I was left thoroughly depressed last week after watching the latest wedding movie, Bride Wars. What impression are we leaving as an industry? I mean I know that films are entertainment and characters have to be exaggerated to make crowd-pleasers, but really? If you haven’t seen the film, here you go:

Firstly, the Manhattan wedding planner of all wedding planners managed to get two clients to sign up to her services in her office at the same time without them asking a single question about her fees, how she worked or anything; they just signed and left. All she asked was what themes they wanted and then dismissed them out of her office, packing them off with goody bags prepared by her assistant. If it were only that easy ….

Secondly, her assistant managed to screw up and double book both brides weddings on the same day and although the assistant was fired, the wedding planner herself experienced absolutely no bridal wrath – I can really see that happening…..

Thirdly, the wedding planner divulges information about one bride’s wedding to the other sparking a series of tit for tat revenges – I mean what about client confidentiality?

And lastly, on the day said planner prances around The Plaza Hotel, wearing an enormous corsage, barks (and I mean barks) instructions to her team and the venue’s staff and manages to flit between one wedding set up and the other and it’s all fine.

How does she get away with it? And how and why do film makers think it’s funny to project this image of us? Please don’t tell me that there are planners out there really behaving in this way. I mean, I hear some stories but …..

Kelly Chandler is the UKAWP’s Marketing and Finance Director and also owns The Bespoke Wedding Company, operating throughout the South East of England