Latest / Wedding Pros who are ready to grow - with Becca Pountney / Breaking down the stereotypes of second time weddings with Catherine Ramm

Transcript

Breaking down the stereotypes of second time weddings with Catherine Ramm · Wedding Pros who are ready to grow - with Becca Pountney

0:00
Catherine: There's a lot of factors sometimes to consider with people
0:04
getting married the second time around.
0:06
Yeah, I think, I think there's so much that we could be doing and I think we have
0:11
to celebrate second marriages just as much as first marriages and as professionals.
0:19
really embrace those people as well as our first time couples and that probably
0:25
comes down in our ideal client work and I think it's something to not be forgotten.
0:32
Becca: I'm Becca Pountney, wedding business marketing expert,
0:35
speaker and blogger, and you're listening to the Wedding Pros
0:37
Who Are Ready to Grow podcast.
0:40
I'm here to share with you actionable tips, strategies, and real life
0:43
examples to help you take your wedding business to the next level.
0:47
If you are an ambitious wedding business owner that wants to take your passion
0:51
and use it to build a profitable, sustainable business, doing what you
0:54
love, then you're in the right place.
0:56
Let's get going with today's episode.
0:59
Today, I'm talking to Catherine Ramm, owner of Dorset Dried Flowers.
1:03
Based in rural Dorset, Catherine is passionate about natural products
1:07
and creating gorgeous dried floral displays that can last for years.
1:11
Catherine recently came along to one of my networking nights and we got
1:13
chatting all about her own recent wedding and what she learned being on
1:17
the other side of the wedding planning.
1:19
At 51 with four children and even one recent grandchild and also living on
1:24
a farm, she has a whole lot to say about her own planning experience.
1:27
I cannot wait to dive into her story.
1:29
Catherine, welcome to the podcast.
1:31
Catherine: Hello, thank you for having me.
1:33
Becca: I'm very excited to have you.
1:35
I know we've got a lot to talk about based on our conversation
1:38
when we met down on the south coast.
1:40
But before we get into that, I would love to just start by hearing a little bit
1:44
about your journey into how you ended up.
1:49
with the business that you've got today.
1:51
Catherine: Oh my goodness.
1:52
I think like many of us in the wedding industry, I sort of fell into it really.
1:58
Literally, it was 2015.
2:03
Unfortunately, I'd been running a business for about 20 years in network
2:07
marketing and my marriage broke down and I was at home with four children.
2:12
and didn't know how I was going to afford Christmas.
2:17
So I thought, I've always been quite creative, I thought I'd make some dried
2:20
fruit decorations, bizarrely, I don't know why, and sell them at local markets.
2:25
It went really well and I then thought in the spring, well, I've
2:30
really enjoyed that and dried fruit sort of led me into dried flowers.
2:34
So I started playing and taught myself floristry and built myself a dried
2:41
flower business and dried flowers.
2:43
There was obviously something, I had a real passion for them, because
2:46
if we go back 30 years, I'd wanted them for my, my first wedding.
2:51
So there was something that just sort of led me to, to create a dried flower
2:56
business, which I absolutely love.
2:57
So literally fell into it.
3:00
Becca: I absolutely love that.
3:01
You make it sound so simple.
3:02
I just needed some money and then I decided to start making dry flowers.
3:06
How did you go about finding your first client?
3:09
So obviously your first product you were selling at the market,
3:12
but what about when it came to weddings and those kind of clients?
3:14
Where did you find those from?
3:16
Catherine: I was really lucky.
3:18
My first wedding client actually found me.
3:22
I was selling some home decor on Etsy.
3:26
And she actually found me on there and then worked out where I was
3:31
away from Etsy and came to me and said, can you do my, do my wedding?
3:36
She said, I'm in Edinburgh and I'm in Dorset.
3:39
I don't know whether anyone knows how far it is between Edinburgh
3:42
and Dorset, but it's quite a way.
