UKAWP - THE LEADING INDUSTRY BODY FOR THE UK WEDDING PLANNING MARKET

WPE Speaker Focus: Top Left Design

January 27th, 2012 by Bernadette

Here at the UKAWP we love Keren who owns Top Left Design. not only is she incredibly talented and creative she is truly a wonderful person who is eager to pass on her knowledge. She has presented at WPE before so we are delighted to have her back!

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Describe your company in 100 words or less!

Were a friendly team of talented designers and coders, with 9 staff total, based in Soho London, creating online, and helping small businesses improve their presence online.

What’s your USP?

At Top Left Design we specialise in designing personality into websites, so it feels more like a face to face experience. We want our clients to embrace what’s unique about their businesses and encourage them to bring out the “human aspect”. Some people find this hard but it works so much better if you can see and learn about the people in the business, their stories, case studies. We encourage and train clients on unique copywriting and images, blogs, and active social media interaction.

What do you hope planners will learn on the day from your talk?

How to ensure they have a unique website presence which shows off what’s great about them as planners, and gives visitors a really great understanding of why they should choose them.

How would your clients describe you?

Creative, reliable, professional and patient - with an understated yet precise and personable professionalism that sets me ahead of my peers.  (These are actual quotes from a couple of my LinkedIn  testimonials!)

Have you ever had a challenging client and how did you deal with it?

No, I have never had a challenging client. Haha just kidding!

I try and be humble at all times, and see things from their point of view. If things go wrong, I think - how could I do better next time? And then I do! I have learned so much from working with clients over the years. I want to make sure every one is happy, and tend to take things to heart, but I know often people are really just stressed and take it out on others, and the best way to deal with this is calmly. I always keep filed all written correspondence, filing all emails in corresponding client folders, and following up conversations with a written record of who said what - this really helps to ensure good communications.

What is your vice? 

I like cake, chocolate, cookies, ice cream and pizza. But at the moment I have been really good as I am on the Ultimate Yogi 108 day yoga programme (see www.theultimateyogi.com) and it’s amazing.

What’s the best piece of business advice someone gave you?

That really no one really knows anything. I was told that 18 years ago but some one I knew and it stuck with me. What he meant was that everyone is just trying to do their best - and even people who are celebrities or big shots in the business world have worries and want to make a good impression - just like you!

Describe yourself in 3 words

Friendly, Caring, Business-obsessed

Name one blog you follow religiously

http://socialmediatoday.com/

Preston Bailey key advice

January 25th, 2012 by Bernadette

When reading Preston Bailey’s blog I was particularly agreeable to the below article.  When planners start out in this industry I know it can be tempting to almost give your services away, I know some other training schools recommend you should do a wedding for free to begin with, but we just don’t agree. By planning a wedding for free you are in fact saying ‘I’m not worth it’. So even if a potential client is lovely, even if the wedding design will be so wonderful it will be perfect for your portfolio, never forget your WORTH.

Not so long ago, I had a client who I was a little in love with. She had the most amazing dream for her wedding and from the moment she walked into my office, we clicked. There is something very magical and powerful when that kind of connection happens with a client. She trusted me absolutely and I her.

Unfortunately, there was one hiccup: When I started creating my beloved client’s dream wedding, I realized that her expectations were bigger than her pocketbook. But because I liked her so much I gave her that dream wedding anyway. Consequently, I made practically zero profit. I think this happens quite a bit in our industry; we’re so eager to love our clients and see our designs come to life that we forget we also have bills to pay.

Yes, we should love our clients. Yes, we should work hard to see our designs come to life. But I’ve also learned the hard way that if a client cannot afford her dream wedding, she simply cannot have it. We must manage our clients’ expectations, and we can never lose sight of the bottom line.

Credit: Preston Bailey

WPE Speaker Focus: Mediterranean Occasions

January 23rd, 2012 by Bernadette

Today we would like to introduce you to Ilknur who will be presenting at WPE on Saturday the 3rd March. She will be talking about current trends for 2012 and how planners can bring some flair to their clients weddings.

ilknur

Describe your company in 100 words or less!

Established in 2001 by Mrs Ilknur Tekinbas Mediterranean Occasions is a family run business, specialising in elegant and innovative venue styling for weddings and events throughout the UK. 

