Wedding Ideas Awards 2011 

It’s the biggest day in every wedding professional’s calendar, it’s a day of fabulous entertainment and flowing champagne, who will have your vote in the wedding Ideas Awards 2011? 

Many people have asked me how to choose their nominations for the award and as an expert wedding planner I have put together a short list to help you: 

• Best Dress Collection: Amanda Wyatt
• Best Dress collection for weddings abroad: Maggie Sottero Destinations
• Best Bridal Accessories: Chez Bec
• Best Bridesmaid Collection: Dessy
• Best Groomswear Collection: Moss Bros
• Best Shoe Collection: Benjamin Adams
• Best Plus-Size Collection: Big Beautiful Brides
• Best Bridal Retailer: Heavenly Bodies Bridal, London
• Best UK Venue: Parklands
• Best Wedding Stationary: Cards by Sophie
• Best Photographer: Blue Light Photography
• Best Special Touches: Ambience Venue Styling
• Best Florist: Young Blooms
• Best Gift List: John Lewis
• Best Wedding Planner: Pazazz Weddings
• Destination Choice Award: Sandals

The award ceremony will be held on 14^th January 2011 at The Brewery, Chiswell Street, London. The afternoon will be hosted by GMTV and National Lottery presenter Jenni Falconer and entertainment will be provided by former X Factor contestant Andy Abraham.

Tips from the Professionals ~ Plans and Presents

Plans and Presents

Last night I received an email from a very well respected, knowledgable and talented wedding planner. Her name is Alison Tinlin and she is the owner of Plans and Presents. Alison needs no introduction please read her article below:

About Me

My name is Alison Tinlin, owner of Plans and Presents, a Glasgow based wedding and event planning company, providing expert and superior service to all those who need assistance to plan the wedding (or indeed any event) of their dreams!

Plans and Presents is based in Glasgow, where I live with my husband and two children, but I cover the whole of the UK

How long have you been in the wedding planning industry?

I established my company Plans and Presents in April 2009, so in business just over 18 months.

What packages do you offer your clients ?

I first meet my clients to  discuss their thoughts and ideas for the day, and how much involvement they wish me to have in it. The client would get full information of what would be included in the service they are interested in and payment schedule would be advised. From that point if a person was happy with booking me a Deposit would be taken and work commenced, however much or little that is.

These services can go from just research and recommendation to Full Co-ordination and On the Day Co-ordination.

Do you belong to any organisations ?

Not as yet

What sets you apart from other Planners ?

In the Scottish Market what sets me apart is that I just offer the Planning services. Many planners have branched out with other services such as Hire of Items, and doing Venue Decor as a seperate service.

While many might see the fact I am not doing that as a disadvantage. I see it as a positive in that I am comepletely focused on the Planning of the Event.

What is the most unusual Wedding you have worked on ?

As yet, the weddings I have assisted at have been not been terribly unusual, just elegant and welll planned, but I believe that the individuality of each client makes each of their weddings unusual in their own way.

How would you deal with a difficult Bride ?

I think so far I have actually been blessed with non difficult brides. Of course, each one has their moments where they are tense but to diffuse the situation, you just need to sit them down, get them to think about what they are saying logically, and try to imagine yourself in the situation they are in.

Do you advertise in Bridal Magazines ?

I did advertise for one year but didn’t find this to be a source of traffic or sales so did not renew subscription.

How do you market your services ?

My services are marketed at Wedding Fairs, through word of Mouth, through supplier recommendation and heavily through Facebook  and Twitter.

Whats the best thing about being a Wedding Planner ?

In my normal business day, every single time I am able to help someone, whether if its by a simple phone call, or a tweet, or any other medium then that makes it worthwhile, that way you feel you have made a difference to someones life.

In an Event or Wedding setting, the bit that most definetely stands out, and which I really love is when I look at a client, and they smile and I know in my heart that they are totally relaxed and reassured that everything is going the way it is supposed to – because I have done my job well.

Why did you become a wedding planner?

