418- The Role of Content Creators in Weddings with Diane Kolanović-Šolaja of Dee Kay Events

Leah Haslage:

Hello, Chillas. Welcome to the Bridechilla podcast, where we celebrate love and help you plan your wedding day. I'm your host, Leah Haslage, and I'm thrilled to be here with you. Whether you're just starting to plan or counting down the days, we're here to help you stay calm, cool, and collected throughout the wedding journey. We've got amazing guests and expert tips for you, so let's get this wedding party started and embrace your inner bridechilla!

Hey, Chilla fans. Today I am here with Diane Kolanović-Šolaja, who is the owner of DeeKay Events. And I'm so excited to talk with you today, Diane, about content creators and weddings, because this is like this newer trend. I'm so curious about it.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

So welcome to the show. Thank you so much. And I just want to thank you for pronouncing my last name, which is why I named my business DeeKay.

Leah Haslage:

Oh, I did not even put that together.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

I know nobody ever does. They're like, Oh. Cause everyone calls me Dee. I'm like, Oh, this is easier than pronouncing.

Leah Haslage:

So tell us a little bit about yourself, Diane, and how you got started with DeeKay.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

Long story short. Um, I have always been the girl who threw good parties. I grew up with 21 first cousins and that is not an exaggeration. My heritage is from Croatia, so big Sunday gatherings, like we're off the boat, like this is, this is it. It's the immigrant life, right? But for some reason, I don't know why I wanted to be a lawyer growing up, but I did the thing. I didn't pay for law school, thank God, but I went to college and, you know, got that job. You're supposed to, you know, do the year and take the LSAT and stuff like that. And thank God I'd worked for young lawyers and they sat me down. They're like, why are you here? And I thought they were firing me.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

But they were just rerouting your life path. Yeah. No, for real.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

It was like one of those conversations that completely changed the path of my life because they're like, do you really want to read like briefs forever? And I'm like, no, I don't. But I stuck around. I worked for some amazing, amazing law firms. It gave me a lot of opportunities. And long story short, I just started getting involved in corporate planning. And like I said, I always used to throw parties and themes and all of it. I never thought I could actually make money from it. And then the catalyst was, basically, I was at a point in my life where everybody else was getting married and asking me like, can you help me? Can you do my shower? Can you do this? And then I got married and I looked at my husband and I'm like, oh, I wonder if I can do this and then the true like push was that my own wedding planner like dropped the ball on the wedding day and And I don't speak about it that much because it's really like traumatic still to me.

Leah Haslage:

No, but people need to learn from this because things like this happen.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

Yeah, it happens. And, you know, like it was just so like we just weren't a match, I think. And, you know, now that I've been in business for God knows how many years. And what happened was she left her keys in my photographer's car. My photographer was amazing. I'm still friends with him. He's fantastic. And he was nice enough to turn around on the turnpike and get her keys back. So she's not late to the wedding. So I lost some photos like on the day of my wedding because of her. So the timeline got all messed up, but we still had fun, whatever. It's still beautiful. But I didn't see her at the venue until like 9 p.m. because she was so upset.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

Like, dude.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

Like my entire wedding party stepped up they did everything like, you know executing whatever was happening. And I was like nobody should ever ever feel this way. That was like, you know what? I can do this like I'm the person that people come to talk to anyway So like my nickname in college was Mama D. So, you know, I just cradle my little couples. I love them. I nurture them and then I let them go and have the best day of their life. Then they text me photos of their children and it's like the best job ever.

Leah Haslage:

Well, and thanks for sharing your traumatic story because unfortunately things do happen, right? We can dream about the wedding day being as perfect as we want it to be, but there's gonna be some kind of fire with the right planner or people behind you. If you can't have a planner, if you have the right family and friends, you'll never know about those fires until long after.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

The main tip of that is that, and this is what I now tell my couples is that me and my husband said, Like we just had a mantra for like four months, like nothing is going to ruin our day. Nothing's going to ruin our day. And it didn't. And it was fine. It sucked. Yeah. Right. But 12 years later, it still resonates. Right. But it doesn't take it's not taking away from all the positive stuff. It was still an awesome day that we re-live all the time.

