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.

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 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.

Without realizing it at the time, Jessica Moore had been groomed since childhood to become a Wedding Coordinator Instructor. She grew up in the wedding industry as she watched and assisted her parents run their video-production company, which had deep roots in wedding videography. Not only did this experience provide Jessica with powerful background knowledge in event execution, but she also learned intimate lessons in running a small business while watching her parents’ business grow.

Growing up behind the scenes, Jessica learned that it was executing the small details that made a successful and stress-free event. It wasn’t until her friends started asking such questions as “When should we do the toast?” that Jessica realized she had unique knowledge! What was second nature to her was an invaluable resource to many friends who were now brides. Encouraged by friends and family, Jessica launched Something To Celebrate in March 2005 with enormous success.

Under Jessica’s direction, Something To Celebrate’s weddings and events have been published in numerous national and local publications. In The Knot’s inaugural Best Of magazine in 2007, Something to Celebrate scored 100% – the only wedding-coordinating firm in the nation to receive a perfect score from The Knot’s surveyed brides. Although The Knot no longer publishes grades for vendors, Something To Celebrate is proud to be included in the exclusive magazine every year. Jessica is repeatedly quoted in the media on wedding trends and is serving consecutive terms on the board of directors for Austin Wedding and Event Coordinators (AWEC).

Jessica is a graduate of Trinity University, where she studied education, and has 10 years of experience as a teacher. Through her role as Instructor with The Wedding Planning Institute, Jessica is able to marry (pun intended!) her roles as business owner, wedding coordinator and teacher into the perfect combination for her students as they take that important step in their wedding-coordinator career. Jessica recognizes the importance of obtaining your wedding-coordinator certification.

“Pursuing your certification sends a powerful message to your future clients and vendors. You didn’t just wake up and decide you wanted to be J-Lo (God forbid!), you made a well thought-out and researched decision to invest in a career, helping clients execute flawless events. When you register for this course, you’re demonstrating your commitment to excel in this profession,” she says.

The next Wedding Coordinator Certification courses taught by Jessica Moore at Texas State University will be held Feb. 1, 2010, to March 3, 2010, on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7 to 10 p.m. and March 16, 2010, through April 15, 2010, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7 to 10 p.m.. Tuition is $855 and includes classroom instruction, textbook, six months online curriculum and support access, and post-graduate job placement assistance. To register, contact the Office of Continuing Education at 512-245-2507 or continuinged@txstate.edu. Register online at http://www.txstate.edu/continuinged/.

The Next Big Thing: When it comes to weddings these few words are what every couple strives for. Wouldn’t it be great to start a trend? Jeff and Erin are one couple who are raising the Save-the-Date bar; who needs post cards and magnets when you can make a movie? Or, actually, a trailer for their movie, a.k.a. their wedding! (Perhaps they’ll follow up with a Dance Down the Aisle - remember this?) Some people may say these videos are annoying, but as wedding planners we know that friends and family would flip over something this cute. It would really help couples stand out, and it would be the perfect way to create anticipation for The Big Day!

A wedding is a big deal, and it should be treated as such. It’s the details that make weddings special, and you can’t get much more special than starring in your own epic feature! A certified wedding planner can help couples make their day even more special by introducing them to industry trends and by helping them bring their not-so-traditional ideas to life. Jeff and Erin created an action-movie trailer, but other couples may consider comedy, film-noir or even documentary-style trailers. Perhaps someone filmed their engagement. Maybe they’d like to include their wedding party in their save-the-date video. The possibilities are endless, and a certified wedding planner is just the person to help tap into couples’ creativity and alleviate their stress.

What do you think? Is this an up-and-coming trend? How could you help couples expand this idea and incorporate it into the overall theme of their wedding?

“We are excited to recognize and honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program has given us the unique opportunity to highlight the best wedding professionals in each region as reviewed by brides and grooms who have utilized their services in the past year.”

Everyone at the Wedding Planning Institute is extraordinarily proud of Pam for the excellent work she is doing for her wedding planning and rental clients, as well as the incredible lessons and example she provides for Carteret’s certification students. It is especially impressive that this award was determined exclusively by surveys and reviews from actual newlyweds.

You can contact Carteret Community College about upcoming sessions at 252-222-6204 or learn how to become a wedding planner online. For more information for interested vendors or brides, you can contact Pam DuVal at 252-671-6939. Congratulations to Pam on her much deserved recognition and continued success in all of her endeavors.

