Transcript
Speaker: Planning a wedding comes with timelines, trends, expectations, and a whole lot that couples never see coming. We're two wedding planners pulling back the curtain on what really happens behind I do. Each week on Behind I Do, we bring you real talk about real weddings, timelines, trends, the wins, and the what ifs.
Speaker: From the smooth as silk celebrations to the did that actually just happen moments, we're sharing the stories, lessons, and insider knowledge that help couples plan with confidence and maybe even laugh along the way.
Speaker: Whether you're a bride, groom, vendor, or wedding lover at heart, this is your backstage pass to the world of weddings. Told candidly, graciously, and with the expertise only seasoned planners can offer. Grab your coffee, your planning binder, and your confetti, and join us behind I do. All right, episode 23, peak season.
Speaker: Here we go. What peak season really looks like for us.
Speaker: So, yeah, I mean, obviously we like. post on social media or website and you see all the pretty stuff, but a lot of times people don't see them. 14 hour. Plus days sometimes that we're working, so.
Speaker: I don't know. It is just. Crazy. To like know the reality and feel the reality of. A wedding day. I think that's sometimes too, because we even sometimes, I guess, post about like behind the scenes, but to actually be on your feet for 14 hours, the feel is like.
Speaker: surreal Totally different when you're sweaty and dead by the end of the day. Yeah. and Peak season, some people may not know, and it's typically seasonal and like... location dependent. Peak season for Idaho, we consider May through October. with June and October being...
Speaker: Well, September, October. yeah being our busiest. craziest months july and august usually we get a little bit of a reprieve i think it's too hot for a lot of Yes. That want the outdoor wedding experience, but don't.
Speaker: want to kill their guests with smoke and heat. Yeah, I think smoke is another big factor for sure. Yeah. Fire season. um Yeah, and then... So, yeah, I mean, the busiest weekend this year we had. It was June 26th through the 28th. We did seven weddings that weekend. so It was pretty wild. So it's...
Speaker: Yeah, it was crazy. It was crazy. And that's like something to think about. um When you start planning your wedding. It's like... When you check in with vendors.
Speaker: If you have a vendor that you want, I would check their availability first because. I know it was really hard to find vendors that weekend. Yeah. So if that's some if there's a vendor that you want.
Speaker: Outside of your venue, obviously your venue is going to be the number one. But if there's like a makeup artist that you don't want to get married without. Yeah. Start with their availability. right And work backwards. And that's like, I mean, like some of our couples that we help plan, it's like that's, I mean, it seems crazy, but almost a year out isn't.
Speaker: enough time sometimes for June and September specifically. And like we said, even October a little. like you some you might have to book some of those vendors like a year and a half.
Speaker: If they'll let you or like a lot of makeup artists around here won't let you. Don't book more than a year out. So like. We, so you know, we have to put it on our calendar, like, okay, exactly. You're out, reach out to them. So.
Speaker: you know We always joke with some couples, ah yeah, if you want to get married in these peak months, like you're going to have to get on it. vendor -wise fast. And then you can have a little bit of a lull of like... Waiting to start really planning until you get closer.
Speaker: Totally. So for peak season this year, we did 37 weddings. Or will do, I guess. We're still currently in peak season right now, which is crazy. Yeah. um So that's what we try to.
Speaker: Like we share that to explain to people where our heads are and like how. crazy it is for us truly to go through a peak season and we're so fortunate because we have three of us owners that plan weddings and we also have an awesome team and two of our team members take on weddings as well. So that's not just.
Speaker: yeah For an eye or one of us, but it is a lot for all of us. and um There's so much behind the scenes. yeah And it's like, even if it's not necessarily like.
Speaker: one of us planning it or that is the lead, it still is a lot of... time and pressure and mental stress on us because it's our team it's our name and like how are things going and like I think we've mentioned before, like even if one of our employees is the lead, like one of us owners still touches that wedding and still goes to the wedding for it a portion of it to make sure things are like.
