I found this YouTube video from the wedding television show “Get Married” to show everyone what they look like (sorry I couldn’t figure out how to delete the pop-up ad, just click on the “x” that is on the right side of the ad to close it):

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you love getting inspiration and ideas for planning weddings from Martha Stewart Weddings magazine, don’t miss her free online bridal event that take place this weekend, November 14 and 15, from 11am to 4pm.  There will be videos, live talk from wedding professionals and bridal boutiques.  (You’ll be able to visit the bridal boutiques and see the videos through February 28, 2010 but the experts will only be available live during the event.)

You can register to attend the event at http://www.luxuryweddingexpo.com/registration.html, just check the box that says you are in the wedding industry.  Review the technical requirements to make sure you can successfully view the presentations.

New wedding planning business often worry about competition.  But really the time to worry is when there isn’t any competition, it could mean there are not enough potential clients to have a successful business.

Here are some ways to handle your competition fears:

First - Learn about your competition

• Know who else is offering wedding planning services in your area.  It may not be just wedding and event planners but also caterers, florists, and party rental stores. Places of worship may offer the services of a wedding planner too.
• What niche do they market to?  Who are their ideal clients?
• What is their marketing message is (for example, low cost, eco-friendly, etc.)?
• How do they market to them (mailers, online, referrals, exhibit at bridal fairs, etc.)?

Knowing what other wedding planners are doing will help you determine how to differentiate yourself from them.

Second - Evaluate your own company

• What is your niche and what do your the ideal clients look like?
• How well do you know your niche?
• What marketing message are you sending out to your niche?
• Is your message targeted at your niche and does it clearly explain your uniqueness?
• How do you market to your niche?
• Have you developed services and products that are specifically for your niche?  (Don’t offer things because other wedding planners do, learn what your brides and couples need and will pay for)

If you aren’t clear about your niche, your ideal client may have trouble seeing your uniqueness so make sure you know that first.  Then make sure your marketing messages convey your uniqueness so it it clear in your potential clients’ minds that you are the right wedding planner for them.

Third - Concentrate the Most Time and Energy on Your Own Business

Now that you know what your competition is doing and you’ve evaluated your own business, take what you have learned, make changes and set new goals, if necessary.  Then concentrate not on beating out someone else but on being the best at what you do, offering the best products and services to your clients, and marketing so everyone hears all about you.

This weekend I caught up on the wedding planning shows that I “tivoed” during the week.  A show that started last week is “Flowers Uncut with Jeff Leatham”.  Jeff was the florist for actress Eva Longoria’s wedding to San Antonio Spurs basketball star Tony Parker in Paris in 2007.  His designs are modern and striking and program gives us a glimpse of his design and preparation process.  During the program he offers information on handling flowers.   I was fascinated watching him work on a million dollar wedding.

The show airs Wednesday nights but is repeated many times during the week.

Yesterday I blogged about marketing your wedding planning services to couples who are getting engaged during “engagement season.”  You should also let people know that you are available to plan engagement parties.

Here is an except from my ebook, “Become a Top Wedding Planner - Start a Successful Wedding Planning Business”, that talks about engagement parties and how to plan them.

Engagement Party
The engagement party is an opportunity for the families of the couple to meet and get to know one another.

Who Hosts
Traditionally, the parents of the bride host the event. However, today the groom’s family or other family members and friends can host. The couple should be consulted so no more than one party is thrown in the same city in honor of their engagement.

Who Gets Invited
The families of both the bride and groom should be invited so they can begin to get to know each other. Close friends are also invited, if they live in the area. It is best not to ask people to travel for an engagement party and a wedding unless the bride and groom know the guests would want to attend both. Make sure that the hosts do not invite anyone who the bride and groom are not going to invite to the wedding. If they have not yet finalized their guest list, invite only immediate family members and closest friends.

How They Are Invited
If the party is formal, the host should send out printed invitations. You can help them find a style that coordinates with the bride and groom’s wedding invitation. Otherwise, a short note or phone call is fine. Some people use electronic invitations and send them via e-mail. The invitation should mention the dress code if it is a formal event. Many people are unsure of what to wear and may surprise the host by showing up in casual attire when the host assumes they would arrive dressed for a formal celebration.

When to Have It
Two to four months after the engagement and no later than six months before the wedding.

Where to Have It
The party can be a dinner at a hotel, resort, club, or restaurant; a simple meal or dessert at the home of the bride’s family; a cocktail party; or a fun, casual barbeque in the backyard. You can work with the host in selecting a venue that appeals to the tastes and styles of the bride and groom. The venue in which the wedding reception is being held may be willing to negotiate a good price if you have it there.

Special Considerations for Same-Sex Engagement Parties
The families of either partner can host the party. Realize that this may be the first time family members have been around a same-sex couple, and for the comfort of the couple, it might be wise only to invite people who are supportive of them. As with any engagement party, only people who will be invited to the wedding should be invited to the engagement party. If the event is not held in a home, make sure the venue is friendly to same-sex couples.

In my ebook I go into details about toasts, gifts and favors. I also talk about other wedding related parties that you can plan; showers, bachelor and bachelorette parties, rehearsal dinners. bridesmaid luncheons, after-parties and wedding brunches.

Be open to planning all wedding related events to give your couples one-stop service and generate additional income for your business.

In August, I wrote a blog post about preparing for the engagement season - the holidays - this is when most couples get engaged.  If you read and followed the suggestions in that post, you have been working on your marketing and are in a position to attract newly engaged couples to your business.

