A Recipe for Successfully Working With Other Event Professionals

By Heather Flemke, National Association for Catering and Events, Columbia, Md.When it comes to wedding planning, the tendency to have “too many cooks in the kitchen” happens all too often. So here’s a recipe for successful event relations for event planners and professionals.Ingredient #1: Plan for the futureThere is a great deal of blood, sweat, and often tears involved in planning a wedding. Anticipating that issues may arise, it’s best for hired event professionals to connect and coordinate at the beginning of the process to avoid unnecessary pitfalls. In most local areas, prominent florists, lighting specialists, vendors, linen companies, and others will have already established working relationships and an understanding of each other’s abilities. However, it is not a bad idea to have an engaging conversation over the phone or in-person to discuss what each person envisions for the event. It is vital to stress, particularly for vendors, what the rules of the venue are, including the hours of availability, what specific rooms are available for rent, and so on. “By reinforcing a consistent vision, all participating event professionals can efficiently maximize the time they have to make it all fit,” says Terry Shields, CPCE, CSEP, director of catering and events at Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas, Texas.Ingredient #2: Play nice in thesandboxProfessionals in the events industry have their own distinguishable styles, tastes, and nuances when it comes to their work. It is easy to understand how the visions of a soon-to-be married couple, along with that of the participating event professionals, could conflict with each other in various circumstances. “Patience is a really good virtue when working with other professionals,” says Shields. “No one will get anywhere if you just draw a line in the sand. You have to be willing to play nicely together in the sandbox.”When dealing with issues among other professionals, it is important to sit down with the individuals and address the misunderstanding, rather than display the conflict in front of the client. Do whatever it takes to keep the relationships cordial and civil because, at the end of the day, the event ultimately needs to be flawless and the client needs to be happy. Try to make the process as seamless and professional as possible. Whether the interaction behind the scenes is going well, the client should remain unaware. Professionalism is key.Ingredient #3: Act as a guideNowadays, clients have access to Pinterest, Instagram, Tumblr, and other social media channels that provide inspiration for their big day. Although this has been a huge benefit for clients looking to break the mold of a traditional event, it has become a brain overload for many. People can lose focus of their theme or vision in an effort to include the various floral arrangements, food ideas, cocktail recipes, and decorations that they see while scrolling through their social timelines. Event professionals are not just planners; they are experts as well. Whether you are a florist, photographer, vendor, or planner, it is important to help the clients narrow their ideas and lead them in the right direction.Customization is a huge trend right now. It’s all about what the client likes. This can be cumbersome for people who aren’t used to planning events. For example, it’s not uncommon for a couple to unwittingly slide into playing the wedding coordinator or event planner role for their own wedding. “The line between logic and emotion is very thin when it comes to weddings,” says Shields. “Planners need to manage their clients so they find the balance between the two.” One way to remedy this is to learn everything you can about the client and give them the best choices possible for their vision. Creating a log of photos and themes or ideas is important to do, but weeding out or narrowing down these ideas by making them cohesive is absolutely vital.Overall, when combining these ingredients, the final product should, hopefully, result in a successful event for an extremely happy couple. For event planners and professionals alike, this job is best served with a shared congratulatory drink post-event. ••