LWPI is excited to announce that it has joined forces with world-renowned design icon Preston Bailey. Together, they will create and launch the first event-design course of its kind, based on Bailey’s 30 years of experience with such celebrities as Donald Trump, Oprah Winfrey, Uma Thurman, Joan Rivers, Donna Karan, Liza Minnelli, Matt Lauer, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Ivanka Trump and others.

Preston Bailey’s Signature Wedding and Event Design course will allow students to experience the step-by-step processes and techniques utilized by one of the globe’s leading wedding and event experts, industry pioneer Bailey. This new course is a comprehensive “how-to” for the industry, providing real behind-the-scenes footage, photographs and documentation, including insights into the wizardry that can make a wedding a one-of-a-kind, magical event for a couple and their guests.

Starting this summer, Preston Bailey’s Signature Wedding and Event Design course will roll out to nearly 2,000 academic institutions around the United States . Dependent upon each school’s administration, the course will be available to both full-time college students in regular classroom environments and adults in continuing-education programs. It will also be made directly available to students through an online program hosted by LWPI.

“Event design has been a life changing experience for me,” said Bailey, the founder of Preston Bailey Designs. “I am excited to share my passion for design by working with the experienced team at The Wedding Planning Institute.  It’s a privilege to help others harness their talents to create weddings and other events that are truly unforgettable occasions.”

Are you interested in enrolling? Good news! You can enroll today! (The class will be available in both English and Spanish.) Want more information on this exciting opportunity? Check out the following links:

* More about the partnership and the course.
* Enroll for the class today.
* Take a tour of the course (English).
* Take a tour of the course (Spanish).
* Visit Preston Bailey’s website.

Are you an aspiring wedding and event planner in the Akron, Ohio, area? Heather Porcella is already running a successful business, and she can show you how it’s done.

Heather Porcella considers it an honor to create a spectacular wedding that brings her client’s vision to life. As the owner of Truly Your Events, Heather was voted the “Best Wedding Planner for 2008” in the Akron/Canton Ohio area by the MyFoxCleveland.com Hot List. Her company has coordinated numerous events of various sizes, budgets and styles.

After graduating from Kent State University with a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design and a minor in Business Administration, Heather worked in Residential and Commercial Interior Design as an art teacher and as a floral designer. Her experience planning showers and weddings for friends combined with her education led her to create her own event-planning business in 2003. Truly Your Events offers the latest in wedding-planning trends including eco-friendly designs, full event coordination, and free initial consultation to provide clients complete planning services to help them save time and money and alleviate stress.

After becoming an LWPI Certified Wedding Planner in the spring of 2008, Heather agreed to share her knowledge and expertise with students in the Wedding Planning Institute’s certification course at the University of Akron. Heather will be teaching aspiring students how to become successful wedding planners by bringing personalized attention and creativity to every client’s occasion. “In today’s busy world, trying to plan a special event can be very stressful and time consuming. By providing solutions to the demanding needs of event design and coordination, you can allow the client to enjoy a stress free celebration,” Heather writes.

Candidates for the wedding-planning certification course at the University of Akron can register by calling Cheryl Beckwith at 330-972-6460 or by visiting http://www.uakron.edu/ce/schedules/WeddingPlanCert.php. The Spring 2010 session is scheduled to begin April 12, 2010, and will meet Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 to 8:30 p.m. for eight weeks. Tuition is $795 and includes classroom instruction, textbook, six months’ online curriculum and support access, and post-graduate job-placement assistance.

One of the key attributes every certified wedding and event coordinator should have is being at ease with conversation. When it comes to working with bridal couples you want to be personable and show your fun side. Here are some great stories we’ve found this week to help you break the ice!

Image courtesy of weddingwhirlwind.wordpress.com

* You catch more flies with honey: One bride recently went berserk in a bridal-gown salon when her request for alterations was turned down because, the shop owners say, of her bad attitude. Not only did she trash the store, but she also brought in her family members who helped make a huge mess. If you look up “bridezilla” in the dictionary, this is whose picture you’ll find! Yikes.

