From Chaos to Clarity: Systems That Support Your Business

Join Krisy Thomas, Senior Educator of the CWP Society, and Laurie Hartwell, Founder and CEO of the CWP Society, for a conversation designed to help wedding planners start the year with clarity—not chaos.

We break down the four pillars that keep a wedding planning business strong in 2026: precise packages, protective contracts, a guided workflow with strong presentations, and continuing education that helps you stay high touch in a tech-heavy world. If you’ve struggled with scope creep, unclear deliverables, or clients asking “what’s next,” this conversation gives you a concrete path to protect your time, profit, and reputation.

We dig into why packages double as legal documents and how vague language creates liability. You’ll hear practical ways to define inclusions, set meeting limits, and stop over-delivering for free. We make a firm case for retiring the partial package—and show how to replace it with offers that feel truly distinct from full service. Then we turn to contracts: the clauses that actually hold up, the danger of shortening legal language, and a cadence for updates that reflects shifting laws and client behavior. If a two-page agreement has been your standard, you’ll learn what’s missing and why it matters.

From there, we get tactical about workflow. An onboarding meeting within seven to ten days of booking sets the tone for the entire engagement. We explain how to pair each key meeting—budget, vendor approvals, design checkpoints, and timelines—with a clean, customizable presentation that reduces confusion and builds confidence. Finally, we talk continuing education as a strategic advantage: staying ahead of client communication styles, software changes, and industry expectations while keeping service high touch and personal. Whether you’re new or seasoned, you’ll walk away with steps to streamline your process, reduce risk, and lead couples with calm authority.

Ready to level up your planning business? Subscribe, share this episode with a planner friend, and leave a review so more pros can find it. Then visit CWPsociety.com to explore membership and certifications that help you implement these pillars fast.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

You're listening to the Wedding Planner Society podcast, brought to you by the CWP Society.

SPEAKER_01 0:15

Hello everyone, and welcome to the Wedding Planner Society Podcast. I am Christy Thomas, and I am the senior educator for the CWP Society. And with me is Lori Hartroil, our phenomenal founder and CEO of the CWP Society. And Lori, we are recording this at the top of 2026. It is a brand new year, and this is always a very exciting time for business owners, wedding planners, and coordinators, and entrepreneurs because we're kind of looking at, okay, what's next for me as I plan for this year? And I know we want to talk about what you and I college call the four pillars that people really need to kind of take a look at when it comes to their businesses. So welcome, Lori. I'm excited to have you here.

SPEAKER_02 0:58

I am so excited to be here with you and talk about these four pillars because I want every single wedding planner to start their 2026 off on the right foot.

SPEAKER_01 1:07

Yep, exactly. So let's dive into our first pillar, and that's gonna be all about their wedding planning and coordinating packages. And this to me is something that is so incredibly important that seems like this should be easy. Like this is just this is what I do. This is the services that you're gonna get. But packages and the way that they're worded, even the way that they're presented, are so incredibly important. And I think it's a mistake that a lot of planners are making by not putting the time needed to really make sure their packages are worded and presented in such a way that really reflects what they're actually doing.

SPEAKER_02 1:44

That's a hundred percent true, Chrissy. It's it's amazing how many packages that you and I see during our business coaching sessions with uh wedding planners and coordinators at all levels of experience where their packages are just massive liability openings, right? They just it's really, really terrible. So one of the main things that I am seeing is that a lot of wedding planners and coordinators very rarely update their packages. And what's gonna happen there is when you're not updating things, when you're using packages that were created, let's just say five to 10 years ago, and they're not being updated, that means you're not evolving with today's market. And it's going to be really, really important that you know what to put in each one of your packages so that you are protecting yourself, you know, opening yourself up to liability and protecting yourself if you are ever brought to court for any misunderstandings and things of that nature. So I'm seeing a lot of problems with a lot of packages. And we can break it down if you want.

SPEAKER_01 2:53

Yeah, let's break it down because I think what's happening, Lori, is that I think designers aren't realizing that these packages are in fact legal documents because you need to make sure that you're actually putting this in your contract. So if your package is kind of loosey-goosey, or it's not really describing what it is that you do and it's being then put directly into your contract, again, like you say, that's gonna open up the door to some legal issues that they may not even realize can happen to them.

