That's what my life has been lately....a literal whirlwind.
I'll have to keep this short and sweet, but much to my surprise, I've had a couple email requests wondering why I haven't been blogging.
1. I have a new job. Yes, a REAL job. I have one of those. I'm not JUST a wedding planner. :) Trust me, wedding planning in Milwaukee doesn't exactly pay the bills nor do I want it to actually. I have left my world of Marriott hotels where I grew up the past 11 1/2 years and have gone back to my roots of restaurants. I am doing Sales & Marketing for a new upscale fine dining restaurant in downtown Milwaukee. You figure it out from there! My first week has been full of training and I mean intense training. Even though my job entails 85% outside sales and marketing, I still have to learn everything about the restaurant just as any other manager would. I'm overwhelmed and exahusted, that's for sure. But it's sure to be fun once these 4-6 weeks are done!
2. This is the busiest wedding weekend I have all year. I just got back from a rehearsal, then 2 weddings this weekend, one of which is in Madison. I have never even had the pleasure to meet my Madison bride since our schedules were both crazy and we just couldn't make a time work. But we have a pretty solid email and phone relationship so I am just chomping at the bit to see her on Saturday!
3. Summer is almost over so I start cramming everything into a few weeks. Dave Matthews concert this Sunday (hello! I have to be at work at 8am on Monday!), a trip to Denver in a couple weeks, another concert, a rafting/canoe trip. The list goes on and on.
I'm not complaining, I swear. But by the end of September I plan on taking a very LONG nap at some point!
Hang in there with me until life calms down a little. I promise to keep updating on my weddings!
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Friday, August 10, 2007
Football vs. Weddings
When you live in Wisconsin, home of the Packers, football has a lot to do with weddings around here. Especially if you plan to get married in Green Bay. But even if you're planning to get married elsewhere in the state, there are a lot of couples who choose not to have Fall weddings because of the Packer schedule. The schedule doesn't come out until April and that's usually a little too late to pick a Fall date so couples opt for the ever popular summer season instead.
It's true....there have been polls and studies done in Wisconsin to practically prove that wedding guests have chosen the Packers over a couple's wedding day, especially if there was travel involved to/from the wedding that would result in missing the game on Sunday. Crazy, but true. I would think if the same polls were taken for the Badgers, we would see the same results.
We're football crazy in this state and it dominates a lot of people's Fall & Winter plans. I'll admit it....while it doesn't dominate my overall plans, it is a huge consideration. I don't take on any Sunday weddings during football season. I love football Sundays and it's yet another reason why doing this wedding planning gig on the side will remain a side business. If it wasn't, I would HAVE to take any and all wedding inquiries that come in. This Fall, I did break my "rule" and took a wedding on a Sunday in October, but the game is a night game and this couple's day, as long as everything goes as planned, will be done in the late afternoon. Yes, I checked the schedule before even meeting with them.
Saturdays in the Fall are a little harder to say "no" to. It means missing the Badger games most Saturdays, but I leave enough weekends open to enjoy the games when I can and hang onto at least a bit of sanity so that weddings do not take over every single piece of social time I may have.
I guess I'm one of those crazed football fans after all. I also know I'm not alone on this since I know of other vendors that plan out their Fall wedding schedules carefully too!
With that said....the first NFL Preseason game was on last night and the Packers play on Saturday evening. This wedding planner doesn't have a wedding to do this weekend so bring on the football!
It's true....there have been polls and studies done in Wisconsin to practically prove that wedding guests have chosen the Packers over a couple's wedding day, especially if there was travel involved to/from the wedding that would result in missing the game on Sunday. Crazy, but true. I would think if the same polls were taken for the Badgers, we would see the same results.
We're football crazy in this state and it dominates a lot of people's Fall & Winter plans. I'll admit it....while it doesn't dominate my overall plans, it is a huge consideration. I don't take on any Sunday weddings during football season. I love football Sundays and it's yet another reason why doing this wedding planning gig on the side will remain a side business. If it wasn't, I would HAVE to take any and all wedding inquiries that come in. This Fall, I did break my "rule" and took a wedding on a Sunday in October, but the game is a night game and this couple's day, as long as everything goes as planned, will be done in the late afternoon. Yes, I checked the schedule before even meeting with them.
Saturdays in the Fall are a little harder to say "no" to. It means missing the Badger games most Saturdays, but I leave enough weekends open to enjoy the games when I can and hang onto at least a bit of sanity so that weddings do not take over every single piece of social time I may have.
I guess I'm one of those crazed football fans after all. I also know I'm not alone on this since I know of other vendors that plan out their Fall wedding schedules carefully too!
With that said....the first NFL Preseason game was on last night and the Packers play on Saturday evening. This wedding planner doesn't have a wedding to do this weekend so bring on the football!
