Today is my eighth wedding anniversary with my husband. We were married in a morning wedding ceremony at our church, Fourth Presbyterian Church, and had a luncheon reception at Salvatore's in Chicago. It was the best day of my life and I would not change a thing. I did want to share some moments that I remember so well about my wedding day that you only could remember to do on your wedding day if you heard it from a past bride.
Interview on Sage Wedding Pros
I met Michelle Loretta at Eventology in Indianapolis, Indiana this past April. She writes a very insightful blog called Sage Wedding Pros and is a wise wedding-biz woman. She also offers workshops for wedding business professionals on business plan writing, small business advice and advertising tips for the entrepreneur. She is one of those "smart cookie" woman entrepreneurs and I religiously read her great blog.
Be a Wedding Planner
Melissa Margarita De-Stefano of MasterPiece Weddings writes a wonderful blog, Be a Planner and also offers a course for those interested in becoming a wedding planner. The other day she asked me to stop by the blog and offer advice to those interested in becoming a wedding planner. I am flattered she asked me to take part in her blog and wanted to share my tips and ideas here for those aspiring wedding planners out there.
Engage 10 Cayman Islands Recap- What one can learn "going to the beach"
As my followers of the blog know, I was in Cayman Islands two weeks ago attending (and speaking) at the Engage!10 a Luxury Wedding Business Summit. This was the fifth time I have attended the conference and would never miss this time to meet up with the "best of the best" in the wedding industry. The friendships I have made over the years of attending this conference and the speakers I have seen are incredible, invaluable and instrumental in making me a better businesswoman and the best wedding consultant I can be.
Reflections on What My Business Is
Today my husband and I are finishing packing up our house to move to a new house in the city, not too far from our current house. It is bigger, has a deck and has a big office for me and a studio to meet clients in. I have called it my Dream House. I posted something on twitter last night saying, "Odd to see my business in boxes" and put a picture up. But then I realized last night around 3:30am when I was up worrying about putting the finishing touches on packing, that my business is not something that is tangible that can be packed up and put away in a cardboard box. My business is ME! My business is all the experiences I have had planning weddings and events in Chicago (and all over the world for that matter) for the last nine years. My business is all the mistakes, successes, laughter and tears I have put forth since 2001. That cannot be packed up and put away in a box, ever! My business lives inside of me and is part of who I am.
Ali Phillips to Speak at Engage!10 in Cayman Islands
If you have been following the blog for some time you know that I attend many wedding and event industry conferences to continue learning about new trends but also to learn about good business practices and how to run a successful wedding planning business. On Sunday, I leave for Grand Cayman at the Ritz Carlton to attend the Engage!10 Luxury Wedding Business Summit. This year I am so excited as I have been asked to present with three of my good friends I have made over the years (Liene Stevens of Think Splendid, Harmony Walton of The Bridal Bar and Donna Von Bruening of DVB Photographers). We will be doing a session on "getting the most of Engage!"
Some fun things about Chicago Wedding Planner, Ali Phillips
Chicago Wedding Planner Ali Phillips Quoted in Special Events Magazine
I was so excited when writer Natasha Gerber called me to interview me about Hotel Weddings for Special Events Magazine. I have been a long time reader of this magazine and look forward to its arrival in my mail box every month. Natasha asked me about how I help my clients make hotel weddings unique and how to best utilize the space. We also talked a bit about how independent wedding consultants can best work with the hotels in their area to make it a successful and positive relationship.
St Louis ABC Regional Meeting
On Sunday, March 21st, fifty event professionals gathered at the Hyatt at the Arch in St Louis, Missouri for the Association of Bridal Consultant Regional Education meeting. I was asked to speak this year and was so honored. The event was produced by Lacy Branch of Lacy Branch Events and Lisa Zwiefl of Eventz Planning and they did an incredible job! The event kicked off with a city chic cocktail party on the top floor of the Hyatt overlooking the St Louis Arch. And what an event it was. From lobster macaroni and cheese to yummy signature drinks to the fun photo booth, Lacy and Lisa showed us how to party St Louis style.
Wedding 360 in San Francisco, California
I am off to San Francisco, California this weekend to attend Wedding 360, The Academy for Planners and Designers conference at the St Regis Hotel. Created for wedding planners, weddings designers and floral designers, The Academy will provide in-depth and how to classes taught by the masters in the business. I am so excited to see old friends (and meet some new friends) and learn from some of the best in the industry including Rebecca Grinnals, Sean Low, David Beahm, Todd Fiscus and Tara Guerard. I am also looking forward to experiencing the Four Seasons San Francisco property where the classes will be held on Monday. In looking at the agenda it looks like there are some wonderful parties planned for the attendees. I am excited to see the new trends for weddings and to come home and share them with my brides and grooms.
