These decisions are always tricky, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have fun with it.

Escort cards are the latest trend – and there are so many great creative ideas.

Guests find their name, and the card tells them where they are sitting. It means they have a reminder of their place setting, and stops guests crowding round a traditional seating plan on a board.

It also doubles up as the favour, or a treat to eat/drink as the guests take their seats.

My favourite is the car made in the design of a chair with the guests name on. the table where they are laid out would have a sign saying “take your seat”.

These unique touches , can really personalise a wedding or event and leave the guests with some special memories from the day. We have some great ideas for Escort Cards in the board below but would love to hear about any you have seen as well.

When setting your prices you need to ask yourself some questions and the first one should always be about how much you want to earn. Obviously you need to be realistic here and look at the area of the industry you have put yourself into and the experience you have. If you are aiming to work with budget brides then the prices you charge are going to need to reflect this. Also if you are a new planner and don’t have much experience then you can’t expect to be charging the same as a seasoned veteran in the industry. A good starting point for determining what you want to charge would be to look at what you would be earning if you were employed by somebody else. This will give you some ideas and you can work from there.

Moving on from there it is usually the area of billable hours that seem to get most new planners. Unfortunately you are not like lawyers who charge by the minute. Although we do tell you to make sure you account for time spent venue sourcing, doing research etc. you can’t charge for every little thing you do in the office. There is a fairly large percentage of time that is unbillable and it can be anything between 25-35% of your time. You can’t charge a client for working on your marketing campaign, or attending a networking event or taking a course. These are all things that you will no doubt do within your business but can’t charge your client for.

Of course the other big thing that many new planners forget to factor in is overheads and we aren’t just talking about the obvious ones such as fuel, advertising and mobile. You need to remember to account for things such as insurance, travel, internet package, business cards, website hosting, computer virus software, accountant and many other things. All of these need to be incorporated into your overall plan and factored into the overheads of your business.

It is at this point that we tell our students to book an appointment with their accountant and spend some time thinking about how they structure their new business. It is certainly not the most exciting part of setting up a new business, but it is one of the most important parts. The idea of being a wedding planner appeals to many people as it is seen as an easy option business that can ran from home. That may be the case but it doesn’t make it any less of a business that your accountant running his or her business from a swanky office down the road. You still have costs and overheads, you still need to make a living and you still want to turn a profit at the end of the day. Do your research. Know your market. Charge accordingly.

For more information on the courses offered at the UK Academy of Wedding and Event Planning click here or email zoe@ukawep.co.uk for more information.

Every now and again we get given a theme that is a little different and we always embrace each and every one. Today we thought we would share one of our more unusual wedding requests with you. This particular client really wanted to feature the quaint. old fashioned shopper bicycle throughout their wedding. For them it was the one thing that was quintessentially them. They had a tandem bike that they rode together at weekends and it was a passion they shared. our job as stylists for their wedding was to come up with ways of incorporating this into the wedding in as many different ways as we could. Today we are sharing with you a mood board featuring this theme.

In June 2011 the Wedding Industry Awards were born and the first Awards took place in January earlier this year. The team from the Academy attended the event and had a great time. We are excited to report that the 2013 Wedding Industry Awards have now been launched and the website has undergone a facelift, so if you are thinking of entering then head over to their site and get your entry in now.

The biggest change for the Awards this year is that an entry fee of £50 is being charged. Last year the Awards were personally financed by the people behind them in order to prove their worth and get them off the ground. Naturally this isn’t something they could continue to do so this year a small fee has been introduced to go towards the costs of producing an event of this nature. We think it is quite reasonable and is certainly something that most awards do to cover costs. To read more about the philosophy behind this charge click here…

The next question I am sure you are asking is why should I enter? Well there is nothing like accolades to help make up the mind of your potential client. Given a choice between using a supplier who has won awards and one who hasn’t when they are both offering similar services at similar prices, who do you think they will choose? Think of that old adage, you have to be in it to win it. This is so true. To win more clients you need to do everything within your power to make your company the one they choose and this is another thing you can add to the list. These particular awards are fantastic as they are open to everyone and not just people who happen to advertise in the medium who are hosting the awards. They are voted on by those who have actually used the suppliers so this is a huge recommendation to a potential client. It shows them that other brides and grooms have used you and had a great time in doing so.

