David and I do not believe that you need to have any particular thing / ritual / color or song for your wedding. We do believe that whatever you do decide to include and however you decide to express yourselves through your wedding and reception, you ought to be able to do it with class, with style, with confidence and within budget! Your wedding day ought to be FUN! Everyone you hire should be focused on making your wedding day uniquely yours & the best day it can be.
I get upset when I come across wedding industry pros who willingly take advantage of a newly engaged couple’s lack of experience in planning a wedding to push their own agenda. A recent article written for a well-known publication provided wedding style comments from various wedding professionals, dismissing some wedding trends and elevating others. It pushed me to think about how we each can identify & hire passionate, competent, and trustworthy wedding pros. And in the spirit of the article that drove my motivation to write this, I’ve used their same “what’s out” and “what’s in” approach.
What’s OUT: Wedding professionals who sermonize about “tired” trends — to be swept away with last year’s brides and grooms — in order to make way for a fresh crop of this year’s recruits who arrive flush with cash. These pros take advantage of a couple’s inexperience and some insecurity, and sell “the latest trends” because “on-trend” drives compliments and new business – for them.
What’s IN: Wedding professionals who listen to their clients, provide guidance and advice without preaching, and believe that earning their client’s trust by putting the couple’s interest & vision first is their priority. These pros are both confident and modest.
What does “a trending wedding professional” look like in practice? Here’s my list of the top 10 characteristics in trending wedding pros you absolutely will love working with…
TOP 10 Wedding Pro Characteristics
10. Pros are careful to not take more clients than they can serve confidently, providing their highest level of service to every couple;
9. Pros NEVER assume they know “what is best” for a particular couple – they listen more than they talk;
8. Pros treat all couples, gay and straight, with equal respect — and back up “their talk” with gender neutral sales materials and contracts;
7. Pros do not gossip;
6. Pros are happy to share their success;
5. Pros never allow anyone to feel as though they just asked a stupid question;
4. Pros have no fear of having you shop around;
3. Pros sometimes say no, knowing that they are not the best fit for every couple;
2. Pros admit that sometimes they don’t have all the answers, but will always go find the answer if they don’t know. Eagerness to continue learning is key;
1. Pros still have A BLAST doing what they are doing – and it shows.
That’s how you’ll spot a real wedding professional.
