STOP CALLING YOURSELF A WEDDING PLANNER: JACK (OR JILL) OF ALL TRADES, MASTER OF NONE.
Today, I decided to bring back this article I wrote back in 2016, because I literally just carried out what can be called a “wedding rescue operation”, much to my despair, so I thought it would be an appropriate time to touch on the topic again. Long story short, a lovely couple reached out to me back in September of last year, inquiring about my services for May 29 which is next Tuesday. I was already booked for a Destination Wedding in Moorea and not available on that particular date. The date was important to them, so they carried on with their online searches, and found another “Wedding Planner” who was available on their date. Great, you would think, everyone’s happy.
Fast forward to this past weekend, when the couple reaches back to me; they were already on their way to Tahiti and just got a blunt email from their Moorea Wedding Planners that they told me was basically saying “we’re not interested in doing your wedding anymore, so we cancelled all services.” Mind you, they had already prepaid for all services. And this was happening just 10 days before their no-longer happening wedding… as you can imagine, they were devastated by the news. What their Moorea Wedding Planners did not even dare to tell them is that they were moving overseas. They’ve probably known about their move for weeks if not months, so why did they not tell them before? We’ll probably never have the answer to that question.
However for this lovely couple, being already away from home made it even more difficult to process : who plans a wedding while on their way to the locale ?
The good news is, the wedding is now happening, but on the 30th instead, that is next Wednesday. And it will be a beautiful and memorable experience (that’s for sure!) for the couple and their witnesses who are traveling with them.
The bride-to-be wisely said after we got everything back on track:
I’m a big believer that everything in life happens for a good/better reason.
and I could not agree more.
The groom-to-be added:
YOU ARE THE BEST 😂. You have made my fiancée one VERY happy lady. On reading your email, first there was a squeal of joy, then open tears of relief, which I shared. It shows, once again, how important the occasion is to us. Thank you, thank you, thank you for making my wonderful woman happy again. It’s been a tough few days. Thanks again for making our day and more…
I was so saddened that what should have been a smooth and enjoyable experience – planning a destination wedding in Moorea – one that you remember afterwards as part of the whole experience, was taken away from this couple…
Now That They Have A Real Wedding Planner, Let The Moorea Magic Happen!
We’ll make it a terrific wedding experience and even more for them!
I guess I needed to just vent for a minute… now on to the blog article :
A wedding planner seems to be the easiest job in the world. I mean, it must be for so many people to just throw it on their signature lines. Girl gets married? Instant wedding planner. Recommended peonies to your sister for her wedding? You’re a wedding planner too! To go all Oprah in this article, “You’re a wedding planner, and you’re a wedding planner, everyone’s wedding planner!!” Just add water, and boom: wedding planner.
I love reading Danielle Rothweiler’s quotes on HuffPost Weddings, as she always speaks her mind, or, shall I say, she speaks every wedding planner’s mind. Every wedding planner? Maybe not.
Who Can You Trust To Be Your Wedding Planner In Tahiti?
I’ve touched based myself on this very subject a few times in the past, like in this article, but let me say it again:
A “Wedding Planner” or “Wedding Coordinator” tag does not mean the person you’re talking to is a wedding professional, someone who has real work and real wedding experience under his/her belt; as Danielle would say :
Sometimes it’s not always easy to spot a good wedding planner from a fake one, but if the stitching is frayed and the zipper doesn’t zip, you might be holding a knock-off.
Talking to fellow wedding planners around the world, there seems to be a trend that many professional photographers and DJs find themselves having to jump into solving a problem or helping for something out of their duty/scope (shooting/DJing) just to get the couple through their day (in other words, a super milli-tiny version of what we do as wedding planners) and all of a sudden, they call themselves a Wedding Planner!
Boom, Wedding Planner. Just Like That.
On the surface I am sure it looks easy and at a “perfect” wedding it might work but as we all know perfect weddings are more rare than a unicorn with a rainbow horn, and the more I think about it the more I think they must not take their job very seriously because who would want to jeopardize their reputation as a photographer, dj, whatever by taking on more work that will inevitably put them in a position to fail at least one of those tasks. Julia Fachnie O’Grady at ITM Events
Danielle, in her great article called “Stop Calling Yourself A Wedding Planner”, lists a number of “impostors” who call themselves Wedding Planners, among whom you’ll find DJs or Photographers, Venue Coordinators, Pop-up Planner/Photo Stealers and many more… read on and step back for a minute.
Even though what you see might excite you, do your homework and interview multiple planners until you find the “real deal”.
Find other articles in the same series:
Hiring a Wedding Planner in Tahiti vs Having a Resort Coordinator: Pro Insights Series
3 Non-Traditional Wedding Venue Options In Tahiti: Pro Insights Series
Why Should I Hire a Wedding Planner in Moorea: Pro Insights Series
Want To Work With A Wedding Planner You Can Trust? Email Me To Get Started!
