Wedding Planner Certificate or Not?

For the past couple of years I see ad after ad regarding "wedding planner certification". It tokes that you can became a wedding planner by going through these courses. Through varies debates and conversations with colleagues, I have concluded....nothing. In the wedding planner industry it stands to say that there are many, many different routes to becoming a wedding planner. Who am I to say that there is only but one and it is the best.

Yes, you will see through my credentials that I am a certified wedding planner through the Association of Bridal Consultants. To be fair and honest, it was nothing more than a few open book tests. Was it good to go through the process? Probably. Would I put it up against my long standing wedding industry resume? Probably not.

Reading through a book and actually being out in the field getting training are two different things. Do I think you can go through an organizations wedding planning certification process of reading a book and taking a test and pairing that up with your own field training? Absolutely. I was asked to sit in on a seminar called "Weducation". It is a one-day seminar/workshop for aspiring wedding planners created by a dear colleague of mine, Amy Rubins. She is the owner of Fete Perfection. Amy is a full-service wedding planner that does many, many destination weddings. She recognized a need that these online programs needed some hands-on training attached to it. She also made the connection that it was a good introduction for vendors to see what a wedding planner does, how we can make their job easier, and the seminar can also give them insight as to what the other vendors do. Example - It is good for a cake baker to see what a DJ can do and how they can work together. Amy's workshop was FANTASTIC. I strongly encourage anyone that is thinking about becoming a wedding planner to take this course before they think about the switch. I also strongly encourage wedding vendors (DJ's, bakers, transportation, reception venue wedding planners, etc.) to take this course.

What's my point? I am not convinced that a wedding planning certificate is all that it is cracked up to be unless it is also paired up with hands on training of some kind. Books don't teach you how to "throw down" or "dress" a round table complete with linens, chairs, chargers, flatware, and all the glassware at the last minute when the bride doesn't give the caterer the right guest count and another eight guests walked in and they don't have a table. Tests also don't teach you "timing" for the day. How long does it take to put on 150 chair covers with a kimono sash tie or 150 placecards in alphabetical order outdoors with the wind blowing?

To be continued...

Favors, Accessories, and Treats

If you are on the hunt for the perfect favor, start with these, fun websites. They have tons and tons of new and unique products that could help set your wedding apart from the other ten weddings your friends are attending this year. I just purchased a black and white parasol to carry with me on the day of the wedding for my clients. It is uber cute for pictures and fantastic to have at the last minute for shade.

Wine, Cheese & Chat Night for Brides for August

Wine, Cheese & Chat Night for Brides is a time for brides to come together and bounce their own wedding ideas, plans, and questions off of other brides over wine and cheese in a small, intimate setting. The monthly group is next scheduled on Tuesday, August 17th from 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm. Yes! We said Free Event. This is probably the only thing you haven't had to open your wallet for in planning your wedding thus far!


We host this event once a month. Attend as many events as you wish. You do not need to be a current client of ours to attend (nor will we try to talk you into being a client). This is your time to plan your wedding without having to sit in front of a computer. We will have a “Minute Clinic” available for any brides that want to take advantage of chatting with a professional wedding planner with no charge. Yes, we said no charge.

Please RSVP at: lora@atyourserviceweddngs.com or 612-208-1051. Wine, Cheese & Chat Night for Brides is held in the At Your Service Weddings office in International Market Square building near downtown Minneapolis. Our address is 275 Market St, Suite C-27, Minneapolis, 55405. Visit www.imsdesigncenter.com for directions. Our office is on the lower level. At the glass elevator in the event atrium go down the steps and turn left. Please note that IMS closes at 7 pm. If you are running late, please call and we will let you in.

Next Wine, Cheese & Chat Night for Brides is scheduled for Tuesday, July 13th

Wine, Cheese & Chat Night for Brides is a time for brides to come together and bounce their own wedding ideas, plans, and questions off of other brides over wine and cheese in an intimate setting. The monthly event is next scheduled on Tuesday, July 13th from 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm. Yes! We said Free Event. This is probably the only thing you haven't had to open your wallet for in planning your wedding thus far!

We host this event once a month. Attend as many events as you wish. You do not need to be a current client of ours to attend (nor will we try to talk you into being a client). This is your time to plan your wedding without having to sit in front of a computer. We will have a “Minute Clinic” available for any brides that want to take advantage of chatting with a professional wedding planner with no charge. Yes, we said no charge.

