My Wedding Venue Already Has A Coordinator

There’s one assumption that many couples have about their venue when there has been one point person they have been talking to about their wedding. Many times they will assume that is the person or another employee who will be there for their wedding to take care of any issues that come up during the wedding and reception. However, that's not the way it works. 

That employee's first responsibilities are to the venue and probably other events that are taking place in the case of a hotel. There's a good chance that they are also responsible for sales which take place any day of the week. While that person might be checking in periodically, they will not be there for the entire wedding and reception. It's more likely that someone will have to search for them if an issue arises. 

This is one of the reasons why couples don't hire a Wedding Planner. They think that they already have someone to take care of them and any unexpected problems. You hope, but there are no guarantees that they will be there to direct vendors who are making deliveries. They won't be lining everyone up before walking down the aisle. That is what a Wedding Planner would be doing. The venue coordinator is there to take care of the basic foundations of the wedding by directing staff to do their jobs for your event. 

To get more information about the assumptions about weddings that can result in headaches, you can read my book "Wedding Planning Unmasked!"

What Wedding Planners Can Teach Businesses About Millennials

What Wedding Planners Can Teach Businesses About Millennials?

The first thing that comes to my mind is that as Wedding Planners we market primarily to a group that frightens many businesses. Fear comes from not taking the effort to understand something that we don’t know well. 

I have fallen in love with Millennials as a wedding planner and not out of necessity. I admire their thirst for research, their excellent BS meter, their ability to see a much broader picture, and their love of authenticity.

They have access to more information and more rapidly than any previous generation. Not since the 1960s has there been a generation that is more in tune with the state of the world. The more educated Millennials have a great sense of deciphering what is the truth and what is not. 

Authenticity is a word you will hear often from a millennial. They appreciate the real McCoy. They want someone who talks the talk and walks the walk. They will come right up to you and tell you that they admire something about you. I find that it’s usually about the quality of volunteering to make the world a better place or leadership qualities. They don’t want to be talked at. They want to have a conversation. 

People have tagged Millennials as lazy. Can you think of any generation that hasn’t been accused of such along with the generalization that they don’t show any respect? They might not have the same ambitions as their parents did because they learned from what happened to their parents. They saw them work hard only to be discarded through outsourcing or downsizing. Who would want to duplicate those events for themselves?  This leads to Millennials putting a higher priority on seeking employment that is meaningful in a worker-friendly atmosphere. They also had helicopter parents and were also given awards equally just for participating. Those things alone don’t make anyone feel appreciated or confident and leave something missing within themselves. With most of them coming from families where both parents worked, you see them eager to spend quality time with their kids. It’s something they didn’t have. Their parents were working and they were kept so busy with various activities. The pendulum always swings in the opposite direction from what people experience with the previous generation. Usually, it is about time or money. Two of the most valued commodities of which one is usually scarce. 

Millennials often say that their favorite past time is to just hang out at home. With real the wages being stagnant for decades, sometimes that is their only choice. More of their income is going to necessities and as a rule, they are frugal 

If you want to market to Millennials, make it an experience that contributes to their sense of making the world a better place. Pairing up with a charity that blends in with what your business does. Again, if it looks like you are partnering with the trending cause, but it isn’t congruent with what you do as your business, the BS meter’s dial is reaching its maximum reading.

Janis Flagg of Greatest of Days is available locally to give a presentation on marketing to Millennials to business organizations.

Click the link to peek at or purchase the book "Wedding Planning Unmasked!"

Get Ready to Rock Your Wedding Planning!

It finally happened! The manuscript for the book has been submitted to the editor! It has been a labor of love with the goal to educate couples about navigating the waters of wedding planning. It's been an effort to enable consultations that won't begin with "What's your price?" or "What's your budget?" Instead, couples will gain a practical base of knowledge grounded in the reality of what vendors do for couples. It explores what happens below the tip of the iceberg which is where the real work takes place. Couples will feel more focused on what their priorities are and feel prepared before they meet with vendors. They won't be afraid to ask for help in the areas where they want to save money, alleviate stress, or gain back some time.

All vendors will remain anonymous as I wanted them to tell the unfettered truth about what they feel couples should know before a consultation. 

The plan is to have the book available in hardcover and on Kindle. Expect something to be popping up for purchase around the beginning of March 2019.

Planning a Wedding is a Time and Money Balancing Act

Balancing Money and Time to Plan Your Wedding

1.  Truth #1.

The reason why weddings seem so expensive is because there are so many moving parts and elements that need to be put together.  They all cost money.

