Who Really Needs a Planner- Louis & Nataya

Louis and Nataya were married October 1st, 2011 at the beautiful Club at Key Center.  Their wedding was an intimate affair of close family and friends, who all loved them both dearly.  The most love to be seen, though, was between the two of them.  From the minute I met them, they shared this wonderful friendship together that every couple wishes to have with their partner.  Louis was amazing to watch as a very, strong man, who still had the softest place in his heart for his wife.  They had fun with the planning (even as I gave birth to a son during the process) and when it came time for the wedding day they both glowed.  Everyone in the wedding party cried during their vows and just as quickly everyone celebrated their new love at the reception.  Thanks to Larry Spencer of Spencer Photography for capturing it all!  

Q: What made you decide to hire a wedding planner?
A: Louis said having a wedding planner was a requirement as part of the engagement. I have a tendency to over analyze, and become overwhelmed by minor details. Louis felt that having a planner would make the planning less stressful for the both of us. 

Q: What types of things attracted you to each planner that you interviewed?
A: Honestly, we Googled Cleveland wedding planners, checked out a few websites and decided to contact planners based on the look and feel of their websites, online reviews, price and availability. 

Q: What was something that made you NOT want to hire a particular planner and on the same note what was something you found that made you WANT to hire a certain planner?
 A: According to Louis the first planner we met with was “too agreeable” and seemed to good to be true. We decided to hire All Events Planned because Louis felt like Brandi would “keep it real”. 

Q: What was the best thing your wedding planner did for you? 
A: There were so many things... she kept me from going insane by  entertaining several major meltdowns about invitations and chivari chairs. During the planning process she was informative and enlightening. Brandi was there at every step of the process to remind us that our wedding was about what we wanted for our day. When the vision became blurry she was direct and honest and helped to keep us focused while being professional and respectful of our choices
The day of the wedding she was our peace of mind. We never worried or second guessed whether something would be done. 

Q: What was something your planner did that you would never have thought of doing?
A: There were certain parts of the planning I would not have assumed need so much attention. ex timeline. However because of Brandi’s experience and attention to detail our wedding day went according to plan the wedding actually started on time !

Q: Did you feel that your wedding planner was worth the cost?
A: The level of service we received was beyond what we could have imagined. Priceless would be an understatement
  
Q: Was there anything you would have changed about your experience with your wedding planner?
A: Well, there was this one thing (I'll point out that the ONE thing was me finding out I was pregnant during our planning process and then giving birth to a baby two months before their wedding)........but how that was handled is what solidified our decision in knowing we made the best choice by selecting All Events Planned as our wedding coordinator. Brandi’s professionalism and commitment to her clients is undeniable. 

Q: Is there any situation where you could see why a bride would NOT want a wedding planner?
A: No. I do understand that some brides feel like they can manage the planning process. However your wedding day goes by so fast, as a bride I wouldn’t want to spend a moment of it worrying about details. Even with the smallest budget, a wedding planner is an investment. Brandi helped us stay on track with our budget and helped us save money along they way. Finally, having a planner allows for the bride, groom, bridal party, family and guest to enjoy being part of the overall wedding experience without having to fold napkins, light candles and/or que the DJ.  
Louis and I both agree that selecting All Events Planned was one of the best wedding planning decision we could have made. Brandi is someone that we now call a friend.

Here are a few more pictures of their big day from one of Cleveland's best photographers, Larry Spencer of Spencer Photography.  Megan and the staff at Key Center deserve a ton of credit as they are always so wonderful to work with too!  

Happy Planning!
www.AllEventsPlanned.com 

Who Really Needs a Wedding Planner- 2

The response from the last interview with a bridal client was HUGE and I am SO glad because I think this might be my favorite series.  I'm really interested in hearing from brides that used other planners, so if you did use a planner (not me) send me your answers so I can post it on the blog in the next edition of "Who Really Needs a Planner." 

To follow up with the series I have an interview with a bride that was referred to me through At Last Event Planning.  Here are a few photos from her wedding.

Photos are all courtesy of the great and wonderful people at Z Media.  

 

 

Q: What made you decide to hire a wedding planner? 
A: I hired a planner within the last month of the wedding planning because the details of the day became overwhelming. It was reassuring to know that she would be there to oversee everything that needed to be done on my day so I didnt have to worry about it.

Q: What types of things attracted you to each planner that you interviewed?
A: I didnt interview planners, only Brandi, and she seemed very organized and professional.