Please RSVP at: lora@atyourserviceweddngs.com or 612-208-1051. Wine, Cheese & Chat Night for Brides is held in the At Your Service Weddings office in International Market Square building near downtown Minneapolis. Our address is 275 Market St, Suite C-27, Minneapolis, 55405. Visit www.imsdesigncenter.com for directions. Our office is on the lower level. At the glass elevator in the event atrium go down the steps and turn left. Please note that IMS closes at 7 pm. If you are running late, please call and we will let you in.

Two new services!

We love our two newest services. We now do decorating set-up or midnight tear-down. Moms love these services too. When they can, friends take care of a lot of the decorating during the day. It is a rare luxury to be able to get into the reception and ceremony venues the evening before to do their decorating at a leisurely pace. Friends are not always able to do it. This is where we step in.

But who cleans up at the end of the night? You do. The bride, groom, friends, family and the last guy at the bar. Everyone is tired. Everyone is ready to go home and go to bed. The bride and groom haven't been alone all day and just want to be together. This is a great gift to give yourself and your family. We package up all of the table-top decor and accessories and deliver them to you the next day. What could be better?

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Minneapolis voluteers gone wild!

We had a very successful event this weekend because of the brides, volunteers and vendors that came together to make this event happen! The 2010 Brides Against Breast Cancer Nationwide Gown Tour Event was fabulous. The grand total raised for the event was $15,300! We sold 24 gowns and about 30 other accessories. Overall, Making Memories was thrilled. They are going to do great things with the proceeds. Brides were leaving excited with their deals. We shed some tears over brides that were purchasing dresses in memory of loved ones that have passed from breast cancer. Everyone from volunteers, the foundation, the vendors, to the brides were thrilled. Thank you all for helping to make this event a success.

I am planning on bringing this event back next year and would love everyone's help again. We are going to need it because we will have an entire year to plan this time and it will be much busier! I planned this year's event in three months. We are looking at February or March 2011. To keep up with the event date, each of their 50 events has a flier on the bridesagainstbreastcancer.org website and you can check our date there.

Also, pass along to everyone that my office is a drop-off site for donated dresses all year round. My office is in International Market Square. I ask for a $20 donation to assist in some shipping and handling and cover the additional cost above and beyond that. I will also package up the dresses and send them.

Thank you to everyone involved and see you all next year!

Myself and Brenda the Making Memories Tour Director. I can't say enough good things about Brenda. She talked to each bride that has experienced the passing of a loved one to breast cancer. She said, "Tell me about your mom. I didn't get the chance to meet her. What hobbies did she have?" I was a puddle of tears. FYI- the brides that made purchases don't have breast cancer nor do you have to have a breast cancer connection to make a purchase or attend. That is just where the proceeds go.

Myself and Amanda. Amanda is the Events Manager at the Milwaukee County War Memorial Center in Milwaukee. She planned the BABC event in Milwaukee this past April and raised $30,000! She had such a great time that she drove to Mpls to help us out. Watch out Amanda, we are going after that number for next year!

It is hard to tell in this picture what is happening but the volunteers are doing a "facedown". It is coined by a photographer in Seattle that you fall down on your face like you are exhausted and take a picture. People then send them to her from around the world and she puts them on her facebook. We had to do one for her in the shape of a pink ribbon.

I also want to thank the vendors/individuals involved:

• Amy and Anna with Fete Perfection, POSH Bridal, General Mills, Target, The Wedding Shoppe, Designs by Lisa located in IMS, and Baker Knapp & Tubbs located in IMS all sent over rock star volunteers!
• The vendors that played a part in being there that day. Jill from the Marriott who was our location host, Bellagala for the music, Erin Johnson Photography, Meg Hillary Luminaries, Studebakers Photobooth and Renee's Royal Valet for bringing the pink limo, The Traveling Photobooth, and Merina Bruda of Photo Bloom.
• Thank you to the companies that jumped on board to help promote the event without even hesitating: MN Bride, Twin City Bridal Association, Mpls St. Paul Magazine, KARE 11, metromag.com, KSTP, and Twin Cities METRO.
• Also, thank you to the vendors that sponsored the goodie bags: Twin City Bridal Association, Saavi, D'Amico, Dancers Studio, Adagio DJay Entertainment, Richfiled Flowers & Events, Ramada Plaza Minneapolis, The Copper Street Brass Quintet, and MN Bride.