Leah Haslage:

I love that. And that's the key.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

Got to stay positive about it.

Leah Haslage:

That's fine. Something's going to go wrong. Speaking of capturing moments and hopefully things not going wrong. A new trend that's popped up in weddings is having a content creator there on the big day. So for those not familiar with what a content creator even is, can you start with that?

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

Yeah. So it's basically an extra wedding vendor to your team. Right. I don't want to say it's like, you know, there's a tier one or a tier two or tier three, but someone is there who's able to capture the behind the scenes, right? And I think we all have moved into this, you know, social media life where we want to see how things are created, right? And I think it's a really, really cool thing to have somebody there, you know, capture those moments where your cinematographer, you know, is concentrated on like this beautiful detail of you in the dress, right? behind the cameraman, like your flower girl is like picking her nose, you know, like something like that.

Like that's something the cinematographer would not be concerned about. But that might be your niece. And you're like, oh, my God, I'm so glad somebody got that. That's hilarious. Or, you know, it's just like a moment of your mom, you know, taking a deep breath when she turns away from zipping up your dress. You know, it's all of the tiny, tiny moments. Right. So I think it's a really cool layer to document your wedding. And we get kind of carried away with the term content creator, right? Because it can be sort of a dual description.

From a B2B perspective, like as a business owner and you have to do your marketing, you know, content creation is important for us because we need to put out what we do out there, right? So a bit of content, if people don't know what that is in the marketing world, is just, you know, a video, a photo, something to put out there. And then when you add the creator part, some people just go right to like TikTok you know, or influencer, blah, blah, blah. So this is sort of a marriage of all of that. Right. So you become a little sort of micro influencer to your friends and family that day. Right. And it's kind of a cool feeling to have, like, I think on a wedding day you feel like paparazzi and it's like, you know, the model life. Right.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

So it's just an extra layer to be able to showcase. And you get the return on it is like in an instant.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

Awesome photographers that I've worked with will give you a sneak peek in like two to three days. Some even that day. But your content creator, depending on what kind of collection or package or level of pricing they have, they'll be able to give you that right away, right? Like, or the next day. So you get to relive your wedding in an instant. So I think it's, it's really, really fun and something this generation is going to really depend on actually.

Leah Haslage:

When you were talking about the niece picking her nose on that, the photographer is getting like the shots. They're not usually in the photos, right? So you're getting to see the vendors actually involved in this play too. And I'm sure they can use it for marketing later on. Yeah. So tell me about that. Like, how is the vendor relationship normally with content creators? Is there like a clash, especially with photographers and videographers?

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

So that's a hot take, Leah. If you stay up late and read Reddit, I think you'll be very entertained by the opinions going on. Spill some tea. So I think when I first came out, I think people were very confused as to like, what is this? Like, what do you mean? And no human likes change, right? Like we like to do what we like to do, especially after a certain point in our lives. Exactly. But as a creative, you want to be open to things that are out there. So I think at first the concern was these people aren't professionals. They're just coming out of nowhere. They're just like a TikTok person. Like they don't, they don't know weddings. I'm like, yeah, but they know. a vibe, they know a feeling, right? And if they have been on TikTok and been doing this since they were born, I'm pretty sure they know something, right? So I like to be open. When it came to our business, this was something that just naturally started happening because I'm just that type of person and I always like to capture behind the scenes. And it was just like a natural thing that started happening. When we started posting our couples were just like, whoa, like this is so cool. Like within like 24, 48 hours. But now like I do a little bit longer, like, so I'll do like the 30 seconds, but then I'll give them like two minutes. And that takes like about a week or two.

