Results for design Tag

MY FIVE MOST CHALLENGING CLIENT DESIGN REQUESTS

(Image via wisdomportal) On Monday I wrote about some of the tough floral requests I’ve gotten from clients; today I want to tackle some of the tricky design ideas clients have requested. I never forget that my clients are, ultimately, my boss, and I love making their wedding and event dreams come true. But I think we can all [...]

Posted in blog, Uncategorized | Tagged budget, challenges, challenging clients, client requests, clients, design, design requests, difficult, difficult clients, dramatic candles, evening light, five most challenging, five most challenging design requests, LED candles, off-white flowers, off-white linens, outdoor wedding, outside, planner's fee, Preston Bailey, Preston's blog, rain plan, signature event, small budget, tall candles, tent, tight budget, wedding candles, wedding planner, wedding planning, wedding tent, white flowers, white linens | 10 Comments

MY TOP 5 MOST DIFFICULT WEDDING FLOWER REQUESTS

(Image via konaboy) The bottom line is that our clients are our bosses. But we’re also artists with our own unique sense of vision and expertise. So, how do we merge these two? It’s not easy. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re a florist, a wedding and event designer or a wedding planner: it’s a [...]

Posted in blog | Tagged birds of paradise, bouquets, bridal flowers, challenges, clients, design, difficult clients, difficulties, floral centerpieces, floral design, florist, flowers, gardenias, goldfish, orchids, phalaenopsis white orchids, Preston Bailey, Preston's blog, silk flowers, top five, top five most difficult wedding flower requests, wedding bouquets, wedding flowers | 15 Comments

MY FLORAL DESIGN COURSE: LIVING DREAMS

(Cho Phillips) I’m what you’d call a late bloomer. When I was 32 years old, I was completely lost (not to mention hungry!). But then a friend gave me some advice. At first, I thought his idea was total craziness. What did he tell me? My good friend Vicente Wolf told me that I [...]

Posted in blog, Uncategorized | Tagged Advice, beginners, class, course, design, floral design, floral design course, floral design video, flower market, flowers, friend, friends, friendship, introduction, new project | 28 Comments

THE LOVE BUSINESS: LOVE YOUR CLIENTS AND YOUR WORK

(Image via hello bauldoff) “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.” – HELEN KELLER. Helen Keller was a very wise woman, and I think her quote captures what it means to be an artist. Even after all these years, I [...]

Posted in blog, Uncategorized | Tagged artist, clients, create, design, designing, events, genuine connection, guests, heartfelt creation, heartfelt job, helen keller, love, love business, love design, love vendors, love what you do, make heartfelt connections, music to my soul, personal, professional, quote, reactions, talent, vendors, wedding and event industry | 8 Comments

preston bailey floral sculpture sylvia weinstock cake

DEAR PRESTON: HOW DO I GET RECOGNITION FOR MY WORK?

(Cake Image via Sylvia Weinstock Cake Blog) Dear Preston, My team and I do a lot of weddings and events, and they’ve all been amazing. Our brides and their guests love our work. But, for some reason, I feel like credit is not being given where it’s due. The venues seem to get a lot [...]

Posted in blog, Uncategorized | Tagged bold glasses, brides, cakes, career, caterers, clients, credit, Dear Preston, design, event, floral animals, floral sculptures, florists, future jobs, guests, lighting designer, musicians, photographers, planners, recognition, signature, signature design elements, staff, sylvia weinstock, team, vendors, venues, wedding, wedding and event industry, wedding cake | 10 Comments

HOW TO HANDLE RUDE WEDDING GUESTS

(Image via ymydew) I believe in graciousness and being polite even when others are not, and I come from the school of thought that the client is always right. However, I’m not so sure the same always applies to rude guests, and, sometimes, it takes all of my self-control not to tell a guest to [...]

Posted in blog | Tagged design, flawless service, floral arrangements, flowers, maid of honor, New York Wedding, prepared to fix it, Rude wedding guests, shrug it off, Spring, tactics, wedding, Wedding Guests, wedding reception | 21 Comments

FRENCH INSPIRATION: PARIS FASHION WEEK

Folks are always asking me where I get my inspiration. The truth is almost anything can inspire me. Sometimes I’m inspired by a scene from 90210 or Gossip Girl (Yes, really!) or by the wallpaper in a restaurant. I’m always on the look out for new inspiration, and I know it can hit me anytime, [...]

