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EP. 183 - Flamingo Energy, Deep Hospitality & Saying HECK YES with Claudia Terrazas of Time with Terrazas
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✨ Episode Overview:
In today’s episode, I chat with the vibrant and passionate Claudia Terrazas — wedding planner, cheerleader for her couples, and the ultimate bringer of flamingo energy. Claudia is the owner of Time with Terrazas, a Southern California–based wedding and event planning company serving multicultural couples who value rich traditions and joyful celebrations.
We dive into what it means to provide true hospitality and integrity in the wedding world, and how deep, genuine connections can be the secret sauce to landing your dream clients.
Claudia’s colorful personality and approach to inclusivity makes her stand out in a pond of swans — and she’s here to help you get a big ol’ HECK YES from the people you most want to serve.
🔥 What You'll Learn in This Episode:
- Why quality over quantity leads to better client relationships
- How Claudia infuses positive energy and deep communication into every event
- Her secret to making dream clients feel seen, celebrated, and excited
- What it means to be “a flamingo in a pond of swans” (and why you should be one too)
- The power of embracing your cultural identity in your business
🎯 Main Takeaway:
Hospitality + Integrity + Joy = Long-lasting client love. Claudia reminds us that bringing our full, authentic selves to the table creates chemistry, connection, and unforgettable celebrations.
📲 Connect with Claudia:
Website: www.timewithterrazas.com
Instagram & Facebook: @timewithterrazas
Connect with Carissa https://instagram.com/carissawoo
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Transcript
Introduction & Carissa's Focus
00:00:00
Speaker
Happy Woo Wednesdays! I'm finally getting my voice back. So if you follow me on at Carissa Woo, you know I'm all about teaching wedding pros and creatives how to make passive income with digital products and also automating your business with 17 Hats.
00:00:16
Speaker
So I have a link in the description about how to make your first digital product using ai If you want to earn an extra $2K per month without booking more, check it out. It is life-changing.
00:00:28
Speaker
And it's time to automate your business with 17 Hats. Use code HECKYES to get 50% off the entire year.
Meet Claudia Terrazas: Authenticity & Burnout
00:00:35
Speaker
So today on the show, we're welcoming the vibrant and unapologetically bold Claudia Terrazas, the lead planner behind Time with Terrazas, a Southern California wedding planning brand known for creating colorful, meaningful, and unforgettable celebrations for multicultural couples and She is so cute and she is all about hospitality and inclusivity.
00:00:59
Speaker
In this episode, we're diving into how Claudia gets a heck yes from her dream clients by being unapologetically herself, building a deep connection and bringing high vibe energy to every event.
00:01:11
Speaker
Plus, we're talking boundaries, business burnout, and what it really looks like to show up as your full, vibrant self in the wedding industry. Get ready to laugh, reflect, and walk away with a whole new take on client experience, integrity, and fun.
00:01:25
Speaker
Let's dive in.
00:01:30
Speaker
Welcome to Get a Heck Yes with Carissa Wu. I'm your host Carissa and I've been a Los Angeles wedding photographer for over a decade. I've traveled the world, built my team, and seen it all.
00:01:41
Speaker
I now coach wedding photographers hit 10K a month and build a thriving business. In this podcast, we are going to deep dive into how top wedding creatives get that heck yes from their dream clients. We are not holding back on the struggles of the business and how to push through the noise. Some healthy hustle, mindset shifts, up-leveling your money story,
00:01:59
Speaker
Time hacks because I'm a mom of two, a little bit of woo-woo, and most importantly, self-love and confidence are just a few of the many things we will talk about. I want to give you a genuine thank you for following along my journey.
00:02:11
Speaker
i hope to inspire you every Woo Wednesday so that you say heck yes to listening to this podcast. See you guys soon.
00:02:21
Speaker
everyone.
Claudia's Cultural Background & Inspiration
00:02:22
Speaker
Welcome back to Get a Heck Yes with your girl, Carissa Wu. I have a friend here and a very special guest. Her name is Claudia Terrazas, and she is the owner and lead planner with Time with Terrazas.
00:02:35
Speaker
She is based in Southern California, and she serves multicultural couples who love providing their family and friends with memorable experiences. Welcome, Claudia. Thank you so much, Carissa, for having me.
00:02:48
Speaker
What an honor. Yeah, I've seen you around WIPA events and I've seen like a lot of your branding and your colorful photos and big house photo shoot. So it's nice to finally become friends.
00:03:00
Speaker
I appreciate it. Thank you so much for the support and enjoying all the the colorful things. Yes, we're both colorful. Tell the audience who you are in a nutshell.
00:03:11
Speaker
Yes. ah Thank you so much for having me. My name is Claudia Terazes. And I am the owner and lead planner here at Time With Taraces. I have been in the wedding industry for about 10 years and i am deeply passionate about the wedding and event industry. so Oh, nice. Where do you where do you live Yeah, I live here in Huntington of huntington Beach, California.
00:03:37
Speaker
However, my office is in Stanton. I'm about 15 minutes away from Knott's Berry Farm. Okay, so super close to me, kind of. but Where are you located?
