Hello, Goodbye! Come say hi!

It's been just shy of a year since I publicly bid adieu to Hello Bella on this blog, and at the very end of that blog post, I said " I hope to finally enrol myself in a graphic design course, and continue to hone my skills to create pretty printable materials. It won't be anytime soon, but keep an eye out for Hello Bella invitations, printable parties, labels and much more." 

Well, here I am announcing I have finally found an outlet for my creative energy, and would love for you to join me on the ride! I took a slightly different path than I thought; I have focused more on organizational and household labels than event graphics, however there will still be the odd thing here and there for weddings and events.

I really struggled with my branding this time. I feel like I moved a bit too quick with Hello Bella, and although I loved my cute little moniker at first, it grew old really fast. I also felt that unless you added the wordy "Weddings and Events" to the end, that it really wasn't descriptive in any way, which wasn't doing me any favours.


I have, ummm, about 2000 Hello Bella business cards and about 500 promotional postcards sitting in a box in my office. I was extremely tempted to stick with Hello Bella for my little graphics business so that I could recycle all of my printed materials, but in the end I just couldn't. First and foremost, this is a completely different baby than Hello Bella was, and I wanted that to be clear. And second, I made a lot of mistakes when starting out and branding HB, that I just needed a clean and fresh slate.

So The Paper Society was born! To be completely honest, it happened much quicker than I was planning because of a feature about my labels on the popular blog iHeart Organizing. I wasn't going to roll out my etsy shop until I had a good inventory of ready made label templates, professional photography, and solid branding (and a mini business plan of course!), but when the feature opportunity came up, I knew I had to be ready. Fortunately I've had the name settled on a for a few months and haven't tired of it yet. I feel like it's solid, it evokes a certain kind of lifestyle, and is fairly descriptive without having to force the words "labels" or "graphics" into it. The logo, on the other hand, is not officially locked in and was something I had to whip up to pull the etsy shop together in time. I'm liking it for now, but open to it evolving over time.

There is a point to this lenghty, boring post, I promise! This is likely the last time I will ever post on this blog, and there are still 50 or so of you subscribed to it. I'm not even here to shamelessly plug my etsy shop or my facebook page, but actually wanted to invite you over to my personal blog The Social Home. I PROMISE the posts won't be wordy like this one! I'm mainly chronicling my adventures in diy decorating our home as well as the odd label design (and freebie). I spend a lot of my free time doing household projects, and a lot of them are share-worthy, so perhaps you will find something useful over there! 


That is all for now! If you stop by my blog, please say hi! I'm really looking forward to this next chapter! 


All the best! xox J

Hello? Is Anybody out there?

Yes, yes, I'm here. I know it's been a while since I posted last- around 6 months actually. And I feel like I owe it to the small handful of readers I had, but mostly to the many potential clients that email me each week and the wonderful vendors I've had the opportunity to work with, to explain my absence.

About 4 years ago I started on a journey I never planned. Fresh out of university and managing the restaurant that I had worked at throughout my schooling, I was gearing up to make a career in finance and put my degree to some use. I had all intentions to follow in my father's foot steps and work in portfolio management, but there was always something holding me back. My apprehension stemmed from the fact that as an inherently creative person, part of me couldn't imagine being business, all the time. I got married to the love of my life and had an incredible time planning my own wedding. It was at both a fabulous and stressful experience as I'm sure many brides can attest. It was the best day of my life, but I was happy that it was over. No part of me longed to plan a wedding again. Ever.

I did, however, fall in love with the details. It was all about the details. After using Word and Powerpoint (really, Jen, really?) to design my own monogram for my wedding, I got a little itch to see what else I could create. Thankfully I moved on from Microsoft Office to more sophisticated design programs, and put my self taught bag of tricks to use. I used my (now embarrassingly novice) skills to create graphics, labels and signs for one of my first events, a fan-tab-u-lous Barbie bridal shower. I loved creating the details of that party, from the handmade crystal beaded wine charm favours, to the favour packaging, to the drink labels and the Barbie cake. I was in a creative euphoria. So when everyone around me urged me to put my passion to some use, I started to consider a change in career path.

