WPIC

"Feeling Good" Chronicles of a Wedding Coordinator

by Caryn Lim, WPICC of A Timeless Celebration Weddings & Events Inc.

One of our most rewarding experiences took place last summer when we saved an outdoor wedding from being drenched in the rain! The ceremony was planned to be held on the terrace of a hotel. Of course, the most difficult situation for an outdoor wedding is to decide if the wedding should be kept outside or change the location to the backup indoor venue due to bad weather condition.

On the day of the wedding, my partner and I had to set up the ceremony and reception decor. The weather was beautiful and it didn't seem like it was going to rain at all. The banquets manager was suppose to make the final call. He said, "no worries, it's going to be beautiful all day, just look at the sky." We bugged him about it a few times because the weather forecast said otherwise. At first we let him have his say because he was supposed to make the final decision.

As the early afternoon passed by, we kept our eyes on the hour-by-hour weather forecast, it continued to indicated a 90% chance of rain by the late afternoon. As we setup outside, it was getting darker and windier. We stopped setting up and start on the inside in case we would be doing the outside decor for nothing. We also told the DJ to hold off on his setup and tried to convince the hotel staff to stop setting up the chairs, but unfortunately, they couldn't because they had to follow orders. This is something we have never done before, but we called the bride three times, yet she continued to say she REALLY wanted the wedding outside. During our last call, the groom said to us "listen, I know she really wants the ceremony outside, but use your best judgment and you make the call." We said "OK. We're moving everything inside. Bye."

We immediately went to look for the banquet manager, but he was nowhere to be found! We waited a bit, couldn't wait any longer, went to his assistant and told her "the ceremony will be inside, anything you need help with, we're here." Why we said that was because it was only 1.5 hours before the ceremony was to begin and the backup ceremony location was the restaurant of the hotel and all the cutlery, linens, tables and chairs had to be moved out of the way to fit 200 guests! The banquets manager was no where to be seen, the hotel coordinator finally came in to work, but all she said to us was “I am not happy with this last minute decision” and left us with only two hotel staff to help make this ceremony possible! They were already occupied moving the chairs from the terrace into the restaurant, it was only my partner and I left putting away the cutlery, linens and moving the tables and chairs without any hotel staff there to direct us! We had no choice but to grab a few guests who already arrived, explained to them the urgent situation, had them roll up their sleeves and started the workout! As soon as all the chairs and sound equipments were moved from the terrace into the restaurant, it literally started raining cats and dogs! It poured and poured and poured, so hard that we couldn't even see the outside from the large windows of the restaurant. Everyone started cheering. HUGE sigh of relief! CLOSE ONE!

That wasn't the end of the story! None of the chairs, decor and sound equipments were wet, but we still had to deal with a restaurant that was in a HUGE mess! Tables and chairs were everywhere because we didn't know where to put them! My partner and I had to improvise and we had to dismantle the head table backdrop from the lower level, bring it up to the restaurant and set it up so that we can close off a section of the restaurant and hide all the (horribly stacked) tables and chairs behind the backdrop!

Everything was pulled together JUST IN TIME! Everyone stayed beautiful, handsome and dry. The backdrop served as a beautiful background for the ceremony and photos. No one else knew what had gone wrong, not even the families of the bride and groom, not unless they were there during all the chaos or unless they peaked behind our backdrop!

-Caryn Lim, WPICC

A Timeless Celebration Weddings & Events Inc.

WPIC Planner of The Month:

 

Amira Harris owns Posh Productions - a wedding and event production company in Calgary, Alberta.  Amira became a member of the WPIC Alumni in 2007 after learning that there were no other organizations offering programs like the WPIC Course. After being certified for 4 years, Amira still looks for ways to improve through continuing education by attending seminars, conferences, and by purchasing literature to keep current on trends.

Photo by: Shandro Photo

Before wedding planning Amira had worked in a variety of positions for different companies from Oil & Gas, Brokerage Houses to Telecommunications.  Amira quit her corporate world career and set out to pursue her love for wedding and event planning.  From day one Posh Productions has been a full time venture.  Amira's background in finance, customer service and project management has provided her with a wealth of knowledge and experience to apply to Posh Productions every day. 

Photo by: Samantha Ellen Photography

When first starting out, Amira tried everything to promote her business.  Print and online advertising along with networking was the way she got the word out.  Amira tries to help out newcomers to the industry by offering them guidance, tips, lessons learned or opportunities to work with Posh Productions because she remembers what it was like just starting out. 

Being such a large industry, there are many professionals for one to look up to.  Amira loves that she has such a great family of support within the WPIC Alumni Association. 

 

In a few months, Posh Productions will be going into its 5th year of business.  Over those years Amira has learned so much about how to run a successful business.  In those 5 years, Amira has put together a "Posh Team" that she wouldn't be able to live without.  Her entire staff is WPIC Certified and she is always employing new WPIC Planners who are looking for expereience because she remembers how it felt to be just starting out. 

