The Wedding Planning College

WHY SET-UP THE WEDDING PLANNING COLLEGE? 

After being inundated with requests for instant advice & practical training, Lisa Hilliard (from Lisa Hilliard Wedding Planning) & myself, have joined forces to launch The Wedding Planning College

There will be few weddings as prestigious as Prince William & Kate Middleton, but with the number of weddings expected to increase, it won’t only be the rich & famous that will look to hire the services of a wedding planner. However, wedding planning is unregulated & there are no mandatory qualifications required to set-up a wedding planning business.

The Wedding Planning College offers Training Events, Mentoring & On-going business support

WHAT DOES THE WEDDING PLANNING COLLEGE OFFER?

The Wedding Planning College prides itself on offering real, honest & professional advice through training events, personal mentoring & long term business support. The graduates from the college will be encouraged to become part of an on-going network that aims to bring best practice to their businesses.

Watching films such as The Wedding Planner can sometimes paint an inaccurate picture of what’s really involved in planning the most important day in someone’s life. This kind of romantic media results in many people aspiring to wedding planning as their dream job.... which it can be ... but it’s also a lot of hard work, both emotionally & physically! 

Lisa & I will personally mentor people to achieve their dream but our support will be based on practical learning & experience. We believe that as established and trading wedding planners we can offer real training & advice to enable people to become successful planners.

The Courses have been designed by REAL Wedding Planners

WHERE & WHEN WILL THE TRAINING TAKE PLACE?

Using the fabulous training facilities, on the 6^th Floor of the new CASA Hotel, in Chesterfield, we aim to attract people from the Midlands & Yorkshire to our “Train to Plan” two day training events. Each event will take place over a weekend and includes a mixture of factual based learning, individual exercises, group activities & guest speakers, from the industry. Lisa & I will guide & mentor delegates through each session, offering honest advice, sharing real examples and working with individuals to inspire their own wedding planning business development.

The new CASA Hotel in Chesterfield

WHAT TRAINING & BUSINESS SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE?

Training sessions will include “Setting up a wedding planning business” & “How to plan & coordinate a Wedding”. The first ones are due to be held on the 1^st/2^nd October & the 5^th/ 6^th November. 

There are opening offers for the first 16 delegates. Please check the website for details:

www.theweddingplanningcollege.co.uk

Lisa said “There were no specific practical wedding planning courses when I started my business & I went in to it somewhat blind. General courses helped with the business side of things & an on-line course taught me an overview of the wedding planning industry, but no-one actually told me what I really needed to know”

All Train to Plan events offer REAL honest advice, guidance & support

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We are extremely grateful to Mark Tierney from Tierney Photography for the amazing images for our new web-site & to Lynsey Wells from Bimbo Design for creating the look of our new brand.

Selecting a wedding Planner

How to select your Wedding Planner.

So you've decided that you would like some help with the planning of your wedding, whether it be starting with the whole design or just co-ordination of the day.. so what are the things that you will need to consider ?

The below article is impartial advice from the UK Alliance of Wedding Planners, to which I am a member.

One of the main reasons for the existence of the UKAWP is to act as a reliable reference point for you, the bride. If you are looking for a professional wedding planner, this is the place for you. All of our members have been vetted for their honesty, professionalism and experience. They all offer a consultation where you can discuss your wedding in more detail and how they may be able to help you. Please view our code of ethics and entry requirements to understand how serious we are about the industry and the planners we promote. To further assist you we have devised some guidelines below.

RESEARCH

• Look through wedding magazines or search engines to see which planners are listed for your area. Start by reading their websites thoroughly to understand how they operate.

• Read the websites carefully for typos and bad grammar. If they cannot proof read their own work, then can you trust them with your stationery?

• Contact them for more information. Do they respond within an acceptable timeframe with clear and concise details?

• Arrange a consultation with at least two that meet your requirements. This should be arranged at a time and place convenient for you.

CONSULTATION

• During the consultation, does the planner ask lots of questions regarding your personality and any initial plans?

• Do they understand your wedding vision? They should be enthusiastic and build on your ideas.

• Do you have a rapport and feel at ease with them? Remember you will be in close contact during the planning so you must actually like them as a person!

• What special touches can they recommend for your wedding?

• How long they have been in business and how many weddings have they organised? Can they provide references?

• Ask how they charge, for example do they charge a fixed fee or a percentage of the budget?

• Ask if they accept commission from suppliers and are discounts passed onto you?

• Ask to see proof of public liability insurance.

• Do they have a portfolio for you to look at from past weddings?

THE PROPOSAL

• When this arrives, does it match your recent discussion?

• If the quote is not acceptable, then contact the planner to discuss. Could there be any items that could be removed?

• Check  whether there are any extra charges, i.e. travel, accommodation, administrative work.

• Once you book a planner, make sure you sign a contract. Read it carefully.

• Don’t forget to use your planner as an information source; they may be able to advise you on any issues of concern.

• Keep in regular contact with your planner and update them of any changes.

For more information regarding wedding planners, please email info@ukawp.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  or call 01483 282858, 01376 561 544 or 01442 828061

My personal advice would be to look for someone who you feel can give your Wedding their full attention.  I also think it's useful to go with someone who has the experience of planning their own wedding & then they better understand the emotional side of the planning process & can help you through times of stress.

Well, I've been married twice & have organised both a very traditional Wedding & also a Wedding away from home, followed by a huge party, complete with a 3 tier chocolate cake, live band & bridesmaids.. Whatever your needs, I feel confident that I will have the experience to deal with them.

Joy X

UKAWP Membership : Benefits to our Clients

Being an Associate Member of the UKAWP ( U.K. Alliance of Wedding Planners ) not only means that I've been professionally trained to be a Wedding Planner by some the industry's leading experts, it also means that as a Client of mine, you are guaranteed the following benefits :

• I hold Public Liability Insurance.
• I respond to client enquiries within 48 hours.
• I respect client confidentiality.
• I always pass on discounts and / or commission to the client.
• I never give client details to a third party unless for the sole purpose of the wedding.
• I respect the copyright of all planners, co-ordinators and related suppliers.
• I represent each client fairly & honestly.

In an industry that is completely unregulated, by choosing Unique Wedding Planning you can be satisfied that I will always adhere to the code of ethics above, giving you peace of mind, total confidentiality & a wedding that's Unique to you

Joy x