3:45
But the joy of dried flowers meant I could style her entire wedding.
3:50
And then I boxed it all up, everything from her bouquet to table
3:55
decorations, to two full size floral chandeliers, and we boxed them.
4:02
We palleted them.
4:04
We wrapped them to within an inch of their lives and put them on a pallet
4:08
on a lorry down here in Dorset.
4:12
And it drove them to Edinburgh overnight.
4:15
And they came off the other end, immaculate.
4:18
Becca: Wow, what a story to finding your first client.
4:20
Shows the importance of, I always talk about this, visibility, because
4:24
you obviously showed up, you were out there on Etsy, she liked to work, and
4:27
she didn't care that you lived the opposite end of the United Kingdom.
4:31
She wanted you and she was willing to pay for it.
4:34
Catherine: Yes.
4:34
And you know, when we're looking at ideal clients, she was my ideal client.
4:39
She was an absolute dream to work with.
4:41
And I mean, the reviews she gave me, even now she messages me and
4:46
she says, I just can't believe how you just made my wedding.
4:51
And it was great because she then installed it herself.
4:54
They had a marquee again in a rural location in Scotland.
4:59
So she was quite happy to install it herself.
5:03
But yes, it was wonderful.
5:04
But that was my, that was my first wedding.
5:07
And from there, I actually thought, well, that went quite well, really.
5:12
I need, I need to look at this.
5:15
And so just started letting people know.
5:19
what I could do.
5:20
Becca: Amazing.
5:21
And do you still serve as clients all over the country or are most of
5:24
your weddings now down in Dorset?
5:25
Catherine: A mixture of, of both really.
5:29
I love doing the weddings where I can actually go and style there
5:37
and there and then, so to speak.
5:38
I mean, It was great that I could transport all my products
5:42
to Edinburgh, and that is the joy of having dried flowers.
5:46
But you're a bit in the lap of the gods, in a way, of hoping that they install
5:51
them correctly, that the chandeliers aren't wonky, that sort of thing.
5:56
So I'm a bit of a perfectionist.
5:58
You know, I quite like to go and do it all myself and know it's
6:01
all just Just absolutely right.
6:03
And again, I work with such lovely venues.
6:05
It's just great to go and go and do venues.
6:07
So I, I, it's about half and half that I do down in Dorset.
6:12
And then there's some that I will go further afield and personally install.
6:18
And then I've got other customers who are quite happy for me to
6:22
do the work and ship it to them.
6:25
Becca: Fab.
6:25
So a real diverse mix.
6:27
Now, Catherine, when we met down in Dorset, you told me that you'd recently
6:30
got married, which is very exciting.
6:32
So congratulations.
6:34
So you, you mentioned earlier in your story, your first marriage
6:37
broke down, then you talked about starting the business.
6:39
You're now married again.
6:41
Tell us a little bit of the love story.
6:43
How did you meet and how did you get engaged?
6:45
Catherine: Oh my goodness.
6:47
So yes, Got divorced in 2014, 2015, and then in 2017, actually in the December,
6:57
my dad unfortunately died, which was really tragic, day before Christmas Eve.
7:04
And I was picking up my horse food from the local farm shop, and got
7:10
chatting to the farmer who knew me.
7:12
knew of my dad as well because they sort of had links with cattle and things and
7:17
he could obviously see how distressed I was and kept chatting to me and I'd
7:21
pop down every so often pick my horse feed up for the children's ponies and
7:25
Chat to him and then February the 16th at 10 o'clock at night I was on my sofa
7:32
watching television in my little cottage all the children were in bed and there
7:35
was a knock at my door which Doesn't happen when you live in the countryside.
7:39
No one knocks on your door at 10 o'clock at night.
7:41
And he was stood there saying, I hear you've never been to quite a famous
7:47
pub in Dorset, just on the coast by us.
7:49
And he said, I'm just nipping there for a drink.
