Certified Wedding Planner Blog Has Moved

The Wedding Planning Institute's Certified Wedding Planner blog has moved to our own Web site. You can continue to participate in our ongoing conversation about all-things wedding planning at:

http://www.weddingplanninginstitute.com/blog/

We look forward to seeing you there!

The Wedding Planning Institute

Celebrity Weddings by Chad Wandel

Celebrity weddings are all about personalization and absolute attention to detail. Nothing can be overlooked and every opportunity to make the wedding personal to your celebrity client is what is expected from the wedding extravagant clientele.

The celebrity clients that I have dealt with are always looking for the “Wow Factor” when it comes to entertainment and décor for their weddings. Thinking in new media and layering décor concepts are how to please the tastes of this client.

Using light is an important aspect of obtaining the ambience and visual touches that will make the décor really pop. With large budgets spent on floral arrangements, I never miss the opportunity to have them pin spotted. Use of plasma screens to display portraits rather than traditional prints and incorporated music videos and multimedia presentations by the specialized entertainment are all additional ways to cater to the luxurious tastes of celebrity weddings.

And lastly, a professional Master of Ceremonies is always on my list of must-haves for my clients. True professional entertainment is the best way to ensure a harmonious incorporation of planning and entertainment. They are the director to our craftily composed wedding reception.

Chad Wandel is a classical violinist, an award-winning videographer, the founder of Artistic Image Weddings in Arlington, Texas, President of the Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter of the American Disc Jockey Association, and a Certified Wedding Planner and Instructor for The Wedding Planning Institute’s How to Become a Wedding Planner certification course at the University of Texas Arlington.

Bridging the Gap between Nigerian and American Wedding Traditions by Narketta Sparkman

I had the pleasure of assisting my clients plan the wedding of their dreams, which took place September 2, 2006 in Michigan. The bride is Nigerian American because she was born in raised in this country. Her parents are both native Nigerians immigrants. Planning this wedding was a task. My clients were very much in love and very laid-back people. They wanted to incorporate Nigerian traditions but did not want it to consume their wedding.

Nigerians believe the wedding is for the bride’s mother. She is ultimately the one to be praised for raising the daughter being married, which clashed with American tradition. My clients were paying for the wedding and felt it should be what they wanted. There was some compromise on my client’s behalf but ultimately it was the wedding they wanted.

The first compromise was having a Catholic wedding. The bride was raised Catholic but not a practicing Catholic and the groom was not Catholic at all. The parents of the bride wanted the wedding to take place in their church and wanted a traditional Catholic ceremony. However, the bride and groom were not comfortable with agreeing to raise their children as Catholics. They agreed to do this to please the bride’s parents but decided not to have a Mass as a part of their ceremony.

From the beginning, there was a conflict as to how many guest would be invited. My clients wanted to have no more than 250 guests, with the bride’s parents inviting 150 and the couple splitting the other 100 guests between themselves and the groom’s family. In the Nigerian culture, when someone has an event you go to that event regardless of invitation. The whole community supports your event. Two hundred and fifty invitations were sent with 200 of them going to Nigerian friends of the bride’s parents. There were 300 who confirmed their attendance and 350 guests actually attended the wedding. Many of the guests that attended were invited by word of mouth. Approximately 300 of the guests were Nigerian. The bride and groom wanted to ensure that all their guests, both Nigerian and American, felt comfortable during their celebration.

Since it is tradition that the wedding is for the bride’s mother, there were rituals that needed to take place. The Nigerian women dressed in Ashibi attire were to march down the aisle together as a part of this tradition. However, my clients wanted to stick to American tradition and felt the wedding party should be the only ones walking down the aisle. Ultimately the bride had her way.

After the ceremony, the women in Ashibi attire and the mother of the groom staged several photos outside of the church. They were congratulating the mother and the photographers were bombarded by the Nigerian woman wanting a picture with her. We had to ask the photographers to stop taking these photos to capture the bride.