I’m a huge organiser at heart – I love to have everything in order! In my previous job in nursing, I had to make sure that I worked to very exacting deadlines and being organised was, literally, a matter of life and death. The skills of time management, crisis intervention, a good ear, and the ability to listen and act on peoples needs are great transferable skills.I am also a total people person, I like nothing better than a good chat, so the beauty of this career is that it is all about the client, and what they need, and add to that the fact I absolutely adore Weddings and parties, and it is just a dream job.
For my clients, I give 150% in everything I do, and I believe that by doing that I provide a superior service. 

Do you work full-time or part-time as a wedding planner?

I work full time on my business when you factor in looking after clients and the work that entails, venue visits, supplier meetings, Blogging and upkeep of socila media, can work in excess of a 70 hour week.

To contact Alison please visit http://www.plansandpresents.co.uk/

Tips from the Professionals ~ Boutique Wedding

Boutique Wedding

I am very excited to include our most recent post to help you to follow your dream and become a professional wedding planner. This post was written by Marine Kerivel-Brown owner of Boutique Wedding. Marine has over 15 years experience in the wedding planning industry and the post which she has written is informative and has some really good advice.

How long have you been in the wedding planning industry?

I first tumbled across wedding planning over 15 years ago, being fortunate enough to get involved in some very big and spectacular weddings in the Middle East…and I was hooked! I then had to side-step into managing communications campaign and corporate events since I was living in countries then that weren’t ready for wedding planning. But I started to ease my way back into wedding planning in the UK in 2008.

Why did you become a wedding planner?

I love working with people, am obsessed with checklists and organising projects, have a strong creative flair and being French-born, I’m a complete romantic! There is something almost magical in creating a couple’s big day and see the smile on their face on the day.

Do you work full-time or part-time as a wedding planner?

Full-time. It’s such an involving business (and time-consuming) that I wouldn’t be able to offer my services if I worked part-time. 

What packages do you offer your clients?

I do tend to offer a totally bespoke approach to all my couples and adapt my level of services based on their unique requirements and budget. So it’s quite difficult for me to think in terms of packages. Couples can hire me to organise and manage their entire day for them, from sourcing the venue(s) to creating a theme, coordinating with suppliers and make their dream day come true, to just asking for support with one element of their weddings.

Do you belong to any organisations?

I belong to the UKAWP (UK Alliance of Wedding Planners) which aim to promote professionalism in wedding planning (http://www.ukawp.com)

What sets you apart from other planners?

Through the UKAWP, I have come across a lot of amazing and talented fellow wedding planners and we all support each other rather than compete. I would like to think that for me, a love of elegant things, proven experience in handling complex projects, and possibly a French fashion and design flair (as well as being bilingual) make Boutique Wedding offer the kind of weddings and civil partnership we do. 

What is the most unusual wedding that you have worked on?

Every wedding is unusual, not necessary in terms of venue or style but because the couples I work with want something bespoke and unique to them. 

How would you deal with a difficult bride?

I believe that brides or grooms are only difficult when they don’t know what’s going on and start worrying. I’m a firm believer that solid communication and complete honesty (if I don’t think that something they want is the best option) is the way to avoid unnecessary pressure and stress. I also make sure they have a complete vision of what their big day will look like (and remind them of it on a regular basis) when they start changing their mind too often about some details. I sometimes act as a mediator if there are some family issues affecting the day.

How many weddings do you plan each year?

It very much depends on the scale of the weddings. Larger weddings (above £50K budget for 120+ guests) require much more time than a £25K budget for 50 guests.

Do you advertise in bridal magazines?

No although I use some online sites and directories. Most of the enquiries I receive either come directly from the UKAWP website, direct referrals, or online search engines. 

How do you market your services?

Mainly through PR, networking with suppliers and other wedding specialists but also with business people through groups such as Athena.

What’s the best thing about being a wedding planner?

It’s such an uplifting job! Yes there is a lot of stress and pressure at times, but it’s such a happy day to plan. What can be more rewarding than giving a couple wonderful memories that will last their entire lifetime?

