Open Letter to Wedding Vendors

I found this post recently on one of my dear friends blogs, and it is verbatim what I have been thinking lately, so I thought stealing borrowing, plagiarising, quoting her, would be the best way to say what I mean.

Photography by: Footstone Photography

This post has been brewing in me for a little while now. It is NOT directed to any one person or situation in particular. But a accumulation of occurrences.

As wedding engineers (er, planners), we get a plethora of wedding vendors that contact us requesting to be on our referred vendor list. Facebook messages, emails, cards, phone calls, and more. We have a process when we recommend a vendor (and yes, we will occasionally recommend vendors that we have not worked with before… as long as they have some stellar testimonials that we check out).

We are also offered many things, one of which a little “kick-back”. “Refer me and I’ll give you $50.” says wedding a vendor.

Honestly that’s not our motivation when referring vendors. For the record, we do not accept kick-backs of any kind. What we prefer is that you (the wedding vendor) extend that $50 towards our client’s service package. You look good, we look good. Win/Win.

However here’s the real needle in the haystack that I want to address in this blog post.

What we really would love, (we = wedding planners) are for wedding vendors that we recommend to do the following:

• Bring your A game and a little more. Seriously. Treat the clients that we bring to you with such great care that they want to be your Bestie as well.
• Want to work with US. That’s right. We bring you into the team-fold to spend all day with you on a Saturday (away from our family), we want you to work with us. If you have ever experienced working with the {wedding planning} team, you KNOW that we don’t ask you to do anything that we wouldn’t do ourselves. In fact, there is no such language as, “That’s not our job” at an event. We pitch in and work hard right along side of you.
• Watch each other’s backs. It takes a full vendor team to execute a fabulous wedding. Everyone doing their part and a little more. We all make mistakes (yes, us too). We’re human. Help us and we’ll help you.
• Be a little more flexible. You know that your job is going to be a little easier with us on site. Timelines and production schedules are complete. All vendors are contacted prior to the wedding. So don’t lump us with all your other DIY clients. We are professional. Time is money and we know what we are doing. A little flexibility goes a long way to repeat referrals.
• Have fun on the wedding day. We pull 17 hours sometimes. Often, we’re the first ones there for setup … to the ceremony … the reception and breaking out. We love what we do, but I won’t lie. Sometimes it can be a long hard work day. Bring a smile and a great attitude. The day will go by faster and easier.
• Communicate with us. Sometimes client’s don’t tell us everything. A rogue Father of the Bride goes off and plans special events during the reception as a surprise and we don’t know anything about it. Let us know ….
• Refer US. You read that correctly. Throw our name out there to YOUR clients. Ask them, “WHO is your wedding planner?” and tell them about us. Tell them why you like to work with us. You should know, we SELL YOU before our clients call you to meet. This is a tight wedding vendor circle and throwing back some love to us is just as important as us always referring you. One sided relationships almost never work. Think about it.

This blog post was from the heart and for educational purposes.

I Do!

So, I love Colbie Calliat, I just do... and when I heard this song, I knew it would be a winner for a wedding, and for me to play over and over and over again.

But really, what a great first dance, or a cake cutting, or introduction song, maybe even a recessional song.

Gainesville Indian Wedding

There are not too many weddings throughout the year for us that are 5-Days long, and include ceremonies and events for each of those days, however, Haritha and Peter's wedding included so much more us than ceremonies, it became a friendship during the planning, and we shared our lives during the year plus, and frankly, I had the best time working with her and her family on her wedding, I'd do it over again in a heart beat. (although, can we wait a few more months so I can recuperate)

Verve Studio was there with us for the majority of each event and captured the emotion the beauty and tradition so beautifully!

The Mehndi was gorgeous! Naza Designs in Pensacola was incredible! (Link below)

These shoes make me drool.

Aren't they going to make gorgeos babies!!!

More of the ceremony and receptions tomorrow!

Wedding Consultant & Planning Team:  Masterpiece Weddings
Transportation: Candies Limo
Photography: Verve Studio

Mehndi & Eidurukola Ceremony Venue: UF Hilton
Wedding Venue: Hippodrome State Theatre
Mandap, Lighting & Reception Decor: Keith Watson Productions
Hair: Graceful Strands
Makeup: Cliff Weir at Your Wedding Makeup
Henna Artists: Naza Design
Catering: Amrit Palace
Cake Artist: Dream Day Cakes
Live Cocktail Music: Gosia & Ali
Reception DJ: Jarad of Gnys Entertainment
Reception Venue: Florida Museum of Natural History on UF Campus
Cinematographers: Platinum Digital Video

Are you a Wedding Planner?

