GET ENTERTAINED WITH LUCY BLACK
April 6. 2021
Featuring an interview from The Wedding Dish Podcast; Originally recorded October 24, 2019
SARA: Hey hey hey! Welcome to another episode of The Wedding Dish. The podcast where we talk with real married or engaged couples wedding pros in the DMV area, and we read listener’s stories about all things wedding. You'll hear tips, tidbits, funny stories, because sometimes you've just got to laugh at life's craziest moments.
STEPH: That's Sara Alepin, owner of District Bliss and co-owner of Photos from the Harty.
SARA: And that's Steph Norton, entrepreneur and producer of The Wedding Dish. We're coming at you from The Line Hotel in Adams Morgan, DC over Full Service Radio and we've got Clouseau, our Frenchie, over here in his little podcasting co-host seat. So, today we will be hanging out with Rebecca and Lauren, the lovely owners of Lucy Black Entertainment, which is a DC based talent agency, and entertainment agency and they represent tons of fantastic bands, DJs, and so much more than that. They also are supporting the community which we love and I've even dubbed what they do on Fridays as Female Founder Friday on Instagram because they highlight different women owned businesses in the DMV and talk about why they're amazing, and, like, it's just it's super rad so thank you guys for being here.
REBECCA & LAUREN: Thanks for having us. Thank you.
STEPH: Yeah, thanks you guys for coming in today and I would ask you how you been, but we're kind of just continuing our lunch we've been having in the lobby here. Yeah, I hope that my rosé is as good as the one we were having outside but who knows. We'll figure it out. So yeah, let's talk about your experience as wedding professionals. Yeah, and as entrepreneurs, right, Sara?
SARA: Yeah, so that's what we're going to talk about on today's episode and we will also be asking you about your experience as married humans.
REBECCA: Well, what do you want to know?
SARA: Well, let's get into it.
STEPH: So how long has Lucy Black Entertainment been in existence?
LAUREN: So we've actually been in business for just over a year [August, 2018]. We celebrated our anniversary in August, very exciting.
SARA & STEPH: Congratulations! Congratulations!
LAUREN: Thank you.
SARA: I missed it and I already got the business, but they missed the cocktail hour where I was speaking.
REBECCA: We did.
SARA: And they didn't feel nearly as bad about that.
REBECCA: No.
ALL: (Laughing)
STEP: So you guys are based in the DMV, right? Do you have an office? Do you co-work? Do you work out of your house? What is that?
REBECCA: Well, we actually both have our own office at home, but many times we'll have meetings during the week with each other, and usually I go to Lauren's house.
STEPH: Are you guys both in DC?
REBECCA: I'm in DC and Lauren's in Takoma Park
STEPH: Okay, perfect. Takoma Park, Maryland for people who don't know. Sorry about that.
LAUREN: Yeah, hippie-dippy granola land.
STEPH: Shout out to Takoma Park. And so, we were talking a little bit about that you were in the industry and then you guys kind of came together and formed your own business. Can you tell us a little bit about how you guys came together? Tell us the origin story; the founder story.
REBECCA: Oh man, how far back does this story need to go?
SARA: When you were three years old...
REBECCA: We knew we'd know each other later. No, so I will start the beating but I'll be brief and I'll go fast, I promise. So we actually met in college. Lauren was a freshman, I was a junior, and she didn't speak to me for a year and that's fine because she ended up marrying the boyfriend she was with then, like 12 years later.
LAUREN: Save that for later.
REBECCA: Oh, definitely, totally different story. We’ll do that next time.
STEPH: What school did you guys go to?
REBECCA: We went to the University of Memphis.
STEPH: Okay.
REBECCA: So we were both Viola majors. We were in the same Viola studio and we literally became best friends.
LAUREN: Kind of like insta-friends.
REBECCA: Yeah, we would joke that we were each other's only friend. And there were other people around us but like we were just always pretty inseparable. Yeah. And so I guess life took us in different directions. I moved up here actually to go to University of Maryland for my masters.
LAUREN: I'd been in England for my Masters and Rebecca convinced me to move to DC actually about, wow, five years ago now, so she's the reason for all of this.
SARA: Wow, that’s major.
LAUREN: Yeah, so on a whim. Yeah, no job, no nothing just, “Hey, move to DC. Okay.”
STEPH: Were you married then or no?
LAUREN: No
SARA: Okay, no. Okay, wow. So you're very convincing.
REBECCA: I am.
LAUREN: She really is.
REBECCA: Well, and it's fun because she moved up here with no job and, and really just wanted to get a new direction in life. And at the time I was working for another company and she ended up actually being my assistant, funny enough, and I was actually kind of against it from the beginning, but we ended up working really well together and it's hard, as literally best friends like we're almost like sisters, to work together. And we did end up working very, very closely in a leadership position in another company for four years.
