The first stages of planning can be very daunting, so much to do and where do you start? If you are in these very first stages I would firstly say, relax, don’t make any rash decisions and try and enjoy it! Planning a wedding, yes can be hard work, but it is also highly enjoyable.

(photo source)  

Sit down with each other at the beginning stages and try and look at this logically, work out what sort of day you BOTH want, what you can afford and who you want to invite. Try not to be swayed by what is on trend at the moment, or what sort of wedding your best friend had or you sister etc, this is your day………..YOUR day! no on elses, it’s you that will be looking back at the photographs in years to come, so stay true to yourself and try not to be swayed by interfering family members telling you to go for something you don’t want.

Try and make each decision together, and try to make each decision as informed as you can. Don’t just book the first supplier that comes your way just to get it ticked of the list, each person you have involved in your wedding really needs to understand you as a couple and what you are trying to achieve.

(photo source) 

And most of all enjoy it. Don’t spend every day talking about the wedding or planning your day other wise it will soon become a chore and you will begin to resent it. Plus you will find that the wedding is taking over both of your lives and you have nothing left to talk about. Try and designate a few days a month, or one day a week to the planning, so you get jobs done in chucks, so leaving the rest of the time to enjoy each other and remember why you are getting married in the first place.

12 months before the wedding
• Organise your engagement party
• Pick a date for your wedding
• Decide what sort of wedding you want, take your time with this.
• Write up your guest list and decide on numbers
• Work out your budget and find out if any family members will be able to contribute.
• Open wedding bank Account
• Take out wedding insurance
• If having a church wedding, visit your priest and book the church
• If having a civil ceremony, contact your local registrar to book the date and time and an appointment to give notice of marriage
• Book a wedding planner if you want someone for Full Planning
• Research venues, visit top 3 – 5
• Book Your Photographer
• Start looking at blogs/internet/magazine ideas and inspiration
• Don’t make any rash decisions, think about it all and way up your options on all decisions to be made

11 months before the wedding
• Make final decision on your venue and book
• Work out how you are going to spend your budget and work out what is important to the both of you and divide up the budget accordingly
• Bride go dress shopping
• Book your wedding planner if you want someone for partial planning
• Choose your best man, bridesmaids and ushers
• Decide on themes and colours

10 months before the wedding
• If venue includes a marquee, book this and equipment
• Decide on your entertainment and book
• Go on engagement shoot with photographer if you are having one
• Shop for wedding invitations
• Compile names and address for gust list and send out save the date cards
• If venue is providing food, talk through the options with them, if they are not providing food, book your caterer

9 months before the wedding
• Select a florist and visit them, talk through your ideas, book.
• Book the videographer (if you are having one)

8 months before the wedding
• Bride go shopping with your bridesmaids for their dresses and if necessary your mother and mother in law for their outfits.
• Contact rental companies and book chairs, tables etc. (if needed)
• Start planning your honeymoon and book
• Make a start at ring shopping

7 months before the wedding
• Groom decide on what you are wearing, take your best man and ushers with you and choose your outfits
• Check your passport, visas etc. (for honeymoon)
• Book the time off work
• Book the transport for the wedding party
• Order wedding cake

6 months before the wedding
• Plan the ceremony and reception music.
• Finalise arrangements for the venue and the church
• All deposits should be paid and contracts signed
• Start a fitness programme if you wish to loose weight for the wedding
• Bride buy wedding accessories, shoes, headwear, veil, bag.
• Organise the Stag and hen party
• Book your wedding planner if you want someone for the days co-ordination

5 months before the wedding
• Decide on decoration for reception venue
• Attend pre wedding counselling or wedding classes if requested by the church
• Bride book your hair dresser and make up artist
• Draw up a gift list at chosen department store/charity/gift registration/honeymoon
• Send out wedding invitations

4 months before the wedding
• Book your wedding night hotel, if you are not staying at the reception venue
• Look at options for favours if having them
• Groom you and the men get the rest of your outfits, shoes etc.

3 months before the wedding
• Choose gifts for bridesmaids, best man, and parents
• Decide on guest book ideas
• Decide on how to display table plan/escort cards
• Decide on wedding post box for cards
• Select readings for the ceremony and give to the relevant people so they can practice
• Choose hymns for the ceremony or songs if a civil.
• Bride buy wedding lingerie

2 months before the wedding
• Write your vows if you are choosing to use your own
• Get order of service made up and printed.
• Make plans and reservations for the wedding rehearsal and dinner (if you are having one)
• Book your dance lessons for the first dance
• Contact guests who have not responded
• Put together seating plan
• Make or order place cards and table number/names
• Bride have hair and make-up trial

1 month before the wedding
• Groom enjoy your Stag Do
• Bride enjoy your Hen do
• Bride go for final fitting for your dress and also your bridesmaids
• Finalise every detail and double check bookings with all suppliers
• Confirm honeymoon reservations
• Pick up wedding rings
• Delegate jobs for the wedding day i.e. give someone the guest book to look after
• Go on pre wedding shoot with the photographer If not had an engagement shoot. Talk through must have shots on the day, and give them a list of who needs to be included in the formal shots.
• Confirm numbers and food allergies with the caterers and draw up final seating plan
• Groom write your speech and make sure the best man, father and anyone else giving one have done theirs as well.
• Both try and wear in your wedding shoes around the house, put socks or stockings over the shoes do they don’t get dirty.

