Wedding Planner MAGAZINESEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

Inspired by the Association of Bridal Consultants

THE BUSINESS ISSUE—TOP INDUSTRY LEADERS...BRIDAL REBRANDING... EMOTIONAL DECISION MAKING...WORKING IN A VIRTUAL WORLD...

REINVENTING RETIREMENT...IS HIRING A LIFE COACH RIGHT FOR YOU?

LONG LIVE

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4 WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINE

WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINEvol 6 issue 4

FEATURES8 Wedding Industry Leaders18 #BridalRebrand: Undertaking Change in the Name of Inclusivity20 How Emotions Affect Your Business Decisions22 Is Hiring a Life Coach Right for You?25 Learning from Experience! Takeaways from the NACE Annual Conference26 All Aboard the Technology Train: Simple Tips for Working in a Virtual World

REAL WEDDINGS27 California29 Michigan

COLUMNS13 Industry Insight: The Year's Biggest Wedding Trends 19 Business Basics: Beyond Craigslist: Who to Hire and Where to Find Them 23 Master Profile: Shelby Tuck-Horton, MWP™24 Seasoned Professionals: Reinventing Retirement

IN EVERY ISSUE6 Letter7 Contributors12 Ask the Experts16 ABC News28 Industry Best Practices

© Lizzie Photography

2927

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6 WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINE

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016 | VOLUME 6 ISSUE 4

PUBLISHERSNancy Flottmeyer, PWP™, and David Wood

EDITORBeth Erickson

CREATIVE DIRECTORNancy Flottmeyer, PWP™

CONTRIBUTORSAlan Berg, CSP®

Ashley Brasier Meghan Ely Beth Erickson

Bonnie Fedchock, CAEJennifer Gillihan

Sonya Scott, MWP™Susan Southerland

PROOFREADERKim Seidel

PHOTOGRAPHERSAndrea Flanagan Photography

Corbin Gurkin Photography Justine Montigny

Mandy Ford Photography Marcus Lam

Rick Aguilar Studios Shea Roggio Photography

ABC CORPORATE SALES

Nicole DaSilva

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: nancy@wed-dingplannermag.com. Visit: www.WeddingPlannerMag.com. Copyright 2016 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 EricksonEditorEditor@WeddingPlannerMag.com

Nancy Flottmeyer, PWP™Publisher/Creative DirectorNancy@WeddingPlannerMag.com

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, CWP™, Merryl Brown Events - Mark Kingsdorf, MWP™, Mission Inn Resorts - Carmen Mesa, MWP™, Carmen Mesa Weddings and Events, Inc. - Shelby Tuck-Horton, MBC™, Exquisite Expressions and Events

UPCOMING ISSUE: DESIGN TRENDS - TRENDING YOUNG PLANNERS/ DESIGNERS - SUCCESSION PLANNING - COMMUNICATING CHANGE

Leadership is essential.

Whether we want to admit it or not, we need leaders in every aspect of life. True leaders inspire us with their ability to take the reigns and guide us along the path toward a vision that is beneficial for the common good. In today’s cultural and political climate in which trust in leadership has waned, it’s perhaps of even more importance to seek and find authentic leaders for inspiration.

That’s why we asked our readers to nominate those individuals who exhibit true leadership qualities in the wedding industry. We asked. You answered. We were overwhelmed by the nominations that poured in and were excited to find so many fabulous individuals and leaders in the industry—so much so that we found it difficult to narrow it down. With the help of our Advisory Board, however, we did just that. In this issue, you will find the list of Wedding Planner Magazine’s Top Leaders for 2016. We know you will be inspired!

What could be more appropriate to kick off our premiere “Business Issue” than the feature on leadership? That’s right, this is our Business Issue. It’s designed to focus on you as entre-preneur and business owner. Chock full of topics to help you better your business, this issue explores industry trends, hiring, how emotions affect our business decisions, #BridalRebrand, working in a virtual world, retirement, hiring a life coach, and more. We hope you enjoy it and find loads of useful information!

And if you want even more useful information for your business, along with industry trends and inspiration, plan to attend the Association of Bridal Consultants Annual Conference at the Hotel Adolphus in Dallas from Nov. 6 – 8!

WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINE 7

contributorsALAN BERG is a successful business consultant and the wedding and event industry’s only Certified Speaking Professional®, the highest-earned designation for a professional speaker. He’s the author of three books and speaks, consults, and does sales training,

domestically and internationally. Find out more at www.AlanBerg.com. He writes about emotional deci-sion making on page 20.

ASHLEY BRASIER is the wedding director for Thumbtack, an online service that connects consumers with skilled professionals. She shares the latest trends and costs of American weddings in Industry Insights on page 13.

MEGHAN ELY is the owner of wed-ding PR and marketing firm OFD Consulting in Richmond, Va. She is a highly sought after speaker, adjunct professor in the field of public relations, and a self-pro-fessed royal wedding enthusiast. She write about #BridalRebrand

on page 18 and about working in a virtual world on page 26.

BETH ERICKSON is the editor of Wedding Planner Magazine and owner of Jobe Communica-tions, LLC, a writing, editing, and creative concept company. Beth is an award-winning writer who works within multiple industries. She writes about industry leaders

in our cover feature on page 8.

BONNIE FEDCHOCK, CAE, is the executive director of the National Association for Catering and Events, and she currently serves as the chair of the Convention and Industry Council. Her article on the highlights of the NACE Experience Conference is on page 25.

A life and business coach with more than 20 years in the wed-ding industry (10 as a wedding planner), JENNIFER GILLIHAN brings a unique perspective on how coaching can benefit wedding industry professionals. She offers a variety of online courses as well

as insightful blog posts through her website www.wed-procoach.com. Want to know if a life coach is right for you? Read her article on page 22.

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. Find her at www.

SonyaScottMWP.com. She writes about reinventing retirement on page 24.

SUSAN SOUTHERLAND started her small business venture as a wedding planner in 1992, and has since expanded her company, Just Events! Group, to include three successful brands servicing corporate and social events. An entrepreneur, event planner,

author, business consultant, wife, and mother of four, Susan is considered one of the foremost experts in the event industry today. Through her business coaching and seminars, Susan has revitalized programs for internationally renowned corporations like Royal Ca-ribbean International, Universal Orlando Resort, and Loews Hotels. Read her tips on hiring employees for your business on page 19.

Kathy Najimy

Balancing(or Trying Your Damnedest To Balance)

Your Career With Home, Family and Changing The Worldwith Kathy Najimy

ABC is thrilled to have famed actress Kathy Najimy as this years keynote speaker in Dallas on Monday, November 7th at Hotel Adolphus in the Century Ballroom.

Having appeared in over 30 films and numerous television shows, Kathy is probably best known for her multi-award winning roles in Sister Act, Hocus Pocus with Bette Midler, 14 yrs as Peggy Hill in the hit series King of the Hill, her hilarious/feminist long running Broadway play and HBO specials: The Kathy and Mo Show, a recurring role on HBO’s VEEP — and of course Geri, Jennifer Lopez’ boss in The Wedding Planner. Her wild sense of humor and incredible personality, coupled with her real life roles as Producer, Mother, Wife and Social Activist, will certainly be the fabric of her Keynote at this years ABC conference.

Life is definitely a balancing act. Where do you focus your energy? We want to be successful, but we need quality time with those we love. Having spent a lifetime as an actress, an activist and a personality, Kathy Najimy will discuss the possibilities of accepting who you are while imperfectly balancing your loves, passions, family and the issues that move you. Kathy stands for equality, freedom, and respect for all... but, mostly, she stands for accepting yourself as you are and where you are — and having FUN!

It is a must-see presentation.For more information about speakers, events, hotel reservations and registration go to abcannualconference.com

Em�acing History:

ABC Conference At A Whole New Level

’s keynote speaker in

8 WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINE

TOP WEDDING INDUSTRY LEADERS—2016 | BETH ERICKSON

WEDDING INDUSTRY LEADERS

It's hard to define what makes a leader. Yet, when we're in the presence of one, we know it. Leaders are visionaries. They influence others. They work for the common good.

These six, peer-nominated leaders are our picks for today's Wedding Industry Leaders.

What individuals and companies in the industry rise above the competition when it comes to advancing the industry,

reinvention, having a clear and distinct brand, and more? We asked readers, and the nominations poured into our inboxes. We then asked the Wedding Planner Magazine team and advisory

board to review these nominations and choose the top industry leaders. It was a difficult process as there were many fabulous candidates, but we did narrow the field and are pleased to announce the 2016 selections for Top Wedding Industry Leaders right here.

Courtesy of Frank J. Andonoplas, MWP™

INDUSTRY LEADER—WEDDING PLANNING/DESIGNFrank J. Andonoplas, MWP™ Owner, Frank Event Design, Chicago www.FrankEventDesign.com

About Frank: For the past 23 years, Frank has owned Frank Event Design, a full-service event design and planning firm. Since 2010, he has been an adjunct professor at DePaul University, where he teachers business etiquette and wedding and event planning management. Active in the industry, Frank served as Illinois state coordinator for the Association of Bridal Consultants, and was awarded its coveted Penner Award for pas-sion and excellence to the industry. He has won more than 20 Chicago Excellence Awards for best wedding and the prestigious Gala Award for Best Wedding from Special Events Magazine. He was named Event Planner of the Year at the Catersource/Events Solutions Conference and Chicago’s Favorite Wedding Planner by Today’s Chicago Woman. He is a member of the advisory Boards of Special Events Magazine and Wedding Planner Magazine*. His expertise is consistently shown in all major local and national bridal magazines as well as local Chicago television stations, CBS’s The Early Show, and ABC’s 20/20 nationally. Most recently, he was inducted into the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Hall of Fame. Frank’s Goals: “I would like to be teaching more than I am now. I feel that my vast knowledge and experience can benefit those starting out in the industry.”

