Master Bridal Consultant, Rosie Moore of 27 Miracles works with the hospitality and event management students at different schools to provide internships for them to learn how to run a business, plan weddings and events but most importantly how to provide superior customer service to their clients.

Today Ashley Bliss,  Freshman Student at the University of Central Florida shared with Rosie, her project that she had to complete for school.  It was an article written on what is an ideal future profession in the hospitality industry.  When Ashley’s instructor said the word “ideal”, only one thing popped into her mind; being an event planner, especially focusing on the wedding industry.As part of her research, Ashley was to interview a professional in her field of interest, which brought Ashley to connect with Rosie Moore of 27 Miracles.

The article has been shortened by Ashley, for purposes of the blog.

Today’s world is one in which the consumers know what they want. Consumers in the modern market are sophisticated, have a deeper sense of taste, and an urge to be different to stand out from the rest. The bridal industry is no exception of this emerging trend. According to Virginia Postrel (2004), writer for the New York Times, “the cookie cutter is gone,” (p. E2), meaning that brides are looking for some special touch that will make their wedding stand out from the rest. With a current estimation from the Association of Bridal Consultants of approximately 2.4 million weddings a year in the United States alone (2013, para.1), giving brides the unique experience that they want is not such an easy task. With the complexity of planning a wedding most brides seek experienced help to assist with planning as well as saving money (ABC, 2013, para. 2). It is for this sole reason alone that the $42 billion wedding industry is growing at a rapid, constant rate (Blakely, 2007, para.1). Professional wedding planners plan about 10% of all American weddings, amounting to approximately 230,000 a year (Blakely, 2007 para.1). While being a wedding planner requires one to work in great detail around the clock, the feeling of happiness and personal achievement at the end of the day makes the work worthwhile.

As a human being, one has the emotional need to celebrate (J.T Walker, J.R. Walker, 2008, p. 306). One of the most important, memorable days of an individual’s life is that in which their love is celebrated. Most couples feel overwhelmed with the process of planning their wedding find that they do not have the proper resources to do so, therefore they may choose to hire a wedding planner (J.T Walker, J.R Walker, 2008, p. 306). As a wedding planner, one must help the couple, and help discover their unique vision that they want (Wedding Planner, 2012 p.56). Wedding planners must have a clear agreement and understanding with their customers to help personalize their event, allowing every aspect to run smoothly, producing many happy memories for the couple in the end (J.T Walker, J.R Walker, 2008, p. 306). The roles of a typical wedding planner are somewhat diverse. The overall job expected of a planner is to coordinate every aspect of the wedding based on the couple’s vision. While wedding planners are often highly organized and detail oriented, they are also accustomed to having a backup plan for anything that may go wrong (J.T Walker, J.R Walker, 2008). One of the great values of hiring a wedding planner is because of their special relationships and contracts with vendors providing services, often allowing for product discounts (ABC, 2013, para. 6). Networking, therefore, is an important responsibility of a wedding planner (J.T Walker, J.R Walker, 2008, p. 306).

Weddings today have become more like special events (Blakely, 2008, para.1). Dr. Joe Goldblatt defines a special event as, “ an event that is always planned, always arouses expectations, and usually motivated by a reason for celebration” (as cited in (J.T Walker, J.R Walker, 2008, p. 306). As of recent years, the wedding industry has skyrocketed. There has been a recent 22% increase in spending by couples when budgeting for their wedding (Johnson, 2011, para. 3).  The planning sector of the wedding industry amounts to nearly $400 million each year, accounting for approximately 10.5% of the wedding industry as a whole (Blakely, 2008, para. 3). There are currently over 10,000 planning business in the United States. The average wedding planner plans from ten to twenty weddings a year, charging about a 10% commission of the total cost of the wedding.(Blakely, 2008, para. 4). Because the average cost for a wedding with 125 to 150 guest in attendance can amount from $17,500 to $35,000 on average, commission fees can range anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 per wedding (Blakely, 2008, para. 3). One of the biggest emerging trends in the wedding industry is the increase of popularity in destination and theme weddings (Perry, 2007, p.30). The travel industry noted a 400% increase in destination weddings within the last decade (Johnson, 2008, para 4). The popularity of destination weddings are on the rise because of reasons such as cheap airfare, as well as the ability to share the same wedding and honeymoon location (Perry, 2007, p.54 ).  Local wedding planners are essential in planning destination weddings simply because they know the area, local practices, and customs better than anyone else (Perry, 2007, p. 67). Theme weddings help to guide guests in a certain direction.

