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Scent

MYB Babe
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About Scent

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    Preemie Babe

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  1. These days with more and more women kicking-ass in the workforce, trying to take over the world, who has time to plan the perfect wedding? Yes, eventhough it is your dream to manage every little detail so that it comes out exactly like how you'd imagine it to be, but really? Do you really have the time? So you either have the choice of:   a) just find the perfect hotel/restaurant (that fits your budget) and get them to plan it for you B) go check out some bridal shops that provides full service (although keep in mind their service are quite limited- it does NOT include running the event on that day) c) beg for your friends and relatives to help you out ( there's a risk you might end up making an enemy or two with your friends and/or relatives, but hey, on the bright side you'll definitely know who are your real true friends that you can count on) d) hire a wedding planner (especially if you want something different and customised)   [ I chose D. I just got married 3 months ago and thought it'd be great for me to share my experience with you all. I wish someone would've told me what to expect and how to go about it.]   There are essentially 3 main types of service you can get from a wedding planner: - full service. Those who hire this service either has no time whatsoever, hates planning/stress, have tons of money, or want to be surprised. Basically the planner will do everything for you without you lifting a finger.  - semi-planning: it's where you want to still be a part of it or have done some planning but would love an extra help or advisor on your team. - event coordination: it's for those who already plan their own wedding but just need someone to oversee the details and ensure a smooth flow of events on that day   Decide what you need and choose the service best suited for you.  If the right one is found, there will be no doubt, how much info and help you'll be getting in terms of the entire planning process. Very insightful stuff that should make planning easier and if you're lucky, stress-free (note: dependent on your level of perfectionism).    Of course no one is perfect or can read your mind and do exactly as how you'd imagined your wedding to be, but if they can't even cover the basics properly, then i'd say fire the planner. Here are some basics that you should expect from any planner:   Basics: Must-Haves: 1- they listen and make it all about you (they don't try to force their ideals onto you and make you feel guilty) 2- understand your budget and make it work (so-so planners will get lousy deals for you because it's cheap and they're lazy to think out of the box; excellent planners, will find incredible alternatives for you)  3- reply your emails/calls in a timely manner (they must NOT be hard to reach) 4- extremely knowledgeable about all wedding matters and can advise you on anything pertaining to your wedding- before, during and after.  5- goes without saying, they should also have a lot of vendor contacts at the tip of their fingers 6- problem-solving skills   These are essentially the prerequisite before you even sign on the dotted line.   But how would you really know, how can you tell if they really represent themselves honestly or just another 'con-artist'?   This may not guarantee you will find the perfect planner, but at least you won't fall for a con-job.   So here are some tips to keep in mind:   1- Be careful who you choose. Usually you can't really tell from just one meeting with them. These initial meetings are where they'll do everything to impress you, but at the end of the day, it's what they can really do and how they do it. Their 'portfolios' usually don't mean much because they can easily 'steal' and claim others' credit as their work. (it's extremely easy to take nice pictures in ANY weddings and steal it) Solution: have an idea of what you want ie, colors, theme, favourite things/flowers etc and see how they magically expand on your thoughts. That's a sign of true creative thinkers.   2-Ask for a recommendation (or review) from their previous clients (gauge how willing they're to share that part, that should be a sign)   3- Look for problem solvers and planners who have great initiative (who doesn't wait for you to tell them what you want) Alot of times, so-so planners will look at you and shrug their shoulders whenever there's a problem. And they'll sneakily ask you what YOU want to do (so they can be free of any responsibility). Always asked them for solution/ alternatives and what they think-- that's what you're paying them for right? Their expertise and advice?  Solution: this is essentially the core of their service, so make sure this is covered in their service contract   4- Don't pay everything upfront. Some will insist you pay the full amount just before your wedding. Worst-case scenario: you paid everything and they went MIA on your wedding day. Solution: Check your contract and ask them to revise to what you're comfortable with.    5- Read everything in the agreement. Twice. I know you're quite used to clicking on 'Agree' whenever you're faced with a sea of letters and alphabets and just sign whenever anyone asked you to. NOT THIS.  Solution: Before you sign their agreement, add a few of your own so that it's fair. Usually vendors' contracts are very lopsided, and only protects their own interests, not yours.    6- Check for fine print. Many planners will let you assume they do everything for you and it's all covered in their 'fees' until you get slap with an extra invoice, after your day has settled, when reality has set in and you realized you're both broke (assuming you didn't collect enough angpaos to break-even) Solution: ask them to detailed exactly what is covered in their fees and what is not upfront   7- Check their vibes, if they don't even give you good vibes to begin with, don't hire them. Work with someone you feel comfortable and can be yourself with. Don't forget, this person will have to know you to be able to plan your dream wedding for you.    8- Be wary of planners who try to 'push' certain vendors (eventhough they may not be the right fit) just so they can earn extra commission. You'll be surprise at how the relationship between planners and vendors are closer than planners and clients. It's quite natural since it's a small industry and they work together more than with you (unless you're a serial bride) Solution: Make sure you're cc-ed in all emails (not forwarded) and that the vendors cc you when replying. Unless of course, you wanted to surprise yourself with the wedding!   9- Lastly, a good planner will always have your best interests at heart. They should be able to make logical decisions for you at a time when you can't (due to stress, feeling overly- emotional, anxiety problems etc). I must say, not many planners would even dare step into this realm of making the decisions for you for fear that you might bite back and blame them. But the one that does take the risk, and for your own good, is definitely a true gem.   Hope all these helps in your planning.   Happy planning and I wish you all the best in your marriage!
