From time to time, one of us in the wedding industry gets married. Industry weddings are a fascinating social experiment. It’s fun to watch the guest wedding planners squirm when they see something that needs attention, the guest photographers watching how the working photographer sets up his shots and the guest DJs critiquing the music selections.
Why am I mentioning this? This week’s real wedding is of my friend Angela Hoover and her now husband Rene Palacio. I didn’t help them plan the wedding, but I thought it would be fun to get Angela’s perspective on her wedding because she is a catering manager at the Hyatt Grand Cypress. Imagine, not only does she plan weddings as part of her job, but she plans them in the very hotel where she got married. The photos were provided by Divine Light Photography, www.DLweddings.com. Enjoy!
Susan: What was the most memorable part of the wedding day for you?
Angela: The most memorable part of my wedding day was putting on my wedding dress. It was at that moment that I realized, “It’s finally here!”
Susan: What was the most memorable part of the wedding day for Rene?
Angela: I would say, “seeing me strut my stuff down the aisle, of course!” But, Rene says it was when he was waiting for me to arrive at the ceremony. He says he was feeling all types of emotions at once. (Isn’t he so sweet?!)
Susan: What were you most worried about?
Angela: I was most worried about timing! Being a catering manager, I am always looking at what needs to be done next. Throughout the day, I continued to tell myself, “OK -it’s 1:00pm – if I was at work, I would be checking on the ceremony venue” Then I’d call my catering manager to ask her how it was going. This made the day go by even faster than it normally does – and I probably annoyed her a bit too.
Susan: How did being a catering manager help?
Angela: Being a catering manager helped me to know that things were getting done from the hotel end. So many of my brides ask me during their wedding day – “Is this done?” “Is the ceremony being set up?” “Are they taking care of this?” Knowing the ins and outs of the hotel – it put me at ease knowing that everything was going to be perfect! The staff I work with knows me very well too – this helped when they needed to make any decisions on my behalf.
Susan: How did being a catering manager hurt?
Angela: As a catering manager that handles weddings, I felt this expectation from my family and friends that I needed to fulfill. I’m sure all event planners would feel the same way – that you are expected to produce the most exciting event that any of your guests have ever been to. One of my friends called me shortly after I got engaged and said, “I can’t wait for the party of the year.” Yikes – talk about pressure! At that moment, I knew I needed to increase my budget just a bit.
Susan: Is there anything you wish had happened differently?
Angela: As simple as it sounds, I wish we would have taken more pictures before the wedding. I missed out on the cocktail hour because our pictures took a little long. Both of our families are large and it took us a long time to get everyone together. I’m so glad I was able to look back on photos from the cocktail hour to see everyone having a good time. I completely forgot I hired a string quartet!
Susan: Do you have anything else you want to share?
Angela: Planning my wedding was such a fun experience. I was careful throughout the process to tell everyone that helped me how appreciative I was of them. As a catering manager, I understand the work that goes into planning someone’s special day – and it is very special. Throughout the planning process, I continued to remind myself that it is only one day out of my life. I refused to get stressed or upset at any point. Planning a wedding has helped me to have a new perspective for the brides I work with every day. I understand the excitement and the nerves that come with planning a huge event and I’m glad that I get to be the one that helps them through each and every step of the process.
If you have questions on this or any other wedding related topic, please post for me here or send me an email to susan.southerland@pwg.com. Also become a fan on Facebook by clicking here and follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
Your partner in perfect planning,
Susan