* An old wive’s tale: Have you ever been told to avoid throwing rice at a wedding couple because, horror of horrors, the rice will expand and burst open the birds that eat it? Scary story, right? Even those of us who aren’t card-carrying members of PETA want to avoid, you know, murdering the birdies. But good news! This tradition can begin again because surprise (or not) - it’s an old wives’ tale. Rice is a grain just like bird seed, experts say, and it won’t hurt our feathered friends. So while birds everywhere have been fattening up on showers of birdseed it may be time for a change of diet!

* We all know that a great way to Go Green at our weddings is to go vintage. But another way is to get in on the action and, perhaps, bid on a celebrity wedding gown! In this case it was Christie Brinkley, who seems eager to rid her house of all signs of her former husband as she moves on to her new life and new loves. Brinkley recently donated her old gown, a white Armani suit, to clothesoffourback.org and offered all the proceeeds to the American Red Cross.

* And finally, in these times of economic difficulty weddings can be an expense for which many people just can’t spare the cash. What to do? Why, try to get the attention of a celebrity, of course. A woman from Michigan was recently found on Twitter by Conan O’Brien when he decided to follow a random, regular person. She instantly became a cyber celebrity, and with the help of Conan she’s now getting custom shoes and a wedding gown, as well as a limo and wine for her reception. “My fiancé wants Conan to be his best man,” she added. “That would be really cool. And hey, if he wants us to come on his show, we’d get married on there. That would be fantastic,” she said.

Have you heard any fun wedding stories this week? A laugh is a great way to ease the tension that bridal couples are bound to have as they work out their budget. Calm their nerves with stories like these, and show them what a fun and personable wedding planner you can be!

Before a bridal couple can do anything else, i.e. order invitations, book venues or hire caterers they must set their date. As certified wedding and event planners it’s your job to know which dates should be off-limits if the festivities are to go off without a hitch. Here is a list of dates you may want to encourage couples to avoid in 2011. Yes, 2011! Since it’s March, and Valentine’s Day is just recently behind us, there are lots of newly engaged couples out there looking for wedding planners right now! You can never be too prepared in the wedding industry, right?

* January 1: New Year’s Day
* February 5 and 6: Super Bowl Weekend
* February 12 through 14: Valentine’s Day Weekend
* April 2 through 4: Final days of NCAA Basketball Tournament
* April 22 through 24: Easter Weekend
* May 7 and 8: Mother’s Day Weekend (and many college graduations)
* May 27 through 30: Memorial Day Weekend
* June 18 and 19: Father’s Day Weekend
* July 1 through 4: Fourth of July Weekend
* September 2 through 5: Labor Day Weekend (End of summer and last vacations for many.)
* October 29 through 31: Halloween Weekend (Although some couples may want to choose this weekend.)
* November 24 through 27: Thanksgiving Weekend
* December 23 through 25: Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
* December 30 through January 1, 2012: New Year’s Eve and Day

What do you think? As professional, certified wedding and event planners do you steer your couples away from specific weekends? It may be a good idea to discuss family birthdays and big anniversaries, as well as due dates for relatives and members of the bridal party. How do you help a couple choose their date or dissuade them from using one they may have already set?

We know that as graduates of Lovegevity’s Wedding Planning Institute you dream of having a successful wedding and event-planning business of your own. Just like in any part of life it’s helpful to gather hints and learn from people who are living the dream! We welcome today’s guest writer, Nadia Digilov, a celebrated wedding and event planner in New York City. She has great insight into the trends for 2010, which you can pass on to your brides and clients this year as you plan their festivities!

Top 10 Wedding Trends for 2010
By Nadia Digilov, the founder and CEO of NYC event-production firm Celebrating in Style

Whether you are planning an ultra classic or a super modern wedding you can implement some elements of the trends that are happening this year in to your wedding day. Here are some of the latest styles in catering, decorations, flowers and much more!

1-Reception Venue: Transform a restaurant dining room into an ultra chic reception with the creative use of the right lighting. No longer do you need a family country club or a local catering hall that has already been used over and over again by friends and family!

2-The After Party: The after party is a great marriage of the old and new at one significant event. During the reception you will have traditional wedding customs such as your first dance and in some cases some religious traditions. The after party is pure music and dance and is usually held at a separate room that is transformed into an ultra chic lounge.

