wedding planner · christina maldonado damion hamilton photographer janet lanza photography sofia...

Wedding Planner MAGAZINESEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

Inspired by the Association of Bridal Consultants

BREAKING DOWN THE BUDGET...CLOSING THE DEAL..THE BUSINESS OF TASTINGS...PUTTING PRIDE IN PERSPECTIVE

T H E M I N T E D W E D D I N G P L A N N E R P R O G R A MS I G N U P T O R E C E I V E A N E X C L U S I V E T R A D E- O N LY D I S C O U N T A N D G I F T

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4 WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINE

WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINEvol 7 issue 4

FEATURES8 Breaking Down the Budget on the Road

to Business Success18 5 Tips for More Effective Leadership22 To Charge or Not to Charge? Tastings:

Yay or Nay?

REAL WEDDINGS26 Florida28 New Jersey

COLUMNS10 Industry Insight: Putting Pride in Perspec-

tive—Seeking Inside-the-Industry Answers to Marriage Equality Issues

13 Business Basics: The Art of Closing the Deal

23 Master Profile: Sasha Souza, MWP™24 Seasoned Professionals: Closing the

Generation Gap25 NACE: Imagine, Create, Inspire: NACE Sets

the Stage at Experience

IN EVERY ISSUE6 Letter7 Contributors14 Ask the Experts16 ABC News20 Industry Best Practices

26 © Christina Maldonado


SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 | VOLUME 7 ISSUE 4

PUBLISHERSNancy Flottmeyer, PWP™, and David Wood

EDITORBeth Erickson

CREATIVE DIRECTORNancy Flottmeyer, PWP™

CONTRIBUTORSMegan Ely

Beth Erickson Kim Grimm

Kathryn HammJoseph Hill, Ed.D.

Doug Quattrini, CPCEMilena Santoro, CWP™

Sonya Scott, MWP™

PROOFREADERKim Seidel

PHOTOGRAPHERSAuthentic Eye Photography

Christina MaldonadoDamion Hamilton Photographer

Janet Lanza PhotographySofia Negron Photography

ABC CORPORATE SALESNicole DaSilva

TRAVEL/CVB SALESDavid Wood

Wedding Planner Magazine, inspired by the Association of Bridal Consultants, is published bi-monthly by Wedding Planner Magazine LLC, 400 Main Street, La Crosse, Wisconsin 54601. Phone: 608.796.2257. Fax: 608.796.2253. Email: [email protected]. Visit: www.WeddingPlannerMag.com. Copyright 2017 Wedding Planner Magazine LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced with-out written permission from the publishers. Wedding Planner Magazine does not necessarily endorse the claims or contents of advertising or editorial material. Printed in the U.S.A.

Wedding Planner Magazine ISSN 2160-3286 is published bi-monthly by Wedding Planner Magazine LLC, 400 Main Street, La Crosse, Wisconsin 54601. Circulation is 4,000. Advertising is accepted; corporate ABC members receive a discount on rates. Annual subscriptions are $36. Periodical postage paid at La Crosse, WI and at Eau Claire, WI. Post-master send changes to Wedding Planner Magazine, 400 Main Street, La Crosse, WI 54601.

Beth [email protected]

Nancy Flottmeyer, PWP™Publisher/Creative [email protected]

David M. Wood, Publisher/President, Association of Bridal Consultants

letter

WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINE ADVISORY BOARDTonia Adleta, PWP™, Aribella Events - Frank J. Andonoplas, MWP™, Frank Event Design - Alan Berg, CSP®, www.AlanBerg.com - Donnie Brown, CWP™ Donnie Brown Weddings and Events - Merryl Brown, Merryl Brown Events - Mark Kingsdorf, MWP™, Mission Inn Resorts - Carmen Mesa, MWP™, Carmen Mesa Weddings and Events, Inc. - Shelby Tuck-Horton, MWP™, Exquisite Expressions and Events

UPCOMING ISSUE: DESIGN TRENDS ISSUE - REAL WEDDINGS - ASK THE EXPERTS - AND MUCH MORE!

Be yourself.

If we were to give advice to an industry newbie, just as we asked our readers to do, it would be this. Be yourself.

Sometimes, when we begin our careers, we try hard to be just like those we admire, or like the competition, or we try hard to appease all potential clients. We forget that the best thing to do is to know ourselves first. We need to learn our strengths and weaknesses, discover who we are and what we have to offer. Once we stop being what we think we should be, get comfortable with who we are already, and just be ourselves, our businesses will shine.

For more learnings and advice see our Industry Best Practices on page 20. Yet this issue of Wedding Planner Magazine also contains other practical business advice. Our cover feature on page 8 breaks down the budgeting process, offering tips and ideas for creating a business budget that works for you. On page 13, Master Wedding Planner™ Sonya Scott tells us how to get comfortable closing deals, admitting that, in the beginning of her business venture, this was her least comfortable task. Sound familiar?

On page 28, we explore the latest on LGBTQ+ wedding industry and political issues in the United States as the publisher of GayWeddings.com and WeddingWire expert Kathryn Hamm offers her perspective. We also continue our exploration of business communication issues by examining the complicated world of co-worker communication and inter-office generational communication styles.

So please, take some time from your busy schedule or the Association of Bridal Consultants annual conference in Mexico, and spend it with this issue of Wedding Planner Magazine—we know you'll be glad you did!

© Damion Hamilton Photographer, design by Sasha Souza Events







http://www.WeddingPlannerMag.com



http://www.AlanBerg.com

WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINE 7

ABC DIRECTOR LISTINGPresident, David M. Wood III

Director of State Managers, Beverly Ann Bonner, APR, MWP™ [email protected]

Director of Operations, Elayne Anderson [email protected]

Director of Outreach, Jacqueline Vazquez, MWP™

Director of Education, Shelby Tuck-Horton, MWP™ [email protected]

Director of Ethnic Diversity, Lois Pearce, MWP™ [email protected]

Director of Annual Conferences, Carmen Mesa, MWP™ [email protected]

Creative Director, Nancy Flottmeyer, PWP™ [email protected]

Member Services, Nicole DaSilva [email protected]

Membership Services, Annemarie Steiner [email protected]

ABC Office1.860.355.7000, fax 1.203.775.0037, www.BridalAssn.com, 632 Federal Road - Suite 2, Brookfield, CT 06804.

Social Mediawww.facebook.com/AssocBridalConsultants/

ABC CODE OF ETHICS Our ABC members agree to:• represent each client fairly and honestly,

providing all agreed-to services in a timely and cost-efficient manner.

• establish reasonable and proper fees for services and provide written estimates to each client.

• use honest, factual advertising.• deal with employees and clients fairly, in an

unbiased manner.• disclose to clients any payments received from

suppliers.• operate an establishment that is a credit to the

community.

WHO'S WHO

IN THE ABC?

MEGAN ELY is the owner of wedding PR and market-ing firm OFD Consulting in Richmond, Va. She is a highly sought after speaker, industry writer, and adjunct professor in PR at Virginia Commonwealth University. She explores the art

of budgeting for your business on page 8.

BETH ERICKSON is the editor of Wedding Planner Magazine and owner of Jobe Communi-cations, LLC, a writing, editing, and creative concept com-pany. Beth is an award-win-ning writer who works within multiple industries. She writes

about leadership skills on page 18.

With more than 20 years of association experience, KIM GRIMM serves as interim exec-utive director for the National Association for Catering and Events. Her passion for leading an organization that serves catering and event profession-

als has allowed her to understand the value of helping the industry grow through career development, community building, and education. Her specialties include: member growth, branding and marketing, and strategic planning. Her recap of NACE Experience is on page 25.

Wedding innovator, KATHRYN HAMM, is the publisher of Gay-Weddings.com, the leading online resource dedicated to serving same-sex couples since 1999 and an education expert for WeddingWire. She is also co-author of the

book, The New Art of Capturing Love: The Essential Guide to Lesbian & Gay Wedding Photography (Am-photo Books, 2014). In this issue, she puts pride in perspective on page 10.

JOSEPH HILL, ED.D., is a creative/connector with zeal to encourage, equip, and empower the leader’s journey from “success to signif-icance.” Hill has experience in organizational leadership, hu-man development, and teach-

ing as a practitioner, educational leader, executive coach, author, and blogger. He holds a post-graduate degree in educational leadership with an emphasis in servant leadership and is a Licensed Executive Coach through the International Coach Federation. Follow him on Twitter @liveleadserve, or email [email protected]. He writes about leadership skills on page 18.

DOUG QUATTRINI began with ARAMARK Corporation as an account manager, later joining the ARAMARK Higher Educa-tion national support team to develop and implement cater-ing training programs for the

United States and Canada, and evaluate campuses on strategic and tactical levels. Quattrini joined the Feast-ivities Events team as an event producer in November 2012, selling, planning, and executing highly custom-ized, off-premise events in the Philadelphia area. A past president for the Philadelphia/South Jersey/Delaware National Association for Catering and Events (NACE) chapter, and current NACE National Board Secretary, he earned his Certified Professional in Catering and Events designation in 2009. Read about his expertise on tastings on page 22.

MILENA SANTORO, CWP™, CMM, CMP, PIDP, is an author, speak-er, educator, and president and CEO of MS Productions, Inc., with offices in Canada and Europe. She has more than 20 years of experience and a background in hospitali-

ty, culinary arts, floral, and interior design. In this issue, she shares her insight into generational leadership on page 24.

SONYA SCOTT, MWP™, is owner of A Perfect Day! and Planner Success in Knoxville, Tenn. As an experienced wedding planner and mentor, she helps overworked planners create businesses that flow as smoothly as the weddings

they plan. If you would like to to simplify your closing system by attracting more of your ideal clients, visit www.SonyaScottMWP.com/more. To connect, email [email protected], or find her on Pinterest and Facebook at SonyaScottMWP. Her article on closing the deal is on page 13.









http://www.BridalAssn.com

http://www.facebook.com/AssocBridalConsultants/

http://www.SonyaScottMWP.com/more



While most people would agree that it’s their least favorite part of owning and managing a business, this truth is universal: bud-

geting is a key component to running a successful wedding company.

Michelle Loretta, of the online consulting company Sage Wedding Pros, initially developed the financial coaching side of her business after recognizing patterns among wedding businesses. “Our indus-try is full of incredible artists and creators,” says Loretta. In contrast, “Finance is not an area that many people have learned—or care to be involved in. But—it’s so important. Numbers are the only quantifiable metric for whether a business is thriving, or merely surviving.”

So how can you thrive instead of just survive? Never fear. Let’s explore some of the industry’s best tips for setting goals, monitoring progress, and steering your business’ financial health in the right direction.

BREAK DOWN THE BUDGETChoosing how you will break down your budget—where you will allo-cate funds and where you will choose to save—is a complex process.

Becky Baker, owner and wedding planner for Becky’s Brides in Bir-mingham, Ala., was an accountant in a former life. When determining her company’s yearly budget, she looks to the past for guidance. “We use the same revenue we earned in the past year as a safe bet,” says Baker. “We then plug in our fixed expenses like office rent, software, payroll and taxes, and see what’s left. From there we allocate our

money to things that we think will help grow our business and things that are ‘nice to have’ such as employee perks, employee t-shirts, etc.”

