The Perfect Fête

One of my colleague friends, Jody TaylorSmith of Good Taste Events formerly of Rochester, MN and now a highly-sought-after planner in the Seattle area was featured on another planners site called The Smart Planner which offers business resources and coaching for professional wedding consultants with all levels of experience.

Until today I had never heard of this website, but I’m always on the lookout for informative educational perspectives from other planners and after spending just a few minutes reading The Smart Planner I realized this is a treasure-trove of invaluable information and just knew I had to share. The author, Leine Stevens is owner and lead consultant for Blue Orchid Designs a wedding planning firm in Scottsdale.

Although I’ve been planning events for over ten years, I recently became a business owner having started Fete Perfection in 2006. Leine has links and recommendations to Business Resources such as Legal Forms and Documents, How to Form an LLC, Wedding Consultant Certification, Insurance, Taxes and Licensing. She offers resources in Work Flow such as My Fax - Send/Receive Faxes by Email or Event Brite, Event Registration. She also offers tips and links to Marketing Resources and Tech Support such as Spam Arrest and numerous recommendations for web hosting or other “techie” products and services not in my realm of comprehension or vocabulary.

The Smart Planner also offers links to Wedding Industry Experts, Business Experts and Networking links…which brings me back to the beginning of my story - once weekly Leine writes a Meet the Planners Series and Jody TaylorSmith was most recently featured for her sassy sense of humor, uber sense of style and a killer smile with dimples to match. I’m certain her dimples alone could have secured her a feature listing but it helps to be the real deal and Jody is just that.

So for anyone looking for informative reading and helpful links to setting up or running your business check-out The Smart Planner For anyone looking for planner extraordinaire with an extraordinary flare for humor and style contact Jody TaylorSmith of Good Taste Events And to be bedazzled in the Scottsdale area, contact Leine Stevens of Blue Orchid Designs . You will not be disappointed.

Posted on July 14th, 2008 by Amy
Filed under: Wedding Resources | No Comments »

From the left Amanda ~ Amy ~ Mai Lor ~ Casey ~ Anna The only other team member we’re missing is Marla.

At our last wedding we had a little down time before the guests arrived so we decided to mug it up for the camera. With the exception of Amanda our 2008 intern, this group of fabulous women have been working me since we opened. I call them the “A” team because they are our first-round-draft-picks and it shows. I love to look around on wedding day and see their smiles and energy. It’s contagious actually.

We work together in an efficient and cohesive fashion and we practically read each others minds. When I am about to ask a question about the status of set-up, for example, one of them answers before the question is asked.

We’ve added two additional assistants who will make their debut at our next big three-day-wedding which comes up in the middle of July. The logistics and details are too numerous to under staff that weekend so after meeting many applicants, we chose Allissa and Amy to the team. With Anna, Amanda, Amy, Allissa & Amy I think we can call ourselves AAAAA rated.

Posted on July 1st, 2008 by Amy
Filed under: Miscellaneous | No Comments »

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Posted on June 19th, 2008 by Amy
Filed under: Wedding Resources | 1 Comment »

Last week, while Minnesota was still trying to make up it’s mind about what season it’s in, I had the good fortune to travel to Puerto Rico with one of my new destination couples, who I have to say, kept me in stitches the entire time I was there. Joe & Shelley are a fun loving couple with quick wit and playful personalities. Oh did I mention they’re seasoned travelers…when I say seasoned I mean, they traveled to Micronesia for scuba diving in Jelly Fish Lake and that is where they became engaged. Their engagement picture is a riot, them mugging it up for the camera with masks, regulators and the whole nine yards. I don’t have that photo to show, but this is them hard at work trying to figure out what tropical drink to order next.

We flew into San Juan then traveled to the northeast corner of the island, initially to an area called Rio Grande - we were guests at the Gran Melia which is a lovely property with spectacular views of the Caribbean right outside our room. Their restaurants were excellent and the service impeccable. Joe and Shelley were very excited to see the property and consider it for their wedding, until they viewed a couple other properties.