 
Over the years, Amira has worked with so many couples to create their dream wedding!  Each wedding is so unique and personalized to the couple and she has many favourites.  Some of the best details that stick out in Amira's mind are:

• A Traditional Indonesian Wedding Ceremony: A couple got married in Fiji and wanted to have a reception for guests who couldn't make it.  They had another ceremony/reception and incorporated the same vows and attire from their destination wedding in Fiji
• A groom wanted to do his speech to the bride in her native language and learned to do his speech in Portuguese.  The bride and her family were touched and so surprised!  
• A bride and groom surprised their guests by singing 3 songs at the reception.  She sang and he played guitar.

Photo by: Chris + Lynn Photographers

In August 2010, Posh Productions launched its travel division.  This was a major business decision that Amira decided to take on since she was planning so many destination weddings and using a third party to arrange all the travel needs.  Instead of relying on an agent, Amira decided it would be a great fit in the business and would make the entire planning process seamless for her couples. 

In 2011 and early 2012 you can bet you will be seeing a lot of great things coming from Posh Productions.  They will continue to provide an exceptional level of service to their clients.  Amira expects a significant growth in planning and booking destination weddings as the trend continues to grow.  Another division of Posh Productions will be launching this fall, a new and improved website and a few other surprises Amira is hiding and waiting to reveal! 

Photo by: SK Photography

WPIC Planners of the Month:

 Kelly Spinelli & Laura Atendido

By: Kim Choy

Fast Talk with Laura Kelly Wedding Design:

Favourite Celebrity Planner: Preston Bailey

Celebrity Wedding They’d Love to Plan: That's easy! Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphris

Mentors in the Industry: Danielle & Tracey from WPIC & the entire WPIC Association

Other Jobs: Kelly – Sales & Advertising, Laura – elementary school teacher

Best Part of Being a Planner: Giving couples an amazing wedding planning experience and wedding day

Favourite Part of the Wedding Planning Process: Seeing all the details, planning, hard work, ups and downs all come together in completely perfect vision

Worst Part of Being on a Taped Reality Show: People always asking us how “real” the show is… its reality TV!

Future Goals for Laura Kelly Wedding Design: Continue to grow the company while still keeping an intimate and personable feel to who we are and what we do

 Photo by: Memories by Marie

Laura Atendido and Kelly Spinelli have been friends for many years, after meeting each other through their husbands, who are good friends.   They developed a strong friendship and then decided that they would take the WPIC Course together.  They were already helping friends and family members coordinate and plan major events and weddings and they wanted the guidance and support of a credible Wedding Planning Course/Association.  Laura and Kelly decided to take the course in 2005 and entered into the Wedding Planning Business.

In 2007 Laura and Kelly joined in a partnership and formally created “Laura Kelly Wedding Design”.  They decided to go against the odds of creating a partnership in the wedding industry.  Having the support from each other gave them both the confidence to move forward. 

Photo by: Studio 2000

They named their company “Laura Kelly Wedding Design” because they liked the sound of “Grace Kelly” name and it incorporated both of their names into their business. They also wanted to establish their company as not only a logistical event coordination company, but a design company that would help couples with the overall vision of their day. 

“Spending the time and investments on professional and custom print material and a very detailed website were very important to us.  We wanted to create a visual brand that didn’t make us seem homemade.”
                            - Laura Atendido and Kelly Spinelli

Although Laura and Kelly remain part-time in the wedding industry, they have come a long way since starting out in 2007. 

When they first began they used word of mouth advertising to create interest and generate potential clients.  To this day, much of their business still stems from referrals and word of mouth advertising. 

Photo by: John Bauld Photography

In 2008, Laura and Kelly participated in the Breakfast Television Live Wedding of Mandy and Harry. 

“There is such a personal connection when you are a part of a couple’s wedding.  We feel honoured to share in the journey and success of the day”
                               - Laura Atendido and Kelly Spinelli

Laura and Kelly were submitted to Rich Bride, Poor Bride by friends, without knowing.  They were casting for Season 5 of the show, which airs on Slice Network.  They later received emails and phone calls from the show.  Being big fans of the show, they decided not to turn down the opportunity.  After their audition, they were added to the cast of Rich Bride, Poor Bride for Season 5 & 6. 

The Cast of Rich Bride, Poor Bride

Laura and Kelly offered some advice to new WPIC Alumni entering into the industry: Invest time, money and energy into a really good website and gain experience in the industry to give you the confidence and knowledge to be your own company. 

One of the most memorable weddings Laura Kelly Wedding Design spoke about was the first wedding of this season (2011) in Muskoka, Ontario.  The bride rented a vintage boat and arrived at her ceremony on the dock by boat.  The last bridesmaid made her way to her spot on the dock, the entire bridal party pivoted towards the water and on cue, the bride and her father, sitting in the back seat of the boat, veil blowing in the wind, came out from around the bend and drove onto the dock!  “Kelly and I were literally in tears and the guests were out of their seats in awe!” says Laura. 

WPIC Planner of the Month: Monica Hill

 Photo by: ENV Photography

by: Kim Choy

Monica opened her wedding planning company – Aisle Plan Your Day – in 2006; she has been in business for five years now.  She decided to take the WPIC Course after many years of being the one to plan the weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, showers, and stags & stagettes for her family and friends.  So many people in her life encouraged her to make a career out of planning all of these milestone events.   Prior to planning these big events, Monica wanted to get into radio/television or fashion design, but she ended up following her passion and get into wedding and event planning.  (We’re glad to have her!)

