What if your next wedding booking came from a vendor who already trusts you?

Wedding venue vendor relationships can lead to more referrals, repeat business, and a stronger reputation. Ashley, Kelsey, and Alex share how to build genuine connections with photographers, planners, caterers, and even other venue owners without treating everyone like competition.

They also explain how giving value, asking for advice, and being willing to reach out can open doors for your venue.

Know a venue owner who wants more referrals? Share this episode with them! Then join the Venue Nest community to connect with fellow wedding venue owners, exchange real-world advice, and get practical support for managing clients, protecting your business, and growing your venue.


00:00 Building Relationships for Recurring Business
01:31 Learning to Network
03:23 Why Networking Matters in the Wedding Industry
06:10 Building Relationships With Nearby Venues
08:58 Why Vendor Referrals Convert
10:54 Which Vendor Relationships to Build
13:06 Networking Through Conferences and Events
15:15 Just Ask and Show Up
16:41 Episode Takeaway: Ask Questions and Be Vulnerable
18:03 Closing and Community Invitation


Join our free community! https://live.venuenest.com/signup

Follow Us
Instagram (Venue Nest) https://www.instagram.com/venuenest
Instagram (Ashley) https://www.instagram.com/ashley.e.shepherd
Instagram (Kelsey) https://www.instagram.com/kelseyparcellsmith
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/venuenest
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@VenueNest
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@venue.nest

Is your wedding venue really ready for the next busy season?

The wedding venue off-season is when you should be preparing for what comes next. In this episode, Ashley and Kelsey break down four areas to focus on: marketing, finances, team feedback, and systems.

They share how they review the past year, plan their marketing budget, look at where the money is going, get honest feedback from employees, and make important changes before busy season starts.

Know a venue owner or venue director who needs to make better use of their off-season? Share this episode with them! Then join the Venue Nest community to connect with fellow wedding venue owners, exchange real-world advice, and get practical support for managing clients, protecting your business, and growing your venue.


00:00 Hiring and Training During the Off-Season
00:53 Why Off-Season Preparation Matters
02:12 Marketing Review and Planning
05:54 Financial Review and Budgeting
11:09 Employee Feedback and Year-End Reviews
15:38 Updating Systems, Contracts, and Staffing Plans
17:50 Four Off-Season Planning Priorities
19:01 Closing and Community Invitation


Join our free community! https://live.venuenest.com/signup

Follow Us
Instagram (Venue Nest) https://www.instagram.com/venuenest
Instagram (Ashley) https://www.instagram.com/ashley.e.shepherd
Instagram (Kelsey) https://www.instagram.com/kelseyparcellsmith
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/venuenest
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@VenueNest
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@venue.nest

When should a venue owner trust the numbers, and when should you trust your gut?

In this episode, Ashley and Kelsey break down proactive vs. reactive decision-making and how venue owners can use data, client feedback, and gut instinct to make better business decisions. You’ll learn how to recognize when you’re stuck in reactive mode, what numbers and feedback to review regularly, when to trust your gut with people, and how to plan ahead for repairs, updates, and changes before they become urgent problems.

If you feel like you’re constantly putting out fires instead of planning ahead, this episode will help you step back, figure out what’s actually working, and make clearer decisions with the next 3–5 years of your venue in mind.

Know a venue owner who is constantly putting out fires? Share this episode with them! Then join the Venue Nest community to connect with fellow wedding venue owners, exchange real-world advice, and get practical support for managing clients, protecting your business, and growing your venue.


00:00 Reactive Versus Proactive Decisions
04:33 Setting Aside Funds for Future Updates
06:39 When to Trust Gut or Data
08:59 Building Systems to Escape Reactive Mode
10:16 Reviewing Marketing, Feedback, and Finances
12:34 Team Check-Ins and Vendor Decisions
14:40 Balancing Data and Intuition
16:50 Envisioning the Future and Seeking Advice
19:06 Monthly Review Action Item
20:10 Closing and Community Invitation


Join our free community! https://live.venuenest.com/signup

Follow Us
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/venuenest
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/venuenest
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@VenueNest
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@venue.nest
Website https://www.venuenest.com/

Setting boundaries with wedding clients can be uncomfortable, but saying yes to everything could cost you more than a booking.

In this episode, Ashley and Kelsey share real stories of how bending the rules led to unpaid invoices, frustrated staff, and unhappy clients. They explain which boundaries should never be negotiated, when flexibility makes sense, and how to set expectations without damaging the client experience.

Share this episode with a venue owner or venue director who needs help setting stronger boundaries, and join the Venue Nest community for more resources and support for wedding venue owners.


00:00 Introduction to Setting Boundaries
02:02 The Importance of Clear Boundaries
06:03 Attaching a Cost to Exceptions
09:44 Non-Negotiable: Payment Schedules
11:01 The Nightmare of Late Payments
15:53 Examples of Negotiable Items
18:31 Setting Boundaries in a Warm Way
21:12 Actionable Steps for Venue Owners


Join our free community! https://live.venuenest.com/signup

Follow Us
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/venuenest
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/venuenest
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@VenueNest
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@venue.nest

What if automations could give you your time back without taking the human connection out of your business?

