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.#BigConversationsLittleBarPodcast #PatrickEvans #RandyFlorence #SkipsLittleBar #MutualBroadcastingSystem #CoachellaValleyResidents #SkipPaige #LolaKent #EventPlanning #WeddingPlanner #DesertWeddings #PalmSprings #CoachellaValley #AirMuseum #VowRenewal #MicroWeddings #LuxuryEvents #WeddingOfficiant #Bighorn #PopUpSpeakeasy