Each decade brings with it new trends and traditions related to weddings. Over the past few years weddings have become more one-of-a-kind and are breaking the mold of what was once considered to be age-old traditions.
Technology has played a major role in the transformation of today's brides and grooms and as a wedding planner, it's your duty to stay on top of trends and new traditions to help create a unique event that is tailored specifically for each one of your diverse clientele.
For starters, Bridal couples now use the internet to gather ideas, inspiration, and information on wedding planning. They typically will no longer rely on bridal magazines or the telephone book for locating local vendors or learning about new trends. This means you must make a presence on the internet whether it's through your website, or even a blog that offers brides free information on what's going on in the industry. When they establish your authority and wedding expertise, they will be more willing to choose you as the person to turn their wedding dreams into reality.
Bridal couples are opting for more unique and non-traditional details and themes. More couples are combining different cultural traditions, color combinations, and food and drink options that would never have been used 25 to 50 years ago. The need and desire to be unique and different will allow you to expand your creative side and have fun doing things you may have never done before.
Many couples are also opting for Green Wedding Options. Many brides and grooms have become more environmentally conscious and want to use decor, favors, or venues that are beneficial to the environment. It will be best to research local Green Wedding practices so you can offer ideas and advice for couples who need inspiration for holding a planet friendly wedding.
Also browse through monthly wedding magazines, high-profile wedding planning blogs, or even attend local seminars that detail the new trends and traditions that will be brought up over the next few years. Brides today expect you to be knowledgeable, flexible, and understanding in the desire to be unique and socially & environmentally conscious. Stay on top of these trends and ideas and be ready and willing to share them with your bridal couple.
Tips for Wedding Planners
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
What to Do BEFORE Meeting with Potential Clients
In order to turn Brides-to-be into your clients, you need to make a great first impression. Meeting with prospects can be very intimidating for new wedding planners. Make sure to follow these 5 steps to help you prepare for your first meeting with a potential client.
1) Prepare, Prepare, and Prepare some more! It's extremely important to make sure you prepare your pitch and materials in advance. Set a goal for your meeting, whether that's getting your client to sign a contract or simply getting them your marketing materials and portfolio in order to show your skills and credentials so that they keep you as a top consideration if they intend on meeting with other clients. Prepare all of the forms, contracts, or materials that you want to give to them and organize them neatly in a nice folder or portfolio notebook.
2) Be early, not late! As a wedding planner, it's extremely important to show that you are great with deadlines and schedules so nothing can be more detrimental than showing up late to your appointment with your potential clients. Check out the general traffic situations en route to your meeting location and remember to leave in plenty of time to arrive early.
3) Dress professionally and appropriately! You should wear something professional and look well-groomed for any appointments you have with potential clients, clients, and vendors. Whether it's a suit, a business dress, or an office trendy outfit, you should look clean and polished. If you carry a purse, bag, or briefcase, remember to have it clean and organized so you can find things quickly and easily. If a bride-to-be feels that you are unorganized or sloppy, they may feel that you will not be able to adequately plan and organize their wedding.
4) Stay calm and relaxed during the day before your meeting! It's important to avoid all stressful situations that can cause anxiety or negative feelings. These can be projected at your meeting and can cause you to not be focused on the task at hand. It's not the time to have a debate or discussion that can end up projecting itself during your meeting with potential clients.
5) Stay free of distractions! Nothing ticks me off more than when I see someone conducting a business meeting and forgetting to turn of their cell phone. This meeting is focused on gaining a client and nothing seems more rude than being interrupted during an important discussion or finances and planning the biggest day of a couple's lives together. Turn off your cell phone, put away your laptop or tablet, and focus directly on your potential clients.
Remember, it's so important to listen even more than you talk. Answer questions as they arise but don't be afraid to say "I don't know, I will have to find that out for you". It's better to tell the truth and sound eager to help than it is to lie and deceive about your connections or abilities.
