The Turning Point

You read and hear so often about those people that have “made it”. You see their accolades and their gorgeous creations. Their businesses seem to be well-oiled machines running a mile a minute all the while the key person stays in the spotlight, smiling and groomed to perfection. It’s this perception that I think makes so many up and comers stop coming up. Maybe it’s intimidation, lack of confidence or belief in themselves, or a combination of all of the above. Maybe even jealousy or envy?

What I’m realizing, especially in the last few years of business, is that most times what we’re not seeing is the journey leading up to the “made it”. Or, the turning point if you will. I’m learning that in order to be successful, you have to hit the turning point. The exact moment when you decide to succeed and create the definite plan to do so.

For me, I’m in the midst of the turning point. I’ve experienced a lot of growth and new clients in the past couple of years, and with that comes a whole new set of trials and tribulations! My team has been tested and my own personal confidence has definitely been tested to the max. It’s hard when you realize that something that is supposed to work (either by watching it work for others or having “the rules” ingrained in your head)….just isn’t. For you, that is. So this is my personal turning point- in business and in life. I’m finally accepting that I have to do things in a way that works for me- my creativity, my lifestyle, me. And any other way will do nothing but break me down because it’s not me.

So with that , my new goal is to simply live and breathe my business for me. Life is too short- my little bubby just turned one and I just can’t believe how fast it flies by- and if what I’m doing doesn’t make me happy, it’s just not worth it.

Have you hit your turning point yet? Or do you feel the tug like it’s coming up around the bend? If so I bet it’s getting close. Would love to hear about your turning point! Here’s to the happiest you and me!


Oh and PS: Stay tuned for a super exciting announcement this week....you won't want to miss this!

Xo,

Reflections | Engage!13 Part 2

I'm back with more reflections from last week's whirlwind trip to Engage!13 Montelucia Resort and Spa, and the video from days 2 & 3....the best of the two videos if you ask me. Day 2 was jam packed with breakfast, speakers, a break with bacon (not kidding), and then a dine-around evening followed by a dessert after-party. One of the most exciting parts? Every single time we left the room we came back to another surprise or gift...the swag alone at this summit was unreal. The dine-around dinner events were held at three different locations- a picturesque soon-to-be venue in Scottsdale, Restoration Hardware (so jealous of the sweet little plants that group received) in honor of Eddie Zaratsian's living lifestyle brand in conjunction with RH, and finally another group of Engagees stayed at the resort for their dinner. Each table featured one of the speakers, so it was nice to be up close and personal with some of the best of the best.

Day 3 started with a mega inspirational breakfast outside on the lawn (surrounded by and underneath breathtaking canopies by Raj Tents) and Simon T Bailey. From there we entered into a half-day of breakout sessions for the most amazing Q&A periods...can you imagine being able to ask anyone anything about their businesses? Finally, lunch in the courtyard followed by the gifting lounge (more presents!) before heading out to get ready for the grand Gala that evening. And the Gala? Amazing. Designed by Todd Fiscus and executed by some very talented individuals. I'll let the video do the talking about this event, because whatever I say here will not do it justice.

Without further adieu, my reflections on the last two days of Engage!13:

1. My favorite quote from Day 2 was from Matthew Robbins: "...Be your very best at the place you're at right now." So true, isn't it? Really had to let that one sink in.

2. Sylvia Weinstock is such an interesting and worldly woman. Hope our paths cross again someday.

3. The bands at Engage! are simply amazing. Never underestimate the power of a really talented live band.

4. On that note, the mixologists from The Grand Bevy were amazing to watch. Just goes to show how food and drink can really contribute to a grand experience!

Xo,

engage!13 | Montelucia - Days 2 & 3 from I Do Films on Vimeo.

Inspiring Photo No. 62

Today is more like inspiring words....not only is it MLK day (an inspiring day in itself), but these words, found over at Note To Self, just sat with me. It is true, especially in creative work, that I think when you come across an obstacle you find inspiration. So whether you're planning the wedding or creating designs for a client, remember this. And have a very happy Monday and holiday if you're able to sleep in one more day!

