I would like to share a story with you that Janet*, an event coordinator, told at the last BRO seminar. She had helped Kristie* and Brian* to celebrate the wedding of their dreams. During the planning process, the three became friends. Several times they had crunched the numbers until the money Kristie and Brian had set aside for the wedding and honeymoon covered everything. The only item left out was the limo from the reception hall to the hotel. It was not a big deal as the bride's parents offered to give them a ride.

Only Janet was not content with this solution: such a perfect day needed a perfect ending. So she decided to give the newlyweds the limo ride as her wedding present. She created a puzzle of a limousine, put the pieces into a small box, wrapped it, inserted into a into a larger one, and wrapped again. At the rehearsal dinner Janet presented her gift to the couple. There was a happy scream and a big hug from bride and groom when the puzzle was solved.

Why did I tell you this story? Because many event professionals, particularly the ones from By Recommendation Only, will do almost everything to make your event successful. It is not always a Limo ride -- sometimes a florist puts in additional flowers to make the bouquets look more beautiful -- but certainly most professionals spend significant additional time thinking about how to make each wedding special. Just the other day a caterer told me she bought chargers for the bride because she found less expensive chargers at Target than at the rental store.

During the past 16 years, since I have worked on my guide book series and subsequently my website, I receive a complaint here and there. When I follow up with the vendor, as I always do, it usually turns out that the clients have been unreasonable. In one letter a bride complained about the harpist who dared to protect her expensive instrument when it started to rain during the ceremony.

With this letter, I want you to realize that you are the creators of your special day. Kristie and Brian were such a nice and friendly couple, so Janet was happy to give them the ride. Had they made unreasonable requests, the outcome might have been different. So remember: smiles, gratefulness, and cooperation will get you the same help and support Cinderella once got and will make yours a celebration you will love to remember forever.

Good luck with your celebration!