On the 2^nd & 3^rd of March the UKAWP held their 4^th annual seminar. As training director WPE is my ‘baby’ thus I spent many hours organising speakers & getting partners on board to create the perfect mix of business vs industry specific topics. Each year WPE is getting bigger and more exciting though with 31 delegates we are still not at the level of the U.S conferences which attract hundreds of planners from across the world. Maybe one day we can hold WPE in the Cayman Islands instead of London!

I headed to London on the 1^st March with my wonderful co-director Sandy Moretta so we could start stuffing the swag bags and work with 51 Buckingham Gate on the room set up. We were lucky this year to have so many fab suppliers on board for the bags.

We had cake (GC Couture) cake pops (NOTHS) bottle openers (iBarco) scented candles & massagers (51BG) magazines (brides & your London Wedding) greeting cards (cutture) cookies (the cake house) and of course chocolate (artisan du chocolat)

After a wonderful breakfast on the 2^nd we made our way to the seminar room to greet Simon & Victoria from Euphoric Flowers and James from Wedding Creative who were our WPE partners. Between them they created a sparkly blue backdrop for the stage & a pedestal of flowers inc. some wonderful blossom. On each table Euphoric had provided small cubes of plants as we didn’t want anything high, it was a conference after all! We then placed some cute lasercut butterflies & schedule provided by Cutture into the displays.

When delegates arrived they were given a delegate folder before enjoying some tea & pastries prior to the seminar starting. It was so nice seeing friends and colleagues from all over the UK, with many WPE is the only chance we get to see each other like Andrea from Cheshire and Nikki from Yorkshire. In fact I did have to keep telling the ‘Northern planners’ to behave during the seminar as they were rather enthusiastic!

Over the 2 days we had 11 speakers, too many to summarise here, but I did enjoy…..

Lloyd Dobbie – who explained post processing and what a difference it can make to the end image. It was fascinating seeing the difference of before & after shots. I till can’t understand why he can’t make me look like Angelina Jolie when he takes my picture but that’s another story altogether!

Jules Cardozo-Marsh – explained the key things to remember when hiring a make up artist but also gave us some great tips on makeup for us personally as wedding planners. And the best bet? She decided I’d be her muse for the demonstration.

TT Tents – Andrew was very enthusiastic with his presentation, when I saw the number of slides I did think how will he cover it all but we were able to whizz through. His presentation style was very entertaining and I know the planners learnt a lot from him.

IBarco – I use Debbie for many of my marquee and barn functions and I have a lot of respect for her. I think we all enjoyed the Thunder toffee vodka shot at the end of day 1. Some planners more then others!

Ellie Sanderson Boutique – Ellie runs 2 wonderful bridal boutiques (wish one was in Essex) and she explained abut trends she is seeing for dresses and accessories. She split us into teams and asked each team to create a different look , my team had to dress the model as if the wedding was in a Helsinki Cathedral. We had fun building the look and didn’t agree with the judge’s low scores (I think Ellie agreed with us though!)

Whitney Wing Drake – I have been liaising with Whitney for a joint Dream Occasions and Wish Wonder Dream project, and was delighted when she agreed to present at WPE. It was fascinating hearing about trends in the U.S but also the different services offered to brides.

 Photo Credit – Lloyd Dobbie

The beginning of the year is a busy time for wedding planners, we are meeting with potential clients and finalising the planning for current clients. We are spending time on our business marketing before the busy period really kicks in and wishing our suppliers a ‘Happy New Year’.

The start of a year is the time people start to reassess their career, maybe this is the year they will make that step to change their life. To some the career of an event planner is glamorous so perhaps it’s unsurprising I get contacted frequently by those wishing to enter this exciting industry. The questions I am asked are invariably the same each time, in fact it was from advising so many ‘newbie’s’ that the idea of the UK Alliance of Wedding Planners first came about back in 2004.

So if you wish to become an event planner read on for my advice:

Approaching other wedding planners for advice

Ok I mentioned I get contacted a lot? So here are the pet hates of mine, a sure way for me and no doubt other planners, to hit delete! 