7:51
Would you like to come with me?
7:53
And I didn't know how to say no.
7:55
I just, I just panicked.
7:57
So I said yes, and went for a drink with him.
8:01
Really?
8:02
So that was yes, February 2018.
8:05
And then Christmas 2021, I was doing a Christmas fair because I still
8:11
quite like going out and selling the home decor and the fruits.
8:14
And I was at a very beautiful, almost state, well, stately home in Dorset.
8:20
And there was a very lovely lady there selling silver jewellery that I loved
8:24
and I'd eyed up some rings of hers.
8:26
And unbeknownst to me, my other half who came along to the event.
8:30
was whisked off by one of the girls who was helping me on the
8:33
stall, and they picked my rings and he proposed on Christmas day.
8:37
Becca: Oh, I love that.
8:38
That's so lovely.
8:40
What a lovely story.
8:41
And then when did you get married?
8:43
Catherine: Well, I have to think about this because we
8:45
actually got married twice.
8:48
Once on the, once on the 7th of September, and then again on the 9th of September.
8:52
So I made him do it twice.
8:54
So we had a registry office on the 7th of September with just
8:59
us and the children and my mum.
9:01
And then what I, it's awful, some people will get upset if I say what
9:06
I, what I feel is my real wedding was then on the Saturday where we had our
9:10
celebrant and our huge event that yes, I masterminded and It was incredible.
9:20
Becca: So exciting.
9:20
I can't wait to dig into that a little bit more in a minute.
9:23
Now, Catherine, one of the reasons we're having this conversation
9:26
is because we were having the conversation at the networking event.
9:29
And you mentioned earlier about ideal client, your own ideal client, and
9:33
we all talk about ideal clients.
9:35
And if we're completely honest, I would say that your demographic wouldn't fit
9:40
into most people's ideal client profile.
9:43
So as we said, you're on your second marriage, you're at 51.
9:46
And I think often when people think of their ideal client, they think
9:50
of, you know, some young blonde woman at 28 who works in the city.
9:54
You know, everyone's got the same ideal client.
9:57
And that's not right because there's all sorts of different
9:59
people out there getting married.
10:01
So what was some of your experiences when you first got engaged of working with
10:06
suppliers, both negative and positive?
10:09
Catherine: Oh my goodness.
10:10
Yes.
10:11
Do you know what?
10:12
I think it's so different when you're 51.
10:15
I mean, I was 20, I was 21 when I got married first time around, very young.
10:22
And at 51, yes, definitely felt as if I was.
10:28
Not anybody's ideal client, really.
10:30
And actually probably the biggest thing with that was I felt I
10:35
wasn't anyone's ideal client when it came to choosing my dress.
10:39
The whole mutton dressed as lamb comes to mind.
10:44
I was so worried about going and choosing a dress because.
10:50
I'm 51, and not 21 anymore, and I think I'm a couple of stone
10:55
heavier than I was at 21 as well.
10:58
So, so yes, that, that was quite unnerving.
11:02
I think, I think one of the biggest things I learnt, certainly at my age,
11:08
was how important it is to be kind.
11:11
to everybody and I had really positive experiences and actually really negative
11:16
experiences and my one takeaway is just be kind because I was probably
11:24
as excited this time to get married as I was at 21 but a lot more confident.
11:32
in some areas of my life.
11:33
But yes, in terms of trying wedding dresses, I'm totally unconfident.
11:37
So yeah, everyone needs to be really kind, I think.
11:40
That's an important message.
11:41
Becca: And why shouldn't you be just as excited to get
11:44
married at 51 as you were at 21?
11:46
Because it's no less important to you at 51 as it is in 21.
11:50
In fact, it might be more important to you.
11:52
So I definitely hear you loud and clear on that.
11:54
So let's stick with the wedding dress experience then.
11:56
What do you think?
