love is in the air

i just adore when i meet someone new who makes me smile over and over again. this happened to me wednesday night. i met a gal who started an awesome site for seattle-area brides and grooms, a grand wedding. premise: wedding vendors who don’t cost an arm and a leg…services and products under “a grand.”

she is incredibly approachable, extremely experienced, and highly motivated in addition to being someone you want to sit and chat with, like an old girl friend. one of the topics that we talked about for some time was where, in this “industry” of nuptials and happily-ever-afters, is the LOVE? and it’s so true.

there are some very friendly people in the industry, a minority of whom care a great deal. these lovlies are doing what they are doing because they love it and they love helping couples realize their visions – and have a great time doing so. but there are also a lot of egos and folks who choose a focus on the money – and there is a LOT of money – that is generated in the wedding biz.

i can’t tell any of you how many vendors i’ve called and even worked with (!) who seem to not realize that they are in a service industry. the concept of customer service and care doesn’t seem to register. these folks operate knowing that couples only do this once (or so we hope!), and that repeat business is not a concern. if you call wanting help in the summer months, they know that if you are dissatisfied, there will be someone else who will call tomorrow wanting the same date and willing to pay as much or more. they also know that because most customers will only go through this once, they are dealing with a customer set who are considerably less informed and more prone to mistakes and/or apt to follow bad guidance than someone who, say, is shopping for a tv.

wait! this is not a depressing post! i promise! come back!

the great news is that there are many gems out there. a grand wedding is one of them, as is the founder, who not only has this great website for research and connecting with vendors, but is also a caring, fabulous vendor herself!

getting started

it’s always the hardest part. why is that?

fear – of the unknown, of making a mistake

confusion – the sheer number of options, the complexity of the picture in your head, the pressure of what you are “supposed to do”

even writing this first post was tough! what should i say? what if i’m not charming via blog? how is it that i am suddenly an expert?

the truth is that all you need is a path, a way to start, to just do it!

i remember when i was first engaged – i should, it was only about a year ago! all of a sudden, i was barraged by questions, pictures, solicitations, ideas, suggestions, colors, sites, designers, registries, letterpress, canapes, DJs, table linens, photography packages, favors, weight loss programs, skin treatments, and a never-ending list of ways to spend money!

even though i was excited, i couldn’t get started. i tried books, but they generally only make the problem worse. i tried friends, but either they were currently tied up in the chaos, or the memory of the chaos had dulled over time. i tried talking to people in the “business” but i never could tell if i was getting the whole story or a sales pitch.

the mba kicked in. i could do this! i just needed to approach the ambiguity with a process, a plan, and a few milestones and guiding principles. and it worked! soon, i was juggling an 80 hour a week job and planning a wedding in less than four months. and i am definitely biased, but it was awesome! my job didn’t suffer, and the wedding was everything we wanted it to be – and more…and everyone had a fantastic time. on our own…no $10,000 wedding planners, a few mistakes and false starts, but both a wedding and a planning process we loved!