SO YOU WANT TO BECOME A WEDDING PLANNER … Learn the Best FROM the Best!

Before we get too far into this, please understand that being a wedding planner is not for the faint of heart!  It requires stamina, good health, high energy, and the ability to multi-task, all the while wearing pretty clothes and uncomfortable shoes!

In 2008 Wonderful Weddings launched its Apprentice Program called “Suddenly I See.”  Since that time many candidates have entered the program and one of them is now a permanent member of our staff.  We are proud of the program and want others to know more about it!

The program is bundled into three parts:

1.  Learning through hands-on experience that you gain from working all the aspects of the two weddings from our schedule that you select.  You will of course work at the rehearsal, ceremony and reception; but you will also attend various meetings related to the weddings prior to the wedding day; and you will work in the office the week of the wedding to assist our office manager in creating the important documents that will be distributed at the rehearsal.  You will also sit in on prospective client appointments so you can experience what it is like to sell yourself and close the sale.

2.  You will receive an Apprentice Manual written by Wonderful Weddings’ founder Susie Weiss.  This manual outlines in detail the steps to take to launch your own wedding planning company.

3. You will be provided many of the back-of-the-house, in-house and public forms that are utilized in our work for weddings as part of the program and you will be given the opportunity to purchase others.

For more information about this program, visit www.wonderfulweddingsorlando.com and click on Apprentice Program.  There you will find more detailed information and a short video that shows us hard at work!

A Different Kind of Wedding Etiquette (extending courtesy to vendors!)

Today’s bride is very lucky indeed when it comes to the multitude of resources she has from which to select when shopping for her ceremony and/or reception venue and all her service providers.  Not only are there various web sites and magazines, there are also preferred provider lists compiled by almost every venue in a bride’s particular geographic area.  Venues and vendors work very hard to create just the right ad, put together the best web site to portray their offerings and continue their good service to clients so that they remain on the various lists referenced above.  The people you contact are in this business as a full-time endeavor and strive to respond to your inquiries quickly, efficiently and comprehensively.  To that end, there are some common courtesies that you should extend when you begin the process of shopping for your venue and service providers.

At the very beginning, it would be wise to create a budget on paper for yourself.  This enables you to be realistic about what you can spend and prevents you from wasting your time or the venue’s or vendor’s. 
Take good notes during inquiry phone calls and print out email responses from venues and vendors.  Review this information in a timely manner to determine if there is further interest.  If you know right away that this vendor or venue is not what you are seeking, make contact quickly so that a possible hold on your date can be released.  Most venues and vendors will wait a respectable amount of time to follow up after sending the information you requested; if they contact you before you have made a decision, give them a reasonable time window when you will get back to them if there is further interest.  Venues and vendors know that these are big decisions you are making and will understand if more time is needed.
Once you have decided that a particular venue or service provider is not for you, contact them to let them know.  And if you feel comfortable with it, it is always helpful if you provide the reason for not considering them or moving on to a personal meeting.  This is particularly helpful to the venue or vendor if your reason is more customer service- or offering-related rather than budget.
When you are ready to take the next step to a personal meeting, be mindful of the following:

1. If you are given directions by the venue or vendor, use them instead of a GPS; often what they provide is more expedient and may contain helpful way-finding landmarks.
2. Try your best to be on time; if you are running late, give them a call.
3. If you are conducting several appointments to cover a full day, allow time for traffic and schedule yourself a lunch break–nothing more distracting than a growling stomach!
4. Limit the number of people who attend the appointments with you–when the group is too large or there are too many opinions, it can be distracting for both you and the vendor.
5. Take good notes and don’t be afraid to ask questions if something was not mentioned in the presentation.
6. If you find you can’t make the appointment, be sure to cancel–don’t be a no-show!
7. Limit any snacks you bring to an appointment to bottled water–there is always the possibility of a mess or spill with a soda, a latte or a hamburger!

