Lola Kent, Event Planner | Inside Desert Glam: Event Magic, Wedding Wins, and Wild Weather
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
Transcript
TRANSCRIPT:
Patrick Evans, Host: [:Randy Florence, Host As of right now, they're not here.
Patrick Evans, Host: They are not here. No, you are number one currently.
John McMullen, Producer: I thought you gave up that spiritual guru thing?
Patrick Evans, Host: No, I fired him as my life coach. Oh, okay. But he kept him as spiritual guru
Randy Florence, Host: because that's the one that didn't pay coach. Because the life coaching actually came with a check.
Randy Florence, Host: Was like, really? Yes. By the way, I have to talk to my accountant about that. One of the lessons you were supposed to learn. You owe us a lot of money, actually. Well, I'm so glad to be here. Glad to be here. Thanks for inviting me. How are you, Randy? I'm good. Hey, everything's good. You know, I've had a problem with Hollywood for years.
y never called. Oh. But I've [:Randy Florence, Host: So there's one more shot at it. Now. Yeah. Have you seen Happy Gilmore too? No. Oh God, if it's, if it's not nominated for everything, is it so
Patrick Evans, Host: good?
Randy Florence, Host: It's so good. Is it
Patrick Evans, Host: as good as the
Randy Florence, Host: original? It's better than the original. Better than the source material. It's better than the source material. I can't
Patrick Evans, Host: believe that.
Patrick Evans, Host: Because the fight seemed with Bob Barker alone puts Happy Gilmore. Yeah, that was pretty good. I mean, that's a Hall of Famer moment. That was pretty good. But in this one, they dig them up. The price
Randy Florence, Host: is wrong, bitch. I mean, that's, they dig him up. His arms are going like this. No, no, no. But it was really, really, because it would've been so easy to just be so bad and it just wasn't, there were a couple of, it's streaming professional golfer.
Randy Florence, Host: Netflix, isn't
: it? It is. Okay. I'm gonna [:Randy Florence, Host: should make a special dispensation for it to be nominated for Best Picture Academy Award. I think Netflix movies can be nominated. Mm-hmm. Can they, even if they weren't on the, uh, yeah, absolutely. The theater. Well, could Then, what are we talking about?
Randy Florence, Host: Is it done deal? It doesn't need a special, no. There's been a
John McMullen, Producer: number of, uh, streaming creators or studios that have actually been nominated or won. Uh, Oscars and Emmys and so on. Well,
Randy Florence, Host: I'm pushing for Shooter McGalin. Shooter mcg. Gavin all needs a special award. And you know, shooter Mc Gavin, Chris McDonald.
Randy Florence, Host: Yeah, go ahead.
Patrick Evans, Host: Uh, who it was of course, shooter Mcg Gavin. Yeah. But he was in one of the most incredible episodes of Star Trek, the next generation. Uh, he played Lieutenant Castillo in yesterday's enterprise and he was phenomenal and he loved doing the part. Really? Yeah. We talked about, so you like him, so you'd be okay
Randy Florence, Host: with him being
Patrick Evans, Host: nominated for an Academy Award?
Patrick Evans, Host: A hundred percent for this. And he's a handsome guy. Those steely blue eyes, I mean, you know. Wow. You just get lost in them.
Florence, Host: So there's a [:Randy Florence, Host: Wow. And in that episode, Jimmy gets married. The person that he marries is I'm, I'm on the HMIC, the daughter of Superman and Superman's daughter and Lois Lane. Guess what her name is? The daughter, Lola. And guess what her last name is? Well, it has to be Kent. It is Kent. Lola Kent. Were you named after Lola Kent?
Randy Florence, Host: Lola Kent?
Lola Kent, Guest: No.
Randy Florence, Host: Oh, okay. Well, there's, well, that would've been a more interesting episode. Guess Lola Kent. Welcome. Lola.
Lola Kent, Guest: [:Patrick Evans, Host: Didn't didn't her last name then become Olson. Because she married Jimmy Olson. She went from Lola Kent to Lola Olson.
Patrick Evans, Host: You're so old fashioned. Is that a requirement? Jimmy Olson was on this show, not a requirement. My wife didn't take my last name and for good reason and mine didn't either. For the first couple years she Googled me
John McMullen, Producer: first. There's so many degrees of separation that we don't have because Jimmy Olson was on this show.
John McMullen, Producer: Jimmy Olson, exactly right. Jimmy on this show. Wow. Hey, actual
s, Host: Jimmy Olson from the:Randy Florence, Host: You both hated the new Superman movie. Hated,
Lola Kent, Guest: absolutely hated it.
Randy Florence, Host: I loved it.
Lola Kent, Guest: Hated it,
Randy Florence, Host: loved it.
Lola Kent, Guest: You are
Lola Kent, Guest: nuts.
Randy Florence, Host: Absolutely loved it.
Patrick Evans, Host: Longest
Lola Kent, Guest: they ruined the legacy.
Patrick Evans, Host: They did.
Patrick Evans, Host: They They did. They did. No,
Patrick Evans, Host: they, they, uh, I usually do not swear. On television or my podcast, but I'm gonna say they chat upon mm-hmm. Mom, PA Kent.
Lola Kent, Guest: Yes.
Patrick Evans, Host: And, and on Jore and his wife, whose name I forget.
Lola Kent, Guest: Yes.
the longest, most circuitous [:Lola Kent, Guest: Hello, Randy
Lola Kent, Guest: Patrick.
Lola Kent, Guest: Thank you for having me here, and
Patrick Evans, Host: I feel
Patrick Evans, Host: like this is one of those episodes where I'm just gonna kick back and enjoy my beer. Because you two have known each other. For how long have you had this relationship? Oh
Patrick Evans, Host: my goodness.
Randy Florence, Host: Full disclosure.
Patrick Evans, Host: Full disclosure. You
Patrick Evans, Host: have a business relationship.
Randy Florence, Host: We have a business relationship.
Patrick Evans, Host: You have made millions of dollars off of working with Louisville.
Randy Florence, Host: No, I've actually
Randy Florence, Host: never made a dime. And if anybody ever asks, it's important for you to remember.
Patrick Evans, Host: Oh yes. Is that right? Is this undeclared income?
Randy Florence, Host: Yes, I Lola Kent, who is the. Uh, planner, event planner and wedding planner to the stars. And here's the cool thing.
Lola Kent, Guest: Oh my God,
Patrick Evans, Host: extraordinaire..
Randy Florence, Host: You don't have to be a star.
Lola Kent, Guest: No.
Randy Florence, Host: When you start working with her, because as soon as you do, you're gonna start feeling like a star.
Lola Kent, Guest: Aw, you're so sweet for Thank you. I
Patrick Evans, Host: will song. I will.
Patrick Evans, Host: What?
John McMullen, Producer: Isn't that a song too? You don't have to be a don't baby a star. Oh my God.
Patrick Evans, Host: You don't have to be a
Randy Florence, Host: star, baby.
