1. When did you start becoming a wedding planner and what made you start?

I have been planning weddings and events for a year or so now. I have only gone public with the advertising of my hand-in-hand businesses in the past 2 months and the response has been so overwhelming.

I got engaged in July 2010 and started planning a wedding. Since then, we have moved our date so many times that I have planned a medum sized wedding, a huge wedding and a very small, rushed wedding. I found that there were so many wedding ideas and types out there and I simply couldn’t have them all. I started looking through wedding magazines, websites, chatting to people and found I had a real passion for weddings and the spark in conversation it creates, the smiles when talking and dreaming about your big day and the general love for creativity everyone all of a sudden can develop for their own wedding day. I then inject that same passion, creativity, love for weddings adn pure excitement in to every wedding I am involved with and can now bring experience, knowledge and a great range of recommended suppliers along which, coupled with me amazingly low prices, means every couple’s dreams can be a reality without an astonishing price tag!

2. What’s the most unusual thing that you have had to organise for a wedding?

So far I have never had to do anything shocking, YET! There are always amazing and shocking things done at weddings all over the globe! A common, yet unusual, thing happening with weddings nowadays is the fancy dress element! So many couples are going for halloween themed or star wars themed or, as one bride I have spoken to over the last few months said her husband-to-be had genuinely suggested – a Harry Potter themed wedding! I would say she quite rightly turned him down however it could be fun to organise and attend that whopper of a day! Yes, there are many unusual weddings happening nowadays but at least they are unique, fun, creative and different! They’ll certainly not be forgotten.

3. We love what you have said about the amount of time it takes to organise a wedding. How many hours do you have to put into arranging a wedding?

My time in organising a wedding completely varies! Some couples will come to me with an exact list of where and what they want and that takes less time as there is no run about between businesses, suppliers and venues. Some couples will come to me with no idea what they weant and that takes longer as there are a lot of emails, phone calls, meetings and visits to arrange and attend. It also depends if the wedding is going to be 3 months or 3 years off – 3 years takes less planning initially and more stuff towards the end but is so gradual and easy going for me that I do not feel it is a lot of work yet 3 months is a lot of last minute running about which many couples would struggle to manage themselves as it is very stressful and difficult – especially if there is a limited budget. I cannot give a figure of hours per wedding as it is completely dependent on the couple, their date, their budget, their requirements, their wishes and the general “runabout” needed between suppliers and venues.

4. What part of organising weddings do you enjoy the most?

My favourite bit about weddings and the organising is that initial meeting or chat with clients! There are so many ideas flying about the table and so much passion for dreams in that first, initial meet where there is generally no stress linked to the situation and nothing but happiness and prospects! It’s an amazing feeling

5. Whats the greatest benefit of having a Wedding Planner?

A wedding planner brings a peace of mind. It’s like having an assistant with you throughout the planning and on the day to ensure it runs smoothly but how you want. I am specifically aimed at making people’s dreams come true! There is no point working hard, saving up and dreaming about your perfect wedding day if you want to settle! I want to help people do it right but still not make them pay a fortune for my services and in turn, I’ll work hard to get the best deals for my clients. Planning a wedding takes so much time – you have the thinking about it, the ideas, the reading of weddnig magazines, the internet searches, the reading of blogs and stories from past brides/grooms, the budgetting, the guest list, the venue sourcing, the dress to find, all the suppliers related and so much more! Having someone come to you saying “I have found X, Y, Z offering … at £,£,£…” makes things so much easier not only to choose from but to help whittle down the chioces in to creible or not. I can ensure only reputable suppliers are recommended and that everything is done as best as possible and I do not charge a fortune to do this for you.