But the thing with content creators versus cinema or video is the concern of do they know what it's like to be at a wedding day? And it's very important because you can create your TikToks all day alone at home, which is great and you can edit and that's beautiful. But do you know the craziness of a wedding? It's sort of like, you know, the style shoot versus the wedding day, you know, like style shoots, you can mess up all day and fix it and replace and whatever and redo flowers. But on a wedding day, like if it's raining outside and we got to do the ceremony inside and we got to do a flip, where is your place? How are you adding to the vendor communication? How are you adding to making your bride and groom or bride and bride or whoever, the couple, like make it easier for their day.

As a content creator, you don't want to get in the way because everyone is getting paid and they did hire you, but photographers and videographers have clauses in their contracts, right? So that is also like a headbutt. Like there's exclusivity clauses, right? So when I'm on a wedding day, I literally say it, it's like a symphony of this beautiful creation that we're doing, right? But when I'm there that day, I'm a ninja in the night. Like I am behind everyone, right? It's not my day. It's not my showcase. I want to make sure everybody's better as a planner. So if my photographer is sweating, I'm going to get him like a little like towel or a fan. If I want to capture something, I'm behind everybody. I am upgrading my phone that I can zoom in from across the room and not bother anyone, you know?

So I think that was a lot of tension. I think especially this year that I've seen people talking about like, oh, these people You know, they're just coming in and they won't get out of the way and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. So I think it's settled down a little bit, but it was a huge source of like, well, what's happening here? Like videographers, like, I don't want to be replaced. I'm like, no one's replacing you. This is an added layer.

Leah Haslage:

It's a totally different concept. So actually with that, with like not being in the way and knowing your role, how does a couple go about finding a content creator, finding a reputable one, experienced one? What do you look for?

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

From what I've seen and I've noticed a lot of content creators don't have their websites yet. They're living sort of on Instagram or TikTok. You know, they're just trying to see what's kind of out there, the kind of fishing. But the ones who have decided and because we're business owners, we can see that there's a strategy. And I appreciate that. Right. Like if you go to their website, you see that they have a form like, OK, so they get it right. So they know they want to do this long term. Check to see if they have a website. See if they have stuff for you to check out. See if they have a gallery. The second important one is I think it's really, really awesome when it is an extension of a current business already, either from a planner, a cinema, video, you know, photographer. I think that's the sweet spot.

Leah Haslage:

I was going to ask you if actually more photographers and videographers are like, if they're smart and like who moved my cheese instead of fighting it. Hey, let me add it to the package.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

You're just kind of like embracing it and being like, Oh, this can be a part of my business. Right. And like, you're already there. It's an added layer that you can give to your clients. And I think it's awesome. Right. So I think that second layer of them already having a wedding business, you already have so much taken care of. They're a legitimate business. You know, they have insurance, right? The legalities are behind you. They understand timelines. They understand not being in the way. Right? It's not just, you're not just hiring like a newbie. And no offense to newbies. I was a newbie once too.

Leah Haslage:

Right? You have to start somewhere.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

But it's the most important day of your life. So I just think like, just have your expectations set. Like if you're going to hire somebody that has like four Instagram posts, no website, and it's like, Hey, I'll give you a really good deal. I hope you know, it's probably not going to be that awesome or moving. Cause they're still learning. And that's fine. But if it's somebody that has been in the industry, especially cinema and video, they make beautiful films, you know you're going to get something pretty great.

Leah Haslage:

So whether it's a newbie or it's an experienced pro, the wedding day isn't the only day that you can utilize a content creator. There's so many other events around a wedding, right? So talk about how you can utilize them in other ways.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

Oh yeah, absolutely. I just think wedding, uh, you know, content creators, I'm going to say wedding day content creators, cause just content creators. I just want to stick to that. Can do anything. And I think my favorite lately is, you know, get the bachelorette party, right? Like that's like something really fun or get the, you know, the welcome party, like something that, you know, maybe you don't need the photographer for, for three days. Right. Or, or, you know, or even just have them come in at the after party. Like if you have something really fun, those are the sort of silly moments that you want to get, you know, like You know, your Uncle Bobby is like 800 beers in, like his, you know, his tux is like on the floor. You know, like your maid of honor is like trying to fly from like, you know, the chandelier. That's what would be fun for behind the scenes.