00:03:47
Speaker
I'm in Torrance, but I have a cousin that lives in Huntington Beach, so I go there all the time. Perfect. You'll have to come on by. Yeah, mean I know. I would love to. um Tell everyone, like, You're a little bit about your childhood, your upbringing, your parents, your family dynamic, anything you want to share?
00:04:03
Speaker
Oh, yeah. Oh, gosh. Well, let me tell you, this is a very emotional component for me because i am very close to my family and my relatives. So, yeah.
00:04:16
Speaker
in brief, um growing up as my younger self, um I have always been very close and connected with all of my relatives. And so it was very, very common at a very young age that we were always spending time together on the weekends, we were always having barbecues or gatherings, holidays, um celebrating different milestones, you know, birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, all those things.
00:04:42
Speaker
yeah So all of that has been just tremendously embedded in me. Yeah, um you're from a Mexican-American family, right? That's correct. Yes. um My background is Mexican-American. I was born here in California.
00:04:57
Speaker
um And my dad's family is from Guanajuato, Mexico. And my um mom is from East LA. But her family is also from Mexico as well.
00:05:10
Speaker
um nice Oh, nice.
Education & Business Foundations
00:05:11
Speaker
Tell me a little bit about your parents. Yeah, um they are the biggest supporters of me. They have been married for they just celebrated their 37th wedding anniversary. So I absolutely love that about them. They are so important to me. And then on a more recent note, they moved to Arizona, which my heart is Very heavy at this time just because i never envisioned my family leaving California. Oh, are they they moved to retire and just enjoy life?
00:05:46
Speaker
That's correct. Yes. um They're enjoying their retirement out there. And ah we have my um one of my siblings who also lives out there with his family. So, yeah.
00:05:57
Speaker
Yeah. Oh, sad to see them leave. but Yeah. We just visit with them this past weekend to, um you know, see the new place and, you know, chat with them. And um all we did was just laugh for like 48 hours straight. Wow. It was a lot of fun.
00:06:16
Speaker
Oh, that's awesome. I love that. Me and my family don't laugh enough. So Asian parents just like, no one out there. They're like, we just have to be peaceful, relax. Exactly. Exactly.
00:06:29
Speaker
Tell everyone like, I don't know what you're like, either growing up and then to middle school days and high school days, just anything that kind of impacted you. Yeah, absolutely. So um I've always so I am the oldest in my family. So I definitely wear that big sister role. I am like, always like being the leader in so many different ways.
00:06:53
Speaker
um And so growing up, that was always something that um I always did. Like I was part of like different organizations at school, participating. um And from a middle school standpoint, um I was very, very loud, like just very over the top, like, like super, almost like to an obnoxious point. But like, was just fun to be a kid and be loud and and just playful in that way. And so my friends and I, we would always just be little extra.
00:07:27
Speaker
Yeah, I love that. um So that was like what middle school was like. um And then as I got into um high school, being, of course, Mexican-American, um my parents ah and I, we had decided that we wanted to do quinceañera, which is a celebration of a girl's 15th birthday party.
00:07:50
Speaker
Yep, yep. And so that really, it sparked everything for me. I was like, um at this particular time in life, which was really funny, I thought for sure i was going to ah go a different route in life. Like I was so set on like, you know, I'm going to be like, have you ever seen the movie SWAT?
00:08:11
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So and that's what I envisioned. i was like, I'm going to be on the SWAT team. I'm going to be in the police force. Like I'm going to like do that. that's funny. Yeah. That's hilarious.
00:08:22
Speaker
That was not the case at all. I was like, oh, well, what else can I do? And then as we're planning my quinceañera, I
Time with Terrazas: Hospitality & Heritage
00:08:30
Speaker
just fell in love with everything. And um again, being like, you know, very like leadership way and manner, like just kind of taking control everything. Yeah. Because like that. um i I enjoyed it. And I was like, how could I make this like...
00:08:50
Speaker
a real thing? Like, is this even possible? And then, of course, fast forward to when the movie um with J-Lo came out, The Wedding Planner, I was like... This is a real job. Oh my God.
00:09:04
Speaker
Who would have thought?
00:09:08
Speaker
Kind of like SWAT, right? Yeah, right? Then I was inspired by another movie. So I was like, oh my gosh, this real? Okay, well, forget that idea. I don't want to do that no more. Although it was spending on my heart because i I felt like I was like, I had the toughness for it. But I guess, yeah you know, life had a different direction. And so...
00:09:28
Speaker
um Yeah, so then that just kind of kick-started. and In high school, I was um in ASB. Were you in any clubs or activities in high school? Yeah, I in tennis and advanced dance.
00:09:43
Speaker
Nice. yeah Oh, my gosh. I always wanted to be a cheerleader or in dance, but never got that opportunity. But I did do cross-country, and I did do... um ASB and then I also did at the I don't even know what it's called but like they had like this tv like station at school where we had like our own little like tv station broadcasting yeah and I did a little bit of that um my senior year but not too much but it was cool it was cool I
00:10:18
Speaker
I had like the blast in high school. It was just so much fun. My title was Commissioner of Spirit and Assembly. And so get like, you know, getting everybody together for the assemblies. Yeah, I remember the people that held that position.
