Esther's Pet Peeves

Wedding planners are the first ones to be on site and the last ones to take off. We're practically working 11-12 hours straight without taking much of a break. We hope and rest assure that the day will go without any trouble, but no matter how ready we are as planners/coordinators, there are some things that's out of our control. That's why we must be quick on our feet and have solutions to problems at a moments notice.
Someone recently asked me if I have any pet peeves about this job and the answer is... OF COURSE!! I can think of tons of things that really bother me and I'll share some today.

1) Vendors that are late. I don't care how talented you are, showing up late is just unprofessional. I don't care if you're caught in traffic you should know that there is always traffic on Saturdays. It’s always better to arrive early than showing up late. Please give yourself an extra 30 min. before you hit the road. For you vendors out there, please note, it you are running late, that means the whole schedule is running late and I'm not talking about being 5-15 minutes, but being an hour late to the wedding site. I don't want to sound like one of those OCD planners who come off as a bit cocky although I am mildly OCD when it comes to wedding planning :)

2) Maid of Honor and Best Man speeches that drag on and on and on. Ok, I know you have tons of wonderful things to say about the couple but c’mon you are giving a speech. Anything over 10 minutes is unnecessary and just plain boring. To the MOHs and BMs out there, make a flashcard or type it out. This way you can visualize all the things you want to say. If you decide to rehearse it, you can get a better idea of how long your speech is going to be. (Click here for a quick guideline)

3) Pastors/Offciants long messages that don't make any sense. I’m sorry to say but there are some pastors who give long messages during the ceremony but in reality the message isn’t really saying much. Especially outdoor ceremony messages under the scorching hot sun, they shouldn't be longer than 15 minutes.

4) Elderly Korean guests who leave right after dinner with centerpieces on their hands. Gosh… As much as I try to accommodate to their needs and make sure all the guests find their seats, I find it very rude and impolite to leave right after dinner. AND they're the first ones who take off with the centerpieces! Hello!!?! Who knows what else they're packing up. I mean really… Can you at least enjoy the reception; mingle with other guests for a little while. At least until the bride and groom have their last dance together. For some reason, I catch them looking angry & bored during dinner. Please note that you are there to bless the couple, not to receive some type of top notch restaurant service.

5) Vendors that don't keep their words. There's a reason why it's called a DEADLINE. Any vendor that doesn't meet deadlines needs to really consider hiring another staff on board.

Trust me, I can go on and on about my pet peeves, but I cannot stress enough about my # 1 pet peeve. I can understand guests, ushers, gift attendants and helpers who are late, but if you're PAID for your services, there shouldn't be any excuse as to why you're one hour late.

OK. Better stop now because this is bringing back so many unpleasant experiences...haha :)

P.S Hope this answered some of your questions, Lori! Please don't get me wrong... I really do LOVE this job!!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week~

And Don't MESS WITH MY MOMMY! :)