Leah Haslage:

At that point, your photographer and videographer are traditionally done.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

Correct. Correct. Exactly. So it just kind of extends the experience of what you're capturing, you know, and instead of paying your entire vendor team per person per hour for the rest of it, it's just this one person just kind of going around, you know, and it's pretty fun.

Leah Haslage:

We’ll be right back after a quick break.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

So I would suggest booking your photographer and cinema first. They're going to be the ones who are capturing the legacy of your day.

Leah Haslage:

Oh, I love that term for it, the legacy.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

And that's how I see it. Like we're creating a legacy, right? Like you're creating the photo book that your grandkids are going to look at. You're creating the film that you're going to tell like, like, look, like That's where mommy and mommy got married. It's just a beautiful thing to think about. And trends come and go, right? I don't want you to regret not having that when you can just have an added layer. So that's where I want you to book cinema and photography first, and then let's go to content. And when you're looking through those contracts, if you don't have a planner, just read through your contract, please. Okay. I know everyone like uses all this awesome, let's just sign online quick, blah, blah, blah, blah. Just read through it. If the content creator has an exclusivity clause too, that's a problem. Right. So now I would suggest calling your video person first. Right. And being like, Hey, I'm really thinking about hiring a content creator. How do you feel about it? How can this add to our day? Is it going to cause an issue? Should I do another event for the weekend? So you want to give priority and it's sort of like a level of respect saying, Hey, I see you. I know what you're able to do for us, but I really want this. So can we collaborate somehow? So I think if you open a conversation with your current vendors that you've booked, it's going to make it much, much easier. And then it's not more of like, like, Oh, Hey, by the way, like a day before the wedding, I have a content creator. If we do it ahead of time, everyone's going to talk about the timeline. Everyone's going to talk about expectations, right? And the content creator is going to know that video and cinema have exclusivity, which means if you're in the middle of the aisle with your iPhone, we're going to shift you to the left or behind us. Okay. So you're like, and you're going to have to get equipment to, I mean, what's a selfie stick or whatever those sticks that are extended, like they go up to like five feet. Like you can do this. Like, I promise.

Leah Haslage:

That message should also go to family members and friends that think that they can just go in front of like your hired photographer.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

At least I haven't seen an iPad at a ceremony for a while. So that's like, you know, thank God. Jesus. I know. It's like, I'm like, why is this happening? Like, can we just be in the moment? Like they just spent $10,000 on a photographer.

Leah Haslage:

Do you think that's why unplugged ceremonies became such a popular trend? Because people were tired of, like, that being a thing.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

For sure. It's just that you have this huge screen, like all these screens. Like, I understand we live in this world of tech, but like, just be in the moment, guys. Like, I have 4000 photos of my child. Am I really going to, like, print all of them? Probably not.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

Like, but I'm, but I'm aware of that. So.

Leah Haslage:

Like, just wait and see the professional photos later. Yeah.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

Like, it's fine. It's fine. And even when the professional photos come, I can't make a decision, right? I'm like, oh, which one should I print? You know? Yeah. It's like, but just going back to the legalities, I also want to make sure that the content creator has registered as an actual business and has business insurance as well, because some venues require that insurance. You can get event insurance for the day if it's somebody that is new. You can purchase event insurance on their behalf, but you're, you know, you got to talk to your insurance person about this. Right. But I would highly suggest that they have an actual LLC or something. Cause then everybody's protected because if somebody gets hurt on your wedding day, you could be liable, you know, or if equipment is damaged, you know, like I just, you know, I'm a planner. I think of everything. It's not that I'm negative. It's just that I prepare.

Leah Haslage:

No, that's a pro of having a planner. I know not everyone wants to have one or can afford one. So if you can't, those are important things to consider. You know, act of God clauses are in a lot of contracts, right? Like what do you do? Like when COVID hit, for example. Yes. And things have to get canceled or a major storm comes through. Exactly. So with pre and post, what are important things to consider when it comes to consultation and deliverables?