SPEAKER_02 3:20

That's so true. And one of the biggest things, and we're not gonna go into too much of this because we talk about this extensively in our wedding planner certification program and our master certified wedding planner program. But one of the things I'm seeing is people are not being specific enough as to what is included and how long certain consultations or meetings are included. You've really got to be incredibly specific. And the reason why you need to be is because you have to try your best to avoid scope creep. And scope creep is when a client hires you for a specific scope of work, but they are hoping for more and asking you for additional things that they have not paid for and that were not included in the package that they had selected and um and contracted you for. So you have to make sure that each and every single one of the services listed in your package is incredibly specific. Now, you also have to be careful not to say all the things that it does not include because that gets you into its own legal problem. Because if you start listing everything that's not included in your packages, then that tells a judge that, uh, you know, in case you're brought to court, that you that there are certain things that aren't included. And you were so specific that you listed all of these things, but that means something else could possibly have been included. So you want to be very, very careful how you are wording your packages because, like you said, they are turning into legal documents, and you do have to put them right into your contract in as like an exhibit A so that everything is agreed upon between you and your couples. Never send out a contract when you don't have your packages included, the package that they selected.

SPEAKER_01 5:09

And what's funny too, Lori, about some of the packages that we've seen over our years of coaching calls is sometimes it confuses us, and we are in the industry. And I get so tickled because I'm like, we know this industry inside and out, and I'm confused by your packages. I can't imagine what it's like for a couple who's newly engaged, never plan an event of this magnitude, and they're looking at this like, what do you what? How I'm confused, you know.

SPEAKER_02 5:36

You know, expectations have to be clear, you know. If I'm asking you to spend thousands of dollars on me, the wedding planner, I need to make sure that I am clear about what in the world you're getting. And because when you have unclear packages, that leads to misunderstandings, and misunderstandings lead to angry couples, and angry couples lead to a court. Okay, so we need to make sure that we are protecting ourselves and being very, very clear in everything that we do. Just because you as a planner know what you're talking about when you're writing out your packages does not mean that a lay person is going to know exactly what it is that you're talking about. So you have to make it super clear, really, really um detailed as to what is going to be included so that there is no question, no room for misunderstanding.

SPEAKER_01 6:31

And can I say to you, the way that the packages that are available to purchase within the CWP Society and our template for our executive and master certified wedding planners, the way that it's worded also allows you as a planner to kind of have a workflow, to know what limits you need to stay in, to kind of understand what is exactly included. Because I find that sometimes a lot of scope creep is not just the client asking for more, sometimes it's the planner just doing more for free and then getting upset at the end of the planning journey. And I'm like, Well, you the client didn't even ask you for this, which you threw in five additional meetings that you didn't get paid for. So our packages are so beautifully structured in a way where it's like, this is what I'm doing.

SPEAKER_02 7:16

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 7:17

The end.

SPEAKER_02 7:19

And the wedding planner needs to follow their own packages. And that's why it's really important that all wedding planners have logs. You need to log everything for each six, every single couple that you have. Check off each meeting that they received that was included in the package. Be very clear in your package of what each meeting is supposed to be designed for. You know, obviously, when someone first hires you, you're gonna have an onboarding meeting and you're supposed to have those within the first seven to ten days of even being hired. Then you're gonna have all of these additional meetings, which we do go into in our 2026 wedding planner certification program, but you you need to be specific. And you need to follow them yourself. Just like if you have business hours, you need to follow your own business hours. It's not a suggestion just for other people. These are things that you have to follow as well. That's another reason why we just don't even love the partial package anymore for wedding planners. It's it basically is a trap, you know. Because let me kind of break that down real quick, especially because we might have some newer planners that are listening and they may not know exactly what I'm talking about if I don't go into some detail here. The main wedding planning packages that have been presented by planners and coordinators for years and years and years, would be your coordination package, a partial package, and full service package. Your partial package is basically a full service package, but on a light side. It's the lighter side of it. It's a few less meetings. But what this does, this partial package, is in fact a trap because wedding planners don't always know how or when to stop. They don't do much halfway. So it's better for them to remove the partial package altogether and replace the middle package with something else. Now, that could be a coordination package with design, it could be a coordination package with something additional. Maybe it includes rehearsal dinner coordination or something else. I don't want to tell people what they have to include, but it needs to be something that looks drastically different than the full service, otherwise, you are going to fall into the trap of creeping on your own scope.

