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.

Amanda Allen started planning weddings in San Diego in 2003. Armed with a degree in studio art and psychology, Amanda was inspired by her florist mother to help brides have stunningly beautiful weddings. MMD Events Inc. was created five years ago upon moving to Florida, when Amanda and her husband, Matt, realized that with their powers combined they could work together to create a one-stop shop for brides in need of a comprehensive design for their wedding day. MMD Events offers full floral and décor services in addition to event design. MMD’s motto “more is more” has created a design aesthetic that attracts fashion-conscious brides who keep their schedule full throughout the year. Weddings are their main focus, however, MMD has proudly worked on a number of prestigious projects throughout the Tampa Bay area including the premier party for the Discovery Channel Show Pitchmen with Billy Mays.

Amanda says she believes that teaching should be a part of everyday life whether it is teaching her staff, educating clients, addressing her peers at a luncheon, teaching for LWPI or giving seminars at bridal showcases. She says that “if you are not learning than you will fail to adapt and if you fail to adapt you will fail.” This will be her fourth semester teaching for LWPI at St. Petersburg College in Largo, Florida. To learn more about the course or to register for Amanda’s class, which starts July 12, visit the LWPI website. You can also take a tour or contact the LWPI staff for more information.

St Petersburg College Wedding & Event Planning Classroom Course
Tuesdays & Thursdays
6 p.m. until 10 p.m.
13805 58th St N
Largo, Florida 33760
United States

Today’s Instructor Spotlight highlights Amy Hamilton, who will be teaching a certified wedding and event coordinator course at Northern Essex Community College in Lawrence, Massachusetts, in Essex County, starting May 10, 2011. For more information or to register for the class, visit the class calendar. Amy says:

“All of my life I have been the person that friends and family turned to take charge of planning parties and events. About 15 year ago I realized that event planning was an actual job, and I have been working in this industry ever since.” She has a B.S. in Communications, with a specialization in Graphic Design, from Fitchburg State University in Fitchburg, Mass. She also has an M.S. in Communications Management from Simmons College in Boston.

“The event planning positions I have worked in include: Jillian’s, Dave & Buster’s, a hotel in Boston, and a non-profit organization in Boston,” Amy says. “I started my own business after I was laid off due to the economy. Presently I operate my business on a part-time basis.” What is her favorite part of the wedding- and event-planning business? “I most like being able to see a couple share their dream with their family on their wedding day. I am so honored to be able to be a part of my clients’ wedding day, and I love seeing them interact with family and friends.”

As for working as an instructor for LWPI, Amy says, “I love being able to share my passion with people just getting started in the industry.” She wants to make sure her students know they should “be yourself, have fun, be super-organized, work with great vendors, and learn to take charge without being pushy.”

Amy is the founder of AE&A and has more than 15 years of experience in the events industry in New England. She is a super-organized, creative visionary with a lifelong passion for event planning. She is also the ultimate bargain hunter and do-it-yourself-er. AE&A combines all of these elements to make the luxury of a personal event planner more affordable. Amy works with each client to fully understand the purpose of the event and the experience that they would like to create for their guests or attendees, and then dedicates herself to making it a reality. You can find out more about Amy at www.amyelizabethevents.com, on Facebook and on Twitter at amybethevents.

Northern Essex Community College
Course Registration
Essex County
The Riverwalk
360 Merrimack Street
Building 9, Entry K
Lawrence, Massachusetts 01843
United States

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work behind the scenes of a major wedding and event venue? Michelle Bromley’s certified wedding and event planner class in Austin, Texas, found out just that at the end of their fall course. As an end-of-semester event Michelle took her students at Austin Community College to meet with the owner of Marquee Event Group. Michelle says:

“Austin is a very cohesive city for event professionals. ISES, NACE and NEAWP are all very active and strong here. Damon Holditch, CSEP, is one of the founding members of ISES Austin and the owner of Marquee Event Group, a very successful (and multi-award winning) event rentals company (in Austin). Damon moved to a bigger warehouse facility just after I started teaching this class (at Austin Community College), and I thought up-and-coming event professionals would really enjoy seeing the vast world of event rentals, and that they would learn plenty from the owner himself as he is a HUGE networker. I asked him if he would mind if I coupled an end-of-session class party with his Fifty Cent Tour and he graciously agreed. He has been welcoming my students to his business and sharing his knowledge for three sessions now, and I’m sure he will welcome my fourth. This video walks you through some of that tour. Damon has words of wisdom throughout the whole video so be sure to watch it all.”

Are you interested in taking a certified wedding and event planner course at Austin Community College? Be sure to watch LWPI’s class calendar to see when summer and fall course dates appear.

Lovegevity’s Wedding Planning Institute is devoted to helping its students learn the wedding and event-planning business. Our staff is with students every step of the way - from the classroom to the business world - and our instructors do their best to prepare our students to be successful after they complete their LWPI courses. Each instructor is encouraged to help their students plan an end-of-course celebration or charity event, and two such instructors recently took different directions, with great success. Amanda Allen of MMD Events in Tampa, and an LWPI instructor at St. Petersburg College in Florida, enjoys helping her students learn to network and meet with potential vendors.

