Weddings can be overwhelming, especially for prospective consultants. Part One will get you on the right track and get you thinking logically and systematically about "how to" plan a wedding, professionally.
INTRODUCTION:
OVERVIEW: We at the American Academy of Wedding Professionals™ know that experience is the best teacher when it comes to weddings. We also feel that the wedding-planning information provided to our readers and members should be tried-and-true information, with strategies that work because they're based on years of training and experience.
We also feel that the information we give our readers should be thoroughly researched, and that the author of our course should have strong credentials and be nationally published. We also feel that contact with the wedding industry's top players is essential. Deborah McCoy wrote our course because she possesses these unique qualifications. She is a hands-on wedding consultant with over 15 years experience in all facets of the wedding industry, who has helped brides from all socio-economic levels plan their dream weddings.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: Why the wedding-planning education, experience and expertise that's offered to you in a wedding-planning course is so critical to YOUR success.
CAUTION: Always examine the credentials of the person who wrote the course before purchase. Make sure the author meets all of the qualifications detailed above.
HOW TO USE AAWP'S ONLINE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM:
OVERVIEW: Because our wedding-planning course is downloadable and online, you can study at your own pace. The manual you'll receive is approximately 430 pages. You may store it in your computer or print it out. Either way, the text provides you with a comprehensive reference tool that enables you to plan any and all types and kinds of weddings.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: Throughout your career, you will use this text as your "desktop" reference; it will always be there for you. The course is so comprehensive, that we believe it will answer all your questions and if it doesn't? Just E-mail. Online quizzes are provided for each segment of a particular unit so that you can monitor your progress. After you complete the course, you will take the final exam and be on your way to becoming an American Academy of Wedding Professionals™ certified wedding consultant/planner.
WEDDING TIME TABLES:
OVERVIEW:These simple charts schedule your client's weddings for you, step by step, whether you have three months to plan her wedding or one year or more. Just print them out and follow the " "s to successful scheduling. Give a copy to your clients, too, for easy reference.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: How to logically schedule a wedding in a timely sequence.
THE 10 COMMANDMENTS OF ELEGANT WEDDING PLANNING:
OVERVIEW: We at the American Academy of Wedding Professionals™ believe that everyone should be courteous and polite when planning a wedding. We believe that brides and grooms should not go into debt pay for their nuptials. We also believe that our consultants should be respectful of others as should their clients. When we published the "commandments" in our book, The Elegant Wedding and the Budget Savvy Bride, the commandments generated national publicity.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: We provide The 10 Commandments of Elegant Wedding Planning here for our wedding planners/consultants to print out and give to their clients. They are guidelines that benefit us all and they are also available for download on this site.
THINKING OF THE WEDDING: AN OVERVIEW:
OVERVIEW: What's your client's dream for her wedding? Are her fantasies affordable and can you make her dreams come true? And what about coordinating all those vendors and service personnel? It's up to you, the wedding consultant/planner, to bring all these factors together to create that wonder called a wedding. But at the same time, what about the tradition of the bride's family paying for the wedding? (Let's put it six-feet under where it belongs!) And timing, and holiday weddings, and the best way to shop to get the best value for your client's dollar? It sounds overwhelming, but it's not.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: The purpose of this segment is to answer general questions about the complexities of wedding planning and to get you logically focused on the sequence of wedding planning (and the units to come).
BUDGET AND FINANCE:
OVERVIEW: The structuring of a workable, practical budget is a dream come true for a prospective bride and groom, and it's up to you, the wedding planner, to see that they create one that's realistic. A workable budget cuts stress and makes wedding planning an enjoyable experience for a bride, groom and their families, who should not be worrying about finding the right vendor at the right price, or overspending (that's your job)!
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: We'll teach you how to develop a realistic, workable budget with your clients that will make them happy. At the same time, they'll be amazed by your expertise, common sense, and knowledge. Totally inclusive, this budget even includes the preservation of the bride's gown! The "budget table" provided in the course allows you to easily construct a budget with your clients. Just print it out.
THE DOUBLE BUDGET:
OVERVIEW: When it comes to weddings, the budget is critical to its success on all fronts, no doubt about it. But what about time?
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: If a wedding consultant/planner structures her bride's time constructively, her client will be at ease knowing that her every wedding task is efficiently scheduled. (This means that she and her consultant make the best of every working minute.) By properly scheduling time, the bride stays focused and calm and rests easy knowing that she's in the hands of a competent professional. Includes Ralph Nader's 10 Ways To Shaft Yourself As a Consumer.
THE BASICS:
OVERVIEW: Wedding consultants/planners are critical to the success of every wedding.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: Today, weddings cost an average $23,000 and they go up in price every year. People don't blindly make investments, they hire a professional to assist them and today, it's the same with weddings. As we tell our clients, "If you make a mistake planning your wedding, you can't throw another next weekend." Segment also includes information on "seasonal" weddings; properly scheduling and analyzing ceremony and reception site selections; at-home ceremonies and receptions.
THE PROPER STRUCTURE:
OVERVIEW: What makes a wedding formal, semi-formal or informal? This segment examines the basic wedding types and their components.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: It's the wedding-planner/consultant's job to structure her client's wedding according to the formality that she envisions. Includes the "Elegance Index", a simple chart that you can utilize to ensure your client's wedding is exactly the type and style that she envisions. Just download and print out.
THE DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING AND WEDDING BANDS:
OVERVIEW: Rings are the second largest expense of a wedding and most brides in the U.S.A. receive diamond rings when they get engaged.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: This segment traces the history of diamonds, engagement rings and wedding bands. It's lots of fun with lots of trivia.
