We began day two with breakfast and then it was time to hit the ground running.  Our first workshop was “The Art of Wedding Design” with Sasha Souza of Sasha Souza Events.  Anyone who’s seen her work knows that her design skill are off the hook (or the bomb dot com as mentioned [...]]]>

We began day two with breakfast and then it was time to hit the ground running.  Our first workshop was “The Art of Wedding Design” with Sasha Souza of Sasha Souza Events.  Anyone who’s seen her work knows that her design skill are off the hook (or the bomb dot com as mentioned several times during Eventology lol). She gave us great tips on how to design an event that truly reflects our clients and we received a copy of her new book.  SCORE!  The next workshop was “Geek is Chic” with Terrica Skaggs of Cocktails & Details and Chic Wedding Geek.  Terrica is a legend in the wedding industry for being the go to person for all things tech-y.  She gave us so much information and products to streamline our business and create a great experience for our clients.  The last workshop was “Building Your Team” with Lara Casey of Bliss Events Group, Southern Weddings Magazine, Lara Casey Reps, etc.  She provided us with a few questions to make us think about whether we really need to increase our team.

As day two came to a close I had to say goodbye to some of my wedding planning friends as they headed to the airport.   It was great to see old friends I’ve known for awhile, friends from Twitter that I’ve never met in person and meet new people from all over the country.

Check back for my final recap of the conference.  We aren’t just all work and no play.  We had fun events each night of the conference and all I’ll say is…us wedding industry folks sure know how to have fun  

{All photos from the official Eventology photographer Jen Lynne Photography}

We started our first morning of the conference with the Welcome Address from Linnyette Richardson-Hall of Premiere Event Management and Ali Phillips of Engaging Events by [...]]]> My apologies for taking so long to do my Eventology recap.  It’s been pretty busy since I returned from Indianapolis.  So without further ado…

We started our first morning of the conference with the Welcome Address from Linnyette Richardson-Hall of Premiere Event Management and Ali Phillips of Engaging Events by Ali.  They had great icebreakers so that we could get to know a little about others at our table.  They also encouraged us to get the most out of our time there…education, networking and fun.

After lunch we moved right into our full day of learning.  Our first workshop was “Brand Success” with Harmony Walton of Bridal Bar.  Harmony’s core message was basically once you know who YOU are and what you do best then you can determine your target client.  Also, your brand, your appearance and how you present your business  (website, business collateral, etc) should be consistent and cohesive.  The next workshop was “Priced to Sell” with Saundra Hadley of Planning Forever Events and Saundra Hadley Sales Coach.  Pricing in the wedding industry is always a hot topic and Saundra gave us some great tools on how to price and sell ourselves in any market.  The last workshop of the day was “LawGLOSS” with NaShara Mitchell of Ready to Blush.  Although NaShara is a makeup artist, she is also a soon-to-be attorney.  She addressed contracts and trademarks, copyrights, etc for intellectual property.

Day one provided me with tons of information and I have tons of notes to prove it.  Check back for a recap of day 2.

{All photos from the official Eventology photographer Jen Lynne Photography}

As wedding professionals it is imperative that we continually educate ourselves on the wedding and event industry…as it relates to assisting our clients as well as running our business.  We are firm believers that you can always learn something new no matter how long you’ve been in business.

Today, I will [...]]]>

As wedding professionals it is imperative that we continually educate ourselves on the wedding and event industry…as it relates to assisting our clients as well as running our business.  We are firm believers that you can always learn something new no matter how long you’ve been in business.

Today, I will be attending the 2^nd annual I Do Brunch which is a networking event (that includes round table discussion) for wedding planners.  Click here to see posts from last year’s brunch.  Tomorrow I leave for the Eventology Conference held in Indianapolis.  This is also its 2^nd year.  I really enjoyed last year’s conference and I’m excited to see what this year’s speakers have in store for us.  Both events will bring together planners from all over the United States (California, Georgia, Texas, New Jersey, etc).  It is always great to hear what the trends are in other parts of the country.

We will be out of the office Saturday, April 17^th – Wednesday, April 21^st.  We return to the office Thursday, April 22^nd so check back for a recap of these 2 events.

Some of you may remember my blog post from earlier this year regarding my trip to Indianapolis to attend a new conference…Eventology created by wedding planner Katasha Butler of K Sherrie+Co.  Planning for the 2010 conference is well under way and will feature fab speakers like Sasha Souza of Sasha Souza Events, Harmony Walton of Bridal [...]]]>  

Some of you may remember my blog post from earlier this year regarding my trip to Indianapolis to attend a new conference…Eventology created by wedding planner Katasha Butler of K Sherrie+Co.  Planning for the 2010 conference is well under way and will feature fab speakers like Sasha Souza of Sasha Souza Events, Harmony Walton of Bridal Bar, Lara Casey of Southern Weddings, Sales Coach Saundra Hadley of Planning Forever Events and Techy Terrica Skaggs of Cocktails & Details and Chic Wedding Geek.  Check out the Eventology Blog to learn more about the speakers and conference details.

Early bird registration is open until December 25th. Click here to register.  Will I see you there next year?

While it was very educational, it was also fun to finally meet colleagues that [...]]]> Earlier this month, I posted that I was headed to Indianapolis for the educational conference Eventology. This was the first year for the conference which was the brain child of Katasha Butler, owner of K. Sherrie + Company.

While it was very educational, it was also fun to finally meet colleagues that I was only familiar with on Twitter and other social media. Below are a few pictures.

This is what I saw upon arriving at the Omni Hotel…a lobby full of wedding planners

A group of us at Harry & Izzy’s for dinner

Some of the ladies hanging out during the networking cocktail event:

Jennifer of A Regal Affair in Texas, Saundra of planning…forever events in Indiana and Terrica of Fabuluxe in Georgia.

Later we headed to the Milk…a lounge that is decorated with all white decor.

The next day it was time to hit the books (so to speak) and learn a few things.

The speakers and conference hostess:

{from left: Terrica Skaggs, Katasha Butler, Saundra Hadley and Liene Stevens}

I had a great time and learned a lot. Click here to see the professional pictures that were photographed by the offical Eventology photoprapher, Jennifer Badalamenti of JK Photography.

As a wedding planner in this ever evolving industry, it is paramount that we remain a student at heart. Therefore I try to attend at least one educational conference each year in addition to local networking events. Last year was The Special Event and this year is Eventology. Attendees are coming from [...]]]>

As a wedding planner in this ever evolving industry, it is paramount that we remain a student at heart. Therefore I try to attend at least one educational conference each year in addition to local networking events. Last year was The Special Event and this year is Eventology. Attendees are coming from TX, CA, FL, GA, AZ, TN, CO, MD and many other states so there will be a great mix of planners attending. It’s always nice to hear the trends and practices in other parts of the country.

I will have limited access to email and calls during the conference but will respond to all requests no later than Thursday (if not sooner).