Changes to come to the Blog

To our loyal readers, we are in the process of many updates.  Updates to the Dallas Wedding Planner website and updates to the blogs.  We are in the process of merging this blog with our Something Blue blog.  So if you are not reading it right now, be sure to bookmark it and start reading it regularly as we will not be making any more posts on this website after today.  All of the posts will be on Something Blue.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for all of the great changes to come from Dallas Wedding Planner.

Time to organize your business

The weather is finally cooling off here in Dallas and that signals it is time to re-organize your business on my calendar.  I always feel like even though the fall is a super busy time, it is the best time to get all of my ducks in a row for the new year.  We are busy at Dallas Wedding Planner implementing some new things into our website and blog. As the leaves are changing outside, we will be working on the changes inside. I guess in my mind the worst thing about change is it takes too long sometimes to complete.  You know everything is a process.  We will keep you posted as we implement the blog onto our website and make a few other changes.

If you haven’t scheduled some down time on your calendar to work on your business, dust off your calendar and find some time to inspect, create and implement something new and fresh for the bride of 2010.

Setting standards in your business

Letting your customers set your standards is a dangerous game, because the race to the bottom is pretty easy to win. Setting your own standards–and living up to them–is a better way to profit. Not to mention a better way to make your day worth all the effort you put into it.
- Seth Godin

Some wedding planners feel like “whatever the bride wants goes” and that is our job as wedding planners to do whatever regardless of the outcome.  I completely disagree.  I believe a bride hires a seasoned professionally trained wedding planner because of her experience and the wisdom that she brings to the table because she has been there and done that. Brides should respect their wedding planners knowledge of their many years of experience.  If something is in good taste, then as Colin Cowie would say, go ahead and do it.  But if it is going to be tacky and in poor taste, then explain to the bride why it is not a good choice and look for alternatives.  Don’t back down on your standards.

Remember, at the end of the evening, you are responsible as far as most people are concerned, even if you really aren’t.

Getting ready for the last 2009 Roots workshop

We are getting ready today for the last workshop for 2009 for Roots, the Dallas Wedding Planner Training Program.  We have some new material to be shared with these group of women so I always find that exciting.  I love to share new information that I feel will help people become more focused and successful in their business. Interestingly enough, we have three sets of mother/daughter teams attending the workshop this time around.  How funny is that?

The team approach with a mother/daughter combination to me is a winning combination in the wedding industry.  The daughter is up with the latest and greatest technology and can probably relate to the bride more than mom and the mother relates more to the mom and the feelings and emotions that she is experiencing with her daughter getting married.  The strengths and weakness of these team should definitely compliment each other to form a winning business.

We have some many cool items this time around in the attendees swag bags so that is fun for us putting the bags together as well as for them to get them and see all of their goodies. We will be posting pictures of all of the treats in the days to come.

Many have already started inquiring about the schedule for 2010.  We will be sitting down to formulate the 2010 schedule in late October.  So stay tuned for the details and dates.

Quote: Quality of Service

“Poor quality is remembered long after low prices are forgotten.”   (via@jasonfried)

I so totally agree with this statement. If I receive poor service, I remember it far longer and the price paid for the product/service becomes irrelevant to me.

Source: WorkHappy.net

Enjoy your long weekend.

Wedding professionals and brides alike, enjoy your nice long weekend!  I will actually be laboring the majority of the holiday Labor Day weekend.  There is much to catch up on and much to get ready for coming up in September.

Regardless of what you are doing this weekend, don’t forget to tell those who mean the most to you that you love them.

Note:  This cool sign is available by SugarBoo Designs.

Final week to sign up for the Roots, Dallas Wedding Planner Training Program.

Friday is the last day to sign up for the Roots, Dallas Wedding Planner Training Program in Dallas, Texas.  This is a comprehensive 3 day workshop to be held on September 18 – 20th, at the Hyatt Place in Dallas is for those of you thinking about getting into the wedding planning business.  You will learn how to implement your business so you  do not waste months of time trying to figure it out all on your own.  We teach you what you can not learn in a book.