Testimonial: “Frank is an expert in knowing every aspect of what is involved in planning weddings. He understands his clients so well that he makes our process for floral and décor much easier. Frank educates his clients on floral décor in advance—budget and style. Frank allows the client to choose what they like but guides them to make the most aesthetically pleasing and practical decisions. He is very professional and loyal. I have worked with Frank for 15 years, and he remains passionate with each new client.”- Stephanie Gowder, Anthony Gowder Designs, Inc., Chicago

* Note: As a member of the Wedding Planner Magazine Advisory Board, Frank recused himself from voting for individuals in this category.

WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINE 9

INDUSTRY LEADER— WEDDING PLANNING/DESIGNLynda Barness, MWP™Owner, I DO Wedding Consulting, Philadelphiawww.IDoPlan.com

About Lynda: After completing the certificate program in Wed-ding Planning and Consulting at Temple University in Philadelphia, Lynda launched I DO Wedding Consulting in 2005 as an encore career. Throughout the years, she has been a participant and leader in a variety of civic, philanthropic, and political activities, serving on a number of boards. She has been a frequent wedding industry speaker, judge for industry awards, author of published articles and blogs, has been quoted widely in the press. She is now teaching “The Business of Wedding Planning and Consulting” in the Temple Univer-sity program in which she got her start. Although Lynda contributes to the outside world, she has always been involved in the daily tasks of running a demanding business. In 2015, she shared her favorite an-ecdotes of magic and mishaps, collected through years of working in the wedding industry, when she published the book I DO: A Wedding Planner Tells Tales.

Lynda’s Goals: “Our tag line is, ‘Your Day, Your Way,’ and we serve as trusted guides through the process of wedding planning. We special-ize in creative, fun, sophisticated, and very personal weddings, and our goal is to continue to educate while we share our experience and expertise.”

Testimonial: “With Lynda, no detail is overlooked—from concept to wedding day. Working with Lynda throughout the past 12 years has allowed me to see how exceptional she is. She has the ability to de-liver on her clients’ highest expectations while supporting her vendors and making sure they have the tools needed to achieve their best.”

- Sarah DiCicco, international wedding photographer, Wayne, Pa.

© Shea Roggio Photography

© Rick Aguilar Studios

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INDUSTRY LEADER—VENDORAmy Green & Melanie MarconiWhere Will They Stay?www.WhereWillTheyStay.com

About Where Will They Stay?: This company is the first to offer room-block procurement for the social event planning community in North America. After more than a decade of setting up room blocks for conferences and conventions around the country, Amy and Melanie founded Where Will They Stay? to help relieve a pain-point for both the event community, as well as couples and families hosting events. Their official motto is: “The Most Important Weekends Begin at Check-In,” and they believe that welcoming guests to a special event starts from the moment of their arrival to the host city.

Company Goals: “We are continuing to push the envelope in terms of our unique combination of highly customized service and innovative use of technology. We are always striving to provide the best guest experience, while saving time for our clients.”

Testimonial: “Since their launch in 2014, Where Will They Stay? has grown exponentially and has enjoyed a number of national press mentions, including SpecialEvents.com, Book More Brides, Sage Wedding Pros, and The Wedding & Event Institute Blog. Where Will They Stay? engages clients with an interactive ‘request-ionnaire’ to pull pertinent information, keeping guest experience in the forefront of event planning. This, among other aspects, led to Where Will They Stay? being selected as an Event Solutions Spotlight Award finalist.”

- Meghan Ely, OFD Consulting, Richmond, Va.

INDUSTRY LEADER—VENDORKate Patay, CPCE Creative Coveringswww.creativecoverings.com

About Creative Coverings: Creative Coverings is a nationwide spe-cialty linen rental and sales company that offers high-end tablecloths, runners, chair covers, chair accessories, napkins, and couture pillows. The company prides itself on providing the highest quality linens with fabulous customer service at price-points customers appreciate. Its ex-tensive line of colors and fabrics suit any occasion. New styles, colors, and sizes are continually being added to the linen rental collection. Custom-made items for both rental and purchase are also available. Creative Coverings is the only national linen company with the covet-ed Emerald Green certification.

Goals: The design team at Creative Coverings aims to continue staying ahead of fashion and décor trends and translating those trends into chic tabletop fashions. The company passionately appre-ciates the opportunity to educate clients on forecasting these trends and incorporating them into lavish or budget-conscious events. Kate Patay, CPCE, and current vice president of the Board for the National Association of Catering Executives, will continue to speak at various national conferences, industry association meetings, and trade shows on how to stay ahead of the competition with tips on how to forecast the future of catering, wedding, and event trends. 

Testimonial: “Our Utah brides are becoming more and more sophisti-cated with their eyes set on creating all the trendy weddings they see on Pinterest! With our limited selections in Salt Lake City, we needed to find a good linen partner that had fabulous linens at the best price. Our first choice for the finest linens is Creative Coverings. Each linen arrives impeccably packaged; plus their customer service is over the top!

- Mary Crafts-Homer, Culinary Crafts, Salt Lake City, Utah

© Mandy Ford Photography

WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINE 11

INDUSTRY LEADER— SOCIAL MEDIA/CONSCIOUSNESSKathryn HammFounder, GayWeddings Owner, Made By Kathryn, Washington, D.C.www.GayWeddings.comwww.MadeByKathryn.com

About Kathryn: Kathryn Hamm is the publisher of GayWeddings, the pioneering resource dedicated to serving same-sex couples since 1999, and an education expert for WeddingWire. She is also co-au-thor, with Thea Dodds, of the groundbreaking book, The New Art of Capturing Love: The Essential Guide to Lesbian & Gay Wedding Photography. A natural educator, Kathryn writes, speaks, and consults with wedding professionals about same-sex wedding trends, best practices when serving today’s couples, and how to think “outside the box” when considering the modern market. She has also provided expert analysis for a wide range of national on air, digital, and print media, including MSNBC, National Public Radio, The New York Times, the Washington Post, the Associated Press, and CNN.

Kathryn’s Goals: “Through education and product development, I will continue to be an agent of change and a champion of multicultural inclusivity in the wedding market. Simply put: #BridalRebrand or bust.”

Testimonial: “A natural educator, entrepreneur, and public speaker, Kathryn Hamm, publisher of GayWeddings, is a true leader in the ad-vancement of same-sex equality in the wedding and events industry. Every bit of the work Kathryn has done, from professional speaking to site marketing to building relationships, has had an impact on the larger mainstream wedding and events market. The group that’s been a big part of that change is wedding professionals. Kathryn has worked tirelessly to educate wedding professionals about same-sex couples, therefore helping to shift their perceptions and readiness and willingness to work with all couples.”

- Lauren Hartman, WeddingWire, Arlington, Va.

INDUSTRY LEADER—ASSOCIATIONSGloria BoydenDirector of Education, Association of Bridal Consultantswww.BridalAssn.comOwner, Events by Design, Indianapoliswww.eventsbydesignindy.com

About Gloria: A few years after joining the Association of Bridal Consul-tants (ABC), Gloria took the Professional Development Program. Later, after moving to Carmel, Ind., from northwest Indiana, she became part of the wedding community and then the ABC Indiana state coordinator. During her tenure, with the help of Kay Krober, she established “Art of the Table,” an Indianapolis design event featuring the table designs of Indiana wedding planners. What began with eight tables and 90 people in attendance, morphed into a two-day event with 25 tables and 300 attendees. Proceeds funded educational initiatives and scholarships. In 2009, the Indiana chapter was asked to host the ABC’s annual confer-ence, which it did to rave reviews. As state coordinator, Gloria also wrote and copyrighted a book to train new planners in the basics and she, along with ABC member Elise Enloe, wrote the materials for the World of Wedding Planning seminar that is still being used. In 2014, she was named ABC director of education. She established monthly webinars and rewrote the Professional Wedding Planner™(PWP™) course.

Gloria’s Goals: “Step down as director of education so someone new-er can fill that role; mentor newer planners; review and rewrite some of the test questions for the PWP™ program and find some updated photos for it to keep the course fresh and relevant."

Testimonial: “Throughout her tenure, she has cared deeply about the education given to the membership of the ABC. . . In 2009, she was the chairperson of the Business of Brides conference in Indianapolis. At that conference, she insisted that good education would bring people to the Midwest. It did! Peggy Post, Sylvia Weinstock, and Gene Huddleson were among the dozens of speakers. Art of the Table, a design-based event in memory of a dear friend and ABC member was her brainchild, but she always insisted the money go to education and scholarships. Because of her foresight, Indiana members have been able to attend Business of Brides for over 10 years.”