 

Q: What was the best thing your wedding planner did for you? 
A: EVERYTHING!!! Basically, handling the little details that I couldn't do on my actual wedding day and coordinating with each of the vendors to make sure they were where they were suppose to be that day!!

Q: What was something your planner did that you would never have thought of doing?
A: At dinner, she came to the head table, asked the bridal party if we needed anything, and offered to get us drinks!

Q: Did you feel that your wedding planner was worth the cost?
A: Definitely!!

Q: Was there anything you would have changed about your experience with your wedding planner?
A: No.

Q: What was something you wish you would have known before hiring your planner?
A: I only wish that I would of hired Brandi sooner! It would of alleviated a lot of stress on my part.

Q: Is there any situation where you could see why a bride would NOT want a wedding planner?
A: Only if she could not afford it.

The best part of Christine's last answer is that most planners can work with a bride on any budget.  You cut back the areas you don't need more service and you only use a planner during the most important aspects of your wedding planning.  That way anyone, on any budget can still enjoy the expertise and knowledge of a very skilled planner.  I don't ever suggest hiring a less experienced planner because they are "cheaper" unless you are prepared to work with someone, with, well, less experience.  

Bride's send me your interviews, I want to hear about other planners as well!  

www.alleventsplanned.com 

Wedding Memories That Matter-

After I had decided to work for myself, I dug through all my old files to find some clients from years past.  I'm so glad that I printed out the information from weddings through the different companies I had worked for so that I could keep up with everyone and check in from time to time to see how their "happily ever after" was going.

While going through my files I found some emails from a client that I very clearly remember because of her amazing reception and the amazing love that she had found.  She was one of my clients that had searched for love for years and had finally found the one.  They planned their reception to be on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad because of her fiances passion for trains.  They had eveyone dress up to match the "theme" of their wedding and I think every guests showed up in elegant victorian gowns and very classic suits.  It was absolutely magical to see.  The planning details in this story don't matter, what matters is the love and joy the couple found in each other.  That's what matters all the time, with every wedding that is planned. 

They enjoyed themselves and their guests, they laughed and had fun, they hugged (even me) and loved each other to the fullest on that day.  It was an absolutely honor to be a part of something where so many people were truly there, just celebrate and enjoy each other.

I emailed her recently to catch up and see how things had come along.  Through the process her fiance/husband had struggled with cancer and I was hoping he had gotten better and they had been celebrating their love/life still to this day.  Unfortunately the news wasn't good, and he passed away only a short time after their wedding day. 

My post isn't to share someone's personal story or to make anyone upset by reading something sad. It is to let every bride that comes across this post know that what matters is the "love" and the memory you create.  The details are great, the dress should be beautiful, the cake should be delicious but the day should be a celebration.  If every bride took the time to relax and just enjoy their day, their love, their friends and family, if every wedding was as joyous as theirs, no one would ever look back regretting their bills, their hair choice or their makeup, they would look back and know that their special day was filled with love. 

Don't invite the people that don't matter just to have a big wedding, don't choose a site that you don't like just to impress guests.  Don't do anything that doesn't directly relate back to you being able to celebrate the amazing day you were able to commit to a lifetime with the person who you'd found to share your "happily ever after".  You never know how long that will be, so you should always have a special day to cherish.

Do I Need a Wedding Planner? The Checklist

 A checklist for knowing if you need a wedding planner.  Of course, I'll say you always need one, who wants to have to "work" on their wedding?  You should enjoy your wedding and hire someone to do all the work, or part of the work for you!

__ You're way behind on your checklist and schedule.
__ You both work full-time jobs that will prevent you from meeting with vendors on weekdays
__ You don't have other outside help such as an involved mother-of-the-bride, helpful bridesmaids, or      knowledgeable friends
__ You don't know many people who can give you reliable vendor recommendations
__ You are having a destination wedding
__ There are personality conflicts between the couple, their parents, and/or other people
__ You're excited to be married, but just thinking about wedding planning fills you with dread
__ You're having a very short engagement
__ You can envision your wedding, you have no idea how to make your dreams come true
__ You can't even envision your wedding
__ You're feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and generally wishing that you had decided to elope.

 But keep in mind that because of inside connections and experience that allows them to avoid common mistakes, hiring a wedding planner might be the most cost-effective move in the end.
http://weddings.about.com/od/weddingplanners/a/needweddingplanner.htm

Mywedding.com

We are thrilled to now be a part of mywedding.com.  Please check out our new ad, just click on the text below!

