Wedding Venue Emergencies:
In one instance, while working with a bride, we went to walk through her venue with her mother. The venue was booked several months ago, but I was aware that this was the second choice for the bride. The venue she preferred was just outside her budget. I was with the bride and groom when they first toured the venue, and they were not pleased after the tour they received. However, they knew the reputation of the venue and were willing to commit.
When we walked outside into the rain after the second tour was complete, the bride stopped in her tracks and burst into tears. She said, “I don’t want to get married there anymore! I hate it!” To her credit, the bride’s mother was gentle and kind with her daughter and encouraged her to talk through her feelings. I recommended that we return to my office to talk through the bride’s options. Then we began the process of contacting several venues to check their availability for the wedding date.
Within an hour, we had a tour set up at another venue later in the day. We met the event manager, she was understanding and supportive. She was certain that we could figure out a plan to switch the wedding to her venue. When we entered the ballroom at the new venue, the bride again burst into tears, because she loved the new setting so much! Less than four hours after we exited the previous venue, a new venue was booked, the down payment was complete, and the other venue was cancelled!
This certainly isn’t the ideal situation, but emergencies happen, situations arise, and conflicts must be addressed. If the bride, the groom, the parents, and the wedding planner are all willing to speak honestly and to listen with compassion, most problems can be resolved respectfully.
It takes as long as you have to plan your wedding
Some people want long engagements to save plenty of time to plan all the details; others want to get married as soon as possible. No matter how long you have to plan a wedding, that is exactly how much time you will take to plan your special day.
One of my favorite weddings in which I was fortunate to help plan, was that of my sister-in-law to my brother-in-law. We were visiting them in North Carolina, and I found out when I woke up one morning that they were getting married that day at their home! They knew for a while that they would do their wedding while several family members were visiting. We all jumped into action. My other sister-in-law began designing the flower arrangements. My son set up the sound system and prepared the music. We set up a small altar area and I went out to find a wedding cake. When I returned, my new sister-in-law hadn’t yet decided what to wear! I went up to her room and we dug through clothes in her closet. She tried on a few options, and chose an off-white silky skirt with an ivory lace sweater. We were ready to proceed. Several friends and family managed to arrive for the ceremony. It was all absolutely stunning, a day full of love and fun. Both being horse people, the altar flowers were displayed in her favorite pair of cowboy boots!
Whatever your time frame, it is important that you plan a wedding that is authentically you! An abbreviated time frame doesn’t have to be stressful. It can be a time that brings people together to help plan and execute. A more extended time to plan won’t guarantee there won’t be last minute changes or decisions to address. However you plan your wedding, if you’re true to yourself, it will be a gorgeous day to remember!