“I knew in my heart I had a true passion for planning so it only made sense to proceed with this career” ~ Monica

The name Aisle Plan Your Day was thought of because Monica wanted a company name that created some type of emotional response and described to her clients what she does.  Choosing a name that started with an “A” was important to her as it allowed for her to be at the top of directories without having to invest into higher ranking and placement marketing.

Photo by: Kelsey Nielson Photography

Starting out, Monica invested her money into the Yellowpages advertising and social media websites.  She started to attend many wedding planning conferences, this was important because it allowed her to network with other vendors in Canada and beyond.  Networking with others beyond Canadian borders was important for Aisle Plan Your Day’s  growth since Monica knew that working with destination weddings was her ultimate goal with her business.  Establishing and maintaining relationships with vendors early on helped to create some innovative cross-promotion ideas with various companies. 

“In our industry, networking and attending conferences on a regular basis is an integral part of success, as it’s important to form new relationships and stay up to date on current trends within the industry, so that we can offer the best to our clients.” ~ Monica

Monica is also a WPIC instructor.  Monica’s favourite part of being an instructor is being able to share her knowledge and stories of hardships and successes as a wedding planner. “Being able to advise on all aspects of wedding planning to new wedding planners in the industry is so rewarding, when I see how their determination has led to success in their own lives” says Monica about teaching for WPIC Inc. 

She is thankful to WPIC for allowing her to travel across Canada and worldwide to teach and network with hundreds of wedding planners in the industry. 

“I truly love my job as an instructor for WPIC and having the opportunity to be the first point of entry into the business is very rewarding.” ~ Monica

Monica’s favourite part of her job as a wedding planner is the creative planning process.  She likes to work with couples that like to think “out of the box” and create personal touches that reflect their personalities rather than creating a “cookie cutter” wedding. 

 
Photo by: Kelsey Nielson Photography

Among other things, Monica loves being able to bring the couple's vision to life on their wedding day.  Since she plans destination weddings, she loves that she has the opportunity to attend FAM trips to view and explore the various resorts and private venues available to her clients.  “I truly love travel and being able to incorporate travel into my wedding planning career is something I have always wanted to do” says Monica of planning destination weddings. 

“Being involved in WPIC has opened so many doors in terms of creating partnerships with various resort chains and travel partners.” ~ Monica

Like most planners, Monica says that the worst part of her job is the “after the wedding is over” stage.  Being a main contact for a year or so, clients tend to become close friends through the planning process. 

One of Monica’s most favourite weddings to date was an English/Scottish themed wedding.  They were a young and hip couple looking to create a very special day for their 220 guests.  Many of their guests came from other countries for their wedding, therefore the couple really wanted to include a variety of cultural traditions from the food to the music.  The bride’s family wore the family tartan, there were bagpipers at the ceremony and reception.  Scottish children performed highland dancing at the reception.  The father of the bride even learned how to play the bagpipes a month prior to the wedding so he could perform a surprise for the grand entrance at the reception. 

  
Photo by: Kelsey Nielson Photography

Another favourite, is a destination wedding she planned for clients and their 60 guests in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.  The couple were from Iqualit, Northwest Territories and wanted to incorporate some of the Inuit tradition into their wedding day in the Caribbean.  The couple had custom-made traditional Inuit groomsmen wedding clothing designed in their wedding colours for the groom and his groomsmen to wear at the ceremony.  They were in thick wool, long-sleeved shirts in 35⁰C for a beachside ceremony; however it was important for the groom to incorporate this element into their wedding day. 

 
By: Resort Photographer, Occidental Grande Resort, Punta Cana

Monica admires so many people in the wedding industry, especially within the WPIC Family.  When deciding to focus her business on destination weddings, Monica put a lot of consideration into someone she wanted to work with to represent the travel aspect of her business.  Jenn Borgh, who is also WPIC Certified, works very closely with Monica to help plan Aisle Plan Your Day’s destination weddings. 

Being a WPIC Instructor, Monica has had the opportunity to receive first hand advice, experience and training with Danielle Andrews Sunkel and Tracey Manailescu (Co-Founders of The Wedding Planners Institute of Canada).  She has gained the knowledge necessary on all aspects of wedding planning from etiquette, business set-up, networking, marketing and so much more.  Danielle and Tracey have guided her and believed in her every step of the way.

“I am truly fortunate to have such amazing mentors in my wedding planning career, not only are Danielle and Tracey business associates and mentors; I consider them to be very dear friends.” ~ Monica

Some of Monica’s favourite celebrity wedding planners are Preston Bailey, Jung Lee and Colin Cowie.  Monica was fortunate enough to be able to meet Colin Cowie in Nassau, The Bahamas in November 2010.  Monica says she used to write Oprah on a regular basis begging for a chance to grant her wish of being able to meet Colin in person and to shadow him for a day of work.

“It was incredible meeting him and hearing firsthand of his experiences and advice for success” ~ Monica

If Monica could choose any celebrity to plan their wedding, it would be Oprah Winfrey and Stedman.  Why?  Because they have been a couple for so many years and truly represent the foundation for a lasting relationship.  “I can only imagine all of the elements that would be incorporated into the wedding and the trends that would be created from their nuptials.  Everything about the wedding would be over the top and elaborate!!”, says Monica when describing her dream of being Oprah’s wedding planner!

