The ladies of Illuminated Events recently returned from Wedding MBA in Las Vegas, NV that took place September 14-18, 2015! While there we networked with top wedding professionals, attended seminars on how to better business within the wedding industry and enjoyed fun events hosted by Wedding Wire and The Knot! So much information was shared throughout the week that will be useful throughout the year until we return. Check out what the planners had to say about their experiences this year at Wedding MBA. Jannette says:![]() "My favorite part of wedding MBA was the new bonus workshops, my favorite of which was the floral workshops. As a wedding planner, flowers are a big part of your design and if you aren't familiar with the different types, when they are in season and how they can compliment each other then not only will your design suffer but so will your wallet. If you quote the wrong price for a flower that is not in season, then more than likely you or your bride will have to pay more for it and that isn't good for anyone. The #1 thing I took away from it was how important it is to stay up with the trends. Whether it be with social media, new technology within our industry or just staying on top of the trending color schemes on pantone. If you dont change along with your clientele you can and will lose them. What I'm looking forward to next year is the wedding wire t-shirts! I want to make a quilt/blanket out of my collection! LOL. The giveaways are always fun and I enjoy them all year long." Alissa says:![]() "My favorite part of wedding MBA was the t-shirts! To be able to get six in three days is exciting to say the least. There was an additional fun component for the t-shirts this year as Wedding Wire had the screen printing happening right in front of us. We got to see our shirts made right in front of us! What can I say, I'm a sucker for a free tee. When it comes to my weddings, I'm one of those people that will wake up in the middle of the night and make voice notes to myself of things to do the next day, what to remember, touch ups, people to call, etc. I get stressed behind the scenes so that I can be calm, cool and collected day of. I went to the "stress is optional" seminar with Dana Lin and since I've been back, I've used her method multiple times, and let me tell you, I've eliminated stressful situations. When I come into a stressful situation now I ask myself "Can I remove myself? Change the situation? Or change my way of thinking?" If I can, I do it and viola! Stressful situation, gone. Next year I am most excited to see how the bonus seminars grow and expand. It was great to be a planner, but be able to go to a specialized floral class or learn more about venues, if I chose to. It's great to walk into a room for a floral class and the stage be FULL of flowers or walk into a room and the room be full with planners. It's always exciting to be in a space with thousands of colleagues in the same industry that you can share and expand your horizons/business." Kaylyn says:![]() "This was my first time going to Wedding MBA so I was excited about everything that they had to offer. My favorite part was definitely the workshops and being able to network with wedding pros at both the Wedding Wire and The Knot cocktail hours. I felt really grateful that I was able to go because it was an awesome learning experience this early in my planning career. I met so many established planners and I'm so excited to implement all the advice that they gave me. The #1 thing that I took away from Wedding MBA was that you have to keep up with the millennials. Being one myself, I know that we are all caught up in instant gratification, young/fresh ideas, and making everything an experience for our friends. Something that stuck out to me was that it doesn't matter as much how long you've been in the business... it's all about your social media presence, reviews, and quick responses to clients. Next year, I'm looking forward to attending more seminars about decor and trends. I'm excited to watch the trends we spoke about at Wedding MBA come to life here at our company!"
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When you think of "traditional" wedding ceremonies you probably picture a cute little boy dressed a suit, walking the rings down the aisle... it's usually a son, nephew, close friend or family member that does the honors. However, in recent years, there has been a very creative twist on this old tradition. Some couples are opting to have man's best friend do the honors. That's right... their dogs! Talk about a conversation piece at your wedding. How many people do you know that have done this? What a fun way to add even more excitement to your ceremony. If you do choose to have your furry friend as your rind bearer, we suggest you have a few rehearsals beforehand or a guide to walk down with!
Who doesn’t love surprises? Especially when the husband pulls out all the stops to recreate a dream wedding reception for him and his wife to enjoy together on the beach for their tenth anniversary. Together Jason and our team surprised Grace with the same exact centerpieces and cake for their reception ten years ago. To add a little flare they went ahead and put in lighted or added ambiance and a sushi table for a healthy and hip flare to their reception food. This couple is the epitome of what true love and “happily ever after” means. Grace explained to us that the fondest memory of the wedding was the “realization that they get to spend the rest of their lives together and the possibilities are endless.” You could tell she was so excited to spend forever with the man of her dreams, their Yorkie and three beautiful children.
Adding personalized and one of a kind touches to a wedding can make it the most memorable for you and all of your guests and everything about this wedding was unique! Even though things were completely switched around once it started, their wedding planner and all available hands were able to make everything transition smoothly. This couple went all out mixing Harry Potter, the Walking Dead and a few minions into their special day. The hand made flower arch and floating candles above their head table added great touches to their decor. To start, personalized cocktails were served including some labeled “Moaning Myrtle” and “the Men of Letter.” In addition to zombie filled centerpieces, the couple opted to add board games on the table for their guests to enjoy throughout their reception. We were able to provide them with two features that definitely made them stand out. By adding a video wall as a backdrop in their reception area, they were able to play their Walking Dead inspired engagement video for all their guests. For their first dance the couple played the video of the minions wedding scene from Despicable Me 2 as they danced along to the minion rendition of the song “I Swear” by Boyz II Men. Furthering adding technological elements, the couple helped design a 3D video mapped cake. The plain white cake transitioned from blood dripping down the side (inspired by zombies) to their names flying out of the Goblet of Fire’s flames.
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