00:10:34
Speaker
Yeah. So yeah, it was a lot of fun. i was just down the hall and I was, sometimes it was so funny because I would call out some kids and be like, Hey, it's spirit day. Where's your outfit?
00:10:46
Speaker
and oh my god its so Oh my gosh, we didn't know. and then I would just make sure and ins ensure with the committee that like we would have even more flyers to put out everywhere. So everybody would know to participate. Yeah.
00:10:58
Speaker
I love that. Going back to the Quintanera, just because I'm curious, like yeah how many guests? Did you have a date? Did you have like the ah party? And then did you what venue was it it? And like what was the big vision behind it?
00:11:10
Speaker
Absolutely. So, OK, this was in Riverside, California at an Elks Lodge. Very, you know, ah humble venue space. But um my quinceañera was on a little bit of the non-traditional. So we kind of tweaked it. It was Christian faith, even though in the Catholic faith, this is typically what is done.
00:11:32
Speaker
But we kind of like switched it up. yeah And then it was big. We had a really big quinceañera. It was like over 300 people. ah It was massive.
00:11:44
Speaker
We had um It's funny because my parents and I, we were recently talking about it. And we were saying how funny it was because not only did we send out like 200 invitations to family and like our friend closest friends, but I then created an additional 100 invitations for the students, for like my classmates. Wow. And somehow everybody...
00:12:12
Speaker
There was a lot of people that were there. crazy It was massive. Yeah. It was so much fun. ah We, yeah, we had a great time. And then from that point, were you kind of like, I want to go into party planning?
00:12:27
Speaker
Oh, yeah, definitely. In the process, I was like, oh, I got like, this is an amazing. Me and my mom, we would sit down with our pen and paper, we're like planning it all out. We were on the phone calls. This was, you know, not when it was a tech savvy, the web was coming out during this era. I'm a millennial.
00:12:48
Speaker
So anyways, so we would sit down and we would have the conversations with the vendors. So we were like talking, you know, okay, what's the catering going to be like? What's, you know what songs are we gonna play for the for the dj we did all of um well gosh yeah we did we did most if not all of the traditional elements of like um the vaults the surprise dance that was so much fun oh my gosh we love that uh we did like the crown and
00:13:19
Speaker
Seems like yesterday, right? Right. It really does. Honestly, I still have my crown here in the office, to be honest. It's just a small little reminder, just like this is where it all stemmed from. Okay. Walk us through like after college, like first jobs that you you liked or you didn't like and then how you started your own job.
00:13:36
Speaker
I mean, career, business. yeah yeah So college, um fast forward, ah junior junior junior college was a navigation process. But once I honed in as to what I'm going to focus and study,
00:13:53
Speaker
huh um ah i landed with hospitality management. And that I studied at Cal State Long Beach and received my bachelor's there.
00:14:04
Speaker
and um I'm very proud that I am first generation in my family to um attend
Lessons from the Field: Communication & Crisis Management
00:14:11
Speaker
um and graduate with honors is just truly a wow very very important moment. Yeah. What a model first child.
00:14:21
Speaker
I know. Yeah. I have. um There's four of us total. So we're we're all very different. And I definitely took the very non-traditional route.
00:14:33
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So keep going with that story. Yeah. So that was very important to me to go to school, to educate myself, to build a career because I knew at this point I wanted to be my own entrepreneur. Yeah. and part of that also um subconsciously, if I go back to my childhood, my grandpa owned a small market.
00:15:01
Speaker
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00:15:14
Speaker
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00:15:27
Speaker
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00:15:41
Speaker
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00:15:56
Speaker
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00:16:20
Speaker
a little local market that he um had just like, you know, some groceries there yeah for the community. And um at the time, I didn't realize like that was really an inspiration of like, oh, wow, you could be your own boss.
00:16:36
Speaker
You can do your own thing. You can have your own business. And so that inspired me. I applied that to hospitality and realizing okay with hospitality i want to build my own uh excuse me build my own business as a wedding and event planner and i know that you know there are many opinions about um you know rather you do need schooling or not schooling to become a wedding planner or not um It's one of those things to me that was deeply important to make sure that I did have that foundation yeah so that I could serve myself in building a business and a company in the wedding industry that will...
00:17:21
Speaker
be lasting yeah what year was that so it created time with classes um in 2018 okay when i was still working my nine-to-five job um right out out of college so I got into sales slash coordinating position um like essentially my first corporate job because prior to that I had worked other jobs um in the hospitality field and in the grocery field okay um That actually goes, i that's a a deep story there, but I did...
00:17:59
Speaker
originally worked for many years at a grocery store and until I navigated through college wow and all of the things after college. So I did also a lot of internships um in the wedding and event space that was very important to me. I worked with five different wedding and event planners. Wow.
00:18:21
Speaker
Yeah. That's how everyone knows you. Yeah.
00:18:28
Speaker
I suppose so. I've been behind the scenes for quite some time yeah at that particular time because I was still in college. But what was fun about it is that i um wanted to really learn all different types of cultures, all different types of ways of weddings in different formats like
00:18:50
Speaker
Indian, South Asian, Persian, American, Western, all the things. Like I learned a lot working with these amazing wedding and event planners who had their businesses established. And so for me, I was like, I need to like, learn everything yeah who possibly can. That's awesome.
