The Wedding Connection by Tobey Dodge

08/22/2016

A pretty luncheon at BIZBASH LA

07/27/2016

How to beat the heat on event days! Every year I did weddings outside during the summer, I would say a little prayer for my bride and groom asking for a temperate day, so everyone could enjoy the wedding day whether attending or working the event. It might be viewed as a selfish prayer. I wasn't praying for world peace or ending hunger or poverty for sure. I just know after all the cost, effort, hopes and dreams of all involved, that sometimes you can get hit with such a hot day, that the function of all services can be at risk. Even paper umbrellas, misting machines, fans, waiting to begin the ceremony or activities until an hour before sunset can't guarantee a bearable temperature because so many hours of set up are required in the sun for those six hours of enjoyment later. I've employed extra staff and had them work fewer hours to safe guard their health and stamina. Drinking 8 oz. of water each hour working in heat helps keep the body hydrated. I wanted to share a secret that has kept me and my staff and any bridal party cooler during those intense periods of heat. It's called "Be Kool" soft gel sheets. You keep the box of four sheets in a refrigerator before use. They are large enough to put on the back of your neck, around your wrists, on your chest or forehead and it works like an instant cold blast. They can last up to 8 hours. The cold patch adheres to your skin on a flat area. You might need a large rubber band to keep one sheet around your wrist because of movement, but these gel pads really work. They will even lower a fever. Go to www.kobayashihealthcare.com to order for find a retail outlet. Keep Kool Now:):)

07/09/2016

With today's frenetic pace of mobile communication, returning a call within 24 hours just doesn't do it anymore. One of my colleagues Provenzano Kurtz of and Company makes it her daily mission to return everycall by the end of the day, no matter what is going on. Her dedication and responsiveness makes such a difference to her clients but also to her bottom line. Eventhough most brides and grooms use texting, instant messaging, etc. etc. for preferred ways of keeping in touch, Gianna treats those telephone calls as golden and she is totally right. Those moments when you can actuallly hear the other person's voice and get a chance to build a greater rapport with a potential client or ongoing relationship with an event service are invaluable. I have to admit, my fingers aren't so nimble as I would like when it comes to texting, but having the chance to at leave a message in response to a call, at least lets the person know you care and wanted to be responsive to their inquiry and questions.

07/02/2016

Holiday weekend weddings are a mixed blessing. Most wedding professionals smile when they realize that national holiday weekends will be filled with lots of weddings. That means consistent bankable money.

Often times, families with special events like a wedding book holiday weekends far in advance giving event services
a lot of advance notice so they can alter their own holiday plans in enough time to still enjoy a portion of the weekend, or at least take it easy after a long event.

If you are an event service, you can always put aside a holiday weekend for your family and pass on doing a wedding, event if you would have to pass on the income.

I think the only down side or challenges come when some of the holiday weekends cause hotel room space to be gobbled up far in advance and expenses seem to rise on the labor side of services on these primo weekends.

However, the holiday weekend events even with the added crowds and actual or immagined shortages, gives families and friends a long time together to celebrate, reminise, and plant new seeds of friendship.

So get out there with plenty of sunscreen and have fun, work, and enjoy!!

03/30/2016

IF you are standing still in your business, you are going backward! That phrase was told to me many years ago and it still rings true today. At first I took that to mean, if you don't keep getting new clients and expanding your business, eventually your current clients and connections will go by the wayside and your pool of contacts will diminish, resulting in a smaller client base. That is true, but there is so much for to the saying if you apply it to what is happening in business today.

Every industry goes through cycles as does our national economy. If you want to stay in business for a long time, you soon learn that getting more clients isn't the only thing that has to keep expanding. Knowledge about your industry, both in technical advances and methods of servicing your clients keeps changing too. Staying current with the methods of electronic communication and techniques in marketing are just a couple of areas of importance in keeping afloat down the ever changing business streams toward business success.

