I am excited about the second half of the year and I am sure you are too. Sometimes the second half of the year feels like the start of the year because it is that opportunity for you to assess your goals and align yourself. 

We all have plans and goals at the start of the year but for some of you life might have happened and it might have derailed you a bit. The second half of the year is a good time to assess and see if you are off track. It is a good time to revisit your goals and sometimes write new ones. It is a good time to develop new strategies if the old ones were not working. It is a time to take a new stance and re-focus for the rest of the year. 

As we go into the first work week of the second half of the year make sure you take time to have a strategy for how you intend to win the rest of the year.

I am sending you positive vibes for the second half of the year, remember you have all it takes.....I am always rooting for you

On this Tuesday, I am sending you a little motivation from this quote. 

The landscape changes, so enjoy it: of course, you have to have an objective in mind - to reach the top. But as you are going up, more things can be seen, and it's no bother to stop now and again and enjoy the panorama around you. At every meter conquered, you can see a little further, so use this to discover things that you still had not noticed. -Paulo Coelho

A few reasons I love this quote is because it is a simple reminder as you keep pushing to the best planner you can it is also important to enjoy the ride. Don't focus on getting to the top only that you forget to see and learn lessons along the way. 

Have a great everyone 

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP YET? 

There is so much I have in the RAE Method Course for new and aspiring wedding planners to learn from.

STEP 1: DEVELOPMENT

* Defining Your Why

* Knowing Your Ideal Customer 

* Selecting Your Business Name 

* Processes And Systems

* Branding 

STEP 2: MARKETING AND ADVERTISING

* Social Media For Your Wedding Business 

* Advertising Your Business

* How to Create A winning Website 

STEP 3: ONBOARDING  

* Initial Client Call- How to engage and land a client on your initial client call

* How To Charge- How do develop a pricing structure for your services

* How To Create Your Client’s Wedding Budget

* How To Create Your Service Offering Proposal

* Things To Include In Your Wedding Planning Contract

* Creating Your Welcome Packet

* Wedding Planning Timeline Template

STEP 4: PLANNING

* Building and Managing Vendor Relationships

* Helping Clients Manage Their Wedding Payments Without Stress

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Okay so I know I have talked about this over the last weeks but running a business requires you to stay protected. One of the ways to do this is to make sure you have insurance to keep yourself secured. 

Today's post is talking all about insurance. I have been asked this question before by planners I mentor if having insurance is a necessary thing for a wedding planner? My answer is yes. 

On The RAE Method (a comprehensive course for new wedding planners) I have some expert interviews and in this snippet shared by @kunbiesq (from @legallyset) she talks about the importance of business insurance. 

P.S. For information on wedding insurance check out Thimble

One thing I stress to my couples is to make sure they are enjoying the season of being engaged. Wedding planning can be stressful for couples with multiple deadlines, family drama, and decisions to make so you want to encourage them not to carry this into their relationship. 

Remind them to keep dating each other and to have fun through the process. 

It helps when they set out times when they talk about the wedding and not mix the wedding planning talk with spending quality time together. Remind them that they have a planner to handle the stress and let them know how important it is for them to enjoy the season of being engaged.

Earlier this week I talked last week about the importance of supporting your couple through this season but today I want to focus on the importance of protecting yourself.

I have heard too many stories from planners of how they have been burned within the last year from clients canceling weddings and proposed income disappearing, to weddings moving two years in advance but clients expecting the same rates. There has been a lot of damage that has affected businesses and I wanted to share this video to ensure you don't fall into the same traps.

Make sure you update your contracts to match the new guidelines and also make sure you add all new rules to your contract.

Enjoy this snippet from @kunbiesq and stay @legallyset 

All wedding planners can relate to this has been a whirlwind of changes but this is what we do, we help our couples through the good, bad, and in-between. This past week I went to NYC for another set of site visits for one of our rescheduled weddings from 2020.

I enjoyed touring new venues and one thing I have found is that couples are more willing to go for what they want for their day and less concerned about pleasing others. This should have been the case from the start, but I think the pandemic has put a lot of things in perspective and put the most important things as important.

One thing I wonder often is how brides without planners are coping through the changes. I have the kindest couples and I feel so blessed to be able to help them through the different waves and I can’t wait to be there at the finish line crying happy tears as they celebrate with their loved ones.  

As planners, we have to be our client's rock and help in this time. The decision to move ahead...

Happy Monday everyone, I decided to start off this Monday with a boost you need because I don’t want any new planner to fall into the traps I did. 

On the RAE Method (my comprehensive course for new and aspiring wedding planners), I had an interview with my lovely attorney @kunbiesq and I will be sharing some snippets here this month because I want you all to be legally set (no pun intended but do yourself a favor and check out @legallyset).

Have you ever wondered if having legal counsel was necessary or wondered having an attorney draft your event planning contract is a must? Check out this video and let me know your thoughts on Instagram @raemoments 

For a 20% discount on your contracts from www.legallySet.com use code RAEMETHOD

When starting out as a wedding planner it can sometimes be confusing in knowing what services to offer and which not to offer. In the video, I break down the various things to consider when you are deciding what service to offer and the various types of services.

According to www.weddingwire.com 

Full planning 

A full-service wedding planner, also known as an all-inclusive wedding planner, is best for couples who want step-by-step guidance and a professional opinion from the get-go. According to the 2020 WeddingWire Newlywed Report, 31% of couples hire this type of wedding planner. Full-service planners are a great option if you don't have a lot of free time to dedicate to planning a wedding. They will be involved in every aspect of your to-do list, from helping you choose a wedding venue and handling vendor correspondence, to setting up escort cards and corralling your bridesmaids on the wedding day.

Month of Coordination:

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Recently I was talking to one of the wedding planners I mentor and she had questions about why her consultations were not yielding any results. I went on to have her talk to me about the process of her consultation so I could help identify if she was missing anything. 

I soon found out she was doing things well; responding quickly via email, transitioning to a call, and having a call that lasted about 45 minutes but yet something was missing. So I decided to do what I call a " demo consultation.' During the call, I had her pretend to be a client while I was the planner and she took her role seriously. She asked me some difficult questions she knew she was uncomfortable answering when clients asked.

After our demo session, she realized the missing link was her consultations wasn't impactful and she was not leaving a lasting impression to make them want to hire her. Following the steps is one thing but having a consultation where you connect...