Tara Martin-Crawford, LWPI’s intern at Preston Bailey Designs, continues her work with florals this week. Tara is a graduate of Preston Bailey’s Signature Wedding and Event Design course, and she is the first LWPI intern to work with Preston. She has only a couple of more weeks left in her internship. This week she talks about helping re-create some of Preston’s signature floral pieces.

This week was a very busy one for PBD. Cho Phillips and some of her team flew in from California to film the lessons for Lovegevity’s Wedding Planning Institute and Preston’s next courses, which will focus on floral design. It was great to finally get to meet Cho in person since she and I have only had communication over the phone and through email. The new courses that she and Preston are creating sound awesome, and they will offer great learning opportunities for both experienced and novice floral designers. Creating the centerpieces and amazing floral pieces that PBD is so famous for would seem like an immense challenge for almost anyone. Not only are they extremely detailed, but creating them requires a lot of imagination as well as knowledge of working with flowers.

In order to showcase its famous florals the PBD Floral Department had to recreate some “classic” pieces as well as design and create new ones. One of the projects that I was given was to create a poodle out of ivy leaves and hot pink carnations. The base for the ivy was made out of chicken wire wrapped around bunches of white tissue paper. I used hot glue to secure the ivy. The foundations for the carnations were floral foam balls that were sprayed with water and plant food in order to keep the flowers alive longer. I was told to choose buds that were either fully or partially open. For ones that weren’t fully open, I used my fingers to spread the leaves and open the bloom as much as possible. The stem was trimmed to approximately three-quarters of an inch and pressed into the foam until secure. Hot glue was also used for buds that didn’t want to stay in place.

Again, when creating pieces with fresh flowers it is important to pack them in tightly so that they hold in place and stay alive longer. Also, you should always start placing your first flowers in the area(s) where you need a smooth border. That way you can make sure the edge is straight and neat and move on to the rest of the piece from there. The piece that I created wasn’t one that I would consider large in scale, especially for PBD. However, it was a lot more time-consuming than I thought it would be. You have to have a lot of patience and really take your time when you create a floral sculpture because even for smaller pieces you will probably need to hand-place a good amount of flowers.

All in all I think that my dog turned out pretty well. After having the opportunity to create a piece pretty much from start to finish (I had some help along the way) I think that I will definitely do a better job next time. As the saying goes, “practice makes perfect”.

Tara Martin-Crawford, an LWPI graduate of Preston Bailey’s Signature Wedding and Event Design course, continues her summer internship at Preston Bailey Designs. As her time at Preston Bailey’s world-reknowned design firm winds down she moves into the creative part of her internship: florals. This week she learns some great tips on creating the beautiful floral pieces that Preston Bailey is known for.

After ten weeks in the Production Department I have moved into working with the Floral Department. This week we worked both in the studio and onsite for a Christmas-theme photo shoot sponsored by QVC. Of course, this was no ordinary “home for the holidays” setup. Everything was over-the-top and awe-inspiringly beautiful. My biggest challenge this week was getting over my fear of messing everything up. I have never been someone who is really good at making things, so I was definitely proceeding with caution  so as not to ruin the beautiful look of the pieces I was creating with the floral team.

We worked with a variety of materials including fresh roses, fresh orchids, beads, silk flowers, branches and ribbon. Neatness and efficiency are two absolute requirements when doing this type of work. Neatness I’m pretty good with. My speed and efficiency will I hope come in time. I was assured by the other girls who have been with PBD for a while that once you’ve had the chance to create some pieces and see how they are put together you will begin to recognize the best techniques for each piece. Hot glue, wire and straight pins are three vital elements that PBD uses to create a lot of its masterpieces. Both of them are easy to use, easy to conceal, and inexpensive (careful with the hot glue though, it definitely does burn). One tip that I picked up this week with regard to fresh flowers: If you are creating a piece using a lot of fresh flowers it is best to pack the flowers together as tightly as possible. This will prevent their petals from falling off and keep them looking alive longer.