Randy Florence, Host: I remember when
Randy Florence, Host: Barry keeps saying that.
Randy Florence, Host: We [:Randy Florence, Host: Let's talk to Lola.
Patrick Evans, Host: Lola, first of all.
Lola Kent, Guest: Yes.
Patrick Evans, Host: I'm gonna make a, a confession.
Patrick Evans, Host: Yes.
Patrick Evans, Host: I made a mistake when I got married. Oh, we didn't use you. Oh. And we should have Well,
Patrick Evans, Host: well, I, because
Patrick Evans, Host: either marriage. Well, first marriage I'm glad.
Patrick Evans, Host: Is like, that's fine. That's,
Lola Kent, Guest: that's
Patrick Evans, Host: fine. That was okay.
Randy Florence, Host: I didn't use her on mine either.
Patrick Evans, Host: My, my first wife was too busy inspecting the rest of the groomsmen to be involved. It was not. Uh,
Lola Kent, Guest: oh boy.
Patrick Evans, Host: But it's a whole different story. It's, it's a long story.
Randy Florence, Host: Next episode.
Lola Kent, Guest: Next episode.
Patrick Evans, Host: It's, uh, so at any rate. You and Randy.
Lola Kent, Guest: Yes.
Patrick Evans, Host: Randy is a well-known officiant.
Lola Kent, Guest: Yes.
Patrick Evans, Host: He's
Patrick Evans, Host: performed some of the finest marriages that I've ever been to.
Lola Kent, Guest: Yes.
Patrick Evans, Host: Uh, I've seen him marry people that didn't like each other and they were in love right after the ceremony. That's how good he is.
Lola Kent, Guest: That's true. We've been doing this for a long time, what, 12 years now?
Lola Kent, Guest: I,
th. [:Randy Florence, Host: Year anniversary.
Lola Kent, Guest: Wow. Wow. We gotta do something special. How
Patrick Evans, Host: many, how many weddings have, how many weddings have you guys done today? You know what? Do you have a number? It's a lot. It's a lot.
Lola Kent, Guest: I'm,
Randy Florence, Host: I know. It's
Randy Florence, Host: over 60. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Over 60 weddings. Uh, should we
Lola Kent, Guest: tell them how we met?
Randy Florence, Host: We should, we should go ahead.
Lola Kent, Guest: So I, I was hired to do a wedding and lo and behold. Randy was the officiant at the wedding, but he was doing it as a, he was their friend and he was there to do it, as you know, as a friend to them. And just doing it As a favor. As a favor, yes. And I
Patrick Evans, Host: Did you
Patrick Evans, Host: charge him? Yeah. I wasn't getting paid at that point.
Randy Florence, Host: Yeah.
Lola Kent, Guest: So
Randy Florence, Host: here I was. Do everybody who I did charge later, well, none of 'em are listening. Nevermind.
e this. I'm like, this guy's [:Lola Kent, Guest: I need to hire him. I need to have him on my team. You gotta do weddings for me. And that's exactly what I said to you. I said, what do you think about coming and doing weddings with me?
Randy Florence, Host: And then she said, how much do you charge? And I said, well, I don't charge. And she goes, oh, yes you do. If you're going to be one of my vendors, you charge?
Lola Kent, Guest: Yes.
Randy Florence, Host: The single best compliment that I've had is Lola telling me that when she gets married, yes. I'm going to be her officiant
Lola Kent, Guest: He is.
Randy Florence, Host: Aw.
Lola Kent, Guest: Mm-hmm.
Randy Florence, Host: Or it started out as her husband and then I introduced her to Kay. So now it'll be all be the officiant.
Lola Kent, Guest: No, I tell all my clients, you know, I'm not married yet, but.
Lola Kent, Guest: When I do get married, he's the person that I would want to marry me.
John McMullen, Producer: Alright. Does Key know that you're gonna be getting married again?
Lola Kent, Guest: Not getting married. Married, see? No. But she's looking forward
Randy Florence, Host: to it. Oh, she, she's actually supporting the whole thing. Oh my gosh. What? And she likes Lola, so that would work
Patrick Evans, Host: out.
ment, but I want you to tell [:Lola Kent, Guest: yes.
Patrick Evans, Host: And you, and you, you kind of touched on it, but, but. Uh, you use Randy on a pretty regular basis. Mm-hmm. What makes him the fic your go-to Efficient? What is,
Lola Kent, Guest: it's his technique of just sitting down with the clients, listening to both of, he has, he asks specific questions to each of them separately.
Lola Kent, Guest: They don't know what each other, what he's asking each one of them, and he writes this sermon based on those questions and kind of reveals the answers. At ceremony. So it's a very, um, it's just a really engaging, very endeared. The couple gets to learn what the other said, and the audience gets to learn more about the couple, you know, their likes, what their favorite things are.
lks away from. You know, the [:John McMullen, Producer: It's kind of like big conversations, little nuptials,
Randy Florence, Host: little nuptials. We should,
Patrick Evans, Host: we should franchise this out.
Patrick Evans, Host: Nobody. I think we should get a cut of these weddings that's going on.
Randy Florence, Host: Nobody has littler nuptials and,
Lola Kent, Guest: oh, you guys went someplace else on that one.
John McMullen, Producer: You can start having the ceremonies
John McMullen, Producer: at the McCallum
Patrick Evans, Host: too frequently. Now. That would be,
Randy Florence, Host: we could do a remote.
Patrick Evans, Host: We could do a Oh, dear Lord Lola. Uh,
Randy Florence, Host: thank you for asking that.
Randy Florence, Host: That was like a
Randy Florence, Host: free plug for the last five minutes. I
Patrick Evans, Host: look, I will say like, I think one of your great qualities, and one of the reasons you're such a good host on this program is, is you, you listen.
Lola Kent, Guest: Mm-hmm.
Patrick Evans, Host: Uh, which is not one of my favorite things to do.
Randy Florence, Host: Uh, so every time you've called me
Randy Florence, Host: Sebastian, I understood that.
Lola Kent, Guest: Oh my goodness.
first several weeks. Oh my. [:Randy Florence, Host: And I'm just so happy to be here. I don't care. I don't care.
Patrick Evans, Host: Uh, no, he's a great listener. Was he
Patrick Evans, Host: is.
Patrick Evans, Host: Uh, and so, I mean, but this is just one, and it's a big, I think maybe arguably one of the most important kind of linchpins when you're planning a wedding and you do other things other than weddings.
Lola Kent, Guest: Yes.
Lola Kent, Guest: But. You know, having somebody who can put together an incredible ceremony has to be a great marketing, uh, kind of point for you. Yes. When you're, there are a number of wedding planners around town.
Lola Kent, Guest: Yes.
Patrick Evans, Host: Uh, but I don't think I've been to. I've been to a lot of weddings. Mm-hmm. Nobody does a wedding better than you.