6. What is the most important thing to think about when choosing a wedding planner?

It is important to think about what you want from your day. What sort of timescale, budget and guest list sizings are you thinking about and how important it is to you to have everything right and perfect down to the last piece of glitter from your wedding day dreams! I know that hearing “wedding Planner” automatically makes people think expensive and an unneccesary expense, however if you are willing to pay that little bit out for a wedding planner, you will in turn get great prices, great deals, a professional on hand with any questions, a sounding board for stresses, as well as a lot of the stress and worry extracted from the planning of your day allowing you to relax with your soon to be husband/wife and enjoy the run up to married life! Is it really worth arguments, stress, worry and anxiety before the wedding day just because you are unaware of the benefits of wedding planning and the money you could potentially save rather than spend? Sadly, too many couples get engaged and don’t make it to their wedding day because they split over the planning of the wedding – family politics, dreams, beliefs, stress, bridezilla syndrome – these are all big factors in to the equation when considering whether you will plan your wedding yourself. Letting me help can save you money and generally make you happier in the long run and prevents any hiccups or upsets along the way!

7. What do you think of our site www.createmywedding.com ?

CreateMyWedding.com is a brilliant site with a fab idea! I love to see businesses help one another, businesses pulled together and an advertising structure and strategy that works without a horrific price tag! It’s not fair to expect businesses to pay huge price tags for advertising to get them more possible clients as that will generally, in turn, lead to higher prices! Your site creates the perfect opportunity for couples to browse local suppliers without being hit with high prices due to advertising expenditure!

Trying to prepare for one type of weather is hard enough, but following the recent warm sunny weather with thunderous downpours we thought we would share 5 tips on how to prepare for this unpredictable weather.

1. Be prepared for the unpredictable!

As you plan your wedding always be asking the “what if weather” question to everyone. For example ask the venue…. “what if its raining/sunshine/snowing” or ask the photographer ….”where will you take pictures should it be raining cats and dogs”  This way you can relax on the big day knowing that everyone else has already thought of how to deal with the unexpected.

2. The Big Brolly

Whether its a borrowed golf umbrella or purpose brought brolly make sure that if there is any sign of rain you know that someone has a Brolly at hand, ready to save you from the elements! Make sure its a good size umbrella though to cover your dress as much as possible should you have to.

3. Wonderful Wellies

If a downpour is looking likely then why not get some wellies! Its an unusual and quirky idea that makes a great memory!

4.Marquee Knowledge

If you are having a marquee as part of the wedding then make sure someone knows how to easily lift up the sides to allow some air in when its warm and quickly drop the sides down to block out the downpour

5. ENJOY

If you are prepared then you can laugh at the crazy weather knowing that you and the guests are comfortable and dry whatever the weather throws at you.

1. How did Little Bundles Begin?

I’d been looking everywhere for personalised bunting for my daughter’s birthday, back in 2004; all I could find was generic bunting in basic colours from companies who only wanted to sell me what they stocked, no-one was prepared to source fabric and create me a unique design. It was my, then 4 year old, daughter who announced to everyone that her “mummy” was going to make her bunting! I have always had a creative flair, so thought why not!

2. How did you come up with the name?

I’ve been very influenced by my own children, they were the main reason I wanted to work from home. My home office is just full of lots of vintage and new bundles of fabric, and with my two little children running around, Little Bundles somehow evolved itself!

3. Do you just make bespoke bunting?

The majority of our business is made to order bunting, but we have just started to offer bunting lengths for hire. This has come after a very successful run of Union Jack bunting for the Royal Wedding. We still want to produce exclusive bunting, so anything to hire will be made as limited editions.

4. What sort of occasions do you design bunting for?

Our bunting is used for weddings, parties, birthdays, events and by corporate users. Each week we have something new. This week alone I’m working on making a Rose bud Fairy bunting for a little girl called Lexi, designing bunting for four businesses who are looking for corporate bunting, as well as designing a brand new wedding bunting, which I am excited about… but not quite ready to announce! WATCH THIS SPACE!

5. Can it be used indoors/outdoors?

All our bunting is fabric, so on a sunny day, yes – no problems! The 10 metre long lengths available for hire would look great outside!

6. What’s the most unusual design you’ve created?

The most unusual one was for a wedding couple, I created them riding a tandom bicycle – taken from their wedding invitation! I’m about to design a superhero character for a children’s party company in London. I’m so excited about that. But, I would love to create a McQueen-esq crystal skull bunting and combine it with something really traditional like the Union Jack.

