Wedding FALL 2020 Planner MAGAZINE Inspired by the Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC) LATINX TRADITIONS PUBLICITY FOR YOUR THE IMPORTANCE OF BUSINESS DURING A MENTORSHIPS SLOW SEASON WEDDINGS IN THE TIME OF INDIAN WEDDINGS COVID DESTINATION WEDDINGS ARE UNIQUE AT ONLY ONE STUNNING PERSONALIZED RESORTS CERTIFIED WEDDING A DAY OUTDOOR VENUES WEDDING EXPERT FOR WEDDINGS LACOLECCIONRESORTS.COM #LACOLECCIONWEDDINGS CANCÚN • CHETUMAL • COZUMEL • LOS CABOS PUERTO VALLARTA • PUNTA CANA • SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINE Fall 2020 Issue FEATURES REAL WEDDINGS IN EVERY ISSUE 9 COVID Precautions 7 Canada 5 Letter 14 Publicity During A Light Event Season 11 Italy 6 Contributors 20 Mentorships 12 Ask the Masters 24 California 22 Latinx Wedding Traditions 16 ABC News 27 Puerto Rico 25 Indian Weddings 18 Industry Best Practices WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINE 3 fly away letter from the staff PUBLISHER David Wood , the world is not back to normal. As we wrap up 2020 EDITOR However as an industry, we are strong, smart, and will come Robyn Bruns, MWP™ CREATIVE DIRECTOR out even better after these difficult times. This issue is a cele- Jessica English CWP™ bration of weddings, wedding planners, and those they serve. CONTRIBUTORS Read about how younger planners are thriving because of Meghan Ely Veronica Foster mentorship, learn PR tips on how to get featured (even when Mark Kingsdorf you aren’t doing any weddings), and how planners are imple- Tara Steele menting safe weddings right now! We also dive into the trends JoAnn Moore around Indian and Latinx weddings from experts. Our real wedding features from Italy, California, Canada, and Puerto PHOTOGRAPHERS Willow and Wolf Wedding Photography Rico, will inspire as we end this year and prepare for a new Imma Di Lillo year. Jesart Photography Lindsay & Jonah Long ABC CORPORATE SALES All our best, David Wood TRAVEL/CVB SALES David Wood Wedding Planner Magazine is published quarterly by the Association of Bridal Consultants, 632 Federal Road, STE 2, Brookfield, CT 06804. Phone 860-355-7000. E-Mail: [email protected]. Visit: WeddingPlannerMag.com. Copyright 2011 Association of Bridal Consultants. David M. Wood, All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be repro- Robyn Bruns, MWP™ Jessica English, CWP™ Publisher/President, Editor Creative Director Association of Bridal Consultants duced without written permission from the publishers. Wedding Planner Magazine does not necessarily endorse the claims or contents of advertising or editorial material. Printed in the U.S.A. © Lindsay and Jonah Long Wedding Planner Magazine ISSN 2160-3286 is published quarterly by The Association of Bridal Consultants LLC, 632 Federal Road, STE 2, Brookfield, CT 06804. Circulation is 4,000. Advertising is accepted; corporate ABC members receive a discount on rates. Annu- al subscriptions are $59.75. Periodical postage paid at La Crosse, WI and at Eau Claire, WI. Postmaster send changes to Association of Bridal Consultants, 632 Federal Road, STE 2, Brookfield, CT 06804. WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINE 5 JoAnn Moore, MWP™, Mark Kingsdorf, MWP™ Meghan Ely is the own- has a passion for is the owner of Wedding er of wedding PR and helping couples plan Ghost, a ghost blog- wedding marketing their dream wedding ging and web content firm OFD Consulting. celebrations and has company working Ely is a sought-after been described by exclusively with wedding speaker, adjunct her peers as a true professionals. He is one professor in the field of wedding guru. JoAnn of 57 Master Wedding public relations, and is based in both the Planners in the world, a self-professed royal Rocky Mountain re- a Certified Same Sex wedding enthusiast. On gions of Colorado to the Sierra Mountains Wedding Specialist, founder of Philadel- page 14 she provides advice on garnering in Northern Nevada and California, and phia’s “The Queen of Hearts Wedding Con- publicity for your business during a tough travels throughout the country for her cli- sultants”, and has been a contributor to The event season, and on page 22 she discuss- ents. JoAnn is a Master Wedding Planner Emily Post Institute, as well as major industry es Latinx wedding traditions. and Certified Green Wedding Planner. She publications and conferences. On page 20 is also the author of “Laughing All the Way he explains the importance of mentorships. to the Altar,” and both an industry and inspirational speaker. JoAnn is married to Tara Steele is a South her Fire Chief Husband Charlie Moore and Asian wedding expert has five amazing adult kids. Read her pre- with over a decade cautions for planning COVID-19 weddings of experience in the on page 9. wedding and event industry. She is the CEO and creative director behind Tara Nicole Weddings, a wedding and event planning company recognized for their creative designs, exceptional service, and deep understanding of combining South Asian traditions with