008: Real Planner: Brooke Keegan of Brooke Keegan Special Events
Hey planners! Today on the show I am so excited to introduce you to a dear friend and someone we absolutely look up to in the wedding industry, Brooke Keegan. Brooke decided to get into the wedding industry after attending a wedding and seeing firsthand some of the things that went wrong that day. In this episode, she shares how working in different avenues of the wedding industry has helped her to leverage knowledge for her clients. She talks about her experience working for other planners and making the leap into starting her own business. You’ll hear why she ended up launching a sister company, her biggest advice for those who want to break into destination weddings and tips for up and coming wedding planners.
What’s in this episode:
- Brooke’s background and what her life was like growing up
- How she ended up getting into the wedding industry
- Her experience of working for another planner, as a private dining coordinator and in catering
- How she got introduced to a luxury wedding planner and started working with them
- Brooke’s experience of getting to work under her mentor
- Why she ended up starting her own business
- How she transitioned to only offering full-service planning
- Her shift from a flat fee to percentage model pricing
- The changes she’s made in her business centered around making her business and life what she actually wants it to be
- How they started their sister company, Aster & Park to help even more brides
- The biggest challenges of her second business
- Her favorite part of running the sister company
- Where she sees each of her companies going over the next 5 years
- Why she loves working in destination weddings
- Her advice for planners who want to get into destination weddings
- Her process for pre-wedding and post-wedding
- Why they make sure to get positive and constructive feedback after events
- Her recommendations for those who want to get started in the wedding industry
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About Brooke:
Brooke has more than 17 years of experience designing, planning, and producing spectacular events for some of the world’s most ambitious and exacting clients.
Named a top wedding planner by Harper’s Bazaar, she has established a reputation of excellence and consistency for producing unique, beautiful, and innovative events that far leave a lasting impression.
A Division 1 volleyball player at San Diego State University, Brooke graduated with dual degrees in Marketing and Management. Prior to running her own business, she pursued a professional career in the hotel and hospitality industry, a combination that gives her an edge when producing top-notch events for world-class clients.
Connect with Brooke:
Website | Instagram | Aster & Park
Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.
