Featured WPIC Alumni of the Month

Thank you for the feature, WPIC!

Written By: Kim Choy, WPIC


Caryn Lim studied fine arts in college and then went into Education at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec.  Upon graduation she started her wedding business immediately.  In 2003, she was approached by three different couples for help with their wedding.  She says, “They saw something in me that I didn’t know I had and to this day, I’m forever grateful to them for helping me discover the talents in me!” She had never done a wedding before, but decided to take them on.  Read on to see where those three weddings have taken her to this day!

Caryn found the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada's Course through Google!  Prior to taking the course, she had planned conferences, summer camps, fundraisers, drama productions and church anniversary celebrations.  She has always loved the decorating aspect of events much more than the planning.  She has made her specialty in the industry wedding decorating and handmade invitations however, she wanted to take the WPIC Course to educate herself more in the wedding industry.  As for that stationary part of her business, her love for making handmade Christmas cards for friends and family each year slowly turned into a wedding invitation service to go along with the decorating.



Since starting out, Caryn has made her business full time in just two and a half years.  Caryn confesses that she didn’t have any solid plans on how she was going to conduct business.  She just jumped right into creating her company without any business or marketing plans.

“I just went with the flow, but believe me, that’s not a wise thing to do!”

Caryn suggests to new planners getting into the industry to not just jump in with no plans like she did.  It is very important to make goals for yourself, get out and meet new people, volunteer your time and find every opportunity you can to gain experience and make contacts.  She also says to never see fellow wedding planners as competition, everyone should be working together to grown each other’s businesses!

“With time, I am learning how to do business the right way”


Over the years, Caryn has become to love the final moment when everything about the wedding comes together.  All of the photos in her website gallery were all taken by herself, this is when everything in the room is set and ready for the big reveal to the bride and groom.  “Taking those photos is the moment for me!”  Her favourite part is being so appreciated by the couples for her hard work.  Even though it is her responsibility and it is in the contract, every couple is still so surprised to see the reveal!

“Taking those photos is the moment for me!”

Last year, 2010 Caryn’s company came in contact with over 200 couples!!!  Caryn explains that even though each job has its own stress and obstacles, she loves how happy her job makes her feel!  She loves that couples see the value in her work and have her be a part of their wedding.
Caryn can’t recall how she came up with her company name A Timeless Celebration Wedding & Events Inc.  She explains, “A lot of times I come up with ideas and designs in the strangest places and random moment.”  Her business card was designed by herself after she had a dream about the way it should look.  She woke up, fired up Photoshop and went to work!

“Another time, an idea came to me when I had my head down and blow drying my hair in the morning!”

Caryn’s partner, best friend and sister, Gloria is definitely someone she would not be able to live without!  Gloria joined A Timeless Celebration Wedding & Events Inc. last year and has since taken a huge load off of Caryn’s shoulders and become the greatest asset to the company.  Gloria now oversees the Montreal branch since Caryn’s move to Toronto to open another branch!

Caryn says of her sister and partner, “We work very well together, we think alike and we complement each other in our strengths and weaknesses”.  Caryn says they think alike so often that they will often show up in the same colour without coordinating prior… (We do that in the WPIC office too!!!)  Caryn’s parents have even made deliveries and ironed sashes, friends have helped with heavy lifting and the assembly of invitations.  These people have greatly helped Caryn be to where she is today!


Caryn has launched four companies and websites thus far:
-          A Timeless Celebration Weddings & Events Inc., 2005 – Montreal & Toronto – decorations, linen, and centerpieces
-          My Wedding Feathers, 2010 – Online Clients in USA & Canada - dedicated to feathers and feather centerpieces
-          Touch of Love Invitations, 2011 – Online Clients in USA & Canada – invitations and stationary
-          Bellus Oil Portraits, 2007 – Online Clients in USA & Canada – 100% hand painted oil portraits

So why did Caryn create all of these businesses?
She wanted to create a place that clients could come to, to be efficient with their time in planning their wedding.  “It’s less work for brides and grooms to come to us for multiple items and once they work with us on their invitations, they know that they can trust us with their wedding décor and also wedding day coordination!”

Caryn’s dream for 2011 is to continue to create beautiful weddings for all clients.

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Vendor Interview: An English Rose Part II

And the interview with Rachel continues!

What do you do when you're not wedding planning?

When are we not planning weddings LOL… I like to Ski, although I am not very good yet.. love trying new restaurants and catching up with friends!

What do you think sets you apart from other wedding planners in Montreal?

The British accent really gives it away... I think the mix of my Hotel & Corporate Management experience in HR really helps when dealing with both clients and vendors and knowing how to talk and communicate with people eg the professionalism.... the variety of weddings I have designed and my passion for what I do!