7. What’s the most unusual use you’ve seen for bunting?

My own Union Jack bunting wrapped around a bride in a “Cool Britannia” photo shoot by Assasynation at Danby Castle. It looked spectacular! I think every bride should wrap herself in bunting!!

8 . Where do you get your inspiration from for designs?

I doodle and design whenever I get an opportunity and my own children inspire me all the time. My customers though are often the ones with the idea, but don’t know how to visualise it, that’s where I help the most. All I need is a theme or idea, I will then create a design and find the right fabrics to show it off to its best. Nothing is impossible! I love colour, shape and form, so now when I look at anything I think “I wonder if that would work on bunting?”!

9. What is your absolute favourite thing to do?

Great question! I love finalising a design, getting my customers go-ahead, then hearing their feedback once its finished! When I’m not working, I relish time with my family – husband Andrew, children Oliver (12) and Charlotte (10) – normally Saturday night is TV night with a chilled glass of wine and the four of us relaxing on our sofa in front of Dr Who!!

10. Tell us something unusual about yourself

I think my life has been unusual! I’ve moved around a lot, both in the UK and abroad – total of 12 years living, working and back-packing, in four continents and having to learn two languages! At times it was very tough, especially living overseas bringing up two young children without a family support network, but I believe that life is what you make it, I’m a determined grafter –whatever you put in, you will eventually reap the rewards. We’re settled now in Northumberland, living in a converted Victorian Chapel (which has taken lots of time and energy), with a beautiful garden with raised Victorian vegetable beds, a log cabin, a fire pit and a totem pole!! I’ve never been happier!

Please tell us a bit about your background and how you started your business

My name is Sarah Marks and I started Tiny-Gems when I was made redundant. I had the its now or never moment that I’m sure we all have at some time in our lives. I went with the its now option and I’m so glad I did. I love what I do and I get to meet so many amazingly talented and like minded people. It’s a far cry from working in the banking industry and I wish I’d made the decision sooner.

I hand make jewellery, tiaras and have recently added the extremely popular Heirloom Bouquets to this, I could never have dreamed that they would be so well received and I get such lovely comments and feedback about them.

The highlights of my year so far are firstly having my jewellery worn by Chantelle Houghton in OK Magazine. I could not be more proud and have enough copies of the Royal Wedding Special Ok Magazine to decorate my house. And secondly what Wedding Ideas Magazine said about my Heirloom Bouquets –

Wedding Ideas Magazine says: – We love these Heirloom Bouquets dreamed up by clever designer Sarah Marks at Tiny-Gems. Created from a mix of vintage jewellery, vintage style brooches and earrings and a way of ensuring your wedding bouquet can be treasured forever and passed down through the family.

How would you describe your creative style?

I have always been inspired by vintage looks, however my creative style varies so much I couldn’t pin it down to one particular style. I believe this is a good thing though as everyone’s style is different and it is very important to not force people into your way of thinking.

I like to see a picture of the brides dress and discuss with her what sort of theme she has in mind for her day, along with any colour schemes or elements that she wishes to make a feature of. The great thing about this is being adaptable and being able to create designs that work for the Bride.

My style icon is the ever classic and utterly gorgeous Audrey Hepburn, and my Grandma who had an amazing sense of style. Both ladies could carry off any look effortlessly.

With regards to the Royal Wedding, which style did you predict for Kate Middleton?

This was the big question on everyones lips and was a very tricky one too as thinking of Kate Middleton’s style I imagine it would be understated elegance and not anything overstated as a reflection of the times. However, we also need to consider the venue as I’m sure the designer will have done, a simple dress and she will risk being lost and I was right!

She did manage to insert her own sense of style into her dress. I did see lace being involved! with a medium length train. I was crossing my fingers for it to be an Alice Temperley creation! No doubt everyone was watching closely for that first glimpse of “the dress”. I am also sure that the style will be much sort after by brides to be in the future too, everyone wants to be a princess on their wedding day.

Please share some tips for helping brides to choose their accessories.

This depends on so many things most importantly is the brides style. Your wedding day is not the day to see what it would be like to have a completely different style. You need to be comfortably and most importantly be surrounded by beautiful accessories that make you happy.