I started by going back to school- if I was truly going to pursue this as a career, I wanted to make sure that a) this is something I would want to do and b) that I would know what I was doing once/if I started. I designed my own very amateur looking website (again, embarrassed by my past self here), and spent a good chunk of time creating my business plan. Points for business plan, minus points for not really finishing it. My biggest problem with my BP is that I really couldn't narrow down my market, couldn't decide exactly what I wanted my business to be. My heart was with the smaller events- the baby showers, bridal showers, birthday parties of the world. But the business side of me knew that if I wanted my business to stay afloat, I would have to venture into the wonderful world of weddings. Weddings are where the money is. Weddings are where people have the budgets to hire a planner/decorator. If I wanted the luxury to create incredible parties, I needed to have the consistency and remuneration that weddings would afford me.

So weddings is where I went. With next to no advertising and a lot of word of mouth, the brides found me. As a newbie in the industry, I priced myself accordingly, and therefore the budget-conscious brides of the Lower Mainland came to me in droves. That first year was hard; a lot of work for very little pay, but I knew it would get better, and this was only part of the process. I gained experience, and brides got (what I believe to be) a steal of a deal on a passionate, hard working and creative event planner.

The next year I more than doubled my rates. I figured I was worth it, and with the time I was putting in, I needed it. I thought maybe the number of clients I booked might decrease, but the quality of them and the budgets they brought with them would lead me to a happier place. I was given the opportunity to plan a few smaller events, but for the most part, I was weddings, weddings all the time. I continued to book more clients, continued to work harder than I had ever worked, and continued to hone my design skills.

I had mostly great clients, ones that made me love what I did with a passion. I also had some headaches, the kind that made me question what the heck I was doing and why on earth I put up with what I did. Regardless, at the end of the day, planning and coordinating weddings took me away from what got me into the business in the first place. I barely had the time to work on my graphic design skills, and showers and parties were getting more and more infrequent as I had to turn many away because of the volume of weddings I was planning. I was overworked. Under appreciated. Unhappy. Yada yada yada. Whine whine whine.

Once I got over my pity party, I came to the realization that all of the amazing vendors I worked with on a daily basis had one thing in common- they were truly passionate; truly head over heels in love with what they did. Did they love weddings all the time? No. But they loved their role. Whether it was the DJ's passion for music, the photographers passion for composition, or the pastry chef's passion for baking and cake design, they all had something that got them through the tough times. And that is what I was missing. What I loved most: the small and cozy gathering of friends and family to celebrate the momentous occasions in life, such as bridal showers, baby showers, birthdays; designing the little details that pulled everything together; creating and designing, not planning.

So here I am, on this beautiful and sunny April morning (completely ironically and not planned this also happens to be the day my business license expires), ready to hang my wedding planning hat. It's been a long time in the making, but I felt the need to share it with the world. A very heartfelt thank you to the friends, family, clients and vendors who supported me and cheered me on along the way. I couldn't have done it without you.

Where does this take me now? I've recently started a career in an entirely different industry, and so far it's a welcome change. It affords me the time and freedom to start carving out a pathway to pursue my creative urges on a part time basis. I hope to finally enrol myself in a graphic design course, and continue to hone my skills to create pretty printable materials. It won't be anytime soon, but keep an eye out for Hello Bella invitations, printable parties, labels and much more.

As they say, when one door closes, another opens.

Ciao!

Meet Hello Bella's Pretty New Face!

Well, if you haven't noticed by now, Hello Bella has had an Extreme Makeover, Logo Edition! Normally this wouldn't warrant a post or announcement, but for me, well, anything that involves de-pinkifying requires some sort of explanation! Yes, it's true- I am a pink girl through and through, and I'm sure my pinkness was extremely evident in my former branding and website design. So why the change? Well, I'd be lying if I said I've been happy with any of my previous logo designs. I wanted something that reflected myself, but also my business. The girly girl designs and scripty fonts were over the top cute, and oh so very me. But were they my business? Are my day to day activities all frilly and pink? The truth is, I do mostly weddings, and the majority of them are NOT pink weddings. I also do showers, birthdays, anniversaries, bat/bar mitzvahs, and pretty much any event that's an excuse to celebrate. The celebrations I design and plan are not geared towards only females, or only girly girls, and I really didn't want to pigeon hole Hello Bella into a single specific type of event service.

The new logo is simple, clean, and hopefully still pretty! I've kept touches of pink here and there, but have introduced a pretty teal blue green to the mix. My logo, which started over a year ago with a bird motif, now incorporates a sunburst or firework (you choose, whichever you like!). I figure regardless of your event, you're probably hoping for a gorgeous, sunny day, and what better way to represent this than a sunbust! Alternatively, it also reminds me of a firework, which to many is a symbol of celebration! Interestingly, and coincidentally, my first wedding last summer took place on an insanely crazy Vancouver day that resulted in the most wicked of sunsets and was topped off with an over the top display of fireworks during the Symphony of Fire. So see? It's only fitting.

