The World According to Weddlady

Quick Tip: Prep Time

This isn't an epic, well-crafted tome today to shake the wedding world...just a quick tip to all of the couples who are getting close to their wedding days.

Allow yourselves enough prep time.

Most of the time, you have no idea how long it will take you to tie those invitations with pretty bows, or adorn 200 chairs with ties - or prepare a candy buffet for 200 guests. As I sat and washed glassware in preparation for a gorgeous candy display this weekend (that's handwashing, and a delicate task) for hours, I remembered what it was like to be a rookie wedding planner, never leaving quite enough time to do things without a frenzy at the end.

Give yourself the benefit of time, and where time is lacking, bring enough labor. That could be in the form of a bunch of helpful friends, or a team of hired staff. However you plan to manage, please overestimate your time investment and get help!

Just some wisdom to pass on that I hope you'll take to heart!

Happy Planning!

Shayna Walker, Williamsburg Wedding Design

Choosing Your Wedding Pros “Glee” Style

An Admission and Some Thoughts on Self-Awareness

If you follow me (@weddlady) on Twitter or happen to be a Facebook friend, you’ll know already that I’m an inordinately enthusiastic fan of the Fox hit TV series “Glee”. I have a regular “Hulu” date with Ryan Murphy’s motley crew of loveable characters. I’ve even threatened to fire my beloved assistant Debbie and one of my very favorite florists, The Flower Cupboard, for not watching the show. They must have missed the pre-requisite on my screening forms.

That would make more sense to most of you if you knew that pretty much my entire life has been accompanied by an ongoing “score” in my brain (that’s music for you non-theater types). When you approach me in the grocery store, I could very well be mentally humming something like ‘You’re So Vain’ or ‘Do You Think I’m Sexy’. Thus, non-Glee fans are no use to me on wedding days when I want to compare something that just happened to that “time when Kurt did this” or that “episode when Rachel said that”.

You LOST fans who are still in mourning know exactly what I’m talking about.

I’m also from Los Angeles originally, where there’s a little less oxygen in the air, so you have to grant that I was altered to begin with. Really cool people will note that the actor who plays wheelchair-bound “Artie” in Glee went to high school at the same community college I attended for awhile, and Naya Rivera (Santana) grew up in my hometown.

Yeah, it’s strikingly similar to mental illness, but I’ve always felt awareness was a good indicator of stability.

In any case, the wedding world is FULL of Glee fans, so I know that there enough of you out there who share my “amour” that this post will be duly appreciated.

The rest of you are fired. Okay, you can just ignore this post, or better yet, start watching Glee now and you’ll understand it!

How Can Watching Glee Help You Choose the Right Wedding Pros?

What should you consider when you’re deciding who to hire to fill each vendor category at your wedding? Consider yourself a casting director, of sorts. What are the most important characteristics for each role and how will they help you choose your professional team?

Each of the main characters in Glee fulfills a stereotype (although some also simultaneously dispel them, which is the Ryan Murphy brilliance…but I digress). If I were evaluating the strengths of the Glee Wedding Team as an experienced planner, these are the pros I’d choose for each job:

Logistical Wedding Planner: Quinn

You probably thought I’d say Rachel, but Quinn has everything you want in a wedding planner (except maybe clear ethics and a moral compass…but this IS television). She’s organized, intelligent, perceptive and diplomatic. She can set you straight with a smile which makes her a great team leader. She’s confident and generally pretty cool under pressure. She dresses the part and understands that ultimately, no matter what is actually going on around her, it’s her demeanor that controls a situation.

Wedding Designer: Kurt

Lest you think I’m advancing stereotypes, you’ll remember that Kurt chose the role of wedding planner and designer at his own father’s wedding. Kurt shares Quinn’s intelligence and organization – but what makes him a 2^nd choice for logistical planner is his relative lack of diplomacy. What he might also lack in outward calmness under pressure, he makes up for with his big-picture knack and theatricality. Kurt is your David Tutera – he’ll make sure that your vision is captured and that it comes alive. He is authoritative, so he’s a great one to keep your florist and lighting designer on track…although there’s every chance he’ll also make them walk out (at least temporarily).

