Jen Glantz is an entrepreneur, author (of three best-selling books!), and speaker best known as the founder of Bridesmaid for Hire, the world’s first professional bridesmaid service. Since launching her business in 2014, she’s worked with hundreds of clients and built a global brand featured in The New York Times, CNN, and Good Morning America.
But all that wasn’t enough for Jen. Add to the list of accolades: podcast host! Based in Brooklyn, Jen’s bringing her wildly popular weekly newsletter 1-800-BRIDESMAID to life with our latest Love Stories by David’s podcast by the same name. We sat down with the one-woman wonder ahead of her podcast premiere (stayed tuned!) to chat being a bridesmaid-for-hire, mom, and more.
The Woman Behind the Bridesmaid
Q: You’ve worn so many hats—writer, entrepreneur, professional bridesmaid! How do you introduce yourself at a party?
A: This is always such a tough question for me to answer but I simply say that I’m the founder of Bridesmaid for Hire and a nonfiction rom-com author. People usually get hooked with the term “Bridesmaid for Hire” and dive into a ton of great questions that I love to answer.
Q: What’s one thing about your career journey that people might not know?
A: I majored in poetry in college! I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, but I knew I wanted to write and inspire people. It was impossible to get a job with that degree, so I decided to take any paying jobs I could find (working in PR, at a tech startup) while always creating my own opportunities on the side (I started a blog and my own business). We can’t wait for life to give us what we want; we have to work on our own to create ways to get what we desperately want.
Q: Let’s rewind! What was little Jen Glantz like? Did she dream of weddings, writing, or something totally different?
A: I was the kind of kid who never dreamed of her own wedding. I always cared more about meeting the right person than how we’d get married. Which is so on-brand because my husband and I got married outside the coffee shop where we first met in a COVID elopement. I was never wedding-obsessed, but I always loved people and helping them during tough times—and wedding planning can be tough on people.
Ring, Ring… It’s 1-800-BRIDESMAID!
Q: What inspired you to launch this podcast?
A: I started 1-800-BRIDESMAID as a newsletter last year so that people could confess their wedding, love, relationship, and friendship problems in a safe space. People really took to the idea, but the problem was nobody was answering these people’s problems or helping them. So, I decided to turn it into a podcast where experts could share advice and help the callers and other people who might be feeling the same way.
Q: You’re known for giving great advice—what’s the best piece of advice you have ever received?
A: Never give up, especially if you want to achieve something. Don’t let rejection stand in your way.
Q: If you could have any guest (alive or historical) on your podcast, who would it be and why?
A: Kesha! I love her and think our conversation would be really fun. She’s had such a wild life and career journey, and I think her expertise could help a lot of listeners struggling to figure out who they are.
Q: What’s one question you hope someone asks you on the podcast?
A: I wish someone would ask if I’ve made the same mistakes as the callers, because likely I have or have worked with a bride who has.
Q: How do you hope listeners feel after tuning in to an episode?
A: I hope they feel less alone in this world and less awkward too.
Rapid Fire with Jen
Q: If you could officiate a wedding for any celebrity couple, past or present, who would it be?
A: I’d love to follow J-Lo around and officiate all her weddings!
Q: What’s your go-to wedding dance floor song?
A: I love when any Chainsmokers song comes on because it makes the wedding feel like a nightclub.
Q: If you had to plan your own dream wedding in 24 hours, what’s the first thing you’d do?
A: Find the outfit! I’d want to wear a standout look, and once I picked that, it might determine the rest of the party.
Q: Describe your ideal Saturday: is it full of weddings, writing, or something completely different?
A: My favorite way to spend a Saturday is to stroll around Brooklyn with my husband, toddler, and dog, break away for some writing and working with clients, fit in a quick workout, and spend the rest of the afternoon with my family, eating pizza and chatting with our neighborhood friends.
Jen Glantz has turned being a professional bridesmaid into a platform for connection, storytelling, and heartfelt advice—and now, she’s bringing her magic to the mic. Her new podcast, 1-800-BRIDESMAID, launches tomorrow as part of Love Stories by David’s. Expect confessions, real talk, and a whole lot of heart. We’ll be tuning in—will you?!
1-800-Bridesmaid joins our family of hit wedding podcasts, including Weddings-ish with Jove, The Pre Nup with Adriana Brauckmann, and The Bouquet Toss. Watch now!
Looking for more inspo? Check out Pearl by David’s for all the latest trends, advice, and more.
