let me do it. I have a sequence of events.

Jill: Well, and as a professional they do, so they know exactly how they want to set that up because in their mind, they're going through their process.

Joni: That's right. That's right.

Jill: But yes, I can imagine that young lady was probably very much thinking that she was in charge of that.

She was put in charge of that and this is her role.

Joni: That is exactly

Jill: And sometimes I am grateful for that. But then, yeah, and isn't that funny that. Well lining up for the entry into the reception.

Joni: Yes.

Jill: Always a little bit of a chaotic moment

Joni: Always.

Jill: And then the pictures, and, it's also a shortened timeframe, right?

Joni: Right. 

Jill: Because sometimes it's between the ceremony and the reception. So you've gotta hurry and go do those pictures so you're not keeping those guests waiting, eating hors d'oeuvres for two hours.

Joni: And you know what? Is very interesting, but people forget what you're saying is exactly true. But when they come here, they forget.

It's not like the wedding's back home where it's a all day affair.

Jill: True.

Joni: They don't realize that the people involved, maybe the photographer, the officiant and whoever is involved has another wedding to get to.

Jill: Right.

Joni: And they're like just taking their time and they don't understand, being, late is not.

It's not an option.

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni: So it's tough. It's tough when you have big groups. So when we get like the elopements and the under 10 groups, it's awesome.

Jill: Oh yeah. Time management just takes a totally different turn.

Joni: Absolutely. Yeah. Because when you have a big crowd, there's always somebody or two that has forgotten something.

Jill: Uhhuh,

Joni: No matter how much we remind them, they forget the rings, they forget the license because you've got all these people pulling at them.

Jill: Yes. And they've got so many details they're trying to keep in their mind.

Joni: Yeah.

Jill: Okay, so we're gonna swap stories.

Joni: Yeah.

Jill: So have you ever had to sew a bride into her dress?

Joni: No, I have never had to sew.

Jill: I have

Joni: No, no.

Jill: Yes.

Joni: The worst in that relative. We had to get a bride out of a escalator. Her dress was stuck in the escalator. Oh, crap. So that, that's a good one with your sewing.

Jill: Yes. She, but how'd that go after her final fitting? Must have, gained weight, got bloated.

I don't remember what the situation was, but yeah, I remember being in the back room and, that was back. You remember when, J-Lo did that wedding planner movie and Oh,

Joni: Yes. That was,

Jill: And she always had her little nap sacky thing and she had all of this kit. So I literally had my little kit and I had a sewing kit in there.

And, It just, the zipper would not go. It was too tight. And gratefully, it was like a bodice kind. So it was the zipper behind, and then it had the la the bodice. And so we were able to literally take,

Joni: Oh my God

Jill: Take thread and loop it around the zipper, and to kind of thread it together and then put the bodice around it so that you couldn't really see it.

But, she was panicked. The girls were.

Joni: Everybody's panicked.

Jill: Mom and law were panicked. I mean, everybody's in this total and we're like, we got this. We got this. Right,

Joni: Right.

Jill: Your job is to get everybody to calm down.

Joni: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Jill: And I'm trying to get them to calm down, but in the back of my mind I'm thinking,

Oh,qua, that's gonna snap the first time she sits down.  We're all gonna be. She's gonna expose herself is gonna be,

Joni: You're right. And that's what, and you're right, we have to show calmness, but in the inside, you know it's a duck on water, right?

Jill: Yeah, exactly.

Joni: But yeah, those weird things happen. When that movie came out, everybody went crazy. They all wanted to be in the wedding industry.

Jill: That's true. That is true. Yep, that's exactly right. So,I was kind of looking at some of the stats for Las Vegas and we're both, heavily involved in the Las Vegas wedding chamber. I totally believe in it was grateful for, county Clerk Glen Goya for starting that. I saw a lot of value in it.

And so, in looking at the numbers, in Las Vegas annually, we have between 70 and 100. Thousand weddings a year.

Joni: That's right.

Jill: That is incredible. And that represents about 2 billion in economic impact.

Joni: Okay. And also go back to that, point on the renewal of ours, which is not in there.

Jill: Oh, that's true.

We're not even thinking about that.

Joni: Right . So that's another, I would say, you know, another 20% is what we've averaged.