Over the years of running Aisle Plan Your Day, Monica has learned that the wedding planning career is very slow to start off until you have the opportunity to build a portfolio and showcase your talents to future clients.  The biggest learning opportunity was when she had to determine rate for services and the hours and time that go into planning a wedding.  In order to create more learning opportunities for new wedding planners in the industry, Monica tries to not use a regular assistant for her weddings.  There are always so many new alumni who are looking for volunteer opportunities to gain experience and build portfolios, Monica tries to give them a chance to build their confidence and gain firsthand experience. 

 

The best advice Monica gives to new WPIC Alumni is to attend regular networking events and conferences to build relationships with other vendors and keep connections in the industry. 

Featured WPIC Alumni of the Month:

  
 Caryn Lim studied fine arts in college and then went into Education at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec.  Upon graduation she started her wedding business immediately.  In 2003, she was approached by three different couples for help with their wedding.  She says, “They saw something in me that I didn’t know I had and to this day, I’m forever grateful to them for helping me discover the talents in me!” She had never done a wedding before, but decided to take them on.  Read on to see where those three weddings have taken her to this day! 

Caryn found the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada's Course through Google!  Prior to taking the course, she had planned conferences, summer camps, fundraisers, drama productions and church anniversary celebrations.  She has always loved the decorating aspect of events much more than the planning.  She has made her specialty in the industry wedding decorating and handmade invitations however, she wanted to take the WPIC Course to educate herself more in the wedding industry.  As for that stationary part of her business, her love for making handmade Christmas cards for friends and family each year slowly turned into a wedding invitation service to go along with the decorating. 

 

Since starting out, Caryn has made her business full time in just two and a half years.  Caryn confesses that she didn’t have any solid plans on how she was going to conduct business.  She just jumped right into creating her company without any business or marketing plans.

“I just went with the flow, but believe me, that’s not a wise thing to do!”

Caryn suggests to new planners getting into the industry to not just jump in with no plans like she did.  It is very important to make goals for yourself, get out and meet new people, volunteer your time and find every opportunity you can to gain experience and make contacts.  She also says to never see fellow wedding planners as competition, everyone should be working together to grown each other’s businesses!   

“With time, I am learning how to do business the right way”

 

Over the years, Caryn has become to love the final moment when everything about the wedding comes together.  All of the photos in her website gallery were all taken by herself, this is when everything in the room is set and ready for the big reveal to the bride and groom.  “Taking those photos is the moment for me!”  Her favourite part is being so appreciated by the couples for her hard work.  Even though it is her responsibility and it is in the contract, every couple is still so surprised to see the reveal!

“Taking those photos is the moment for me!”

Last year, 2010 Caryn’s company came in contact with over 200 couples!!!  Caryn explains that even though each job has its own stress and obstacles, she loves how happy her job makes her feel!  She loves that couples see the value in her work and have her be a part of their wedding. 

Caryn can’t recall how she came up with her company name A Timeless Celebration Wedding & Events Inc.  She explains, “A lot of times I come up with ideas and designs in the strangest places and random moment.”  Her business card was designed by herself after she had a dream about the way it should look.  She woke up, fired up Photoshop and went to work! 

“Another time, an idea came to me when I had my head down and blow drying my hair in the morning!”

Caryn’s partner, best friend and sister, Gloria is definitely someone she would not be able to live without!  Gloria joined A Timeless Celebration Wedding & Events Inc. last year and has since taken a huge load off of Caryn’s shoulders and become the greatest asset to the company.  Gloria now oversees the Montreal branch since Caryn’s move to Toronto to open another branch!  Caryn says of her sister and partner, “We work very well together, we think alike and we complement each other in our strengths and weaknesses”.  Caryn says they think alike so often that they will often show up in the same colour without coordinating prior… (We do that in the WPIC office too!!!)  Caryn’s parents have even made deliveries and ironed sashes, friends have helped with heavy lifting and the assembly of invitations.  These people have greatly helped Caryn be to where she is today!

 

Caryn has launched four companies and websites thus far:

-          A Timeless Celebration Weddings & Events Inc., 2005 – Montreal & Toronto – decorations, linen, and centerpieces

-          My Wedding Feathers, 2010 – Online Clients in USA & Canada - dedicated to feathers and feather centerpieces

-          Touch of Love Invitations, 2011 – Online Clients in USA & Canada – invitations and stationary

-          Bellus Oil Portraits, 2007 – Online Clients in USA & Canada – 100% hand painted oil portraits

So why did Caryn create all of these businesses?

She wanted to create a place that clients could come to, to be efficient with their time in planning their wedding.  “It’s less work for brides and grooms to come to us for multiple items and once they work with us on their invitations, they know that they can trust us with their wedding décor and also wedding day coordination!”

Caryn’s dream for 2011 is to continue to create beautiful weddings for all clients.

WPIC Planner of the Month:

  Photo courtesy of: Brock Photo

Melissa Nowakowski has been WPIC Certified and owner of Et Lofte Events for seven years.  Since becoming certified and starting up her business, she has found her niche in the wedding market. 