One of the more comprehensive appointments you will conduct is with a floral and décor company.  Plan at least 1.5 hours for this first meeting–the vendor will need to spend a lot of time determining your likes and dislikes and throwing out ideas.  If you are provided a written proposal after your meeting, keep this information proprietary.
After your appointments are complete and you have made your various decisions, contact the venues and vendors promptly.  Be sure to thank them for their time and efforts and let them know your specific reason for not selecting them.  This will be helpful to them.  While an email rejection is acceptable, a personal phone call is more meaningful.  Avoid the use of the phrase “I’ll be sure to tell all my friends about you”!
If you have any questions after your appointments, by all means contact the venue or vendor–sometimes a simple clarification can make a difference in your ultimate choice.
Once you have contacted the venue and vendors to let them know you would like to proceed, request a contract and determine the deposit amount required.  When you receive the contract, execute it quickly and send off the deposit in a timely manner.  The verbal request for a contract means you are making a commitment to the particular venue or vendor and they are holding the date for you and turning away others.  If changes need to be made to the contract, request a revision rather than handwriting items in or crossing things out.  Make note if other payments are due prior to the final balance and be timely with these payments.
Should a situation arise after contracting a venue or vendor that is giving you cause to end your relationship (for whatever reason), review your contract carefully before taking this step–there may be severe penalties such as loss of deposit or commitment to subsequent payments if you choose to end your relationship.  If the situation is salvageable in your mind, contact the venue or vendor immediately to see if something could be done to work things out.
Common courtesy is something we should all subscribe to in our daily lives … and extending this to your wedding industry vendors is no exception!

Mackinac Island and the Grand Hotel - A Great Spot for a Destination Wedding

I grew up in the southern part of Michigan; but my parents weren’t “vacationers” so I never visited the area of the state called Mackinac Island. Over the years I had heard and read much about the location and discovered that the 1979 film “Somewhere in Time” (starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour) was filmed there. After doing research for a bride who was seeking a destination where it could be cool in the summer and near water, I delved into learning more about this location that has literally stopped “somewhere in time.” It intrigued me so much that my husband and I chose to visit the island and the Grand Hotel for our vacation in August. We flew from Detroit to Pelston, Michigan where the airport there has only one gate! Then we took a taxi via the Wolverine Stage Coach Company (it wasn’t really a stage coach!) to Mackinac City to the ferry dock. Then we took the Arnold Ferry from the ferry dock to the dock on Mackinac Island and then a horse and carriage to the hotel! The Grand Hotel was built in 1887 in only 93 days! Can you imagine that all the building materials had to be brought over on the ferry and then transported to the building site by horse and carriage. There are no motorized vehicles on the island except ambulances and fire trucks, neither of which did we see or hear while there. It was refreshing to not see any cars for several days. Everyone either walks, rides a bike or takes a horse and carriage. All produce and supplies come by ferry to the island. Because of the severe weather in the winter and the island’s location between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, the hotels close in October and re-open in May. All the flowers are replanted each year! Here are some photos of our time there. And while we stayed at the hotel, we saw the movie! We had to dress formally for dinner each night. We rented bikes one day and rode the circumference of the island (only 8 miles!) and the best part was that the temperature never broke 70 during our entire visit! You’ll note in the photos that we have long sleeves and are often wearing jackets! How lovely it was to have that break from our sweltering Florida heat!


















 

An Event Somewhat Different for Wonderful Weddings at Orlando Marriott at Lake Mary!

Last fall I received a call from Kathy Brown whose wedding we did in April of 2002. Her wedding took place at Winter Park Presbyterian Church and the Country Club of Orlando. Kathy shared with me that she would be turning 50 in September of 2009. Her husband Gary said he wanted to throw her a party but he knew that she could put it together much better herself! She called upon Wonderful Weddings to create her “dream team!” Kathy chose a ‘70’s theme for her party. So on Saturday, September 19, 2009 we went back in time at the Orlando Marriott at Lake Mary!

Kathy wanted go-go dancers, disco balls, lava lamps, guests dressed in clothes from that era, 70’s music and her biggest request was a life-size ice sculpture of John Travolta in his famous Saturday Night Fever pose! And what Kathy wanted, Kathy got! The magic makers from Flourish, Brian Joyce and Richard Streitler, converted the hotel ballroom into Studio 50! Gary Stephens, one of the guys from Wings of Sound, the band that performed for Kathy’s party (and who also played at her wedding), acted the part of the bouncer—you see he did that very well! And you can also see that the guests were really into the appropriate clothing. The vintage stores in town—Dechoes and Orlando Vintage—saw a brisk business during the weeks leading up to Kathy’s party! The Orlando Marriott provided fabulous food and beverages for the guests, Sky Osborne from Perfect Sky Productions acted the part of “Stan Danger” and interviewed all the guests during the cocktail hour and then edited everything together to show towards the end of the evening. Fun photos were snapped by guests in Dane Koller’s Photo Magic photo booth; professional photos (those you see here) were shot by Ricardo deVengoechea. We all received a glowing email from Kathy thanking us for the event: “Hello, to my Dream Team! I have received so many emails, pictures and thank-you’s from all that attended. It was so great to see everyone get into the mood and boogie down. This could not have happened without all of you coming together and working as a group to see my vision come together. Turning 50 has been so awesome because of you! Thanks for all your hard work!” And onto the next event in this family—Kathy’s daughter’s wedding on October 17th at her home! Will blog about that next month.