There are algorithms galore for finding out all kinds of trends, answering the burning questions of why people buy what they do and how to make the most of their marketing dollars etc, etc.

My advice, find out what you are best at in your chosen field, practice until you are a master, pick one other skill you are interested in getting better at that has value for your clients and get educated and practice that until you are a master, and keep going, never stop learning and make it fun, really! IF you need a little shove once in awhile to make those moves, find great mentors and they will support you and guide you in your endeavors.

I was so lucky to have Pat Conaway as my first mentor. Pat helped me realize I was in a business of service and the importance of giving service was an honorable position. My Uncle Seymour helped me with interview styles and how to present myself in a personable and professional manner. Gary Gursey, gave me the extra level of confidence I needed when I wanted to work with full service brides.

There have been many special people in my life that guided me and gave me their sage advice. The best part, I listened to what they said, and it really made a positive difference.

03/15/2016

Are wedding shows all that they are cracked up to be for meeting and booking future clients? Well that depends! I've taken a page from the guru of wedding shows Chris Evans by telling you that it all depends on what you are focusing on. Chris so wisely instructs wedding services to focus on getting the appointment to talk to a bride and groom, not worrying about booking a wedding on the day of the wedding show. He couldn't be more correct.

Most brides and grooms want to meet as many services as they can, get information whether dropped into their goodie bags or take snapshots of everything they like and go from there. It's a challenge sometimes to get someone to come closer than ten feet from your table or booth.

This past Saturday, I was a part of the Brookside Golf Club Wedding Show. I found myself scooping up brides and grooms as far away as 20 feet in open territory since I was out on the patio where brides and grooms were munching on appetizers from the club at high top tables enjoying the golf course view.

I did try and be respectful and waited until their small plates were empty or they were not in deep conversations, before I approached them. I smiled and said something that just popped into my head, like I'm looking for a brave bride. Are you a brave bride?

How those words flowed from my mouth, I haven't a clue, but I actually said that. I think I took this bride by surprise and she stepped up to the challenge and said, I think I'm brave. I asked the bride if she would be willing to take an assessment online of six questions with eight responses to find out what level of assistance her personality, life style, and personal priorities would reveal. She said OK. I told her it would take about 10 minutes to take the assessment and read the results.

She became very focused while looking at the questions, concentrating on their meaning and sure enough had a couple of chuckles while reading the last few questions. When she submitted her responses, it only took about 10 seconds to find out what level of assistance she needed followed by an explanation of what that level of service entails.

She smiled and said, wow, this is dead on. I can't believe it. I was overjoyed and she was open to hearing more from me about what she might consider in the way of locations and the type of wedding day that would make her less stressed out and really have fun.

In essence, I had created a good rapport without selling her anything, and she said she would be happy to meet a wedding coordinator that I would suggest to her. I was so pleased with her response, I gave her a free download of my book "The Other Side of The Aisle". Mission accomplished.

02/10/2016

Sometimes hearing horror stories from site reps and catering managers gets me thinking. Everyone wants a good value for their money. Couples comb the internet, location vendor lists, and cross examine their best friends to make sure their investigative time is well spent and worthwhile to get the best value for their dollar without sacrificing the character and style they want to achieve for their special day.

I think we can all agree that there are a few wedding services that stand out as carrying a heavy load of responsibility for a great reception. The musical entertainment really sets the tone and the energy for the evening.

Making sure a couple has selected the right band or DJ is pivotal in making sure everyone has a great time. It's helpful to get recommendations from friends, listen to site managers when they tell you what companies are popular and keep everyone dancing all night.

At the risk of sounding self serving here, the most accurate way to determine if the service is right for a client is to ask someone that is schooled in working with DJ's and bands from the service side. Meaning a seasoned wedding coordinator who has worked with many different types of DJ's or entertainment specialists.

