The Fall/Winter 2011 issue of The Knot Northern California magazine has an article that suggests 9 things brides can splurge on to make their weddings stand out.

Here are 3 that you might want to suggest to your brides, if they have the budget:

1) Lighting

A bride does not have to stay with the lighting that is offered in her ceremony or reception space. A good lighting designer can create different moods, add drama and camouflage bad areas.

Also, I’m sure you’ve seen monograms projected on dance floors and aisles at celebrity weddings, these are the work of lighting designers. Find someone in your area who can do this for y0ur brides.

2) Ceremony Decor

Don’t forget that it’s not just the reception venue that needs decoration, places of worship and other ceremony sites can be decorated to create and set the tone for the entire wedding day.

Read my blog post on door decor for ideas and information on how to make the entrance special.

3) Personalize the Entryway

The article said that wedding planners often overlook this area of the reception site!

Work with the florist to add flowers and trees, an event designer to decorate the escort card table or a printer to design special escort cards (read my posts about the Tori and Dean sTORIbook Weddings “Steampunk“ and “Pug Chic” themed weddings to get ideas), the photographer to show photos of the couple taken for their engagement, or the caterer to have servers waiting to greet guests with the couple’s signature cocktail.

Before sharing any of these ideas, make sure you know high quality, professional vendors whom you can work with to make these splurges really worth it for your brides.

You can read more ideas in local area editions of The Knot magazine.

Wedding planners Tori and Dean blended the femininity of the 1920’s flapper with the masculinity of the dapper gentleman of the industrial revolution, steampunk style, in the wedding they planned in last week’s episode of “Tori & Dean: sTORibook Weddings.”

The bride had already purchased her flapper style wedding dress. The groom and  Dean went to Clockwork Couture and found his wedding attire and gifts for his groomsmen, all in the steampunk style (Victorian era and pseudo-Victorian style clothing, pocket watches, gears, brass keys, goggles, and other accessories).

Tori and Dean found the perfect venue for their wedding, the Edison , an event venue that was built in 1910 and actually was the first power plant in downtown Los Angeles. It has retained the look and feel of it’s original era with Art Nouveau and Industrial Gothic styles.

Tori and Dean added a soft touch to the ceremony decor by sprinkling flower petals on either side of the aisle and adding candles to the stairs and the stage where the couple said their vows. (Tip: If your bride wants candles, make sure your venue allows open flames. If they don’t, you can find “flameless” candles that work with batteries and flicker just like real candles.)

The same room was used for the ceremony and the reception. Therefore the furniture and decor all had to be changed during the one hour cocktail hour. (Tip: If you have to turn around a space in an hour, assign each member of your staff specific duties to accomplish so there is no confusion and rehearse before the wedding day. Make sure the vendors involved do the same.)

Dean created a special key box with escort cards attached to old keys.

The wedding cake, by Cakes by the Pound, followed the steampunk theme and was decorated with edible gears and watch movements.

You can find more photos on the Oxygen television network website.

Brides and grooms have all sorts of interests and hobbies. In your initial consultation, find out what they are and strive to incorporate them into the wedding.

In tonight’s episode, Tori and Dean plan an Indian wedding.

Have you been having a tough time trying to come up with unique wedding location ideas to suggest to your brides?  If so, you might want to get the March 2011 issue of Brides magazine (US edition). In it you will find a flow chart with location ideas for your current and future clients.

 Here are some of the suggestions, along with tips on how to find them:

If you have a  nature-loving bride

• Park amphitheater
• Summer camp
• Wilderness retreat 

Check with your city or county Parks and Recreation department to find out the availability of their spaces for weddings. Remember to warn your bride that there may not be much privacy in a public recreation area and the wedding may have unwanted “guests.”

For the bride who wants an upscale outdoor wedding (that may also have an indoor option to use in case of bad weather)

• Vineyard
• Botanical garden or solarium
• Lakeside lodge
• Historical estate

Do some research on the websites of Convention and Visitor’s Bureaus (CVB’s) and tourist information centers to find venues that are suitable for weddings.

For the bride who wants an indoor wedding in a unique location

• Museum or art gallery
• Historic mansion, library or bank
• Planetarium
• Upscale restaurant or event space

If your bride wants to get married indoors, think outside-the-box and instead of going to a hotel or country club, check local museums, galleries and historic homes.