Because we were doing a Christmas theme, I also received a much-needed lesson in gift wrapping. Maybe this is common knowledge, but a new technique I learned for creating bows with ribbon is: Instead of making the ends of the ribbon the same length when beginning your bow, keep one tail short (the final length it will need to be to tie the bow) at the top of the box. Crisscross the ends on top of the box and then wrap the long end smoothly around the underside so that you don’t create a knot underneath and the box will sit flat.  Again, I’m sure for some of you this may be common knowledge, but I was taught to keep the ends the same length and make a knot on the underside of the package. I guess all these years I’ve been doing it wrong.  Well now I will have no excuse not to create beautifully decorated packages the Christmas!

For someone who is not naturally crafty it is difficult to visualize how to create a stunning statement piece out of raw materials. However, being around such creative and talented people as those who work at PBD is definitely inspiring. Tapping into my creative outlets that have long been dormant (pretty much since childhood) feels really good. The pieces that PBD creates are well thought out, extremely beautiful, and often mind-blowing. Being able to be part of the process in creating these pieces is truly inspirational and has made me realize that with enough vision and the right knowledge, it is absolutely possible to create magic out of thin air.

Are you a certified wedding and event planner? Are you taking an LWPI course to become certified? Did you know that LWPI also offers a Green Wedding Planning course? It’s based on The Green Bride Guide by Kate Harrison, and it’s a great way to make your business stand out. Today’s post comes from Kate, too, and she’s got some great ideas on offering brides options for eco-chic invitations.

Photo Courtesy of Night Owl Paper Goods

One of the most exciting parts of the wedding-planning process is deciding how you are going to announce the big day to your friends and family. Traditionally, announcements and invitations are expensive and involve bleached or dyed paper that often goes to waste. In fact, Americans send out enough invitations each year to cover the entire island of Manhattan! Not to worry, The Green Bride Guide has some eco-chic alternatives that will impress your guests and save some trees along the way.

1. Send save-the-dates and invitations electronically.

There is an increasing amount of Websites that allow couples to custom design paperless evites for little to no cost. Since there are so many different sites to choose from, couples can shop around to choose a site that can help them create the perfect invitation that fits with the look and feel of their big day. Guests can also RSVP electronically, and the site will automatically generate a guest list. This is a helpful, real-time planning tool that will ensure you never lose a head count or have to worry about RSVPs getting lost in the mail. For less computer-savvy guests, make sure to include a telephone number where they can reach you to let you know whether or not they are attending.

2. Use 100% Recycled Paper Alternatives

If you like the classic touch of paper invitations consider using a company that creates eco-chic invitations from recycled materials. The use of recycled paper and soy ink will give your guests the details of your big day while having a gentler impact on the environment. Another option is having invitations printed on 100% cotton or bamboo silk paper. Some companies allow you to send your own paper that they will transform into beautiful invitations for your guests. For a zero-waste option you can take the RSVP cards you receive and have them recycled into thank-you cards!

3. Consolidate

Invitation companies are becoming more innovative with their designs in order to accommodate eco-conscious customers. For example, some invitations now have a detachable stamped RSVP card that guests can simply rip off and put in the mail like a postcard. You can eliminate the need for RSVP cards all together by providing an email address or telephone number on the invitation where guests can contact you. Eliminate the need for multiple paper inserts in the invitation by providing guests with a link to your wedding Website. You can customize your site with directions, registry links, menu options, and even a guest book. Not only are you saving paper but you are providing guests with the convenience of having all of the information about the event in one place.

Want to learn more about LWPI’s Green Weddings course? Take a tour today or register for a class in your area. And learn more about Kate Harrison and The Green Bride Guide at her Website.

In this week’s journal entry, Tara Martin-Crawford, an LWPI intern at Preston Bailey Designs, learns how to deal with an unexpected increase in costs. She’s also helping Preston and his team prepare for an October wedding planned for this fall. Tara is a graduate of LWPI and Preston Bailey’s Signature Wedding and Event Design course, and the first LWPI intern with PBD.

“Even though the Southampton event has come and gone there are still lingering issues that have to be dealt with. As a result of the client’s unhappiness with the original placement of the tent and having to completely relocate it, there have been additional costs that were incurred from the vendors  Because everything had to be done in such a small timeframe, all vendors who were onsite were asked to help move the tent so that the event could get off the ground by the time guests arrived. The largest additional charges came from the tent company, however, lighting was also affected because of the changes and has requested further compensation for the install. The question has been: Who pays? 