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

So when you are first talking to your content creator, I want you to dissect what you actually want out of it. Like your vibe and. Right. The vibe. I usually do really big wedding parties. Like our couples are just, you know, like we're like 13, 14 couples in deep, you know, like huge, awesome weddings. When we started doing content, I started asking, I'm like, is there a trend that you want to do? Right. Like, is there something that you have seen on TikTok that you want to do with your wedding party? And they're like, Oh my God, yeah, we were planning on doing it. I'm like, well, I'm glad I asked. Cause we need time to record that. So that's why I want people to have this conversation in that pre being like, Hey, I want you to get behind the scenes, but like, can we also do that bridesmaids dress like boom, whatever. Cause even though it's like a 30 second TikTok, it takes like 15, 20 minutes to record. Right. Which can push back your hair and makeup, which can. push back everything or we need an extra artist. Like it's just so many things that can happen within those 15 minutes.

Leah Haslage:

I'm so glad you brought that up because people don't realize that. Like I didn't realize it. I'm now divorced. But when I got married, I had told a photographer. I bought all the maids and the flower girls matching robes. I wanted that whole picture with the girls getting ready. Them and the videographer all ran super late. They got lost in the hotel or something. Everything got pushed back and behind.I didn't get to have this picture moment like I wanted to have. So make sure you do. I'm so glad you said that. Make sure you stress that there's certain moments where people you want photos with whether it's the content creator, the videographer, photographer, stress that these are your non-negotiables. This is what's important.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

You have to kind of become like the director of your wedding in that sense. Like think of your content creation as like this little mini film. Go and find examples. Be like, ooh, I love this. I definitely want something with, I don't know, like my sister or my grandma or, you know, I don't want any of that. And I just want like, I want a before of my wedding party and then the after of my wedding party being drunk, you know? So it can go so many ways, right? And each content creator is going to be different just like every cinematographer, right? So it's basically what story do you want to tell, right? And I have to shout out my beautiful friend Alex from Sweet Start Weddings because she always asks me what story do you want to tell and they're cinematographers and they're shameless plug for them, but, and that question sits with me every single time because what is the story, right? Is it, do we want to be super dramatic and pretend we're models for the day, right? Or do we want to be silly and, you know, capture who we really are, right? Or do we want the emotion? And that can influence who you hire. Right? Because once you see the content that they're giving out, you're going to be like, oh, I see what you mean. Because what happens as soon as you get that ring, and I say this to everybody, you become a different person. OK? Because all of a sudden, the world is literally centered around you. OK? And you should feel that way. It's your wedding day. Right?

Leah Haslage:

No pressure or anything, but. No pressure. No pressure.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

It is what happens. Yeah. And in a world of scrolling and scrolling and scrolling and seeing all this inspo, buh, buh, buh, buh, buh, buh, buh, it can become overwhelming. So. Pick a few ideas, stick with them, and then stop looking. And that's in general for all vendors. Yeah, especially your dress. Yes, especially the dress. And only take two people to go shop with you. Not everyone, please. People listening can't see me rolling my eyes.

Leah Haslage:

I think TV kind of puts that in our head, you know, the eight people and you're holding up the signs saying yes or no.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

Listen, Randy Finoli is my favorite forever and ever. OK, like I love Kleinfeld. But, you know, having that like say yes to the dress screwed us all up, right? Like, oh, that's what I need to have. And I just want people to focus on, you're going to look like a celebrity. I promise you, like no matter what. Okay. You're going to be beautiful. No matter what.

Leah Haslage:

You're going to be naturally glowing because you're so happy.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

Yeah. Like, and it's just like, you're, you're on this high and it's amazing, you know, but sometimes our insecurities build up, up to the day. Right. So, Don't like hyper focus on like, Oh God, like what's the content going to look like? Or what's this going to look like? Or is it going to be a bad angle or blah, blah, blah. No, just let it be dude.

