I believe that a good Wedding Planner, in addition to being a great Planner, is an ‘arm chair’ expert on everything. He or she, knows her apples, from her pears!
What do I mean by that? Here is an example; to be a good wedding planner you don’t have to be a lighting expert, but understanding lighting, how it works, the terminology and what you can do with it, will help you to work alongside a lighting technician, or designer, to create something spectacular that you know your client will love. We include a unit on lighting in our courses, not because we think you might become a lighting technician, but to introduce you to the concepts and just what can be achieved with lighting. Similarly we cover flowers in our Wedding courses. Not so that you can become a florist, but so that you will know, amongst others things, which flowers are in season when, which will help you guide your bride towards good choices for her Wedding and budget. We also encourage you to think creatively. Knowing where to find the hard to find will help you when your brides says; I want mis-matched floral linens for my reception tables.
When I am asked by people interested in working as Wedding Planners what they can do to prepare I always suggest they become very curious about the world of weddings. Be prepared to absorb knowledge from lots of different areas, so you can be indispensable to a couple. Remembering that each couple you have worked with, who thinks of you as the Mary Poppins of the wedding planning world, could bring you referrals and more clients to make happy
To show you what I mean I have done a little research across the Internet today and found links to two blog posts and one site which I would consider essential reading for anyone wanting to become an ‘armchair expert’ in the area of Wedding Dresses. It is not uncommon for a Bride to ask their Wedding Planner for direction and guidance when it comes to choosing their dress. Being able to discuss the basics with your Bride will help you answer their questions and point them in the right direction for more expert help if they need it.
- This first post comes from Vogue and is an interview with tailor, Mitzi Skyring from The Emergency Button in Sydney. In this interview she gives her tips for getting the perfect fit when buying a Wedding Dress online. Her tips are great for any bride, but also for a Wedding Planner who may have a Bride who needs help when it comes to her dress and getting the right fit. Getting to know someone like Mitzi would also be useful for you as a Wedding Planner. This post is an oldie but a goodie and recommended reading for all of our students.
- I also found this website which gives you clear pictures of body types, a summary of what styles suit each and examples of dresses. This will help you know your pears from your apples and your A-lines from your Ball Gowns and Mermaids.
- What shoe to wear with what type of dress and for what type of Wedding is another question you may be asked by your bride. No bride marrying in a garden setting wants to be sinking into the grass all evening. Of course everything comes down to personal preference, but a post like this one from the Knot is worth a read so that you can help your Bride get it right.
Google makes research like this easy and of course if you are a student of the Academy, you will find a lot of ‘expert’ tips and information within your course to help you as you work your way towards becoming a Wedding Planning expert who knows her apples from her pears and where to source everything a couple needs for their special day.