Wonderful Weddings and Casa Feliz Launch the Golden Ticket - A Perfect Marriage!

In an effort to streamline the weddings at Casa Feliz, Wonderful Weddings created a special ensemble package for brides that offers them the opportunity to save hundreds of dollars on their weddings while at the same time having access to some of Central Florida’s finest wedding vendors!

The rules are simple: The bride selects from a list of required providers (the required categories are caterer, coordinator, florist, photographer and DJ). She may also select from a list of preferred providers (the preferred categories are invitations and other printing, celebrants, ceremony musicians, videographer and wedding cake). The bride will receive a 10 percent discount on whatever package or level of service or total costing she chooses with the individual vendors. And she will also receive a 10 percent discount on the rental of Casa Feliz! Once the bride has agreed to the rules, she will be provided her “Golden Ticket” which she will present to each vendor to receive the discounts.

The following vendors are participating in the Golden Ticket ensemble. Required providers are: Wonderful Weddings, Fairbanks Florist, Flourish Floral Productions, Lee Forrest Design, Fun Factory DJ, Celebration Expert, Weddings Only DJ, Brian Adams Photographics, Cristy Nielsen Photography, Pilster Photography, Sterling International, Sunshine Photographics, and Works of Art Photography. Preferred providers are: Maureen H. Hall Stationery, Pearl Beach Paperie, The Paper Shop, Chaplain George Geans, Reverend Kevin Knox, Beautiful Music, Don Soledad Music, Raintree Chamber Players, Perfect Sky Productions, Pro One Video, Bake Me A Cake, Frosting on the Cake, and Party Flavors.

Brides who are interested can either contact Melissa Burtram at Casa Feliz, Melissa@arthurscatering.com or Wonderful Weddings at idoforyou@aol.com.

Two Anniversaries Celebrated at Norman's - Ritz Carlton Grande Lakes

While attending another event in June at Norman’s Restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes, I learned about a special dinner party that would be held on August 8, 2009 to celebrate the restaurant’s six years in business at the hotel. The theme of the event was A Night in Havana. Coincidentally, August 8th is also my wedding anniversary so we decided to attend the event to celebrate. The theme of the event was carried through with cigar rollers (which my husband loved!), mojitos, Latin-inspired cuisine and music from the Margarita Men. There was also a silent auction taking place to raise funds for The Wounded Warriors. Here are some photos of the event; take note that Chef Norman Von Aiken has talents that are carried beyond the kitchen!

The following day we attended the Gospel Brunch at House of Blues at Downtown Disney. Here’s a photo of me outside the venue; unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photographs inside. The food was very good and plentiful and the gospel singers shook the roof!

Orlando Chapter of ISES 2009 WOW Awards

My industry friends Brian Joyce and Richard Streitler of Flourish Floral Productions earlier this year urged me to join ISES, the International Society of Event Specialists. They said it would be an opportunity for me to meet some vendors on the corporate side of the event industry. Richard was Historian and also chairman of the WOW Awards Committee. The WOW Awards had taken place once before several years ago and the chapter decided it was time to reprise them.

We worked fast and diligently beginning in late spring with Friday, July 17th chosen as the night of the gala at which the awards would be given and celebrated. Brian and Richard urged me to enter two of my events which I did: one was submitted for Best Event Planner and the other was for Best Team Effort. Organizing all the paperwork for submission was a monumental job—there were specific questions that needed to be answered about challenges surrounding the event, etc. And the submission needed to be succinct yet carry the ability to grab the attention of the judges.

I learned in June that I was nominated for both submissions; it was great to have made it this far but of course everyone wants to win! The event was held at the Orlando Marriott World Center with many vendor sponsors to include those for décor, lighting, production, floral, entertainment, etc. It included lots of entertainment—The String Angels and a man who created sand designs projected onto a screen. There was a lovely four-course dinner followed with the conclusion of the evening wrapping up with an after-party. But the best part was the awards!