If your company is new, and you don’t have that kind of history to rely on, you might take a different approach. One anonymous industry pro we consulted shared a sample budget breakdown that a company might use. In this example, budget items were allocated by percentages:

Paco de Leon, owner of The Hell Yeah Group, financial educators and advocates based in Los Angeles, suggests that you start by knowing how much you need to earn to run your business, including your salary. “Break that number down into a number you can wrap your head around,” says de Leon. “Figure out how much you’d need to bill each month to hit that goal,” she adds.

She also recommends breaking the number down into something that won’t completely overwhelm you. “Instead of freaking out about how to earn $10k/month,” she says, “maybe focus on earning $500 a day, or signing two new clients who will pay you $5,000 each. What you focus on expands and what gets measured matters. So create a goal and watch your progress.”

Of course, budgets are different for every company. Travel, in the percentage breakdown above, is a higher priority to the sample com-

BUSINESS ISSUE | MEGAN ELY

BREAKING DOWN THE BUDGET ON THE ROAD TO BUSINESS SUCCESSCreating and sticking to a budget lays the foundation for prosperity and gives you the freedom to turn your attention to other aspects of your business and focus on those things you actually love.


© Damion Hamilton

pany, because destination events are a regular part of the business. You will need to reflect on your own operations and decide how you can tweak yours to best suit your business structure.

DIY BUDGETINGMany business owners, especially those who are just starting out, handle budgeting for themselves. When Michelle Johnstone Clark opened Waterlily Weddings, LLC, with offices in Ireland and the United States, she managed her own budget. “I simply used Excel to track all of my income and out goings,” says Johnstone Clark. While she now outsources some financial services, she still uses the same program to track everything. “But now, I have an accountant who checks everything quarterly and helps me plan,” she adds.

To manage your own budget, you need some basic skills. Attention to detail and a good view of the big picture are important to start. Access to a solid computer program, like Excel, that can be used to track your numbers, calculate figures, and create presentations to help everyone understand your business goals, progress, and challenges is essential.

So is time.

If you are needed in the business, it can be difficult to work on the business, so honestly evaluate what you bring to the budgeting process, and what might be better, overall, if you outsourced the functions.

Of course, the biggest advantage to DIY budgeting is saving the fees associated with hiring a pro to budget for you. However, when you han-dle these numbers yourself, you are also intimately familiar with one of the most important parts of your operations, which can help you make wise business decisions and steer your company in the right direction.

Disadvantages include susceptibility to errors for those new to bud-

SAMPLE BUDGETSThe following sample budgets were submitted by successful wedding industry professionals with different service lines. Consider these as useful, comparative guides in prepping the budget that's right for your business.

Salary60%

Rentals/LinenExpense

10%

VehicleExpense

10%

Marketing6%

Supplies5%

Rent5%

Insurance4%

Supplies 5%

Rent 5%

Insurance 4%

Marketing 6%

Vehicle Expenses

10%

Rentals/Linens10%

Courtesy of Bermuda Bride

Salary75%

Marketing10%

Professional Fees4%

OfficeExpenses4%

Travel4%

Insurance3%

Insurance 3%Travel

4%Office Expenses

4%Professional

Fees 4%

Marketing 10%

Salary 75%

geting, and the huge investment in time that the process can take—which may take away from what you need to be doing to run your business.

BRINGING IN A BUDGETING PROOne of the biggest advantages to hiring professional help with your business budgeting is clarity. Loretta takes a two-fold approach when working with new financial clients. “I analyze what their business is currently doing and provide an extensive report with recommendations for improvement,” she says. “Implementation of these solutions is the foundation for moving forward in a positive direction. And, then we create a cash-flow strategy for the upcoming two years.” Loretta finds the process incredibly effective, because she firmly believes that the numbers “tell you where you need to go—all of that wandering around in the dark is done.”

Outsourcing budgeting also gives you back the time you need to work on the many other aspects of running a business that you would otherwise sacrifice. The ability to set goals, monitor progress, and have enough time to spend actually attempting to achieve your goals is a powerful way to approach business management.

NEXT STEPSReady to face the numbers and learn what they reveal about your business? Begin today by writing absolutely everything down—your income, your expenses, and your goals for the next 12 months. Use these figures to help create projections and steer your business in the right direction.

You won’t regret taking the time now to become fluent in your own budget, or the peace of mind you’ll develop knowing that you’re on the road to better financial understanding. WPM

__

Meghan Ely, OFD Consulting, Richmond, Va.

Salary 60%

These days, the emotional range of the LGBTQ community in the United States can broadly be described as reflective, agitated, and

empowered. On the heels of the advent of marriage equality two years ago, with several lower courts ruling against wedding pros who refused to serve same-sex couples, and with higher approval ratings for and comfort with same-sex marriage, there is certainly much about which the LGBTQ community can feel empowered and content.

But a deeper unrest exists for many beneath the champagne toasts and sparkler-lit receptions.

SEEING MORE OF THE RAINBOWSince the dramatic night at the Stonewall Inn in 1969, when the mod-ern understanding of gay activism and “gay pride” month was born, the community has assimilated into mainstream culture, with wed-dings and the acceptance of the wedding and hospitality industries playing a significant role.

Largely gone are the gay bookstores and bars where we felt safe to congregate. Gone are the pride marches and parades in our “gay-borhoods” that were almost exclusively attended by LGBTQ folk with a straight ally here or there. Gone are the one-dimensional under-standings of us as the gay uncle, the lesbian PE teacher, the mentally disturbed loner, the flamboyant drag queen.

You see more of our rainbow in your world now. We are the couple down the street. The parents of the child with whom your child shares a homeroom. Your college roommate’s best man at her wedding. Your brother. Your sister. Your parent. Your child.

We’ve come a long way since Stonewall. Those of us who came of age in the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s feel as empowered by the ac-ceptance of our families and our much-anticipated legal right to wed as we do reflective of the community identity and subculture we’ve lost.

A DEEPER UNRESTEven so, the LGBTQ community and the wedding industry continue to circle around some agitating questions; many of which were debated and discussed in the past 10 years but left unresolved in the journey toward marriage equality and the widely celebrated Supreme Court decision codifying that #LoveIsLove.

In 2014, prior to the federal recognition of marriage equality, Wedding Planner Magazine published a survey of its readership on which I col-laborated. The survey revealed that a majority (73 percent) of wedding pros plan to provide or already provide same-sex wedding services. The follow up question we asked was: if you don’t, why not? It might not surprise you to know that the vast majority of the remaining 27 percent

PUTTING PRIDE IN PERSPECTIVE—SEEKING INSIDE-THE-INDUSTRY ANSWERS TO MARRIAGE EQUALITY ISSUESMarriage equality in the United States exists, yet service equality for LGBTQ weddings doesn't, as evidenced by cases headed to the Supreme Court that address religious freedom and the right to refuse service. Can we find an answer inside the industry or must it be left to the courts?

INDUSTRY INSIGHT | KATHRYN HAMM


© Authentic Eye Photography

BEYOND THE UNITED STATES:A global snapshot of marriage equality

Did you know that WeddingWire now serves couples and pros in 15 countries across North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia? Test yourself! In which of the countries listed below can you help same-sex couples who can legally wed and in which will you be working with same-sex couples who can’t?

Spain Italy Canada

India Mexico Chile

Argentina Brazil Colombia

Peru Uruguay France

UK Portugal United States

Learn more about these countries and others via http://www.pewfo-rum.org/2017/06/30/gay-marriage-around-the-world-2013.

who did not offer same-sex wedding services (91 percent) reported opting out because of their religious beliefs.

According to a 2015 WeddingWire survey of wedding professionals, the divide in this segment of industry opinion still rings true: the vast majority of wedding professionals have grown to support same-sex weddings (90 percent)—and marriage equality for that matter (69 per-cent)—and, of the nine percent who remain against servicing LGBTQ weddings, 72 percent report doing so largely because of their religious beliefs (59 percent also said they believe marriage is between a man and a woman).

In my experience, the majority of wedding pros who don’t support marriage equality or don’t want to work with same-sex couples have treated me with respect and kindness. Some are curious and open to learning more, even though they are wary of attracting attention to their business and beliefs. Some are defensive and share their opinions aggressively, hurtfully, and without refinement. But, the majority of folks I encounter are wrestling with personal experiences, personal challenges, and religious customs defined by their communities and religious lead-ers. In some ways, the anxiety they express matches closely the anxiety expressed by same-sex couples who fear discrimination.

WHAT’S THE ANSWER?So how do we solve this dilemma? How do we help businesses that serve the public understand marriage as a civil right and endeavor, without judgment, to open their doors to work with any couple who enters? How also do those of us who feel strongly about marriage equality and non-discriminatory business practices provide space and respect, without judgment, for those who would take a stand, knowing the risks, and refuse service even though it is explicitly against the law to do so in most states?

The way through these tight spots and uncomfortable conversations is to lead with love, listen with love, and serve with love. But, in our current entrenched, tribal-opinion battles, this certainly seems harder than ever. And more necessary than ever.

IN THE UNITED STATES, IT ISN’T OVER YET One thing is for certain: the debate about “religious liberty” vs. civil rights is far from over. This past June, at its annual meeting, the South-ern Baptist Convention, founded under the banner of religious liberty in the 19th century in defense of Christian slaveholders’ beliefs, voted, after some controversy and parliamentary wrangling, to denounce racism and white supremacy. It seems hard to believe that doing so in this day and age would have been fraught with hand wringing. But it was. I’m just glad the Church leadership made its stance manifest. It’s an important step to distance itself from one of the troubling reasons for its founding.

With a conservative-leaning Congress and White House determining legislation through 2018 at a minimum, and with a divided bench on the Supreme Court (which is likely to see turnover in the next year to


Answer: Marriage equality is recognized in all of the above except Italy, India, Peru, Chile, and some juris-dictions in Mexico.

two), we can expect more headlines of wedding professionals who wish to refuse service based on their religious beliefs—headlines that will test those limits in court. The most well-known case is Colorado’s Masterpiece Cakeshop vs. the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, which will dominate headlines this fall when its case (and perhaps the case of Washington State’s Arlene’s Flowers joining it) is heard in the Supreme Court of the United States.

NO EASY ANSWERThe understanding of this reality leaves many in the LGBTQ communi-ty understandably on edge. After all, it was not long ago that we had very few protections for ourselves, our jobs, and our families. We know well what it feels like to be marginalized.

There are no easy answers when contradictory beliefs are on a collision course. It strikes me, however, that recognizing the rule of law around discriminatory practices in the marketplace while continuing to listen to each other is key. Fighting for a space of mutual respect and understanding includes making sure that every couple can expect to be served, and every wedding pro who has a religious belief that opposes marriage equality has the freedom to hold that view while still operating his or her business with a comfortable autonomy within the boundaries of the law.

After all, if we can’t find a path to our own answer as an industry, the politicians and courts surely will.__Kathryn Hamm, GayWeddings/WeddingWire, Chevy Chas e, D.C.

...lead with love, listen with love, and serve with love...

http://www.pewfo-rum.org/2017/06/30/gay-marriage-around-the-world-2013



Sandals® and Beaches® are registered trademarks. Unique Vacations, Inc, is an affiliate of Unique Travel Corp.,the worldwide representative of Sandals and Beaches Resorts. 3326/0117

Going on a familiarization (FAM) trip was the best business decision I’ve ever made. During the training, I learned valuable product knowledge, which encouraged me to set new goals and made me feel more confident in promoting Sandals to my clients.