- Monica Richard, MWP™, Mon Amie Events, Indianapolis WPM© Andrea Flanagan Photography

Photos courtesy of Gloria Boyden, MWP™

Tonia Adleta, PWP™Aribella Events

12 WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINE

Merryl Brown, CWP™ Merryl Brown Events

Frank J. Andonoplas, MWP™ Frank Event Design

ASK THE EXPERTS

Donnie Brown, CWP™ Donnie Brown Weddings

and Events

Carmen Mesa, MWP™ Carmen Mesa

Weddings and Events

Shelby Tuck-Horton, MBC™ Exquisite Expressions

and Events

Q: “WHAT IS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL ADD-ON SERVICE TO WED-DING PLANNING, E.G.: CELEBRANT, STATIONERY, DÉCOR, ETC.?”- Melina Nicholson, Cinque Terre Weddings, Monterosso al Mare, Italy

“Invitations, stationery, all printed material, and wedding accessories. Easy and natural add on—and profitable!” - Frank

“For us, it is décor. We have a wonderfully curated selection of unique decorative items that we use a few times and then rotate out. We try to use items no one else has, so that when we merchandise with these things, they make for interesting, one-of-a-kind, beautiful vignettes. It is of great benefit to us, because we can style our events with the things we want to use and create exactly the look we want. This has been a really nice additional source of revenue.”- Merryl

“I’m going to play the Socrates' card here and ask, ‘How do you define success?’ In many cases, décor is a great add-on, but only if you have the space, staff, internal structure, and time to effectively manage inventory. In just as many cases, procuring too much or the wrong inventory items puts a wobbly service-oriented business under. I’ve been able to merge two businesses together, bringing both the décor (floral and rentals) and planning under one roof. Throughout that process, I’ve maintained stationery (on a limited basis). I’ve seriously considered becoming a licensed celebrant as an emergency back-up. My concern in adding the celebrant title along with planner as a business choice is that it leaves you very little space to do either at 100 percent. Know what brings you the most joy, what you are best at, and what your market will bear. Focus your efforts there, and if you’re considering new ventures, create a way to test them in small ways without putting your main business in jeopardy.” - Tonia

“There are so many add-on services these days. Certainly, the acces-sory items such as guestbooks, pens, ring bearer and flower girl items, champagne flutes, cake knives and servers, favors, etc.—the list goes on and on.” - Donnie

“Association of Bridal Consultants members can easily become a Certified Sandals Specialist and add on travel to Sandals properties as an income stream. Selling invitations and accessories is another income stream. Another popular income stream is linen rentals.”- Shelby

Q: “IF YOU WERE TALKING TO YOUR YOUNGER SELF ABOUT GET-TING INTO THE INDUSTRY, WHAT WOULD YOU ADVISE YOURSELF TO DO ABOUT MARKETING, SOCIAL MEDIA, HOW TO HANDLE CUSTOMERS, MENTOR, ETC.?”

- Michelle McCall, CWP™, My Unique Wedding Day, Denver

“The first is to take better care of you. Physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually—you are the glue holding your world together, including your clients’ weddings, and without proper care, you can’t show up for others the way you need to. Next, I would highly recommend a men-tor and consistent professional development. Lastly, I’d incorporate others into my business sooner, especially when it comes to market-ing and social media. Both of those roles are full-time jobs in and of themselves; having the right people on your team who can manage (or direct you into bite-sized, actionable steps) is crucial.”- Tonia

“Think big and get big. Think small and get small. If you want to be a serious choice, you need to invest in good branding, marketing, and a website. If you look for the free or cheap option, don’t be surprised when you get leads that want to spend little on your service.”- Alan

“Spend as much time as possible doing due diligence, making sure that you understand the industry, jargon, players, pitfalls. Spend one year as an intern to really understand how things work. Join sever-al industry groups, take classes, read everything you can find, and become the best at something. Set yourself apart with something that defines you at your best. Pay attention to your radar about customers, employees, and vendors. One bad apple can derail years of hard work. Find a mentor and look to that person when you are out of your depth. When you hit it big, remember where you came from and remember to pay it forward.”- Merryl

“Try the things that you think will work. If it works, great, if not try another way of doing it, sometimes over and over. It’s called growing pains. We all go through it. I’ve learned that nothing worthwhile in life is easy. Be patient. This is a process.” - Frank

WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINE 13

“I would tell her to spend her marketing dollars wisely and focus on her ideal clients. I would tell my younger self to pick two or three social media platforms, and do those well. I would tell my younger self to always listen to the client, always reside in your truth, and always offer great customer service. I would tell my younger self to find a mentor who has the same values and is doing or has done what I want to do. You do not have to walk this journey alone. There are mentors, coach-es, and teachers willing to help you along your journey.”

- Shelby

Q: “MANY WEDDING PLANNERS START OFF WORKING FOR THEM-SELVES AND THEN EXPAND WITHOUT EVER HAVING WORKED IN A WEDDING-PLANNING AGENCY, AND SO, HAVE LITTLE EXPERIENCE ON HOW TO EFFECTIVELY EXPAND THEIR WEDDING-PLANNING OPER-ATIONS. HOW ARE THE POSITIONS IN YOUR AGENCY SEPARATED?”- Melina Nicholson, Cinque Terre Weddings, Monterosso al Mare, Italy

“It took me several years to figure this out for my company. I handle all sales and marketing and all design for my company’s events. Everyone else on my team is an excellent project manager, and they handle every aspect of their weddings and events except for booking them and designing them.”

- Merryl

“I am different from other consultants. I only accept one wedding a weekend. This is how I have branded myself. I don’t have, nor do I want to have a staff of multiple consultants or wedding-day directors doing multiple weddings on the same day.” 

- Frank

“It works best if team members work according to our strengths. For example, some people are strong with design while another team member may be excellent with logistics. It just makes for a happier, more cohesive group working together in our areas of strength.” 

- Shelby

Q: “WHAT SHOULD YOU DO WHEN A BRIDE IS DISHONEST ABOUT HER WEDDING DETAILS TO AVOID PAYING A LARGER DEPOSIT, THEN AS YOU GET CLOSER TO THE WEDDING DATE, ALL OF A SUD-DEN SHE’S ASKING FOR CHANGES, QUOTES ON CERTAIN THINGS SHE’S INQUIRING ABOUT? HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THAT? SINCE WE PROVide décor ITEMS LIKE LINENS, BACKDROPS, AND FLO-RAL, IT DIRECTLY AFFECTS SOME OF THE PRICING.”

- Michelle Moreno, Bella Amour Hawaii, Honolulu

“I’d highly recommend adding a ‘change-fee’ clause to your contract. Establish what you think is a reasonable rate and a comfortable time-frame for you to have all decisions final. ‘Any changes made after X date incurs a change fee of $XX.’ Make your change fee high enough to prevent them from throwing you a last-minute curve ball and enough that if they do, you won’t resent them for it. Be careful with thinking that the couple is being dishonest. While it might seem they were being dishonest, odds are high they’ve never done this before and didn’t have their budget lined up with their expectations . . .Unless you have hard evidence to the contrary, give them the benefit of the doubt.”

- Tonia

“Well, this is a good reason for written contracts, bigger deposits, and keeping detailed notes. If you use a shared online platform, you can have quotes for the things that aren’t in the contract, but that you discuss with them. In the case of this bride, just smile, and tell her how much it will cost for the additional things. It’s okay for people to ask for more, you don’t have to provide it, but keep it friendly and show her that you want to help bring her vision to life, it just isn’t what she originally asked for.”

- Alan

“You must begin with the end in mind. The way that we handle this is in our contract before we go to work for a client. It states that if the guest count goes up, the fees go up. They have to initial this and agree to it before we get started. We are all aware of how often this happens. By beginning with the end in mind, you know that this will likely be the outcome, so begin with a contract that lays out how things will go once it does.”

- Merryl

“This should be handled in your contract, which should spell out the depth of what you are doing and providing. A clause needs to be in there to reflect that if things change from the time the contract is signed, you have the right to re-price your services accordingly.”

- Frank

“If the client is adding to our scope of work, we add an addendum to the contract reflecting the additional work and cost.”

- Shelby

“I don’t understand why you would have a problem with increasing services that you will be paid for. Why do you think it’s dishonest that everything was not disclosed in the beginning? Changes and addi-tions are part of the planning process. As long as you can still provide quality services with the additions, then take them and be grateful for the added income.”

- Carmen

“You should have an ethics clause in your contract that includes but is not limited to lying. That clause can come with the ability to cancel and retain the funds, or charge a PITA tax for the headache. Make sure up front that honesty in the process is paramount—and that you rely on the client to give you accurate information for you to effectively do your job.” 

- Donnie

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

WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINE 15

INDUSTRY INSIGHT | ASHLEY BRASIER

Did you know that U.S. couples are spending 20 percent more on wedding

services this year, or $12,189 on average nationwide? Thumbtack, an online service connecting consumers with skilled profession-als, reviewed data from hundreds of thou-sands of wedding requests to uncover the trends and spending habits of real couples in America before releasing its 2016 Wedding Trends Report.

WHAT’S “IN” FOR WEDDINGS?Overall, Thumbtack’s study reveals a unique look at what is trending—not just what hap-pened at weddings last year. In addition to increased spending, trends include:

• The new theme is no theme: Couples are increasingly focusing on small details, not big themes, to set their weddings apart. 

• Highlight videos are hot: Videographers are seeing an eight percent uptick in requests for highlight videos, which incorporate per-sonalized messages from guests and are created for social sharing.

• Laser-cut details are everywhere: Invita-tions, place cards, and even placemats.

• Cupcakes aren’t going anywhere: Ten per-cent more couples are featuring cupcakes this year compared to 2015, showing that this personalized touch has staying power.

• Formal receptions on the rise: There has been a 26 percent increase in couples requesting servers for formal dinner recep-tions and a 32 percent increase in couples requesting plated meals.

• Traditional tiers: Cakes are also getting taller, with a 55 percent increase in couples requesting a three-layer cake.

