The Giving Party: Recent Episodes
Kate Neal Photography
The Giving Party is a podcast to motivate professionals in the wedding & event industry as well as their clients to make a social impact.
This week we talked to Phillip Van Nostrand about his business & his involvement with 100 Cameras & Wish Upon a Wedding! Phillip is a photographer & coach based out of New York City. Phil has worked over thirteen years in the wedding industry & photographs luxury travel & hospitality as well. He is an expert in capturing bright, cinematic lifestyle imagery. He travels abroad somewhere new at least once a year and has photographed 40+ countries.
Phillip has been published in the New York Times, Dwell Magazine, Fortune.com, Brides, Vogue, Fast Company, Huffington Post, Forbes.com, Parade Magazine, San Diego Style Weddings, & was a Master Class speaker at WPPI in 2016, 2017, & 2019. His client list includes Airbnb, Jose Cuervo, Ok Cupid, Louboutin, The New School, Venmo, The Points Guy, Core Power Yoga, Condé Nast, & more. Phil also recently launched his own podcast called "The Epic Freelance Life" & you can listen on Apple & Spotify. You can learn more about Phil via the links below!
Website
Instagram
Podcast
100 Cameras
Wish Upon a Wedding
To learn more about us & to see more of our work, please visit us our website & follow us on Instagram (@KateNealPhotography). If you or someone you know would like to talk to us about giving back please email us at kate@katenealphoto.com!
This week we spoke to Thea Bloch-Neal, founder of Hushed Commotion! Hushed Commotion is a Brooklyn based team starting in 2012 with the goal to create detailed, striking, & coveted pieces including handcrafted earrings & headpieces that make clients feel striking & singular on their wedding day. Thea gravitates towards gold & is inspired by vintage motifs. Melding her vision of vintage meets modern-day is their core value.
Thea values the hand made process immensely. She grew up in a family that valued the artisan, & is a big believer in encouraging the world to find their way back to supporting the artisans of this world & the craft that is involved in creating beautiful pieces of art. Additionally, Hushed Commotion makes each piece to order, cutting down on needless waste; using almost exclusively recyclable packaging, & their studio is fit with solar panels to reduce their use of the power grid. In early 2021, Thea started releasing small monthly collections of earrings & necklaces that have a different charitable aspect & 15% of the sales are dedicated to whatever the charity/nonprofit is for that month. So far they have supported ROAR NYC, The National Black Child Development Institute, & Girls Not Brides. To learn more about Thea & Hushed Commotion please visit the links below. Happy listening!
Website
Pinterest
Instagram
Facebook
To learn more about us & to see more of our work, please visit us our website & follow us on Instagram (@KateNealPhotography). If you or someone you know would like to talk to us about giving back please email us at kate@katenealphoto.com!
This week we spoke to Leah Weinberg of Color Pop Events! Early in her legal career, it became clear that Leah was destined to be her own boss. Constantly brainstorming business ideas (she came dangerously close to enrolling in pastry school so she could open a bakery), it wasn’t until she planned her own wedding in 2012—which she found to be enjoyable and pretty easy (not the typical reaction)—that she knew she had found her calling. Wedding planning combined her passion for spreadsheets with her need for a creative outlet with her love of seeing people relax, smile & laugh. In 2013, Leah launched Color Pop Events to bring her eye for detail, style, & flawless event execution to couples in & around New York City. We loved hearing Leah's story & also how she incorporates giving back through her business by annually supporting ProjectQ, Planned Parenthood, ACLU, Animal Haven, along with individual Go Fund Me pages &/or specific Patreon accounts. Lastly, we would like to extend a huge congratulations to Leah who released her first book "The Wedding Rollercoaster" today, April 6th, 2021 now available on Amazon! To learn more about Leah please see the links below. Happy listening!
Website
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
BUY THE BOOK!
To learn more about us & to see more of our work, please visit us our website & follow us on Instagram (@KateNealPhotography). If you or someone you know would like to talk to us about giving back please email us at kate@katenealphoto.com!