Another Great Wedding!

I love Pam & Justin! What a wonderful couple. They are really a great fit for each other. I really enjoyed working with Pam. She was one of those rare brides that said she was organized and actually was. They got hitched last Saturday and here are some of the pictures.

Usually brides have way more questions for us with our Day of Coordination package then Pam did. Pam was totally on top of things and needed little from us for pre-wedding prep. We met for our final meeting one week before the wedding and she was THRILLED to turn over the infamous binder that haunted their kitchen counter. She said that Justin was just as thrilled to finally have it make it's final exit out the door. Pam is a person that is always organized and in control of the situation. I did question how she was going to really feel with turning over to us her planning project that she worked so hard on all year. She didn't hesitate to say that she had no doubts in what we will do for her this next week to wrap up the planning.

The wedding ceremony and reception were both held at Central Park in Woodbury. FYI: Blaine with Central Park is fantastic to work with. Really nice guy. Elizabeth - thanks for all of your assistance in tearing down some of the tables for the dance. If you haven't been to this facility, you have to go and visit. It is part of the City of Woodbury buildings. Stop in for ice cream sometime. They have indoor trees, a waterfall, running stream, bridge, and tons of green plants. You can sit on a bench under a tree and smell the dirt on a day when it is below zero and there is snow on the ground. We did not have a rehearsal on Friday night. That shows you how no hassle this bride is. I did some light set up during the day with the decorations she provided (guest book, cake cutter, etc.). When the wedding party and family arrived, we did do a quick rehearsal on the amphitheater stage where the ceremony was to be held. They had Kurt Jorgensen perform for the ceremony music. Kurt is a dream to work with. Beautiful voice and extremely professional. Very impressed with Kurt. For the processional music, we actually had a heavy metal song by a band called Five Finger Death Punch for the groom and groomsmen to walk in to. That was a first for me. Very cool though. Blaine helped me to run the 1:40 minute song off of an iPod through the sound booth so I could do the cues for everyone to walk in. The ceremony was about five minutes long and it has to be the shortest I have ever done.

For the reception, Pam arranged for Complete Beverage Service to provide the bar service. Kilkarney Hills Golf Club in River Falls, WI provided the food. Again, two exceptional vendors. Pam decided to do heavy appetizers for a relaxed reception feel. I packaged up leftovers at the end of the night in to-go containers and guests left happy.

Last but not least, the baker and photographer. Ginamarie, I craved your cake all day on Sunday. As a vendor, I shouldn't be eating the cake. But I couldn't resist. It smelled so good! Ginamarie with Wrapped Up Confections also makes exquisit chocolates and candies. She made a custom-made cake topper out of the Five Finger Death Punch symbol in chocolate. wrappedupconfections@yahoo.com

Dustin Scholl was a photographer that I hadn't worked with before. I really hope to work with him again. Amazingly easy to communicate with and enjoyable to be around. I think these pictures speak for themselves. http://dustinschollphotography.shutterfly.com/.

Congrats Pam & Justin!

Check out their review of At Your Service Weddings on http://www.weddingwire.com/

Brides Against Breast Cancer Nationwide Tour of Gowns

We are so thrilled to be planning the Twin Cities Brides Against Breast Cancer Nationwide Gown Tour Event! This event hasn't come to the Twin Cities for quite a few years and we are excited to be sponsoring it. It will be happening on May 14th and 15th at the Marriott West in St. Louis Park. Jill at the Marriott is fabulous to work with and it is such a beautiful hotel with a contemporary look with splashes of dark red.

This fundraiser is basically a bridal shop on wheels. It is the largest fundraiser for an organization called Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation, headquartered in Oregon. Making Memories grants wishes to stage IV breast cancer patients. All sales from the gown tour go toward making these wishes happen. Many of the wishes are video cameras to record the remainder of the patients lives. Other wishes are trips.

Wedding gowns are donated to Making Memories throughout the year from past brides, manufacturers, designers, and bridal shops. The gowns are put on a truck and travel to over 40 cities for a gown sale. The price for most gowns start at $99. Couture gowns are 35-75% off of retail price. Veils, tiaras, shoes, and other accessories will also be on sale.

