What being a Certified Wedding Planner means to me.... and You!
To get to the point where I tell you what being a CERTIFIED planner means to me AND you, I first have to tell you how I got there. Bear with me a moment while I head back to the archives of my life... I was the little girl who just HAD to have a birthday cake for Glenn Henry (my beloved cabbage patch) and Silver, my toy poodle (like the real kind of toy poodle - the one that barks and does real-life functions) whenever I decided it was their birthdays which may or may not have been multiple times per year... dog years, ya know! My dad would go to 7-11 (most likely because my mom told him to do it) and buy an Entenmann's Fudge Iced Golden Cake. When he returned, we'd have the grandest birthday celebration any Cabbage Patch or beloved precious pup had ever dreamed of having. At least that's how it was in my mind. And there were the times when I would put on my best church dress just to have dinner in the kitchen with my family because why be plain when you can be fancy.
Then, as I grew up, the realist in me did, too. I had to make a living. I had to have a "real job" and do real things that real people do. I worked for 20+ years in logistics, supply chain, accounting, and corporate planning roles. It took a couple decades, but I finally saw the writing on the wall.... Event Planning was my thing! It was what I was meant to do. It's where I came alive. I believe that all the times that I transformed my home to complete my daughters' birthday themes or went "over the top" with Christmas & summer gatherings or rearranged my home complete with new floors simply so my sister-in-law could have the perfect bridal suite were God's way of nudging me in the direction my life should go.
So again, I'm a realist, right? That didn't go away when I decided to acknowledge the creative side of my brain. As soon as I had made the decision to head in the direction of being an event planner, I decided I needed something that would be some kind of qualification, some sort of "degree". I did my research and I determined that the best thing I could do was to become certified through The Bridal Society. TBS is the nation's leading wedding planning certification program and attracts attendees from all over the world. This is no little club, people. TBS is over 4,000 members strong and holds its members to the highest standard in the industry.
What does that mean to me? It means that I am connected daily to 4,000 of the best, most professional and sought out planners IN THE WORLD. Within TBS, there is no mantra accepted other than community over competition. Everyone shares ideas, support and methods to help one another along. Monthly, I have access to continuing education online courses, and as a Diamond Member, a standing call with the President & Owner of TBS, Laurie Hartwell, who has been named the "Most Helpful Mentor" at the National WEDDI AWARDS and planned weddings for celebrities and other elite clientele. Yearly, I can attend an alumni retreat where all the members come together to learn more about the wedding industry, grow together as wedding planners and business owners, and further establish TBS as the elite society it is. At this retreat, we are educated on the upcoming trends from industry experts from The Knot, Kleinfeld Bridal Party, Aisle Planner, BBJ Linen, Timeline Genius and so many more.
There is simply not a wedding topic that you could throw at me that would leave this team of planners stumped. Collectively, we've seen it all and want to help one another produce the best weddings in the world. It seems like daily there are more and more people who have just said "I do" who claim to be wedding planners. Simply planning one wedding with one design, one group of vendors, and in one venue, with no client to other than one's self cannot make one a wedding planner. Being certified, tested, and proven, I can say that I am truly a wedding planner qualified to handle any wedding of any budget in any venue with any overall look and feel.
Now I know you would really like to know what this all means to you. Well, it means that you get the best. Through me, you have access to the planners and industry experts I spoke of above. You get a vetted list that I created of wedding professionals who are held to my standards and the standards of TBS. You have a planner educated to help you design and plan your wedding on trend with your story always at the forefront within your budget. You have a qualified professional whose main goal is to make your wedding planning process as straight-forward, fun, practical, and stress-free as possible. I can guide you through any sticky family situation and let you know that you aren't alone. I will always be interested in your ideas and your dreams. You will arrive at your wedding day knowing all the tasks have been done and all the details sorted by someone who chose this line of work because she wanted to make other's best days, even better. She's aware of the amount of work that will go into making that day perfect and ready for the task.
Looking back, I know that the story about my doll and my dog symbolizes the moments that my parents put everything I wanted above anything else. I take their example into each of the weddings I plan for my clients. I remember how sweet that Entenmann's cake tasted simply because we were enjoying together what was to me such an important moment. I make sure each part of your wedding day is just as special.
If you want professional, certified help making your day the best, contact me at Billie@BestDayEverEventPlanning.com, www.BDEWeddings.com, or contact me on social: www.facebook.com/events.bestdayever, www.Instagram.com/bestdayever_weddings, www.Pinterest.com/BestDayEver17
If there are any wedding planning topics you'd like me to explore on the blog, let me know!
~Billie