All Events Planned tops the list on mywedding.com wedding.com

Beth & Bobby

This will probably be the first and only time I post details or information on this blog about my bridal clients.  I like letting the bride decide what she wants everyone to know.  Plus, I don't tend to get tons of bridal clients that are interested in "blogging" or having their wedding info posted online.  Some planners do, and I LOVE reading about it! 

With all that being said, I have a bride that I worked with and it would be a HUGE disservice to her and her new husband if I didn't post this for everyone to see! (and of course, I've asked her permission as well)

They planned/choreographed their "first dance."  This was no ordinary first dance though, this was the most fun, energetic, first dance I've witnessed yet.  The fact of the matter is, that this "first dance" of theirs tells you everything you'd need to know about their relationship.  They are fun, exciting, adventurous couple and together they share a real, true love in enjoying each other and their lives together.  I think it is safe to say they are in it for the long haul.  Anyone that can manage to pull this off, really, they have a great shot at anything they set their mind to, obviously. 

Check it out-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWTNpzNM6Tc

The Secrets behind Vendor Selection (that no one talks about)

After, what I would consider, a substantial amount of time in the industry, I think I have some advice on vendor selection that may be helpful to brides.  This may or may not be information that you would have previously considered or even thought about.  While I am not trying to say that it is typical of vendors to be untruthful about their abilities, in the day and age of "anyone can be anything with a good website", you need to be more careful.

1- ASSOCIATIONS: If your vendor belongs to an association, that is wonderful!  First thing you need to do is find out what it takes to become a Member of the association, in order to understand how "wonderful" that really makes your vendor.  Some associations just require a payment.  Yes, that is it.  Your DJ can be "certified by the "Amazing Wonderful Awesome DJ Association of America", and all he had to do was pay them $100.  While other associations have a lengthy review process and even referral requirements.  Find out which one your vendor participates in.

2- REFERRALS: Another thing that usually helps with choosing a vendor is referrals.  Some vendors just have "quotes" on their website, while others will offer you the numbers of several clients to contact.  Keep in mind, NO ONE, is going to give you the phone number to an unhappy client.  You'll need to know what matters most to you before you call, so that you have specific questions for the client.  "Were they on time?"  "How long did setup take?"  "How do you know the vendor or how did you find the vendor?"  "What type of attire did they wear?"  Sometimes even a simple "When did you last work with the vendor?" may bring up surprising information, such as "Eight years ago" and in that case, you might want to find someone who can offer useful, up to date, referrals. 

3- PHOTOGRAPHY: I am not referring to photographers.  I am referring to the photos that some vendors use on their site that have been provided by photographers.  A florist can do "okay" designs but when working with an "amazing" photographer, those designs/centerpieces/arrangements come out looking spectacular.  I'll be kicked out of the Wedding Planner Club for this one, but even some wedding planners can provide pictures of events that they worked, but that doesn't mean what you see has anything to do with what they did, sometimes they didn't even coordinate the vendors OR their work.  A Wedding Planner can work with great vendors to create a great day, that you CAN tell from a photo.  A Wedding Planner may not be able to create the design, color, creativity, layout and themes that you see, that you CAN'T tell from a photo.  Sometimes, if you are inclined, it is okay to ask Planners what part they had in the design of certain photos.  Don't count on your Planner to be able to create 6-story high centerpieces OR to even be able to setup place cards JUST because they show photos of those things.

I know, I know no one wants to hear this awful truth but it must be told.  I have researched many "Wedding Planner" sites and some of them, after investing time and energy to review, are nothing more than someone who has seen Jennifer Lopez in The Wedding Planner, one too many times.  You can't tell JUST from someone's website, so do your research.  Don't be fooled by the pretty pictures and the "I love you" quotes from clients.

I'll continue to expose the secrets of vendor selections (that no one wants to talk about) as the months go on, eventually you'll be able to sift through the Flash Sites and fancy blogs and find what matters!

VOTE!

I am overjoyed to be listed/nominated and request that you log on and vote for All Events Planned!  Fun contest for all vendors that are listed on the Fox 8 Hot List.

VENDORS- UPDATE

Now is a great time to support/promote your favorite vendors. I would love to know who you like to use for-

Photography
Catering
Cakes
Dresses
Rentals
Limo
Hair/Makeup
Videography
Favors
Stationary/Invites
Reception Halls
Music
Entertainment
Anything else you can think of, add to the list.