Speaker: happening how they're supposed to. so Yeah, its peak season is wild. And like to think that even outside of those peak. though. Pinguin. peak season months. We have weddings and events like outside of that. Like we still have some.
Speaker: I mean, I think total this year we'll have done 45. So it's like... you know Not that it's that much more, but there still are some that are kind of in the off. season that are still also on our brain. so It's crazy. Which is wild.
Speaker: yeah And leading up to these weddings. What gets really crazy is all the... prep work because when you have that many weddings happening like seven in one weekend that means the seven timelines are due two weeks before that so and layouts and all of that so and a walkthroughs like there's so much that goes on in that planning process and sometimes we've been working with the couple as a planning client so Word.
Speaker: a little more filled in with their wedding, like throughout the process, but our wedding management clients. kind of come back to us and work really closely like those three months leading up. So that's when we're doing a lot of their.
Speaker: Final meetings, final walkthroughs, final timeline calls. So it's just a lot of hours. into a short amount of time. But we really have to. Yeah. scheduled strategically. I think at one point...
Speaker: There was a weekend and we did like a Sun Valley walkthrough, a McCall walkthrough, a Garden Valley walkthrough. We're trying to but bust them all out. Because they all just kind of fall in line at the same time. And also, these are all things that we have to like schedule around the venues. Schedule two, so it's not always like we can just go on any given Saturday.
Speaker: And like the client schedules, it's so many working. you So many parts. Yeah. And just like keeping track of like. Like. getting your head ready for, okay, this is the wedding that this one's meeting. And then I have a walkthrough for this wedding this day and just like trying to keep it all straight.
Speaker: Yes, and trying to remember is, like, the hardest part. like You were doing a sweetheart table, right? I'm like, no. And you're like. Okay. Yeah. That was the other one. Yeah. So it's like, I've tried to get in the better habit of like reviewing my past notes before every like meeting just to like refresh my brain. Like we do care and we don't want to like.
Speaker: mix it up and mess up or whatever, but. It also is the reality we have a lot. In our brain. Yes. Lots of weddings going on at one point in our brains. For sure. We're also going through so many emails. Jaden's the queen of our email inbox.
Speaker: um She loves it to be clean and tidy. um But sometimes like one of Jane's weddings last weekend and had 20. Or more vendors. I think it was, yeah. 22 vendors. So those are like.
Speaker: It just gets insane in our email inbox because you're communicating with 22 vendors. And that was a wedding weekend where we had five events in one weekend. so so to also communicating with at least five to ten vendors for every other event too so something that we spend A lot of our time doing in the background that our couples don't really get to see is so much communication about. when they're going to arrive, when they're going to leave, what they're bringing, what they need. like
Speaker: Horsewood, for example, needs four parking spaces at Boise State because they're grilling on site. yeah So then you have to you have that email and then you have to email the venue and request the four parking spaces and wait for them to respond back and then email the. Later, back.
Speaker: So I think that sometimes is the hardest sometimes, too, is that you've you're doing your due diligence of sending all these emails to all these vendors, trying to get everything that they need to put it all together. But then, like...
Speaker: remembering to like follow up with all of them because you're just hoping, okay, I've emailed you. Boise State. Now I'm just going to not reach back out because you're going to get back to me. But then, you know, next thing you know, it's been a week and you're like, oh, crap. Like, yeah, I need to follow up. I'm like, oh, did did we get those parking spots? And you're like, you're like, I don't know. I never heard back. No one's responded. 100%.
Speaker: Yes, lots of... babysitting your email inbox and trying to make sure that people. know what's going on and they're also in the middle of px right yeah so that's a hard part too is i think You have to understand when you're reaching out to wedding vendors during these months.
Speaker: That if you're reaching out like a Friday through Monday. They're probably at an event. Yeah. And so it will. Or trying to recover from an event. Yeah. So it'll take a little while for people to get back.
Speaker: And we always kind of say... Finally, once we get to the event day. It's like... It's such an exciting day. It's such a relief. Like we finally made it and all that planning has paid off.