Via

Xo,

Weekend Notes + December In Photos

It's Friday! Has anyone else felt like this first full week of work has been tough to get through? With all of the new resolutions in full force, it can add just that much more to a day making it feel extra full. This weekend I'm looking forward to finally starting on the boys' rooms- my type A self has literally broken the two somewhat overwhelming projects into mini tasks per weekend left until Baby H makes his appearance. We are giving big boy Kaden his big kid room (complete with loft bed, new, bright bedding, and his current crush- all things automotive and siren related), while Baby H will be receiving a serene and soft room with modern touches and a pop of color here and there. I've got inspiration boards for both rooms and will be posting them here soon so stay tuned! What are your big weekend plans? If you're in Boise you may be playing in the snow (I'm sure we'll have some of that thrown in with the projects too)!

Our December flew by (which is why this photo post is coming a little late), but was filled with so many good things. Some of our favorites below...

One of our biggest projects last month was a new year's eve party we had the honor of helping with up at Whitetail Club in McCall- here's just a little snippet of the goodness there:

The entire Soiree team had a rare moment together at the Idaho Event Professionals holiday party:

And we were delighted with newlywed Christmas cards: 

And here are some links you may have missed over the past week on the blog and on Facebook:

I rolled out my 2013 intentions....

....And we started our Best Of 2012 weddings round up series. 

I joined a book club....

....And have been loving this cleanse to start the new year off right.

And finally, our fall style shoot was featured over at Style Me Pretty last week- be sure to take a peek at the inspiration for the shoot too.

Xo,

Turning The Page To 2013 + Round Up Series

Last week I wrote about my intentions for the upcoming year- expectations and standards I will be holding myself to in the coming months. I explained how I thought intentions were different than goals...in fact, I believe goals are the mini to-do's needed to fulfill the intention. Right after I wrote that post I came across a brand new book club over at Think Splendid, which is so opportune because as part of making some of my business intentions happen, one of my goals was to read 1-2 business books per month.

I was so excited to find this- a way to connect with other bloggers and industry friends while introducing myself to books I may not have known about otherwise. In fact, I joined the club, bought the book, and started reading that day. The first book we're reading now through February is Daring Greatly by Brene Brown, an interesting look at how vulnerability affects us in all facets of our lives- especially entrepeneurship. Why am I telling you about this? Because I think it's a fabulous way to kick start the year and a way to stay on track even with busy schedules. And what better way to find new books that may help with business, life, everything? The official hashtag for the book club is #readsplendid and you can find the original post and schedule here. Hope you'll join us!

*********************************************************************************

We are also introducing a small round up series that will be featured every Wednesday in January and into the first week of February. Starting tomorrow, we'll be rounding up our favorites from 2012- color palettes, stationery, cakes, dresses, and more so stay tuned for the wedding goodness to come!

Here's to a fabulous Tuesday,

On My Nightstand

I just love those posts where you get a peek into someone else's life- whether it be what kind of wine they're drinking, stores they're shopping, or, in this case, what they're reading. These types of posts, at least for me, give me something new to check into that maybe I hadn't thought of before. And the virtual book clubs are my favorites as I love to read anything I can get my hands on- business, wedding planning, fiction/non-fiction, magazines, blogs, anything. So hopefully you'll enjoy this new little series we're trying out on the blog, and that you'll also contribute what you're reading now as well! Currently on my nightstand:

1. The Step Dynamic: A Powerful Strategy To Successfully Growing Your Business by Laddie and Judy Blaskowski is one that I received while one a business trip to Colorado in October, and I've just now been able to sit down and read it. It's a fast and easy read without a lot of business-y jargon to translate.

2. A Place of Yes by Bethenny Frankel is actually one of my favorites right now. Even through all of the reality tv and sometimes mass drama surrounding her life, she really does have it together.

3. The Wedding Planner & Organizer by Mindy Weiss because I'm always up to seeing if there are different ways to do things.

4. Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman is a light, easy read perfect for picking up right before bed. I know not everyone is at the stage of reading how different cultures around the world raise their kids, but for those of you who are, it's an interesting outlook.

So these are the books stacked on the nightstand this month. Do tell us what you're currently reading, or must-reads you've had in the past!