LAUREN: Yeah, I think’s right.
REBECCA: And so we knew…
SARA: In entertainment? In entertainment in DC? Okay.
REBECCA: Yeah, in the industry and so we knew that we could do this. So when we decided to, well I guess I decided to go off on my own and Lauren eventually came with, and we just knew we could do it, and we had a really good relationship so about a year and a few months ago, whatever that is now.
STEPH: That's amazing. Yeah. Congratulations to you guys.
REBECCA: Thank you.
SARA: It is always scary to start working with your best friend or your family member because it can crash and burn but you guys do have such a solid relationship in and outside of work, it's super fun. And I have been continually impressed with that. And I actually was, I knew Rebecca was going off on her own and had secret plans of hoping that Lauren would eventually join her. And that was one of the reasons behind the name Lucy Black.
LAUREN: Yes, absolutely.
REBECCA: Yeah, it's funny because it was really hard, coming up with a name for a company because we do music but it's so much more than music and as being one of the first female owned entertainment companies that's really focusing on music, I know there's a few others that do immersive entertainment. I think there's a couple more maybe in Maryland that are women-owned music. Yeah, but there's not a lot of us, and so we wanted something really feminine, but really strong. And that's hard to do because I think our minds went to music.
LAUREN: We were coming up with lame music terms and none of it really none of it really stuck.
REBECCA: And it was kind of flowery and wedding-y and then we were like this is just not us .And I guess, truth be told, it was like four in the morning, I had a bottle of wine…
SARA: Great start.
REBECCA: It was a great start and I had been, like, literally hours of trying to come up with ideas and we, I was sitting there and I looked over my on a table in my living room and there was a photo of my black lab, Lucy. And so I immediately went to like Black Lab Entertainment but we actually have a dear friend who runs Labrador Entertainment, I was like, “That's too close to him.” Shout out to Jason Labrador! We love him. And I was like, “That's not gonna work like that's not what we want,” and we really wanted something that was feminine and so I was like well Lucy’s a fun name. I was like Lucy Black, like, huh, and then I realize I'm like, that's really a great fit because Lauren has a chiweenie named Lulu. And we used to joke, because Lucy passed in February and she got Lulu in July. And so I would joke that she named her in memory of my Lucy. So it really does work on a lot of levels. And then Lauren pointed out to me that Lucy Black is LB, Lauren and Becca, because that's what I go by .
SARA: Oh that’s cute.
REBECCA: Yeah, I didn't see it. I was proud. So that's kind of our origin story. I think that was the question.
LAUREN: Yeah, in a roundabout way.
STEPH: Yeah, so, you guys have been out on your own for a year. So what's the coolest thing about having your own business?
LAUREN: I think really just working for yourself. Knowing that you can do whatever you want, at any time that you want because you're in charge. And obviously we have a partnership. We chat with each other about our ideas and about the different things that we want to do and you know that's really I think what we found the best. We don't have to answer to anyone except ourselves, and just really the sky's the limit for what we can do with our business and how we want to see it shift and grow.
SARA: That's great.
REBECCA: Well, we want to have world domination.
LAUREN: Yes, that is a goal!
REBECCA: So, as we build our empire, it's nice to build something for yourself.
SARA: The same answer. Not something different at all.
REBECCA: It’s kind of the joke, but not really. Like Lauren said like doing it on your own but also being able to build something, you know build something that's ours and build something that is really personal, you know? It’s a lot of fun.
STEPH: So do you guys, you guys obviously have known each other for a while since you went to college together. Do you have any funny stories you want to share? If you don’t, the alternative would be a funny story from working in this industry.
REBECCA: Okay, I think the industry stories. Yeah, like it threw me with the personal story.
STEPH: I saw panic and fear. Let’s have more rosé.
SARA: I'll circle back to that in my portion of the questions.
REBECCA: I think one of the funniest things we've ever seen. Actually, were not on site, but a band that we worked with several years ago, they were at a holiday party, and we started getting this, they would put it on a group text, and it was quite honestly like the funniest thing ever. I love being on a group text, and it started sending me like dancing emojis and poop emojis. And we were like, “What is happening? “
LAUREN: They were blowing up our phones.
REBECCA: Like literally blowing up our phones and then finally our sound engineer stepped in and was like telling us what happened is I guess a disgruntled employee…
LAUREN: Yeah, disgruntled ex-employee potentially had been fired recently. This is a holiday party and she was angry so came into the party and decided that she wanted to go number two on the dance floor in the middle of the party.