• “I REALLY enjoyed planning my wedding; everyone said I’d make a fantastic planner.” Do you know HOW many times I have heard this line? Go on, take a guess… lets estimate 5 x p/w x say 50 weeks x 9 years = 1,250. Can you hear me scream? Please don’t say that line to me!
• Dear Sir/Madam – I have a name and yes it is plastered all over my website, twitter, facebook. Please just call me Bernadette
• I really want to be a planner, how do I do it, where do you get your clients, what should I charge, what services should I offer, where should I advertise….. the list goes on. Any planner out there will tell you I’m always happy to give advice but be specific, ask me a question and I’ll normally answer you but within reason!
• Can I see a copy of your proposal – err no! When conducting the training courses for the UKAWP we teach you what should be IN a proposal but don’t give you one to use. Imagine if we did, they’d be hundreds of planners out there using the same format – it needs to sure your creativity and personality.
• Can I see a copy of your contract – again no but you can purchase one via the UKAWP
• What is your profit? Just why would I tell you, seriously?!
• Pretending to be a bride – big no no, it’s disrespectful to small businesses out there. I know some online training courses suggest you do this but at the UKAWP we feel this is very bad practice.

Can I get a job?

Very few planners in the UK take on staff, some have part time assistants and freelancers in the peak summer season but if you think you will get a lovely, well paid job working for a planner think again. Unless you want to relocate to the US perhaps? It is for this reason that most planners start their own business but be patient – I’m coming onto that shortly!

So, if you don’t want to start your own business I suggest you contact large event companies or venues in your area that cater for weddings.  This gives you the opportunity to gain some experience whilst receiving the security of a regular salary.

What about work experience?

Well this is tricky, I get probably 5 C.V’s per week from people wanting to work for free to gain some experience. But in the government’s wisdom of supporting small businesses & young entrepreneurs like YOU, this is not possible as we would have to pay the minimum wage  of £6.08 p/h  

So even though YOU want to work for free for just a week or two part time, you can’t. Another possibility is to be a volunteer whereby you choose the hours & days you assist the planner, for more information on the definition go to here. It is frustrating as planners know you want to see what it is like for a wedding planner day to day but independent planners can rarely afford to pay £6.08 for an untrained helper.

So how can I become a wedding planner?

If you are serious about becoming a wedding planner and not approaching this as a hobby or whim then you need to do some serious research and get prepared! Here are my top tips but I have seriously condensed it (for proper training go to the UKAWP) 

1. First step is sign up to the UKAWP Business Practicalities course, I know I’m biased as the training director but I think the courses are fabulous. This course really explains how to launch as a wedding planning business. View here for more information. Don’t believe me? Just look at how super fabulous our members are, most of whom have attended our training courses. We run the courses spring and autumn, all the tutors have been in business for at least 9 years so we do know what we are talking about. We pass on real life experiences throughout the weekend and answer any questions you or the other students have. Do view the brochure for more information; don’t forget if you don’t attend the spring courses you will have to wait until the autumn….

2. Research into planners in your area, what is their websites like? What services do they offer and what prices do they charge? What is their USP? How can YOU be different? How can you stand out from them?

3. Start playing with company names, jot down ideas on a notepad and keep with you for those random moments when in bed/on the train/cooking dinner when you suddenly think of an idea! Then check if this name is taken via companies house + also check if the domain name is free. Don’t choose a name you can’t have the matching website to! Make sure it is easily spelt, not too similar to another and not cheesy as the name needs to grow with you as a business.

4. Ensure your website is professionally designed, after all you want to start your business professionally.

5. Meet other planners for coffee in your area, far better to be friendly then start your business under animosity. Attend events run by the UKAWP which include an annual seminar, evening workshops and social evenings.

6. Subscribe to the UKAWP blog for tips and information on industry events

7. Sign up to twitter and start following some respected planners & suppliers out there.

8. Really think about your pricing and take into account any costs, i.e telephone, broadband, travel, stationery & your time

9. Attend the UKAWP training courses – did I mention that already?

10.  Be patient, it wont happen over night

I hope this helps – best of luck for those embarking on this rewarding career.