Really Classy DJ: Mike Chan

Mike knows music and he knows dancing. He is likely to read a crowd better than most and he’s dignified (though I’d expect him to wear dancing shoes with his dark suit or tux). He can also take instruction, so you’re in good, safe hands.

Really Fun DJ: Puck

If you want a wild party, Puck might be your guy…just know that you’ll have to put the bartender on notice and warn your gorgeous single (and maybe attached) friends to keep a safe distance. He’ll get a crowd going, but you’ll need someone to manage him the whole night.

Stylist: Brittany

If you need an expert on style, Brittany’s your girl. You won’t want her to take charge of making your gown because there’s no way she’ll remember your wedding date, but you should definitely take her shopping with you. She’s your go-to gal for hair and makeup as well, and she’d probably make a great personal attendant ensuring that you looked your best all day. Well, if she didn’t get distracted by a shiny object along the way.

Funky Stylist: Mercedes

If your style tends more towards “Hip”, Mercedes is a great alternate choice for fashion expertise. She would definitely offer more responsibility than Brittany, so you wouldn’t necessarily need to send an attendant to her home to make sure that she remembered appointments. Mercedes will tell you straight up if you look like 10 pounds of potatoes in a 5 pound sack, but she’s sensitive and caring and will dry your tears too.  On a personal note, Mercedes would make an incredible maid of honor – she’s responsible, caring and an all-around good friend.

Ceremony Soloist: Rachel

If you plan to ensure that no eye in the house is dry during your ceremony solo, Rachel is the performer for you. Her talent is undeniable, and it doesn’t matter if the performance is in front of 100 wedding guests or 10,000 raving fans…she’ll be rehearsed, on time and ready to wow every time. Oh, and if you can get the club’s pianist (you know, the “piece of furniture” that Santana referred to in “Rumours”) you won’t have to worry about a single missed cue – that guy is unshakeable.

Other Possible Matches:

Artie: Give this guy anything that requires responsibility and superior intelligence. He’d be a great lighting technician or sound tech.  He (along with most of the cast) could do more than a little justice to a ceremony solo or featured song at the reception. He might surprise you as a DJ as well! Keep him away from the fashion decisions and you pretty much can’t go wrong.

Santana: I’d vote Santana to be your biggest drama threat in almost any role. She’s highly fashionable (but will call you a cow during a fitting and mean it). She could contribute a lot to a design team, but lacks the genetic ability to demonstrate diplomacy. Like Rachel, a solo from Santana would reduce an audience to tears, so if you can keep her focused on the task long enough, she’d be a jaw-dropping entertainer. She’d also throw an epic bachelorette party, but I’d say she’d be a super-risky maid-of-honor.

Finn: You can’t hire Finn because he’s just cut out to be the quintessential Best Man. You can trust him to throw an awesome bachelor party – one that won’t result in any convictions (Puck) or calling off the wedding (Puck again). He’ll sensitively calm the groom down and keep him presentable, even if that means keeping a bottle of eye drops and a pack of breath strips in his breast pocket. Finn won’t do the stupid “convince the wedding planner I lost the rings” thing right before the wedding either (well, not after he’s threatened with pain at the rehearsal at least). He’s a big, goofy cutie with a heart of gold. Of course, if you had to find him a pro role he could emcee as master of ceremonies (and he makes a great toast).

Tina, Lauren Zizes and Sam: Tina is trustworthy, talented and smart. If she says she’ll do something, she can be trusted. She’d make a great bridesmaid, and I would feel completely confident writing a check to her for any professional role in which she demonstrated talent (if she bakes, hire her for your cake). Her “unique” style might disqualify her from most people’s stylist picks (unless you like her goth-ish style, then go for it!).

Lauren is Tough (capital “T” intended). She’d be a great bouncer. She’s also confident and smart – it would be safe to assume that she’d deliver on pretty much any agreement she made (except first dates with Puck). She’s a great enforcer, but she also has heart. I’d put her in the middle of any team and expect things to go 10x more smoothly.