Lola Kent, Guest: Oh, thank you, Patrick. That's, that's a huge compliment for me. Thank
Patrick Evans, Host: you. Well, I'm thinking, uh, I know, well I've been to lot, lots of events that you've put together. Uh, but obviously Blake, Arthur, and his wife sj. Yeah. You did that wedding. You did that when you guys, uh, and that was a spectacular that, I mean, it was an event.
vans, Host: You know, it was [:Randy Florence, Host: it was amazing. It was really cool. That's the first time I met you.
Patrick Evans, Host: That is, yes, that's right. Oh, wow. Yeah.
John McMullen, Producer: What was unique about it? Was it soccer balls, hockey puck? Yes. Yeah.
Patrick Evans, Host: Yes. Yes. To all
Patrick Evans-John McMullen-Randy Florence: it was at the Ritz. It was
Patrick Evans, Host: the Ritz, and it was outside of the lawn.
Patrick Evans, Host: Uh, and Randy did do it. I mean, like, I've known sj. I mean, I was there when they met. Yes. So I've known these kids since they, you know, got together. Mm-hmm. But Randy pulled a lot of that out of them and wove it into the story. And also, I really appreciate you don't make it really long. Right. Because we're all there for the open, bold.
Patrick Evans, Host: We're just the make sure Im gonna get through it. Yeah. It's like.
Lola Kent, Guest: Yeah.
Patrick Evans, Host: No one wants a long ceremony. We like, you know, I want it to be meaningful. It is, and, and poignant. And about 15 minutes because I need a cocktail.
id not bring your own camera [:Randy Florence, Host: There was another TV person who did do that. Yes,
Patrick Evans, Host: there was.
Randy Florence, Host: We're not gonna talk about it. Okay. We're not, I'm not gonna cast this person. I think
Patrick Evans, Host: I just talked about it.
Lola Kent, Guest: Oh my goodness. That was a very special wedding. No, I mean,
Patrick Evans, Host: one of the things that I try to do is make sure that when we go to somebody's event, it's their event.
Patrick Evans, Host: It's their event. Yeah. I know. I'm a guest. I will say this, and this is a testament to you. For some reason at the reception, they weren't serving Jack Daniels. They had other bourbons available. Mm-hmm. Lola, within moments of finding this out, disappeared for a couple minutes. Came back with a bottle of gentleman Jack and she said, I'm just putting this behind the bar, and this is for you.
Patrick Evans, Host: Aw. She takes care of, she takes care of the her clients. She takes care of the guests
Randy Florence, Host: too. Yeah.
Lola Kent, Guest: Yes, which is a really happy, and at that moment,
Randy Florence, Host: Patrick's thinking if I ever have a podcast. Alright, Suzanne, Lola?
Lola Kent, Guest: Yes. [:Randy Florence, Host: Where were you born?
Lola Kent, Guest: I was born in Panama.
Randy Florence, Host: Seriously?
Lola Kent, Guest: Yes.
Randy Florence, Host: On purpose.
Lola Kent, Guest: My dad, I was in the Air Force, met my mother in Panama.
Lola Kent, Guest: Well, you don't need to choose where you born. I know. It just kind of happened. So your dad was in the Air Force? Dad was in the Air Force. Met my mother in Panama. Uh, they got married and had me, and I was born in Panama.
Randy Florence, Host: How long were you there?
Lola Kent, Guest: Uh, till about four. Mm-hmm. So Spanish is my first language, believe it or not.
Lola Kent, Guest: So I speak fluent Spanish. Yep. Came here to the states. And,
Randy Florence, Host: and where'd you go from there?
Lola Kent, Guest: So we came, we lived in Huntington Beach first and then moved on to Cerritos and then um, to Long Beach. So kind of, it was all
Randy Florence, Host: just traveling. 'cause your dad was in the service. Mm-hmm.
Lola Kent, Guest: And then, um, yeah, my grandparents, you know, bought a house in the desert.
. They bought a [:Patrick Evans, Host: when did you come to the desert full time?
Lola Kent, Guest: Oh,:Randy Florence, Host: Right after us.
Randy Florence, Host: Right after me. Mm-hmm. So it was meant that we were going to meet each other. Yes. She followed you here.
Lola Kent, Guest: And I moved here from New York. That's What were you doing in New York? I lived in New York for five years. I worked for Morton Steakhouse doing sales and marketing. Oh wow. Traveling for them. Opening up all the new restaurants.
Randy Florence, Host: Is that what took you to New York? Mm-hmm.
Lola Kent, Guest: I opened up the new restaurant in Brooklyn, New York opened it and uh, then left. I, my, my grandmother was very ill here, so I was kind of flying back and forth and, you know, unfortunately when she passed I, I was just tired of the rat race, so I just said, I'm done.
Lola Kent, Guest: I moved here to the desert.
event and wedding planning? [:Lola Kent, Guest: So it started in Brooklyn, believe it or not. So, uh, the Mortons where we were located, we were directly across the street from the Supreme Court. So people always went to the courthouse to get married. I get license, all that, and they would come over to the restaurant and either, you know, plan a little dinner.
Lola Kent, Guest: Um, but then it started becoming, they started buying the restaurant out for, for weddings. So Morton's is known as a steakhouse? Yeah. Do we do rehearsal dinners? That type of stuff. But that restaurant for some reason became the Wedding
Patrick Evans, Host: Wedding Central. The
Lola Kent, Guest: little wedding central that I created there. So I created a, um, you know, a wedding show out there.
Lola Kent, Guest: We had a fashion show, we did lots of, um. Wedding, um, charities that we supported and I did a numerous amount of weddings. So that's where the wedding stuff came from.
Randy Florence, Host: Didn't you do some sort of a, a cookoff between? I did, yeah. What was that?
Guest: So that, uh, was the [:Lola Kent, Guest: Wow. Which was really great. Uh, we did it on our plaza there where our Morton's was located and they competed against each other. So we gave them all the, you know, food steaks. Shrimp fish, everything. And they made an appetizer. They created a salad, they created a, you know, a steak. And we had, I hired, not hired, but invited judges, celebrity judges to come and judge the um, event.
Lola Kent, Guest: And we raised money for the food bank, New York Food Bank. And it was, it was, they wrote us up in the, uh, oh my god. What? Wall Street Journal.
Patrick Evans, Host: Wow. So it was very, did the fire department win? Believe it or not,
Lola Kent, Guest: the New York Police Department did
Patrick Evans, Host: really, because the fire department usually is, expect some good barbecue, huh?
Patrick Evans, Host: Exactly. Well, they, they usually are the cooks. Yes. Like they're doing more cooking at the fuck they do because that's what they're doing when they're Yeah. Yeah.
Lola Kent, Guest: But they, they won this actual event,
but the police are armed. So [:Lola Kent, Guest: it was really an amazing event, I would love to do one here in the desert.
Lola Kent, Guest: You should do that here. I that, God, you know what, I,
Patrick Evans, Host: we've had, uh, chief Mills from the Palm Springs Police Department. I know he'd be down for something like
Lola Kent, Guest: that. So I would love to get, you know, the fire department out here, maybe some of all the agencies, sheriffs chp, let's do it and just like create a big competition.