The additional costs are significant and not a loss that PBD wants to take. Also, the client was the one who demanded the change be made. While PBD doesn’t want to make its vendors wait for payment, it isn’t fair that they assume full responsibility for the costs, either. To my knowledge, Preston and the team are still figuring out how the situation is going to be handled.

PBD’s next “big” job is an October wedding in Hong Kong. For the past week that has been the focus of most of my work. The Design Department put together a drafting packet that outlines all the areas and design elements of the event. Because the event is taking place overseas, PBD has hired a local production company to work in collaboration with in order to produce the event. The drafting packet is being sent to them, along with various samples that PBD would use to create the designs in the renderings. I was asked to collect fabric samples, label them according to their reference in the drafting packet, and provide alternative options as well. When the Production manager sends out these sample boxes he creates a list which provides the name of the item, how many there are in the box, what they would be used for in the event, and any notes that are relevant. After the production company receives the samples they will review them and present the necessary ones to the client for approval. The Floral department also sends a recipe packet that contains images and instructions for the construction of certain centerpiece and design elements that have been represented either through renderings or at the client presentation. That way, the client will be receiving the same elements she was expecting.

The packets, particularly the drafting packet, are usually revised several times throughout the design process. Some of the changes are small and some aren’t. Sample boxes are typically sent after design elements have been firmly selected. However, PBD’s design, floral, and production departments will send drafting packets back and forth with the production company via email throughout the course of the entire process. Each time PBD sends a new packet the production company reviews it, makes comments, asks questions, and sends it back again.

It is a long process and everyone has to be really meticulous about staying on top of what’s going on, but in the long run it’s easier and more efficient to hire a local production company that you trust than it is to bring your own overseas.”

Tara Martin-Crawford, an LWPI graduate of Preston Bailey’s Signature Wedding and Design course who is interning this summer at Preston Bailey Designs, is starting to see the fruits of the PBD team’s labor. She worked at a big event over the weekend, and in today’s journal entry she shares with LWPI’s certified wedding and event planners how to deal with last-minute changes and requests from clients. They happen! But they can be accommodated with a little work, she says.

“This past Wednesday and Thursday I worked in the office helping the Production Manager finalize all the details for the Southampton event. Final copies of the production schedule, production copy, and trucking schedule were distributed to all department managers from Preston Bailey Designs as well as all outside vendors (lighting, tent, catering, valet, and security). On Wednesday all department managers from PBD met for a meeting to discuss the final details of the event and all schedules.

When working on site, especially when the event is out of town, it is important to have multiple copies of all important documents in case someone loses one. Therefore, the production binder must be looked through, updated, and organized. At this point, all irrelevant documents can be removed, i.e. vendor bids that are not being used and design concepts that haven’t been selected. Also, when working on site, team members should never carry any documents that have costs on them in case they are picked up by either the client or another vendor. Event costs should only be viewed by members of the team and are considered confidential. Therefore, any documents whithatch contain cost information should never be brought on site of an event.

Friday morning I arrived at the hotel in Southampton. It was decided ahead of time, that for this event, I would be working with the Event Planner from PBD and assisting her with the planning aspects. Our major task on Friday was to prepare the party favors for distribution. The favors consisted of a hooded sweatshirt and a scarf, folded, and tied together with a piece of twine.

Saturday was the day of the event. We woke up early and finished putting together and packing the favors so they could be brought to the site. Unfortunately, there had been some issues with the overnight production that also needed to be addressed and resolved. Since the event was taking place under a tent on the beach, the tent company only had a small window of time that the tent could be in place. In fact, the permit only allowed for the structure to be standing for 24 hours. Therefore, the tent company worked from midnight to 6 a.m. to get the tent put up so that the other vendors could begin their setup first thing in the morning. Unfortunately, the client was unhappy with the placement of the tent and requested that it be moved. Therefore, the tent crew had to come back to the site, and with the help of the PBD crew and lighting crew, they all moved the tent to the desired location. Needless to say, this pushed the production schedule way back and made the rest of the day extremely rushed.