Amanda says: For two semesters I’ve had my students throw an end-of-class “networking party.” I believe that networking is something to be studied and learned, and I talk about it a lot and we practice in class. Throughout the semester we take field trips and have speakers come in. All the professionals are sent an invitation, and the class plans a party at my home to network with all the professionals they have met. In this way the students have a deeper connection with these professionals, and over the two semesters I have taught it has led to students getting internships and jobs, getting great advice, and allowed them to practice networking.

My last fall class really knocked it out of the park - many of them met before class to work on the elements of what they would contribute - we all had a lot of fun! What resulted was a networking event with 12 students and 15 professionals. Students supplied homemade savory and sweet foods and created a lovely buffet layout complete with food signs. There were fall decorations and paper products, as well as a lovely decorated drinks table. The students asked one of our guest speakers, Rommy Lieber of Cakes with a Kick, to create a special cake for us - it was beautiful. And Michael Zoumberos of Limelight Photography, also a guest speaker, took photos for us. The party was set up, torn down, and conducted during normal class hours the last day of class. Students even collaborated to make favors!

During class we constantly practiced how to approach someone you want to network with and introduce yourself. The students set goals of who they wanted to talk to during the networking party and two students gained internships that night.

Anna Pohl, an LWPI instructor at State College of Florida, took her students to Holidays at the Crosley, Festival of Trees, which is a charity event. The students volunteered at the event, Pohl says, and they toured the grounds. This helped her students make contacts at Crosley, which will be great in the future as it’s a popular spot for weddings.

Are you interested in becoming a certified wedding and event planner? Would you like to learn how to network and build your base of professional contacts? Tours of LWPI’s certified wedding and event planning courses are available online, and you can register today for a class in your area by checking for local schools on our calendar.

This month’s spotlight for Real Weddings from LWPI Graduates comes from Jen Taylor, the owner of Taylor’d Events by Jennifer in Woodinville, Wash. She won a 2010 Wedding Wire Bride Choice Award and was named Best Day of Wedding Coordinator in 2010 by Seattle Bride Magazine. Taylor is also an instructor with LWPI at Everett Community College.

Taylor says, “I started working with this couple in November 2009 for their August 8, 2010, wedding. This couple was fun and I loved working with them, but they were also challenging to me as a planner. Working with them really helped me learn how to help a couple throughout the process of planning their wedding. They were both in jobs that were very analytical and that is how they went about planning their wedding; both of them knew what they did not want in their wedding, but they could not express what they wanted. That is where it helped that I have a great team of vendors to surround my clients and help create their vision.”

For example, Taylor explains, “The florist wanted to give the couple several ideas, but I wanted to compare apples with apples so I tried to keep the options about the same. When the bride received quotes for the flowers she was very concerned that the quote did not include how many of each flower would be in the arrangements. It was my job as the planner to let the couple know that the florist would make the arrangements match what they had in mind. At one point the bride created a Powerpoint presentation of flowers that she liked and did not like, which was helpful. It was also helpful that the florist agreed to do a mock-up arrangement, which helped give the bride pretty good idea of what the bouquet and centerpiece would look like.”

We absolutely love the color scheme that this bride chose and Taylor executed. Purple can be a hard color to work with if it’s overused, but in this case we think Taylor did a great job of incorporating different hues and even heading in the blue direction, as the cake shows. We see some great lighting in the background, which continued the theme. We also see some great, personal touches, such as the pats of butter shaped into flowers, and the napkins standing on end at each plate. The napkins especially were a great way to add visual interest to the tables and reception overall. And by the smile on the bride’s face we’d say she agreed!

Are you interested in becoming a certified wedding and event planner trained by Taylor? Be sure to register for her class, which begins February 1. And to learn even more about Jennifer check her out on Facebook and Twitter or visit her website. (And by the way: A Preston Bailey Signature Wedding Design course is also available at Everett, with a different instructor. Check out more about the class, which starts Feb. 3, and register today.)

Here is some more information on the vendors Taylor worked with to create this gorgeous wedding:
* Columbia Tower Club
* Elements in Bloom
* Sean Hoyt Photography
* Crème de la Crème
* Wavelink Music
* L & M Chair Covers
* AA Party Rentals

If you’re reading this blog, or taking a certified wedding- and event-planner class through LWPI, we automatically know one thing about you: You love weddings. But there is a lot more to this business than weddings, and that’s one thing that LWPI instructors try to impress upon their students. You can really help your business grow by focusing on other events, and by getting out in your community. Ronni Johnston, an LWPI instructor at Cowley College, recently helped some of her students put on a fall festival for kids in their area.

