What Wedding Problems Drive Planners Crazy?

Biz Bash, an event industry trade paper, recently ran a piece on what drives PR and corporate planners crazy at parties they attend.  Amy Sacco, founding partner and creative director, LDV Hospitality Nightlife, listed four points, three of which translated so well into wedding world, I had to share. Today, we cover Amy Sacco’s irritant number one* in the next few days, on to the next two.

When events are pitched as intimate or exclusive and then you find guests’ assistants there

 It doesn’t take a lot of creativity to translate this one into the wedding experience.

A couple explains their tiny, intimate wedding and matching brutally small head count. The venue only holds so many people, or there are budget issues, and that’s why the guest list is so lean, and you can’t bring your fiancé. Apologies are made, and tears are shed.

Who's coming?
Who’s coming?

Your tears dry pretty quickly, though, on wedding day when you’re seated with the bride’s sister’s boyfriend’s mother.  You think I’m kidding don’t you?  This happened to me.  The bride’s sister-in-law’s brother and her parents were there too.  My boyfriend of three years sat at home.  The upshot? I had a crappy time at that wedding, and remember it as an unpleasant experience to this day.

Wedding Paper Divas Wedding Day Needs - Programs, Menus, and more

The Fix:

Guest List Diplomacy. Think a little before you cross someone off or decide on your “plus ones.”  You could be changing a dear friend or relative’s experience of your wedding completely for the benefit of your father’s chiropractor.  This is your day, but do you want people to remember it as a miserable one?  Probably not.

Stay tuned for Amy’s next pet peeve, how it pertains to wedding planning, and how to avoid it!

Live well, and love well.

-Dinah

*Note. Amy’s Biz Bash quote started with this:

“I loathe the following, in no particular order…”  ergo this party fail is no more or less loathed than the others we will cover in the days to come.

Be grateful on Mondays

Being grateful on Mondays is a big deal at My Little Flower Shop for a few reasons.

  • Having just come off an amazing weekend full of wedding and parties,  we feel honored to be a part of the life of our clients and our community.
  • As a result, we have a thriving business.  We work hard, and we’re thankful for all that our hard work has brought us.
  • We work with the earth’s most beautiful creations: flowers.  To come to work every day to a shop full of beautiful blooms is a blessing.  Cubicles just aren’t our style.
  • Did I mention how amazing a community we are a part of? Other businesses, business organizations, friends, family…

ribbon cutting

With all that is good in our lives, being depressed about a day of the week just isn’t logical.  So, happy Monday everyone, thanks for sharing it with us.

 

Be well and love well,

 

Dinah

What Really Counts At My Little Flower Shop? Giving Back.

What a week! As many of you know, El Jefe, the Big Man On Campus, our Fearless Leader, AKA Gregory Goodman, turned 50 on Wednesday.  There was quite a celebration.  Alan, Head Designer, and all around terrific husband, made sure Greg’s party at The Fix on El Paseo was classy, fun and beautifully decorated.  Friends came to celebrate from near and far, and the cake was phenomenal, as one might have known since The Fix is attached to The Pastry Swan’s retail location. Oooh, I can still taste that cake.

Al raises a glass to his gorgeous 50th birthday arrangement at Fix

But as Greg told me later, something else also meant a lot to him that day.  He helped a friend decorate a table** at her daughter’s high school graduation. He said “It wasn’t a big deal – some mirrors, and a couple things styled in a fun way” but he went on to explain he felt it had been for a girl who really achieved something.  “She and her family worked hard for that diploma. And her family was so proud – and I was too, and I got to help that happen with what I love to do.”  So for Gregory, an important gift he got on Wednesday was, in fact, one he gave away: help, support and encouragement to someone else.

It got me thinking – Greg gives a lot, to a lot of people. And that’s the secret to his happiness and positive attitude. He gave me and Stephen 150% of his time, energy and love when we got married in 2010. And he gives that kind of focus to all his brides; I’ve seen the tough businessman cry at many a wedding he attends. He’s given second chances. I’ve known him to hire people that many businesses wouldn’t, and to get great work (and great loyalty) out of them. He gives so much to the Wedding Warriors – and to making sure his friends and associates get business from his clients. The guests at his party certainly reflected that. He always shares his success.

So that’s what I’m thinking about today. Gregory’s birthday gift of giving. And it reminds me that there is always a gift to be given that is from the heart. And sometimes it’s just showing up, and doing what you love.

Be well, and love well.

-Dinah

* We would have liked to include a photo of the table. Unfortunately we used a linen from TE Couture Linen that we had in the shop as a sample, and they were upset. We would like to use this space to publicly apologize, we are sorry they were unhappy that we did not make advance arrangements for a contract to donate use of the tablecloth sample. We regret that they have chosen to no longer do business with My Little Flower Shop, and hope to remedy that situation.

 

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