There are so many professionals that title themselves wedding consultant, I thought I'd run through the true professional differences.

Catering Manager aka Wedding Consultant: Your catering manager is there to make sure your menu is correct on the day of your wedding and the venue is properly staffed. The catering manager makes sure your place settings are set up correctly, and serve your food to your guests. They usually re-fill buffet, attend to beverage needs, and overall , just make sure the venue's rules are followed. If they want to attend all of your vendor meetings, go to the rehearsal organize and orchestrate that as well.... just make sure they know what they are doing. I am sure than make a mean Top Roast, but can they handle mean Aunt Martha?

Church Director aka Wedding Consultant: Your church director is there to make sure the rules of the church are followed, and it is their job to ensure that your wedding planner pulls all of their hair out. In addition, they know the minister's needs and where he likes to stand, talk, and rule the house of God.

Private Events Director aka Wedding Consultant: The Private Events Director handles the needs of an exclusive club, they make sure their members are treated as VIPs, however, they also make sure that the club member's events don't get in the way of the members golf game.

Florist/Designer aka Wedding Consultant: Obviously, handle your florals, sometimes rentals, linens, lighting, and design. Your floral designer can make sure you know the difference between and peonies and a carnation. But sometimes doesn't know the difference between Fuchsia and Raspberry.

Fashion Consultant aka Wedding Consultant: Sells you a dress. Rents you a tuxedo, knows the difference between Vera Wang and Oscar de la Renta. Or Calvin Klein and J. Crew. Has amazing taste in fashion and knows what not to wear.

None of these are Wedding Consultants, although they can call themselves a wedding consultant, because, well they consult the bride.... on very limited topics. And frankly most of them are as organized as your grandma's junk drawer. (no offense, Grandma).

But your real Wedding Consultant is there for you through all of these issues, and knows the difference between a Peonies and a Carnation and what time they should be delivered. We are there to organize and orchestrate through the tremendous amount of details and make sure it all happens perfectly.

Nuff Said.

Have you been to Be A Planner?

Have you been over to our sister site, Be A Planner? It offers some really great advice for aspiring planners as well as gives you an insight to real planners and what they are doing. You don't want to miss it!

If you or any of your friends is thinking about becoming a wedding planner, you definitely want to recommend this website. Keep a heads up about upcoming certification courses that offer tips to planners who really want to know the industry! Be a Planner is a great resource for brides, wedding planners, and event industry professionals!

Open Letter to Brides

Dear Brides,

First let me congratulate you on your-up-and-coming wedding! I know you've been dreaming about this day for a long time and you want it all to be perfect! Trust me, we of all people know that. And maybe some of you haven't been dreaming about this day forever, and now are just realizing that you need to plan this shin-dig!

A lot of you want to plan every detail of your wedding, you are probably an A-Type personality just like me and want to be involved in every detail of your wedding. I get that. We get that.Wedding Planners are here to make sure that happens. Trust me, you are going to be busy on your wedding day, your mom and fiance are going to be busy too.

Who is going to be there to execute those details so you don't have to worry about them getting done and your vision happens how you've dreamed it would be. It's our job, that's what we do.

I know you hired the best photographer, and the best caterer and the best videographer! And I am thrilled that you've placed your trust in those vendors to make your wedding dreams come true! And they are fantastic at what they do!

But please, let them do their jobs - they work better when they are allowed to take pictures and give you amazing food and amazing products. Allow yourself to trust us to do ours and make your dreams come true.

Hiring someone to help you is not giving in, it's not giving up, it's allowing yourself to relax and enjoy your wedding!

I want you to enjoy your wedding!

With Tons of Love,

Melissa DiStefano
Owner and Lead Planner
MasterPiece Weddings
Wedding Planner, Gainesville, Florida

Thank Goodness!

{Photo's By: Photography by Rebeca}

One of the sweetest testimonials from one of our all time favorite brides, if you are wondering IF you should hire a wedding planner... or what we as wedding planners do, please read on....