General Admission is free and takes place on Friday from 12-8 and Saturday from 10-6. Brides are encouraged to go to www.bridesagainstbreastcancer.org to register for the event. There will be Power Hours on Friday from 10-12. These Power Hours are the first opportnity to take a look at the dresses and make a purchase. It is $20 per person. You can purchase a ticket on www.bridesagainstbreastcancer.org in advance.

If you want to help in some other way, here are a few ways that you can:

1. Volunteer - Here is a breakdown of what times/dates we still need coverage for. Please let me know if you are interested in signing up for a shift or three.

Thursday, May 13th
5 pm -8 pm: Set up the event (Unload the gowns, arrange the dresses and accessories, etc.)

Friday, May 14th
4 pm - 8 pm: General Sale hours: Assist brides in gown selections, run dresses back to the racks, keep accessories and shoes organized, assist with merchandise sale, etc.)

Saturday, May 15th
10 am - 2 pm: See General Sale hours above
2 pm - 6 pm: See General Sale hours above
6 pm - 9 pm: Tear down (Repack dresses, load racks on trucks, etc.)

2. Pass this event information on to anyone that you think is interested in volunteering OR attending the event to purchase a gown.

3. Or, if you have a gown or know someone that has a gown that they want to donate, they can bring it to our office before the event. The office is a drop off site for dresses all year long. But, if they bring it here before the event, we can put it on the truck instead of shipping it to their headquarters in Oregon. Any dresses that are put on the truck go directly to headquarters for cleaning and processing. They then go to a different city. They would love the gowns to be from 2006 or newer.

4. If you know of anyone that is a stage IV breast cancer patient and they may want a wish, they can go to the main website and ask for wish information. www.bridesagainastbrastcancer.org.

5. If you are a wedding vendor, we have two more tables for "booths" for sale. If you are interested, please contact Lora at At Your Service Weddings

For more information on this event, please go to www.bridesagainstbreastcancer.org. There is a flier on their site that has our local event information.

Welcome Back Blog

Check out the ice sculpture from our new friend Trevor at Metro Ice Sculptures. We came up with a couple pretty "cool" ideas for the bouquets at the reception site. Give him a call to check out the ideas.

Welcome back! It has been quite some time since the last blog. So many things have happened. It has been a great start to the new year and new wedding season. Here's a quick recap.

We have spent hours this past winter refining our services and defining what they mean to us. We decided to go back to the basics. We believe that weddings should not put couples into major debt. Nor do we believe that it takes a vault full of cash to have a beautiful, elegant wedding. With some creativity, reflection, and a plan you can plan the event you have always wanted. All of our services and packages are designed for couples that want to do their own planning. We specialize in Day of Coordination for a reason. We are good at it and that is what we enjoy. Our DOC package goes beyond just the wedding day. You also have assistance with your planning whenever you need it. Our ala carte services and hourly consulting can assist all couples in various stages of their planning. We just step in and help when there is something that they either don't want to do or don't know how to do.

The best part is that we have lowered, yes, lowered all of our pricing. We stepped back one day and asked how we can really help all couples. Through money of course. This doesn't mean that we lowered our quality. Nor does it mean that we are inexperienced. We just want to be a part of everyone's planning in various increments.

Our new office in International Market Square is coming along nicely. We think it may always be a work in progress though (just like owning a home). All brides are welcome to stop in between the hours of 10-4, Monday-Friday to browse our wedding accessories. We also have access to order a gazillion more items at reduced rates for couples. You don't need to be a client or under contract to stop in and make a purchase.

We also have our Idea Libary ready to assist in the planning. Again, you do not need to be a client or in a contract to spend time in the library. It is free and you don't need to schedule an appointment to browse. Basically, we have spent years, and we mean years, collecting pictures from magazines and other resources. Everything is referenced in a binder by group. So, if you are only looking for cake designs, you can pull the cake binder and see hundreds of cake pictures. We have categories for hair, accessories, invitations, overall wedding design, floral decoration ideas, non-floral decoration ideas, etc. You could spend hours going through the binders. We will start a pot of coffee for you. Just flag any pictures you like and we will make a photo copy for you.

We have many other great things happening. Stay tuned...