00:19:13
Speaker
Oh, I love that. Okay, so I guess one more question, and then we'll go into hot topic. But just like, walk us through like, what's special about your company? Yes. So something that's very unique about Time with Taraces here in Southern California is that we truly embrace hospitality, integrity, deep connections with our couples, and providing a high level of positive energy and creativity. um I like to say that we are like the flamingo in a pond of swans.
00:19:49
Speaker
Yeah. I love that. Yeah, so that's kind of what makes me stand out because ah being here in Southern California, we have so many amazing creatives here, but I knew I had to make myself stand out a little bit different. yeah And that's where then I honed in into my culture again.
00:20:10
Speaker
yeah Because, um you know, being Mexican-American, I wanted to also represent that component. yeah um And that's very important. that So that's where...
00:20:23
Speaker
the name came into and shout out to my college friend because she inspired me to actually use my name. she's like, it's so different. It's so unique. Like I've never heard it before. No one's heard it. ah yeah It is my married name. um And so, yeah, as a wedding planner, I realized that we celebrate and we spend a lot of quality time with our couples.
00:20:46
Speaker
So it organically came together and here we are. Oh, I love that. Yeah, I love your branding, your Instagram. It does stand out. Thank you. I appreciate it. um Tell everyone your hot topic and why it's so so near and dear to your heart.
00:21:04
Speaker
Yeah. So it goes really deep into the hospitality, integrity, deep connections. Okay. For couples. Okay.
00:21:17
Speaker
I, I feel like I will get a little emotional talking about this. Get emotional. Cry it out, girl. um It is such a very special time in a couple and a client's life when they are navigating through the next phase in the relationship.
00:21:40
Speaker
So them going from you know boyfriend to girlfriend to fiance. Yeah. to now being husband and wife.
00:21:50
Speaker
This is so important to me. I've had such a great example from so many um family members and relatives that are around me that um uphold that integrity of marriage and commitment and you know love and and support for one another. so incorporating all of what I've learned, what I've been grown up with hu and merged in together is how we serve our clients.
Client Connections: Energy & Relationships
00:22:20
Speaker
And this is why it's so important for couples to know yeah you're not just planning ah wedding and you're not just choosing a wedding planner.
00:22:30
Speaker
You're choosing someone who's going to be your support. You're choosing someone who's in your corner to navigate through those tough conversations and during the decision process, the decision fatigue, you know. Because I'm not going to be dealing with that. Right. but Exactly.
00:22:54
Speaker
You're going to be taking care of a whole other area. ah Yeah. Absolutely. No, i read I read all your reviews, so everyone just says, like, you're godsend, godsend, godsend, godsend. Yeah. Yeah.
00:23:06
Speaker
I appreciate that. Yeah, it's it's so important to us and it's so important to a couple. it's You're not just fulfilling a role. You're truly fulfilling with intention and you want to have a deep connection with this person yeah because you could be spending a lot of time with them.
00:23:23
Speaker
And if you guys aren't connecting or they're not connecting someone, you know, their planner or any vendor for that case. I mean, honestly, we could talk all about that as well.
00:23:34
Speaker
mean, this is just across the board that couples should have connections in some capacity. Yeah. Do you kind of lead with this during your sales calls? Like you straight up tell them, like, I'm kind of here as a supporting Supporter and help you navigate through these tough times, but fun time.
00:23:57
Speaker
but Yeah, but still having fun along the way. I do. I do. I'm very transparent. At the beginning, it wasn't it wasn't like that. It was kind of just like walking on ice. But now I just say with so much love and energy yeah focus and focus that I'm like, no, I'm here to so support you. be transparent.
00:24:14
Speaker
let me be your cheerleader. Let me be your coach. Let me be your director. Let me be the conductor. Let me lead us and lead them to help, of course, they make their own decisions, but at least they have the guidance and they have the support.
00:24:32
Speaker
I just saw you in like cheerleader's outfit, like with the megaphone from high school.
00:24:40
Speaker
wish I was the cheerleader, but I was not. I wish I was. um i But I did have the mic in my hand. I did have the mic in my hand because I was um at the assemblies and the prep rallies and I was like, okay, everybody gather around. Yeah, that's funny.
00:24:57
Speaker
super engaging and welcoming everybody to participate. Yeah. i mean, i have over 175 episodes and I think there's only been like less than three people that's like, yeah, I've been, I've been loud my whole life. Like everyone's like, I'm so shy and I'm really an introvert and bla blah, blah, blah.
00:25:16
Speaker
Hide behind my books. Yeah. yeah Oh my gosh. I was loud when I popped out. I was. Oh, this is funny. ah This is probably why I come out with so much bang and so much energy is because my birthday is so on 4th of July. So I am very much like a firecracker. I am like, let's go.
00:25:37
Speaker
Let's go. It's that kind of energy. and then had I had someone tell me like, yeah, you're just like that person where you're like, everyone's saying happy to breath birthday to me. One, two, three.
00:25:48
Speaker
Just like, I direct like everything.
