Become a Top Wedding Planner - Don't Become a Victim of These 5 Deceitful Business Practices

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Wedding planners and other wedding vendors are often targets for unscrupulous business practices.

Here are 5 situations you need to be aware of and avoid:

1) A bride and groom from another country emails you asking you to be their wedding planner

The email tells you they found you on the Internet, were very impressed and want to hire to you to plan their wedding when they move into your area to start a job or go to school. They offer to send you a cashier's check for more than the amount of your fee and ask you to pay another vendor with the extra money. Most people assume that all cashier's checks are good but that is not true. Also, these checks actually could take weeks to clear, beyond the time in which you would need to pay their "vendor." Do not accept cashier's checks and never accept checks with large amounts of extra money that you need to pay to someone else.

2) You get an email or phone call saying you have been voted "The Best Wedding Planner in Your City"

I once received an email telling me I won an award and offering to sell me a $200 plaque to for my office. The company was selling plaques! Another time someone offered to sell me an advertising opportunity in a magazine so I could tell people about the award they gave to me. Do not be tricked by these fake awards.

3) An official-sounding business bureau calls to say people are asking about your business

A representative from a company who says they investigate consumer complaints says someone has inquired about your business, wanting to know if there had been any complaints against you. They, of course, are not able to share the details. But if you want their support against complaints in the future, you can purchase an annual membership for a few hundred dollars.

4) Wedding and event planning schools tell you that you are the perfect candidate

You fill out an online questionnaire to see if you would make a good wedding planner and the school that posts the form tells you that you would be perfect, just sign up for their certification course. You do not need a certification to become a wedding planner. If you decide you want to take an online course, make sure you know what you are getting for your money. Many schools are very expensive and don't offer personal contact, have few training materials, don't have trained instructors and are not available for questions. Ask for references and check the Internet for comments about any schools you are considering before you enroll.

5) An online event referral directory emails you and says people are looking for more information about your business

They say you could be getting referrals but they don't have full information about your business so they are turning people away. In order to get a referrals and a full listing, you need to become a paying member of their site.

If you get requests from potential clients that sound unusual or are offered business opportunities that ask you for money, do some research before you proceed. Check the Internet to see if others have encountered similar situations. Also, always trust your gut. If you feel the offer could be dishonest, it probably is.

And now I would like to invite you to learn more about becoming a top wedding planner by claiming your Free Instant Access to my Special Report "7 Steps to Becoming a Top Wedding Planner" when you visit http://www.HowToBecomeaTopWeddingPlanner.com.

Veil Alternatives For Brides

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The traditional image of a bride is a woman in a long white dress with an equally long flowing veil. Some women, though, do not want to wear a veil for their wedding, and yet a bridal gown is really not complete without something in the bride's hair. Luckily, there are many beautiful alternatives to a veil.

There can be a variety of reasons why a bride would not choose to wear a veil. She might think that it is too much for an informal wedding, or she might think a veil is inappropriate if she is a second time bride. Some brides just feel silly with a long piece of tulle draped from their heads. Whatever the reason for not wearing a veil, you will want to find a different option to finish off your look while still suiting your style and situation.

One alternative to wearing a veil is to wear a hat. At outdoor garden weddings, you sometimes see the bride wearing a large portrait style hat adorned with silk or fresh flowers. This is a particularly nice option for an informal wedding where the bride is wearing a very simple dress, perhaps with a touch of subtle handmade wedding jewelry. It makes for a very genteel look.

Hats can go to the other extreme, as well. An avant garde bride could wear an edgy one-of-a-kind hat, perhaps in a color other than white. Such hats can be adorned with feathers, bits of tulle, or anything else that catches your fancy. Yet another style of bridal hat is a small pillbox with a piece of open-weave netting. This look is both retro and chic at the same time. It would be ideal with a wedding suit or tailored sheath dress.

If hats are not your thing, there are many other types of adornments that a bride can choose. Ditching the veil does not have to mean forgoing a tiara, if you like the princess bride look. Tiaras can be large and ornate, covered in rhinestones and Swarovski crystals, or they can be delicate and airy, with more of an emphasis on pearls. You will want to make sure that they match the general style of your handmade wedding jewelry, so if your overall look is more glitzy, choose a crystal tiara, or if you are wearing pearl bridal jewelry, then a pearl headpiece is the right choice for you.

Not every bride feels that a tiara is right for either her taste or her wedding. A big crown is rarely a good idea on an older bride, or one who is being remarried. Those brides should seek more subtle and sophisticated hair jewelry. A very wearable option is hairpins. They can be tucked into any type of updo, from an elaborate wreath of curls to the most classic chignon. The nice thing about hairpins is that they give your hairstylist some flexibility; she can place them individually throughout your hair, or cluster them together for a more dramatic effect. If you are only pulling back the sides of your hair, then a decorative comb could be used in place of hairpins.

The final alternative to a veil is wearing fresh flowers in your hair. The most elegant way to do it is to tuck one large flower into the side of a hairstyle. Leave the floral wreaths for the flower girls. There are a few things to consider about fresh flowers; they will usually wilt over the course of the day, and there are limited options for blooms that will work. If you decide to go this route, keep a spare flower or two in water so that you can switch it out as needed.

Brides today worry less about doing what is conventional. They are more interested in expressing their personalities and being true to themselves. If you decide that a veil is not right for you, there are many other stylish alternatives.

Look to Bridget for advice on planning your wedding. Check out how we can help with your bridesmaids jewelry at SilverlandJewelry.com. Handmade wedding jewelry will make any bride even more beautiful.