Emphasis is placed on individual design and a personal service that is second to none. From exquisite table tops to breathtaking candelabras and chair backs made from the most exquisite materials, Mediterranean Occasions has everything a bride-to-be could dream of to transform a basic venue into something worthy of a fairytale. With unique products that are sourced from around the world one can be sure to create something that is as stunning as it is unique.

What’s your USP? 

My creativity and what I bring as a designer to the business. 

What do you hope planners will learn on the day from your talk?

The dos and don’ts of hire companies and some style tips.

How would your clients describe you?

Excellent service,  unique products, helpfulness, turning brides ideas in to reallity. 

Have you ever had a challenging client and how did you deal with it?

By keeping calm very calm!! And always being polite and patient. The rest falls into place.

What is your vice? 

Remembering it’s their day! And being patient, if they choose colours that clash or not quite your style, do it to your standards and add your flair.

What’s the best piece of business advice someone gave you?

If some one copies your work take it as complement!

Describe yourself in 3 words

Creative, ambitious , entrepreneur 

Name one blog you follow religiously

Not religiously but when I can Preston Bailey he’s the MAN!!!

2012 Wedding Industry Awards

January 20th, 2012 by Bernadette

wedding-industry-awardsOn Wednesday 18th January UKAWP directors Bernadette and Sandy headed to London to attend the 2012 Wedding Industry Awards ceremony which was held at the Café de Paris in London.  We were delighted when Damian Bailey asked the UKAWP to be part of the judging team. We felt privileged to be amongst some fabulous fellow peers.  Choosing the regional and then the national winners was such a difficult task and involved hours of each judge’s time reading through bridal reviews plus attending a judges meeting in December. It was essential that all judges agreed with the final winners so at times there were some lively ‘discussions’! You can learn more about the judging process here .

We were delighted that one of our members Jane from Planned for Perfection won the Best Planner category and 2 other members were regional winners, Isabel Smith and Andrea Swift.

When we asked Jane how she felt she saidI am delighted to have been chosen as the first ever winner of the Best independent Wedding Planner by the 2012 Wedding Industry Awards – the fact that my past wedding couples have said so many amazing things about me, makes all the hard work worthwhile.
I feel truly honoured to have been awarded this accolade by such a talented and well respected panel of judges, as I faced strong opposition from the other regional winners. I am looking forward to seeing how these awards shape the Wedding Industry and help us all to strive to provide ever increasing quality and services to future bride and grooms.”

Thank You

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Damian for launching these much needed independent and honest awards. It’s wonderful that those working immensely hard now have the opportunity to get recognised for that dedication. We fully appreciate the time and effort it takes to organise an event of this scale - so thank you Damian.

And the winners are…..

Fellow judging panel member Sky TV news presenter Sarah Hewson did an amazing job hosting the ceremony and I think everyone found her recollection of choosing a wedding date that didn’t clash with an impending Royal wedding,  fascinating. She was amazingly poised, beautiful and eloquent - the perfect hostess. Co-hosting and presenting each award with her was organiser Damian Bailey .

Ok so who won on the night?

 2013 Wedding Industry Awards

If you didn’t enter the awards last year we would like to encourage you to enter this year, you can register for information via here . Can we also recommend you send the link to all your fabulous suppliers who might not know about the awards?

Pocket Positive

January 16th, 2012 by Sandy

“In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love” (Mother Teresa)

I’m already trading so why do I need more training?

January 13th, 2012 by Bernadette

Here at the UKAWP we believe the only way to succeed as a successful wedding planner is to keep increasing your knowledge. Think about it, if you do the same in 2012 that you did in 2011 then your results will be the same, but expand your knowledge and think outside the box, and the world is your oyster. If you are ready and willing to push your business further ensuring increased profitability then take the plunge and commit to the various training options the UKAWP offer.

1. Attend our annual seminar WPE which is only for ‘working wedding planners’ no enthusiasts or suppliers allowed!. Sometimes we spend all our time working IN the business, i.e. planning weddings that we don’t spend time working ON the business and this is what WPE helps you focus on.