Jill: Right. Yeah. Because they don't need, they don't need a license. So they, they don't have to, it's not statistically gathered

Joni:

Joni: Right, now. There is a certificate they can purchase for renewal.

Jill: Oh.

They do have one of the Clark County's clerk's office, but a lot of people don't. So you don't get real good numbers on that. But that's a lot of numbers. Right.

Jill: Yeah. That's incredible.

Joni: Yeah.

Jill: And so a lot of business, a lot of, there are a lot of planners out there. I'm so grateful for all of them. 'cause they all have their niche.

They go a different direction.

Joni: Absolutely.

Jill: And so, speaking of niche and having worked with you for quite a few years. You have some really cool themed weddings and themed special events, bachelorette parties.

Joni: Mm-hmm.

Jill: All those other things. So, what really kind of drove you into the not so traditional and some of those fun themed like the Cadillac and, that kind of thing.

Joni: I don't, that's a great question. I don't, I didn't have a plan. Right. It just directed me that people always wanted different and unique and I was asked a lot, we want this, we want that. And so it kind of led me, I think, unconsciously.

Jill: Yeah,

Joni: To go to the unique, when I remember as far back as, Race Rock was a restaurant down on Fremont.

Jill: Okay.

Joni: And when I opened I said, oh, that's gonna be a place for weddings. Oh, remember when Harley Davidson Cafe opened?

Jill: Yes.

Joni: I said, you can do weddings. And a colleague and good friend of mine, Kate was there. She said, no, we're not gonna have weddings here. And shortly after he called me and said, yes, we need your help.

So I kind of saw that when you have unique things

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni: People want that. They want to say. They want to come somewhere and do something fun.

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni: Right. It could be for the renewal. Mm-hmm. Because maybe the wedding was traditional.

Jill: Yeah.

Joni: Or what their parents wanted. It could be for the wedding because they want something different.

Jill: Right.

Joni: And so we go down the unique lane first. However, we do quite a bit of traditional as well.

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni: But like for instance, we do the ceremonies over at Meow Wolf, at Omega Mart.

Jill: That is crazy. I never even thought about that till you said that.

Joni: So you say who would do that? Why would you do that?

Jill: Yeah.

Joni: And most of the people are, Meow Wolf followers. Right.

Jill:  Okay.

Joni: They've been to Santa Fe, they've been to Denver.

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni: And because they love it so much. Of course we have Vegas. Yes. so let's come to Vegas and we love it. So let's go there.

Jill: That actually makes a lot of sense if you think about it.

Joni: Mm-hmm.

Joni: And where else but Vegas would you have that different, unusual, unique, something special, something that can be memorable and ease? Yeah, you're right.

Joni: The other, Meow Wolf say to this Meow Wolf. How do you do that?

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni: And first of all, they not necessarily would choose it in the other cities because of the ease of getting our marriage license here.

Jill: True. Right.

Joni: So it's very easy. and all these facilities that we work with, they love it because they get the opportunity to say, we do this.

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni: And then we are their provider and they don't have to do it, but they can still. Have it available for their clientele.

Jill: Yeah. They can provide that service.

Joni: Yeah.

Jill: Outsource it

Joni: Exactly.

Jill: Know that it's exactly gonna get taken care of. and, your years and experience probably really have, you not only have developed an amazing network, but you can see, visualize, all the details and you know all the ins and outs of getting them to places.

Transportation,

Joni: Right.

Jill: Licensing all the information that they have. It's such an all inclusive package. And As I get older, I start realizing those all inclusive things mean a lot more to me.

Joni: You know what? we have all inclusive because people like to just say, this is great. And then we have the customization, right?

Jill: Yeah.

Joni: They say, can we do this? Can we do that? And they do because maybe that package has, most of all of our packages have transportation for six, up to six. Because that's the basic.

Jill: Okay.

Joni: But then we can go up to 42 passenger party bus and everything in between.

Jill: Right.

Joni: So then it's an upgrade, or then they want the classic car, or they, so you have all these options, but they have a starting point to say, this is all great.

And sometimes that's just perfect as it is.

Jill: Yes. Perfect.

