The only thing I love more than wine season (oh wait, that’s everyday) is engagement season! Some 40 percent of couples get engaged over the holidays, which starts the official booking season. (Some vendors even book 50 percent of their availability over the holidays. Yikes.) Engagement season is exciting because it ultimately means more work and weddings in the pipeline but, if you’re not prepared, it can mean an onslaught of calls and requests that can be slightly overwhelming. So, today we wanted to touch on tying up loose ends and getting your life (and your Aisle Planner account) ready and waiting to take engagement season by storm.
1. Now is the time
Despite what the inflatable Frosty the Snowman greeting you at Home Depot and Christmas music echoing in the aisles of Walgreens would have you think, we still have a decent amount of time before the holiday season (i.e. engagement season) hits. Now is the time to take a step back, review your processes from last year and make changes where necessary. Remember that, no matter how insanely fabulous you are now, you’re continually working toward a better wedding-planning experience for your couples. Assess last year’s highs and lows and make adjustments where necessary.
2. Update your Aisle Planner account
If you changed anything about your process, update your Aisle Planner templates to reflect those changes. Add any new vendors you’re planning on working with in 2016 and clean up your vendor contact list. Didn’t love that caterer you tried for that Spring 2015 affair? Give them the contact-list axe—there’s no need to take up extra space on your screen with contacts you no longer need. Also, take note of our vendor categories feature and consider customizing your vendor contacts further to make everything really easy to find. (i.e. Preferred Vendor List > Venues and Hotels > Venues and Private Estates). Did you happen to rebrand this year? Make sure your Aisle Planner account reflects your recent marketing efforts. Visit our branding center and upload that pretty new logo. Get you some. (If you haven’t used any of these features yet, not to worry—now is the time to make changes for the new year ahead.)
3. Explore Aisle Planner tools & get one-on-one help
Make some time to explore the Aisle Planner tools you haven’t been using. Set aside a few hours and explore our interface. Organize items and utilize every tool you can—you’ll thank us in 2016. Don’t forget that we’re a team and you’re a part of it—so feel free to reach out to us at customercare@aisleplanner.com with any questions on best practices or to simply have some one-on-one time with us. (You can also schedule a full demo of our platform.)
4. Enjoy the new year!
We hope we’ve inspired you to start the new year off on a fresh foot. Use these tips and tricks to set the foundation for a year full of success and organization like you never thought possible. Have any engagement-season-prepping tricks and tips you’d like to share? We’re all ears.
Hero photo courtesy Josh Elliott