By Amber Whiteside, Social Media Director
Yes, it is true, most women are obsessed with fantasizing about their wedding day. Pinterest has contributed to the hype for planning an “imaginary” wedding.
However, my love for weddings is at a whole new level since deciding I want to involve wedding planning in my profession. As I currently plan my sister’s wedding, I am constantly reminded of basic public relations principles that can be applied to weddings:
1. Always listen to what the client wants.
Suggestions have their place, but ultimately your job is to make your client happy. Make sure you listen to their needs. Discuss strategy with them and propose your own. It is important for them to be on board with everything you are about to produce and create.
2. Stay organized.
Make to-do lists, put reminders in your phone, and always make sure to update your client on what you are working on.
3. Risk management.
Event planners are considered risk managers in a sense, but it is important for public relations practitioners as well. Be ready for a disaster at any moment. It is better to prevent chaos, than to deal with the aftermath.
4. Utilize social media and mobile apps.
With social media becoming increasingly popular, there are new ways to enhance your client’s presence on the web. Do some research and find out what apps and social media might benefit your client. This applies for wedding planning too. The new app, Wedding Party, directly uploads your guests’ photos to one collaborative Facebook album.
So yes, I may spend most of my time browsing through wedding blogs and magazines and tearing up while I watch wedding videos, but I am also helping myself get that much closer to reaching my dreams.
Think about your hobbies and interests. Don’t all experiences help you learn? The answer is yes. So pay close attention, there are PR lessons in our everyday lives that we may not fully understand from just learning them in the classroom.
I really like the last sentence of your blog, it's so true!
ReplyDeleteI agree! :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with your first point. As much as we may want to do things our way, we ultimately have to make sure we do what our client wants. Great blog!
ReplyDeleteI think, this is the must need tips for people who are going to plan the wedding. The mobile wedding app will give the wonderful assistant to the engaged for planning the wedding perfectly.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely agree, Amber.
ReplyDeleteI was the maid of honor for a wedding a few months ago, and I can definitely relate with you on this topic. There are so many ways that wedding planning mimics public relations. Risk management is a big one, and so is knowing how to create and implement budgets and timelines.
Good luck with your sister's wedding, she is lucky to have a professional on her side!
Thank you Molly! I hadn't thought about budgeting and timelines! That is a great example as well
ReplyDelete