Leah Haslage:

I have to give a suggestion too. Cause when I had planned mine, I. purposely did not tell anyone outside of my maid of honor, who's my best friend and kind of my mom, about what I was doing.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

That is like the most perfect thing I've ever heard.

Leah Haslage:

For any of it, because I didn't want any expectations. I didn't want to hear anyone's opinion unsolicited. Like, oh, why did you pick that color? Why are you doing this? So with that, I think with the content creator too, don't tell people you hired one because they're going to know who that person is and they're going to purposely put on an act. and you're going to miss the natural moments because everyone's going to be on their best behavior for the photographer and videographer until they get drunk and forget they're there.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

Especially in the morning, like we're getting ready. Just say that they're part of the video team because I have a lot of amazing DJs that have their own content creators for their own marketing purposes. They're not like trying to get published here. Right. But this is just because they have their own YouTube and they just want to, you know, put out that content. So I would just say, oh, they're just part of photo and cinema. Don't worry. And then I love that idea because it comes like a little surprise to everyone the next day.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah, absolutely. And Meghan Ely is on the show talking about getting published.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

My favorite.

Leah Haslage:

Right? We love you, Meghan. Fan club right here. She came on the show to talk about how to get published. With that, does having a content creator and putting stuff out like immediately the next day that they send you on your Instagram and stuff, could that harm you in trying to get published?

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

Um, I mean, from all the major publications, like I think about that too. Like when I put out my stories for my clients, right. I have a certain like process that I do. It's short lived. So we also have clients who we've created content for, but they don't want it on our channel and I completely respect that. Right. So they only put it on, like we send it to them, we upload to Dropbox and then they download and share it with their friends. Right. Okay. So there's also that, you know, if you don't want it on, the content creator site, make that very clear to them. So I don't think it would harm publication, to be honest, unless it blows up so much in the next two years that we're going to have an entire blog about the best content creating 30-second videos. You know, I think it's fine. If anything, like, you know, if you do want to get published for that, you could go to the creator and be like, hey, we're going to give you credit. Can you just hide that reel for a minute? Like, can we just archive that? Can we just park it for a second? Then again, this goes back to everyone having a conversation from the beginning. I have conversations with my clients. I'm like, listen, what is your end goal? Like, do you want to be published? Because if you want to be published, I am going to have a timeline that creates that the best that I can. Right. So I'm going to make sure that all those details, like, you know, like in style shoots, we have a checklist. I'm going to make sure that I talk to the photographer, be like, listen, they would love to be published. Let's try to make it happen. But it's having that conversation beforehand and having that expectation. Oh, my God. Can you imagine that like a content reel would affect getting published.

Leah Haslage:

Well, that's what my brain instantly went to.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

I forgot what you just said, but like whatever it was, I was just like, oh, that wedding would have to be so out of this world. Yeah. And I feel like the over the top wedding would have a clause. They'd be like, don't publish. You know what I'm saying?

Leah Haslage:

Yeah. Yeah. Exclusive rights.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

Right now there's a real going around, um, you know, POV, like it rains on your wedding year or something like that.

Leah Haslage:

Oh, yeah.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

The couple that got poured on and stuff. Yeah, that got poured on. It was like a very rustic kind of vibe and they were so cute and just like still happy. I think that is fine.

Leah Haslage:

Right. Because you're not seeing the details of the paper.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

Exactly. Exactly. So that's a good thing to bring up, too, is when we go back to thinking about styles of content creators, specifically. We like to make it as if we're creating the publication for you that day. If you click through my Instagram and go through like our day of stuff that we post, like there's a flat lay, there's a bouquet. That's my style, right? So it's things like that that might affect the publication. So I don't know. That's a hot take. Come back to that in six months and see what's happening.

Leah Haslage:

Well, with that, how do you see the content creator, the evolution of this happening, especially for couples that are planning out for 2025, 2026 weddings?

