Milestones

FAQ: Bridal Interview with Monet Clements-Dixon

Please take a moment to read this before hiring Milestones.

How long have you been doing what you do and how did you become a wedding planner? 

Five years ago I received my undergraduate degree from Hampton University in marketing which gave me the knowledge of business with an understanding of advertising, promotions, and sales.  While attending Hampton University I had the opportunity to be a member of many student organizations.  Being part of these groups gave me the opportunity to be in charge of fund raising activities, community service events, parties, concerts, step shows etc.  These experiences prepared me for the biggest event of my life; my very own wedding. 

At first, the idea of planning my own wedding was a bit intimidating and very overwhelming.  I did not realize that all the experiences that I had over the years definitely gave me the tools I needed to pull it off.  The wedding required a lot of hard work and a ton of planning, but with a little help from friends and family we got through the planning stage.  As wedding day got closer more and more of my DIY projects got canned because I could not fine time between planning and my day job to get it all done. The night before my wedding my bridesmaids and I were up working on last minute things that were not yet done!!!  While we were hard at work my mom and I had a big spat about the place cards. She didn’t like how they looked.  I did know what to do, because I didn’t have a printer in the hotel!!!  So I started to cry. When I went to sleep my sister and mom went to a 24 hour Kinkos stayed up all night and fixed the problem!!!  All of the guests had a great time and it turned out to be everything I ever wished for. 

To spite the fact that everyone attending had a great time and everything turned out great.  My mom, sister, bridesmaids, and myself (the bride) were working our tails to the bone!!!  We all got to enjoyed some for the day, but looking back I wish I had done things differently.

I had all the tools and know how, but not enough time and no one to take the lead on wedding day. I start my business because I wanted to help other people avoid my plight. I don’t think any bride should have to look back and wish things were different.  I wanted to share that very personal and somewhat embarrassing story so that you won’t be that bride.  My favorite thing ever was when I discovered how to eliminate the “stress factor” around wedding planning, that “stress” being:

                           Can’t Sleep

                Not enough Time

                           Can’t Relax

                                     Setbacks

                                     Spent all the money in budget

and to helping people discover who they are and what is truly important to them. The best part about tapping into these keys for your dream wedding helps me to learn your priorities so that you and your fiancée can focus on your love for one another more than all that other stuff that tends to get in the way. I love the opportunity to share my gifts and passion  for what I do because seeing your smile on that special day is my reward!!!

We love your wedding planning services and portfolio, and your packages sound great. So, can you tell us what really sets you apart from all the other wedding planners out there?

Milestones Event Design & Consulting Services is a full-service, full-time Wedding Planning and Event Design company, based in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, serving the world. We do not have another “day job” that you’ll have to worry about not having us to respond to your questions, concerns or desires in a timely manner. We will always get back to you and you are always a priority for us because we only work with a limited number of brides per year.

When we say that we are full service, we are not joking. We offer four key event services outside of planning.  This is what makes Milestones the planning company for the busy bride. It cuts down on some of the research needed because we held everything for you in house!!! Your one stop event shop!!! Also, by cutting down on the number of the outside vendors needed helps us to effectively manage your entire event adding value to your investment in an event planner. We believe that the less people and companies involved means less room for error. We do work with other vendors and we are open to working with whoever you would like to engage, but you do have the option to buddle your planning package with one of our event services packages.

You are not hiring us just to look pretty at vendor meetings you have a vision and you want us to make it happen and that’s what we are going to do. We will give you our advice and expertise along the way. This day is all about you so you are the one to finalize all decisions, but this is what we do so we are not going to sit back and leave you hanging.  I have a passion for what I do, which will be obvious in my work and in our conversations. I love helping others create wedding of their dreams and I love adding to the beauty that is already love. Our clients will tell you that working with me means that you’ll not only get straight-forward, impartial feedback, but you’ll also get someone who is here for you emotionally and more. We all need support, love and feedback, and I am all that and more for my brides and their families. I love each and every one of my clients, and you will soon experience this yourself.

