If you follow Lovegevity’s Wedding Planning Institute on Facebook you already know that LWPI has partnered with The Wedding Report to put certified wedding and event planners in front of thousands of brides and possible clientele. But have you seen all of the recent posts at the Wedding Ideas, Tips & Trends blog? They’re written by LWPI graduates and instructors, and we at LWPI are so excited to have them share their expertise with the wedding industry.

* Nicole Brennan of Lovely Girls Events writes about the awesome and fun trend of Late-Night Wedding Treats and Truckies.

* Randi Lawrence Moore, the owner of Randi Lawrence Moore | Couture Wedding Gown Salon, gives tips on how to maximize a wedding budget.

* Shafonne Myers of Making Your Event Special says you can save lots of money by doing your own makeup, and she shares some ideas on how to make your makeup look professional, too.

* Chezelle Rodriguez, who specializes in destination weddings at Chezelle Dezines, has advice on how to storm- and hurricane-proof a wedding, great advice during hurricane season!

* Amanda Allen of MMD Events is excited about the fall-use trend of using burlap at weddings and special events, and we are, too! So rustic yet chic.

* And Aimee Wendell of 2Chic Event & Design has written several articles, including her latest on how to deal with post-wedding depression.

Are you an LWPI graduate or instructor? Are you interested in writing for The Wedding Report? Contact us for more information on how to get started. We’d love to work with you!

Today’s post comes from Kate Harrison, the author of The Green Bride Guide. Kate and LWPI offer a Green Weddings course, which is a great way to attract new, eco-conscious clients to your wedding-planning business. Are you interested in becoming a certified wedding planner? Check out LWPI’s classroom and online courses today, and be sure to consider bundling the Green Weddings course, too.

In 2010, the Green Bride Guide launched the country’s first green wedding gift registry, where every product is hand picked by a team of experts for beauty, quality and environmental savings. The registry was created to make going green easy for couples by offering a complete collection of eco-friendly alternatives for everything from bedding to dishes. But there are more incentives to create a green wedding gift registry than just convenience. Here five reasons why your choice to create a green registry makes a difference:

1. Green gifts support the green economy: Every year, Americans spend $20 billion on wedding gifts (about $8,000 per wedding) and 70% of gifts are purchased off a gift registry. When you create an eco-friendly registry, you ensure that the money spent by your guests goes to support eco-artisans and companies taking significant steps to green their business practices. Every product in the Green Gift Shop is tagged with its country of origin, eco-certifications, and eco-strategy, so you can quickly assess its social and environmental benefits and filter your search to find products that represent your values as well as your style. The “why we love it” part of the product description provides additional information about the artist or company that manufactured the piece.

2. Green gifts are better for the environment: You may not realize it, but many of the conventionally produced products we buy are detrimental to the environment. For example, cotton, which is often touted as a “natural fiber,” is actually one of the most heavily pesticides crops in the world.  Most crystal is still made with lead (which is bad for you and for the environment), and almost all of the pottery in the United States is now manufactured is Asia under lax environmental regulation. Because many of our home goods are shipped in from overseas, their transport also contributes to global warming. The companies that Green Bride Guide works with take active steps to decrease their environmental footprint at every turn, from using organic, recycled or local-produced materials, to shipping in recycled packaging.  Plus, the site offers free carbon neutral shipping, neutralizing the impact on climate change through alternative energy programs.

3. Green gifts are unique: Quality green home goods are hard to find (and we know – we are always looking for them!) Because most of the artists and companies the Green Bride Guide represents work on a small scale, they are not found in major department stores and are hard to locate online. When you create a green wedding gift registry, you are adding interesting, unique and one-of-a-kind items to your wishlist – items that will reflect your taste and values for years to come.

Good news for Floridians! An LWPI certified wedding- and event-planner course is starting soon at State College of Florida in Sarasota, Fla., Sarasota County. The fall instructor will be Anna Pohl, who says her students can look forward to several field trips and some great speakers.

Anna Pohl is a certified wedding consultant with an MBA and BFA in fine arts. She says her background in business, paired with her creative side, are invaluable in navigating clients through the world of event planning. One of her strengths, she says, is figuring out what wedding style is best for each client: traditional, beach, modern, elegant, vintage, green or ethnic. She also tends to go with the creative flow and her events and weddings often counter what’s considered the norm.

She says her favorite thing about wedding planning is that “being a planner is truly knowing that I have helped couples and families to celebrate a very important occasion in their lives, their wedding.” And the toughest part? “Probably staying completely organized at all times. No slacking off for a wedding planner!” she says.