I am happy to report that Wonderful Weddings did win Best Team Effort! My co-entrants were Arthur’s Catering and Flourish Floral Productions. The submission was “The Wedding as Art”—the wedding of Tara Cockman and Bo Clayton who were married in June of 2008 at St. Luke’s Cathedral followed by a reception at Orlando Museum of Art. The bride’s Mom is an artist and the bride was studying art so art was the theme of the event. It was such a great feeling to hear our names called and go up on stage to accept the award. We were asked to prepare speeches and so I did so—it was short and sweet and I was happy to share this with my industry friends. All I can say is WOW!

Photos: Christie's Photographic Studios

Three Beautiful Brides at the Country Club of Orlando

On Saturday, April 4, 2009, Mari Hansen married Kevin Ball at First Presbyterian Church of Orlando followed by a reception at the Country Club of Orlando. What made this particular wedding special for Wonderful Weddings is that two former brides were guests at this wedding as well as their grooms—Kelsey and Chas Crofoot and Lauren and Bo Schneider. Here is a photo of me with Mari, Kelsey and Lauren—aren’t they beautiful? When I saw Kelsey in the narthex of the church, she said she and Chas had been working in the yard earlier in the day and Chas hurt his finger and that they were out of band-aids. Chas was quick to point out that he could probably get one from me at the wedding because he knew I would have my emergency kit! Following are some photos from Mari’s wedding; I especially like the one of me with the groom, the groomsmen and the two Dads—I must have been giving them some serious information as they are all so attentive! And here are some beautiful photos of Mari who looks like she could be a model for the cover of a bridal magazine! Jeff Hawkins of Jeff Hawkins Photography took these images and the guests danced the night away to Derek and the Slammers.

Last evening I hosted our annual Wonderful Weddings Holiday party. Each year I select a "festive" shirt and send them to the girls as part of their "invitation" (you might recognize this shirt from the previous blog!). We have grown to seven now including our two apprentices. We had a fabulous evening and the weather was perfect as we dined outside on our new front terrace (not finished yet but we're getting there!). Much of the decor was provided by Brian and Richard from Flourish Productions. And they even sent over David, one of their staff, to act as server. He made us feel special as if we were dining in a five-star restaurant!

I hope that everyone has a fabulous holiday and all the best in 2009!

A Family Thanksgiving Tradition ... and A Great Place for a Destination Wedding!

My husband Brooks is an architect and for many years I had heard him speak about the town of Seaside located in the Panhandle of Florida. He showed me some photos and it looked so lovely. So in 1997 when all other family members had other plans for Thanksgiving, we rented a small cottage and spent most of the week of Thanksgiving there. Brooks tooks many, many photographs of the houses and the pavillions and of course the beautiful white sand beach, blue water and magnificent sunsets. The following year we asked our grown daughters if they would like to join us and thus, it has become a Weiss family tradition to spend the week of Thanksgiving in Seaside! Over the years, the family of course has gotten larger so we've had to rent a bigger house! And our friends and family who receive our Christmas cards with the photos from Seaside on it always comment on how big everyone has gotten! At one point, there was only one grandchild in the photos--now there are three! Here are some photos of our time at Seaside.

Seaside has a great wedding department which I met with back in 2004. If you go to the Seaside web site and click on weddings, you can reach them. They are very accommodating and have a comprehensive list of locations and vendors.

Best Holiday Wishes to everyone and I hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

A Birthday Brunch with Good Friends at La Coquina!

A week ago Sunday my husband and I were invited to help Richard Streitler celebrate a "significant" birthday! Brian Joyce, his partner, put together this special birthday event! We have had dinner at La Coquina before at the Hyatt Grand Cypress but have never experienced this fabulous Sunday brunch! It takes place in the kitchen but it's not a kitchen the likes of which you've seen before! A few photos of the food were taken by my husband Brooks before we got busted (they don't like guests taking photos!). The champagne flowed freely for over two hours and I must admit, we did go back for more several times--we surely did not want to miss anything! Brian and Richard are proprietors of Flourish Productions and Brooks and I are charmed that they included us for this special celebration! Our server, Maria, has been with the hotel for 21 years--she told us that the hotel will soon be undergoing a big renovation. After brunch we went out onto the patio area so that Brooks could smoke a cigar! It was just too nice of an atmosphere to leave! What a nice way to spend Sunday ... with good friends, good food and good champagne!

