Weddingbee PRO

Today, I wanted to answer a question received by a lovely Weddingbee PRO reader.  She wrote:

As an aspiring wedding coordinator, I'd like to know what the best approach to take is when building those first relationships with vendors.  Also, how did you know what to charge for your services when you were a “newbie?”

Thank you for your question! I am more than happy to give you my take on the issue.

When I first started out as a wedding planner, I made the conscious decision not to join any industry organizations or associations. This was a personal choice that I still uphold to this day, but one many might disagree with.  Although I opted not to join any of these organizations, I do hear from some industry peers that they used their memberships to jump-start their networking in the industry.  When you start your business, you want to put your name out there as much as possible.  This means making vital connections with other vendors, getting links and mentions on wedding blogs and generally creating a “buzz.”  When you join an organization, you gain access into networking events, seminars and mixers that will allow you to meet a variety of vendors.  Access leads to opportunities to build relationships. Relationships lead to buzz!

With all that said, I still decided to forego joining those organizations.  My networking path was unique because I chose to build personal and purposeful relationships with individual vendors on my own.  I started with the vendors I worked with on my first weddings.  I made sure to go the extra mile in terms of communication and service to them.  I also would follow-up with emails after the event, thanking them for their work.  Often times there would be an instant “click” with the vendor while working on the event, and I knew that we'd be fast friends from that point on. 

My initial experience with Nate and Jac of The Image Is Found is the perfect example.  I worked with them for the first time in the fall of 2006.  We were an ideal vendor match in terms of style and target clientèle.  We naturally wanted to work together as much as possible after that, so we began to get together for lunches, email back and forth and build our relationship.  When we refer each other to our clients it comes naturally, because we already have such a strong foundation with each other.  I know and love them and their work, and I think it goes both ways.  It just works out!
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Hellooo, lovely readers! I'm back from an unexpected hiatus. due to some technical issues with my blog, I wasn't able to post for the past week or so. To apologize for the blog drought, I've returned with a photo-heavy recap of a fabulous wedding I did at the end of 2008. I hope it satisfies your desire for eye candy this Friday!

I met Tran and Peter at a local coffee bean (mmm! English breakfast tea lattes are my favorite!), and we clicked right away (you know the story, right? girl meets coordinator, coordinator and girl fall mutually in adoration with each other…)! Tran envisioned a joyful, unique wedding day filled with bright and cheerful colors and florals. Her style keywords included modern, creative, and happy. Instead of embracing a rigid color palette, we went for a delicious mix of tropical fruit colors. Lime and grass greens were mixed with shades of fuchsia, lemon yellow and tangerine. I think the overall look and feel of the day perfectly aligned with Tran's initial vision. We enlisted some fab vendors and had a beautiful day!! Here's a glimpse at what transpired, thanks to two of my favorite people (and photographers!!) on the planet, Nate and Jac Kaiser of the image is found:

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Hello, dear readers! I am still trying to catch up on all the fun posts I have up my sleeves. Today I wanted to share some fun & fresh imagery from the surprise 60th birthday party we threw in early February for my beautiful, inspiring, wonderful mother-in-law, Del.

Erik is the baby of the family (and the only boy in his generation! All female cousins!!) and has two fabulous older sisters. The two of them, along with the two of us + Erik's aunt (Del's younger sister), planned a well-deserved party to celebrate and honor Del's special day. Del is the best mother-in-law you could ever imagine. She is also such a delightful person, I just feel blessed to have her in my life! She is always the type of person who wants to give and serve and love others, and she rarely takes the time to treat herself. So a big surprise party celebrating her was in order, wouldn't you say? We all had a great time putting together a chic cocktail party at Simon LA at the Sofitel Hotel in Los Angeles.

We used the hip outdoor (covered) lounge area as our backdrop. The existing furniture has a lot of ocean blue tones, so we decided to embrace the hue as a key color in our palette. I loove poppy orange with blue, so we threw that into the mix for a fun look. Pure white rounded out our color scheme. Add swank food, nostalgic desserts and 40 of Del's closest friends… and you get this fab party!

Enjoy these lovely photos courtesy of my dear friend, the talented & totally awesome Michael Norwood. Michael is one of my favorite people to work with because he is SO.MUCH.FUN and he always delivers beautiful images. Michael: thank you for being a part of this special day with my family!! We loved having you there!

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I'm fairly predictable when it comes to my sleep patterns. I like to retire between midnight and 2 a.m., and get up around 8-9 a.m. So on any given day, you would be safe to bet that at 4 a.m., I am somewhere deep in dreamland, snuggled under the covers. Well, unless you made that bet last Wednesday. On that particular morning I forsook the warm haven of my bed to meet my very best friend, Kristin of The Treasured Petal, at the LA flower mart! It was not my first time visiting, but I wanted the opportunity to scope out the mart with a seasoned pro. I wanted to see Kris in her element! That and I can never pass up an opportunity to see Krissy, even if it is at 4 a.m. We live nearly 60 miles apart and it is absolutely excruciating!! haha

I dressed quickly, grabbing some comfy boots, skinny jeans and a long pima cotton sweater for warmth. It only took 8 minutes for me to get downtown!! Amazing! I looove driving late at night or early in the morning, when it's dark and quiet and almost otherworldly in the emptiness. I think we're so used to the hustle and bustle in LA that moments of silence can be uncomfortable. But me? I embrace it. I relish it. I roll down the windows, turn up the music and fly down the road!