~Happy Thursday,

Brandi

On Destination Wedding Planning

 Beautiful Shore Lodge

This year we've really been honing in on what we love and what we want to do as wedding planners. They say that sometimes you're in the right place at the right time, and other times when we just relax our calling really is heard. In our case, we've learned that a destination bride is like whipped buttercream icing on lemon poppy seed cake in the summer (just ask Stephanie). Don't get us wrong- our local clients have us just as giddy, but we've had so many destination weddings (and destination, for us, encompasses both a wedding outside of Boise and clients planning their weddings from out of state or country) that we've adapted and created unique tools and processes to serve those clients specifically. In fact, over half of our clients are currently planning their weddings from out of state. This year we've been getting a lot of questions on how we've gotten into planning weddings from afar, so I thought this would make a perfect post; hopefully it will give you some insight on how we service these clients and guide them through the process.

Understand The Element of Emotion: Any bride is naturally going to be feeling some level of stress during the planning process. A bride that is planning her wedding either from out of state or planning a destination wedding will feel that even more so. As a planner you have to understand this and be proactive to it. The more information, contact, and communication you can give the better. We send our clients monthly updates on their checklists (this calms them knowing what has been done and who has completed the tasks) along with weekly, daily, and sometimes hourly emails and phone calls. Yes, we spend a lot of time with our clients, but for us, it works.

We also really had to streamline our back end processes. Every time an agreement is signed or a vendor hired, important dates are inputted into our systems; little things like being able to remind your client a meeting or payment is coming due can mean the world.

Take a Full Service Approach: For our destination clients, we rarely allow them to work with us on a level any less than full service. Why? Because we have just found this works the best. Believe me- we've tried it both ways; by managing and negotiating the contracts, hiring the vendors directly, and being the main point of contact throughout the process, it makes a world of difference in time and stress. And then consider the fact that we have to take care of everything on the client's behalf (sometimes we only see our brides once before the wedding!). Imagine the back and forth between two and sometimes three people (if parents are paying the bill)? For us, we found it was inefficient and added more stress than what was needed. This also puts us in control, and not in a control freak kind of way- more on this later!

Quality Over Quantity: Did I mention we spend a lot of time with our clients? This is exactly why we prefer the quality over quantity mentality. We purposely limit the number of weddings and events we take per year, and per month. If you have a bigger team, you may be able to take on more of a work load, but regardless, can't stress enough that if your client feels neglected, it is magnified by 1000% because they are feeling helpless and 2000 miles away.

Guests Are A Big Deal: One of the biggest differences between a local wedding and a resort or destination wedding is how big of a part the guests play. In any wedding, guests are traveling and scheduling, taking off work and pulling their kids out of school. Throw in the fact that now they have to travel to a remote location, it becomes more difficult. We have tailored our services to include special attention to guests attending the event, and they never go unnoticed. From welcome gifts to travel updates to a cookie on their pillow, brainstorming ways your company can help make their experience more meaningful will go so far. More on this in a later post as well!

What questions do you have about planning destination events? Was this helpful? Leave them in our comments and we'll answer any questions in a future post! 

Finally- we have a question for you. We want our business and planning tips to become a regular session here on the blog, and we'd like to call it something more creative other than "Tips". We love Jasmine Star's Shooting Star series and Justin and Mary's Pancake Sessions... Have any ideas for us? Would love your input in the comments!

XX,

~Brandi

On Being Different | A Story

 Via

I live and work in a "small" city. "Small" in the respect that most (many) state capitals are normally larger than what Boise, Idaho rates. Living in a smallish town comes with its benefits- it's amazing how many people know other people. Works well for word of mouth referrals when many of our clients know at least one other person getting married in the near future. However, it also can work against us, because everyone tends to be and act like everyone else....because we're a small town. If one person or company steps outside of the box, everyone knows about it. Let me tell a little story about my background with Soiree.