As for Sam, he’s a reliable guy, a lot like Artie. If he says he’ll do something, you can count on him. Put Sam in charge of stuff you really want to go right. He also has excellent groomsman potential.

The Wrap

It might seem like sheer insanity to devote any time at all (let alone this much space) to an article about TV characters serving as wedding pros. It is. However, you do legitimately need to consider the strengths, weaknesses, skills and proclivities of every person you choose to fill a role at your wedding. Sometimes the “obvious” choice actually isn’t, and for good reason. Keep this in mind when you evaluate pros (and even friends) for your wedding. Who do you really want backing you up on your wedding day?

Oh – and every wedding needs a Ryan Murphy. ‘Nough said.

{Guest Post} Keeping up with the “Joans-es”- Dare to Dazzle at your wedding

We're delighted to feature a guest post by fellow wedding planner, Jennifer McBride.

 
Let’s face it- this wedding, your wedding, is not your first.

Well allow me to rephrase- more than likely, you’ve seen a wedding or two in your day. Embarrassing flower girl dress at the age of 6? Check. Best friend from college’s Maid of Honor? Check, Check.

Now it’s your time to shine and the last thing you want to be is a “Been There, Done That” bride.  After all, what’s the point in agonizing over monogrammed cocktail napkins and towers of cupcakes if it’s the same thing your family saw last month at your cousin’s wedding?

Like me, you are hit from every side with the “must haves” for your wedding day.  The problem with “must haves”? Everyone has them.

I’m always on the hunt for inspiration. I devour wedding blogs and bridal magazines as well as scope out bridal shows for the latest trends.  I recently attended The Special Event conference in Phoenix and had to check an extra bag on the trip home, for all of my new sequin linens.  What can I say? It comes with the job.

So it’s with great pleasure that this month, that I’m introducing The McBride Collection 2011- a list of all things wedding that takes my breath away. From bedazzled bonbons and swoon worthy lighting, to couture garters that you will not want to toss at your singleton gal pals- I promise the Collection will take your bridal breath away.

Looking for a funky band that’s off the beaten path? Sparkly sweets?  Hipster cufflinks? We’ve got those covered and more.

So ladies- grab your “outside the box” hat and start picking out those added touches that will guarantee a memorable evening.

Jennifer McBride is the owner of McBride Events, a wedding and event production company. She is also a monthly columnist for the Richmond Times Dispatch with Wedology 101: the Realities of Being a Bride. She enjoys a good floor length linen, bedazzled bonbons and is fueled by good ideas and endless coffee. 

Eat on Your Wedding Day

 
Photo courtesy of Brad Howe Photography

It irks me when I hear friends and family of engaged couples give the “sage” advice that they should not expect to eat on their own wedding day. While it’s true that there have been plenty of couples who have missed their wedding meals, with planning and a good event director, newlyweds can more than just hope for – they can downright expect – an opportunity to eat on their big day.

The Right to Eat

As the guests of honor, newlyweds are entitled to some special attention. Appetizers can be presented while they wait in seclusion for introductions and can even be available during photo time (provided attention is given to the photography schedule). At more casual events, couples even choose to join their guests during the cocktail period.

Whether a meal is seated or stationed, the newlyweds should be served first and in fact have a responsibility to commence eating before their guests can begin. Most caterers will offer to fix a plate to order from stations or buffet setups, and the couple should sit for a few minutes and enjoy their food before getting up and visiting with other tables. During a seated meal, care should be taken NOT to get up between every course and visit a new table because often the servers are waiting to present your next course before they serve the rest of the room.  Your courtesy in visiting with your guests could very well slow down your entire dinner period!

So eat darn it! If for no other reason than to make your guests feel like they are allowed to eat!

Make the Schedule Comfortable for YOU

There are even options for those couples who are “too nervous” to eat, perhaps due to their anticipated first dance or other formalities. In most cases the dances can actually be scheduled before dinner, and in the event that it will dramatically reduce anxiety, it’s highly advisable.