• Big, bold visuals: From wedding theme colors to bridal beauty looks, weddings are featuring big visuals. 

• Glam beauty: There’s been a 75 percent increase in brides requesting glam hair and makeup, with touches like highlights, contour-ing, and bold lip colors. There is also a 70 percent increase in requests for false eyelash-es and airbrushing and a 15 percent increase in brides planning to wear a classic veil.

• Bright palettes: Popular colors include reds and bright blues, with pops of yellow and gray neutrals to hold it all together. Metallic accents stay popular, emphasizing glam.

REGIONAL DIFFERENCES ABOUNDWhere a couple is from and where they hold their nuptials does make a difference in the size and style of their wedding. Regional differences include:

• Northeast and Mid-Atlantic affairs tend to be more expensive: Formal dinners and a large number of guests most often drive this higher cost. In New York, 33 percent of couples request plated dinners. In Washington, D.C., 48 percent of couples request hors d’oeuvres.

• The Midwest has the biggest weddings: In Midwestern states like Minnesota and Wisconsin, weddings are bigger. More than 60 percent of couples welcome 100 or more guests. The smallest weddings are in destina-tion locations like Hawaii, where 43 percent of couples welcome fewer than 20 guests.

• BBQ and Mexican catering vs. Italian and American cuisine: Italian and American food are crowd pleasers at weddings across the country. In fact, there are only two states that would prefer another type of cuisine at weddings—both Kentucky and South Carolina prefer BBQ. Unsurprisingly, Mexican is popular throughout the South-west, with 43 percent of couples in New Mexico requesting Mexican food.

• Pop music reigns at the reception, but coun-try’s close behind: Wedding guests across the majority of the United States (46 states) prefer pop music, but country is a close sec-ond choice in several states, including Texas.

• Vermont braids and Southern locks: A time-less romantic look is common. However, brides in Vermont prefer braids, while brides in most other locales prefer a half-up/half-down look. Long, curly hair is especially popular in Southern states like Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

Full results of the study are available at https://www.thumbtack.com/wed-dings/#weddingsreport. WPM

__Ashley Brasier, Thumbtack, San Francisco

THE NUMBERS AT A GLANCE

National Averages—Costs and Customer Profile$12,189: Average amount American couples will spend on essential wedding services, excluding venue, dress, and rings98: Average number of guests33: Average marrying age75%: Employed full-time5%: Students45%: Homeowners

Top 5 Most Expensive States in Which to Wed*Connecticut - $17,211New York - $16,305District of Columbia - $15,835Rhode Island - $15,233Pennsylvania - $14,722

Top 5 Least Expensive States in Which to Wed*Missouri - $9,031Nevada - $9,095Arizona - $9,593Kentucky - $9,712Utah - $9,804

Top 25 Most Expensive Metro Areas in Which to Wed* New York, NY - $16,077Philadelphia, PA - $15,434Pittsburgh, PA - $14,287Baltimore, MD - $14,261Providence, RI - $13,990San Francisco, CA - $13,734San Jose, CA - $13,418Cleveland, OH - $13,416Washington, D.C.-Northern VA - $13,303Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN - $13,173New Orleans, LA - $13,089Boston, MA - $13,028Miami, FL - $12,923Los Angeles, CA - $12,709Chicago, IL - $12,449Milwaukee, WI - $12,197Seattle, WA - $12,149Detroit, MI - $11,819Memphis, TN - $11,805Portland, OR - $11,714Columbus, OH - $11,692Austin, TX - $11,519Rochester, NY - $11,472Charleston, SC - $11,448Sacramento, CA - $11,349

* Amount based on essential wedding services, excluding venue, dress, and rings.

THE YEAR’S BIGGEST WEDDING TRENDS

16 WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINE

ASSOCIATION OF BRIDAL CONSULTANTS MEMBER NEWS

AchievementsTracy Dapp, PWP™, Inked Events, Salem, N.H., was voted 2016 New Hampshire’s A-List Best Wedding Planner.

Meghan Ely, owner of OFD Consulting, Richmond, Va., was involved in Richmond Region Tourism’s “Say I Do with OutRVA” campaign, which was awarded a Capital Award of Merit in Creative Tactics in the 2016 Virginia Public Relations Awards. 

John Goolsby, MEI, Cr.Photog CPV, MPV, God-father Films, Riverside, Calif., and Locust Valley, N.Y., was selected to deliver a keynote presen-tation at the Wedding MBA Conference in Las Vegas Oct. 3 – 5 for the fourth consecutive time. Photo by Happy Photos, Inc.

Sara Leach, A-One Weddings & Events, Cheyenne, Wy., was named among the “Top 20 in their Twenties” from the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce.

Sandra M. Monahan, MWP™ and Master Life-Cycle Celebrant® of Weddings Without Worries, Wexford, Pa., presented Business Etiquette to the Inter-national Live Events Association’s Indiana Chapter at their net-working luncheon on

June 15 at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar in Indianapolis. The presentation, “What Does Etiquette Really Mean to your Busi-ness,” included networking, handshaking, introductions, dining skills, and social media. Monahan’s business services include wedding consulting, ceremony officiating, and etiquette education for personal, business, teens, and children.

Marcela Villaseñor Saavedra, ABC™, of Bodas Huatulco in Oaxaca, Mexico, reports that they are now offering Zapotec Weddings. These

ceremonies involve a large number of people, prehispanic music with drums and snails, and many significant elements, like uniting the couple under a shawl. It is a highly participative event. Photo is by @Lunagainza Miguel Angel Luna.

David Snook, CWP™, owner and designer of Mx2 Event Design, Har-risburg, Pa., is pleased to announce his exclusive partnership with the newly renovated Capitol Room at the Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center. This vintage ballroom, with space for up to 450 wedding guests, boasts such features as state-of-the art sound and lighting with a full performance stage, vaulted ceiling, floor-to-ceiling arched windows, a full bar with outdoor balcony access, and a gorgeous view of the Capitol dome. On-site catering is available for up to 200 guests, with the option of hiring outside caterers for larger events. The exclusive interior balcony VIP room is perfect for wedding parties or VIP guests. Bar packages are available. Bookings are open for late 2016 and be-yond. This stunning venue is the perfect setting for vintage, industrial, upscale, or “Rock Star” weddings and events.

MediaLynda Barness, MWP™, I Do Wedding Consulting, Philadelphia, was named to the 2016 Readers Choice Best of Mainline medianews. In addition, she was asked to be a guest blogger with four posts on the National Association for Catering and Events website and one of her weddings was featured in Main Line Today magazine.

Pearlice Diggs, PWP™, P3 Weddings & Events, Hope Mills, N.C., was featured in a “Day in the Life” article on the Planner’s Lounge Blog.

Lisa Kenward Events, Hilton Head Island, S.C., was voted the Best Event Planner by Island Packet readers. The company was one of 26 nominated in that category. Lisa Kenward Events is Hilton Head Island’s premier wedding planning business, coordinating sophisticated, creative, and memorable events.

Sandra M. Monahan, MWP™, and Master Life-Cycle Celebrant®, Weddings Without Worries, Wexford, Pa., was recently published in the Celebrant Foundation and Institute’s Celebrancy Today magazine spring 2016 issue. The article was “Life-Cycle Celebrants are True Professionals.”

WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINE 17

ABC DIRECTOR LISTINGPresident, David M. Wood III

Co-Founders, Gerard J. Monaghan and Eileen P. Monaghan

Director of State Managers, Beverly Ann Bonner, APR, MWP™ beverlyann@weddingbeautiful.com

Director of Operations, Elayne Anderson info@BridalAssn.com

Director of Social Media, Candice Benson, MWP™ candice@thefinishingtouchevents.com

Director of Education, Gloria Boyden, MWP™ eventsgrb@aol.com

Director of Marketing, Nicole DaSilva corp@BridalAssn.com

Creative Director, Nancy Flottmeyer, PWP™ nancy@weddingsbynancy.com

Director of Ethnic Diversity, Lois Pearce, MWP™ lois@beautifuloccasions.com

Member Services, Annemarie Steiner mbrsvc@BridalAssn.com

ABC Office1.860.355.7000, fax 1.860.354.1404, www.BridalAssn.com, 56 Danbury Road, Ste. 11, New Milford, CT 06776.

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.

Mountains & Meadows Weddings & Events, DBA JoAnn Moore Weddings, Vail, Colo., has been honored

with The Knot’s Hall of Fame Award, which is the result of being voted number one in the market for four years running. The company is now part of the elite group, The Knot Hall of Fame. Photo is of JoAnn Moore and Mindy McNitt with JoAnn Moore Weddings.

Gayle O’Donnell, MWV™, Paper Passionista, Seattle, was chosen “Best Place to Purchase Wedding Supplies” in Seattle Bride Magazine Best of 2016 awards. The award was present-ed at the Seattle Bride Magazine Best of 2016 gala on June 21.

DesignationsPROFESSIONAL WEDDING PLANNER™Denise Nicolette, What a Day Weddings, LLC, Scottsdale, Ariz.

PROFESSIONAL BRIDAL CONSULTANT™Tkahiro Taguchi, Japan

A wedding done by All the Best Weddings & Celebrations – a WKE, LLC, and Kathi R. Evans, AWP™, Toms River, N.J., was featured in the spring 2016 issue of Inside Weddings Magazine. Photos are courtesy of Images by Berit.

More than 800 shops participated in the first annual National Bridal Sale Day: "One Day, Your Day, Your Dream Dress for Less!" on Saturday, July 16.

