Having Your Cake and Eating It, Too
Image courtesy of VeneirosPastry.com
Your boyfriend/girlfriend has popped The Question and you said YES! Suddenly your world has become a flurry of activity as your wedding plans come together. Every meeting you take, every tasting you attend, every inspection you make, in the background is sunshine, roses and rainbows.
And that’s as it should be. You’re planning a special day where friends and family will help you celebrate a commitment that you and your fiance intend to last a lifetime.
It’s one thing to be floating on air as you think about your future together, but it’s another thing to lose your head altogether.
Planning a wedding or commitment ceremony is business. There’s a reason why the word “industry” is applicable and why weddings have their own revenue bracket.
Love what you’re doing, cry over the details, fight with the seating chart and argue with yourself as you contemplate whether or not the weather will cooperate during your event. But don’t forget to look at the fine print.
Take flowers, for instance. The flowers the florist presents to you in their showroom are going to be gorgeous because those flowers are in a showroom. Ask your florist when your flowers will be arriving. Ask how they’re going to be stored once they arrive and before they’re put in place. Most importantly, read the paperwork your florist passes to you to sign. Don’t make yourself liable for something you shouldn’t be just because you’re caught up the marvellous aroma of the stunning bouquet your florist is brandishing.
Bridal Bouquet, courtesy of TidysFlowers.com
And then there are the caterers –another area of major cost and major stress. They create scrumptious appetisers and meals. But can they add a plate or two if someone’s RSVP got lost in the mail and suddenly Uncle Bob and Aunt Carol and their three children show up, dressed and ready to party? Will your caterer blow a gasket because there are now sixty-five people they need to feed instead of the original count of sixty? Conversely, what if one of Uncle Bob’s children suddenly comes down with Chicken Pox and the family decides to stay home and celebrate with you in spirit? Make sure there’s a contingency for that scenario as well. If your caterer prices out their plates at fifty-dollars a person, Uncle Bob’s family could cost you two-hundred and fifty dollars of Beef Wellington that the staff – and not your guests – are going to eat.
Hotels are another area where you must read the fine print. Making arrangements for your guests is magnanimous and gracious, but know what you and they are getting into. Make sure that the cancellation policies are clear to you, as well as not the features of the property. Again, getting back to Uncle Bob, if he and his family can’t make it, what happens to their room? Will they be charged for it? This is something you need to know.
A financially safer way for you to go would be to talk to these managers and ask about setting up a Wedding/Event Block. Talk about setting aside a certain number of rooms under your name and settle on a time frame that is mutually agreeable. Then, when you send out your Save the Date cards or fill in the Save the Date section on your website, you can include that hotel’s contact information. In most cases, hotels will work with you to keep track of who’s called so that you can cross-reference that list with the list of names you’ve issued invitations and make reminder calls as needed.
Enjoy the euphoria, heightened romance and exhilaration that accompanies this very special time in your life. But don’t let those wonderful emotions take away from the canniness necessary to organize your special event.
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