As we start to discuss the event vision and design inevitably comes the question…..What does it cost?

Now I realize that every client is on a budget, yes even Donald Trump has one.  Who doesn’t these days? But there is another question here; a silent and invisible question.   What is it worth?

Recently we were asked to create an event design to celebrate a HUGE achievement that an organization accomplished.  They wanted the design to be “over the top”, lots of “bling”, lots of “WOW” and oh, it can’t look like a wedding.  No problem.  We can do that.  Let me preface that no budget range was given.

Fast forward to the presentation and the proposal.  It contained every must have; it was over the top, it had lots of “bling”, it didn’t look like a wedding and it packed a lot of WOW.  Now comes the sticker shock.  *Side note; dreams and reality are never the same, but that is another blog post in itself.

As I educated my client as to the charges of the custom design* the statement was made that the custom design was not “worth” the prices quoted.

Let’s forget the fact that this statement was completely insulting and focus on the vernacular of cost vs.worth; as they are two separate things. Cost, is defined by Websters Dictionary as “the outlay or expenditure (as of effort or sacrifice) made to achieve an item.  Worth is defined this way; “the value of something measured by its’ qualities or by the esteem of which it is held”.   See the difference?

Cost is about price; Worth is about value and esteem.  They are not the same.

So the next time you tell someone, anyone, that the product or service they provide (in this case an event design) is not “worth” the price quoted, ask yourself these questions:

• What is it worth to you to have  the peace of mind for a team of trusted and talented event professionals (or anyone for that matter) perfectly design, assemble, and seamlessly execute your event dream and vision so that you could sit back relax and enjoy your event without all the stress of having to do the work yourself?
•  What is your time, talent  and energy worth?
• What is it worth to you to not have to worry at the end of a long event night about removing all the decor, linens and chair-covers, and can instead go straight home to a nice warm bed while the event pros put in several more hours completing this task after already working a 10-12 hour day?
• Do you work for free?

Yes, I understand that there is a cost to do business, to gain clientele.  We get that.  But just because a business may have the opportunity to reuse the items doesn’t necessarily mean that they will.  How long will this one of a kind design item sit in our inventory before it sees the light of day again?  There is a cost for this too.  Businesses have to make money; both the state and federal governments require it so that we can keep putting oil into our squeaky part of the economic wheel.  If for profit businesses have to store an item (or in this case 50 unique items) for a year or two before it is used again then the ROI (Return On Investment) is in the toilet and the business looses money; which correct me if I’m wrong defeats the purpose of being in business in the first place.

So there you have it.  They are in fact two separate things.  Let’s not confuse the matter.

Needless to say, we (the client and I) are returning to the drawing board to create an event design that meets everyone’s needs both financially and creatively.  In the end it is about finding a way to make it all happen so that everyone wins and now that we have a clearer idea of what their design and financial expectations are, it makes it possible for us to properly do our job.

Photographers are adding videography. DJ’s are adding lighting packages.  Caterers are offering custom cakes and desserts.  And Event Planners (i.e. Wedding Coordinators) are adding event design and floral services.  Makes sense as so much of one area of expertise spills into the other; which of course saves the client time, energy and a few dollars along with way.

The problem with diversification and the “marriage” of like services is that in  an effort to “have it all” bridal clients are assuming services that are not necessarily included and are making it the vendors problem to solve rather than their own.

I’m not saying that the vendor can’t or won’t be flexible.  What I am saying is that unless the clients’ contract explicitly reads “x, y and z” services, the assumption and presumption should not be made that those services are included.

Just because the vendor offers for example Event Planning and Decor Services does not mean that they are all-inclusive and that paying the price tag for one includes the other.  The diversity of services means that the vendor provides both; however the use of both is not required for that vendors’ services to be secured.

Time and time again vendors are being held hostage to the assumptions and desires of their clients because the client “thought” that the service they selected was “all-inclusive”.  I mention this as a cautionary tale to both bride and vendor alike.  Vendors, you must be as succinct as possible even to the extent of “spelling it out” for your client what level and length of service you are providing.  Your contract should state that what you are charging includes x, y and z; or just x and z; or whatever the case may be.  Brides, you too must do your part to ask the thorough questions, get the proper answers and READ your contracts BEFORE you sign them.  Once your signature is on the dotted line all bets are off as far as re-negotiating the vendors price and terms of service.

