New Wedding Planet

By Wendy Harrop

Often I find myself completely intrigued and in want of something I never gave a second thought to before, just because it’s on sale. So was the case with my latest Groupon discovery, when I was presented with the fabulous idea of attending bartending school.

By Wendy Harrop

In 20 years of wedding planning, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and working with many wonderful wedding vendors. I’ve often thought how great it would be to plan a single wedding using each of my all-time favorites. Because this hasn’t occurred naturally, I came to the conclusion that I had to take matters into my own hands.

By Wendy Harrop

Like others learning how to be a wedding planner, I often thought to myself while working at a wedding with other vendors: I really like this (florist, photographer, musician, caterer). I wish we could work together again! There’s a creative way to make this wish come true. It’s called a wedding vendor collective.

By Wendy Harrop

For wedding planners working with clients after the venue, caterer, colors, attire, and invitations are in place, the next stop on the timeline is a special treat: choosing the wedding cake. That wedding planning job never tasted so good!

By Wendy Harrop

In the 1960s, Flower Power meant Peace, Love, and Doing Your Own Thing. Today, choosing flowers can be a contentious part of wedding planner jobs where couples want to ‘do their own thing’ by finding out-of-the-way venues, creating personal vows, and sampling many vendors before settling on the florist they feel is just right for their unique style.

By Wendy Harrop

My wedding planning clients know that even grand can be bland. That’s why catering counts so much when planning a truly creative wedding, especially if the venue chosen for the reception is unique, unconventional, or hard to reach.

By Wendy Harrop

Choosing the right ring to accompany the Big Question  – that’s huge! This is it, gentlemen: your one shot at calling the shots. After making the ‘diamond-hard’ decision about the engagement ring for your bride-to-be, your remaining wedding planning to-do list may simply consist of transportation, music, and food. All soft choices by comparison!

By Wendy Harrop

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of working with a couple planning to get married on a beach in Southern California. It was my first seaside wedding experience.

By Wendy Harrop

Last week I introduced you to my first wine-for-pay wedding, and I’m certain that, like me, you’ve been waiting on pins and needles wondering how this wedding at the winery on Treasure Island was going to turn out. Winery SF opened its doors to events in September of last year, and this was the first wedding they would be hosting. With no event coordinator on staff, I agreed to help them out in exchange for a case of wine.

By Wendy Harrop

One of the benefits of owning my own wedding planning business is that I can determine my rates for service. I take into consideration the number of guests attending the wedding, how many venues we will be moving between, and how many assistants I will need to pull this whole thing off without a hitch. Depending on when a couple hires me, I may work very closely with them for as long as 12 months before their big day. My fees may end up being 10-15% of their total budget. Or I may offer all of my experience and insight for a case of wine!