For my Brides who are looking for an Heirloom Bouquet for there wedding I will ask them to speak to theirs and their Fiancé’s families to ask for a few pieces of jewellery to be incorporated into their bouquet. This creates wonderful memories for them to share with future generations and is a lovely significant joining of the families in the Brides bouquet.

The style of the Brides dress defiantly dictates what jewellery can be worn things like neckline; detailing and any embellishments are all factors that need to be taken into serious consideration. Sometimes you need to adapt what jewellery you like so that it flows with the overall look of you on your wedding day.

You need to ensure that the jewellery, bouquet, hair accessories and dress all work together and aren’t competing for attention. All my brides send me pictures of their dress which is perfect as it allows us to talk through their ideas and what they like and for me to make suggestions and advise on styles and amendments that we would need to do for it to work.

When choosing what to have in your hair this can be a tricky one as some hairstyles just won’t work with a crown or tiara, but there are so many options available now this shouldn’t be a problem at all. Gorgeous sparkly hair clips are very popular accessories at the moment to slip into any hairstyle.

At Tiny-Gems we can tie in your Heirloom Bouquet with matching jewellery and headbands not only for you but also for your whole wedding party.

For more information feel free to contact Sarah at sarah@tiny-gems.co.uk

We are delighted to offer a 10% discount to our blog readers on all web orders placed before 31st May 2011. Simply enter the code                                                                                  TG04 during checkout

Making your Wedding Unique

What has to be remembered right at the start is that everyone’s Wedding is unique.
Of course there will be small similarities in the courses that you take, but the one fundamental fact is that there is only one you, and that makes your Wedding completely unique.

A wedding represents a new beginning for the bride and groom, a “birth” of their new life together.
But to truly celebrate the future, it is important to remember the past, and those that have influenced our lives in some special way.

So I find that a good way to do this is to  involve those that are special to you.

From a personal point of view, we dedicated two of the dances at our wedding to my husband’s mum who had passed a few years earlier.
She loved Jennifer Rush’s “The Power of Love” and Chris De Burgh’s “Lady in Red” and though it was hard for him, and my sister in law, it made his mum a big part of our day.

Aside from dedicating a song or dance to a loved one, you can consider : -

A special framed photograph either of those that have passed but who you want to remember , or Wedding Photos of your parents and Granparents representing a family tree of sorts.

You can remembering  your loved one in a speech

You can light a candle in memorial, or light a Unity candle.
An incredibly beautiful way of involving your Guests is to give them all a candle and as you walk back up the aisle, light the candle of the first in the pew and they in turn can light everyone elses, this means that everyone can share in the light of your love.

You can choose charity pins for favours [ ie. Cancer Research pins, British Heart Foundation pin] or suggest a charity donation instead of gifts to your guests.
This tends to be an incredibly personal act as there have been many of us touched in this way.

You can incorporate the person’s favourite flowers in your bouquet or wedding flowers,  and/or  leaving your bouquet on the grave of the loved one that has passed.
Or something that is becoming increasingly more popular in recent times is the Heirloom bouquet where you can use jewellery of brooches of a family member to make up a lasting reminder that will never fade or wilt.

Also wearing a piece of jewellery that was special to the person, can make them feel much closer to you on the day like a  string of pearls or some diamond earrings, or the Groom can wear a pocket watch.

We find that if we choose to pay tribute to those that have passed, then those moments spent remembering will be some of the fondest of the day.
We know that our loved ones are with us in spirit, but remembering them on one of the most important days of our lives is a very poignant way to say “Thank You” for helping make us the people we are.

Make a slideshow, of both of you growing up, and progress through your childhood, how you met and your relationship up till now. Or have a table st up with photos and memorabelia of these same stages.

Leave a glass jar instead of a Guest Book with some paper and some pens. Get your guests to write you little notes of goodwill, or to share their favourite memories of you.