SPEAKER_01 9:37

Creeping on your own scope. Because it happens. And we've seen even some of the more experienced planners fall into this trap as well. And one of my favorite is from one of our industry advancement directors, Tish. She said, as soon as we said, hey, this partial planning package is not no longer serving wedding planners. She told us, she said, I immediately burned it. I lit prior to it, said, say less, Lori and Chrissy, because she felt exactly why we said burn it, is that she was, I was doing too much and I was not getting paid for it. It's such a fine line. And like you said, Lori, it is a trap.

SPEAKER_02 10:10

Because we're people pleasers and we want to make sure that we are doing everything to the very best of our ability. And so if we are setting ourselves up for failure right out of the gate, how is that going to be good for our business? Well, it's not. That's the answer. So, yeah, packages in 2026, I need everybody to firm them up. I need you to make sure that they're incredibly specific. I need you to make sure that you're not, you know, creeping on your own scope, make sure that it's not possible for your couples to do any scope creep as well. You need to make sure that it is incredibly detailed and that the expectations are out there. It reveals exactly what they're going to be getting and uh that you are not leaving much room for misinterpretation of what it is that you're offering. So, yeah, that's your packages. That's your goal for 2026, is firm those babies up.

SPEAKER_01 10:58

Yep, exactly. Now let's go into our second pillar, which is all about contracts and oh doggy. We could probably spend hours talking about contracts because I know how much you love all things legal and law, which is why you are the perfect person for us to even just have this snippet of a conversation about contracts and how important it is that you A, have a phenomenal contract, and B, if you've got one, making sure that it's updated.

SPEAKER_02 11:23

Oh my gosh, this is so, so, so important. You need to make sure you have the right clauses in your contract that protect you. If your contract is only one or two pages, I can tell you right now that is not going to cover you. I that already tells me you don't have enough clauses uh and you probably don't have the right ones in. So you need to make sure that you are talking to the right people about this. I'm really grateful that the CWP Society has an amazing attorney. Her name is Diana Barber. She's also one of my closest friends, and I met her through the CWP Society. She is one of the greatest hospitality attorneys because she thinks from every single angle. And that's I love having conversations with her because we bounce so many things off of each other. And the main thing you want to do is have a contract that protects you, but also protects your clients as well. But it's mostly for you. I mean, let's just be real. Your contracts are mostly to protect you. So even though you might see or hear wedding planners and coordinators or educators like myself say, you need to have this clause, and then you need to have this clause, and this is what we recommend. And some of some planners and coordinators are thinking to themselves, uh, well, that I can't imagine that ever happening to me. Do I really need to have? Yes, just because it hasn't happened to you yet does not mean it will not happen to you. And you will be so glad that you have these clauses that are designed to protect you for when it does happen. Because it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. I don't suggest these clauses because I'm like, you know what? I've I'm just looking to have my contract as long as possible. Like, that's not what my vote motivation is. My motivation is to always make sure that we are protecting our wedding planners and coordinators as much as we possibly can.

SPEAKER_01 13:20

It's one of those things, too, that I see often and people are like, well, I don't want to overwhelm my couples.

SPEAKER_02 13:27

Well, no, that's very sweet of you. So what you're choosing instead is to overwhelm yourself with being sued so that you can never practice, you know, this career ever again. You someone's there's gonna be overwhelm at some point. The best thing to do is always err on the side of protection, legal protection. Always err on that. That is that is gonna need to be your main focus. If you have a couple that says, I don't want to sign a contract because it looks like you know, I don't want to sign something that says that I would be, you know, responsible for paying your fee if I fire you three days before the wedding. If my couple says to me they have a problem with that, they're not my ideal couple. I say, Well, I'm so sorry that you feel that way. This is my contract. I have to stand firm in this because of all of the work that goes into it. This just may not be the right fit for us. And you have to let those people go. You have to.