Our tour guides were fellow ABC members, John & Sari Skalnick of Tropical Weddings. They were perfect hosts, providing us with the ins and outs of this part of Puerto Rico. Together they coordinate and oversee over 200 weddings a year so have wonderful relationships with some of the top venues in the area. We toured Rio Mar in Rio Grande and in Farjardo, the Farjardo Inn. Both had many wonderful benefits to having a wedding in Puerto Rico. Here’s the view at Farjardo Inn which is hard to resist

El Conquistador was our next stop. Although this resort is located on the cliffs overlooking the Caribbean, it offers outstanding views and a private island for the exclusive use of their guests. “Conqui” as the locals call it is a five star property which is much like a self-contained village complete with spa, marina, multiple ballrooms, restaurants and boutique style shops. The basic hotel room was over-sized, recently renovated and very affordable which puts “Conqui” as one of the leading contenders for Joe and Shelley’s wedding next year.

We also toured old San Juan and specifically El Convento which as the name implies was home to a convent of nuns over 100 years ago. Here is a photo of the open air center courtyard where ceremonies take place.

Our last stop of the day was the Intercontinental Hotel which again, is a beautiful hotel in the heart of San Juan. With so many choices I’m happy I don’t have to decide.

My deepest gratitude to John and Sari for being our gracious hosts for the five days we were there and my thanks to Joe and Shelley for making this trip one of my most memorable and side-splitting scouting experiences of my career.

Posted on June 9th, 2008 by Amy
Filed under: Event Planning, Wedding Resources | No Comments »

One of my Coordinators Corner colleagues, Kimberely Petyt has a blog titled Parisian Party…tales of an American Wedding Planner in Paris. She and I share a common love of all things French, however she is lucky enough to be living MY dream in the city of lights. She recently posted a quiz titled “Find Your Inner French Girl” and since my overall theme for Fete Perfection is french, I thought I would repost and see how many kindred spirits are out there…. So here goes:

Is there an inner French girl lurking inside my baggy sweats and carpool mom facade? Could I too wear the perfect scarf and tie it just so — a skill I’m convinced is genetic in female Gauls? If you’ve asked yourself these question like I have, then you’re ready to take this quiz to check if you’re a chic-lette:

A. My accessories. Do I –

1. carry a tiny purse-size spritzer of perfume;
2. wear a scarf knotted in the perfect French way;
3. carry a knock-off Birkin bag (Jane Birkin made Birkin bags famous when Hermes designed one for her); or
4. try to make that rubber band around my wrist look fashionable?

B. My makeup essentials include –

1. tube of mascara somewhere on my person;
2. another tube of mascara just in case;
3. blush;
4. magic marker from a close encounter with a two-year-old.

C. My purse essentials include –

1. a rope of pearls, just in case;
2. a man’s phone number;
3. Kleenex;
4. a magic marker confiscated from a two-year-old;

D. My shoe collection includes –

1. a pair of boots with Louis heels;
2. a pair of cowboy boots;
3. flip flops
4. crocs.

E. My lipstick is –

1. red;
2. fuschia;
3. Urban Decay’s pink punk;
4. Chapstick.

F. My perfume is –

1. Chanel No. 5;
2. something floral with “eau de” in the name;
3. citrus atomizer;
4. eau de baby wipes.

G. In my closet can be found –

1. black jeans;
2. that vintage jacket bought in a flea market;
3. clamdiggers hitting above my ankles;
4. something a size too small that I keep telling myself I’ll wear someday.

H. My agenda is –

1. An Hermes planner;
2. A little Moleskin leather planner;
3. A Palm Pilot;
4. The back of the grocery list.

I. I am often heard –

1. quoting a line of Proust;
2. Humming a bar of Sinatra’s “My Way”
3. Singing along with the car radio to Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me with Your Best Shot”
4. Asking, “Where are my keys?”

