From New York steakhouse soirées to Coachella Valley showstoppers, event planner Lola Kent brings a decade-plus of creative fire to the corner booth on this week’s episode of Big Conversations, Little Bar with Patrick Evans and Randy Florence. She shares how a chance ceremony paired her with officiant Randy, sparking 60+ weddings built on listening, storytelling, and short-but-soulful vows. Lola recalls transforming airplane hangars at the Palm Springs Air Museum into “Norm’s Beach,” complete with surprise aircraft arrivals and star musicians, and a tear-jerking Bighorn ceremony where love triumphed over stage-four cancer. We get real about budgets vs. vision, indoor-outdoor contingency planning, micro-weddings born from the pandemic, and why great planners protect couples from venue rules, vendor chaos, and desert winds. Plus: the NYPD vs. FDNY cookoff, a Wicked-themed pop-up speakeasy, and the secret to guest-first hospitality (sometimes it’s Gentleman Jack). If you love weddings, parties, or just world-class logistics that feel like magic, this podcast is your blueprint.

We regret that due to technical issues in the recording of this episode that there is not a video podcast available.

Takeaways:

• The best ceremonies start with deep listening and private interviews.
• Short, meaningful vows keep guests engaged and couples centered.
• Great planners match clients to venues that fit rules and vibe.
• Always build indoor-outdoor weather backups in the desert.
• Clear vendor coordination is mission-critical to event flow.
• Budgets must guide creative choices—vision scales with resources.
• Micro-weddings proved intimacy can be as powerful as spectacle.
• Story-driven details turn spaces (even hangars) into immersive worlds.

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