Lynn easton
There’s a version of this job that looks glamorous from the outside. The photos are immaculate. The timeline feels effortless. Everyone looks relaxed.
And then there’s the real version. The one where your authority gets tested in tiny moments. The one where a client’s expectations are unspoken but absolute. The one where your team is watching you for cues on how to move, how to speak, and how to stay steady when something shifts.
In this episode of The Wine and Dine Me Podcast, I’m joined by Lynn Easton, founder of Easton Events, to talk about the part of leadership most people skip. Not the aesthetics. Not the trends. The posture. The standards. The confidence. And the systems that keep you calm when the stakes are high.
Listen to the full episode via Spotify or Apple.
The jump from “luxury” to “ultra-luxury” is mostly invisible
When Lynn talks about elevating her business, it’s not framed as a glow-up. It’s framed as strategy.
The shift starts with who you’re willing to serve, what you’re willing to show, and where you’re willing to go. It’s understanding that a limited pool of ultra-high-end clients exists everywhere, and if you want that caliber of work, you can’t rely on one zip code or one market to feed you.
More importantly, Lynn makes a point that should be tattooed on every planner’s forehead:
If you want different clients, you have to stop marketing to your past clients.
Not in a disrespectful way. In a direction-setting way. What you post, what you highlight, what you keep on your site, what you lead with, what you quietly retire - it all communicates who you are built to lead.
Authority is built through language, not volume
One of the most memorable parts of our conversation is how Lynn talks about power and language.
Not as “confidence hacks.” As leadership.
Sometimes authority isn’t lost in the big moments. It’s lost in the tiny ones. The habit of softening. The instinct to over-explain. The reflex to be overly deferential in rooms where you’re the director.
Lynn’s point is simple: if your words subtly shrink you, your clients feel it. Your team feels it. Vendors feel it.
And when you’re leading high-net-worth clients, clarity is a form of care. The goal isn’t to be sharp. The goal is to be unmistakable.
Photo taken from Easton Events
Confidence is 50 percent of the game
This is where the episode turns from event talk into leadership talk.
Lynn says something simple yet profound: confidence isn’t optional at the top. It’s part of the service.
Not performative confidence. Not bravado. The subtle kind that shows up in your pacing, your decisions, and your ability to hold the room without needing to prove you’re holding it.
Because when you’re running a production at this level, your clients aren’t just buying design. They’re buying the feeling of being handled. They want to feel like someone capable is driving.
And your team can only mirror what you model.
If you lead with steadiness, they move with steadiness.
If you lead with panic, they learn panic.
Your systems are either protecting you or exposing you
We talk a lot about systems in this episode because systems are what separate “talented” from “trusted.”
Not because the work is robotic. Because it’s human.
We talk a lot about systems in this episode because systems are what separate “talented” from “trusted.”
Not because the work is robotic. Because it’s human.
When you’re managing complex budgets, layered vendor teams, multiple decision-makers, travel, installs, weather, shipping, timing, approvals, and client emotions, you don’t rise to the occasion. You default to your infrastructure.
That infrastructure can be a spreadsheet, a database, a platform, or a set of internal rules your team follows without debate. What matters is that it’s consistent and strong enough to hold when the pressure spikes.
This is also where Lynn’s operator side really shows. She’s not just talking about making things pretty. She’s talking about building a planning business that can scale without chaos - and why she ultimately turned her own internal workflows into a tool for the industry through eventPERCH, her planning platform built to support clarity, accountability, and calm execution.
Photo taken from Easton Events
Budget first. Always. No exceptions.
If there’s one moment I want every couple and every planner to hear, it’s this:
Do not book vendors without a budget in place.
Not a vague hope. Not a “we’ll see.” Not a fantasy number that makes everyone feel good.
A real budget. One that can actually support the experience you’re asking for.
Because when clients book in a vacuum, they don’t feel the trade-offs in real time. They feel them later. And by then, it lands on you. You become the messenger, the limiter, the problem.
Budget clarity early prevents resentment later.
It also changes the entire energy of planning. Decisions get faster. Priorities get sharper. Expectations get cleaner. And your role shifts from “explaining costs” to “directing strategy.”
Branding is behavior
This might be the biggest takeaway for planners who are stuck in the aesthetics loop.
Lynn is clear: your brand isn’t just your visuals. It’s how you behave.
It’s how you answer an email. How you speak to a vendor. How you write a timeline. How your team communicates when something changes. How you handle a difficult client without letting it leak into the experience.
Sophisticated clients can spot inconsistency instantly. Not because they’re picky. Because they’re innately trained to.
When your brand is solid, it feels calm and dependable. Even when the work is complex.
Photo taken from Easton Events
What I loved most about this conversation
As a Charleston wedding planner, I’ve watched how quickly this industry can reward surface-level success. Big images. big claims. Lots of noise and not always much to back it up.
Lynn is the opposite.
She’s direct. Specific. Operationally obsessed in the best way. She talks about standards as something you practice, not something you post.
And she reminds you that stepping into authority doesn’t mean becoming rigid. It means becoming clear.
That’s the difference between being “good” and being trusted at the highest level.
Listen to the episode
If you’re building a planning business, leading a team, refining your client experience, or trying to step into a more elevated market without losing yourself, this episode will land.
You’ll hear real talk on:
How to lead high-net-worth clients with calm authority
The small language shifts that change how you’re perceived
Why systems matter more than style once you scale
How budgets protect relationships, not restrict them
The difference between looking established and operating like it
About Lynn Easton
Lynn Easton is the founder of Easton Events, known for producing sophisticated, high-touch celebrations with rigorous operational discipline behind the scenes. She’s also a respected educator in the event industry, helping planners build stronger businesses through clearer systems, stronger leadership, and real-world structure.
If this episode hits you, it’s because Lynn tells the truth. Kindly. Directly. With receipts.
Final thought
Owning your power isn’t about being louder.
It’s about being steady.
It’s about being the person in the room who can make decisions cleanly, hold boundaries without drama, and build systems that protect the client experience even when everything is moving.
Authority is calm you can count on.
And at the highest level, that calm is the product.
Listen to the full episode via Spotify or Apple.
If you would like to talk with us about planning your next event, HERE.
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