11:58
If people are listening, maybe they're even boutique owners, what could people
12:02
have done to make that experience more positive and more enjoyable for you?
12:07
Catherine: I actually think once I got there and got over my own issues,
12:12
then actually my experiences were really positive, really positive.
12:17
And I was made to feel really, really welcome.
12:21
And certainly my age wasn't a problem.
12:24
So I, yeah, I think I had a really, really positive experience.
12:27
I think the biggest thing that I learned from picking my dress was I had really
12:35
fixed ideas and it was so I ended up totally wearing something that I never
12:41
thought I'd wear in a million years, that I'm sure probably happens to everybody.
12:45
But I've tried actually working now with a lot of bridal shop owners, because
12:51
I had this idea in my head, I think we all do in a way when we're getting
12:55
married, of what we want the vision to be.
12:58
I know I work a lot with people about what they have in their heads.
13:01
And so I knew in my head what the dress I was going to wear, what I wanted in my
13:05
hair, and how I wanted my bouquet to be.
13:09
Now obviously I was really lucky that I could, because I work with dried flowers,
13:14
I actually made a bouquet that I thought was what I wanted, and I took it with me.
13:20
To my wedding dress, you know, looking around actually, no,
13:25
I'd actually chosen my dress.
13:27
That's right.
13:28
And when I went back for the fitting, I took a bouquet and you know what?
13:32
It was totally wrong, totally wrong.
13:34
And I think for me, it was great.
13:37
I just, it was, it was too big now that I'd chosen a different style of dress.
13:43
So actually with bride loan shop I'm suggesting to them that they have Some
13:48
of my bouquets just as props, because I think it really, really helps.
13:54
Brides when they're trying to get that overall look of how the dress is going to
13:59
look to have a bouquet That's maybe just the right shape so they can think yes That
14:04
is the shape of one or actually no that doesn't work now with the dress and the
14:08
same I make a lot of floral crowns for wedding dress owners and I just give them
14:14
to them so that people have got something to put on their head if they're thinking
14:17
about maybe they want a crown because they might find when they put that on
14:23
again it's not quite the look so it's just helping them build that whole picture.
14:29
Becca: I think that's such a great idea and if you are a boutique owner listening
14:32
to this then definitely reach out to Catherine and talk to her about it because
14:36
that's something that maybe isn't thought about but from Catherine's experience
14:39
she can see that that's a definite.
14:41
gap in the market.
14:42
So do reach out to her and talk to that.
14:44
Now, Catherine, a little bit earlier, you said about really,
14:48
you just want people to be kind.
14:50
And that says to me that you had some less than kind experiences
14:54
when you were planning your wedding.
14:56
Is there anything that jumps out?
14:57
Obviously don't name any names or businesses, but is there anything that
15:00
jumps out to you that you just think?
15:01
This was a really negative experience and here's how I
15:04
would have done it differently.
15:05
Catherine: I think I, I mean, I've been hearing a lot of recently about how much
15:10
people take on board when they're planning a wedding and how much people read.
15:15
And I know we've got really, really busy lives.
15:18
You know, I've got my business, my now husband, you know, has a
15:22
farm that I have to help him with.
15:24
I've got four children, even though sort of two are grown up, we've
15:27
got the grandchild, you know, life is hectic and we don't always.
15:30
read everything.
15:32
And we went along to register our wedding.
15:36
It's that appointment that you have to go to to do all the legal stuff.
15:40
You have to take your passport and things.
15:43
And I sort of flicked through the email and thought, right, we've
15:46
got to be there at 12 o'clock.
15:48
We need our passports.
15:50
I need my decree absolute, which I had lost, so I had to go and get another one.
15:54
And so we just rocked up there, thought we were going to, I think I'd paid the
15:59
47 pounds, or what it was, thought we were just going to show our paperwork
16:04
and that was going to be it and then they said right we've seen the passports and
16:09
everything now we need to interview you and i was like what and the lady said
16:13
yes we interview you separately and then you know we ask you such questions so
16:19
she started with me and she started me asking questions and i said my other half
16:24
isn't going to be able to answer these I said, because I tell you now, he has
16:28
absolutely no clue of my date of birth.