REBECCA: At the company.
SARA: Was she wearing a dress or a skirt?
REBECCA: She was wearing a dress from what we understand. And what's funnier is she popped a squad got kicked out, changed, and came back.
STEPH: Wow. That’s dedication.
LAUREN: She was really motivated.
STEPH: Were people, like was it in the middle? Were people like drinking and already into the party or was it right in the beginning?
REBECCA: I think it was towards the beginning because from what we understood the dance floor was not packed.
STEPH: So she didn't want the party to happen?
REBECCA: It’s hard to say. We think there might have been alcohol involved.
STEPH: Probably lots of it. And a lot of anger.
SARA: Did anyone slip?
REBECCA: No, no, I'm pretty sure the band was the one who flagged it and like they were the ones who like made sure that it got cleaned up and no one stepped in it, because no one's really on the dance floor yet but like how, like, you can't make this stuff up. It's kind of like one of those moments I'm like, if they had not sent me a photo which I was not super happy about. But at the same time like I saw a photo, and I was like, you've got to be kidding me, did not actually happen.
STEPH: Only in Washington DC. This is real revenge. Classy.
REBECCA: It was so funny.
SARA: Oh my goodness. That’s like, I've heard of a lot of things as many of you know I used to be a teacher, there were a lot of things that happened at homecomings and proms. Chairs had to be removed from the cafeteria for homecoming after one of my former students gave a whole line of people lap dances.
REBECCA: Oh my gosh.
LAUREN: Classy.
SARA: There were a couple other things like people doing it on the dance.
LAUREN: Oh, what grades?
SARA: High school.
LAUREN: Oh.
STEPH: Lovely.
SARA: Yes, yes. So, but I, so I can kind of picture how this could happen and people might not notice
LAUREN: But grown adults.
SARA: Except it’s an adult, not a 16 year old.
REBECCA: And the layout of the space because all the people listening are probably thinking what the heck? Because of the layout, everyone was kind of on one side of the room doing the cocktail thing.
STEPH: Right. That’s what I was wondering.
LAUREN: You know, some low lighting, perhaps. Setting the mood.
REBECCA: Right. And the band was on the other side of the room but playing. You know? They were trying to like still set the mood, but they weren’t full dance party yet.
STEPH: Make things work. Oh my God.
REBECCA: So people were really on the other side of the room and like that’s just … What goes through one’s head?
SARA: I, you know, there has to be a wiping question here. I just…
STEPH: So moving on.
REBECCA: She’s going to keep us clean here. I can sense it already.
STEPH: We’re going to move it along.
SARA: She keeps me in line.
STEPH: So you guys. It sounds wonderful, right? Like you came out of another company, so you had experience and you guys had a good relationship, so you had some history. So you had a lot of things going for you. But what have the challenges been? Like what have some of the challenges been of setting up your own business, especially that your women?
LAUREN: Yeah
STEPH: In this kind of male dominated industry? I mean, the music industry sort of is.
SARA: Yeah, but there are a lot of wedding parts that are not. So, specifically in the music industry?
LAUREN: Exactly, because obviously most wedding planners are typically females, which people are drawn to and then there's a whole kind of club there, whereas the music entertainment side as we said mostly male. So us being female kind of trying to forge our own path. And, you know show everyone that there's a different way of doing things. We've received a lot of really positive response in that respect, which has been great for us in our business, but that's definitely something that we've sort of had to overcome. With all of this sort of old school if you will, types that are already in this industry.
REBECCA: Yeah, I definitely, I definitely think being women is, it’s a challenge in that I think people don't necessarily take you seriously at first. And the people who know us do. I mean that's, that's definitely a given, but you know, and I think there's a level of respect, but I also think it's like, do you really know what you're doing? You know what I mean? And, you know, maybe that's because we're new but sometimes it feels like, because we're women. Yeah, so not gonna put words in anyone's mouth.
LAUREN: We see it as a strength.
REBECCA: And we've definitely felt, you know I've been feeling it for the past probably five years, there's a big shift in our industry right now not just entertainment but in the wedding industry in general, how people perceive things. How people do things. But even our consumer. how people, buy things. And we've seen the wedding planners shift, probably the most, and it's definitely been later to trickle into the music side of things.
SARA: Yeah, and photography is pretty much split. In a very interesting way. For me, I didn't care about the gender of my photographer at all. I wanted the photos but we have had some people who have been like, “Oh well I only want a female because I have to get dressed in front of them.”
STEPH: Interesting.
