After breaking bread, Colin Cowie and I posed for a pic.

Last week I was invited by The Platinum Guild International to have lunch with special events planner extraordinaire, Colin Cowie! The lunch took place at a swanky Manhattan restaurant and about ten other members of the press attended. Colin and the folks at the Platinum Guild officially announced their partnership earlier this year and during our lunch the iconic wedding planner dished on his must-have platinum pieces. He also shared that he’s in the midst of planning a may-ja shindig for Oprah’s 60th birthday (Remember how fab her 50th bday celebration was? Colin planned that, too.), what a great time he had planning the wedding of Amar’e Stoudemire and his disdain for excessive picture taking and video recording from guests at wedding ceremonies.

Colin modeling his fave "Danhov" platinum wedding band. It retails for $2,880.

Since the lunch was so intimate (and the food quite yummy!), Colin was able to casually converse with all attendees and share some of his planning genius. Of course I jotted down notes for Triple B! Here were the five biggest takeaways:

  • Manage Expectations “When clients come to me and say, ‘I want the perfect wedding! I respond, I’m not your man.’ I can only give you my best,” Colin shared. The veteran planner added that he doesn’t believe there is a such thing as a “perfect” event but that doesn’t mean it can’t be beautiful and memorable.
  • Less is More “Brides, you don’t need a large pair of earrings and a necklace.” In most cases he suggests losing the necklace to show off decolletage.
  • Shut Up and Dance Colin warns, “Speeches should be kept at three minutes or less and the maximum number of speeches I suggest is three. Save multiple speeches for rehearsal dinner. You can talk as long as you want then.”
  • Rethink Rehearsal Dinner The rehearsal dinner can become as daunting of a planning task as the wedding itself. Colin’s solution? “Give your guests a list of suggestions on where to eat the evening before your wedding and just have them meet you at a select location for drinks or dessert.” This way you’re not footing the bill of feeding guests but you still get fellowship time with them before the big day.
  • Love is the Most Important Thing No explanation needed. This last tip is so simple yet profound and is easy for couples to forget in the midst of planning.
    Three brides-to-be: Me, Jennie Ma of The Knot and Hannah Deely of Us Magazine are all scheduled to get hitched!
    All lunch attendees received this lovely platinum pendant in our gift bags.

    Get more info on the Platinum Guild here.