1) Prepare, Prepare, and Prepare some more! It's extremely important to make sure you prepare your pitch and materials in advance. Set a goal for your meeting, whether that's getting your client to sign a contract or simply getting them your marketing materials and portfolio in order to show your skills and credentials so that they keep you as a top consideration if they intend on meeting with other clients. Prepare all of the forms, contracts, or materials that you want to give to them and organize them neatly in a nice folder or portfolio notebook.
2) Be early, not late! As a wedding planner, it's extremely important to show that you are great with deadlines and schedules so nothing can be more detrimental than showing up late to your appointment with your potential clients. Check out the general traffic situations en route to your meeting location and remember to leave in plenty of time to arrive early.
3) Dress professionally and appropriately! You should wear something professional and look well-groomed for any appointments you have with potential clients, clients, and vendors. Whether it's a suit, a business dress, or an office trendy outfit, you should look clean and polished. If you carry a purse, bag, or briefcase, remember to have it clean and organized so you can find things quickly and easily. If a bride-to-be feels that you are unorganized or sloppy, they may feel that you will not be able to adequately plan and organize their wedding.
4) Stay calm and relaxed during the day before your meeting! It's important to avoid all stressful situations that can cause anxiety or negative feelings. These can be projected at your meeting and can cause you to not be focused on the task at hand. It's not the time to have a debate or discussion that can end up projecting itself during your meeting with potential clients.
5) Stay free of distractions! Nothing ticks me off more than when I see someone conducting a business meeting and forgetting to turn of their cell phone. This meeting is focused on gaining a client and nothing seems more rude than being interrupted during an important discussion or finances and planning the biggest day of a couple's lives together. Turn off your cell phone, put away your laptop or tablet, and focus directly on your potential clients.
Remember, it's so important to listen even more than you talk. Answer questions as they arise but don't be afraid to say "I don't know, I will have to find that out for you". It's better to tell the truth and sound eager to help than it is to lie and deceive about your connections or abilities.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Helpful Websites For New Wedding Planners
Help for starting your business:
www.sba.gov - U.S. Small Business Administration
www.score.org - Mentors & Professionals that donate their time to help people start up and run small businesses
www.helpbizowners.com - One-Stop assistance center for individuals running a small business.
Help for building your business website:
www.weebly.com - WYSIWYG editor for website creation
www.webs.com - another WYSIWYG website editor (both sites are great for beginners)
http://www.w3schools.com/html - A few lessons in HTML & Website Coding
Help for finding a wedding planning course:
www.onlineweddingplanningcourse.com - The Institute of Certified Wedding Specialists
www.weddingsbeautifulworldwide.com - Weddings Beautiful Worldwide
www.acpwc.com - The Association of Certified Professional Wedding Consultants
Help for wedding inspiration & ideas:
www.pinterest.com
www.squidoo.com/topics/weddings
www.theknot.com
www.stylemepretty.com
www.projectbride.com
www.inspiredbythis.com
www.ruffledblog.com
www.projectwedding.com
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Creating a Portfolio With Little to No Jobs
Potential clients will almost certainly wish to see examples of work you've done before to get a better understanding as to whether you will be a good match for their styles and tastes. This can be extremely frustrating for a new wedding planner that doesn't have many (or any) weddings under their belt. There are ways you can get a small portfolio together even before you have your first wedding.
First, if you have assisted friends and family members with planning aspects of their wedding, such as suggesting flower combinations for centerpieces, creating DIY wedding favors, or designing the tablescapes for the reception, ask to use those pictures in your portfolio. Your friends or family members may even write you a reference for the great job you did with assisting them on their wedding day.
If you haven't helped any friends or family members yet, have you planned your own wedding? If you are married, you almost certainly picked out your own flowers and maybe even did your own DIY wedding crafts. You can also use these pictures in your portfolio to help beef it up.
Still in need of more photos? Go to your local florist, pick out some amazing flower combinations and throw together an impromptu tablescape complete with your very own centerpiece. Set the table with beautifully coordinated linens, and use some well-placed candles to add to the atmosphere than snap a few photos. You can do this two to three different times with different flowers and color combos to give the brides an idea of your abilities.