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged color, design, design lighting, event design, event lighting, fabric, fashion inspiration, floral design, Givenchy, inspiration, Jean Paul Gaultier, Paris Fashion Week, Preston Bailey Inspiration | Leave a comment

HOW TO WIN CLIENTS

(Image via mpressprint) I live to design, and I suspect many of you feel the same. We live to do our art, because it’s our passion. My other passion, though, is providing great service. I love nothing more than making my clients’ dreams come true. But to do that, first I have to make [...]

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged conversation, cost, design, how to win clients, passion, potential clients, proposal, providing great service, secure new clients, vendor, wedding | 10 Comments

WEDDING AND EVENT JOB BIDS: VENTING ABOUT REJECTION

(Image via David Chu) Over the years, many big corporations and brides shopping for the best deal have requested bids from me. But every time I bid on a new job, I can’t stand it. Why? The reason is simple: I take my designs very seriously. When I’m designing a job, I invest a lot [...]

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged best deal, bidding, bidding on jobs, bids, big corporations, brides, clients, design, designer, designing, designs, endless shoppers, job, new job, potential client, rejection, shop around, time and effort, value, vendor, visualization, wedding | 14 Comments

AVOID LIFE’S DISTRACTIONS AND STAY FOCUSED ON YOUR CREATIVE WORK

(Image via b4silio) Working in the wedding and event industry or in any creative field means creating. Your art should be your number one priority. Unfortunately, we have a lot of other responsibilities. So how do you juggle running a business with making art? The first thing to remember is that your designs are your [...]

Posted in blog, Uncategorized | Tagged balance, business, creating, creative vision, daily schedule, design, manage your time, nurturing my creativity, running your business, successful business, wedding and event industry | 9 Comments

ARE DREAM WEDDINGS A REALITY AGAIN?

(Image via Preston Bailey) Everyone knows summertime is big wedding season, but I’m also very busy with all of my fall and winter brides, who are in the middle of intently planning their own upcoming weddings. With the bad economy the last two years, many of my brides requested understated designs. They wanted elegance but [...]

Posted in blog | Tagged brides, centerpieces, clients, design, dream wedding, economy, event, fall, floral centerpieces, New York City, New York City brides, royal wedding, summertime, understated designs, wedding, winter | 8 Comments

Melissa Rivers Winter Wonderland Wedding

WHAT’S THE POINT OF BEING A DESIGNER IF YOU DON’T DESIGN?

(Image via Preston Bailey) When you create a great design that you and your clients love, how often do you repeat it? Do new clients come in, see this great design, and ask that you do the same for them? When Joan Rivers’ daughter, Melissa Rivers, got married, I created the winter wonderland wedding design [...]

Posted in blog | Tagged archive, brides, clients, design, design ideas, drawings, event, Joan Rivers, Melissa Rivers, money, popular, recreate, repeat, save, wedding, wedding design, winter wonderland | 7 Comments

BIG EVENTS: HOW TO PREVENT LAST MINUTE DISASTERS (PART 2)

(Image via swashpress) This morning I talked about how to avoid disasters when it comes to flowers and floral decor. Now, I’m touching on all other aspects of the event, so read on! Invitations: 1. I have great empathy for the stationer who has to write and mail an event’s invitations. It’s very difficult [...]

Posted in blog | Tagged chairs, client, condition, crisis situation, design, disasters, drape, events, exposed cables, florist, flowers, guest, imperfection, ink, ink color, invitations, lighting designer, poles, Preston Bailey, readable, rent, rental company, stationer, table, tablecloths, wedding | 3 Comments

BIG EVENTS: HOW TO PREVENT LAST MINUTE DISASTERS

(Image via bondseye) It’s wedding season, folks! And last weekend my team and I juggled two big jobs. The bigger a job, the more complicated it will be, and the more complicated it is, the more likely something will go wrong. So this week, I’d like to address a few of the things that can [...]

Posted in blog | Tagged band, caterer, clients, crisis situation, design, DJ, event, events, floral arrangement, floral centerpiece, floral design, florist, ice sculptor, invitations, lighting designer, photographer, problems, rental company, thing going wrong, vendors, wedding, wedding season | 2 Comments

MY TIPS ON HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY WORK WITH AN INEXPERIENCED PLANNER

(Image via hellojenuine) I’ve written a great deal about being a planner and hiring vendors; this is something I’ve done countless times. However, I am also a designer, and I have also had the experience of being hired by a planner to design a job. The vast majority of both planners and vendors I have [...]

