2017 Wedding Part II - One Wedding, Multiple Locations
Hello again! We are still sweltering through the Texas summer heat and missing the fall weather from our latest wedding. Our previous wedding post focused on some hurdles to working on an event from overseas. This post highlights the challenges faced when an event is happening in multiple locations and why having an event planner can be so helpful.
We covered planning from afar leading up to the event, but we did not cover continuing to plan the second part of the event from afar while executing the first part of the event. This particular wedding consisted of a ceremony in Ireland and a formal reception in Pennsylvania three days later, with other small events occurring throughout the week.
When hosting an event in multiple locations, a big part of the planning process is deciding which vendors to hire locally and which vendors to hire for the duration of the event. This is where an event planner’s experience and contacts are valuable. We can help determine what will be cost effective and how to best achieve consistency across all occasions. For example, for this wedding we booked one photographer to cover everything. Even with travel and accommodation costs, the expenses were still lower than hiring individual photographers at each event. There was no worry of missing specific shots or having to pose for the same photos more than once, the photographer developed a great rapport with everyone and the final products had a coherent look compiled in one album. Alternatively, it did not make sense to hire only one of other vendors, such as the florists. The availability of certain plants varies depending on location, which changes the cost and feasibility for each event. Yes, the separate events will have a slightly different appearance, but local florists are familiar with nearby spaces, so they will know how to make your venues look great and it will save you a ton of time and money!
It is great retaining vendors for an entire event because they have a good idea of everything that is going on and they are already onsite if changes need to be made. For the vendors not involved in the full stretch, however, someone needs to be accessible to them at all times—taking the burden off the wedding party can be the difference between a wedding to remember and one to forget. Hiring an event planner means that there are people available throughout the entire process to handle all the details and any issues so that the client can relax and enjoy the event.
Vendors are not the only people who need to be kept informed while some of the festivities are taking place. With events happening so far away from each other in such a short span of time, many of the guests will not be able to attend all of them. That means there are multiple groups of people who need to know where to go and when, multiple groups looking for menus that accommodate various food allergies, multiple groups that may change their RSVP last minute. Event planners take that stress from their clients by communicating updated information to all parties throughout the course of the event and making sure that those who could only attend one part still feel included in the entire experience. One such way that involvement was achieved at this wedding was with the help of the amazing videographers, who managed to edit the video footage from the events in Ireland and turn around a recap video to show in Pennsylvania a few days later. The video was played at the start of the reception so that the guests who were not able to witness the ceremony in person were still able to see the marriage take place and get a glimpse of what it was like to be there.
Event planners can also be beneficial to the group of people who do make it to both events, particularly the bridal party. In the instance of two countries in four days, our services can prevent the crew from getting overwhelmed. We put on our travel agent hats and handle the entire itinerary for the bridal party, including air travel, rental cars, accommodations and meals. We act as the main hub of communication and can wrangle anyone late or lost. We also serve as the one-stop shop for anything the bridal party may need. For example, our portable steamer came in handy on this trip since everyone wore their wedding attire during the ceremony and then again at the reception three days and a plane ride later.
There are so many things to consider when planning any event, but organization becomes even more crucial as moving parts are added. When you have an occasion such as a wedding spanning multiple days and locations, the start of the first event does not mean the work is over. Many brides opt to skip a wedding coordinator, but if your wedding is a bit more complex than most, it can make a world of difference having someone who is thinking about and able to manage the details so you can focus on your special occasion. If you would like the services of such hard-working and organized individuals, look no further!
