One of the many blogs I read is from the owner and lead consultant of Blue Orchid Designs, Liene.  She has two that I read, but on one that gives advice to brides, I found a post that just says it all to me.  The bride was asking if she should hire someone local to her wedding location, or if she should import a reputable planner since the bride herself will be traveling to the destination of her wedding.  Among all the good advice, these three paragraphs struck me:

“A professional wedding planner will also know the dish on everything behind the scenes that you will not find online or from previous brides, so I am a huge proponent of hiring one even just for vendor recommendations (many will offer this service a la carte). With the exception of catering and cosmetology, the wedding industry is largely unregulated. Because of this, vendors run the gamut from being exceptional to well below sub-par. A good wedding consultant can help you find professional vendors who will mesh with your personality, steer you away from ones who will spend the entire wedding day hitting on your bridesmaids instead of doing their job, and give you the peace of mind that you are hiring people who won’t flake on you.

Day-of wedding coordination services entails quite a bit more than just showing up on your wedding day and keeping people on schedule, so the planner’s fee should take that into account. Pricing will vary depending on the market, but definitely keep your radar up for the difference between “a good value” and “too cheap”. Budget now for a good day-of coordinator and then set that money aside (I recommend putting it in an ING account so it is at least working for you during the next few months) so that you have it on hand when it comes time to hire your day-of coordinator and you aren’t tempted to spend it on a second pair of must-have dancing shoes.

Even if you are doing the bulk of the planning, having a professional there on your wedding day to tie up the loose ends means that you and your friends and family can relax and enjoy your day. Being relaxed definitely shows through in your photos and wedding video and makes them a million times better as well. Your guests will also take their cues from you, so if you are enjoying yourself and having fun, they will follow suit. Having a good planner with you on your wedding day is worth every penny. ”

These are all great points that any wedding professional knows, but is hard to articulate at times.  Thanks for saying what I felt Liene! 

I actually hear this question a lot as I constantly have my nose in a book.  I love to read and I always have.  Now while I was growing up, it was all about science fiction/fantasy, now it’s about wedding books and ways to improve my business (although I still sneak in the occasional sci-fi).  So for all the bride’s out there, I though I’d share the wedding books as I go and for all my industry friends, I thought I’d share the biz books.  You’ll notice I now have a “Books I’m reading now” section.  This will change as I move from book to book, but it will at least give you a linky to buy the book. 

I just started Sharon Naylor’s book titled The Bride’s Diplomacy Guide - Solutions to 150 of the Stickiest Dilemmas that Face a Bride-to-Be.  Considering that most of my bride’s have some kind of sticky situation they want advice with, I thought this one might come in handy.  Sharon’s basic rule is to remember who you are, who the people you love are and how to be diplomat with these people you call family and friends.  She talks about how everyone gets caught up in the emotion and if you take a minute to consider your options and how to present things to your loved ones (because only you know them best), you’ll probably find the best way to handle a situation, preserving the relationship but still getting your dream wedding.  She actually does list each of the issues and gives you a full script on what to say and how to say it.  I’m only 30 pages in, but I must say I’m appreciating her approach!