SPEAKER_01 14:31

And can I say too, for any of our members who may be listening who have purchased the CWP Society contract that's included for our executive and master certified wedding planners to purchase, if you have purchased it and you have not updated it within the last, honestly, I'm gonna say six months, because we've updated it recently. If it's been years since you've updated that contract for sure, make sure that you log into your memo portal and you get the most updated version. And again, this is if you've already purchased it and it's already in your template bundle that we offer, because you get the most updated version. And because our industry and the climate and the law is always shifting, always changing, because even the type of clients that we're serving is always shifting and updating, so does everything that we do, including the contract that we provide for our members or that our members can purchase. So make sure that you get this most updated version. And and I also want to say, too, because our contract, it's chef's kiss, Lori and our attorney, Donna Robert, have thought of every little thing, even every little word matters. So when you take out, let's say one or two phrases and you think, well, this isn't gonna be a big deal, you are opening up a liability thunderstorm tornado, as my sweet Jameson loves tornadoes. You're opening that up by taking out even specific words.

SPEAKER_02 15:53

Yes, I agree. Uh, one of the most popular phrases that I find wedding planners are not um putting into their contract is the included but not limited to. And so it's very, very important that we all understand that attorneys are not making this stuff up, they're putting it into your contract for a reason. Nothing that an attorney puts into a contract is uh because it's they just thought it looked cute. Okay, that's not gonna uh being adorable and precious is not going to protect you in a court of law. So it's really important that we protect ourselves and update our contracts regularly. And I agree with you, if you are already a certified or a master certified wedding planner through the CWP Society and you have purchased the ultimate uh business essentials template bundle, that includes your contract. Now, that contract gets updated at least two times a year. So it's going to be incredibly important that every January, and this is here we are at the beginning of January, this is going to be the time to make sure that you're updating your contract. And so you can just re-download it because you guys are grandfathered in. Once you purchase that huge bundle, you're grandfathered in for every single update that ever comes to be. So please make sure that you're going in today and re-downloading that contract.

SPEAKER_01 17:18

Yep, absolutely. Laura's go ahead and talk about our next pillar, which is going to be workflow. And also that's going to include your presentations, your software, and why this is so important that you really fine-tune and you get it together as we head into 2026. Yeah. Workflow needs.

SPEAKER_02 17:39

Well, let me just start with this. Every single wedding planner and every coordinator needs to have a set workflow. If you have not even thought of that word, if that word has not even come into your mind, then uh number one, you need to make sure that you get certified. Because everything we teach is about your workflow. What comes first, second, third, fourth, fifth. You need to know the plan. You need to understand what happens and different directions you need to go based off of what a client decides or thinks about doing. Uh, so every decision that a client has, there's gonna be a consequence to that. And I'm not talking about like a bad consequence or anything like that. What I'm talking about here is we can go different ways. There's so many different directions. So you, as a planner or coordinator, have to be aware of all of your different options and which directions are just not going to be good for you to go in at all. So, right out of the gate, when you have a client hire you, you what is your workflow? You know, we talked just a moment ago about that onboarding meeting, that being the very first meeting that you're supposed to have. Did you know and are you incorporating the fact that those onboarding meetings are supposed to be taking place within seven to 10 days of getting hired and what the consequences are if you don't? Yeah. You know, one of the things I hear you say all the time is if you don't have time to onboard your client within seven to ten days, that means that you've just taken on way too many clients that you your business cannot handle.

SPEAKER_01 19:13

Yeah, you don't have time to book that client. It's not like if you generally cannot schedule that meeting, then in my thoughts, you you don't have time, you don't have the business really to book that client because that does them a disservice. That's right. But if hiring you to get their wedding planning journey on the road, on the map, and you can't even start at pit stop one.

SPEAKER_02 19:31

No, it just does not work. It does not work well. That onboarding meeting is going to be one of the most important meetings. It sets up the entire planning process for success. No matter if your client hired you for a coordination package or for a full service package, it doesn't matter. It sets up the entire thing. And if you don't know necessarily know what you're supposed to be doing during your onboarding meeting, that's yet another reason why you need to get certified. Uh, you know, and we talk a lot about presentations that whether you're having These meetings in person or virtually, no matter what, it is going to be vital that you have presentations that help you, as the coordinator or planner, walk your clients through each portion of that meeting. Because there are certain things for each package that every single planner and coordinator provides that are staples to what it is that we do. And these presentations really help that flow. Without these presentations, you're kind of working off of a wing and a prayer, basically. It doesn't add that visual touch that couples sometimes need. Seeing it in print and hearing you say it is very, very powerful psychologically. So make sure that you're having the right presentations. I have one for our onboarding meetings. I have one for, I even have one for the initial consultations, right? Uh, we have one for budget meetings, we have one for the approved vendor meeting presentation meetings, we have all of these different presentations ready to go. And I customize them for each and every single one of the clients.