Speaker: And once everything is. Once ceremony is set up and going... Oh my gosh, it's like I can breathe. Yeah, we can finally breathe. Once we send... them down the aisle it's like Okay. We did it. We're getting married. The most important part of the day, the wedding is going. Yeah. And we, like...
Speaker: As... It's such a good feeling and a sad feeling. We have like no control over ceremonies usually because it's... The officiant and the DJ, like whoever's running sound.
Speaker: Is really who is like. in charge and can make or break the ceremony so we just Send them down the aisle. And we're like that's what we joke with the wedding party. It's like at the rehearsal. I'm like, once we send you, it's like.
Speaker: It's all up to you guys. Like there's nothing we can do. So run up there and like reposition you or yeah do any any changes. in So it's such a relief. And that's what makes also the wedding day the easiest too is like. we said Because we do that rehearsal and we prep, we try, because a lot of...
Speaker: people are like, we don't really need to do rehearsal. A lot of our wedding parties been in weddings before. And I'm like, yes, I understand that. However, it is just good practice. for them to come. Let's talk through it. Literally, we can do rehearsals in like 20 minutes. Like if everyone's listening and we it's but it's just a good refresher for everyone, even if they've been in a wedding before. But also, you know, there could be different transitions or like, you know, maybe your maid of honor has been in a wedding, but she's never been a maid of honor before. So she doesn't know she has to fluff the dress like.
Speaker: You know, there are still things. And I even think that's with everything else of the wedding, what makes it easier is because we've. sent all these emails. We've done all this communication that we're like, There usually aren't a ton of like...
Speaker: hiccups I mean, there always are, but there's not a... like a ton of major ones because we've problem solved it all before. total So it's just like. It's just the execution. And then that's where the little hiccups sometimes like, oh, we don't have trash bags or like whatever the little things are. like Come up.
Speaker: We can handle those because we've done so much work. And stressing before the day. Before the day. I also love a rehearsal because I love to introduce myself and tell people where to come when there's a problem tomorrow. For sure. Because I'm like, come to me or anyone on my team in black yeah yeah when you have an issue because there will be something that comes up. And then that way they're not going straight to the bride or groom yes when someone hasn't arrived or something didn't go right. or
Speaker: Something's broken like. At one point, a coffee table got broken at a venue. And it's like instead of stressing family out, like someone was able to just discreetly be like, hey. We broke the coffee table, like, let us know what we need to do. And the thing with that too, which is nice, is when you work with... us like we have really good relationships with a lot of the venue owners around here so we can have those conversations with the owners and not make it a big deal and just like...
Speaker: alert them ahead of time and they're more understanding because it's like we Had that conversation with them and they know us. Surprise to them. So sometimes it's almost better that we handle the problem with the venue versus... the family or the couple because we can usually squash it.
Speaker: A lot are better. Yeah, for sure. So yeah, I mean, the physical side, like we've kind of said, like we typically work 12 to 16 hours. I mean, it really depends on. The venue on the couple. Yeah. I mean, like, most for example, we've done. One, and we'll do the second. wedding for like venue owners. So they have obviously a little more.
Speaker: flexibility on when what we can do. So those days are going to be a little longer. But typically, I would say average, it's like 14 hours. that we are like constantly on our feet. Um,
Speaker: Yeah, the first wedding I did, I literally tracked it and I walked a half marathon that day. It was. The longest venue walk from the Bridal Suite. to the ceremony site. It was so pretty, but yeah, just gorgeous, hot, middle of COVID.
Speaker: Her big day. Crazy day. But we do that every day. We walk so much. I mean, I would say almost every wedding. It's like, we've probably hit that. Yeah. And it's... I don't know. And then even sometimes too, it's just like, yeah, we don't have time to sit down, but also it's like.
Speaker: I don't really want to sit down because if I sit down, I'm not going to want to get back up. And then that's when you like feel your feet throbbing. And like, because usually it's like when I get in my car at the end of the night and I sit down for the first time that everything's like. wo That's the best time to do. Not at dinner when you still have to clean up the entire wedding. Yeah. Yeah, for sure.