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

I think everyone's going to have one. I think it's here to stay. It's a generational thing. I like to call myself an elder millennial, but if I were to get married today, I'd probably have one. I just think it's so cool. It's fun. And who doesn't love a behind the scenes, man? It's just another layer. Just another layer to enjoy and to share and the instant gratification because we all live in the add to cart life, you know? And it's a little bit spoiled, not gonna lie. It is spoiled to have something right away, but it's your wedding day so you should. And you should enjoy it because it's like people don't understand being married and like what kind of high that carries on your wedding day until you're there, which is like half the battle with me on like marketing, right? Like I don't need a wedding planner. I'm like, okay. I'm like, we don't need a wedding, technically, right? Like, we don't need anything, right? Yeah.

Leah Haslage:

You could just go to City Hall or just not get married at all. 100 percent. But it's a special day with your partner and with your family and friends and like you're combining forces. Right. Exactly.

Leah Haslage:

I have to point this out to think about that. So like in a recent issue of The Knot magazine, they had a whole thing about like different generations, like how they look at weddings. It was Boomer, Millennial, and then whatever's after Millennial.

And I was like, yeah, Gen X, once again, forgotten. Just didn't get married for like 15 years, apparently. So I went to Instagram, to their Instagram, to see if anyone else noticed it. And boy, did they notice. Every Gen Xer was like, yeah, forgotten again.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

Oh, I am absolutely sure. In a former life, I was a global VP of people and culture. So generations and like all of that, it fascinates me in general. I think it's really, really cool to look at all those stats, but I don't think I'm a Gen X and I don't think I'm a millennial. I'm like that very special in between. I think it's called Xenial, isn't it? Yeah, it's a Xenial or something like that. Because I'm just not like, like my brother is 100% Gen X because he's just so annoyed at everything. And I'm a little too happy. He's Atari. And I'm like, no, that's not me. I'm like Super Mario all the way.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah, right. Oh, my God.

Leah Haslage:

I love to know what other people think about generational and being compared because wedding styles when reading the article was really good and seeing all that. But also kind of like, yeah, you're missing a big component because 90s weddings are where it's at, man.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

Amazing. Are you kidding?

Leah Haslage:

You should not skip Gen X. Oh my God.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

I post at least once a year because I was the youngest in my family. Me and my brothers are 11 and 13 years apart. So I was everybody's flower girl. So at least once a year I post like, you know, the amazing fashion that I was put in in the nineties.

Leah Haslage:

Was it really gloriously ruffled and lace matching the bride?

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

Yeah. So my mother was a bridal seamstress as her career. So she's been sewing her whole life. She taught me how to sew. First sewing machine was a Strawberry Shortcake sewing machine.

Leah Haslage:

So you were meant to be in bridal in some way, shape, or form.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

I mean, she's still kind of mad that I'm not like a seamstress. I'm like, no, I'm the fashion designer. OK, I don't sew. I just make it pretty.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

But my mom is extra, I'm extra, it's just like in our genes, right? And so at their 25th anniversary party, and it was the epitome of the 90s, and obviously my brothers and I were in the wedding party. 25th anniversary is silver, so I was in a white gown. It was fully ruffled, the sleeves were like hitting my ears, right? Like it was so high.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

My brothers look like they were hired hitmen with their Miami Vice suits, right? It's so spectacular. It's so good. I love it.

Leah Haslage:

I have to go look back at your feed and find the photos.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

Or maybe after this, I'm just going to repost it and just tag you and be like, girl, here you go.

Leah Haslage:

You should, please. So how can people find you?

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

Well, you can find me at D-E-E-K-A-Y-E-V-E-N-T-S. So DeeKay Events, not the initial because of a very long Slavic consonant name. But yeah, we're on Instagram. We're on the talk not as often, but Pinterest and our website. So that's how everyone can find me. Any final advice for couples planning?

Leah Haslage:

For booking content creation? That or just something you want to make sure you like, drop that nugget that people get the info.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

So when you are booking your content creation, actually, you know what, just wedding advice in general, just do whatever the fuck you want. That's like, I think we put so much pressure on. you know, familial obligations. You know, what are people going to think? You know, blah, blah, blah. Like, I tell my clients, I'm like, I am not a certified therapist, but like, I'm your third hand person that's going to tell it to you straight and like hold your hand through this because people don't understand the emotion that is involved.