Post your favorites on the blog comments. I have weddings booked for next year in Akron, Canton, Cleveland, so I'd like to hear about vendors from any area in NEO. I've got a few of my favorites, but I'm always interested in meeting, getting to know and recommending new vendors. If you have a favorite wedding planner, that is NOT me, that's okay, I'm always interested in meeting other planners as well! The best people come from referrals, do your favorite vendor a favor and list them!

I'm looking forward to getting to know some new people in the industry!

UPDATE- Thank you to the 50+ people that actually emailed me lists.  I was disappointed not to end up getting comments, but then as the emails came in, I realized it was a much better way to list them for me!  Thanks everyone!!

A Whole Month

Why yes, it has been almost a month since I've last blogged. I had a wedding every weekend in August and with back to back to back weddings it is hard to find time to do anything other than work one wedding and then start planning/finalizing the next wedding, after that working the wedding and planning the next. All the while still taking calls for new clients, I'm scheduling appointments into January now! Phew. All wonderful for the business, but definitely exhausting.

I remember a time in my career when I would have a wedding on Friday evening AND Saturday evening a few weekends here and there, that was serious wedding planning. I loved every minute of it, but looking back, I don't know how where all that energy came from! If things keep going as well as they have been, I'll have to work my way up to having that kind of energy again. Wouldn't be the worst thing : )

Now that wedding season is slowing down, but not nearly close to ending, I've got to turn my focus on marketing. The "off-season" will need to be filled with appointments, meetings and times where I update/revamp the website, post for the blog, send out postcards/flyers/mailings and just get my name out in the industry. I already have some really great contacts in the media, so all I need to do make time for meetings and that will just take care of itself!

By next wedding season, I'll have everything in place for a successful year. Well, really I have it all in place now, but I think I will just continue to work on it, continue to make things better and promote my experience as the #1 selling point to brides, because really, that's all you can have in order to know what you are doing as a planner. No book, guide or class prepares you quite as well as 100's of weddings over the years.

If you have any marketing tips, sales ideas, promotional concepts or even contacts, feel free to let me know. You can never know "too many" people when trying to sell yourself to, well, people!

Buttons & Rain

I had a fantastic wedding this weekend, fantastic bride, even fantastic MOB (although I seem to be getting quite a few of those lately). I went into this wedding thinking that I had very little to confirm, because the bride had done such a detailed job of planning with me, that we had covered every single thing, that could possibly be covered prior to a wedding reception. It is always that time, when you are most relaxed that those sneaky wedding mishaps surprise you.

The wedding started to severe thunderstorms. It was an outdoor ceremony but fortunately the back up option that was available was absolutely amazing. The rain was bad enough that the umbrellas that I had, weren't even staying down, or helping in the least bit. Thankfully, I had umbrellas!

The father of the bride was about as nervous as I've seen them and low and behold, as I pray that nothing goes wrong for him, his suit buttons just POP off. Yes, really, they just popped off. He comes to me, with 2 buttons in his hands and ask me what I'm going to do. Well, I've got a sewing kit, so I sew them back on, just in time for his photo shoot with the family to start. Then, the brother of the bride shows up with buttons in his hands as well. Unfortunately, this is about 10 minutes before the ceremony and I have NO time to sew. I do, however, have safety pins, so after a few attempts, I manage to pin them in SO secretly that no one will ever notice they are there. YAY.

There were several more minor mishaps, but those were the ones that I could easily point out without complicated detail. I handled each situation, with no problem and without the bride having to ever sweat one minute of it.

I think it just goes to show you that no matter how much you plan, something WILL happen and if I'm not there to help, you had better have SOMEONE that has readily available sewing kits, safety pins and umbrellas and then hope nothing else goes wrong...or you could just hire a planner and save yourself the worry.

Friendly Competition

I've have decided to dive right back into the market and get to know all of my "competition" in the area. I'd like to use the term competition as loosely as possible as I don't consider this to be an industry or a profession where you can actually have serious competition between wedding planners.

When you become a planner, you do so, because you love what you do. The money might seem great to an outsider, but when you calculate all the the time you dedicate to a wedding, to a bride and her family, and all the manual labor you end up doing, it basically just covers your expenses. When you love something that much, it is hard to think anyone is "better" than you are, just different.

Experience will set each apart, of course. I'm lucky to have so much, while others are in different positions and just learning. That is the path of any career though. People with less experience will learn and people with more will get better, but I never think of them as competing. They are just a different points in their career.

