Attending a Conference?

With all the great conferences coming up – do you find yourself ready to attend your first conference? If so, I’d love to give you some pointers on making it a great experience for you!

• Registration – if you can, go to the registration table early to sign-in. Sometimes there may be a problem with your payment or they can’t find your name tag, or worse yet, they run out of materials. Going early allows for details be rectified earlier in the day, instead of just before your first workshop or lecture.
• Conference Program – read through this carefully. Over the years, I’ve discovered some programs are well written, others are not. So go through, mark the sessions you want to attend and figure out some second choices in case one room gets overcrowded. And don’t forget to take note of what meals are included or not.
• Business Cards – bring lots, and give them out to everyone you meet and talk to. I usually like to put some of my business cards on the back side of my name tag, so that I don’t have to fumble through my bags when I need to find one.
• Pack Light – I honestly don’t carry much with me through the day other than a notepad, pen and camera because you’ll usually receive lots of materials and by the day, your bag is going to be very heavy!
• Camera - bring it, but use it with precaution. If you want to take a picture of a product or vendor booth, be sure to ask their permission first. Otherwise, try to keep your flash off (it’s disruptive). You’ll never know what inspiration you’ll find at your next conference.
• Cash or Credit Card – be sure to bring one or the other or both! At many conferences, you’ll find incredible deals books, audio books and other resources – so if a deal is too good to refuse, you’ll be prepared and not miss out.

I’ve attended my fair share of conferences, and I’m always learning a new tip or idea to make the next one that more enjoyable…so be open minded, introduce yourself to those around you and have fun participating in all the conference has to offer. Afterall, sometimes one big ‘light bulb’ moment will make that confrence worth going to!

Please share with me any of your conference attending tips!

Jolyn | Wedding Planner Coach

What’s It Like?

This is probably the most often asked question I receive from those who are interested in being a wedding planner. But answering this question is a double edged sword for me.

On one hand, I LOVE WHAT I DO…I love being my own boss, picking the clients I work with, and helping people celebrate one of the happiest days of their lives.

But…it’s hard work, it really is, and this career isn’t appropriate for just anyone. You have to be truly passionate to make a successful career. Here is a list of just some of the things you should expect if you decide to enter this field…

• You’ll be working 6 days a week – both day and evening, as your vendors need you during business hours, and your clients need you in the evenings/weekends
• You’ll be working with difficult clients, difficult families and difficult vendors
• It will be difficult to make a full time salary until you have a sustainable number of weddings throughout the year
• You’ll work opposite schedules from your family and friends – when they are socializing on weekends, you’ll be working on your busiest days
• You’ll be responsible for managing multiple details on multiple weddings and need to be highly organized to keep it all in check
• You’ll have to be knowledgable in evreything weddings – florals, cakes, music, wines, food, fashion – in order to make recommendations, but also to step in to manage any emergencies
• On wedding days, you can expect to spend from 12-18 hours on your feet, attending to every detail of the wedding and the couple
• Your role is NOT to take the glory of the day, but to remain the silent partner behind the scenes
• You’ll be helping brides to pee, and cleaning up guest puke and sweating profusly while setting up an outdoor tent on a humid day

This industry is not glorious…at least not as glorious as the movies make it…but if you are a results orientated person, and love to see months of planning culminate into one brief day, with one opportunity to maintain perfection, then…and just then, this might be the right field for you!

Jolyn | Wedding Planner Coach