For this edition of Wedding Day Podcast, our hosts Sonja Babich and Dan Riggs sat down with Kendrick Acken and Tyler Curran from Two Birds Event Group at The Society in Milwaukee to chat about their experiences planning and executing weddings. Two Birds Event Group serves as an overarching service and resource for Wisconsin newlyweds and beyond, with the company managing four distinguished Wisconsin event venues, a planning company and a DJ/production company, all housed under the Two Birds Event Group name. This week was perhaps our most lively start to date, and after an exciting (and very unexpected) display of cold sparks, Sonja and Dan dove into learning all about Two Birds Event Group and their insights on the wedding industry. 

Two Birds started with one venue: the Ivy House. Since its origination, the company has expanded to include oversight of four venues, one DJ and production service called Milwaukee Airwaves and most recently, a new event planning service called "The Journey." After our hosts said hello, Kendrick and Tyler dove into the history of their four venues: the Ivy House, the Filament, the Starling and the Society. "It's very important to us that we don't change a space to become what we want it to be, but that we enhance what it is," Tyler said. The entire Two Birds team worked to literally breathe life into the Ivy House, transforming the space into a green, industrial oasis in Milwaukee's downtown (Kendrick and Tyler even gave Sonja and Dan 'Ivy House' scented candles featuringn a locally curated scent!). Most recently, the company has taken over managing The Society, an iconic and historic building in Milwaukee. 

Of course, our hosts had to touch on the delightful 'cold sparks' that started our episode, and Kendrick dove into the world of Milwaukee Airwaves, the DJ and production service that operates under Two Bird Event Group's umbrella. As Dan pointed out, there are a lot of DJ-related considerations that couples don't account for; it's not always about just the music, especially when your DJ can end up being an important emcee who manages the night. There's a lot that goes into the job of the DJ, and Kendrick detailed the approach he takes to ensure that the experience is personalized and curated. "Couples have a vision of what a DJ is and what a DJ brings to the table. You start building on that and saying yes, and we do all these other things," Kendrick said. The Two Birds Event Group team had a lot to say about their goals to go above and beyond for couples to really ensure their day runs smoothly. One of the best pro tip our venue manager professionals shared with Sonja and Dan is for all couples to make sure their coordinator knows who the "most responsible adult" at the wedding is so they can be a point-person for any last-minute issues. 

The wedding timeline is always an essential consideration - as Kendrick and Tyler said, planning for entertainment and a DJ is such a key element that can be overlooked after couples start their engagements. Kendrick shared some insights to help find a DJ that works for you (most importantly, making sure there is a backup plan for technical issues that might occur). Kendrick and Tyler also delved into the nitty gritty of running venues, from cleaning to keeping guests safe and happy - it can be super exciting to pick your dream venue, but our guests encouraged couples to be inquisitive about any safety regulations that may be involved. Speaking of wedding venues, Tyler is a big supporter of booking your wedding venue as soon as possible after an engagement. 

For this edition of Wedding Day Podcast, our hosts Sonja Babich and Dan Riggs sat down with Kendrick Acken and Tyler Curran from Two Birds Event Group at The Society in Milwaukee to chat about their experiences planning and executing weddings. Two Birds Event Group serves as an overarching service and resource for Wisconsin newlyweds and beyond, with the company managing four distinguished Wisconsin event venues, a planning company and a DJ/production company, all housed under the Two Birds Event Group name. This week was perhaps our most lively start to date, and after an exciting (and very unexpected) display of cold sparks, Sonja and Dan dove into learning all about Two Birds Event Group and their insights on the wedding industry. 

Two Birds started with one venue: the Ivy House. Since its origination, the company has expanded to include oversight of four venues, one DJ and production service called Milwaukee Airwaves and most recently, a new event planning service called "The Journey." After our hosts said hello, Kendrick and Tyler dove into the history of their four venues: the Ivy House, the Filament, the Starling and the Society. "It's very important to us that we don't change a space to become what we want it to be, but that we enhance what it is," Tyler said. The entire Two Birds team worked to literally breathe life into the Ivy House, transforming the space into a green, industrial oasis in Milwaukee's downtown (Kendrick and Tyler even gave Sonja and Dan 'Ivy House' scented candles featuringn a locally curated scent!). Most recently, the company has taken over managing The Society, an iconic and historic building in Milwaukee. 

Of course, our hosts had to touch on the delightful 'cold sparks' that started our episode, and Kendrick dove into the world of Milwaukee Airwaves, the DJ and production service that operates under Two Bird Event Group's umbrella. As Dan pointed out, there are a lot of DJ-related considerations that couples don't account for; it's not always about just the music, especially when your DJ can end up being an important emcee who manages the night. There's a lot that goes into the job of the DJ, and Kendrick detailed the approach he takes to ensure that the experience is personalized and curated. "Couples have a vision of what a DJ is and what a DJ brings to the table. You start building on that and saying yes, and we do all these other things," Kendrick said. The Two Birds Event Group team had a lot to say about their goals to go above and beyond for couples to really ensure their day runs smoothly. One of the best pro tip our venue manager professionals shared with Sonja and Dan is for all couples to make sure their coordinator knows who the "most responsible adult" at the wedding is so they can be a point-person for any last-minute issues. 

The wedding timeline is always an essential consideration - as Kendrick and Tyler said, planning for entertainment and a DJ is such a key element that can be overlooked after couples start their engagements. Kendrick shared some insights to help find a DJ that works for you (most importantly, making sure there is a backup plan for technical issues that might occur). Kendrick and Tyler also delved into the nitty gritty of running venues, from cleaning to keeping guests safe and happy - it can be super exciting to pick your dream venue, but our guests encouraged couples to be inquisitive about any safety regulations that may be involved. Speaking of wedding venues, Tyler is a big supporter of booking your wedding venue as soon as possible after an engagement.