Randy Florence, Host: Say we do a remote.
Randy Florence, Host: Wherever that, wherever that gets
Patrick Evans, Host: held, say we move, well there's a kitchen here, so we could actually act, make that happen here. I bet Skip would be into it. I'm sure he probably
Randy Florence, Host: would. Was was that your first foray into something really big like that as an event?
Lola Kent, Guest: No, we did lots of different events. Um, in New York.
Lola Kent, Guest: I did the, uh, burger Bash with Rachel Ray. Really? Actually. Yes. That was, what was she like? She's amazing. My wife
Randy Florence, Host: loves her.
Lola Kent, Guest: [:Randy Florence, Host: and my wife loves him
Lola Kent, Guest: and he makes really good milkshakes.
Lola Kent, Guest: Really. Okay. And, uh, what else? We, we've done all kinds of stuff out there, so that really just, I worked with the. Uh, major League Baseball. We did a lot of dinners for them. Uh, the N-F-L-N-B-A, she did
Patrick Evans, Host: a dinner there and it was considered a home run.
Lola Kent, Guest: No, but I worked with all those different organizations.
Lola Kent, Guest: It was really great. Um, we created a lot of partnerships.
Patrick Evans, Host: That's incredible experience then to come out to the desert, because you've done some very high profile events out here.
Lola Kent, Guest: Mm-hmm. Yes.
Randy Florence, Host: When you were in college, you majored in speech. Mm-hmm. Communication communications. And you were on the debate team.
Randy Florence, Host: I was. How has that helped you in your career? I mean, I, I've, I've heard you debate, but, well, I've heard one side of a debate from people, well, you know,
Kent, Guest: they say never [:Lola Kent, Guest: We're all about solutions. There's a solution to everything and you just gotta find the solution.
Patrick Evans, Host: How difficult are some of the, and I'm, I'm asking this question from personal experience. We, we did our wedding, uh, in Palm Springs at a home that's, you know, one of the, one of the rental
Lola Kent, Guest: mm-hmm.
Patrick Evans, Host: Places.
Lola Kent, Guest: Okay.
Lola Kent, Guest: And.
Patrick Evans, Host: Uh, there are really very stringent rules.
Lola Kent, Guest: Yes.
ody has to be off property by:Lola Kent, Guest: Yes.
Patrick Evans, Host: So you have to have a place for
Lola Kent, Guest: them to go, a separate place
Patrick Evans, Host: for them to go. Which we did not, we didn't know.
as kind of. I mean, our, our [:Lola Kent, Guest: So when you know, I meet a client and they start telling me about the things that they're looking for. You know, I'm gonna give you a really good example with, you know, a similar situation of a house that people go to rent. It's very popular and know as you get to know your clients, you know, you know what they, they like, what they're looking for, their personalities.
nowing that you, you may see [:Lola Kent, Guest: Oh this, this will look great in my photos, but logistically it does not work for you. So I took them to another property where the owner of the property, very easy to work with, very flexible. You know, they didn't kick people out at 10 o'clock. They were allowed to stay. Um, as long as they came inside, we kept the noise down, whatnot.
Lola Kent, Guest: It's just finding what's right for your clients is the main thing, and that, you know, probably should have been, you know, told to you yes. That you could yes, you know, make that decision whether this is the right venue for you, but
Randy Florence, Host: who's up? After nine o'clock at night in this town I am. You don't, you don't live in this.
Randy Florence, Host: That's why I officiate, because I'm done and I'm out of there. Then you live in La Quinta where you can go to bed at nine o'clock. That's true. Well, I have an hour and a half drive home, so That's right.
Exactly. But that, you know, [:Patrick Evans, Host: Mm-hmm. Yes. And that you work with them all the time. Uh, I know they're like really fun, interesting old celebrity homes in Palm Springs. Mm-hmm. But they're interesting places throughout the desert. Oh,
Lola Kent, Guest: there's so many great new, what are some of your
Patrick Evans, Host: favorites?
Lola Kent, Guest: Well, the Air Museum is one. Yeah, that's, it's just a great, I mean, no one ever thinks they're gonna get married in an air museum and what you can create there, the things that we can do to make.
Lola Kent, Guest: It not look like an airplane hangar, um, is, you know, the sky's the limit.
Randy Florence, Host: What you, what you did at the, the, to the reception hall mm-hmm. Or whatever the hangar. Mm-hmm. For the last wedding we were at, that was just unbeliev. It was magical when you walked through those curtains,
Lola Kent, Guest: that's what we want. You know, we recently just did, uh, a huge event.
m like, can't really say, we [:Lola Kent, Guest: I mean, we
Patrick Evans, Host: literally, 'cause he is a rocket guy, he's, I got that.
Lola Kent, Guest: But, you know, just an amazing person. But we, he was just so floored by, you know, everything that. We did everything that he wanted. It was then that, and then some, and all his guests that came, you know, they all came dressed in white. Um, they, they arrived.
Lola Kent, Guest: They didn't know what was happening. We took them to the first hangar and we had the stealth bomber in there. And so they think, you know, really cool. Nobody could actually see it. You can't see it, but, yeah. Well, we wanted to make it like, you know, they were going on a trip like, okay, we're at the air. Yeah, you're you're going on a trip.
usic, lighting, all kinds of [:Lola Kent, Guest: Then, uh, when it's time to go to the next hangar, the door is open. Tall women on stilt, stilts, all dressed in white and feathers and whatnot, that escorted everybody into the next hangar where he wanted this to feel like he was at in San Roee at Nikki's Beach. He says, Lola, I want a white party in the desert as if I were in San Troope at Nikki's Beach.
Lola Kent, Guest: I said, no problem. Wow. So we brought in, we made it Norm's beach. Norm's beach. We. Also plants hanging from everywhere. We, we had the, I don't know if you've ever heard of the band Common Kings, which is the rock's favorite band they performed.
Patrick Evans, Host: Really?
Lola Kent, Guest: Yes. We [:Lola Kent, Guest: Um, I forgot the gentleman. I can't remember his name at the moment, but he's from Super Tramp. Um, he played as well. I mean, it was a star studded event. Good gracious. It was quite the budget you had to work with there, I imagine. I I did, but it was magical. Everybody walked in and was, they just went, oh,
Patrick Evans, Host: that's
Lola Kent, Guest: incredible.
Patrick Evans, Host: Well, I don't know if you noticed, but you know, the guy made rockets and his party happened in stages.
Lola Kent, Guest: That's how
Patrick Evans, Host: that
Lola Kent, Guest: works. But it was an amazing, amazing party.
Randy Florence, Host: Oh, they can see me shaking my head. They can, yes. This is now, this is video.
Lola Kent, Guest: I
Patrick Evans-John McMullen-Randy Florence: remember when they couldn't see that. Oh my goodness. They could also see the eye roll.