In order to insure that all the guests were comfortable at the reception, we had two separate disc jockeys; one Nigerian and one American. We sat down with the disc jockeys twice to plan every musical detail of the wedding. The bride wanted there to be a good mix of music throughout the reception. The bride and groom danced to American music for their first dance and then for the father/daughter dance they danced to a more upbeat tempo Nigerian song. As the father and the bride danced, Nigerians threw money at their feet to wish them well.

Before dinner, the father of the bride began the Kolanuts Communion. This is a Nigerian tradition that bridged the families and guests together. Kolanuts is a way of getting acquainted with your guests. The father of the bride, standing with other male elders, gave a sermon on the dance floor. After each one of his statements, the elders stated “Onye wetere oji wetere ndu” (He who brings Kolanut brings life). He asked that the groom’s father join the presentation. They split the Kolanut on the dance floor and enjoyed it together. All of the guests were then given Kolanuts. Kolanuts is a bitter fruit from Nigeria. It smells like nicotine and tastes like cigars.

The presentation was done in the traditional language of Nigeria except for when speaking to the father of the groom. This really invited the groom’s family into the bride’s family and signified them merging into one family. There were four parts to the communion:

Iche` Oji (Presentation of Kolanut)
Igo` Oji (Blessing of Kolanut)
Iwa` Oji (Breaking of Kolanut)
Ike` Oji (Distribution of Kolanut)

The bride and groom decided against the traditional bouquet or garter toss. They just thought the tradition was dated. The bride was a member of a sorority and they decided to do the traditional sweetheart song and dance in which they are singing to the groom.

The bride and groom changed out of the traditional tuxedo and wedding dress and into Nigerian wedding attire. The women in Ashibi attire escorted them into the room. These women did a chant and danced with the bride and groom at the end of the line. There were approximately 75 women in costume. Once in the room, the groom had a seat while the bride and her mother danced in the middle of the dance floor as the women chanted and gathered around them. The bride’s mother draped the bride and groom with a sash made of money. The guests began to throw money at them all over the dance floor. This is for financial stability and to congratulate the couple.

Ultimately the couple succeeded in having a wedding that incorporated many Nigerian traditions. The décor was all Americanized with the colors the bride and groom wanted. Each guest received a favor of a coaster made in Nigeria with the bride and grooms name on it. They also received a more Americanized favor of personalized chocolates from the bride and groom. The parents of the bride were very satisfied with the wedding as well as the couple. Everyone seemed to have their way and not much was compromised as far as tradition and the desires of the couple.

Narketta Sparkman is President of the Metro Detroit Chapter of the International Special Events Society, a Certified Instructor for The Wedding Planning Institute’s How to Become a Wedding Planner certification course, author of Dream Big, Plan Smart: A Guide to Planning Your Dream Wedding, owner of the event planning company Special Occasions by Narketta, and is currently working on her doctorate.

The Highest Happiness on Earth is Marriage

Tomorrow, our country will vote for our next President, hundreds of members of Congress, thousands of state and local officials, and numerous ballot initiatives. For the wedding industry and the Certified Wedding Planner, propositions in Arizona, California, and Florida are drawing attention almost on par with the national election. In each of these three states, voters will decide whether or not to ban same-sex marriage.

As same-sex couples rush to the altar in the hotly contested California ballot race, commercials for and against Proposition 8 are airing multiple times each hour. Since the California Supreme Court decision in June 2008 that legalized gay-marriage, thousands of couples, including celebrities, have tied the knot. In the meantime, arguments for the societal benefits of traditional marriage versus equality for all have continued to be waged. In many cases the contest has become vitriolic.

William Lyon Phelps, early 20th century American author, scholar, and ordained minister, wrote that “the highest happiness on Earth is marriage”. In the view of opponents of same-sex marriage, their efforts are nothing short of heroic protection of marriage in the face of a threat to that happiness. For proponents of gay marriage, the fight is against discrimination and the right of everyone to pursue their personal happiness.

While recent polls have tightened to the point of a statistical tie, the battle is being fought on the Internet, at city halls, in churches, internationally, in homes, in labor unions, in schools, in political parties, and in movie productions. In an election where economic, foreign policy, health care, and energy concerns compete for our collective attention, the war over our subjective marital happiness will inevitably continue after tomorrow’s votes are tallied. Both sides of the issue are counting on your support to either protect marriage or protect equality.