00:25:52
Speaker
I love that you are like that for your family too, because you have to be. And then especially on a wedding day, you know, you're gathering everybody together for family photos and things like that. And directing, you know, the couple to, hey, do this, do that. Like, have to be a little outgoing, you know? I think we like kind of thrive on that. Like I was at a party on Sunday and like, it wasn't many people, but I was like,
00:26:17
Speaker
hey, can I take like a family shoot of you? Give me your phone. It's good light. They're like, okay. was like, go by the lemon tree. I love that. I know. I love that.
00:26:29
Speaker
I love that. That's so nice. I mean, like, honestly, just being around like to your family. I don't know You tell me, but does it energize you? Because it energizes me.
00:26:40
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, I think the whole wedding is just kind of like, let's go, you know, like, It's like once you get the ready getting ready shots, it's like, what's next? What's next? What's next? I love that. you're Energizing and until – you know, the end, you're just like, oh my God, like I can't go to bed. i need to take a CBD because my my whole body is just like shaking.
00:27:05
Speaker
Me too. I am still on after like a 16 hour day for me as a planner. I'm like, why am I still up? Yeah. It's like my mind is like, yeah.
00:27:17
Speaker
Oh, my God. Okay, let's talk more about your hot topic, what you wrote on the questionnaire. But you said providing positive energy and communication when serving your clients. And you believe...
00:27:29
Speaker
quality over quantity and building deep connections. What does that mean to you? Quality. So that has been a model for mine from the very beginning when I created Time with Tarasas because I had had the experience and knowledge from the other planners of what to do well and what not to do. yeah And so for me, i was very focused in, okay, I want to be very intentional with the couple's And truly believe in that quality experience.
00:28:00
Speaker
Yeah. And giving them the utmost respect and attention to detail. Because sometimes, I mean, to be fully transparent, sometimes
00:28:11
Speaker
sometimes people will think that, like, you know, wedding planner or wedding coordinator is, like, ah bossy or controlling yeah or, you know, like, mean. Yeah. Yeah.
00:28:22
Speaker
And I'm not any of those. Yeah. You know? And I'm like, no, no, we do things differently. You know? we're We're not like that. I'm not like that. You know? Yeah. Like, it's a different experience. It's a different type of energy that we go. I'm not over there cracking the whip.
00:28:37
Speaker
You know? Like, I'm not a, you know, hey, it's more of a collaborative experience. Yeah. Yeah. i um I mean, I had to find my sweet spot too. Like it was like, I was called a tyrant once and then I was, someone said I didn't give enough direction someone said I didn't give too much
Event Preparation & Vendor Coordination
00:28:55
Speaker
of a different direction. it's like, like, hey, like,
00:28:59
Speaker
ah you okay with me giving you a lot of direction for the next 20 minutes? You cool? You know? Yeah. You find your sweet spot. You find what works. Yeah. Because sometimes i do know that my energy just oozes out.
00:29:13
Speaker
And sometimes people are like, oh, I've literally seen people shake before. Because I'm just like, oh, hey, how are you? You like scare people? Yeah.
00:29:24
Speaker
You're like, oh, whoa, yeah we were ready for this.
00:29:29
Speaker
Yeah, that's a little jolt. it is. It is. And then sometimes are just like, oh my gosh, we love your energy. we are, this has been hyping us up all day. It's been motivating us. It's like keeping us on schedule, on and the go. We're having so much fun working with you. and I'm like, yes, yes. Oh yeah. I love that. Okay. i have an interesting question. yes Since you did work with like the five wedding planners yeah um beforehand, like What would you say like your biggest takeaway was? And then what was like something that you hated that they did? You don't have to call their names out, of course. Oh, yeah. No, of course.
00:30:03
Speaker
Only the good stuff if you want to. Right. Let's start with the the bad stuff. Okay. um So um lack of communication. Yeah. lack of structure.
00:30:18
Speaker
And that, of course, just leads to chaos. Okay. That was like, I was shocked. I go, wait a minute. I have questions. and And that's always been me too.
00:30:30
Speaker
i'm Even from a kid, I got a lot of questions, you know? And so I applied that. i'm like, wait, wait, wait. What about this? Not thinking through the logistics.
00:30:42
Speaker
yeah Not thinking through, okay how is this installation going to go in? And really, how much time do you need for this? Because there's a lot that's going on. Yeah. I was opposite of you. i like never ask questions. And then my early years are like asking me all these questions. I'm like, I don't know.
00:31:00
Speaker
I'm just going to be there. I don't go the bathroom. Like I'm like, I take, take photos the whole time.
00:31:07
Speaker
i im like Okay. There's some rhythms in a wedding. And I'm like, you should actually, before you become a photographer, you should just like shadow a wedding planner, like four five times. Anybody who wants a shout me, happy to. Happy to. Because I feel like I learned so much through that. And so I apply that into a lot of details with my couples. Totally. Yeah. Yeah.
00:31:33
Speaker
You learned so much. Oh, yeah, absolutely. And so, um you know, and they were like, you you know, had it. Of course, I was always polite and respectful and hospitable and kind.
00:31:43
Speaker
You know, ah that's always been my approach on everything. we we We speak with kindness. We speak professionally. We work together as a collaborative. We don't disrespect anybody. But, oh, wow, we've got some questions. And why aren't these questions being asked?