What you should NOT do is use Stock photography. This will imply that you have done or created that work yourself and that would be wrong. It's much better to use your own photos to avoid legal action.
If you are putting the portfolio on your website and only have 8-10 photos, only place them in one album instead of 4-5 separate albums with only 1 to 2 pictures. If you are creating a real photo album, choose a small yet professional looking album for your first few photos. It's better to hold off on the 200 picture photo album when you only have 10 photos.
First, if you have assisted friends and family members with planning aspects of their wedding, such as suggesting flower combinations for centerpieces, creating DIY wedding favors, or designing the tablescapes for the reception, ask to use those pictures in your portfolio. Your friends or family members may even write you a reference for the great job you did with assisting them on their wedding day.
If you haven't helped any friends or family members yet, have you planned your own wedding? If you are married, you almost certainly picked out your own flowers and maybe even did your own DIY wedding crafts. You can also use these pictures in your portfolio to help beef it up.
Still in need of more photos? Go to your local florist, pick out some amazing flower combinations and throw together an impromptu tablescape complete with your very own centerpiece. Set the table with beautifully coordinated linens, and use some well-placed candles to add to the atmosphere than snap a few photos. You can do this two to three different times with different flowers and color combos to give the brides an idea of your abilities.
What you should NOT do is use Stock photography. This will imply that you have done or created that work yourself and that would be wrong. It's much better to use your own photos to avoid legal action.
If you are putting the portfolio on your website and only have 8-10 photos, only place them in one album instead of 4-5 separate albums with only 1 to 2 pictures. If you are creating a real photo album, choose a small yet professional looking album for your first few photos. It's better to hold off on the 200 picture photo album when you only have 10 photos.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Speaking to Potential Clients for the First Time
It can be quite nerve racking when you receive your first few calls from potential clients looking for more information. I remember the very first time someone called me, I was literally shaking because I was afraid I would mess up or sounds like I didn't know what I was talking about. I'm sure the person could tell since she never called back.
Almost immediately after I fielded that call, I put a folder by my computer that contained a few things that would help me should another Bride call with questions. I included a list of all the packages and services I offered along with the prices so I wouldn't misquote what I had on my website.
I also created a call log sheet which I then stuck a few copies of into the folder. This allowed me to remember to ask the questions I needed such as when they were looking to get married, what type of services they were interested, and their contact information should they call again.
Finally, I asked my friend to call me at random (when I wouldn't be expecting it) and pretend she was a Bride calling to ask about my services so I could practice what I would say and get feedback on what worked and what didn't. One week later I had my second call from a potential bride and gained a client! I was much more confident in what I wanted to say and get across, plus I remembered to ask the right questions so that I knew exactly what the Bride was looking for the next time she called.
It helps to practice, so the best thing to do is practice your "sales pitch" to a friend or family member who will be glad to give you the constructive criticism you need to become more confident and sound like you've been doing this job for years.
Almost immediately after I fielded that call, I put a folder by my computer that contained a few things that would help me should another Bride call with questions. I included a list of all the packages and services I offered along with the prices so I wouldn't misquote what I had on my website.
I also created a call log sheet which I then stuck a few copies of into the folder. This allowed me to remember to ask the questions I needed such as when they were looking to get married, what type of services they were interested, and their contact information should they call again.
Finally, I asked my friend to call me at random (when I wouldn't be expecting it) and pretend she was a Bride calling to ask about my services so I could practice what I would say and get feedback on what worked and what didn't. One week later I had my second call from a potential bride and gained a client! I was much more confident in what I wanted to say and get across, plus I remembered to ask the right questions so that I knew exactly what the Bride was looking for the next time she called.