For the Certified Wedding Planner, depending on your viewpoint, a defeat for Proposition 8 will either increase your business opportunities or someone else’s. To some, victory for the measure will protect their happiness by denying it to others. When deciding your position, perhaps another quote by Phelps, highlighted in the 1001 Smartest Things Ever Said, in need of slight paraphrasing for the 21st century, can be of some guidance:

"This is the first test of a gentleman: his respect for those who can be of no possible value to him."

Please remember to vote.

This Week in Wedding Planning News

For today’s busy Certified Wedding Planner, keeping up with wedding industry current events can be challenging. With that in mind, here is a recap of what you may have missed this past week.

The former world’s heaviest man, Manuel Uribe, married his fiancée, Claudia Solis, in a ceremony in Monterrey, Mexico that was filmed by the Discovery Channel for an upcoming documentary predictably dubbed “My Big, Fat Mexican Wedding”. In other big wedding news, the pictures are in for the mass wedding of 700 couples in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, an independent state nestled in Azerbaijani near the border with Armenia.

In an effort to avoid bigamy, Tatsuhiko Kawata set fire to the hotel in which he was scheduled to be wed. Police reported his current marriage as the reason for canceling the wedding and arson as his way of notifying his fiancée. In a multiple weddings publicity stunt, the so-called “World’s Most Romantic Couple” and Danish celebrity wedding planner couple, Anette and Kenneth Lund, have tied the knot a total of six times, including a record breaking four Las Vegas weddings in one day.

Choosing the right venue can make or break a wedding. Signs are good if you win a contest that celebrates your wedding during the naming inauguration of Princess Cruises latest Love Boat. It is a somewhat bad omen if you book the Corazon Club in Dublin, which recently closed, leaving several couples without their venue or their deposits.

Forbes Magazine detailed the eight financial threats to (affluent) marriage. Apparently, eight out of ten very wealthy couples would divorce should their net worth nosedive. Unfortunately, USA Today reports that couples booking weddings at luxurious hotels such as The Pierre in New York are settling for disk jockeys over live bands, miniature cupcakes instead of elaborate multitier cakes, and truncated guest lists.

To help boost the economic plight of the pastoral class, wedding officiating is touted as the perfect way to pay off debt, put the kids in braces or college, purchase a new car, or party at Disneyland. Alabama’s Weddings 911 columnist, Alene Gamel, is asked whether the Internet will displace traditional wedding announcements and replies with a brief history of invitations and decides that electronic invites should RSVP in a few years.

Celebrity nuptials remained in vogue with rumors that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, two of the world’s most famous unmarried parents, are reported to be considering a simple wedding ceremony. Best selling event planning author and host of the WE network’s “My Fair Wedding”, David Tutera, has partnered with Knork Flatware, a cutting edge cutlery company, to provide customers entertaining ideas and designs that represent their own personal style.

From the silly to the surreal, anime wedding news included Hello Kitty wedding gowns for the childish bride and a disturbingly serious effort in Japan to legalize marriage between humans and cartoon characters. If added to the top eight complaints that irk wedding guests, we assume the bride being a cartoon would rank higher than her wearing a cartoon.

Off the beaten path, the driveway paving father of Missy Quinn, a 16-year-old girl who lives in a gypsy caravan, threw his beloved daughter a wedding costing over $160,000. The celebration featured a Rolls-Royce Phantom, Swarovski crystals, bridal hot pants and bra top, gallons of fake tan, and a promise from the newlywed Mrs. Moghon that she would pursue a career in glamour modeling and that the 17-year-old Mr. Moghon best not expect her to cook or clean, but had better spend his days catering to her every need. In ironically unrelated news, mustached wedding parties have apparently become all the rage.

Something Recycled, Something Clean, Something Sustainable, Something Green

Everything we do impacts the world around us. With increased awareness of the effect our actions have on our environment and our energy costs, a challenge falls to the Certified Wedding Planner to be prepared to utilize methods and resources that reduce the carbon footprint of wedding planning.