Speaker: But yeah, and just like, I mean, we're carrying things that we didn't maybe anticipate or just like, you know, the one of the last weddings I did, the chairs were a lot bigger than we're.
Speaker: used to so then I mean like all of us joked like I think the two or three assistants I had that day they all had like bruises just because you had to carry it differently or whatever and we had to move all the chairs from ceremony to reception so you're just chairs or like we have to move the cake and we didn't anticipate that the cake weighs 30 pounds four chairs and we're doing it in front of yeah 100 people your arms are shaking so But yeah, and just really making sure that we're hydrating. I mean, like water is super important. We try to all like... remind each other.
Speaker: Eating. you know Wearing comfortable shoes. Obviously, we always get coffee for the whole team before every wedding day. i mean Let's try to keep people happy. Uber Eats sometimes if we need it. Because, yeah, it's a long day. And and it's hard, too, with the food part. I feel like by dinnertime.
Speaker: I don't want to eat the dinner. Like, and it's no offense. because I've had caterers that we work with a lot. They're like, well, you don't like our food, like whatever. It's so good. but And it's like, it's not that, but it's like, this has been such a long day and I don't want to sit down and eat a steak and mashed potatoes. Like, because again, I don't know if I'll get back up. Like sometimes it's easier for me to eat a sandwich and carrots or something that's like.
Speaker: Simple. Easy yeah that I can just grab and eat when I want. and Instead of sitting down to have a full meal. Yeah. That was funny. it's the Us as owners don't like to eat.
Speaker: I have celiac so I can't usually eat what they have. That's true. But then our team is like so excited to eat, which I love. I'm like, go. You go eat. Like, i sit down. I do think it's a... I think when I get to be an assistant, which is rare. But I do think it's different. I think when i when you're the lead, your brain is...
Speaker: Going, going, going. Going, going, going. And you're just like, I don't. I don't want to sit and eat. So I do think there is something to that. That piece. Yeah, when you're the assistant, you're like, oh, the pressure's not on me. Yeah, now I can just sit and enjoy this. I'm going to eat the steak, yeah. This will be amazing. For sure. Which that I think could be.
Speaker: A podcast for sure is vendor meals. Like I have a hot take on that. We won't dive into it, but. I think we could talk about that. If you want to know. Yeah, stay tuned. I mean, just like the...
Speaker: Like mental exhaustion that comes from. Prepping for a wedding and then like the post -wedding day. You were asked no less than 100 questions. on a wedding day by your team we are yeah yeah we are by wedding but vendors like it is just crazy they like come rapid fire at you the minute you walk into that venue oh yeah until the end of the night like where does this go yeah where are we putting in this where do leftovers go Where is. The seating chart. Yeah.
Speaker: And even if you have the best layout and the best executed timeline and it's like well written and everyone should know what they're doing, there's still things that come up. And a lot of the time there's stuff that the bride and groom bring that we didn't know about. Yeah, like, oh, this is new. No, we didn't talk about this. This cute bow that yeah says just married this month hopefully goes on the car. Yeah, yeah. like It's so true. And we joke that usually like the hour to two hours before ceremony is. I feel like the most stressful for us because. Vendors are starting to arrive and families starting to arrive. And it literally is.
Speaker: And we just have to be like, oh my gosh, hi. And it's like Allie said, as soon as they get there, they're just like, hey, hey, hey. And it's like, I mean, I've had a... wedding where I literally was trying to sort. name cards because they didn't sort them prior to, which please don't do that to your planner. But I'm literally trying to do that and get it done quickly. And then vendors are showing up and like, you can tell that I'm stressed and try and they're just like.
Speaker: hovering over me and like, I'm just like, read the timeline and layout that I sent you. Yeah, I hope you right now. You know, but that's our job. It's like being ready and... Trying to remember every vendor that's coming and where they're supposed to be and what they're supposed to be doing and like answering all these questions. And when the mother of the bride wants to come talk to you, still being like.