When someone books a wedding planner it is rarely based on anything other than the fact that you just "clicked" with your client. So, that really means that people are either going to want to work with you, because of who you are, or they won't. There is not way to compete with that. Some people might not want my style and personality. You can't help but think that it is better that they make that decision so you only get the very best clients for your business.

Pricing may be an issue to some while to others it is no matter. I don't plan on lowering my price to work with brides with lower end budgets, because those aren't the weddings I enjoy doing. I also don't want to raise my pricing so high that I can only work with a select few clients, I enjoy working more often than not. If you search around the industry for wedding planners you will find that most of them are priced exactly where they should be for what they offer, their experience and their abilities.

All that being said, I'm leaving out that there are just bad planners. People who decide that they want to be a "wedding planner" because they watched the movie over and over again and the job seems like "fun." Well, those people, you can't consider competition. It takes so much time, energy, heart and dedication to be a planner that the people that enter the business for the "glamor" quickly fall off the radar. No competition there and shame on a bride who doesn't check a planner out first to realize they don't have the experience or background for planning.

I think that becoming a wedding planner puts you in a wonderful category with other wonderful people who enjoy what you do. I've enjoyed meeting other planners who can share stories, ideas and tips. If you are good, no one can steal your business. If you aren't good, people being able to steal your business should make you work harder to become better. Period.

So, fellow wedding planners, go and give another planner a hug!!

The Art of "Un" Selling

Given the option between booking a great wedding with someone who isn't sure that they really need your services and booking an okay wedding with someone who will appreciate you to the fullest extent, the "okay" will always get my vote.

I have the opportunity to decide what clients really need and want, when we sit down for our initial consultation. During this time I can figure out how much they REALLY need a planner, how much they will understand the services of a planner and whether or not they would actually be a good fit with my planning style. Most of the time they are a perfect fit, sometimes though, they aren't.

Financially, it certainly doesn't make sense to "turn down" business. However, as a coordinator who is interested in working in the industry, long-term, I think it is always wise to realize your strengths and weaknesses.

I recently received a lead for a traditional Indian wedding. While I would be thrilled to work with this event and to learn more about the Indian culture, I didn't think it would be fair for the bride to have to "teach" me along the way. I made her aware that I wasn't totally familiar with the traditions of the wedding, but I would be willing to learn all of them if she was so inclined to book me. If not, I could get her in touch with an actual Indian coordinator. Well, needless to say, she was absolutely interested in working with someone who really would "get" what she needed on her special day and I sent her along her way.

Did I just lose a large sum of money, sure. A potential client, yes. However, in the long run, I think I made the smart decision based more on her needs for that day, than on my bank account. She emailed me a few days later to tell me that she was thrilled with her "new" planner and that she was grateful that I got them in touch. While that won't pay the bills, it does make, what I do, seem totally worth it.

The "Wedding" Economy

I think that with all the talk about the bad economy it is important to mention that being a Wedding Planner hasn't taken much of a hit. The reasoning behind this is very simple. Clients are now taking on MORE responsibility with their weddings. They are learning to make their own favors, design their own centerpieces, hire less experienced vendors at a cheaper rate. All of this leads to the need for someone to oversee everyone and everything.


It isn't much fun to make your own centerpieces and then spend your entire wedding day setting them up and I can assure you that no Mother of the Bride wants to spend her day doing that either. That's where I come in handy. You can save all the money you want being creative and trying new things but in the end all of that is a pretty scary venture if you don't at least pay someone to oversee it.


Client's have hired "friends" or "relatives" to do their music, cake, etc...while you can absolutely save money doing this, these are the people that need the most assistance in their services. Again, that's how I can help my clients SAVE money by SPENDING money on me! I think this post seems to be more of a commercial for my services, but really I just think the idea is important to understand. Taking the less expensive route is only safe when you have someone to make sure it turns out like you have planned. Of course, you can always have a relative/friend do that but the 2 things to consider are this-

1- Do you want to lose that special time with your mom, sister, aunt on your wedding day because they are running around like crazy trying to setup your wedding in time?

2- Anyone that you trust enough to handle your wedding will be someone will probably be someone that you want involved in your day, not involved in WORKING on your day.


Good things to think about when you are debating the cost of a coordinator. Don't make Aunt Jane miss out on your wedding over a few hundred dollars. Hire someone to work and let all you guests relax.