Personally I LOVE the marriage of services and enjoy being able to provide as much service as possible to my clients.  It allows me more opportunity to spend time with them, bond with them and really blow their socks off come wedding or event day.  I can however do without the confusion and ensuing frustration from time to time.

Readers, what are your thoughts on the matter?

A Wedding Portrait.  Now this isn’t any wedding portrait.  It isn’t captured by your photographer or videographer.  It is captured in the memory of artist and painter (and our new friend) Sam Day.  Sam is a canvas artist and paints the scene of your wedding (or other special event) while the event is in progress. 

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then I think I’ll let the canvas he painted of our event in progress speak for itself. 

Event portrait painted by Sam Day

Sam is a talented and passionate artist in the Pacific Northwest – Seattle to be exact; however he is completely mobile and will travel just about anywhere to paint and create your unique memento.  

Wedding Guest frames are passe’, wedding guest books are rarely if ever opened; but THIS…this is a unique and personalized work of art that will grace your home for decades to come. 

Imagine the comments from family and friends each time they visit your home when they see this unique memento of your wedding day adorning the walls. 

The artist Sam Day and his canvas

Thank you Sam for the passion and personalization you bring to each canvas you paint!  We are thrilled to have met you and call you our friend.

 In LOVE with Sam’s canvas?  Follow him on Facebook.

Do

• Mail Save-the-Date cards 6-9 months in advance
• These should be mailed only to those out of area, out of state family members and friends who need the extra time to make the necesary travel and vacation arrangements.  Save yourself the extra expense of mailing these to your local guests.
• Allow yourself plenty of time to draft and organize your guest list.  A well thought out guest list takes several weeks, if not months to put together.  Be sure to involve family and friends when acquiring family address books, sorority|fraternity lists.  The last thing you want to do is add names to your list after the fact.  Take your time. If you find your guest list is getting out of hand, apply these guidelines to help trim the list.  Think of these categories as a “this is what your wedding is not”  If a guest falls into one of these categories, remove them from the list for now, prioritize them and add them later if you find you have the space for them;
• Family Reunion.  By this what I mean is that you shouldn’t invite your seventh cousin, ten times removed if you (a) haven’t seen them since you shared a playpen with them or (b) have not had ongoing relationship with them in the past 2-3 years.
• Office Party.  Never no never post a wedding invitation on the lunch room bulletin board.  Although you spend a large part of your day with your fellow associates, unless you have an outside relationship with them, they should NOT be invited; nor should they expect to be invited.
• High School Reunion.  Like the family reunion guideline, this is NOT the time to reassemble the old “gang” for the day; that’s what reunions are for.
• Kegger.  There is a difference between celebrating a life milestone event and getting completely toasted.  If your potential guest doesn’t know the difference, keep them off the list.  You’ll be doing them and yourself a favor.
• Obtain proper first names of all guests invited.  If you care enough to invite guests to your wedding, you will take the time to find out the names of each member of their family that you plan to include.
• It is equally important to use the proper social titles (i.e. Doctor, Honorable, Lieutenant) and suffixes (i.e. Sr, Jr, III).   Neglecting to use these honorifics would not only be inconsiderate, but highly offensive.
• Use the proper order when addressing the outer envelope
• Married couples with the same last name should be addressed as Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Smith
• Married couples with different last names should be addressed as Mrs. Susan Schmoe-Smith and Mr. Joseph Smith
• Unmarried couples living together would be addressed as:
• Miss Sandra Stephens
• Mr. Samuel Jones
• Remember to make sure you have enough enclosure cards and|or inserts (engagement photos) for each invitation.  Despite what you think, your guests feelings will be hurt if they find out they were denied an engagement photo along with their invitation when everyone else they’ve talked to got one.  On another note, if you are including photos make sure to give them to your wedding planner, calligrapher weeks in advance of stuffing and addressing to avoid any unnecessary mailing delays.
• Send children over the age of 18 living at home a seperate invitaton.  It is important to recognize these individuals as the adults that they are.
• Spell out all street names, cities and states.
• Additionally all house numbers lower than 20 should be spelled out, as should P.O. Box (Post Office Box), Circle, Drive, Street, Apartment etc.
• Take a sample invitation to the Post Office to determine necessary postage prior to mailing. 