Chicago Wedding Planner Ali Phillips To Speak at ABC Regional Conference in St Louis
I am looking forward to being a keynote speaker at the Association of Bridal Consultants Regional meeting on March 20th and 21st in St Louis, Missouri. I will be joined by Liene Stevens of Think Splendid and Xochitl Gonzalez of Always a Blogsmaid who will present about social media, creating press kits and how to get media attention for your weddings and events. The two day event will start with a dinner reception at the Hyatt Regency in St Louis overlooking the St Louis Arch on Saturday evening. Sunday, March 21st will be a day packed with education to take your business to the next level.
Ali Phillips of Engaging Events by Ali named The Knot Best of Weddings 2010
Chicago Wedding Planner Announces her Most Fascinating Wedding People of 2009
I love being one of Chicago's Wedding Planners, but today, I am channeling my inner Barbara Walters and announcing the people I found the Most Fascinating in the Wedding Industry in 2009. These are the people that really raise the bar in the wedding industry and people I admire. Many of them I have come to know quite well and I am always amazed by their drive but also their large heart and open ears when I need advice or want to bounce a new idea off of them. They are in no particular order because they are all equally fascinating to me. Okay, I cannot just do ten, I decided to do eleven. They are all such fascinating people!
Ali Phillips, Chicago Wedding Planner, Featured as 125 Women to Know in Chicago in CRAVE Chicago Guide
I was so excited when Michelle Kravetz of the CRAVE Guides called me this fall to tell me I was invited to take part in the CRAVE Chicago book. CRAVE Chicago innovatively connects urban gals to the sassiest, gutsiest, most inspiring people they need to know in Chicago. Their modern marketplace of soirees, gatherings and online networking serves as an ambassador to everything there is to CRAVE about the Windy City. Michelle has also organized the CRAVE Chats in Chicago which meet once a month. I have attended two of these chats and have really enjoying learning about work-life balance and public relations, but also to network with other entrepreneurial women in Chicago.
Ali Phillips, Wedding Consultant in Chicago, Attends Annual Association of Bridal Consultants Conference
I "Fell in Love with Indy" last week when my assistant, Kristin Weis, (seen above in the picture) and I attended the Association of Bridal Consultants Annual Business of Brides Conference. This is my sixth annual conference I have attended and was excited when they decided to host it in the Midwest this year. The Indianapolis wedding planners from ABC did a great job planning this event and event greater that they ordered up 60 degree weather in November! There were 40 wedding planner attendees from Chicago as well so it was so fun to spend time with people from my hometown.
Style Unveiled arrives in Chicago
As a wedding consultant in Chicago, I was so excited when the ladies at the ever popular and chic blog, Style Unveiled, announced to me they were coming to Chicago and launching their blog here. I was especially excited when they called and wanted to interview me for their blog (coming soon, keep an eye out) and they added me to their favorite blogs in Chicago!!
Ali Phillips, Wedding Consultant in Chicago, attends Engage 09, Luxury Wedding Business Intensive
Last week I attended the Engage!09 The Encore, Luxury Wedding Business Intensive in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Wynn Encore. The amazing ladies, Rebecca Grinnals and Kathyrn Arce of Engaging Concepts hosted their fourth luxury wedding conference. I have been lucky enough to be an attendee at all four conferences and this one was just as outstanding as all of them.
The Knot Chicago Party
The Knot.com invited Chicago wedding industry consultants and professionals to gather together on Wednesday night at the cool event location, Salvage One, to celebrate. I have not done an event at Salvage One, but what a unique location to host a corporate event or a wedding. It is a two floor raw and lofty space with an outdoor garden that could be used for cocktails or even a ceremony. Located in West Town, parking should be easy for your guests on the night of your event. Not to worry though at this event, VIP Valet was a sponsor at the event and quickly whisked my car away. The ladies at Big City Bride and Botanicals Chicago really did a great job creating a fun and gorgeous event for industry professionals. We sampled great food from Berghoff Catering, danced to the tunes spun by Delta Disc Jockeys, and visited the fun photo booth by Shutterbooth.
Ali Phillips Speaks at Purdue University About Wedding Planning in Chicago
Last week my assistant, Kristin Weis, and I traveled to her hometown and alma mater, West Lafayette, Indiana to Purdue University. I was asked to present at the Purdue Event Planning Society which is an organization that students started two years ago. There were fifty people in attendance and I had a great time sharing stories about Engaging Events weddings, my background and how to succeed in the event planning world.
Happy Anniversary
As a wedding planner in Chicago, my job is to plan the most magical, wonderful and organized wedding day for my clients. Well, when the client is yourself the same things happen. Today I want to wish my husband a Happy 7th Anniversary. Seven years ago today I stood in a church with my husband and said our wedding vows. Afterwards we celebrated our love with family and friends. Five years later we renewed our vows (just the two of us) in Healsburg, California.