Speaker: Hello, like we're doing great. Everything's good. It's our job to have our... like on the outside look like we're just like calm. Yeah. And put together. Yeah. And that's like one of our best compliments is people are like, you were never stressed during our wedding day. And it's like. That is what I love to hear. I was little did you know all day. But you never knew it. And that's like the most important part is just staying calm. There's so many like moments that can get heated at weddings.
Speaker: And even even between vendors or between vendors and guests. And it's just so important to just be the calm. And just. Keep finding solutions like that. I'm just like, we are problem solvers. Like that is what we get paid to do all day long. Yes. And so we just try to stay calm and happy. um And just like not ever have our face show that we're stressed. I mean.
Speaker: On the flip side, we are human, like things are going to happen. Yes. But that truly is like our goal is that like you cannot. ever tell that we are like Maybe you want to cry, like, because something happened. so Yeah, it's It's the mental stamina is a real thing. It is. I think it's, yeah, for sure. And making you want to cry. Then there's a whole like emotional side of weddings.
Speaker: That come with like... Especially, I mean, with all weddings, weddings are emotional, period. because It's just... a Like sweet, sacred. event. And like bring all the families together, the toast, like one of us is usually crying throughout the night for toast. Like something happens where it is super emotional. But then on top of that, when you know these people and you've been. planning with them and you know a lot of the details sometimes even like memory tables will get me like if it's like
Speaker: the gra One of our brides had like butterflies on her wedding cake to remind her of her. Someone in their family. And there's things like that that just get you. So there's always like something throughout a wedding day that on top of being like. Super.
Speaker: like exhausted and stressed out with all the other details then you have this whole emotional component Right. And we like. I would say for almost all our couples are like deeply invested and like want to make it the best day possible. And like Ali said, some of these couples we've been working with for 12 plus months. And it's like.
Speaker: We've created this relationship and this bond and we want everything to be perfect and we love them. and I mean, like I most recently had a wedding that like the morning of their wedding, I... wanted to cry of just like sadness that like I'm not gonna see this couple anymore and as much as we say yeah let's you know still get coffee here and there it's just like Life is crazy. And so it's just sad to think that. that time with them.
Speaker: is like over and so yeah that emotional piece also is like They're so lingering over you. But you're are then also so emotionally excited to send them off and get them married. so Yeah, like we finally did everything that we to get married wanted to do and planned to do. But. it's It's... A lot of it's an emotional roller coaster. I feel like mentally, physically, emotionally. For sure. And then like at the end of the night.
Speaker: ah We always... Especially, I mean, even if we're even if we're at the same wedding and we're driving home together, we like have to talk about every detail of the wedding. But it especially happens when we're not. together then we have to call each other on the phone even if someone's like home And not working at wedding. And we're like, okay.
Speaker: So this happened, this happened. Like the amount of times like two of us have been in the car and we call our third owner just to like. loop everyone in yeah and just like vent it out yeah sure it's just a lot and it's a long day and it's
Speaker: Learning too, like a lot of learning lessons. This we should have done differently. Like, we're never going to let this happen again. And things like that. We need to add this to our contract. Yes, exactly. Or we use this like out of our red box. Yeah, we need to restock it. We use this on Amazon. So there's a lot of like decompression.
Speaker: Jaden always showers when she's from a wedding. have I'm like too tired sometimes. with If it's a sweaty, hot summer wedding, then you just have to because you're just sticky. yeah And gross. And you're like, okay, which is, it is like the most relaxing.
Speaker: shower of your life because It's like midnight or one in the morning. No one's awake. Just quiet. Yeah, it's quiet. You can just take a nice shower, go to bed. We always try to sleep in the day after a wedding.
Speaker: It's going to get harder. I was going to say now with babies, I don't know. It doesn't really always happen. But we try our best to like get good sleep afterwards. Yeah. um And it's like it is hard to go to bed sometimes because you're just.
Speaker: wired still and you've just been at like a massive dance party but you haven't been drinking yeah but you feel like but that's like the craziest part is you just have that high of like you feel like you just partied in more ways than one and like the high and also like the like feeling hung over a little bit like totally the event hangover is so real my god you just feel like you have been hit by a bus A hundred percent. And it's probably like, I mean, mostly being on your feet and like the.
