What kind of wedding planner are you looking for?

I was flipping through a bridal magazine’s Winter/Spring 2014 issue and I was shocked by an ad I came across for an event planner/designer/self-proclaimed b*tch….

 (names and info have been stripped to protect the guilty)

I had A LOT of feelings about this ad for a wedding planner. If someone else had been in the room, they would have heard me say something like, “Holy crap! What’s this doing in here?!”

The thing that stood out to me the most was the word “B*TCH”. And rightfully so because it’s the biggest boldest thing on the page. I have to admit, this got my attention and made me curious to find out more, which is clearly the intent of the ad – what they were going for.

Then I read through the whole thing line by line, at least twice to make sure I was reading it correctly.  Initially, I was a little offended, and then I found out that I felt really upset. Why did I care? Let me break it down for you:

1) Is this who brides are these days? I certainly hope not. It’s not how we think of our brides, you should be offended too….

2)  Why is this company allowing any bride to regard them in such a demeaning manner? Last I checked, I am not anyone’s “B*TCH” whether or not the words “be my inspiration-pinning” are attached to it.

3)  Also, what is most likely intended as a lighthearted and funny ad is actually quite offensive.  It degrades the industry as a whole by stating that as wedding planner PROFESSIONALS we should be allowed to be called a “B*ITCH” by our clients.  It also states that what we do is so menial that it comes down to roses vs. peonies.  I think this ad is a disservice to our industry and anybody who does weddings.  It encourages and allows bad behavior.

It’s like the event planner is saying, “Hey! If you are a person who wants to treat their wedding planner as a lesser person than you, please do give us a call so we can give you a “Weddingasm”.  Further, I take great umbrage to the term “weddingasm” – this isn’t an episode of Sex & the City, here.  It’s somebody’s wedding day where their family (often including grandma & grandpa) will be present.  This isn’t 16 Candles or another wedding movie, it’s a real life day that people will remember.

It’s also an issue about a professional not asking to be treated poorly and showing that they will provide you with respect at the same time.  Wasn’t there another way to get the message across?  Couldn’t they have selected different verbiage that wasn’t as offensive and demeaning?  Could it have been just as cute, fun and attention grabbing even if it wasn’t vulgar?

My message for this company is:

Don’t expect to get the clients you really want when this is the trash you put out about your own company.