2 weeks before the wedding
• Complete final song list for the band or DJ if you have any special requests for them and send it to them.
• Bride go for you final colour and or cut with your hairdresser and have a final practice run.
• Bride draw up list for change of name, ready for when you get back from honeymoon
• If possible get a final walk through with at the venue with the suppliers so everyone knows where and when they need to be.

1 week before the wedding
• Confirm details with all participants
• Confirm all details with all suppliers
• Supply the venue with suppliers list of requirements i.e band/DJ set up time, setup space for florist
• Supply the venue and church/registrar with a schedule of all the suppliers delivery and set up time and contact numbers
• Groom get your hair trimmed and any last minute beauty treatments
• Do your honeymoon packing
• Get honeymoon currency

2-3 days before the wedding
• Have rehearsal and dinner (if having one)
• Bride pick up your dress
• Bride get your nails done and any last minute beauty treatments
• Bride if necessary get your dress steamed and your bridesmaids
• Groom make sure you and the groomsmen pick up your outfits
• Hand over all favours, and name cards to the reception venues, or decorator/planner
• Call car rental companies for final pickup times for the day
• Write up wedding day time table and give to the bridal party so they know where and when they need to be everywhere

1 day before the wedding
• Sort out any monies to be paid to suppliers on the day and give to family members or planner to look after
• Get an early night

On the day
• Relax!
• Give wedding rings to the best man
• Make sure that the designated family member/planner has the final payments for the suppliers
• Designate someone to work with the photographer so they know who everyone is for the group shots
• Bride once you are ready give your make up to either your mum or your bridesmaid to look after
• Make sure that everyone has their flowers once they have been delivered
• Bride put your engagement ring on your right hand
• HAVE FUN………..it’s your wedding day, the best day of your life!!!!!!

For more information on my wedding planning services go to:
www.bohoweddingsandevents.com
kelly@bohoweddingsandevents.com

If so then read on…………………..The Wedding Planning College  is having a winter sale!

As a wedding planner myself I know how important it is to get a good grounding when starting out, I wrote a series of posts last year on How to become a wedding planner and in part 2 I discussed the importance of doing a wedding planning course.
So today Lisa and Joy tell us a bit more about their own Wedding Planning College and the current winter offer they are running.

The Wedding Planning College offers training events, mentoring and ongoing business support to those wanting to either start their own wedding planning company or become a wedding planner as part of an existing company anywhere in the UK.

The college was founded & is run by, two established wedding planners, Lisa Hilliard & Joy Hersey-Todd, who found themselves inundated with requests from people wanting to become a wedding planner and they decided to implement a framework in which to advise, train and mentor new talent.

Don’t miss The Wedding Planning College Winter Sale & new Easy Ways to Pay

• 1 course is now £375 instead of £475
• Pay with 3 monthly instalments of £125

• Both courses are now £720 instead of £950
• Pay with 3 monthly instalments of £240

Instalments can be made online, via bank transfer or with a cheque

The next training Events

Setting up a Wedding Planning Business – 2 day training event
Saturday 25^th & Sunday 26^th of February 2012 at Casa Hotel, Chesterfield, Derbyshire

Planning & Coordinating a Wedding – 2 day training event
Saturday 24^th & Sunday 25^th March 2012 at Christians, Sheffield, South Yorkshire

The two day Train to Plan weekend training events include fact based learning exercises, group activities & guest speakers, currently operating in the wedding industry. Throughout the two day events Joy & Lisa will personally guide you through each chapter of the course, offering honest advice, sharing real examples and inspiring your own personal wedding planning business development.

What our Graduates have to say?

Did the Course meet your expectations?
“It really did, it was exactly what I was hoping it would be”
“Yes, fully”

Did you enjoy the course?
“I’ve loved it. How great to be learning about something I’ve wanted to do for so long”
“Very much…. nicely timed, kept it fast paced and fun”

Did you find the mentors knowledgeable & motivating?
“Very – friendly and open”
“I feel very motivated thanks to you both”

For more information on the college or to view the content of each training event, visit the website www.theweddingplanningcollege.co.uk

First of all I’d like to say a MASSIVE thank you to Nicola Thompson for getting me the pictures edited so quickly, I know this time of year is busy for everyone so I really appreciate all her hard work! Nicola was an angel on the night and a real trooper, she just kep on clicking away with her camera, even when I told her to have a drink and enjoy herself!

So……the party! why did I decided to throw a party? (a question my husband kept asking me while I was planning it) This is my 3rd christmas being self-employed and quite frankly I miss the whole Christmas works get together, I mentioned it to a few people and it seemed that they did to, so I decided to ge a few people to gether at Christmas and just have some fun.
My first thoughts were to invite about 20 people to a pub and maybe have a few drinks…….however I’m never one to do things low-key and this soon expanded into a full-blown party!

As a wedding and event planner, as well as a blogger this was a pretty easy event to plan, no bride, no sit down meal, logistically quite simple!……..BUT I have to say THE most nerve-racking! I can not tell you how stressed I got planning this, how many times I cried and how many arguments I had with Nik my husband! even writing this brings back the butterfly’s I felt the morning of the party, when I literally thought I was going to throw up! I didn’t even feel like this at my own wedding day! I think my main fear was that people wouldn’t turn up! That fear you get when you are 8 and no one turns up to your birthday party all came flooding back!………..so many people were ill, had prior comitments…….BUT thank God you lot did turn up, so thank you to everyone who made the effort and ventured out on what was a hideous night weather wise!