Make sure you have a wide variety of ideas for wedding venues so you can easily recommend the perfect locations for your brides.

On Friday night’s episode of TLC’s “Four Weddings,” each of the four brides selected a very different venue for their wedding and their locations might give you ideas for the weddings that you plan:

1) Beach Wedding with a Retro Fifties Theme

The bride got married at the beach with an AstroTurf aisle runner and daisies sprinkled along the edges. She did not have attendants. Her officiant looked like Marilyn Monroe, which fit her theme.

One problem with this outdoor beach wedding was it was hot, humid and rainy on that day in South Florida. Fortunately her reception was indoors and she followed her retro theme serving fifties diner food, like chicken pot pie and mac and cheese (she had a mac and cheese station in which guest could add their own meats and vegetables). The waitstaff wore fifties diner outfits, which was a nice touch.

2) Miami Tropical Garden

This bride did not have to worry much about decor. Her morning outdoor wedding was set in a lush garden and the cocktails were served right near the ceremony site. Her lunch buffet reception was in a covered pavilion near the site.

The benefit of an outdoor space is the bride may not need spend a lot on decor or flowers because the site naturally provides a besutiful setting for her.

3) Hotel

The hall of a hotel lobby was decorated to look like a church for the bride’s evangelical Lutheran ceremony. A balcony overlooking the reception area provided the space for the cocktail hour.

The invitation said ”Black Tie Preferred” and the decor was very formal but the food was the opposite. The bride chose her favorite foods, chicken and French fries and Funfetti cake, white cake with colorful spinkles, there is a popular mix from Pillsbury and a Facebook page for its fans.

The food wasn’t what the guest brides liked. Should your bride pick a food that may not be popular, you and her caterer might suggest adding some other entree selections.

4) Catering Hall and Culinary School

One bride had her event at Hugh’s Catering in Oakland Park, Florida. The ceremony, cocktail hour and reception were all in the same space, and guest sat at dining tables throughout the event. The other brides didn’t care for but this does make it easy for most guests.

The bride loved fine food and there was a wide range of foods, something for everyone which is a plus especially if there are picky guests. In lieu of a traditional wedding cake, there was a tower of cupcakes with a large one at the top.

As a wedding planner you are well-prepared with a kit full of the things a wedding party might need in case they forget something. You also probably know how to handle last minute guest and vendor problems. But are you also well prepared to take action if the safety of the wedding party and guests is a concern?

Here are 7 things you should know whenever you plan a wedding:

1) Who at the venue should you contact in case of an emergency?

2) What can this person do when you do contact them? (Call 911, perform CPR, etc.)

3) Where are the emergency exits and fire extinguishers?

4) Does the venue have a first aid kit? If so, where is it? (You should also pack a small kit of your own.)

5) In the event you need to call 911, can you get a cell phone signal at the venue?

6) Do you have vendors who practice safety on the job? In other words, do they use any equipment that can be tripped over or could fall and hurt someone? If so, what do they do to prevent accidents?

7) If the bride or groom has reason to believe an unhappy ex could crash their wedding and cause problems, have you suggested hiring a security guard?

Check that the area outside the venue is also safe, even if the guests will only be walking from their cars to the ceremony or reception. The sprinklers should be off, parking lots should be well lit and walkways should be free from any safety hazards.

Also, since you will often be managing large groups of guests, it never hurts for you and your staff to take a first aid class so you know some basics in case of a medical emergency.

I just finished watching an episode of Masters of Reception, a new show on the TLC television network that you will inspire you and help you learn more about what it takes to plan weddings.

The show features the Frungillo family who own four upscale venues in New Jersey at which they make dream weddings come true.  With their staff they plan the food, flowers, cake, and anything their couples request.  You’ll see how they handle special requests and emergencies and pick up tips for your own business.  For example:

• One couple wanted to include their cats in their wedding day.  Cats would not be able to be present at the reception so the Frungillos had a photographer take pictures of the cats dressed as a bride and groom.  The pictures were beautifully framed and given prominent places at the venue during the party.

• They had an artist paint a mural of the wedding reception while it was taking place.  It was done by the end of the event and given to the bride and groom.

• The bride forgot to tell the DJ the name of an important song she wanted played during her father-daughter dance.  Turns out the DJ did not have it with him.  The Frungillos quickly went online and downloaded a copy from the Internet onto a CD and gave it to the DJ.  (Of course it is best that you confirm with the bride, in advance, that she has given the information to the DJ but emergencies do happen.)

