At press time in mid-April, we were still receiving news from Japan on their earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear hardship. The Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC) has more than 100 members in the island nation, and we are keeping the lines open with our ABC country manager, Yoshi Kohara, to learn how we can best help. Please stay tuned for more communication from ABC on this. Our members stand ready to assist our fellow wedding planners in Japan, and to help any weddings wishing to still take place, but in alternate locations. We have postponed our planned feature on Japanese wedding customs until a future issue. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the people living in Japan at this difficult time.There is some positive news on the economic front, as highlighted in The Knot’s 2010 wedding industry survey and The Wedding Report, Inc. Brides continue to spend and it looks as though the trend is upward, between $20,000-$26,000 plus. In The Knot survey, less than one-third of the brides said the economy was impacting their wedding spending, an improvement versus 2009. The average amount spent per guest remained the same. You can learn more about the state of the economy in this issue.While these expanding wedding budgets are a positive for our industry, it also means the time to act is now. Stay on top of trends. Read books and blogs. Go to ABC meetings, events, and conferences. Learn from the experts and continue to grow. But above all, be sincere and be yourself. You have skills that no one else can offer.David M. Wood, PresidentAssociation of Bridal Consultants