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Wedding Day Regrets . . . Your Planner Shouldn't Be One Of Them

9/18/2020

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I was compelled to write this post after hearing one too many accounts of how having the wrong Wedding Planner or Day of Coordinator has made someone’s wedding day less than enjoyable. A re-mix of Jay-Z’s lyrics yields my response to this unfortunate occurrence, “I got 99 problems but a [Planner shouldn’t be] one.”

I know that COVID-19 has impacted all of our plans and caused us to re-calibrate finances and pivot so many times that we are dizzy from all the moves. Please hear me when I say that my heart hurts for the couples who came to realize on their wedding day, that they should have invested in a Planner or chose the wrong Planner. By then, it is unfortunately too late for them to do anything about it.

But to all my couples with wedding dates to come in 2020, 2021 and beyond (because #loveisnotcancelled), I want you to repeat these 3 affirmations after me:

Affirmation #1 . . .

1. “I WILL INVEST IN RETAINING A PLANNER OR DAY OF COORDINATOR BECAUSE I NEED ONE AND I DESERVE ONE ON MY WEDDING DAY.”
No matter how organized you are (and we know that you are very organized), the number of firsthand experiences under a Planner's belt, can't compare in many cases. We can see things coming before they happen because we have superpowers (only partly joking) and we’ve been down this road many, many times before. We also major in the minor details, so our perspectives are on another level. What we do drives others insane. Even our industry colleagues tell us all the time that they do not want our jobs. Never. Ever. Period. It takes a special kind of person to do what we do and LOVE it. So, invest in a great Planner or Coordinator.

Affirmation #2 . . .

2. "I WILL NOT BE SOLELY DRIVEN BY PRICE BECAUSE WHILE MY BUDGET IS IMPORTANT, A WELL EXECUTED WEDDING EXPERIENCE IS PRICELESS TO ME."
Having a Planner or Coordinator that has thoroughly prepped everyone and everything before your wedding day, is such a great asset to you because it affords you the freedom of going through your wedding day without a care in the world. It doesn’t mean that problems may not occur, it just means that you won’t know about them. Your wedding vendor team will troubleshoot them behind the scenes, so guests won’t declare your wedding day a "hot mess" or “clearly unorganized.”

Affirmation #3 . . .

3. "PEACE OF MIND IS EVERYTHING TO ME, ESPECIALLY ON MY WEDDING DAY."
So, for your own peace of mind, retain a Planner with experience, a good reputation among industry professionals and one that treats everyone with courtesy and respect. Your Planner’s experience, reputation and relationships impact you. If those things are in a good place, you will reap the benefits of them, more than you know. Your wedding day vibe should be a good one among your entire wedding team. Choose your Planner with that in mind.

Listen, wedding planning is very stressful on its own. Add COVID-19 to the mix and the stress increases exponentially. Your resources may be tight, but you don't want to have that sinking feeling of regret on one of the most important days of your life. That awful feeling doesn't go away when your day has come to an end. The memories associated with your wedding day linger and remain with you. I know because I've got some racks in this married life.

Investing in an amazing Planner or Coordinator may cost more than you expected, but you will receive a great ROI (return on investment) when you invest wisely. Free or almost free service is not always the BEST service. My investors, aka my clients, always get more than what they've invested because I value them choosing me and they value me for all that I bring to the relationship. Our relationship is reciprocal and it's a love thing.

