Planning 101: Lesson 1

Through my years of planning and guest-speaker roles, I have found that one of the most widely spread misconceptions about wedding planners and consultants is that they are an added expense to an already overly expensive endeavor. That could not be farther from the truth! A planner who is worth her weight can be many things to many people (and help fill the role that the bride usually has to take upon herself).

Let me start from the beginning:

When I began to plan my own wedding in the summer of 2004, I had a number of factors working for me: I had experience planning events. I had planned several weddings, in part, for close friends and acquaintances. Through those experiences, I knew what I wanted. I had parents who were willing to pay for my and Hubby's big day....And those are the biggies.

I also had a number of factors working against me that I didn't find out until well into the planning process: My mother was busy caring for my terminally ill grandmother, so I was going to have to do most of the work--even the fun stuff--alone. My Hubby-to-be only had an opinion on the food and the guys' attire and nothing else. The design company that I hired to help me had a "planner" who worked for them that was only out to make more money for her company. I had a florist who didn't honor her contract, and a cake designer who, although highly recommended, was incapable of making the cake that I wanted. And the list goes on. If I had had someone working for me (much like my own real estate agent), rather than in the best interest of themselves and their several friends in the wedding industry (i.e. referral fees), I would have spent far less and probably captured my vision more concretely.

It is a wonder to me now that I decided to become so heavily involved in the event planning world after some of the incompetence and unprofessionalism that I encountered while planning my own wedding, but I now consider it just a really expensive part of my university education--real-life education and experience that has helped to make me a better professional, a trusted confidant, and a friend to my own clients.

The following list is a summarized version of a longer article written my event planner, Marcy Blum, in the 2005 "Reception Style" issue of Modern Bride magazine. If you would like to see the longer version of the article, email me, and I would be happy to pass it along. :) This is by no means all of the tasks that planners undertake, but serves as a list of random tasks that the average bride may have not yet thought about.

5 Things a Planner Can Do

• Be a trusted negotiator when any kind of conflict arises--between you and your other vendors, of course, and even among family members.
• Procure all permits and facilitate paperwork--especially useful if you're having an out-of-state wedding.
• Supervise all vendor setup (band, caterer, florist) on the day of the wedding and then make sure everything runs according to your plans during the event.
• Orchestrate a wedding procession, telling the band when to play, the bridesmaids when to walk and so on.
• Help you select party favors and arrange for festive packaging--no easy task if you're having 200 guests.

Melissa & Seth 2

Here are pictures from one of the most creative weddings that I've helped to plan: the wedding of Melissa Strock and Seth Gordon. Their rehearsal was on October 31, 2008, and the wedding was on November 1, 2008. What a great way to spend a beautiful autumn evening in Huger, SC! This wedding was not only different from most others that I've planned because of its decor and ambiance, but because of the incredible "down-home" feel that the Strock Family sought to make possible. I knew it was going to be a great weekend when I met Melissa's father, he hugged me, and offered me a glass of sweet tea. I left Huger (beyond Mt. Pleasant, SC for those who aren't familiar) feeling like a part of their family...a feeling that I think every guest at that wedding went home with--along with a jar of homemade pickled okra.

Pay special attention to the very original cake that Melissa and Seth picked for their special day: a barn owl accompanied by tiers of sweet cupcake treats! Also, note the very creative ways that Melissa and her mother reinvented old objects for practical use: beer and water were on ice in the antique, claw-foot tub and the place cards were pinned to the side of an antique iron bed rail.

Tip of the Day: Look for new and creative ways to make old objects new again! You can save lots of money and are only limited by your own creativity. Happy Planning!

*Hmmm...I'm off to get some sweet tea now. Enjoy these photos!