This week we spoke to Beth Helmstetter! Beth is the Creative Director and owner of her eponymous brand, Beth Helmstetter Events. After designing hundreds of experiences, Beth has learned first hand that memorable gatherings don’t just happen. They’re the result of beautiful spaces, well thought out logistics, and intentional guest experiences. After nearly two decades traveling and producing events around the world combined with her experience in nonprofit, Beth's commitment to giving back has never faltered - which helped her in creating The Good Beginning; a platform that helps couples and families contribute to charitable causes around the world and start a new chapter of their lives with the ritual of generosity. Please visit the links below to learn more about Beth & The Good Beginning. Happy listening!
Beth Helmstetter Events Website
Beth Helmstetter Events Instagram
Beth Helmstetter Events Facebook
The Good Beginning Website
The Good Beginning Instagram
The Good Beginning Facebook
To learn more about us & to see more of our work, please visit us our website & follow us on Instagram (@KateNealPhotography). If you or someone you know would like to talk to us about giving back please email us at kate@katenealphoto.com!
This week we are sharing our chat with Brittny Drye! Brittny is the founder & editor-in-chief of Love Inc., the leading equality-minded wedding blog & print publication. Her inclusive efforts have been celebrated by the New York Times, FORBES, The Advocate, OUT Magazine, Refinery29, NY Daily News, Cosmopolitan, & more. She has served as an advisory board member for the International Academy of Wedding & Events since 2018, a WeddingPro educator with The Knot/WeddingWire & nominated for NACE Speaker of the Year for 2020. We loved hearing more about Brittny's involvement with Freedom for All Americans & hope you do, too! You can find Brittny/Love Inc. via the links below:
Love Inc. Website
Instagram
Facebook
Freedom for All Americans
To learn more about us & to see more of our work, please visit us our website & follow us on Instagram (@KateNealPhotography). If you or someone you know would like to talk to us about giving back please email us at kate@katenealphoto.com!
This week we are chatting with Sharon Becker of SB Beauty! Sharon is a NYC makeup artist providing services for photo & video shoots, weddings, red carpet, & special events in NYC, Martha's Vineyard to Montauk, & internationally.
Publications include Cosmopolitan, Men's Journal, Billboard, AARP Magazine, & more. Sharon has also participated as both a key artist & team member of New York Fashion Week & Bridal Fashion Week shows.
Her bridal work is featured in Martha Stewart Weddings, The Knot, Bride’s, & NY Magazine Weddings. Blogs include Catalyst, Hey Wedding Lady, Style Me Pretty, Twirl, Green Wedding Shoes, 100 Layer Cake, Well Wed, Ceci NY, & more.
Sharon’s philosophy for beauty is, “Look like yourself on your best day”. She has worked on hundreds of shoots & events in blizzards, heat waves, & family maelstroms. Sharon loves to bring out the beauty & joy in every person who sits in her chair. You will find her wearing a bright lip, cracking jokes, & riding off into the sunset on a bicycle.
We are so excited to chat with her about her business & how she implements zero waste & sustainability practices starting with her own makeup kit. This is one of my favorite talks about giving back to our environment because anyone, including myself can definitely pick up some tips & tricks from Sharon! You can learn more about Sharon by visiting the links below!
Website
Instagram
Facebook
Wands for Wildlife
TerraCycle
Love the podcast? Please leave a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts!
To learn more about us & to see more of our work, please visit us our website & follow us on Instagram (@KateNealPhotography). If you or someone you know would like to talk to us about giving back please email us at kate@katenealphoto.com!
Please enjoy this weeks episode with Crystal Whiteaker of Crystal Lily Photography! Crystal is a Brand Photographer & Consultant with 15 years of strategic, creative, process driven experience across multiple industries. She is a self-described "corporate trained, creative hippie who helps entrepreneurs strengthen their brands." In less than three years, Crystal has built a brand working with clients in locations across the country, including Los Angeles, New York, & Miami. Crystal puts a strong focus on core values to create impactful photography, mentoring, and consulting experiences for her clients. When she's not working, Crystal spends time on personal development, practicing yoga and mediation, and connecting with friends mostly over video chat because...2020. You can learn more about Crystal & the causes she cares about via the links below!
Website
Instagram
Facebook
Pinterest
Center for Black Equity
Survivor Lit
Love the podcast? Please leave a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts!