When I returned from visiting the islands, the first item on my agenda was to host a Caribbean Night. The awareness I raised through promoting the event really helped kick start my business.

In total, I had eight couples attend the event. Three of them booked Butler and Club level suites within 14 days, and I am in the planning process with three of the other couples. My Business Development Manager (BDM) was a great source of information at the Caribbean Night. I learned so much more about the Sandals product from her!

During the FAM trip, I set a goal of 26 bookings. I am determined to return as a Silver Level Certified Sandals Specialist on the next FAM and thanks to my Caribbean Night I’m off to a great start. Since the event, another eight couples that could not attend the event have contacted me to book their trips. Without a doubt, the small investment I made to host the Caribbean Night was well worth it. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to grow his or her business.

Katie LeggABC MemberFestivities Wedding & Event PlannerKirkwood, NY

A FAMTASTICEXPERIENCE

SET UP A MARKETING PLAN TODAY

CONTACT KIM SARDOSenior Director of Business Development at

978-281-1119 or [email protected]

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Of all my skills as a wedding planner, closing the deal was the one I struggled with the most. At every conference I attended, I made

a beeline for the breakout on sales skills.

As an introvert, I am perceptive and intuitive. Not only do I pick up nu-ances from couples I am selling to, but I dislike being sold to. Any time a salesperson switches to closing mode, I cross my arms, lean back in my chair, and shut down. Because of my aversion to sales, I realized that I needed to devise a client acquisition system that required as few sales skills as possible. Here is what I developed:

1. POSITION TO INCREASE YOUR BOOK RATETo begin with, identify your ideal couple and address their needs and desires in your website and sales copy. Also start listing price ranges on your website. When I did this, couples contacting me were already convinced I was the perfect planner for them, and I was more confi-dent stating my price when I presented a proposal. Yes, I had fewer inquiries, but I was able to book a higher percentage of the couples who contacted me.

2. PRE-SCREEN TO IDENTIFY A GOOD FITWhen a couple first contacts you, have them book a 15-minute phone appointment online through a scheduling app, such as www.TimeTrade.com or www.SimplyBook.me. During the phone appointment, ask gen-eral pre-screening questions to help you determine their budget, style, and needs. If you decide the couple is a good fit, suggest a face-to-face meeting. Tell them you will offer a closing incentive at the meeting, and ask them to bring their co-decision maker along, if possible.

3. ASSIGN HOMEWORKNext, assign them homework by directing them to one or two of the following: a) Your testimonials page; b) your website gallery ; c) a blog post that addresses a concern or problem they’re having (I have blog posts I’ve written specifically for this purpose.) Last, but not least, send them a questionnaire to get an idea of their needs, expectations, and pain points. Use the questionnaire responses to create three or four custom proposals.

4. ADDRESS THEIR NEEDS AND—PROPOSEAt the meeting, lead them through an intake process where you identify wedding details, clarify questionnaire responses, and pull out pain points. As they mention areas they are concerned about or struggling with, parrot their pain point, and assure them you will address these issues. After you complete the intake, summarize their pain points and needs as you explain how you can solve their prob-lems and create a beautiful wedding.

Once you interview the couple, you will have a pretty good idea of which proposal is best for them. You can take two different approaches:• Place three proposals in front of them, and ask, “Which one best

meets your needs?” Once they choose, you’re halfway there. • Or choose a level of service for them, and say, “Based on what

we’ve discussed, I think you’ll be happiest with this level of service.”

5. STAY QUIET, AND WAIT FOR A RESPONSEThe silence can be uncomfortable, but avoid the temptation to speak. Their first response may well be an objection. The best way to handle objections is to be prepared. Offering a same-day closing incentive is a good way to handle objections, at least the “We need to think about it” objection. Your closing incentive should be of high value to them, but low cost to you. Some suggestions are: extra time before or on the wedding day, free use of some of your rental items, etc.

If they are not ready to sign a contract, ask when they expect to reach a decision. Write it down, and ask if they will call or email you either way. There is no guarantee they will follow through, but it deepens their commitment to you.

6. FOLLOW UP IMMEDIATELYTime is of the essence, because they may well be on their way to meet with another wedding planner after they leave you. If you expect them to take a while before making their decision, send a series of helpful emails, including blog posts and gallery links related to their wedding ideas or pain points.

Keep your leads active until you have booked the date or you decide you no longer want to book the date. Schedule reminders to send fol-low-up emails, so potential clients do not drop off your radar. Without reminders, it is easy to forget to follow up. I have booked a number of weddings that I thought were dead leads, because I continued to follow up for several months after our first appointment.

We won’t close every deal, but let’s face it. As much as we want to book business, it can feel victorious to finally get a “no” from someone cluttering up your lead list. It allows you to lighten your mental load, and frees you up to snap your fingers and say, “Next!” WPM

__Sonya Scott, MWP™, Planner Success, Knoxville, Tenn.

THE ART OF CLOSING THE DEALHow do you close a deal if sales doesn't come naturally? Read on for 6 tips from a Master Wedding Planner™.

BUSINESS BASICS

If they are not ready to sign a contract, ask when they

expect to reach a decision.

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ASK THE EXPERTS

Q: “HOW DO YOU CONVINCE YOUR CLIENTS TO ONLY USE PROFESSIONAL VENDORS AND NOT FRIENDS AND FAMILY?”- Alan Katz, Great Officiants, Long Beach, Calif. “Part of my contract requires clients to hire vendors that I recommend. But I do ask them if they wouldn’t rather have these friends and family be guests and enjoy the celebration? Then I tell them horror stories about centerpieces falling apart and cakes collapsing. It usually works.”

- Frank

“I let clients know upfront that I cannot work with people that are not incorporated, are uninsured, or who do not have a website that I can view and assess. When clients hire me, I let them know that they are hir-ing my A+ team of vendors to create a top-notch event. If they are look-ing to cut corners, I am not the right event producer to hire, and I am very clear about this. I tell them that I am only as good as my weakest link, and I make it a point to have no weak links on my team. Be firm about this before you go to contract. I always ask potential bridal clients if they have hired any vendors yet or if they have vendors in mind.”

- Merryl

“Friends and family should be guests not service providers, unless they are actually wedding professionals that are licensed and insured. You can explain that venues and vendors will only work with those that are an established and legal business. This is for the protection of the client, service providers, and guests.”

- Carmen

“I always suggest using professionals because they are qualified to do the job. The professionals are usually trained and experienced to meet the needs of the couple. Also, they have the required licenses, insurance, and other requirements for doing business.”

- Shelby Q: “WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE APP OR SYSTEM THAT YOU USE IN YOUR BUSINESS AND WHY?”- Bethel L. Nathan, Elevate by Bethel, Bonsall, Calif. “Pantone for weddings upon occasion, but I rarely use an app for any of my work.”

- Frank

“Quickbooks. It makes tracking your business income, expenses, and finances easy, and at tax time, you can print a report to hand over to your accountant.”

- Carmen

“I like All Seated for room diagrams. It is easy to learn and training and support is always available.”

- Shelby

Q: “IF YOU COULD PLAN A DESTINATION WEDDING ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, WHERE WOULD IT BE, AND WHY?”- Carolyn O’Brien, Creative Celebrations Wedding & Event Planning, Lake Oswego, Ore. “I really don’t do destination weddings, unless the destination is here in Chicago. My philosophy is to let the pros at the destination handle these. Just like those coming to Chicago who don’t live here let me design, plan, and coordinate theirs. My feeling is that a local planner knows the best vendors and the ins and outs of the city. If there is too much unknown, you might set yourself up for failure. I know many do this, and bravo to those who do, but it’s just my personal philosophy. Now, to answer your question, I’d love to do something in mountains. Such a different feel of the metropolitan city than l am used to.”

- Frank

“I would work at any Aman Resort in the world. These properties are stunning and typically all have great food, service, and the best locations! Destination events are a lot of work and can be very time-consuming and frustrating when you are working long distance with different languages, customs, cultures, work ethics, time zones, etc. With properties of this caliber, one can expect a certain level of service that will reduce some of these issues and make the planning process much smoother.”

- Merryl

“Well, for selfish reasons, as these are on my bucket list, Santorini, the Amalfi Coast, and Tuscany.”

- Carmen

“I have had the opportunity to plan many destinations in the Caribbe-an. However, I would love to plan a wedding in Tuscany, because the countryside is beautiful and the ambience of the area is romantic.”

- Shelby

Merryl Brown, CWP™Merryl Brown Events

Frank J. Andonoplas, MWP™ Frank Event Design

Carmen Mesa, MWP™ Carmen Mesa

Weddings and Events

Shelby Tuck-Horton, MBC™ Exquisite Expressions

and Events

Do you have a question? Ask our experts by emailing your question, along with your name, designation, business name, city, and state to [email protected]. Be sure to put "Ask the Experts" in the subject line.



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ASSOCIATION OF BRIDAL CONSULTANTS MEMBER NEWS

AchievementsFrank Andonoplas, MWP™, Frank Event Design, Chicago, was named one of the top wedding and event designers in Chicago by The Salonniere, an award-winning website dedicated to the art of entertaining. The Association of Wedding Gown Specialists welcomes the fol-lowing new members: Cooki Patel, who owns 2001 Cleaners and Cunningham Cleaners in Charlotte, N.C., and Keith Martin of Capt. Keith’s Classic Cleaners in Bentonville, Ark., which has three locations.

Letonya Holloway, Priceless Moments, Temple Hills, Md., took first place and the People’s Choice Award for the first Association of Bridal Consul-tants MD/DC Annual Tabletop Design Contest at its 2017 state meeting.

JP Reynolds, M.Div., JPR Weddings, Los Angeles, just published his latest book, How To Plan Your Wedding and Stay Sane! 25 Tips For Making Sure You & Your Partner Plan This Whole Shebang TOGETHER. The book is available on Amazon for $8.97.

Christine Terezakis, MWP™, and her company, Dreamday Weddings & Events, Palm City, Fla., received two awards this year: 2017 Pick for The Knot Best of Weddings and the WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Award 2017.

In the mediaAssociation of Wedding Gown Specialists members Kathy Kim-mel of Kimmel Wedding Gown Specialists in Upper Sandusky, Ohio, and David Edricks of Edricks Fine Drycleaning in Farmington, Conn., were featured in a WeddingWire blog, “The Five Most Com-mon Wedding Gown Stains—and How to Fix Them.” The association itself was featured in a series of www.PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com blogs about removing stains.

The July 2017 issue of Main Line Today Magazine included two weddings that Lynda Barness, MWP™, of I DO Wedding Consulting in Philadelphia, helped plan. Philadelphia Wedding Magazine invited Barness to provide an answer for their “Ask the Expert” column in its Fall/Winter 2017 issue. Plus, she was asked to blog for InterFaithFamily’s website, so she wrote an article, posted June 29, called “Insid-er Tips from a Master Wedding Planner.”

Alan Katz and Great Officiants, Long Beach, Calif., was the featured wedding officiant on the new TLC Series “Spouse House,” which began July 9 and aired for eight episodes. The show put a group of marriage-minded singles in a house to see what happened. Katz was also recently seen as the offici-ant on the season finale of “90 Day Fiancé” on TLC.

