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Wedding Planner! – Let me start by saying it is no easy job! I have lot many friends who ventured into event management business with the belief that it gives easy money. From what I experienced, Event Management, rather, Wedding Planning, is no ‘walk on the beach’. I associated with an event management firm christened Pishon Events, based in Trichur, Kerala Pishon Event Company – Official Website. They specialise in Weddings; Christian Weddings to be specific. It is run by Preetha Pius, a gem of a woman.
I stepped onto ‘Events’ at a very young age. I first associated with Pishon Event Company as a freelance comperer and eventually helped them out in co-ordination and execution. I witnessed how Preetha built the company from scratch. She portrayed annoying perfection, ruthlessly intervened into the quality of each and everything associated with the event and displayed persistent commitment. Most of her clients praise her mentioning that she made their work easier. “We would not have done it this beautifully, without you Preetha”, said every client of hers. She accepts it with a smile and it often amused me, as I used to see the herculean effort she used to take for making each one of our events ‘beautiful’.
Weddings are always special! Each bride and groom dreams their wedding to be the most memorable one. Therefore, each wedding has to be unique, innovative and above all it should fit to the client’s budget.
Innovativeness: – Weddings has been a huge celebration since olden days. With the advent of technology, Wedding Planners are introducing brand new themes to the Wedding, which makes it look spectacular. Themed weddings like Peacock Wedding, Castle Wedding, Fairytale Wedding, Goa-n Wedding, Mexican Theme, Arabian themed Weddings etc are of high demand currently in the market. The setting up of the ambience plays equally significant contribution in the Wedding. The colours, material of the cloth, furniture and properties, space utilisation, lighting, flowers, stage structure, innovativeness in the stage setting, decoration , all add up to the scape. It is of utmost importance for the bride and groom to feel special on their Big Day.
Co-ordination:- Wedding Planning requires co-ordination with different departments like the production team, logistics team, finance team, HR department. The various items to be co-ordinated for a Christian Wedding include a) Decoration (Stage, Church, Car, Home) b) Sound & Lighting c) Usherers d) Compere e) Security (Car Parking) f) Guest Relations g) Catering h)Man Power Management i)LCD displays j)Videography & Photography l)Venue Co-Ordinator m )Wedding Invitation Designing n)Wedding Gown Designing o)Wedding Cake p)Make up q) Items required for the rituals etc. Besides all these, the Wedding Planner has to keep the client and the couple in loop and has to co-ordinate with them at every stage of the planning and execution of the Event.
Skills: An Event Manager has to be a good leader and a good follower and has to have good listening skills, creative skills, patience, stress management, time management, communication skills, etiquettes, grooming, hardworking attitude, commitment, planning, tactfulness, healthy physique, emotional balance etc. Above all, he / she should be versatile in balancing work and family. Unlike the other industries, here, your client’s satisfaction is your satisfaction. But people tend to give up after a certain period when they feel their personal life is a tragedy.
Communication : – No person is alike. So are our clients. Every bride & groom comes forth to us (Wedding Planners) with a different thought in place. Their idea of an ideal wedding varies and so does their budget. In the service industry we usually believe ‘Customer is the king’. I would not suggest you to believe that it is entirely true. Not all clients would have thought through the practicality and feasibility of their idea. I have come across situations in which the theme colours chosen by the client does not suit the ambience and have had situations in which the client kept on changing their decisions. The worst scenario is when each member in the family has a different opinion regarding the event. Through all these situations, effective and tactful communication is what that helps us survive in the industry. Preetha taught me to speak from the heart and not to fake it, when we communicate to our clients. Pishon Event Management Firm showed me not to work for money, but for the ‘Satisfaction’; of our clients and most importantly, that of ourselves!
Relationship : Relationship Building is another significant component associated with Event Management. When a person entrusts his/her event to us, he lays his dream, his trust on us. We just can’t afford to screw it up! All financial accounts have to be transparent. We just can’t fool our clients for the sake of greediness and materialism. Charge them for what you deserve and let them know why. Give them the best deal without comprising the quality of your service. It does impact your relationship with them. Most of my clients whose weddings we have conducted , give us a call when they conceive their first baby; 90% of whom entrust us their babies birthday parties too!! Recently, on my trip to Australia, I ran into the grandfather of a person, whose marriage I organised. Moments like this, has to be earned. The failure of an event might spoil a good relation, just like how the success of an event enhances the relationship.
I enjoy Wedding Planning much more than anything. May be the emotions or charisma attached to it, that makes it very dear to me. Each weddings I have been a part of, has been immensely different. But there is some fine silver lining that binds each of them. At the end of a successfully executed Wedding, when I sit back observing the happiness on the face of the bride, groom and their families, it is indeed a sense of Pride and joy!!
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