Kris Lavender Lounge

Christi Woodrow – Owner of Wildflower Events, Florida

"The reason people succeed with Kris’ coaching, is because of her client-centric approach. She listens to your goals and questions, then works with you to break those bigger milestones into manageable, bite-size pieces. You know where you’re going every step of the way and you feel confident when you get there. Every business is different and Kris’ tailored guidance is relevant and relatable to your situation.
Lots of people I know are talented and want to start their own business, but the leap of going out on their own is way too intimidating. Kris’ strategy takes away the guesswork, makes business accessible and success achievable!"

Tamesha Squire - Owner of Black Haven Events, Georgia

I wrote Kris an email as well as called her in September and she has such a warm, inviting and wise presence. I’m very grateful to have received an opportunity for mentorship with one of the greats. Kris is truly a gem at what she does and she always wants to see you shine. I was looking for an internship/mentor for 5 months and she got back to me in no time. She’s a thorough communicator and only wants the best for her team. Workshops and team gatherings are held to inspire you and to also learn from others. If you’re new or have been doing this for a while, either way, you’re taken care of with Kris. There are different programs you can participate in depending on what you’re looking for. If you’re looking to test out the industry, get more experience, start a business or grow your business; the Kris Lavender experience will help tremendously. I am learning, observing and connecting with people and places I never imagined I would. You will leave feeling inspired, motivated, informed and pushed to be the best boss you can be.
Thank you for this golden opportunity, Kris I appreciate you more than you know!

Krisjana Turner is the Ceo of Kris Lavender a wedding and event design company. She is also the CoFounder of Lead Her Well, an organization catered to empowering women to grow and excel in their personal, spiritual, professional and physical goals. Kris specializes in helping women create business brands and creating the structure for the process of business start-up functions.

Soft Skills and Character Traits You Need as a Wedding Planner

1. The ability to troubleshoot

   Let's face it. As much as we exude master planner...the reality is that life happens and sometimes things do not go as expected. This is especially true when your plans involve other people. As a wedding planner, those plans involve lots of people from wedding day vendors, bridal party members, and guests. Things happen and you will need to know how to turn things right side up when moments start to go upside down.

2. You Need to Know How to Handle Stress.

   Staying level-headed is literally a job description as a wedding planner. . In my opinion, some of the best wedding and event planners handle stress with ease. This may be something that you are still learning to handle as your experience grows. This is one reason why we offer hands-on experience within our program. If Uncle Bob decides to have a little too much to drink and starts spilling drinks...you cannot have a met down or freeze up.

3. Be a Good Listener

   Always remember...it is our job to make their wedding day dreams come true. To do that we have to be great listeners. We need to be able to hear what is important to them on this special day and even lend an ear when a couple becomes overwhelmed. I cannot tell you how many times I have called to confirm an appointment time with a client and it turned into a couch session about how a mom or other family member was giving them a hard time.

4. Have Patience.

   Working with challenging clients is something you may have to get used to. Challenging does not equate to bad or difficult. One of my best clients had a really hard time deciding on some of her design options and made changes several times throughout teh planning process. This is not an ideal situation for a planner, but it happens. Having patience with the client can be the difference between a good and great planning experience.

5. You Have to Love People

   It is the weirdest thing to come across another wedding industry pro and they hate what they do and hate working with people. I get the best feeling when we are a key factor in making someone's event amazing and magical. We are the ones that help bring a couple's ideas to life as they celebrate life's special moments. If you don't like working with people, then you may want to explore some other career options.

Client Management: Why I Don't Like Taking Meetings After 3 pm

Never is a strong word, but I really work to not have meetings after 3 pm.

What's my reason? Simply because I am not at my best at 3 pm and after. This may sound like a trivial thing to do, but I think it is important to feel great and have the ability to manage a great meeting whether it's with my team or with a client.

Basically, I want to provide great customer service to my clients. For me, that may look like avoiding meetings after 3. If my clients have a schedule that doesn't allow them to meet prior to 3, then I grab an extra cup of my favorite coffee and put on a great show, or I pair them with another planner on their team to meet with during that preferred time.

Not having meetings after 3 pm is also an attempt to have a "work-life balance. By 3 pm, I am responding to the last set of emails or finishing up a project so I can head out for some family time. Now, every day isn't nearly as perfect, but it is the goal for most weekdays.

Here are a few other practices that I put in place to ensure that my clients receive great customer service.

1. When possible, meetings are scheduled with at least 30 minutes to a 1-hourgap in between each meeting. This allows for additional time so that clientsare not feeling rushed. This also allows you a few minutes to prepare for theupcoming meeting if you fall behind.

2. Provide a link for all meetings. This allows you the ability to manage yourtime without a lot of back and forth.

3. Prior to your meeting - I usually do a day before, Send a meeting agenda.
   This will help manage your time on busy days with clients that are extra excited!

4. If you are meeting via zoom or other video chat, do a test run to make sure everything is up and running properly.

5. Minimize distractions! This may be difficult to do if you are working with others or from an at-home setting, but do your best to go into a quiet room for a phone call or ensure that your phone is silent when meeting clients face-to-face.

6. Save time at the end of your meeting so that your client can ask questions. This shows that you are open and comfortable with addressing any concerns or aspects of clarification that are needed.
   Mastering the art of great client management is all about creating positive boundaries that allow you to give your best to your clients. Make it a habit of taking a look at how you are juggling multiple clients with every growth period or when you begin to feel bogged down. Chances are you too may have to stop
   taking meetings after 3 pm!

Always remember quality over quantity!