The event takes place annually on the third Saturday of July. The date for 2017 is July 15. TheKnot.com, MyWedding.com, Bridal

Guide, Bridal Clicks, Vows Magazine, IBMA, the Association of Wedding Gown Special-ists, and others help promote the event. Brides purchasing a dress received a $25 gift certificate toward the cleaning of the gown. The certificate is valid at any participating "Certified Wedding Gown Specialist."

NATIONAL BRIDAL SALE A SUCCESS!

18 WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINE

FEATURE

This is a unique era for the wedding industry. A social evolution that has created growth

opportunities for tuned-in business owners is unfolding. Recognition of marriage equality is not unique to the United States. It is a global phenomenon, demanding a response from industries serving same- and opposite-sex couples. It demands a #BridalRebrand.

WHY REBRAND NOW?According to Bonnie Fedchock, executive di-rector of the National Association for Catering and Events (NACE), there has been significant change in the industry. "The result is a much more diverse population, including cultures, customs, needs, and desires. This change presents opportunities for wedding profession-als to differentiate themselves and offer both specialty and inclusive services,” she says.

Indeed, just 10 years ago that sensitivity toward inclusive language was considered “optional.” As marriage equality picked up steam, it became essential, especially in states that legally recognized same-sex marriages. Now, it is a mandate. “The call for inclusivity is a basic, understood best practice,” says Kathryn Hamm of GayWeddings.com.

The wedding industry has notoriously marketed to “brides”—to the exclusion of grooms. Sup-porting inclusivity provides us with the perfect opportunity to correct this omission. It allows in-clusion of gay grooms, straight grooms, lesbian brides, straight brides, and those who do not identify with traditional labels.

As David Wood, owner of the Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC), emphasizes, “We all serve a global marketplace today. Since so many couples will find you through the Internet, your platform needs to be as inclusive as possible.”

USING ALTERNATIVE LANGUAGEIf references to “brides” and “bridal” are out, what alternative language is available? Replace hetero-normative references with

words like “couples,” “pairs,” or “to-be-weds.” It’s easier than it seems. Replace “bridal” with “wedding,” as in “wedding party,” “wedding market,” and “wedding shows.” Attending to these modifications is a matter of habit.

WHERE TO BEGIN?A rebrand is a huge undertaking, so approach it in pieces. Take an eagle-eye view of your en-tire brand. “Ask yourself: Am I communicating inclusively to the market I wish to serve? Would grooms feel welcome seeking me out? Would same-sex couples feel comfortable seeking me out? Would today’s millennial couple (LGBTQ or non-LGBTQ) feel comfortable?” says Hamm.

Review your marketing materials, says Fed-chock, “including print and electronic pieces, but especially, your website. Be sure the videos, pictures, and language are all representative of and appealing to the markets you wish to serve.” On your website, Wood recommends you “show photo highlights of your prior wed-dings, with couples of many backgrounds. Use venue settings, from casual to formal, and both indoor and outside. Depict people of diverse backgrounds and ages. You want as many people as possible to feel comfortable when reviewing your marketing materials.”

Regularly revisit your SEO keywords to keep your site optimized. Plan and implement new strategies to boost your search engine rank-ings among same-sex couples. Rebranding is a process. Share your journey with your blog audience. Let them know you are in the midst of a #BridalRebrand. You’ll keep the interest of couples seeking inclusivity and cast yourself and your business in an accepting, progressive light.

BEYOND WEBSITES AND BROCHURESRebranding also means examining all aspects of your business and your personal assump-tions. Don’t neglect your company name, logo, tag line, product offerings, and the language you use in conversation. Are you making assumptions that exclude couples

in the first 10 minutes of your in-person sales meetings, or are you demonstrating how open you are to their individual needs?

ADDED BENEFITS OF REBRANDINGWhen your #BridalRebrand is complete, you will communicate a more accepting perspective to couples from all walks of life. More couples will book your services, pushing you ahead of competitors who may not be as open. “Both same-sex and opposite-sex couples are seeking vendors that are fully inclusive now,” says Brit Bertino, president of the Wedding Industry Professionals Associa-tion. “Don’t be surprised if you notice yourself surpassing your competitors who choose to shut out a major demographic—meanwhile, you’ll be light years ahead!”

Kevin Dennis of Fantasy Sound Event Services in Livermore, Calif., says, “We have had many more same-sex couples, as well as received compli-ments on our inclusivity from our other couples.”

According to WeddingWire’s 2016 Survey of Contemporary Couples & Current Wedding Trends, approximately 50 percent of oppo-site-sex couples consider inclusivity a factor when choosing a vendor, in addition to 99 percent of LGBTQ couples. “It starts with each individual wedding professional taking a look at what he or she offers in terms of products and services and how that message is being articulated, doing market research to understand what today’s couples need, and then budgeting to move away from the bridal bias,” says Hamm.

THE FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRYRarely does a marketing movement yield such redeeming social value, but in the case of re-branding for inclusivity, the benefits significant-ly outweigh any effort or inconvenience. The more we honor diversity, the more accepted same-sex weddings will be by all. WPM __Meghan Ely, OFD Consulting, Richmond, Va.

#BridalRebrand: UNDERTAKING CHANGE IN THE NAME OF INCLUSIVITY

WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINE 19

BUSINESS BASICS | SUSAN SOUTHERLAND, PWP™

Cocoon Events

Once you make the decision to expand your business, you need to make sure you hire the right people. Good employees make

the difference between great success and complete frustration. Here are some tips to help you make good, solid decisions when hiring your team.

1. PAINT A PICTURE OF THE PERSON YOU WANT TO HIRE.What type of employee do you need? Are you trying to hire an assis-tant or someone who can duplicate what you do?

Do you want to mold someone, or do you want someone who can step right in and get the job done from day one?

Make a list of tasks you will need this person to do. Do you need someone who’s comfortable networking, someone who writes well, someone who can keep you organized, someone who sells well, etc.?

Think about your weaknesses. How might an employee improve your business by doing things that you’re not good at? When I started looking for employees who were quite different from me, the business really took off.

2. BE STRATEGIC ABOUT WHERE YOU LOOK FOR YOUR NEW EMPLOYEE.You can find a cadre of potential employees by posting listings in plac-es like Craigslist, Indeed, and Monster.com, but the process of narrow-ing down qualified candidates will take a long time, and all of these sites charge fees for the listing. I once posted a job listing on Craigslist, and within an hour, I received more than 300 resumes. It took hours and hours to narrow down the list to 10 candidates for phone inter-views and then five candidates for in-person interviews. I did wind up with an outstanding employee from it, but it took a lot of time.

Social media is another venue to post job openings. I’ve had ré-sumés submitted from posts on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. If

you don’t mind publicly posting your job opening among friends and colleagues, you may be able to benefit from your friends’ networks. LinkedIn, in particular, is a good place to research potential employ-ees and reach out to them directly.

If you know the type of employee you need, you can search for him or her in a more organized fashion. If you don’t mind mentoring someone, you can find great employees through local colleges and trade schools. Students will not only be willing to work for a lower wage, but I’ve found that employees who are newly graduated tend to be energetic, full of new ideas, and open to learning my methods and procedures.

If you get involved with one or more of the colleges in your area, you can shorten the hiring process by getting to know potential candidates. I have found some wonderful employees after lectur-ing in one of their classes or being a guest speaker at one of their student organization meetings. Seeing them interact with other students and how they perform in class gave me better insight into their personalities than I could have had during the interview process. I still interviewed the candidates, but the decision-making process was much easier.

Someone with experience can be found at networking functions, trade organizations, and conferences. When you attend any of these events, put yourself in a position to speak with lots of people. Always keep in mind the type of employee you need and zero in on some people with potential.

Hiring employees may seem like a daunting task, but putting a little bit of thought into what tasks you need to assign to someone and the type of person you’d like to hire can go a long way towards helping you find the perfect match. __Susan Southerland, PWP™, Just Events! Group, Windermere, Fla.

BEYOND CRAIGSLIST: WHO TO HIRE AND WHERE TO FIND THEM

20 WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINE

Why do entrepreneurs make emotional decisions? Arguably the world’s leading

expert on emotional decision making, Anto-nio Demasio, whose TED Talk has had more than one million views, has found that people who have damage to the part of their brain that controls emotions have difficulty mak-ing even the most basic decisions: what to wear, what to eat, etc. Therefore, all decisions involve some level of emotions.

What we need to ask is “how” rather than “why” emotions affect our decisions. It’s easy to recall those moments when strong emotions swayed our decisions, usually in a bad way. Most decisions made when we’re angry or upset have negative implications—the ones you wish you could take back. Scientists say we tend to focus on negative consequences, rather than positive. These seem to take root more deeply in our memo-ries, and we use negative memories to make current and future decisions to try to avoid those same consequences.

EMOTIONS, PRICING, AND NEGOTIATINGSince many if not most of you reading this own or run a small business, your personal and business identities are closely connected. When someone questions your pricing or tries to get a discount, many people react emotion-ally, as if it’s an attack on your value. While that’s a common reaction, it’s a little misguid-ed. When you’re the customer, don’t you want to have the best quality and service and the right price? You don’t want to overpay. You want to know that someone else isn’t going to come along after you and pay less for the same services.

THE POWER OF “NO”“No” is a powerful word. Clients have the right to ask for a better price. You have the right to say, “No.” Don’t deny them their right to ask. They won’t know that they have your best price until you say, “No.” Taking offense at the ask-ing is the emotional part, but when you look at things differently, you can make a better, more definitive decision.

