Wedding Day Podcast Episode 98: Lydia Turino With Miriam Events Co.

Listen to this episode and more on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.

A wedding planner has to be ready for the day the plan changes. Lydia Turino, founder and lead planner of Miriam Events Co., joins Wedding Day Podcast to talk about creating celebrations around each couple’s personality, keeping guests in mind and responding when unexpected challenges arise. Recorded at a Wisconsin Bride issue-release party in Milwaukee, the conversation also includes the story of a tented wedding disrupted by a tornado.

Before starting her business, Turino worked in venue management at The Tinsmith in Madison. There, she learned to consider an event from the perspective of the couple, the vendors and the guests. She credits relationships she built with photographers and caterers during that time with helping her find clients in her first year of business, which was driven by referrals.

That holistic approach continues in her planning work. Turino pays attention to how guests move through a space and what might affect their experience, including practical details such as a crowded bar line. For new planners, she encourages pursuing opportunities and learning from the small things that don’t go perfectly. A missed question or early-career oversight can become part of the learning process.

Turino begins designing around the couple by learning about their personal style and interests. Before a planning conversation, she asks clients to reflect on details such as their home decor and the clothes they like to wear; then she uses a longer discussion to learn more about their experiences and preferences. The resulting details might include a signature drink topped with cotton candy, a vinyl-record guestbook or another idea that feels specific to the couple.

The discussion also turns to wedding trends and personal taste. Turino describes herself as drawn to maximalist design, while emphasizing that the couple’s vision should lead the choices. She talks about Gen Z couples seeking celebrations that feel individual rather than dictated by trends, and the hosts discuss Cloud Dancer, Pantone’s 2026 Color of the Year.

One wedding tested Turino’s ability to adapt: as she recounts it, a tornado damaged part of the tent shortly before the ceremony, sending tables into a nearby field. She moved guests to safety, kept the bride from learning about the emergency and coordinated with Event Essentials to restore the setup. When a brief window in the weather opened, the couple held their ceremony. The story reflects the episode’s larger themes: attentive planning, quick judgment and trusted vendor relationships can help keep a meaningful celebration moving through the unexpected.