Randy Florence, Host: So when, when did you, uh, so you, you were doing all this stuff at Morton's back in mm-hmm. In New York? Mm-hmm. Did you do your first weddings back there?
Lola Kent, Guest: Yes.
Randy Florence, Host: How did you branch off into that?
I came here to the desert, I [:Lola Kent, Guest: So I actually ended up, um, I took a job at the Embassy Suites in Lakita as their catering director doing, and I used to sell weddings. They had two ballrooms and I sold 'em out every weekend 'cause I could speak Spanish. They did. Weddings, quinceaneras, nonstop out there. And after two years I was, can't do with this anymore because I would do, I had enough
Randy Florence, Host: of love.
Lola Kent, Guest: No, it's not that. It's, it's just that, you know, I was trying to create my business as well. You know, I, I got to know a lot of the business people here in town and Well, and I've
Randy Florence, Host: seen what you put into these events. I mean, I thought you have to recover for several days after some of them. I do. Yeah.
Lola Kent, Guest: It takes a lot of work, a lot of planning.
Lola Kent, Guest: It's all in the planning really. Um, all the details. Where did
part. Start where, where you [:Lola Kent, Guest: Well, you know, we are a generation of, you know, people love entertainment and, you know, weddings have always been, you just have, you know, you have the ceremony, the cocktail hour.
Lola Kent, Guest: Dinner and dancing. People are really into like bringing new ideas and new things and you know, adding something different to their wedding. We
Patrick Evans, Host: didn't have anybody on stilts at our wedding. No, no. It was one of my great disappointments. I was really, we did have an accordion player though. That was kind of cool.
Patrick Evans, Host: Oh, if he'd been on stilts, that would've been really awesome. That would've been way. Obviously there's so many other things that happen here in the desert than just weddings. Yes. And you just talked about, you know, this, this retirement slash birthday party. Uh, what are some of the other unusual events that you have had to plan, like were sort of maybe out of the realm of what you thought you would be doing?
Kent, Guest: Well, I did the [:Patrick Evans, Host: those parties. Those are fun parties.
Lola Kent, Guest: Yeah. So I used to do those. I have worked with the tribe in opening up the cultural center, doing that, some of their, um, events for the, for the tribe.
Lola Kent, Guest: You
Randy Florence, Host: did the Richard Milanovich? I did event,
Lola Kent, Guest: yeah. His wedding. And you officiated it. Well,
Randy Florence, Host: that was Reed. Oh, oh yeah. I talked about the 5K event. Oh yes, we did that, that
Lola Kent, Guest: as well. Uh, let's see. Um, some fun things that I'm doing now that I'm really excited about is, uh, working with some of the, uh, distributor alcohol distributors.
Lola Kent, Guest: And
Patrick Evans, Host: they're some of my favorite people.
not gonna be in the desert. [:Lola Kent, Guest: For Wicked two.
Patrick Evans, Host: Ooh, wow. Really? Yes. What's that gonna look like?
Lola Kent, Guest: So I get to design it? Well, it's know
Patrick Evans, Host: it's Wizard of Oz sort of thing. Oh. What the popups gonna look like. So Michael Jackson's in it? Yes, he is.
Lola Kent, Guest: No, it's not. Not The Wiz. Not the Wiz Wicked. You know your girlfriend Ariana Grande?
Randy Florence, Host: Yes. Everybody on that show was my girlfriend.
Randy Florence, Host: Oh,
Lola Kent, Guest: okay. So yeah, we're doing that in November. It's gonna be very exciting. So how did that come about? Uh, well, I, like I said, I'm working with the various reps within one of the, uh, distributors,
Patrick Evans, Host: right? You can name the names,
Lola Kent, Guest: uh, per Bernard Ricard. So, doing this event, so one of the reps that, uh, works out of San Diego in Orange County, I've been doing events out there for her when, when she needs, and this one came up, she says, oh, you're gonna be so excited about this one.
Lola Kent, Guest: [:Patrick Evans, Host: Where do you go for your ideas? Where, where like what's the well of creativity that you turn to to find like these new, fresh things to do?
Lola Kent, Guest: So, you know, really just watching the movie, taking out different bits and pieces and pictures of stuff that we can kind of recreate and design to.
Lola Kent, Guest: To emulate that, will there
Patrick Evans, Host: be flying monkeys? Yes. That's
Lola Kent, Guest: outstanding. That's what I'm so excited about. Oh, that is
Patrick Evans, Host: so good. That's flying Monkeys real ones. That's, that's
Randy Florence, Host: they're training them. Now
Lola Kent, Guest: we're gonna have put
Randy Florence, Host: the Living Desert training them right now, training the monkeys. Now
Lola Kent, Guest: we're gonna have like a, you know, the pink side and the green, and.
Lola Kent, Guest: Dark
Patrick Evans, Host: side. Oh, that sounds so cool.
Lola Kent, Guest: Yeah. And the flying monkeys Now,
Patrick Evans, Host: uh, Randy I know is your go-to wedding officiant, but if you ever need an mc, not an officiant.
Lola Kent, Guest: Yes, I
on occasion. I, and I don't, [:Patrick Evans, Host: He'll know what the event is. I'm like, we're here with, do you. It's Steve, right? Do you, you know, it's a,
Lola Kent, Guest: oh my God, just hand on
Patrick Evans, Host: the mic and you are, lemme know when you're done and you are. Um, but no, for, for mc. If you ever need something, yes, let me know. I'm available.
Lola Kent, Guest: Perfect. Especially
Patrick Evans, Host: if it's for one of those alcohol distributors.
Lola Kent, Guest: Yes. Especially if it's whiskey, right?
Patrick Evans, Host: Yes. If it's whiskey, that's,
Randy Florence, Host: uh, I'm a hundred percent it. Or perb, how many weddings a year? Would you say you do? Oh,
Lola Kent, Guest: I'm gonna say maybe 40.
Patrick Evans, Host: That's a lot of weddings. It's a lot. It's lot of weddings. Yeah. Yeah. Where, where are some of your favorite venues to use?
Lola Kent, Guest: Um, the Parker.
r, the Ritz, the Air Museum. [:Lola Kent, Guest: I think so. Yeah. Yeah. It's two houses. They have a huge event center, beautiful area to, to get married. It's absolutely stunning. Oh, cool. Yeah. Lots of great, uh, there's so many. Great, that's kind of one
Randy Florence, Host: thing about this area. Yes. Um, and I've told people that. Yeah. Every venue mm-hmm. Is pretty cool here.
Lola Kent, Guest: Yes.
Lola Kent, Guest: I always encourage, as you know, Patrick, with our weather, for me it's very important that we have an indoor outdoor venue. You gotta have a place, especially with, you know, winds and
Patrick Evans, Host: right
Lola Kent, Guest: [:Patrick Evans, Host: have an alternative in case the weather on that day.
Lola Kent, Guest: We have that backup plan.
