The Most Important Thing You Need To START WITH to Have the BEST WEDDING BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE!
BONUS – What to do later to Make SURE your BEST WEDDING is not DISRUPTED
When planning for a wedding we encounter every type of situation from our clients. Sometimes we get calls a year in advance and we have plenty of time to make elicit the client’s wishes and make sure all the details are in sync with those wishes. Sometimes we get calls from a caterer or planner who has a client that has 3-4 weeks to their wedding. I personally had a year and a half to put together my own wedding and this gave us ample time to deal with any last minute details easily and effectively. No matter how much time you have to prepare for your wedding weeks, months or years, universally speaking, every bride and groom want the same thing: To have the finest day they can imagine, and hopefully better than that. So the first most important thing is where to start? How do you go about preparing the easiest and smartest way?
The #1 way to start is to decide what is it that would make your party fabulous? What is the most important elements to your party? You simply have to take some time to SEE or VISUALIZE what you want your wedding reception to look like, feel like and sound like.
It’s not hard to do but it takes a few minutes of your time. And it is SO worth it.
As simple as it sounds identifying the ideal elements of your party is the best way to begin the route to your amazing party.
Yet surprisingly many brides and grooms don’t really do that. They have an idea of what they want, an expectation, but just get right into the planning and the chores and expect that it will all come together eventually.
And it may be that they aren’t sure what they can have or what’s available.
Here’s a quick illustration. Rarely ever would any woman (at least those I’ve known) go to get a haircut without KNOWING what she wants her hair to look like. “Just cut it” would rarely come out of her mouth. But guys will often go in and just get their hair cut, maybe have an idea, but once the barber/stylist gets going never say anything. Women usually have pictures they bring in or can describe in great detail the exact cut.
That’s the kind of attention to the end result you want to have for your wedding pre-planning The feel, the look and the sound, all the senses are covered. But there’s a lot of elements and stress that may come about from family, to budget etc., so that sometimes curtails the true visualization. Don’t allow those distractions curtail you in at the beginning. Just imagine and see what will make you feel the most happy and fulfilled.
What does the greatest vision of your party will look like: All dancing? Laughing? Great food? Quiet time? Music? Lights? Wild free-for-all or posh dinner dance? Sophisticated class or uninhibited revelry? What does the room look like? Classy? Clubby? Regal? Casual? Serene? Pulsating? Special effects? Great social environment with lots of mingling? What happens during the party? Casual Dancing, followed by gourmet eating? Wild Dance Club – with sexy guests or just FUN with relatives?
Once you identify the elements it gives you, the site and a talented planner the keys to insure you are on your way to success. Once you have an idea of the elements, you prioritize them in order of importance to you. For instance a client may decide their party is all about the fun factor and not really care about the food per se. The wedding food is secondary to the party being non-stop fun. That’s an important distinction to make, because for the venue, caterer or restaurant, normally food is their priority. And food is important, certainly we all love a great meal, but it’s your party and vendors should do their best to accommodate you.
So once you get to your vision of the best wedding, appoint a Director, whether that’s your MC, maitre’d, maid of honor, or best man that is in charge of making sure your goals and vision is being fulfilled. That’s the person who will be in charge of making sure your priorities are adhered to.
We’ve encountered situations where the maitre’d demands stopping the party for a course even against the client’s wishes. We like to make parties as seamless as possible, but obviously that makes for a pickle, when the caterer is demanding a stop to the music and the guests be seated when the client wants to keep going.
That’s another reason why it is important to be clear about your desires in advance with everyone involved in your affair. It’s your party. You have the right to your party your way. Often times when the client prioritizes their wishes, we will captain the party for them to head off these situations. All we need is a clear direction from the client and we will assure it happens. Be clear once you know the most important elements of your party and communicate them to your planner, caterer and entertainment. If you are not clear than have a planner get you clear by asking you the right questions. A good wedding planner will be able to determine what’s most important to you by asking you, getting your answers and checking in with you to make sure your desires haven’t changed.
Once your elements are prioritized, everything comes into focus and becomes much more easily managed, plus you’ll feel much better going forward because you’ll know what it is you are going for and what it’s supposed to look like when you show up. Also the vendors you have selected will be able to know exactly how to make your party great for you. So in the beginning sit down with your fiancee and begin to imagine, visualize and fantasize about the specific experiences you want to have and your clear vision will unfold. This fun 15 minutes to 1 hour can be the greatest time you spend assuring the success of your wedding.
Your journey will be much smoother and relaxed as you begin to put it all together.
About The Author: Michael Sage Schindler is the owner; Master Celebrations Director and Master of Ceremonies of Lightning Shakes New York – www.lsny.net – Events and Entertainment. Planning and working as an MC, planner, advisor and event choreographer for 20 years in the major event venues all over NYC for such well-known people as Donald Trump, Joan Lunden, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, CEO of Westwood One Network Joel Hollander and NBC sports announcer Len Berman. He’s one of the most preferred MCs at Trump Plaza, Harrahs, Showboat and Trump Marina in Atlantic City for special events. Michael has been invited to perform in Europe, the Caribbean, and Hawaii and all over the US as well. With LSNY, he has produced events for such companies as Wells Fargo, AIG, Brooklyn Museum, Merrill Lynch and Rado Switzerland.