 Soiree via Tana Photography

My business background started with the question, "Why". As cliche as it is, I was a bride in 2005, and Soiree was born in 2006. Having just blown in from a few years in Seattle, I came back to Boise with dreams of my urban loft wedding.  But you know what? Most of those wedding dreams weren't realized, mostly due to the resources available and vendors I was working with at the time. I got married on a sunny September day, and I was exhausted that night because I had done most everything myself. So while on my honeymoon, the wheels were already turning. Why couldn't I have what I wanted? What made it so hard to have the type of wedding I wanted in Boise? Fast forward a year later, after an intense event management course, my question turned into Why Not.  Why couldn't a Boise bride have what she wanted, even if Boise wasn't on the list for the biggest retailers (or, at the time, the biggest concert tours for that matter)? And so began Soiree. Created for a bride like myself. What began as a small wedding planning company in Boise evolved into a full scale event production boutique with weddings spanning from Boise to McCall and beyond.

 Via

From there we continued to hone in on our craft, ideal client, and evolved even further into specializing in Idaho destination weddings; over half of our clients are planning their weddings from out of state. We have continually added unique services and exclusive products to our clients, because it's what they want. From guest concierge services to high end linens and custom furniture, we've created a company like no other in Boise. And we're proud to say we're not your grandma's wedding planner either.



Where am I going with this? I'm telling you this story because it hasn't been easy. At first everyone resisted. Vendors and clients alike. From "it's too expensive" to "it will just never appeal to this market", we've heard it all. And you know what? I succumbed to the negativity out of fear for a few years. I wasn't true to me or the reason I was doing this. And I started losing sight as to why I was even here. I didn't want to be just a wedding planner. I wanted to create real experiences, fulfill my clients emotionally and I wanted the guests at the parties my company hosted to talk. A lot. No one ever made history by being the same. So over the past two years we've ramped it up again and have only marketed to those clients and vendors that want that too. And the response has been lovely. People are still talking, and we've chosen to only listen to our clients. Because it's all about them anyways.

What ways are you changing the game in your city or town?

On 2012 | Aspirations, Reflections, And My Top 10

It's the second week in January. 2012. Most blogs I read regularly have already posted their goals and aspirations for the new year last week, or even before the ball dropped at the end of December. But for me, I've taken a different approach this year. First, I did something I never do- I took a week off between Christmas and New Year's Day. And while I paid dearly for it in the way of being slammed all last week, it was also like chicken soup for the soul (the man really had something there with his books!). I mean I really took the week off. Nary a blog entry, a few emails here and there in the beginning, but soon I found myself losing my iPhone. But that time, and even my horrifyingly busy* week last week, proved to be just what I needed to really determine what I wanted, what I didn't want, and what I was going to do for myself and my business this year. This all spurred one of the best Soiree Pow-Wow's to date this past weekend, and I can't wait to put some of what we talked about into action. And this year I'm starting with something I haven't done in past years- I'm posting those goals and aspirations here for accountability. Because it's one thing to tell your friends. Another to tell half the planet. So without further adieu..my top 10 for 2012:

1. Planning. I know, ironic, isn't it? I'm a planner yet I'm aspiring to plan more- in business. I think it can be so tough for small business owners to be the jack of all trades- the manager, the designer, the planner, the coach, the mentor, the finance person. I found myself overwhelmed more times than I can count by starting most weeks without a plan. Fact of the matter is, there needs to be a plan for the team, for the projects that week, and for the back end of the business. Now I'm making myself take just a few minutes each Friday afternoon to plan for the week ahead.



2. Becoming a truly full service firm. Soiree went through a lot of growing pains this year- which is expected and I'm actually thankful for, because it taught us all a lot. But one thing that has become clear to me is that I no longer want consulting to be the basis of my business. We are moving towards becoming a true full service boutique- one where our clients come to us with a need and we produce that with class and flair. This involves a lot of processes I'm not used to using, such as outsourcing, but in the end I know we'll be more profitable, be much happier, and I just know our clients will be serviced so much better.

3. Keeping a gratitude journal. Speaking of being thankful for things that happened last year, I'm starting this year off with a way to document my gratitude. I've heard so much about people logging their thanks each day, and I can see now how helpful they can be. I don't expect that 2012 will be all roses with perfect clients and profits handed to me on a silver platter, so at times when we're in the trenches I think it will be nice to be able to look back on this journal to remind me why I do what I do. I'm looking at the gratitude app for iPad- anyone use it?

