How An Asheville Elopement Pro Built, Lost, And Rebuilt A Thriving Adventure Wedding Business with Jon-Paul Brown

What if a wedding could cost less and mean more? That’s the question we explore with Jon-Paul Brown, the founder of Elope at Asheville, who’s spent sixteen years guiding couples to mountaintops, waterfalls, and wild overlooks for intimate ceremonies that trade spectacle for story. He shares how a simple promise—full wedding experience at a fraction of the price—became a resilient business anchored in trust, stunning photography, and adventure.

We dig into the practical playbook behind his growth. Jon-Paul argues that marketing is the job, and social media is the most reliable engine when you remove friction from discovery to booking. He breaks down the profile-to-DM-to-contract flow, why clarity beats cleverness, and how watching trends without chasing fads keeps the brand consistent. He’s blunt about entrepreneurship’s weight: long days, real stress, and the responsibility of your team’s livelihood. Yet he shows how to build a culture that works—hire for writing and storytelling, treat emails like craft, and give great people room to operate.

The conversation turns raw when Jon-Paul recounts a partnership that imploded into lawsuits, missing funds, a hacked website, and a full stop. In 2024 he regained control and rebuilt from zero, a forced reset that sharpened his priorities: rigorous financial oversight, honest pricing, and fast, human communication. We also talk fair fees versus profit maximization, why couples deserve to start married life without debt, and how field research (yes, even in a powder-blue Vegas tux) fuels better processes. He closes with what’s next: spring bookings, local tips, and The Elope Asheville Insider, a new weekly show spotlighting events, eats, stays, and wedding planning advice around town.

If you care about building a brand on integrity and results—whether you run weddings or any service business—this conversation will give you tactics and a spine. Subscribe, share with a friend who’s scaling a service, and leave a quick review to tell us what lesson hit home.

Guest's contact info: www.elope-asheville.com

[e-mail] or 828-301-2959

Facebook: @elopeasheville

Instagram: @elopeasheville

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All the best!
Bill

Thanks for listening. Please hit the subscribe button, leave us a 5 star review, and share this podcast. You can reach me at [e-mail] or at https://billgilliland.biz/

All the best!

Bill