The planning crew arrived on-site in the early afternoon and began working on setting up our areas of the event. We also assisted the production crew with setting up the main tent. Although the day was very hectic, by 7 p.m. everything was ready as the guests started to arrive. For the duration of the event I was stationed at the favor table distributing sweatshirt/scarf bundles to guests. The other girls were in charge of handing out dance-floor giveaway favors such as hats, whistles, beach balls and sunglasses throughout the night. Despite the setbacks with the installation, the event was very successful. The weather was beautiful, the entertainment was phenomenal, and all the guests seemed to have a really good time.

With the other two events that I’ve spoken about throughout the course of my internship I’ve said that production rarely goes exactly as planned, and this event was no exception. Having to move the tent at the last minute was certainly not ideal for anyone. However, the Production Manager knew that it was something that could be done, and because he did not want the client to be unhappy, he made it happen. It was certainly no easy feat. All the vendors’ teams had to be brought together to accomplish this one task and the rest of the install was seriously rushed, leaving many people in a frenzy toward the end of the day. However, when all was said and done, the event turned out beautifully and the client was happy. Many times you just have to go above and beyond what is planned, or even what you feel is attainable, in order to reach the desired end result of the client.”

Tara Martin-Crawford, a graduate of LWPI’s Preston Bailey Signature Wedding and Event Design course, is quickly learning that event planning is all about timelines and staying on task. Today she talks about how important organization is to a production department and to certified wedding and event coordinators.

“With the install dates for their next event quickly approaching, the Production Department has been working on finalizing all their supply orders this week. Unfortunately, this is something that should not be done until the client signs the proposal, thereby approving all the selected design elements. In the case of this event changes were requested several times, which delayed the approval process. Nonetheless the proposal was signed and production is now moving forward. Due to the lack of time left before the event date the speed at which the Production Department needs to operate has been greatly accelerated. For this event there are many items that are being custom made, such as table linens, slip covers for furniture, and party favors with custom embroidery.

The majority of my time this week was spent sourcing vendors who could provide some of the services we need in our very limited timeframe. Luckily I was able to locate good sources even though our selection is much more limited than it would have been if more time was available. Needless to say whenever things are done on a rush or high-priority basis costs are also going to be higher. This is never the preference for either planners or clients, but sometimes it is unavoidable. If possible, though, always try to order custom items as early as you can in order to avoid higher prices, inventory issues, and to leave time for the correction of potential mistakes.

Another project that I was involved involved organizing the information from email correspondences for two upcoming overseas events. When you have an event in which the client requests frequent changes, there are multiple vendors constantly updating one another via email, or there is a third party responsible for physically producing the event (such as for overseas jobs) it is important to stay on top of all changes. Organization is so important and when you receive as many emails as the Production Manager of Preston Bailey Designs does it helps to have a way to track important information that doesn’t involve constantly referring back to the messages themselves. Therefore for each event I made a bulleted list of all important email conversations, placed in order by date (newest to oldest), with the name of the sender and the updates listed out for easy reference. This way the Production Manager can keep track of what issues he needs to address as well as any changes in the client’s preferences for the event.

The ability to multitask is an ability that will make or break a person in this industry (or so I’m realizing). Therefore whatever you have to do to keep yourself on track - do it! You never want to lose track of where you are on a job or overlook critical information.”

Be sure to come back for the next installment of Tara’s journey as an intern at Preston Bailey Designs! To learn more about Preston Bailey’s Signature Wedding and Event Design course through LWPI, take a tour or enroll in a class today.

Tara Martin-Crawford, an LWPI graduate of Preston Bailey’s Signature Wedding and Event Design course, is interning this summer with Preston Bailey, himself, in his Manhattan office. She has been keeping a weekly journal for LWPI, letting future and current certified wedding and event coordinators know what it’s like to work for one of the top event-design companies in the industry. This week she writes:

“The date of Preston Bailey Design’s next event is drawing near so things in the Production Department are starting to switch gears a bit. While the past few weeks have been about sourcing items that can be presented to the client and incorporated into the design, this week was much more focused on bringing everything together so that production can start happening.

After the client has been presented with the proposal and approves it the production department begins to physically secure all the necessary items for the event. The first step in this process is to create a Production Copy from the client’s proposal. The Production Copy is used as both an outline of all the design elements and a way of tracking costs. After being created by the Production Manager, all of the goods that PBD needs to purchase or secure are listed on a separate document called a Supply Order List. For each item you have to specify the size, color, quantity, purpose, vendor, order date and cost. This is where you will determine how many extra perishable items you need as well in case some get damaged or are defective.

