January 2018
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Society WEDDINGS JANUARY 2018 Magazine Featured Planner Kyla miller of everlasting events and design Upcoming Certification Conferences Simple Steps to Elevate Your Client Experience How To Successfully Build Relationships with Other Vendors
FEATURED PLANNER Kyla Miller By Brianne Ackerland Feature Manager with TBS Meet Kyla Kyla became a Certified Wedding Planner through The Bridal Society back in 2015 but that wasn t the start of her journey proving that no event is too small too big or too challenging to execute with excellence Her unmatched attention to detail along with her creative imagination and concept design has contributed to her success in the wedding industry Not to mention in addition to running a successful business with partner Tasha Harrison Kyla also serves as one of The Bridal Society s directors
What do you love most about being a wedding planner Seeing the vision of my clients come to life What is your average week like I m always trying to balance my 3 roles of being a wife mom and boss with grace Most weeks I manage to do it as long as I carefully plan out the week Mondays Emails Laundry Tuesdays Networking Play and Practice with My Kids Wednesday Client Meetings Grocery Shopping Thursday Venue Visits Friday Wedding Prep Date Night Saturday Boss All Day Sunday Church Naps I m not going to say every week looks like this but it s what I strive to make happen
What advice can you give and or have you received that you can pass on to new existing planners You don t have to do this alone I absolutely love the fact that Everlasting Events is a partnership Having someone to bounce crazy ideas with and keep each other in line is the best thing we ever did Tasha and I praise our differences because that is the magic of our team Also be sure to learn how to balance Yes it s great to be booked 2 years out but make sure you have time blocked off on that calendar to enjoy everything you are working so hard to create What is one item you cannot live without on wedding day Multiple pairs of shoes I like to call them my Pre game Game Time and Over Time shoes Pre Game Set up Shoes Sneakers Game Time Dress Shoes for the event itself Over Time Another pair of comfortable shoes to take on the tear down of an event Even though according to Tasha it should be water She yells at me to drink water all day Ha How do you feel The Bridal Society has helped your career Tasha and I had just started our company earlier in the year but we didn t have a direction The Bridal Society gave us the tools we needed to create the blueprint of Everlasting Events Our first year we did nothing without referring back to our manual It was always WWLD What Would Laurie Do Thanks to The Bridal Society and the knowledge we received we have consistently doubled our bookings every year NOMADIC 24
Kyla s favorites What is your favorite moment on wedding day My favorite moment of the wedding day is when the Father of the Bride sees his little girl I cry every time Because I have two daughters who LOVE their daddy I can t help but take myself to their moment What is your favorite activity when not coordinating a wedding I enjoy nothing more than experiencing new activities with my kids I love to find new and exciting things to do all the time like horseback riding or roller skating What is your favorite benefit that The Bridal Society offers I think that the Forum is priceless We are instantly connected to planners all over the world for advice product knowledge and geographically specific info There is such a sense of community among us and that just makes my heart happy Everlasting Events HTTP EVERLASTINGEVENTSFL COM The Bridal Society gives a special thanks to Kyla for giving us an inside look into her life and business If you are a TBS Alumni Member who is interested in being a part of our Spotlight Features please be N O Mout A D Iour C Diamond 24 sure to visit the members only section of The Bridal Society website to check Membership Benefits
S I M P L E T O S T E P S E L E V A T E YOUR CLIENT EXPERIENCE By KRISY THOMAS SOUTHERN SPARKLE WEDDING AND EVENT PLANNING Client Experience is Everything Ensuring that our clients are taken care of and that their needs and expectations are met is something that we should take very seriously here as wedding planners My team and I take pride in working with our clients to make sure that both the wedding planning process AND wedding day are an incredible memorable experience A wedding planner with an above average client experience will attract the right kinds of clients time and time again but also get the best referrals from your favorite wedding vendors NOMADIC 24 and venues