4. Processes and systems. This is something we have been working on- the book E-Myth (I have the revisited version) really had it down in this respect. However, lack of vision has kept us almost chasing our tails with crazy amounts of form revisions and training. This year we've got that vision, we know where we want to be and we know what the entire team needs to be doing to get there. By this time next year I hope to report that we are a well-oiled machine.

5. Delegation. I love how interior designer Tobi Fairley put this: you can either delegate or dump. If you're overwhelmed as a business owner and trying to do it all, you tend to dump without properly training or giving the team a chance to grow. I'm hereby announcing that I believe I have been dumping 85% of the time just to get things off my plate. And, being a little on the type A side of life, it's really hard for me to delegate as it is. But I know with planning, and systems in place, we'll be effectively delegating in no time.

6. Health. This past year I really let my health slide. Between a toddler, a business, and a home to keep up, I was last on the list. I put on a little weight and I constantly felt a little foggy. I am making more time for myself- because what's the old saying? If mom's happy the whole family is happy?


Via

7. Pricing. Yep, the entire pricing structure is changing this year for Soiree. It's been a long time coming and the delay is only from fear on my part. Even though I've known this for some time, it's time to face the music- having your own business should always be working toward giving you the life you want to live. The new pricing model will be easier to understand, simplified. That's what I want.

8. KISS. (Keep it simple sweetie). This is one of my resolutions for personal and business- It's time to quit making things so complicated. That goes for our operations, our consultations, my home life.

9. Branding and Marketing. Last year we launched the new Soiree brand, which was so exciting. But we haven't done much more from there...We've got a good marketing plan in hand and we're hitting the ground running this year. Delegation, planning, and new systems will all help me make the time for projects like these.



10. Staying true to the vision. Every single masterminding book or publication you read has at least this one thing in common: if you can visualize it clearly, you can attain it. This is the one area of my business that has been foggy: what do I want? Where do I see Soiree going? Well even though I know things will always be changed a little, I am more clear than ever before- and that is amazingly liberating. By always staying true to that vision- in other words, asking myself, does this decision move us toward that vision- we will constantly be honing and attaining these and future goals. Which will only lead to good things.

What are your big goals for 2012? What have you been keeping to yourself out of fear? Let's get them all out so we're all accountable this year...and GO!


*Don't worry I still encourage taking vacations. They just aren't for the light at heart when you're in this industry! Play hard, work hard, right?


~Brandi

On Agreeing To Disagree

This season we had a first happen to us. We and the client agreed to part ways, and the agreement was canceled, as in, we had to pull out our cancellation policy, go through the motions, and get legal. What had been just a clause in our agreement was now something we realized was pretty serious. And we hoped it was good enough. The short version of the story is this: we and the bride agreed to disagree on our agreement terms and what was to be upheld by each party. It was a sad experience, because to me, wedding planning should always be fun...but I learned a lot. And while I hope this never happens again- and never happens to you- I've realized there were many reasons it did happen.

1. Clear Expectations. This was my first mistake. I know for a fact that had I set clear as day expectations and steps, and made sure the bride and her family were aware and agreed to those terms, there never would have been any situation to speak of. Outlining the process, steps, and what we were responsible for, as well as what the family was responsible for absolutely needs to happen. Ask them 15 times if you have to- "do you have any questions or reservations about this agreement?"- don't let there be any questions left on the table.

I now outline everything in my proposals, which then become an attachment to my agreements. Makes for a longish agreement, but I'm ok with that.

2. Make sure your cancellation policy works for you. Read the clause you currently have in your agreement- if you ever had a situation like this arise, would the terms your agreement holds you to work for you? Are you actually keeping tally of every single minute, hour, fax and phone call you've spent on this bride? If you had to show a detailed log, would you be able to? And the retainer policy- what does your current clause outline for the amount of money owed by the client or you at certain points of the planning process?