To learn more about us & to see more of our work, please visit us our website & follow us on Instagram (@KateNealPhotography). If you or someone you know would like to talk to us about giving back please email us at kate@katenealphoto.com!
Thank you for joining us today as we chat with Fallon Carter of Fallon Carter Events! Fallon Carter Events was founded 10 years ago after an eventful trip to Paris, France. What was intended to be a week- long wedding celebration with friends, inclusive of unlimited Champagne + croissants, quickly elevated into Fallon's crash course as ” week of wedding coordinator.”
Falling in love with the ability to solve problems in real time, she soon left behind her brand new Political Science degree + law school goals in Washington, DC, and headed to New York City to become an event planner. We chat about how one referral led to another, and eventually how travel was introduced. Somewhere between weddings in Los Angeles, vow renewals in Nevis, and Milestone birthdays in Cartagena - the world is her office! Her events have been featured in Vogue, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Brides Magazine, just to name a few & we are excited to hear more about Wish Upon a Wedding New York, in which she is the event chair. You can learn more about Fallon by visiting the links below!
Website
Instagram
Pinterest
Wish Upon a Wedding
Love the podcast? Please leave a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts!
To learn more about us & to see more of our work, please visit us our website & follow us on Instagram (@KateNealPhotography). If you or someone you know would like to talk to us about giving back please email us at kate@katenealphoto.com!
This week we are chatting with Darcy Miller of Darcy Miller Designs & her daughter, Ella-our youngest guest yet! Darcy is a party expert, bestselling author & illustrator & she believes that celebrating life is an art in itself. As the founder of lifestyle brand Darcy Miller Designs, her mission is to help everyone, everywhere, make every day special by sharing her inventive ideas for celebrating, creating, & making memories through her content, merchandise, video, & brand collaborations.
Over the course of more than twenty years as the editorial director of Martha Stewart Weddings, & now as editor-at-large, Darcy has become a leading celebrations expert. She is the author and illustrator of CELEBRATE EVERYTHING! (William Morrow, 2016), in which she shares her tips, inspiration and favorite parties, & the bestselling favorite OUR WEDDING SCRAPBOOK (William Morrow, 2004).
Her distinctive artwork & ingenious ideas have brought laughter and love to parties for luminaries including Martha Stewart, Drew Barrymore & other A-list celebrities, & exclusive collections for collaborators including Bloomingdales, Estee Lauder, Levis & more. Known for her ingenuity, creativity, & distinctive drawings, Darcy is committed to making life a celebration and is known for throwing a party you’ll never forget—& creative ways to document it so that you’ll remember it forever. Her favorite fêtes are the ones she hosts for her husband & daughters at their home in NYC, where "scrapboxes" commemorate family celebrations & D.I.T. (doing-it-together) makes every day worth celebrating. Her creativity & passion for giving back has rubbed off on her daughter, Ella & she will tell us more about Tie Dye for a Good Cause & Sunrise Association! Happy listening!
You can learn more about Darcy Miller Designs & Tie Dye For a Good Cause via the links below!
Darcy's Website
Darcy's Instagram
Darcy's Facebook
Darcy's Pinterest
Tie Dye for a Good Cause Website
Tie Dye for a Good Cause Instagram
Love the podcast? Please leave a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts!
To learn more about us & to see more of our work, please visit us our website & follow us on Instagram (@KateNealPhotography). If you or someone you know would like to talk to us about giving back please email us at kate@katenealphoto.com!
Join us as we talk to Chellise Michael today! Chellise is the co-owner of photo & video collective, Chellise Michael Photography, a group of photographers that feel that most wedding photography is fucking cheesy, posed, & too damn bright. They have spent the past decade rebelling against this formulaic style, with a heavy devotion to analog film alongside their digital cameras. They are known for cultivating personal relationships with their clients, lending them more access and comfort which is evident in their work, which is described as emotive, moody, film-like, rowdy, & artsy. We personally love her & she & Michael photographed us in Brooklyn a few years ago (see our cover image)! Hope you enjoy our chat about how they got started & how they give back to ACLU, ArtStart, Sunrise Movement, & Planned Parenthood-all causes that are important to them! You can learn more about Chellise & Chellise Michael Photography via the links below!
Website
Instagram
Facebook
Love the podcast? Please leave a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts!