What would be the most important advice you can give to your brides/grooms?

I know it is hard, but you HAVE to make it your day and ensure you have the day you dream off.  Secondly take time out not only to plan your Wedding Day but also to plan your marriage, too may couples focus on one day and then stumble into the rest of their lives.. you really need to discuss where you want to live, children, religion, plans for the future, make sure you are both aligned to the life you want to lead.

What is your favorite color combination?

At the moment I like really neutral colours with hints of ‘Gold’, I think it is very romantic, classy and elegant.  Mind you I do love it when I have couples who really want to be creative and be totally untraditional!  I cannot say too much but my BFF is doing something so untraditional for her wedding I am so excited I could burst!!

What is your favorite item in your emergency kit?

Safety Pins, Super Glue and White Chalk!

What are common mistakes couples make on their wedding day in terms of planning?

Forgetting to include taxes & gratuity into their budget.. this can easily add another 30% to the costs!  Not assigning tasks the wedding party to help with the planning and the day – they are there to work for the couple not to just look pretty & handsome!  Not understanding the impact of ‘correct’ timings throughout the day.

 

What is your favorite wedding trend right now?

I must admit I still like the Cupcakes, Macaroons and Candies.  I love coloured linens and sparkle, and I love designing the Table of Honor completely differently to the rest of the tables.

What is your least favorite wedding trend right now?

Traditional Wedding Food (I eat a lot) eg. Chicken or Fish… and midnight tables with food that no-one really can eat.. I love working on weddings where we change the style and flavors of the food and be much more creative and surprise the guests!

What is one tip you would give to a newbie wedding planner?  Or one who's interested in becoming one?

Think about who your target ‘clients’ are going to be and market your business to that audience and remember it is not just about planning parties and going shopping – you have to also be able to run and manage a business and all that goes with it.  But love it with a passion and you will always be fulfilled!

I know you work with your hubby, what are some of his roles?

Chris works on a lot of behind the scenes research whether it be for new vendors, e-solutions or business planning.  He also does a lot of logistical planning and is very artistic which is very handy on the wedding day when setting up decorations!

Final thoughts

Eat Well, Drink Well and be Happy!

Photos courtesy of An English Rose.
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Vendor Interview: An English Rose Part I

I first met Rachel from An English Rose at the course we took together from The Wedding Planners Institute of Canada.  I remember when Rachel and I first went to Second Cup for coffee and chit chatted about weddings.  She was there since the beginning, when I worked from home, to when I moved into my 300 sq ft. showroom and then expanded to our 1000 sq ft office!

Although Rachel and I don't get to chat often, but when we do, she always has so many experiences and stories to share with brides &grooms and also fellow wedding planners.  For this reason, I will split the interview into two, part I and part II!  Here are goes the first part of the interview and some fun photos of Rachel, her husband and partner, Chris and some of their clients.  Enjoy!

How did you get started in the wedding business?

Years ago I worked in Hotel Management specializing in Conference & Banqueting which is where I fell in love with Weddings.  There after I used to dream of owning my own wedding planning business, but back in the early 1990’s it wasn’t big in the UK…but I continued to plan weddings part-time and when I moved to Canada in 2003 I started developing my ideas to launch my own wedding planning business full time.

How many years have you been in the wedding business?

4 Years in Montreal, 7 Years in Hotel Management and part-time over 10 more years (gulp that makes me old)!

How do you prepare for the wedding day?

Extremely organized, everything is packed and ready to go the night before - triple check all details on the morning and get very excited and motivated for the couple!

What inspires you?

Everything from shop window designs, celebrity planners, European trends, house & home magazines.

What website or blog do you frequent often?

Preston Bailey, Colin Cowie, Martha Stewart… the usual, but I also like reading locally what my peers in the wedding planning business are doing, planners, photographers, the Montreal Buzz etc

What do you love about weddings?

Just the overall joy in seeing the vision and creation come together on the day – it gives me butterflies. I am very fortunate that I have worked with some great clients and my group of friends gets bigger every year!

What do you hate about wedding?

Vendors who clearly don’t have the same passion and care about the wedding as I do – ‘some’ forget that the couple have never done this before and how special it is to them.  I don’t ‘hate’ this about weddings but I do feel disappointed when I know the couple getting married are having the pressures of their family and are being pulled away from what they really want for their day.

What is your favorite memory from a wedding?

4.00 am with half dressed, very ‘happy’ groomsmen trying to run and jump over a 5-tier, $3000.00+ wedding cake to see who can miss!!!! Ahhhh

What is your favorite hobby?

I am very interested in Tarot Cards and read them a little from time to time – this year I want to learn how to play Chess & Poker!

What is your favorite food?

