You can, and I hope will, read about my experience as a bridal professional, and why I wrote A Bride's Touch, on other pages of this site. But this page is devoted to how I feel about weddings.
Before you hire me for services, or consider the information in my book, you need and deserve to know why I'm here and what I believe.
I believe that a couple's wedding should be what that couple wants, not what their family, or friends, or bridal magazines, or wedding professionals, or anyone else think they should have. I also believe that a couple can and should get their "way", but without being obnoxious.
I believe that a couple's personality and relationship is what makes a wedding most special. I also believe that expressing that personality and relationship should be a couple's main focus in planning.
I believe that many grooms have great ideas, and that every groom should be allowed to have as much "say" in the planning as he wants (a couple's first exercise in cooperation). However, I still hold the (old-fashioned, I know) point of view that the groom should not help pick out the bride's gown, or see the bride's gown until the wedding day (although the bride should be sensitive to his tastes).
I believe that you should only include the wedding traditions which are meaningful and comfortable to you as a couple. If you don't mean it, don't do it.
I believe that the vast majority of couples can organize and "pull off" a wonderful wedding totally without the aid of a paid bridal consultant/coordinator.
I believe that most of the wedding "disaster" stories that are so common now do more harm than good to a couple's wedding planning. Not that bad things don't happen at some weddings. They do. But couples have enough worries and anxieties without adding sort of "institutionalized" stress to the whole idea.
I believe that a lot of what many bridal magazines and other resources put forward as "real" weddings and budgets are far from what most couples want or can (or should) realistically afford to pay for.
I also believe that spending a lot doesn't guarantee a great wedding-- and that sometimes it adds a lot of extra stress. Bridal magazines and many people now seem to push so hard for fancy locations, elaborate decorations, gourmet food, etc. If that is within a couple's means, that's fine. However, I hate to see couples become "slaves" to elaborate weddings, when a simpler wedding would suit their finances--as well as their style--better.
I believe that bridal professionals should not design or advise based on their own preferences. I realize that there's a difference between what I would do (actually, "did") for my own wedding, and what would be appropriate and expressive for the couple I am working with. Each wedding I work on is special to me NOT because it fits some personal goal of mine, but because it reflects the unique tastes and relationship of the couple. If it doesn't, I haven't done my job.
I will not try to tell you that I have the most creative wedding ideas, that somehow *I* know what's best for your wedding. I know that YOU have the best ideas of what will make your wedding wonderful and memorable for you. I believe that my job is to help you figure out what is appealing, appropriate, available and affordable-- and help you make it all "come true".
Very best wishes to you!
SERVICES AND PRODUCTS AVAILABLE-- Winter/Spring 2005
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