Don’t

• Include Gift Registry information inside the wedding invitation.  Not only is this considered poor taste, but it is perceived as a solicitation for a gift rather than the desire for the guest to share in your joy for your wedding day.

Having said this, it IS appropriate to include this information in a shower invitation as the sole purpose of a shower is to give the bride gifts.

• Address invitations using mailing labels.  Despite all the advances in printing technology, a mailing label sends a subliminal message to the guest that you can not be bothered to hand address an invitation and are indifferent to their participation in your wedding day.  Handwritting the invitation has been, and will always be the correct thing to do…so set aside the time to hand address your invitations; and if necessary, have the bridesmaids help you out.  We usually recommend an “Invitation Addressing Party”.  Print your guest list in alpha order (with numerical values) and assign each bridesmaid to addresses invitations for their predetermined number of pages.   Once everyone is done (it should take 1 hour) reward the ladies with some wonderful appetizers and cocktails….margarita’s are always a wonderful choice.
• A word about numerical values:  Assign a number to each household on the guest list and place this number on the lower right hand corner of the response card.  This will help you to determined whom the unnamed guest is when you get the RSVP back without their name indicated.  Believe me, it happens.
• Use the phrase ” and Guest” or “and Family” on the outer envelope.  This can seriously backfire on you as “and Guest” or “and Family” can allow the invited guest free license to invite anyone within or outside their family to attend along with them.  Believe me, we’ve seen guests reply with (11) attendees, all of whom the bride and groom had no connection with at all.
• Forget to apply the proper amount of postage on both the invitation or RSVP.  Nothing is more tacky than a guest having to pay the postal carrier to recieve your invitation.
• Mail your invitations more than 6-8 weeks in advance.  Anything sooner and guests will no longer have a sense of urgency in responding and you run the risk of them forgetting the event all together.  Anything short of 6 weeks and your guests may not have the proper lead time with their employers to make the necessary vacation and travel time off.

It’s finally come to an end.  Our summer intern Deborah has left to return to college and hopefully continue her passionate pursuit of the Events|Hospitality Industry, but not without first leaving us her final blog post, observations and commentary on her experience this summer.   It is our heartfelt desire for you hopeful wedding planners out there is that her experiences will resonate with you and that you too will consider the matter wisely before entering this arena as so much depends on your understanding, talent and ability to meet your clients needs and exceed their expectations.  While we (event planners and the like) will get a “do-over” next weekend, the client will not; so the pressure is on.  The question is…..are you up for the challenge and rewards this industry has to offer?

 The Perspective From The Inside Looking Out

I dove into this summer internship at Agape’ Events with little to no experience basing the industry by the reality shows, bridal magazines, and my own imagination. Why wouldn’t I want to be a wedding planner? The wedding day is always so beautiful
and perfect. If I learned only one thing this summer it’s that the fairytale
wedding days are achieved with time, effort, care, and love. They are not
flawless but that’s where the coordinator steps in to make the day seem
stress-free for the bride, bridal party, and guests.

In order to make this happen I must wear many hats. Commercial
ironing of many fabric types and linens. Phone calls coming in and out speaking
to clients and venders. In office tasks such as creating spreadsheets and
documents for the BOMA Golf Tournament, design preview Christmas in July event,
and weddings. I inputted new brides in our system. I learned how to properly
put wedding invitations together, tie a bow on each, and formally handwrite
recipient addresses. I saw the timeline of events while being included from the
first consultation to the final meeting. I’ve experienced corporate events and
weddings, and the countless tasks of the day, even the last minute weather induced
changes.

Take a deep breath, there’s more. In the warehouse, our floral
designer taught me to make centerpieces and boutonnières. Décor on guest,
buffet, and beverage tables takes skill. Switching from heels to tennis shoes
to become the catering division. I served appetizers, bussed tables, and waited
on the guests. Joining our chef for a week, I learned the traits of the kitchen
from preparation, creation, and delivering. Gloves, bleach, and the commercial
dishwasher are my new friends. Meanwhile, I also caught onto the jargon and
lingo. Finally, who thinks about loading and unloading tables, chairs, crates,
coolers, and driving a push cart? It’s only part of the territory.

Did you think this career was cut and dried? Black and white?
Newsflash. It’s not.

