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Friday, August 6, 2010

Wedding Tip: Vendor Meals, Part 2 (for the Vendors)

I feel the need to post about an incident I recently witnessed at a Wedding.  I know I'll strike a wrong chord somewhere here with a Vendor or two, but I'd really appreciate some feedback on this as I was honestly a bit stymied by this Vendors actions.

You'll note that I've taken the time to express how important it is to feed Vendors at a Wedding.  We all know that being fed by our clients doesn't happen 100% of the time.  I've had a Wedding where I actually purchased Vendor meals for all the Vendors on site with my own money because (disappointingly) my client decided not to feed her Vendors.  However, I don't think we can begin to expect meals.  Yes, it's nice, and when a client feeds us, we're very appreciative.  Some of us have even gone the way of including it in our contracts.  But I think there comes a point where we have to learn to put our empty stomachs aside and realize that we are doing a job and that the client comes first, not our grumbling stomachs.

At a recent Wedding, just as the guests were being seated, a photographer came to me and said "When are we being fed?" (I was assisting at this wedding; I wasn't the lead Planner).  I answered "Likely after the  guests have been fed".  He looked a bit abashed, but understood.  The timing was bad - he hadn't really considered that the guests were the priority.  Not two minutes later I find the videographer standing in the doorway where the catering staff was busing food, demanding water (and presumably food, though I can't say for sure).  This is where I became baffled.  Presumably this wasn't this individuals first Wedding.  He's likely aware of the order of events and has understood in the past that he will be fed, though it may take a few minutes.  Logic would also suggest that standing in the doorway of the catering staff is the least effective way of obtaining food as it's only going to slow down the progress of getting the guests fed (aka: the IMPORTANT people at the event), and thus getting his meal more slowly.  

Please know that I understand the need/desire to be fed.  I'm hungry too!  But I'm not so hungry that I lose my ability to recognize that the bride and groom (you know, the people who have given us work and who have paid us to be there)and their guests  are the priority.

And my tip to Vendors (and perhaps I'm missing a valid point here): please bring snacks with you.  Grab a couple of granola bars on your way out the door that morning/afternoon.  Bring a couple of bottles of water with you.  Yes, it adds weight to your pack of gear but isn't it better to carry 24oz. of extra weight rather than look like you only care about yourselves at an event?  I would also suggest you talk to the Planner, the catering manager, or your client before the event.  Be candid about when the best time for you to be fed really is.  I realize that the timing that works for one Vendor may not be optimal for the next.  I had a wonderfully frank conversation with a collection of photographers a couple months ago and got a whole new perspective on things.  I now bring extra granola bars, water and Gatorade for all my Vendors on a site.  

Thanks for reading - I do want your feedback.  Good, bad, ugly.  And please know I'm not pointing fingers and any one group of Vendors.  I'm merely explaining what I experienced at this particular event.  We all work very hard and we all appreciate being fed.  I just wonder if I'm missing something because I see this kind of attitude time and time again at different events, whether mine, or another Planners.  Until next time...
You cut the cake; I'll cut the chaos!

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Wedding Tip: Vendor Meals, Part 1 (for the Bride and Groom)

As you plan your Wedding day "taking care" of the Vendors isn't typically something that you worry about.  And why should you?  You're paying the vendors to perform a service for you.  Oftentimes once you've hired a vendor they are out of your mind until the day of the Wedding when you see them again.  Of course you might maintain a relationship with your photographer as you'll see them for your engagement photo session.  And you might talk to the DJ again about your music selections, but I would hazard a guess that once the payments are made and the contracts are signed you don't review the contract again.  

I would encourage you to think of your Vendors one last time as you are coordinating your final guest counts for the caterer.  It's a wonderful gesture to feed your Vendors a meal.  Some Vendors actually require it and have it in their contracts, others just hope you'll think to feed them.  A good rule of thumb is if you and your guests are hungry by the time you get to your meals, we are too.  Many of your Vendors will have already been working for you from the moment they get up - checking batteries, memory cards and tripods; arranging florals; setting up sites and finalizing last minute seating chart changes... all the little things that go unnoticed to you are being taken care of for you.  In my experience, the one thing we forget to do (or don't have time to do) is eat.  

When you talk to your catering manager, ask them about Vendor meals.  They will often recommend a less expensive meal option for your Vendors.  It doesn't have to be the shrimp scampi and fillet mignon that you're eating - we're happy to just take 5 minutes to sit and stop the grumbling of our stomachs with a pasta, or a chicken breast - preferably something warm.