For years she planned weddings of all different styles, which she says was great because it broadened her horizons.  In the last few years she was able to firmly set herself and her business apart from other companies and follow her true calling as an off-beat event and wedding planner.  Melissa now helps her clients to create unique and off-beat celebrations that best suit their personalities.

When trying to think of a name for her company and to brand herself, she knew she wanted something different from any other name in the wedding industry.  She wanted something unique but that still represented what she does.  “I figured since I was promising to create a memorable and cohesive celebration a promise was an appropriate word to use. “ Melissa turned to her Danish father-in-law to translate a promise into his language.  He replied with “et lofte”.  It was different, unique, nabbed attention and not cliché! It was perfect!  “I fell in love with it and to this day I’m proud of its uniqueness and what it stands for”, says Melissa of her distinctive company name.  (Which I love!!)

Before going full time with Et Lofte Events, Melissa had been everything from a Marketing Director to a Publicity Manager to an Event Planner and she says, “and in some cases all three at once!”  The first wedding Melissa ever planned was when a corporate client asked her to plan her upcoming wedding.  Melissa says she successfully created the wedding the client wanted, but wasn’t educated in the art of weddings, this was the deciding factor for her to take the WPIC Course.  Melissa is now a part of the WPIC Team as an instructor – and we’re glad to have her!

“Any good event planner knows that you don’t just wake up one day and poof! You’re an event planner!”
– Melissa Nowakowski

To start out, Melissa started networking immediately.  She worked with other wedding professionals through networking dinners, seminars, open houses and Bridal Shows.  Melissa states, “I am still grateful to this day to some key wedding professionals who created opportunities for me that I wouldn’t have encountered had I not met them.  Melissa researched where other successful planners were marketing, and selected the avenues that best fit her company and business model. 

To new WPIC Alumni, Melissa gives the advice to have confidence in your own self by focusing on your personal strengths, stay clear of gossip and over-competitive behaviour and operate your business ethically and morally. 

Her favourite part planning a wedding with a couple is the creative process.  She loves to be challenged to come up with ideas, designs and concepts that have never been done before.  Melissa sees any wedding as a blank canvas with virtually very little “rules” and loves to create not only a look, but a full wedding experience.  When clients come to her with open minds and want her creative ideas that are personalized to who they are, she’s the happiest!

“Whatever their preferences I love the challenge of coming up with an idea or concept that suits my clients personality, emotion and vision and as a result creating a celebration that they can be proud of and thoroughly enjoy without the feeling of being limited by tradition.”
– Melissa Nowakowski

The worst part of the whole wedding experience, in Melissa’s mind, is saying goodbye to clients after their wedding.  Melissa spends so much time and establishes such a close relationship with her clients and still tries to stay in touch with them after the wedding, but she states it’s still difficult to let go.

One of her favourite wedding memories is when a groom-client wanted to do something special to surprise his bride on their wedding day.  Together they came up with the idea to have the song for their first dance performed live.  On the wedding day, the DJ began to play their song, “More Than Words”, but then faded out the music just as an acoustic guitarist and a singer came on stage to sing a jazz rendition of the same song.  The bride was floored and the groom was thrilled!

When Melissa could no longer juggle working full time and her own business she had to give up one.  Melissa decided it was time to find the balance in her life. She was stressed out more often than she was happy and that began to transcend to her personal life.  Sanity, family and “Mel Time” were much more important to her than an extra pay check.  Since Et Lofte Events became her full time business she has been much more happier and has had the opportunity to promote and grow the business, which has opened up even more doors for her company and more family time!    

Melissa has always been career-driven and a workaholic so when her first son arrived, priorities needed to be reset.   Recently Melissa welcomed her second son, so I’m sure that balance is in the process of being found and created once more as they try to adjust to a new baby in the house. 

One obstacle that Melissa has overcome, is constantly worrying about what others thought of her and her business.  She felt that she had to adopt a persona that fit the mould of what a typical wedding planner was in appearance, personality, professionalism and success.  Once she discovered that she didn’t have to be like every other planner, and that couples with the same personalities as her would be drawn to her and her business, she stopped worrying about what others thought. 

“It took me a few years but I eventually discovered that my quirky, bold and brash, somewhat sarcastic, Doc Martin-wearing personality was not just a part of who I was, but also who Et Lofte Events was.“ – Melissa Nowakowski

Just for fun, I asked Mel which celebrity couple she would pick to plan their wedding, her choices were two couples who are already married, but consisted of Katy Perry and Russell Brand or Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale – for the sheer factor that they are out of the box thinkers and would be open to even the farthest ideas.  Which is what Et Lofte Events is all about!

In 2011, Melissa wishes to create more of a balance between weddings and events by increasing her event planning exposure and clientele.  She would love to see Et Lofte’s staff grow and to eventually open up a boutique office space downtown with a full staff.

It seems Melissa and Et Lofte Events are well on their way to becoming a boutique wedding and event planning company downtown.    Et Lofte Events has not only appeared in numerous magazines and blogs (BizBash.com, Strategy Magazine, Marketing Magazine, and  TheRingBearer.com to name a few) but were also on the Grace Ormonde Platinum List for 2009 and 2010.  Et Lofte Events is a Blue Diamond Society Selected Member, a Blue Label Society Selected Member and has recently been invited to become a member of Wedluxe Magazine’s Glitteratti. 