Randy Florence, Host: The very,
Lola Kent, Guest: very important,
Randy Florence, Host: the, the wedding that, that Lola and I met at.
Randy Florence, Host: Uh, we had, we practically had a haboob in the middle of it.
Lola Kent, Guest: Centerpieces were flying. Flying. Oh my goodness. They were this tall, like literally flying off the tables. Well, we
Patrick Evans, Host: were talking about, uh, you had one wedding where. A hundred plus guests, including the groom and the bride got sick.
Lola Kent, Guest: Yes.
Patrick Evans, Host: Uh, what are some of the other, and you can talk a little bit about if you want to, uh, wedding disasters.
Patrick Evans, Host: And that was, that, that was because someone flew in Yes. And got everybody sick with Norovirus. Yes. It didn't happen here.
Lola Kent, Guest: No, it wasn't because of food or anything. No, it was a carrier. It was an airborne illness that everybody got at the wedding, which was. Very traumatic. I just never experienced anything like
Randy Florence, Host: that.
Randy Florence, Host: It almost interrupted my meal.
Randy Florence, Host: [:Lola Kent, Guest: They, most of the couples that we work with, they always invite Randy to come to the. The reception. It's so nice. It's usually introduced them to
Randy Florence, Host: Kay. Yes. And once they meet,
Lola Kent, Guest: Kay.
Lola Kent, Guest: No, but Kay, they love Kay. And they, and they love you too.
Patrick Evans, Host: It's gotta be written into your contract. You, you should get, you should be guaranteed both meals, rehearsal and the, and the reception. I'm kind of happy just going home right after everything. But No, I don't wanna get Norovirus. I know,
Lola Kent, Guest: but we've had some challenging
Patrick Evans, Host: events that, um, alright.
Patrick Evans, Host: Other than weather and Noro like, what else? Yeah,
Lola Kent, Guest: well, the weather will take an event down in 2.5 seconds. Yeah. Which has happened to me.
Randy Florence, Host: Oh, so to the, you had one like within the last few months that,
m just gonna stick to indoor [:Lola Kent, Guest: There's gotta be a backup plan. What happened?
Patrick Evans, Host: It was a wind thing,
Lola Kent, Guest: so everybody arrived. Um. We're getting ready for the ceremony. Everything's set up, the reception's set up, everything's outside, and it, it is at a, an estate here in the desert. And out of nowhere, you know, our phones went off. There's a haboob, there's going to be 70 mile per hour winds, and literally it took down everything.
Patrick Evans, Host: What month was this? In
Lola Kent, Guest: February.
Patrick Evans, Host: In February.
Lola Kent, Guest: I know.
Patrick Evans, Host: Wow. Yes. That's really unusual. I mean,
Lola Kent, Guest: the ceremony, the cocktail hour, the DJ equipment went flying. Oh my gosh. People, the tops of the heaters were like guillotines, like flying saucers, ready to capitate people. That's how bad this wedding was. Wait,
John McMullen, Producer: you weren't?
John McMullen, Producer: Tuned into KESQ News Channel three for the weather for us.
the day before. That's what [:Lola Kent, Guest: It was a beautiful day. It came out of, no, I'm not kidding you. When I say it was a beautiful day, there was no rain in the forecast. All of a sudden, the wind and it was a haboob, like the sand came through.
Lola Kent, Guest: I had to put everybody in the house. Was
Patrick Evans, Host: it a Saturday event?
Lola Kent, Guest: No, you, it was actually a. Thursday at a event. Oh my goodness. Yes. Wow.
Randy Florence, Host: Because usually you don't let the hobos come through here on the weekends. No, no. You, you require them to hit on the weekends when you're out of town. Camera
Patrick Evans, Host: we, Scott White has a very strong policy about that.
Patrick Evans, Host: He
Randy Florence, Host: does.
Patrick Evans, Host: He does. He does.
Randy Florence, Host: And by the way, we figured out if you ever see Patrick leave town for more than two days. Yes. Shit's about to hit the fan. Weather loss. You should also take time off. You should know. Yeah. Leave town. Yeah.
Patrick Evans, Host: What happens? Note that this, if I'm on vacation, you should be on vacation too.
Patrick Evans, Host: Yes,
Lola Kent, Guest: exactly. Uh,
e, I mean, you deal with all [:Patrick Evans, Host: Mm-hmm. You got the bartenders, bands, entertainment of all. So you have to coordinate
Lola Kent, Guest: everything. All of that. All of it. A lot of people, you know, couples don't understand, you know, if I hire a photographer, they have one job. It's to take pictures for the event, you know, as a planner. I'm responsible to make sure all the vendors arrive, check in, do the job that they're doing, you know, setting up where they're supposed to be, setting up doing everything that they, they're contracted to do.
Lola Kent, Guest: And, you know, it's, it's a lot of work. It's a lot of planning and there's a lot of moving parts that happen with, you know, these types of events. And it's really all about communication because, um, if you don't communicate, you know, one thing goes down, forget it.
Host: Well, it's, it's about [:Randy Florence, Host: Somebody has to take charge and make sure that things are supposed to be happening when they're supposed to be happening. And you're really good at, at that with a, with a stick and a soft hand. I try you manage to get that done, you know, having, having done other weddings mm-hmm. For other.
Lola Kent, Guest: Planner, people
Randy Florence, Host: who didn't use you.
Randy Florence, Host: Mm-hmm. I can, I can see the differences and sometimes I just stand back and I go, uhoh, this part's not gonna be good.
Lola Kent, Guest: You know, especially like brides. Oh, I'm just gonna have my friends, you know, help me with the wedding. That never goes well. Never.
Patrick Evans, Host: What's the most difficult part? Is it the clients or can it be the clients?
, they have a million dollar [:Randy Florence, Host: That's all they have. That's it.
Lola Kent, Guest: Well, I'm just saying, you know, like there's a big difference between a hundred thousand and a million dollars.
Randy Florence, Host: Now you realize why Lola wasn't your wedding planner. Oh yeah. That
Lola Kent, Guest: all,
Patrick Evans, Host: no. Now I'm thinking I have two daughters that we have to get married. Oh man. I'd just be setting up a safe, a good thing to wipe as an attorney. We're buying them a ladder. They're eloping there. There's
Lola Kent, Guest: people who,
Patrick Evans, Host: but yeah, there people expect that without, they expect
Lola Kent, Guest: a million dollar wedding versus what they can afford.
Lola Kent, Guest: Right? Yeah. That's the, the part is my
Patrick Evans, Host: hard, but part of you, part of your gig must be to say, okay, mm-hmm. Let's look at your budget and this is what you can afford.
Lola Kent, Guest: Yes. Right. But sometimes they, I, they, oh, I'm sorry. You can't have
Patrick Evans, Host: an officiant.
Randy Florence, Host: You can't afford one. You can't afford an officiant. Can't afford Randy.
Lola Kent, Guest: But if you feed him, he'll come.
here you go. I'm gonna start [:Lola Kent, Guest: I have not had very many Bridezillas, believe it or not.