I’d like to think the party was a success, people came, they chatted, they met new people, they met people they were friends with by email, Facebook and twitter but had never met in the flesh before. People drank the Boho cocktails, they drank wine, they drank beer…..they used the photobooth, they danced………and I really hope they had a good time! As a hostess I tried my best to talk to everyone there, Having only had 35 people to my own wedding it was a new thing to me to try to get round to talk to every guest, so if I didn’t get to chat with you I can only apologise!

BUT with every wedding the event is only as good as the suppliers you get in to make it possible so BIG shout outs to the following! nicolathompsonphotography.co.uk for being a complete trooper with her camera and her assistant Amy, I’m sure you will agree that the photos look brilliant, I am really chuffed with them! Rachel at www.simplyvintageevents.co.uk for her tireless work at decorating the room, she brought giant baubles, she made christmas bunting, she hung a zillion baubles, and made the venue look gorgeous! The flowers looked amazing on the night thanks to www.verdure.co.uk (velvet jacket man) for the crystal trees as well as  www.orchisfloraldesign.com  and www.boutiquepaeony.co.uk for the beautiful christmas arrangements! HUGE thank you to emilysdiscos.co.uk for the amazing lighting, the uplighters looked fantastic as did the sparkling lighting everywhere, and my very own Boho log in lights across the dance floor!
As for entertainment www.boothrevolution.com did a fantastic job at keeping the guests busy in their amazing photobooth………full photos can be seen HERE as the night went on and people had more to drink, it certainly got busier! Again thanks to emilysdiscos.co.uk for keeping the dance floor busy! And  HUGE thank you to victoriamade.com and hansleybeard.co.uk for the most beautiful dessert bar and candy station, it looked like a piece of art and tasted divine! I had so many comments from people after the party who managed to take a bag of treats home with them!
I’d also like  to say thank you to my assistant Rachel who I’m hoping will be working with me more in 2012. I have brought Rachel in a few times to work with me at different weddings and she is managing one for me herself next year, we did a quick photo shoot with Nicola, so you will be seeing her face on my website very soon, she also brought her friend Pamela with her and they did a great job meeting and greeting all of the guests! and last but not least the www.tuliplounge.com for their hospitality, James the manger is a star, nothing was too much trouble and he just gets on with it………..those Boho cocktails were gorgeous (bluberry schnapps, vodka, lemonade and pineapple juice)

Personally I had a ball, as I think you can tell by the photos! (especially the ones at the end of this post!) They start off quite sedately with the room being set up, the first few were taken before anyone actually arrived, they then get progressively more lively as the night goes on!

So once again thank you to everyone involved…………will I do another one….who knows? I have an idea for a bigger and better event for next year, but we’ll have to see what happens in the year. I am already planning my 40th and Niks 30th joint Birthday party for June………we will have to see how the year pans out! If anyone wants to join forces to make it happen then let me know, I’m always up for a collaboration!

Big Thanks once again to Team Boho, without these people the party wouldn’t have happened.
TEAM BOHO:

• nicolathompsonphotography.co.uk
• www.simplyvintageevents.co.uk
• www.tuliplounge.com
• emilysdiscos.co.uk
• www.boothrevolution.com
• victoriamade.com
• hansleybeard.co.uk
• www.verdure.co.uk
• www.orchisfloraldesign.com
• www.boutiquepaeony.co.uk

All Pictures thanks to Nicola  Thompson
http://nicolathompsonphotography.co.uk
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
info@myweddingphotography.co.uk

The 2012 Wedding Industry Awards is an independent body which is celebrating 19 different categories within the wedding industry, one of them being Wedding Planning. The awards are voted for by brides themselves and then by a judging pannel. Each category has been split into regions and I was put into the North East area for Wedding Planning. At the beginning of the month I found out that I had been shortlisted for the prize and was told that a winner would be announced at the end of this month after the results from the votes given had been analysed.

So it turns out I have become the North East Regions Wedding Planner Winner! and I couldn’t be more happy!

Next……it’s onto the nationals. Each company who has won a regional award automatically gets entered into the national finals, where one supplier out of a list of 7 will be picked by the judges. The awards are on 18th January in London and we find out on the night of we are winners or not.

So I wanted to say a HUGE THANK YOU to each and every bride who voted for me and left all your lovely comments, I can not tell you how much I appreciate it. I have contacted each one individually but I just wanted to say another thank you, as without you I wouldn’t have won. Also a massive thank you to the wedding industry awards themsleves.

So lets see what happens in London. To  be honest I’m not expecting to win, there is a very strong group of wedding planners that I am up against, but I am more than honored to have got as far as I have! and it makes me very proud to see what I have achieved in the last 2 years! It’s not been easy and I have worked incredibly hard BUT things like this really make it all worth while, so thank you once again.

Big Boho Love

Kelly xxx

Hello again and welome to the 10th and final part to my How to become a wedding planner series. With a few breaks along the way this feature seems to have been a big help to lot’s fo people. I have had lots of great comments and met with so may people who have commented on the series and how it has helped them along the way whether it be as a wedding planner or in starting their own business within the wedding industry. So thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read my ramblings each week, to email or to leave a comment.

I’m aways open to new ideas so do let me know if there is anything else you would like me to feature. For now lets look at this final weeks topic.