  2. More and more brides are opting to have a planner help them sort out the little details and programming for their wedding these days. Every bride seek to have a very personalized and unique wedding. And because of that, many are turning to 'professional' planner to help them plan their dream wedding...thinking that these planners will have more experienced and expertise. I just had my wedding 2 weeks ago...and had changed 2 planners in the course of the planning.    Of course no one is perfect or can read your mind and do exactly as how you'd imagined your wedding to be, but if they can't even cover the basics properly, then i'd say fire the planner. Please DO NOT hire services from these two companies as they've been a complete letdown for me, with no signs of them wanting to improve their services:  - Marry Factory (Sylvia and Louise) - The Wedding Project (Laverne)   The first planner, which was Marry Factory, boasts about her portfolio and all the 'amazing' wedding she had planned but when it comes down to it, they were extremely inexperienced (even my caterer gives more input and advice!) and were at loss of what to do. Yes, they're organized and detailed but they lack ideas, input and vision. Also, the thing which really pissed me off about them is, they always have the vendors' interest at heart, not so much the bride( who's actually paying the fee!)! And their suggested vendors are more expensive than the ones i found on my own. Instead of them sharing contacts with me (because they were lazy to source and had no initiative, they took my contacts instead). We hired them for semi-planning thinking we've got our concepts and we needed help in realizing those, but in the end, I felt like I was the planner and she was the bride....because i'm always updating her on my plans and what i'm gonna do. Also, after hearing horror stories from another friend who hired them, I'm convinced i need to let them go. Apparently, they lost my friend's wedding album. Also, another thing that put me off, was that Sylvia was not honest with me, when i signed with them, i didn't know she was also planning her wedding (which was about 3 weeks apart from my wedding-- how is she gonna focus if she's got her OWN wedding to plan?!) How very unprofessional!   The second planner, seemed more professional, but again, I was deceived. I signed with them because they promised extra services and convinced me that they've done wedding planning as a husband & wife team for many many years. Again, they seemed very organized and detailed, but one can only know how effective they are when it comes time for them to execute and carry out the work. Turns out, the 'hubs' weren't even in the industry, he's just a 'helper', so most of the time he's clueless and waiting for instructions from the wife. The 'wife' had signs of being a good planner, but what i felt so disappointed was she was extremely calculative with us. She kept reminding us what she can do, and what she won't do. I thought the whole point of being a planner is to help the bride and her family smoothen out the process and make everything as hassle-free as possible, not her. On the day of the wedding, the vendors still come to me for clarification and briefing. SHe complained to all my friends and family about her scope of work, saying she's not supposed to do this, or that, so i had to relieve her of some of her 'duties' thinking she' could focus more on other parts and do a better job. Yet she screwed up. She complained there's too much to do, and not enough people, so i got my friends and relatives to help out, the only thing she needs to do is to brief them, yet she screwed up. On the day of the wedding, she got an 'extra' helper to help, but turned out, the extra person is pregnant and clueless and unwilling to do much. And what was so ironic was, their service description and mission statement said "why let our friends and relatives do the planning for us, because they may not be experience and they should enjoy the wedding instead,...should hire professionals to ensure everything run smoothly during the wedding day..." But i felt so thankful i had my friends and relatives to save the day! I could go on and on....but you get my gist.   So here are some tips: 1- Be careful who you choose. Usually you can't really tell from just one meeting with them. These initial meetings are where they'll do everything to impress you, but at the end of the day, it's what they can really do and how they do it. Their 'portfolios' usually don't mean much because they can easily 'steal' and claim others' credit as their work.  2- Look for problem solvers and planners who have great initiative (don't always wait for you to tell them what you want) Alot of times, these lousy planners will look at you and shrug their shoulders whenever there's problems. And they'll sneakily ask you what YOU want to do (so they can be free of any responsibility). Always asked them for solution/ alternatives and what they think-- that's what you're paying them for right? Their expertise and advice?  3- Don't pay everything upfront. Some will insist you pay the full amount just before your wedding. Check your contract and ask them to revise to what you're comfortable with.   4- Before you sign their agreement, add a few of your own so that it's fair. Usually vendor's contract are very lopsided, and only protects their own interests, not yours.  5- check their vibes, if they don't even give you good vibes to begin with, don't hire them. Work with someone you feel comfortable and can be yourself with. Don't forget, this person will have to know you to be able to plan your dream wedding for you.  6- Lastly, a good planner will always have your best interests at heart....and not trying to 'push' a certain vendor so they can earn commission. Make sure you're cc-ed in all emails.    Hope all these helps in your planning. You can definitely cut these two companies out of your selection.    Happy planning and wish you all the best in your marriage!
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