Of course, wedding dresses are uncomfortable, and the lack of desire to consume a huge meal while wearing one is understandable. At the very least, your caterer may be willing (if permitted by local health laws) to provide you with a takeaway basket of each item served during the reception. It’s definitely worth looking into.

The thought that you have to miss your own wedding meal is a complete myth. You can and should plan wisely, and give yourself the gift of a meal period during which you can unwind and enjoy the fruits of your planning.

How Safe is Your Wedding from Rain?

 

No one likes to think of rain on a wedding day. Denial, however, is a terrible inclement weather plan.

First, know that putting alternate plans in place for unwanted weather isn’t dooming your wedding day to rain clouds and thunderstorms. There is no penalty for having good sense (there is however a penalty for burying your head in the sand and saying “it won’t happen to me”). Make a decision to give yourself the best possible chance of success on your wedding day and create a wise, implementable Inclement Weather Plan.

Take the following into consideration when you plan for rain (or worse):

• Where are you planning to hold your ceremony or reception? Is there an obvious indoor location that offers a suitable alternative?
• Is a tent necessary in the event of rain? Is your location suitable and safe for a tent? How far in advance do you need to contact the rental company and how close to the wedding date can you cancel without incurring hefty penalties?
• If your events are indoors, will the available parking facilities work in all weather (dirt lots or low-lying areas may flood). Is the distance between the parking and wedding site inordinately far? Is a valet service available or warranted considering the conditions?
• What day and time will the rain call be made? Who will make the final decision (hint – save this for a trusted family member if you feel you can’t handle the stress and still make an objective decision)? Who needs to be notified? Your caterer, rental company, florist, transportation company and entertainment may all need to take extra measures for a flawless event.
• Do you need to make special considerations for your musicians? Is electricity involved? Do you need to provide shelter for an expensive instrument, and can they safely transport their equipment to your site?
• Will your rain plan safely and comfortably accommodate all of your guests? Will seating changes be necessary?

Of course, there are always circumstances that we absolutely cannot control. When dealing with freak blizzards, hurricanes and other extreme weather conditions, the best you can do is open every possible line of communication with your guests (especially those who are traveling) and your service providers and accept that as important as your wedding day is, the safety of all of those involved is paramount.

Make plans for inclement weather well before you need them and you’ll reduce the stress of everyone involved and set the pace for an amazing wedding day!

Can’t Keep Up? 5 Ways to Simplify Your Wedding Planning

Why is it that in giving all kinds of unsolicited advice and input, no one ever warns brides of an important universal truth: life, with all of its demands and stresses simply does not stop when you’re planning your wedding.

This can be frustrating, especially when your life is pretty crazy to begin with. Perhaps you’re in grad school and trying to complete an advanced degree. Maybe you and your fiancé both have high-intensity careers.

It’s hard enough for you to have lunch together once a week and now you’re expected to coordinate an event like none you’ve ever planned; one that costs more than almost anything you’ve ever purchased, and with a team of people you’ve met all of once?

If you’re stressed, it’s hardly a wonder!

Here are some painless steps you can take to simplify your wedding planning and reduce the stress:

1. Delegate: accept that by losing a little bit of control you’ll gain a bunch of sanity, something you could use more of right now. Let your fiancé choose the DJ, or give your mom your favor specs and let her sort out the rest.
2. Prioritize: not everything needs to be decided at once. Choose your venue, your caterer (if necessary) and your wedding planner in the first round as early as you can. Give yourself a month or two then select your photographer, florist and entertainer. After a little break secure your invitations and baker. Depending on your priorities and the demand for the pros you really want, you may shuffle some of these around, but know that you don’t have to pick everything all in one fell swoop. Give yourself time to internalize your wedding priorities and attend to your “non-wedding” life demands.
3. Choose a Board of Directors: hand pick the people who will help you make decisions and then very nicely let everyone else know that you have it under control. Be selective – if your dear sister drives you absolutely nuts, exclude her from the short list (but be nice and give her some task, as inconsequential as it is, that she can work on so she’ll feel important). Weddings are by nature committee-style projects, but you’re the Chief Operating Officer – choose your advisors and block out the rest of the voices.
4. Make a Plan: a written plan. If you start your event timeline early, you can easily visualize which decisions have been made and which ones are outstanding. You’ll feel more in control of the process and have fewer “have I thought about every possible thing” moments. Streamlining the work makes everything easier.
5. Hire the Best; then Trust Them: be diligent in your screening process and hire the professionals best suited to your wedding needs. Then trust them. Micromanaging isn’t the same thing as communicating, and it will only serve to drive you AND your pros batty. Choose wisely and communicate effectively – you’ll have done everything humanly possible to have the wedding day of your dreams. Maintain a sense of humor and it will feel like a magical day.

