Friday, June 10, 2016

#SMPWedding101 – Secrets Your Planner Wants You to Know

In the throes of wedding planning, it may seem like you’re fighting an uphill battle, that every vendor is out for more money, pushing their own agenda. But it’s not true! Step out of the madness and read these wise, kind words from Bluebird Productions, an event planning crew that’s here for YOU. We all need a breath of fresh air every once in awhile and these little reminders from the pros will do just the trick.

1. You’ll catch a lot more bees with honey than vinegar!

This saying rings true in every element of life. Be gracious towards your vendors. Appreciate the effort they are going through to make your day as perfect as possible. Yes, it is our job to fulfill your contract but going above and beyond is that much easier for vendors when they are treated with kindness and respect. You may even get a little extra centerpiece, an extra service, or even extra time onto your band or photography contract, if you do just this.

2. Give us a reason to be invested!

We love hearing about your plans (even the minute ones like why you’ve selected a detail or what is happening at your dress fitting). If we can personally connect on the details, we care even more about your wedding and will take the extra steps to give you an even better day.

3. Something will go wrong. It always does.

That is no secret. You may know about it. You may not. We’ll do everything we can to make sure that you don’t know about any hiccups that arise. But even so, remember that in all likelihood, only you and I will know what that wrong item is. We recommend that you do not share that something went missing, that the guest book is in a different location, etc with your guests. A relaxed and happy hostess means happy guests! A tense hostess means tense guests.

4. We like you! We really do.

We are here to make your day as perfect as possible and not sabotage your wedding for the fun of it. We do this job because we genuinely care. If you break down our fee, you’ll really start to realize this is a job about passion and care versus trying to take advantage of “weddings.”

5. This isn’t our first rodeo. Trust us!

Yes, we know you were your sister’s Maid of Honor and have been in a million weddings. Trust that we know what we’re doing and won’t select “ugly” or unsightly things for you. We won’t set you up for failure. We know and look at all details down to what type of fixture the audio visual company is using. We use our years of experience to make sure your day, and the guest experience, is as flawless as possible.

6. Weddings cost a lot of money!

No secret but here’s the secret: we don’t try to make extra money “just because” it’s a wedding. Flowers are expensive. Greenery is expensive too. Staffing is expensive as you want staff that actually provides a high level of service versus staff that does the bare minimum. Clients want the best on their big day and the selections they often make are more expensive than they would for a dinner party. I promise, we’re not trying to take advantage of the fact that weddings are a “big industry.”

7. Select vendors that inspire you. Then, let go!

Let the vendor do their job and make the magic happen for you. A band isn’t going to put on their best performance if they only play a playlist you give them. You’ve hired them to play amazing music and for their talent to read a crowd, engage the crowd and modify. Of course, direction is fine and by all means, tell them your preferences. Just please don’t micromanage – it doesn’t get you anywhere. Don’t hire a florist who specializes in loose organic arrangements and ask that they create tight rosettes for you. If you want a certain style of anything (band, stationer, floral designer, rentals), hire the best person or company you can afford and that is available in the style you would like. Just because a vendor is “amazing,” doesn’t mean they are amazing at everything. Select your vendors based on their specialty and don’t force them into something they are not.

8. We want you to be honest with us!

Chances are that we’ve already had “our big day.” You won’t offend us if you don’t like a shade of blue or pink we suggest in a design concept or a type of paper we suggest for your stationery. Unfortunately, we cannot read your mind if you don’t tell us. So, tell us you love something. Tell us you hate something. It may not be our personal taste but it is YOUR wedding, not ours. We promise we won’t like you any less because you like something different than we do.

9. Everyone is a little bit crazy!

There is no such thing as a normal family! We’ve seen it all and won’t judge you because families are, well, family! Abnormal is normal. Crazy mother-in-laws, crazy parents, crazy sisters…. honestly, it makes the process a bit more fun for us. Embrace the craziness!

10. We want to get to know you!

It’s not just about “select option A, B or C.” We are here to make your day as reflective as “YOU” as possible but we can’t do that without getting to know you. Please give us this opportunity. We’re not trying to replace your sister/best friend/mom, but we don’t want to bug you with revision after revision if we can’t get an understanding of “that’s not really me” because we haven’t really gotten to know you.

The SMP Wedding Planning Timeline
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The SMP Wedding Planning Timeline
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ONGOING GIVEAWAYS + DISCOUNTS…  

Charming Charlie 
Framebridge
Animoto
The Registry at Bloomingdale’s trip to Florence
Wedding Paper Divas

We’re excited to share that Shine invitations is currently offering FREE SHIPPING on orders over $500 (US orders only) as well as a free sample kit featuring the invitation of your choice, color charts, paper samples, and an example Save the Date! Don’t miss out!

THIS WEEK’S DISCOUNTS…

For our California Brides… Discounts from The Ranch at Laguna Beach and Weddings by Susan Dunne, and giveaway from Magnolia Weddings!

For our Destination Brides… Discount from Hitch’d Weddings & Events

For our Southeast Brides… Don’t miss Lovely Charleston’s Grand Opening Party on June 17th!

For our Tri-state Brides… Discount from Femina Photo + Design and don’t miss the Lela Rose Trunk Show at Gabriella New York (June 23 – 26)!

Additionally, we have not one but TWO giveaways for our Tri-State Brides: The Duchess and OLLI STUDIO!

Vault CTA

Vault CTA

Event Planning Advice: Bluebird Productions

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