Hi Naomi! We do disagree on something, finally

My take on this topic is quite different, as I don’t believe in generalists, jack-of-all-trades, in that I think they might be “good” at everything but very good at almost nothing.

I also think the wedding industry is – literally – clogged with generalists promising to be able to deliver “anything you want” but then delivering nothing really down to specs and this aspect is why we have such a hard time positioning our profession. We give the impression that we don’t really know much, aside from being great organizers who can handle emergencies and have an extensive network.

We need to be bold, and reverse this nasty trend.

I think we – like all professionals do – SHOULD niche. Niches allow prospects to really compare services and chose the one that really fits with their idea. Niches also allow wedding pros to be *really* educated on what they sell, as opposed to reading some opinionated expert version of the final “truth”. Doctors niche, laywers niche, CPAs niche, teachers niche. We shouldn’t because….?

I’ll close my contribution with an example. If my heart had some problems, I wouldn’t go to a general physician, I would go to a cardiologist. That is, somebody who knows my problem in details, has a deep expertise in it (and is willing to refine it over and over) and can actually tell me something more than the standard “don’t worry we’ll sort it out”. If I am getting divorced, I don’t go to a real estate lawyer, I go to one who does ONLY divorces.

Because I’m a bride advocate (being a bride to be myself), I hope that more and more brides, when needing – for example – an eco-chic wedding will go to a wedding designer with real deep knowledge of how to decorate with those kinds of materials, how to do the lighting in a way that minimally impacts on the environment, how to source lead-free mercury glass (and how to tell when it’s the wrong mercury glass!), and so on.

Because somebody who does “any” wedding might have a very hard time to understand how to satisfy a niche.

Forgot to mention that I love the milk glass images. I too like bringing memories to life. Milk glass is a favorite to collect for many I have met. They too just love it and it may not reflect their decor’, but none the less they want it. Or it was an heirloom. Using this vintage prop in stylish new ways brings life anew to memories!
Wonderful post Naomi!

Thank you for your comment and I respect your opinion. However, I beg to differ on a few points. Yes, lawyers, doctors, etc. have their niche. Agreed. However, I do not liken our profession to the medical field (sorry husband) or lawyers (sorry family). I do not find that those two professions are as creative as our profession. In the creative world, yes, we do have niches. However, as fickle the industry is and as quickly as trends come and go not having a comprehensive knowledge of these trends or what is new within our field, you will eventually position yourself out of the selection pool. I have seen it happen to many planners who only do a particular design or type of wedding. These wedding planners wonder why they are not attracting as much business as the rest of us.

Let me further drive my point. If a wedding planner/ designer advertises that she only specializes in muti-cultural weddings do you thinks she knows about every culture or that she knows how to integrate different cultures to create a unique multi –cultural wedding? I would believe that you would agree that the latter part of the question is correct. Pigeonholing yourself into one specific design niche, in an industry that is ever changing, ever fickle may result in a planner/designer not being as booked or worst looked at as being outdated. Learning new trends and incorporating them into your business development is what keeps your business open (and creative mind alert) to clients that are looking for just that, fresh new ideas.

I am not knocking niches. However, my niche is to a target audience not a targeted type of design. Not just for the bride who only wants shabby chic, old world vintage, etc., etc.Keep in mind the most current and knowledgeable wedding planner/designers are those who will continue to book brides long after the latest design fad has dimmed.

Having a niche/target market, I wholeheartedly agree with having for obvious reasons. However, limiting myself to a niche design in our profession, in my opinion, is limiting. I do not have any aversion to a niche. I do have a niche but, again, it is not limited to design.

Rosanna, my niche is not the discerning upscale bride (by the way I believe all brides are discerning!). If the upscale discerning bride happens to fall in my target niche, great but that is not the criterion that defines my niche or target bride.

I speak for no one but myself. No one else. I am the owner of this blog, which certainly does not make my views the right one! We all are entitled to our own opinions and I am glad you shared yours with me.

I’m using milk glasses at my wedding. I love the cupcake in the glass. beautiful Naomi. You are so talented.