Meet Michael Cassara

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Michael Cassara. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Michael with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

Having always been in the “people” business, I have found great satisfaction in being a blessing to other people, to making their day special, and pouring myself into them. I’ve always been a hard worker and part of that was ingrained in me by my father, who owned his own contracting business. I believe it also comes from the culture of where I grew up in the suburbs of New York City. We hustle and work hard to make money, so that too is part of my motivation.

I recall one wedding where I was the officiant for the ceremony. The couple was leaving on a cruise from Port Canaveral, close to where I now live. They had flown into the area and used a hotel transport service to get to the hotel. The next morning I was scheduled to marry them on the beach. They were trying to figure out how to get from the hotel to the beach and then to the port terminal for their cruise. It was obvious to me that they weren’t familiar with using ride-share services. So I told them it would not be a big deal for me to pick them up at the hotel, drive down to the beach, do the ceremony and then I could take them to the port. They were so grateful for the offer. We had a great time together, and they both gave me hugs when I dropped them off at the port and shared how grateful they were for all I had done for them. Those experiences push me further to be the blessing.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

After spending 40 years in full-time church ministry pastoring hundreds of people, I retired in August of 2023 to focus on my wedding officiating ministry. I have officiated weddings as a side gig for quite some time. Because of my hard work and I think also because of my personality, my wedding ministry grew to the point where I believed I could make a go of it apart from my full-time role as a church pastor. While I still have a few dates each month that go unscheduled, I am fairly busy and doing well in this venture. I love meeting people from all walks of life and officiating their wedding ceremonies, whether they are simple beach ceremonies or elaborate ceremonies held at five-star venues. I’ve seen places I would never have seen if I wasn’t involved in the wedding industry. I received a text recently from a couple I married and they said, “Thank-you so much for making our day so special.” That is what drives me.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I’d say:

1. Being very prompt to respond to potential client inquiries. Time matters a lot. Keep your phone close by and respond as quickly as possible with a warm, receiving message.

2. Be flexible and remember that the day is not about you- it’s about the couple. Requests for an unplanned item may come up when you arrive on location. As long as it is not unreasonable, try to accommodate the clients. Your preferences and opinion should not factor into the conversation unless it is something you strongly are convicted of and to do so would violate your convictions.

3. Relax, be easy-going and down to earth. People want to work with someone they are comfortable with and can relate to. Recently, I chose a health insurance agent who was older and not as flashy as the first two I met with simply because my wife and I could relate to this lady and enjoyed having her in our home,

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

Without a doubt it was Shut Up and Sell More by Alan Berg, who is the leading voice in building a great wedding business. The most important nuggets I learned dealt with responding to client inquiries. Always respond via the method they contacted you. In the inquiry stage, always keep your response to no more than what can fit on a phone screen and always end it with a question. Keep the conversation going. Speak to their pain points. Follow-up plans are essential. Sometimes it takes several subsequent and uniquely worded follow-up texts or emails before they respond.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

None. All images were taken on my iPhone

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