She is the owner of Day Planners (of Sarasota, Bradenton and St. Petersburg, Florida), and even before starting her own business she was an award-winning director of catering and events at Mattison’s in Southwest Florida. When she began her career she focused on event planning in the biotech industry, working on international meetings. Among her other awards and recognitions are: People’s Choice Award - Best Planner; the Herald Biz Bash Flash Award - Top 20 Event Planners in Florida Under the Age of 40; and the Gulf Coast Business Review’s 40 Under 40 Award. Anna events have been written up in several publications, including Kiplinger’s, The Knot, Sarasota Magazine, SRQ Magazine, Scene Magazine, Biz Bash Flash, Taste Magazine, Nuovo and several local newspapers. She was also recently interviewed by The Wall Street Journal, along with Preston Bailey, about wedding planning.

She wants her students to “never forget that you should do your very best to make your wedding clients as happy as possible. You should always strive for perfection and give the utmost care to your clients, their families and their friends. You shouldn’t be doing this profession if you don’t truly mean to do all that you can for those getting married. Go above and beyond, and then your clients will be thrilled and you will be blessed.”

To learn more about Anna, check out her Website and Facebook page. To register for her class, visit the LWPI Website.

Certified Wedding and Event Planner Course
State College of Florida
7131 Professional Parkway East
Sarasota, Florida 34240, United States
Sarasota County, Florida
9/22/2011 to 12/2/2011
Thursdays from 6 to 10 p.m.
Register for the class

Today’s post is the first of three parts on budgeting for destination weddings. Our guest writer is Chezelle Rodriguez, the owner of Chezelle Dezines, an event-planning and graphic-design company in Puerto Rico. She specializes in destination weddings, and you can read more about Chezelle’s work in her Real Weddings From LWPI Graduates post.

Photo Courtesy of Saul Padua Photography

What Couples Often Overlook and What to Expect

What is there to say about the hot trend of destination weddings? Most couples I’ve worked with say that if they had held their wedding in their hometown their guest list would have quickly grown. This is often the deciding factor to having a destination wedding: fewer guests and a wedding where they can enjoy being with friends and family over a long weekend rather than for just four hours.

Couples are always looking for smart ways to maximize their wedding dollars. And for good reason: The average cost of a wedding was $24,066 last year (according to The Wedding Report), a hefty price tag for an event that lasts just a few hours. Some couples are able to pull off a destination wedding that lasts days for a fraction of the cost.

When you use the word wedding as an adjective when speaking with venues and vendors, prices soar! Prioritizing is the key to maximizing your wedding dollars. Think about what is most important to you. Is it the food, décor, or the location? You should not have to go into debt to have a stylish wedding.

This three-part series is written to give you some good tips on budgeting for and planning your destination wedding.

The Benefits of Hiring a Certified Wedding and Event Planner

Having an onsite planner is key to planning a destination wedding! They can offer a lot of creative ideas and save you time, hassles, and they will be your eyes and ears on site. They also have preferred vendors that will be an asset to making your event flow seamlessly.

Couples use the Internet to do most of their wedding research, but you really need to inspect the site before booking it. A planner can show up at a site when it’s set up for an event and they will give you some insight on how the staff works and ideas that will help determine the décor.

Catering managers help you plan the logistics of your wedding but will only cover what is within the hotel walls. Destination weddings have many details that go outside of the hotel, for example, tourist excursions, dinners, transportation and much more.

Some local wedding planners have relationships with destination planners who will be on site the day of your wedding, saving you the cost of flying them in, booking their room, transportation and meals, which can go above the usual 5 percent that comes out of your wedding budget.

Be sure to check out Part II and Part III of Chezelle’s series on Destination Wedding Budgets!

Michelle Bromley

Do you live in the Austin, Texas, area? If so, and you’re interested in becoming a certified wedding and event planner, you should check out Michelle Bromley’s class with Lovegevity’s Wedding Planning Institute at Austin Community College in Travis County. We recently sat down with Michelle to find out more about her, her class, and her teaching style.

How did you get involved in wedding and event planning? I started working in the event industry 15 years ago at a bed and breakfast overlooking majestic Lake Travis in Austin, Texas. During my five years there we turned the B&B into a wedding venue where groups could take the place over for the whole weekend. Not only did I sell the space, but I also became the day-of coordinator for the events. You can say I got my experience through trial by fire.

