Why a Catering Manager is NOT a Wedding Coordinator

Let me repeat that: Catering Manager ≠ Wedding Coordinator

I’ve heard this many times, “Oh, my Catering Manager said I don’t need a coordinator. He/She can handle everything!” And here are my Top 5 reasons as to why this could backfire. Of course all of these do not apply in every situation, but they are definitely valid points to consider when planning your wedding! Please note: I know many Catering Managers who are just awesome and go above and beyond for their clients (and me!). But like I said in point 2, let them do their job. They will love you for it!  

1) Your catering manager works for the venue/catering company, and thus their first loyalty is to their employer and employer’s bottom line. Not Yours.

2) Depending on how much event space is at your venue, your catering manager could potentially be handling multiple weddings/events on your wedding day. There is a good chance they are also overseeing set-up for someone else, so let them do their job: manage the food, beverage and sales. By the way, they inwardly groan when they have to arrange your escort cards and may not have time to set up that 30 piece candy buffet or the meticulous tablescape you planned out with your parents’ wedding photos and faux birds and butterflies!

3) In the event industry, the turnover rate is extremely high, especially when it comes to catering managers, whether it be at a hotel, venue, or catering company. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve called a venue to speak to the catering manager (who I have developed a relationship with!) only to find out that he/she is no longer there, and has moved on to a different hotel/company/etc. So that awesome catering manager who you signed your contract with (and who was a big selling point!)… may not be there in 9 months! And they may have been replaced with someone who you just don’t click with.

4) If you are having an on-site ceremony at the venue (versus a church), who’s going to run your ceremony rehearsal? Probably not your catering manager! If you’ve ever been to a ceremony rehearsal where there wasn’t a designated person in charge and who knew what they were doing, it can be a complete. MESS.

5) The catering manager is not obligated to answer your wedding-related questions about  etiquette, invitations, color schemes, flowers, decor, music, transportation, and all the other 973,298,156 nitty gritty details you may have questions about.

Preview of Last Night’s Wedding at the Drake

I finally remembered to take my camera with me to a wedding! I almost hate to spoil my eventual post with the pro-pictures by showing my own shoddy images… but I can’t resist!

Cocktail hour was in the stunning Palm Court. This was a huge upgrade that the hotel threw in at the last minute. Apparently this room alone rents for $6,500, eeks!

Arranging escort cards on a circular table can be like a math puzzle. I would like to point out that my dear husband arranged all the escort cards below… he did a fabulous job! (I taught him well, hahahaha) 

My bride and groom were breathless when they entered… for good reason, no?

Their coral, gold and white color scheme was perfect in the Gold Coast Ballroom.

I’m rather excited that I finally have the next few weekends off before the next slew of weddings!

TIP: Feeding Your Bridal Party

Brides, this may seem like a minor detail, but have you given some thought as to what you will feed your fabulous Bridal Party on the day of your wedding?

Believe me, a hungry bridal party is a CRANKY bridal party!

So think about where you are getting ready and what you can conveniently feed them. Whether it is bagels, breakfast food, sandwiches, pizza, sushi (ok, maybe don’t want to risk raw fish) whatever, don’t forget that they need to eat… and so do you! Remember to eat something on your wedding day; the last thing you want to do is keel over at the alter!

What are you planning to feed your people?

 
P.S. Sorry for the lack of posts… I am trying to get through my busiest month ever, so I promise I’ll be back to my regular blogging schedule in two weeks or so!

The Inevitable Wedding Planning Slump

Most couples planning their wedding will experience a “planning slump”. According to statistics, the average American engagement period lasts 14 months, but in my experience in the Chicago area, it’s more along the lines of 9 – 14 months. For example’s sake, during the term of a hypothetical 12 month engagement period, the “slump” often occurs between months 6 – 9, or let’s call it the "Third Quarter”, aka Q3. Let’s break it down.

Q1 is when you make all of the big decisions: the budget, the date, the church/officiant, the venue, the caterer, the Dress, photographer, videographer, DJ/band, florist, as well as decisions such as the first draft of your guest list and your wedding’s ”style”, color scheme, etc, etc…

Then comes Q2 when you make the secondary decisions such as bridesmaids dresses, your hair/makeup vendors, hotel blocks, transportation arrangements, etc…

Then you hit a slump. As you can tell, most of the major decisions have already been made! But it’s a bit early to work on the nitty gritty details such as menu cards (you haven’t finalized your menu yet!), the ceremony program (uhm, you haven’t figured that out yet!), the escort cards (you don’t know who’s coming yet!), or to draft your wedding day itinerary.

The slump is inevitable, so don’t sweat it! Enjoy the break because Q4 can get CUH-RAZY; prepare yourself! Most couples I work with hit this point and it’s totally normal. But, if you are totally itching to move forward, here are some things you can do to keep yourself ahead of the game:

- Start pre-marital counseling (if you plan to go this route)
- Collect addresses for your invitations
- Select and order your invitations or work with your stationer to design and print them
- Work with your officiant to personalize your ceremony
- Decide on ceremony music for your processional, bride’s entrance, interludes, recessional, etc.
- Plan your honeymoon!
- Take engagement pictures with your photographer
- Discuss travel arrangements with your out-of-town guests
- Schedule your wedding dress fittings (great seamstresses book up fast!)
- Look for fabulous wedding day accessories
- Decide what you want to do for your guestbook, cardbox, escort card display, etc. (be creative!)
- Start compiling a Play & Do Not Play list for the DJ/Band as well as “special” songs, i.e. introductions, cake cutting, first dance, father/daughter dance, last song of the night, etc.

I could go on and on! Don’t leave things til the last minute or you will be kicking yourself. :)

Did you experience a slump or are you currently going through it? What are you doing during the “down time”?