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2. Bit hazy on marquees or unsure about marketing your business? Look out for our series of webinars. The next one is ‘the basics of organising a marquee reception‘ and will be held on the 8th February at 6pm. To register go to our booking form

A UKAWP Director leading a training session

3. Always wondered how to make an emergency bouquet or what should you do if the wedding cake collapses? Attend one of our evening workshops to find the answers. Keep checking our events page  for details of the next one. Have a topic in mind? Email Bernadette@ukawp.com

Wedding planners workshop

4. Already run a successful business but not sure on how to actually plan a wedding? Or perhaps you are a venue co-ordinator looking to launch independently? If so consider our training courses, more information via our brochure

Photo Credit: Lloyd Dobbie

Dominate Your Domains

January 11th, 2012 by Sandy
The following article was written by the wonderful Tamsin Fox-Davies : long term friend of the UKAWP and back by popular demand to speak at our Wedding Planning Excellence Seminar in March 2012. Thank you Tamsin, as ever, for your insight and practical advice…
tamsin-fox-davies

 You’ve got a website and a domain name, and this week I want you to check out the other possible domains that you may want to buy for your site. For Example: I have my site on tamsinfoxdavies.com but I also own tamsinfoxdavies.co.uk. Apart from the obvious “domain extensions” (.co.uk, etc) you want to get the most likely “domain variations” as well. For me that would mean getting tamsin-foxdavies.com, tamsinfox-davies.com, tamsinfd.com etc.

Do you see how that would work? Once you buy the extra domains, just forward them all to your actual website. There’s two reasons to do this:  

  1. Some people will type your domain rather than googling you, and they might not get it right. This happens a lot more often than you think, and you don’t want to lose those visitors.
  2. If you’ve got all the relevant domains, no one else can buy them.   You don’t want people with similar company names buying YOUR domains, so go get ‘em!

How can I get the most from WPE?

January 9th, 2012 by Bernadette

In order to ensure you get the most from the seminar here are our top tips.

  • Attend both days to benefit from full range of speakers
  • Introduce yourself to the speakers during the networking opportunities and ask advice if applicable
  • Try to network with all attendees, don’t be shy, you could be making some good friends for the future
  • Don’t forget your business cards, you never know when you’ll need them
  • Don’t be afraid of asking questions at the end of each presentation
  • Attend the dinner as this is when attendees unwind and the topic of discussion can get interesting and bizarre!

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So what do our past attendees think?


“Can’t wait to get started, putting everything I’ve learnt into one place.”

“Great venue, superb content, lovely group of planners and great networking opportunities.”

 ”I feel really  motivated following the sessions and am excited about transferring these new skills into my business!

 “I’m pleased I have attended the event - and I’m taking away a number of useful tips to help me with my business”

 “absolutely brilliant for exceeding my expectations and I couldn’t have asked for more”

Questions?

If you have any questions about WPE don’t hesitate to email (Planners) sandy@ukawp.com or (suppliers) bernadette@ukawp.com

Photo Credit: Lloyd Dobbie

Sound levels for weddings

January 6th, 2012 by Sandy

Our thanks to Susan Heaton-Wright of Viva Live Music  for this useful and interesting post…

Weddings are wonderful occasions where people of all different ages celebrate the marriage of two people. It is also an opportunity for guests (particularly family members who haven’t seen each other for a while) to talk and catch up with news. For others, it is a chance to have a good party; dance and have great fun. 

The challenge for anyone organising a wedding is to ensure the event is enjoyable to everyone. Many guests would feel they weren’t being looked after, if there was ‘nothing to do’ except watch the bride and groom being photographed - although for others, it would be a chance to catch up with lost relatives. For other guests, the thought of the only evening entertainment being a darkened room, with flashing lights and very loud music a very unattractive proposition. So compromise in the planning is required.

One of the subjects regularly mentioned within planning, is noise levels. When we set up Viva Live Music we conducted a survey of 300 people of all ages. 97% said the one thing they disliked about music was that it was too loud; a figure that is one to take note of when organising weddings! 

Of course the musical style the bridal couple wants is going to be varied and some styles might not be ‘loud’ but others might be. So here are some top tips to make the most of music, without it being too loud!