Congratulations Melissa on being the "WPIC Planner of the Month" and I wish you all the best with all your business endeavours in 2011 and the future, and congratulations on your new little one!

WPIC Featured Planner of the Month:

 
 Photo Courtesy of: David Leyes

by Kim Choy

When Jennifer Maxwell got married in 2006 it was a fabulous day celebrated with close friends and family.  However, there were a few mishaps, Jen wanted to ensure that other brides didn’t make the same mistakes she made for her wedding and wanted to share her knowledge with them.  A year after her wedding she decided to take the WPIC Course.

“It became my mission to ensure every bride has a gorgeous wedding” ~ Jennifer Maxwell

Before planning Jen did many things!  She ran a daycare in the Beaches for ten years, and then went back to university for a degree in theatre where for 8 years, she landed different roles in commercials. Her last “job” was a customer service representative for a home health company, here she learned a lot about networking, which is a must have for the wedding industry.

It was at these places that she was often the one organizing company functions and parties for staff and guests.  It was something she always offered to do, and something she enjoyed.  Jennifer decided to open up her own wedding planning company and put her passion for planning into her own business. 

 Photos Courtesy of Jennifer Maxwell 

She wanted brides to be wise and educated about the way they plan their wedding, and know where and why to spend money on certain aspects without cutting corners on the wrong things. After a discussion with her boss and the support of her husband, Jen decided that running her own company would provide more joy and freedom in her life.   Jennifer decided to name her company a very fitting, Wise Bride. 

To make Wise Bride fulltime, she needed the help of her husband who carried them through the transition.  During this time Jen took on short term contracts with other organizations and kept acting for a bit.  After gaining enough experience and learning to charge more for services she started to put limits on what “full planning” meant so that profits were growing and not giving away her time for free. 

“A wedding is more than just a party, it’s a significant commitment that a couple celebrates and shares”
~ Jen Maxwell

To market her company she started telling anyone who would listen what she did, and networked like crazy!  Bridal shows were visited; business cards collected and follow-ups were made with every vendor she came in contact with.

Jen’s favourite part of the wedding planning process is the creative brainstorming portion.  So many couples have a vision for their wedding but are not quite sure how to narrow the scope, Jen is there to help her couples define a theme or structure for their wedding so that it suits who they are as a couple.

 Photo Courtesy Of: Glen Neville

The best part of Jen’s job is when the dancing begins at the reception.   This is when all the major events are completed and she can sit back and enjoy watching her couple have a great time at the party they planned together.  Some other favourites:

• Seeing the bride for the first time
• Sending her bride down the aisle
• Bringing the couple into the reception room for the first time and seeing their faces

The worst part Jen’s job is the end of each wedding night. Although Jennifer keeps in touch with many of her couples, this means that her job for this wedding is done, and it’s time to say goodbye to a couple she has worked with for months.

Jen’s favourite wedding detail a wedding she was an assistant for Claudia Kent, at Nestleton Waters Inn on September 11, 2010.  The groom is a fire fighter and they wanted that day to mean more than just a sad reminder of the tragic event on 9/11.  Each of the groomsmen and groom (all fire figthers) had personalized fire hats made with their nicknames embossed on the hat.  These hats sat on the head table for all to see. 

Photo Courtesy of: Jennifer Maxwell

“It was a fabulous and totally unique tribute to this group’s friendship” – Jen on firefighter Groomsmen

There are many people that Jen admires in the wedding industry.  Clauida Kent has always been a great source of inspiration and calm and is always just a phone call away.   Claudia always seems to have just the right thing to say.  Nancy Lee is gracious and so service oriented, which are wonderful qualities in a planner.  Jen also admires fellow rockstar wedding planners Melissa Nowakowski, Jolyn Saramanga and Denise Georgiou who are all supporting their families and running a business with style and balance.  Jen lives vicariously through WPIC’s traveling Crystal Adair-Benning who travels the world to plan weddings.  Michael Coombs and Bill McElree are also admired by Jen who continue to work hard to ensure every couple’s wedding is a personal event.   Then there’s Danielle Andrews Sunkel and Tracey Manailescu for creating the entire WPIC Family, where everyone can count on each other for awesome wedding support and incredible learning opportunities. 

“I Heart Colin Cowie!!!” – Jennifer Maxwell

At the 6^th Annual Wedding Professionals Conference in Nassau November 2010, Jen had the pleasure to meet Colin Cowie.  Jen appreciated Colin’s amazing weddings and events he creates and also because his whole life is about elegance.  Jane Dayus-Hinch is another favourite of Jen’s.  Jen knows Jane personally and notes that what makes Jane special is her spunky, down-to-earth nature.  Jen recently put together a very successful WPIC Get Together featuring Jane Dayus-Hinch. 

Jen’s goal for 2011 is to maximize her time and reaching as many brides she can.  She has had to reevaluate how to manage her business and family after having her son a year and a half ago, and she will have to do that again, since she is expecting again in September!  She is currently focusing on teaching wedding planning courses for brides. 

Congratulations Jen on your business, your career and your little one on the way!