HOW DO YOU SAY, “NO”?Show them you still want to work with them: “I appreciate you asking, and I know that you want to know that you’re getting the best price for the services you want and need. You

also want to know that someone else isn’t go-ing to pay less for those same services. That’s why I don’t negotiate my rates. Everyone gets the same price for the same services, because you all want, and deserve, the best quality and service.”

NEGOTIATING VS. DISCOUNTINGIn most cases, I prefer a policy of discount-ing, not negotiating. Discounting is when, based upon a predetermined set of products, services, or conditions, there is a discount available. For instance, if someone buys your lowest package or service, there is no discount available. But if they buy more, for in-stance, a higher package, there is a discount built-in versus buying those same services individually. If people can buy more than one of your products or services, you may decide to offer a volume discount. However, anyone else buying the same things, would get the same discount.

Negotiating is like the Wild West, with different people paying different prices for the same services or products. The challenge is that people talk. Unless you’re prepared to defend giving one customer a better price than another for the same things, negotiating is a slippery slope. It actually is empowering to remove negotiating from your business vocabulary. When you know you can’t give them a better price, defend the value instead of the price. You can say, “No,” and mean it. Just say it nicely.

AND IF THEY INSIST…How do you tell them, “No,” when they keep asking? “If price is the most important factor when choosing your (venue, photographer, band, DJ, planner, etc.), then I’m probably not the right fit for your wedding. Couples like you don’t choose us because we’re the cheapest. Couples like you choose us because they want to trust one of the most important days in their lives, to someone who’s going to deliv-er everything they want, and more—someone who’s going to go above and beyond to make their wedding a success. That’s what we can, and will do for you, just as we do for dozens of other couples, every year. If you read our reviews, you won’t see them saying, ‘I’m glad they were the cheapest.’ They’re saying ‘Our wedding was better than we ever dreamed it would be.’”

EMOTIONS AND REVIEWSIt’s not hard to see how emotions come into play with reviews. When you get a really good review, you feel great. When someone says something that’s not as favorable, you feel bad. People often take it as a personal attack, even when they aren’t mentioned by name. Suffice it to say that you need to take a step back, consult someone who’s not emotionally connected to it, and then do the right thing.

TAKE A DEEP BREATH…Above all, don’t respond when you’re upset. Don’t click “Reply” until you’ve taken a step back, analyzed the situation, and understand the consequences, current and future, of your actions. Trying to prove that you’re right, is trying to prove the customer wrong. Any time you try to prove a customer wrong, you lose. Often you need to swallow your pride and make the right, long-term decision. How would you counsel a good friend to respond if it were their business?

Don’t fight your emotions, embrace them. Trust your emotions to guide you to success. Just un-derstand that there is a right time and platform for your decisions. Learn from your past deci-sions, and you’ll learn to do the right thing. WPM

__Alan Berg, CSP®, www.AlanBerg.com, Kendall Park, N.J.

How emotions AFFECT YOUR BUSINESS DECISIONSFEATURE

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22 WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINE

FEATURE

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the task list? Frustrated by the lack of growth in your business? Guilty that you can’t seem to

find work-life balance? Or are you excited about all the opportunities in front of you but can’t seem to figure out what to do first? Hiring a coach may be your answer.

Years ago I was unfulfilled in my work. Business was good, but I knew I wasn’t reaching my full potential. Being the perfectionist that I was, this was a problem. I decided to take advantage of a “first-time, free coaching session” offer I’d been sent. Within that first hour, I started to feel the release of having someone else who was willing to dive into the details of what was holding me back. I didn’t really have the income to afford a coach, but I knew that if I didn’t invest in myself now, it wasn’t going to get any better.

THE COACH WHO CHANGED MY LIFEGoing in, I told Melissa, the coach who changed everything, that what I wanted was to find the passion for what I’m doing again, or choose a different career. I thought I was just looking for a business coach to help me build my two wedding businesses.

What came out of that coaching? In the first 12 months, I quadru-pled my business, bought a new house, started traveling extensively for the first time, found the romantic partner that I’d been praying for, and best of all, began to change my outlook on life. In the second 12 months of coaching, I sold the business I’d owned for 20 years, completely overhauled the remaining business, married that newly found romantic partner, and discovered the joy of living a life of which I’d always dreamed. Although I was generally a positive person before the coaching, what I hadn’t recognized were the patterns I’d developed that kept me from truly having the life I wanted. The patterns I focus on, the things I say to myself, and how I manage my physiology. I was able to discover my limiting beliefs, clearly define my vision, and establish new patterns of thought and activity. Melissa helped me transition from “I’m doing okay” to “I love my life!”

TYPES OF COACHESThere are different types of coaches, and some declare a "specialty," like business, life, accountability, health, high performance, relationships, etc. If you have intense, deep-seated issues in one area, hiring a spe-cialist in that area may be right for you.

Generally speaking, I found that small business owners benefit most from a Life and Business Coach (although, admittedly, I have a little bias). The coaches, who have been trained in both areas and often have experience in small businesses of their own, tend more effectively to address the issues with which small business owners struggle.

WHAT SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR IN A COACH? I had no idea how to select a coach when I first spoke with Melissa on the phone. Within 60 minutes of mutual sharing and conversation, I knew that our communication styles were similar, that she understood what I wanted, and most important, I felt that she genuinely cared about helping me get results.

Almost all coaches offer a free initial consultation, either in person or over the phone. This is a great opportunity to share your struggles and what you hope to accomplish. The most important thing to look for is someone who can relay back to you their understanding of your goals and share with you how they can help.

HOW MANY SESSIONS SHOULD I GET?Generally, it will take at least one to three sessions for a coach to tru-ly get a good picture of the various aspects of your life and business that could be stifling your success. We call these “discovery ses-sions.” The more you are willing to be open, and the more thought and effort you are willing to invest in between sessions, the quicker you will see results.

Most clients get the best results when starting with a 12-week package. Why? By allowing yourself time to share openly, process your findings, and implement change, while still working with a coach, the process tends to have greater lasting impact than those who expect to have results in only a few short sessions. That being said, your coach should always be willing to start with just a few sessions if you aren’t comfort-able buying a larger package.

So what’s the most important thing to keep in mind when hiring a coach to take your life to the next level? Find someone you like, and get started! WPM

__

Jennifer Gillihan, www.WedProCoach.com, Casper, Wy.

IS HIRING A LIFE COACH RIGHT FOR YOU?

WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINE 23

FAMILY: My husband and I have a blended family with one son and two daughters.EDUCATION: I have an associate's degree in arts in business man-agement from Northern Virginia Community College in Springfield and an associate's degree in arts in marketing from Prince Georges Community College in Largo, Md. GETTING STARTED: I never dreamed of being a wedding planner. I was content as a management analyst for the federal government. However, one of my friends asked me to be her maid of honor, and I accepted. Since my friend didn’t enjoy the work of the wedding, I took over the tasks and let her enjoy being the bride-to-be. Her wed-ding was perfect, and she told everyone that it was because of me. Because of her glowing testimonial, I had people approach me about doing their wedding. I learned as much as I could about weddings while maintaining my full-time job and continued to help couples plan their dream weddings. After a few years of freelancing, I realized that I loved wedding planning way more than I did my government posi-tion. In 1991, I left my job and started my business without any regrets. ON THE ABC: I joined because of the education and training but soon learned the enormous benefit of networking and the support of members.BUSINESS GOALS: To continue to grow my company by offering more coaching, teaching, and mentorship programs for planners and women entrepreneurs.BUSINESS CHANGES IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS: Though we still offer packages for prospective clients who prefer them, we actually create more custom proposals.ON EVALUATING SUCCESS: For years, I measured my success on the amount of money that I made in a year. Now, I am more holistic in my business and personal goal setting and measurement of success. I set realistic goals—understanding the why of creating them—and work towards achieving those goals. I feel successful when I am working towards a goal and very successful when I achieve it. And I celebrate every time I achieve a goal!ONE BUSINESS MISTAKE: Because I did not have a mentor when I first started my business, I made many, many mistakes. However, I think my biggest mistake was in trying to grow my business without any help. As an entrepreneur, you wear many hats and as a wedding planner, you wear just as many—and wearing all of those hats without help often leads to a severe case of burnout. It took me a while to find the right person to work with, but when I did, it made a tremendous

MASTER PROFILE

MASTER WEDDING PLANNER™ SHELBY TUCK-HORTON, MWP™, Exquisite Expressions and Events, Inc., Mitchellville, Md..