16:31
Only because he's a man.
16:35
He never remembers my birthday.
16:37
If I was one of the cows in the yard with an ear tag, he'd know
16:40
exactly what ear tag number I had in.
16:42
But if you're talking about where my birthday is, he hasn't got a clue.
16:46
Okay, so I'd already pre warned her.
16:49
And then it came to the declaration at the end.
16:51
Oh first off I didn't fit in a very neat box as to what I actually did because
16:55
she wanted to call me a florist and I said I'm not really a florist and yeah
16:59
so I was trying to work out exactly what I was which she was sort of a bit
17:03
stuffy about and then at the end I read the declaration and signed it and I
17:08
said and he hasn't bought his glasses he's not going to be able to read that
17:12
so I'd sort of tried to pre warn her anyway swapped over and I sat outside
17:17
this room thinking oh my goodness And basically she absolutely annihilated him.
17:24
It was horrific.
17:25
I could hear it outside.
17:28
And eventually she opened the door and she said, Will you come in?
17:31
And she said, This has been a complete farce.
17:34
And I said, pardon?
17:35
She said, well, he doesn't know.
17:37
And I said, I did try and tell you he wouldn't know when your birth is.
17:40
And I said to him, when did you say it was?
17:42
He said, well, I said it was around May sometime.
17:46
I mean, it's the last week of April.
17:48
That's close.
17:49
That's not bad.
17:50
And then she said, and he can't read the declaration.
17:54
I said, I did tell you.
17:55
And, you know, He actually really struggles with his reading, anyway,
18:00
I think, you know, probably, he's probably an undiagnosed dyslexic, if
18:04
I'm honest, so he really does struggle, and so I said, I can read it to him,
18:10
and I read it to him, and He, he said, I don't understand what that means.
18:16
And I, so I just condensed it and he said, okay, I understand
18:19
what you're trying to say.
18:21
At the end of it, she just basically said, well, you're really lucky
18:24
because if you behave like this next time, you won't be getting married.
18:28
And I said, what?
18:29
She said, if you behave like this at the registrar, registry office,
18:32
you won't be getting married.
18:34
Anyway, we, we walked out of there and I was so upset.
18:39
So upset, and I spoke to a lot of registrars afterwards, and yeah,
18:45
it really makes me upset even now.
18:47
It was so horrific.
18:48
We were, we were absolutely traumatized to be honest.
18:52
She just needed to be kind.
18:55
She just needed to be kind.
18:56
Yes, because at the end of it, she said, did you not read all
18:59
the emails you've been sent?
19:00
And I said, well, I sort of skimmed over them.
19:03
And yeah, it, it was just, and to be told that if we behaved like that.
19:10
on our wedding day, we could perhaps not be, you know, getting married
19:14
was really, really upsetting.
19:16
Really upsetting.
19:17
Becca: Yeah, it sounds like an absolutely awful experience and I
19:21
think there's so much in that that you've just shared that wedding pros
19:24
who are listening can learn from.
19:26
I think the first one is to remember that not all of our couples fit in a box and
19:31
therefore we need to be making sure our processes are accessible to everyone.
19:35
I've got an amazing client who talks a lot about accessibility
19:38
because you know, not all wedding venues are accessible for everyone.
19:42
Everyone is able to read a document or sit in a room for
19:45
the length of time you require.
19:47
And I think it's a real reminder to us all that we need to be thinking
19:50
through our processes and not saying you have to be able to read this
19:53
and actually be understanding that maybe someone might struggle to read
19:57
that and have workarounds in place.
19:59
I also think the point that you say about not reading emails and overwhelm.