Wait, read on anyway!

One of my dreams finally came true. I'm going to marry my prince. I've waited all this time and wanted this crazy, big, fairy tale, wedding. I've been a bridesmaid 12 times and I know how weddings could be to family and friends. I wanted a wedding weekend without all the stress of making sure everything was done. A friend suggested that I hire a "wedding planner". Being an OCD, control freak, I didn't know how this will work for my personality.

I went to a wedding show in Gainesville and spoke with multiple planners. They all seemed nice but I still had misgivings. I heard about MasterPiece Weddings from various wedding vendors in Gainesville. I looked up MasterPiece Weddings website and was immediately interested in speaking with them in depth.

From the beginning, Melissa and I clicked. She personalized a package to suit me and my personality. She was a blessing and heaven sent. I could tell this was going to be one great relationship. She allowed me to be myself but was also able to reel me in, when it became too much. In her quiet, calm, confident and kind way, she was my calm within the storm.

I thought that I couldn't afford a planner, however knowing what I know now, I couldn't afford not to. I'm sure there were MANY behind the scenes scenarios that Melissa and her gang quietly handled, so that I can have the wedding of my dreams.

Although hiring a planner is an expense that most brides would rather put in their budget as an option (or in my dreams option) , I realized that it should be a must. I actually saved on many expenses because of her advice. I can go on and on about ALL the things MasterPiece Weddings has done for me, my husband and family.

I cannot thank them enough. I am proud and confident to endorse MasterPiece Weddings to MY family and friends. Thank you Melissa for everything and especially the friendship...PRICELESS.

Eiryn (1-24-2009)

I Regret It!

I can't work with every bride, everywhere. I know that. But there are some weddings that you think after they leave your office that you just need to work with that couple! And I mean NEED! You totally fall head over heals in love with them.

And that is how it was with Erika and Jeff, I just knew it was destiny. Well, a series of events occured and we couldn't work together. After the wedding, I got word that one of her biggest regrets was that she didn't hire us. That made me sad.

We are friends on Facebook and talk all of the time... and frankly I still love her!

Here's Erika's Story. (In her own words)

We got engaged in June of 2006 & set a date for May 5th 2007. We thought that would be ample time to plan, schedule, re-think, re-plan, & re-schedule, at least a couple of times. The first priority, besides the cake, was the photographer. We were incredibly lucky to get the photographer that I dearly wanted. She immediately recommended that we speak to Melissa {MasterPiece Weddings} for our planning needs, so we made an appointment.



After sitting down with Melissa, it became clear to us that there were a number of things that we need to account for, but at the same time, estimates were starting to come for the catering, the cake, we already had a photography contract to sign, the venue, the church, the dress, the tuxes, shoes, honeymoon, etc. Trust me, it adds up IN A HURRY! We had a limited budget & my husband, who has some OCD tendancies & works with chaos every day as an auditor, assured me that he would be able to coordinate, plan & schedule this gala event without any problems at all. "I've got it under control", he said. So, in the sole interest of saving money, we decided to not hire Melissa.....not our smartest decision.

In the months that followed, chaos turned into outright anarchy. There was the small issue of moving the wedding from Gainesville to St. Augustine for starters. Flowers, DJ's, and bridesmaids, Oh my....

Whenever we thought we had a handle on something, Murphy's law was there to slap us on the backside. We had wine labels done, but they were delivered to us & not the winery, so my husband had to drive to Howey in the Hills. It had never occurred to us that we were going to need chairs for the outdoor ceremony.....don't think Melissa would have missed that. We had to get the flowers and the cake to St. Augustine, along with all the dresses and tuxedo's......did I mention that at this point, we were really wishing we had hired Melissa? Then came the big day...

If, for one instant, you think that on the day of your wedding, you will have the time or inclination (there are mimosa's to drink) to meet with all the vendors as they arrive or that they will telepathically know where you want everything set up, you are kidding yourself, trust me, I learned the hard way. We were very fortunate to have am incredible photographer and florist that stepped up to the plate and took control, right when we about to lose it! There is no amount of self planning that can take the place of a talented, experienced, & caring wedding planner like Melissa. When we renew our vows at our 50th, there is no question that Melissa will be running the show.....put it in your blackberry right now Melissa, May 5, 2057....it's the easiest and sanest decision you'll make leading up to your big day.

