A series all about wedding mishaps and how they were dealt with by either myself or fellow event professionals offering coordination services.
Smooth event coordination requires (amongst other things) quick-thinking, experience and knowledge. It is a short-term role which supports Clients in the final few weeks of their event planning and on-the-day itself; whereby the responsibility to manage and oversee all the moving parts – often associated with any wedding or event – falls on you, the event professional.
In this role, I have learned that it is essential to react effectively to the problem in front of you, with as little flap as possible. The next scenario detailing the importance of this skillset is:
Confetti canons with unclear instructions:
There was a very specific photo that inspired the Bride whose wedding I was working on this occasion, that involved confetti canons popping as the Bride and Groom walked back down the aisle after their ceremony. I had been provided with enough confetti canons for every other guest, and so it was a task that had been delegated to me to ensure they were under the chairs before the ceremony started, so everyone could then be briefed at the end of the ceremony by the celebrant.
As lovely as the confetti canons were, it soon became apparent that the way in which they should be held – so that the confetti went over the couple as opposed to the person holding the confetti canon – was unclear. The instructions were written on each canon, but in the same colour as the packaging which made them hard to read; had I not have checked these before the ceremony was due to take place, the special moment would have been missed!
To ensure everyone had everything they needed to facilitate the confetti-filled picture, I consulted our emergency event kit and sourced a marker pen so that I could draw an arrow pointing the correct way up; which was visible to the naked eye to avoid any delays and/or confusion.
TOP TIP: Check and double-check! When working with a resource that you haven’t before, do a practice run so you feel confident managing the situation.
With special thanks to the team that made it happen:
- Planning & Design – Lucy Meehan Events
- Photography – Helen Warner Photography
- Florist – Love Flowers UK
- Marquee – Countryside Marquees