This all sounds so great. But, it also seems expensive. Are we going to be able to afford all this?

It takes the average bride over 400 hours to plan her wedding. That’s TEN 40-hour work weeks!!! Think about your salary and how much money that works out to be. That’s kind of ridiculous, and who has time for that? I’ve had so many clients tell me how much they’ve saved in time, money and energy working with us.

So, really think about what your dream wedding looks like and what that means to you...seriously. And, call or visit with me for your complimentary “get to know you” consultation so that we can really talk about your dreams and how we can create them together.

Who do you work best with?

You will benefit best from working with me if you want your dream wedding, but you either don’t have the time, the resources or the know-how to get this done.   If you know what you want, but have no idea how to get there or if you are not clear at all about how to plan the wedding of your dreams, that’s okay. You are a perfect candidate.

Who is not going to benefit from your help planning a wedding?

Please know that my passion is helping brides and their families create the wedding day of their dreams, but we have to click with one another if we’re going to create the most amazing day that you’ve always wanted. 

So, if you’re a chronic skeptic or have trouble seeing the gifts that you deserve, this is not for you. It’s absolutely OK if you think that you fall into that category, but you need to do some soul-searching and really think about this before we get started. Otherwise, I won’t be able to help you the way you need it.  You absolutely must know that you are deserving of the gifts that are there for you before you can receive them. 

Will I lose control of my own wedding if you are planning it for me?

No, of course not. A bad wedding planner is one who takes control away from you if that is not what you want or need. I have had brides that recognize, early in the process, that they can trust me and all they want to do is show up on wedding day!!! If that’s not you that is ok because that would not have been me!!! You are the focus of your wedding and it’s totally your day. I’m just here to help you to fully explore your potential and to fully realize your dreams in ways that you never even realized!

You will never, ever lose control. It is YOUR day. Period.

Will you work the vendors I’ve already found or people I really want to work with?

Of course. We will work with your fabulous vendors and make sure that they’re the right fit for you. It is not necessary for you to only work with people we’ve planned with in the past; however, we do have amazing vendors at our fingertips that we can easily match to your needs. Also with all of our in house options you can't go wrong!!!

Do you take credit cards and can we have a payment plan?

Yes. We happily accept all major credit cards. That’s how we do most of our business actually. What also makes us different from others is that we can setup automatic payments so that you never have to worry about sending checks, and you don’t have to think about paying us before the wedding.

Do you have liability insurance?

Yes. We have liability insurance that allows us to work confidently every where. We have never needed it, but we are protected to help you feel more secure and safe for your peace of mind knowing that we’re fully covered.

Do you take more than one wedding per day?

No, we do not. We can only focus on one wedding per day. No more. I don’t know how anyone could have time to do more then one wedding in one day!!!!

This sounds like everything we’ve been looking for. What happens next to start the wedding planning process?

Fabulous! The next step is for you is to call me at 240.821.5514 or you can email me to set up a “get to know you” complimentary consultation. I want to hear about your vision for your dream wedding day and what you’d love to see your day be like.

I’ll be happy to take you through our packages to see which one makes the most sense for you. We can look at some of our portfolios and go over our process in more detail.

May we contact some of your former clients to see what it’s like to work with you?

Yes, absolutely! Our clients have become raving fans of our wedding & event planning services. They love to speak to other potential clients about their experience with Milestones. You can also look at our client testimonials here now.

We have a couple more questions before getting started...can I call you to discuss this further?

Yes. Every single wedding we plan and design is distinctive, unique and is customized completely to the couple. Please feel free to call me with any questions or ideas you may have at 240.821.5514 or you can email to discuss your event.

I can’t wait to meet you and congratulations on your engagement!!!

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               Milestones Event Design

&    & Consulting Services

3    Upper Marlboro, Maryland 20772

   240.821.5514

   info@creativeinfluence.com