We all excel at different things and absolutely can't stand other types of chores, jobs, duties, etc.  The same goes for planning a wedding.  Why spend your valuable time on something you hate.  I know that with the DIY craze, it would be easy to fall into that trap that gets bigger and bigger.  The trap that comes from saying, "I can do that myself!"  Yes, maybe you can, but do you love doing it?  If not you're likely to add unnecessary stress.  

2.  Rephrase your stress points.

If you catch yourself saying, "I need to do this" or "I need to do that", rephrase it to "it would be preferable if I did this or that".  Surprisingly, it lowers the priority a little or even makes you think it's not necessary to do the "this or that" at all.

3.  It's okay to let go!

I've read somewhere that the average (usually a bride) spends the equivalent of 7-1/2 weeks of 40-hour work weeks planning a wedding.  That is a lot of time and energy.  It takes some of us longer than others to realize that it's okay to hire some things out and realize we can't possibly come close to being as talented as the professionals in all of the categories we need.

4.  Time Management and Planning.

The things that couples don't realize when they are planning a wedding is that a lot of the DIY projects take place very close to the wedding.  Especially the flowers, making your own cake, etc!  Regarding the flowers, it doesn't matter whether they are of the "wear and carry" or "decor" categories..they take up time when you least have it.  That's not even including the tasks that people procrastinate on, constant interruptions and all the mini celebrations that are taking place at that time.  

5.  You only get married once.  Ideally!

If it's difficult for you to think about hiring tasks out, think again.  You wouldn't expect to be able to put braces on your teeth by yourself.  We hope we only get married once so you shouldn't have to justify handing out some headaches.

6.  Invest where it counts.  Determine your "dreads!" 

You can hire people to do everything from addressing your invitations, keeping track of RSVP's, cleaning up after the wedding, childcare on site at your wedding, theft protection with coat-check companies who will guard your gifts and your guests' possessions.

My biggest suggestion would be to hire a "Day-of Coordinator".  (there really is no such thing which is to your advantage).  A "Day-of Coordinator" actually does most of what a Wedding Planner does except find vendors for you.  You will want to look for one who will contact all of your vendors, verify your contracts to see if your plan actually matches what is in the contract, will tour your venue, conduct a rehearsal (might cost extra) and do their best to inhibit behavior from anyone that could risk you not getting your deposit back.  They will create a realistic timeline so that they day flows smoothly since they know the wedding industry and what the vendors need to do a good job for you.

Wishing you the greatest of days!

Check out our other programs for couples planning a wedding or needing wedding officiating, individuals planning events and businesses who want to market through hosting events.

If You Are the Second Daughter to Get Married, You're Lucky!

If you are the second daughter to get married in a family, to a certain extent, you will benefit from all the lessons learned from the first wedding.  The rude awakening is that no two weddings are alike.  With sisters, often their weddings are polar opposites.  I understand perfectly why that is.  I have a sister!

I've noticed something about people who hire wedding planners.  What would that be? At some point in the initial consultation with a parent, they will say, "This time.....!" That is usually followed by we are not going to be having a stressful day and do everything ourselves.

I had one mother say all she wanted to do was to shop for a dress that she liked, and the next thing would be to sit down at the wedding!  That's pretty much what happened. The bride and groom were reluctant to hire a wedding planner and then she said, "Then it's going to be your wedding gift!"  They thought that she should save that money for something else for the wedding.  Within a month of being hired, they said it was the best decision they made!  That same couple along with their father mentioned me during the toasts, thanked me and said that they never could have had their wedding without me. Her father recommended that other people with upcoming weddings use my services.  I was so thrilled and taken aback.  I was also very tired!  It was an outdoor wedding on a very hot August day!  

I will never forget that moment, and it has kept me sane through the "not so pleasant" bridezilla types--which I won't even take on or keep as clients anymore.  They are out the door!

Cherish the good memories, right?

Wishing you the greatest of days!

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Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day and Valentine's Day Are...

It's Valentine's Day 2015 and romance is in the air.  More people get engaged from Thanksgiving through Valentine's Day than any other time of the year.  These days are often associated with a gathering of friends and family or as with Valentine's Day a day of special attention paid to the love of someone's life.  Have you ever wondered why so many wedding shows take place from January through March?  Well, that's the reason!

One thing that I would warn people about getting married on Valentine's Day, is that you can expect to pay through your teeth for roses on your Valentine's Day wedding.  I just saw something on the news about tulips replacing roses as a favorite flower for Valentine's Day.  That's a very good decision since they are in-season around Valentine's Day.

Wishing you the Greatest of Days!