20:03
It's so important for us to remember because I have a lot of discussions with
20:07
wedding professionals who say, you know, my couples are just so stupid because
20:10
they don't read the emails and I've said it a hundred times, but actually as you
20:14
found Catherine being on the other side of it, you know, they are people and
20:18
they have lives and they are overwhelmed.
20:21
They've never planned a wedding before.
20:22
They've got all of this information, legal information coming at them.
20:25
They've got questions being asked, left, right and center decisions to
20:29
make and huge amounts of money to spend.
20:31
And actually we, again, we just need to.
20:33
give them time to process things and to remind them again and again and again
20:38
of the information because you cannot assume that they pick it up first time.
20:42
Do you think all of that's fair?
20:44
Catherine: Yes, absolutely.
20:45
Absolutely.
20:46
And I think there's ways of talking to people.
20:49
You know, I really, really do.
20:50
My, my profession is actually, I'm, I'm a nurse originally.
20:54
And, you know, so I understand the importance of, of talking to people in
20:59
a way That makes people not feel stupid and is very kind and yeah, I just think
21:07
there needs to be thought sometimes.
21:10
in how we, how we speak, speak to people.
21:13
And as I say, especially when we're overwhelmed.
21:15
Becca: Yeah, definitely.
21:16
I think it's a really interesting experience for you having now been on the
21:20
other side, because obviously you had this business and you're doing your flowers
21:24
and you're doing your thing, but all of a sudden you've seen what it's like.
21:27
to be that client, to be on the other side of the coin and to deal with different
21:32
supplies and all of those things.
21:34
Is there anything else you think you've learned for your own business now having
21:38
recently walked through this experience?
21:40
Catherine: Oh, absolutely.
21:41
I mean, I've almost got a, got a list.
21:45
Of things and actually it was, it was so valuable from a business point
21:50
of view, apart from the fact that I absolutely loved getting married.
21:54
There was, there was so much for me sort of, you know, from advising brides
22:01
now, it's really helped me because I just say to them, make your ceremony
22:07
your own, you know, don't, don't Except things can't, can't be done in a way.
22:17
If I look back to the comparisons to when I got married the first time,
22:21
and I was 21, and my parents were very much organising my wedding, to doing
22:27
it now, there were there's regrets that I have about my first wedding and it's
22:31
probably because I wasn't strong enough.
22:33
You know, I wanted dried flowers in my hair.
22:36
I'd seen them at a wedding show back in 1993 and I was told it couldn't
22:42
be done and I didn't question that.
22:45
Now, the florist probably couldn't do that but instead of saying
22:50
there's someone I can recommend, she just told me I had to have.
22:53
So I think now I'm a lot stronger, and I would say to brides, really, really
23:01
stick to your guns if you want things done a certain way, or if you, yes,
23:08
just, if you want to make it your own, and, and don't be Bullied's the wrong
23:13
word, but I think we can all, we're trying not to upset people, aren't we?
23:18
I mean, it's things like guest lists and things like that.
23:21
And I really much, I very much had to stick to my guns on some
23:24
things, like people who said, can we bring our dogs to the wedding?
23:30
No, sorry.
23:32
No dogs at my wedding, even though we live on a farm and they were actually
23:37
quite off with us and refused to come to the wedding Because we didn't let
23:42
them bring their dogs But I stuck to I stuck to my guns So I think you know
23:49
advice for brides So when I'm talking to brides now because you know, it's like
23:53
just cuz I'm a florist I tend to talk to them about The whole wedding experience.
23:59
So I very much say to them, stick to their guns.
24:03
And just being really, really specific, I think there were a couple of things
24:07
that maybe I could, having said you know, there are things that are non negotiable.
24:16
I don't think I was strong enough sometimes to actually really
24:19
pin people down to what I want.
24:22
So although I've said You know, make it your own, I still think I could have
24:27
tried harder to be just be more specific.