SPEAKER_01 21:09

And that's just important. It really does because again, when I think about workflow and your presentations and how you operate as a planner, why it's so important, because again, like you said, Lori, if you book a client and you were just winging the whole process, that's a lot of stress, obviously, on you as the planner, but that's also a lot of stress on the couple who has paid you money to keep them on track, to help them get to the end of their journey, which is their wedding day. If they're having to constantly ask you, okay, well, what's next? Well, what do I do next? Or should we be doing this? And you're not providing them with that map because you don't even have it to begin with. Right. That to me is one of the biggest pieces of why you need to get certified. Is certification provides you with that map on how to execute and become a phenomenal wedding planner for your couples. To me, it's it's so much more than just a certification. And I I just I could shout this out because you have to know what you're doing for a day that you, that your couple, excuse me, cannot do over. So if you were just winging someone's day because you were trying to just gain experience because that's what someone told you to do to become a wedding planner, you are not only failing yourself, but you're failing that couple. And that breaks my heart, not just for the couple, but also for you, because it could be so much easier if you gain your certification and you have that roadmap, you have your workflow and you know what you're doing. But when you know what you're doing and you're able to provide that for your couples, it's it's not as stressful to me as just learning as you go and messing things up as you go. That provide that gives me a lot of stress and anxiety.

SPEAKER_02 22:47

With knowledge comes confidence, and confidence is everything, and your clients paid you for your confidence and for your knowledge. I can tell you that they did not hire you to be a wedding winger, they hired you to be a wedding planner and to help them walk this, walk through this journey, really, to understand what comes next and not be caught off guard. And a lot of wedding planners, sadly, without education, are winging every single thing that they're doing. And it is a disservice, not only to themselves, but to couples and to the wedding industry as a whole. And so we we really need to make sure that we have the right tools in place. We need to make sure that we're looking like a rock star. We need to make sure that we are providing excellence. I think that's the word I'm looking for. We should not settle for anything less than excellence. And if you don't feel like you're providing that, a lot of times that means you need more education under your belt so that you can. I mean, it's very simple, it's very achievable. You can find the excellence out there. It's excellence does not mean perfect, it means the very best possible version of yourself. And you need to be searching for that all the time.

SPEAKER_01 24:01

And it's funny because even for my experienced planners who are listening who are thinking, well, I think my workflow has actually been working quite well for me for the past few years. What I have found is that a lot of our more experienced planners who gain the certification after 10, 15, 20 years in the industry are going, okay, so it's been working, but gosh, I could have been doing this so much better. And we get emails, I get text messages and phone calls of like, oh my gosh, this has just changed the way that I've structured my business. And these are from planners who've got years and years of experience. So this doesn't just mean just because you're new that you need a new workflow, even if you're an experienced planner, there are ways that your workflow can probably be better, can improve, and you can elevate yourself even more.

SPEAKER_02 24:44

It's about efficiency, Chrissy. When you are more efficient as a planner and a coordinator, when you have years and years of experience, that means that you are able to do things at a better pace. And that means that you get even a little bit more profit because it's less hours that you're putting into everything. And I'm not suggesting that you do less work. I'm saying if you can do it more efficiently and find new ways to do it more efficiently, that also helps your client have a better understanding of all of the different steps and see their journey a lot clearer, then everybody wins. And that's what we need to make sure that we're constantly striving for.

SPEAKER_01 25:23

So, Lori, before we wrap up, let's talk about our final pillar, and that is continuing education and why that is so incredibly important. And I touched on it briefly when we were talking about contracts, about how our industry is always evolving and changing. The clients we serve are constantly changing. And because of that, that means that your education and your knowledge, you gotta be able to actually change and grow with it as well. So it is very important that you get that continuing education. But to me, that continuing education, not just get it, where where are you getting this continuing education? I also think is very important.