SARA: Or we've had couples who have been like, “So, is there a male on your team because they're probably more like fun and jovial?” and I'm like, Yeah, I'm the fun, jovial one. Have you met me? But it is interesting how the in the wedding industry there has been such a shift in a lot of places and in photography is one of its kind of a place where people play equally, whereas in, it's definitely male dominated in your industry.
REBECCA: I think the other thing that's interesting about the music side is there are, I mean there's a lot of musicians in town. There's a lot of bands in town.
SARA: There's a lot of talent.
REBECCA: There's a lot of town but there's, there's major players in the agent world, if you will. And historically, I think most agencies are larger and not across the board, but in general that's kind of the model of having a ton of bands, and a ton of options. And so one thing we've strived to do is instead of you coming to us and saying your date and your budget and we just show you what we have, we really do try and help do the research for you so I might pull from a lot of these agencies bands but I'm gonna look at 50 videos to show you one band. And we're also trying really hard to find the independent teams that maybe aren't with any agencies and I think that's something that's um, it's kind of on the rise, I think is these independent teams, and these musicians who are kind of taking a hold of what they do and saying, “You know, this is what we want to do and how we want to do it.”
LAUREN: I think as musicians ourselves we are more drawn to that because we feel for them and we understand them and want to help them.
STEPH: Right. It's just like the college athletes, right? Are getting to own their own image and make money younger, you know? If you're good, you're probably good at, you know, younger, older, so it's just a matter of, you know, if somebody wants to take you on, then great. If they don't, your talent should be enough to get you noticed and get you working.
REBECCA: Yeah, and it's been fun because we've gotten to expand just who we know and then by knowing certain musicians, certain singers, certain people, they want to introduce us to other people. And it's been really cool finding new talent or people who have been in agency bands who are now looking to forge their own way, which is fun.
STEPH: I love it. So you guys are like, showing the model to your clients, because you're doing - it's like Jerry Maguire. You're like breaking off into your own and you're showing them like hey, you know, do it on your own way. So I don't know how Jerry Maguire came into this but I think we might need to take a break.
SARA: That sounds good.
REBECCA: You had me at hello, Sara.
SARA: I love it. We will see you guys back in a few minutes.
SARA: And we are back. So, Steph appropriately terrified them during the break about my portion of this podcast and Clou actually got up from his little nap, and came over to participate in this. So, from his little, can I nap until the weekend, blanket that he brings with him wherever he. Alright ladies, let's talk about your weddings.
REBECCA: Let's do it.
SARA: Because I know they were both super different, and you both were at each other's with is also a super fun.
LAUREN: Sadly, I actually was not at Rebecca’s wedding
SARA: I was making an assumption.
LAUREN: It was so sad.
REBECCA: It was. It was super sad.
SARA: This is what happens when you assume, guys.
REBECCA: She was supposed to be, but life did not make it happen.
SARA: Oh man, I would ask the story but you're not offering it so I won't. I'll start off easy.
REBECCA: That’s for more rosé, Sara.
STEPH: We can talk about Rebecca's wedding.
SARA: We're talking about both of them, so neither of you are off the hook. And so what if anything would you change about your wedding day?
LAUREN: I think we both actually said hilariously that we would have hired a planner.
REBECCA: Yeah, 100%.
LAUREN: And I even got married at a time where I had already been in the industry for a little while and I still didn't, because, I just…
REBECCA: And for the record, I tried to make her hire one, because I was like…
SARA: I remember you telling me that I was like I have some recommendations. Let me introduce you to people.
REBECCA: And I have so many planner friends who I know would have done an amazing job and I think because I had already had my wedding and I knew, oh my gosh, if I had not had the caterer I had, there's, there's still so many things that didn't go how I wanted, and you just don't know how much there is and so like literally when Lauren and I started this, we were like, how can we convince all of our clients to get a planner? Because it's so important and they don't realize that like it's not just gonna make their day easier, it makes all of the partners on the team have an easier day just, well, if you have a good and qualified professional planner.
SARA: Experience.
REBECCA: I will say that very specifically.
SARA: As opposed to…
REBECCA: Your neighbor who planned their own wedding.
STEPH: Angie's List, or?
REBECCA: So I can speak to Angie's list and we have worked with them, and it is a nightmare. So don't make my life harder,
SARA: Not Angie's List. Just to be clear. Yeah. Yeah, your neighbor down the street, always a little bit harder, also tends to drink on the job, as I've noticed in my wedding experience which starts to get kind of unwind the night, a little bit faster than you want the night to unwind.
STEPH: We drink on the job just to be clear.
SARA: I mean, I drink on the podcasting job and the District Bliss job. But I, I do not drink when I'm photographing because my eyes have to read that meter and if there's any blurriness it is going to be a problem.
