By guest blogger Jodi Gagné   Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live ~ Author Unknown Weddings symbolize love, laughter and appreciation. A lot of thought goes into personalizing your wedding day with details that reflect who you are, the love that you have for each other, and the gratitude of being able to share your wedding day with loved ones. As you plan your wedding, it is important to acknowledge the love and support you receive along the way.  There are many fun, unique and sincere ways to show your appreciation to family, friends, bridal party and your wedding team of professionals. The most traditional but tried, tested and true is the thank you card. Your guests have taken the time, effort and thought to celebrate your occasion with a gift so the thank you card should not be overlooked.  When is the appropriate time to send them out?  Thank you cards should be sent immediately after receiving a gift.  For wedding gifts, there is a small grace period but keep in mind that a thank you card should ideally be sent out within three months of your wedding. And you’ll be surprised how a simple card to your wedding team for a job well done can go such a long way, as well. As a host/hostess you are responsible for the comfort of your guests throughout the day and evening. Consider the various events and where you can add your personal touch to enhance your guests’ experience.  Something as simple as amenity baskets in the restrooms can end up being a thoughtful, and much appreciated gesture for those small yet personal emergencies. Photo Credit: Xero Digital If the day promises to be hot, and you are asking your guests to participate in an outdoor Ceremony then you may want to consider setting up a water table, or offer parasols to create some shade, or even hand out freshly squeezed lemonade or snow cones to guests as they arrive. For cooler weather then shawls for the ladies would be a nice touch, and a great way to incorporate your color scheme. Though careful planning, and time management for this next idea is a must, your guests will truly appreciate the extra effort, and sincerity when they find a personalized note tucked into their napkin at their place setting.  What a lovely way to start the evening! Another popular trend for later in the evening is having baskets of flipflops setup by the dance floor – a great treat for dancing feet! We’re huge fans of the welcome basket delivered to hotel rooms for your out-of-town guests. Adding a list of restaurants, and...

“Decide what you want most, take action and go get it” – Gerry Visca What drives your passion?  What excites you into action?  How do you want to be perceived? What do you want to be remembered for? These are some of the BIG questions I posed to some of the elite General Managers and VP’s of the Food and Beverage industry this weekend during my opening inspirational key note in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.  I believe that self-actualized people experience a greater sense of peace and fullfilement in their lives.  To know your WHY is to know what drives you to be the best that you can be.  Driving your WHY starts with you believing that there is a bigger purpose to your existence.  Understanding and living your WHY puts you on a path to heightened awareness of your full potential. I further beleive that we were all put on this earth to do great things.  It’s not in some of us, its in all of us.  I can tell you with certainty that it doesn’t start when the mortgage is paid off, or when you have saved $1/2 a million in RRSP’s or when the kids are older.  Connecting to your WHY means you are tapping into your greatness, a place that may or may not have been supressed til now.  Today is a new day and the day that you declare to yourself and to others that you are taking full control in creating your desired life.  Being with the people that you love, living the lifestyle you deserve and being fulfilled in everything you do everyday.  Driving your WHY means you are ready to play full out. It’s not about working harder, its about ‘living smarter’ and with passion for every moment that you experience.  Driving your WHY helps you align all of daily actions to one common purpose.  So how do you start uncovering your purpose?  Ask yourself and then live with the following question for the next thirty days: What is my purpose?  How can I be of service to to others?         Tip: Condition your mind to fixate on the end prize. Live the BIGGER question everyday.  The very act of living these BIG questions creates the awareness for your greater potential. Surround yourself daily with like-minded people that believe in you. Carve out the time on a daily basis to focus on what you want to create most. Decide what you want most, take action and go get it. ...

At the January IAAP dinner meeting, during introductions we were asked to explain in a few words what “Leadership means to you?”, “What does a Leader look like?” “Are you a Leader?. The majority of everyone in the room started by stating they were NOT Leaders but explained what they looked for in a Leader. This was in interesting experiment. Do you consider yourself a Leader? If you are not sure….read the following list and decide for yourself. This is the list of “attributes” compiled by our dinner group for what a Leader should look like: Honest Transparent They must walk the same talk you expect of me Supportive Professional The ability to respect others time Willing to roll up sleeves and help for the goal Someone who can motivate a team toward a common goal A Leader that is open to listening to ideas Respect from the people you work with Appreciative of the work you do each and every day Decisiveness Someone who can delegate Someone who can give me a challenge Respects the skills I have Integrity, helping employee to see potential and encourage to grow Someone who makes you think Open door policy and honesty Someone who helps me find the best in me Someone who leads by example and is willing to work hard Manager that doesn’t micromanage One that thinks ahead Cheery disposition and human Has discernment – knows when to butt kick or relax. Gives jobs that match skills. How many of these ATTRIBUTES DO YOU have? As Administrative Professionals, we ARE Leaders!! We are called upon and relied upon to keep others organized, we are required to learn and take on new tasks building our skills, and some of us are in charge of entire departments or teams. We have to think ahead, we need to be honest and transparent, we have to delegate and we have to work hard. If you look at the list that was provided above, by a group of people who predominately did NOT identify with being a Leader, you will see that we are all indeed (including the ones providing this list) LEADERS! Your thinking creates your reality. ~Robin...

Plan Ahead to Make the Most of APWPC 2013 The APWPC 2013 is one conference not to be missed! It is an investment in your personal and professional development to propel your wedding busine ss to greater heights. Here, you get to network with other like-minded peers and to learn from other successful wedding professionals. Come and hear what others have to say about the annual conference that will be held in Asia Pacific for the first time!  Click here for a Sneak Preview of APWPC...