To contact Boutique Wedding please Visit www.boutiquewedding.uk.com

Tips from the Professionals ~ Aimee Dunne

Aimee Dunne

We contacted the fabulous and very talented Aimee Dunne to ask her a few questions about the reasons why she became a wedding planner and how she began her career. She has given us really thorough answers to our questions and this post is a really good read for anyone who wants to begin a career as a wedding planner.

How long have you been in the wedding planning industry?

Two years, although it feels much longer!

Why did you become a wedding planner?

I’ve always loved organising events, anything I could get my hands. After working in the City for many years, but spending all of my spare time organising events for friends and family and also my own wedding, I finally realised my heart lay elsewhere and set my own business up. I also love anything unique and pretty; all those little details that people notice, and I love incorporating these into weddings and events to make things really special.

Do you work full-time or part-time as a wedding planner?

Full time. I decided if it’s something I’m going to do, I want to do it as a full-time career and give it 100%.

What packages do you offer your clients?

I offer various services from full wedding planning to venue searching, however I really feel every client is unique and like to be flexible and offer whatever clients need.

Do you belong to any organisations?

I’m a member of the UK Alliance of Wedding Planners (UKAWP).

What sets you apart from other planners?

I have quite a lot of contacts in the professional football industry and have been to quite a lot of high-end celebrity events; as my husband plays football professionally and we have many friends in the industry. Being to so many events such as these, as well as my own love of beautiful things and organisational and business skills, means I’m well placed to organise high-end, striking events.

What is the most unusual wedding that you have worked on?

I haven’t had anything really unusual yet but I have had only 3 weeks to work on a wedding!

How would you deal with a difficult bride?

Every bride is different, this is something you realise early on as a planner. Each bride also has different things that are important to them, and I think you need to understand from the outset of the relationship what is important to them and this will help more so with the more difficult brides. A calm head and deep breaths can also help wonders when emotions run high!

How many weddings do you plan each year?

This varies greatly as I offer various services so I may offer much more partial planning along with full wedding planning in any one year.

Do you advertise in bridal magazines?

Yes sometimes, however I find contributing to articles in bridal press is far more useful and effective.

How do you market your services?

Various ways including Google, the national and local press.

What’s the best thing about being a wedding planner?

Doing a job you absolutely love, and being a part of something that is so special in someone’s life.

To contact Aimee Dunne please visit www.aimeedunne.com

 

Press Feature

I was very happy and excited to be contacted today by ShortList Magazine, they are running an editorial about men and weddings which will be available on 15th November. Typically the bride is the person who has the most involvement in the planning of the wedding while the groom takes a back seat.

This got me thinking… How can we get grooms more involved with the planning of the wedding? Do you think that they feel a little left out? Why is a wedding referred to as the brides day?

I would love to hear your thoughts

Tips from the Professionals ~ Weddings by Sam-Marie

Weddings by Sam-Marie

I was very excited to hear from Samantha Campbell (owner of Weddings by Sam-Marie) today. She has offered many tips and some really good advice in the following post. There are many ways into the wedding planning industry and this is a very informative article which will really help you to follow your dream and become a wedding planner.

How long have you been in the wedding planning industry?

One year and nine months

Why did you become a wedding planner?

It is my passion.  I love to get my creative juices flowing, I love the energy and buzz I get from planning events.  I specifically chose wedding planning because I wanted a niche as opposed to being an all round event planner.  I wanted to help couples bring their ideas to life.

Do you work full-time or part-time as a wedding planner?

I currently work part-time as a wedding planner, and full-time as a marketing and PR manager.  My aim is within the next twelve months to leave my job and do wedding planning and management full time.

What packages do you offer your clients?

I offer a full wedding planning and management service to on-the-day management, and all the bits in between – venue finding service, vendor sourcing, contract negotiation, and weddings abroad.

I will soon become a fully qualified make-up artist and florist, adding other strings to my ever increasing bow!

Do you belong to any organisations?

I graduated from the Wedding Planner School, and am an associate member of the UK Alliance of Wedding Planners, which seeks to positively promote the UK wedding industry.  All its members must adhere to a strict code of conduct.

What sets you apart from other planners?