Here are three simple steps to elevate your client experience 1 Communication Communication is crucial from the very beginning of the client experience even before they are actually clients I have booked so many brides because I was one of the first planners to call or email them back from their initial inquiry Not only should you contact them back quickly but contact them with excitement about their wedding day I have had many potential clients tell me that I was the only wedding planners they met with who seemed excited about their wedding day In an industry that is all about celebrating two people committing their lives to each other you should be over the moon excited when you meet with brides and grooms Don t let the responsiveness end when they sign the dotted line and become a client As someone who has been a bride I understand the anxiousness you feel when you email one of your wedding vendors and days go by before you hear back from them Now as a wedding planner I know they are probably swamped with other weddings and they are drowning in emails However most of your clients don t understand this In order to ensure that your clients aren t in anxious waiting to hear back from you always email your clients back within 24 hours If it something that will require a few days to figure out simply email them stating that you received their email and will get back to them with the answers to their questions by a certain date Your clients will feel a sense of relief knowing regardless of how busy you are you still make time to respond back in a timely manner During the times you are out of the office be sure to have an auto responder so your clients can have an expectation of when you will see their email NOMADIC 24
2 Streamline Process Our clients lead busy and hectic lives and as their planner I want to make sure the planning process is anything but hectic It is our job as their wedding planner to organize and manage every detail during the planning process Managing these little details for multiple weddings can be overwhelming But by using tools and technology such as Aisle Planner I am able to stay organized and deliver a structured and stress free wedding planning process Taking the time to create documents and systems for your business will allow you to thrive as wedding planner as well as providing the exceptional service your clients deserve 3 Showcasing Your Brand Our Southern Sparkle brand has grown and evolved into something that I am truly proud of The evolution of our brand has truly impacted our client experience Upon booking we send out welcome packages that include items that are branded specifically for our business Even our gifts thank you cards still speak to our brand are intentional and thoughtful and appreciated by our clients Whether it is a preferred vendor list our wedding planning checklist or a hair and make up schedule every document from us includes our custom font color schematic and logo We even showcase our brand on the wedding day On wedding morning we deliver cookies for the bride groom to have as they are getting ready These cookies are brand related using our hashtag sparklebride but still personal with their monogram IN CLOSING Offering an exceptional client experience will leave a lasting impression Your client will remember how you made them feel This feeling is something they will tell to all their engaged family and friends leading to more referral business for you Basically a great client experience lives on forever NOMADIC 24
HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER VENDORS By Cathy Nugent of Cathy Nugent Weddings Think about all that goes into a wedding day Between the details and the vendors each wedding is as unique as the couple you re planning it for So as a certified wedding planner you already know it s a lot You also know how crucial your fellow wedding vendors are to the successful execution of the event That s why it s so important to work and build relationships with high quality wedding professionals in your market But building longlasting relationships with vendors can be easier said than done in what may be an oversaturated market NOMADIC 24
Spoiler Alert It s not about all your sales pitch I get it You want to pitch yourself to this vendor in hopes that they see how you stand above the rest of the planners and want to work with you and refer you in the future However the biggest mistake I see people make when it comes to trying to build relationships with their fellow vendors is that they go straight into pitching themselves to the other vendor without so much of an introduction Not only is this distasteful but it also makes them feel like they re just a stop on your rounds Believe it or not it s not all about a sales pitch Change Your Mindset About Networking I think it s important to adapt a different mindset when it comes to networking with other vendors Just like you vendors are people too There s a real person behind that brand who works as hard as you do But most importantly that person wants to feel heard respected and appreciated Be Genuine I think the key to this new mindset of building longlasting relationships with other vendors is to be genuine Don t go into networking thinking about what you could gain from a relationship with a specific person Instead go out of your way to see how you could work together to help them By showing them that you want to work together to make their role on the wedding day easier you re going to stand out from the crowd by showing them you care about working as a team to provide the best experience possible for your client After all a wedding day is not a one woman or NOMADIC 24 one man show