  • Check with the venue as to whether they have volume limits. A number of venues can not play any music above a certain decibel level. If they do, the power cuts out! Make sure your musicians or DJ know this.
  • Designate someone (a guest) to be responsible for monitoring sound levels. He or she could liaise with the DJ or musicians, if it gets too loud.
  • Make sure the DJ or musicians have a clause in their contract saying that requests for the volume to be reduced, should be acted upon.
  • Use a good quality supplier, who knows how to amplify music so that guests can hear it without it being too loud.
  • Discuss with the DJ or musicians how they will amplify the music. It is often better to place a number of small speakers around the room(s), rather than having 2 large ones at the front, where there are often guests sitting.
  • Consider having tables in the room where guests can still watch the dancing, but the sound levels are lower so those guests can still talk. Alternatively have a ‘quiet room’ as well as the dance room for guests to chill out.
  • As part of their service, the DJ or musicians should sound check before the event starts. Make sure you know when the venue will be available for them to set up and also a time that they MUST have finished this. This will enable them to plan their set up and sound check timings.
  • It is useful for musicians and DJs to know the age groups of guests; if the guest list is mainly older, they will need to keep volumes lower; if it is younger - they won’t mind as much!
  • Liaise with the musicians/DJ before you do your table plan; we have had Singing Waiter acts, where we have had to set up sound systems prior to the wedding, but there is no room for the equipment. Despite a venue visit prior to the wedding, extra tables were put in on the day, making a really tight squeeze for the sound engineer and performers. 

If you have any queries, or would like any individual tips about noise levels, please do not hesitate to contact me, Susan Heaton Wright at Viva Live Music or call 0844 576 3015.

Events 2012 Overview – 1st Quarter

January 4th, 2012 by Bernadette

As always the UKAWP are going to be incredibly busy with events throughout 2012 so we thought we better start telling you about some of the plans for the first few months of the year!

WPE ‘12 - Wedding Planning Excellence

WPE ‘12‘Wedding Planning Excellence’ was first established in 2009 and in essence is a training seminar for wedding planners. The directors of the UKAWP along with our members devised a specialised programme designed to inspire and educate you with your business, there are 2 days of intelligent, inspirational speakers for you to learn from.

WPE is held over 2 days Friday 2nd & Saturday 3rd March 2012 at the fabulous 51 Buckingham Gate in Central London. There will be a Friday night dinner off sire which again is optional, more details to be published on the dinner in the New Year.

UKAWP member rate - for one day £170, for both days £320 / non member rate - for one day - £180, for both days £350 / Dinner is £45

We suggest you visit the beginners guide to WPE and will leave you with just one testimonial:

Testimonial

UKAWP “did WPE inspire you for 2011?”

WPE Delegate “Hell yes - thank you” & “Yes, yes, yes”!

Training Webinars

Following our successful webinar launch in November we will be running a series of additional ones throughout 2012. The webinars will be a combination of topics designed for new planners and for more advanced learning by already established planners.  We hope that the flexibility of being able to join a webinar online will appeal to many who cannot travel easily to other training we organise or have missed a previous session.

Please keep checking our blog and website for details as and when we announce them.

Title:  ‘The basics of organising a marquee reception‘ - based on the presentation given at WPE ‘11

Tutor: Bernadette Chapman, UKAWP Director

Date: Wednesday 8th February 2012

Time: 6pm-7pm

Cost: £60

How to book your place:  go to our booking form here

Technical details:

You will need internet access with speakers and will be sent an event invitation which will require you to set up a password. At the relevant webinar time you will need to log in. You will be able to hear the tutor deliver the session as well as be able to see a slide presentation on screen. You will be able to ask questions online via a chat page. Further notes will be posted to you following your registration.

Testimonial following our marketing your business webinar

I think it’s an excellent way to offer a bite-sized training course as it means it’s easily accessible. This is really important for those of us that are trying to juggle other responsibilities such as jobs or children, as it’s often difficult to get away for a full day. I really liked it that you talked around the slides/course notes rather than just reading them verbatim. The discussion gave some really valuable insights into starting your business.”

Workshops

We held various workshops in 2011 both in London and Wimslow. Topics have included: Floral Emergencies, Fixing the Bridal Dress, PR Basics

We plan to run the workshops again from April 2012, if there are any topics you would like us to cover let us know!

In the meantime save the date for the 9th February in Manchester for a Northern PR Workshop hosted by Julia from Bridesup North

Training Courses

The successful training courses run by the UKAWP start again in February 2012.  See below for the planned dates. To find out more information, to download the brochure or indeed to book please visit our training page

Business Practicalities: 18th & 19th February (Northamptonshire) and 21st & 22nd April (London)

Step by Step: 24th & 25th March (Northamptonshire) and 19th & 20th May (London)