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?

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!