Part 10 – Think about add-ons and a side line to the business

So you’ve set your business up, you’ve got your brand sorted your website, you have built up a few suppliers and venues that you like working with, you have sussed out social networking and you’ve taken on a few bookings.
Now you will start to look at your pricing structure and maybe begin to realise that wedding planning isn’t a massive money earner!!
…………………..what?? Yes that’s what I said, wedding planning is a great job, but it’s never going to be one of those jobs that you make a fortune from I’m afraid.
As I mentioned in one of my former posts wedding planners and the value of our service  wedding planning is still one of those businesses where people don’t quite get how much we do and how much time and effort goes into each job.
I have changed my pricing structure 4 times in the past 2 years until I am now sort of happy with what I charge. But it’s taken a long time to get here and to be honest it still isn’t a huge amount. I spent all last year taking on every job I could, only to find out this summer that I had taken on too much and run myself ragged!………..next year will be different, I have put my prices up and will only be tacking on half the work…..so 10 wedding instead of 20.
BUT this does mean that I still won’t be making a huge amount of money out of the wedding planning! SO this is where the add ons and side lines come into play.

Basically as far as I can see it, unless you are dealing with the high end brides that are willing to pay you £3K – £5K per wedding you are never going to earn a large amount from wedding planning, this again is only my opinion, there may be many other planners out there who disagree with me?? Instead my brides may pay me £1K – £1.5K a wedding and with 10 of those a year…………well you do the Maths!

So after writing the post about the value of our services I decided that I needed to start looking at other forms of money making that kept me in the wedding industry and not on the road to getting a part time job that I loathed. And this for me is where the blog came in. I have been writing the blog since December 09 but it wasn’t until May 2011 that I felt the time was right to start advertising on it .My intention was never to build up the blog to make it a money making exercise, my aim at the beginning was simply to make it an extension of the website…..BUT as time went on, my passion for it became stronger and I realised that maybe that is could be something that could make me a bit of pocket money. So that is what I did.
Now with 5 months of successful sponsorship behind me I don’t just call myself a wedding planner but a wedding blogger as well.
Sometimes it is hard trying to do both, my time management has to be spot on, and I seem to be working even more hours than ever. BUT the two work together side by side and it means I have been able to keep my wedding planning business instead of being packed off to find a full time job by my husband (which was a treat this time last year!)

Andertoons Business Cartoons

But what to others do?

So many planners get into things like hiring and styling, but it’s really up to you what area you feel is best!
Chair covers seem to be a popular route; (although personally I hate the things) this then goes hand in hand with hiring the likes of runners, napkin, Birdcages, centre pieces, lanterns…….pretty much anything. You will find as a planner each wedding you do you will go home with some sort of wedding related box of stuff. I have a whole summerhouse full of it, so yes I will be adding it to the website over the winter for hire next year!……along with my photo booth!!
Vintage tea sets also seem to be a huge thing at the moment for planners to get into.

If the hiring thing isn’t your bag and you are more creative, then what about styling, this may be more the area of planning you enjoy. Personally I like a bit of both but I have my limitations ( I learnt the hard way after spending 5 hours making wish tree tags as a ‘favour’ for one of my brides!) again remover time is money, and even if you enjoy crafting and making stuff, everything has to have a price!

There are many things that you can move into that will keep the wedding planning in business, you may find a side line that makes you more than the wedding planning itself, but you probably won’t find this until you have been in the industry for a while, these things tend to happen by chance!
I know a planner who has now become a photographer, planners who have become cupcakes makers! Anything is possible.
My husband still things I should go full on into the hiring side of things……….as well as stationery, not entirely sure when he thinks I am going to do it all, as we barely see each other anyway! But for me I have found my niche with the blog, and I’m happy with that!
But whatever you do it has to be right for you.

So that is the end of the series! I hope you found it helpful? Please let me know your thoughts where are you up to in the series? What chapter are you on? How are you finding it, is it harder than you thought? More enjoyable? Do let me know your stories.
And if you are a planner with a side line I would love to know what it is.

Thanks again for reading my ramblings

Kelly xx

Have you missed any of this series? ‘How to become a wedding planner’
Week 1 – Get business advice
Week 2 – Start a wedding planning course
Week 3 – Research your competition & the market around you, find a niche
Week 4 – Create your Brand
Week 5 – Networking and Social Networking
Week 6 – Get a Website and a Blog
Week 7 – Get some experience and work for free
Week 8 – Go out and meet suppliers and venues
Weel 9 – Do your first few jobs and make mistakes
(Thank you to www.andertoons.com/ for the illustrations)

Hello again and welcome to the penultimate edition in this 10 part series of How to become a wedding planner. This week is week 9 and I talk about that all important first job and learning from your mistakes.

part 9- Do your first few jobs and make mistakes

Making mistakes may seem like a strange thing to suggest but believe me when you do get that first paid job there will be things you learn and things you will do differently the next time round.
I’ve been doing this for 2 years now and I’m still learning with each wedding I do.
The reason being is every wedding is different and every couple you work with will be different from the next. You are going to have different situations to deal with every job you do, this may be a huge learning curve to begin with but once you have been doing it a while, these different situations and challenges will become easier and you will learn to adjust a lot quicker……..just like any job I guess.