Leah Haslage: Right. Because remember, when you get that ring, you become a different person. And weddings and funerals bring out the worst in people.

Worst or the best. Right. But in your family, people come out their face and you're like, why are you crazy? Right. Yeah. And it's just high emotion. So just take a deep breath. Let's have like our calm corner. Can you tell I have a toddler? We're going to meditate. We're going to breathe.

You know, on wedding days, I breathe with my couples. We meditate. We do it in the morning. We do it right before walking down the aisle. And it really grounds you. It just grounds you because you're just like you're all in your chest. Right. It's like all right here in your neck. And I want you to feel it all the way down. Like, I just want that calm all the way down.

So just do whatever you want. have the difficult conversations, it's not going to be easy because it's a precedent to the rest of your marriage. That's what we're really here for, right? You don't need your mother-in-law like coming in and being like, well, it should be this way, but like, baby girl, you're not marrying your son, are you? It's creating those boundaries now after the I do. It's making sure that your mom isn't going to always have an opinion and be like, mom, I love you so much, but can we please talk Like, do I need to have 40 of your office people at my wedding? Again, that could be like a whole other episode, but just do whatever the fuck you want. I promise people will get over it. They will.

Leah Haslage:

They forgive everything right away anyways. My last question to you is going to be, what is your favorite celebrity or royal wedding?

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

Oh, so it's probably going to be Megan and Harry, not to be like on the bandwagon, but I literally remember screaming at the TV when that choir walked in with those outfits and the palette. I'm like, oh my God, it's so good. My husband's like, what's wrong with you? I'm like, come on, it's the moment. But I just think, I will have to complain though because of Megan's, oh my God, I forgot the name of the flower, her bouquet. It became so popular, but it's such a hard flower to get.

Leah Haslage:

Which people don't realize. Right. Seasons, location of flowers.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

Exactly. And it doesn't hold up very well. But also recent couple of years, Lily Collins. Her wedding? Yes. I love her. And I was expecting Phil Collins' daughter to have the wedding. And she got, I think it was in Colorado. She had a completely like rustic vibe. I felt like 10 people were there, but her style was just so beautiful and elegant. And I just, I'm like, I like it. I'm here for it. You know?

Leah Haslage:

That, oh, that's a great one. I didn't even think about hers. And she could have gone so many different ways. Phil Collins' daughter, star of Emily in Paris, which is like a fashion iconic show now, right?

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

Yeah, exactly. Like she could have been walking like couture head to toe. I don't remember the designer of her dress, but it was, you know, it was a full neck. It was lace. It was just gorgeous. And I mean, and she's beautiful. So there's, you know, there's no effort in that. But I just thought it was a really cool thing to see that it was completely different from what you would have expected, you know.

Leah Haslage:

Yeah, I love it. Those are great choices. And I'm so appreciative for you to come on the show today and talk about all this.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

Me too. And congrats again. I'm so excited that Bridechilla is back.

Leah Haslage:

I'm so proud. Thanks, Diane. So great to see you. And definitely we'll be talking to you soon.

Diane Kolanović-Šolaja:

Have a good one. Bye. Bye.

Leah Haslage:

Thanks for joining us today! Be sure to subscribe wherever you get podcasts so you never miss an episode. Give us a follow on social media and visit thebridechilla.com. To leave a question you'd like to hear answered on the show, head to speakpipe.com/bridechillapodcast, also linked in the description.

Bridechilla is a production of Evergreen Podcasts. Thanks to our producer and engineer, Gray Sienna Longfellow, and our executive producers, Brigid Coyne and Gerardo Orlando. And of course, a special thanks to Aleisha, our OG bridechilla, and Meghan Ely of OFD Consulting. I'm your host, Leah Haslage. Until next time, Chillas!

Hide Transcript