The series premiered last night  (I had “TIVO”ed it to watch tonight) but it will be replayed throughout the week.  Check your television listings or the TLC website.

Whether you are planning a wedding in an outdoor or indoor venue, you must be aware of what may be happening with the grounds surrounding the facility.  The other night I was watching an episode of The Learning Channel program, Wild Weddings.  One of the video segments featured a wedding party walking across a lawn when the sprinklers suddenly went off, drenching the maid-of-honor.  Luckily, the bride and groom remained dry.

Here are some things to find out when booking any site with a lawn and landscaping:

• When is the lawn watered?  Even if the sprinklers aren’t set to go off during your event, you want to make sure the grass ise dry so the wedding party and guests are not walking through mud to get to the venue.

• When is the lawn mowed and when are the grounds maintained?  You don’t want any of this work done during a ceremony or reception.  If there is a lawn, it should looked well-manicured.

• Are you planning any landscape changes before the wedding date?  You want to be sure the grounds look like the bride expects them to, or better, on the day of the wedding.  Also, if the bride books the venue in the Spring and her wedding is in the Winter, ask to see photos so she knows what she is getting.

Thursday’s episode of the ABC show Ugly Betty had a wedding theme.  Mode, the fashion magazine where Betty works, was preparing for a wedding issue and Daniel, her boss was getting married.  Daniel hired a wedding planner who told him her job was to give him and his bride the perfect wedding, which means, “whatever she (the bride) wants”.  Of course, the planner didn’t realize what the bride wanted was not possible to do within a month’s time.  (Be careful about telling prospects you can give them the “perfect wedding” before you find out what they want!) Betty saved the day, of course, with a space-age wedding at the planetarium with Grammy Award winner Adele providing the entertainment.

Can a bride really have her wedding at planetarium?   Yes, many planetariums are prepared to host weddings and other events and have the tables, chairs, linens, bars and audio systems in place to make it easy for you and your bride to plan her event.  A couple to things you need to be extra careful about:

• Lighting – make sure the professionals the bride hires know how to get high quality photography and video in the venue.  Ask to see photos and videos they have done at the planetarium in the past.

• Acoustics – check what the sound would be like with the DJ and/or musicians the bride plans to use.  Ask if they have performed at the venue in the past or find out if there are any events with music that you or the bride can attend so you can check the acoustics yourselves.

If your bride is looking for a place where she can have a ceremony or reception under the stars, check out local planetariums and see what they have to offer.

To see Thursday’s episode of Ugly Betty, go to the ABC website.

Planning  a wedding reception at a hotel or resort?  Many of them are very open to negotiating great deals during this recession.  If your bride has the budget available, she might be able to book a very nice venue that she once thought was out of her price range.

However, be sure the bride gets a commitment from the venue as to the type of service she expects.  Many hotels are cutting back on their staff in an effort to stay afloat which could mean a reduction in wait staff and a lower level of service overall.   This will not only affect the couple and their guests, but could make your job more difficult as you try to assure that everyone has a good time at the reception.

If you are involved with the bride in negotiating a contact with a venue, make sure lower costs do not mean lower quality.  Be very specific about what you and the bride expect and put everything in writing, especially the number of wait staff per guest the venue commits to having for the bride’s special day.

Many wedding planners seem to have better than average memories, I know I do.  Maybe it’s because we tend to be a bit obsessive compulsive; obsessed with perfection, rules, and organization, enjoy being in control and feel uncomfortable when we think that things don’t seem right.   I was listening to Dr. Mehmet Oz on Oprah radio this morning, his guest, an expert on memory and emotions, said people who are obsessive often have better than average memories.

However, no matter how great your memory is, you need to write down and keep track of all the details of a wedding.  And, you cannot rely on your brides and vendors to have the same great memory you do.  When I first became a planner, I met with a hotel catering and sales manager to install some phone lines for demos.  The morning before the event, I noticed it hadn’t been done.  She claimed we had never had a meeting and she didn’t know anything about it.  Long story short, it got done, but I vowed never to let that happen to me again.

Don’t let this happen to you!  Write down every change, upgrade, or downgrade anyone makes to products and services expected and send a copy of your notes to all the parties involved.  It’s extra work but it will save you lots of time and frustration in the end.