Debbie Liaw, and Aquafuzion, Monrovia, Calif., was featured in the article “Meet Debbie Liaw of Aquafuzion in Monrovia” on VoyageLA on March 27. The business was also the featured business profile in Monrovia Weekly on Feb. 16. In addition, the company had two featured wedding albums shared on Grace Ormonde Wedding Style online: the Bel Laoboonchai and Alan Joseph album and the Dodon-na Jen and Theodore Lin gallery.

Tammy Waterman, MWP™, Special Moments Event Planning, St. Petersburg, Fla., was featured in June on a Fox 13 evening news segment about bache-lorette parties.

DesignationsProfessional Wedding Planner™Tami Brown, Blush Weddings & Events by Tami B., Timonium, Md.Evelyn Sell, Evelyn Francesca Events & Design, Oceanside, Calif.

Industry Says Goodbye to Master PlannerThe wedding industry said goodbye to a master planner this year when Gayle Labenow Flaherty, MBC™, of West Palm Beach, Fla., passed away on June 3. Labenow Flaherty was an Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC) member from August 1987 until May 2005. She operated under the business name of Party Diva and was a strong supporter and advocate for the ABC and the industry. She served as state coordinator in the 1990s and attended numerous ABC annual conferences. WPM

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It’s been said that a boss drives employees while a leader coaches them—that a boss

depends on authority, inspires fear, uses people, commands, and blames, while a leader depends on goodwill, generates enthusiasm, develops people, and fixes problems. In truth, anyone can be a boss, yet not just anyone can be a leader. So how can you be a successful leader? Here are a few ideas on the process:

LEADING IS NEVER EASYIt takes hard work and persistence. However, it can become increasingly more joy-filled with healthy doses of self-awareness and a willingness to fight for the greatest good of your company and your employees. In GiAnt Worldwide’s work with leaders and teams across the United States, they call this the “Leadership of a Liberator.”

SENSIBLE LEADERSHIPThere is plenty of advice, insight, and self-help material available for those wanting to learn leadership skills. However, we need to be ready to hear it. Sometimes, early on in our careers, we think we know everything there is to know. It’s when we’re ready to admit we don’t know everything that we are ready to do the work needed to become a good leader. Experience does not make a person wise. It is only the per-son who learns to reflect upon the experience who becomes most sensible. Here are a few tips for those seeking to lead and develop strong relationships with those they lead:

1) Lead by example: First and foremost, you can’t lead others unless you realize that the process and product of team leadership is not about you—it’s about the team. Know who you are. Be comfortable in your own skin. Get to know your team members. Show them who you are and how you work by providing a strong example of ethical leadership. Then, provide the appropriate training; listen to their needs; and get out of their way and let them do their jobs. Show them you trust them and have given them the freedom to test new ideas and process-es, yet hold them accountable for the goals of the company. In this way, you will foster growth of your team members, loyalty, and growth of the company.

2) R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Mutual respect is a key to

5 TIPS FOR MORE EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIPMost successful leaders know themselves well, learn to lead themselves first, and then

choose to be the type of person others follow.

FEATURE

Cocoon Events

any successful team. Long-term relationships with your team members can be like mar-riage, where, in the early days, mannerisms and quirks might be cute and forgivable, but years later can lead to a gradual dislike of someone. The reality is if you don’t like some-one, you won’t respect him or her. Communi-cation is the key to respect. When something bugs you, tell the person respectfully.

Pretty much everyone wakes up in the morning with the goal to be the best person possible. We all have naturally wired ten-dencies that drive our patterns that become actionable behaviors over time. The reality is that these tendencies might be annoying, but if addressed appropriately, they don’t have to be a continuous problem. Give your employ-ees a chance to course-correct and don’t allow either of you to land in the arena of the “contempt of the familiar.”

3) Communicate 10X: Do you work out? The discipline of regular exercise is similar to a rigorous commitment to daily, meaningful communication. Healthy communication is a discipline that takes work, time, and stick-to-it-ness to receive maximum benefit. When we work with someone new, much like with marriage, there is a honeymoon period. After the “newness” of the job wears off, communi-cation has a tendency to do the same. Com-munication says easy, but does hard. The easy side of communication is the stuff of superfi-ciality: “When are you taking lunch today?”, “Where’s the Smith-Stein meeting?,” or “What time will the caterer arrive?” Substantially real communication is found in the expression of feelings, frustrations, goals, vision, and needs.

We know that anger and resentment can build because of unexpressed feelings and emotions. These feelings can fester and suck the joy out of the work that we once loved doing. Keep the lines of communication open, because these issues, if left unaddressed, can hinder the ability to move forward as a team and do the work that needs to be done. Often, fear keeps us from sharing openly and honestly with our employer/employees, so we don’t. It's a strategy called self-preservation.

Over time, this makes it increasingly easier not to say anything, to do the everyday work, to count the hours until the end of the

workday, or do almost anything else to avoid difficult conversations. We assume the issues will be dealt with eventually. Successful work relationships mean breaking down those barriers and asking, “What am I afraid of?”, “What am I trying to hide,” and “What am I trying to prove, and to whom?”

If you only take one piece of advice from this article, it’s this: keep communicating. Your team and your life will become increasingly better if you keep open channels of com-munication and break through your walls of preservation.

4) Know your team and have fun: Cele-brate successes and milestones. And be sure to maintain a healthy dose of fun in your work relationships. This will refresh ev-eryone on the team and make it easier to stay focused on the work to be done. Con-sider having a “once a month” long lunch at which everyone in the office goes to a movie. Have a casual day each week, but not on Friday. Hold a meeting in a park. Do Meals on Wheels, or volunteer once a month for Habitat for Humanity. These activities establish stronger relationships, get you away from the office, and help you see your co-workers differently.

5) Stay on the same page: Hold an annual strategic meeting at which you set company goals for the year. Involve the team in setting clear and measurable goals. Hold regular team meetings to check in on progress. Provide regular feedback whether formal or informal. Sing their praises for progress to-ward the goals. Discover what resources are lacking, and address those needs. And be sure to address non-team behavior. Working together toward a common goal is the clear-est path to success for your company.

Final thoughtsCommit to leading by example, respecting one another, communicating well, know-ing your team and having fun, as well as staying focused on the company’s goals. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it in the long run. WPM

__

Joseph Hill, GiAnt Worldwide, Minneapolis, Minn., and Beth Erickson, editor of Wedding Planner Maga-zine, La Crosse, Wis.

VISUAL GUIDES TO USE WHEN WORKING WTIH YOUR TEAM

Use this visual as a guide when you are working on understanding and building your team.

In order to effectively lead, you must truely understand your tendencies first. We all have natural tendencies we need to understand. Some are effective, many are not. We must understand them as we lead our teams.

Ask yourself these questions every day. Be humble and honest. Share the answers with your team.

Graphics © GIant Worldwide


INDUSTRY BEST PRACTICES


“PROCRASTINATION—not contacting any and all vendors early on in the process to let them know I was working on the event. [Not procrastinating] allows for early communication and avoids pitfalls that might come up that require time to overcome. Asking each vendor for supplies or services that will be needed for them and to provide their specific service (size of tables, plateaus, etc.) is also important.”- RHONDA LAURAE BAKER, CWP™, PRECISELY AS PLANNED, LLC, DALLAS

“I used to dread rehearsals, because I didn’t fully understand my role. Once it clicked that the couples needed me to run that piece of the wedding puzzle, too, everything became much easier. I now USE REHEARSALS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO KNOW EVERY-ONE participating, and fill them in on the rest of the timeline, so they understand the flow of the wedding day, too.” - CRYSTAL SALAZAR, CHERRY BLOSSOM PLANNING FACTORY, NORFOLK, VA.

“The biggest mistake I see novices making is TAKING ON CLIENTS BEFORE THEY ARE READY. You cannot take on clients without researching vendors in your area and knowing who does what services at what price point. You cannot take on clients without knowing what venues hold how many guests and what options are available to your clients. You cannot take on clients without knowing proper etiquette. You really do need to take some sort of formal training either through the ABC [Association of Bridal Consultants] home study program or another training. Just because you got married and did your own wedding, helped a relative or friend with their wedding, and are on Pinterest does not make you a consultant, coordinator, or planner. When someone has a bad experience with a consultant who is not ready to take on clients, it makes us all and our industry look bad.”- FRANK ANDONOPLAS, MWP™, FRANK EVENT DESIGN, CHICAGO

“ALWAYS COUNT YOUR TABLES. I had an assistant working with me, she was fairly new to the business, and this was the chain of events: The mother of the bride told her that she had set up the tables and that she and the bride checked every-thing—and it was just like they wanted it. Then, the florist arrived and had two extra centerpieces. The caterer had extra linens. There were two additional table numbers. The assistant thought the mother of the bride canceled the other two tables due to lack of attendance. . . However, the seating chart showed guests sitting at these two additional tables, which meant there were guests not having a place to sit. Lesson: Never assume the mother of the bride knows what she is talking about, and always count the tables and consult the seating chart.”- JEANNIE SMITH, PWP™, WEP, ASHBY WEDDING & EVENT PLANNING, ELIZA-BETHTOWN, KY.

“GET A BUSINESS DEGREE OR TAKE BUSINESS CLASSES. The biggest challenges you will encounter will be business-related and not wedding-related.”- STACI MANDIKAS, UNIQUE WEDDINGS & EVENTS, TAMPA, FLA.

“ASSUMING THAT PEOPLE KNEW WHAT PRODUCTS/SERVICES I OFFERED, and thus, that the sales would automatically roll in was a novice mistake. Being presumptuous and thinking that my target audience would miraculously discover my brand was impractical. Regardless of how great your product or service is—if no one knows it exists, your business will have a difficult time surviving. Identifying one’s target customer and marketing directly to that target audience is critical to success!” - AUDRA T. JONES, KRYSTAL KLEAR COMMUNICATIONS, CLEVELAND

“The biggest mistake I made when starting out 12-plus years ago was NOT TRUSTING MY INSTINCTS. When I felt that a po-tential client or new professional wasn’t a good fit, I dismissed my feelings and moved forward with the relationship. It turned out later that my instincts were correct. Trust your instincts. If something or someone doesn’t feel right—walk away. There will be other opportunities with clients and professionals who are the best fit for you and your business.”- KATHI R. EVANS, AWP™, ALL THE BEST WEDDINGS & CELEBRATIONS, A WKE, LLC, TOMS RIVER, N.J.

“In my early years, I MET MANY COUPLES WHO FELT THAT A ‘WRITTEN AGREEMENT OR CONTRACT’ WAS NOT NEEDED, so I went along with that. Well, after hearing several ‘no show’ or ‘bad check’ or ‘deception’ horror stories from other wedding professionals and couples, I changed my mind. At present, if a couple tells me they don’t want to be bothered signing a contract, I tell them, ‘Don’t you think it’s really important that I show up at your wedding?’ And if they still don’t think a written agreement is important, I tell them to find someone else.”- AVIS SHIVELER BRANGAN CWS, PWP™, SIMPLE SEASIDE CEREMONIES, VENICE, FLA.