3-The Decor: The natural trend is still going strong this year, with the use of trees being a unique way to replace the traditional flower decorations. Candles hanging from the trees are a wedding classic, however, this year why not get creative and mix in a feeling of whimsy by add in ribbons and wind chimes.

4-Seated Dinner Twist: Consider serving some dishes family style and having your caterer arrange the platters on a couple of different levels. Serve your guests food rich in color, which adds a feeling of abundance, color and life to your wedding tables.

5-Late Night Surprise: Your guests will love you for some late night snacks after they dance up a storm and a hefty appetite. Just when the guests thought the food, was done have the caterer bring out some late night snacks like mini hotdogs, cheese and crackers!

6-The Bar: Last year we saw a whiskey and bourbon trend, the year before it was champagne, and the 2010 trend is tequila! Margaritas anyone? Impress your guests with non-traditional cocktails like cool refreshing blackberry mint or grapefruit basil martinis.

7-Cake Top: The classic bride & groom cake top has some competition this year. The trend of the year is to substitute the good ol’ cake top with gorgeous symbolic flowers, custom made by your florist at the cake top of your wedding cake.

8-The Wedding Dress: Add some color to your wedding dress with the use of flowers, head-pieces or jewelry. Check out the line of unique jewelry from Marie-Lise Lachapelle which incorporates real flowers such as orchids, pansies, and roses covered in gold, silver and lacquer to preserve the shape and color of the actual flower. These unique pieces can be worn as necklaces, earrings, or even pinned into the hair for a boho-chic look: http://marieliselachapelle.com

9-The First Dance: Many of brides are going back in time to the 1940’s for the music and are choosing the romantic classics such as “I’ll Be Seeing You Again” and “Moonlight Becomes You.”

10-Dessert Table: A candy table in place of a full Viennese table is a very hot trend for 2010. The traditional Viennese table is filled with heavy cakes, while a candy table is fun and arouses a feeling of adventure and youth in your guests! Who wouldn’t like that?

Nadia Digilov is New York’s premier luxury wedding expert and the founder and CEO of NYC event production firm Celebrating in Style, www.celebrating-instyle.com. After seven years on the trading floors of the largest investment banks on Wall Street, her passion for production led her to begin creating luxury events that leave a lasting impression. Since 2002 Nadia has created weddings, corporate events, concerts, trade shows, and marketing events in major cities around the world; including New York, Miami, Moscow, Tel Aviv and St. Petersburg.

One of the top reasons that brides turn to Lovegevity’s certified wedding and event planners is because they have great relationships with vendors. These relationships can equal big savings for couples, and they expect their wedding planner to know all the best vendors in the area. One of the hardest parts of planning a wedding is researching and interviewing vendors so that brides know they’re getting a good deal. As a wedding planner this is your job so it’s important to have a long list of friends in the wedding industry! Here are a couple of tips for establishing relationships with the wedding vendors in your surrounding area.

1. First things first. Get out and introduce yourself! Sure, phone calls are a great way to talk to someone, but a vendor is much more likely to trust you if they meet you face to face, or, put a face with a name you might say. Make a list, check it twice, and hit the pavement, including local bridal shows. If vendors know you and know you’ll bring them business they might carry your cards in their store and refer you to brides who stop by on their own. It’s a win-win situation.

2. Put your best face forward. In other words, act like a professional! Dress the part and talk the part. Research each vendor before you make contact with them. Know what their philosophy is. Know what their prices are. Ask them for pamphlets that you can keep in your folder. Professionalism goes a long way, and vendors will be more likely to recommend you if they know you’re serious about what you do.

3. Think beyond the obvious. You need to have a deep list of florists, caterers, photographers and musicians to recommend - the more you know the more likely you’re to have the perfect vendor for any bride’s budget. But there are other vendors to consider because you never know what a bride will request. Do you have any of these in your area? Consider ballroom-dance instructors, travel agents, insurance agents, and financial planners among others.

4. Make (and keep) appointments. Vendors are unlikely to turn away any bride who comes into their business, but it’s a lot easier on them when they’re expecting you. Consider giving them a bride’s budget in advance so they can prepare their presentation. They’ll appreciate the advance notice, and the bride is sure to get the best options for her day when everyone comes prepared.