Make sure your wedding has the hallmarks of you. Don’t be tied down by other peoples expectations, and your thoughts on the conventional way of doing things. Show your true spirit, your interests and properly share the essence of you.
This may mean your ideas being a bit out there but expressing what you want whether that be a midsummer nights dream in a woodland clearing, a beach wedding or the whackiness of Sci Fi, do it your way.

You can contact me at:

Please tell us a bit about your background and how you started your business

My background is miles apart from what I do now. I studied European Business Law at university although I have always had a passion for anything creative. As a child I loved to knit, sew, crochet, anything really where I got to ‘make’ things. As a teenager I loved to make jewellery as gifts for family and friends. After my own wedding in 2002 I began experimenting with bridal accessories. I was blown away by the feedback I received and started up my business on a part-time basis on 2004.

I had my son in 2006, and for the next 4 years worked tirelessly to build up my business. This was a challenging time for me juggling a 30hrs a week day job, being a mum and running my business, but never did I give up on my dream of turning my part time business into a successful well respected company that I would one day run on a full-time basis. My hard work began to pay off in 2008 when I was voted ‘Best Bridal Accessories’ at Scotland’s prestigious VOWS awards (Voted Outstanding Wedding Supplier).

This gave me a huge boost in confidence and I was overwhelmed that my brides were so impressed with my products and service that they took the time to vote for me. You can imagine my absolute delight when I went on to win the award again in 2009 & 2010, making me the first company ever to win 3 years in a row. I can’t tell you how proud I am of this achievement, especially as I was still running the business in my spare time.

My dream became a reality in September 2010 when I finally gave up the day job and opened my gorgeous boutique. I now run the business full-time and I can say that I am completely in love with my job and so very excited about what the future holds for my company.

How would you describe your creative style?

As a creative imaginative designer I don’t favour one style over another. I love whimsical florals which work beautifully with a bohemian theme, classical elegance which will always be on trend and I love the vintage glamour look which is so popular at the moment. The one thing I do specialise in is pleasing my clients, both in terms of creating the perfect accessories for them and by providing the very best in customer service. I offer free style advice to all of my clients based on their individuality and personal choices. Many of my brides are so impressed by my professional friendly approach that they keep in touch long after their wedding day, which is truly lovely.

With regards to the Royal Wedding, which style do you predict for Kate Middleton?

All eyes will be on Kate Middleton on 29th April 2011, the day will go down in history and billions of people will remember it for the rest of their lives. I for one am very excited and filled with eager anticipation, I can’t wait to see her walking down the aisle. I think she will go for a classically elegant style, I would love to see her in a simple high necked sleeveless column gown with a huge train, with minimal detail and a beautiful lace trimmed cathedral length veil and simple accessories. With no limit on the choices available to her, whatever she chooses, there is no doubt that she will be a vision of beauty befitting a future Queen.

Please share some tips for helping brides to choose their accessories.

I won’t go into this in too much detail as what works for one bride with a particular dress may not work for another with the very same dress. The most important thing is that you find a shape and style that flatters your figure and compliments your colouring. If your chosen gown is heavily embellished with lots of beadwork and embroidery or of there is a lot of fabric detailing, for example flowers and ruffles it is better to keep your accessories relatively simple, whereas if you go for a really simple gown you can afford to go for more statement style pieces when accessorising.

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to choosing your accessories as each bride has her own individual style, however having chosen your perfect gown it is helpful to consider the following:

Detailing - Consider the beading and/or embroidery detail on your dress. Most designers will be able to incorporate this into your chosen accessories.
Neckline - V- shaped and sweetheart necklines lend themselves well to pendants and drop style necklaces. While most necklace styles will compliment a strapless dress, it is best to avoid chokers and very ornate necklaces if the bodice of your dress is heavily beaded or if you are having a very detailed statement headpiece.

Face shape – Round shaped faces are complimented by high tiaras or tiaras that come to a point at the centre, thus giving the illusion of height. Long Faces are more suited to tiaras that have less height or perhaps a headband style or asymmetric style. Most style tiaras, headbands and hair accessories will work well if you have an oval shaped face.