Joni: You know what the most. I would say the most, when you just said what you said about the knowledge, what I have learned is the most, what do you, I don't wanna say difficult, but the challenging component of everything is time management.

Jill: Yes.

Joni: 'Cause they, as the client don't understand, I'm at X hotel and I need to get to X location. Oh, that's only 10 minutes. Okay. And it's NASCAR weekend and it's EDC and it says it doesn't work. And so having the years of being here and the knowledge of that to integrate a, an itinerary, which is a, something, a full itinerary sometimes of hair and makeup appointment.

Escort to the marriage license bureau. Then we're getting a formal wear, and then tomorrow we're doing the ceremony and then we're doing dinner, and then we're going to CO, and then we're getting transportation after and all of that, and creating an itinerary timeline.

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni: Is very simple for me because of doing it and knowing how to do it.

But, doing that, you never thought it was a, I never thought it was a thing, and now I know it's a thing.

Jill: It's a skill.

Joni: I didn't know. I didn't know. Could you just start to do it right.

Jill: Absolutely.

Joni: Yeah.

Jill: And part of that also comes because you're so tied into the community.

So you are part of Las Vegas.

Territory you are, which is a state tourism program. You have been involved in all of those different tourism, experiences.

Joni: Mm-hmm.

Jill: For years and years. And so, you know when things are going on, you're in touch with what's happening on the strip, you know what's going on in, in Las Vegas in general.

And so you are Right. That does, it does make a difference.

Joni: Mm-hmm.

Jill: And if you're trying to have a wedding when you're right in the middle of F1,

Joni: Right.

Jill: Come on.

Joni: Right.

Jill: No, you're not gonna be able to go to the sphere and be able to just take pictures.

Joni: No.

Jill: And so you've gotta really be thinking about that.

But also that also then gives you the ability to have that mindset of thinking of what the unique and the curious and the really special are.

Because you've been all over town. You've either toward it, you've been a part of it, you've heard about it coming to town, and so you're able to also give them great ideas.

When they're, they come and they're like, okay, you just do it all.

Joni: Yes. so many people say would say to me, so what makes you different as a wedding company? And I always say, first of all, I'm in the tourism industry.

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni: And the lane happens to be weddings. Okay. And they say,

Jill: Hmm,

Joni: What does that mean?

What does that mean? Many wedding people just do weddings,

Jill: Right.

Joni: The big weddings and all of those things that go with that. But I am in a different lane, and being in tourism first

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni: Attaches me to attractions and shows and transportation and all of those things. First. Which then fall into the wedding category.

So for instance, we do ceremonies in the high roller. In a pod, right?

Jill: Yes.

Joni: Okay. So you got the private pod. So now you have all the wedding amenities, but now you have a client that wants to propose, okay, so now it's a package almost the same, but take out the officiant. Everything else is usually the same.

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni: Then you have the client that says, by the way, I'm here for my wedding. I'm getting married XX location, but I want tickets for the high roller. So having the relationship already with the attractions and the shows. Gives me the ability to cross over in every direction.

Jill: Yeah.

Joni: Even if for a bachelorette party.

Jill: Yeah.

Joni: Even for families. So the line of tourism is first because I'm working so much with the tourism entities Incorporating those into the wedding.

Jill: Absolutely. And so as a Commissioner Nevada Commission on Tourism, I absolutely see the value of individuals like you that understand that you are tourism first.

Joni: Mm-hmm.

Jill: You like you just described, the lane is weddings.

Joni: Mm-hmm.

Jill: And what you're delivering is allowing. Us to bring people to the state of Nevada and then you delivering the services and the, expert knowledge that they need while they're here.

Joni: Exactly.

Jill: So man, it does make you dual purpose.

Joni: Mm-hmm.

Jill: Super skilled.

Joni: It's different.

Jill: Oh yeah.

Joni: It's different. It's different. It's different,

Jill: Absolutely. 

Joni: And again, it wasn't a plan. It kind of just

Jill: Evolved.

Joni: Evolved, it just evolved. Yeah.

Jill: That is pretty. And so how long have you been doing weddings?

Joni: So, I've been in Vegas 35 years now.

Jill: Wow.

Joni: And that's even hard to say. 35 years. Yeah. That my son's gonna be 40 and I'm like, I remember when he was five. I'm like, wow. But prior to coming here, I lived in Houston,

Jill: Uhhuh,

Joni: And I had a flower shop for nine years.