“My class put on the “Kid at Heart” Fall Fun Fest to benefit the Child Advocacy Center in Wichita, Kansas. This included cake walk, kid games like fishing and pumpkin bowling, a coloring contest, story reading activities, face painting and concessions,” Johnston said.

“The students put a great deal of effort into the event. They got ample opportunities to both show off their skill and expand their knowledge base,” Johnston said. “One student, Jennifer Tippin, took on the role of project leader and did an admirable job at keeping to team together. Every student would be awarded an “A+” in my opinion based on effort, enthusiasm and increased education.”

Do you live in the Wichita area and want to become a certified wedding- and event planner? Sign up for Ronni’s class today! Want to read about some more end-of-course events? Check out this post from another LWPI class.

Mrs. Randi Moore, also known as the Wedding Planning Diva, is one of the industry’s most experienced wedding planners and a designer who strives to create organized, elegant and astonishing weddings. With her team of wedding and design experts she has been responsible for detailed wedding planning and creative consultation and design to many families throughout the country since 2006.

“I love ‘I DO’! With the wedding day on the horizon to share with your soon-to-be spouse, family and friends, we make sure to make it count and make it last. We assist and ensure brides and brooms have a day full of memories. We make memories last forever, we make guests say ‘wow’ with our designs, and we make love ever-more lasting!” says Moore, of RSVP Special Events & Design.

Coupling her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public policy and relations and extensive experience in the wedding industry, Moore has been honored and respected for her passion and commitment to the wedding industry. Because of her dedication and commitment to innovative wedding planning and design, Moore has been on-air talent for We TV’s nationally syndicated television show Get Married. Moore has also been invited to be a part of Grace Ormonde’s Platinum List, which is an upscale wedding magazine dedicated to the Platinum Weddings of our time. With her many accomplishments, including becoming a featured planner, designer and member for Get Married magazine and Grace Ormonde’s Wedding Style magazine, and also becoming a certified floral designer, clients can count on Moore to make each and every wedding new and fresh.

RSVP Special Events & Design is a full-service wedding-planning, design and floral agency dedicated to creating unique and elegant weddings. Creating a grand, exceptional and astonishing wedding is RSVP’s dedication to each and every couple on their wedding day.

Moore’s LWPI class will begin January 11. For more information or to register for her course, visit the registration page today!

Ready to follow your dream and become a certified wedding and event planner? Looking for a niche in the wedding industry? How about becoming a Green Wedding Planner? Already a wedding and event planner but want to improve your skills and knowledge of the industry? Preston Bailey’s Signature Design Course is for you! Classes starting in January are registering now! Check out the dates below, and remember that online classes have open enrollment - you can start any time!

January 1, 2011:
Green Wedding Planning Certification (Online)
Wedding & Event Planning Certification Online Course (Online)
Certificacion de Organizacion de Bodas y Eventos (Online)

January 11, 2011:
Macomb Community College Preston Bailey Wedding & Event Design Certification Online
Chattahoochee Technical College: Wedding & Event Planning Certification (Tuesdays/Thursdays)

January 12, 2011:
Chattahoochee Technical College: Preston Bailey Wedding & Event Design Certification (Wednesdays)

January 23, 2011:
Certificacion de Organizacion de Bodas y Eventos (Online)
Tennessee State University Green Wedding Planning Certification (Online)

January 24, 2011:
Miami Dade College: Preston Bailey Wedding & Event Design Certification (Mondays)

January 24, 2011:
Miami Dade College: Wedding & Event Planning Certification (Tuesdays)
Cowley College: Wedding & Event Planning Certification (Tuesdays)
Macomb Community College: Wedding & Event Planning Certification (Tuesdays/Thursdays)

January 31, 2011:
Lonestar College-North Harris: Wedding & Event Planning Certification (Mondays)

Christmas weddings. Winter weddings. Snowy, elegant affairs! No, winter isn’t the most popular time to get married as you certified wedding and event planners know, but it has several things going for it. It’s less expensive. It’s oh-so-romantic to get married under snowy skies. And the decor can be natural and rustic or holiday-style and festive! Here are some of our favorite winter-wedding finds, from cakes to gowns to decor. We love this time of year! How can anyone be in a bad mood when they’re surrounded by snowflakes and twinkly lights?

1. superweddings.com; 2. dotcombride.com; 3. whitelacewedding.com; 4. blog.idoityourself.com

1. Allegro Photography of Boston (Amaaaazing vendor!); 2. The Knot; 3. Ritva Westenius Coutoure of the U.K.; 4. weddingsplendor.com

1. Martha Stewart; 2. Sugarlicious Cakes & Sugarcraft; 3. The Wedding Dish

Want more eye candy? Check out these beautiful winter-wedding roundups!
* Angela and David
* A gorgeous Christmasy, military-style wedding. Great pics!
* Bethany and Eric - Rustic in Vermont!
* Eve and Richard - Classy and sparkly.

What are your favorite, elegant touches for holiday weddings?