It helps to practice, so the best thing to do is practice your "sales pitch" to a friend or family member who will be glad to give you the constructive criticism you need to become more confident and sound like you've been doing this job for years.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Marketing Your New Business
You can spend all the time in the world setting up your office, developing your business plan, and creating excellent pricing and packages, but if you don't get the word out to potential customers, it will be hard to get any clients!
While most start-up wedding planning business aren't working with hundreds of thousands of dollars for their advertising budget, there are a number of low cost or even free ways to advertise & market your new business.
Check out the following ideas that I have found to be quite successful:
Online Methods
Business Website
Wedding Planning Tips & Ideas Blog
Social Media Accounts (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube)
Pay-Per-Click advertising (like Google Adwords)
Listing in Wedding Directories (Check Out www.wedpittsburgh.com for an example directory)
Offline Methods
Booth at Bridal Shows
Handing out Business Cards to Vendors or Wedding-Related Professionals
Brochures
Flyers
Ads in local newspapers
Direct Mailings
Car Window Decals
Yard Signs
Advertising doesn't have to be expensive, it just has to be effective. The best idea is to try small doses of each and decide which one works the best for you and then focus your attention to those methods.
While most start-up wedding planning business aren't working with hundreds of thousands of dollars for their advertising budget, there are a number of low cost or even free ways to advertise & market your new business.
Check out the following ideas that I have found to be quite successful:
Online Methods
Business Website
Wedding Planning Tips & Ideas Blog
Social Media Accounts (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube)
Pay-Per-Click advertising (like Google Adwords)
Listing in Wedding Directories (Check Out www.wedpittsburgh.com for an example directory)
Offline Methods
Booth at Bridal Shows
Handing out Business Cards to Vendors or Wedding-Related Professionals
Brochures
Flyers
Ads in local newspapers
Direct Mailings
Car Window Decals
Yard Signs
Advertising doesn't have to be expensive, it just has to be effective. The best idea is to try small doses of each and decide which one works the best for you and then focus your attention to those methods.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Tips for Starting a Wedding Planning Business
Many individuals dream of owning their own business. The freedom to make your own decisions and run your business how you see fit, along with the great potential to make unlimited income is a very appealing aspect of owning your own company. If you have chosen to follow your dream and start your own wedding planning business, I've put together some tips to make the process a little easier.
- Planning weddings is the fun part of owning your own wedding planning business, but before you can do that, you need to get the legal matters handled first. You will need to decide on a business structure (Sole Proprietorship, Partnership, Corporation, LLC, etc) because this will affect the startup cost of opening your business, the taxes you will pay, and your personal liability for any of the debts the business incurs. If you need more information, visit www.sba.gov. Next, you will need to choose and register your business name. You can search the federal trademark database to see if the name you'd like to use is already registered, and also find out more about electronically applying for a trademark or "Doing Business As" classification. Visit www.uspto.gov/main/trademarks.htm
- You will now need to decide where you want to do business. Do you plan on running a home-based wedding planning business, or do you want a storefront where people can come to your office and get a professional impression? There are benefits and downfalls to both, including expenses, professionalism, and ease of setup. Whatever you decide, you will need to set up your office space for success. Make sure you get all of the necessities you'll need for creating a successful wedding planning business:-Computer & Internet Connection
-Private Business Telephone Line
-Software (Microsoft Office/Open Office for word documents, contracts & Schedules, Quicken Finances/Bookkeeping Software for accounting & tracking finances, and Wedding Planning Software for tracking each of your clients personal wedding to-do and task lists)
-Office Supplies (notepads, pens, paper, clips, stapler, empty files, blank CDs, etc)
-Filing Cabinet
-Wedding Planning Books & Magazines - Talking to an attorney about getting insurance, permits or licenses, and writing out customer contracts will go a long way in making sure you are covered against legal claims. You may find one in your area that charges less of a fee for communicated electronically via emails, but most attorneys will charge an hourly fee to assist new small business owners get on the right legal business path. In the end, you'll thank yourself for spending the little bit of time and money to ensure you are protected against claims from unsatisfied clients or even the government.
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