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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We’re so excited to welcome yet another member into the PRO Hive, the fabulous wedding and floral designer Kate Parker.  Kate creates some of the most elegant New England affairs, and even planned our own Emilie Sommers’ St. John nuptials.  She has tons of advice and inspiration to share, so please help me in giving her a warm hive welcome!

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Hello Weddingbee PRO readers!

I am so excited to be blogging with such a fabulous group of wedding vendors!  I hope I can provide some inspiration and insight into the wedding industry to help you plan your weddings.  Now for a little bit about KPW and me….

Kate Parker Weddings was founded officially in 2003, and we started as a small boutique day-of coordination firm.  After our first and only 2003 NYC client, we realized that most brides looking to New England as a destination wedding location needed much more than day-of coordination, so we started offering full coordination only and the company grew and grew.  We now offer full floral and event design services, paper products, welcome baskets, rentals, lounge furniture, lighting and music entertainment services.  Sort of a one-stop shop really.  I actually graduated from UNH with a degree in voice performance - go figure.

So with my experience on the operatic stage from college, I thought “brides can’t be any worse than sopranos” , and the business was launched soon thereafter.  I absolutely love the wedding industry, helping brides navigate through the stress and come out with a beautiful event to celebrate the joining of two people.  Doesn’t really get any better than that.

I hope you enjoy our blog posts and photos!  Here are some pictures from a recent event on Great Diamond Island!

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I can’t wait to share more about destination weddings, but before I do that I’m thrilled to announce that couples who are planning a destination wedding finally have their own planner and resource guide.

Alison Hotchkiss, one of the most talented and resourceful event planners, has written a wedding planner just for couples who are planning a destination wedding. When I think of someone who really knows her stuff about a destination wedding, I instantly think of Alison. In fact, when we bumped into each other over the winter, I asked her about planning events in Mexico, and she shared her vast knowledge of the complications and challenges with me.

Her book, Destination Wedding Planner by Chronicle Books hit bookstores in mid March. If you happen to be planning a destination wedding, this wonderful resource is the perfect planner with resourceful tips and appropriate insights.

Thank you Alison for sharing this with our readers!

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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I’m talking about another McCain -Stacy McCain.  It’s been a pleasure to have worked with Stacy McCain and I’m thrilled to announce that she has started her own event and wedding planning business. HOORAY! Good for her.

Stacy is a darling person with a great personality. Her classic iconic weddings and events are refreshing in a world of over the top wedding and events(nothing wrong with over the top but it’s nice to see someone with restraint). Don’t you think?

Stacy is available for wedding coordination and event planning. Please take a look at her absolutely stunning, refreshing, sweet website!

Enjoy!

PS-Aren’t the images by Alex Johnson beautiful?

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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The afterglow of the engagement has begun to wane and reality sets in: you have a wedding to plan!! Although most brides are excited to dream up ideas for their big day, many are daunted by the task of planning, designing and coordinating one of the biggest parties of their lives. After all, this is probably the first (and hopefully the only!) wedding you will ever plan. It’s at this point that many people decide to enlist the guidance and expertise of a wedding planner. In honor of what many people believe to be the hottest engagement season of the year (the holidays!), I thought I’d write up a little post on how you should go about picking the perfect planner for YOU.

1) The sooner the better. I strongly recommend hiring a planner as early in the process as possible. A great planner will be able to assist you with key initial tasks like drawing up a realistic budget, scouting for the perfect venue, and providing you with personalized referrals for the best vendors around. Also, if you intend to utilize a planner for event design, you will want them around as you begin considering palettes, floral designs, etc. Once you decide you want a wedding planner (or even a coordinator) on-board, begin researching fab ones in your area.

2) Make a list of your “wants.” What exactly do you want your planner to do for you? Make a list of basic duties you’d like to delegate to him/her. This will help you as you research local options and sort through their lists of services. A key question to consider is: How involved do you want your planner to be in the design of the wedding day? Do you need a creative visionary to shower you with unique, custom-tailored ideas and personalized service? Or do you see yourself just needing an industry “insider” as a sounding board for your own ideas? Having a clear picture of what you want your planner to do will help you find him/her!
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When some brides initially contact me, they’re not sure if they’re looking for a coordinator or a planner. I thought I’d use this post to explain how I *personally* distinguish between the two!

A wedding planner is a seasoned professional who can confidently guide you through the entire wedding planning process. From engagement to the grand exit, they are your experienced guides in the world of all things wedding! Although there are levels of service you can commission with a wedding planner, most will assist you (at least to some degree) with venue selection, vendor referrals, production of a detailed checklist of things to do, production of a detailed day-of timeline and communication with all vendors leading up to the big day. They help you plot the course down the aisle and are there to answer questions all along the way. Often a wedding planner will also have a hand in event design. They will proffer ideas and inspiration for the “look and feel” of your event and help you secure vendors who will contribute to that cohesive vision.

A wedding coordinator, by contrast, is not necessarily deeply involved with the wedding plans. Their primary function is to facilitate a smooth-running event on the wedding day itself. They often jump into the picture a month or so before the wedding to gather key information and create a timeline. They may help you iron out final details and contact your vendors to confirm contract obligations. On the day-of, they run the show and ensure that things go according to plan.

Many times people will use the terms coordinator & planner interchangeably. It is somewhat understandable, as a wedding planner is always a wedding coordinator. BUT, a wedding coordinator is not always a wedding planner. It’s important to determine what your needs and desires are before you begin contacting potential planners/coordinators. Make sure that your “wants” line up with what is being offered. This also ensures that you are comparing apples to apples once you price out a few options.
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When I first became a wedding planner, I had a lot of friends and family members approach me with quizzical looks. “What exactly do you do as a wedding planner??” They were either genuinely curious OR still coming to grips with my crazy life/career change ;-), but either way I was happy to answer their questions. First, here are a few replies to FAQs.

How much do you actually work?
I work a lot, but it never feels like work. It sounds cliché, but it’s true! I spend hours each day answering emails, researching vendors and obtaining quotes for clients, and drafting various paperwork (e.g. time lines, checklists, inspiration cheat-sheets for other vendors). I probably am on the computer a minimum of 5 hours a day. The rest of the time I am typically in my car, driving to client & vendor meetings all around southern California. Other times you will find me sourcing the perfect ribbon in downtown LA, assembling programs and paper goods for clients, or touring new venues and vendor showrooms. On an actual wedding day, I spend a minimum of 12 hours working (set up, event, tear down). It averages around 16, although I have done amazing weddings (with very intense set-ups) that have kept me on my feet for 22 hours from start to finish.

What hours do you keep?
I try to stick to a 9a to 6p schedule (during the week) as much as possible. I work from home (and love it!), so it is tempting to scoot over in front of the TV and just hang out instead of work. But, I want to have time to be with friends, keep my home looking lovely and cook dinner each night. So, I really try to stay on top of my work during the day. Erik and I spend at least an hour just “hanging out” each night. Once that is done and my dishes are put away, I like to sneak in another hour or two of emails. That said, I do not consider myself a 40-hour-a-week kinda girl. So much of my job is wrapped up in my loves/hobbies that it’s really difficult to feel like I’m slaving away when I’m surrounded by flowers and fabrics and all things beautiful.
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