You will want the first job you do to be perfect, and it will be as much as you can make it perfect……. you’re a planner after all, there for you will plan for every eventuality…BUT from this first job many other issues will arise that you may not have thought about when planning it all on paper.
For this reason you need to be ready to adapt and change things as you go along, to be flexible and re structure your services as you go along.

An Andertoons Cartoon

Things you will learn as you go along are things like:

Timings: when you set out your first time line you won’t really know physically how long some jobs take to do, you may not leave yourself enough time to do stuff, to set things up, to run errands. As time goes by and you get more experience you will lean to allocate enough time for each job. i.e. seating guests and moving them from one area to another, this always take longer than you think, not allowing at last 15 minutes for guest to take their seats once they have been called to dinner can mean that service runs late and food is spoilt!

People: you will learn how to deal with people as you go along, different situations that arise from both suppliers and from the guests

Emergency Box: my emergency box that I take along to each wedding has grown enormously since I did my first wedding, in fact it is now 2 boxes and a bucket full of cleaning equipment (mainly for marquee weddings) you will find things that are missing from your box as you go along and will realise what is important and what you can leave behind!

What to wear: the first job I did I wore a pair of knee length boots with a tiny heal (it was winter)…..never ever again! Its flats all the way now. You will also learn what is comfortable and what isn’t also to take a change of clothes if you have a long set up time

What is in your job description and what isn’t: To be honest I am still struggling with this one! It’s more connected to on the day co-ordination and I discussed it in my post on the day co-ordination and what I actually do!  you have to know your own limitations! There are certain things that you may not think are you responsibility and feel that these jobs need to be delegated to other suppliers or guests, but if you are hands on like I am you may feel that you need to do them yourself, or like me think it’s quicker if you just do it yourself. I admit that this is an area I still need to work on.

Time spent at a wedding: You will have your own ideas how long you should stay at a wedding, personally I do 12 hours 10am – 10pm on an average day, but you may get asked to do more. The very first paid job I worked, I did 9am – 1am..That’s a 16 hour day! Did I get paid any extra no, and that’s because I didn’t ask for any extra, I was there the day before setting up as well! But things have changed now, I made that mistake and made it again with other weddings. Now when I write out a quote I set very clear ground rules and state quite clearly what they are getting for that price. Extra hours added to those 12 hours mean an extra fee, it means travel expenses and also a hotel room if needed.
At first you will just want to do each job for free as you want the experience and you love it so much, as time goes on you will still love what you do but you will see it as a way to make a living, to pay the bills. You will also learn how tired the job makes you and if you don’t charge accordingly for your time then the only one losing out is yourself.

Pricing: very similar to your time! I have put my prices up 4 times since I started, because once I was actually in the job doing it, I realised how much I need to charge to make a living. It’s not me being greedy, it’s just me being realistic about what I need to charge to bring in enough money to support myself! You will learn with each job you do how much time is needed for each one………and time as they say is money! Some services will take more time than others, so you will need to charge accordingly. If you price too cheaply you will only resent the job you are doing when the time comes round for the booking!

Extras you need to charge for: My proposals are very clearly laid out now, what the price is, how many meetings are included within that price, exactly what they are getting for the price quoted. Then in an added section are the add ons…time, more meetings, hotels etc. You really have to think ahead for every eventuality.

Your website: As you gain more experience, your website will change, you will find services that work for you and want to expand on those while getting rid of things that don’t work! You will want to re word stuff, add in new ideas, so keep the website constantly changing (plus this is great for SEO)

Andertoons Holiday Cartoons

The main thing is to realise that the job is ever evolving! Each time I take on a new wedding I learn more. This job is so varied and as I said every wedding and every couple are different! You will make mistakes along the way, but that’s fine as long as you learn from them and adjust things as you go along that is fine! No one gets it right first time. Just as long as you appear professional and hard working at all times the client will be happy.

So tell me about your first experiences in the job, whether it be as a planner, or a photographer or any other supplier in the business. Or if you’re a bride who hired a newbie planner or supplier what were your experiences? I’d love to hear your stories!

Come back next week for the final part: part 10-  Think about add-ons and a side line to the business.

Have you missed any of this series? ‘How to become a wedding planner’
Week 1 – Get business advice
Week 2 – Start a wedding planning course
Week 3 – Research your competition & the market around you, find a niche
Week 4 – Create your Brand
Week 5 – Networking and Social Networking
Week 6 – Get a Website and a Blog
Week 7 – Get some experience and work for free
Week 8 – Go out and meet suppliers and venues

(Thank you to www.andertoons.com/ for the illustrations)

Hello again and welcome back to part 8 of How to become a wedding planner we had a little break last week for a Wedding Wednesday discussion, but it’s back on schedule now as we head into part 8 of this 10 week course. last week we looked at getting experience and this week it’s all about getting out and meeting supplier and venues.

Part 8 - Go out and meet suppliers and venues

One of the most important things about being a planner is being able to recommend the right suppliers to your brides and grooms. Each supplier will have their own style, some will have a certain geographical area they cover and all will have different price points.
The only way to do this is 1) work with them directly at weddings you have booked and 2) go and visit them and build relationships.

You need to find out if they are people you can work with, what their style is and what they can offer your bride and groom, and sitting behind a computer isn’t going to do this for you.
I touched on this subject when we spoke about networking, but this is more specific sort of networking.