Need I say more?

{Got it!! You are in the Blackberry}

Photo's By: Caroline Johnson

Day Of Coordinator

{source}

There is a lot of controversy going around as to hire or not to hire someone to help you on your wedding day… and I wonder why.

Let me clarify, we are a wedding planning company in Gainesville, Florida. That is what we do…that’s all we do. Full Planning. Day Of. We’ll plan anything, anywhere. Anything on the Planet we can Plan It! But I digress.

Why do you need a Day of Coordinator, Month of Coordinator- whatever you call it… someone to help you on the day of or month of your wedding. You have your wedding planned, your contracted with all of your wedding vendors. Now what? You don't want your mom or Bestie to be running around making sure your details are handled....

• Who is going to organize your wedding day, create your schedule for the day of your wedding, go over your contracts, make sure you and your fiancé – your mom can be guests at your party!

• Who is going to open the door for you right before you walk down the aisle… hint – NOT your mom, she’s already seated.

• Who is going to take care of THAT drunk guest at your wedding, that just so happens to be a prominent judge and is making a fool of himself and pulling down his pants on the dance floor – hint, NOT your mom!

• Who is going to inform your caterer that they didn’t include the green beans on the buffet, or make sure your 2 Vegan guests can't be served a vegetarian meal… hint- NOT your mom!

I know you said that your fiancé can be the “point” man for your wedding day, but really, when it comes time to cut the cake, and you want 20 more minutes to mingle with your friends before, is he going to stop mingling to inform the caterer, the photographer, the videographer, the DJ or Band that you need more time, because by the time he does that, you’ll need another 40 minutes. Because he just wasted 20 informing everyone.

That’s our job, we do all of that and SO MUCH more, really… it’s worth the money…. I promise!

Does that make more sense as to what a wedding planner will be doing on the day of your wedding?

What is a Wedding Planner?

{Life Long Studios}

We are going to call this week, Wedding Planner Week! Soooo, without further ado, welcome to Wedding Planner Week! We are going to dedicate this whole week to all questions, myths and regrets about Wedding Planners! Brides are going to be weighing-in quite honestly about why they did or didn't hire a wedding planner, and how they feel about it now. But let's start with what exactly a wedding planner does, and why it could or should be helpful to hire one. A wedding planner should be there as much or as little as you need help with. If you are struggling with your caterer and need help getting your contract straight, it is our job to step in and help YOU! That is the bottom line, we are there to help you! We are also there on the day of your wedding to make sure you don't have to worry if your flowers are the wrong shade of pink or the wrong color all together. And at your reception you don't have your caterer, DJ, photographer, videographer and who ever else asking you as the bride, the same questions, we play interference! You wont' have worry about a thing! So, welcome to Wedding Planning Week, I hope you enjoy it!

Dear Parents of the Bride

Dear Parents of the Bride (and/or Groom),

I am so excited your daughter (or son) is getting married! This is just such a fantastic time in your family's lives! Along with this joy comes the over-whelming feeling of -ACK! We have to plan a wedding! And those things are expensive. I know that weddings seem like an astronomical expense and it’s hard to fathom spending that kind of money on a party. But let’s talk about where that money typically goes so that you can get a good feel for how much things cost and why.

Because frankly, I don’t think that the bride wants the local grocery store to do her flowers, or Cousin Marvin with a really nice camera to take her pictures. I like to say that there are 5 F’s to a wedding: Food, Flowers, Foto’s, Fashion and Fun. Those are the biggies, and after that, everything else is cake. (Pun is intended).

Food: Food costs are typically 50% of your budget, that’s what you eat and where you are eating it. So if you your budget is $30,000, that’s $15,000 for food and venue.

Are you with me so far?

Flowers: This amount absolutely depends on both the total budget and what the bride wants. Some brides want a TON of flowers, others really don’t care for them, or their venue is a garden then you really don’t need them. But typically the flowers are about 10% to 15% of the total budget. So going back to the $30,000, that’s between $3,000 and $4500. Keeping in mind that this accounts for all the bouquets, corsages, and centerpieces.

Still with me?