24:31
I think I had images in my head, but I also wonder whether that's the
24:38
professional then not asking the right questions to make sure I gave the answers.
24:43
Does that make sense?
24:44
So for example, my photographer, we had someone that was doing
24:49
the photographs, and I just don't think we had enough discussions.
24:55
for me to really say exactly what I wanted, but maybe they
25:00
didn't ask the questions enough for me to give those answers.
25:05
Does that make sense?
25:06
Becca: Yeah, that makes perfect sense.
25:08
And again, that's a really interesting thought, isn't it?
25:10
Is, are we expecting too much from our couples?
25:13
Are we leaving it too open or are we asking enough of the right
25:17
questions to make sure we're clear on the vision of their day?
25:22
So yeah, that makes perfect sense.
25:24
And.
25:24
I think what you're saying, Catherine, is we all need to go and get married
25:27
again because it's the perfect customer experience to understand how
25:31
we need to run our own businesses.
25:32
Or if we don't want to get married again, maybe we just need to pay
25:35
attention to more of our couples who have got married and speak to them
25:39
and find out what their experiences were and do a bit of market research.
25:42
To improve all of our own businesses before we bring this discussion to a
25:46
close, Catherine, I really want to talk to you a little bit about representation
25:50
going right back to what we were talking about at the beginning about when you
25:53
were getting a wedding dress and how you weren't sure if it was for you and you,
25:56
you didn't feel like you fitted the mold.
25:58
Do you think there's more that wedding professionals can be doing in terms
26:02
of representing your demographic and showing you in their marketing?
26:07
Catherine: Yes.
26:08
I, yes, I think so.
26:10
And to be honest, it's something that's really gone through my head recently, even
26:15
down to should I sort of start some sort of membership or group for women of my
26:23
age getting married a second time around?
26:26
Because there's so many issues, even down to how you involve.
26:32
The children, so that there needs to be sort of, I was so lucky our celebrant on
26:37
the Saturday who was a friend who, who did that ceremony, she actually said to
26:43
me, shall we get all four children to be part of the ceremony, and they can all
26:48
write a speech or a poem or whatever, of of their choice and they were all really
26:56
up for that and actually it's one of them, oh you're gonna make me cry, it was one of
27:01
the most precious, oh god I can't believe we're all emotional, one of the most
27:06
emotional things of our wedding to have.
27:09
All four children just stand up with no, no direction from, from us
27:16
as to what they were going to do.
27:17
So I've got a, a 27-year-old, 24-year-old, a 21-year-old, and a 12-year-old.
27:23
And so they all just came at it so differently, but the amount of
27:27
love shown to me and to Jonathan.
27:30
My husband was just incredible.
27:33
So it's things like that, that sometimes that might not be quite so simple.
27:40
I'm very lucky to have a very good relationship, but you know, with
27:43
people my age, there's a lot of factors sometimes to, to consider with people
27:50
getting married the second time around.
27:53
And our R Age and blended families.
27:55
Yeah, I think, I think there's so much that we could, we could be doing.
27:59
And I think we have to celebrate second marriages just as much as first, first
28:08
marriages and as, as professionals really embrace those people as well as
28:18
our first time couples and that probably comes down in our ideal client work.
28:23
And I think it's something to not be forgotten.
28:26
Becca: Yeah, 100 percent I hear you on that and I think you're so right.
28:28
There's a huge niche there, there's a huge market and we need to not be
28:32
putting on those stereotypes like, oh it's your second wedding so it'll be
28:34
smaller, or it's your second wedding so you won't want to wear white.
28:37
Like why, why is it for us to say those things to people?
28:40
We should be keeping our mouths shut and we should be listening to
28:42
what their hopes and dreams are for that day because that is for them.
28:46
The most important day and we should be there to support and encourage them.
28:49
And I think to your points about all of those things that you talked about, about,
28:53
you know, what a gift that celebrant gave you to even suggest the idea.
