Photo by Avenue-Photo.com
By: Tracey Manailescu, Co-founder and Vice President of WPIC Inc.
Hooray! Wedding season is almost here, and has already started for some. Here are some quick tips to get you into wedding planner mode.
Take on What You can Reasonably Handle: We hear it (and feel it) more often than you would think. You start off with grandeur visions and dreams for your wedding business, to quickly find yourself underpaid, overworked and overwhelmed. This makes you feel resentful, and you will quickly burn out. Do some research, and set your rates based the parameters of your city. If you have experience, and feel confident in your awesome wedding planning skills, than make sure you are getting paid properly for it! Industry standards are there to ensure that you are not under-cutting other wedding pros. There is no cap. Don’t take on more than you can handle. Make sure to spend quality time with those you love.
Be Aware of Popular Trends: Please don’t confuse this with following trends. You need to know what couples are looking for and what wedding world is putting out to the couples for inspiration. Read some wedding magazines, home decor magazines, blogs, fashion, etc.
Message: Be in the loop.
Get Rid of Clutter- Do some spring cleaning. Clean up your office space. While you are at it, clean your living space, your closet, too. You will instantly feel less overwhelmed and more productive.
Exercise- Get your mind, body and spirit in check. There are going to be long hours, physical challenges, as well as all of those late nights working on budgets, timelines and “to do” lists which be quite overwhelming. Don’t forget all of the vendor and client meetings that go along with it. Now is the perfect time to think about getting back to the gym, going on a daily walk with your friend, or significant other, or something else that gets your stamina and heart rate going on a regular basis. I have recently gone back to the gym, instead of just paying for it every two weeks, lol! It actually makes me feel happier, and I have more energy. It has only been three weeks so far, but I am loving it!
Learn Something New- Read a book, listen to a webinar or podcast, or attend a seminar or conference that is geared towards improving your business. It could be tips to improve your social media, working with same-sex couples, luxury weddings, how to include cultural aspects into the wedding that you may not have worked with before, getting templates in place for the new wedding season, etc.
Stop Comparing Yourself to Others: Self doubt and jealousy are terrible things. Please stop putting others down to build yourself up. Simply put, it makes you look bad, and in the long run, it will come back to bite you in the you know what! Instead, focus on making you and your company better. Write down your goals, and start working on making them happen, instead of just dreaming about them.
Embrace Your Individuality: Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. Take a good hard look at yourself to find out what yours are. This is what is going to make you stand out and set you apart from everyone else.
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