First of all, being a wedding planner here in The Netherlands is not as common as it is in the States. But it’s starting to settle down in the market and according to the CBS (Central Bureau for the Statistics) there will still be 70.000 marriages this year here in Holland! It’s all about the approach. Lots of people still think that hiring a wedding planner is for the rich. It’s a luxury they can not afford. But it’s not anymore. Couples actually don’t know what kind of benefits a wedding planner can give them.

We have coupled with Inge Bergakker of Seeds of Love to give you 5 reasons why you should consider hiring a wedding planner:

1. They save you time

Planning weddings takes enormous amount of time.  In fact the hours can count up to over 200 hours just planning this special day. A good wedding planner will save you time and energy by doing the research of the best vendors, taking care of most of the details and has various creative ideas to make your wedding special and amazing.

2. They save money

Organizing a wedding can be extremely expensive. Couples can save a great deal of money by hiring a wedding planner because they provide so much business to vendors that they are often able to negotiate discounts for their clients. Wedding planners also help couples set their budgets and help them sticking to it.

3. Offers you advice

Wedding planners can also help couples with some good advice. They have planned numerous weddings and by experience know exactly what works and what doesn’t. Wedding etiquettes for example have no secrets at all to them. Furthermore, wedding planners are able to recommend the best vendors because this is based on their personal experience.

4. Creates schedules

Because of the fact that there are so many events leading up to the big day, wedding planners make detailed itineraries for all involved (including the vendors) and making sure that everything happens on time.

5. Handles crisis

Whether we like it or not, most big events involve crisis. For example the bakery doesn’t deliver the wedding cake on time or the flower girl throws a tantrum? Or how about making sure that the guest who had a little too much to drink departs safely? Wedding planners know how to handle all unforeseen circumstances and take care of any crisis.

If the above has convinced you that hiring a wedding planner definitely has its benefits, then contact Inge Bergakker and she’ll make sure you’ll have a wedding every girl deserves and dreams of. She creates weddings with a perfect balance between style and grace but also with pure elegance and romantic details. The aim is to create truly personal and distinctive weddings and always to exceed the expectations. Partial help, advice or being the Day Of Coordinator is also one of the services she provides.

How would you describe your business in exactly three adjectives?
Stylish. Elegant. Professional.

What are your most popular products or services?
I will help clients save time, stress and money. I’ll oversee the proceedings and generally ensure that the day runs smoothly, leaving them safe in the knowledge that everything will be managed professionally.

People may be surprised to know…
that Seeds of Love has an office in Utrecht but operates throughout the country!

What or who inspired you to start your business?
My husband! He never stopped believing in my creative thinking and organizing skills. He encouraged me to combine these qualities and to follow my dreams!

How do you spend your free time?
Cooking, reading, listening to music… but most of all spending quality time with my family!

What is your indulgence?
Herbal teas and sushi!

You can also contact Inge on twitter or follow her updates on her blog.

On June the 7th, the women of CRAVEamsterdam came together  again to
celebrate the prelaunch of the very first CRAVEamsterdam guide – the
most unique and stylish guidebook for Amsterdam living. It is a
celebration of women entreprenesses that showcases some of the most
creative, interesting, and gutsy proprietors throughout our city. In
the typical CRAVE fashion, this meant a glam gathering of savvy women.
With the help of Amsterdam’s coffee@last providing us with a
fantastic venue, the best coffee in town, tea and scrumptious
minicakes, the guests were entertained.

Our very own Athalie Stegeman presented the ways you can boost your
business using the CRAVEamsterdam guide and of course, the platform of
entrepreneurs we created. As the evening wound down, our ambassadors
Isrid van Geuns and Athalie Stegeman presented the CRAVEamsterdam‘s
guide cover and of course the first finished spreads of the book,
framed and ready to hang on your personal wall of fame. Six of the
women present got to see their pages in advance. We extend a big thank
you to Villa Grafica for helping us with the print and design of the
PR materials present and for their great help with printing the
spreads.

Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make the CRAVE Prelaunch a
success, and to all the CRAVEamsterdam women who came out to see us
and have some fun!

Check out the photo gallery, compliments of Ronny Rozenberg and
Cristina Stoian, picturing the night in a special way:

Just new in Amsterdam or in the Netherlands or are you on your way to move? Look first into this interesting business. XllentGuidance is a Lifestyle Management agency, in Amsterdam. They offer you more time in your life, more space in your calendar and more room in your head! For expats they developed a Neighborhood Introduction Experience, where they will introduce you to your new neighborhood including its shops, networks and (expatriate) residents. You will receive all the information you need to feel comfortable and at home in your new living area. XllentGuidance also offers an Aftercare Service desk with after opening hours. At their office there are several consultants available to help you out with, amongst others,  the Dutch administration. XllentGuidance is there to help you, just to get back on your feet! LexiaEmerenciana, the owner of XllentGuidance will gladly assists you in handling your time, so you can focus on other important businesses.

How would you describe your business in exactly three adjectives?
Personal, Creative, Unique

What are your most popular products or services?
Most popular are our unique Expat services like the Neighborhood Introduction Experience and the Aftercare servicedesk. These packages make sure an Expat feels more welcome and comfortable in his new living area by taking care of their socially based needs. Introducing an expat to local shop owners, neighbors and things to do in their own neighborhood, makes a huge difference for expats and their families!

People may be surprised to know…
that I am NOT wonder woman!

What or who inspired you to start your business?
I was inspired by the urge to do something different and unique for those who are too busy in life to enjoy it!

Who is your role model or mentor?
I don’t have a particularly role model, but I have a great respect for them who are chasing their dreams with a great believe and succeed in it!

What business mistake have you made that you will not repeat?
Thinking I can do everything myself.

How do you spend your free time?
Wining, dining, laughing, dancing and running!

Where is your favorite place to go with your girlfriends?
Well…where not?! The most important thing is that we are together and have fun..and that’s basically every where we are!

Judith Webber and Catriona Ravelli are the entrepreneurs behind the successful ZZP Adviescafé.

ZZP Adviescafé provides advise to self employed professionals on how to brand themselves. They work 1-on-1 and in groups, helping to strengthen their core by finding the answers to 3 main questions:

1) What is your incentive to do what you do

2) What makes you unique

3) Who do you want to work for

How would you describe your business in exactly three adjectives?
accessible, energetic, involved

What are your most popular products or services?
Our Happy Hour is by far our most popular service. This is a one hour conversation with one of us on how you can run your business with more focus & warmth by answering one of our 3 main questions.

People may be surprised to know…
that ZZP Adviescafé is not a physical place yet (this is one of our goals for 2010)

What or who inspired you to start your business?
We are both inspired by Martijn Aslander and how he works with ‘waardebepaling achteraf’, a system which forces our clients to think about the value they have experienced by using our services. This tool is also very valuable for us, because of the great feedback we get from our clients.

What business mistake have you made that you will not repeat?
We started our business with too many services all at once. Now we advice others to focus on one or two services, no more!

How do you spend your free time?
We both have families (husband and son), so we love to spend time with them in our free time. We both play music and like to be outdoors!

Find them on twitter:  CatrionaRavelli ; JudithWebber

and Linkedin: Catriona Ravelli ;  Judith Webber