The proposal rush is over. And now couples are doing something different.

In this episode, we break down what couples are actually doing in mid-January after the initial engagement excitement fades. Instead of rushing to book vendors, couples are slowing down, reading more, asking better questions, and focusing on alignment over urgency.

We talk about how search behavior shifts from vendor names to “how do we choose” questions, why timeless design and intentional pacing are outperforming spectacle right now, and what couples are really looking for when it comes to photography, guest experience, and long-term value.

This is a quieter moment in wedding planning, but it’s an important one. Couples aren’t chasing trends. They’re editing for meaning.

If this week feels slower, it’s not a setback. It’s a signal.

website: northandsouthagency.com

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northandsouthagency/

AI Wedding Vendor Assistant™: https://northandsouthagency.com/ai-wedding-vendor-assistant

AI Visibility Report™: https://northandsouthagency.com/ai-visibility-report

This week on What Couples Want, we’re bringing you a rapid-fire rundown of the actual shifts that hit the wedding world in the first week of January 2026. From social media algorithm chaos to AI tool launches, this isn’t your average trends recap.

Whether you're a wedding planner, photographer, florist, or creative vendor, this episode is essential for keeping up with the current consumer market trends.

Follow Us

Instagram → @northandsouthagency @whatcoupleswantpod

Website: northandsouthagency.com

Leave a review or DM us what trend shocked you most!

Source List:

The Knot Worldwide – 2026 Trends to Watch

CNN Business – TikTok will split algorithm in US deal

Vogue – Would You Hire a Content Creator for Your Wedding?

WTOP News – Gen Z Changes the Wedding Game

Business Insider – The Wedding-Industrial Complex Is Under Pressure

The Knot 2026 Trends Report

PR Newswire – Shane Co. Survey: The Swift Effect

Easy Weddings – January Engagement Boom

Easy Weddings – January Engagement Boom

Harper’s Bazaar – Engagements Aren’t a Surprise Anymore

WWD – David’s Bridal Launches Pearl AI Wedding Planner

The Knot – AI Wedding Planning Tools Announcement

The Tulsa Wedding Show – KnotBot.ai Debut

White Glove Wedding Guide – Official Site

You’re setting goals. You’re building a vision board. You’re planning the year ahead.

But before you do any of that, there’s one thing that matters more than every resolution combined.

Couples aren’t searching the way they used to. They’re opening ChatGPT and asking who they should book. And if AI can’t understand your business, it can’t recommend you.

In this episode of What Couples Want, we are joined by special guest Jon Mest from ChatRank and Just Reach Out to break down why PR looks different in 2026, how AI decides which wedding vendors show up, and why visibility needs to come before goals, content calendars, or shiny new strategies.

This is the episode to listen to before you plan your year.

ChatRank can be found here : chatrank.ai

Just Reach Out can be found here : justreachout.io

Why this episode matters right now Engagement season is at its peak, couples are actively planning, and more of them are using AI tools like ChatGPT to decide who to book.

This episode breaks down what wedding vendors need to prioritize before setting goals, launching new offers, or building content plans for the year ahead.

This episode is for you if:

– You’re a wedding creative planning your goals for the year

– You’ve invested in marketing but still feel invisible

– You’re curious how ChatGPT and AI tools recommend vendors

– You want to focus on what actually moves the needle before setting resolutions

Before you plan your year: Ask the AI Wedding Vendor Assistant how it would describe your business. If the answer feels unclear, generic, or wrong, this episode explains why and what to do next.

What Couples Want explores how modern couples discover, evaluate, and book wedding vendors in a changing digital landscape.

Powered by: North + South Agency

North + South Agency is a marketing and AI visibility studio helping wedding vendors understand how couples discover and choose vendors in a changing search landscape.

Through education, content, and research-driven insights, we explore how tools like ChatGPT, search engines, and emerging AI platforms influence visibility, authority, and decision-making during the wedding planning process.

What does it actually take to get published as a wedding photographer?

In this episode, we sit down with Kate Hensley Phillips, an Atlanta-based wedding photographer whose work has been featured everywhere from Green Wedding Shoes to British Vogue.