Speaker: Probably like dehydration. Which we drink like so. Like we drink a ton of water. It's not like we're not drinking any water, but. But that's why it's a good reminder. I always joke that I like my husband to help.
Speaker: So my husband helps with weddings every now and then as an assistant. And I like it because it's a good reminder for him of like what I do. Yeah, because I think sometimes, you know, they go, you're ah you just get to go to work, quote unquote, all day. And I have the kids and blah, blah, blah. And now you want to sleep in it's like.
Speaker: He's even said, he's like, like Ali said, that the wedding hangover for us is like. 100%. Like, yeah everything hurts. You're... Like... you've decompressed everything. You feel hung over. Like you're just like, you don't know what. time or day it is like you just need a veg on the couch so it's a good reminder for him to for remember la yeah Remember what I do. Hmm.
Speaker: And there's so much that couples don't see. like on the wedding day, but also like all the planning leading up to it. So that kind of leads into like the exhaustion and how much. like effort goes into this peak season time period um like the morning of the wedding like i'll text the bride like if i know their hair and makeup starts at 6 15 like i'll text them at 6 30 hey just checking like did hair and makeup arrive yeah especially like if we're not there It's so hard to like.
Speaker: Like, we want to make sure, yeah, yeah or we'll text the bridesmaid, like, whoever our point of contact is that day and, like, try to get things addressed quickly. Yeah. Yeah. And just like things that like, you know, we get to the onsite and the linens are wrong, like they're not the right size. So then it's like we're calling or the event company only gave us half the order or we've had the wrong size of poles for cocktail tables. Like they're supposed to be short cocktail tables, but they're tall. like
Speaker: How's that? So, I mean. They left the napkins out. Yeah. I mean. So like we're solving those things. like Yes, there's so many. Rental companies, we love you. We also have some beef with you because it has been a rough time. This season has been. Really, we've had multiple weddings. Everywhere. Multiple cities, not even just locally. Yeah. It's just been a rough go of it. Yeah, it's been.
Speaker: Or like, I remember one where, yeah, like they use the, they it was a white tent and they. used a black extension cord to hang the chandelier. And I literally was like, Why would you do that? Like that doesn't look good. Like this is like, you know, a very expensive wedding. And now we have a black extension cord. in the ceiling of the tent. That's what your eyes drawn to, not the chandelier. I'm just like, what? So. you know Again, those are our...
Speaker: That's our job. Yep. That's our job. We love doing it. Yeah. One time I was in the bathroom and I heard a bridesmaid. Dress. Just like strap had broken. I'm like, okay, like, hold on. Let me go get our sewing kit. yeah So we're always like doing stuff behind the scenes, like moving.
Speaker: Chairs moving like. The cross. It was so funny. I had a wedding this spring and we moved the cross, huge cross, had this big floral arrangement from where ceremony was to behind the couple's head table. And the mom was like, when did that get moved? I never saw it move. And I was like.
Speaker: We did it. It's been done. Floral arrangements. Yeah. Moving floor arrangements, moving cocktail tables. Like, I mean, all sorts of things. So that's like, yeah. And then figuring out like the boutonnieres, like who's missing a boutonniere, like all those little things. Where did these 14 boutonnieres go? Was it a grandpa or the stepdad? Like who's on our list? Yeah. You know, and then also like family drama or like.
Speaker: I don't know. I mean, the I think the family drama we've had so much that I... We can pretty much handle it. and It's usually divorced parents that don't want to talk to each other, can't be in a photo together, whatever. But like recently I've had like rude wedding parties and it's just, which again, I don't.
Speaker: I like that our couples aren't aware of it, but sometimes I just want to be like, your friends are rude. Like, I mean, like straight up, like, and it makes our job so much harder. Because it's like, for whatever reason, these bridesmaids or groomsmen think that, oh, we're in the wedding party and we can just act.
