The upcoming romance novel, Better At Weddings Than You, of Mina Esguerra releases on April 15th. It features Daphne Cardenas, the prominent wedding planner of the industry; and Aaron Trinidad, the self-made man who also happens to be an amateur wedding planner. They’ll be forced to iron an unfortunate situation that might lead to a disaster.
This book easily became one of my favorite reads of the year! As always, I am weak for fearless women and Daphne is one of them. Bonus: the romance will make you literally moan. I cannot recommend this enough.
Today, the main characters of Better At Weddings Than You will share their top ten tips on how to be a successful wedding planner.
Ten Steps on How to be Me
by Daphne Cardenas, wedding planner
- Accept compliments with grace, but know you don’t need them. May need some practice if you grew up in a place where compliments are supposed to be refused or downplayed. Guess what? Maybe you do look awesome today. Maybe it totally is a great dress. Maybe your lipstick really is perfect. Yes! Say thank you, maybe return the compliment if you feel like it, and move on to the next thing.
- When being set up on a blind date by a helpful friend, ask friend if SHE would date him. If yes, then consider going because even if you’re totally bored, you’ll have something to talk about with her after. If no, that’s a red flag! Who’s she supposed to be helping here?
- If you don’t have a lot of money (yet), make your word a thing of value. When you say you’ll do it, you’ll be there, you’ll get it done, take it seriously.
- If you feel like starting over, choose a word and BECOME IT. When I turned 31 I decided I would be “unstoppable.”
- Take the time to figure out what you really enjoy. A thing that can be your own, something that you can do and instantly feel like you’ve taken a vacation from everything.
- Learn to delegate. To a person, to an app, to a device. Time is precious!
- Know the value of throwing a good party. It doesn’t take a lot really. Just a couple of good things to eat, and an interesting thing to drink.
- Snake-type people are all over. Protect yourself!
- Randomly offer encouraging words to people. You never know who might be looking for that little bit of strength.
- Don’t quit. This thing you want? Do you really? Prove it.
Ten Steps on How to be Me
by Aaron Trinidad, wedding planner
- Be a good brother. You don’t know how? Life with two older, outspoken sisters will teach you. Just don’t forget stuff.
- Control your environment. Even when things are beyond your control, try to let it happen in a place you know. Or bring it there.
- Find a thing that helps you reset your life when it gets messy. Mine is hopping on a bus and getting fresh air. Or just really good coffee, black.
- Respect artists. Pay for their work, support them. Give them opportunities to be properly compensated for their art.
- If you don’t want people expecting too much from you, don’t demand too much from them either. Know your place, dude.
- Real life is not completely efficient digital perfection and that’s OK. I mean yes, some shit can have little to no practical purpose, but they make us feel good. Let me enjoy my pens and paper and layouts and occasional film camera is what I’m saying.
- Travel according to your priorities. Choose the right travel partner, because great places can be ruined by bad company.
- Know that an awesome person will never, ever have time for you. If they make the time, don’t waste it.
- Learn how to properly apologize. God knows you’ll need it, unless you’re an asshole. (Don’t be an asshole.)
- If you like something, and the best damn version of it walks into your life, recognize it for what it is. It might take a lifetime or a second. Don’t mess that up.
Better At Weddings Than You
Daphne Cardenas is the best wedding planner around, and everyone knows it. That’s why her friend Greg hired her as an emergency replacement one month before his wedding—because he fears his fiancée Helen is falling for the guy they first hired for the job.
Aaron Trinidad is new to the wedding industry but years of conference planning and loads of charm make him good at it. Really good at it. Planning the wedding of his friend Helen should be easy, and it is. To be unceremoniously fired isn’t good for his new career, but the chance to learn from the best might be the silver lining.
Aaron and Daphne have chemistry, but there’s history with Helen that at least one other person considers a threat. Who’s the planner who can fix this impending disaster?
(Part of the Chic Manila series, but can be read as a standalone.)