One of the first weddings I worked on while still cheffing was for around 700 people – I’m no stranger to a good event, in fact I love ‘em! Working to exact times with big staff teams front & back of house is my thing. So, naturally when I stepped into Sales and Marketing & Event Management, I got to see things in a very different light as I came to realise before a bride gets to her reception she first has to overcome more than the odd obstacle.
For one thing, it amazed me how much stress was attached when gorgeous brides-to-be sat down with me to organize their wedding. They were usually tired, overwhelmed & skeptical that everything would come together for their big day; many of them had a fatalistic look on their faces that said – ‘I can’t wait until this is over’ & most of my brides were much more excited about the honeymoon as they could rest & sleep to get over the dangerously high levels of Bridezillarism; a toxic affliction I’ve heard can sometimes cause a nasty start to the honeymoon!
I was in need of a much overdue marketing profile to showcase my hotel, and was pretty darn curious to find out what all the fuss was about.  I decided to walk a few steps in the shoes of a Bride. What a hoot right;
I imagined wearing a fabulous gown & being Queen for a day to be bucket-loads of fun! AND, I’d get a cheap marketing campaign for the hotel & answer my curious questions all in one foul swoop. Sweet idea right?
I found the exercise was no picnic, in fact just to find a couple of gowns to model & spending the day with the photographer gave me insight as to why a fairy tale bride needs some serious TLC by the time she arrives at her reception & I’ve made sure my wedding packages have all the information she needs.
So, here are a few tips on how to find a Wedding Planner for FREE & have your big day at the best venue in town.
·  Do yourself a favour and shortcut all the problem areas by finding out the best and busiest wedding venues in your area. They do weddings every weekend and they know their stuff and can put you onto all the right people to make your day exactly as you imagined.
·  Because of the high volume of weddings they cater for, their Event Manager has become a Wedding Planner by default & even if you don’t end up using that venue, you can find out a wealth of information for free. A good Event Manager has just about every contact in the wedding industry food chain at their fingertips and can tell you the ones to work with (and the ones to steer clear of!).
·  Open up and tell your Event Manager what you want & what your special requirements are and then ask them frankly how many weddings they’ve done just like yours.
·  Ask what wedding packages are best sellers and why; what foods would they recommend; how many hours should you hire the venue for and why and don’t forget to find out sooner rather than later what their drinks packages include.
Working with an expert Event Manager/Wedding Planner & trusting their knowledge will save you thousands of dollars and go a long way towards ensuring you never get bitten by the dreaded Bridezillar disease.
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13 Comments and Pings on HOW TO FIND THE PERFECT WEDDING PLANNER & NOT END UP A BRIDEZILLA
the secret to a great wedding/event is… delegation. You have enough on your plate deciding if Auntie Maureen can sit at the same table as Auntie Raeleen scine they had that bustup 15 years ago at your cousins wedding, or whatever is your families equivilant scandal. Find a good event manager/planner and let them do the job they do best!
.-= InTolerantChef´s last blog ..Pumpkin =-.
LOL…. Your so right Rebecca! Really utilise the expertise of your venues Event/Manager…. They are trained professionals, they know best how to deal with all those little details… The job of the bride…. Enjoy your day!
Anna,
Never realized how time consuming or stressful this could be from that point of view. You are awesome coming up with the idea to walk in their shoes. Now you have a better idea of how to support them so they can enjoy that special moment!
You are amazing,
Val
.-= Val Wilcox´s last blog ..The Key – Your Burning Desire… =-.
Anna,
Great post, very insightful. Great advice, go with the professionals that do this week in week out. Often a couple tries to cut a few corners to save a few bucks and it ends up biting them in the butt. Either hiring a cheap photographer, using a disreputable caterer, DIY wedding not having a plan B for weather or an inexperienced DJ that plays all the wrong music.
That being said, tell your brides, once the day begins enjoy yourself, soak in the love of your friends and family. I’ve been around too many brides that spend the entire day worrying, complaining and not giving the day a chance to become a pleasant memory.
I had a bride run into the kitchen, “There are four tomatoes in my salad, I paid for five”, spend the entire day complaining “Why did it have to rain today? of all days?”, start drinking before the ceremony and spend the entire reception with her head on the table.
A professional wedding vendor will help make this day as special as it can be.
I enjoy your work Anna.
Warmly,
DJ Louie
Haha… Yep… Its those brides that I am wanting to help!
Great stories… Love the ‘where’s my 5th Tomato?’ and know the vomiting/passed out bride well!
Where are you working? Your an Event/Wedding Planner then?
Thanks for stopping by DJ Louie, great to meet you! Cheers, Anna
Fantastic work Anna yet again, bringing humour and wisdom together beautifully
.-= kay hebbourn´s last blog ..Basic Internet Terminology Explained =-.
Why thank you Kay! It certainly is a subject filled with some hilarious stories that must be shared!
This is a great post Anna! A must read for every bride
And 700 guests? Wow! 
.-= Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella´s last blog ..Molten- Mount Eden- New Zealand =-.
Thanks for stopping by Not Quiet Nigella!
These pointers are great for most planning an Epic event!
There are a heap of good tips and hints in this blog post. I’m subscribing to your rss feed.
Great tips!! I’ll have to revisit this post once I have a ring on my finger
.-= Iron Chef Shellie´s last blog ..Sizzling Korean-Style Beef =-.
Bravo! A wedding is a once in a lifetime experience — you better believe it! So engaging in the right wedding planning activities should be your #1 priority. Hopefully your wedding planner, if you hire one, will urge you to spend a little time reflecting on the speeches and toasts that will be offered at your wedding too. Please pass along this suggestion, to use some wedding quotes and sayings to make the speeches more meaningful and memorable, and so that the speeches can set the right tone for the rest of the evening. Thanks!
Jamie London recently posted..How to Use Quotes to Give Your Wedding Speech
Great idea Jamie, thanks for that excellent suggestion
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