Speaker: However, we like and run an all inclusive. Yeah. And like, don't have to go to Mexico. Right. Forget that. and it Their manners. For sure. And I get when the guests do it, but it's like wedding party. like you We need you. We need your help. And we're a team. Yes. And when you're not following the rules or you're getting mad at us because I'm asking you to not do something that I've also asked all the guests not to do. like I'm not trying to be rude, but like
Speaker: Your friend hired me to execute this and do things a certain way. And you're supposed to be helping me. That's why we always just say like, oh, like this is what Brianna wanted. yeah I always am just like.
Speaker: This is why I'm doing this. Or when I cut the line to grab them drinks. This is for the bride and groom. Just so people know. like this like we're not trying We didn't come up with this. yeah like This isn't like something that we decided. We are just...
Speaker: Trying to follow. The plan, exactly. We're sometimes missing things, like... The man on grandpa's cake cutter. A marriage license.
Speaker: yeah Like something really specific. and huge I feel like the marriage license is like hot topic of like, we had it, now we don't know where it is. And I'm always just like, don't worry about it. Just keep enjoying the day. We'll find it. We'll find it. One time, which we...
Speaker: Figured this out real fast. One time. The bridal party went down the aisle and left the rings. In the bridal suite. So during the ceremony, we see a bridesmaid running back to the bridal suite. And we're like, what happened? And when they came away from the wedding, we're like. Oh, we left the ring. Yes. So that's like a big reminder for us when we line up.
Speaker: Do you have the rings? yeah Where are they? Where are they? Lots of little fires that we had to put out. We try to keep this. Hidden from the couple. My favorite part is if we do end up meeting with our couples post -wedding is talking about these funny. Yeah. Oh, yeah. like
Speaker: Actually, we dropped your wedding cake. These little things that we fixed that yeah they were like, what? That happened at my wedding? I had no idea. And it's like, yep, that happened. It was so fun. We fixed it. Seriously. It's the best you don't know. It's our goal. Ugh.
Speaker: But yeah, and so how are we surviving back -to -back weddings in peak season? Like we said, in in these... last few months we'll have done 37 weddings. And a lot of that, it's like we have Friday, Saturday weddings or Saturday, Sunday weddings, or, you know, again, multiple weddings in a day. And it's like.
Speaker: keeping track of all these things and how we're surviving and I just think the big thing is like our timeline is like what we live and breathe by yes it's flexible things adjust but that is like we're You know, we try to create our timelines. Usually they're like.
Speaker: 10, 12 pages because it has so much information that like I could take Ally's timeline and like. executed so that helps us be like oh yeah this is where this is going that kind of stuff and We have so many systems and checklists that we've like created throughout the years that I think help us.
Speaker: Keep track of everything. Yeah. It's like a massive to -do list. Yeah. Like she said, and like, I don't even like the word time links, like she said. Weddings don't follow a timeline. specifically because things happened, toast take longer, dinner ended up going faster.
Speaker: We have to adjust all throughout the day so we aren't, like, sticking to it. But it is, like, truly a to -do list. Like, we do cross each item off that the bride and groom wanted. Like, we did get this done. Things are happening, yeah. This did get moved.
Speaker: These people arrived at this time just because it's so helpful. Like she said, that makes every wedding day so smooth. All of our team is looking at it all the time. Yes. All the vendors have access to it. The DJs usually print it. So I love when a DJ's printed my timeline. I'm like, like yes, you are my favorite DJ of the year. Thank you so much. Yeah, it's so sweet that they took the time to care and that they want to know like what's happening when is super helpful. Yeah.
Speaker: And I think the other thing that helps us survive outside of our timelines too is like vendor relationships. Like I think that... In pink season is like what? Truly like. Helps.
Speaker: save our lives so much is that we've built such great relationships with venue owners, DJs, photographers, florists, caterers. like that we trust and like A, want to help us, like we want to help them, like we want to support each other, but also that we know.