Email us at planner@dallasweddingplanner.com if you are interested and we will give you the latest details. Hurry now, Friday, September 4, 2009 is the deadline for registration.

Vendor Interview: Let’s Talk to Mood Swings Entertainment

Today, Dallas Wedding Planner and the Wedding Industry Insider is excited to share another vendor interview,  Mood Swings Entertainment with you.  After doing wedding planning for ten years, I recognize how important the choice of your musicians are to the success or failure of your event.  I have personally had the privilege of working with Mood Swings Entertainment and I can saw they did a fabulous job, worked professionally and kept the party fun all evening and played fabulous music for everyone to enjoy all night.

Here’s are interview with Cody Schwartz of Mood Swings Entertainment.

Website: www.mood-swings-ent.com

Number of years in business: 10.  I began the concept and name “Mood Swings” in 1999.  In 2001 we incorporated and became Mood Swings Entertainment.

How did you get started in your business? Playing with bands in college.  I finally got tired of driving all over the state for other people and all the bad band leaders annoyed me to the point of putting my own band together.

What person has had the most influence in your business? Dr. Thomas Houston.  He was my clarinet professor in college and has his own big band.  I still play with him to this day.

What services do you offer to brides? We offer live music for wedding ceremonies and receptions alike.  We have a variety of soloists, a Jazz Duo & Trio, Jazz Combo, Little Big Band and a full Big Band to offer.  We specialize in jazz, but variety is our goal.

What is your most favorite location to play at for a wedding? My favorite place is Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth.  It’s elegant, easy to enter and exit, the staff is awesome, and the views are awesome.

What is the most chosen song for a first dance song at the wedding reception that you play? At Last

What song do you love that you do not play often at a wedding that you wish brides would choose? I love Latin music and the dances.  I wish more people knew how to cha-cha, samba, etc and would include more of those songs.

What is your favorite part of the wedding day? That’s a hard one.  It’s a toss up between the First Dance and the Daddy/Daughter Dance.

Do you have a favorite wedding blog? Um, yours, of course!

Thanks Cody for your time with us.  For all of you wedding professionals out there who haven’t meet Cody with Mood Swings Entertainment yet, take some time and give him a call.  For any of you brides reading this interview, give them a call, check out their website. They even have some demos on their website. And remember, good quality musicians are essential to providing you an important aspect of a successful event.

Poll: Where are your brides cutting back?

Dallas Wedding Planner thanks you for giving us your input.

Inspiration: Menu Card

For those of you who know me well or who have worked with me with on a wedding reception, know I have this thing about napkins and how they are folded. I stumbled across this image on Tara Guerard’s BonBon blog of a napkin with menu card.

I loved the idea of wrapping the menu card around the napkin with the silverware.  Something different and easy to do for a clean, crisp look.

Source: Soiree by Tara Guerard

Vendor Interview with Wendy Krispin Caterer

Today the Wedding Industry Insider and Dallas Wedding Planner is featuring an interview with Wendy Krispin Caterer. Join us for the discussion and learn more about this great company in Dallas for your next event.

Business Name: Wendy Krispin Caterer, Inc.
Location: The Dallas Design Center
1025 North Stemmons, Suite 600, Dallas
Number of years in business: 22 years

Wendy, how did you get started in your business? I was an unhappy partner in another company and my friend Ellen Terry suggested I do my own catering company.  She was right!

Did you have an aha moment when you knew this was the career path that you were meant to be in? I worked a few parties as a cater waiter and I felt I was home. I loved it!

What chef do you most admire and why? Wolfgang Puck – for his tenacity, success in many facets of the food business including books, restaurants and catering.

What person has had the most influence in your business? Martha Stewart, of course! She wrote the book and it still applies when it comes to organization.

What services do you offer to brides? We do it all but I think we are best at caterer’s tasks!

What is your most favorite location for a wedding? The Filter Building for the water, Old Red Courthouse for drama and The Women’s Museum for something unique.