“When I first started as a wedding producer, I HAD LESS CONFI-DENCE THAN I DO TODAY. With that said, I do remember produc-ing a wedding ceremony in which the bride’s side of the ceremony space held many more guests than the groom’s side. I made the mistake of not asking guests to move up and fill the opposite side of the aisle. My timidity stood in the way! But remember, it doesn’t look good in the photos [to have one side under represented] and it gives the space an empty feel. After all, whether bride or groom’s side, the guests are present for both as they exchange their vows. Don’t be a wallflower, get in there and lead the guests! That is part of a wedding producer’s role for the event day!”- DEBRA THOMPSON, PWP™, WEDDINGS BY DEBRA THOMPSON, LLC, WESTCHESTER, N.Y.

“A novice mistake I made was NOT TRIPLE CHECKING THE UPDATED TIMELINE BEFORE ORDERING PRINTED STATIONERY. It is so import-ant that you always make sure that the timeline you are using has what version it is on the top page before using it to submit a final order. That way you do not have to reprint a stationery order due to incorrect information that is out of date.”- CASSANDRA RICHARDSON, A FAMILY AFFAIR BRIDAL CONSULTANTS AND SPECIAL EVENTS, ROCKFORD, ILL., AND PHOENIX, ARIZ.

WHAT IS A NOVICE MISTAKE YOU MADE EARLY IN YOUR CAREER THAT YOU SEE OTHERS MAKE TODAY, AND HOW CAN IT BE AVOIDED?

Say the word “tasting” to some caterers, and they will visibly cringe. Mention the

same to other caterers, and you see their faces light up with enthusiasm. Why the difference? For some, tastings, “samplings,” or “chef’s tables,” as they are variously referred to, are viewed as expensive, time-consuming, and resource sapping. For others, tastings are an extremely valuable sales tool that can help close a deal on the spot. While most caterers do them in some way, shape, or form, the formats, guidelines, and most of all, results can be dramatically different.

TASTINGS BEFORE OR AFTER BOOKING?A good starting question to help you evaluate your tasting process is, “Does the client have to be booked before we will hold a tasting for them?” Holding tastings exclusively for confirmed clients certainly means that you are not spending time and resources on a poten-tially lost sale. You also have an opportunity to recoup the costs. The flip side is that clients trying to make a decision between you and a competitor might be swayed if the competitor offers tastings before booking while you don’t.

A potential solution is to charge a fee for the tasting, possibly one that is credited towards their balance if they do book. Either way, you should only offer tastings to qualified clients that have at least a rough menu in place, so that you have a direction in which to proceed at the tasting. Not having client input prior to writing a tasting menu may easily result

in a request for a second tasting if you didn’t include what they wanted.

FORMATS AND GUIDELINES ARE A MUST Your entire sales and operations teams can be consistent when you have formats and guide-lines in place. Setting the number of guests allowed per tasting, establishing certain time slots and days that don’t impede production or other sales, and limiting the amount of food prepared are important. Some caterers have gone as far as limiting tasting appointments to weekdays, for example, making sure they are completed prior to the end of their office hours. Remember, unless it’s a specifically request-ed menu item or something requiring ethnic authentication, you don’t need to show a client everything. Tastings are a great way to establish trust with your client, and put them at ease in terms of quality; if they are not comfortable with your guidelines, and don’t trust your quality, they are not your client.

Another key format question to consider is the use of group tastings, which more and more caterers are doing. Several couples are invited to one event, where the caterer selects the menu and service style. This allows you to:• Showcase your venue (which also helps

build that venue relationship).• Highlight your business partners, who are of-

ten willing to donate or exchange products and services for an opportunity to be in front of a captive (and receptive) audience.

• Lighten your load so your production and


FEATURE

culinary team can focus on one event, rather than several.

• Promote camaraderie as invitees often end up striking up conversations and sharing tips about their upcoming weddings or events.

• Promote all of your services at one time if you have ancillary divisions, such as décor or floral. Plus, couples can meet the entire team.

As with all good things, there are potential drawbacks, including:• You might not get to give the one-on-one

interaction your clients expect. If you’re trying to work a room, your attention will be divided.

• You run the risk of not serving menu items your guests want.

• Meshing many schedules can be a challenge, even with an extended serving window.

TO CHARGE OR NOT TO CHARGE?We can all agree that tastings can be costly in terms of the food provided, time dedicated, and equipment used. It’s also safe to say, that if a tasting results in a sale, we can easily recoup these costs and make a healthy profit. How do we mitigate the potential losses if the clients don’t end up booking with us, or we can’t close the sale? Here are two ideas:

Charge up front for the tasting, and then credit that amount back when/if they book. This is a straightforward way to ensure compensation. Look at what your competitors are doing—if you’re the only one that charges up front, you run the risk of alienating potential clients.

Set a limit as to the number of people that can attend and then charge for additional guests. Often, a couple will want to bring par-ents, friends, etc., which turns the tasting into a dinner party, and minimizes your chances to connect with clients. On the flip side, if mom and dad are paying for the wedding, it’s a great chance to win them over and convince them to write that check.

Tastings can be an extremely beneficial sales tool when utilized correctly. If they are ap-proached as a nuisance, they’re also a great opportunity to shoot yourself in the foot and lose a sale. Find what works best for you and your team—and more importantly, your clients! WPM

__Doug Quattrini, CPCE, Feastivities Events, National Association for Catering and Events, Philadelphia, Pa.

“TO CHARGE OR NOT TO CHARGE: TASTINGS YAY OR NAY?”Are tastings a great sales tool or a waste of time and money? Discover the latest ideas and tips on this often controversial but beneficial sales tool.

© Sofia Negron Photography


EDUCATION: My educational background includes the study of live the-ater in college, but after college, I went to work for an internal audit department in the University of California system—auditing gave me the analytical skills I needed to marry to my inherent creative skills. STARTING THE BUSINESS: Essentially, I had planned my own wedding and was looking for a career where I could stay home and take care of the kids. I needed to earn a minimal amount of money each month to make ends meet and picked up a book on 101 Best Homebased Businesses and one of those was bridal consultant. It suggested con-tacting the Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC) for more informa-tion, so I did. I started with the ABC as a novice. EVALUATING SUCCESS: I evaluate success by the quality of my vendor relationships. I want the vendors to like working with us, to find that we make their jobs easier, and know that we trust them implicitly to do the right thing for the event. It’s that type of planner that can help dispel the myth that all planners only want to control their vendors.ONE BUSINESS MISTAKE: I burned a lot of bridges when I was new and thought I was amazing and everybody should do as I say because I was the planner, and it was my client. Suffice it to say it that it’s hard to cross a bridge you’ve burned. It’s humbling when somebody tells you years later all the things you said to them—even if you thought it was justified at the time. That’s a big plate of crow.ON BECOMING A MASTER: I became a Master around six years after I joined the ABC. The process was faster then, but the changes made to the application process over time were important to keep the legiti-macy of the designation.ON THE ABC: I became a member because I wanted to get an educa-tion in the industry, and they were the first place I looked that had the most comprehensive study program. I’m still a member. It’s the only professional organization I have maintained membership with.MENTORS: My publicist has been one of my biggest mentors. She made me see things differently. She challenges me to own my great-ness and define who I am and my style. She’s been with me since 2004 and has been a cornerstone of what I do ever since. INSPIRATION: I can be inspired by most anything, but clients are the biggest source since they are the end recipients of the event design. I see something that I think is cool and then tweak it for them.MARKETING STRATEGY: Other than promoting my company as an influencer of others in the event industry and positioning us as a top wedding design company, we don’t have a huge marketing “strat-egy.” I don’t pay for advertising and haven’t since 2000. With two

MASTER PROFILE

MASTER WEDDING PLANNER™ SASHA SOUZA, MWP™, Sasha Souza Events, Napa, Calif.

ABC MEMBER SINCE: 1997 EMPLOYEES: 2 CONTACT: 707-253-8160, www.sashasouzaevents.com, [email protected] SOCIAL MEDIA: Instagram.com/sashasouzaevents; Facebook.com/sashasouzaevents; Twitter.com/sashasouza; LinkedIn = Sasha V. Souza

information

books published, TV appearances, and magazine/blog/podcast appearances and PR, we have credence. At this point, it’s a matter of managing SEO, speaking opportunities, being selective about published articles and keeping ourselves out there.ON STAYING FRESH: I don’t pigeonhole us into a style. With 22 years in the industry, I’ve seen trends come and go and what’s held up is designing to a client’s desires and using them as your muse.IDEAL CLIENT: I don’t turn down clients because of personality differ-ences. It’s up to them to decide if they can work with me for their planning and design. It’s really somebody who wants to have an awesome guest experience, has the money to pay for it, and trusts our relationship with our vendors and clients.FAVORITE BUSINESS BOOK: You are a Badass by Jen Sincero—because I am a badass, but sometimes I need reminding.FREE TIME: Some may ask how I have free time between doing events, having the Consultancy for Creatives, and traveling for speaking en-gagements, but two seasons ago, I tore out our entire front lawn, put up a hog wire fence, and planted a front yard vegetable garden as part of the Grow Food, Not Lawns movement. I love it. I have 10 large raised beds and grow everything from artichokes to zucchini and tons of tomatoes. WORDS OF WISDOM: Always be yourself. Quit paying attention to other planners in your local market. You’ll just make yourself crazy and get competitive. Focus on making yourself better. Find a mentor or a coach to get you out of your own way.GIVING BACK: I have been aligned with many not-for-profits over the years, including as founding president of Wish Upon a Wedding and a board member for the SEARCH Foundation. I also started a men-torship and consultancy, and while it’s a paid program, I did it to help people get a leg up in the industry, learn how to be better at it, and understand sales and marketing to increase visibility. FAMILY: I have six kids with my husband (I have four and he has two). The oldest is 29. I have a 26-year-old adult son with Pervasive Devel-opmental Disorder, a form of autism, and he lives in a group home with other autistic adults. The kids who live at home are 16, 14, and 9. LITTLE KNOWN FACT: I’m super shy in person, a fact that people who know me understand but those who have seen me speak are flabber-gasted by. While I do a speaking engagement without issue, if I don’t know you or am in a room full of strangers, I’m not holding court in the middle, I’m hiding behind the bar or offering to do scullery work in the back. WPM

© Damion Hamilton Photography

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Some time ago, I was approached to take an immediate and indefinite position as

a replacement for a team leader who had suddenly gone on sick leave. Being parachut-ed into a leadership position is never an easy task. You need to scope the terrain. You need your leadership skills to provide the over-head canopy that will control your descent and land you on firm ground with your feet beneath.

The group that I was asked to lead had five individuals with a complete spectrum of ages, abilities, interests, and relevant work experience. In similar situations, I’ve always set personal priorities. To get a cohesive, func-tioning team, I always want to get to know the individuals and build an understanding of their strengths before commencing teamwork. To that end, I’ve deliberately made my office space warm and inviting to meet with team members on a one-on-one basis. This has always helped me establish a profession-al, yet relaxed relationship with other staff. However, my first meetings didn’t bode well for establishing a functional relationship be-tween either myself and team individuals, or between the members of the group itself.

LEARN THE TEAM DYNAMICSThe oldest member of the group had been with the company for more than a quarter of a century. “Eileen” was only too happy to have a new set of ears to hear her numerous list of complaints. She had seen a frequent succession of team leaders, who had less experience and were often far younger than she was. Eileen had been passed over for promotion and resented that fact deeply as she frequently worked overtime and on week-ends. She was particularly critical of the work ethics of others on the team.