I think the fact that I am more than just a planner sets me apart.  As mentioned I will soon qualify as a professional make-up artist and florist, so my offer to clients will be enhanced.

I also have a great eye for detail and instantly know what looks good and what doesn’t and what works and what won’t – a really important attribute for a wedding planner.

What is the most unusual wedding that you have worked on?

I wouldn’t say I’ve had many unusual requests so far, but the most nerve wracking wedding for me was one I delivered last year in the Docklands.  The couple had no idea how many guests they were expecting, and none of the guests except one RSVP’d, so it was very difficult to plan a wedding where there could have been ten or 200 people. 

I’m glad to say that it all worked out well, thanks to contingency plans.  My tip is to always have a contingency plan.

How would you deal with a difficult bride?

The bottom line for me is that I’m being paid to do a job and to do it well, so I will always be honest with my client, which is primarily the bride.  If the bride is adamant that she wants something done a certain way, I will let her know my thoughts on whether it will work or not, but ultimately it is her big day and she is entitled to do or have whatever she desires.

I think the saying ‘the customer is always right’ comes into play in those situations.

I’m very lucky, but I haven’t had what I consider to be a difficult bride yet – long may it continue.

How many weddings do you plan each year?

It varies – this year has been busier than last, but I think that was because I was trying to establish myself in my first year through undertaking various marketing activity. For 2011, I have two bookings for summer so far.

Do you advertise in bridal magazines?

I have only ever advertised in magazines associated with wedding fairs that I attend.  As part of my membership of UKAWP there are lots of PR opportunities available to members, and I’m fortunate enough to be featured in the December issue of Perfect Weddings in the hot topic debate.  Personally I believe there is a lot of value in PR.

How do you market your services?

Attendance at wedding fairs, networking, telling everyone I know and asking them to tell friends, family etc, being a member of the UKAWP, taking advantage of free directories and building up reciprocal relationships with other industry professionals such as photographers, florists, cake makers etc.

What’s the best thing about being a wedding planner?

Everything!  I get up every morning and am so excited about what my days going to bring.  I’m so happy to be a wedding planner – I love it.  Don’t get me wrong, planning a wedding is hard work, but the feeling you get when you see the fruits of your labour, and the joy on the faces of the couple and guests is priceless.  It makes the long hours all worth it.

To contact Weddings by Sam-Marie please visit www.sammarieweddings.co.uk/

Tips from the Professionals ~ Pazazz Weddings

Pazazz Weddings

To kick start our new category of hints and tips to help you become a wedding planner I have written the following post which will give you some insight into how I started the company Pazazz Weddings.

How long have you been in the wedding planning industry?

I have been planning weddings for the last 8 years but have only recently started my own company Pazazz Weddings

Why did you become a wedding planner?

I love weddings! I have so much passion, enthusiasm and energy when it comes to wedding planning and being a wedding planner is a dream come true for me!

Do you work full-time or part-time as a wedding planner?

I work full-time as a wedding planner

What packages do you offer your clients?

Our finest and most popular package is the Full Bespoke Wedding Planning and Coordination Service, closely followed by Wedding Day Coordination. We also offer Venue or Supplier Search and Selection, Venue or Supplier Management, Wedding Design, Theme and Décor, The Final Countdown, Stag/Hen/Engagement Party Planning and Honeymoon Design, & Management. We offer a Free Initial Consultation to all of our clients.

Do you belong to any organisations?

At present I don’t belong to and organisations, although I will hopefully be joining the UKAWP (UK Alliance of Wedding Planners) within the next few weeks.

What sets you apart from other planners?

We pride ourselves on creating fabulous luxury weddings for our clients. We will plan every aspect of your day to suit your vision and can coordinate everything from the engagement party to the honeymoon. We provide an outstanding service to all of our clients, with a view to save you time, stress and money. We also offer a vast range of Complimentary services for our clients.

What is the most unusual wedding that you have worked on?