5. Take notes. Some business people say there is no better advertising than through word-of-mouth. Referrals go a long way in the wedding world because every vendor-client relationship comes down to one thing: trust. When you work with a vendor for the first time take notes about their performance. What were their strong points? Weak points? What kind of bride do they work best with? All of this information can be invaluable when it comes to matching brides to vendors.

Good, strong vendors are the lifeline for every certified wedding and event planner. Knowing your area’s business community is the first step to planning a fabulous wedding.

What other suggestions do you have for the newest graduates of Lovegevity’s Wedding Planning Institute? What questions are important to ask? Do any of you experienced planners have any stories to share?

According to The Wedding Report, and as expected, “the average cost of a wedding in 2009 dropped 10.2% over 2008.” 2009 was a rough year for everybody, and while 2010 is already starting off stronger brides are still finding that planning their wedding is a challenge with a small - or shrinking - budget. This is where certified wedding and event planners can step in and, in essence, save the day.

Spending was down the most in 2009 on jewelry, gifts and invitations. But couples were less likely to cut costs when it came to their music and photographer, and brides were still intent on finding the perfect gown no matter the cost. As certified wedding and event planners you are the person every bride should turn to simply because you’re In The Know when it comes to vendors. More couples are using certified wedding planners to help them get the most value for their wedding budget. In fact, statistics show that in regard to a-la-carte planners, getting-started coordinators, and day-of planners couples spent more in 2009 than 2008. A good planner is worth his or her weight in gold, and that’s what you need to let brides know. How can you do that? One way is to hit bridal shows.

According to eWedNews, “Bridal shows across the country are reporting a steady rise in both attendance and vendor participation over last year, signaling a better 2010 season.” Experts suggest that events that were put on hold in 2008 and 2009 are now in planning mode again because couples are putting job losses behind them. Couples are still being cautious about their spending, experts say, but in many cases they believe the worst is behind them, and they’re ready to move forward with planning the happiest day of their lives. As the economic climate improves, so will couples’ attitudes and with that will follow increased spending.

Any uptick in the economy is a positive right now. And as things improve more and more couples will go ahead with their engagement and weddings. It’s a great time for those interested in becoming wedding and event coordinators to pursue their dream. Getting certified through Lovegevity’s Wedding Planning Institute is a great way to get started, and it may even give you a leg up when it comes to being The Choice for brides in your area. Interested in a course? Check our listings to see if there is a class opening soon in your area, or give us a call if you’d like to take the course online. Don’t let the opportunity pass you by! Brides are SUPER ready for something bright and happy in their lives after the winter and economic doldrums!

In 2009, President Obama challenged Americans to take charge of their future by creating opportunity through higher education. This was a clear directive to Americans to better themselves and see what opportunities their local schools offer. Education doesn’t have to end once we find a full-time job. Our passion may not lie in what we do on an everyday basis. Perhaps some of us dream of becoming wedding and event planners.

A few weeks ago in the 2010 State of the Union Address the president again mentioned a few programs that can help those people who are interested in pursuing a new career. As Forrest Junior College has noted, “The American Graduation Incentive will help 5 million Americans earn certificates and degrees in the next decade.” If you’re looking for a new career and you need help financing it today may be the best time ever to pursue your goals.

This program is part of the fiscal-year 2010 budget and may be passed soon. It is designed to provide financing to community colleges for increasing their graduation rate but also for expanding workforce partnerships (for growing industries or careers in their area) and making more financing available for students to take courses including certification programs. The financing for this program is $10 billion.

Another potential benefit may be the new American Opportunity Tax Credit, which is credit for tuition and supplies). Officials have expanded what the tuition credit covers, and it’s worth asking your local community college if it covers the materials for Lovegevity’s certified wedding planner course.

Every year, the wedding industry continues to grow as more and more people are getting married and more couples are seeking professional help to plan their perfect wedding day while maintaining a reasonable wedding budget. Certified Wedding and Event Planners are trained to do exactly that and are strongly positioned to succeed in the economy of today and tomorrow.

If you have dreamed of planning weddings for a living or are just curious to see if you have what it takes to succeed in this rewarding field, take a tour of our online and classroom course curriculum at www.cwptour.com. Your future as a Certified Wedding and Event Planner awaits!