Don’t let the stress of life compound the stress of planning a wedding. You have the power to take control of your planning process and implement some great practices. If you do, you’ll thank yourself on your wedding day.

{Guest Post} Considering Professional Lighting for Your Wedding? Here’s What You Need to Know

 
Are you considering professional lighting on your wedding day? Do you have a friend or a vendor who has encouraged you to consult with a lighting designer to give your wedding that extra “Wow” factor? Now more than ever, experienced wedding professionals are preaching that “Lighting is everything!”

Most couples don’t stop to think about how they can set the mood and control the ambience of their ceremony and reception with a variety of lighting techniques.

 
(Photo courtesy of Brooke Mayo Photography)

Here are some tips direct from the experts at Blue Steel Lighting Design to help you determine your lighting needs:

Time Your Site Visit Right & Bring Samples

Many times, couples visit their wedding venues and reception spaces during the day, even though their events will be held at night. For the best reflection of the conditions on your wedding day, visit as close as possible to your event time.

In a ballroom, play with the lighting controls (or ask your venue manager to demonstrate different light settings). Can you achieve the look you want using just the in-house lighting?

If you can, take a flower arrangement sample with you, and set up a sample table. Is the arrangement that you spent so much on vibrant or does it loose its color in a poorly lit room?

On an outside wedding, go to the venue at night to see how it will look.  Is there any landscape lighting?  Think about the difference between security lighting and ambient, décor lighting. Is it possible to combine the two forms of lighting to serve both purposes?

 
(Photo courtesy of Scott Hayne Photography)

The Cost-Effective Solution

Lighting is one of the most cost effective ways to take your wedding to the next level. Couples are amazed at the way it can transform and personalize a room. Solutions are available in almost every budget range too. Be honest with your lighting expert about your expectations and limitations and they can explain to you in detail what options you have.

Hire an Expert

Understand that wedding lighting and special event lighting (or concert lighting) are not the same. You’re probably asking “how do I tell the difference” and “how do I choose a lighting vendor”?

• Look at a portfolio of their work. Does it look elegant like a wedding, or does it look like a random light show? Don’t let a lighting company turn your wedding into their show.
• Interview the designer. Do you share a vision, or are you on two different pages? Did you make a connection? Do you trust him or her 100%
• Ask three vendors who they would use. This is a great suggestion before you hire any wedding professional. If you can’t get a consensus from three vendors, keep asking until a strong trend emerges.

At Blue Steel Lighting Design, we have developed solutions to all of the wedding lighting problems.  We have been recognized in many nation publications for our work, and we look forward to serving you on your special day.

Jeremy Kilgore, founder of Blue Steel Lighting Design contributed this article.  He created Blue Steel Lighting Design to serve brides and wedding professional with all of their lighting and rigging needs. If you really want expert advice, call Blue Steel at 757-816-1939 and set up an appointment today. Their staff is dedicated to making your experience fun and easy.

Disclosure: Blue Steel Lighting Design is a World According to Weddlady sponsor, as well as a good friend and highly recommended service provider to our clients.

Demystifying Wedding Planner Pricing - A Free Download

Engagement Season is almost over and smart wedding pros all over are getting their marketing messages ready to woo the newly engaged to try their services. It's the way of the wedding world.