Puff 'n Stuff Event

I was honored to be invited to a lovely client-oriented event hosted by Puff ‘n Stuff Catering which was held last night at The Ballroom at Church Street. I have known the folks at Puff ‘n Stuff for a very long time—they catered my oldest daughter’s wedding in 1988! The premise of the event was of course to showcase their fabulous cuisine but also to portray to their brides how an event could look at the venue. In the atrium area at check-in I was happy to see Chris Chan playing the piano. I have known Chris a long time—he is certainly one of the finest performers around! I had the opportunity to chat with Heidi Brice and Mary Brumley and Sandy George and Ralph Rendsland, all familiar staffers with Puff ‘n Stuff. But I also met Shira Smith and Bonnie Ell. Art Faulkner of Works of Art Photography was documenting the event. Art is also another long-time industry friend and many thanks to him for the photos included here! The space was divided into three segments with cuisine and décor to complement each. The Asian foods were complemented by the edgy florals displayed by Lana Pelham-Faulkner of Fairbanks Florist. The reds and blacks of the linens and the flowers Lana used were quite spectacular! It was a nostalgic evening for sure. Lana was one of the very first vendors I met back in 1989, the year that Wonderful Weddings was established. And I met Art not long after that. Art and Lana were recently married at Casa Feliz on July 19th of this year! I also chatted with the ladies from Kroma Makeup Studio. They told me about their recent re-location to Maitland. Out front was parked a beautiful 1965 Rolls Royce owned by Barbara and Simon White of VIP Transportation Group. They happened to leave about the same time I did so I got to follow behind them—what a beautiful car! Puff ‘n Stuff, thanks for including me as a guest at this beautiful event!

Meet Our Newest Apprentice Galyna!

We recently enrolled our second candidate in our Suddenly I See Apprentice Program! Galyna Saltkovska learned about our program in the Fall/Winter issue of Central Florida Bride Magazine. Galyna was born in Russia and came to the United States about six years ago. She has a Bachelors Degree in Organizational Management and a Masters in Production Management from the Institute of Economy and Management College in Simferopol, Ukraine. Galyna has worked in the hospitality industry in Central Florida for Vinelli Catering and Hard Rock Café. She also works part time as a pre-kindergarten teacher at Blue Lake Academy in Eustis. And if all of this doesn’t keep her busy enough, she also owns and operates TWR Private Limousines, Inc. which she established with her husband Paul Chaples in June 2007. Their fleet serves Central Florida, including Orlando, Tampa and Daytona. Galyna and Paul have a six-year old daughter who is quite talented as a gymnast!

“My Dad was an event organizer; therefore, I was surrounded by a family that loved throwing the best parties. Ever since I was a child I have always wanted to be able to help plan parties that would be unique. With this career choice of wedding planning, my mind can be opened wide with no restrictions.”

Galyna has chosen a late spring 2009 wedding and an early fall 2009 wedding as the two events for her apprentice program. Galyna, welcome to Wonderful Weddings!

Wings of Sound - Alive After Five Event

Last night I attended Sanford’s “Downtown Motown” street party. This is the monthly “Alive After Five” event sponsored by the City of Sanford and the Historic Welcome Center. Kim House, who owns and operates (along with her husband Pete) Riverhouse Pottery Art Gallery and Gift Shop and who also is vice president of the Board of Directors for the Historic Welcome Center, contacted me back in August to inquire about the availability of Wings of Sound to perform for the event. Not everyone knows that in addition to my position as owner and operator of Wonderful Weddings, I have also been the manager of this fabulous band since 2001. I met them in 1992 when one of my clients had already booked them for her wedding; once I heard them they immediately became a favorite! And when they asked me to assume their manager position, I did so without hesitation. The mobile stage on which the band performed was provided by Bill Heard Chevrolet and it was rocking for nearly three hours! The weather remained a question for the event but at around 3:30 the rain stopped and a beautiful blue sky was visible. A light breeze, the food, the art and of course the lively music literally had everyone “Dancin’ in the Street!” I handed out lots of cards last night. One woman was ready to book them to perform at her 60th birthday party … which is not for five years! And Kim House told me that she would love to have the band back same time next year! Thanks, band members John Brown, Dian Kelly (aka Aretha Franklin at Mel’s Diner at Universal Studios!), Don Pittman, Walt Hubbard, Jeff Green, Gary Stephens, Gary Listort, Eddie Marshall and Steve Sinkiewicz for adding the perfect element to “Downtown Motown!”