Green wedding themes are not new, but with the verdict now officially in on humankind’s effect on climate change, Earth-friendly wedding themes are increasingly found in books, contests, the Internet, celebrity weddings, and bridal shows. Today’s eco-friendly brides and grooms are demanding solutions that offset the negative environmental impact associated with their celebrations.

As with any theme or location, begin by researching vendors and venues in your area that offer renewable, sustainable, and clean products and services. Co-op America offers a directory of screened and approved green businesses. Many of these companies hold eco-credentials awarded by organizations such as Quality Assurance International for certified organic food systems, the USDA National Organic Program for production, handling, and labeling standards for organic agricultural products, Carbon Neutral Clothing for garment producers offsetting their carbon footprint, and TransFair USA for businesses that deal in fair trade.

Anticipation – Recycled, tree-free, handcrafted, natural, plantable, and organic wedding stationery solutions are available from businesses such as Twisted Limb Paperworks, Festivale, The Green Kangaroo, The Earth Handmade Paper, and the Green Field Paper Company. Many millennial generation couples are taking their wedding announcements and invitations digital on Facebook and other social networking sites, as well as via email, PowerPoint presentations, DVDs, and YouTube videos.

Gift registries such as Changing the Present and Register Locally provide options for wedding guests to make donations or send gifts to benefit environmental causes and gift purchases that are Earth-friendly.

Wedding attire can be rented, vintage and recycled, organic, and/or fairly traded. For post-wedding, pro-planet options, Brides Against Breast Cancer and the I Do Foundation turn wedding day clothing into charitable donations.

Engagement and wedding ring choices impact people as well as the environment. “Dirty Gold” mining displaces communities, contaminates drinking water, hurts workers, and destroys pristine environments. “Conflict Diamonds” are used by illegal governments and factions to fund military actions against people and legitimate governments. Jewelers like Green Karat, Brilliant Earth, Sumiche Jewelry, and Leber Jeweler offer recycled or reused precious metals and conflict-free gemstones.

The Council for Responsible Jewellery Practices and its members promote responsible, transparent, and accountable business practices in the mining, manufacturing, and selling of gold and diamond jewelry. Touch Wood Rings provides an alternative to traditional jewelry with handcrafted wooden eco-rings.

Arrival – Green transportation is sustainable, using human or animal power and renewable energy. Transport options for the bride and groom include horse-drawn carriages, Segways or other light electric vehicles, public transportation, or hybrid cars or limousines. Encourage carpooling for your guests.

As an alternative to disposable or film cameras, have your guests bring or rent digital cameras and share the photos on sites like Flickr, Shutterfly, SnapFish, or Photobucket. The guestbook should be made of recycled or organic material. Pictures can be displayed beautifully and eco-friendly using reclaimed wood picture frames from Green House Framing.

Atmosphere – The Sierra Club recommends outdoor venues, such as a National Park, for their natural beauty and earth-friendly atmosphere. Other outdoor choices include beaches, mountain settings, botanical gardens, and woodland glades. For indoor venues, choose a site that allows for ample natural lighting and temperature. Where possible, identify locations that are certified by Green Seal, are members of the Green Hotels Association, or are rated well by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Regardless of the location, choosing a venue close to home and holding the reception and ceremony in the same place greatly reduces the energy consumption of the day. In some cases, such as the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Hawaii, complete socially responsible wedding packages are available.

Floral decorations should be organic and local to avoid the pesticide and transportation energy concerns associated with purchasing and shipping flowers from abroad. VeriFlora certifies farmers, distributors, wholesalers, and florists that are committed to rigorous environmental accountability. The Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association is a global, non-chemical agricultural movement that certifies farmers, gardeners, and foresters through Demeter, an independent, non-profit organization.

Appetite – Choose a menu consisting of fresh, locally produced, organic, and sustainably harvested food to reduce costs and travel distances. Local Harvest, an organic and local food website, maintains a nationwide directory of small farms, farmers’ markets, and other local food sources. Some caterers, such as Back to Earth Organic Caterers, operate with a philosophy of “conscious food that is good for our bodies, our communities, and our planet”.