The Awards are also a great way of getting extra marketing exposure for your company too, as it will really give you something to talk about on Twitter, Facebook and your blog. As there are both regional and national awards it makes your chances much better and gives you yet more opportunities to get your name out there. To learn about the categories available click here and remember we will be watching with particular interest for the Best Independent Wedding Planner.

To learn more about the Awards watch the video below of the highlights from the 2012 Awards:

The first Annual Wedding Games has come to an end but Lara Bloom, the winner of the Games, is just about to embark on her new career and we hope that winning the Wedding Games will help to open some doors for her. Yesterday we sat down, albeit in a virtual environment, to chat to Lara about being the victor and what her inspiration was behind the ‘Girl On Fire’ board she presented to the judges.

Q: Congratulations Lara on winning the first Annual Wedding Games. It has certainly been quite a journey for all of us and we are so excited to be able to showcase the incredible talent that these games have uncovered. Wedding and Event Design is an industry that has really come into its own over the last decade and has a very real place as a standalone career. As educators within the industry we see new entrants from all walks of life, but they all have one thing in common – the desire to be creative. What was your motivation for entering the Wedding Games?

A: Professionally, I am a physiotherapist. What has always inspired me about this line of work is understanding how a particular environment influences a person’s physical well-being. This same passion extends more generally to how creating the right environment can impact on people’s experiences and emotional well-being – say for example, at a wedding. Planning my own wedding was one of the most exciting and inspiring things I have ever done. It has given me the confidence to pursue my true passion of a creative career in the world of wedding and event planning and styling. This journey began one evening while researching a course on wedding planning when I came across the Wedding Games competition. I entered immediately. Three days later I got the email informing me that I was Tribute 7 – Centerpieces, I could not believe it! I saw this competition as a chance to make an entrance and an impact on the world of wedding styling, and to create a name and a presence for myself in the planning and styling industry.

Q: A large part of the Wedding Games revolved around using the Social Media tool Pinterest. Had you used Pinterest prior to entering the competition?

I had just begun to use Pinterest about a week before I learnt of the competition. I hadn’t actually pinned anything to a board of my own, but I was following a few people and always look at the “Wedding and Events” public board.

Q: This competition has sparked quite a bit of media interest because it is based loosely on the Hunger Games and not your usual inspiration for a wedding. Where did the inspiration for your board come from and what elements did you draw upon from the movie?

A: I took my inspiration for my board from the concept of “The Girl On Fire”. I used the full colour spectrum of the flame – reds, oranges, yellows, gold and blues – for my colour palette. I used elements from nature to represent the forest of the Arena where the Tributes fight to their death, bringing in natural textures such as wood, leaves and rustic flowers. I wanted the drama of the “Girl on Fire” to be contrasted with the softness of nature.

Q: The one thing this theme has is an abundance of colour inspiration. How did you decide upon the color scheme for your board?

A: Sticking mainly to the colours of fire as I mentioned previously, I chose bright, vivid tones and hues to appeal to the gaudiness and opulence of The Capitol.  I love the excitement and energy that the bright, and at times over the top, costumes and make-up the people of The Capitol convey – I wanted to elicit the same emotional response from my board.

Q: In our industry researching your design is a huge part of what we do. What research did you do prior to and during the competition?

A: Honestly, not much, there wasn’t much time!! I saw the movie a few days before I entered the competition and just kept going back to the emotions that I felt while watching it, especially those relating to Katniss and her whole experience of The Hunger Games. If I had more time, I would have liked to finish reading the books (which I had just started).

Q: During the competition the Gamemakers threw a few challenges at the Tributes. One of these challenges was based around Twitter. You were offered the chance to secure extra votes for yourself by creating a tweeting storm on Twitter using the hashtag #TheWeddingGames and mentioning WedInstitute in all your tweets. How did you manage this challenge?