British Vogue was the highlight. The grind was the story.

Kate breaks down the raw, behind-the-scenes journey. The rejection emails. The unpaid work. The years of submitting. The moment she changed her mind about paid features. And the systems, strategy, and business decisions that ultimately led to high-end clients and almost five-figure starting packages.

What We Cover:

• Why getting published is a system, not luck
• The truth about paid vs unpaid features (and why transparency matters)
• How cultural relevance (Little Women, Barbie, trend timing) impacts editorial decisions
• What editors actually look for in submissions
• How rejection played a role in long-term growth
• The uncomfortable 4–6K pricing phase nobody talks about
• How Kate transitioned from volume bookings to high-end, intentional work
• Why preferred vendor lists still matter
• What photographers should focus on early vs later in their careers

Guest Spotlight Kate Hensley Phillips

Kate is an Atlanta-based wedding photographer known for her film-inspired, documentary-forward approach. Her work emphasizes authentic moments, timeless imagery, and intentional storytelling. After eight years in the industry, Kate has built a business rooted in clarity, strategy, and sustainability.

Connect with Kate:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katehensphillips
• Website: https://katehensleyphillips.com

Hosted By North + South Agency

North + South Agency is a marketing agency specializing in AI visibility for wedding professionals. They help creatives move beyond Instagram-only marketing and build sustainable, search-driven visibility that attracts aligned, high-value clients.

Connect with North + South Agency:

• Website: https://northandsouthagency.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northandsouthagency
• AI Visibility Report: https://northandsouthagency.com/ai-visibility-report

If you’ve ever thought, “Who even am I to be published?” this episode is your reminder that success in this industry is built, not handed out.

The work matters. The strategy matters. And none of it happens overnight.

In this in-person episode of What Couples Want, Kim + Caroline record together from Calgary after Caroline’s last-minute trip from Costa Rica.

They take a deep dive on the wedding industry + unpack what’s really happening in the luxury wedding market, why mid-tier weddings are getting squeezed, and how “fake luxury” is being filtered out by both couples and AI tools like ChatGPT.

The episode explores how AI visibility works in real time, and what plays a role in being recommended by ChatGPT. They also introduce North + South’s blog writing subscription, talk candidly about community and mentorship, and break down real wedding planning questions couples searched on ChatGPT during the week of December 9, 2025.

David Jachetta | Business Strategist : https://www.instagram.com/davidjachetta/

Blog Post Subscription Service : https://northandsouthagency.thrivecart.com/1-long-form-blog-subscription/

Episode Breakdown

Life Updates + Recording Together

Kim and Caroline kick off the episode together in Calgary after Caroline’s spontaneous reroute from Costa Rica. They share stories about travel, weather whiplash, borrowed coats, and the joy of finally recording in the same room after weeks apart.

Behind the Scenes of North + South

They discuss recent AI visibility reports, what they’re learning from client audits, and why even strong SEO performance doesn’t always translate to AI visibility. The importance of brand cohesion, Google Business Profile updates, and structured data comes into focus.

Luxury Isn’t Dead, Fake Luxury Is

The heart of the episode centers on the shifting luxury wedding market. Kim and Caroline explain why mid-tier weddings are declining, how inflation has reshaped budgets, and why ultra-luxury weddings are still thriving. They break down what “real luxury” actually means in 2026 and why aesthetics alone no longer carry brands.

AI Visibility + Blogging Strategy

They explain how ChatGPT evaluates vendors, why minimal websites only work after authority is established, and how blogging builds clarity, expertise, and discoverability. This leads into a candid introduction of North + South’s blog writing subscription and why most creatives need support in this area.

Emotional Safety as the New Luxury

The conversation explores how couples evaluate vendors emotionally, including communication style, backup systems, family dynamics, and personality fit. Emotional safety becomes a central theme in how couples make decisions.

