As a catering professional I often am contacted by people who want things that are difficult or impossible to manage. Today is one of those days, a early morning meeting with a bride to be and her mother proved very challenging. They are having a wedding in late August, outside at a friends home by the pool….so I met them at the location. A beautiful home in "University Park", with a fantastic pool area, the landscaping was FLAWLESS! I understood why she had chosen this beautiful setting!
Now to the delima, she has 150 guest, and a pool deck that is 8′ wide, a patio that is 35′x15′, and NO yard. The event is to be only in the pool area! She wanted to sit the guest for the wedding in chairs around the pool, then place tables around and serve a dinner…..well that isn’t going to happen! I explained the venue would not work for this set-up, she began to cry, and her mother became a "Pitt Bull" with an attitude to match! I suggested having the wedding in another location and the reception here poolside. Mom blew a gasket! and said "we know what we want and you have to do it like we say".
I have a reputation to protect as a caterer & event planner, so I said I must decline to do the event and suggested they call another caterer. Mom lost her mind! It was like something out of "The Twilight Zone", she used language very unladylike, and said……. "YOU WILL DO THIS! HOW DARE I MAKE HER DAUGHTERS WEDDING NOT WHAT THEY WANT! AFTER ALL I AM BEING PAID!" Well anyone who knows me will tell you I know my business. My motto has always been "Know your limits, never take on a job you can not pull off. No matter how good the money is." My reputation is all I have, I do not need 150 people leaving this wedding and talking bad about me, unhappy guest tend to talk more than happy ones, and people always want to hear about a tragic event". OK its out of hand, so now is the time to be the professional. I suggested we all calm down, and I would show then some options I though may save the day. I knew it was going to be a long day!
I called the rental place and ordered 150 white folding chairs and 15- 8′ round tables…it cost me, but they said they could have them at the location in 2 hours. So I took the clients to breakfast, it was a very unpleasant time. I suggested we just all calm down, and when the chairs arrived I would place them around, and see what could be done. I felt like if I did not take these steps to satisfy their anger at me it would all fall back on me later. Yes, it was no sure thing I would prove anything or even get the job, but they couldn’t say I didn’t try to make them happy. Ya know a "Pancake" always helps ease the tension, and things began to calm, mom even said she was sorry for the way she acted to me….Things are looking up!
Well, we are back at the location, the chairs are here with the tables. I began setting the chairs. After only 73 were placed there was no room for the rest…and the tables? You get the idea, we worked on a few set-ups none worked the most chairs we could get were 85 max and still no tables! Here came the tears…I said "Please lets all calm down and figure this thing out". Mom and bride were now willing to listen. As I said it is a beautiful home, and it has a great front yard, so lets utilize it as well.
My suggestion the wedding out front, its got plenty of shade from 2 big trees, a fantastic fountain, beautiful flower beds, and plenty of room for the event! Mom was ecstatic, the bride stopped crying, and here I went setting the chairs up to show the option would work! They loved it! but still the dinner was out, no way it would work like they wanted. I suggested perhaps a more contemporary approach, a cocktail party set-up. After all they could spend less on flowers they had thought about for the pool area, and I would get smaller tables and fewer chairs for the reception, the food would become passed Hors d’Oeuvres and we could make this the wedding of the year! Now I am someone they know they can trust, I told them many times in life we must work with what we have, and make the best of every situation by being flexible. The excitement began to take over, things were about to become workable for me and they would be happy as well.
Well we spent 6 hours together today not what I thought was the plan, but in the end I have a signed contract! And they are happy with the changes that needed to be made for this event! Not only will this wedding be a time to remember for the bride and groom and the guest, it will be workable for me as well. My food cost will go down, labor will go down, we will need a few more chairs less tables, no linens, and they will save on flowers as well.
You should always keep an open mind, be willing to work with the client, and they should always trust the professional to know their capability for the event and the venue. Nothing is ever perfect, make the best of the situation, and bend to accommodate on both sides. The clients hire us as professionals, we should act that way. I knew I wanted this wedding, the money was great, and it could work, just not exactly the way the client had thought. Yes I took on some added expense, and I spent alot of time and energy making my point, but in the end I have a happy client who will talk highly about the experience they had with me today. I also have their trust, so I must make this event something to exceed their expectations, and I intend to do just that!
As the client, plan ahead, never let it go, get it out of the way. Trust me weddings always have a glitch or two you never expect at the last moment. And get others involved but stay on top of things yourself! Be willing to bend a bit, and do not put yourself in debt for 20 years doing it! A good event planner will want you to be able to afford the event and work with you to get the results you desire. Keep it simple, have fun, relax, this is your day!….if you are useing a caterer you do not know, check them out! Personal refrences are best, trust your instincts, if the professional says yes, yes, yes, and has no questions or advice…RUN! In the end be happy with the plan before you sign the contract!
I have worked in the Dallas area for many years now and always by referral only. My reputation is all I have so I make it work in my favor. A pleased client is your best advertising! I left the area for a few years, and returned a few months ago. I called a few old clients and began working again as a caterer & event planner. I took some time for myself and moved to Hot Springs, AR, while there I made a name for myself as a professional in catering . Still I will travel there to do events for those who believed in me, but being home is great! Reputation is all we have in this world to make us stand out, so use it wisely…. A wise woman once told me…"If your going to do something, do it so people will remember you for it, make a name for yourself! Your work should always reflect you as the best of the best, or don’t do it at all. Make every moment count, and know your trade like no other…..be PROUD to be you, and NEVER let someone bully you into something you will regret later"! See Big Ann I did listen sometimes…………