A: I had never actually used Twitter before this challenge! I took a quick crash course from a very kind and patient friend and just tweeted to as many people that I knew and could find on Twitter, especially those with a larger following. I learnt that I had to make sure I had the correct tags in my tweets in order to draw the right attention to myself.

Q: Entering any competition is challenging and with the Wedding Games there were two challenges, creating a design and drumming up public support using Social Media. What was the most challenging part of this competition for you?

A: The lack of time! I am currently working full time as a physiotherapist and am getting married in 4 weeks so with so much going on in my life right now, I just didn’t have enough hours in the day – I survived the week on adrenaline!

Q: Everything you do in life should take you on a journey of some description and allow you to learn and develop. What do you feel has been the biggest lesson you have learned from entering?

A: Definitely the power of social media. I generally like to keep the details of my life private and don’t have an online following at all, so realising the power of how many people you can reach just by using Facebook and Twitter was quite amazing! I got support from friends from all over the world. I now understand that in the fast paced, technology driven world that we live in today, I need to get on board the social media train!

Q: As part of winning this competition you receive a pool of prizes which is very exciting. What has winning the competition meant for you and which course will you choose to take as part of your prize?

A: Winning this competition came as a huge surprise as I knew I was up against some very talented industry professionals. I approached the competition without any formal event planning education or skills I just did what felt natural and had fun. So the honor of being chosen as the winner of this international competition has definitely given me the confidence boost I need to more formally explore the creative world of design. I haven’t yet decided which course I will choose – I would like to do a bit more research into all of them and find the one that I think I would be best suited my skills and future career goals.

Q: The wonderful thing about these games is that it has reached people from outside the industry as well as those already within it. Has taking part in this competition influenced the direction your career is taking? Has it confirmed for you that this is an area you would like to pursue?

A: Definitely!! When all my own wedding hype has subsided, I intend to fully explore what all my options are and find the right area of event planning and styling for me.

Q: Now the competition is over what are your plans for the future?

A: Get married, go on honeymoon and then start my new life as a Mrs with clear career goals. I intend to I find a niche in the design industry that will give me a fulfilling and exciting career!

Q: Lara, we have to ask what advice would you have for next year’s Tributes?

A: Have fun, be daring and don’t conform to what everyone else is doing. Also, make sure you have an online following – a blog, an awesome twitter following, a cool Facebook page or whatever, BEFORE the games start so that you will have lots of people behind you from the start. Stick with one theme, and make sure you showcase the industry you have been given.

It is our very exciting task to present to you the winner of the 1st Annual Wedding Games. It was by no means an easy task and it wasn’t a unanimous vote from the judges either. The standard was incredibly high from all our Tributes and we have been very impressed by the motivation and effort put in by all competitors.

As you know 12 Tributes went into the Arena but only 1 can come out as the Victor. So without further ado let us introduce you to the winner of the 1st Annual Wedding Games:

• District 7 – Lara Bloom

Congratulations Lara. The odds were definitely in your favor and against very strong competition you came out the victor.

Here is what our panel of judges had to say about Lara’s board:

- This district’s board was about the subject at hand, centerpieces, and each piece was guided in that direction. It wasn’t literal with including any of the well-known symbols of The Hunger Games either.  She also gave a full color spectrum of what to expect from her design.

- The color and details really appeal to me.  She also captured her assignment of “Centerpieces” for her district, providing a variety options inspired by The Hunger Games.

- It was all in the color and details – a fiery bride!

- There was something about this board that kept me going back to it time and time again.

- A very deserving winner

A full interview with Lara will be available soon so stay tuned for more information on how this Tribute became the first victor of the Wedding Games.

We are now down to the Final 5 Tributes in the Wedding Games. The Boards have been completed and submitted with the standard being incredibly high from ALL Tributes. This has made our job of choosing Wild Cards very difficult indeed. But there can only be 1 winner. Twelve went into the Arena and only one comes out as the victor.