Wearing the Agape’ Events shirt this summer brought me more than
these experiences and observations. It made a lifelong impact. It wasn’t only
my first internship and my first involvement in this industry, but a magnifying
glass to my dream coming true. Agape’ Events’ motto is “Work smarter, not harder.”
I’ll be returning to college to complete my undergraduate education. At this
stage I’m trying to see if this career is what God has for me. My number 1 goal
is to glorify Him no matter what I do.

Whether this is the path I end up choosing or not, I’m more
awake, alert, and aware of what this industry requires. I’ll hand over my shirt
but will keep my notes and memories.

To quote Renae, “You are an Agape’ girl.”

Here is Part II of the three part series of behind the scenes prospective our summer intern Deborah has been providing.  It quite accurately chronicles a “day in the life” of  an event planner; specifically of a wedding planner.  We hope you enjoy her observations and colorful commentary.

My First Wedding

It began at 9am the day of my first wedding. I arrived in shorts and a t-shirt, hair back in a bun, and flip flops. I carried my backpack with my ice water, Teddy Grahams, and my event attire. I was immediately put to work folding programs
while being introduced to the bride emergency kit. This bag had travel size toothbrushes, mouth wash, hairspray, deodorant, static relief, first aid kit,
Tide to Go, nail polish remover, etc. It was like watching a commercial where a
thousand items could easily fit into this tiny bag. Before we left for the
wedding venue I was alarmingly questioned if I had put on sunscreen. I hadn’t.
Sure enough the bottomless bag had sunscreen.

Once I was lathered I had to iron out a few details. A 14’x6’ pink satin detail. I was sent to the linens room for my first attempt with the industrial commercial iron. At that point I was feeling unconfident and rushed resulting in scorching the entire linen. The beautiful satin had become a rippled disaster.

It was approaching 10am and I got into the van full of gorgeous fresh flower centerpieces, mechanical votives, black satin table linens, pink organza overlays, silk chair sashes, Fat Max the tool box, and a spare table. Now we were ready to head to In The Beginning in Badger Canyon. But wait, we still needed to pick up paper
lanterns for the dance floor.

I hopped out of the van noticing the 18 tables already placed and proceeded to unload cheerfully and quickly too. First thing first. I learned to make the direction of the legs of the tables and the seams on each linen all uniform. Then I continued to dress
the tables with a floral centerpiece, 2 mechanical votives, 2 guest cameras, and a gift bag set at each person’s place.

Reaching noon I was taught how to tie a chair sash. That freed up the owner, Renae, to run to Macys to purchase bridesmaids shoes that were left behind. Her assistant Amber and I tied 120 chair sashes in the 85 degrees weather. Once it became fairly mindless Amber and I used that time to bond. We wanted them to look similar but didn’t need to be perfect because of the sashes zebra stripe pattern distraction.

Sweating and desiring shade, Amber and I got the ladder, tacks, fish line, and paper lanterns to tackle the hanging of the lanterns from the gazebo. This task sounds easy but it had its challenges. The string needed to be cut, the tacks needed to be placed, and the fight against the wind continued. A whirlwind of commotion was all happening at once from chasing the flying paper lanterns and dodging the photographer as he was shooting the bridal party. It got done just in time to switch roles.

Entering the bathroom I was a sticky, post-workout, behind the scenes mess. Exiting the bathroom I was freshly Baby Wiped, black top and slacks with heels, approachable, workable personnel.

Once transformed, it was time to learn the catering division. They arrived in a large Budget truck carrying the appetizers, buffet, and alcohol bar fixings that needed to be presentable and staffed.

It was reaching 5 o’clock, ceremony time, and guests were handing over their gifts, signing the guest book, offered umbrellas (to protect them from the sun and heat), and ushered down the aisle. Tick tock. The DJ came just minutes early to set up his equipment without allowing anytime for “testing”.
Bad idea. The brides CD was not compatible therefore taking embarrassing time
to problem solve. Once the tunes were in order, I queued up the ladies of the
bridal party and told them when to start walking to meet up with their respective groomsman coming from the other side.

Once the procession line was complete and everyone was in their place for the ceremony, I rushed over to the reception area. Clapping?! That couldn’t have been even 10 minutes. Ceremony has now come and gone. The guests were filing into the reception where the salsa bar and alcohol were ready and the staff were anticipating the 6 o’clock dinner bell.

During the transition came the hustle bustle of the moving of chairs from the ceremony area to the reception tables. Eight up! (meaning eight chairs per table) Luckily some young fit men were helping me-bonus.