At the other end of the age spectrum were “Tasha” and “Kent,” our casual workers. Both were in their mid twenties and highly com-

petitive. Their eagerness to outshine the other was due, in part, to their quest for permanent positions. Ironically, I quickly found out that they were meeting socially at least a couple of times a week, as they were frequently in conversation working out details of the latest social gathering.

The rest of the team included “Shauna,” who was a single mother in her late thirties, and “Stephanie,” who was slightly older. Stephanie was married to an airline pilot and her domestic arrangements revolved around his schedule. Both women were competent in their jobs when not on their cellphones attending to frequent family matters. These disruptions were another source of discontent to Eileen who resented their perceived priorities. Her way of handling dis-pleasure was to mutter and sigh, audibly, and her disparaging looks were numerous.

How could I turn this motley crew into a co-op-erative, task-oriented team. How could I support each person to build on his or her strengths?

UNDERSTANDING THE GENERATION GAPBaby Boomers, as I had recently learned, were children born during the post-war years up until approximately 1964. Eileen fit into this age category. The more I read about Baby Boomers, the more I wondered if I could gain insight into Eileen’s behaviors. Baby Boom-ers typically have a strong work ethic, to the extent that they find it difficult to get a home and work balance. Eileen? Check.

Boomers are disciplined, team-oriented, have a strong sense of community, and will voice their opinions if something violates their personal perspectives and values. Check. Another Baby Boomer trait that characterized Eileen was that she was not a “digital native.” She saw herself as the senior on the team and wanted the others to seek her advice but had difficulty in requesting help for herself with new programs or technology.

CLOSING THE GAPA major impediment to creating a function-ing team, in this case, was the malcontent of Eileen. She felt that her abilities weren’t being recognized. So, we had a team meeting. As a new member, I let them know that I didn’t know the team history. I pointed out the ster-ling service that Eileen had provided through-out the years and asked the team members to refer to her expertise and job experience. I pointed out that Shauna and Stephanie were very competent in their jobs and got their assigned tasks completed and praised them for having a commendable work and home balance. Our two Millennials also had praiseworthy expertise, and I requested that they help the team with programming and technology troubleshooting.

Over the course of the next few weeks, I saw subtle changes that made our workplace function more efficiently and happily. Eileen still had occasional grumbles, but she was happy when her opinion about previous projects was sought. Shauna and Stephanie, our Generation Xers felt at ease dealing with home problems while at work, and Tasha and Kent worked miracles in anticipating and fixing any technology problems that came up. It was almost comic seeing them rushing to be the first to help Eileen with digital uncer-tainties. I knew that we were on firm ground indeed when Eileen came in one morning with doughnuts and coffee, a first that would be repeated a number of times.

The takeaway here is that leading an effec-tive team means getting to know not just its members but also their generations and the impact of that generation on workplace expectations and attitudes. A little research, thoughtfulness, and ingenuity will lead to a happier and more productive workplace. WPM

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Milena Santoro, CWP™ MS Productions, Canada and Italy

SEASONED PROFESSIONALS

CLOSING THE GENERATION GAPLeading an effective team means not only getting to know the personalities but also their generations

and the impact that has on behaviors, attitudes, and expectations.

The theme of this year’s Experience conference, hosted by the Na-tional Association for Catering and Events (NACE), was “Imagine,

Create, Inspire”—and it delivered on all fronts.

Core to the educational experience are the meals, breaks, and parties. Wedding and corporate event planners, caterers, event designers, and industry professionals from across the country attend the NACE Experience to see the cutting-edge trends that they can take home to their clients. This year’s conference was held July 16-19, at the Marriott Marquis in Houston.

FOOD FOR THOUGHTThe event started with an industry panel, moderated by BizBash’s Da-vid Adler, with panelists Anirban Basu, a leading national economist; Joyce Inderbitzin, Hilton Hotels; and Dennis Reynolds, dean of the Conrad Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management.

Much of the conversation centered on managing millennial employ-ees. As many millennials in attendance confirmed, the new genera-tion of workers wants to feel empowered and like they are making a difference in the world. While their expectations may seem new and different to those who have been working for some time, as the largest demographic making its way through the workforce, millennials have the leverage to see that their demands are met. Inderbitzin shared that once her company dropped its no tattoos and no piercings rule, the talent and quality of prospective employees vastly improved.

FOOD FOR THE BODYThe opening night reception at the Bayou Place in Houston featured incredible foods for a taste experience. A wide variety of hors d’oeu-vres included peanut butter and jelly on brioche French toast, soy-mar-inated beef tartar, a cotton candy station, and a fresh donut station with a full fixings bar that included fruit and fruit loops.

Later in the week, the Culinary Experience was led by Monique Stu-dak, CSW, of Pernot Ricard, and featured chefs Jerry Edwards, CPCE, Chef’s Expressions in Baltimore and Chef Patrick Gaughan of the Marriott Marquis. Studak led a conversation about wine pairings as the newly innovative Culinary Experience treated attendees to a meal in the round as each course was carefully explained.

FOOD FOR THE SOULThe keynote presentation of the Design Experience was an inspira-tional talk led by artist Phil Hansen, who spoke about how his artistic career nearly ended when his hand started uncontrollably shaking. But he returned to art, with a style all his own, in which he “embraced the shake.” This encouraged attendees to think outside of the box and utilize their talents fully while never giving up.

This year’s conference presented many opportunities to learn, items to taste, and décor to view. Don’t miss out on next year’s NACE Experi-ence in Palm Springs, Calif., July 22-25, 2018. WPM

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Kim Grimm, National Association for Catering and Events, Columbia, Md.

NACE One AwardsOn Tuesday night, July 18, the major focus of the day was the NACE One Awards. Congratulations goes to the following:• Harold Kelly, Melange Catering and Special Events, Houston, and

Jill Vidal Raines, of EB, Inc. Events, Humble, Texas: Best wedding of the year, budget less than $50,000

• Maureen Riebel, Elegant Events by Maureen, Boerne, Texas: Best wedding of the year, budget between $50,000 and $100,000

• Kat Creech, Kat Creech Events, Houston: Best wedding of the year, budget greater than $100,000

IMAGINE, CREATE INSPIRE: NACE SETS THE STAGE AT EXPERIENCEMore than 600 wedding industry professionals attended this year's conference in Texas.

NACE COLUMN


PLANNER: Staci Mandikas, UNIQUE Weddings + Events, www.designedbyunique.com, [email protected] TIME IN INDUSTRY: 10 years PHOTOGRAPHER: Christina Maldonado Photography, www.christinamaldonado.com BUSINESSES INVOLVED: Over the Top Rental, Corey’s Bakery, Puff ‘n Stuff Catering, Ten23 Designs (details), Garret Lauer Events (DJ), Sweets Treats Candy Bar, conceptBait (floral, décor, furniture, lighting), A Chair Affair (rentals), A+P Design Co (stationery), Salva-dor Dali Museum (venue), Since 1987 Films (videography)WEDDING DATE: Oct. 1, 2016 GUEST COUNT: 65 THE COUPLE: Paige and Rick are free spirits. They are both into yoga, are laid back, and wanted a wedding that reflected them. Not interested in a boring wedding, Paige and Rick wanted to shock guests and set the stage for a memorable celebration.

INVOLVEMENT: Full design and planning INSPIRATION: “Alice in Wonderland through the Eyes of Dali.” The inspiration came from the couple's love of the artist Salvador Dali’s “Alice in Wonderland” series. “AHA” DESIGN MOMENT: An initial conversation with Paige set my design wheels into motion. I’m guilty of dreaming big, but I am always ready to edit the design for my client. When it came to Paige, she took the design “as is”—without any edits! This was a first for me, and it allowed for us to create something truly magical. MOST UNIQUE DESIGN ELEMENT: Our favorite design element was a decision made on the wedding day. The cake was a traditional, ruffled grey ombre design, but it felt like it needed something more. Inspired by the fa-mous Salvador Dali painting called “Medita-tive Rose,” which illustrates a red rose floating with a horizon behind, we created a levitating, red rose cake topper with a little fishing line and ingenuity.

OTHER UNIQUE ELEMENTS: The bride’s blue hair and Alice in Wonderland tattoos were com-plemented by a traditional wedding gown with red and black accents. She carried a multi-colored sculptural bouquet with a family heirloom pocket watch hanging from the han-dle. Guests were greeted by a sign that read, “Holy Shitballs, this wedding is going to be awesome!” beside the Dali Museum entrance. Grazing flamingos made of flowers also greeted the guests, who followed the “mutual weirdness” arrow to the third floor, where they surrounded the spiral staircase to watch the ceremony on the second floor landing. Drip-ping flowers with blown-glass orbs hung from the staircase, and the couple was married by a family friend, dressed as the Mad Hatter. After the ceremony, guests were sent “down the rabbit hole” to the first floor cocktail hour space, which was filled with black and white graphic prints and brightly colored center-pieces. Guests were invited to stroll through

Alice in Wonderland, Salvador Dali, and mutual weirdness


http://www.designedbyunique.com


http://www.christinamaldonado.com


REAL WEDDING | FLORIDA

the Dali art galleries and they offered their “keys to a happy marriage.” Rather than a traditional guestbook, guests signed their well wishes onto skateboard decks that will adorn the couple’s home. A tree of hanging pocket-watch style escort cards corresponded with clock face numbers on each of the guest tables. The reception took place “beneath the rabbit hole,” with the large column in the reception room transformed into the roots of a tree. Solid walls were draped off and reflected the kaleidoscope of color that filled the room. Pinspot lighting and uplighting transformed the reception space from a standard meeting room into a surreal celebration. Guest tables were covered in white linens with black knit overlays that were reminiscent of Dali’s pen sketches. Each guest table centerpiece was a translation of one of the paintings from the Dali “Wonderland” series. Each place setting featured a cookie that read “eat me” and a glass of champagne with a swizzle stick that

read “drink me.” After dinner, hot tea was served in teacups while the guests danced the night away atop the black-and-white-check-ered dance floor.COLOR PALETTE: Multiple colors with a consistent black, white, and grey presence BUDGET: $60,000 STAFF HOURS: 125 - 150 PLANNING TIME: 6 months NUMBER OF MEETINGS: 6 SET UP/STRIKE DETAILS: With such an ambitious design and a ton of décor, the setup and strike of this event was a concern. The venue, a museum, did not grant vendors access to the reception space until three hours prior to the ceremony start time, and ceremony/cocktail hour space access was one hour prior to the ceremony start, as the museum was open to the public until 5:30 p.m. Each vendor’s staff member had to go through security prior to unloading a single item. The be-ginning was a bit chaotic, but everyone did their job beautifully. Once the event ended, we had a

hard strike, with only 90 minutes to strike all décor.REVENUE BREAKDOWN: Planning and design, 53%; linens, 8%; decor details, 14%; flowers, 12%; lighting, 2%; rentals, 4%; and stationery, 7% BIGGEST CHALLENGE: Setup was a challenge. In addition to the limited timeframe to complete-ly transform a community room into Wonder-land, there was a major race taking place behind the museum, creating traffic delays and parking issues. LEARNINGS: The DJ was a professional DJ, not a wedding DJ, and he was a personal friend of the bride’s. His emcee skills were not wed-ding-friendly. If we’d known about this earlier, we would have taken charge of the emcee duties earlier in the evening. WPM