We are very excited to announce our 5 Finalists that will be going through to the final round and facing the judges. At this point we would like to thank all of our contestants for embracing this competition so whole heartedly and showing us some amazing creativity. We are honoured to have had you them on board. The finalists are as follows and to view their boards please click on the name of each Tribute:

The two who received the most Public Votes:

• District 2 - Lighting – Niki Lannigan
• District 10 – Accessories – Agnes Achetraritei

The two Wildcards chosen by Christine Kerr from The Wedding Design Institute:

• District 1 – Color – Hayley Blakiston
• District 12 – Hair and Makeup – Donella Machen

Finally the Facebook Choice Tribute

• District 7 – Centrepieces – Lara Bloom

Congratulations to all Tributes and we look forward to announcing the Victor of the 1st Annual Wedding Games within the next 24 hours. Stay tuned!

Good luck to the final 5 and may the Odds be Ever in your Favor!

My tough hunter instinct will take on the rules to feature my district in the name of love.  Let the wedding games begin!

Pinterest Board for District 11: http://pinterest.com/WedInstitute/district-12-hair-make-up-donella/

Donella, in Suzanne Collins’ riveting tale of life in North America after its destruction, a powerful Capitol emerges as residents of its twelve outlying Districts individually struggle to survive under its bleak rule. Each year, the Capitol assembles its Gamemakers to create an elaborate arena filled with deadly trigger points and calls upon one girl and one boy from each of the twelve Districts to play in its nationally televised Hunger Games. As part of the ‘game’ The bored, wealthy people of the Capitol are entertained by the spectacle and Capitol-appointed prep teams create an image for each tribute by providing costumes, makeovers and talking points. Tributes who impress the Capitol viewers win “sponsors” — or wealthy fans, who will fund gifts of food and equipment at critical points in the Games.

Q1: The Wedding Games has no such sinister plot, instead they are our chance to celebrate creativity and your chance to impress your audience and win ‘favor’ and prizes, just as the contestants of the Hunger Games must.  The Heroine of the Hunger Games is Katniss Everdeen.  She is a witty, survival-savvy girl who yearns to trust in a world that has shown her nothing of the sort.  In 25 words or less define your image for your voting public. Donella = Dainty – Original – Natural – Eclectic – Luxe – Laidback – Admired

Q2: What inspired you to enter the Wedding Games?  Are you an experienced designer looking to showcase your talents, or someone just starting out and wanting to make a name for yourself.  Maybe you are a Hunger Games fan.  Give us some insight into what has motivated you to enter the arena. Admittedly, I work for an amazing accounting firm which does challenge me every day to reach my potential.  However, like many of us, I think there’s always one (or maybe several) unexpected challenges in our lives that force us to redefine what we are doing and question if this is what we want. I refuse to dwell on any negativity here, since what has come from my experiences over the last year is this positive reassessment of what I want to achieve.  The strength and courage, like that displayed in The Hunger Games, is what now sets me my biggest challenge to date: how to live life.

I’ve always enjoyed arranging events for family and friends, but never considered it a career option.  The amazing things that have come out of this last year have been the celebrations; from the “all-clears”, to the engagements, to the baby joy, and a wedding (not to mention what’s still to come this summer in the UK)! Each celebration has been marked in some way with a small event, taking into account that persons likes and making it personal to them.  It’s required long nights after work, weekends and during my lunch breaks, but I would never use “I don’t have enough time” as a worthy enough excuse not to test oneself and follow a dream.  Afterall, we have the same amount of time as those who make real differences in the world, and isn’t a smile on someone’s face the biggest difference you can make?

You’ll notice that I don’t make reference to any blogs, websites, twitter accounts or other social media, which is simply because I am very new to the event design industry! The accountant in me has undoubtedly had her reservations about embarking on such a risk, so I’m taking it slow.  I’m still with my current firm and my event design career is very much in its infancy.  At present I’m completing the Advanced Diploma of Special Event Planning and Design with UKAWEP, alongside arranging events and dessert tables for my close family and friends in my spare time. It’s a great outlet for honing in on my creative side, whilst gaining experience and making lasting memories. I’m also meeting loads of talented people along the way who are truly inspirational and entering the arena is where I will hopefully meet more like-minded individuals.