To learn more about us & to see more of our work, please visit us our website & follow us on Instagram (@KateNealPhotography). If you or someone you know would like to talk to us about giving back please email us at kate@katenealphoto.com!
Today we are speaking with Leona Davis of Forget Me Knot Flowers. Leona, with her husband Tom, are changing the way wedding flowers are repurposed and enjoyed these days. With their organization, Leona and Tom pick up wedding and event flowers at the conclusion of the event, to give them a second life with the help of their many dedicated and creative volunteers.
Couples getting married have the option of giving back to their community, by working with Forget Me Knot Flowers to give their ’still beautiful’ wedding florals another purpose: to be enjoyed again by those in nursing care facilities, dealing with loneliness, illness or are experiencing difficult times. Making a difference like this is a perfect and most charitable way to start a marriage and end a celebration & we are excited to share this episode with you! You can learn more about Leona & Forget Me Knot Flowers via the links below!
Website
Instagram
Facebook
Love the podcast? Please leave a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts!
To learn more about us & to see more of our work, please visit us our website & follow us on Instagram (@KateNealPhotography). If you or someone you know would like to talk to us about giving back please email us at kate@katenealphoto.com!
Today we are speaking to Jove Meyer of Jove Meyer Events! JME is a boutique wedding planning and design firm for couples who dare to be different, powered by partnerships with fellow small businesses. They prioritize working with the best in the industry, and collaborating with businesses owned and operated by women, people of color, and queer people. They specialize in creative, personalized weddings that are a reflection of each couple's unique style, personality, and relationship. Jove believes in a relaxed approach when guiding the planning and design process, creating a fun and stress-free experience with as much champagne or tequila as possible.
Jove Meyer Events was born after Jove planned and designed his best friend's wedding in the summer of 2008 and loved every minute of it. In the years since he has been named one of the Top Wedding Planners in the world by Harper’s Bazaar. The Knot has called him a Wedding Wizard and listed him as one of the top 100 wedding pros! Us Weekly has named him a wedding guru and Brides has listed him as a top planner in America. He has also won the Couples Choice Award from WeddingWire and BizBash has listed him as top 500 event pros in the country. Jove and his work has been featured in magazines and blogs worldwide: The New York Times, Vogue, Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides, Refinery29, Marie Claire, Style Me Pretty, 100 Layer Cake, Ruffled and many more.
Jove Meyer is the host of the popular podcast Weddings-ish with Jove! He is the creator of the “Totes Getting Married” tote bag and the founder of the NYC Planners Dining Club - a group of wedding planners who gather to connect, dine and experience new vendors. Jove is also a regular event expert on The Rachael Ray Show! In addition to planning and designing, Jove speaks around the world to educate and inspire fellow event professionals.
Jove is a passionate advocate for marriage equality and inclusivity. He co-taught the first LGBT+ wedding webinar in partnership with The Knot and speaks about attracting and working with queer couples and running an inclusive company worldwide on stages including The Knot Workshops, the Engage Summit, Destination Wedding Planners Congress, and many others. Jove is also the creator of the Ally Pledge, a pledge for inclusivity and diversity in the events industry. Jove hopes that the pledge will set the tone that as an industry we chose love, above hate!
You can find Jove via the links below!
Website
Instagram
Facebook
Sign the Ally Pledge HERE!
Love the podcast? Please leave a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts!
To learn more about us & to see more of our work, please visit us our website & follow us on Instagram (@KateNealPhotography). If you or someone you know would like to talk to us about giving back please email
Today we are speaking to Kelly LaPlante, the founder and CEO of COCObundle, a social enterprise that celebrates individuals making inspiring transitions after experiencing homelessness or housing instability.
To welcome them home, COCObundle delivers gifts of new, quality home essentials. They also provide survival essentials for those currently experiencing homelessness & have worked hard throughout COVID-19 in many cities across the US including Philadelphia. We are thrilled to share that we partnered with COCObundle this past summer & a handful of our clients for 2021 & 2022 are excited about celebrating with impact by creating COCObundle registries. Hope you enjoy our 5th episode!
Website
Instagram (Business)
Instagram (Personal)
Love the podcast? Please leave a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts!