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Every Saturday is Wedding Day To Me
Another Saturday, another wedding. Such is the course of life when you're a wedding planner. Someone asked me today how I can possibly enjoy working every single weekend. I laughed and said "I don't!" Yup, I'm about as honest as they come. But it's true...no one actually LIKES to work every weekend! Again, just another reason I will always continue to do this on the side.
Today's wedding was so great. It was almost a wedding planner's dream. For some reason, today was just easy. I like easy days, especially when I had to drive 4 hours round trip for this one. When I first met with this couple way back in Fall of 2006, the bride was adament about hiring me for at least Month of Coordination, if not for even more. The groom, however, is in the wedding industry and promised his blushing bride up and down that he could take care of everything and that they only needed me for Day of Coordination. Fine by me! I like DOC just as much as MOC and ultimately, I like whatever the couple likes. :)
Fast forward to the tension filled week. I'm sure the poor bride was wishing I was the one doing all the final follow-ups and making changes this week and not her. The next little informative piece is exactly why, should you choose to not hire a professional Coordinator, that you MUST confirm every single detail with every single vendor.
12:46pm, I'm at the church getting things ready and reviewing everything with the Priest and the organist. Ring, ring. Uh-oh. When my phone rings on wedding days...it's usually not a good sign, let's just put it that way. Sure enough, the Maid of Honor is on the other end saying the limo hasn't shown up at the hotel to pick up the guys and start the shuttles back and forth from resort to church. Grrrreat. As we're discussing our options, lo and behold limo company calls and says they are lost, but now on their way. LOST!?!? It may be my biggest vendor pet peeve. If you are in charge of professional transportation, you damn well better make sure you have accurate directions. However, let this be a piece of advice for all you soon-to-be-marrieds out there. Be sure to give your drivers directions! Yes, it should be up to them, but had I been in charge of final confirmations for vendors, that is one thing I ensure that the drivers have. All is well that ends well though. We made some transportation changes so that the ceremony would start on time and hey...they stil got married! :)
The Heidel House was in full swing (I can't believe I only had to change ONE thing with their set-up!) and all the other vendors showed up EARLY (even though I had to deal with the snobbiest and meanest florists ever)! Seriously, it was a dream come true. Well, besides the rain that forced cocktail hour into an already very cramped dinner tent. But again...they're married! Who cares!
**Note to anyone considering the Carriage Tent at The Heidel House though...it does not seat 159 people comfortably. At all. I'm sure the bride will have something to say about this later if she noticed. Walking between tables/chairs without guests at them was difficult...I can't imagine how they're doing right now.
And now----this wedding planner has the next 2 weekends off!
Today's wedding was so great. It was almost a wedding planner's dream. For some reason, today was just easy. I like easy days, especially when I had to drive 4 hours round trip for this one. When I first met with this couple way back in Fall of 2006, the bride was adament about hiring me for at least Month of Coordination, if not for even more. The groom, however, is in the wedding industry and promised his blushing bride up and down that he could take care of everything and that they only needed me for Day of Coordination. Fine by me! I like DOC just as much as MOC and ultimately, I like whatever the couple likes. :)
Fast forward to the tension filled week. I'm sure the poor bride was wishing I was the one doing all the final follow-ups and making changes this week and not her. The next little informative piece is exactly why, should you choose to not hire a professional Coordinator, that you MUST confirm every single detail with every single vendor.
12:46pm, I'm at the church getting things ready and reviewing everything with the Priest and the organist. Ring, ring. Uh-oh. When my phone rings on wedding days...it's usually not a good sign, let's just put it that way. Sure enough, the Maid of Honor is on the other end saying the limo hasn't shown up at the hotel to pick up the guys and start the shuttles back and forth from resort to church. Grrrreat. As we're discussing our options, lo and behold limo company calls and says they are lost, but now on their way. LOST!?!? It may be my biggest vendor pet peeve. If you are in charge of professional transportation, you damn well better make sure you have accurate directions. However, let this be a piece of advice for all you soon-to-be-marrieds out there. Be sure to give your drivers directions! Yes, it should be up to them, but had I been in charge of final confirmations for vendors, that is one thing I ensure that the drivers have. All is well that ends well though. We made some transportation changes so that the ceremony would start on time and hey...they stil got married! :)
The Heidel House was in full swing (I can't believe I only had to change ONE thing with their set-up!) and all the other vendors showed up EARLY (even though I had to deal with the snobbiest and meanest florists ever)! Seriously, it was a dream come true. Well, besides the rain that forced cocktail hour into an already very cramped dinner tent. But again...they're married! Who cares!
**Note to anyone considering the Carriage Tent at The Heidel House though...it does not seat 159 people comfortably. At all. I'm sure the bride will have something to say about this later if she noticed. Walking between tables/chairs without guests at them was difficult...I can't imagine how they're doing right now.
And now----this wedding planner has the next 2 weekends off!
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