Jill: Oh, neat.

Joni: And I actually went to college for travel in tourist,

Jill: In tourism.

Joni: I got a degree in travel thinking I was gonna open a travel agency.

So everything I have done, it's very interesting. As you're older and you reflect

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni: Everything I have done. It has helped me and evolved to this lane.

Jill: It built the foundation.

Joni: Yeah.

Jill: That you now are able to stand upon.

Joni: Yeah.

Jill: I love it.

Joni: Yeah. Yeah. And without a plan,

Jill: That is very cool. Without a plan.

Okay, so what was your first job?

Joni: Oh yeah. My first job was at this, it was a bank building and in the bottom level they had a, like a cafe

Jill: Restaurant

Joni: Putting out. On the salad bar, the carrots and the, and celery. And that was, and it was horrible. And it was my one and only food job, never anymore.

Jill: That was, isn't that funny? and so I, I never had a job in the food industry. but I love to cook and so I think it's fascinating. 'cause I know that's not your favorite thing.

Joni: I do not cook.

Jill: Yeah.

Joni: I don't like to cook. But, I figured I wanted, I thought about it often. Why is it I don't like it because all my life I was in business.

Jill: Yes.

Joni: And all the holidays was major. Like when I had a florist Christmas,

Jill: You were busy,

Joni: Everyone. And now it's transition. Here we're every day is every day.

Jill: Yes.

Joni: So I never had the opportunity to actually enjoy the cooking process.

Jill: Right. And you're always working on all the holidays where people are generally gathered as families, making all these fabulous, does your son live here in, in Las Vegas?

Joni: Yeah. Both of my sons once.

Jill: Oh, I didn't know you had too.

Joni: Yeah, I've got the other one's gonna be 30 and the other one's gonna be 40.

Jill: Oh my goodness.

Joni: And they're also in, in industry.

Jill: Really?

Joni: Yeah. My youngest son is in, works for Tau Group at Marquee.

Jill: Mm-hmm

Joni: In the nightclub world, which is really interesting.

Jill: I can only imagine

Joni: To hear the stories. And my other son is in television, production tv, all of that freelance. He has his own company too.

Jill: Wow.

Joni: Yeah.

Jill: I, we've never talked about them.

Joni: No, but what's really cool is when we all working with the same people.

Jill: Yeah. Isn't that funny?

Joni: He said, oh, I saw your mom so and then I said, who are you working with?

What location? Scout. Oh yeah. It's, it is really interesting.

Jill: It really is. And we talk about Vegas as being this massive place.

Joni: Mm-hmm.

Jill: But Vegas is really small for all of us that have been here and that, have a lot of history and

Joni: So small. So small.

Jill: I see your husband at events all the time.

Joni: Yeah.

Jill: And yeah, you're exactly right. We're all interconnected.

Joni: Some way it's, and yeah, he's all connected in the bowling world, so he's got that. Behind him for many, many years. So wherever he goes, they associate him with that. And then with our company, he's the photographer or the DJ or the guy. Depends on what day and where.

Jill: That is. Awesome. yeah, I think that's funny how we're all, it's such a big city, but it's still so small.

Joni: So small.

Jill: So what's something that people may not know about you?

Joni: Oh, wow. That they may not know about me. That as much as I am on and love my love what I do, I love when I'm at home.

Peace and quiet.

Jill: Yes.

Joni: I love the quiet, the water is a retreat being born and raised in Los Angeles so I can get by the beach. Not to go in the in, but the sound, the smell

Jill: Mm-hmm

Joni: Is very comforting and soothing. But peace at home. My, my home is your safe place, if you will.

Jill: Yes, absolutely. When you have to be on so much and you're entertaining all the time, it. To go home and to shut the door.

Joni: Yeah.

Jill: Oh my gosh.

Joni: The quiet.

Jill: Yes.

Joni: But you love what? You love that 

Jill: Yeah.

Joni: You love that. And meeting people from all over the world and everybody has their own personality, their own. Their own.

Jill: Yes.

Joni: And hearing their stories too.

Jill: Yes.

Joni: Why did they choose Las Vegas?