00:31:58
Speaker
Yeah. You know? questions? Before you go into the good, but um what are like some of your two top favorite questions? Wedding pros, I have a new and exciting opportunity for you to make passive income with digital products and courses and affiliate marketing.
00:32:18
Speaker
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00:32:30
Speaker
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00:32:41
Speaker
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00:32:51
Speaker
Oh, um oh gosh. Who's gonna do this? Who's in charge of this? Yes. Who's going to set this up? hu hu You know, is it my team or is it the the florist team? I was just going to say that. I saw a real like, oh, it's not the planet's job to like dismount like the crazy stuff. And like, there's no trash to put it in Yeah.
00:33:16
Speaker
Yeah. i I am... ah And then it's education, right? We're We're here to educate the couples because the couples don't know. They don't know whose role is what, who's doing what. yeah They're like, oh so you're asking me...
00:33:32
Speaker
Like, hey, who's going are you going to be busting tables? I'm like, oh no. yeah That's the catering stuff. I'm keeping everybody and on the schedule. So I would say that's one of my favorite questions to say, who's going to be doing this and how are they going to do this?
00:33:49
Speaker
ah hu
Handling Wedding Challenges & Emotional Support
00:33:50
Speaker
I like that. Yeah. um Another question is, um that I asked is, we need photos. And I think this kind of pairs with the like what the other planners didn't do is like we need photos of what items the couples are using for their wedding day.
00:34:13
Speaker
yeah So that way my team knows what it looks like. There are no surprises because sometimes, again, not to throw any shade at them, but you walk into room and there's just boxes of personal items. Yeah. Yeah.
00:34:29
Speaker
i' Like, where does all this stuff go? Yeah. No labels. Yeah. I get you. i it's I mean, those questions actually help me because I'm like, I don't think of stuff like that.
00:34:43
Speaker
so Yeah. And then tell me the biggest like takeaways um with working with a five planner, whos like your biggest like aha moment. Yeah.
00:34:56
Speaker
to remain calm when there are fires that are happening. Yeah. I could i can imagine you like, hee hee hee he my facial expression person my face i'd be like yeah Your eyes are extra big.
00:35:19
Speaker
ah Like, what? We'll be right back. You know? But it's so funny because um that is one thing that they were, i will see I will give my hats off to them. My hats off to them.
00:35:33
Speaker
yeah They were not this type of energy that I am. Like, I'm, like, really, like, on the go. Yeah. They were on the more mellow side With a little bit authoritative on some of them. um Yeah.
00:35:47
Speaker
I mean, you have to, right? you're we're We're directing a huge team together to produce. um But they remained calm. love that. found solutions to put out fires that the couples do not need to know. Yeah. don't need to know what's happening behind the scenes.
00:36:02
Speaker
Uh-huh. You know? Yeah. And that has helped me and And how I also serve my clients, you know, that like we troubleshoot behind the scenes hu huh so that they're not freaking out. They don't need to know, you know.
00:36:17
Speaker
Like don't tell them they're, you know, their dress is like burnt on the back.
00:36:24
Speaker
Oh, gosh. That's actually a wild story. I did have a bride. Bless her heart. She's so sweet. I don't even know where this whole came from. Oh, shoot. There was a hole in her dress.
00:36:37
Speaker
And I go, and we're literally about to send her down the aisle. And I could just see the panic in her face. She was just like, oh, my gosh. You're going to see it in the photos. And it's so big.
00:36:49
Speaker
And I'm like, no, no, no, you can't see. And it was very lacy. So I was like, no, honey, it's going to be fine. Of course, like I bust on my emergency kit. That's been a big, big component too, I would say also. Nice. With one of the... Wedding planners. Yes.
00:37:06
Speaker
Shout out to one of my wedding planners when i when I worked with them is like, They have a very extensive wow wedding planning kit and emergency kits, if you will.
00:37:16
Speaker
And I learned so much from that. So just getting into that and grabbing what you need and then fixing what needed to be. And then my my bride just stayed calm because I was like, I got something.
00:37:28
Speaker
Let's figure this out. And then she was just coming in the rest of the day. She didn't even think about the little hole that was on her dress. Yeah. And she trusts you. So I think that's a big part of it. I got a big like um scuff mark on my um pink suit before I went on for the Whippa Seattle.
00:37:45
Speaker
Oh, no. It came from like ah my mom's suitcase. It was probably like melted. And then um it wouldn't come off with like a tight stick. But I was like, whatever. i mean, i'm I'm not the bride, but people are like, oh, no, what happened?
00:37:57
Speaker
It's like. Of course. It's like, how did you happen to see this down here? It was pretty fake though. yeah Oh, really? Oh, that's funny. But I get it. Like brides get, they're so emotional. Like they never planned this type of thing. You know, they're running on steam and anything tiny little thing could happen and it's like total meltdown. So if they need someone to do that constant energy for them, good energy.