Hairstyle - It is also important to consider your hairstyle when choosing your headwear. Most tiara and headband styles are suitable for a high up-do or hair half-up half-down where there is plenty of volume to the hair. Shallow tiaras and headbands are more suitable for hair down or very sleek hairstyles. Side tiaras, combs and hairpins will work with most hairstyles.

Most importantly – these are my opinions and are meant as guidance only. Everyone has their own personal taste and the most important thing is that you choose the accessories that make you feel special on your Big Day. Never be pushed into something that you are not 100% happy with, if you are happy with your style choices on the inside this will radiate from you on the outside.

For individual detailing styling advice please feel free to contact Corrine at info@corrinesmith.co.uk

We are delighted to offer a 10% discount to our blog readers on all web orders placed before 15 May 2011. Simply enter the code CMW11 during checkout.
Corrine Smith Design
22 Nelson St
Kilmarnock
Tel 01563532561 / 07789558555
www.corrinesmith.co.uk

www.vowsawards.co.uk

So thats the big question I suppose, I mean we all as brides want to have the prettiest and perfect dress of our dreams but where do we fare when it comes to shoes? Ok so I was a bride in 2004 and married my wonderful husband in Cyprus but rather than worrying about comfort, I suppose all I cared about was how pretty my shoes were but it does appear that more and more feel that comfort is the key what with most brides wearing them in total for over 8 hours during the course of their wedding day. Heres our top 10 key tips for choosing your Wedding Footwear.

1 – Choose a brand that is renowned in the field, why? because they have the experience of creating timeless classics incorporating glamour, comfort and almost all popular brands will have a range of shoes suitable for your budget. Our personal favourite is the Paradox London range featuring Pink By Paradox, Belle and Benjamin Adams and the Rainbow Club range also incorporating Else, leaders in the bridal shoe industry can mean only one thing, comfort, affordability and expertise in creating beautiful bridal shoes for the industry. In fact Paradox is a 2011 award winner.

2 – Wear a heel height and style that you are used to, if you’re comfortable in 3 inch heels normally why go and kill you calves and leg muscles not to mention your feet by trying 5 inch. You’ll find them unbearable to wear meaning you’ll spend the best day of your life worrying about blisters and you’ll end up walking around bear foot, cue beautiful ivory or white dress, black feet ! a very big no no. If you wear a wedding shoe that is on par with your normal fashion shoe then you should be fine.

3 – Pick the right colour, Almost all of us want shoes that compliment the dress perfectly which poses a problem on occasions for those with diamond white dresses, 95% of shoes can be bleached however the bleaching process does not guarantee a diamond white effect, thankfully brands such as Benjamin Walk based in the US offer a vast amount of styles, well in fact hundreds that are available in Diamond White therefore saving you the cost of bleaching/dyeing and meaning hopefully you can get the perfect match. My dress was a Maggie Diamond White and I ended up wearing silver shoes with complimented my pretty swarovski embellishments anyway.

4 – Pick a style that you can wear again! – Why would you want to buy a wedding shoe that you wear for one day and then it goes in a box in the roof to collect dust? choose a shoe that you would wear with jeans or another outfit on a special occasion, have them dyed to match and bobs your uncle you can wear them again and again.

5 – Skintone – Pick a shoe that compliments your skin tone, this creates added leg length and makes you look taller.

6 – Material – If your dress is silk we would recommend you choose a silk shoe thus complimenting the material of the dress, likewise with Satin, Lace etc. Theres no end of selection nowadays when it comes to shoes and their fabrics, even if it comes down to the detailing of the shoe, if your dress features pearls, why not choose a shoe that incorporates pearls into the design?

7 – Buy in advance!, we know only to well that alot of brides tend to purchase their shoes a day before the wedding and then end up in a complete panic when they don’t fit, they’re not the right style and then comes the bridezilla moment “we’ve all had them” Purchase your shoes at least 3 months in advance so you can ensure you have the pair of your dreams and wear them around the house to stretch them slightly for the big day. A bride with a plaster on her heels is not a good look

8 – Location, Consider where the ceremony is taking place, if you are getting married say on a beach the last thing you want to do is be sinking unelegantly into the sand so “think” about the whole day, where you will be wearing them and are they suitable.

