Results for learning lessons Tag

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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Preston Bailey Wagner College Event Planning Design

A BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR OF MY STUDIO WITH WAGNER COLLEGE

Last week, a group of talented Wagner College students who are currently enrolled in my Signature Wedding and Event Design course visited me and my team at our New York City offices. I’m so inspired by other wedding and event designers, but especially those that are young and just starting out. Their perspective is fresh, [...]

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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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sleepwalkers

REMINDER: MY TOP 10 DO’S AND DON’TS FOR PLANNERS

(Image via oedipusphinx ) This week it’s all about finding a good middle ground for planners, designers and clients, so that we can all work together effectively and efficiently. Today, I’m sharing my top 10  suggestions and reminders specifically for planners: 1. It’s very important for designers and other vendors to meet with clients directly. [...]

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silence

Faqs: You’re A Designer Not A Planner, So When Should You Keep Your Big Mouth Shut?

(Image via AraGuim ) I must admit that I don’t always do a great job of keeping my opinions to myself. When I’m designing, my enthusiasm for the job and my many years of experience make me want to contribute to every single aspect of the wedding. Unfortunately, I often end up infringing on the [...]

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flower market in Hong Kong

Reminder: My Top 10 Flower Dos and Don’t

(Image via maureen lunn ) I frequently mention how much I’ve learned from my many mistakes in these Wednesday Reminder posts. However, now that the wedding season is near and spring is officially upon us – even if it doesn’t quite feel like it yet, I’d like to dedicate today’s post to all of my [...]

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Balance, control

FAQS: How Do You Deal with a Client Who Only Wants to Buy a Piece of the Pie?

(Image via internets_dairy ) My partner, singer-performer Theo Bleckmann, gave me a great analogy: He said that it’s like saying to a singer, “You sing only the high notes. I’ll take care of the rest.” In other words, it’s as though your client were saying, “I want to get it as cheap as possible, and [...]

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Big Mistakes

COMMON MISTAKES: MY TOP 3 WORST MISTAKES EVER

(Image via jurvetson) A few weeks ago I shared a list of my ten worst mistakes ever, but I held off on naming the top three. I hesitated to share my very worst mistakes, because they’re so personal in nature. But, a promise is a promise, so here we go: My 3rd Worst Mistake Ever [...]

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Natural scene

Venting: We Are All In the Same Boat

I am in the process of traveling and giving speeches in several cities and countries around the world. A process that started in Las Vegas, then Taiwan, Mexico City and soon on my way to Nigeria, and I’ve come to the sad conclusion that no matter how long you’ve been in this industry (even if [...]

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Time, watch, Not Enough Time

Venting: Feeling Like You Don’t Have Any Time

(Image via Caitlin Regan) Raise your hands if you feel like you never have any time. You can’t see me, but I’m raising both my hands in the air. Sometimes it feels like you need 26 hours in the day, instead of the usual 24, and no matter how much later you stay in the [...]

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Life is about Creating Yourself

Reminder: You Can’t Please Everyone

(Image via ganesha.isis) Yesterday’s post was all about saying, “No.” In some ways, I’m sure that makes us feel a little squeamish. We don’t like rejection, so why would we want to reject others? Ultimately, it comes down to one simple thing: you have to remember you can’t please everyone. In doing that, you’ll be [...]

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Preston and his employees watching presentations

Mentoring Design Students

A couple weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to receive a group of FIT students in my office to present their final concepts for Dining by Design’s Student Design Initiative by DIFFA (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS). I met with four groups of students, each with their own unique ideas for their installations. Here are [...]

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Similar Goals

Reminder: We Have Similar Goals

I really enjoyed speaking to over 1000 industry colleagues in Las Vegas at the Event Solution’s symposium this Monday. I was reminded more than once the reasons why I love this industry. Whether you are a beginner or have lots of experience, I was reminded that we are all seeking the same thing: To love [...]

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Give me pop-up, Networking

FAQs: How important is networking?

To answer this question, I think I need to give you both the good and not so good sides. The Good I have discovered a lot of very talented vendors by networking. A few years back I discovered a fantastic lighting designer in New York, Mr. Ira Levy. He was just getting started and was [...]

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Thank You, To Staff

Reminder: To My Staff, Thank You

(Image via Nate Grigg) As my company grows, I still struggle with how to be a good leader. At times, I find that it takes an immense amount of love and energy to deal with a group of folks with all the dynamics of an extended family. As I see it in my business group [...]

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Common Mistakes, Paying Commission

Common Mistakes: Paying commission to get a job and thinking you can still make a profit

(Image via via Camera Eye Photography) I have gotten a lot of bad feedback from the industry for being so strongly against the issue of paying commissions without our client’s knowledge. I just wanted to explain once more how less than 10 years ago, I almost went out of business. Mostly because of this horrible [...]

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Reminder, Book, The Go-Giver

Reminder: The 5 Laws of Stratospheric Success

It is easy to forget so many of the lessons I have learned in my soon to be 62 years of living. This is why in one of my morning practices, I try to read a passage or reminder from many of the books I hold near and dear to me. In this week’s Reminder, [...]

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