"It's not going to be easy, there may be some bumps along the road"

My plan was to blog last Sunday, the day after my first day of class, while everything was still fresh in my mind, but due to a bad case of the flu, I am just now crawling out of the cave that I have been stuck in the past week.

So, despite being sick, I survived my first 8 hour session of the course!! Wooo! It was long and there was SO much information, like, an overwhelming amount, but I'm excited for the next 5 months and learning everything I can.

The director of the program, Joyce Scardina Becker, is a multi-award winning Special Event Planner, owner of Events of Distinction, and the Founding President of the Wedding Industry Professionals Association (WIPA). She is also the author of "Countdown To Your Perfect Wedding", a book that will be my bible for the next few months.She definitely knows her stuff and knows a ton of people in the industry.

The class only has about 12-15 students/aspiring wedding professionals (all female), so it is a very intimate setting. After going through introductions and talking about our backgrounds and what we hope to accomplish, I was embarrassingly sent to the back of the class so as to not infect anyone with my SICKNESS. Things really got off to a great start =/

Each session covers different aspects of being a wedding planner/designer/consultant/coordinator/stylist, etc. These are titles that we went over in class and really got me thinking about what I want to call myself.  Do I want to be a planner, designer, stylist? This class focuses on full service wedding planning as that is what Joyce offers through her company. Right now I think I want to focus on month of coordination, at least as I start out, but  it is definitely good to know all the aspects of full service planning. And who knows, maybe by the end of this course I may change my mind.

So, in order to pass the class and receive my certification, I have to complete all homework assignments, pass the quizzes and final exam and complete {and receiving a passing grade} on what is called a "Staging Guide". The staging guide is just a binder but it will hold all the information on the hypothetical wedding that I will be planning over the next 5 months. We have the option of basing our wedding off a real wedding of someone we know, or creating one. I thought it would be fun to design a hypothetical wedding. Hypothetical wedding = hypothetical budget. What can be better than planning a wedding with a completely made up budget?!

Day 1: Lots of notes, books and new information

It's going to be a lot of work and I definitely have a lot of studying to look forward to. It has been some time since I have studied anything {about 7 years actually - ugh, I'm old} and I am already finding myself getting very easily distracted at home as I attempt to review my notes/read a few chapters of my "bible".  One of the first things Joyce said at the beginning of the class was, "It's not going to be easy, there may be some bumps in the road" and I think she may be right. I will probably be a bit stressed and overwhelmed with this additional workload; on top of my full time job, my assistant gigs I have lined up, and everything I have going on in my day to day life {like my adorable puppy CHARLIE}, it's going to take some good time management skills, but I definitely think it's worth it. I am going to work hard on this Staging Guide and make this an unforgettable wedding, even if it isn't real. This might mean that I will have to take some time away from a very serious relationship I have …  with Netflix … but it's probably for the best  =)

Not this time Netflix!

I'm excited to share my journey with you guys; and stay tuned for some sneak peeks of my Staging Guide. For those of you still in school, please share any good study places you know of in the South Bay!

As always, thanks for stopping by!!

XOXO
kels
♥

#goaldigger

This post is a few days late, but better late than never right? {maybe one of my goals should be working on my procrastination ... }

I never really do New Year's Resolutions because I feel like there is so much pressure put on them and for me personally, that just sets me up for failure. I tend to just set little goals for myself throughout the year, instead of just at the beginning of the year, but as I embark on my Wedding Planner journey, I thought it might be a good idea to put pen to paper and really focus on what I want to accomplish this year. So, here they are, my main GOALS for 2015:

{Complete my Wedding Planning Certification Course} 

 

{Reach out to more Wedding Planners in order to find work as an assistant}

 

{Attend more networking/industry events}

 

{Complete my branding & increase my social media presence}

and finally, 

{BLOG MORE CONSISTENTLY!!}

 

I am excited for what this year has to bring for me personally and professionally. My first day of class is January 17th and I can't wait to "go back to school". I am going to be that old lady with my new notebook and pens while everyone else is on their laptops. For some reason, taking notes on a laptop just isn't the same for me. I LOVE taking notes; in school I used to rewrite my notes if I felt they weren't neat enough. 

Just 6 days into the new year, I have also begun work on goal #2. Since my mentor, Christy, moved out of the state, I have been looking for other planners to work with as a day of assistant. Last night I had my first meeting with another bay area planner to discuss/schedule the weddings that I will be assisting her with this year. I am scheduled for 4 weddings in 2015 so far! Wooo! Will definitely be blogging about those events as they come along. I am really looking forward to gaining more hands on experience and working with different types of planners, and of course, sharing my experiences along the way. There is so much to learn and I am ready to soak it all in! I have big dreams and hopes for this year and could not be more excited for what is in store. 
 
What are some of your goals for this year? Would love to hear from you :)

XOXO

kels 
♥