PLANNER: Lynda Barness, MWP™, I DO Wedding Consulting, www.idoplan.com, [email protected] TIME IN INDUSTRY: 12 years PHOTOGRAPHER: Janet Lanza Photography, www.janetlanzaphotogra-phy.comBUSINESSES INVOLVED: Cord3 Films (videography), Eddie Bruce Music (band), Viburnum Designs (florals, table design), Grounds for Sculp-ture (venue), Starr Catering/Rat’s Restaurant, Tesi’s Bridal (gown), Sweet T’s Bakeshop, King Limousine, Princeton Marriott at Forrestal, WeddingPaperDivas.com (stationery), Salt Creek Grill (rehearsal dinner)WEDDING DATE: May 21, 2017 GUEST COUNT: 201 THE COUPLE: In my 12 years as a wedding planner, I have seen many happy occasions. But I don’t think I have witnessed such pure joy

and exuberance as I did at the wedding of Cantor Lauren Beth Levy and Eric Robert Goodman. Lauren, 33, is the cantor at Beth David Reform Congregation in Gladwyne, Penn. The groom, 31, is a hospital medicine physician at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. The couple met on JSwipe in 2015.INVOLVEMENT: Full consultingINSPIRATION: The whimsy of the bride and groom was reflected in the style inspiration for this wedding. “AHA” DESIGN MOMENT: Walking across the bridge at Rat’s Restaurant, named for a character in the book Wind in the Willows, is magical. The setting is reminiscent of Claude Monet’s “Giverny.” It is so roman-tic and magical that it helped set the tone for the wedding. MOST UNIQUE DESIGN ELEMENT: The venue, the Grounds for Sculpture, is a sculpture park and museum in Hamilton Township, N.J. It was the vision of Seward Johnson, a philanthropist and artist, and it has

Coral, white, peacock blue and shades of pink

http://www.idoplan.com

http://www.idoplan.com


http://www.janetlanzaphotogra-phy.com




REAL WEDDING | NEW JERSE Y

grown to become a 42-acre arboretum and park with 270 sculptures placed throughout, including life-sized bronze figurative sculptures by Johnson himself. There are indoor exhibition galleries as well, and this wedding embraced the indoor and outdoor spaces and used a variety of locations for its celebrations. COLOR PALETTE: Bright coral and white, along with peacock blue, with several shades of bright and deep pinks BUDGET: PrivateSTAFF HOURS: 45 plus PLANNING TIME: Nine-and-half months CLIENT MEETINGS: Two in-person, along with numerous phone meetings SET UP/STRIKE DETAILS: Set up in this venue was a challenge as the grounds are large and the locations many. We set up for the ketu-bah signing in the Bamboo Courtyard, the ceremony at a sculpture called Nine Muses, cocktails were in the West Gallery, and dinner and

dancing were held in the East Gallery. Guests who arrived early were invited to wander the gardens.REVENUE BREAKDOWN: 100% planning BIGGEST CHALLENGE: While we certainly didn’t see all of the grounds on the wedding day, we had to navigate a much larger area than at our usual venues. Also, we were not aware that the vendors and regular visitors had to enter through the same admission line, and the day was glorious, which meant the lines were long. We remedied this with a call to our contact, who opened another line. In addition, although the grounds are gorgeous, buildings and locations are deliberately hidden, making them hard to find. We did a pre-wedding tour, but the maps list the sculptures not other landmarks, so it takes a while to get oriented. Again, we called our contact and she guided us. I have already been in contact with the venue and have requested a different map for our next wedding there. WPM

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DO YOU HAVE AN INCREDIBLE REAL WEDDING TO SHARE? The weddings that grace our pages are submitted by you, our readers. Join the industry leaders

who have shared their ups and downs and creative insights by submitting yours today.

REAL WEDDING | CALIFORNIA

PLANNER: Merryl Brown, MA, CWP™, Merryl Brown Events, Montecito,

Calif., www.merrylbrownevents.com, [email protected]

YEARS IN INDUSTRY: 8

PHOTOGRAPHY: Corbin Gurkin Photography

BUSINESSES: The Food Matters (catering/staffing), Christine Dahl

(dessert), Classic Party Rentals, Rivre Works (specialty rentals), Mindy

Rice (floral), Star Power (generators), Karizma – deBois (band), Santa

Barbara String Quartet (ceremony music), Executive Limo, BlueStar

Parking (valet), Design Sound, Images by Lighting, Hoo Films, Briana

Stuart (hair), Tomiko Taft (makeup), Lazaro Press & Design (collateral

materials), La Tavola Linens, BB Rodeo (dance floor), ThoughtBox

Photobooth, Marborg (restrooms/trash)

WEDDING DATE: Oct. 10, 2015

GUEST COUNT: 220INVOLVEMENT: Full production and design

THE COUPLE: Blake and Teddy met seven years prior to the day of

their wedding. Though both grew up in Santa Barbara, it wasn’t until

being secretly set up at a Stanford University football game that they

crossed paths. Falling in love almost immediately, the pair has been

inseparable since that weekend in October. They share a love of

family and friends, are extremely active, love to walk on the beach,

catch up on favorite shows, and enjoy good meals together. They

are a t-shirt and jeans kind of couple. Blake is a tennis coach at the

University of California—Santa Barbara, so the wedding reception tent

was built on the bride’s father’s tennis court.

INSPIRATION: Elegant, romantic, feminine, garden, light, airy, natural,

and organic were among the words the couple used to narrow down

the inspiration. This “Audrey Hepburn meets Gone with the Wind”

wedding was full of soft, romantic, floral, linens, and lighting.

“AHA” MOMENT: The couple wanted their tent to feel as though it was

in a garden when, in fact, it was on a tennis court. We masked the

fencing with faux hedging and then used drapes to hide the space

between the hedging, creating the illusion of the tent being perfectly

tucked into a fully hedged and verdant garden. Everything else built

off of this, and in the end, it was a stunning and magical spot.

MOST UNIQUE DESIGN ELEMENT: The wedding arbor was an old, architectur-

al feature on the property. It was covered in vines and set before a love-

ly koi pond. We covered it with more lush vines, greenery, and garden

roses, so it looked as if they were always there, profusely growing and

delicately fragrant. It created a space that felt enveloped and sacred.

COLOR PALETTE: Muted whites, dusty gray/blue, light blush, natural

BUDGET: $300,000

STAFF HOURS: 286PLANNING TIME: 14 months

CLIENT MEETINGS: We held monthly sit-down meetings and numerous

phone meetings to discuss details as they came up during the plan-

ning process.SET UP/STRIKE DETAILS: We had a six-day build out for set up and a four-

day strike with valet and at least one member of our staff present to

direct vendors/oversee for about eight hours each day that anyone was

on the property. Set up started Monday during the week of the wedding,

with removal of all existing furniture on the property followed by subfloor

installation on the tennis court, tent infrastructure, carpet, draping, lighting

and AV, rentals, two kitchen installations, green room installation, all

restroom and recycling delivery, and generators, and then final ceremo-

ny, cocktail, and reception-area rentals and floral/other details up until

the day of event. Strike began immediately after the reception ended on

Saturday evening and lasted until Wednesday of the next week.

BUDGET BREAKDOWN: 11% catering, 7% alcohol, 29% rentals/tenting/

carpeting, 5% draping, 16% floral, 3% set up/strike labor, 5% pho-

tography, 3% sound, 5% lighting, 12% other.

BIGGEST CHALLENGE: The heat. The only thing that I would have done

differently was to invest in fans and A/C as it was a very warm

evening. Also, in the future, when there are vendors, whom I don’t

know, that the family has chosen on their own, I will take the time in

advance to get to know them personally and not just via email. WPM

Elegant, romantic, feminine, garden, light, airy, natural, and organic



REAL WEDDING | MICHIGAN

PLANNER: Alison Laesser-Keck, VLD Events, Ann Arbor, Mich., www.vldevents.com, [email protected] IN INDUSTRY: 15 for events, 8 for wed-dingsPHOTOGRAPHY: Justine MontignyBUSINESSES: Forte Belanger (catering), The Lighting Guy, Katie Wachowiak (floral), DJ Graffiti, Special Events Rental, Sweet Heather Anne (dessert)WEDDING DATE: Sept. 19, 2015GUEST COUNT: 200INVOLVEMENT: Consulting and day-of directionTHE COUPLE: Kate and Pat’s main priority was creating an intimate and romantic fête for their closest family and friends. They wanted a day that was about more than the two of them. It was to be a celebration of their parents, family, and friends who helped form who they are today. The evening was a stunning juxtaposi-tion. The Piquette Plant’s weathered walls, ex-posed brick, and raw floors, coupled with rich marsala blooms, gold scripture and accents, elegant and natural beaded dresses paired with black-tie tuxedos, a divine menu, flowing champagne, and long tables with hundreds

of Edison bulbs dangling above created a truly unforgettable atmosphere.INSPIRATION: Organic meets industrial “AHA” MOMENT: We usually focus on décor, but this event was heavily about guest entertain-ment and enjoyment. There was great food and beverage presentation a la mini tacos with Patrón pairings, etc. It was just so fun!MOST UNIQUE DESIGN ELEMENT: The installation of Edison bulbs over the head table, sand-wiched next to vintage Model T cars added an industrial, yet historic element.COLOR PALETTE: Green, white, marsalaBUDGET: PrivateSTAFF HOURS: 60PLANNING TIME: 10 monthsCLIENT MEETINGS: 12SET UP/STRIKE DETAILS: We had to do a day-be-fore set up to pull this one off.REVENUE BREAKDOWN: 10% venue; 10% planning; 30% food, beverage, staffing; 25% décor; 10% photography; 10% videography; 5% entertainmentBIGGEST CHALLENGE: The biggest challenge with this event was working in an old warehouse at a venue that is a museum first and a venue

second. When we started planning, the venue director was someone we’d worked with on a prior event, and we were accustomed to her rules and regulations. About halfway through, she left and someone else came in with a different set of rules. The museum’s priority is to protect the vehicles, which we understand; however, it was challenging for several rea-sons. First, they couldn’t say for sure where the Model Ts would be located the day of the event. Translation: There could be a car exactly where your head table or bar was planned to be, and you wouldn’t know until you got in to set up. Sec-ond, since this is an old building, it doesn’t have heating, cooling, or elevators that properly work. The elevators often break down at the end of the night, forcing vendors to carry everything they brought in—from the forks to furniture—down three flights of stairs. Third, there is no kitchen on site, candles are not allowed, cars drip oil next to the tables, the floors turn whatever touches them black because it’s impossible to keep plank wood floors clean, and there is zero ability to hang anything. This is a super idea for an event space, but aesthetically and logistically challeng-ing nonetheless. WPM

Organic meets industrial


© The McCartneys Photography

REAL WEDDING | VIRGIN ISL ANDS

PLANNER: Michelle Marquis, Weddings by Michelle Marquis, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, www.weddingsbymichellemarquis.com, [email protected] IN INDUSTRY: 20 PHOTOGRAPHER: Kelly Greer PhotographerBUSINESSES: Red Couch Café, Antilles Lilies Florist, Kiki and The Flam-ing Gypsies, The Guardians of Culture Moko Jumbies, the Randy Mason Trio, Unlimited Sounds DJ, Frank Robinson Cocktails and Culinary Experience

WEDDING DATE: Nov. 20, 2015GUEST COUNT: 48INVOLVEMENT: Full consulting, design, and executionTHE COUPLE: The bride is a world-champion equestrian, Olympiad, and Pan Am Games participant/medalist. Having the wedding ocean-front meant that only one theme would be appropriate—sea horses. The groom was happy to oblige.WEDDING PLANNING/STYLE INSPIRATION: At our recommendation, the wedding ceremony and reception took place on a private estate, the Pyramid House, overlooking the ocean. The estate has graced the cov-er of Architectural Digest and boasts beautiful lawns, sugar mills, and stunning stone work. A rustic, elegant, tented reception was desired.“AHA” MOMENT: Most definitely, it was honing in on the bride’s love for horses.