Emily Meyer has always loved the idea of planning the most important day of peoples’ lives. She was the go-to person for friends and family when it came to planning social events and birthday parties. Each event was executed beautifully and flawlessly. It is when she began planning her own wedding that she knew this is what she was meant to do. With everyone around her getting engaged, she took it upon herself to offer them wedding-planning services by researching vendors within their budget and coordinating the processional for the ceremony. This is when Emily took a more serious approach to wedding planning and design.

She enrolled in the Wedding Planning Institute as her passion grew deeper for creating a fairytale ending.  After researching the best wedding vendors in Oklahoma City and completing the necessary training, the Wedding Planning Institute proudly recognized Emily as a certified wedding planner.

After six months of working closely with other wedding planners, Emily opened the doors to a whole new wedding experience. She started her own business in September of 2009. Her company, Chandelier Weddings, was a huge hit in the Oklahoma City area. After executing three weddings in her first month of opening, a high reputation and word of mouth from clients and vendors became her best marketing tools.

A unique aspect of Emily’s business is catering to not only high-end weddings, but also to weddings of couples who cannot afford an extravagant wedding. Emily says, “Every little girl dreams of that day where she will walk down the aisle to meet prince charming. For rich or for poor, I feel that every girl deserves to not only dream that wedding, but have that wedding.”

Emily was excited to find that the Wedding Planning Institute was looking for instructors in her area. She knew this was something she needed to pursue. With her ambitious attitude and strong passion for wedding planning, teaching what she loves would be an absolute joy. Emily was offered the position at the University of Tulsa and is eager to begin this endeavour as a new instructor with the Wedding Planning Institute. She looks forward to other teaching opportunities and sharing her knowledge and passion with other soon-to-be wedding planners.

“Becoming a certified wedding planner is one of the most rewarding jobs that could ever exist. Because you are certified, a bride and groom can trust you so much more. The best part of the job is when you see that bride walk down the aisle and the look on the groom’s face the first time he sees her. It is priceless. It is at that moment when you know that you have just turned a little girl’s dream into a reality and created a fairytale ending where this couple will begin a new chapter in their lives.”

The next Wedding Coordinator Certification courses taught by Emily Meyer at the University of Tulsa will be held from Feb. 8, 2010, to March 31, 2010, on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuition is $795 and includes text book, online access in addition to classroom instruction, testing and national certification from the Wedding Planning Institute. To register, contact Frances Najera at the Office of Continuing Education at frances-najera@utulsa.edu or 918-631-2937.

We’ve probably all heard of the Make A Wish Foundation, a non-profit organization that grants the wishes of children with life-threatening conditions. It’s a lovely way to help the parents of these children, too, because we all know how sky-high medical bills can rocket in a short amount of time. Plus, taking sick children to Disney World, or the Super Bowl, or some other event can be taxing because of the organization and stress it requires and involves. Make A Wish does an awesome thing, and it’s a great organization to support.

Weddings can be super-expensive, too, and planning a wedding when you or your partner are sick can be almost impossible. That’s where the new Wish Upon a Wedding Foundation comes in. According to the foundation’s Web site, it is “America’s only wedding wish granting organization” and it “produces weddings & civil union ceremonies at destinations across the United States for individuals facing terminal illness. By celebrating the courage & spirit of these couples, it is our hope that others facing similar situations will find hope, strength, and the promise of eternal love.”

With the exception of Make a Wish, have you ever heard of something more lovely?

At this point there are only five chapters open, and they are of course tied to some of the major metropolitan areas in the country: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orlando, New York and Chicago. New chapters are in the works and opening up all the time, however, and you can sign up to receive an email if one opens up near you. The success of organizations like this one depends on the hospitality of the wedding industry and that means you, Lovegevity wedding and event coordinators! We know that by simply signing up at Lovegevity’s Wedding Planning Institute you were born to help people (brides need a lot of help, and you enjoy being the one to do it!) Have you considered using your gift as an organizing super-power to help others less fortunate? Wish Upon a Wedding is a fabulous idea and a wonderful way to help wedding planners bring fairy-tale weddings to reality.