After parking (for free!) on a nearby street, I met Krissy at the entrance. We spent nearly 2 hours roaming, inspecting, admiring and purchasing! Kris had a shopping list ready for a small wedding this weekend, and I had my hopes up for finding some fun, colorful blooms for my home. I am no florist and wouldn't dare try to pass myself off as one, but I have a deep love of flowers and a pretty strong floral knowledge. I know what looks good together and I enjoy assembling my own arrangements for the home. Here's a photo tour of some beauties that caught my eye!

a blurry pic I snapped as I ran across the street after parking. it's still dark as night…

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Happy March, beautiful readers! This year is off to a great start, to say the least. March is one of my favorite months of the year, due in no small part to my birthday. I'm looking forward to some lovely upcoming celebrations…

So I return bearing more good news. More accurately, I have THRILLING, fabulous, utterly fantastic news. The title says it all, but here is the full disclosure…

I am elated to announce that my mother's opulent, luxurious, detail-laden wedding was PUBLISHED! How exciting, right?? I got the news only a few days ago, and was able to pick up the magazine over the weekend. Check your local newsstand for Issue 5 (spring 2009) of Ines del Mar Weddings and turn to p.112 for four (yes, four!) pages of Trista Lerit's delicious imagery! The wedding was submitted by my fab friend in the biz, ultra-talented florist Camilla Svensson-Burns. She never heard back from the magazine but heard through the grapevine that it had made it into the issue! Crazy! The magazine showcases absolutely gorgeous events, and Mom's is the only California real wedding in the issue. Mom & Raj were so delighted! Anna & I also make an appearance on p. 11 for a cute family photo. I will try to get some scans for you later this week, but here's a pic of the cover of this issue:

If you missed the original post on my mom's wedding, you can see all the gorgeousness HERE.

Hope you all are having a fabulous week so far! xoxo, Angel

We all know that I am a strong advocate of brides hiring a wedding planner and/or coordinator for their big day.  But, I still find that many brides instead opt to rely solely on their site manager, or venue coordinator for this role. In some cases you will be lucky: your venue coordinator could be a self-motivated, enthusiastic, cheerful go-getter who is happy to help you with anything you need. On the other hand, you could get the exact opposite: someone who simply collects contracts and deposits, issues permits and regulations, and is chomping at the bit to chip away at your security deposit. Yikes!

Here are some helpful questions you might want to pose to your on-site coordinator before you sign on the dotted line. Having this information in advance may help you clarify duties and roles, determine the need for a coordinator, and avoid misunderstandings and disappointment further down the road…

{ About the Venue }

• What is the food and beverage minimum? What common costs are not included in this minimum? (Some examples include site rental fees, rental costs for items like chairs and linens, cake cutting fees, corkage if you are bringing in your own liquor, service charges, etc.)
• How many hours are included in my rental block? Does that include or exclude hours for set-up and tear down?
• What is the earliest time that my vendors can arrive on-site?
• When do you need to see tail lights at the end of the night for guests? For vendors?
• Are candles allowed? What are the restrictions, if any?
• Is a fire permit required? If so, who do I contact to acquire it?
• Does the site require me to purchase liability insurance? Do my vendors need to carry insurance? If so, which ones and for what amount?
• Does the site require my vendors to sign any sort of waiver or list of restrictions?
• Do you have a list of restrictions for allowed & prohibited décor items (e.g. rose petals, rice, tape and nails, etc.)?
• Are there ample restroom facilities for my guest count? Do I need to bring any additional restrooms in on my own? (**Note: FABULOUS restroom trailers with running water, flushing toilets, marble countertops and plasma TVs exist. Seriously…)
• Is there a kitchen area for the catering company? Do you have any refrigerators, stoves, ovens, etc. that we are or aren't allowed to use? (**Note: Renting your own kitchen set-up can become very expensive very quickly. Make sure you check with your caterer on their needs as well, so you aren't hit with surprise rental fees later.)
• Is there a place I can get ready? (**Note: Ask about spaces for the bride *and* groom. It's nice to have an area for the men to hang out before the ceremony, too!)

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One of the first things I do when I sign with new clients is create their customized wedding checklist. Whether we have 1 month or 1 year leading up to the big day, it is vital that we map out a game plan for our time together. I want to help them anticipate everything they'll need to book, decide, plan and create for their wedding! My checklist takes the form of a table, with tasks in one column, and a suggested calendar due date in the second column. The checklist is constantly updated as we cross items off the list together. I know you can easily find a dozen useful checklists online with a quick search, so I won't be redundant here. Instead, I thought I'd share some key checklist items that many lists leave off. These may or may not be applicable for your own wedding, but hopefully it will inspire you to customize your own personalized checklist of things to do!