So leave it to me to throw a giant wrench in the traditional mechanisms.

I'm starting the year off with education first and marketing later. I'm beginning with the unthinkable: telling you what I cost and why.

Yes, instead of polishing up my postcards (which frankly, I probably should do) I sat down and wrote you a 21-page (big margins and large type!) ebook explaining how wedding planners determine pricing.

You don't even need to read the rest of this compelling post. You can download it right now without subscribing to anything and completely free just by clicking here: http://www.scribd.com/full/48006884?access_key=key-235gbflpl0ofkbqt46vc.

Not the Way Things are Supposed to Work

The traditional marketing model would have me start by convincing you that you have a need, telling you how I can fill that need, prodding you into a longer conversation in person about your needs, then finally telling you what it will cost you to fix all of your problems at which point you are so sold on me as a savior that you'll write me a check for any amount.

So...you have a need, I can fill the need, I'm really good at it and you'll feel better once you hire me.

Hold on to the check for a minute though.

Here's the issue. If you are newly engaged, you're about to discover that more has been written and published about planning weddings than you can ever possibly hope to read. And with the advent of blogs, that wealth of knowledge has increased exponentially.

Good Advice vs. Bad Information

A really popular topic is how to save money - by doing all kinds of wacky things. Some of the advice is quirky and kind of brilliant - and a LOT of it is sketchy and written by people with little more experience than having planned (or being in the process of planning) their own wedding.

So my gift to you during this engagement season is some straightforward knowledge. If you are considering hiring a wedding planner or a wedding day manager, this little (21-page, big print, huge margins), totally free ebook will explain exactly what goes into determining pricing for a typical professional wedding planner.

Disclaimer

It's not going to tell you what your wedding planner should cost. In fact, I spent a great deal of time defining boundaries for the information and explaining that I can only use myself, my market and my experience as an example.

But it will tell you what is behind the typical wedding planner's pricing and what factors we have to consider when we're running real businesses.

There's no subscription, no fee and no commitment - you just download, read and promise me that you'll use the knowledge for good instead of evil.

That's it - click here, read, and be the most savvy bride on the block: http://www.scribd.com/full/48006884?access_key=key-235gbflpl0ofkbqt46vc.

Yes, wedding pros, I realize you can read it to. And I realize it's counter-intuitive to give you my "privileged" pricing information. Except that all you really need to do is call me to get it anyway. Some of you have and we've become good friends. Others are sleazy and "secret shop" me and others. Well, at least I don't have to talk to you. You can just read the ebook you lazy schlep.

In all seriousness, if you've read anything I write, you know I believe in transparency, and this is as transparent as it gets. So yes, you're invited to download it too: http://www.scribd.com/full/48006884?access_key=key-235gbflpl0ofkbqt46vc. Just spell my name right when you flame me. ;)

Okay - so stop wasting your time on this blog post and start your pursuit of informed consumerism!

And Happy Planning!

Shayna Walker, Williamsburg Wedding Design

 

Dreaming of an Irish Wedding...in Ireland?

I had to share this because Weddlady readers are quite literally everywhere. And many of my clients over the years have incorporated their Irish roots into their celebrations.

Well, you can take that a step further if you'd like, and actually plan a wedding in Ireland.

Here is an article by Annie Byrne of Aislinn Events, someone who I have connected with via the uber-networker Meghan Ely of OFD Consulting, and who I hope sincerely to meet in person (and IN Ireland) someday soon. It's the complete 411 on having a wedding in Ireland!

Getting Married in Ireland

Happy planning!

Shayna Walker, Williamsburg Wedding Design

Choosing a Wedding Planner: Tools for Avoiding Smoke and Mirrors and Hiring a True Pro

I was doing some research for a friend today and encountered a couple of really interesting claims by people who assert themselves as experienced professional wedding planners in markets I’m familiar with.