Foto’s: I know its spelled wrong, but it goes with the 5 F’s, so deal with it. This is a hard area to comprehend. Good photography is expensive. Professional Photography is not expensive it’s priceless! I personally didn’t have a professional photographer and look what I ended up with. But anyway, back to what I was saying. You can hire a photographer for $1500, but what you may end up getting, grainy images, out of focus, no album (and really, why would you want one with a bunch of crappy pictures of their wedding) and I am not saying that all $1500 photographers are bad, but buyer beware.

Photography, good, Professional Photography should start about $3000-$3500 (and could go up to more than $5500). And you will have amazing images. Depending on your area of the country photography could start higher or lower. Photography should be 15%-20% of your budget.

Fashion: This is for the dress, what the bride wears, since typically the grooms tux is complimentary from your Tuxedo Boutique. The Brides dress is usually 5%-10% of the budget.

Are you still there?

Fun: This would be the entertainment, and this would also typically take 2-5% of the budget. The band or DJ would come out of this percentage. Depending on your area, a DJ on average is about $100+ per hour per person attending the job, so if you have 2 DJ’s then the price would typically be $175-$200 per hour.

And really, the rest is cake, and some miscellaneous items, invitations, a wedding planner…really an extra 20%-25% of miscellaneous stuff.

Okay, so that’s more than 100% but you get the point. I hope this makes more sense to you, I know that planning a party for 200 of your closest friends and family is not something you do every day.

Trust me, I know that. And if you need help planning, a professional wedding planner is a good idea. We can at least get you started on the hard stuff, go over contracts, make sure you aren’t making any decisions you’d regret.

Let us help you. Really it’s okay.

With love! And Happy Planning!

Melissa
Professional Wedding Planning Guru
Owner | Lead Planner MasterPiece Weddings

Become Certified

MasterPiece Weddings is thrilled to announce that we will be hosting another Wedding Planning Certification Course this October 3-4, 2009 at the fabulous Golden Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club. Check out Be a Planner for more information and the rest of the details.

Be a Planner Launch

We are thrilled and excited to announce the official re-launch of our sister site, Be a Planner. As you may have noticed, the logo and site itself recently received a huge overhaul, and we have all kinds of goodies in store for the future of the blog.

Be a Planner will be your one-stop-shop for advice on being in the wedding planning business, planning tips and tricks, and the best planner finds to make Be a Planner a top resource for event professionals. Think of Be a Planner as the place to go for everything planning-related if you are new to the business, starting out in business, branching out into event planning, or a seasoned Professional. We promise to deliver educational information in a format that is easy to understand and we will offer real life advice. So, if you are a planner, are thinking of becoming a planner, or have ever wanted to be a planner make sure you bookmark us!

The Science of Events

I probably should be posting this on Be A Planner, but since that is on a break until after Let's Eat Cake! I am going to post it here, for all the world to seeeeee!

I am so excited to be attending Eventology! I've been in this business for over 14 years, and you are never too knowledgable to stop educating yourself. Things change, the way to market yourself changes, the way you do business changes. You are never tooooo good at what you do, and the moment you think you are... well, you should consider doing something else.

So, in April, I will be headed to Indianapolis for Eventology! In case you haven't heard about it, here's a quick blip, but check out the website for more information....

*****************

Three highly successful and renowned wedding planners will be discussing their insight and perspective on how to create and cultivate a prosperous wedding business.


Chat with Saundra Hadley of planning. . .forever events on How to Close the Deal: Sales Methods for the Wedding Industry.

Discuss how to Turn Brides into Fans: Nurturing Your Relationships with Clients with Terrica Skaggs of Fabuluxe, Inc. and iWed: International Network of Wedding Designers.

Lastly, learn how to Leverage Your Brand to Reach Today's Bride: Marketing in a Post-Modern World with Liene Stevens of Blue Orchid Designs and The Smart Planner.

You do not want to miss this educational and networking workshop! Gain expertise and insight on running a successful wedding business, as the reality is if you're not running a profitable business, it's just one big expensive hobby.

Super Secret Project, Part Duex

Another piece of our Super Secret Project is the Wedding Day! I am so appreciative of Amanda and Greg for allowing their day to be captured from the Consultant’s point of view.

