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Wine and Dine Me

Wine and Dine Me

By: Reagan Prechter Owner of Reagan Events
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The Wine and Dine Me podcast is brought to you by Reagan Prechter, owner of Reagan Events, a luxury event planning and design firm based in Charleston, South Carolina. With more than 15 years of experience executing events all over the world, she’s seen a thing or two. Join Reagan weekly for her unfiltered, no-rules-attached commentary where she dives into the stories behind exceptional hospitality, the business strategies that drive success, and life’s most unforgettable moments. This podcast is unapologetically not for the basic. Follow us on instagram @reaganevents reaganevents.comReagan Prechter, Owner of Reagan Events Social Sciences
Episodes
  • The Missing Layer in High-Touch Events: Concierge Event Medicine with EventDox

    The Missing Layer in High-Touch Events: Concierge Event Medicine with EventDox
    Jun 4 2026
    In this episode of The Wine and Dine Me Podcast, Reagan sits down with Caroline Brown and Julie Livingston, co-founders of EventDox, a concierge event medicine service designed for elevated weddings, private events, and high-touch celebrations where discretion and preparedness matter.Julie, a seasoned wedding photographer, first noticed the gap after years of seeing guests, family members, brides, and grooms become sick or injured during events, sometimes leading to ambulances, missed moments, or family members stepping away to manage the situation. That experience sparked the question: why isn’t there a better way to handle medical needs without disrupting the event?Caroline brings a background in healthcare, concierge medicine, and relationship-driven business, helping shape EventDox into what they describe as a hospitality company that does medicine, not the other way around. Their providers dress in event attire, blend into the environment, and understand the expectations of sophisticated private events.The conversation explores the difference between traditional EMT coverage and concierge event medicine, including why nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and physicians can offer a broader scope of care on site. Caroline and Julie explain what they bring to an event, from prescription medications and IVs to AEDs, EpiPens, Narcan, and wellness lounge support.They also discuss the liability planners and hosts may not realize they are carrying, from handing out Advil to hiring a nurse friend or relying on a doctor who happens to be attending as a guest. EventDox operates as a medical practice with licensed providers, clinical oversight, and malpractice insurance, filling the space between a small injury and a full emergency response.The episode also moves into a more personal conversation about reinvention, resilience, motherhood, postpartum anxiety, difficult life chapters, and what it means to build something meaningful while still being human. Caroline and Julie share how their own hard seasons shaped the way they show up as business owners and as women leading a new company.In this episode, we talk about:What concierge event medicine actually meansWhy medical support is becoming a thoughtful layer of event hospitalityThe difference between EventDox and traditional EMT coverageHow medical care can be integrated discreetly into weddings and private eventsThe liability planners, venues, and hosts may not realize they are carryingWhy relying on a guest who happens to be a doctor is not the same as having medical coverageWellness lounges, IV support, and on-site medical care for guests and event teamsBuilding a business from lived experience and industry needMotherhood, resilience, postpartum anxiety, and asking for helpWhy preparedness should feel like care, not fearGuest InformationGuests: Caroline Brown and Julie LivingstonCompany: EventDoxEmail: info@eventdocs.comInstagram: @eventdoxListen & FollowSubscribe to our newsletter for inspiration, updates, and expert advice.Follow us on Instagram and TikTok for behind-the-scenes moments, trending ideas, and so much more.Tune in to our Wine and Dine Me Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, where we explore all things weddings, life, and business.
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    35 mins
  • Bryan Rafanelli on Building Clients for Life

    Bryan Rafanelli on Building Clients for Life
    May 28 2026

    In this episode of The Wine and Dine Me Podcast, Reagan sits down with Bryan Rafanelli for a conversation about the kind of event work that lasts beyond a single night.
    Bryan shares how he thinks about client relationships, not as one-time projects, but as long-term partnerships built through trust, care, and future-minded service. From wedding planning and private celebrations to corporate and nonprofit events, he talks about why the strongest businesses are built by staying close to clients, understanding who is in the room, and creating moments that feel personal without being performative.
    Reagan and Bryan also talk about high-touch guest service, the pressure to stay relevant, why event innovation cannot only be visual, and how planners can advocate for the right decisions when the integrity of the guest experience is at stake. The conversation moves from business strategy to hospitality philosophy, with Bryan offering a generous, candid look at what has shaped his career after decades in the event industry.They also discuss:

    • Why a wedding can be the beginning of a lifelong client relationship
    • How to make sure guests know who produced the event without awkward self-promotion
    • The role of trust when discussing budgets, investments, and last-minute decisions
    • Why planners should understand the character of the guest list
    • How to approach VIPs with confidence and humanity
    • Why diversifying your client portfolio can create a stronger business
    • The difference between staying visible and staying truly relevant
    • Why guest experience is still the real measure of a memorable event

    Connect with Anja Winikka:
    Instagram: @rafanellievents
    Website: rafanellievents.comListen & Follow

    • Subscribe to our newsletter for inspiration, updates, and expert advice.
    • Follow us on Instagram and TikTok for behind-the-scenes moments, trending ideas, and so much more.
    • Tune in to our Wine and Dine Me Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, where we explore all things weddings, life, and business.
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    42 mins
  • Visibility Is Not Influence: Anja Winikka on Trust, Taste, and the Rooms That Matter

    Visibility Is Not Influence: Anja Winikka on Trust, Taste, and the Rooms That Matter
    May 21 2026

    In this episode of The Wine and Dine Me Podcast, Reagan sits down with Anja Winikka, founder and CEO of Freeda, a private membership network for leaders in the global events industry.
    Anja has seen the wedding and event industry from nearly every angle. She spent more than a decade at The Knot, helped shape modern wedding media, co-founded Maroo, and now leads Freeda, where creative founders gather in curated peer groups for honest conversations, trusted relationships, and the kind of support that rarely happens in public.
    This conversation looks at the difference between visibility and true influence, why follower count is no longer the strongest signal of credibility, and why discerning clients are paying closer attention to trust, referrals, and the rooms people are actually in.
    Reagan and Anja also talk about the loneliness that can come with building a successful creative business, the pressure to appear booked and thriving, and what longevity really requires behind the scenes: emotional intelligence, operational maturity, financial clarity, boundaries, and relationships that can sustain you through different seasons of business and life.
    This episode is for creative founders, planners, designers, photographers, and hospitality professionals who are asking bigger questions about growth, visibility, trust, and what kind of business they actually want to build.
    Listen to the full episode for a candid conversation on influence, private networks, mature business ownership, and why the right room can change everything.In This EpisodeReagan and Anja discuss:

    • The shift from media-driven visibility to trust-based influence
    • Why follower count does not equal credibility
    • How high-end clients evaluate trust differently now
    • What creative founders are craving behind the scenes
    • Why Freeda was created for more honest peer conversations
    • The difference between networking and belonging
    • What longevity really looks like in the wedding and event industry
    • Why emotional intelligence and operational maturity matter more than ever
    • How the right relationships can shape both your business and your life

    Connect with Anja Winikka:
    Instagram: @joinfreeda
    Website: https://www.joinfreeda.com/
    Listen & Follow

    • Subscribe to our newsletter for inspiration, updates, and expert advice.
    • Follow us on Instagram and TikTok for behind-the-scenes moments, trending ideas, and so much more.
    • Tune in to our Wine and Dine Me Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, where we explore all things weddings, life, and business.
    Show More Show Less
    33 mins
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