We found out that our original cancellation policy was actually a little too vague, and may or may not have held up in court. And we also found out that providing time logs sucked. Even though we are fairly meticulous on keeping track of the amount of time we spend on each wedding- it's part of how we figure out how much money we really made on an event- it still took way too much time to transfer all of those conversations, notes, etc on to a legible spreadsheet to provide. Finally, we found that our retainer policy had major loop holes in it- so it could go either way if we were to go to court. End of story: we ended up giving some money back, even though our time logs clearly showed we were owed money, because we were in the middle of intense wedding season and I just needed the situation to go away. Now that sucks.

3. Read this post on choosing the right client. After all was said and done, we realized she really wasn't our perfect client, and who knows, all of this may have happened eventually no matter what. Set your boundaries and expectations for yourself and your company- who you'll work with, and what conditions you'll work under. It will save you a lot of heartache.

Finally, make sure you have your agreement reviewed by a professional. The agreement is meant to protect you and the client, so it needs to work for you both.

What other advice on dealing with agreements and clients have you found along the way?

WedSmith: 2011 Wedding Professionals Conference

 

When Hilary Anderson, owner of Alta Moda Bridal in Salt Lake City contacted me about helping to spread the word about this educational seminar coming up this fall, I was ecstatic. The second annual WedSmith wedding professionals’ conference will be held on October 4, 2011 at the St. Regis Deer Valley in Park City, Utah, and is an annual one-day series of seminars by and for wedding pros seeking to engage with one another to refine their businesses and craft better weddings. The day-long event consists of a series of presentations from well-known local and national wedding industry professionals, and is attended by local and regional wedding professionals seeking inspiration and insight.

  

 If you've been reading this blog since its humble beginnings in 2007, you know how important it is to me to continue our education as wedding vendors. Staying on top of wedding industry trends, in my opinion (again, humble), is a must because brides are depending on us to be the experts in our craft.  Along with this, there is the other side of weddings- the business of weddings. The WedSmith conference focuses on this aspect, and topics include how to improve your strategic marketing tactics, how to build “fearless negotiating skills” and sales tactics, and how to profile clients to create more effective communication. In the end, the presentations will offer attendees new skills, motivation, and direction, and the opportunity to look at their business in a new and empowering way, and make positive changes that will benefit themselves and the industry as a whole.

The 2011 lineup of speakers includes presentations by industry greats including:  

 Simon T Bailey, motivational speaker extraordinaire and best selling author of Release Your Brilliance,  

Saundra Hadley, fellow wedding planner and fearless sales coach

 Harmony Walton, founder of the Bridal Bar

Susan Southerland, event and wedding sales and marketing guru

and Katy Carrier, Los Angeles wedding planner and event producer

And a special presentation by Utah’s own Val Rasmussen of the prestigious Utah Bride & Groom magazine. 

  

 If you're interested in making the trip down to Utah in October, this year WedSmith is offering Idaho vendors a special registration rate of $199 for one person and $174 for multiple registrants from the same company. This special rate is a great discount off the normal registration fees- to sign up  click this link and enter the special code IDAHOPROS2011. Seating is limited, and the 2010 event sold out, so register early! 

As an additional bonus to attendees (and especially helpful for vendors making the trip up from Idaho!), St. Regis is offering a special rate of $179 a night on nights surrounding the event. It's a great opportunity to grab some of your industry friends and take in the luxury of the St. Regis with gorgeous Park City as your backdrop! 

We do hope to see you there, and for more information on the event, be sure to take a peek at their website here. 

Happy planning!


Brandi

What We Can't Live Without: Evernote

I know, Evernote has been around and is not a new thing. But I thought I would share how we use the program in planning weddings.

Some of my staff works remotely, and the interns often have homework they're working on during the week when they're not in the office. The biggest way we use Evernote is as a catch zone for all of our online and photo credits for the blog. All of the girls know to clip any photos, urls, or ideas to Evernote, that way we all have access to the credits. Since I edit and write this blog, when it's time for me to upload photos or create a blog post, I just head to Evernote and look under that week's tag for all the photos and info I need.



The other way I use Evernote is to clip ideas I find. Whether for the blog, inspiring photos, or just new ideas to use. When I'm creating design boards for my clients I'll also make a folder for each of them and clip any and all photos or inspiration in it. This way I'll have all the websites stored in one place so I can go back to them when I need to.

