Excerpts from the rendezvous with Sarah Young

Here are some excerpts from the interview with Sarah Young

1) What are the challenges you saw in the year 2017 in the wedding industry and how do you see things changing in 2018 & 2019?
Reality TV has created amongst couples unrealistic wedding-day expectations. These shows give couples the idea that wedding planning is no work at all and that all can be done with a flick of a finger. However, we all know that most reality TV is staged and scripted. I believe that no professional wedding planner should be taken for granted by the couple, and the job and the work that goes into it should be appreciated. With experience, it is easier to take control of the client and the situation but the service not being tangible is a challenge.
The market is flooded with inexperienced wedding planners sprouting out of nowhere with no experience or knowledge of the business? A wedding is not like going out to eat a Pizza, you like it you return, you don’t like it you do not go there again. This is often a once in a life time experience. Of course, as an established, qualified and experienced wedding planner I sell myself at providing the best service in the industry and I believe that if the clients want my services, they will want no one else, hence they will hire me. But of course, dealing or working with competition who is not professional is a challenge.

2) According to you, what is the key to growing in the wedding planning business and what do you look to bring to this event from your region?
The wedding planning business is always on the increase. Couples want bigger and better weddings than their other family members or friends. Therefore, one needs to come up with new venues, original ideas, and breathtaking concepts. Different regions have different attractions, attributes and weather factors, and this diversity in regions from all over the world is key to attract a different clientele.

3)How, or on what basis, do you choose to work with vendors?
Their quality of product, efficiency, professionalism and teamwork. All my vendors have to work as a team to create the end result on the day to perfection.

4) What key points do you think the attendees of EWPC in Dubai will take back after the event? Good networking.
Knowledge of best practices
New ideas and concepts
Jump-starting more ideas
The knowledge that networking and teaming up with competition is not always bad but actually fruitful and financially viable.