Patrick Evans, Host: You said not very many, but you've had a couple.
Lola Kent, Guest: I've had a couple and I can count 'em on one hand.
Patrick Evans, Host: Okay. That's pretty in your business. That's pretty good for as long as you've been doing this.
Patrick Evans, Host: For as
Lola Kent, Guest: long as I've been doing this, I am very blessed. 'cause
Patrick Evans, Host: I can
Randy Florence, Host: count mine on one finger.
Lola Kent, Guest: Oh,
Patrick Evans, Host: it's this finger.
Randy Florence, Host: It ended up being that finger. Lemme see. Uh, one. Oh my God. Too
Patrick Evans, Host: funny. Well, one of, one of the great
Randy Florence, Host: things is Lola and I get to have conversations throughout the process of planning process because, because I'm generally meeting the couple months and months
Lola Kent, Guest: mm-hmm.
Randy Florence, Host: Before we get started. Exactly. And so we, we talk a lot during the process about, oh my God,
Lola Kent, Guest: what is happening here? What is
Randy Florence, Host: happening here? Yeah.
and see, you know, some are [:Lola Kent, Guest: Some of kids just never stop.
Randy Florence, Host: They just, they just keep having kids. They, you
Lola Kent, Guest: know, it's just really, it's really great to see where, where they started and where they're at now.
Randy Florence, Host: It's, and do you feel like I do that it's, it's really one of the. With everything else that goes on in life. Mm-hmm. It and, and you're working a lot harder at these than I am, but it's one of the few times is you just get to be around people that are just in love.
Randy Florence, Host: Yes. And they're just working towards their love story.
Lola Kent, Guest: Absolutely. Um, you know, we can always tell who's been blast and who's not.
Randy Florence, Host: Yeah. Yeah. We, we have had some situations like at the rehearsals the day before. Yes. That turn, turn. Very, very, and you hear stories of maybe families that don't necessarily get along well, so that's sometimes they didn't even want
Patrick Evans, Host: to go to.
Patrick Evans, Host: Yeah,
Lola Kent, Guest: yeah. Just
Patrick Evans, Host: to see the fireworks.
e've had everything from, or [:Patrick Evans, Host: off like after the rehearsal dinner, like something during
Lola Kent, Guest: the rehearsal. I, everybody's lo what are we doing?
Lola Kent, Guest: Yeah. I said, just show up.
Randy Florence, Host: Right? Yeah.
Lola Kent, Guest: Let them work it out.
Randy Florence, Host: Yeah. This, this is not what we're gonna do tomorrow. Cancel.
Lola Kent, Guest: No. I mean, everything's paid for. Everything's done. They needed to work that out. Yes.
Patrick Evans, Host: Have you ever had one that just didn't go.
Lola Kent, Guest: During COVID, you know a lot of people. Oh yeah. Yeah. But I, I like, but
Patrick Evans, Host: have you ever had like a bride groom?
Patrick Evans, Host: Just
Lola Kent, Guest: No. No. Mm-hmm.
Patrick Evans, Host: No runaway brides? No. Or grooms.
Lola Kent, Guest: Thank God
John McMullen, Producer: you guys keep business cards for Patrick's wife on hand to give to people if there's a point in the process. My wife we're,
Patrick Evans, Host: Andrea does a high conflict divorces, and so, oh no,
Lola Kent, Guest: we're not gonna put that out there in the
niverse. We're No, of course [:Randy Florence, Host: Here you go. Here you go. I think in all the weddings that we've done.
Randy Florence, Host: Every couple except one.
Lola Kent, Guest: Mm-hmm.
Randy Florence, Host: Might still be together.
Lola Kent, Guest: Yeah.
Randy Florence, Host: That's for everybody who's thinking about getting married. Mm-hmm. Your odds if you're working with Lola are pretty strong. Yeah.
Lola Kent, Guest: Yeah. I know exactly what couple you're talking about. That wasn't unfortunate. I thought that would definitely last.
Lola Kent, Guest: But you know,
Randy Florence, Host: we've had some funny situations where, uh. Within the ceremony, there's stuff that happens. Oh,
Lola Kent, Guest: yes,
rybody started laughing, so, [:Randy Florence, Host: To break and the groom doesn't hit it dead on, he hits it off to the side. So it shoots flying like 50 feet away. Oh my God. So as I'm talking, I'm running after him. Oh my gosh. After the glass then it happens. We had one, the one at the Air Museum in front of a couple of hundred people, and all of a sudden I look down on the platform and, and, and we're doing that ceremony with the glass.
Randy Florence, Host: They forgot there's no glass. I know on the. Platform, and I know that this is coming up in a moment, so I'm kind of like looking at it. Lola Lola's looking at me and I'm going, I see Lola running sicker than a dog. As it turned out. Yes. Because the next day you could barely move. Lola's running across the tarmac, you know, in the heat to go find the glass.
for, you know, they forgot, [:Patrick Evans, Host: they forgot to call. Um,
Lola Kent, Guest: and, and I'm like, I see he's, you know, running or in tune with each other and he's looking at me and I'm like, shit, sorry. And I'm just running as fast as I can and to, and I get it and I run up and boom.
Randy Florence, Host: One of the weddings we did and, and we encourage people no longer to use candles as part of the ceremony because we get wind here sometime. The one that we did that we were talking about with the. Heavy winds. We actually just kind of mine the whole, the whole candle part of the ceremony. 'cause we couldn't keep 'em lit.
Randy Florence, Host: So we just kind of turned our backs and acted like we were lighting and, and blowing the candles.
ed at weddings, good and bad.[:Patrick Evans, Host: What are some of your favorite memories?
Lola Kent, Guest: Oh, let's see. Good or
Patrick Evans-John McMullen-Randy Florence: bad?
Patrick Evans, Host: Good. Yeah. Yeah.
Patrick Evans-John McMullen-Randy Florence: What,
Patrick Evans, Host: what are some of your favorite
Patrick Evans-John McMullen-Randy Florence: memories?
Lola Kent, Guest: Oh my goodness. Favorite memories. Now you put me on spot. On the spot. Now I gotta think it's my job as a
Patrick Evans, Host: podcast. I know, is we're tough. Thank you very much.
Randy Florence, Host: It's like 60 minutes.
Randy Florence, Host: 60 minutes of podcast.
Lola Kent, Guest: Oh, I have, yes. One of my favorite moments. So I did, last year I did a wedding, a Bighorn, and this couple called me and I went to go meet with them, uh, second marriage for both of them. They're older and she was explaining to me how they met. They met through. A matchmaker and the match almost didn't happen because he became ill with, um, prostate cancer.
ng together, that I want you [:Lola Kent, Guest: And the mat, she told the matchmaker, please let him know that if he needs somebody, a friend during this. So anyways, they got in contact with each other. He flew to, to meet her. He is a pilot and he was in treatment. He had chemo. No eyebrows, no hair, no nothing matter. And their love story just began. And when we did this wedding, he was in remission and.
house, it, it was absolutely [:Lola Kent, Guest: Wedding I've ever done. I mean, it was unbelievable. That's remarkable. Yes. So they're happy he's doing well. He's,
Randy Florence, Host: that's very cool. You know,
Lola Kent, Guest: hell got a full set of hair now he looks, he looks amazing. It just, what a story.
