My Brides Have My Back

I'll have to be as material-sensitive with this one as I can. Sometimes I wish I had started this blog as an anonymous blogger so that I could spew ALL the trials and tribulations and, well...let's face it...the wacky parts of this job that no one would EVER believe! But, I just felt that the personal connection would be lost if I did it that way so this is what you get. A censored blog. A blog that protects the identity of nearly all vendors, brides, grooms, mothers, and everyone else that could possibly be involved.

However...3 of my brides totally had my back this past month and I find it rather humorous to tell the short end of the story.

I was contacted a few months ago by yet another bride planning from afar looking for full-service wedding planning. We hit it off in the first few email exchanges and finally met one-on-one to discuss her visions, needs, etc. We definitely hit it off, although I left the meeting thinking that if I "won" the job, I may have just gotten in a bit too deep. But I passed it off thinking that even if it was a bit deep, I didn't have any full plannings booked yet for 2009 so I could always just do the one if it got to be too much.

A few days later a few of my brides contacted me "warning me" that they had been contacted by this bride with some very detailed, almost off the wall detailed questions about how I planned their weddings. Several brides ask for references and I readily give them a very long list of brides who have previously agreed to be contacted so this wasn't the strange part. In fact, I highly encourage any bride out there to get references on any vendor, but especially a wedding planner who you are entrusting the entire day to. I let my past brides know that yes, I was aware she may be contacting them and thank you. Well, two of them went as far as to forward me the laundry list of questions that were being asked and I must say....it was a bit overboard. Some were personal questions, some questioned my abilities outright, one bride was asked if she was a reference because she was a personal friend or did she really not have a relationship with me besides vendor/bride. WHAT?!?!?

I'm all about detailed information gathering and definitely on board with the bride doing whatever she wants in order to feel that her bases are covered. However, sometimes these are red flags for a planner. It's no secret that Dreams & Designs is a business I do on the side and always will. I knew right away that I would not have the time and attention needed to bring this bride's dream to reality. Well, I would because I make the time when I take things on like this, but I wouldn't have enjoyed it 100% and my stead-fast rule is that if my gut isn't jiving with something...it's a no go. Simple as that.

I'm confident that bride will find the "Perfect Planner" to assist in creating her dream wedding and that's what it's all about at the end of the day. But thank you former brides for watching out for me! You truly do rock my wedding world. :)