This in itself had made me realise that I’ve definitely got the “7 year itch” with my current career, so the accountant in me thinks that, coupled with the fact I live at number “7” and that “7” is a lucky number (oh and I’m 27, does that count?!), the odds are definitely in my favour!

Q3: In the Hunger Games, the ‘Gamemakers’ design and control The Hunger Games. They design the arena, the outfits, and a number of the deaths. From the tiniest detail to the biggest bloodbath, the ‘Gamemakers’ are in charge of entertaining the Capitol to the fullest.  Turning back to the much more wonderful world of Weddings and Events, who are the ‘Gamemakers’ who inspire you?  We want you to give us the names of 3 and tell us briefly what it is that inspires you about their work.

Amy Atlas – known as the “Sweets Stylist”, Amy is an entertaining expert who believes “that your party should be an expression of you”.  Amy has been an inspiration to me in many ways, but mostly because:

• She used to work on political campaigns and practiced law, so like me, had to make the transition in her career to return to her creative passion for entertaining. By doing this, Amy has become a role model for me as I think about taking that leap to pursue my passion for event designing.  I have taken on her words of wisdom by experimenting with my designs on friends and family before jumping in fully.
• She has taken the wedding industry by storm with her beautifully styled dessert tables, which captured my imagination from the very first time I saw her work.  I had never considered what an effect such an idea could have to a room, nevermind a full event, and this concept has transformed the way I host my events.

The inspiration I drew from Amy helped me design my first dessert table for an “Un-Birthday” tea party I held for my friends.  As the title suggests, it wasn’t anyone’s birthday, but my friends and I enjoyed a unique Wonderland-inspired dessert table which any Mad Hatter would have been delighted to attend!  What’s even more significant here than this simply being my first event, it was the event at which one friend announced was expecting her first baby and another that had found her perfect wedding dress for her wedding this winter – a day we will all never forget!

Loralee Lewis – as a paper designer and event stylist, Loralee Lewis realised that her true talent was “making things beautiful”.  Like Amy, she too came from a different career background, but realised her potential in what she truly loved and believed in. The result has been a portfolio of pretty paperie which transforms any party. Loralee inspires me not only for the work she does but also how she manages this whilst being a mother of four.  She has shown that whilst motherhood is a full-time job in itself, it is also even more reason to follow your dreams.  From an interview I once read, two points Loralee made have resonated with me ever since:

1. “Done is better than perfect” – A very humble individual demonstrating how everyone is only human; and
2. “The most important clients are within the walls of your own home” – My family and friends are a constant inspiration for me.  The events I design for them are a reflection of their personalities, as well as a thank you for the continued support they provide me with.

I have had the pleasure of using Loralee’s company this year when I organised my friend’s baby shower in the style of Mary Poppins.  The most outstanding attribute of hers is how she personally contacted me to ensure the products were to my expectations and that they were delivered in time. The result was a very pretty baby shower which was practically perfect in every way!

Jenn Sbranti the Editor in Chief and founder of “Hostess With The Mostess Inc”, and is a designer, entrepreneur and writer. Like with Amy and Loralee, Jenn realised there was something missing in the design world and set out to change the design aesthetics for parties and events.  It’s determination like this which has seen the event industry change, with a constant flow of fresh new ideas and inspiration which others can incorporate into their special events. What I love about Jenn is how she shares her creativeness in the form of free printables and tutorials, which help others transform their events with something not ordinarily available on the highstreet.  I have a book full of ideas that I’m looking for the perfect opportunity to use (not that there’s any excuse to host a party)!

The HWTM blog is also full of amazing profiles of others in the industry, which like Amy and Loralee, she encourages and promotes. The quote which struck a chord with me was this: “whether you’re designing a website or styling an event, it’s all about colour, composition, a smarty functional layout, and plain and simple – creating some eye candy”. The child in me definitely echoes this sentiment, and as with all three of these designers, their main aim is to make life just that little bit sweeter.