While the evening continued I floated around making sure everyone had a chair, the candles were lit, and I was available for guest assistance. Energized, I went to the cake table and placed 250 customized shot glasses next to the 3 tier cake. All the guests were fed and Renae motioned for her team to get food catered by Agape’ Events.
Yippie! We sat down together for 15 minutes as I shoveled this mound of
delicious food into my mouth. It consisted of fajita stuffed chicken, beef
tender loin with wasabi sauce, tortillas, green salad, potato salad, pasta
salad, and fruit. (The plentiful amounts of leftovers were taken to Tri-Cities
Union Gospel Mission the next day.)

Toasting time. Wedding Cake time. First Dance time. Dollar to dance with bride time. Meanwhile, I was another hand dishing out cake, plates, forks, and shot glasses to their guests, and helping myself to a discard piece.

While guests were visiting, dancing, or leaving I was taking down the buffet and pipe-n-drape. Then I started clearing the tables of empty stemware and trash trying to prevent the wind from creating extra work. From there I started untying and folding the chair sashes in their appropriate numbers and piles.

The family and guests were gone. Suddenly it had turned 9:30pm. I guess I missed the bubbly sendoff of the newlyweds. Sad. That’s the reality of working a wedding rather than attending a wedding.

Exhausted women were ready to depart the venue and the keys were not on site. With a little bit of maneuvering I made it back to the shop at 10pm ready to drive home and Renae asked me the closing question, “Do you still think this is fun?”

I answered with a grin on my face, “Yes.” Followed by her response, “You are sick.”

Each year dozens of talented, energetic and awe struck women (and a few men) venture into the Event Planning arena.  Most of whom have enjoyed countless events, from the bleachers so to speak; while only a handful ever really venture onto the field and play the game (excuse the sports analogy).  Nevertheless, we have been blessed to have two incredible talents join our team in the past six months; both desiring to be a Wedding and Event Planner, however they too fell prey to the illusion that this “job” is fun, fun, fun, fun, fun.  Don’t get me wrong – it IS fun, rewarding and fulfilling, but it is also a lot of very hard work; physically, mentally and emotionally.

Today’s post is written by my brilliant, talented and no longer doe-eyed assistant Amber.  Like Deborah, her eyes are now wide open to the disguised truth of the industry and she offers some insightful observations to what she has learned and loved so far.  Enjoy!     Renae

___________________________________________________________

Not all events we do are weddings.  In fact, in the time I have been working at
Agape’ Events, we have done more corporate and non-profit events than
weddings.  Whether it is decor,coordination, or just being a committee member….we’ve done it all and we do it often.

There are obvious differences between a wedding and a corporate fundraiser.   At
least I’ve never been at a benefit where there was someone in a bridal gown,
but then again—nothing shocks me anymore.  However, all events are made up of the same formula, they have a lot of details, take a lot of time, and are a lot of work…and once again, Agape’Events’ expertise is summoned {enter the team full force with capes andunderwear outside our pantyhose}.

Who could blame the group of business men from BOMA for needing a little assistance when it came to planning a major golf tournament fundraiser?  They have
businesses to run, families to take care of and well, lives.  But not us!
Sure we lack lives, but we don’t lack the expertise and specialization
to coordinate an awesome golf tournament.  So cards were exchanged, contracts were signed and life moved on as usual…well, for them.  We of course got right to work calling business connections for sponsorships and securing donations.  After weeks of committee meetings and a lot of telephone/email exchanges, my office had turned into a smaller version of an organized hoarder’s dream.  BBQ grill, golf and In-and-Out Burger paraphernalia, meat rubs, assorted beer and wines, and gift certificates piled in front of the only (not so) empty  spot in the office.

The day of the event, the weather was agreeable, decor was pristine, and the course was set for a golf tournament.  Then the 20 minute storm
came and slapped me in the face.  Golfers flooded the banquet room.
Players hovered over the registration mumbling their name for check-in,
asking questions about their hole assignments and the rules, and noting small
details such as a misspelling of a name or that a team member had changed.  Volunteers and sponsors were coming in at various directions asking questions and stating concerns and then, it all was done.  The golfers went out to tee off.  The room was empty again.  We set up the raffle items, dressed the tables, and finished up any last minute details. All was quiet and then the storm came back.  The players and a few extra dinner guests filled the room again.   Drinks, food and raffle tickets were plentiful and the auctionbegan.  In a nutshell, because I have indeed been in one, that was the event.

