I recently attended two weddings, one in Texas and the other
in New Jersey. Both were beautiful and although they had entirely different
themes, the outpouring of love was extraordinary. And both were great fun.
As an event planner myself, I had the opportunity to observe
the difference between a fabulous wedding planner and the most incompetent,
lazy event planner imaginable. It made me consider, what are the qualities of a
“good” event planner? And, why was the one in Texas so awful? Why was the one
in New Jersey so spectacular? Experience was certainly a factor. The one in New
Jersey has been planning weddings for 40 years.
But there were far more factors than experience. Here are a
few of the things I observed: The Texan was unwilling to help the bride or the
mother with anything out of the ordinary. That included decorating the venue.
It included delivering the goodie bags to guests staying at nearby hotel. She
mistakenly had the dessert table presented with hors d’oeuvres. What was wrong?
First, she had no
time line. As an event planner, I know the timeline is the single most
important thing to have in your hand at all times. It keeps the caterer, the
musicians, and the entire staff on schedule, working together at a reasonable
pace.
Second, she was
incapable of resolving issues as they arose. She broke the bridal portrait
frame and instead of presenting it without the frame, she hid it. In contrast,
the New Jersey planner was solving problems right and left and the bride didn't
even notice that anything was amiss.
But most importantly, it was attitude. The New Jersey
planner smiled with joy throughout the event. The Texan scowled and didn’t move
from the bar the entire evening. She wasn’t drinking; she was just guarding the
bar. She didn’t help and as it turned
out, friends of the bride’s mom stayed half the night and cleaned up with the
venue owner while the event planner simply left.
Its important to have a planner but even more important to
get references so you know that the planner can make the day easier for the
couple and the guests. Meet with your event planner. Make sure that it is a
good mix of personalities, in other words, that you get along. And lastly, read that contract and the
time line. Make sure your vision is the same that is on paper.