What is your work/education/experience background? When the nearby, nationally renowned restaurant The OASIS decided to construct an event venue as well I was asked to help the owner of the B&B develop the wedding program. I learned a lot from that process. Since then I have worked for catering companies, a charter cruise ship on Lake Travis, and with various planners. It was about five years ago that I realized planning the whole shebang from beginning to end is my strong suit. I have a Psychology Major and Business Administration background from Texas A&M, Austin Community College and Southwest Texas State University. One of the reasons I think I am so effective as an event planner is my education in psychology.

Do you own your own business? I worked as an independent contractor most of those 15 years with the dream that I would eventually own my own business. I was fortunate enough to be able to take over Allison’s Events as the owner last July. The previous owner is a dear friend of mine, and she made it really easy for me to take her reins. Since then I submitted a press release about the takeover, changing my name to Allison’s Events by Michelle, and am now in my second phase of rebranding to eventually become Here to Help! Stay tuned for a press release about that and my new website, www.heretohelpbrides.com.

What is your favorite part of being a planner? Design and Decor. I call it the calm before the storm when I get to bring a wedding vision to life. It is so quiet when I am setting up a room, and then it is very gratifying to me when all the guests and my clients see the room for the first time. It is a very dramatic, impactful moment.

What is the toughest part? Dealing with the psychological dynamics between family members.

What is your favorite part of the class? The projects and the design boards. I enjoy the classroom interaction and turn the online projects into class projects. It is interesting to see how far the students come from their first project to their fourth in both compilation and delivery.

What do you think is the most important lesson for your students? This is not the glamorous career that it seems on the surface. It is very hard, stressful work. An event planner takes on all of the stress that comes with planning any event so having a firm grasp on all the details, big and small, is extremely important. A wedding is one of the most emotionally charged days in someone’s life, and we in the event industry are right in the middle of it. You have one day to make it memorable (good or bad), so make sure you address everything that could come up in the planning stages. If something unexpected does pop up, deal with it with calmness and professionalism.

How has teaching for LWPI rewarded you? I recently hired one of my previous students, who is now certified as an Associate Coordinator. She has hit the ground running and is doing fabulously. I get about three or four inquiries a week asking if I need interns. I have made the decision to only utilize those who have taken classes and gotten some form of certification as interns. I also work with venues and have other event industry professionals asking me for intern referrals. Taking this class and getting certified really can help you get a job in the industry.

What trends do you see growing popular in 2011? Peacocks! Also, metallic colors: gold, silver, bronze and copper.

To learn more about Michelle, visit her website or Facebook page. And if you’re interested in becoming a certified wedding and event planner through LWPI, take a tour of the course or register for a class in your area today.

Wedding and Event Planning Certification
Austin Community College
Highland Business Center Campus
Austin, Texas / Travis County, Texas
September 13 through November 15, 2011
Register for the class online

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.

LWPI’s Real Wedding this month comes from Jennie Wiegand, a graduate of LWPI and the owner of Beautiful Day Planning, a wedding- and event-planning company in Detroit, Mich. This beautiful affair was filled with Filipino traditions and a large wedding party. The groom had this to say about Jennie’s work, “At first I had no idea why we needed a wedding planner and now have no idea how we would have succeeded without you. Invaluable. Essential. Perfect. Thank You.” You can find Jennie at her company website, on Facebook, and on her blog. She is also in the running for Best Wedding Planner at Detroit A List. Be sure to vote for her before the contest ends!

“I recently had the privilege to be involved as a day-of coordinator for the nuptials of a truly loving couple. Beth and Patrick celebrated their union on July 30 with a traditional Protestant ceremony at the beautiful, 200-year-old Central United Methodist Church in downtown Detroit. The stunning setting matched the couple, who radiate love. Their ceremony left few in the church with a dry eye, myself included!

The ceremony also honored the groom’s family by including the Filipino traditions of the arras ceremony and veil and cord ceremonies. In addition to five attendants each, the rather large procession included four primary sponsors, two veil sponsors, two cord sponsors, a Bible bearer, a ring bearer, a coin bearer, two veil bearers, a cord bearer, and one infant flower girl in her very own wicker baby carriage. (Phew!)

After the ceremony the couple and their attendants took photos around downtown while the guests retreated to a cocktail hour at the fantastic Cherry Creek Golf Course in Shelby Township. The reception had a secret-garden feel, complete with wildflower centerpieces with trailing vines, hundreds of candles, and seating cards affixed to old-fashioned brass keys. Holding to their fun-loving attitude, the groom decided to introduce himself and his bride during the grand entrance and had a groom’s cake shaped like an Adidas shoebox. Guests enjoyed a touching toast delivered by the bride’s son, who acted as best man, and a fantastic dinner followed by dancing and a traveling photo booth.