Wedding Planning Trends from ChatGPT

They break down real queries couples searched during the week of December 9, 2025, including how to choose between vendors, budget clarity, florals, intentional weddings, guest rules, and navigating family expectations.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome + TikTok vs The Office Night Routines

02:00 Recording Together in Calgary

05:30 Costa Rica, Travel Whiplash, and Life Updates

09:00 North + South Business Updates

13:20 AI Visibility Reports and Brand Consistency

19:30 Luxury vs Mid-Tier Weddings Explained

25:00 Why Fake Luxury Is Being Filtered Out

28:00 Blogging as an Authority Signal

31:30 Emotional Safety in the Client Experience

34:00 Wedding Budget Shifts Heading Into 2026

38:20 What Couples Are Asking ChatGPT This Week

45:30 Family Dynamics, Guest Rules, and Intentional Weddings

48:00 Final Thoughts + Wrap-Up

In this week’s episode, Kim and Caro cozy up and break down what’s actually happening inside the wedding industry right now and why AI visibility has officially entered its It Girl era for vendors. Fresh off their sold-out masterclass, they share the real talk behind why some businesses get recommended by AI tools (and why others barely show up at all).

They dive into the power of clean messaging, stronger content, clearer locations, and what it really means to make your brand “AI recognizable” in 2025. You’ll hear the biggest mistakes vendors are still making, how to build authority without feeling cringe, and why couples are now running straight to ChatGPT for planning guidance before they ever Google a thing.

It’s equal parts education, tough love, and girl-boss warmth; the exact North+South blend you come here for.

Links:

AI MASTERCLASS YOUTUBE VIDEO: https://youtu.be/egYspe05jwc

AI VISIBILITY REPORT: https://northandsouthagency.com/ai-visibility-report

BING WEBMASTER: https://www.bing.com/webmasters/about

WEDDING VENDOR AI ASSISTANT: https://northandsouthagency.com/ai-wedding-vendor-assistant

WEDDING DAY TIMELINE GENERATOR: https://shorturl.at/QDm4u

Takeaways

• AI Visibility isn’t optional anymore: it’s the new baseline for getting found.
• Blogging is still that girl for long-term visibility.
• If your location isn’t clear, AI literally cannot pick you.
• Pretty websites don’t matter if your words have no depth.
• Being your own PR agency is how vendors win in 2025.
• Authority is built through consistency, not complexity.
• Couples are planning with ChatGPT at every stage — from budgets to vendor searches.
• Engagement season is now AI-powered.
• Transparent pricing helps vendors get recommended more often.
• Regular content refreshes keep you in the “AI memory loop.”

Chapters

00:00 Cozy Climate Catch-Up

02:13 Masterclass Success + AI Visibility Report Tea

04:04 Why AI Visibility Is the Wedding Industry’s New Currency

05:08 What an AI Visibility Score Actually Means

06:38 The Five Signals AI Looks For (That Most Vendors Ignore)

08:32 How Couples Are Using ChatGPT to Plan Their Weddings

10:55 Blogging, Bing Webmaster Tools, and Other Unsexy Things That Work

12:37 The Five Big AI Mistakes Wedding Vendors Keep Making

13:45 Building Authority Without Feeling Cheesy

15:14 Engagement Season Trends You Haven’t Heard Yet

17:19 Vision Boards + North+South Future Goals

21:32 The Top Wedding Planning Questions Couples Asked This Week

23:42 Final Thoughts + What’s Coming Next for North + South Agency

IG: https://www.instagram.com/northandsouthagency/

WEBSITE: northandsouthagency.com

NOV 25 FREE MASTERCLASS FOR WEDDING VENDORS: https://northandsouthagency.com/free-masterclass

In this episode of What Couples Want, we are getting real about where couples are actually finding their wedding vendors in 2025. If you have ever wondered why Instagram feels slow or why your content is not hitting the way it used to, this episode is going to feel like a deep exhale. We walk through the five places couples are searching right now and how you can put your energy into the spots that truly move the needle.

We start with Kim’s engagement story and the unexpected way referrals played a role in her ring journey. It sets the tone for the entire conversation because referrals are still one of the strongest booking channels in the wedding world. When people love you, they talk about you.