SPEAKER_02 25:59

There's a lot of pop-up educators that are only out for the quick mentoring session that they are charging a thousand to three thousand dollars for. And it's not just for one session, a lot of times it's for multiple sessions. And I'm not putting, I don't want to poo-poo on those. I'm just simply saying that you've got to ask what everybody's motivation is. You need to make sure that you are getting education from sources that aren't pop-ups, that are extremely well known, and have your best interest at heart. Now, every single one of our members, whether it's a free pro member, uh a certified associate, a certified wedding planner, or a master certified wedding planner, because we have four levels of membership. No matter which membership level you have, you get free continuing education every single week, except for our pros. Our pros get it and our associates get it once a month, but that's still free education that they are receiving on a regular basis. So continuing education is meant to help a wedding planner and coordinator evolve with the industry and with trends. And I'm not talking about the kinds of trends that have to do with design, even though we talk about that too, but it's it's not the main focus. It's how how are couples today communicating? What are some new technology pieces of software or new things that we can tools that we can put into our wedding planning workflow that will allow us to do a better job for our couples that still allows us to be high touch, okay? Because that's the other thing is a lot of wedding planners and coordinators are utilizing technology to be more hands-off. And that is basically letting your clients spend thousands of dollars basically for an app, and then they're getting upset. And this is why a lot of couples today are like, listen, I'll just do this myself. Just I'll have Chat GPT plan my wedding for me. Okay, so if the second you are like allowing all-in-one's planning software and stuff like that take over your job, you just lost the game. You just put yourself out of business. It's not going to happen overnight, but it will happen over time. So you need to have that high touch. And continuing education is all about making sure that we're talking about all of these elements and all of these different ways that you can stay high touch and also be amazing at what you do and still be incredibly efficient. So continuing education is going to do nothing but help you. But if you're the type of planner or coordinator who says to yourself, I just don't think I need anything more, then you pretty much have already decided you're ready to retire.

SPEAKER_01 28:54

That's that's literally was my thought, Lori. Was if you do not want to evolve, then that means that you're going to be stuck and that you're not going to move forward. Therefore, you're not going to be in business for super long. And if your ultimate goal is to have this be your lifelong career, I mean, Lori, you've been in this industry for 33 years now, coming in 2026. You've been in this industry for 33 years. And I imagine it if you had stuck in what you were doing from years one to 10, and you were like, you know, I'm I'm good, because obviously you were. You're a phenomenal wedding planner. But if you had stayed with the methods, the workflows, everything that you were doing from year one to year 10, you would not be here with me right now.

SPEAKER_02 29:37

No, I'd be a very outdated, antiquated planner. And I certainly would have no business leading the CWP society. So we have to ask ourselves do we are we comfortable with being antiquated? Or do we want to evolve and become the very best version of ourselves? And so we you have to make that decision right out of the gate. If your decision is to be antiquated, then do nothing. You know, just do nothing. But if you want to evolve and you want to make sure that you become the very best version of yourself for your couples and just for yourself, really. If you want to do that, make sure that education is a part of that journey and make it a top priority.

SPEAKER_01 30:20

Yep, exactly. So, guys, as we wrap up our first podcast of 2026, I want you to do some self-reflection on yourself. What do you want 2026 to look like for your business? Do you want to keep doing what you're doing, whether that's winging it or being stuck in a method that's you started when you first launched your business 10 years ago? Or do you want this to be the year that everything changes? If you want this to be the year that everything changes for you and your career, I highly, highly encourage you to become a member of the CWP Society. As we mentioned, all of the pillars, the packages, your contracts, your workflow, and your continuing education, it's all housed right here at the CWP Society. We can help you lift up and build those pillars. And if you're an experienced planner, we can help make sure those pillars stay put and that they're not crumbling. Yeah. So visit CWP Society.com to learn more about all the memberships that Lori mentioned earlier. And we would love to welcome you to our CWP Society family. Lori, thank you for kicking off 2026 with me. I'm excited for the rest of the year of the Wedding Planner Society podcast. Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_00 31:25

If you're ready to take your wedding planning business to the next level, head over to CWPsociety.com to learn more about our executive and master certification programs. And because you're part of our podcast community, use code podcast to save$100. Please note, only one discount code may be applied per order.