Thought you all might find this article interesting as a vendor or as a bride who might be thinking of hiring a planner who might not be as experienced as she/he should be and/or if you're thinking of hiring a planner solely on price.
I feel this is such a catch 22! How is a new event coordinator (like myself) suppose to get experiance and be able to grow my business if all the experianced coordinators out there post stuff like this. Just because one "newbie" made some mistake, we all get a bad name. I do not feel this is fair... I am fighting a bad reputation that someone else created for me. I just have to push through, and do what I have learned through my education, and uphold the standards of ABC. However, all experianced coordinators maybe need to take a step back and remeber that they too were once "newbies"!
Mandy, you, unlike many "newbies" are not inexperienced per se. You have taken the time to get educated and to join a group like ABC. Congrats! I'm proud of you for understanding that this is a profession that requires training. :)
The problem is that many "newbies" only have the experience of planning their own wedding and think that they can automatically go out and start getting clients. They don't necessarily understand contracts, don't have a roster of vendors (other than the ones that they may have used) and don't know the myriad of details and requirements that you learned (and will continue to learn like we all do) through formal education and on-the-job experience when dealing with a wide variety of clients and their needs.
Of course we were all newbies and many of us, especially those of us who didn't have the benefit of organizations like ABC or training courses when we got started and had to learn by trial and error. But the weddings and events I planned 25 years ago were not nearly as complex as the ones that are being planned today. That's why all planners, no matter how long we've been in the business, need to constantly educate ourselves because technology is constantly changing and our clients' needs have increased as well, so we always have to be on the hunt for the latest and the best.
Much luck with your career. You've made a great start and I wish you much success! :)
Great article! There's certainly a lot to be said for having years of experience, although I appreciate what Mandy says about it being hard to break into the business.
I suppose I'd be considered a relative "newbie" in terms of being an independent wedding planner, however I've got over 15 years experience in working for a wide range of function venues as an in-house wedding and functions manager, which is a great way to gain all that experience.
I'm really surprised to read that there are planners who have only ever planned their own wedding and then decide to become a wedding planner! Wow! That doesn't seem to be happening here in Australia, and we also don't have the licensing requirements that you seem to have in the US.
I obviously wish all the newbies the best of luck, but I really can see how, as said in the article, one who is really not prepared at all can give the whole industry a bad name.
This is an interesting debate that I am starting to see on several different wedding forums. I can see the message that the author of the article is trying to convey, but I have to agree with Creative Elegant Weddings that it was a little offensive to those planners that are new to the industry. I completely agree that just because you plan your own wedding does not make you automatically qualify to become a wedding planner, however everyone does have to start somewhere. So if planning your wedding sparks something in you that makes you feel that it is something you would like to do as a career, then it should be encouraged that you seek the proper training and further experience necessary to make it a career. The article seemed a little discouraging.
As far as pricing is concerned, I don't think a "newbie's" lower price should be such a concern to an established planner. Everyone knows that you get what you pay for. So, if a couple decides to go with a planner who is only charging $500 instead of the more experienced planner who charges a higher fee, than it is most likely they were not going to book your services anyway, and probably would have decided to forego a planner altogether and simply choose a family member or friend to help out on the big day (which I definitely don't recommend).
Phyllis, I appreciate your words of support. coming a vendor with as manyyears asexperiance, it is nice to hear that I am atleast on the right track!
Ladies- yes it can be discouraging, but if this is what we REALLY want to do..... then we will survive, and in five years, when we are not newbies... maybe we can all remember to take a newbie under our wing if we see they need it. :)