I think the most unusual wedding which I have worked on so far had a Fairy- Tale fancy dress theme for Halloween last year. I had a great time planning this wedding and as I had been told ‘anything goes as long as it fits in with the theme’ I could really let my imagination run wild and release my inner child! The wedding day itself ran like clockwork and it was fantastic to see all of the wedding guests dressing up for the occasion! Guests were dressed in a variety of costumes from Cinderella to Cruella De vil. We even had a unicorn attend the wedding! 

How would you deal with a difficult bride?

It is my opinion that a bride would usually only be difficult if I am not planning, designing and creating a wedding which fits in with her vision of her perfect wedding day. If that was the case then I would arrange a meeting with the bride and groom to ask what they would like changed. It is their wedding and therefore they have the final say in what is included in the wedding.

How many weddings do you plan each year?

It is difficult to say as although I have been planning weddings for the past 8 years this is my first year of owning Pazazz Weddings therefore I have not had many weddings this year. However, I do already have a few weddings planned for next year.

Do you advertise in bridal magazines?

At this present time I do not advertise in Bridal Magazines.

How do you market your services?

I have a marketing plan in place which I stick to like glue! I advertise with wedding directories and I spend a lot of time of Search Engine Optimisation. I also spend a lot of time networking with other wedding suppliers and occasionally I exhibit at wedding fairs.

What’s the best thing about being a wedding planner?

I love planning and coordinating weddings. It is a real honour to be asked to plan and coordinate a brides big day and I get a great deal of enjoyment when I see how happy the bride and groom are on the wedding day. To be a part of that is the most magical feeling in the world! With this job no two days are ever the same which is fantastic.

To contact Pazazz Weddings please visit www.weddingplannerkentsussex.co.uk

Tips from the pro’s

I am very excited to announce that over the next few weeks we will be launching a category aimed at helping people to ‘break into’ the wedding planning industry. The category will be titled How to Become a Wedding Planner and it will feature many hints and tips from professional wedding planners.

We will be posting articles from talented and well known wedding planners such as the fabulous Siobhan Craven-Robins, Rachyeta Singh, Lisa Sabin,  Erika Unbehaun and Alison Tinlin among others. Wedding planners begin their career in wedding planning in various ways and these articles will give you some insight into the world of weddings so that you too can follow your dream and become a wedding planner.

New Videos available on You Tube

We have just uploaded two new videos to You Tube

Destination Weddings

The idea of holding a destination wedding was once saved for those living a celebrity or high profile life. However, over the past few years their has been a massive increase in the number of marriage ceremonies that are conducted abroad. If your destination wedding is planned and coordinated with the help of a qualified and professional Wedding Planner then statistically you could actually save around £10,000 on the cost of a traditional UK wedding; it can also turn your wedding day into an unforgettable holiday for you and your guests. Although it is possible to negotiate with the hotel and airlines separately, you will generally be able to save more money by negotiating the two as a package. Unfortunately, we’ve talked with quite a few brides over the years who have negotiated a seemingly good rate directly with the hotel – only to find out they were unable to find affordable airfare. Many couples who choose to have a destination wedding would love their ceremony to be unique, fabulous and memorable and getting married abroad would mean that you and your guests would travel somewhere exotic and sensational. Some couples have visited the destination that they have chosen several times for holidays, they love the country and want to spend the most special day of their lives in their idea of paradise One of the most common reasons to choose a destination wedding is to save money. 

The legal requirements of different country vary, clients may need to obtain documents that prove their religion as in some countries as in some counties inter-faith marriages are not allowed, therefore, you should research the law thoroughly before paying any deposits. 

Most countries will have rule about residency, however, this is usually only a few days prior to the marriage ceremony. Caution should be taken for some countries with longer residency requirements, for instance: the French marriage law states that you must be a resident in France for 6 weeks – 3 months before the notice of marriage can be issued. Tropical destinations like the Caribbean only have a legal requirement of 3 days. 

Below is a list of the top most popular wedding destinations: 

1.  Mexico 

2.  Jamaica 

3.  Dominican Republic 

4.  Bahamas 

5.  Hawaii 

6.  USA 

7.  Aruba 

8.  Fiji 

9.  Cruise Ships 

10. Europe

Pazazz Weddings

November 2010

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