28:57
So as wedding pros, we should be doing more research and thinking
28:59
more about, okay, well, if I do have a client and it says second
29:02
marriage, what are the questions that may be different that I need to be
29:05
asking them or the things I could be suggesting to them to make it better?
29:09
And Catherine, I think you need to start some kind of blog or podcast.
29:12
for the brides of that demographic getting married for the second time.
29:15
I think that would be incredible.
29:17
And I think it's an area of the market that we definitely don't have.
29:20
So I'd love to see what you do in that area as well.
29:23
Catherine: I, I think definitely just to act as a support for people.
29:27
Yeah.
29:28
And, and to show them just what they can create the second time around.
29:34
Ours was incredible.
29:35
I know everyone says that their wedding was incredible, but ours was phenomenal.
29:39
It's been well talked about, and it was huge, and I didn't wear white.
29:43
I have to say, I did draw the line at not wearing white, but yes, I
29:48
think it was as special as any.
29:51
first wedding.
29:51
Becca: Of course it was, and why wouldn't it be?
29:53
And I need to make sure I see some pictures of it.
29:55
So send me some photos so I can see all about this incredible
29:58
wedding that you're part of.
29:59
Catherine, it's been so fun having this conversation.
30:02
I've loved talking to you about it.
30:03
Thank you for your honesty, your vulnerability, and for sharing your
30:06
thoughts because I know people listening, this is going to really have made them.
30:10
Think differently about how they approach their marketing going forward.
30:15
I always end the podcast with the same question.
30:17
So I'm going to do the same for you now, Catherine, and that's this.
30:19
What's one thing you wish you'd known sooner in your own wedding business?
30:23
Catherine: Oh that.
30:25
That's a really tricky one for me because to be honest, there
30:29
is so much I wish I'd known.
30:32
I think, like I said at the start, I sort of fell into the wedding industry,
30:36
so didn't plan this in such a way.
30:42
I think the biggest thing I wish I'd known is to really understand about
30:48
the work I can do on who my ideal client is, because I think for me.
30:54
With my dried flowers, I'm, I'm really quite niche.
30:57
I suppose we all think we are in some way, but when I work with my
31:02
ideal client, It is just perfect.
31:08
And so for me, it's been so important to learn how to really, really get
31:15
to grips with who that ideal client was or is so that I can serve them.
31:20
in the best possible way.
31:22
Becca: Fantastic advice and yeah, definitely something we should
31:25
all be paying attention to.
31:26
Catherine, it's been so lovely chatting to you.
31:28
If people want to find out more about what you do, if they want to
31:30
chat with you further, where's the best place for them to find you?
31:34
Catherine: I tend to spend a lot of my time on Instagram.
31:37
Obviously, it's very visual, so all my flowers are there.
31:41
So I'm on Instagram at Dorset Dried Flowers and also the same
31:47
name, Dorset Dried Flowers.
31:48
on Facebook.
31:50
My website is also dorsetdryflowers.
31:52
co.
31:53
uk.
31:54
Come and talk to me.
31:55
I love chatting about everything weddings.
31:59
What I've learned, I could have talked for at least another half an hour
32:03
on some of the things that you can learn when you're the bride as well.
32:08
So yeah, come and find me.
32:10
Becca: Fabulous.
32:10
I'll make sure that I link to all of those things in the show notes so
32:13
people can reach out and find you.
32:15
Catherine, thank you again for being here.
32:17
It's been a pleasure.
32:21
I love that conversation with Catherine.
32:23
Isn't she fabulous?
32:25
And such an important reminder to all of us to not get stuck in our
32:29
rut and not Think about all these different parts of the wedding industry
32:32
that we should be representing.
32:34
We should be servicing and we should be talking too.
32:37
So my job and your job for today is to reflect on this conversation and think
32:42
about all of the things Catherine said and how we can start being better, kinder and
32:46
implementing her ideas into our business.
32:49
I'll see you next time.