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Steps to Take If Your Wedding Has Been Impacted by COVID-19

8/25/2020

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As featured in the Spring/Summer 2020 issue of MunaLuchi Bride Magazine
The new year started off on a high. It was the beginning of a brand new decade that we felt ready for and excited about. We were busting 2020 goals and great things were on the horizon. Then COVID-19 hit the globe.
COVID-19 brought some very difficult losses with it and life as we knew it, no longer exists. We've even had to re-examine our plans to marry the loves of our lives. We love love and we love helping couples seal their commitment with their unique wedding experiences. So while #loveisnotcancelled, I know that postponing and rescheduling your wedding is complicated. There are a lot of moving pieces to the puzzle and it can get overwhelming real quick.
To help you navigate through some of the challenges you're facing while making adjustments to your wedding plans, we've put together 8 tips for you to consider. This is not an exhaustive list, but it's a great starting point. Let us begin:

1. First, know that it's ok to mourn the loss of your COVID-19 impacted wedding date. If you couldn't get married on your original wedding date, it really is an emotional, mental and in some cases, financial loss. When what you worked so hard to plan and prepare for is taken away, there's a loss that hits you in a powerful way and it stings. It hurts. Take some time to cry, be upset, disappointed, sad and down right angry. Those are all normal responses and you should allow room and time to move through them. Don't feel embarrassed about this. Your feelings are real.

2. Next, if you don't have a Wedding Planner to help you navigate through any of this, please look into investing in one. Seriously. I know that you are pretty awesome with a ton of organizing and planning skills, but there is so much more that an experienced Wedding Planner knows that you don't possess. There are things that immediately come to mind for us because we've done this so many times before and have a breath of experience that is immeasurable and invaluable. We can do this in our sleep because we love it like that and we want to help you. We really do.

3. Remember, don't cancel your wedding, work to reschedule or postpone it. Rescheduling might actually save you money. You might not have considered getting married on a Tuesday or Wednesday before COVID-19, but the cost being almost 50% less could make it quite appealing. Rescheduling would also give you time to save more of your own money for your wedding and honeymoon. More money gives you more options. Think about it.

4. Note next that whether you're rescheduling, postponing or even cancelling, you should pull out all of your vendor contracts so you can review them to refresh your recollection of what you and your vendor agreed to as it relates to your wedding. Become reacquainted with the terms of your contract, so that when a plan is enacted to speak with your vendors, you're not doing so unfamiliar with your agreement. Prepare for your conversations.

5. Next, you should contact your venue BEFORE your other vendors to see how they are handling rescheduled weddings and what dates are available. DO NOT lock in any dates with your venue until your other wedding vendors have been contacted. You want to make sure that all of your vendors and the venue are available on at least one of the same dates to avoid any cancellation of services.

6. After talking with the venue, you or your Wedding Planner should reach out to all of your vendors to inform them that you've decided to postpone or reschedule. Share with them the available date options that the venue provided and see where each vendor lines up. Let each of them know that you are just surveying to see how you can keep your entire vendor team together for a new date. Take great notes so that you can sit back and weigh all of your options. This will be a sizable undertaking so consider getting the help of a Wedding Planner.

7. Once a mutually agreeable date for all of your vendors has been determined, circle back to your venue and vendors to let them know what date you've settled on. Don't take too long to get back to everyone because dates are filling up quickly everywhere. If it so happens that one (1) or some of your vendors are unable to reschedule for your new date, have a conversation with them about how you can work out a mutually beneficial arrangement for moving forward.

8. Now that your new date has been selected and your amazing wedding vendors are all set, let's send out your invitations with your new date. You can include some fun facts about what you did or gained during the stay at home orders. If you have a wedding website, use that tool to share with your guests that you are committed to keeping them abreast on your journey down the aisle so they should check back regularly.

So we know that this is not an easy time and these are not easy tasks, but we are here for you and want to see you get married as well. We love love and we love when #lovewins. So let's win together!

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Virtually Managed No-Contact College Trunk Party

5/21/2020

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In March of 2020, the coronavirus changed our lives drastically in the United States. COVID-19 hit and it hit hard. I suffered personal losses of loved ones with so many others in the world. But, in the midst of so much devastation, I kept thinking, “there has to be some good to come out of this.” I started thinking about what I could do to lift people’s spirits, including my own. I turned to what I love, which is to plan events and weddings. Since outside was closed, I started to share pictures and videos on social media of when outside was open (click here to see). This reminded me of how important it is to have a great photographer and videographer. They are worth the investment because the final product helps us to experience the celebration and all the “feels” again and again. It's priceless.