A Day in the Life of a Wedding Consultant

Have you ever thrown a party? Do you remember all the little things that went into just making your house presentable, the food acceptable, and the liquor adequate? Well, multiply all of these things by 1,000 and you have an idea of what wedding consultants deal with: It is a high-stress profession. Wedding consultants are often specialized off-shoots of professional party planners, the folks who organize high-profile charity benefits, entertainment industry parties, debutante balls, and lower key, but just as logistically complicated events like charity dance-a-thons. Organization is a wedding consultant's primary skill, but they must also have exceptional people skills, since they will be dealing with two families who are acting crazier than usual. In addition to their interpersonal skills, the wedding consultant must possess impressive negotiating and business skills to haggle with the numerous vendors he depends on to supply flowers, music, food, and so forth. Wedding consultants must also have professional relationships with photographers, hotel and restaurant managers, calligraphers, musicians, and videographers. A wedding consultant deals with vendors on a continuing basis and, because of this, she often receives discounts from suppliers that she can pass on to her clients. Part of the reason clients hire consultants is to save money, and most consultants are quick to point out that they should be viewed as part of the wedding budget, not an extra expense, since their connections will hopefully cut wedding costs rather than increase them. Wedding consultants are also trouble-shooters, helping their clients avoid cost overruns and planning mistakes, and providing emergency assistance in the event that there are last-minute guests or cancellations of services. Wedding planners are only as involved as their clients want them to be. Some get hired specifically to deal with the reception, and that includes hours of work booking a space, selecting the caterer, finding the appropriate musical talent or DJs, and negotiating the bill with all parties involved. Other times, wedding consultants work with their clients for nearly a year, getting involved in all aspects of planning the big day, from assisting in the choice of the bride's gown and the design of the pew cards to selecting just who will be supplying the puffed pastries for the reception. This means that wedding consultants must offer myriad options to their clients concerning gift suggestions, floral arrangements, transportation sources, and reception locations. Wedding consultants generally charge about 15 percent of the cost of the wedding. Some charge an hourly rate or fixed fee, or some combination of these. Still others charge nothing because they can earn a healthy income from supplier commissions. Depending on the size of the wedding, income can be quite high. The average wedding today costs $20,000- at 15 percent that's a $3,000 commission. Wedding consultants who organize just two $20,000weddings a month, earn more than $75,000 a year. The variety of work within this career makes for a profession that is difficult to track and assign statistics to. Most wedding consultants are self-employed, and work as many or as few hours as they choose, depending on how much income they want to earn. So, salary and hourly statistics are impossible to come by.


Paying Your Dues
There are no set educational dues in this profession. However, business professionals and MBAs are at an advantage, because organizational and financial skills are a must. However, experience pays off more than anything in this profession. A solid reputation and connections to vendors and suppliers are crucial. Wedding consultants couldn't perform their jobs without these key elements. Many wedding planners have gravitated to the profession by finding that other work experience has given them a decided advantage. "I worked as a travel agent and in the Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau," says Susan Southerland, owner and president of Just Marry!, Inc. "I turned my travel and event planning know-how into a full-time profession by starting Just Marry! in 1992." Susan put a special spin on her wedding consulting by using her travel background to plan destination weddings for clients. Her company has planned weddings ranging in budgets from $600 to $80,000 and served clients from as far away as Japan.


Associated Careers
As mentioned above, many wedding consultants enter the profession from other related professions, and experienced wedding consultants can cross over into other careers in the same manner. Special event coordinators, who are found in industries ranging from entertainment to publishing, and even in government (who do you think organizes presidential balls?), are closely related to wedding consultants and deal with many of the same logistical and budgetary issues. Special event coordinators arrange everything from book signings for authors to fundraisers for...[non-profit organizations.]

From the Princeton Review, "A Day in the Life of a Wedding Consultant," August 2008

Kendra & Billy

Here are pictures from Kendra & Billy's wedding in October 2008. Many thanks to my friend, Evan Laettner, for the photos. Check out Evan's work here. Kendra is just such a classic beauty that I wanted her wedding to be the first that I displayed here. Her decor for her wedding even won an award from the 2008 "Best of The Knot" Awards!
This was also the first project that my friend, Beth, from Wildflowers, Inc. in Summerville, and I worked on together. We had a great time, although I do remember it being WAY too hot in October when we were setting up for this one.
Tip of the Day: For brides like Kendra getting married outside (especially near the water), have your planner check into a mosquito treatment for the area where your guests will be gathered. Treatments usually last between a couple of weeks and one month. *Kendra had to request a treatment...When we went to look at the Belvidere (where she was married), I have never seen so many mosquitoes in one place! Happy Planning!