So yes, we do more than weddings, but aren’t we doing the same thing, just for a different event over and over again?  I started this post prepared to
share my experience and list all the ways weddings and corporate events are different…but really, events are all the same.

All right, all right the brides in the front row can sit down.

I know YOUR day is unique and special but when it comes to an event they all have
the same elements:

1. THE LEAD

The Bride and the head of committee are all the same.  They are the
client, the face of the event, the one to please and the one to take the
pressure off of.  This is usually the person that has tried to plan an event themselves then threw their hands up in the air and decided to hire a professional.

1. THE SUPPORTING CHARACTERS

Parents of the Bride and Groom and the Bridal Party are like the committee members.  They are consulted in most of the big decisions and are also ones to please.
They usually recognize the need for a professional planner and have
valuable input, however their main goal is usually to make sure the ‘the lead’
is kept satisfied.

1. THE AUDIENCE

The guest count is a HUGE factor for an event.  Who is invited?  Who RSVP’d?  How many place settings?  Will they be comfortable?  Will they get the ‘WOW factor’?  Every event needs a draw, something to attract people to come, stay and enjoy themselves.  These people are also contributors to the event, especially in fundraisers.  How much money can we raise?  Is the ticket price reasonable?  How long do we want them to stay?  How many favour bags do we
need?  It is all about who and how many are coming.

1. THE PROPS

Toasting glasses, flower girl baskets, serving knifes, unity accessories, guest books| raffle items, cash box, sign-in sheets, raffle tickets, banners etc.  All events have copious amounts of STUFF that all play vital roles.  And who keeps track of them?  We do.

1. RISING ACTION

Decorating, last minute details and anticipation.  This is right
before the event starts and usually is over quickly.

1. THE HEADLINER

Whether it is getting the bride down the aisle or the golfers out on the course…once it’s over, the event tends to flow on.  Headliners or peaks of the event seem to fluctuate from being a quick but steady storm to a dead silence.

1. THE FINAL BOW

It is done; people have eaten, drank and been merry.  They have left and
who is still left standing is the event team.  It’s time to tear down, clean the mess and pack it all up.  We’re tired, sweaty and our brains are fried, the light at the end of the tunnel is more like a faint tinkle in the distance.  We did it, and it is time to
go home.

You see?
The same elements just different people, different goals and different
venues, but the same outcome, it’s like the movie ‘Groundhog Day’ but someone
is either getting married or putting on a fundraiser.  We go through the motions because that is what we do although every event, because we know what we are doing, what works.  We know what to anticipate and the variety of problems that may arise.
We’ve done it all…except the big white bridal gown at a corporate fundraiser, I am still waiting on that one.

Like many would-be Wedding Planners, Deborah had a vision of what this world was all about and well, let’s just say the reality was a bit of a shock.  So to commemorate her first few weeks, we thought it only fitting to have her write a blog based on her observations and prespective.  Hope you enjoy her viewpoint.

The perfect wedding. Lots of girls dream of their fairytale wedding and if that’s not enough some start envisioning their friends’ wedding days too! I was one of those millions of girls that have been perusing wedding gowns online and in shops, looking through magazines at bridesmaids dresses, picking out flowers, and, of course, the location. Lately there are also plenty of wedding related reality shows to dream to be on.

Before my internship at Agape’ Events…

My wedding is going to be outside at approximately 7pm lit by candles and little lights. My groom will see me for the first time as I walk down the aisle at the end of the processional. No questions asked. I will have hors d’oeuvres and desserts following the ceremony but staying away from the meals.

Three weeks into my internship at Agape’ Events…

My wedding could be beautiful inside to avoid uncomfortable temperatures, the wind, and the chance of rain. My groom doesn’t need to wait to see me till the ceremony. Photography requires about an hour and a half with both the bride and groom. If I wait to do any pictures until after the ceremony and before the reception then my guests could be growing bored and impatient while we are trying to enjoy yet hurry up one of the most important parts of the wedding. The photographer and groom will be near the altar as we are all queued to capture that first moment. We’ll then proceed to complete the posed pictures together before the ceremony. Now we can fully enjoy our guests. I’m still favoring the simple hors d’oeuvres and desserts idea without a meal.