00:38:26
Speaker
Oh yeah. Oh yeah, absolutely. um One other thing that um ah just to add onto that, um I did have a bride she and she was very concerned about, you know, her makeup,
00:38:39
Speaker
you know, or, you know, her hair falling down or falling out that she actually invested in having the ah professional makeup artist and hairstylist to stay all day. yeah And that made her feel so confident and so at ease yeah because, you know, there is so many emotions, you know, there's so many emotions.
00:38:59
Speaker
And so I was like, okay, we need to schedule it in, you know, touch ups for hair and makeup, you know, so she would feel supported. So she would feel comfortable and yeah she felt great. it was seen that I've seen that a lot and I'm just like yeah thank you for doing my job because I'll get more time to rest like go ahead yeah go for it you're like I can breathe I can actually drink some water or eat this granola bar I know think about my next shot like go for it yes brush your hair Oh, okay. So a couple more questions.
00:39:33
Speaker
What is your best like get a heck yes technique? It could be sales technique. It just could be you technique, anything. Yeah. so
00:39:45
Speaker
my technique is showing up. As my genuine self. Like this. Yes. There is no script. It's all based off the vibes.
00:39:56
Speaker
Yeah. It's all based off of how also that client or couple is, you know, feeling comfortable. Yeah. They can also, I mean, I know you can't read tone, but I do throw in a couple emojis here and there on on an email just to express excitement.
00:40:15
Speaker
Yeah. Energy. Love. support ah hu hu And so when we do get on the call... I'm getting to know them even more.
00:40:25
Speaker
They truly are are enjoying telling me their love story. They're telling me about their proposal story. They're telling me like what is more important to them on a wedding day versus not things that are not important. You know, they're like, you know, we're, we're concerned about, you know, our mom, you know, overpowering or like getting involved or whatever the case may be. And I'm like, I'm here for you guys.
00:40:47
Speaker
And so I just reassure them in the areas that they feel like they cannot, that keep them up at night, that keep them like overthinking certain things. And I just say them, hey, it's okay.
00:41:00
Speaker
We'll have a conversation. Yeah. We'll have a conversation with you and your vendor, I assure you. And so I just use this type of language as well as also being my energetic self. i I talk a lot with my hands and I'm very like eccentric. And then they're like, yes.
00:41:15
Speaker
Yes. like We want to move forward with you. And I'm like, oh, you guys don't need moment to think about it? And they're like, no, no. We were referred to you and we... What's the next step? And I'm like...
00:41:29
Speaker
Yeah, you're like, cha-ching. Yeah. Aw, I love that. Yeah, you have really good vibes. I like your smile and your energy. thank you, Chris. I'm saying. Some people kind of like lack that, and I'm like, want to shake them, you know?
Building Emotional Connections & Self-Care
00:41:43
Speaker
Hello. I'm so glad you said that because sometimes that's how I feel too. I'm like, Give me something. Give me something. ah you know. Give me anything. You know, give me two. Peace out. don't know. Whatever.
00:41:55
Speaker
i know. And I feel like the parents at a wedding, and they like want to have that because they're so joyful, but they need someone to like bring it out of them. Like they want to start hugging people and they want to like be loved and they want to be honored and they want to be the star too. So.
00:42:08
Speaker
Oh, okay. May I just say this part? um This, this, this always hits home. um My couple's parents, the relationship that that they have with them is so beautiful and so deep um that I always make it a point to go up to their parents and grandparents yeah and um embrace them.
00:42:42
Speaker
How are you doing? Uh-huh. Are you enjoying this day? Yeah. How are you feeling? And the deep conversations I get to have with my couple's parents ah huh because of how they're feeling, her of joy.
00:42:59
Speaker
oh you know, but we can't believe this day's come, you know. um She's my baby girl. You know, she's my first born or whatever the case may You know, they get very emotional. They allow their emotions to come out and they share that with me. That's so beautiful. It means so much to me. my God. It means so much to me.
00:43:22
Speaker
And I call my dad the day after the wedding. And I share with my dad these stories. Oh, my God. It fills my heart. It fills my heart and soul.
00:43:33
Speaker
I want to be a part of a Mexican family. You can be. You are part of a Mexican family. You totally can be. I love how you got so emotional just talking about your parents.
00:43:45
Speaker
i love that. Yeah. It, it, it, oh, it's deep. The deep, I just love it. And so, yeah, it means lot. Especially because they moved away. i think that's why you're a little bit emotional too. Oh, yeah. Yes.
00:44:00
Speaker
You will probably listen to this too. Oh, I love that. Shout out to mama and dada. yeah and um um my yes yes we miss you uh okay rapid fire questions yeah what it is your biggest self-care hack oh right now it's going on my walks and journaling okay i love that do you follow any prompts or you just right um I follow um on my personal Instagram account a lot of like ah Instagram motivational.
00:44:39
Speaker
Send me some. Yes, I will. I will. i will start from there in whatever affirmation or prompt or whatever it is. I'll go from there and let it out.
00:44:50
Speaker
I love that. Okay. um Favorite or best time hack or social media hack or both? Ooh. Time hack.
00:45:01
Speaker
um I will choose. um I would say time blocking. Yeah. Has been very helpful for me. Yeah. I say over the next two hours, this is what I'm focusing on.
00:45:14
Speaker
And then I reward myself with whatever. I love that. And then social media hack. Yeah. Honestly, my hack is, again, going back to the heart. Yeah.