ABC MEMBER SINCE: 1990 EMPLOYEES: 1 part-time, 2 interns REVENUE: 35% teaching and coaching; 20% corporate meeting and event planning; 35% wedding and party planning, designing, coordinating; 10% stationery and accessories CONTACT: 301-306-0842, Shelby@ExquisiteExpressions.com, www.ExquisiteExpressions.com SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter @shelbytuckhorton, Instagram /shelbytuckhortn, Facebook /exquisiteexpressions

information

difference in my life and the growth of my company. MENTORS: When I started my business, I did not have a mentor because I could not find one willing to help. Along the way, there were other wed-ding professionals who helped me as needed. However, today my men-tors are my business coaches who help me stay focused on achieving my goals and hold me accountable while supporting me in my success.INSPIRATION: Decorating magazines, travel, and most importantly, my clients.MARKETING STRATEGY: Because we receive approximately 75 percent of our business from referrals, our marketing strategy is to continue to nurture those relationships that refer business to us and to build new relationships through networking. We also continue to keep a presence in a couple of local wedding planning magazines and online wedding blogs.IDEAL CLIENT: My ideal client is a professional who respects my experience, skills, and abilities, and trusts me to do the job for which I was hired. We mutually respect one another, which creates an ideal working relationship during the planning process. This ideal client generously pays me for my time and services. FAVORITE BUSINESS BOOK: I love to read, so I have read many busi-ness books but I have really enjoyed Sacred Success: A Course in Finan-cial Miracles by Barbara Stanny. Stanny teaches women how to achieve financial success through easy and understandable principles.READING NOW: I am currently reading Trust: Mastering the 4 Essen-tial Trusts: Trust in God, Trust in Yourself, Trust in Others, Trust in Life by Iyanla VanzantINSPIRATIONAL BOOK: I was inspired by Brené Brown’s book, Dar-ing Greatly: How the Courage to be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent and Lead.FREE TIME: I am an amateur photographer and love taking photos of nature. Butterflies, bees, flowers, and trees are all my models.ADVICE: Let your authentic self shine through in all that you do. It’s so easy to get caught up in social media “compare-i-tis” and lose sight of your own brilliance and genius. Focus on you, and strive for your best in all that you do.GIVING BACK: I teach a wedding-planning business course at the community college. For years, I have coached and mentored other wedding planners.LITTLE KNOWN FACT: I am a Certified Life and Business Coach and love, love, love helping others reach their goals in business and life.

24 WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINE

The general consensus from current re-search is that working longer delays the

onset of age-related diseases, including de-mentia. Because work keeps us mentally and physically active, it also helps us feel younger, which is partly why many people are retiring and continuing to work in some capacity. Others are choosing to postpone retirement in favor of working longer. However, even a wedding professional in the prime of her or his life can attest to the fact that no part of the body feels young the day after a wedding. So what are our options for working longer?

As wedding professionals, we started our careers because we love what we do. How-ever, in the industry, there is a high burnout rate due to the amount of stress and time involved in planning and servicing weddings. What’s more, as we go through life, our family responsibilities and priorities change. We may be faced with additional stressors such as broken relationships, aging parents, and loss of loved ones. On the flip side, we may want more weekends free to socialize, visit with friends and family, or travel.

REINVENT YOUR BUSINESSIf you want to retire but continue working at some capacity, or if you want to cut back on weddings but are not ready to retire or call it quits, consider offering an associate level of service. This allows you to offer clients a lower price point without discounting your services. You can be the visionary or adminis-trator, while an assistant does the work on the actual day of the wedding. If you don’t have assistants, consider teaming up with talented but unestablished professionals in your field to see if they would be interested in sub-con-tracting services when they are not booked.

You can always offer a “run-of-the-house” rate, meaning the professional who works the wedding day would be assigned one month out. This is a win/win, because the client gets your expertise for a lower rate, you do not have to work the wedding, and the wed-ding-day associate does not have to commit to the date months in advance. However, if you are ready for more of a change, consider the following options:• If you are a photographer, could you offer

editing or album services for other photog-raphers?

• If you’re a DJ, can you manage a booking service for other DJs?

• If you book honeymoons and destination weddings for your clients, can that become your only service?

• If you booked invitations as an add-on, might they become your sole business focus?

REINVENT YOUR CAREEROne of the great ironies of growing older is that as we approach retirement age, we think, “If I could start over with all I know now, there would be no stopping me.” If the thought of working one more wedding makes you want to pull out your hair, it may be time to move on and share your expertise online.

What is the one thing you do better than anyone else? Are you great at closing sales? Have you devised a pricing system that revo-lutionized your business? Is your booking rate at trade shows over the top? Maybe you are the rare wedding pro who runs a well-oiled business behind the scenes.

What comes naturally to you is most likely a

struggle for many others. Those people would most likely be willing to pay you either to do the difficult tasks for them or show them how to do it themselves.

Do you enjoy working one-on-one with wed-ding professionals and sharing your knowl-edge with them? If so, consider mentoring. As a mentor, you could host a membership program with monthly tutorials. You could also charge professionals to spend a day with you virtually or in-person, while you provide them with valuable information.

Do you have eloquent writing skills? Write a blog or monetize an e-book. You can pro-mote it through Facebook ads, and network online with wedding industry thought leaders to help you promote it.

Much like creating a reputation in the wed-ding industry, establishing yourself online as an expert is time-consuming and expensive, more so than it may seem at first glance. Make sure you do your research before jumping in, but do not be intimidated. Most coaches and mentors are younger, because they know how to master social media and technical details. However, older profession-als probably have the most knowledge to share and more practical experience from which to draw.

As wedding professionals, we may get tired of being on our feet and giving up our weekends before we get tired of being in the workforce. If that is the case for you, reinvent-ing your business or career may make more sense than retiring from it. WPM

__Sonya Scott, MWP™, A Perfect Day!, Knoxville, Tenn.

SEASONED PROFESSIONALS

REINVENTING RETIREMENTThe face of retirement is changing. More people are working well

into retirement as it keeps them healthier and happier longer. In the wedding industry, due to the long, on-your-feet hours, this means it's time to re-envision retirement so you can stay in the game longer.

WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINE 25

One can’t simply replicate the experience of being at Experience, the national conference and marketplace organized by the Na-

tional Association for Catering and Events (NACE). The conference is a minute-by-minute learning experience with the latest trends in décor, cu-linary, and event planning on display. Conference events doubly func-tion as tutorials, hosted by expert industry thought leaders convened by NACE. Here are some great “takeaways” from this year’s conference:

BYE BYE RUSTIC!Sheree Bochenek, creative director at Aprés Party and Tent Rental in Edina, Minn., led a session on trends in event rentals and described the residential look—exposed tent beams covered in faux wood “rafters,” hardwood walls, and bookshelves with pendant lighting. Bochenek says to kiss good-bye the rustic look, and relegates it to DIY. It has been replaced by “old world luxury.”

CUSTOM-MADE MENUSPatti Schock, with the International School of Hospitality in Las Vegas, taught attendees how to make menus more effective, including cus-tom-made and personalized details. Schock says, above all, to be honest; if the menu says “fresh from the sea,” then demonstrate and prove it. And Schock says, where possible, tell guests the origin of the food (as in Maine lobster, Berkshire pork, Oregon blackberries). “Your menu is your market-ing tool. It is a representation of what your facility can offer,” she adds.

TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE LIGHTINGKevin Dennis, with Fantasy Sound Event Services in Livermore, Calif., gave a talk about the importance of effective lighting. “Lighting can completely transform a venue from ordinary to breathtaking,” he says. “Lighting not only enhances your venue, but it can also highlight the other important elements of décor, including the centerpieces, and focus attention on certain areas of the room, such as a dance floor or head table.”

Dennis believes an event can be personalized with lighting. One example is by creating a stencil of the couple’s name and highlight-ing it with a spotlight on the floor throughout the event. He suggests wedding planners ask couples the following questions to determine lighting needs:• What features in the room do you want to highlight?• What features do you want to hide?• What décor elements do you want to highlight?• Can the venue lights be turned off or dimmed?

• Can the various pre-existing fixtures be controlled individually?• How much power is available?

Regarding social media, Dennis had some insight. Many couples plan two weddings—the one they can afford and the one they see on Pin-terest. He suggested requesting access to the couple’s Pinterest board prior to the consultation and to be realistic and upfront about costs.

CATERING AND BEVERAGE INNOVATIONSZach Byther, with the Republic National Distributing Company and Paula Fenner, CPCE, with the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas, gave a fasci-nating talk on catering and beverage innovations, including:• Passed breakfasts• Ethnic-inspired breakfasts, including Asian-flavored syrups, chorizo

scrambled eggs, and coconut-milk pancakes• Alternative bacons: face, beef, lamb, duck, turkey, and pancetta• Heirloom tomato stations• Non-alcoholic beverages including gourmet lemonade, artisan soft

drinks, “mocktails,” and fruit-infused detox waters• Food vessels

A PEEK INTO REALITY The NACE Experience was headlined by Food Network star and producer Marc Summers, and his co-producer Jill Littman, who led a tutorial and behind-the-scenes look at his show “Restaurant Impos-sible.” The show features an “ambush,” in which restaurant owners are faced with a split-second decision on whether to allow the show's experts to drop in and give advice on how to make the restaurant more successful.

The conference capped off with a “culinary experience,” led by Chef Rick Moonen, who has developed a new way to smoke and grill Buffalo fish that was farmed sustainably. Moonen’s restaurant, RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, served as the location for the show’s popular “Restaurant Wars” episode.  

As with all things Experience, it is much more difficult to relay the amazing education, tastes, smells, and sites after the fact than by “experiencing” it first hand. Plan to attend next year’s conference, July 16-19, in Houston! WPM

__Bonnie Fedchock, CAE, National Association for Catering and Events, Columbia, Md.

A series of design vignettes created by NACE members as part of the Design Experience, hosted by Lenny Talarico, with MGM Resorts Event Productions.

LEARNING FROM EXPERIENCE!Takeways from the NACE Annual Conference in Fort Lauderdale

© Marcus Lam, The International School of Hospitality

26 WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINE

Splendid Insights 2016 Global Wedding Study shares that a staggering 91 percent

of all engaged couples are born between the years of 1979 and 2000. While those individu-als from this era bring fresh insight, consumer behaviors, and new trends, they also chal-lenge wedding professionals to adjust their business practices.