From there we dive into TikTok and why it has become the secret search tool for couples planning weddings. We talk about the quick tweaks that instantly make your videos more discoverable like adding locations, using natural voiceovers, creating searchable titles, and letting TikTok read your captions as SEO. We also talk about why TikTok content stays alive longer than Instagram and how vendors can use it to bring in consistent traffic.

Then we go into ChatGPT and other AI tools. Couples are searching for vendors in ways that look nothing like Google. They type in very specific long form questions which means your brand needs to be easy for AI tools to understand. We explain how brand signals work, why consistency matters, and why blogging is one of the strongest ways to become citeable inside AI search.

Google is still a major player so we break down what actually matters right now. We talk about real SEO basics like accurate H1 tags, fresh portfolios, alt text that actually helps you rank, and the power of venue based searches. We also share the easiest website upgrades vendors can make during slow season to show up higher.

Instagram is still the place for connection. We talk about showing your personality, strengthening your DM relationships, and how some of your best bookings will come from the people who have quietly watched you for months. We talk about why personality beats perfection and how your energy online filters in the people you will genuinely love working with.

Finally we get into referrals. We talk about how to build natural relationships with planners, how to show up for venues in a way that feels authentic, and how vendors can grow through community rather than cold outreach.

We wrap the episode with this week’s trending wedding planning searches inside ChatGPT. Couples are using AI to plan budgets, write vows, navigate family etiquette, find LGBTQ friendly vendors, and come up with creative ideas. We break down the top topics across all regions of the United States and why this matters for your content strategy.

If you want to learn how to become the vendor couples actually discover in these places, our live visibility masterclass is linked in the show notes. Total beginners are welcome. We made this for every creative who wants to be easier to find without burning out on daily posting.

In our very first episode, we take you behind the scenes of how North + South began, the wild story of how we met, Kim’s underwater engagement in the Maldives, and why we finally launched the What Couples Want podcast after dreaming about it for years.

We also dive into current wedding industry trends, 2025 couple behavior, TikTok SEO, ChatGPT recommendations, and what today’s wedding vendors need to know about diversifying their lead sources. This one is personal, educational, and absolutely chaotic in the best way.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

1. The Origin Story: How Caroline Found Kim on Instagram

2. The In-Person Meeting That Changed Everything

3. Why They Waited Years to Launch This Podcast

4. Kim’s Underwater Engagement Story

This is the core of the episode and it is incredible.

5. Kim’s Thoughts on Being Newly Engaged as a Wedding Creative

6. 2025 Wedding Market Trends They’re Seeing Right Now

7. The Real Talk About Marketing Burnout

• Why social media feels exhausting
• What SEO optimized TikToks actually are
• Why older 2023 TikToks are still blowing up
• How TikTok SEO affects ChatGPT recommendations
• Why vendors need lead diversification
• Evergreen platforms versus short shelf life platforms
• YouTube, blogs, Pinterest, websites, and ChatGPT as lasting assets
• Instagram as a great but high effort funnel

8. Their First ChatGPT Lead

• The moment they realized ChatGPT could produce clients
• The lead who told them “char” recommended them
• Website analytics showing ChatGPT leads spending double the time on their site
• Why being visible to AI tools is now essential for wedding vendors

9. The Importance of Rejection Resilience in Business

• The follower who came from an ad, got messaged, and instantly unfollowed
• Why entrepreneurship requires building your “rejection muscle”
• The 20 percent rule from Caroline’s automotive days
• How this mindset helps them handle cold outreach and partnerships

Episode Quotes to Pull for Social

• “You do not need a fancy microphone to start anything. You just need to start.”
• “Your marketing tool belt needs more pockets. That’s what lead diversification looks like.”
• “ChatGPT is a search engine now. If it can’t find you, your couples can’t either.”
• “Half the battle in business is getting comfortable with rejection.”
• “Your wedding should look like you, not like Pinterest.”

Where to Find Us

Instagram: @northandsouthagency Website: northandsouthagency.com AI Visibility Tools:

• AI Visibility Report
• AI Wedding Vendor Assistant

If you loved this episode, please subscribe so other wedding vendors can find the show.DM us anytime with questions, topic ideas, or personal stories you want featured <3