As you may already know there were some early morning challenges that weren’t captured by the photographer {Stewart Powers} so let me give you a bit of background:

6AM – Wake up to a phone call from the florist with a question about the reception design and lay out
7AM – Confirm some final details with the reception location and set up
7:30- Have a cup of coffee, some cereal {knowing it might be a while before I eat again}
8:00 – Answer some emails
9:00 – Pack up the car wedding bus
10AM – Head out to run some errands for the bride
11:15AM – Call Rental location to let them know I am on my way to pick up 11 Chivari Chairs… they are aware I am on my way…
11:30AM – Show up at locked rental location – start banging on every door they own
11:35AM – Start banging and screaming “HELLLLOOOO!!!! IS ANY ONE THERE???”
11:37 AM- Run around to the back of the warehouse banging and screaming “PLEASE BE THERE – WHERE ARE YOU!!!?
11:40 AM- Call the rental location and can hear the phone ringing inside…. No one is there..
11:42 AM - Call someone to get someone to find someone at the rental location, they don’t answer leave a message
11:48 AM – Still banging… and decide to drive to the other location to find someone to get my clients chairs
12:07 PM – Arrive at other location, they are locked up tight (no surprise, they close at noon)
12:09 PM – Start thinking of places I could find chairs for my bride….
12:11 PM – Call other rental locations… no answer
12:15 PM – Head to The Hilton and ask my friends if I could beg, borrow or steal 11 chairs
12:17 PM – Get permission – HOORAY – I load my car wedding bus with 11 chairs {and I didn’t have to prostitute myself for them!!!}
12:30 PM – Head to the suite to let Amanda {the bride} know about Chair-Gate, and inform her that I will make sure she gets a refund… and the chairs will be amazingly perfect!!!
12:55 PM- Receive a phone call from the florist that he’s arrived with the personal flowers – I meet him downstairs to help bring them up to the suite
1:02 PM- Arrive to the suite with the flowers, show Amanda, and she loves her bouquet {it’s amazing!!!}
1:42 PM – Show Amanda her Bridesmaid’s flowers, and in the right light, they are the wrong color
1:43 PM- Call the florist to explain kindly to get-their-butts-over-here NOW to fix the color of the flowers
2:00 PM – Video starts…. Here!

So grab a cup of coffee, sit back and enjoy The Real Wedding Day!



** Update - I don't know why some of the last letters are missing... silly program! {Sorry!}

Super Secret Project - Revealed!

I know it's almost anticlimactic but it's finally done! The Super Secret Project! I first have to thank Powers Photography, and Stewart Powers - for without him, this project would never have come to fruition! Frankly, it was his idea! Basically, Stewart followed me around and shadowed me at both a rehearsal and the wedding day. So now you can have a wedding consultants point of view at both! This was so exciting, and challenging for me, on many levels! First exciting because it was a new project for both of us -and it was SO much fun! Challenging on so many levels - as a consultant you train yourself to get out of the way of the photographer! To find the quickest route to get out of the photographers field, never be in a picture, be invisible, and all that stuff. I was so conflicted having Stewart there. DUCK! Oh, wait no, he's photographing me! MOVE! Wait no... I truly had to re-train myself. But incredibly fun to be documenting something in photographs that I don't know has been done before. So, without further ado, I bring you Amanda and Greg's Rehearsal in 10 Easy Steps!

$1500 and Runs!

I was on my way home from work yesterday and I saw this truck, and a sign that said:

$1500 - Runs!

And it got me thinking, it's the same thing with wedding planning - you can pay $1500 for a "truck that runs" or a wedding consultant that isn't necessarily in running order maybe she doesn't knowt he ropes, hasn't been in business very long, has only planned one wedidng, namely her own - or just honestly doesn't know the business quite as well as another that might cost double, but RUNS... and I mean that in more ways than one!

I had a new bride come into my office the other day, and she said that it was the right time to get out of the contract she was in with another planner. Apparently that planner - left the company she was with and disappeared - like a magician!

That's not fair to the bride, - so make sure you know that the person you are working with is reputable, has a solid contract, and isn't going to leaving you hanging (or broken down on the side of the road!)

Wedding Save! Part II

There has been so much response to the previous Wedding Save! I thought I'd add another, this one less of a "situation" - but still happened none-the-less.

The Maid of Honor was a big larger than the other bride's maids and the bride very graciously gave each of the bride's maids some beautiful jewelry, but didn't give a second thought to the sizes of the necklaces for bracelets for larger or smaller bridesmaids.