When I first started I set aside 2 days a week to go and visit suppliers and venues. As I cover quite a large geographical area, I would set aside days to cover a certain city, or area and book appointments for the whole day with people I had either had email conversations with or with people that had been recommended. Yes it’s a lot of leg work but it’s impossible to recommend them if you haven’t met them!
As for the venues it’s so important to get to see as many of them as you can, otherwise how can you begin to do venue searched for people if you haven’t seen the venues first hand?
I have to admit some of the venues I went to see in my first year were a bit funny with me at times, some didn’t quite understand what I was doing there when there was an in house planner already on site, while others thought I was going to want some sort of commission for recommending them. But this is also a good way of sussing out what sort of venues you want to recommend and how they would act with you if you were to hold a wedding there.
With the venues it’s also a great way of finding out stuff like how to get there, what facilities they have on site, look at menu options and what they allow and what they don’t!

An Andertoons Cartoon

The other advantage of getting out to meet the suppliers and venues is not just you meeting them but them meeting you!
It’s all about getting out and telling people what you are about as well as finding out what you are about.
Again you have to remember you are building a brand! And that brand is you, and if you don’t put yourself in front of people, how are they going to know you exists! Plus people are more likely to get back in contact with you or recommend you if you have taken the time and made the effort to go and see them.

Remember to take business card with you and literature with you and always take a few spare as some people, are happy to hold onto more to hand out to prospective brides or other suppliers, but remember you need to do the same for them!
Take a notebook, and if your memory is anything like me take notes. You may see a number of people in one day and by the end of the day they may all roll into one.

This all may sound obvious but I really do believe you have to do the leg work and get yourself out there otherwise people will never know you exist!

Come back next week for part 9- Do your first few jobs and make mistakes

Have you missed any of this series? ‘How to become a wedding planner’
Week 1 – Get business advice
Week 2 – Start a wedding planning course
Week 3 – Research your competition & the market around you, find a niche
Week 4 – Create your Brand
Week 5 – Networking and Social Networking
Week 6 – Get a Website and a Blog
Week 7 – Get some experience and work for free

(Thank you to www.andertoons.com/ for the illustrations)

Laura and Tom booked me in July 2010 for my Ibiza wedding planning service  and I have been working with them since to find them the right venue, suppliers and to co-ordinate the whole wedding for them. The wedding is tacking place in the stunning location of Atzaro. Atzaro is one of the most amazing wedding venues on the island so it’s a real honour to be involved in such a magical wedding. I am sharing the day with lots of my favourite Ibiza suppliers as swell as Jon from S6Photography who flew in yesterday to shoot the wedding.

So today I thought I would re visit the Inspiration boards that I put together for Laura and Tom, to go along with their raspberry and navy theme, as well as mixing in a few Ibiza wedding ideas.

May I wish Tom and Laura a MASSIVE congratulations! at 6.30pm they will be become man and wife, a wonderful couple and a wonderful day!

Raspberry and Navy decoration ideas:

Full photo credits left to right, top to bottom:
1) image courtesy of Ana Lui 2) image from the knot photo by Nyla Photography 3) image from The Knot photo by Patricia Kantzos 4) image from The Knot photo by Kristen Peelle 5) image from The Knot photo by Robin Proctor Photography 6 and 12) image from gypsy westwood 7) image from the knot photo by Therese Marie Wagner 8] Ibiza cakes 9) image from the knot photo by Amy Carroll 10) wedding ideeas 2 11) image from the knot photo by Brian Phillips 13) image from the knot photo by Sarah Dicicco

Ibiza wedding ideas:

photo credits left to right, top to bottom
1) Beau Coup 2,3,5,6,7,8, 10,11,12,13,14,15) images courtesy of Ana Lui 4) image from the knot photo by angie silvy 9) image from the knot photo by Amy Carroll

To find out more about weddings in Ibiza, or to ask for more information on how I can help plan yours go to:www.bohoweddingsandevents.com/ibiza

Hello and welcome to part 6 of my ‘How to become a wedding planner’ series. Today I talk about the importance of getting a website and a blog. Again not only relevant to wedding planners but to anyone setting up their own business.

Part 6 – Get a website and a blog.

Now this may seem like an obvious thing to say but you’d be surprised. I come across lots of new business who direct me to a Facebook pages or just have an email address, people will not take your seriously unless you have your own website, it’s going to be your shop window to the rest of the world and all of those potential customers that are just waiting to book you for their wedding!

I have talked about websites previously in former posts but I really do feel it’s important to get your website right, yes you can re brand in a few months/ years down the line but getting it right first time will save you time and money in the long run.

Sales Cartoon by Andertoons

1) Research – have a good look around the Internet, not just at other wedding planning sites but other websites altogether, what do you like about them and what don’t you like? What sort for style do you want? How easy do you want it to be to use? Who are you trying to attract with it? What sort of layout are you looking for?
For example I wanted my website to be appealing not just to brides but to the grooms, gay or straight, so I tried to make mine as un pink and weddingy as possible, so attracting a wider audience. I also didn’t want it to be traditional so I went for funky colours and images instead of the normal images of brides and grooms, as that wasn’t what I was trying to reflect! I had alternative weddings in my head as the graphic designer was putting it together not traditional English wedding!
I basically studied what other planners were doing and tried to do something different!

2) Extension of branding – your website will be an extension of the brand you have already designed or started to put together, and this has to reflect and stay constant throughout your website. There is no point having literature and cards made up that are completely different to the website, they all need to tie in.
You need to think how the website is reflecting you! You need pictures of yourself on there, people buy from people and they need to see your face…remember your face is your brand as much as your logo is!

