Results for Advice Tag

how to get clients and get paid in the wedding and event planning industry

HOW TO GET NEW CLIENTS AND GET PAID

(Image via pshegubj) I’ve always been more than a bit uncomfortable asking my clients for money. In the past, this has led to a great deal of financial burden. Once, I worked with a client for over three months before she paid me even a dollar. Eventually, I learned how to set up very specific [...]

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10 ways to avoid pissing off angry brides

TEN EASY WAYS TO AVOID PISSING OFF BRIDES AND OTHER CLIENTS

(Image via Lucia..) I never ever forget that without my brides and other clients, I simply would not have a business. Even if you have the very best talent and service, it’s meaningless without clients. So happy clients are my very top priority. But, in order to have happy clients, I have to know not [...]

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keep brides and corporate clients happy

THE IMPORTANCE OF FUN DURING THE WEDDING AND EVENT PLANNING PROCESSS

(Image via james.holly) Recommendations from clients can be a blessing or a curse. I’ve seen it all. There’s the bride who is so happy with my work that she can’t wait to recommend me to all of her girlfriends who are also getting married. (I live for these brides!) Then there are the clients, often [...]

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wedding stuff

DEAR PRESTON: WHAT’S THE POINT OF SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY ON A WEDDING?

(Image via TheDarkThing) Dear Preston, I’m a wedding planner in California, and I love your blog. This is such a great idea! A few months ago, a prospective client, a father whose daughter is getting married, said something to me. But, I didn’t have a proper response. He said, “For the price of this wedding, [...]

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recommendations for the wedding and event planning industry

MORE ON RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE WEDDING AND EVENT PLANNING INDUSTRY

(Image via sarae) This morning I introduced the topic of recommendations and how, unfortunately, some recommendation tactics in the wedding and event planning industry aren’t always fair or reliable. We’ve already discussed those dreaded preferred vendor lists from venues. Now, I’d like to tackle commissions and nasty gossip. If you recommend me for a job, [...]

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wedding and event planning recommendations

RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE WEDDING AND EVENT PLANNING INDUSTRY

(Image via sara_kate) Our industry, like many industries, survives on recommendations; for better or worse, we simply can’t live without them. And I like to think that when I’m recommended for a job it’s because of the high quality of my work and my professional manner. However, there are recommendation tactics in our industry that [...]

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dear preston

I’VE GOT SOME EXCITING NEWS TO SHARE

(Image via the00rig) Happy Friday, everyone! Not only is the weekend only hours away but the sun is shining AND I have some exciting news to share. One of the things I love most about this blog is the community that has grown out of it. I love learning what you think and watching discussions [...]

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creating happy brides and happy weddings

PREVENT UNHAPPY BRIDES AND CLIENTS

(Image via Brent Gambrell) What’s the easiest way to keep brides and other clients happy? Give them great service, talent, and care. Sounds pretty simple, right? Unfortunately, it’s not. The biggest issue is how you relate to each other. Let’s face it. Most brides and clients choose their wedding and event vendors because they like [...]

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be successful in the wedding and event planning industry

BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE WEDDING AND EVENT PLANNING INDUSTRY

(Image via alter1fo) Dearest friends, Thank you for the many birthday greetings yesterday. I love birthdays even though getting older (62 now!) isn’t always fun, and I tend to get a little blue about it. On the one hand, I’m thankful for friends, loved ones and all of my family. On the other hand, it’s [...]

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planning the perfect wedding

THE SECRET FORMULA FOR CREATING A MEMORABLE WEDDING OR EVENT

(Image via becca.peterson26) No matter how carefully I plan and design my weddings and events, something always goes wrong. It’s inevitable. However, some things are very much IN your control. Here’s my list of the 10 things that can and should be perfect at every wedding and event: 1. Wedding and Event Invitations. On this, I [...]

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perfectionist and the event planning industry

PERFECTIONISTS IN EVENT PLANNING

I’m pretty confident that if I took a poll, most of you would consider yourselves perfectionists. Recently, to my great surprise, a good friend accused me of been an extreme perfectionist. Being in the wedding and event industry means that we’re always aiming for that perfect evening — not only for our clients and brides [...]

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Wedding Industry Etiquette Making Money

THE ONE MISTAKE YOU DON’T WANT TO MAKE

(Image via John C Abell) Most of the wedding designers, wedding planners, wedding photographers, and other wedding vendors I meet and work with are very talented. And talent, well, that’s the hard part. So it has always struck me that vendors who have the hard part down (the skills!) are sometimes so bad at the [...]

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wedding and event planning design inspiration

My Top Tips for Finding Inspiration

(Image via Cimexus) The weather here in New York appears to have finally turned a corner. It’s gorgeous outside. I love the warm weather and the way the city comes alive on nice days. Everyone lingers outdoors and there’s a festive, practically jubilant mood. But it can wreck havoc on your schedule: it’s almost impossible [...]

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vendors stealing ideas copy cats

COPY CATS: WHAT TO DO WHEN OTHER VENDORS STEAL YOUR IDEAS

No doubt almost all of you have your own websites to help promote your businesses. When clients are looking to hire a caterer, photographer, planner, designer, florist etc… for a big party or wedding where do they start their search? The internet, of course.  In today’s market, if you don’t have your own site, it’s [...]

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Closed Sign

DOES ACCEPTING SMALL JOBS HELP OR HURT YOUR BUSINESS?

(Image via Nathan Rupert) Unfortunately, because of the economy, business isn’t what it used to be. So it’s understandable that we’re willing to take on any client who want to hire us for a garden wedding, reception, or creation of a few bouquets, regardless of how small his or her budget may be. But let’s [...]

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event planning wedding new business

PREPARING FOR YOUR FIRST MEETING WITH A POTENTIAL CLIENT

(Image via midwestgrrl) So, you’ve convinced a potential client to come in and meet you. You’re excited and very eager to get the job for this wedding, corporate event, birthday party, etc… And even though I strongly believe that we’re not right for every client, and every client is not right for us, of course you still [...]

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talking on the phone to clients

HOW TO SIGN CLIENTS OVER THE PHONE

(Image via Sean Davis) In my blog post yesterday, I wrote that it’s absolutely possible to secure a new client after just one phone call. But you must make a great impression and you must know what questions to ask. It took me many long years to learn the art of talking on the phone [...]

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budget-conscious brides

CONVINCING POTENTIAL CLIENTS TO MEET IN PERSON

(Image via pshegubj) Today’s venting post is in response to one of you, my lovely readers, who wrote in asking for my help with brides who want a price quote before they’ll agree to meet with a vendor. We vendors typically prefer to meet with a potential client before quoting any prices. The reader who [...]

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bride and wedding designer

COMMON MISTAKES: DEALING WITH CONTROLLING BRIDES

(Image via h.koppdelaney) I’ve never had a client who came in and said “Preston, you’re the wedding designer. Do whatever you want for my wedding.” Sometimes, clients aren’t positive what they want, but, in these cases, I know the right questions to ask, and pretty quickly I have a good sense of what they envision [...]

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wedding decoration candles

REMINDER: TOP 10 WAYS TO CREATE AN UNFORGETTABLE EVENT

(Image via Arghya a.k.a Orgho) When I ask my clients to describe the most unique weddings they’ve ever attended, I’m  always surprised that they can usually think of no more than one or two. Here’s my top 10 list on how to create a unique wedding or event using a few key reception ideas: 1. [...]

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