My initial dreams and ideas have been modified after being behind the scenes.

The perfect job. I’ve dreamed about being a wedding planner for 7 years now for the same main reason as other girls – it’s a happy special event. Well, that’s true, but it’s also challenging once the reality kicks in. Every bride is different. Not every bride knows what she wants and is a decisive personality. Not every bride has a sense of cost. Not every bride and their mom will love me.

The view from the inside out is still exciting. It’s fun but HARD work!

Try to get yourself a bargain, girl
Don’t be sold on the very first one
Good-looking guys come a dime a dozen
Try to find you one who’s gonna give you true lovin’

Before you take a man and say I do, now
Make sure he’s in love with you, now
Make sure that his love is true, now
I hate to see you feeling sad and blue, now
My mama told me
You better shop around, aah-ha-ha
You better shop around

Shopping around. Wise words spoken (or in this case sung) for any young lady (or gentleman) who is looking to get married – or is it?  And does it just apply to the person we choose to marry or to every other aspect of life?

Well, when it comes to hiring your wedding professionals “shopping around” is NOT always the best advice; especially if you’ve found the vendor who meets your needs and who you “click” with.  In these instances, “shopping around” is like playing Russian Roulette.  Someone is going to be left in the cross-fire and it could very well be you.  Let me illustrate:

Last May we agreed to meet with a mother planning her daughters quincenera for this upcoming June.  After a very pleasant meeting in which we outlined our scope of services, offered suggestions and even prepared a storyboard and proposal; the mother left our offices never to be heard from again.  That is until October (five months later) when she wanted to revisit our initial meeting and design to discuss additional needs/wants.  So together with my assistant we granted another meeting (gratis no less) in which we spent several more hours discussing visions, design needs and preparing another proposal.  (Side note here – customized proposals don’t just whip themselves up; many hours of time, research and creativity go into these).

So once again, we prepare the proposal, email AND fax it to this eagerly awaiting mother only to have her ignore our emails, phone calls and requests for a reponse about the “newly improved” design.  Fast forward to March, when we are reviewing pending proposals and realize that we are never going to hear from this client again.  In the meantime, we have met with other clients requesting the same date; they’ve made commitments to use our service via payment of a Reservation Fee and we have prepared the team for the events on the books.  Well guess what?!  Surprise, the mother of the quincenera girl calls to insist that she meet with us the next day to review her “plans” for our service.   Regrettably, other events have been booked, other commitments have been made of our talent, time and resources and so we, after careful consideration decline this event.  Now, to make things more interesting, the mother then becomes upset AND hostile, chidding that she’ll just take her business elsewhere.  (Another side note here; we discovered through our network of event professionals in our area that she had indeed continued to shop around and “part-out” the comprehensive services we were committing to  – so in essence, she had already “taken her business elsewhere”).

Now then, I can understand her disappointment and can even sympathize that her event is no longer going to have the “WOW” factor that we were providing since our services and product were no longer available to her; but the real moral to this story is this:

Sometimes taking 10 months to shop around and conduct your own research in the interest of saving a few dollars can come back to bite you in the backside.  In this case  she failed to communicate with the vendor (us in this case), and failed to make a commitment to use services in the form of a Reservation Fee; freeing us (the vendor) to book other clients who DID value, appreciate and understand the level and quality of service we were bringing to their events.  She wasted her time and ours.  Now she has to deal with not only the compromise to her vision, but the frustration of trying to find someone to fulfill the missing components; and the ensuing annoyance from a certain 15 year old because she is most likely not going to get what she wanted for “her day”….that in itself is a whole other blog topic.

The bottom line is this.  Just because you have interviewed and have found your perfect event professional, regardless of the nature of their services, does NOT mean that you should assume they are waiting with baited breath to hear back from you.  The drum marches on and as business owners, we have to march with it; we CANNOT passively wait while you make up your mind and finish your hunt for the “best deal”.   Are you willing to take the chance that someone else will snatch up “your vendor” before you because you are unwilling to make a commitment to their services by paying a Reservation Fee?    If this is the chance you are willing to take, then so are we.  Just remember that if and when you finally decide to secure that “perfect” vendor for your once in a lifetime day, and you discover that their services are no longer available to you  – take your anger and frustration out on the proper person.  He/She will be easy to spot, because you’ll see his/her reflection in the mirror.  It’s NOT the vendors fault.