3) Spend money – yes it’s easy for me to say but you need to spend money on making your site look good. If everyone is quoting you £2K – £3K for a site build and design and another company offers it to you at £300 there will be a reason for this! Unless you have a background in IT, then let the professionals do their job, remember this is going to be the main way people find you! And you have to give a good first impression! I spent a good amount of money getting my site the way I wanted it, it has hanged and developed since but the basics are there. People always comment on how good the site is (maybe they are lying??) but I’m pretty proud of it! At the time it seemed like a lot of money but as about 70% of my business comes from my website it pays to get it looking how you want it!

4) Get it right take your time – don’t be in a hurry to get it done and out there, these things always take longer than you first think! What with the design, then the build and then the testing it isn’t going to happen overnight so be patient

5) SEO – try and get the web builders to add in some SEO (search Engine Optimisation) into the package, as there is no point having a brand new sparkly website if no one can find you. They will know a few tricks on how to get your site ranked higher, linking out to other sites, adding in key words and getting your copy right are all important factors. This is when those courses and workshops I was talking about in Part 1 come in to play. I learnt so much just from going on a couple of workshops on SEO! At the beginning it really is another language but once you get your head around it does make more sense.

6) CMS – I would always recommend you to get a CMS site (content management site) this means that you can go into the back end of the website and alter things yourself. So if you are selling a product you can go in and add new pictures, if you have new testimonials form past clients to add you can do this yourself. This will save you a fortune later on, instead of paying the website guy every time you want to make an adjustment to the site, you can do it yourself. And doesn’t panic it’s easier than you think. The website person who built it should give you a quick basic lesson, and the rest you will pick up……….if I can do it anyone can!

7) Blog – as well as a website it may help to have a blog attached to your website. This isn’t always necessary it really depends on what your line of business is, but for a planner it is a great place to add in new work, weddings you have worked on, suppliers you have met along the way. It’s also a great way for prospective couples to find you on Google. In my early planning days I wrote many an article on suppliers which other brides found which then directed them to my wedding planning site.
As I see it the website is your static shop window, it’s where future couples can see your work, your services and your prices. A blog is more of a reflection of you; it is ever changing and can be updated quickly and easily.

Also another thing to think about if funds are low, maybe getting a blog instead of a website when you first start out. Blogs can be significantly cheaper to set up than a website; it’s very DIY so you can manage it yourself. But do think what you want your blog to say about you.
Some people use it to tell the customer more about the product they sell, while others have a blog only to tell their customer more about themselves. While others like me, started a blog that was an extension of the website which then turned into something completely different. My blog is now a site in its own right! And separate to the website!

An Andertoons Cartoon

Whatever you do, make sure the website looks professional and reflects you as a person and a company. Would you be happy if you landed on your site, would you buy from your site, would you go back to your site? Do your research and take your time to get it right!

So let me know about your experiences! Are you in the process of getting your own site, have you chosen a blog over a website? Have you had your site for a while and feel you need a change?

Come back next week for part 7- Get some voluntary work, placements, shadow other planners

Have you missed any of this series? ‘How to become a wedding planner’
Week 1 – Get business advice
Week 2 – Start a wedding planning course
Week 3 – Research your competition & the market around you, find a niche
Week 4 – Create your Brand
Week 5 – Networking and Social Networking

(Thank you to www.andertoons.com/ for the illustrations)

Welcome to week 5 of my ‘How to become a Wedding Planner’ half way through now and we are powering through the subjects! Like last week when I covered the importance of branding, this chapter is relivant to all business not just wedding planning, so if you are in the process of setting up your own business, or in the first few months then read on!

Part 5 – Get out and network and the importance of social networking

Networking!
There is no doubt that forming good networks of people around you in every form of life is incredibly important, we are moulded in life by the people around us, and this is no different in business. It is so important for you to go out and meet like minded people, people you can talk to who are in the same situation as you, people who have already set up their own business, and people who are just starting!.
When I first started my business, I knew that I needed to ‘connect’ with people, I needed to go out and meet other people weather they were from the wedding industry or not, I needed to know that I wasn’t the only mad person setting up a business in the middle of a recession !
There are so many options out there but you really need to pick what is best for you, and what you feel you are going to get the most out of. For example when I first started I was rung, emailed and posted SO many options for morning networking groups…in fact they still contact me. Now anyone who knows me will know I’m not a morning person! The thought of getting up at the crack of dawn to go and meet a load of strangers to discuss my business fills me with dread, whereas meeting in the evening or late afternoon…..maybe over a glass of wine, a cocktail….or at least a few nibbles…well I’m there! So pick what is best for your schedule. If you still have a full time job then morning networking may be better for you! BUT look into who is going to these groups, as a wedding planner I quickly fund that a lot of these groups were very business oriented, full of old men in suites, who looked at me like I was some young silly girl with my head in the clouds when I told them I was a wedding planner, so I then went on to look for more female oriented groups, where I was more likely to meet creative types, and people who were possibly getting married. In fact it was my first lunchtime networking event in Sheffield where I met my first paying customer! Just by chance!

Now again networking is something you do when you have the time, and in my opinion you can sometimes do too much of it! You can sometimes find that you go to the same places and meet the same people, so mix it up a bit. For example I joined a group called Forward ladies, who put on social events all over the country, I’ve been to a few but made sure that I moved around a bit, Sheffield, Leeds, Derbyshire….and because of that I met new people in each event.

