When I am talking with potential clients during our initial consultations, one of the most popular questions I get asked is "What makes YPB different from other planners?"
I love that question, but it is a difficult one to answer because I haven't seen other planners at work. I talk with other planners every day as our Planner Community is pretty close and collaborative, but I cannot really speak to how our services specifically differentiate from each other.
What I usually end up sharing is what makes YPB special. I am pretty proud of this company and our team, and I thought I would share a few things that I am most proud of.
Our Experience: I started YPB in 2008. I say that out-loud and I just cannot believe it has been 12 (super fun) years. Over those twelve years we have been able to hone our skills over the 850+ weddings we have planned and coordinated. Those weddings have taught us so much and I feel like that experience is invaluable.
Every wedding we plan is different. Each one exposes us to new venues and vendors. Each one offers new challenges to overcome. Each one provides yet another opportunity to create something so beautiful and unique to each couple.
Wedding planning is like exercise. The more we exercise our muscles, the stronger we get. We too get better with each wedding we plan and coordinate. We leave each wedding a better planner than when we started. I really feel that 12 years of experience has made us an outstanding company to work with.
The second thing that makes us special is our industry relationships. Forming and nurturing relationships with the venues and vendors in our industry is essential to what we do. Those relationships allow us to know exactly what vendors would be a great fit for our couples. Those relationships are how we are able to advocate for our clients. Those relationships are how we are able to call in favors during extra-ordinary times. Relationships are so important to me that I started The Art of Weddings Portland - a vendor community that brings Portland vendors together for networking, education, and advancement. I treasure the relationships we have with other vendors, and they are huge benefit of working with us.
With COVID-19 being a big hurdle for engaged couples, we immediately sought out opportunities to stay informed and help our couples and fellow vendors navigate the ever changing situation.
Back in late march we teamed up with three other vendors and created the Live Events Industry of Oregon (LEIO). This is a coalition of over 4500 event industry businesses that we brought together in order to have an organized voice and large presence with State Government. Thru LEIO, we have been meeting with state and county government officials since April. These regular meetings have allowed us to be very familiar with the guidelines, and have allowed us to stay informed with best practices and new developments in this area. That information has been so invaluable as we have returned to planning weddings.
Navigating COVID has been one of the most difficult and heart-breaking things we have faced since we started YPB, but I also feel so thankful that we have been able to flex some creative muscle to find ways to simultaneously keep people safe and create super special weddings. If you haven't checked it out yet, we partnered with some awesome vendors to put together an information shoot that helped couples understand the guidelines and see them in action. We uploaded those pictures so I encourage you to review this page when you can.
Lastly, I think the main thing that makes YPB special is our heart. There are no words to adequately describe how much we care about our couples and their weddings. We understand that this is a once in a lifetime event, and whether you are going for a black tie formal ballroom wedding, or an intimate backyard gathering of your favorite people, we are going to do everything within our power to make it the best day ever. And prior to that day, we are going to be right beside you, guiding the way through all the wedding planning highs and lows. And while I don't have the words to share with you, I thought I would share a few recent reviews from former clients. I feel like their words will give you a good idea of how much we care.
