CBO = Chief Bridal Officer

No... I'm not planning on getting married anytime soon, but my best friend has her wedding date set for August 19th, 2011 (Fortunately, she sent everyone in her bridal party a cute little magnet to post on our refrigerator doors so we could be reminded of the date every morning when serving ourselves some cereal). With her "Bridezilla" personality traits already showing, I found myself asking just how different was a stressed out bride in comparison to a stressed out leader of an organization. When you really think of it, you have your bridal party who, out of dear love, volunteered or was volunteered to help plan the grandiose event. Dealing with family members and friends can be just as stressful as dealing with vendors, who will not always accomplish certain tasks the exact way they were suppose to do be done. Then, the bride has to budget accordingly to avoid going bankrupt. At the end of the day, a bride must muster every bit of emotional intelligence when dealing with every aspect of the wedding.

I found this interesting blog article that informs brides on ways to remain organized and stress-free when dealing with the event-planning of their weddings. According to "the Blackberry Bride", a future-bride is Chairman and CBO, Chief Bridal Officer, of their wedding. The author explains that the bride is the leader of her bridal party, as well as its organization and budget-management. She must pick and assemble, as well as learn to delegate positions and tasks that she knows can be accomplished by the individuals. A strong communication strategy plan is key to avoid stressful situations that may cause even the longest-lasting friendships to strain. To avoid conflicting situations, it is essential for the bride to motivate her bridal party by pampering them and letting them know that their help is truly appreciated. Just like Bolman & Deal stated, a good leader, or in this case -- a good bride, will have a vision, be committed, and have the strength to be handle the most stressful situations. A good bride will also develop strong communication skills with her bridal party, so everyone will have the ability to enjoy the special day.

So for those of you that have taken the plunge, I would like to ask you:
"What has planning your wedding taught you about yourself and your leadership style?"


http://blogs.essence.com/theblackberrybride/2009/12/chairman-and-chief-bridal-officer.php
http://blogs.essence.com/theblackberrybride/2009/12/chairman-and-chief-bridal-officer.php


~Janet Echeverry