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Gracious Brides Practice the 5 Cs of Wedding Planning

Maintain your cool, even while pushing your etiquette and manners to the limit, with the five C’s of wedding planning…

Article contributed by Luxurious Wedding Etiquette & Protocol Expert, Claudia Lutman

Wedding planning is a very stressful time. In your rush to get things done, you may become frustrated with unanswered e-mails and deadlines that have not been met. Perhaps your florist did not understand your vision. Perhaps your venue manager is not willing to be cooperative with your wedding planner, or you are inundate with unsolicited but well-meaning advice. These situations are common and unavoidable.

Maintaining your cool while pushing your manners to the limit is always a challenge except for those who concentrate on the five C’s of wedding planning.

COOPERATION is the cornerstone of planning a luxurious wedding or any event. By being gracious you can enroll others to become a very productive support team.

CONSIDERATION should be at the forefront off all your wedding decisions. Realize that everyone around you has your best interest in mind. Be considerate of their input.

COMMUNICATION calls for you to be open to new ideas. Allow others to voice their opinions, offer suggestions, and express concerns. Be considerate and always acknowledge them with a gracious comment such as “That’s an interesting idea. Let me think about it.”

COMPASSION is a gift of love you can give to all who surround you. Hear each request as an effort to give to you, not take from you. If you are compassionate, you will be able to figure out how to alter the request or incorporate it into your wedding planning.

COMPROMISE will be called for as soon as you begin the wedding planning process. Be considerate and guard the individual relationships you have with family members and friends. Balance each of their needs individually. Granting a small favor now could solidify a lifelong friendship.

How willing are you to adapt to sticky situations and conflicts? Many agree that wedding planning can be the most confrontational time in your life. While planning your wedding, think ahead to the big picture. Marriage is between you, your spouse, and your respective families. Your decisions, actions, and behavior will be remembered by others for a lifetime.

A positive attitude is contagious. A gracious bride knows that pitfalls loom but is psychologically prepared not to give any power or energy to conflicts. She is poised, happy, excited, and grateful that so many have her best interest in mind.

Luxurious Wedding Etiquette Expert, Claudia Lutman, is an www.eleGALA.com guest contributor. She always been interested in etiquette. As a child, she monitored the correct behavior of her family and friends, oftentimes to their chagrin. In her teens, she began collecting books on etiquette, which are proudly displayed in her “etiquette library” in her office. Claudia has found her niche investigating the origins of wedding etiquette protocol and then applying a modern-day viewpoint to the classic etiquette standards. According to Claudia, “Today’s bride faces many conventional and unorthodox challenges when planning a wedding that are not clearly defined within the classic etiquette standards.” Claudia Lutman transitioned from a Corporate Meeting and Event Planner for a Fortune 500 company to the head of Claudia Lutman Events, where Claudia saw the need to integrate proper etiquette and protocol into planning a wedding. Claudia Lutman’s advice appears in numerous wedding publications and she is a member of the International Special Events Society and the Association of Bridal Consultants.