REBECCA: And you know what's funny is we try so hard to help our musicians see like, why we don't let them drink. Yeah, but it's funny because they're used to doing bar gigs or like jazz where drinking is very appropriate and it's fine. And I'm like, you don't get it like I don't care that the client offered you alcohol just don't drink it. Drink it afterwards. It's just five hours.
SARA: Yeah, like, whatever, you know at the end of the night, like, feel free to sit down and have a glass of wine, I'm sure there's something left over.
REBECCA: Oh we don't do that, but that's okay.
SARA: I know when we worked together for the couple social that we had with District Bliss, they, I was like, you guys can let them have wine.
REBECCA: We did bend the rules that day.
STEPH: Musicians love to get a tip though and not be paid and alcohol, and that's like a thing that happens sometimes. So it's like,
SARA: Like, you drink on the job but then we're not going to tip you. I totally get that. But yes, going back to planners, that was like, if I didn't have a planner, my day would have been horrible and when we interviewed Vanessa Young from Little Black Book last week.
REBECCA: We love her by the way.
SARA: She's so lovely. Yeah. And so our last Wedding Dish episode, she was talking about, there were there was like a situation where chairs didn't show up but the tables showed up, and she had to like fast track calling in chairs, and you just don't anticipate that kind of thing that's just not. I mean, it's like what happened at my wedding which I also mentioned the caterer saying that my guests had to buss the tables, which I, when I say my guests, there were 17 guests at my wedding. 19 total people, and part of them are like my 75 year old Well, I mean now Dad and Mom, and and Felipe's mom is the same age, so like, they shouldn't be bussing any tables, come on. Get out of here.
REBECCA: Well and it’s even like, and I'm not trying to get off my wedding, but like with Lauren's wedding. So I was her maid of honor.
LAUREN: My wedding was amazing.
REBECCA: It was. It was an awesome wedding, but it was small.
SARA: And you both looked beautiful.
REBECCA & LAUREN: Thank you.
REBECCA: But her wedding we had a special musical guest that she had brought in to surprise her husband, and she was super clear with the catering team, that it was like one song, and then get up dinner. Well they didn't come out with dinner. So I jump up and go back to the kitchen, and I was like, and of course, like I'm the maid of honor, which is awkward because they don't realize that we're in the events world.
LAUREN: I was like, “Becca!”
STEPH: Oh my gosh I love this scene.
REBECCA: Well, I did ask permission because I was like Lauren, like, looking at my watch.
LAUREN: And literally that was one of the things that my now husband, he hates most about weddings; when the entrée takes forever. You're sitting in the reception; you're like, what's going on? There were just a couple of tiny things that were like this that we didn’t want this to happen at our wedding. And then it happened and I was like, oh my gosh.
REBECCA: Well, and I ran back there and they were standing there and they were like, “Well we were told after the performance.” and I was like, “No, look at your timeline. You were told one song. Get the entrées out right now!” I’m like yelling at the wait staff. They didn’t know who I was.
STEPH: They’re like, that’s a really aggressive maid of honor. She really knows that time line.
REBECCA: I decided that after that I should really actually be a professional maid of honor. Like, I will be your maid of honor and I will tackle someone. I almost tackled an old woman on her wedding day too. Different story. Well, when your dress broke. Before the ceremony.
SARA: We need the story.
REBECCA: The strap on her dress popped before the ceremony.
LAUREN: Right before.
REBECCA: Like literally we're like getting ready to go on stage for the ceremony. So I didn't have my sewing kit because I was the maid of honor, but I had it upstairs. So I'm like, tackling people to get to the elevator and literally like there was this woman. I think she had a cane, no walker. And I like tried really hard to like get past her fast without knocking her over. But actually, the hotel saved the day and she sewed up her dress.
LAUREN: She did, well she came with the kit and my mom is a seamstress and she sewed it up.
STEPH: Wow.
REBECCA: She got the kit. And the elevator took forever. I just couldn't save the day that time.
STEPH: That’s so great. I love it.
SARA: But the old lady stayed on her feet and cane.
REBECCA: It was one of those like wobble kind of moments.
SARA: Did she like spin around like a cartoon?
REBECCA: I so wish. It was more of like you breeze past someone and they like loose your balance. I know these gesticulations are not coming through on the air. But yeah.
SARA: I mean just imagine someone spinning around and the whoop whoop whoop whoop thing. The drag from Rebecca running by her made her spin in circles. So, how did you guys end up choosing your wedding vendors? I know Lauren you weren’t in the industry yet, but Rebecca you were in the industry?
LAUREN: Other way around.