Engaged, but not rushing to the altar, Timothy Schlappi and Lacey Vollentine were content to save their money toward the type of wedding most Certified Wedding Planners are used to planning. During a skydiving exercise last week, fate, and a parked car, intervened.

Timothy, a 13-year Navy veteran with over 800 jumps, had misjudged a turn when landing his parachute, violently hit the car, and broke his heel, neck, and both legs. When Lacey got the news, she jumped on a flight from Virginia to Arizona, bypassed the baggage carousel, and arrived bedside just before her fiancé went in to surgery.

Overcome with the desire to marry each other and not willing to wait until their planned 2010 ceremony, the couple agreed to take the plunge immediately. The only problem was Timothy couldn’t leave his bed. And they were on the other side of the country from their home. Oh, and they didn’t have a wedding license, an officiant, a wedding party, wedding attire, or any of the other “necessities”.

Over the next couple days, everything they needed was pulled together by a determined bride and her new friends at the Maricopa County Medical Center and the Forever Courage House, a home for families of long-term patients.

Introducing Mr. & Mrs. Schlappi

One manager of the family care residence worked through the night to create a two-tier wedding cake. Another manager, a former Marine, arranged for the marriage license to be delivered to the hospital. The medical center made their staff chaplain available to officiate.

In the meantime, Lacey picked up her dress at a local David’s Bridal shop and found a suitable hair stylist nearby. Under orders from the US Navy, a shipmate sourced a Men’s Wearhouse for an appropriate shirt and tie for the groom, with Timothy’s doctor fashioning the knot. The fellow Seal even shaved his friend for the ceremony.

For a total of $400 and a lot of love, the wedding was set and hospital staff was ushered into Timothy’s room. A doctor played Lonestar’s “Amazed” on his cell phone and the chaplain pronounced them husband and wife.

“We may not have had the dream wedding that we wanted, but this far surpasses anything that I could have come up with in my own mind,” said the new Mrs. Schlappi.

“It took all the pain away,” said Mr. Schlappi.

They met 70 years ago, when they were both 12. At 18, John gave Florence an engagement ring on a local “kissing bridge”. Two years later, they were married by the justice of the peace at a town hall civil ceremony.

For the next six decades, the pair raised three children and enjoyed otherwise fulfilling lives, except the overwhelming desire to have a church wedding never died. Last Friday, with family and friends in attendance, John and Florence, both now 82, in wheelchairs and in failing health, were remarried in a Catholic ceremony at the care center where they both now reside.

“I waited a long time,” said Florence. “I feel like Cinderella.”

Sometimes in life, we can make our own happy endings.

Florence and John Smatusik

A state superior court judge has ordered the defunct company to pay over $3 million in fines and restitution and directed the state to return wedding photographs and videos seized as evidence in the case to the long suffering brides and grooms.

The company’s owner, currently bankrupt, was said to have committed over 1,800 violations of the Consumer Fraud Act. While some of his former customers will finally receive their wedding photos, it seems that none of them may ever see a penny of the judgment.

Cases like this reinforce for every Certified Wedding Planner the importance of verifying a preferred vendor’s credentials and business history. Although it can be impossible to foresee the events that led to Celebration Studios failure, due diligence can minimize the risk to your clients and your business reputation.

On Friday, the soon-to-be Adam and Julie Hatfield were posing for pre-ceremony pictures at Riverside Park in La Crosse, Wisconsin when they heard a cry for help. A young girl had fallen into the Mississippi River and was followed by her distraught grandfather.

Without hesitation, Adam, Julie, and their wedding photographer sprang into action to help rescue the pair and still make it to their wedding on time, although their attire was a little worse for wear. Alas, Adam’s pants were torn in the process. Hopefully, their wedding planner had an emergency kit at the ready.

As for the bride and groom, the park where Adam first proposed to Julie is now also the venue where they celebrated their wedding day by saving the lives of two strangers.

Not a bad way to begin a marriage.

Adam and Julie Hatfield

Series Premiere Airs August 18 at 10pm on TLC

According to the TLC website, “The Frungillos tend to every single detail of a wedding and ensure that the bride and groom are completely satisfied on their big day. But managing four different facilities and up to 10 weddings at once will naturally lead to drama.”

As any Certified Wedding Planner knows, managing multiple bridal clients on a single day can lead to triumph or heartache. Drama on television is good. Drama for your clients is not.

The Masters of Reception, Staffed for Drama