MOST UNIQUE DESIGN ELEMENT: I had custom wooden tables and benches built to enhance the rustic, elegant vibe the couple wanted. A late-night food truck was desired, but since that wasn't possible to

get to the location, we found an old pickup truck in a salvage yard, cut off the bed, painted it, added shelving, and attached it to a lo-cal mahogany-crafted pedestal for a "Food Truck Fun Food" station. COLOR PALETTE: Pinks, creams, greenBUDGET: $40,000 STAFF HOURS: 60PLANNING TIME: Three monthsCLIENT MEETINGS: This was a destination wedding, so we emailed a lot, talked on the phone twice, and met once the day before the wedding.SET UP/STRIKE DETAILS: I secretly asked the maid of honor to bring some of the bride’s horse reigns to use as aisle markers along the insides of the outdoor ceremony “pews.” I also found an old horse trough that we turned upside down to use as a beverage station at the ceremony. We also surprised the bride and groom as well as the entire party with fire dancers and local cultural stilt walkers who bring good luck and protection. There was also a fire pit over a round area rug with lovely chairs and pillows encircling it. REVENUE BREAKDOWN: 20% planning, 15% rentals, 20% labor, 10% special ordered inventory, and 35% vendorsBIGGEST CHALLENGE: The short, three-month planning period and an extremely windy day were our biggest challenges. Fighting the wind on the wedding day was taxing, but everyone worked together to reinforce everything. And we had to put the napkins in the cham-pagne glasses, which ended up looking really great, to keep them from blowing away. WPM

a rustic, elegant, tented reception was desired

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REAL WEDDING | CANCUN

PLANNER: Jen Kasten, My Event by Jen Kasten, Chicago, www.my1event.com, [email protected] YEARS IN INDUSTRY: 8PHOTOGRAPHY: Alyssa McElheny PhotographyBUSINESSES: Claudia Vazquez/LatinAsia Destination Wedding Décor, Sandos Cancun Luxury Resort WEDDING DATE: Nov. 6, 2015GUEST COUNT: 84INVOLVEMENT: Full consultingTHE COUPLE: From the first time I met Alexis and Chris, they had a clear vision of their wedding. While interested in a destination wedding, the bride didn’t want the typical beach-casual approach. Instead, she wanted a black-tie, formal wedding with rustic accents. Chris wanted to make sure that the fun factor was present. A small, all-inclusive hotel with great amenities and fantastic venues was the ideal solution. My challenge was to find an ocean-view venue that was secluded enough to guarantee privacy for the ceremony and reception. Within the first few meetings, Alexis and I developed a friendly collaboration, where creativity was possible but hard decisions could also be made. A food and fashion blogger, Alexis trusted my knowledge and style enough to listen to my suggestions. Together, we created the perfect layout for her and Chris’ wedding. INSPIRATION: Alexis was inspired by formal city weddings that includ-ed rustic accents. “AHA” MOMENT: The “aha” moment was converting a sterile-looking ballroom into a dream wedding location utilizing architectural illumi-nation and a great floor plan.MOST UNIQUE DESIGN ELEMENT: Personal touches provided the unique elements. These included: a tequila and cigar bar; a memory altar for lost loved ones; a high-tech dance floor; and romantic, lush, rustic flowers and decorations.

COLOR PALETTE: Blush, white, gold, and deep blueBUDGET: $30,000 STAFF HOURS: Due to the nature of destination weddings, we typically hire staff locally—in this case, in Mexico. Our services include three-day coordination; approximately two extra staff members—besides the head planner—for 16-18 total hours for each staff.PLANNING TIME: 10 monthsCLIENT MEETINGS: 10REVENUE BREAKDOWN: 40% planning, 10% outside supplier commis-sion(s), 50% hotel commission(s)BIGGEST CHALLENGE: By far, the biggest challenge for this wedding was facing adversity. Within the last week of planning, the hotel no-tified me that the venue where the ceremony was to take place had suffered some damage and was no longer available. This, unfortu-nately, is common, and sometimes hotels don’t disclose the reality until it is too late. Luckily, I was able to protect my clients’ interests and negotiate concessions and benefits for the inconvenience. Then, 48 hours before the wedding, extreme bad weather conditions caused damage to the rehearsal dinner venue to the point that safety was a concern. As an alternative, we were able to close a local restaurant for a private rehearsal dinner. Finally, with rain and wind blowing over 18 knots, the reception venue had to be moved to a dark, dated ballroom; which we brought to life with the help of additional decorations and impressive architectural lighting. LEARNINGS: When planning a wedding, couples are on the hunt for a perfect wedding planner and finding the right fit is vital for their sanity. However, I learned that it is equally important for wedding professionals to select business opportunities based on mutual trust and respect. As wedding professionals, we work with our couples for eight or more months, so choosing whom you want to work with is crucial for a successful journey from both sides. WPM

inspired by formal city weddings with rustic accents

REAL WEDDING | PANAMA

PLANNER: Gabriela Abraham, Stylo Panama, Panama City, Panama, www.stylopanama.com, [email protected], [email protected] YEARS IN INDUSTRY: 7PHOTOGRAPHY: Lizzie PhotographyBUSINESSES: Intercontinental Miramar Hotel Panama, Los Rabanes, Joker Animation, Dragon Rojo Fireworks, Belle Invites, Blue Mango Music bandWEDDING DATE: Oct. 10, 2015GUEST COUNT: 200 INVOLVEMENT: Full consultingTHE COUPLE: Paula and Ernesto say they met by “error.” The couple met five years ago by accident online. At that time, both were in a rela-tionship, so it was not until some time later, when they spoke again as singles, that romantic feelings emerged. One night, they went to dinner in a spot with a view of the sea and cool breeze. Unexpectedly, the po-lice arrived and asked if a car, parked in a particular place, was theirs because a window was broken. Indeed, it was Ernesto’s. The police warned them to be cautious. This scary moment was transformed into a funny story and the beginning of their tale. Ernesto proposed on a Valentine’s Day date. At first, they wanted to get married in Las Vegas, but in the end, they realized that they wanted families and friends to share their special day with them.INSPIRATION: Romantic and chic“AHA” MOMENT: Witnessing this couple’s love and affection for one another and their love for their friends and family inspired the ro-

mantic design. When they danced their first dance, we included an explosion of flower petals. MOST UNIQUE DESIGN ELEMENT: There are thousands of species of or-chids in Panama, so our centerpieces highlighted the Panama orchids.COLOR PALETTE: Navy blue, yellow, and whiteBUDGET: $30,000 STAFF HOURS: Working at the wedding, from the ceremony to recep-tion, was eight hours. Set up was about 16 hours.PLANNING TIME: Six monthsCLIENT MEETINGS: Around 17 BUDGET BREAKDOWN: 30% venue, 22% decoration and planning, 20% show artist (Grammy Award-winning Los Rabanes), 7% pho-tographer, 5% music, 4% drinks, 3% rentals, 3% stationery, 3% dessert, 3% entertainment. BIGGEST CHALLENGE: Dealing with the budget and making the magic happen within the price range is always a challenge. Also, coor-dinating a 53-member wedding party was not without difficulty. In total, there were six couples between the groom, the groom’s par-ents and godparents, plus 17 pairs of groomsmen and bridesmaids, along with the ring bearers, arras, rose petals, and rosary, and the bride with her father. We had to coordinate everything to be on time and perfect. They had to remember the order and remember their partners and other details. We did hold a rehearsal, but everyone was so filled with excitement that it was hard for each to focus on the details. Then, the day of, we had 15 minutes to organize and start the ceremony. But everything was on time. WPM

romantic and chic and an explosion of flower petals



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rom a beautiful oceanfront ceremony overlooking the Arch to a sophisticated

soiree on the terrace of a luxury resort. As one of the most popular locations for destination weddings in Mexico, Los Cabos can cater to any couple’s unique

tastes and personalities. With a long list of award-wining hotels, no shortage of professional services or wedding planners ready to accommodate any budget or group size and a dramatic backdrop, brides and grooms can rest assured that no detail will be overlooked at Land’s End.

Apart from luxurious resort o�erings, couples are urged to experience some of the natural wonders of Los Cabos. Lover's Beach, named after the point where two seas unite, is renowned for its notably calm waters when compared to other surrounding beaches. Lover's Beach is also home to internationally acclaimed landmark, Al Arco, a structure completely unique to Los Cabos. Water transportation is necessary to visit the picturesque beach, which creates a remote and exclusive escape for couples to enjoy.

The required paperwork for a marriage Los Cabos is similar to that required in the U.S., with the di�erence being that the nearest Mexican consulate must validate all documents (your hotel or wedding coordinator can assist with this process).There are two forms of weddings performed in Mexico.

One is the Civil Wedding which changes your marital status from single to married and is recognized as legal throughout the world; and the other ceremony is the religious, this kind ceremony does not change your marital status in Mexico or anywhere in the world. It is possible to have both the civil and non-denominational ceremony completing the

legalities in the Judge’s chambers and having the minister for your sunset

wedding at a location of your choice.

For those couples wanting a church wedding, several Los Cabos resorts o�er unique chapels for the ceremony, a few of which are listed:

With its cobblestone lanes, winding paths, quaint fountains, restaurants and shops, The Sheraton Hacienda del Mar Resort & Spa, captures the feel of Old Mexico - despite its status as one of Baja California's newest destinations. Whether the couple is looking for an intimate ceremony for two or a gala wedding celebration, the Sheraton Hacienda del Mar’s unique Capilla (Chapel) room is the perfect place for the wedding ceremony.

The One and Only Palmilla is an unparalleled setting for romance. Romantic and picturesque, the One and Only Palmilla's chapel has been an enchanting and favored place for bridal couples to exchange their nuptial vows since 1956. The quaint chapel sits high on a hill overlooking the ocean, surrounded by swaying palms and vibrant bougainvillea. Guests can also stage their wedding ceremony on the pristine white sand beach with the Sea of Cortés as a backdrop.

One of the newest chapels in the destination, El Corazon is the open-air, five story wedding chapel at Cabo Azul Resort in San Jose del Cabo. With the Sea of Cortes as your backdrop and candlelit waterfalls setting the mood, this is considered one of the most romantic locations for exchanging vows.Los Cabos o�ers to couples the most secluded and romantic retreats that will make this day unforgettable.

Palmilla chapel

An elegant, newly constructed chapel at Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach Resort & Spa, is set adjacent to the Salón Monasterio and o�ers seating for 140 guests with superb views of the Pacific Ocean. This stunning hillside resort is renown for its optimum location from which to observe Baja’s magnificent sunsets.

Sunset chapel El corazon Hacienda del mar chapel

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