Hello everyone!
Ok, I am sooo excited about this post, my hands are actually shaking right now. I have quite a bit of thoughts to share today, so please bare with me if it gets too long.
I had lunch today with Azar from Principal Planner. Well, it was supposed to be brunch, but we were both late. After “blunch”, we decided to go for coffee on a terrace, from which we got kicked out after a couple of hours. So we ended up enjoying the late afternoon sunshine sitting on the grass on the Mountain. Now, if you don’t know what a wedding planner’s life is like, let me tell you: Two of them getting together, mid-May, to spend 5 hours doing nothing but chit-chatting is huge.
I totally heart Azar. Can’t really say that she’s a friend quite yet, but it’s well on its way there. I have such admiration for her work, and we promised to plan each others’ weddings if and when the time comes. We also discussed our booking dates for this summer, in case one of us got into a serious accident and needed a replacement. She is smart, witty, fun, and we are both in our mid-twenties, which I think sets us a bit apart in the Montreal wedding planning scene.
But what I love most is that even though we are, technically, “competitors”, we get along and truly enjoy eachother’s company. I mean, I love my friends and they love me, but who else can I talk to about weddings for 5 consecutive hours?
For those of you who don’t get to experience weddings from the “inside”, this industry can be pretty cut-throat. I happen to think that it’s a total shame. I do think of myself as a lady, and so I will not drop names, but copying, imitating, and down-right back-stabbing are regular guests on the wedding scene. Many seem to have forgotten what weddings are all about.
So, I thought I’d share with you some of the points Azar and I seem to agree on the most:
- We sincerely love our brides: Weddings are all about love. I believe that in order to be a great wedding planner, there’s gotta be something in each and everyone of my brides (and grooms) for me to love. Hopefully, they also love me back. When you love someone, you can get into their shoes, read bits of their mind, and totally understand their vision. And whether that vision is a lavish 400-guest fashionable affair, or a small backyard barbecue, a wedding planner needs to be able to disconnect from his/her personal vision and embrace the couple for who they are. And remember, love can’t be faked.
- We are total suckers for cheese: Azar is a sucker for seeing the bride all dressed up for the first time. I am a sucker for romantic slide shows and vows. We both admit to crying (secretly) at each and every one of our weddings. Now that’s love!
- We value our work ethic above all: This is a bit of a controversial topic, but I do not believe in kickbacks. If a vendor offers a gift or a special discount, it’s very highly appreciated, but I refuse to demand it. This is what gives wedding planners a bad name. Demanding that someone pay me a 10-20% commission means {a} that they hike their prices and the bride ends up paying for it, or {b} that I could have gotten my bride a 10-20% discount and didn’t. Both options seem scandalous to me. I much prefer to charge my clients upfront for what I think my work is worth. Demanding and receiving kickbacks would also mean that I’d start pushing my brides to work with suppliers simply because they pay me, not because their work is great. And let me tell you, some of the people out there don’t need to pay you 15% for you to bring them business. They’re quite busy as it is.
- Wedding planning can be life-threatening: A few weeks ago, Azar was texting one of her brides while driving and got into a fender-bender. I accidentally ripped out my belly piercing last summer during a wedding setup, and bravely worked the rest of the day and night with a huge, blood-soaked bandage on my stomach. Azar barely sees her adoring boyfriend. I, coincidentally, don’t even have one. We run on 4 hours of sleep every night. When I post something at 3am, she is the only one still up to comment. We don’t have stable salaries, we are glued to our Blackberries 24/7, and spending so many hours outside today made me realize that the last time I saw sunshine was in Thailand last September. I’m probably dying from vitamin D deficiency. But hey, like I said, it’s all about love.
- We are in love with our work: Well, I think that the previous paragraph sums it up. I randomly run into people who say: “Wow, you’re a wedding planner and you still love your job? Wait another few years and tell me what you think then”. I hate these comments. People, seriously, if you don’t love weddings, which are, by the way, all about love, please change industries. What do I want to be when I grow up? A wedding planner, absolutely and with all my heart.
And finally, I love, love, love that Azar and I can share stories, upcoming projects, and advice without the scare of copycatting. If she’s doing sweet tables, I’m doing invitations. If her thing is bows, my thing is doodles. Whatever the case may be, there’s plenty of room for both of us to peacefully co-work in the same field without a hint of bad feelings.
Oh, and did I mention? We have both been recently invited to join the upcoming Montreal section of Style Me Pretty. Anybody jealous? I certainly hope so.
xoxo
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
and we get to photograph for both of yous, so we win!
I know! We talked tons about the two of yous as well
All the passion and hardwork you put into planning really shows — with every email, meeting and suggestion I feel like the luckiest bride!!!
So well written, that I want to get married -:) I did not find you on Style Me Pretty, where are you hiding there?