There can be few tougher times to start up a new business than during a recession, but Yolanda Furbert is hoping that her wedding and event planning and management venture will reap its rewards when the economy starts to pick up again.Ms Furbert, founder of Soul to Soul Group which is more commonly known as To Have and to Hold Wedding and Event Planning, received her designation appointment of Accredited Bridal Consultant in March 2011 to become the first such consultant in Bermuda.She covers everything from weddings and parties (birthdays, hen nights and other special occasions) to meeting planning and conference preparation, as well as event management and decorations. Over the past year the business has also branched out into invitations and greeting cards (Christmas and other).“People are still watching their pennies even though they are coming to Bermuda to get married,” said Ms Furbert.“I had a client that came here to get married and at first she was going to have 150 guests and then when the economy went the way it did she wound up with 35.“And then some people are even trying to make the decision as to if they do or don’t have a wedding altogether.“The way I see it right now is that with the people or potential clients I have talked to they say they just want something simple but elegant.”Ms Furbert first got into event planning as a hobby when she launched her business in 1995 which stemmed from putting together plays and fashion shows at high school.Initially she organised events such as parties for family and friends but she turned it into a full-time business after being made redundant from her job as an office manager due to the recession a couple of years ago.Deciding to get fully certified, Ms Furbert enrolled in an 18-month course to attain her diplomas with designations as a bridal consultant, wedding and event planner and become a member of the Association of Bridal Consultants.“For me I wanted to have the certification because I have clients who call up and want to know if you are certified or have a registered business,” she said.Preferring to do her work behind the scenes, Ms Furbert has always had a passion for making everything run according to plan.Her website brings in overseas business while she gets most of her local clients by word of mouth, selling Bermuda the destination as “another world” through pictures and other mediums.The number one sought after place to get married is Horseshoe Bay according to Ms Furbert, who has clients from all over the world, most notably a wedding party of 65 people mostly from Nigeria.Among her more unusual (or nor so unusual as the case may be) requests were from a bride who told her to keep her mother-in-law as far away as possible from her on her big day and her biggest wedding was for a party of 50 at the Anglican Church in Church Street, Hamilton, with Ms Furbert sending out 1,500 invites to guests, doing all the programmes, managing and being part of the event itself.Working with up to six support staff at events as well as her husband, Ms Furbert, who works out of her home office in Warwick, set up her business with the help of the Bermuda Small Business Development Corporation and admits that it has been a long process, but she is starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel.“Starting your own business has its hills and valleys that you have to go through,” she said.“And being my own boss has its moments, but it is something that I enjoy doing, so I just keep my nose to the grind and do what needs to be done.“I’m confident that the future is going to be very bright.“Starting a business in a recession takes guts but you need to keep working at it until you get to where you want to be.”For more information contact 532-1019, email info[AT]soultosoulgroup.com or visit the website at www.tohaveandtoholdbermuda.com