Jill: Right.

Joni: And we love to ask, why did you choose this? And they tell their story and they love to tell their story.

Jill: Oh, yeah.

Joni: Yeah, yeah.

Jill: Well, because especially you're talking about a remarkable moment of their life.

Joni: Mm-hmm.

Jill: And so I would imagine they're very willing to share you're

Joni: Mm-hmm.

Jill: And you're kind of dealing with a vulnerable moment in their life too.

Joni: Yeah.  Right.

Jill: So they're unveiling a lot to you.

Joni: Right, right.

Jill: In that, because when people say their vows, when that's a very tender moment.

Joni: Mm-hmm.

Jill: And kind of a special, and you wanna be very, thoughtful about

Joni: Mm-hmm.

Jill: How important and how

Joni: Mm-hmm.

Jill: Almost spiritual it is in their life. Yes. And so they're letting you into a very unique time and that's pretty cool.

Joni: They are. And I think that. I think that the world needs, what you just said is so important because a lot of times Vegas is pigeoned into fast-paced, no meaning ceremonies.

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni: And that's still not the case,

Jill: The hangover concept.

Joni: Right. Right. Yeah. I mean that certainly has, its they that has its place

Jill: Absolutely fun.

Joni: But. There are, remarkable moments.

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni: And the people do, unveil themselves. I mean, I have many times with a bride, and you may have had crying.

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni: Can't move like she's in cement.

Jill: Yeah.

Joni: And I've had to, I've had to walk her down the aisle because she can't move.

Jill: Yeah.

Joni: I said, I'll go with you. I'll hold onto you.

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni: Okay. Please, please, please. because they come here and sometimes they're alone. It's just the two of them.

Jill: Yes.

Joni: Right. and they're emotional. Yes. If they're missing their parents, that or so forth.

Jill: Yeah.

Joni: So many times you have to be, 10 different hats.

Jill: Yes.

Joni: Yeah. From psychologists.

Jill: Yes.

Joni: To everything else.

Jill: To counselor.

Joni: Yeah.

Jill: To priest and confession. Right?

Joni: Yeah. So true. So true.

Jill: You'll never know.

You'll never know how to know what I did last night. Right. And I'm like, Nope. Don't wanna know. Thank you.

Joni: Right.

Jill: I just think you're right. you go from the absolute extreme of fun, which we know Vegas is, and we promote that, and we want to go in that direction. But when you really think about that very tender moment, and the, it's like you said, it, allows for you to have your heart opened every day.

Joni: Can you imagine when you're standing there and, especially when it's a fun, it's a fun one. So sometimes when it's fun, it's not so serious.

Jill: Yeah. Right. It's up and then all of a sudden. In the middle of a ceremony, the bride or the groom or both are start crying.

You're standing in the back and you start crying because you're like, they didn't think they were gonna get there.

Jill: Yeah, you're right.

Joni: Right. They thought the emotions weren't gonna come out.

Jill: Right.

Joni: And they come out.

Jill: Yeah. I think that's awesome.

Joni: Yeah.

Jill: I love those. I love that. Very genuine.

Joni: Mm-hmm.

Jill: And real. And, anyway, so I love getting to know the people behind. The business world that you are in. So what book are you reading right now?

Joni: Oh, I'm reading, Mel Robbins.

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni: Let Them Theory,

Jill: So I've not read that particular one. But Love Mel Robbins.

Joni: I do too. Love Mel Robbins.

Jill: Her podcast and I just,

Joni: Yep.

Jill: Up lifting. Oh goodness.

Joni: Do you know when that clip was on Facebook? I think it's where I saw it and I saw it and I'm like, what?

This. This makes total sense.

Jill: Yes.

Joni: And then I start telling all of my friends, did you see this? I'm sending them all the link. the link. Then I start following all the podcasts, and then I'm like, I understand it, but I'm gonna buy the book. And reading the book is just more in depth of her experience of how she got.

To create this statement.

Jill: And then you also get to write your notes. So as you're reading her thoughts and her rationalization, you are then taking that, spinning it.

Joni: Mm-hmm.

Jill: And writing your own notes.

Joni: Mm-hmm.

Jill: And I feel like sometimes I have a book within a book, with all my notes and sticking notes and things sticking out all over the place.

