OUCH!

 As many of you know Linnyette Richardson-Hall, the Wedding Diva of “Whose Wedding Is It Anyway? fame is one of my dearest friends in the business.

Her blog post this week on Confessions Of The Wedding Diva-entitled STOP IT! was too, too – not to re-post. She is known for telling it like it is and this is no exception…

Love ya Diva-

Hope you guys enjoy this post.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

“STOP IT!!!

For the most part, I am a fairly laid-back, chilled out kinda gal. Ask anyone who knows me and they’ll tell you the same thing. Not much ruffles my feathers, I don’t take myself that seriously and I generally walk around with a smile on my face. Life is good – so why not??

However, today – my sunny disposition just got annihilated.

So here’s my simple remedy to getting back to the Linnyette I know and love:
I’m going to need ALL of the non-professional, “wannabe”, think-you-are wedding planners/coordinators/producers/directors (take your pick here!) to step aside and let the true blue pros handle all of this matrimonial/wedding planning/coordination stuff. If you don’t know what you’re doing – just step away from the bouquet!

This is a topic that has come up before, not only for me, but for my colleagues also. Honestly, I’m sick and tired (and I’m sure that I speak for my “professional” brethren also) of these shenanigans. What part of “there are no do-overs” don’t you get? What part of “you need a business plan” don’t you understand? What part of “you need to know what the heck you are doing before you open up shop and say ” I am a wedding planner” do you need me to explain to you?

Folks – cheap is what it says it is. Cheap. Really. So don’t just base this important decision on price alone. ASK for references, ASK to see previous work, ASK about payment plans/policies, ASKwhat their wedding planning philosophy is, ASK how much EXPERIENCE they have under the belt!!

Does this automatically disqualify a new-to-the-industry planner? No – it doesn’t. There’s some great, fresh, new talent that’s coming on the horizon, but the valid difference between these people and the “wannabes” is that the newly minted professional planners are taking the time, energy and effort that is needed in order to start their business off on the RIGHT foot. They are getting educated, they are interning with seasoned planners, they are managing their new enterprises the way it should be done. In short – they are running a business and their actions speak to that.

I’ve been in the game a minute – so I know what goes on. I am also painfully aware that there are so many brides and grooms out there who’ve gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to hiring the “planner”. They didn’t do their homework – which is so important. You have to know what you are getting, and you want to make sure that all of your ducks are lined up in a row. Don’t settle for anything less – you deserve a wonderful occasion and you deserve to work with someone who has your best interest at heart and who will produce a magnificent event that you’ll remember always…….

To all of the “planners/coordinators/directors, etc. who fit the description I started this post with..you know who you are. And you should be really, really ashamed of yourselves. But, somehow – I know you’re not. So before you decide to “blow” up this blog entry or my email with your negative responses…think. Think about what you are not doing – and more importantly, think about how you can improve what you should be doing. I don’t want or need to bash anyone incessantly – but I love my industry and there are many others like me who view the planning of a wedding as an honorable profession – one that we are so proud to be a part of.

I am not afraid to get up on the veritable soapbox and speak my mind. Wedding planners are now literally a dime a dozen…but when you hook up with one who knows their stuff, it’s like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Trust me on this one.

Now…back to our regularly scheduled programming 🙂 “