Now add up the numbers associated with your answers, and score yourself as follows:

19 or less — Congratulations, you have found your inner French girl!

25 or less — You’re on the road to your inner French girl, but you haven’t found her yet;

35 and up — like me, you have a long road to travel to find your inner French girl.

When I saw my score, a bit daunted, I realized I needed to do some work on my inner French girl. In the bleachers at my son’s lacrosse practice, I wondered: how do French women enter a room, projecting an elan most of us can only dream of, and tackle the foie gras without gaining a waist size? How do they look put-together on a shoestring budget? How do they run down the Metro steps without breaking a sweat? Go to restaurants with perfectly behaved children? Make time for weekly facials?

The stunning revelation I came to is that one must attain the Frenchwoman’s inner — and I stress inner — ease in one’s skin. My friend Anne-Francoise is the perfect Parisienne. No snacking between meals; a spritz of eau de parfum even for a vist to the corner boulangerie; wearing heels even to the commisariat when her apartment was burgled; a focus on quality, not quantity in her wardrobe (one good handbag or coat). But also — a love of passionate debate, an intense interest in the world.

Maybe those last things explain the “je ne sais quois” that Frenchwomen project and explain how I, an American woman, can attain it. Like Anne-Francoise — evenings spent with friends, lunches with her family on Sundays, taking in the latest exhibition, seeking culture and knowledge, and always making room for the sensual side. As Coco Chanel put it: “There is time for work. And time for love. That leaves no other time.”

My score when I cheated was 11 - I could sense the correct response of a truly French woman, however my back-to-reality-American-Minnesota-woman score…an embarrassing…31 - yikes…well I guess I better keep trying.

Posted on May 26th, 2008 by Amy
Filed under: Humor | No Comments »

After becoming Destination Wedding Certified through the extensive training program offered by Wedding Solutions we have been fortunate to be involved in planning some wonderful and exotic destination weddings. It’s always thrilling to leave Minneapolis and head off to a beautiful Caribbean Island or the coastal regions of Mexico, a US territory or the Magic Kingdom.

Wait - what…the Magic Kingdom where all your dreams come true? That’s right, we are working with a lovely couple whose dream is to be married on the steps of Cinderella’s Castle and to celebrate their day with a Disney Couture Wedding designed by David Tutera.

This is definitely a new experience for all of us at Fete Perfection but one that will hopefully provide an insiders look into the secrets of Disney. Our first planning session begins next week at Franck’s Studio - of Father of the Bride fame - at Disney’s Wedding Pavilion…too funny - I wonder if Franck will be there?

We’re meeting with a Disney Wedding representative who will show us the options for locations for the ceremony and reception. Unfortunately our brides dream of being married on the steps of the castle is not to be - no body gets married there, not EVEN Mickey & Minnie…

Oh well, there are plenty of other fabulous and enchanting options to choose from.

Speaking of options, one wish that can definitely come true is riding in Cinderella’s coach - it looks just like the one in the movie.
Although this will be a quick three day trip, I’m betting we’ll learn all there is to know about Disney Weddings but were afraid to ask. Watch for periodic updates - this ought to be a blast!

Posted on May 13th, 2008 by Amy
Filed under: Event Planning, Wedding Resources | 1 Comment »

We were thrilled this morning to receive an invitation from Grace Ormonde Wedding Style magazine to be listed as one of their Platinum wedding resources. This is high praise and recognition from one of the preeminent wedding experts in the industry. The only other Platinum resource in Minnesota under wedding and event design is Mother of the Bride so we feel very fortunate to be in great company.

We will be featured locally and for destinations to Hawaii, Mexico, Caribbean and as far as your dreams will take you. We will be online for the rest of 2008 and in print and online in 2009. Thank you to all the fabulous couples who helped make this dream come true for all of us at Fete Perfection.