So, on my visual and verbal journey to “spread JOY” during this difficult time, I had an amazing opportunity to help celebrate the accomplishments of an awesome 2020 high school graduate from Jackson, Mississippi. Miss Kamilah Soleil Brown is on her way to study the viola at the prestigious Oberlin Conservatory this Fall and her parents, Jeff and Yoluanda wanted to celebrate her “in” community. The coronavirus did not want us to be great, but I was determined to find a way. I shared with Yoluanda that I figured out a way for us to do it being “COVID compliant” and she immediately said “Yes, let’s do it!” We had exactly 4 weeks to make it happen. Since I could not travel to be with them on site, we aligned on the platforms we would use to connect with each other and to track our progress throughout the planning, designing and coordination stages. We were set.

So, with Yoluanda in Jackson, MS and I in Brooklyn, NY, we planned a fabulous No-Contact and Virtual College Trunk Party that included 3 live performances from Kamilah on the viola and 1 private Zoom party. The “stage” for her live performance was set with beautiful organic balloon garlands installed outside their home. Complimenting Kamilah’s “stage” were garden lawn signs and hanging banners that congratulated the 2020 graduate and pointed all eyes in her direction. We also designed a table dedicated to Kamilah’s journey and another table with special favor bags for guests who attended.

To help guests socially distance while attending the event in person, custom lawn signs were created and positioned in front of the Brown’s home for “Car #1,” “Car #2,” etc., to line up and have great seats in their cars for Kamilah's performance (click here to see). We coordinated a site survey in advance of the big day for a sound technician to determine the right equipment needed for guests to clearly hear Kamilah perform live up to 60 feet away. After each of Kamilah’s beautiful 10 minute performances, guests were directed one car at a time, to exit their vehicle and stand on the “X” marked in the walkway. At this safe distance, Kamilah could be seen standing behind them on stage for the photographer to get “group shots” of guests with Kamilah and no one touching. It was a great success! Our guest of honor was pleased, Jeff and Yoluanda were happy and guests expressed great joy for being invited to the celebration. One guest told Yoluanda, “This made my entire day.” I was beyond proud as I attended and coached virtually. Later that night, the Browns hosted a private family Zoom celebration with loved ones who couldn’t be there in person. The private celebration included dinner delivered from a favorite local restaurant and cake to top off the sweetness of the day.

Here's what Yoluanda had to say about her experience planning this celebration.

Tell us why it was important for you to plan your special celebration during this time?
To honor a wonderful, talented, scholarly young lady who has worked very hard. To celebrate her accomplishments. To allow others to recognize and celebrate her. To allow her to share her gifts.

What part of your celebration was most special to you?
The concert. Watching our guests enjoy her music.

What was it like working with Suzette virtually? What was it like working with the event Team?
I enjoyed working with Suzette so much because she is super organized and handles things down to the detail. She has great ideas and vision beyond what I could see and envision. She is super responsive and follows up as she promises. She is resourceful even across the miles finding vendors and sources that allowed me peace of mind and took things off my to-do list. Very personable, easy to talk to, like talking to an old friend.

Would you recommend Envisioned Events by Suzette to others? If so or if not, why?
Absolutely because of the level of warm and homey professionalism. Delivered on what she promised and was able to give good advice, support, and had the experience to know what would and would not work.

Thank you so much Yoluanda for trusting us with such a special celebration in your family’s life. It was an honor and a pleasure to collaborate with you and I am most happy that we were able to celebrate Kamilah safely and JOYfully. Wishing Kamilah nothing but the best. Go Class of 2020!

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Wedding Day Regrets . . . Your Planner Shouldn't Be One Of Them

Steps to Take If Your Wedding Has Been Impacted by COVID-19

Virtually Managed No-Contact College Trunk Party

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