Being a wedding planner is a highly diverse job that requires many different skills.  There is no such thing as a “typical day” when it comes to being a wedding planner, local wedding planner Rosie Moore states, because, “everything depends on how many clients you have and the services that you are providing for that specific couple” (personal communication, October 21, 2013).While a wedding planner must be able to think of ideas not everyone else would come up with, they must also do so with good taste (J.T Walker, J.R Walker, 2008, p. 306).  Basic business management, accounting, marketing, and word processing skills are necessary for a good wedding planner to possess, as well as a strong understanding of cuisine, color, design, photography, religion, and fashion (J.T Walker, J.R Walker, 2008, p. 306). Attention to detail, organization, and good management are key traits to posses as a wedding planner.  In planning a wedding, especially on the day of the event, one must expect the unexpected and be prepared for anything (Blakely, 2008, para. 1).

There are several accredited organizations with a main focus on the wedding industry. The top three professional organizations of the industry include the Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC), and the Association for Wedding Professionals (Blakely, 2008 para. 6). The Association of Bridal Consultants began in 1955 (ABC, 2013, para. 1), and is currently the largest national organization consisting of nearly 2,900 members (Blakely, 2008, para. 6). Certification through the Association of Bridal Consultants usually takes from three to six months to complete  (ABC, 2013, para. 1). With the association, certification is based upon a system of points. Points may be received in a variety of ways such as obtaining a higher college degree, professional development, industry experiences, attending conferences, publishing industry-related articles, and being a member of other professional organizations (How To Become A Big Day Planner, 2012, p.1). Based on a set range of points, one may be certified as a wedding novice, wedding consultant, professional bridal consultant, accredited bridal consultant, or a master bridal consultant (How To Become A Big Day Planner, 2012, p.1). “There are 69 master consultants in the entire world, and ten in the state of Florida. There are only five in Orlando, and to date, I am the only bilingual one in Orlando,” states Master Bridal Consultant  Rosie Moore (personal communication, October 21, 2013). The Association for Wedding Professionals also certifies individuals in one of three tiers of certification: the certificate of completion, Professional, or Certified (“How To Become A Big Day Planner”, 2012, p.1). A certificate of completion may be reached by a home course study. In order to receive a professional certification, one must join the association, work for one full year, maintain good standing within the organization, plan six weddings, and have several letters of recommendation. A certified planner must have first reached the professional level, and then in addition have a minimum of two years of experience, plan twelve or more weddings, have eight letters of recommendation, and construct a project that benefits the association as a whole (“How To Become A Big Day Planner”, 2012, p.1).

Because the wedding industry is always changing, it is highly important to stay up to date on current trends. Wedding websites such as allweddingcompanies.com are helpful in finding wedding vendors as well as finding out dates and times for upcoming bridal shows and conferences (allweddingcompanies.com, 2012, para.1). Master Bridal Consultant  Rosie Moore explains how she follows the Simon Bailey website to help keep her selling points sharp, along with the Wedding Planner Magazine (personal communication, October 21, 2013).

While it may have not been of high merit in the past, the wedding profession is emerging strongly and rapidly and will only continue to grow into the future (“How To Become A Big Day Planner”, 2012, p.1). With almost 2.4 million weddings in the United States alone within one year (ABC 2013), there is an ever-growing need for wedding planners to help brides reach their own unique image of a wedding (New York Times, 2004, p.E2). Because one must be highly detailed oriented, highly organized, have a wide variety of knowledge on several subjects such as cuisine, music, business, photography, religion, and fashion (J.T Walker, J.R Walker, 2008, p. 306), the wedding planning profession is not perfect for everyone, but if one does have an interest, it may be the perfect profession for them.

ps Ashley’s teacher gave her a 100 with a 98 at the end of the  year in her class! Congratulations to Ashley!!!

By Ashley Bliss, University of Florida Hospitality and Event Management Student

27 Miracles http://www.27miraclesbyrosie.com/

As you can see Rosie Moore, Master Bridal Consultant for 27 Miracles is not only highly experienced in her planning but she is no stranger to working with celebrities and being on TV!

For an interview with Rosie Moore, please contact the 27 Miracles office to schedule an interview.