Have you been over to our sister site, Be A Planner? It offers some really great advice for aspiring planners as well as gives you an insight to real planners and what they are doing. You don't want to miss it!

If you or any of your friends is thinking about becoming a wedding planner, you definitely want to recommend this website. Keep a heads up about upcoming certification courses that offer tips to planners who really want to know the industry! Be a Planner is a great resource for brides, wedding planners, and event industry professionals!

Dear Brides,



First let me congratulate you on your-up-and-coming wedding! I know you've been dreaming about this day for a long time and you want it all to be perfect! Trust me, we of all people know that. And maybe some of you haven't been dreaming about this day forever, and now are just realizing that you need to plan this shin-dig!



A lot of you want to plan every detail of your wedding, you are probably an A-Type personality just like me and want to be involved in every detail of your wedding. I get that. We get that.Wedding Planners are here to make sure that happens. Trust me, you are going to be busy on your wedding day, your mom and fiance are going to be busy too.



Who is going to be there to execute those details so you don't have to worry about them getting done and your vision happens how you've dreamed it would be. It's our job, that's what we do.



I know you hired the best photographer, and the best caterer and the best videographer! And I am thrilled that you've placed your trust in those vendors to make your wedding dreams come true! And they are fantastic at what they do!



But please, let them do their jobs - they work better when they are allowed to take pictures and give you amazing food and amazing products. Allow yourself to trust us to do ours and make your dreams come true.



Hiring someone to help you is not giving in, it's not giving up, it's allowing yourself to relax and enjoy your wedding!



I want you to enjoy your wedding!



With Tons of Love,



Melissa DiStefano

Owner and Lead Planner

MasterPiece Weddings

Wedding Planner, Gainesville, Florida

{Photo's By: Photography by Rebeca}

One of the sweetest testimonials from one of our all time favorite brides, if you are wondering IF you should hire a wedding planner... or what we as wedding planners do, please read on....



Wait, read on anyway!



One of my dreams finally came true. I'm going to marry my prince. I've waited all this time and wanted this crazy, big, fairy tale, wedding. I've been a bridesmaid 12 times and I know how weddings could be to family and friends. I wanted a wedding weekend without all the stress of making sure everything was done. A friend suggested that I hire a "wedding planner". Being an OCD, control freak, I didn't know how this will work for my personality.



I went to a wedding show in Gainesville and spoke with multiple planners. They all seemed nice but I still had misgivings. I heard about MasterPiece Weddings from various wedding vendors in Gainesville. I looked up MasterPiece Weddings website and was immediately interested in speaking with them in depth.



From the beginning, Melissa and I clicked. She personalized a package to suit me and my personality. She was a blessing and heaven sent. I could tell this was going to be one great relationship. She allowed me to be myself but was also able to reel me in, when it became too much. In her quiet, calm, confident and kind way, she was my calm within the storm.



I thought that I couldn't afford a planner, however knowing what I know now, I couldn't afford not to. I'm sure there were MANY behind the scenes scenarios that Melissa and her gang quietly handled, so that I can have the wedding of my dreams.



Although hiring a planner is an expense that most brides would rather put in their budget as an option (or in my dreams option) , I realized that it should be a must. I actually saved on many expenses because of her advice. I can go on and on about ALL the things MasterPiece Weddings has done for me, my husband and family.



I cannot thank them enough. I am proud and confident to endorse MasterPiece Weddings to MY family and friends. Thank you Melissa for everything and especially the friendship...PRICELESS.



Eiryn (1-24-2009)

I can't work with every bride, everywhere. I know that. But there are some weddings that you think after they leave your office that you just need to work with that couple! And I mean NEED! You totally fall head over heals in love with them.



And that is how it was with Erika and Jeff, I just knew it was destiny. Well, a series of events occured and we couldn't work together. After the wedding, I got word that one of her biggest regrets was that she didn't hire us. That made me sad.



We are friends on Facebook and talk all of the time... and frankly I still love her!



Here's Erika's Story. (In her own words)



We got engaged in June of 2006 & set a date for May 5th 2007. We thought that would be ample time to plan, schedule, re-think, re-plan, & re-schedule, at least a couple of times. The first priority, besides the cake, was the photographer. We were incredibly lucky to get the photographer that I dearly wanted. She immediately recommended that we speak to Melissa {MasterPiece Weddings} for our planning needs, so we made an appointment.







After sitting down with Melissa, it became clear to us that there were a number of things that we need to account for, but at the same time, estimates were starting to come for the catering, the cake, we already had a photography contract to sign, the venue, the church, the dress, the tuxes, shoes, honeymoon, etc. Trust me, it adds up IN A HURRY! We had a limited budget & my husband, who has some OCD tendancies & works with chaos every day as an auditor, assured me that he would be able to coordinate, plan & schedule this gala event without any problems at all. "I've got it under control", he said. So, in the sole interest of saving money, we decided to not hire Melissa.....not our smartest decision.

In the months that followed, chaos turned into outright anarchy. There was the small issue of moving the wedding from Gainesville to St. Augustine for starters. Flowers, DJ's, and bridesmaids, Oh my....