The Supply Order List should be organized so that if there are multiple items needed to create one design element, i.e. a centerpiece containing candles, and one of those elements is removed, you should know that you can also remove the corresponding number of candles that pertained to that centerpiece. Therefore, when you list each line item, you should specify where in the design it is going to be used and how many of those elements there are in total. That way, you can divide the total number of items you need by the number of elements they are being used for so that you know how many of each item is being used for one element. Designs tend to change, and this is just an easy way to ensure that you can make adjustments if necessary without having to jump through a bunch of hoops to get the information you need.

The Production Schedule is also in the process of being created this week. In order to do this the Production Manager contacts all of the vendors who will be working onsite and asks them to outline what they need to do and how long it will take them. He then creates the schedule based on the logistics of the venue, start time of the event, and how the vendors will have to work together to build off one another’s work. Everyone’s contact information is at the top of the document and it is distributed to all parties for review. Any final adjustments are made the week of the event.”

Be sure to come back for the next installment of Tara’s journey as an intern at Preston Bailey Designs! To learn more about Preston Bailey’s Signature Wedding and Event Design course through LWPI, take a tour or enroll in a class today.

What’s it like to work for a big event-design company? Tara Martin-Crawford, a graduate of Preston Bailey’s Signature Wedding and Event Design course at LWPI, is finding out as she interns for Preston Bailey himself over the summer. In her journal entry today she discusses the details that go into site visits and production meetings.

“Trying to work within a budget while giving clients all that they want (and nothing they don’t) is challenging, to say the least. This past week was spent working toward finalizing design-element options for an event that will take place at the end of the month. I believe that most clients have a vision for what they want their event décor to look like, and Preston Bailey Designs is exceedingly talented at extracting that vision and creating it. However, when décor details become extremely specific it becomes increasingly hard to keep the costs from skyrocketing because your source options become limited and you will often have to resort to more expensive options in order to stay in-line with the client’s vision. Resourcefulness and perseverance become key at that point, and it’s just a matter of finding as many options as possible, presenting them to the client, and trying to work out a balance between the client’s dream and his or her budget.

This week I attended my first site visit/production meeting. The key players from the tent, lighting, catering and security companies met with the PBD’s production department on-site to discuss logistics and begin to formulate their installation schedules. This was a very important meeting because it gave everyone a chance to examine and document the site, address their concerns, and talk about how each company’s part of the install would affect other’s parts. I took meeting notes and wrote down questions for the production manager to follow up on.

One of the key issues that needs to be addressed for this event is timing. The event is taking place at a private residence under a tent. However, the tent permit only allows for it to be in place for 24 hours. This creates a very small window for all vendors to complete their install. Also, because of the logistics of the residence it is very difficult for more than one company at a time to be loading equipment and supplies into the tent area. This will make the production schedule challenging to create and extremely important to stay on track with during installation.

As I’ve said in previous weeks, each event is unique and poses different challenges. Being in the event industry requires you to anticipate as much as possible (something that definitely comes with experience) and roll with the punches for the rest.”

Be sure to come back for the next installment of Tara’s journey as an intern at Preston Bailey Designs! To learn more about Preston Bailey’s Signature Wedding and Event Design course through LWPI, take a tour or enroll in a class today.

The celebrity weddings keep rolling in, and celebrity brides are pulling out all the stops. They’ve had some major celebration footsteps to follow, after all, with Prince William’s Royal Wedding earlier this year in England and Prince Albert’s nuptials recently in Monaco! Certified wedding and event planners are likely to have brides following the details of every celebrity celebration so they know what The Next Big Thing is in the wedding industry. Here are some of our favorite celebrity wedding details of the past few months.

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Sara Rue: Every bride knows how hard it can be for her and her fiance to choose a wedding-cake flavor. That’s why we love the route Sara Rue took at her May wedding: She had three cakes! “I’ll be having one of each,” Rue told PEOPLE of the three wedding cakes planned for the nuptials, including a red velvet and a pumpkin caramel confection. How fun is that?

Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz: While we love a big, beautiful wedding as much as the next planner we also love sweet, intimate events. Not many details are known about the Craig-Weisz nuptials, but the idea of saying “I Do” in front of only your children and officiant strikes us as super-sweet.

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Dylan Lauren: When your dad is famed fashion designer Ralph Lauren there’s no question who is going to design your wedding gown! “I wanted to just give her something that she’d really treasure, give her something that would be really amazing, and I wanted her to feel fantastic,” Lauren told Oprah, according to People. And of course Dylan, the owner of Dylan’s Candy Bar stores, put her own touch on the dessert bar!

America Ferrera: We’ve all fallen in love with America as we’ve watched her grow up on television and movies so it’s so sweet to see her fall in love and have the wedding of her dreams in real life! America married her fiance on a Monday, and our favorite detail? Her dress and styling. How gorgeous is she?

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Niecy Nash: If you’re a TLC fan you already know all about Niecy’s wedding because of her show, Niecy Nash’s Wedding Bash. If not, however, you might not know that Niecy took a moment to sit down with each of her attendants before the wedding. She tells Essence.com, “I had a little time with each one of my bridesmaids… they just kept coming to my room, one by one, and we had conversations about our friendships, and what kind of woman they think I am and I was just like, ‘Oh my God!’ I was so overwhelmed that women I hold in such high esteem thought so highly of me. I definitely had to lay down for a little while and put ice on my eyes because I was so emotional.” This has to be one of the sweetest wedding moments we’ve ever heard about, don’t you agree?

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Prince Albert and Charlene Wittstock: This wedding, a calm, religious ceremony, took place in a palace courtyard because of the large guest list. We loved all of the traditional details, down to Albert’s cream-colored summer uniform of the palace guards. But our favorite parts? The couple exchanged vows in French, which the bride religiously practiced before her big day. And second? The couple rode to their reception in a Lexus hybrid - showing their green side! We wonder if they had a Green Wedding Planner working behind the scenes…

Do you have a favorite celebrity wedding moment?

Today, Tara Martin-Crawford, a graduate of Preston Bailey’s Signature Design course through LWPI, talks about some of the specifics of event design, specifically the Scope of Work document. She will continue her internship at Preston Bailey Designs through the summer and each week will be sharing with us what she’s learning.

“This week I was introduced to the Scope of Work document. This item is used to keep track of what items are needed for the complete production of an event as well as what the cost of each element is. Throughout the course of the design and production process the Scope of Work will be updated and modified several times. The Production Department uses it to keep track of outside vendor costs as well as in-house costs. It is best to organize the Scope of Work according to guest flow through the event from arrival to departure. For example: entrance, cocktails, dinner, departure, etc. This keeps things organized and coherent.

The majority of my time for the rest of the week was spent obtaining pricing information for various elements for PBD’s next event, which is on July 30 in Southampton, NY. When contacting vendors, regardless of what type of items or services you are looking for, it is important to have all your information laid out in front of you so that you know exactly what you need to ask and what answers to give in case the person you’re speaking with has questions. Becoming good at effectively communicating with vendors is a matter of practice and experience. There are many variables in the event industry, and this can make it complicated when learning how to address issues and get things done in a straight-forward way. Event planning is pretty fast-paced. Plans develop and change quickly. Therefore, you don’t want to give vendors misinformation or lack of information and cause the process to be held up. That is why prior to contacting anyone you should really try to anticipate all the information they are going to need to know in order to help you as completely and quickly as possible. Be organized and to-the-point with your needs and questions, and don’t be afraid to redirect things if they are not moving in the direction they need to go.

I have had a lot of practice with all these things this week, and all of it has been a learning process for me. I am finding that it is easy to get flustered and momentarily lose focus at times, but the process is definitely becoming clearer to me as my internship progresses. I appreciate my teachers at Preston Bailey Design for all of their wisdom, encouragement, and patience. I am really enjoying this experience. Being with PBD, even though it’s not what I’m used to, feels like a little bit of home away from home for me.”

Be sure to come back for the next installment of Tara’s journey as an intern at Preston Bailey Designs! To learn more about Preston Bailey’s Signature Wedding and Event Design course through LWPI, take a tour or enroll in a class today.