Photo Credit

Kerry Morgan and Lloyd Dobbie

If you are getting married in 2012 have you set yourself some New Year resolutions to ensure the wedding is planned and executed beautifully? If not here are my suggestions:

1. Create a realistic budget and stick to it, more advice on creating your budget can be found via an article I wrote for English Wedding

2. Don’t try and do everything yourself, delegate some tasks to family members or friends who would love to be involved leaving you the fun tasks, you can then act as ‘project manager’ for all delegated menial tasks!

3. Involve your fiancé, it’s their wedding too! Talk about the areas of the wedding which are important to each of you and split up the duties.

4. Make a pledge to spend one evening per week NOT talking about the wedding, you don’t want to get to the wedding night with a deathly silence as you no longer know how to communicate to each other.

5. Remember less is more, do you really need favours, cameras, napkin decorations, wine charmsand trivia cards on the table?!

6. Keep your sanity, do you really have to match the favour ribbon to the bridesmaid dresses? Stop trying to match everything, sometimes using similar tones is more effective.

7. Forward plan, check with your suppliers when they need confirmed information from you, i.e. when is the latest date for the table plan to be printed, when do caterers need dietary choices – use this to then work out when invites need to be posted, allow enough time to print labels and get stamps (don’t forget to check with the post office if it is a regular or large stamp).

8. Remember you are not superheroes, if you become frantic at work or family health issues are making it difficult to organise the wedding, get a professional wedding planner in. Most will offer partial planning services so you are still in control. I cover the East Anglia region, please review my website for further details or for planners in different areas try the UKAWP.

9. Don’t be bullied, you may find family, suppliers and venues will try to enforce their opinions on you. Listen to what they are saying but remember it is YOUR wedding, do what you think is right for your wedding.

10. And finally have fun it’s not often you get the chance to plan a fabulous event with all your friends and family present so don’t get too stressed. If you have a budget and sensible timeline of when tasks need completing you can enjoy planning your wedding.

I’ve been debating whether to write this article for many months now as I’m sure there will be some backlash and no doubt I will offend many a supplier. But at the very least I’m hoping to see if the view below is just mine only!

REAL WEDDINGS

2010-2011 has definitely been the time for ‘vintage weddings’, ‘DIY weddings’, ‘fete & festival weddings’ etc. In fact if you look in the magazines and read the blogs sometimes it feels like this is pretty much the only style wedding you see. And this is what I have a problem with. But, was it my imagination; were all the blogs and magazines really only featuring ‘vintage/DIY/Fete’ weddings? Or did I just think they were?

Rather then publishing the results I invite you to look at some of the popular blogs & magazines and count how many times you see the following:

• Bunting
• Hay Bales
• Old vintage suitcases
• Tea cups/jugs/glass jars with country flowers
• Old typewriters/record players/cameras
• Battered old chairs/sofas

PERHAPS THE TERM ‘VINTAGE’ IS OVERUSED?

I wonder sometimes if the term vintage is overused? To some vintage means all the above but to others it can mean Victorian eras or the swinging 1920′s. Maybe instead of saying here is another vintage style wedding, we should start being more imaginative with the descriptions?

I think if you decide to have a ‘vintage/fete/festival’ type wedding, it should be because you LOVE it. Brides need inspiration so we can hardly blame them for going the above route if that is all they are shown.

PERHAPS THIS STYLE WEDDING IS ALL ABOUT THE ECONOMY

When I was talking to a supplier (who shall remain anonymous) recently about ‘vintage’ weddings they said ‘I don’t know why they don’t just call them second hand weddings’ because really that’s what they are. And maybe that is why ‘vintage’ is popular; maybe it is nothing to do with the brides preferred style but all to do with trying to save money in these difficult times?

THERE HAS TO BE PASSION

Two of my dear friends and colleagues run vintage hire companies and you might think that is a route I would go down with Dream Occasions Hire but you’d be wrong. I think you need to live and breathe vintage. I know this is something Kate from Vintage Style Hire  and Natalie from Fred & Rosie  do on a regular basis. They are both in heaven when discovering items for their hire companies at flea markets & boot sales.  They have a huge passion for creating the right style for their clients. I’m not so good at rummaging, never have been, clothes sales are my worse nightmare because I just can’t see through the mess ha ha!