Well enough with the long and dragged out explanation! Go check out my new website design for yourself (there may be little bugs but they will soon be worked out) at www.hellobella.com and while you're at it maybe fan me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter if you haven't already!

Thanks again to everyone (my amazing clients, vendors, family and friends) for your support and I hope you like the new look;)

xoxo

Press Release: Hello Bella selected as 2010 Bride's Choice Award Winner

Vancouver, BC – January 19, 2010 - WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced Hello Bella Events has been selected to receive the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™ for wedding and event planning!

The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds.

Hello Bella Events is among the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes over 100,000 wedding professionals across the US and Canada. Awards were given to winners across 19 different service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers.

“We are excited to recognize and honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program has given us the unique opportunity to highlight the best wedding professionals in each region as reviewed by brides and grooms who have utilized their services in the past year.”

We are happy to announce that Hello Bella Events is among the very best wedding and event planning companies within the WeddingWire Network, which includes WeddingWire and Martha Stewart Weddings. We would like to thank our past newlyweds for nominating us for the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™.

For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/hello-bella-events-design-cloverdale/4c286c7abe0bede5.html.

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding vendors. WeddingWire enables engaged couples to search, compare and book over 100,000 reviewed wedding vendors nationwide, from wedding photographers to wedding cakes. WeddingWire also offers an online community and a suite of cutting-edge planning tools, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding vendors, WeddingWire provides free online management tools creating the only market opportunity that gives businesses control over their clients, reviews, leads and performance. In addition, WeddingWire has partnered with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (NYSE: MSO) to provide its network of local vendors and online wedding-planning tools in the Weddings section of www.MarthaStewartWeddings.com. For additional information, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

Coming up: Morgan Creek's 2nd Annual Wedding Gala

We are very excited to be a participating vendor in the 2nd Annual Morgan Creek Wedding Gala taking place on Thursday, January 28th from 6:30- 9:30. Not only do I enjoy using Morgan Creek as a wedding venue for my clients, but I also really love the concept for their Wedding Gala. I know that if I were a bride again, I would appreciate getting to scope out vendors and ideas in such an intimate and relaxed setting.

Anyone who has attended the BIG Wedding Fair in Vancouver will tell you it's slight chaos. There are thousands of attendees, and almost too many vendors to sift through. I'm not hating on these shows at all- they can be quite entertaining and provide many ideas and access to vendors, but they do leave a lot to be desired. After attending this past Wedding Fair with a bride, we realized that the fair is saturated with travel agencies, and in desparate need of caterers, florists, and planners. In fact, we found just 1 caterer and not a single florist. You make the rounds like cattle as eager vendors hand you packets of information you don't necessarily want, and sifting through to find what's really useful to you can take hours.

Fortunately for us all, the Morgan Creek Wedding Gala puts an entirely new spin on the wedding show. There is a maximum of 3 vendors allowed in each category, which means you won't be leaving with more resort pamphlets than a travel agency. It's a more relaxed environment and there's no need to rush from booth to booth in order to take it all in.

Oh, and did I mention there are cocktails and gourmet cuisine? Yes that's right. To top it off the ticket cost is by donation, with all proceeds going to the Oh Baby Campaign for Peace Arch Hospital. If you're one of the first 100 brides to arrive, you'll also receive a swag bag full of goodies.

So let's go over this again: drinks and treats, swag bags, and all for a good cause. Now my only question is: why would you not want to be there!?

A few things you never knew you wanted to know about Hello Bella

I am always excited and inspired when I stumble upon a numbered selection of personal facts about someone- something I've seen on the "About" page on many a photographers website. Reading each one makes the person behind the lens, well, so much more of a person. I always enjoy reading them, and usually find I have a quite a lot in common with others in the creative fields. Although I would one day like to incorporate a comparable rap sheet to my own About page, for now I thought I would give you a little insight into myself and the company I created via the blog that I too often neglect.

10 Things About Jen and Hello Bella Events

1. I got my university degree from UBC and planned on following in my father's footsteps in financial planning. I later learned that there's a creative part of me that just wouldn't let go. I couldn't squash it, so I nurtured it and went back to BCIT for marketing and wedding planning.