I feel like sometimes I could take that and write the second edition too,

Joni: Part two. But do it, it's interesting because as simple as her. Creating to say let them.

Jill: Yeah,

Joni: Or let me, you're thinking, how could that possibly change and It does. It does.

Jill: It does.

Joni: Because we all have situations where you get absorbed in it and you try it and you say that and you're like, huh.

10 million bricks just went off my shoulders.

Jill: Yeah, it's so true. That's exactly right.

Joni: Mm-hmm.

And when you start realizing you are only in control of how you receive

Joni: Mm-hmm.

Jill: And how you give, and how you receive, right?

Joni: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Jill: And so if you're gonna let somebody else just get into your world and, break that down.

Joni: Mm-hmm.

Jill: Let them.

Joni: Right.

Jill: And I can only receive myself and handle it myself, and I'm in control of my own emotions.

Joni: Right.

Jill: Yeah.

Joni: So it's a great book.

Jill: I, yeah. I'm gonna, I am gonna get to it, I promise it probably will be an audible moment. 'cause that's kind of my thing.

Joni: I tried that. Oh, okay. So I tried it first.

Jill: Okay.

Joni: And I fell asleep.

Jill: Oh.

Joni: Because the tone, her tone is very nice and calming and I thought. I'm not gonna get the message. I better get the book.

Jill: Oh yeah.

Joni Mm-hmm.

Jill: Well, and I do both.

Joni: Mm-hmm.

Jill: I will listen usually 'cause we're on road trips or something. That's when I absorb the best. But, and I in the morning, so I'm getting ready, but I have to have the book near 'cause I need to be able to put a note down to where she's at.

Joni: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Jill: Or whomever I'm reading. And so I, yeah, I'm a note. I have to physically write it on paper to get outta my brain.

Joni: That's good.

Jill: Yeah. That's, but that's a good one.

Joni: I think anybody, when you write it down. I just was telling my son this, when you write it down and you can see it

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni: It's different than just say, oh, I got it. I remember.

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni: It's different.

Jill: That is absolutely true. And that's why in my office there's massive whiteboards and big old hunking calendars and there's a month calendar that we all write on, and then there's the year calendar that I just need to be able to see.

I am so visual and I. Absolutely. Still paper day planners.

Joni: I love that you're saying that I, is it our era? Because

Jill: I don't know,

Joni: I don't, I still use the desk calendar with every day.

Jill: Yes.

Joni: I write

Jill: Yes,

Joni: Because I wanna open it up and see it and not say Just a minute. Let me find it in my phone.

Jill: Yes.

Joni: I wanna see, yeah.

You asking me about, November 10th. Hold on, let me flip the page. Okay. I wanna see, and I think I have been finding a lot of people in our age bracket

Jill: Yes.

Joni: Are in that same mode.

Jill: Because it need, you need balance in your life. And when you open your book and you can see that there's 14 things in one box.

Joni: Right.

Jill: I'm gonna go to the next empty box before I schedule something else.

Joni: Exactly.

Joni: Yes.

Jill: And so I need empty boxes in my life. And so if I can't see it on my phone, because I have so many calendars.

Joni: Mm-hmm.

Jill: That are merged into my one Google calendar.

Joni: Mm-hmm.

Jill: I see 40,000 other people's stuff in there too.

Joni: Right.

Jill: So you have to, sort it through. But it's important that I have a digital version that follow me, follows me around,

Joni: Follows you around.

Jill: So unfortunately I'm doing both, but yeah, I, but yeah,

Joni: We stay in the paper world.

Jill: Well, let me share that. I have an amazing Olympic daughter that she still uses a paper day planner and, absolutely needs that because she too also T

Joni: that's awesome.

Jill: The visualization. So,I mean, her whole world is visualizing and, looking down range.

Joni: And congratulations on that.

Jill: Thank you.

Joni: We followed her when she was there.

Jill: Thank you.

Joni: Yes. That was amazing.

Jill: She, she just made the travel team, just this last weekend, so she,

Joni: How exciting is that?

Jill: She's headed back to try for LA so we'll see how she goes. But yes, so see that generation too.

Joni: That's awesome.

Jill: Still likes paper.

Joni: I like that.