Pinterest is a big deal right now, but I still think Evernote could also be really useful in wedding planning- clipping your sources (especially if you're a wedding blogger), notes to remember to ask your vendors, to-do lists, and more. 

Are you an Evernote user? How do you find it most helpful?

Four Seasons

How appropriate is this post? Not only is it officially our 400th post (!) but we're talking about a book by Isadore Sharp called Four Seasons: The Story of a Business Philosophy. This business read has been one of the most influential I've come across so far; a different view on business, sheer belief in oneself, and the courage to just be different are just some of the reasons to pick up the book.



The book is part biography of a builder-turned-hotelier, and part education in positioning yourself in the market, setting yourself apart, and branding. The Four Seasons brand has become one of the most recognized in the world, synonymous with luxury and high end service, and through recessions, doubt, and smart business decisions, Isadore and the Four Seasons company pushed forward with their pricing and mission. The part that I love the most about this book is that whether you want to position yourself as a high end wedding vendor, or if you speak more to the lesser budgets, this book will teach you how to do it. Find your mission, what you stand for, and go for it- don't pay any attention to the naysayers and just follow your gut. Then, put customer service first and foremost and you're sure to succeed.

Because this book has helped me so much (I've already read it twice since January), and in honor of our 400th post we'd like to gift someone with this book. All you have to do is comment about your favorite business book and the winner will be chosen randomly on Monday June 20th, at Noon MST. Good luck!

What I Can't Live Without: Freshbooks

I was turned on to Freshbooks by my amazing mentors, Heather and Jennifer of Outstanding Occasions, and I haven't looked back. What was once spreadsheet hell, sticky notes, and blah templates sans any branding has now turned into the polished, organized outfit we're all striving to be.




Freshbooks is essentially an invoicing system; An easy-to-use program that allows you to create clients, estimates, and invoices in minutes. Depending on the level you choose, you can add staff to make their own invoices, create reports and time sheets (hello, instant sales tax report), and manage multiple clients at a time. While we don't use it this way yet, but you can actually use the program as your time tracking device if you're a service (time) based business too.

Since we can instantly email out our invoices, print pdf copies for our files, and give our clients the choice to pay by Paypal or via check, we have already received rave responses from our brides that have used it. And, bonus: if you have an iPhone you can also download the Minibooks app (use the Lite version if you want it free) to invoice and see your invoices on the go too.

What invoicing systems do you use? Do you have any tips to share with us? Do tell!

Thoughts On The Right Client For You

While they can be done tastefully, balloons just aren't my thing. Unless it's for a kid's party.

A few years ago, in 2008, I had a consultation with a bride. Everything was going fairly well until she mentioned that she loved balloons and really wanted to find a way to include them in her wedding. My heart sunk and I had a pit in my stomach. Balloons may be for the wedding planner down the street, but I knew that I just don't do balloons. Unfortunately, I took the wedding anyways.

Fast forward to the actual wedding, and while I had been able to contribute my own style and spin to the event, there were still balloon bunches in clusters around the dance floor. The bride was happy, which is what counts, but the wedding isn't in my portfolio nor was it the best experience.

It just goes to show that you (we, me) have to do yourself (ourselves, myself) the favor of recognizing what's right and what's not. While I may have given the bride a spectacular wedding, looking back, I can guarantee that she would have had a better experience with someone else, and I would have enjoyed my work. The pit in my stomach never went away, and I can honestly say I dreaded the minutes leading up to the day. In the end it wasn't just the balloons..they were just the first sign that me and that bride weren't a good match in many areas. And what do I have to show for it? I never even asked the photographer for professional photos..I just wanted to move on.

Learning how to say no is one of the toughest lessons I'm still learning in business. But at least I've learned to recognize how good I feel when I'm working with the right client. I'd love to hear how you're dealing with that recognition, because I know it will always be a work in progress.

**As we get nearer to our new brand launch, this is a new series that I've wanted to start for a while. I believe sharing thoughts, experiences, good things, and bad things in business, especially in the wedding business is paramount for growth. I hope you'll chime in from time to time!**