I had a rare day off yesterday (a Saturday) and it was wonderful! I got together with three of my best girlfriends. We had a great lunch with mimosas and then we had a pedicure. We laughed and talked all afternoon. It was so relaxing — Truly good for the soul.

It made me think about many of my brides who ask me whether or not I think they should schedule a bridesmaids luncheon or a spa day with their girls. My answer every time is YES! What could be better than spending time with your closest friends? Its a great way to unwind and get ready for the crazy days ahead.

Some day spas will have a group pedicure room that you can rent for a couple of hours, have wine and snacks and hang out while they make your feet pretty. Other pedicure salons will have you in the same room with the other clients. That is still fun. You will definitely be treated like a celebrity when you mention you are a bride-to-be.

There are so many things to think about during the wedding planning process, don’t forget to schedule some time for yourself among all the vendor meetings and gown fittings. You will be a much happier bride!

Yesterday my team and I participated in the most wonderful wedding show at the Ritz-Carlton, Orlando Grand Lakes. The concept was to have the best wedding planners in the city including Susie Weiss from Wonderful Weddings, Lisa Konecny from E-Events , my good friend and colleague, Michele Butler, and me with the rest of the Just Marry! team, work with our favorite designers to come up with signature looks to present to brides.

Lee Forrest was our wonderful designer. He did an incredible job.

The results were amazing. I am including some photos below. My camera does not do the work justice. I will post the ones from the professionals, including those from my wedding-planner friends, as soon as I get copies.

I hope you enjoy the photos!

I am best friends with my “competition.” Its a funny (but wonderful) thing. We go out to dinner, go to the movies, go for drinks, email and chat on the phone. We are each others’ best supporters. So, it is really hard when a bride shops all of us.

We are all qualified, talented planners, but sometimes, we have a difficult time distinguishing among us as to who is the best. Actually, I don’t think there is one answer to that question. So aside from the normal list that you see on how to choose a planner like, How long has she been in business? How many weddings has she done? Is she a member of any professional organizations? What does she charge?, I have come up with a two additional questions to consider.

1. Does the planner match your style in both look and personality? My friends and I are all a great group of girls, but each of us has a distinct style. Whimsical, serious, older, younger, vivacious, and reserved are just a few adjectives that have been used to describe us. Make sure the planner you choose is a good fit for you.
    
2. How does the planner work on the wedding day? Some planners are hands-off and others are right in the thick of things. Some brides hire a planner for the prestige of having a planner so they like someone who will mingle with guests and stand out, others hire a planner to be — a planner and feel more comfortable if she stands in the background and makes sure everything runs smoothly.

I hope that you have as many wonderful options for wedding planners as we do here in Orlando. It will make shopping around a lot more fun, but the decision making may be a bit more difficult. As I always say, go with your gut, you get what you pay for and once you make a decision stick with it and enjoy the planning process.