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What happens when you’re at the height of your career… and motherhood shifts everything?

In this raw and honest conversation, destination wedding photographer Sacia Matthews shares what it really looked like to sit in a parking lot before a wedding and realize something had to change.

After having twin boys, Sacia found herself questioning:

– Who am I creating for?

– Why am I missing weekends at home?

– And is this still aligned?

At 4AM one night, she archived her entire Instagram and stepped away from client work for months.

No safety net.

No guaranteed bookings.

Just clarity.

Inside this episode, we talk about:

• The emotional reality of leaving babies for weddings

• Why “luxury” isn’t about money — it’s about alignment

• How she intentionally built relationships to elevate her client base

• The gut instinct motherhood gives you in business

• Missing milestones (and learning to live with it)

• Scaling back to 3 weddings a year

• And building a second career in digital marketing

This episode is for the mom who:

– Feels the shift happening

– Is questioning her current season

– Or wonders if she’s allowed to change her mind

Follow Sacia at @saciamatthews and continue the conversation with us inside the Wedding Industry Mama community.

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Today's Sponsor: Green Aisle - A Platform for Modern Sustainable Weddings - Join the movement at https://green-aisle.com

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Free email template on telling your brides you're pregnant: http://eepurl.com/jhJCTg

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What happens when you stop saying yes to everything and start protecting the life you actually want?

In this episode, Meredith sits down with Laura Ritchie, founder of Grit & Grace (luxury wedding and event planning outside Washington, DC), for an honest conversation about motherhood, ambition, grief, and the boundaries that make long term success possible.

Laura shares the deeply personal origin behind the name Grit & Grace, how she built her business while navigating the loss of her mom during pregnancy, and why she eventually shifted from producing 60 weddings a year to just three high touch events. We talk about the reality of travel sports life, choosing dates that protect your family, and how being upfront about motherhood actually strengthens client relationships at the luxury level.

If you’ve ever felt pulled between being a present mom and a driven creative, this one will hit home.

In this episode, we cover:

• The story behind the name Grit & Grace and the diary entry that changed everything
• Building a business in the hardest season of life
• The hidden cost of “yes” and why boundaries are a business strategy
• How Laura structures her calendar around her kids, not the industry
• Why luxury clients value a whole human, not a perfect persona
• The vendors and companies raising the bar for working moms in weddings

Follow Laura + learn more:

Instagram: @gritandgraceinc

If you loved this episode, screenshot it, share it to your stories, and tag us so we can thank you.

Support the show

Subscribe to Wedding Industry Mama for honest conversations about motherhood, marketing, and building a sustainable business in the wedding world.

Today's Sponsor: Green Aisle - A Platform for Modern Sustainable Weddings - Join the movement at https://green-aisle.com

Wedding Industry Mama Coloring Book: https://www.lulu.com/shop/meredith-kerr/wedding-industry-mama-a-coloring-book/paperback/product-9597z66.html?page=1&pageSize=4

Digital Version: https://payhip.com/b/bfFmX

Free email template on telling your brides you're pregnant: http://eepurl.com/jhJCTg

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What happens when the wedding business you’ve built no longer fits the life you want? In this episode of Wedding Industry Mama, I sit down with photographer and educator Abby Springman to talk about her powerful journey from luxury wedding photography to brand photography — all while navigating adoption, a surprise pregnancy, and motherhood to three little boys.

Abby shares openly about:

• Knowing when it’s time to pivot out of the wedding industry
• Why motherhood reshaped her business priorities
• The mindset shifts from B2C (weddings) to B2B (brands)
• How to tell if you’re burned out… or if it’s simply time to move on
• The importance of lifestyle-first business planning

If you’ve ever wondered how to build a business that fits the life you actually want — or questioned whether it’s time to leave weddings behind — this conversation will inspire and encourage you.

🎧 Tune in now for insight, honesty, and wisdom from one of the most respected voices in the photography world, Abby Grace.

🔗 Follow @abbygracephoto on Instagram, visit www.abbygracephotography.com and listen to The Artisan CEO Podcast here: https://abbygracephotography.com/podcast

Subscribe to Wedding Industry Mama for honest conversations about motherhood, marketing, and building a sustainable business in the wedding world.

Today's Sponsor: Green Aisle - A Platform for Modern Sustainable Weddings - Join the movement at https://green-aisle.com

Wedding Industry Mama Coloring Book: https://www.lulu.com/shop/meredith-kerr/wedding-industry-mama-a-coloring-book/paperback/product-9597z66.html?page=1&pageSize=4

Digital Version: https://payhip.com/b/bfFmX

Free email template on telling your brides you're pregnant: http://eepurl.com/jhJCTg

Support the show