Posted in blog | Tagged client, design, designer, event, Event Planner, florist, help, vendors | 13 Comments

DEAR PRESTON: HOW DO YOU LIVE WITH YOURSELF? ANSWERED!

(Image via sarahbeach) Dear Readers, Thank you for all of your insightful and kind responses to the letter I posted last Tuesday; I was touched by your encouragement and heartfelt reaction. Your comments made it abundantly clear that most of you appreciate the work that designers and other artists create. Because that’s what we all [...]

Posted in blog | Tagged Advice, business, clients, Dear Preston, design, Event Planner, learning lessons, personal, wedding | 26 Comments

DEAR PRESTON: HOW DO YOU LIVE WITH YOURSELF?

(Image via cbanck) Dear Preston, How do you live with yourself? I’ve been following you and your work for quite awhile, and what you do is over the top. It’s empty and soulless. Your clients are rich and insecure and have a desperate need to show off. How do you live with yourself knowing that [...]

Posted in blog | Tagged Advice, business, clients, Dear Preston, design, Event Planner, flowers, learning lessons, personal, weddings | 111 Comments

Preston Bailey Tulips & Pansies Flowers Floral

VILLAGECARE’S TULIPS & PANSIES: THE HEADDRESS AFFAIR

What a night! Yesterday evening my team and I had the privilege of once again participating in the annual Tulips & Pansies fundraiser for VillageCare, a wonderful nonprofit organization serving older adults, people living with HIV/AIDS and those in need of medical and rehabilitation services. The annual benefit includes a silent auction as well as [...]

Posted in blog | Tagged Behind the Scenes, Best Of, business, centerpieces, design, floral designs, floral sculpture, flower arrangements, flower designs, flowers, inspiration, pretty flowers, Tulips & Pansies, VillageCare, wedding flowers, weddings | 12 Comments

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 [...]

Posted in blog | Tagged Advice, business, clients, common mistakes, design, Event Planner, Frequently Asked Questions, How to Make Money, learning lessons, weddings | 15 Comments

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 [...]

Posted in blog | Tagged Advice, business, clients, common mistakes, design, Event Planner, event planning business advice, good business practices, happy brides, happy clients, How to Make Money, learning lessons, perfect weddings, personal, weddings | 11 Comments

PRESTON BAILEY

Results for design Tag

MY FIVE MOST CHALLENGING CLIENT DESIGN REQUESTS

MY TOP 5 MOST DIFFICULT WEDDING FLOWER REQUESTS

MY FLORAL DESIGN COURSE: LIVING DREAMS

THE LOVE BUSINESS: LOVE YOUR CLIENTS AND YOUR WORK

DEAR PRESTON: HOW DO I GET RECOGNITION FOR MY WORK?

HOW TO HANDLE RUDE WEDDING GUESTS

FRENCH INSPIRATION: PARIS FASHION WEEK

HOW TO WIN CLIENTS

WEDDING AND EVENT JOB BIDS: VENTING ABOUT REJECTION

AVOID LIFE’S DISTRACTIONS AND STAY FOCUSED ON YOUR CREATIVE WORK

ARE DREAM WEDDINGS A REALITY AGAIN?

WHAT’S THE POINT OF BEING A DESIGNER IF YOU DON’T DESIGN?

BIG EVENTS: HOW TO PREVENT LAST MINUTE DISASTERS (PART 2)

BIG EVENTS: HOW TO PREVENT LAST MINUTE DISASTERS

MY TIPS ON HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY WORK WITH AN INEXPERIENCED PLANNER

DEAR PRESTON: HOW DO YOU LIVE WITH YOURSELF? ANSWERED!

DEAR PRESTON: HOW DO YOU LIVE WITH YOURSELF?

VILLAGECARE’S TULIPS & PANSIES: THE HEADDRESS AFFAIR

HOW TO GET NEW CLIENTS AND GET PAID

TEN EASY WAYS TO AVOID PISSING OFF BRIDES AND OTHER CLIENTS

December 17, 2011

January 6, 2012

January 14, 2012

February 27, 2012

April 9, 2012

Friendly Friday: Let Go of Fear

Taking Worthy Risks

How Do You Know When You've Crossed the Line?

Dear Preston: My Former Boss Is Spreading Lies About Me

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Signs You Picked the Wrong Wedding Dress, Win a Wedding Dress and More From the Bridal Blogs

The Final Aisle Design

PRESTON BAILEY

Results for design Tag

December 17, 2011

January 6, 2012

January 14, 2012

February 27, 2012

April 9, 2012

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