Start Me Up! Part 24
Wedding Belle Monday, May 17, 2010 at 1:09PM This week was hectic indeed!!
I conducted a site visit of the space so that I could become familiar with the layout, overall venue space, location and equipment available. In fact, I created and amended nine different floor plans for this wedding. We had to accommodate for last minute guest count changes, the configuration of the room (which will be snug for the guests we have to squeeze into the space)…plus there is the budget issue.
At this point in the planning process your couple may be feeling the stress of the wedding cost, especially since many final vendor payments are due within the last month. In this particular case, we have to adjust table counts and thus linen and catering service counts -napkins, glassware, plates, cutlery, etc.- which of course also means a shift in the cost for floral & décor as they are usually priced per arrangement. As I have mentioned before there is an intricate chain of reactions and it can be difficult to stay on top of all of the various emails from the different vendors, a nervous couple and sometimes their nervous parents. Plus we must not forget: you will likely have other clients who need the very same dedication and attention.
Then there was the issue of extending the party…the couple wants the event to run later than originally contracted, but is not thinking about the costs and overtime that are associated with adding even one hour to the length of the party. Longer shifts for catering staff (bartenders, waiters, clean up crew), venue overtime rental cost, etc. Photographers and videographers can sometimes have a pricey overtime charge of several hundred dollars per hour, plus you may need to order more glasses for the bar to account for the extra service time. The list goes on…
As their planner, my job is to gently but honestly explain to the couple what their decision entails from every angle. They are coming from the point of view that they are excited and want a longer party and for themselves and their guests to have a great time. They are not thinking that it may cost them an extra thousand dollars or more. Needless to say, it is not an easy conversation to have, but it is a necessary one.
xx,
Belle
Reader Comments (1)
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