Whenever we thought we had a handle on something, Murphy's law was there to slap us on the backside. We had wine labels done, but they were delivered to us & not the winery, so my husband had to drive to Howey in the Hills. It had never occurred to us that we were going to need chairs for the outdoor ceremony.....don't think Melissa would have missed that. We had to get the flowers and the cake to St. Augustine, along with all the dresses and tuxedo's......did I mention that at this point, we were really wishing we had hired Melissa? Then came the big day...

If, for one instant, you think that on the day of your wedding, you will have the time or inclination (there are mimosa's to drink) to meet with all the vendors as they arrive or that they will telepathically know where you want everything set up, you are kidding yourself, trust me, I learned the hard way. We were very fortunate to have am incredible photographer and florist that stepped up to the plate and took control, right when we about to lose it! There is no amount of self planning that can take the place of a talented, experienced, & caring wedding planner like Melissa. When we renew our vows at our 50th, there is no question that Melissa will be running the show.....put it in your blackberry right now Melissa, May 5, 2057....it's the easiest and sanest decision you'll make leading up to your big day.



Need I say more?



{Got it!! You are in the Blackberry}



Photo's By: Caroline Johnson

{source}

There is a lot of controversy going around as to hire or not to hire someone to help you on your wedding day… and I wonder why.

Let me clarify, we are a wedding planning company in Gainesville, Florida. That is what we do…that’s all we do. Full Planning. Day Of. We’ll plan anything, anywhere. Anything on the Planet we can Plan It! But I digress.



Why do you need a Day of Coordinator, Month of Coordinator- whatever you call it… someone to help you on the day of or month of your wedding. You have your wedding planned, your contracted with all of your wedding vendors. Now what? You don't want your mom or Bestie to be running around making sure your details are handled....



• Who is going to organize your wedding day, create your schedule for the day of your wedding, go over your contracts, make sure you and your fiancé – your mom can be guests at your party!



• Who is going to open the door for you right before you walk down the aisle… hint – NOT your mom, she’s already seated.



• Who is going to take care of THAT drunk guest at your wedding, that just so happens to be a prominent judge and is making a fool of himself and pulling down his pants on the dance floor – hint, NOT your mom!



• Who is going to inform your caterer that they didn’t include the green beans on the buffet, or make sure your 2 Vegan guests can't be served a vegetarian meal… hint- NOT your mom!



I know you said that your fiancé can be the “point” man for your wedding day, but really, when it comes time to cut the cake, and you want 20 more minutes to mingle with your friends before, is he going to stop mingling to inform the caterer, the photographer, the videographer, the DJ or Band that you need more time, because by the time he does that, you’ll need another 40 minutes. Because he just wasted 20 informing everyone.



That’s our job, we do all of that and SO MUCH more, really… it’s worth the money…. I promise!



Does that make more sense as to what a wedding planner will be doing on the day of your wedding?

{Life Long Studios}

We are going to call this week, Wedding Planner Week!



Soooo, without further ado, welcome to Wedding Planner Week! We are going to dedicate this whole week to all questions, myths and regrets about Wedding Planners! Brides are going to be weighing-in quite honestly about why they did or didn't hire a wedding planner, and how they feel about it now.



But let's start with what exactly a wedding planner does, and why it could or should be helpful to hire one.



A wedding planner should be there as much or as little as you need help with. If you are struggling with your caterer and need help getting your contract straight, it is our job to step in and help YOU! That is the bottom line, we are there to help you!



We are also there on the day of your wedding to make sure you don't have to worry if your flowers are the wrong shade of pink or the wrong color all together. And at your reception you don't have your caterer, DJ, photographer, videographer and who ever else asking you as the bride, the same questions, we play interference! You wont' have worry about a thing!



So, welcome to Wedding Planning Week, I hope you enjoy it!

Dear Parents of the Bride (and/or Groom),



I am so excited your daughter (or son) is getting married! This is just such a fantastic time in your family's lives! Along with this joy comes the over-whelming feeling of -ACK! We have to plan a wedding! And those things are expensive. I know that weddings seem like an astronomical expense and it’s hard to fathom spending that kind of money on a party. But let’s talk about where that money typically goes so that you can get a good feel for how much things cost and why.



Because frankly, I don’t think that the bride wants the local grocery store to do her flowers, or Cousin Marvin with a really nice camera to take her pictures. I like to say that there are 5 F’s to a wedding: Food, Flowers, Foto’s, Fashion and Fun. Those are the biggies, and after that, everything else is cake. (Pun is intended).



Food: Food costs are typically 50% of your budget, that’s what you eat and where you are eating it. So if you your budget is $30,000, that’s $15,000 for food and venue.



Are you with me so far?



Flowers: This amount absolutely depends on both the total budget and what the bride wants. Some brides want a TON of flowers, others really don’t care for them, or their venue is a garden then you really don’t need them. But typically the flowers are about 10% to 15% of the total budget. So going back to the $30,000, that’s between $3,000 and $4500. Keeping in mind that this accounts for all the bouquets, corsages, and centerpieces.



Still with me?