So when should you feed these Vendors?  Typically the best time to feed your Vendors is immediately after you've been served your salad course (or just as the guests are starting to go through the buffet line).  This is the time of the day when the least amount of Vendor support is needed.  You likely don't need photo or video of your guests eating or going through the buffet line.  Your Planner will be staying out of the way of the catering staff.  The DJ can typically set 15 minutes of "dinner music" and leave the room for a few minutes to have a quick bite of food.  We appreciate the thought and gesture more than you know.  Until next time...
You cut the cake; I'll cut the chaos!

Friday, July 23, 2010

A Client Says It Best: Loanie and Jon

I met Loanie and Jon thru a colleague, Kate, who wasn't able to work their event.  It was kismet - they were MY client.  I love when the world pulls the right people together.  Read on to see what Loanie and Jon thought of me.



My husband and I planned most of the major and minor details for our wedding, and we were looking for someone who would take the reigns on the day of so that we would do nothing but sit back, relax, and enjoy GETTING MARRIED!!! Meaghan was referred by a colleague who was already booked on the day of our wedding (June 26, 2010). Although we hired Meaghan for "Day-of" services, she was pretty much our go-to person immediately. Within the last month before the wedding, Meaghan was in touch and coordinated with all our vendors. As promised, Meaghan was the first and last person to show up on the day of our wedding. 
At our initial in-person consultation, Meaghan brought lunch for my husband and me, including a vegetarian option in case one of us didn't eat meat. Learning how detail-oriented, considerate, and kind Meaghan was just sealed the deal for us. She spent a good 1-1.5 hours with us, going over the various coordinating options and assessing our needs and wants for the big day. She was extremely organized and well-prepared. All of her forms had our names and wedding information already printed on them, and she presented them to us in a lovely folder. To top it off, she even gave us a wedding planning magazine for our reference.
Meaghan was never pushy. She was attentive, responsive, and most importantly, she demonstrated some pretty sophisticated people skills: she was assertive with vendors when necessary, patient with family and other guests during the rehearsal and wedding itself, and she was just simply nice and pleasant. We had several hour+ conversations via phone and email (since we were planning from the SF bay area), during which time she paid attention to and executed all of my requests.
Small details were handled as well. I wanted to have a pair of flip flops to change into after the ceremony, and Meaghan cleverly left it underneath my sweetheart table along with my make-up touch-up bag. I could go on for pages and pages listing all of the details Meaghan and her team managed flawlessly on the days leading up to and day of the wedding. I seriously did not have a single stressful moment on the day of my wedding. Even when minor issues came up, I did not worry because I was confident that Meaghan and her team would take care of it. Meaghan was truly the best money we spent on our wedding, and I would recommend her services to anyone!

Stay tuned for images of their big day coming soon!  Until next time...
You cut the cake; I'll cut the chaos! 

Monday, July 19, 2010

Wedding Tip: The Veil

Today's post is inspired by an email sent to my Mum from her brother regarding his fiancĂ©es agony over deciding whether or not to wear a veil for her upcoming Wedding.  The rule of thumb?  There is no rule.  I know... not so helpful, right?  Here's the scoop on veils.

Veil's were worn, traditionally, as a symbol of modesty.  Some would go so far as to say that it was a measure of a woman's subservience.  However, today's bride tends to lean away from tradition and more towards fashion.  Over the past few years that I've been working the industry I think all of my clients have worn a veil of sorts, whether it was a face veil, a birdcage, or just a blusher.  So, to help you pick out which style is "You" keep reading.

The Blusher Veil:
This is a short veil, often worn over the face, and falls to just below the shoulders.  This veil can be bought in a single layer, or multiple layers, to give you the effect you're looking for.  If it's worn over the face the choice is yours as to who helps you lift it, though traditionally it's either the father of the bride as he gives his daughter to the groom, or the maid of honor when the bride hands off her bouquet.

The Fingertip Veil:
Not-so creatively named, this veil is a bit more reminiscent of the 1980's bride.  This veil is traditionally seated high on the brides head and falls to the length of her fingertips (if her arms were hanging at her sides).  The more modern bride wears this veil tucked up under a chignon and it will hang just below her fingertips.  This, too, can be found in single or multiple layers of tulle and can often include pearls, beads or colored trim.