To learn more about us & to see more of our work, please visit us our website & follow us on Instagram (@KateNealPhotography). If you or someone you know would like to talk to us about giving back please email us at kate@katenealphoto.com!
In this weeks episode we are chatting with Oniki Hardtman, the founder & Creative Director of Oh Niki Occasions, which she founded in late 2015. Prior to launching her own business, she worked for some of the most recognized fashion brands in the world, holding various senior roles in Design, Merchandising, and Brand Management for nearly 20 years. On weekends that she was not managing the design process with factories in Asia, pitching new design concepts to major retailers throughout the US, or finding the latest trends in Europe for her full time fashion position, she spent her "free time" by doing Wedding Coordination with one of NJ's most renowned wedding planning firms.
With a desire to create beautiful experiences and spark joy for her own clients, she became a Certified Wedding Planner and founded Oh Niki Occasions to offer her unique set of skills in planning and designing weddings and events around the world with a penchant for the details - "Head to Toe, Start to Finish." Oniki remains Passport Ready at all times and is ready to bring to life events anywhere in the world. While gorgeous WEDDINGS are what she is known for, Oh Niki Occasions has created honeymoon & group experiences from AFRICA to ITALY, BERMUDA to COSTA RICA & many islands in between throughout THE CARIBBEAN as a Certified Sandals Specialist & Certified Destination Expert on some of her favorite Destinations! All the while, somehow consistently finding time to volunteer for her favorite charities such as Susan G. Komen where she has been a volunteer for over 16 years, has produced their black tie charity gala and has participated in 3 different 60 mile walk to raise money in the fight against breast cancer, just one of the causes very dear to her heart. You can find Oniki & more of the causes she is involved with via the links below!
Website
Instagram
Facebook
COCObundle
Susan G. Komen
One Hope Wine
Love the podcast? Please leave a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts!
To learn more about us & to see more of our work, please visit us our website & follow us on Instagram (@KateNealPhotography). If you or someone you know would like to talk to us about giving back please email us at kate@katenealphoto.com!
Join us as we talk to Ceci Johnson of Ceci New York & her work with the Birthday Party Project in this weeks episode!
A recognized force in the design world Ceci Johnson is an influential and highly regarded entrepreneur, artist, designer, editor and speaker on luxury invitations, graphic design and branding. We recently hired her agency to rebrand us & are so happy with our new look. Please check out the links below to learn more about Ceci & The Birthday Party Project!
Website
Instagram
Facebook
Personal Instagram
The Birthday Party Project
Love the podcast? Please leave a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts!
To learn more about us & to see more of our work, please visit us our website & follow us on Instagram (@KateNealPhotography). If you or someone you know would like to talk to us about giving back please email us at kate@katenealphoto.com.
Join us this week as we talk to Clay Dunn, the CEO of VOW to End Child Marriage. 12 million girls are married each year & that number will rise due to Covid19. We are airing this episode this week because it is leading up to International Day of the Girl this Sunday, October 11th. Please post a photo with your hand raised using the hashtag #VOWFORGIRLS & for every post, like, comment & share, Crate & Barrel & Sundance Now will donate $1, up to 85K, to Vow for Girls to stand up for girls' rights & to help end child marriage. Hope you enjoy learning more about Clay & VOW for Girls. You can learn more about them & how you can get involved by checking out the links below:
Website
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
Love the podcast? Please leave a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts!
To learn more about us & to see more of our work, please visit us our website & follow us on Instagram (@KateNealPhotography). If you or someone you know would like to talk to us about giving back please email us at kate@katenealphoto.com.
In our debut episode we will be chatting with José Rolón of José Rolón Events. An NYC based wedding planner, José specializes in luxury weddings & events & he started his Impact with Choice Initiative in late 2019. We are so excited to hear from him about what he has been up to & all about Impact with Choice & of course, his family TikTok fame! Enjoy!
Website
José Rolón Events Instagram
José Rolón Events Facebook
NYC Gay Dad Instagram
NYC Gay Dad TikTok
Love the podcast? Please leave a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts!
To learn more about us & to see more of our work, please visit us our website & follow us on Instagram (@KateNealPhotography). If you or someone you know would like to talk to us about giving back please email us at kate@katenealphoto.com.