2. When I was younger, I started many a small business. Here are a few:

Age 9: West Coast Hemp Creations: Hemp jewelry store run out of my bedroom. I had my own phone line that went direct to my room, and I advertised it on my flyers around the neighborhood. My little brother and his friend were my employees, and I was the president and lead designer.

Age 13: Jenna Moore Designs: Yes, I wanted to be a fasion designer, and since I didn't like my name, I changed it. I sketched many a horrid design (which I'm sure at the time were fashionable but now, just awful), and the only items that actually made it to production were halloween costumes.

Age 15: Horizon Learning: I was a nerd. I was academic, and I liked kids, so I set up my own tutoring company for elementary school kids. I wanted it to be a group class with different tutors for different subjects, but I had difficulty finding a free space to host it in. I ended up doing private tutoring instead. I made my first website for Horizon, which I was very proud of (I wish I could see what it looked like today... but alas it's lost in the internet netherland of trash).

3. Planning my own wedding was not what prompted me to start my own company. Planning incredibly detailed and fabulous parties and showers is what got me addicted, and a push from a few friends is what got me started.

4. Through Hello Bella, I have discovered even more new passions. I love love love stationery design and pretty printed materials (come on, we all know it's the little details that make the biggest impact). I think somewhere deep down there's a graphic designer wanting to come out to play. I plan on going back to school part-time for graphic design, pursuing it as more of a hobby, and will try and incorporate it into Hello Bella in a bigger way someday.

5. Before Hello Bella was Hello Bella, there were many names in the running. A few off the top of my head: Bella Luxe, Ciao Bella, Bella Blu, Bella by Jen, Luxe Couture Events, Bella Couture.

6. Where did the name Hello Bella come from? Well, I can try and deny any reference to Hello Kitty as much as I want, but really, I love Hello Kitty so I'm sure subconsciously it played a part. But mostly, I've always loved the moniker "bella" (yes, loooong before Twilight- and unfortunately I'm finding that the dawn of Twilight is leading to an overuse of MY business name- damn you Bella Swan!). My hubby is Italian, which makes it even more fitting, because he often calls me Bella ( or did I force him to call me that...hmm, not sure, can't remember). Anyhoo, at the end of the day, I wanted something that was cute, not overly wedding related (I love doing events almost as much as I do weddings), and something that was original. I also wanted it to feel good. And when I think of waking up, or walking down the aisle, or entering into a room, I can't imagine anything more "feel good" than having someone who loves you look you deep in your eyes and softly whisper into your ear " Hello, bella".

7. I sometimes feel like a little girl dressing up in my mother's cloths in her closet. I have no doubt in my abilities, my creativity, or my talent, but truth be told- I'm a newbie. There are professionals who have been in this industry for 10, 20, 30 years, and that's something I can't compete with. I mean, 10 years ago I couldn't even drive let alone contemplate running a real life business. Being around seasoned professionals is at once both intimidating and inspiring. It's amazing to be around such company, of people I look up to and who are essentially celebrities in their lines of work (Erin Gilmore, I'm talking about you!), but I feel like more of an observer than a colleague. I want more than anything to be taken seriously, but sometimes time is equated with serious, and time is what I don't have. However, if time continues to fly by as it is currently, I'm sure this won't be a problem!

8. I don't worry about my competition. "What?" you say. Well, truth be told, I'm not trying to compete. I know that there are companies out there that I will never be. Countdown Events is by far one of the largest and most reputable wedding planning companies there is in Vancouver. Their business model is divine and their work is impeccable. I don't want to be them, however. And I don't want to be their competition. I have a vision for Hello Bella that doesn't really fit in with any other business model I've seen in Vancouver. I want to keep it small, personal, unique and hand-crafted. I want to be friends with my clients, not just the hired help. I want to design small and creative parties and showers for people who are hosting them (because we've all been to too many shindigs with red plastic cups and dollar store decorations). I want to change the way people see hosting (it's not about just gathering friends around, it's about showing them you care enough to put some effort in, to pay attention to details and really create a night out that they will enjoy and savour). I want people to know it's not about the money spent, but how you spend the money. Simple details such as pretty labels and fabrics that really don't cost much can go a long way. Coming from someone who doesn't really get out that much as a guest, we really do appreciate the little touches and conveniences that our hosts have planned out. The details will be remembered, and I am all about the details.

9. I'm a vegetarian, and so is Hello Bella. Wait, that doesn't make sense! Oh well. I also don't like mushrooms, or any imperfect produce. I spend WAY too much time in the grocery store inspecting my apples for bruises and my peppers for soft spots.