The Mantilla:
Coming in an array of different lengths, this style of veil is rising in popularity.  Often far more ornate than the standard veil, the Mantilla is a beautiful way to bring tradition and design together in an accessory that can be passed from generation to generation.
A traditional Mantilla

A Modern Mantilla

The Sweep Veil:
Often a single layer of material, the sweep veil is a full length veil that just touches the ground, it does not trail behind the bridal dress.  I have yet to see one of these on a bride but perhaps you are that bride?

The Chapel Veil:
Similar to the Sweep Veil, the Chapel Veil is a full length veil that is commonly a single layer, though it may come with a shorter, blusher-veil length piece of material that can be worn over the face for the processional.  The Chapel Veil, however, trails behind the bride by one to two feet.

The Cathedral Veil:
My all-time favorite.  This veil just oozes romance.  Perhaps one of the most famous Cathedral Veils is that worn by Princess Diana oh-so-many years ago.  This veil, I'm so happy to note, is making a come back and I'm starting to see more and more brides making use of it.  The Cathedral Veil hosts a length of fabric almost as dramatic as it's name - it trails the bride by 1 to 3 YARDS!  Simply gorgeous!

The Birdcage:
The height of today's Wedding fashion - this elegant accessory is a wonderful deviation from the traditional veil that can be thought of as cumbersome or "old fashioned".  The birdcage can often be worn for the entirety of the event, or carefully removed, leaving behind a dramatic flourish of floral decoration or feathers in the brides hair.  

Until next time...
You cut the cake; I'll cut the chaos!


Friday, July 16, 2010

A Client Says It Best: Shannon and Joe

From my beautiful clients, Shannon and Joe:


Hiring Meaghan Schmaltz of Weddings Made Splendid was by far the best investment we made in our wedding. We had only 2 months to plan our big day, and from our very first meeting with her, Meaghan inspired confidence that we could pull off the wedding of our dreams even given our extremely short timeline...and we did! Meaghan is a friend and a fantastic advocate for her clients. She goes above and beyond the call like racing down to Fed Ex to pick up my wedding leis that never got delivered and sewing ribbon onto my garter belt and ring pillow. Our wedding day was perfect, and we couldn't have done it without Meaghan and all the fantastic vendors she recommended to us. I would highly recommend her to anyone considering a wedding planner.


Shannon and Joe were married on May 29, 2010 at the Dana on Mission Bay.  I have to share this photo with you again - it's my ABSOLUTE favorite from their whole day!  They met in Korea!



Until next time...
You cut the cake; I'll cut the chaos!

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Announcement: New Payment Services

Much like my previous announcement, I'm taking some strides to make my services more convenient and stress-free for my clients.  After some careful consideration, and some education from a colleague, I've decided to offer another new option to my clients: PayPal!

With all the credit card bonuses these days (Airmiles, credits, pay-back programs, etc.) it just makes sense to give my clients an opportunity to pay for my services and get something in return (beyond my services, of course)!  

For my existing clients, future payments can be made through my site, and for my newer clients needing to make their first payment, you can click here to be redirected to my new "Clients" page on my website.  There are three options you can click on to be redirected to my payment page through PayPal.  All you need to do is put in the amount you owe and you're off to the races.

I also like to think of this as an eco-friendly move: less paperwork (no checks or money orders) and less gas (no trips to the bank).  Until next time...
You cut the cake; I'll cut the chaos!

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Announcement: My Ordination

I've run into an interesting situation recently where a client met with their Officiant many months before the day of the Wedding.  Through one error or another, the Officiant was told the Ceremony would start at 4pm.  Months later when my client sent out their wedding invitations to their guests they listed the Ceremony to start at 4:30pm.  Their "oops" moment came when they neglected to tell the Officiant of the time change so this individual booked another wedding at 5:30pm that same afternoon.  

When I made the vendor confirmation calls after being hired only 10 short days before the Wedding,  I discovered the error (THANK GOODNESS) and was able to rectify the situation.  However, after talking with a trusted colleague and friend, Bethel of Ceremonies by Bethel, I was convinced to become a legitimate ordained Officiant so I can perform Wedding Ceremonies, and sign the documents, if push came to shove.  So, I won't be going out and promoting myself as a Wedding Officiant, buuuuut... in an emergency situation I can host the Ceremony so my clients still have the Wedding of their dreams.  I'm definitely going to keep my fingers crossed that I'll never have to use it anyway!  Until next time...
You cut the cake; I'll cut the chaos!