Jill: Alright, so I would imagine that you have some amazing parents 'cause you're such a dynamic lady. So what is something that your parents taught you that you still use today and maybe you're teaching your boys?

Joni: Oh wow. What a question. Well, I think. Hmm. I follow after my mom's personality. Sh she, anybody she met, you would think she'd known him for years. And I think I follow in that.

Jill: Yeah.

Joni: Nobody's a stranger.

Jill: Yeah.

Joni: Nobody's a stranger. and maybe that's what she taught me subliminally. I don't think it was never said, but I saw how she was and became that person.

Jill: Yes.

Joni: I lived, my dad, they were divorced at an early age, but I saw my dad every week.

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni: And he. Was not that. He was the total opposite. not even demonstrative.

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni: Right. So my mom was very hugging everybody and I'm like, wow, I'm exactly like that.

Jill: Isn't that interesting? Your personality?

Joni: Yeah.

Jill: But again, that's that foundation.

Joni: Yeah.

Jill: So building that foundation of unconscious

Joni: Yeah.

Jill: What you are doing today.

Joni: Yeah.

Jill: It led you right into it.

Joni: Yeah.

Jill: Because I would imagine you probably wouldn't enjoy your job as much if you were more, internal.

Joni: Mm-hmm.

Jill: And you had to force yourself to be external.

Joni: Yeah.

Jill: I would imagine that makes that job a little bit harder, and you may not get as much joy out of it, but because it's part of your social nature

Joni: Right.

Jill: It just makes it that much more fun.

Joni: It's just, yeah. and you know what? You never think about that.

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni: You don't that, like you asking me that question, I'm like, wow, okay.

I guess she taught me that without. Teaching me that.

Jill: Yeah.

Joni: Yeah. And my dad would, he could never do that. And he talks to everybody, but he could never, he's not that. Like that.

And now in the world you have to be so cautious. With the hugging

Jill: Oh yeah.

Joni: With the hugging.

Jill: Yeah.

Joni: Because I hug everybody, but now I'm finding a lot of people, even are our wedding couples, right?

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni: They wanna hug, but you, and so it's It shows a, an emotion that I guess you can't get out in words, but a hug gives that.

Jill: Absolutely.

Joni: Yeah.

Jill: Yes. I mean, even let's go the opposite end and at funerals and when some, there's a loss, I would imagine, sometimes there aren't words.

Joni: Exactly.

Jill: And so that hug does that demonstration as well.

Joni: Exactly, exactly. Yeah.

Jill: Interesting. Okay, so what is something else that, about you that you would like to share that we should know more about?

Joni: Oh boy. I got some great questions here. Something more.

Jill: I know you are so good at getting to know your client, and I would imagine you must really, you create a lot of relationships that are long lasting. It is not transactional,

Joni: Right.

Jill: It's relational for you.

Joni: Thank you for saying that gave me an answer to this question.

Jill: Yeah.

Joni: So of the 35 years I have. So many people that worked for me when I had run a chapel.

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni: That are still with me. And that's, I've been gone from that from 20 years.

Jill: Wow.

Joni: And they're still with me now. Officiants and photographers and so forth, relationships are key,for our business. it has totally been, established by relationships.

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni:  Not any traditional form of marketing. It's all of relationship built from referrals all the way down the line from starting it.

So I do value, relationships are key for me.

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni: And, it. You know what, that's all you have in the end of the day. You have your name and you have your reputation.

And what did that is that with relationships?

Jill: That's right.

Joni: Right. So I would say that is key. That is really important to me. Right on the top of the line.

And you've gotta be, you've gotta be in the same mindset. you wanna surround yourself. That old statement. Surround yourself with people that are like-minded.

Jill: Absolutely.

Joni: For me, what's really important in that area is ethics, ethical. All of that transparent. If you don't fit in that, you might be the greatest at something.

Jill: Right.

Joni: But if you don't fit in those two things, you can't be in my circle, if you will.

Jill: Right.

Joni: Because that's really important to me.

Jill: Absolutely.

Joni: Say what you mean and mean what you say. We all see things on TV about scams and this and that.

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni: And, I always want to, I've had clients that say, I want this.