10. In 5 years, I see myself with a store front/boutique. Well, not really a store and not really a boutique. I guess I'll have to think of another word to describe my vision. A "bridal resource lounge" is more fitting. Ok, let's break it down: I want a pretty space, full of plush white lounge furniture, gorgeous crystal chandeliers and tons of pretty inspiration. A free, no-obligation place for clients (brides and hosts alike) to come and pull their event together over a glass of champagne. Clients can come in, chat with me, sift through magazines and portfolios of local wedding professionals and taste their cake all in one place. For many wedding vendors who might not have a store front (photographers, videographers, etc), the space will be the perfect place to meet their prospective clients for a consultation. In the back is a stylishly decorated room complete with bar set up, flat screen TV's and more delectable furniture. This room can be rented out for meetings, but will mostly be rented out to clients for small events (showers, birthdays, engagement parties). It will be pretty place that's as comfortable as your own home to host your friends and family, except with expert decorating and concierge service.

I can't tell you how excited I am about the future, and how grateful I am to have had the support I've received over the past year. I've had some incredible clients that really do affirm that I found my calling, and my friends and family (most specifically Mr. Hello Bella) have helped me so much in making this dream a reality. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Ciao, bella!

New and exciting things to come!

I am truly sorry for my lack of blogging as of late. Rest assured, I am being extremely productive with my non-blogging time. Hello Bella is headed in new and exciting directions and I can't wait to introduce you to what I have in store. There's nothing better than that feeling when things just click... and I can honestly say that this is one BIG click for me and the company. I feel, and I hope, that I've found my niche; my little place in the world. Stay tuned over the next week and I'll fill you in!

The nature of vendor deposits/retainers

I found this article on a caterer's blog and thought it was well written, informative and could be of interest to many brides out there. With so many vendors and venues requiring deposits and retainers, it's so important to know their policies and to have a payment schedule so that you don't miss out on securing your date! This and other great articles can be found at http://cateritsimple.blogspot.com/search/label/deposits

Why Are Deposits Non-Refundable? by Debi Brim

A very fair question asked by many clients!

A deposit is not only to secure your booking with the vendor, but also to secure the vendor's business with you. Confusing, yes, but follow me here.

Photographers and reception sites can logically only book one wedding per day. Cake creators, caterers and many florists can only book a certain number of weddings per day, and some of these limit it to one per day. When a bride books that date, the vendor closes that date to any other bride/booking. This means we may turn down business from future inquiries for that date.

(I personally turned down over 15 brides for the date of 7/7/07 because it was booked, and I turned down over 25 brides for the popular 6-7-08 date.)

Should something happen and you change your mind, move your date, want to use another vendor, and you cancel your booking, especially close to the date, it creates a financial hardship for the vendor. As you know, not too many brides book their caterer, photographer, etc., 3 or 4 weeks before the event.

This means the vendor has no opportunity to re-book that date. The vendor has already turned down business that could have been booked except for the fact that he/she closed that date just for you. The non-refundable deposit covers the lost opportunities and the costs incurred by the vendor based on your commitment.

Moving the date is many times viewed as a cancellation. Why? A bride books 11-7-09 with me. I turn down 4 brides for this date because I've made a commitment to the booked bride. Bride decides to move her date to January, after the holidays. I have now lost those 4 potential brides because I've turned them down.

I've had a number of discussions in which I'm asked "What costs? The photographer hasn't taken any pictures yet!" You're right. And the caterer probably hasn't bought any food and the florist hasn't purchased the flowers. But these are not the only costs associated with running a business that can help you have a great event. All of these vendors require special (expensive) equipment, rent, insurance, staffing to answer the phone when you called to book the event, internet access to enable you to see our website as you planned your event, the time already spent with the client during the consultation and follow-up, cost of paper, folders and filing cabinets to create and store the client's paperwork, and much more. These costs need to be covered and overhead has to be met.

When we close that date to any other business based on a client's commitment, then we have lost the opportunity to see any income for that date that would cover this overhead when the client decides to cancel.

A deposit protects the client and assures the client that the vendor will be there. A deposit also protects the vendor when the vendor turns down other clients, so the vendor can be there for you on that date.

So when talking to vendors, ask about their cancellation and refund policies. This is especially important if the bride/groom is active military and unscheduled deployment is a real possibility.

Knowing what the rules are in advance will help reduce some of the pre-wedding stress!