There are critical skills of an MC or band leader that may easily be missed initially by an engaged couple. Is the entertainment company's method of getting the attention of the gathering sound like a teacher telling students to sit down or are they classy and subtle in their approach. Does the MC/DJ hold a piece of paper in the air and read the wedding party members names during the grand entrance or have they taken the time to memorize the names to help the flow of the event go smoothly. I know this sounds picky, but I have seen great musicians and fun DJ's lose their effectiveness when they are not fully prepared.

Lets face it, most party attendee and their hosts want to see everyone on the dance floor as much as possible. The bride and groom aren't thinking about the kitchen having to postpone the service of the main course because the DJ isn't respecting the timing of food service and just wants to keep the energy of the event going as long as possible. A delicate balance has to be met between the needs and desires of the client without jeopardizing the flow and ability for all the event services to be able to do their jobs and perform at the highest level possible.

Forming a cohesive,cooperative, and professional wedding team is the best insurance for a spectacular event! Lets all gear up for an amazing wedding season for 2016:)

12/12/2015

How to keep tabs on finances without spoiling the glow of getting engaged! These Winter months bring the promise of many wedding dreams. To keep the joy and excitement in planning, it's best to create as soon as possible a rough budget based on your priorities and taste.
Here is a quick method for dividing up the resources you have before finding sites and services or purchasing a gown.
1. Mark down your priorities from top to bottom. Figure you have at least10 slots to fill among ceremony and reception sites, gown, food&beverage, entertainment, flowers, invitations , photography, video, and coordinator.
2. Put 50% of your resources into the top 3 items
3. Put 40% of your resources into the next 7 items
4. Put 10% of your resources into the final items if needed such as parking, transportation, insurance, bridal party gifts, overnight accommodations, tips for services, unexpected extra guests, etc.

Here is a helpful hint on the proportion of spending. Most couples allocate money for food and beverage as part of the top three priorities due to natural cost of these items. IF you have other items that are more important than food and beverage to you, it's best to look at the minimum requirements of a site's food and beverage before putting money down on the space. The minimums once you add in service fees and taxes may exceed your proportional allotment of money if food and beverage is lower on your scale of priorities:).

Just this quick outline of expenses will stop you from spending too much initially on a site without knowing all the extra costs associated with table top items, rentals, lighting, etc. You might feel a little frustrated at first if your dollars aren't stretching as far as you would like them to, but it is far better to get an idea of where to put your money first, before finding you have spent a big chunk of your money on a couple of items and leave yourselves short on many others.
Happy Planning!

09/07/2015

Details, details, how to stay on top of them when planning a wedding:
Whether you are a bride or wedding planner, you are always focused on making sure the smallest detail will be perfect. I learned how to avoid missing items from a veteran caterer and event producer Scola. He suggested to make a map of the table top by sketching all the items that will be on the table, buffet, and ceremony table if that applies too. By having the sketch with you, you can check the drawing against the rental list and make sure you have ordered the different size glasses, silverware, plates etc. needed for the entire meal before the wedding day. It's a simple idea, and I can tell you from personal experience I have caught some missing items this way. I will always be grateful to Charlie for his wisdom and experience.

08/29/2015

It's here! Tobey Dodge's well-anticipated book, "The Other Side of the Aisle: Reflections on life, love, and the business of brides" is available at Amazon.com!

Find out what life is really like for a real-life wedding planner who found her serendipitous way into business for herself and got over a failed marriage to finding success and love along the way while sharing the lessons learned for the benefit of future wedding couples and their families. You ...

06/17/2015

Today I listened to wedding ceremony pod cast with Hufft and Reynolds. They are great officiates and always have entertaining and insightful things to say on their weekly pod casts. JP was relating a story about a mother of the bride that just couldn't help herself from critiquing and worrying about everything, even the height of a screen behind the officiate. In my opinion, her preoccupation with everything prevented her from living in the moment and most likely she only had a visual memory of the wedding day without any significant authentic emotional connection to her family and friends. It's a good lesson for all of us to trust the people who have been entrusted to make things happen on the wedding day for everyone.