REBECCA: So I wasn't in industry, but I had just been doing like when I did weddings, I mostly been doing ceremony and cocktail hour music. So I wasn't like, I knew a couple planners, and I knew a couple of people, but I didn't know them like we do now.
LAUREN: Not super well.
REBECCA: Yeah, it was not the same. And in 2009 Google was also not the same. But that's kind of how I found mine that's short and sweet, and if their photos suck I moved on, I didn't even.
SARA: You know, honestly, that is absolutely the way that I went through ours too. And that's also why we always share our photos with all of our vendors.
REBECCA: Which we greatly appreciate.
SARA: We have some great photos of your events, some of your bands.
REBECCA: Oh, you do actually do. You do.
SARA: I've been putting them on our social media this week. At the wedding dish podcast
REBECCA: I noticed.
STEPH: That’s @theweddingdishpodcast on Instagram. Thanks, guys. Follow us.
SARA: Stephanie is always there for helping me out on those. That's why she's the producer and not the co-host which she’s still holding on to thinking she's not our co-host.
REBECA: I mean, I'm convinced.
SARA: Lauren, what about you?
LAUREN: So, I actually, most of my vendors were either recommendations or friends that I already had in the industry, so that was really helpful. My venue, I actually hadn't heard of but I received the recommendation from another person who I’d gone to them and asked about their venue was way out of our budget, they said, “Hey why don't we try this?” and it was perfect, you know? Our wedding was 50 people, well it wasn't even 50. It was very small, very intimate.
SARA: Oh I didn’t know it was that small.
STEPH: Where were both of your venues?
LAUREN: So mine was Mason and Rook. It’s a Kimpton property in Logan Circle.
REBECCA: And mine was at Oxon Hill Manor.
LAUREN: So my husband has basically two best friends and they're like the three musketeers and those, those are the only people he needs. That's it. They're adorable. They've been friends since college. And so, having a huge full on thing is not, it's not really our thing and then obviously I have Rebecca, and then I had another good friend of mine and, you know his family is smaller minus huge, and it was actually my second wedding so it wasn't, it wasn't a huge, huge to do so it was just really nice and intimate and really had all the things that we wanted.
SARA: Which is so important. And I know Rebecca you were set on not doing a hotel.
REBECCA: So that's what's so funny now, is that like I really was, I was like we're in DC, let’s have a really cool property and like I had a lot of family coming in from out of town, and I love history like those of you who know me know I'm a huge nerd. I will hold that as a banner.
SARA: I mean, it's a cool nerd,
REBECCA: We’ll pretend that true. But it's funny because I really did want something unique, and I found Oxon Hill Manor. I'd never heard of it and now of course, I've seen it all the time. It's a beautiful property. It's small, so we had only 100 people for a seated dinner, private reception.
STEPH: Is that in Maryland?
REBECCA: Yeah, it’s near the National Harbor.
STEPH: Okay, yeah.
REBECCA: And it's historic. I think it was like George Washington's nephew or something.
SARA: Yeah something like that.
REBECCA: Yeah, it super cute. And so, in wanting that I wanted the character so I didn't have a lot of florals, I didn't have any decor. But the problem is, then you have to bring in everything, and I really didn't. I really didn't understand what that meant, like I, in my head knew that that's what I had to do but then when I, the execution happened. And now that we've been doing this on a completely different level like being at hotels, there's just something to be said about being in a venue, it doesn't even have to be a hotel, but a venue that has a kitchen, a venue that has tables and chairs and a certified bartender, you know like, those are things you don’t always think about but I mean, I still wouldn't have changed it. I loved our venue, and the caterer we worked, with which I don't remember now. It's not someone I've run across since I've been on our own I should look them up, but they were amazing and they actually saved our day, across the board, which was great. It really they were amazing.
SARA: We’ll give them a shout out on our blog when you figure it out who It was.
REBECCA: Yeah, it was something on L Street. I don't even know if they like literally on L was what the name was.
SARA: Yeah, um, oh my gosh.
REBECCA: It's like Elizabeth on L?
SARA: Oh yeah, it’s something like that or like Liz, or like Eliza on L.
REBECCA: It’s terrible. We’re terrible.
STEPH: Check the blog, we’ll figure it out.
LAUREN: Yeah, if you’re listening, tell us.
REBECCA: Yeah
SARA: Always feel free to correct us.
REBECCA: And really, like the woman who took charge and I know she had left after cause she asked me for a recommendation because, you know, she was doing her own thing, but she was. I mean, from start to finish this team was amazing, and they, they help us in ways that I didn't foresee and looking back was like not their job.
STEPH: Like emotional support? Coordination?
REBECCA: Coordination. Yeah, they were the ones who were like, “Oh you know you have to have a seating chart and a floor plan and a timeline.” and I was like, “Meh, sure.”