• Block rooms for wedding guests @ local hotels: Do this as soon as you book your venue. Ask specifically for “courtesy blocks,” which do not penalize you for rooms that are not booked. Instead, the held rooms are released on a certain date if they are not booked by your guests.
• Book a room for “getting ready” as well as one for your wedding night!
• Buy all of your wedding day accessories: This includes your veil, hair piece(s), jewelry, shoes, undergarments, etc. Don't try to find the perfect bra the week of your wedding; trust me on this one. You might also consider getting gel insoles (or my favorite: Foot Petals) for your shoes. Allow plenty of time to break in your shoes as well.
• Schedule a site walkthrough with your coordinator or planner. Even if you are not hiring your own wedding planner, make sure you schedule a site walkthrough with your venue coordinator or catering manager. This meeting is vital for determining the layout of the room, seating arrangements, and placement of key items like your cake, DJ or band, guest book, escort cards, etc.
• Have a centerpiece mock up with your florist. Many florists include this as part of your package, while others may charge a nominal fee (often 50% of the centerpiece price) for it. Double-check your contract and set this up a month or two prior to the wedding. If you do it too early, the right flowers may not be in season. If you do it too late, you run the risk of not giving the florist enough time to do another mock up and/or change their order with their growers! Regardless of how much you adore your florist, I think a mock up is essential. It will either a) confirm that you and your florist are on the page with the wedding vision and give you priceless peace of mind OR b) reveal that clarifications and adjustments need to be made and save you disappointment on your wedding day.

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Hello, dear readers!! Thank you for your patience with my lack of posting.  I have been very busy with a few secret projects that I will be sure to share with you all soon. For now, let's jump right back into the swing of things…

We are sooo overdue for another installment of Fab Finds.  Recently I've been chatting with a lot of my clients about personalizing their ceremonies by using unique, somewhat unexpected and completely custom-tailored music. Although there is something very elegant about using the traditional tunes à la Wagner and Pachelbel, I love hearing something fresh as a bride walks down the aisle. It's a fantastic way to infuse your wedding day with your personalities and tastes!

For my own wedding back in 2005, I used a fun mix of songs I love. The parents + bridal party walked in to “One Hand, One Heart” from West Side Story. I chose the ultra-romantic “All I Ask of You” by Andrew Lloyd Webber (from Phantom of the Opera - my favorite musical of all time) for my own teary entrance. We sang a beloved hymn during the ceremony: “Be Thou My Vision.” After we had sealed the deal with a kiss, I fulfilled a childhood fantasy by recessing to “Wouldn't It Be Nice” by The Beach Boys. Amazing and so much fun! Although we had a string quartet play the show tunes + hymn, I opted to play the Beach Boys tune off of a CD. The lyrics are so sweet!

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Hello, dear readers! 2009 has been utterly AMAZING so far. I cannot wait to share all that is in store for L&S this year with all of you! For now, I still have a handful of fabulous 2008 weddings to blog. I thought I'd kick off with this blast from the past…

Alina and Michael were wed in April at the stunning St. Vincent Catholic Church in Los Angeles, and followed up their traditional mass with a beautiful blush-toned party at the Westin Pasadena. (Many kudos to Michael, for being such a laid-back groom. Lesser men would tremble at the thought of such a pink-hued event, but not Michael!) Alina and I were instant friends. Not only did we bond over our shared Hapa heritage, we just felt so at ease with one another. Our meetings were filled with so much laughter!! I love this girl to pieces and am so pleased to share these lovely photos of her day with you!

Deep thanks are in order for the wonderful Mike & Emi of Evoke Photography for their talented imagery. I love working with this duo; they create gorgeous work every.single.time.

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I am thrilled to share these dreamy photos with you from a wedding I planned & coordinated last September at the breathtaking Adamson House in Malibu. Rose and I connected in July and we planned the entire shindig in 7 weeks! The vision was for a casual yet elegant affair by the sea. The priorities: great food, a sense of ease and fun, and a killer view. Everything fell into place beautifully on the big day and it was a joy to see the culmination of our plans in such a short span of time. I have planned a number of complete weddings in under 2 months. It just goes to prove that where there's a will, there really is a way.

Many thanks to Rose & Rod for inspiring me with their beautiful and tender relationship. I have a lot of lovey, affectionate couples, but Rose & Rod take the cake. Watching them interact made me grateful for what I have in my own life. It moved me. Their love was palpable and evident to everyone around them. I think each guest was deeply impacted by witnessing their powerful bond. I bet you (reader) can even feel a bit of that love just looking at these photos. seriously…how blessed am I to do this for a living??

All photos are courtesy of the talented duo Marlin & Marlene Munoz. they are a dream to work with: easy going, passionate about their work, and able to produce stunning images like these…

Perfect lighting at Surfriders Beach. rRse's romantic bouquet of red roses & a collar of magnolia leaves was crafted by Weddingbee PRO Kristin of The Treasured Petal.
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