CURRY!!!!  I love Indian Food and since moving to Canada my favourite Canadian food is ‘Smoked Meat Poutine’ and I am proud of it!!

What are you reading right now?

Oh no this is probably really sad but I have just started reading book one in the ‘Bride Quartet’… Vision in White by Nora Roberts

What are you listening to right now?

The James Blunt new album.. Some Kind of Trouble.. I just loaded it onto my iTouch yesterday!

What would you do with $1 million dollars?

It really would help kick-start our log cabin project in the Eastern Township and I would also set up a Wedding Planning Studio in Old Montreal.

One goal you have for 2011:

Spending more time focusing on relationships in my life.. believe it or not the only thing that is of real importance are the people around us.

Stay tuned for Part II of the interview with Rachel! 

Photos courtesy of An English Rose.

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1st Day of Christmas

It's finally here! Our 12 Day of Christmas Promotion begins!

Our first amazing deal is $100 off our wedding day coordination package. With two professional and experienced wedding planners there on your big day, it will surely be less stressful.


The fine prints:
- You must be a member of our Facebook Fan Page
- You may choose up to 3 promotions that are not related
- All promotions must be used in one visit
- The initial payment must be paid by January 31, 2011 for the promotions to be valid
- All minimum purchases must be before taxes
- The promotions does not cover taxes or gratuity
- The promotion has no cash value
- The promotion cannot be combined with other offers
- A Timeless Celebration Weddings & Events Inc. holds the final decision should there be any discrepancies

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The Good vs. The Bad

The celebrity event planner and decorator, Preston Bailey, posted on his blog some interesting points regarding a good and bad event planner...

Let me ask you this: do you need a doctor to deliver your baby? Or would you prefer doing it yourself? Okay, that is a bit of an exaggeration but you get what I’m saying…

If you are giving a small, intimate party, have lots of time and you enjoy entertaining then no, you do not need a planner. However, having a large event (at times) is similar to producing a play or show and this requires time and experience to produce.

I have interviewed more than one client who has mentioned that hotel or location managers often insist they don’t need a planner–well, these folks are wrong. There is a lot that happens before the day of the event that needs to be managed.

Now comes the bad news: there are great planners and then there are the planners who give the business a bad name. Being also a part of the planning industry, I have had the joy and pain in working with both good and bad. Here is my humble opinion on how you can tell the difference:

Good planners: They make the process as easy and painless as possible, respecting the client’s time and level of involvement.
vs.
Bad planners: They think they are the show. They create drama were there should be none. They over-involve the client, and they need lots of attention.

Good planners: They give their clients realistic budget expectations, telling them what things really cost.
vs.
Bad planners: They unrealistically promise clients they’ll get quality for less and drive all the vendors crazy asking them to lower their prices.

Good planners: They get their normal fee from their clients and they do not accept commissions from vendors, which puts them in a better position to negotiate.
vs.
Bad planners: They collect a fee from clients and also quietly blackmail vendors into paying them commissions. (For example, they say something like, “If you don’t pay me a commission, I won’t use you or your services.”)

Good Planners: They are very open to creativity, yet respectful of the vendors and artists they work with.
vs.
Bad planners: They are frustrated designers and seem to think they know what is best for the design. (Though, to be fair, they have seen a lot of designs, which gives them the right to have an opinion.)

So yes, I do think having a good planner is a very essential component to having a successful event. I have often found myself explaining this (and why) to my clients. What do you think?

Link to his blog post, click here.

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Hiring Wedding Planners

Think you can never afford a wedding planner? Think again! While you are expected to pay a wedding planner 10 to 15 percent of your total wedding budget for her full-service coordination, a lot of the times your wedding planner has already built great relationships with vendors who would give a 10% discount to the bride & groom. Just think about it, it takes a bride an average of 250 hours to plan her wedding. A wedding planner can definitely save you a lot of time and stress and she will take a load off your shoulders so you can actually enjoy being engaged! So why not let the professional take care of it if in the end, the wedding planner would help you save some money too?

Of course, before you hire a wedding planner, meet her in person and ask her some questions such as...
- How long have you been in business?
- How many weddings do you plan a year?
- Do you belong to any professional organizations?
- Do you have a portfolio?
- What services are included in your contract?
- Will you have an assistant on the day of my wedding?
- Will you attend my rehearsal?
- Do you bring an emergency kit to all your weddings?

If you do not require a full-service coordinator, you might consider a day-of coordinator to ensure everything you've planned will go smoothly on your big day and to take care of any emergencies and unforeseen situations.

Perhaps an hourly consultation with a planner would be best for you? If you just need someone to bounce ideas off or to help with a specific vendor or item on your check-list, this can be money well spent.

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