LAUREN: Logistics. Execution.
REBECCA: Which are now really our strong suits but like at the time I was like, I knew the basic timeline but what do you mean I have to have a time they have to pour champagne? Oh yeah, toasts!
STEPH: So what did you guys want for music at your weddings? So, you said you had a special, a special guest.
LAUREN: I did. So I had I had a couple of things. I always, I'm a string player, so I is Rebecca. We're both violists, so having a string quartet was super important to me for the ceremony and the cocktail hour. And I really enjoy all kinds of music. I think it’s super fun on strings and they do pop music, and so I sort of had this whole orchestrated musical timeline that I had in my head for the entire ceremony. I actually had arrangements that were exact lengths of time for each section of people walking down the aisle, for myself. The song that played before the processional even started.
REBECCA: Her husband cried.
LAUREN: It all worked out. Yeah, my husband cried.
REBECCA: Of course, I was crying the whole time.
LAUREN: She was.
REBECCA: The whole engagement, let's be honest.
LAUREN: And so, I knew I wanted to create something really special for my husband during the wedding itself. I wanted to surprise him with something so he had kind of like a life anthem Bon Iver song and I knew an artist that I felt would be really amazing. Shout out Justin Trawick. I had him do a cover of that song and that was the artist we were talking about earlier, who was performing during dinner and then we said, “Hey, bring the entrees out after the first song.”
STEPH: Wait, what was the song again?
LAUREN: So the song is actually called “Stacks” well actually, “Re: Stacks”. Okay, it's kind of it's an interesting song and the lyrics are also interesting, but my husband has been through a lot in his life and that was just something that he always, no matter what was happening, that was something that he has loved and listened to.
STEPH: And who’s the artist?
LAUREN: Bon Iver
STEPH: Bon Iver. Oh, okay I love it. Might have to put that up on the blog.
SARA: Yeah, we may have to link to that.
STEPH: I'm crying right now. I just need to cry. Yeah, that’s so beautiful.
LAUREN: So then I, you know, that was really exciting to be able to surprise him with that and obviously it was a music thing that was going to be my surprise as a musician. He works in law administration for the government so he's like, opposite. And then we had a DJ just to play, you know all the fun new stuff that I like during the reception, you know, it was smaller so a band wasn't really something that we were going to be able to do, even though that would have been amazing.
REBECCA: I did look into it. So I had plans to surprise her with a band.
LAUREN: She did.
REBECCA: I actually had a band.
SARA: You had plans.
LAUREN: Always.
REBECCA: Literally, I do. I had a band that I had talked to every single musician and I had basically put them on hold and I was like, look, obviously if you get booked for a wedding that day, you know we won't make this happen. But they did end up getting booked that day. And it was so sad, like we were super excited, they had plans of how they were going to come in and surprise her and like how we would hide the drum kit and like it, an orchestration, but of course then day on I was like it never would have worked.
LAUREN: But the DJ was also a friend, and the total vibe with him, gels with what I love and it was it was amazing.
REBECCA: It was absolutely perfect.
SARA: Did you have a band at your wedding?
REBECCA: Yeah, so we actually it's funny because as she mentioned, as we're string players. Because that was my thing. Yes, Jon's a double bass player and electric bass. So that's how we met was in an orchestra.
SARA: Which is super fun by the way I watched him like play like the big standup bass and then play like the, yeah upright. Thank you. And then the electric bass, and like switch ’em out. It was so fun to watch that happen.
REBECCA: So fun.
STEPH: He's pretty awesome.
REBECCA: He is.
STEPH: Bass players are awesome. Shout out to bass players.
SARA: Also, shout out to Jon who is awesome.
REBECCA: And what's funny about it all is that like we did not well I shouldn't say we, I did not want strings at our wedding, like, I just didn't, and I'm back to being a music nerd. We have a friend who's a concert pianist, and so we basically created a concert. And his wife was our pseudo-planner. Like she's amazing, even though she's not a planner at all. But he like literally orchestrated it that he played you know Beethoven and I came into Debussy, but not for like a minute and my onsite coordinator at the church, not a professional wedding planner, side note.
SARA: Yes, not the same thing.
REBECCA: She was furious with me. She's like, “You can't do that.” I was like, “Actually I can. Watch me. We're about to do that.”
STEPH: I'm sitting with three redheads and they know what they want.
REBECCA: But it was awesome because it was like a mini concert and like, he asked me what was amazing. It was so fun and he was like, “What do you want for the recessional?” I'm like, “Well what are you working on?” and he did some Haydn concerto and it was like a variation so he started the most insane awesome variation for us to end, and then I was like, “Just do what you want, like, just, just be awesome.”