VENDOR TIP SERIES WORKING WITH PHOTOGRAPHERS AND VIDEOGRAPHERS Kirsten Otte of Whimsy Lane Events The Bridal Society wants to thank Bonnie Newman Owner of Bonnie Newman Creative for collaborating with Kirsten in an interview for this blog post Relationships with Photographers and Videographers are Crucial After the party is over the dance floor is empty the linens have been packed away and the cleanup crew has left the only proof of a wedding well enjoyed arrives a few weeks later from the photographers and or videographers Photographers provide those still moments showcasing the love and joy that took place on that particular day and the videographers capture all of the important moments that can t be fully expressed in a still shot All planners know that these vendors provide the proof of a perfectly executed wedding and they usually can obtain copies of the NOMADIC 24 images and videos to use for marketing and social media purposes
What is the best way a wedding planner can help a photographer or videographer Work With Them These vendors work best when they re working with the wedding planner and not for the wedding planner They appreciate when they are consulted on timelines to ensure that they are able to do their best work in capturing the moments that only happen once For example when a timeline is setup with back to back reception formalities toasts speeches cake cutting etc videographers don t have time to switch lenses or ensure that lighting is right to capture that perfect moment Working with these vendors to ensure the timeline of events is also conducive to doing their best work will please everyone including the couple when they see the finished products Encourage the Couple to Have a First Look In regard to the timeline one way to get on the photographer or videographer s good side is to encourage a first look if that s something the couple is debating and considering barring any religious or superstitious conflicts Having a first look prior to the wedding ceremony helps the day go much smoother for everyone once all of the post ceremony chaos begins Photographers and videographers love doing a first look because it usually opens the door for them to get a head start on the wedding party and family photos which can be very time consuming after the ceremony Most couples really want those gorgeous sunset pictures of just the two of them but that can be tricky to get if other pictures take longer than expected especially in the winter months when the sunset is extra early NOMADIC 24
Schedule Their Vendor Meal Appropriately It s also helpful to keep in mind that the only downtime a photographer and videographer have on the wedding day is while the couple is eating Some planners insist that these vendors eat after all of the guests but by that time the couple is usually done eating and on to the next event This leaves very little time to eat just a few bites of whatever food they are offered before they have to get back to work to ensure they don t miss a speech or cake cutting Photographers and videographers love when wedding planners understand this concern and offer or allow them to eat while the couple is also eating Be Educated and Experienced Photographers and videographers enjoy working with experienced and qualified planners and are especially fond of Certified Wedding Planners from The Bridal Society who they know can execute any event perfectly Photographers and videographers truly appreciate all of the little and big of course things that planners do on the wedding day to ensure all of the vendors are on the same page the whole time At a seamless wedding it s easy to forget that there s even a planner in attendance and that everything isn t just falling into place perfectly on its own but it s very noticeable to these vendors when there s not a planner or coordinator present on the wedding day NOMADIC 24
VIP Award Nominees Categories WEDDING PLANNER OF THE YEAR STYLED SHOOT OF THE YEAR XEDO DESIGN REP OF THE YEAR W E B S I T E O F W E D D I N G O F T H E T H E Y E A R Y E A R NOMADIC 24
STYLED SHOOT OF THE YEAR VIP Award Nominees NOMADIC 24
STYLED SHOOT OF THE YEAR VIP Award Nominees continued NOMADIC 24
W E D D I N G O F T H E Y E A R VIP Award Nominees NOMADIC 24
P L A N N E R O F T H E Y E A R VIP Award Nominees W E B S I T E O F T H E Y E A R VIP Award Nominees NOMADIC 24
X E D O D E S I G N R E P T H E Y E A R VIP Award Nominees WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED AT THE BRIDAL SOCIETY S ANNUAL CONFERENCE THIS YEAR WE PARTNERED WITH THE PLANNERS SUITE CONFERENCE AND IT WILL TAKE PLACE ON JANUARY 29TH AND 30TH NOMADIC 24
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