One claimed to have been planning since a certain date (we’ll say 2000 just for argument’s sake) – yet her bio cited that in 2000 she was planning 'events' (not weddings) as part of a volunteer organization (so…was she planning complicated events for 300 people in an emotionally charged situation, or networking meetings for 12 at the local pizzeria?). Good experience? Possibly. The same thing as “planning weddings professionally since 2000”? No.

Another implied that she had been planning weddings since (hypothetically) 2001 – yet if you read her bio she actually did something totally different that was “wedding-related” but definitely was not wedding planning up until about, oh, yesterday.

Why Lie?

Why do people lie about, or “pad” their wedding planning resume? It’s because there is absolutely no barrier to entry in the wedding planning industry. No real license, no universally recognized certification (and not even good policing of people using the term “Certified” when their own association bylaws specifically states they may not use the term because they do not offer a true certification; SO frustrating if you’re a consumer reading the claims online).  You can’t even trust the term “award” as so many of the ones you’ll see in people’s email signatures and on websites aren’t merit-based, but are the result of advertising with different marketing companies.

However, those who are either new to the industry, or trying to “expand” their current repertoire of services from wherever they started (regardless of how applicable that experience is to the title “planner”) are afraid that prospective clients wouldn’t hire them if they knew how few weddings they had actually planned.

Bride-Turned-Detective

That is why it is so critical that you take responsibility for your own due diligence when selecting a wedding planner.

Everyone starts somewhere, and there are new wedding planners whose previous experience gives them great qualifications for doing the job right. Those reputable planners, new or veterans, won’t need to lie to you to get your business.

I started in the hospitality industry in 1997 as a grunt worker in conventions, graduated to leading over-the-road tours of student groups, then to working in the catering department of a major cruise line and finally to planning people’s weddings for money in 2003.

When you read my website it clearly states that I began my wedding planning business in 2004 – the first year I started operating a business in Williamsburg, Virginia in which brides paid me to plan their weddings. That’s the year I purchased a Williamsburg business license – the year that I declared on my taxes that I was a consultant in the events industry.

Not the year that I first “fell in love” with weddings, not the year that I got married and therefore earned all the credentials I needed to become a professional planner (that’s a joke, by the way…if you don’t get it, do more research before hiring a planner) and not the year I first started doing something else in the industry, so you probably wouldn’t figure out if I just kind of “fudged” it and said it was the year I started planning.

These Are Important Distinctions

I like new wedding businesses – and I like “competition” – the best of whom I consider colleagues, not adversaries. I do NOT like manipulative sales practices and claims that make someone sound reputable when they aren’t.

And think about it – if someone is lying to earn your trust, is that someone you really want to entrust with your wedding?

Use Your Brain – Do Not Check it at the Engagement Party!!!

Ask smart questions – not the lame lists that some publications suggest, but the ones that make sense to a savvy, sophisticated consumer like yourself. And do some simple research. Some of the best ways to screen wedding planners in my opinion are to:

• Ask other reputable vendors in the local area where you are marrying who they would use if they were choosing a planner
• Actually email or call the folks that a candidate sends you as referrals. Can they tell you anything about the planning process? If not, is it possible they are the planner’s cousin or best friend and just “standing in” as a referral?
• Look for multiple faces or weddings on a website - this isn't foolproof, because it's easy to simply purchase wedding photos for use on a business site, however, you can almost always tell a "bride-turned-planner" by the fact that all of the photos on her site come from the same wedding (and have her in them!)
• If a website lists more than one "staff" member, ask to talk to some of the others. Is it easy or hard to get in touch with them? Are they actually employed by or regularly contracted by the business, or have they sorta promised to kinda help once in awhile and are fine with the fact that their photo and bio appear on a wedding website? Are they staff or fluffy friends?
• Believe about ¼ of what you read, ½ of what you’re told, look for a preponderance of evidence of a job well done and just use your brains.

There are actual professional service providers in the wedding industry – seek them out and pay them to do their job well. Use a critical eye to see through the smoke and mirrors that some folks need to appear professional. You’ll thank yourself on your dream wedding day.

Happy Planning!

Shayna Walker, Williamsburg Wedding Design