But do note that the busier you get the less time you have for networking, personally now 2 years on and I hardly do any at all, which I know is wrong but I simply don’t have the time. So I have decided that during the summer months it is near impossible to do this but come autumn and winter I’ll be back on it.
It’s case of going out and spreading the word about what you do, people aren’t going to find you on their own, you need to go and find them…you tell one person about what you do then they will tell another person and so on!

Holiday Cartoon by Andertoons

Social Networking
Now I LOVE social networking, as a person who works on their own from home it’s a great way of connection with the outside world! But when I first started I wasn’t so sure! I remember going on my first social networking workshop when all I knew about was Facebook……and from there on I have been hooked. I have even give lessons on social media as well as presentations on the subject!
So I cannot tell you enough how important it six for your business!

When you first look into social networking it can seem so daunting, there are so many options, where do you start? Well my first bit of advice is you don’t have to do all of it, do what is best for you and what will fit in with your scedual!
Facebook and twitter are the two main ones and personally the two I get the most from, there is linked in which I’m on but to be honest don’t do too much with, then there are the new ones Like Google +, Pinterest and Tumblr…..all of which I’m still to try out! Sometimes I feel I am being left behind as I haven’t looked into them all fully, but that’s the wheel point do what’s best for you! Others like stumble upon, My Space, digg it, flicker………….so many to mention!

So what can you get out of them all? Well for me first of all it’s a feeling that I’m not a lone (yes I know how sad) but when you spend days in an office on your own with no one to talk to, having a twitter conversation or posting stuff on facebok can really make you feel like you are in some sort of community. Secondly and maybe more important, it’s the same rule as face to face networking, it’s getting your name out there, your business and getting other people to know what it is that you do.

I can say hand on heart that my business wouldn’t have moved on so quickly if it hadn’t had been for Facebook and twitter, no it’s not the only reason but it has definitely helped!
One of the main advantages is that it’s free! Yes it takes time to build up a few followers and fans but with it comes an immense amount of opportunities for FREE!!
I have met 70%-80% of my suppliers and contacts through Facebook and twitter, and as I am now finding, once the suppliers and peers know about you…..so then do the customers.
I don’t really use paper advertising at all, I have tried it and it just doesn’t work. People buy from people; it is all about that one to one connection you get, that a paper advert can’t give you. I work with my website, blog, Facebook page and twitter and between the 4 of them, they direct people from one to another, informing my customers of things I am doing, new services I am offering, it’s a constant form of updating and keeping yourself relevant to the market.

Technology Cartoon by Andertoons

A few networking fact for you (that I found last year source: Forrester Research)

• Push Marketing = traditional advertising methods, only 14% of people trust this form of marketing
• Pull Marketing = 70% – 90% of people trust recommendations/connections with other people
• Twitter grew 109% more users from last year to this year
• There are currently 350 million Facebook users.
• 25% of all search results for the top 20 brands are links from social media related websites
• If Facebook was a country, it would be the fourth largest country in the world. (This while Facebook is ‘banned’ in China)
• Social Media has taken over the number 1 activity on Internet, pornography.
• 95% of business decision makers worldwide use social networks

The does and Don’ts of Social networking
1) Decide from the start how you want to brand yourself, and stick to it, you need to be consistent in the messages you are giving off otherwise you will confuse your followers.

2) You have to get involved – there is no point setting up a Facebook or twitter account and then not doing anything with them. You have to follow people, talk to people, share information. You don’t have to do it all the time, sometimes logging in once or twice a day is enough to stay on top of it all……but stay active

3) Be professional…be Polite – remember that once your message is out there, it’s out there for good, and you can’t get it back. Be polite at all times and be respectful of other people’s opinions. You are at all-time representing your company and your brand!

4) Show your personality – It’s can’t just be about work, otherwise your followers and fans will get bored! To build up relationships with people just like in any other situation they have to get to know you, and the person behind the brand, so let them into your life. Let them know bits about you……but not too much, remember to stay professional!

5) Don’t spam – don’t send endless messages out to people, and don’t follow endless people on Facebook who don’t know you, just in the hope that they will follow you back.

6) Don’t get someone to do your Social networking for you – people will know it’s not you! – There are a lot of companies out there who will offer to do all you social networking for you, to tweet, update your Facebook status, write you blogs. My advice is don’t. By doing this you lose all element of personality…how can you connect and build relationships with people if it’s not you doing the talking?

7) Be and expert in your field – Give tips and information about your area of expertise, so people can see that you know what you are talking about.

8] Send people to your blog and website when you have new content

See more Technology Cartoons

So I hope you have found that useful! Remember people need to know what you are about, who you are and what your do, so they can buy into what your business is about! Sitting in your office at home day in day out isn’t going to help you, so get out go and meet other likeminded people and get networking!

I’d love to know your experiences with networking and social networking, have you found any really good groups to join, or any really bad ones, what advice can you offer? And what are your experiences with social networking? Good or bad? Waste of time or beneficial to your business?

Come back next week for part 6 Get a website and a blog

Have you missed any of this series? ‘How to become a wedding planner’
Week 1 – Get business advice
Week 2 – Start a wedding planning course
Week 3 – Research your competition & the market around you, find a niche
Week 4 – Create your Brand

(Thank you to www.andertoons.com/ for the illustrations)