But you have teacups in your gallery – yes you’re right, I do have touches of vintage in a couple of weddings but they were 2007 & 2008 – before vintage was mainstream. The role of an event planner and in fact any wedding specialist whether a cake maker or florist is to give your bride & grooms inspiration. You should suggest a theme that is unique to them. Come up with suggestions and ideas and I worry that isn’t happening. Maybe the fault lies with the suppliers not the blogs and magazines? After all, they can only publish the weddings that are sent to them.

VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE

So what do I want? I would like to see more variety out there. Every bride & groom is different and unique so it stands to reason the weddings should be as well. There will always be trends, those that have been in the wedding industry for many years can back this up, gosh I remember thinking a few years back ‘please no more butterflies’.

Kerry Morgan Photography

Hmmm – maybe it’s ME that has the problem, if a bride wants tea cups and suitcases who the hell am I to tell her differently? Just because I’m bored of seeing the same design in magazines and on blogs – doesn’t mean the bride is….

I’d love to hear your views, what themes do you want to see for 2012?

Credit: Kerry Morgan

Whenever I am creating a design for an event I try to evoke as many senses as I can.

SIGHT – visually I want the design to look stunning, I love to hear guests exclamations when they enter the venue or marquee. I love to do something they havent seen at any other wedding or party.

SOUND – I always ensure the music is good building up throughout the day. Sometimes I am using up to 6 different musicial elements throughout the day. I remember one wedding had a gospel choir , soloist , bagpiper , Dean Martin singer, ABBA band and funk band. In our first meeting they said they wanted to build up the music so it was very vibrant in the evening.

TOUCH -  I like to use fabrics that guests can touch (cushions, ribbon, table sparkles).

TASTE – Doesnt matter how beautiful the event is, if you dont have good food guests will remember and complain for months after to anyone that asks! So ensure your guests are well fed during the day and evening.

SMELL – frequently I spritz a room with a spray before guests enter plus I use scented candles on coffee tables and poseur tables. Try to use a scent that complements the event.

In May my dear friend and fellow wedding planner Kelly, wrote a post for the UKAWP Blog entitled ‘What kind of Planner are you?’ This particular post was talking about the differences in planners and how you should play to your strengths.

The industry is very diverse and bursting with wedding planners, so very different to when I started in 2002. When I launched a bride would view your website, meet with you then book you. Now however there are so many types of planners to match the diversity of brides. After all not every bride is the same so it stands to reason that planners should and would be as individual as well.

Being end of July, I am of course swamped with my events, a few have been and gone and there are still many more for this summer and clients for 2012. As I’m typing this, my office and desk are bursting with items for a themed wedding on Saturday. I don’t seem to have time to breathe so I am amazed at the planners that manage to update their blog on a regular basis, tweet throughout the day and organise gorgeous stylish photoshoots or catch up with suppliers for lunch.  I look at what they are doing and think ‘OMG how do you have time’! But then I know many of them personally via my work with the UKAWP and I know they are incredibly creative, they must unleash their creativity every once and a while.

I remember in June Kelly from Boho Bride wrote an article about trying to juggle her work as a planner and blogger And I can emphasise with what she was saying except in my case I juggle Dream Occasions Event Planning, Dream Occasions Hire and the UKAWP - not to mention I’m a wife and Mum of 3!

So it brings us back to the point that every bride and planner is different. Because I am so experienced with marquees I tend to get hired by those wanting their marquee functions to be perfect. They want attention to detail, the best suppliers and the best final touches. A recent client said to me after the event that she could see I choose my suppliers with care because every person I recommended was superb and of a high standard. But that is the type of client I get. That is the type of event I organise – I know my strengths and I play to them. When it comes to organising barns or marquees I can do it with my eyes shut, I get excited talking about power and mobile toilets. Some might say I need to get out more!

Other planners specialise in destination weddings or boutique London events. You have to play to your strengths and recognise your niche.

Planners what are your strengths? Do you have a niche?