American culture. She shares her expertise about Indian weddings on page 25. ABC DIRECTOR LISTING ABC Office WHO'S WHO President, David M. Wood III 1.860.355.7000, fax 1.203.775.0037, www.BridalAssn.com, 632 Federal Road - Suite 2, Director of State Managers, Brookfield, CT 06804. IN THE ABC? Beverly Ann Bonner, APR, MWP™ [email protected] Social Media Director of Outreach, Veronica Foster, MWP™ www.facebook.com/AssocBridalConsultants/ [email protected] Director of Annual Conferences, ABC CODE OF ETHICS Our ABC members agree to: Carmen Mesa, MWP™ • represent each client fairly and honestly, [email protected] providing all agreed-to services in a timely and Director of Ethnic Diversity, Lois Pearce, MWP™ cost-efficient manner. [email protected] • establish reasonable and proper fees for services Director of Education, Shelby Tuck-Horton, MWP™ and provide written estimates to each client. [email protected] • use honest, factual advertising. • deal with employees and clients fairly, in an Manager of Operations, Elayne Anderson unbiased manner. [email protected] • disclose to clients any payments received from Membership Services, Annemarie Steiner suppliers. [email protected] • operate an establishment that is a credit to the community. 6 WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINE REAL WEDDING | CANADA GORGEOUS, SNOWY WEDDING IN THE MOUNTAINS OF CANADA PLANNER: Alexandra Slawek, COLOR PALETTE: Navy, gold and plan. We had an idea in our heads PWP™, Boutiq Weddings & Events green but the room was not big enough to fit our plan. So we had to put the TIME IN INDUSTRY: 10 years NUMBER OF STAFF: 3 band and the dance floor in the ad- jacent room (we had the partitions LOCATION: Calgary, Alberta, PLANNING TIME: 9 months open) and it worked out really well. Canada THE COUPLE: Chantal and Ryan KEY LEARNINGS: I learned how the PHOTOGRAPHER: Willow and Wolf were very involved in all the plan- new vendors I worked with operated Wedding Photography ning. Chantal wanted beautiful de- and what their expectations are. I cor and Ryan wanted a good band. learned how the venue operates OTHER BUSINESS INVOLVED: Both desires were realized. They which will be very helpful for future DeeVine Petals, The Malcolm Hotel, both wanted decor that was simple weddings I may have at The Mal- Mountain Event Rentals, Sweet Re- yet elegant and that is exactly what colm Hotel. lief Pastries, Weddings by Tamara, they got. Side One Entertainment, Lilies and UNIQUE DESIGN ELEMENT: The Lace Beauty Co, TM Artistry PLANNING INSPIRATION: We were wedding arch and the centerpieces. inspired by the room, because the WEDDING DATE: 1/25/2020 ceiling is so high, we needed very tall centerpieces. The candles add- GUEST COUNT AND BUDGET: 140, ed a lot of warmth to the room. $40,000 BIGGEST CHALLANGE: The biggest SET UP AND STRIKE: 3 hours problem we had was the seating WEDDING PLANNER MAGAZINE 7 WHERE FAMILIES FIND FOREVER Becoming family may begin in a single moment, a Wedding Concierge that takes care of it all while but when you’re at Beaches® Resorts, forever finds you enjoy even more paradise, this is the perfect itself everywhere — spanning endless white sands, place to start it all — together forever. limitless diversions, stunning accommodations and beyond. Whether you’re embarking on a new chapter with just your closest loved ones or a party of soon-to- be relatives, the big day you’ve always dreamed of is waiting. From Customizable Wedding décor 1-877-BEACHES inspirations that create unforgettable backdrops to BEACHES.COM/WEDDINGS Beaches® is a registered trademark. Unique Vacations, Inc. is an affiliate of Unique Travel Corp., the worldwide representative of Beaches Resorts. 6533/0720 Contributing Photographers: Lin & Jirsa Photography and James Anthony Photography. FEATURE | COVID WEDDINGS COVID-19 BEST PRACTICES FOR WEDDINGS I have worked in several counties and states during the Covid-19 pandemic, planning wedding celebrations and events. Here are a few of the suggestions I would recommend. 1. Know the state and county requirements related to your event with updated Covid re- quirements and restrictions. They may change weekly. At a recent event, I discovered the host- ing venue had no idea of their own county’s restrictions and regulations and they were clearly making decisions that could put attendees at risk. 2. I found building a comparison between various counties and between several states made for a useful tool to plan event, working through the details and safety protocols of each event. The requirements differed between states and counties. I found myself using requirements for COVID-19 from several jurisdictions to add a little layer of protection, and sometimes, com- mon sense. Staying on top of recommendations and expert advice from across the country was helpful working in one state to the other. 3. I worked closely with my couples to inform them of all the important information they needed to know about the regulations to have a safe event.