In this episode, Ashley and Kelsey break down wedding venue automations and how they use them to streamline their business, save time, and manage 150 weddings per venue each year. They share what to automate first, how to keep automations personal, and why some parts of the client experience should always stay human.

They also share how automating appointment reminders, final walkthrough forms, and Google review requests can reduce busywork while creating a better client experience.

it into an automation, and build from there. When you're ready to automate more of your business and get your time back, sign up for Venue Nest and let it help you streamline your venue operations while keeping the human connection at the center.


00:00 Introduction to Automations
01:08 Addressing Fears About Automation
03:24 Personalizing Automations
07:53 Simple Automation Starting Points
10:05 The 80/20 Rule of Automation
12:23 Automating the Final Walkthrough
17:22 Controlling Your Automations
19:31 Automating Google Review Requests
21:20 Creating a "Review Barrier"
23:22 Action Item for Listeners


Join our free community! https://live.venuenest.com/signup

Follow Us
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/venuenest
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/venuenest
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@VenueNest

Why do couples disappear after a venue tour? It may have less to do with your price and more to do with the connection you created.

In this episode of The Venue Nest Podcast, Ashley Shepherd and Kelsey Smith discuss why couples often "ghost" venue owners after tours. Drawing from a sales psychology training with expert Matt, they reveal how missed emotional connections can lead to lost bookings and share practical strategies for asking meaningful questions, practicing tour scripts, creating gentle urgency, and handling common objections with confidence.

The key takeaway? Successful venue sales isn't about being pushy. It's about listening, building trust, and guiding couples toward a decision that feels right for them.

Rate, review, and subscribe, and join the Venue Nest community for more support and resources for venue owners.


00:00 Introduction
03:27 Common Mistakes Venue Owners Make
05:01 The First Five Minutes of a Tour
07:14 Key Questions to Build Trust
09:30 Creating and Practicing a Tour Script
14:33 The Power of How You Make Couples Feel
19:28 Handling Common Objections
23:36 Actionable Takeaways for Listeners


Join our free community! https://live.venuenest.com/signup

Follow Us
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/venuenest
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/venuenest
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@VenueNest
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@venue.nest
Website https://www.venuenest.com/

Google reviews can make or break your wedding venue’s reputation.

In this episode of The Venue Nest Podcast, Ashley Shepherd and Kelsey Smith break down how venue owners can build a strong reputation through Google reviews, client testimonials, vendor relationships, and consistent customer experiences. They share practical strategies for getting more reviews, responding to negative feedback, repurposing testimonials on social media, and capturing authentic client experiences.

The key takeaway? Your reputation is built through thousands of small moments that create trust.

Rate, review, and subscribe, and join the Venue Nest community for more support and resources for venue owners.


00:00 The Power of Reputation
03:00 Strategies for Getting Initial Reviews
06:03 Incentivizing Employees to Collect Reviews
08:39 Responding to Negative Reviews
10:31 The Importance of Reviews for AI and SEO
11:32 Repurposing Reviews for Social Media
13:34 Capturing Reviews on the Event Day
16:02 Building a Consistent Brand Over Time
18:15 The Optimal Timing for Review Requests
20:19 Leveraging Vendor Relationships


Join our free community! https://live.venuenest.com/signup

Follow Us
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/venuenest
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/venuenest
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@VenueNest
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@venue.nest
Website https://www.venuenest.com/

Competition is everywhere in the wedding industry, but does it have to be?

In this episode of The Venue Nest Podcast, Ashley Shepherd and Kelsey Smith explore what can happen when wedding professionals choose community over competition. Ashley shares the experience that completely changed the way she viewed other venue owners and vendors, including the powerful lesson that “there is room for everyone.”

That lesson eventually inspired Vendor Friendsgiving, an annual event that brings 150+ wedding vendors together for connection, vulnerability, networking, and service. Ashley and Kelsey break down how the event works and share practical ideas for creating a supportive vendor community of your own, even if you’re starting with just 10 or 20 people.

They also share a full-circle moment from last year’s Vendor Friendsgiving, when Ashley and the very venue owner who taught her that there is room for everyone showed up wearing the exact same outfit—pants, vest, undershirt, and even glasses. What began as a difficult lesson about competition eventually became a genuine friendship built on trust, respect, and mutual support.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re competing for the same clients, struggled to trust other vendors, or felt like you have to figure everything out alone, this episode is a reminder that you don’t have to build your business in isolation. There is room for everyone.

Rate, review, and subscribe, and join the Venue Nest community for more support, connection, and resources for venue owners.


00:00 A Lesson in Community
03:24 There is Room for Everyone
05:45 Introducing Vendor Friendsgiving
09:05 How to Organize a Community Event
12:54 A Full-Circle Moment
17:16 Building a Support System
18:37 Start Small and Find Your People


Join our free community! https://live.venuenest.com/signup

Follow Us
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/venuenest
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/venuenest
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@VenueNest
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@venue.nest
Website https://www.venuenest.com/