Make it Easier for Guests to Find Their Place Cards

Place Card Distribution Table

Have you ever been to a wedding and when it is time to transition to the reception, you have to get in a huge line to find your name and then find your seat?

Here are some tips to make this process go more smoothly.

1.  Have signage behind or above the table that shows how you have the place cards organized.  *Whether you choose to alphabetize them by first or last name, you'll find that you'll have a lot more of one letter due to many family members attending.  Just play with the adjustment to reflect your specific guest list.  Preferably, divide the table into 4 segments.  It usually works very well to make your divisions relatively equal if you group the place cards by A-E, F-L, M-R and S-Z.

2.  Show the divisions between the sections of the alphabet.   On a table, you could even use rose petals to show where different letters begin.  The diagram below represents a ribbon or garland creating the divisions between the alphabetical groupings.

3.  Don't just put up the alphabetical divisions on a sign.  *Make it extremely clear by signage that the names are organized alphabetically by  first names or last names whichever you have chosen. The whole purpose is to make it easier to navigate quickly from the place card table to their assigned table and/or seat.

4.  You can use a round or rectangular table.  Some venues have large bulletin boards on the walls which are perfect if they are big enough to see from a distance and in a convenient location to the reception dining area.  You can make the alphabetical category signs large which are helpful to guests as they are standing in line.  Hopefully the lines will be shorter if they can quickly identify where their place card is.

5.  Below is just one example of how you could design a round table for place cards.  Please excuse the quality of the design due to time constraints.   You can get creative on the signage which should be elevated.  In this case the design calls for a centerpiece.  More people can navigate around a round table.

Wishing you the greatest of days!

Greatest of Days

Wedding/Event Planning and Design

Non-Denominational Wedding Officiating

As of January 2015 we will have a series of podcasts available on 52 different topics to help couples plan their wedding.  Be on the look out for "We're Engaged! Now What?"   We will be developing not only a series of podcasts but also webinars, tele-seminars, videos and live workshops.  We are using all of these methods because people learn in different ways!  Some people learn visually, by listening or having a hands-on workshop.  We will be developing at a later date private coaching programs.   Look up our special Facebook page "We're Engaged! Now What?" 

Mistakes That Will Increase Your Wedding Costs, Part 5

Mistakes That Will Increase Your Wedding Costs, Part 5

"Weddings and Media Influence, Unrealistic Dreams-  Maybe Not!"

We can all dream as much as we want.  You and I both know how extravagant the shows on TV portray weddings.  Perhaps you can afford to do the same at your wedding, but chances are that your budget is far less that what you see is available for a TV production.

1.  Don't feel bad if you can't afford everything you want.  Just like they say in interior design, "If you give a limited budget to a designer, you will see them sweat genius!"   Creativity does wonderful things and who doesn't like a challenge when you hear, "Sorry, it's outside of your budget!" 

2.  DIY can be the costliest way to go!  You really owe it to yourself to explore further options.  If you really hate the feel of paper, why should you torture yourself with making your invitations?  Also, without knowing what other options are, you should at least compare prices from various suppliers or vendors to see what will give you the biggest bargain.  Often, time and money are both difficult things to come by in the amounts you need for planning a wedding so measure the value of both.

3.  Here's a important story for you!  In 2008, during the economy's rush to the bottom, many couples decided to "just have a backyard wedding" because it would be cheaper.  Research showed that during that time, the travel and hospitality industry was being hit especially hard.  I was approached numerous times by hotels which ordinarily would not even want to touch weddings, and they literally begged for the wedding business!  Their corporate meetings were taking a skydive and people could get some amazing packages at hotels during that time for weddings.  

The reverse side of that was finding out that families with the backyard weddings, who "saved money on food" were working their fingers to the bone and emptying their pockets with every move they made in preparations for the wedding.  There seems to be an unavoidable urge to do more than host a wedding.  For example I heard people who would  get new carpet, paint the interior and/or exterior of the house, re-do the guest bedroom, re-landscape the yard and even put on a new roof!  The thought of all that stress on top of planning a wedding makes me cringe.  I've been through both!  Saving money was the goal.  People would say, "At least the house is nice now!"   I just hope they aren't too exhausted to enjoy it!

4.  Something great things you should take from the shows!  Have you noticed that they often end up with weddings in some really unusual venues?  In the wedding industry, we can take entire classes on holding events at unique venues!  Doing this meets two common goals for a wedding.  Most people want something that hasn't been done before and often they are less expensive than standard venues.