STEPH: I love it.
REBECCA: But then for our band, we did actually have a band that I put together with all of my friends and I really didn't think it through, cause I was like, “Oh, we're not really big dancers” you know? I love music, but I'm not going to really dance. I used to swing sing, dance, but it's not the same. Forgetting that I have friends who are professional dancers. So everyone danced, it was like, hilarious because we didn't really have a vocalist, it was literally like a jazz band that was playing, that's playing upbeat fun music all night. We had a blast.
SARA: That’s fun. It’s like old DC.
REBECCA: It was very fun, and like the group was just good friends, they were people we love and I still use them.
STEPH: Beautiful.
REBECCA: Yeah, we had a good time.
SARA: That is so so perfect. Yeah, I love it, that's perfect for you. So, what advice would you offer to engaged couples - other than hiring a wedding planner, I also am a huge advocate of that as you know - as married humans and wedding professionals in the DC area?
LAUREN: I think, do your research. There are so many options out there and in this world of so many people working for themselves, so many entrepreneurs out there who are amazing at what they do, but maybe not as well-known as other larger companies. Just really do your research. Scope things out. Ask for referrals. Ask for recommendations. Talk to your friends who have gotten married, maybe.
REBECCA: I think the other thing to think about is like really - what's important? You know? I mean, I think it's shifting in a big. Like we're getting millennials, it's kind of the end of the millennial buying season if you want to call it that. Gen Z's coming up, right? And I think a lot of people are really going back to what's the most important thing and we've seen people freak out. I mean, I saw a bride freak out because her flowers were the wrong shade of pink. And I was just like I was probably like 19 or 20 at the time, and I'm just sitting there going, really? This is what you're upset about? And I get now. Emotions are high, there's lots going on and it probably was not about the flowers and I get that. But, you know, really being able to embrace what's important and that you're marrying your best friend and yeah, something's gonna go wrong. It will go wrong, it's not if, it will. And so how does your team handle it? If you have a team of professionals, they're going to probably not let you know something happened. You probably won't notice.
SARA: Yeah, that's the goal. That you don't know that that happened.
REBECCA: And then focusing on like, where do you invest your energy and time? Like how is that going to come through in your day? And at the end of the day you married the right person,
LAUREN: You’re married, yay!
REBECCA: Like that's really the most important thing. Like the marriage, right?
STEPH: Yeah, we hear that from all of our guests. You hear the same exact thing that something's gonna go wrong. So, to our listeners, I’m sorry, something's gonna go wrong. That’s how life happens.
SARA: But it will be fine.
STEPH: Right, exactly. It will be fine.
SARA: And it'll be perfect and it'll be you and usually when something goes wrong, then it's the kind of thing that becomes a funny story later.
STEPH: Right. It's the highlight.
SARA: Even if it is that someone took a shit on the dance floor. Well guys, we are going to wrap this up. Do not forget to send us your haunted Halloween listener stories because that's our next week, and Steph already has her costume. I have not gotten mine yet. She said that I intimidated her into feeling like she had to buy hers immediately. So I'm super excited to see what she’s doing and I'm super excited to see what I'm going to come up with because who knows? But thank you guys so much for being here Lucy Black Entertainment, Rebecca and Lauren or Becca and Lauren. I still call you Rebecca. I don't know why I do.
REBECCA: Most people do actually.
STEPH: You guys where can people find you? Where's Lucy Black Entertainment? What’s your website?
REBECCA: Yeah it's lucyblackentertainment.com, super simple. On social media, it's lucyblackent on Instagram and on Facebook.
STEPH: Okay, perfect. Love that.
REBECCA: And we’re trying to get to 1,000 followers; help us out.
SARA: Oh yeah? Nice!
STEPH: Help them. Subscribe. Like. Not only to The Wedding Dish but also to Lucy Black Entertainment, and please subscribe to our podcast on your preferred podcast listening platform.
SARA: Yes, and follow us at theweddingdishpodcast.com on Instagram and on Facebook but also, don't forget we have a new website, so we'll have these guys on the blog. We will have some photos of Lauren dancing like a crazy lady from the wedding that I photographed that she referred Photos from The Harty too. And so those are going up. You will enjoy that. They're so cute, and from each of your weddings, if you guys will please send those over and we'll have some other fun stuff on there too on the blog later today. And tune in next week for our Halloween episode of The Wedding Wish.
STEPH: Thanks so much you guys. We really enjoyed chatting with you today. It was super fun.
REBECCA & LAUREN: Thanks. Yeah, thanks for having us!
STEPH: See you next time guys. Thanks for listening.