Here are some additional ideas to help you:

• Make sure your family and circle or friends know that you are a wedding planner and you are available.
• Get out and meet people, not just at business networking events but also at social activities.  No need to make a “sales pitch”.  Just tell people what you do and how you do it so they get to know you and will refer you when they hear of an engagement.
• Stay in touch with the wedding vendors in your network so you stay at the top of their mind if they meet couples looking for a wedding planner.
• Many bridal expos and fairs take place in January.  Investigate the events that will be in your area and consider participating as an exhibitor.
• Keep blogging!  Be sure you keep your blog current by posting new content frequently so you get picked up by the search engines.  Get ideas on what to post at my wedding planner articles site.

Even if you didn’t get a chance to do some of the things I suggested in my previous post, these ideas can still help you bring in more clients.

Are you a corporate event planner interested in also being a wedding planner?  You’re not alone.  With cutbacks in corporate events, independent corporate event planners are looking to add other services and corporate employees are looking to use their talents to start a business on the side.  I was an event planner for a corporation for years.  When my job was eliminated, I started my own business that included weddings and social events.

Here are some tips to help you if you are considering becoming a wedding planner:

• Meet with wedding planners and talk to them about their work.  Do you share their passion?
• Decide if you are comfortable with the ways wedding planning differs from corporate event planning.
• Invest time in educating yourself in planning weddings, read books on becoming a wedding planner.
• Find and attend local wedding planner association meetings to learn more about the industry.
• Start building a network of wedding vendors such as florists, caterers, bakers, wedding photographers and videographers who may not be in your network now.
• Assess your ability to handle emotions.   Couples and their families have been dreaming and planning for their weddings for years, emotions can run high, you need to be willing and able to handle them and remain calm and focused.
• Be prepared to work evenings and weekends.

Wedding planning is different than corporate event planning, make sure you are prepared for the differences.

In my last post I discussed blogging for wedding planners.  If you have set up your blog, be sure you take the proper precautions to keep your blog safe.  One of my blogs was hacked recently and I don’t want that to happen to you.

Just to be sure your information is safe, do the following:

Select templates carefully.

There are some very attractive designs for blogs that are available for free download.  Google the name of any templates you want and check to see if there are any comments about the templates regarding  viruses, spam, or inappropriate popup advertising.

Allow comments to be published only after you have viewed them

If you let comments automatically appear as soon as they are sent, you risk having spam messages appear on your blog.  Some messages look innocent, for example, they could be postive comments about your content, but they actually will link the reader to adult sites or viruses.  On Blogger, require that people leaving comments on your blog complete a word verification step, you’ll find this under Settings - Comments.

Back up your content

Make sure you have a copy of your content so, in the event the information disappears, you have a backup copy and can restore it.  Your blog provider, for example Blogger, can provide you with information about backing up.  If you have a WordPress.org blog, download a plugin that allows you to back up.  The person who helped you install your blog will be able to assist you.  You should backup your template design also.

Remember to blog often, 2 times a week or more, to get good search engine positioning.

I often mention how you, as a wedding planner, need to have a blog and post frequently, at least 2 times a week if not more, to attract business and give potential clients an opportunity to get to know, like, and trust you, so they will hire you.

I get a lot of questions about blogging so I posted some here along with the answers:

How do I start a blog?

First you have to find a blogging provider.  Free ones are Blogger and WordPress.com.  They have templates and are easy to use, and you will probably be up and running in less than 30 minutes.  There are paid providers such as TypePad which give you more control over your site.  Or you can have a WordPress.org blog, which is what this blog is.  I downloaded free software but I pay a web hosting company a monthly fee to host it, similar to what I do with my websites.

The free blogs are very easy to use but you do not get as much flexibility and you don’t own your content. In other words, they can close down your site if they view you are doing something they don’t like, usually too much promotion or selling.  However, ff you aren’t very technical and absolutely need to start with a free service, you will be able to transfer blog posts from Blogger to a WordPress.org site.  I know because this blog started as a Blogger blog.

How do I find the time to blog?

It shouldn’t take you too long to compose a blog post.  They can to be short and quick and easy to read.  Schedule time on a regular basis to sit at your computer for 20 to 30 minutes and write a post or you can collect notes in a recorder or on paper during the day and just finish it when you get to your computer.

I usually have a list of things that I know I want to blog about.  Sometimes though, an idea will come to me while I’m walking my dog, driving, or reading a book or magazine.  In these cases I either jot down notes or speak them into a digital recorder that I carry and my post is ready to be finished when I get to my computer.

What do I blog about?

Write on topics that would interest the brides in your niche.  Get inspiration from magazines, wedding television shows, and the weddings that you plan.

If you need ideas to jump start your blogging, read my article, “7 Ideas for Blog Content” that I posted on my Wedding Planner Articles site.

Can I include information about my personal life?

It’s best to stick to information that is relevant to your business and your clients.  You can mention a little about your personal life to help your audience get to know you but keep very personal details out.  Remember what you are blogging will be read by your future clients.  Make sure you always appear professional.

If you haven’t started blogging yet, do it now.  It is an important part of marketing your business.

Let me know if you have more questions about blogging by posting a comment.

When I first put up websites as a wedding and event planner, I wanted to have links to the websites of all of my vendors.  I wanted to show people I was connected to high quality professionals.  Luckily, I was told it would be a bad idea.

By linking to the vendors that I use, I would be allowing potential clients access to my vendor network without using my services.  I also would be sending potential clients out of my website who may not return to get to learn more about the benefits of working with my company.

Also, many vendors wanted to trade links as a way of exchanging referrals and of getting incoming links.  The thought being that websites rise in search engine rankings with more incoming links.  This is true, however the search engines can recognize trading and don’t give much weight to a traded link.

Keep your outgoing links to a minimum, you want people to stay on your site, read about the benefits of using your services, and contact you.