00:45:28
Speaker
It's whatever I'm feeling. It's whatever I'm feeling that day or what is inspiring to me that day. So, for example, my husband um is really into cars. And over time, he's...
00:45:40
Speaker
I too have gotten into cars. hu And we went to a car show in Huntington Beach. And it was so cool. I loved it. And if there was, you know, the ct the older cars, like they're all colorful and unique in its own way. And I love that. And so then it inspired me to be...
00:46:00
Speaker
wait a minute, my couples have also used cars in their wedding days. I'm going to post about that. yeah And then I got great responses.
00:46:11
Speaker
I love that. Yeah. It's so fitting and relevant in real time. Yeah, exactly. In real time. So it just kind of like, you know, whatever I'm feeling.
00:46:21
Speaker
Any wedding trends we should look out for? yeah. um
00:46:29
Speaker
Texture. Okay. Texture. I feel like couples feel like they need to, um like, keep it all, like, plain, huhh simple.
00:46:41
Speaker
I'm like, you don't have to do that. You can mix it up. Let's mix it up. yeah I just was doing a ah live recently with an amazing linens company.
00:46:52
Speaker
And we were talking about like the different textures and colors ah to incorporate. And that is the trend. So also to um think about when you're You're selecting your linens, like your napkins, and then like the actual linen yeah for the tables.
00:47:07
Speaker
um We want see creativity in the different layouts in the way that you are or couples are creating the spaces. So the trend is, if you will, kind of imagine with me.
00:47:21
Speaker
It's like this like cool snake looking space. aesthetic. Yeah. Where it's not just a full round or full rectangle. You're mixing both, but you're also creating different like with like styles of it.
00:47:38
Speaker
That's a trend that I'm seeing and I'm all for it. I'm like, let's go. Do you need more tables? Yes. Do you need more everything? Yes. But it's cool because you're only using like, you're putting like rounds together yeah and you're only setting like only four on that table versus you would probably sit more But the um idea is just the aesthetic.
00:48:00
Speaker
It's really cool. It's very like. Snake-like. Yeah. Very snake-like. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Last last question. um Speak to the hearts of wedding pros that are maybe down in the dumps. What would you tell them to get out of the funk and then tell take it away with like how to find you and work with you?
00:48:21
Speaker
Yeah. Thank you. um To get of the funk. Um, you got to find your people. First off, I would say that if you're in the wedding and the wedding and event industry, you've got to, ah you've got a network.
00:48:36
Speaker
You've got to, you've got to put yourself out of your comfort zone to connect with people who also align with you. And I understand that that could be very challenging for some people, but,
00:48:48
Speaker
I feel like there is there that will help you feel like you're not alone in this space. Yeah. um Another thing that helps me to get out of my funk, because believe or not, even with all this energy, sometimes I still have, you know, some gloomy days.
00:49:05
Speaker
ah Yeah. um Music. yeah Music is so powerful. Totally. i I don't know. Do you have Spotify?
00:49:17
Speaker
i have Apple Music. Perfect. So Apple Music. So you get to choose to listen to whatever you want, whatever you're feeling. It's literally at our fingertips. It's literally accessible.
00:49:29
Speaker
And the fact that any type of whatever genre of music that you're into, yeah I'm into everything, to be honest. Yeah. um because I just love culture. i love hearing music that I don't even understand, to be honest. yeah I do. i do. I listen to things that I don't know what they're saying, but I i just feel it.
00:49:46
Speaker
I connect with it. Yeah. I feel like that is definitely a way to get out of your funk to, you know, kind of just ground yourself and be like, Hey, I can re-energize myself by listening to, I'm just going to throw out a Latin artist here just for the sake of it.
00:50:07
Speaker
But like, you know, going to listen to Mark Anthony and, you know, That like salsa vibe, that cumbia vibe will get me going. Whatever that is for anybody. It could be anything.
00:50:19
Speaker
Wow. Yeah. I went to the Dodgers game two days ago and like every time Otani came out, they're like, and I'm feeling good. dooo do do And I was like, I should wake up to that. Like if I know how to do that as an alarm.
00:50:32
Speaker
Right. That would be so cool. I'm sure there's a video on YouTube. YouTube is friend. When I don't, I'm like, how do you do something? Yeah. Okay, then where can everyone find you, follow you and work with you?
00:50:45
Speaker
Yes, absolutely. You can find me on Instagram at Time With Taraces, Yelp, Google, and on my website. Everything is under Time With Taraces.
00:50:56
Speaker
um you you Google me and be up there with all the blogs and all the other things that come with our name out there in the industry. But yeah, that's where they can find me.
00:51:07
Speaker
Thank you, Claudia. This is a dynamic conversation. a you, Carissa, for having me. And thank you so much. You are definitely part of our family anytime.
00:51:22
Speaker
Thanks for joining me this week on Get a Heck Yes with Carissa Wu. Make sure to follow, subscribe, leave a review, or tell a friend about the show. Take a screenshot and post to IG. Tag me. Also, don't forget to download my free guide on how to become a lead generating machine.
00:51:37
Speaker
See you next time, wedding pros.