Q4: Finally, what can we expect to see from you in your Wedding Games submission (we don’t want you to describe your submission here, but instead give us a teaser or a sense of how you are going to approach this design challenge). I have to admit, I am yet to see The Hunger Games (think I’m heading straight to the cinema after I’ve finished typing this!).  However, from what I have read so far, the strength and courage I touched on earlier are also key themes here, and I’d like to bring this into my district of “hair and makeup”. In terms of approaching this design challenge, I therefore want to capture the raw natural beauty which can often be over-looked when hair and makeup are considered.  The Hunger Games to me in some ways promotes beauty from within, and is also summarised in the following quote from Ruby Dee: “the kind of beauty I want most is the hard to get kind that comes from within – strength, courage, dignity”.

What I hope will culminate, is a wedding where “dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true”.

Happy Wedding Games! May The Odds Be Ever in Your Favor.

ATL born and raised. Dreamer by heart, designer by trade. Whimsical, creative, smart and economical. Even Tracker Jackers wouldnt stop me from creating beautiful weddings!

Pinterest Board for District 11: http://pinterest.com/WedInstitute/district-11-transport-lauren/

In Suzanne Collins’ riveting tale of life in North America after its destruction, a powerful Capitol emerges as residents of its twelve outlying Districts individually struggle to survive under its bleak rule. Each year, the Capitol assembles its Gamemakers to create an elaborate arena filled with deadly trigger points and calls upon one girl and one boy from each of the twelve Districts to play in its nationally televised Hunger Games. As part of the ‘game’ The bored, wealthy people of the Capitol are entertained by the spectacle and Capitol-appointed prep teams create an image for each tribute by providing costumes, makeovers and talking points. Tributes who impress the Capitol viewers win “sponsors” — or wealthy fans, who will fund gifts of food and equipment at critical points in the Games.

Q1: The Wedding Games has no such sinister plot, instead they are our chance to celebrate creativity and your chance to impress your audience and win ‘favor’ and prizes, just as the contestants of the Hunger Games must.  The Heroine of the Hunger Games is Katniss Everdeen.  She is a witty, survival-savvy girl who yearns to trust in a world that has shown her nothing of the sort.  In 25 words or less define your image for your voting public. I am a creative, intuitive and eco-savvy designer who wants to show the world interesting and thought provoking designed events.

Q2: What inspired you to enter the Wedding Games?  Are you an experienced designer looking to showcase your talents, or someone just starting out and wanting to make a name for yourself.  Maybe you are a Hunger Games fan.  Give us some insight into what has motivated you to enter the arena. I LOVE competitions and will jump at the chance of using creativity in one. I have less than a year experience in the industry but come from an Interior Design background. Looking to make a name for myself, I hope that this challenge will be a step in that direction! I also love film and was very impressed with the set designers and creative force behind The Hunger Games and how they brought the book to life.

Q3: In the Hunger Games, the ‘Gamemakers’ design and control The Hunger Games. They design the arena, the outfits, and a number of the deaths. From the tiniest detail to the biggest bloodbath, the ‘Gamemakers’ are in charge of entertaining the Capitol to the fullest.  Turning back to the much more wonderful world of Weddings and Events, who are the ‘Gamemakers’ who inspire you?  We want you to give us the names of 3 and tell us briefly what it is that inspires you about their work.

• Kelly Wearstler: I admire her bold but defined sense of style and the way she mixes graphic patterns, luxe textures, and vibrant hues in all things she designs from interiors to fashion.
• Tim Burton: An amazing director, producer and artist who has a brilliant creative mind. From Edward Scissor Hands to Alice in Wonderland, I cant help but get lost in the fantastic visual stories he creates. I would love to one day have the chance to set dress one of his films.
• Steve Bales: My mentor and Creative Director at Bold American Events in Atlanta. His amazing and experienced creative eye, along with his intense work ethic has brought to life beautiful events across Atlanta and the Southeast. I feel like a very lucky gal to be learning every day from him!

Q4: Finally, what can we expect to see from you in your Wedding Games submission (we don’t want you to describe your submission here, but instead give us a teaser or a sense of how you are going to approach this design challenge). Expect to see a juxtaposition of reality with what lives in our imaginations. Whimsy mixed with real world. Even the “Tracker Jackers” won’t stop me from creating this amazing wedding!

Happy Wedding Games! May The Odds Be Ever in Your Favor.