The necklace didn't fit the larger girls, so the engineer in me kicked in, and I looped together safety pins and hooked them to the clasp of the necklace.

Voila!

Interns! That time of year!

I am getting 100s of calls and emails this week (and while I was away) inquiring about doing an internship with MasterPiece Weddings, and while I love your enthusiam. I know how busy our firm is, I don't need 100 people to intern for me this semester. It wouldn't benefit any of us.

So I am looking for 3 very special interns to work with MasterPiece Weddings.

There are some rules that apply. You must be getting school credit for the internship. You must have communication skills, you must be interested in wedding consulting. You must be available to work on weekends (including Friday).

As I was typing this - my dear friend Terrica at Fabuluxe had written this last week, and it's perfect!!! Just perfect! So if you are interested in interning or working for us, please see the below!

_______________________________________________________

A lot of my blog and pro friends have written about this– about how to apply, or inquire about a position with a wedding planner. I never ever ever in the history of fabulousness thought I would have to write something like this… but here it goes (and of course, I write with all the Terricaisms that bring you joy, luxelings).

So…Why I won’t hire you:

1.)You use my contact form. You are not a client. You are not a prospect. You are not getting married. Why are you using the contact form? It would be awfully nice if you took the time to research to see if I had an employment page, an HR email or the like.

2.)Your FIRST communication with me is poorly written. If your email looks like one of the LOLCats wrote it, it ends up in my trash bin. Period. I can teach you the ways of a wedding planner. I do not, however, teach grammar, spelling or English. This is an internship. Not an early literacy program.

3.)Your first communication with me is your resume…and ONLY your resume. Honey, that’s just rude. This shows me immediately that you have no imagination and personality. Sure, I have enough for both of us, but I don’t want to share. It’s BYOP.

4.)Three letters: T.M.I. I don’t care to know about where you were last night, who you were with and what you were doing. I’m not your girlfriend. I don’t want to hear about or see (two words My Space…Yes, I check it!) how plastered you were for spring break. If I can google you and find you in a bikini or some other compromising position– trust and believe that my clients can too. NEXT.

5.)You call me and the first words out of your mouth are: “Are you hiring?” Again, rude. Even if I was, I wouldn’t tell you. Not the way to apply. You have to wow me, sell me, make me love you. Playing 20 questions is not the way to do it.

6.)You know nothing about me or my company. If you can’t tell me anything about my business, how can you tell my clients? Do your research. I’m not asking for a book report, but at least show me that you can fit in as opposed to blindly sending out your resume.

7.) You tell me this is your DREAM. I hate this. I’m not looking for dreamers. I’m looking for someone who can work hard, laugh hard, and make it happen. You want romance and happy flowers, get a Disney movie.

8.) You’re a wimp. (Couldn’t really find a better way to word it, sorry). Let me put it like this: On the outside, you see the beautiful bride, handsome groom, proud parents happy guests…good food, awesome music, beautiful decor, and gorgeous venue. The inside: timelines, 12 hour work days, climbing stairs, ladders, putting floors together, moving tables, bustling dresses, crying flower girls, unpaid vendors, bridesmaids, drunk groomsmen, tired feet, and that’s only the half of it. If you’re worn out just reading that, we need not go any further. Just stick to the blog.

9.) You have no sense of style or decorum. I sell style. Plain and simple. I sell style and security. When we meet, I need to see how you would meet with my clients and vendors. So yes, honey, I’m checking you out: your clothes, your hair, your makeup, your accessories….all of it. Do your clothes fit properly? No bulges, pulling buttons, tight clothes, cleavage, etc. How well are you put together? Do you look like you stepped out of a magazine, or that you should be hit with one? Have you come professionally dressed or could I mistake you for hanging out at the mall with your friends? Are you personable adn witty? Are you shy and reserved? Are you crass and loud? First impressions are not just everything, they are the ONLY THING.

10.) You think you can do it because you saw it on TV or planned your own wedding. I’m not looking for a human TiVo machine. I don’t need you to spew every line from The Wedding Planner or the hottest new wedding show. That’s like you going on a medical rotation and telling the doctors about what you saw on Grey’s Anatomy. I’m glad you’ve planned your wedding. It was fun, wasn’t it? Now do 12 simultaneously! (Why are you crying????) Realize that you have to bring something to the table, as well as being ready to learn and do some grunt work.