WPIC Featured Wedding Planner of the Month:

 

Jennifer Borgh of Jennifer Borgh Events became a wedding planner three years ago.  She decided to take the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada’s Wedding Consultant Course after reading an article about wedding planners and frequently watching Sasha Souza plan weddings on TV.  Soon after, she realized being a wedding planner could be a career option for her.  Jennifer was thrilled to be able to meet Sasha Souza at the 5th Annual Wedding Professionals Conference in 2009. 

She decided to name her company Jennifer Borgh Events because she figured she was selling herself and thought it appropriate to use her own name. 

Jenn thinks differently than others and offers a very refreshing point of view.  She is very honest - an admirable trait in the wedding industry and a strong supporter of fellow WPIC Alumni.  Danielle and Tracey (President and Vice President of WPIC) knew that Jennifer would be successful upon meeting her in class.  She stood out in class as someone who likes to take charge and who had the drive to become successful.  Since then, Jenn has had many opportunities to travel with WPIC on FAM trips.  This sparked Jenn’s love for travel and ignited her career path.  She is now a Certified Destination Wedding Coordinator and a Travel Agent.  She won a Sandals Star for being the Top WPIC Sandals Resort Specialist of 2010 (pictured above).

“WPIC has been a great tool for me and I am so happy to have some really good friends who are also fantastic business associates.” – Jennifer Borgh

Jenn has a background in catering and events; she has taken the WPIC Course, the TICO course and found a travel agency to book her destination weddings through.  The business she generates comes to her one hundred percent through word of mouth, social media, networking and online searches from clients. 

In 2010, Jennifer was invited to Preston Bailey’s Book Launch in New York City where she was able to meet Randy Fenoli of Kleinfeld’s and TLC’s show “Say Yes To The Dress!”  Randy invited Jennifer to go for a private tour of Kleinfeld’s, which she graciously accepted. 

Jenn has had the pleasure of working with many clients since starting her business.  She loves when a couple considers their guests during the planning process, such as having private airport transfers, babysitters for the children or having an open bar. 

“Each wedding is special in its own way, of course any destination wedding in Jamaica always gets me the most excited!” – Jennifer Borgh

Her favourite part of the wedding planning process is seeing it all come together on the wedding day.  She loves when clients and families realize that they made the right choice in hiring a wedding planner. 

 

Jennifer has grown her business in the last several years by standing out, being different, going at it full force and continuing her education at every chance she gets by attending conferences, seminars and buying new books.  She was able to make her business fulltime when she was laid off of her previous job, and with the support of her husband. 

Jennifer continues to grow Jennifer Borgh Events, running a viable business that provides an important service to couples, as well as making money in the process! 

WPIC Featured Wedding Planner of the Month:

 
Crystal Adair-Benning has a degree in Public Relations and her Masters in Media.  For a while she thought she wanted to work in marketing, advertising and communications.  In the past she has been employed by companies such as, Q107, AM640, CKLN 88.1FM, Westbury National Show Systems, Maxxium and her favourite position at TravelCUTS. 

Crystal had been working in Toronto as an event planner since 1996.  She slowly moved into weddings when many of the band members she was promoting were looking for a wedding planner.  Her very first wedding was in 2003 for a couple she met as a concert promoter and event planner.  This was the wedding that led her to find her calling in life as a wedding planner.  She was working at a job she loved when she got laid off.  Thankfully, Crystal had already been doing weddings almost Full Time and with the layoff, decided to make it permanent.  Her husband backed her one hundred percent and supported her through the opening stages of her business.  Crystal always knew that she wanted her company to involve the word Occasions, the word Distinct felt like the perfect synonym for the type of occasions she wanted to plan.

The WPIC Course was the only certification in Canada for Wedding Planners, so Crystal enrolled shortly after opening Distinct Occasions. Crystal loved that WPIC offered the networking opportunities she needed for her business to succeed. 

“I really love that there were others willing to support, encourage and assist me with whatever and whenever.” – says Crystal of WPIC Inc. 

Starting out, she advertised in Toronto Weddings, WeddingBells and many online websites.  She used WPIC’s Alumni for its networking opportunities and used word of mouth advertising to her family, friends and colleagues. 

Since starting Distinct Occasions in Toronto, Crystal has opened satellite offices in Scotland and Australia.  Doing so has allowed her to design incredible weddings for clients all over the world and fulfill her passion for travel and weddings at the same time. 

Getting to know client’s likes and dislikes, finding them a perfect venue and designing a wedding that is cohesive from invites to chairs, guest list to centrepieces is Crystal’s favourite part of the wedding planning process.  Hearing guests say, “This is sooooo (Bride) and (Groom)” reassures Crystal that Wedding Planning and Design isn’t just her career, but her calling and her passion. 

Photos Courtesy of: mimmo+naz

The relationships that are created by being part of someone’s special day leave behind a huge bond.  Many of Crystal’s clients stay in touch long after their big day and keep her in their family by referring to friends and family members. 

Since 2003, Distinct Occasions has played a major role in many weddings and couple’s lives, but a few that sounds out the most are:

• Renting a private manor on an island
• A traditional Thai wedding ceremony
• The stunning views of a wedding in Australia
• A 1950’s themed wedding

As many weddings are about the detail, Distinct Occasions leaves nothing behind.  One of Crystal’s favourite personalized weddings was the 1950’s theme.  Invites were created to look like dance cards, engagement photos were styled to look like 1950’s advertisements and the groom serenaded his new wife with the song L-O-V-E with the help of all the guests. 

