We’ll freely admit that the first time we actually saw what Trash the Dress meant we were kind of horrified. Wedding gowns can cost serious money, and the thought of trashing it - literally! - after the wedding festivities are over is more than a little shocking. At the same time, however, we can think of a few situations - and a few brides - where trashing the dress is less surprising and more acceptable. And as a certified wedding and event planner you’re expected to have all kinds of weapons in your arsenal so when That Bride walks in and expects you to suggest the unexpected, a trash the dress folder may be the little detail she has been looking for!

Christa DiPaulo Becker, a bride that the New York Times intereviewed several years ago when it did a piece on this wedding trend, said that trashing her wedding gown seemed fitting because after everything was  said and done she was feeling pretty “antiwedding.” So for the brides who want to shed a little stress post-nuptials a trash-the-dress session may be just what the doctor ordered.

Trashing an expensive wedding gown may understandably send shivers down your spine. If you have a bride who knows beforehand that she’s interested in a post-wedding trashing session you may be able to persuade her to go green and buy, perhaps, an inexpensive used gown or something vintage that won’t break the bank. She’ll be saving the earth and keeping a little green in her wallet at the same time. (Plus, you may prevent the Mother of the Bride - or Father(!) - from having a heart attack at the thought of a $5,000 gown covered in, uh, mud.)

Michael Cooper, a Las Vegas photographer who is credited with starting the trend, said he was bored of traditional wedding photos. His edgy suggestions ultimately led him to putting brides (and sometimes grooms) in unexpected places: mud, water, by dilapidated buildings. Thus, a trend was born. For the bride and groom who like to think outside the box this may be a trend they latch onto. As a wedding and event planner it may be worth it to scout out a few places around your region where a trash-the-dress session would work. (And find out in advance which photographers are willing and experienced!) And, yes, grooms can get in on the action. Think how cute the photos would be of couples, while still in their wedding attire, climbed trees together, rolled around in the sand by the ocean, or played in the park. No - this has no aura of traditionalism about it - but weddings are about memories, and this is definitely one memory a bridal couple would never forget!

Links to check out:
* trashthedress.com
* a flickr thread dedicated to trash-the-dress photos
* it’s news to us, but this type of photography is also called rock the frock and fearless bridal!
* it’s all for the amazing photos, one recent bride says

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!

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.

As the Internet has matured over the past decade, more and more consumers, including your prospective bridal clients, are utilizing social networking, ecommerce, and application websites to research, compare, and share information on all manner of goods and services. What was unthinkable just a few years ago is now commonplace: brides and grooms are making wedding planning decisions and hiring wedding vendors based solely on information they received from cyberspace.

Highlighting this trend was the news last week that The Knot, the top-rated wedding-related website for 2008, has purchased WedSnap, a site aiming to be the future of weddings by engaging web-savvy brides. In addition to a web-based wedding budget planning application and a wedding website search feature, the acquisition also includes the most popular Facebook wedding application, Weddingbook.

Social Networking Sites

An example of a regional social network geared toward the wedding market is Seattle-based Avant Bride. Featuring a directory of over 1,000 local wedding businesses, this website encourages brides to read and write vendor reviews, share their experiences through blogging and forums, and attend events to meet vendors and each other.

The Wedding Report, a research company that tracks and forecasts wedding industry trends, estimates the 2008 online wedding market was worth over $16 billion and accounted for approximately 13% of the total ecommerce retail market. Future projections indicate that online wedding sales will experience growth rates between 7% and 10%, reaching almost $23 billion over the next four years.

For the Certified Wedding Planner, it is vital to understand that eight out of ten engaged couples use the Internet for some or all of their wedding planning needs. The following table details the top ten reasons brides and grooms go online:

With the majority of newlyweds under the age of 27, it is natural that the percentage of the wedding market business conducted online will continue to increase. Each subsequent generation of brides- and grooms-to-be are more comfortable and more adept at finding solutions on the net. To continue to succeed in this evolving marketplace, or to successfully learn how to become a wedding planner, today’s CWP must not only be aware of the trends, but incorporate the technology of those trends.

According to recent surveys conducted by The Wedding Report, one out of three couples today use a social network site to communicate wedding information to their friends and family. That percentage will rise to more than half participating over the next few years. It is predicted that within ten years, nearly three out of four engaged couples will use social networks to replace traditional methods of sharing wedding details.

Today’s Internet is called Web 2.0: the trend toward technology and design aimed to enhance creativity, communications, secure information sharing, collaboration, and functionality of the web that includes social networking, video sharing, wikis, and blogs.

Tim O’Reilly, founder of O’Reilly Media and creator of the Web 2.0 term and concept, defines it as “the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the Internet as a platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform.”

Even as we seek to understand and incorporate the advances and opportunities of the integrated and interactive web, technology continues to march forward. Internet experts are currently debating the definition and structure of Web 3.0, sometimes called the Semantic Web. Most agree that the next generation of the web will center on a pervasive, dynamic usage of Web 2.0 designs across newly invented technologies.

If you are asking what this means for your business, Shane McMurray of The Wedding Report has an answer:

· If you are not sure what social networking is, learn it. Read articles, books, or take a class, it should be a vital part of your business model going forward.

· Figure out how you can use or integrate social networking into your business model.

· Look at ways to integrate technology with your business processes. Think about the communication gadgets the younger generation is using. How will they communicate with you? How will they buy your products or services?

· Get connected. Set up profiles on social networks, connect with others, and promote your business.

How will you incorporate Internet interactivity and engagement into your wedding planning business?

Types of Internet Engagement