For a while now, I’ve wanted to start a series that helped brides or just those in general that are planning a wedding, party, or other milestone event. Thanks to others, especially Claudia, I now have a topic and a title for my helpful hints.
Claudia
LoP: You and I have talked about weddings and all the things that can and do go wrong. However, we’ve also discussed the things we thought made weddings/events “perfect.” What made your wedding day perfect ?
Claudia: Well, what made it perfect was having everyone being there and having the dress that I wanted, the bouquet I wanted and the ceremony and everything went smoothly. Just the reception was…
LoP: Ok. Obviously, there was something you didn’t like or that was wrong. Did you get to see the reception before your guests ? And tell me what you saw when you first open those doors and walked in the doors to your reception.
Claudia: No, I didn’t get to see it. The first thing when I walked into the reception, the cake was on the guest table.
LoP: What was it doing on a guest table ? Oh my gosh ! You poor thing ! What was it that caused this cake to be on the guest table ?
Claudia: The people who made the cake didn’t follow instructions. And they listened to some other person who wasn’t the planner. The lady decorating [the reception] she told her that she had to put the cake there because that’s what I wanted.
LoP: So, It was one of your other vendors that told the cake vendor where she thought it should be. Wow !! For you, was that the one thing that kept it from being perfect or was there something else that was bigger and more important than that ?
Claudia: Some other things. The person who decorated she didn’t do the arrangements how I had asked. I had asked for some tall arrangements and some small arrangements and they were supposed to be nothing but roses. She added others flowers, in like colors I didn’t ask for. Basically, she didn’t do what I wanted. That’s what made me upset.
LoP: Now, I’m sure you already paid her for the job. Do you feel like she just had an agenda for what she saw fit or maybe other events booked on the same day ?
Claudia: She didn’t put any time into it. Earlier that week, she was out of town and had no other events. We had trouble with her bringing flowers to the ceremony. She asked us to go pick them up and that wasn’t part of the deal. Then, we told her we weren’t going to do it because we had to get ready to go to the church and that’s what I paid her for. It was five minutes until the wedding started and there they [the florist] were running around brining in these huge arrangements.
LoP: Was this a person you were recommended to or was it a relative of the family ?
Claudia: It was actually relative. Another relative she told me about her. We weren’t close, but now I don’t talk to her at all. I think I’m still upset about the situation. And I think that she’s upset because she thought she could get away with that.
LoP: What would be the best advice you would give someone when it comes to decor/flowers when planning their event ?
Claudia: I would say deal with someone that can place all of those things in front of you. Go to someone who’s professional, not your aunt or other family. I would want to see the actual items because the things on the picture aren’t always going to be the same as in person, just like the dirty, ugly columns I told you about. I didn’t really look at all my options. I think they [vendors] do need to be into it [their craft]. I would go with better quality instead of cheaper. And someone who doesn’t run their business out of their home.
LoP: Well, thank you Ms. Claudia, I appreciate it. Hopefully, people will read this and heed the advice that you’ve given from first hand experience.
Helpful Tips/Questions To Ask Your Decor(Flower) Vendor:
- Recommendations are good, but not always reliable. Set up a consultation with your decor vendor. This way, you can really see if the vendor’s business is legitimate or not and how they handle their business (if they take pride in their shop or if it looks like a disaster zone that should be condemned).
- Ask to see swatch samples or actual examples of the product (chair covers, sashes, tablecloths, runners, napkins, etc.). The last thing a bride wants to see is the wrong colors at her wedding/reception.
- Check to see if the vendor has an online presence. With modern technology, it’s a must for vendors to have no less than a Facebook page and a blog. This will help with their credibility, past client reviews which are IMMEDIATE feedback directly from the client, and it helps to know if their philosophy and style are aligned with your own. It has to be a perfect fit in order for you to be able to be understood and to understand your vendor. Not only that, you sometimes can get FREE advice from the vendor…free is good when you’re planning a huge event like a wedding, right ?
Well, I hope that you’ve gained some insight through Claudia’s story and by the handy tips I’ve given. Thank you Claudia for your time and your story.
Until the next story…
CG