When Working with Professionals...

Here’s a list of what wedding professionals admire in bridal clients:

o Know the vendor’s name. You’ve invited this person to perform a service at your wedding. At a minimum, you should know what name to put on the check.

o Use proper telephone etiquette: The first comment out of your mouth should not be, “How much do you charge?” This is an important consideration, but you’d make a better first impression by describing your wedding details like location, time, budget, etc. and then inquiring about your vendor’s service and availability.

o Prepare for appointments and have the information needed to make decisions. For instance, do not schedule an appointment to order invitations if you do not know how many you need or what your ceremony and reception locations are. Prepare ahead of time and have a list of important details and questions to ask. Don’t waste your time or the vendor’s time.

o Adhere to the contract terms and don’t ask for more than what is in there. Avoid demanding things be done by a certain professional that aren’t in the contract or agreement. The officiant, videographer, caterer, and photographer are not wedding directors. If you need a wedding director, ask a friend to assume this role or hire one. If you’ve contracted a musical group to begin 15 minutes before the ceremony, do not expect them to begin 45 minutes before the ceremony without additional compensation. Clearly understand what is contractually provided versus what is being done as a favor to you.

o Show up to the appointments, rehearsal, and the wedding ON TIME. If you cannot keep an appointment, call as soon as you can. Know that tardiness may cost you overtime and may result in the loss of a vendor, for example, an officiant who must leave for another service.

o Realized that a contracted professional, who may have other obligations, can’t always honor last minute changes that are made on your part.

o Make your payments on time. Realize that if you do not honor the contract terms in regards to payment, you may lose the services of the vendor.

o Give timely and complete responses. Return phone calls and e-mails in a timely manner. Provide complete information.

o Make thorough lists. It’s helpful to wedding day vendors to know who else is providing services. Many of these professionals work with one another on a regular basis and can coordinate timing. For instance, the florist needs to know when the cake is being delivered so she can place fresh flowers on the cake while he/she is there delivering centerpieces. (If you have a wedding planner/ director, this is a task that should be taken by her/ him.)

o Understand that wedding vendors don’t operate 24-hour on-call businesses. Most work regular business hours. Try to schedule your appointments during their posted business hours. Don’t demand a meeting on a Saturday. Would you want another bride-to-be taking your caterer’s attention on your wedding day?

o Listen to suggestions and ideas. If you come prepared and have a clear vision of what you’d like, be open enough to hear other suggestions and ideas from those who do this daily for a living.

o Offer feedback. If the vendor exceeded your expectations during the planning and on the wedding day, write a thank you note or reference letter. If there were things that you thought they could improve upon, let them know. Professionals appreciate candid feedback.

-From A Wonderful Wedding Summer/ Fall 2004

A Formal Introduction, Ya'll!

So, this is the first official blog of my new website! I am so excited to finally launch this new project. Many thanks to my dear friend, Will, at Bellwether Creative who helped to capture my vision for RSVP Events & PR. Will, you're awesome!

So...those of you who are new to RSVP deserve an appropriate introduction--here's a little bit about us:

OUR PHILOSOPHY…

This time, it’s all about you…

…and all of those special “somethings” that make an event not only a beloved memory but an experience: charm, southern hospitality, the comfort of your guests, the flow of food and drink, the smell of flowers, and the echo of music. That possibility to experience--rather than to simply remember--lies within the diplomacy of a spoken word, the remembrance of a detail, the prevention of the unknown, the respect of etiquette, and the grace of a seasoned professional.

RSVP Events & PR is a boutique event planning and public relations firm located in downtown Summerville, SC in a meticulously restored plantation-style home (known as The Summer House) right in the heart of the historic district —we wouldn’t be anywhere else. True to its namesake—RSVP hopes to evoke old-fashioned manners coupled with fresh, modern trends and classic tradition.

My hope is to use my years of experience as an advertising account executive, a publicist, a director of marketing, a director of editorial services, and a corporate and community event planner to its fullest capacity--to help create beautiful experiences for my clients, whether it's their wedding day or the launch of their first novel. It all fits together quite nicely!