The evening was made even more enjoyable for me because I was surrounded by wonderful vendors. Thank you to everyone who helped make this wedding a truly beautiful day!

Photos – JLB Wedding, Photography by Jeffrey Lewis Bennett
Videographer – Fairy Tale Productions
DJ – Mike Staff Productions
Venue - Cherry Creek Golf

What are your plans for your wedding- and event-planning business? Are you hoping to be known for your upscale style? Or do you want potential clients to look to you for environmental knowledge? If that’s the case LWPI’s Green Wedding Planning course is for you. One recent LWPI graduate, Sharnice Thompson, shares with us why she chose the course and what she got out of it. Will you be the next certified Green Wedding Planner in your region?

Why did you choose LWPI? I did my research and found that LWPI met the criteria that I was looking for, and the institute as a whole is very sophisticated. The staff is knowledgeable about the school and programs, and this is the only institute that offers an eco-friendly wedding-planing certificate course.

What made you decide to be a Green Wedding Planner? My husband and I are very much into the “green” lifestyle, and when I decided I wanted to be a wedding planner I knew that I wanted to be a little different and make a big impact. Therefore, I choose to go with green wedding planning, something among the path I’m already on and am very much familiar with.

What did you like most about the course? I like that it’s at-your-own-pace. I was able to balance my cake business, school, work and the course at the same time.

How did the course prepare you to work in the event industry? It helped me become organized, and it guided me in the direction of a successful wedding planner.

Do you think Green Weddings will grow more popular? With the direction that the world is going I know that Green Weddings will absolutely grow in popularity in the years to come.

Why should a bridal couple try to plan a Green Wedding? Wedding couples should try Green Wedding Planning to see the bigger picture: their commitment to one another; their commitment to their community and the world; and their commitment to lessening their carbon footprint as a couple. It can also be the beginning of a green life together, and it may help them save money.

What are your favorite eco-friendly trends? I love eco-friendly clothes, jewelry and makeup. People are always trying to enhance their appearance, and if they use green materials it makes a large impact on our world.

What trends do you predict will grow in popularity and become more mainstream for non-green weddings? Gowns: They will be heirlooms, recycled, made from recycled materials and/or donated.

Do you have a background in event planning? I do not have any previous background in event planning, but I do plan to continue to grow my business to a full-time job.

Do you have anything else to share with aspiring Green Wedding Planners? Reach for your “green” goals, and be sure you’re making your clients aware of how they can reduce their carbon footprint.

You can find Sharnice through her business website, Haute Chic Cakes and More. Be sure to click on the Eco-Chic Wedding Tab for wedding and package information. To reach her, visit the Contact Page, where you will find her name, number and her email address.

Certified wedding and event planners are obviously expected to keep their brides and grooms happy. But there are others to think about, too, especially during the hot summer months. Don’t let the heat bum out the wedding guests - or the wedding party! Keep them cool and refreshed with these great ideas:

* Have the caterer set up an ice-cream bar at the reception. You can keep it simple by having several flavors of homemade ice creams, or you can go all out with a sundae bar, replete with candies, syrups and fresh fruits. We’re also loving the idea of a gourmet ice-pop cart! The King of Pops, Steven Carse, who is based in Atlanta, will come to you!

* Various colors of lemonade are a fun way to add color to the affair, and guests love to sample flavored teas, especially when they’re sweet and served over ice! Summery cocktails are always a nice touch, and they keep guests refreshed (and happy!) during a hot summer evening.

Photo Courtesy of Martha Stewart Living

* When it comes to the food think cool: gazpacho in shot glasses; individual servings of chilled banana pudding; shrimp cocktail; chilled oysters; and fruit “salad” skewers. We also absolutely adore these sorbet “wedding cakes” from Martha Stewart that serve as a palate cleanser and a guest chiller! The possibilities are endless!

* Outdoor weddings are parties so treat them as such. Steel-drum bands and ukelele players create the perfect music for weddings during the day or those that take place under the stars. The music will remind guests of breezy Hawaiian beaches, which could be very helpful on a hot August afternoon!

* Offer double-duty favors: Fans are always welcome during an afternoon wedding, and they can also serve as the ceremony programs. Specialty drinks, such as the sodas from P&H Soda Co., are colorful and fun. Coordinate one flavor with the colors of your wedding, and make sure the bottles are chilled. The guests can grab a drink and relax while they wait for the wedding to start, or for the wedding party to finish the picture hour.

You Might Also Enjoy:

Summer Wedding Myths Busted, From The Knot
Going to a summer wedding? Here’s how you should dress.

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.

Become A Certified Wedding and Event Planner Today!

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?