Dear Preston,
How do you get all of the information you need from a bride in order to make her wedding vision a reality?
Sincerely, Curious
Dear Curious,
Thanks for the great question. Determining a bride’s vision is sometimes very easy. Other times it’s a huge pain in the neck! There is nothing worse than when a bride tells me she has no idea what she wants. The first time a bride ever said that to me I spent three long months creating designs and showing them to her. She did not like any of them! It was a nightmare. No matter what a bride may tell you, she always has a point of view. The key is learning to ask the right questions.
These are ten questions I ask all of my brides:
1. What is your idea of a dream wedding? (Most brides have lots to say about this!)
2. Do you want your wedding to feel traditional or contemporary? A mix of both? (In my experience, most brides want a little of both.)
3. Do you want your wedding to be simple or dramatic? (Unsurprisingly, most of my brides want drama. But I always try to explain to them that simple does not have to mean boring!)
4. What are your favorite colors? (Most of my brides like shades of white, pink and purple.)
5. What are your least favorite colors? (They all seem to hate the color orange!)
6. What are your favorites flowers? (The number one answer I get is peonies followed closely by roses and then orchids.)
7. What are you least favorite flowers? (No one likes carnations or gladiolas, which they say remind them of funerals.)
8. What is your favorite season? (They almost always say spring followed by fall.)
9. What is you least favorite season? (They usually say winter followed by summer.)
10. What do you want your guests to remember most about your wedding? (The number one answer I get is flowers. But they often say their dress, too!)
Dear Readers, what about your brides? How would they answer the above questions? What answers do you hear over and over again?
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George Bernard Shaw once said: “You see things and say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were and say, ‘Why not?’” That quote embodies how Preston Bailey approaches every event.
Bailey's Brides
November 15, 2011
Thank you for this!! I actually asked you this question and am THRILLED to see the answer!
Nancy
November 16, 2011
This is extremely helpful for someone like me who is just entering this business. Thank you, Mr. Bailey!
Radja
November 16, 2011
Thank you for this timely advise. I actually just booked my first client and have added some of these to my list of questions. I find it strange people dislike winter. I think the winter wonderland wedding theme is so magical and ethereal. Do you have any ideas for a winter wonderland? I know you love using lots of flowers but winter does not usually have many. Any suggestions?
Eileen
November 16, 2011
Thank you, very good advice for all brides. http://tinyurl.com/44pqeft
Madeperla Wedding & Event Planning
November 17, 2011
Thanks a lot. Great advice for a novice like me!!!!!
Leslie
November 21, 2011
This information is extremely helpful. I am just finishing up my CWEP courses at the wedding planning institute and I am going to be working with a client beginning at the end of this month. It is a small budget wedding, so these questions were very helpful for figuring out exactly what she is looking for. I do not want to give her something she doesnt want.