Photo Courtesy of: Jon Thorpe Photography

Distinct Occasions would not be as successful as it is today without the help of Crystal’s family such as her husband who supports her one hundred percent.  Her mentor, colleague and friend Jolyn Saramaga of Nuance Occasions has always been there for Crystal, even living half way across the country.  A few years ago Jolyn even flew across the country to help Crystal with a major wedding.  There are many assistants that are employed by Distinct Occasions; Victoria in Scotland, Ellen in Australia and Leah in Toronto are the backbone of support in her business. 

“I don’t know what I would do without her love and support” – Crystal, about her friend Jolyn

Crystal really admires the work of Tara Guerard and David Beahm.  “Their events push the industry forward and continuously set a better standard for our industry”, says Crystal.  Of all the celebrity couples, the one wedding Crystal would love to be a part of would be Prince William and Kate Middleton.  This couple will set trends in the wedding industry for years to come.  The history, pageantry, pomp and circumstance would make the wedding of this couple a dream come true for Crystal. 

Click below to see a video of Crystal and her day to day life as a Wedding Designer and Planner:  

Distinct Occasions from Studio67 on Vimeo.

 

WPIC 2010 Year in Review

A Message from the founders of The Wedding Planners Institute of Canada, Danielle Andrews Sunkel and Tracey Manailescu:

To borrow a line from Master Wordsmith, Charles Dickens: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." 

What a busy year we have had!  We've had disappointments, surprises, accomplishments and many proud moments.  We've been imitated, (but never duplicated) time and again.

2010 solidified our International reputation and focus of The Wedding Planners Institute of Canada. Students travelled from Germany, Belgium, Mexico, Hong Kong, St. Lucia, Barbados, Jamaica and many other places to join our classes and association.  There are now over 2900 WPIC certified Wedding Coordinators worldwide.

In February, we were invited to visit the County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland where we stayed in a different castle every night! We also attended a Wedding Show in Dublin. Read about our Irish Wedding Adventures here, where we profile the various castles (such as Crom Castle, Belle Isle, Lough Erne Golf Resort, the National Trust Properties, etc) and what they offer to couples who wish to wed or honeymoon in Fermanagh.

In March, we travelled to Bahamas to train and certify 46 people from the Bahamas Bridal Association, which included members from the outer islands, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, the Wedding Coordinators at the Atlantis, Sheraton Nassau, Wyndham Cable Beach and British Colonial Hilton Resorts to name but a few.

Photo courtesy of: Dominic Duncombe Photography

In June, we were invited to train and certify all of the on-site Wedding Coordinators from Palace Resorts in Mexico.  We brought 10 WPIC Alumni with us to tour the resorts in the Mayan Riviera to see what they offer our clients.

All thoughout the year, our alumni were offered opportunities to visit Jamaica, Bahamas, Antigua, St. Lucia, and Mexico on various FAM trips arranged through our travel partners; Sandals Resorts, SuperClubs Breezes, Palace Resorts and Air Canada Vacations.

WPIC was sought out by the Media on numerous occasions to share our expertise and opinion for newspapers, bridal magazines and television shows.  We were also able to extend several Media opportunities to our members at WPICAlumni.

All throughout the year we ran full-page, national ads in Today's Bride and Weddingbells magazine, encouraging couples to seek WPIC certified Wedding Professionals.  To further publicize the accomplishments of our Alumni, we instituted The Wedding Planner of the Month, which publicly showcases and profiles a successful WPIC Wedding Coordinator at the beginning of each month.

During the summer we aquired and renovated new offices with more space to accommodate our growing number of support staff and to better & more efficiently support the members of WPICAlumni.  When we were finished the renovations in September, we of course had a party to warm the offices. 

During the year we spoke about Wedding and Destination Wedding Planning at the Wedding MBA Convention in Las Vegas, and several Wedding Shows.

We practised what we preach about Continued Learning and we attended wedding and event seminars and conferences in Grand Cayman, Ireland, Mexico, Bahamas, Canada and all over the USA (Las Vegas, New York, Fort Lauderdale, and Palm Beach).

November 1-5, 2010 we held our 6th annual Wedding Professionals Conference in The Bahamas to much Media Acclaim.  Our keynote speaker was none other then Colin Cowie.

The other fine speakers included: Mary Dann-McNamee, duo Jung Lee & Josh Brooks, Tom Haibeck, Peter Merry, Andy Ebon, Richard Emanuelle and Megan Cole-Karagory. 

Esteemed sponsors included Destination Weddings & Honeymoons magazine, WedLock Magazine and The Bahamas Tourism Board to name a few.

In order to get ready for 2011, we refreshed and rebranded the look of WPIC with our new logo, added a Facebook fan page and dedicated time each day to uphold our Twitter presence.  We will continue to update this Blog at least every Monday and Thursday, and more often if we have interesting news that just can't wait ;)  Just as we are rebranding and energizing the look of WPIC, we will be putting our energies into refreshing the inner workings of WPIC and helping our Alumni be the best they can be.

2011 is going to be an amazing year for WPIC!

Thanks for reading!

Danielle and Tracey