Thanks Wendy for sharing your time with us.  We have learned a bunch about you and your passion for your business. We love the quote on your website, ” To eat is a necessity, but to create a memorable event based on fabulous food is an art.” We so agree with that thought!

Wendy, we wish you continued success with your business for another 22 years!

Looking forward to watching Behind the Bash with Giada

There are a ton of wedding shows on television these days.  Most of these I don’t really care for or find anything new and fresh worth watching.  However, I am interested in seeing the Food Network show called “Behind the Bash”. It’s been on a while but I have missed seeing the show.  The show is supposed to create over-the-top, high-rolling parties. Granted it is not just focusing on weddings and that is a good thing.  We can learn a lot from other parties and events.

Food Network star, Giada De Laurentiis goes behind the scenes with chefs, sommeliers, pastry teams, decorators and event planners as they pull together fabulous high-end events. It sounds like a good combination of team working.  I’ll be setting my TV to record “Behind the Bash” early Friday mornings.

Early Bird registration deadline this week for Roots, the Dallas Wedding Planner Training Program

This week is the deadline for early bird registration for the September 18 – 20, 2009 Roots, Dallas Wedding Planner Training Program.

This will be the last class for 2009, so if you have been considering coming to one of the Training Program classes,  be sure to sign up now. Email planner@dallasweddingplanner.com about our special rate for the last class of 2009.  The Roots Training Program will provide you with the knowledge, the skills and the courage to build your successful wedding and event planning business.

A quote to challenge your business

“It is not what you sell, but what you stand for.” – Roy Spence, Jr.

I truly believe this! Are you building a business to just make money or to improve your client’s lives?

Vendor Interview: Let’s Talk to Serenata Strings

Today, Dallas Wedding Planner is excited to share with you a string quartet in the Dallas/Fort Worth area called Serenata Strings. We had the pleasure of interviewing Karen Lim-Smith of Serenata Strings. Join us in reading some interesting facts about these local musicians and their passion for music.

Company Name: Serenata Strings
Website: www.serenatastringsdfw.com
Number of years in business: 19 years

How did you get started in your business? Through performing at weddings for other companies.

Did you have an aha moment when you knew this was the career path that you were meant to be in? It is knowing that providing excellence to our brides and clients bring out the best in Serenata Strings.

What services do you offer to brides? Serenata Strings offers solos, duos, trios, quartets, quintets and ensembles utilizing trumpets, flutes, strings, vocals, harp and piano to suit your specific budget, taste and size of event.  A diverse background in classical, pop, jazz, Broadway and Jewish traditional allows Serenata Strings to perform requests not listed on our repertoire at no additional charge. A complimentary wedding rehearsal CD will be provided for the wedding rehearsal. We also offer a complimentary recording provided for vocalists.

Please visit our Web site for our special discounted rates.

We work with our clients to customize and orchestrate their wedding music to perfection
while tayloring their needs to fit in with their budget and style.

You have performed at hundreds of different locations in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex over the years. What is your most favorite location for a wedding? Serenata Strings has performed at many locations.  We cannot name one without naming all our favorites – Mediterranean Villa, Chapelle des Fleurs, Dallas Arboretum, Fort Worth Botanical Gardens, Piazza In The Village, Arlington Hall, Denton Bible Church, Magnolia Hotel, Hotel Crescent Court, Maple Manor Hotel, Stoneleigh Hotel, Marie-Gabrielle Restaurant, McKinney Memorial Bible Church, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Calvary Cathedral International, The Trammell & Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art, The Victorian House, Delaney Vineyards, Ruthe Jackson Center, The Hilton Hotels in Grapevine, Southlake, Dallas/Park Cities and Allen.

What person has had the most influence in your business? We owe all our successes to all the brides and clients, whom we have worked with.  We strive to provide for our brides and clients musical excellence and those aspirations influence our professional lives every day.

Thanks Karen for your time to talk to Dallas Wedding Planner. If you are looking for a string quartet to complete your wedding needs, check them out today.