9 – READ the terms and conditions of shoe purchases and consider how long for delivery whether this be in store on on-line, many high street shops do not offer a returns policy as most shoes are purchased to order meaning that if they don’t have your size in store and you have to order them you’ll have to keep them which I suppose is why many customers use the internet nowadays for this purchase as we are bound to offering a returns / exchange policy.

10 – Finally, browse the web fully, with no fewer than 200 styles on our own website alone (sorry for the shameless plug) you can spend hours looking and considering the perfect shoe for your day. If you’re stuck between 4 pairs why not order all 4 so you have them there in front of you, do look at the returns policy from the site you are ordering from as many sites do not allow more than 2 pairs for sampling.

Well i hope that kind of gave you a mini insight into what is to be considered, we’ll be back soon with our new blogs for our bridesmaid dress photoshoot happening the end of the month, our new showroom and our Benjamin Adams shoe videos, yes you heard it right videos, we were the original company to introduce 360 degree rotational imagery for the shoes but it seems others have got onto that trend so it was time for the change although an expensive one, we can showcase every fine detailing in real life providing you the bride with lots of various viewing components, we are very excited about this and don’t worry we’re already planning our next shoe move before everyone else jumps on the bandwagon !!!!!

All of us in the wedding industry realise that our business growth is dependant upon our clients sharing the wonderful stories of how we helped them have the most amazing wedding day.

Now we are going to run through the following 6 points on how to effectively use recommendations to grow your business. These points have been shared with us by 2 professionals who have successfully built their business on referrals from existing/previous clients

#1. Set your stall out

Right at the first time that you meet your potential client be sure to tell them that you want them to be that delighted with the service that you provide, that you would expect them to have no problem with recommending you to their friends. This will fill them with confidence of the level of service that you are going to provide them and therefore make them more comfortable with taking on your service/product. It also sows the seed in their mind that you will be asking them to recommend you.

#2 Have some recommendations of your products/services to show potential clients

A real recommendation isn’t just a bit of text that says “Thanks! You were Great” stuck at the bottom of a leaflet or website. A real recommendation has a name attached and even better a name, a picture and a link to the person who wrote it. Utilizing the social media plugins such as Facebook comments provides just that (See any advert on our website for an example of this). Having a previous client be willing to attach his name and picture in their recommendation to you will add so much strength to your claim that you will provide a great service.

#3 Do exactly what you said you were going to do.

This may sound obvious, but the last thing you want to do is disappoint any of your clients, especially when you are going to be asking them to recommend you to others. If you promise to get in touch with them by a certain date then make sure you do, if you promised to have your product/service available at a certain time then make sure it is. If you fail to do anything you said then you can kiss your recommendation goodbye

#4 Do something extra

You need to be remembered for something special and this is the area where you win the heart of your client. Always have some small, but thoughtful, act or product that you provide right at the last moment to woo your client. For example a Bridal Dress supplier might also provide a storage box with for the dress after the wedding with the Brides name on it.

#5 Use their social media to share their thoughts about you!

And this is what it leads up to. After the wedding, and the honeymoon has passed be sure to contact the couple and ask them to share their experience of your product/service with their friends through whatever means of social media they use. You want a platform where they can share to all their friends but also be available for you to refer future clients to. Facebook Comments plugin provides the perfect opportunity for that and that is what we use for our suppliers to get their recommendations placed on.

#6 Offer an Incentive

In order to make someone remember that you want them to recommend you then you need to have an incentive to be playing on their mind. Perhaps if you were a cake maker, you might offer half a dozen cupcakes for each recommendation that leads to another sale for you! The work of producing the cupcakes is easily outweighed by the new business gained and everyone is a winner

So as I mentioned at the beginning, here is what I am asking you to do! Please recommend people to follow us on Twitter (@CreateMyWedding) and like our page on Facebook (www.facebook.com/CreateMyWedding) . We will be giving out fantastic promotional opportunities on our launch date for those who recommend other. Make sure you are there!

What ways have you used Recommendations to get results, share some of your experiences below about what has and hasn’t worked

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