Foto’s: I know its spelled wrong, but it goes with the 5 F’s, so deal with it. This is a hard area to comprehend. Good photography is expensive. Professional Photography is not expensive it’s priceless! I personally didn’t have a professional photographer and look what I ended up with. But anyway, back to what I was saying. You can hire a photographer for $1500, but what you may end up getting, grainy images, out of focus, no album (and really, why would you want one with a bunch of crappy pictures of their wedding) and I am not saying that all $1500 photographers are bad, but buyer beware.



Photography, good, Professional Photography should start about $3000-$3500 (and could go up to more than $5500). And you will have amazing images. Depending on your area of the country photography could start higher or lower. Photography should be 15%-20% of your budget.



Fashion: This is for the dress, what the bride wears, since typically the grooms tux is complimentary from your Tuxedo Boutique. The Brides dress is usually 5%-10% of the budget.



Are you still there?



Fun: This would be the entertainment, and this would also typically take 2-5% of the budget. The band or DJ would come out of this percentage. Depending on your area, a DJ on average is about $100+ per hour per person attending the job, so if you have 2 DJ’s then the price would typically be $175-$200 per hour.



And really, the rest is cake, and some miscellaneous items, invitations, a wedding planner…really an extra 20%-25% of miscellaneous stuff.



Okay, so that’s more than 100% but you get the point. I hope this makes more sense to you, I know that planning a party for 200 of your closest friends and family is not something you do every day.



Trust me, I know that. And if you need help planning, a professional wedding planner is a good idea. We can at least get you started on the hard stuff, go over contracts, make sure you aren’t making any decisions you’d regret.



Let us help you. Really it’s okay.



With love! And Happy Planning!



Melissa

Professional Wedding Planning Guru

Owner | Lead Planner MasterPiece Weddings

MasterPiece Weddings is thrilled to announce that we will be hosting another Wedding Planning Certification Course this October 3-4, 2009 at the fabulous Golden Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club. Check out Be a Planner for more information and the rest of the details.

We are thrilled and excited to announce the official re-launch of our sister site, Be a Planner. As you may have noticed, the logo and site itself recently received a huge overhaul, and we have all kinds of goodies in store for the future of the blog.

Be a Planner will be your one-stop-shop for advice on being in the wedding planning business, planning tips and tricks, and the best planner finds to make Be a Planner a top resource for event professionals.

Think of Be a Planner as the place to go for everything planning-related if you are new to the business, starting out in business, branching out into event planning, or a seasoned Professional. We promise to deliver educational information in a format that is easy to understand and we will offer real life advice.

So, if you are a planner, are thinking of becoming a planner, or have ever wanted to be a planner make sure you bookmark us!

Thrilled to announce that Be a Planner will be offering another certification class in July in Gainesville, Florida. The class will be held July 25-26, 2009 from 8AM-5PM both days at the beautiful Sweetwater Branch Inn. 

This class is a two day course, basically it is a very intense, but enjoyable, two days filled with everything you need to know about planning an event. It is like having a degree in event planning with a major in wedding planning. We feel that you could walk out of the class with enough knowledge to plan and direct a wedding on your own, or for a company without a second thought. And if you are already in the industry it will give you the credentials as well as some of the tricks to the trade including how to work with a difficult client and how to meet and exceed the needs of your current clients.

It is a fun weekend, filled with tons of information that will be super valuable to you whether or not you decide to pursue a career in this industry. We talk about how to handle those simple but unique details to suit even the most extravagant requests, the proper way to cut a wedding cake, how to dress a bride, working with vendors, how to acquire contacts, how to receive referrals, how to work with a client, how to acclimate to new location, how to start a business, and A LOT MORE! This course has been approved through the Department of Education, and we are very excited to bring it back to Gainesville.

So please don't hesitate to contact us at info {at} MasterPieceWeddings {dot} net for more information and to join us in the fun!

I probably should be posting this on Be A Planner, but since that is on a break until after Let's Eat Cake! I am going to post it here, for all the world to seeeeee!



I am so excited to be attending Eventology! I've been in this business for over 14 years, and you are never too knowledgable to stop educating yourself. Things change, the way to market yourself changes, the way you do business changes. You are never tooooo good at what you do, and the moment you think you are... well, you should consider doing something else.



So, in April, I will be headed to Indianapolis for Eventology! In case you haven't heard about it, here's a quick blip, but check out the website for more information....

*****************

Three highly successful and renowned wedding planners will be discussing their insight and perspective on how to create and cultivate a prosperous wedding business.





Chat with Saundra Hadley of planning. . .forever events on How to Close the Deal: Sales Methods for the Wedding Industry.



Discuss how to Turn Brides into Fans: Nurturing Your Relationships with Clients with Terrica Skaggs of Fabuluxe, Inc. and iWed: International Network of Wedding Designers.



Lastly, learn how to Leverage Your Brand to Reach Today's Bride: Marketing in a Post-Modern World with Liene Stevens of Blue Orchid Designs and The Smart Planner.



You do not want to miss this educational and networking workshop! Gain expertise and insight on running a successful wedding business, as the reality is if you're not running a profitable business, it's just one big expensive hobby.