Posted on April 29th, 2008 by Amy
Filed under: Event Planning, Wedding Resources | 6 Comments »

Just as I was posting tips on how to get into this crazy business of wedding planning, I was contacted by a fellow in New Jersey named Steve - he has a blog called So You Want to be a Banquet Manager which offer sensible yet humorous quips about the business of banquets. As I was reading his blog the thought occurred to me that he gets it…he knows his job appears on the outside to be all glitz and glamor but reality isn’t appearance.

He writes about locating staff to work a “pop-up” event which could be as soon as in three hours because the Admin at Corporate forgot to book private dining space at the hot new restaurant so they’ll be coming into your venue for lunch and a presentation. He also mentions the disconnect between the sales staff and operations. Sales promises the impossible and operations has to find a way to make it work like squeezing 10 extra tables of 10 into a space whose maximum capacity is 15 tables.

He even mentions his job being much more difficult because of (pause and gasp) wedding planners…I thought our job was to make life easier for banquet staff and management, but inexperienced planners (and they’re popping up like spring flowers) makes life way more complicated by placing unrealistic demands on banquet staff and by not playing for the same team.

If there is one thing I have tried to reinforce by writing this blog, it’s that wedding planners need to work cooperatively and side by side with the staff and management at venues hosting the weddings. We can’t have big ego’s or be too fragile to get down and dirty when it comes to the wedding day. So here I go again…get experience in the trenches - work at least two or more years paying your dues as a banquet server and a couple more years as a captain and finally manager.

The experience you gain will make you the team player you need to be as a wedding planner. Don’t forget to check-out Steve’s blog: So You Want to be a Banquet Manager

Posted on April 16th, 2008 by Amy
Filed under: Event Planning, Humor | 1 Comment »

Since my last post, courtesy of Terrica at Fabuluxe Events in Georgia, I thought I would post tips on how to get hired in the wedding and events business.

I am a strong proponent of working your way up the ladder of success and the more versatile you are with job skills and job knowledge, the more valuable you are to your employer. So right now you may be wondering how do I gain experience if no one will hire me? I have the answer. I checked the employment section of the Minneapolis Star Tribune and noticed some positions for banquet servers at a couple different country clubs in the Twin Cities.

I have blogged about this before, but I still believe my employment as a banquet server at Wayzata Country Club was the best training I could ever have to become a successful and knowledgeable wedding and events planner. Here are just some of the skills I learned and have never forgotten:

1. How to properly set a table starting with uniformly placed linens with seams in the same direction and hems not showing. In other words, the linens are not upside down.

2. Proper arrangement of all silverware, glassware, condiments, centerpieces as well as how to fold a freshly starched linen napkin into unique and beautiful shapes.

3. What is the proper table size to accommodate a certain number of guests and how to best make use of fixed space in any number of ballrooms.

4. How to set-up buffet service for ladies bridge and high tea to corporate lunches and Mother’s Day Brunch for 1200 guests.

5. How to hand pleat and pin tables with luxurious satin rather than the atrocious Velcro skirting so many venues use.

6. How to offer various styles of food service from French to butler pass to Table d’Hote to plated meals and to know the difference between them.

7. How to handle unexpected guests who failed to RSVP and to quickly and graciously locate a place for them.

8. Along those same lines, how to handle special requests for foods because of allergies.

9. How to cut a five-tier wedding cake in front of 350 guests without looking like I’m mud wrestling.

10. And how to coax a highly-intoxicated-buck-naked groom off the high dive of the (closed) country club pool at his own wedding reception. I’m hoping I NEVER have to use this very special skill ever again.

And although these tips relate strictly to experience on the banquet side of things, I am more willing to consider hiring or retaining an intern who has been in the trenches and knows how to think on their feet and deal with unexpected or uncomfortable situations that will arise during every event.

Good luck and get some miles under your feet ladies - then come back and we’ll talk.

