This post is the fifth of a recap series about a meeting of the Las Vegas Wedding Network. Seven brides spoke and answered questions about their wedding planning experience.
There comes a point for many brides where they become overwhelmed. For all the excitement and possibilities, when a bride begins to realize that she has lost control of the wedding day, it’s scary, upsetting, and potentially devastating.
You can hear that emotion from a newlywed who starts her sentence with… “If I had it to do again…”
There probably are not many brides out there who wouldn’t change something, if they could do it over. The issues are really these:
- Were you able to enjoy the day?
- Were you able to interact with your family and guests?
- Did you have to endure unnecessary family drama?
- Were the problems that came up, or mistakes that occurred, avoidable? If so, how?
- Were those problems or mistakes minor, or major, magnitude?
The surprising consensus, to me (and I’m sure many others in the audience), was NOT that bride’s admitted that they would have been well served by a wedding consultant…. but, that they didn’t realize everything that a wedding consultant could do for them.
SOUNDS LIKE A BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY!!
In a presentation I made last September, at the Wedding MBA, I extolled the virtues of competent, well-trained wedding consultants. I sincerely believe that the process of wedding planning has become too complex and overwhelming for a one-time bride. There is too much information, too many choices, and too many ways to run off the rails in a big way.
Whether a bride is looking for a wedding consultant to carry out her vision, or lend more design ideas to the day, from my view, prevent really bad mistakes is the biggest value of a neutral party.
More than one bride expressed that their family members and wedding party had become a handful or worse. They voiced, to a one, that having that delegating some of the wrangling to a wedding consultant would have freed them up to enjoy themselves, and leave the drama behind.
My conclusion: This is a public relations and education issue that, if conquered, should translate into more work for qualified wedding consultants.
There are now many organizations, associations, and institutions of higher learning training and certifying wedding consultants. Exactly what are they doing to educate the public? The various wedding entertainment shows have their place. Inspiration, mainly. However, entertainment is not a substitute for education of the public by the organizations that train wedding consultants.
THAT would appear to be the challenge from this panel’s observations, and others, AND the professional opinions of many wedding professionals.
Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Authority
Great post Andy! I especially appreciate the comments regarding family members who ‘become a handful’. I really feel for brides who have to deal with family drama on their wedding day; I’ve seen it happen and it can be absolutely heartbreaking.
Elisa