THE AGE OF TECHNOLOGYWith smartphones now serving as the primary form of communication, gone are the days of assuming all planning meetings are in-person. Today’s couples are constantly connected and engaged with the planning process, from sending emails during the workday to browsing wedding blogs for inspiration. In fact, Splendid Insights found that 52 percent of couples are looking at wedding blogs daily to find new ideas, as opposed to 13 percent that are flipping through wedding magazines.

The key to adapting to this generation is attract-ing the right couples from the start. The methods of reaching the right audience have changed drastically as technology’s role has increased. More often than not, your website is the first im-pression a prospect will have with your compa-ny, so it’s important to make it a quality one.

AN INTEGRATED, ONLINE PRESENCEWith most engaged couples research wed-ding professionals through their computers and smartphones, there’s an unprecedented push for an online presence that is integrated between traditional websites and newer social media outlets. “Gone are the days of couples, brides, and bridesmaids shopping in brick and mortar stores,” says Araceli Vizcaino-S of Azazie, an online shop for custom-made spe-cial occasion dresses. “Nowadays, people are more prone to researching, communicating, and purchasing all of their wedding-related purchases online. The Internet enables people to choose and purchase on their own accord without the pressures of sales people.”

With websites being such a critical piece to the virtual puzzle, it’s important that you’re putting your best virtual foot forward. From design to content, your online presence will be what users consider when they decide with

whom they want to work. “At the end of the day, nobody wants to use a website that is dif-ficult to navigate,” says Igal Sapir of 100Can-dles.com. “User experience is a reflection of your company, so be sure it’s intuitive and helpful—all things that you want your brand to encapsulate. Give it a test run, and make sure all of the links go to the right places and that potential customers are able to find what they need quickly and efficiently.”

ENGAGE WITH DYNAMIC CONTENTWhile usability is certainly a priority, the content is just as important for converting the sale. Many things go into a website to draw potential clients in, like SEO and social media integration, but engaging content is what keeps them on your site. “We’ve found that providing fun and captivating content is one of the keys to having a successful ser-vice-based website,” says Rebecca Hochreiter of DestinationWeddings.com. “It’s important to have other aspects to draw prospective clients in and keep them on the site. Whether it’s a blog steadily publishing insightful posts, a gallery of eye-catching images, or user-gen-erated content from happy customers, make sure there is enough to attract and engage prospective clients.”

GO SOCIAL TO CONNECTMillennials are also looking at your social me-dia profiles. Today’s couples want to connect and get to know your personality, so what better way than social media? “Social media plays a huge role in how future brides interact with bridal companies,” says Vizcaino-S. “Brides can look to companies for wedding inspiration and color combinations from which they can make decisions based on their own tastes and budgets.” Pinterest and Instagram are the best bets to reach millennial couples, but you’ll still want a presence on Facebook.

ESTABLISH EXPECTATIONSAfter booking with a millennial client, set ex-pectations ahead of time. Today’s young adults value instant gratification, but boundaries need to be set to keep everyone happy. “Once the contract has been finalized, it’s time to put all of the expectations out in front so everybody is aware of their responsibilities,” says Jennifer

Taylor of Taylor’d Events Group in Seattle. “This may include business hours, best forms of communication, response time, deliverables, or the level of involvement for all parties involved. The earlier you go over this, the better.”

ORGANIZE YOUR MOBILE OFFICEUsing today's technology will not only keep you connected, it will keep everything orga-nized when you’re hopping from your home office to the coffee shop to the event site. Planning apps such as Aisle Planner, Plan the Day, and Planning Pod are great options for collaborating with couples. They act as accessible databases for sharing inspiration, communicating, and storing other useful information. Floor plans and seating diagrams are made easy with intuitive programs like AllSeated and Social Tables, saving couples and planners from the headache of jotting everything down with pen and paper.

There are also a number of tools to keep you organized on the backend. HoneyBook is a great tool for keeping sales-related accounts organized, while apps such as Freshbooks and QuickBooks can help you manage your finances. There are also resourceful apps for signing contracts, like EchoSign and DocuSign—because who wants to wait for a contract to be returned?

BUT DON’T FORGET…With that said, no website, app, or social network can take the place of one imperative tenet. “Ultimately, it comes down to trust,” says Fabrice Orlando of Cocoon Events Group. “It’s essential that you work with clients who trust that you’ll give them your very best, no matter what.”

Times are changing, and it’s time for wedding professionals to immerse themselves in the millennial lifestyle to better understand today’s couples. While it may not mean jumping onto the Snapchat bandwagon, it is important to know how to operate your business success-fully in a virtual world. Technology is here to stay, so get educated as you venture into today’s virtual environment.__Meghan Ely, OFD Consulting, Richmond, Va.

ALL ABOARD THE TECHNOLOGY TRAIN—Simple Tips for Working in a Virtual World

REAL WEDDING | CALIFORNIA

PLANNER: Merryl Brown, MA, CWP™, Merryl Brown Events, Montecito, Calif., www.merrylbrownevents.com, merryl@merrylbrownevents.comYEARS IN INDUSTRY: 8 PHOTOGRAPHY: Corbin Gurkin PhotographyBUSINESSES: 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, 2015GUEST 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

WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINE 27

28 WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINE

INDUSTRY BEST PRACTICES

“I’m great at what I do—paring my clients with vendors that can bring forth the vision and experience my clients want. I’m also great at realizing what I don’t like to do or have time to do. I subcontract bookkeeping/income and spending reports. Although, I pay the bills. I have a design team I use for my website and press, and I use an editor to read through my press/script and information going out. I like to have interns (high school/college age) do the grunt work of social media, like setting up accounts and sorting through photos. I do my own posting to ensure it’s done right.”- JOANN MOORE, CWC, MWP™, CGWP, CSS, JOANN MOORE WEDDINGS, VAIL, COLO.

“As soon as I was able, I began outsourcing my accounting. I’ve never been particularly strong in math, and I found that I was spending far too much time doing some-thing that a professional could do in an hour. This freed up my time considerably, and I was able to reallocate it to business development.” - MEGHAN ELY, OFD CONSULTING, RICHMOND, VA.

“One crucial thing I outsource is décor details—I’m talking about special details that add personal touches. Sources like Etsy are an amazing place to add handcrafted touches that make the wedding different and special without driving the client (or planner) into a DIY frenzy when their attention can be spent elsewhere.”- TANYA COSTIGAN, TANYA COSTIGAN EVENTS, WESTFIELD, MASS.

“We outsource our bookkeeper, accountant, IT, and website/collateral design. These are specialized skill sets that none in my office have. My staff members are great project managers. My efforts are focused on sales, marketing, and design; those are my core competencies. We prefer to get it right the first time by outsourcing these vitally important tasks to professionals so that we can concen-trate our efforts on what we know best, event production.”- MERRYL BROWN, PRESIDENT, MA, CWP™, MERRYL BROWN EVENTS, MONTE-CITO, CALIF.

“Being a business owner and a mom, I wear many hats and things can get pretty crazy, so I’ve recently hired a virtual assistant to take care of my administrative work. It really helps balance things out, and now I can concentrate on what I love—planning events.” - MONIQUE HOGAN, MBA, MONIQUE HOGAN WEDDINGS AND SPECIAL EVENTS, LOS ANGELES

“We recently started using HoneyBook and are very pleased with it. It helps us send out proposals and allows our clients to sign and pay electronically. We use AllSeated for our venue maps; it is easy to use. We use Eventbrite for a lot of our nonprofit events and even our vendor lunches. We use QuickBooks, which has really helped us to see where the business is at and where it is going financially.”- COLLEEN BAUER, FAIRY GODMOTHER—A WEDDING AND EVENT COMPANY, BAKERSFIELD, CALIF.

“I have always had an external accountant do my taxes—that is a specialist skill set. I would be doing myself and my business a disservice to do it myself. I have always hired an external branding expert, web designer, and printers, as that is also too important, I think, to DIY. How can we expect our couples to hire pros when we aren’t even doing that for our own businesses?”- BETHEL NATHAN, CEREMONIES BY BETHEL AND ELEVATE BY BETHEL, SAN DIEGO

“Services that I hire out are based on their expertise and pro-fessionalism in the following areas: Accounting—based on financial guidance; social media/Internet marketing—time-consuming and allows me to take care of new businesses; marketing assistance—view wedding sites, resorts, and villas; interview local vendors and the opportunity to see their work. [That we know the quality of wedding businesses' work] is quite essential for our brides who depend solely on us.” - COLEEN “KIM” MORRISON, UNIQUE WEDDINGS AND TOURS, BROOKLYN, N.Y. “Running the most popular officiant company in southern Cali-fornia doesn’t leave me much time for a life. I have to parse out pieces of my business, not just for my sanity but also to make sure an expert is handling it. I have a CPA do all of my ac-counting and payroll. I don’t want to see it except for the two times we meet every year. I also use Ring Central as my phone service, since its multi-functional service platform has enabled me to streamline my calls, texting, and virtual meetings. I utilize a cloud-based enterprise server for my calendar and email. I have customized it so it works almost flawlessly.”- ALAN KATZ, GREAT OFFICIANTS, SAN DIEGO

TO RUN YOUR BUSINESS ON A DAILY BASIS, WHAT SERVICES DO YOU HIRE OUT FOR YOUR COMPANY, AND WHY?

WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINE 29

REAL WEDDING | MICHIGAN

PLANNER: Alison Laesser-Keck, VLD Events, Ann Arbor, Mich., www.vldevents.com, hello@vldevents.comYEARS 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

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