Randy Florence, Host: That's phenomenal. Yeah. So what did you, I mean, we had a, a, I know I had a few. Mm-hmm.
Randy Florence, Host: So you must have had a lot during the pandemic. Mm-hmm. The number of ceremonies that got canceled. Yes. How did you get through that?
Lola Kent, Guest: What
Randy Florence, Host: became couple of years,
Lola Kent, Guest: well, what became really popular when they did allow people, you know, the small groups, so the micro weddings were the, the thing to do so outdoors, 50 less people, they still got married,
Patrick Evans, Host: bride and groom had to have the honeymoon six feet apart.
all that good stuff. That's [:Randy Florence, Host: But clearly none of the big events or anything that you were putting on? No, no. How did you develop the relationship with Lulus?
Lola Kent, Guest: Oh, that I've been with Lulus for a really long time. Yeah, so Michael Shier, who used to be the general manager at sto, um, he used to work for Lulus.
Lola Kent, Guest: He was the, um, executive director for the organization. And he, you know, used to work for Morton's. I met him. He says, Lola, why don't you know, it was early when I came into the desert and brought me on board, and we've been working together ever since. Michael's not there anymore, but I've been working with Jerry, John, and Francisco, who's absolutely amazing.
Lola Kent, Guest: Uh, catering director for Lulu's.
Randy Florence, Host: Any other big names, you're getting ready to, uh, marry that you can't give us the name?
Lola Kent, Guest: Um, not at the moment.
k Evans, Host: Ooh. Have you [:Lola Kent, Guest: mean, um, a couple. Yeah. Yes. But, um. No, I can't. No, of course you can't.
Patrick Evans, Host: But
Randy Florence, Host: you can. You could. No, I'm I kidding.
Randy Florence, Host: You'll literally be the only one listening to this. That
Lola Kent, Guest: is not true. That is not true. That
Randy Florence, Host: is not true.
Lola Kent, Guest: I'm gonna share this with all my friends. Well,
Randy Florence, Host: there we go. Well, there we go. Who is that?
Lola Kent, Guest: Well, one of the things I wanted, I, I forgot to mention to you earlier was, um, I think it, it's kind of key in how I got started.
Lola Kent, Guest: You know, my dad used to own a Sizzler. Okay. And I used to go to work with my dad and he used to do catering. Oh, you can eat shrimp? Yes. Oh, I
Randy Florence, Host: miss that. Cheese bread. Oh yeah. Salad bar, all that
Lola Kent, Guest: good. So as a little kid, I used to go to work with my dad all the time and he started doing ca. You know, people used to ask him to do catering and then I started doing catering, doing going to catering gigs with him.
st: So when I graduated high [:Lola Kent, Guest: I'm just going to plan. 'cause cooking and doing all the other stuff. That's a lot of work.
Patrick Evans, Host: But I hear you make a mean empanada.
Lola Kent, Guest: I do. It's my grandmother's recipe from Panama.
Randy Florence, Host: Alright. Feels like you two should be doing something together. Food related, not a fish related, but food related. I used to
Lola Kent, Guest: make 'em for mayor, the former mayor Bloomberg.
Lola Kent, Guest: Really? Yes. In New York. I was on page six. Ooh. Yes. Wow. And also cool. Also the borough President of Brooklyn, Mr. Marty Markowitz. I used to make them for him all the time as well. When you go
rk, yeah. I've been watching [:Lola Kent, Guest: I, I love New York. My, my family's there, my friends are there.
Lola Kent, Guest: And it's just a great time for me to get out of the desert. Yeah, of course. Of course. 815 degree heat.
Randy Florence, Host: But it looks like when you get there, you've got things planned. I do. You're doing some fun stuff. We
Lola Kent, Guest: have fun, fun, fun. Yeah.
Randy Florence, Host: Yes, but we need to do a remote wedding back there. We should. And a remote podcast.
Randy Florence, Host: Uh, absolutely. Maybe it'll be mine. What? I don't know. Every time she posts something on, on social and it'll say something like, yay or something like that, I just immediately send her a note. What's the date? When am I officiating your wedding? Oh my
Lola Kent, Guest: gosh. Randy will be my first phone call, I promise.
Patrick Evans, Host: Where can people find you if they need an event planned
Lola Kent, Guest: here in the desert, right Richard?
Lola Kent, Guest: Lola kent.com.
Patrick Evans, Host: Lola kent.com. If you're planning a party, a wedding, uh, celebrating a divorce,
: celebration of life, what? [:Randy Florence, Host: doing some, uh, recommitment ceremonies for people. It's about time.
Lola Kent, Guest: Yes.
Randy Florence, Host: Yeah. Let's start marketing that.
Lola Kent, Guest: I'm on it. Let's do it. Randy's ready to
Patrick Evans, Host: bill him twice. I am married you five years ago.
Patrick Evans, Host: How long have you and your wife
Lola Kent, Guest: been married?
Patrick Evans, Host: We have been married, it will be eight years coming up in, uh, March.
Lola Kent, Guest: Oh, fantastic. Yeah, so when you get to 10, call me and then we'll do a, a vow renewal.
Lola Kent, Guest: Hopefully they're, they're holding pretty
Patrick Evans, Host: strong so far. Yeah, yeah. We're doing, we're doing really good. We actually have talked about doing that because like the ceremony for our wedding and for the most part, like the dinner part was really terrific, but we always felt like we only had half a wedding because we really didn't get very much of the reception part because it was, it was, and it's a big disappointment to both of us, so
Lola Kent, Guest: mm-hmm.
on't need to redo, renew the [:Randy Florence, Host: of the best parties. And the first time that I was ever inside a hangar at the Air Museum was one you put on for yourself.
Lola Kent, Guest: Oh my goodness. My birthday party.
Randy Florence, Host: Yes, yes. You put on your own birthday party at the Air Museum. There were a lot of people there. There was a lot
Patrick Evans, Host: of people
Randy Florence, Host: there. That was so
Patrick Evans, Host: much fun. Well, as one woodwind, one's an event planner, I wouldn't farm out my birthday party 'cause no one's gonna do it as well. No.
Patrick Evans, Host: Thank you. All right. Once again, our thanks, Lola, Ken, thank you. And lola kent.com. Yes,
Lola Kent, Guest: thank you and both Randy and Patrick for having me. Oh, we're delighted to
Patrick Evans, Host: hear our thanks to the team here at Skip's little bar. And I'm Patrick Evans. This is Randy Florence. Thanks to John McMullin. Yes, a great job. We will be back again next week with another great episode of Big Conversations Little Bar.