For clients compassionate to the plight of animals, Vegetarian Wedding offers vegan menu ideas and suggestions as well as links to vegetarian associations. Organic wedding cakes, made with unrefined sweeteners and organically grown ingredients, and vegetarian cakes are alternatives to the traditional choices.

If washable utensils and dishware is not an option, and to avoid using disposable plastic cutlery, dishware, or glasses, Earthware Biodegradables, World Centric, Excellent Packaging & Supply, and Simply Biodegradable manufacture bio-based, durable, compostable cutlery and dishware. The Green Glass Company produces reclaimed and recycled glass products to fit any wedding needs.

Although careful planning should avoid over catering, leftovers can be donated to organizations such as Feeding America (formerly America’s Second Harvest).

Amusement – For green wedding entertainment, MyDeeJay.com boasts the country’s first 100% carbon-neutral wedding disk jockey with its purchase of Renewable Energy Certificates and Carbon Offsets matching their annual carbon footprint. If using an mp3 player, consider using a solar charger. For live music, locate musicians who adhere to eco-friendly practices for their energy and transportation needs.

Appreciation – In addition to charitable favor cards, Earth-friendly favors and bridal tosses can be purchased from Once Upon a Favor, EcoParti, and numerous other favor vendors. For thank you cards and gifts, recycled paper products are readily available.

Honeymoon plans can be made with agencies and organizations that specialize in eco-travel and eco-tourism such as Green Concierge Travel, Send Us Off, the International Ecotourism Society, Responsible Travel, Planeta, and National Geographic. Eco Travel is an online magazine that maintains a searchable directory of travel organizations which includes information about their eco-philosophy and practices. Organic Places to Stay is an online directory of worldwide organic holidays.

After the wedding, the newlyweds can learn more about how to lead an enlightened, Earth-friendly life together from sources like Earth Easy, Gaiam, and Branch, which provide ideas and products for environmentally sustainable living.

For the CWP seeking to become a green wedding planner, The Green Office provides the equipment and Ceres, a coalition of investors and environmentalists, provides the knowledge you need to turn your business green.

What Advantages Will a Certified Wedding Planner Provide You? By Janet Lash

With the downturn of the economy, I’ve noticed that some couples think that they can’t afford the service of a Certified Wedding Planner. Many couples are electing to plan their wedding themselves, failing to understand the many advantages of enlisting the services of a certified wedding professional. It is well known that a wedding planner reduces worry, time, and most of all saves money.

A wedding consultant listens to the couple’s ideas, makes suggestions, and develops a plan that will reflect the couple’s vision while respecting the couple’s budget. They have access to a wide range of industry professionals with whom they work, that allow them to secure services and products that will make a limited budget look like a million dollars. Also, with today’s busy two-income couples and everyday life issues, many couples do not realize the amount of hours and innumerable details that it takes to plan this most important day - the beginning of their lives together.

An experienced professional will create budgets, interview vendors, develop time-lines, and monitor the vendors and set-up. They also quietly handle emergencies, calm the nervous bride and groom, entertain the little guests, take care of final payments, assist the bride with her gown, and coordinate and direct the rehearsal, ceremony, and reception activities. Their purpose is not to take over the planning, but to allow the happy couple to spend more time with each other during the planning stage, so that they can focus on the precious moments of their wedding and guests and not worry about the additional details that come with the planning process.

Besides assisting with the planning, a seasoned consultant comes well-versed in wedding etiquette and knows how to resolve sticky family issues that sometime arise along the way. They are great negotiators when it comes to contracts and are able to obtain discounts that can be a significant savings to their client’s budget

Even if the couple’s budget can’t afford the full services of a wedding planner, I strongly advise couples to enlist the services of a “Day Of” coordinator. It is a “must have” in the budget. Whether the “Day Of” coordinator or director is provided by the on-site venue, or is an independent professional planner, they will direct all of the pre-wedding and wedding day activities. Their services are invaluable and will give the couple a much needed peace of mind.

Janet Lash is the President and CEO of AVSO Events: A Very Special Occasion (www.avsoevents.com) and a Certified Instructor for the Wedding Planning Institute’s How to Become a Wedding Planner college classroom course.