5.  Don't be afraid to ask for even a little bit of help from a Wedding Planner!  Many Wedding Planners have specific planning packages that involve a consultation and then researching for particular vendor categories that you are tearing your hair out trying to find.  It is one of the least expensive ways to get help from a Wedding Planner.

6.  Set your priorities and stick with them.  If you absolutely fall in love with one particular idea you obtain from a TV show, by all means see if it fits within your priorities and try adopt that idea for your wedding.  You can put less emphasis on the things that don't matter to you.  

7.  I have to repeat this advice from my other blog posts!  Don't be afraid to check out ice sculptures.  If you have one that makes an amazing statement, you won't need much else as far as decor.  You might even be able to get less expensive centerpieces by having a small ice sculpture than flowers!  What if you did you table numbers in ice with some LED lights in your wedding colors lighting up the middle of the banquet tables for your guests to enjoy?  They're just water, so that is why they aren't as expensive as you would think.  Sure it takes some amazing skills, but you owe it to yourself to learn about ice sculptures.

Wishing you the greatest of days!

Greatest of Days has been planning weddings and officiating weddings since 2007.  From 2011-2014 Greatest of Days was nominated for "Best Wedding Planner" in the King 5 Best of Western Washington Contest.

Feel free to go to our Greatest of Days website and find a hidden planning tip on each page of our website!

Mistakes That Will Increase Your Wedding Costs, Part 2

Mistakes That Will  Increase Your Wedding Costs, Part 2

"InDeCiSiOn"

This is something that can happen to anyone planning a wedding.  Most people would apply this behavior with the "Bridezilla" but there's a new term called "Chillzilla" (one who claims they don't really care or will say yes to anything).  I don't particularly like the latter term because this implies that they are temperamental, spineless or moody, and that's usually not the case.  So I will would prefer to create a completely different term for a bride or groom who displays this behavior...someday when I have time.   

There are two types of clients that can make wedding planning difficult.

1.  Bridezillas/Groomzillas who know what they want and do not want to accept the fact that their budget doesn't allow for everything they want.  When they become angry and blame everyone else for "destroying their dream", they tend to think that everyone should make an exception for them while not caring if a vendor would go out of business doing it!

2.  Bless or not bless their hearts, (temporarily called Chillzillas) but there are those just don't know what they want or can't decide between all of the options.  It's understandable, but when a bride or groom say, "I don't really care", that leaves us without a place to even start. This also can be expensive because time lost is money lost.  It can lead to changing one's mind a lot, too.  That doesn't make anyone happy!

My initial consultation form subtly lets me now what a client's personality type is.  That helps me help a client.  It also goes into style preferences, priorities and how they want to remember their wedding as well as their guests.  Once this indecisive client becomes comfortable with the fact that they do care more than they thought and aren't afraid to state what they want, the rest of the journey is easy!

Below, you will get something I don't just share with anyone!  Please let me know if this helps YOU!  This is one page from my initial consultation form.  I suggest that you choose among the following what is most important to you and rank them from 1-5 as to their importance to both of you as a couple.

Level of Importance     most <----------->least	Wedding and Reception Choices in Alphabetical Order
1    2     3      4      5	Alcohol
1    2     3      4      5	Attendant’s Dresses
1    2     3      4      5	Cake
1    2     3      4      5	Dancing
1    2     3      4      5	Decorations
1    2     3      4      5	DJ
1    2     3      4      5	Entertainment
1    2     3      4      5	Favors
1    2     3      4      5	Flowers for Aisle, Altar
1    2     3      4      5	Flowers for Tables
1    2     3      4      5	Flowers To Carry
1    2     3      4      5	Flowers To Wear
1    2     3      4      5	Food
1    2     3      4      5	Hair and Makeup
1    2     3      4      5	Honoring those who have passed away
1    2     3      4      5	Invitations and Save the Dates
1    2     3      4      5	Musicians/Vocalists
1    2     3      4      5	Photo Booth
1    2     3      4      5	Photography
1    2     3      4      5	Slide Show
1    2     3      4      5	Table Decorations
1    2     3      4      5	Transportation ( i.e. Limo, classic car, horse-drawn carriage, etc.)
1    2     3      4      5	Tuxedos
1    2     3      4      5	Veil
1    2     3      4      5	Venue
1    2     3      4      5	Videography
1    2     3      4      5	Wedding Dress
1    2     3      4      5
1    2     3      4      5
1    2     3      4      5
1    2     3      4      5
1    2     3      4      5

Feel free to go to our Greatest of Days website and find a hidden planning tip on each page of our website!

As always....

Wishing you the greatest of days!

Vote for us in the Best of Western Washington Contest in the Wedding Planner Category! Thank you!