Posted on April 6th, 2008 by Amy
Filed under: Event Planning | 3 Comments »

This post comes from a wedding planner in the coastal regions of Savannah and Jacksonville, Fabuluxe Events, Inc. I don’t need to provide commentary because it pretty much speaks for itself.

Here goes:

A lot of my blog and pro friends have written about this– about how to apply, or inquire about a position with a wedding planner. I never ever ever in the history of fabulousness thought I would have to write something like this… but here it goes (and of course, I write with all the Terricaisms that bring you joy, luxelings).

So…Why I won’t hire you:

1.)You use my contact form. You are not a client. You are not a prospect. You are not getting married. Why are you using the contact form? It would be awfully nice if you took the time to research to see if I had an employment page, an HR email or the like.

2.)Your FIRST communication with me is poorly written. If your email looks like one of the LOLCats wrote it, it ends up in my trash bin. Period. I can teach you the ways of a wedding planner. I do not, however, teach grammar, spelling or English. This is an internship. Not an early literacy program.

3.)Your first communication with me is your resume…and ONLY your resume. Honey, that’s just rude. This shows me immediately that you have no imagination and personality. Sure, I have enough for both of us, but I don’t want to share. It’s BYOP.

4.)Three letters: T.M.I. I don’t care to know about where you were last night, who you were with and what you were doing. I’m not your girlfriend. I don’t want to hear about or see (two words My Space…Yes, I check it!) how plastered you were for spring break. If I can google you and find you in a bikini or some other compromising position– trust and believe that my clients can too. NEXT.

5.)You call me and the first words out of your mouth are: “Are you hiring?” Again, rude. Even if I was, I wouldn’t tell you. Not the way to apply. You have to wow me, sell me, make me love you. Playing 20 questions is not the way to do it.

6.)You know nothing about me or my company. If you can’t tell me anything about my business, how can you tell my clients? Do your research. I’m not asking for a book report, but at least show me that you can fit in as opposed to blindly sending out your resume.

7.) You tell me this is your DREAM. I hate this. I’m not looking for dreamers. I’m looking for someone who can work hard, laugh hard, and make it happen. You want romance and happy flowers, get a Disney movie.

8.) You’re a wimp. (Couldn’t really find a better way to word it, sorry). Let me put it like this: On the outside, you see the beautiful bride, handsome groom, proud parents happy guests…good food, awesome music, beautiful decor, and gorgeous venue. The inside: time lines, 12 hour work days, climbing stairs, ladders, putting floors together, moving tables, bustling dresses, crying flower girls, unpaid vendors, bridesmaids, drunk groomsmen, tired feet, and that’s only the half of it. If you’re worn out just reading that, we need not go any further. Just stick to the blog.

9.) You have no sense of style or decorum. I sell style. Plain and simple. I sell style and security. When we meet, I need to see how you would meet with my clients and vendors. So yes, honey, I’m checking you out: your clothes, your hair, your makeup, your accessories….all of it. Do your clothes fit properly? No bulges, pulling buttons, tight clothes, cleavage, etc. How well are you put together? Do you look like you stepped out of a magazine, or that you should be hit with one? Have you come professionally dressed or could I mistake you for hanging out at the mall with your friends? Are you personable and witty? Are you shy and reserved? Are you crass and loud? First impressions are not just everything, they are the ONLY THING.

10.) You think you can do it because you saw it on TV or planned your own wedding. I’m not looking for a human TiVo machine. I don’t need you to spew every line from The Wedding Planner or the hottest new wedding show. That’s like you going on a medical rotation and telling the doctors about what you saw on Grey’s Anatomy. I’m glad you’ve planned your wedding. It was fun, wasn’t it? Now do 12 simultaneously! (Why are you crying????) Realize that you have to bring something to the table, as well as being ready to learn and do some grunt work.

Posted on March 31st, 2008 by Amy
Filed under: General Discussion | No Comments »