And I say, like, you talk about F1, I wanna get married and I wanna get photos in front of the Bellagio. Yeah. And I say, I'm sorry, that can't be done. yes. And I'm honest to say, listen, I don't wanna take your money because this is not gonna happen.

So I always wanna be transparent,

Jill: Right

Joni: and right. And those are the people that I like to surround myself with.

Jill: And that's why I'm sure most of your, the other vendors that you work with, the other professionals are probably somebody you've used for years and years and years.

Joni: Mm-hmm.

Jill: Because you've got that relationship.

Joni: You know what's interesting and that's so true.

And the ones that come into the circle knew. Are from referrals, right?

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni: I find it so interesting when we get together, like, we'll get together, for Christmas, I'll have all the team members ever, and then you go through the room and you're like, oh my God, this one from this 20 years, this one's from 22 years.

And you start thinking, right?

Jill: Yeah.

Joni: But. And then I say to them, thank you so much for what you do, because I cannot do what I do without all of you.

Jill: That's right.

Joni: It's not a one man show.

Jill: No.

Joni: I need all of you to make this happen for the client.

Jill: So many components.

Joni: Yeah.

Jill: People don't realize how important those professional relationships are.

Have over the years, have you ever mentored anybody or do you know if you have

Joni: That? Yes, I have.

Jill: Yeah.

Joni: So I was teaching at, CSN Oh, and I created the wedding planning program. That's about 13 or 14 years ago.

Jill: Wow. I didn't know that, Joni. That's cool.

Joni: No kidding.

Jill: Yeah.

Joni: So yeah, so I started it, Vivian Sorio, the Professor

Jill: Uhhuh,

Joni: She had came to me when I was executive manager of special memory.

So that was. 20 years ago, and she, so we started using her students for internships.

Jill: Oh, cool.

Joni: And that was awesome.

Jill: Mm-hmm.

Joni: They need unpaid internships to follow their

Jill: Right.

Joni: Their course.

Jill: Right.

Joni: And she said, I wanna start a wedding program. if I can get it, would you teach it? And I'm like, yeah, Cheryl, I'll teach it.

And I'm like, okay, whenever. 

Jill: 'Cause you never thought it would happen.

Joni: And she called me one day and said, okay, I've got it. It's approved so you can create the class. I'm like, create the syllabus.

Jill: Write the curriculum.

Joni: Are you kidding me? Okay. So then I did.

Jill: You needed AI back then,

Joni: Right? I did.

But when somebody says that, I never thought of myself as a teacher. I didn't. I don't think that, right.

Jill: Oh, really?

Joni: But then you think about what you're doing every day, you really are.

Okay.

Jill: I totally see it.

Joni: Right? So I created the class and the syllabus and had been teaching that for 12 years. Of course, COVID put everything off and then after COVID it went to online.

And so many of those students are scattered throughout the chapels. As we went along. One student is working for a tuck and gown shop. She's been there. He's been with Diane nine years now.

Jill: Wow.

Joni: And it's so cool. And I go places and some people come up to me and say, oh, you were my professor. And I'm like, oh my God.

When I was booking a client's wedding at Caesar's, like three, four months ago. And I'm emailing back and forth and the one girl says to me, you were my professor. Oh my God. How rewarding that you've are in the industry, right?

Jill: Yes. That is so neat.

Joni: Oh, yeah. So I guess I'm mentoring them along the way.

Jill: Yeah.

Joni: But again, unconsciously.

Jill: Yeah.

Joni: Yeah.

Jill: Wow. Full circle.

Joni: Yeah.

Jill: That is pretty special.

Joni: Yeah. Yeah.

Jill: Well, you are pretty special. Thank you so much for being here to share this with us.

Joni: Oh,

Jill: And we're gonna make sure we have all your connections and contact information in the show notes. So people can find out more about you, how to connect with you, be able to go to your website, see all of the beautiful images that you have. You've captured some gorgeous things on there.

Joni: So cool. Thanks. Thank you so much for having me. Always fun.

And I was so looking forward to doing it with you today.

Jill: And thank you for supporting the Chamber.

Joni: Of course.

Jill: We sure appreciate you. We're so glad we have somebody to refer.

Joni: Oh, thank you so much.

Jill: All right, have a good day.

Joni: You too.