Results for Planning Tag

on the phone

WEDDING PLANNING: WHICH VENDOR SHOULD A BRIDE CALL FIRST?

(Image via fiktura) A common mistake I see many vendors make is thinking that when a bride begins to plan her wedding, she should always call them first, no matter what their speciality. But does this really make the most sense? When Ivanka Trump got engaged, I was one of the first people she called. [...]

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no drama sign

HOW TO LET GO OF A BAD BUSINESS EXPERIENCE

(Image via Renato Pequito) If you’re in the wedding and event business, you’ve likely had a few difficult clients. More often than not, you’ll connect with your clients in a deep and profound way. Occasionally, though, you’ll find yourself with a client who seems impossible to please. I once did a job that was so [...]

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sad woman

DEAR PRESTON: WHY IS MY RACE SUCH AN ISSUE?

(Image via Poofy) Dear Preston, As an African American in the wedding and event industry, I’m encountering a problem that’s weighing heavily on my heart. I live in Pennsylvania. Brides see my work, love my work, get referred by other brides, and make an appointment to see me. But then they discover that I’m African [...]

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writing a check

HOW MUCH DO WEDDINGS AND EVENTS COST?

(Image via Alaska-in-Pictures) I suspect that most of us don’t really know our area’s going rate for wedding and event planning services. So it’s little wonder that we’re constantly anxious about whether we’re overcharging or undercharging. Often it feels like one big guessing game! Today I want to try and change that, at least a [...]

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DEAR PRESTON: A CLIENT RESPONDS TO A READER’S RUDE LETTER

(Image via kevindooley) This morning I shared my response to Poor and Confident’s letter, which I published in last week’s Dear Preston column. This afternoon, I’d like to share with you an email I got from one of my clients after she read the letter. Dear Preston, I am appalled at the accusation that Poor [...]

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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 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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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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Easter Table Setting Decorations

MY RECIPE FOR A MAGICAL EASTER CELEBRATION

Happy Easter! I love this holiday. When I was a child in Panama I always received a new suit for Easter; it was the one time each year that I got a brand new outfit. I wanted to look good, because all of the colorful church ladies wore extraordinary hats and outfits to our Baptist [...]

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wedding reception food

UPDATING MY LIST OF CATERERS

(Image via monakos) There’s no question in my mind that caterers can make or break a party. You can have the most stunning wedding reception decorations, the most beautiful flower arrangements, and the most meaningful ceremony, but it won’t mean much if the caterer is sub-par. If you serve your guests bad food or the [...]

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Showing Respect to Nature

REMINDER: It Isn’t Your Event, It’s Your Client’s

(Image via gwaar ) I wonder if this ever happens to you… you start working for a specific client, and you have such a clear vision of what the event should look like that you catch yourself thinking, “I know best.” This has happened to me many times, especially when I also happen to love [...]

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FAQs, How to Make Money, Timecard

FAQs: If I don’t get commission from my vendors as a planner, how do I make money? What should I charge?

(Image via via Brandi Sims) The industry is bombarded with a new generation of planners. I think this is great, however, most of them are under the assumption that you ONLY need great organizational skills to call yourself a planner. In fact a lot of brides, after planning their own wedding, love the process so [...]

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Venting, Difference, Wedding and Design

Venting: Explaining the Difference Between Planners & Designers

(Image via via Jude Doyland) I empathize with most clients who aren’t sure about the difference between what planners do and what designers do. These two services have become so interchangeable that most of the time, it’s difficult to tell them apart. Not to mention the local banquet managers from hotels and venues who do [...]

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new year, resolutions, business, fireworks, celebration, city, night,lighting, buildings, citylife

Reminder: New Year’s Business Resolutions

(Image via Snaxboy) As we continue getting ready for the coming new year, I think it is the perfect time to start discussing our New Year’s Business Resolutions. I’d like to remind myself of some past resolutions that have worked, and maybe incorporate a few new ones. Make peace with your business’ past so it [...]

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Tupperware, Bento Box, decoration, pattern, asian, traditional, dividers, black interior, gold, brown, burgandy

FAQs: Is it tacky if I ask my Thanksgiving guests to bring their own tupperware?

I think sending leftovers with your guests at the end of the night is a wonderful gesture. Not only does it ensure that you don’t have too much food that will eventually spoil, it’s also a way to keep the memory of the dinner alive for the next day. I’ve been told that one of [...]

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success, inner peace, dyers, secrets

Reminder: Say What You Want To Be, Then Do What You Have To Do

It’s important to treat yourself as if you already are what you’d like to be–then become it. Let me explain. I started out as a florist, however I knew that as much as I loved doing flowers, I wanted to be a designer. When folks asked me then what did I do for a living, [...]

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Preston, advice, desert, chairs, sign, sky, limitless, view

Venting: “Dear Preston”

(Advice image via Laughlin) I was at an event recently and was approached more than once by folks in the industry asking for advice on several business issues they were confronting at the moment. I found myself really enjoying giving some guidance on how to solve some of the same problems I have had on [...]

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Food display,maccarons, disco ball, book launch, celebrations, centerpieces, food styling, silver, purple, pink, lighting, Preston Bailey event

FAQs: If you had to splurge on something special for your event, what would it be?

Last week, I blogged about skimping. This week, let’s talk about the complete opposite. What is the one thing you’d splurge on for your event? When I gave my last big event this past January, for my Celebrations book launch, I had this same dilemma. Here’s what I thought one should splurge on (from most [...]

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Petite Food, cupcakes, carrot, decoration, food design

Venting: Petite Food

(Carrot image via Malias) This post really should have been called, “Venting: When we pay for a meal, and get an appetizer.” Last week I went to dinner at this new, amazing, hip restaurant in New york. I was so excited to go there that when the only reservation available was at 5:45pm, I took [...]

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spring, wedding ceremony, centerpieces, decor, pink, purple

Frequently Asked Questions: Can I only use fall flowers or colors in my autumn wedding?

Here’s an example of a spring wedding done in winter colors. No, you do not need to use only fall flowers or colors. In fact, I love the element of surprise. For example, using a winter look in the summer or spring look in the winter. I find this to be totally unexpected and it [...]

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