Speaker: they're going to make the day a little smoother because I know they're going to get their job done. I don't have to go make sure that the photographer is doing first look already. Like I know it's happening or like, you know, maybe the caterers look a little bit late, but like.
Speaker: Again, it's horsewood and I know they're going to show up and execute it. So I don't have to like stress about it. And I think that. relieves a lot because when we're in the chaos of peak season and we're working with vendors, we don't know.
Speaker: It is adding like another element on wedding day of like stress of like. Like, how do we get a hold of these people? like All of that. Word up. When we know it's our people, we're like, we're like okay. It's going to be great. We're good to go. Yeah. A lot of delegating on wedding day, too, like, is amazing. We have an awesome team. We have a set -up and tear -down team. And then assistants that work throughout the day. and like The more that they work, the better that they get and they know their jobs and they. are
Speaker: expecting things before we have to talk to them. Which is just a dream. Building a team and scaling to our team has like... been a game changer for us because i mean i think about six years ago when it was just the three of us And peak season. I mean, granted, we weren't doing 40 plus weddings a year, but still like it's.
Speaker: Being able to delegate. It is makes the. day goes so much better. And also knowing when to ask for help and being okay with asking vendors and being like, Hey, like, you know. Florist, I know that. You have a huge team. Like, can you help us light candles? Yeah, we're kind of running out of time. Yeah, lighting candles is a big one. So I think knowing when to ask for help and like really leaning on each other. And again, vendors really helps us like survive.
Speaker: And we try to do the same. Like if I see a florist arrive and it's like a one or two person team, I'm like, can we help you unload your van? Right. Let's get this going. What can we do to make your day better too? And like... Go on.
Speaker: We'll see. Oh, and just, I think too, trying to like. Prep our personal lives and doing all those things and having those boundaries of like. Like a thing that really helps us during during peak season is like 4th of July weekend and we we don't work. Like that helps give us time.
Speaker: So that really like helps and like trying not to plan stuff for like Sundays and Mondays or whatever it is past a wedding, I think really helps us during peak season. Yeah. So. Yeah. I mean, okay. And the last thing before we wrap up that I just think is funny, not, well, it is kind of funny, but. Just this peak season has been different for our team.
Speaker: you know As we've grown as a company, like we've scaled and... do more weddings and events and blah, blah, blah, which is amazing. And we've have all these systems and vendor relationships that helps us. survive.
Speaker: But then this year, two out of three of us owners decided to have children. New babies in the peak of peak weddings. In the peak. Like, I had my daughter end of June. Allie had her son the beginning of July, right? Middle of July. Yeah.
Speaker: So not ideal. um And it's funny because people joke with us. I'm like, well, you're planners. You didn't plan that very well. And it's like. Well, you can't really plan. And I'm just a firm believer is like.
Speaker: We love our business. I live and breathe this, but our personal lives have to come first and growing our families is and important. important. Should we have gotten pregnant at the same time? Maybe not. I mean, it made, and that literally the week I had my daughter, we had five weddings that Saturday. Jaden was supposed to work a wedding the day she had her. Yeah, the day I went into labor, I was supposed to work a wedding and then had a wedding.
Speaker: Two days after that. on top of four other weddings for the company that day. so I truly think my daughter was like, ha. Joke's on you, mom. But just it made. For a chaotic.
Speaker: little bit of time, but also like amazing and welcoming to babies and to our family. Because as most of you know, Allie is my sister -in -law. Amy is my mom. like Having babies is like.
Speaker: important to us as a company and as a family. so It made a little crazy and we really learned our limit of maybe we don't ever do. Five weddings in one day and or maybe don't have babies at the same time. Yes. i think everything happens for a reason and again our systems our team our vendor friends Really saved da our our life. Like June. 25th, so many vendors, like I wish I could just shout.
Speaker: Their names, like list them all that saved us, helped us, supported us. While I was in the hospital having a baby, like Allie was extremely pregnant. like It was wild. so It was wild. That was our peak season for you. What a crazy year. It was amazing. Yes.
Speaker: And we can't wait for next one. Yeah, we're ready for next peak season. Cheers.
