How to Make the Most of Your Planning Meeting
Time, as they say, is money; and that’s never more true than when it comes to planning your wedding. It’s important to make the most of your time with any vendor you meet with because if a meeting isn’t going to be productive, what is the point in having it? These helpful tips will help you when meeting with your Kahn’s Catering event specialist to get the most of your time, make smart choices, and keep yourself more organized in the wedding planning process.
Learn about the value of our event specialists.
All of our wedding clients begin their planning journey with a simple consultation to gather basic information about their wedding reception. Your event specialist will ask you about your estimated guest count and what you envision such as a plated meal or buffet. They will answer any immediate questions you have and provide you with all of the menus and information you will need for your event.
Following your initial meeting, usually about three months prior to your wedding day, you and your event specialist will have a planning meeting to get a decision for everything from napkin color to napkin fold and begin discussing your menu. We understand that you may not have all of your decisions made at this meeting and a second planning meeting may be necessary.
Regardless if it is your initial meeting with your event specialist or a planning meeting to make the major decisions for your event, follow these pieces of advice to make your planning more manageable for yourself and get the most of your time spent with your wedding professional.
Be Prepared
It is vital that you come prepared to all your meetings. Not only for the benefit of your event specialist, but for your own. You want to have all the information you possibly can to make informed decision. Take notes during any meeting you have, and be sure to have them handy if you plan on having a phone meeting as opposed to a face-to-face. If you’ve been asked to provide information or have been asked to make any major decisions, between meetings make sure to attend to them before the next one. Remember, an event specialist cannot do their job if you do not do yours, so be sure to handle your share of the work in a timely manner, and come prepared. This will make things go more smoothly for you and you won’t be burdened with last-minute questions.
Plan Ahead
Plan for your meetings and make notes between meetings as you research what you envision for your big day. Any questions or concerns you and your partner have should be noted, so that you can bring them to event specialist’s attention when you meet. If you have an idea for a wedding cake, or want their opinion on a preferred vendor, jot it down so you can discuss it with your event specialist. You’re always welcome to email or call your event specialist at any time, but to help you organize your thoughts begin condensing your questions or concerns into bulk communications so you can get all your answers at once and don’t put yourself in the position to have to track hundreds of emails from hundreds of questions.
Keep the Meetings Manageable
When you’re planning a wedding, everyone you know will want to get involved and offer their sage advice. Even if the only wedding they have ever planned is their own, you’ll have at least one person in your life that feels they are an expert. However, there is a time and place for everything and not everyone needs to come to meetings with your event specialist. Invite the important decision makers, like the person that will be making the investment in your special day. Yes, you will have an aunt with opinions to offer, and your best friend will have suggestions of their own; but they can be discussed at a different time. Bringing too many people into a meeting with your event specialist will only slow things down and confuse the process. (This applies to ceremony rehearsals too!)
Don’t Waffle During Consultations
Ultimately, you and your partner are responsible for the final decisions concerning your wedding ceremony and reception. But you don’t have to make big decisions on the spot, and it’s a waste of time to discuss them during meetings. You may make too quick of a decision that you’ll only end up changing later. If you are asked to make a decision and are unsure, table the discuss for later after you and your partner have had time to consider it. This is a very special day in your lives and that shouldn’t be filled with quick decisions on big elements.
Good Manners Cost Nothing
Planning a wedding, even with the help of a professional wedding planner and with an event specialist on your team, can be stressful and tempers can flare from time to time. Don’t spend your planning meeting arguing with your partner or with your parents over a decision. Keep calm and come back to the decision at a later time. A great decision will never be reached with a fire.
Reschedule Planning Meetings
Finally, if you are unprepared for a planning meeting with your event specialist (perhaps you haven’t made any decisions about what you want your colors to be so you can’t choose linens, or you haven’t made any decisions at all) don’t be afraid to reschedule. If the planning meeting cannot be productive and you have to table nearly every topic, it’s a waste of your time. Instead of sitting with your event planner and making decisions for your wedding, you could be spending that time with your partner or parents to discuss the decisions you need to make.
A great event specialist will help you make the difficult decisions that come with planning your wedding reception, and can be an invaluable guide to finding the best wedding vendors and helping you get your ideal venue, ensuring that your big day is perfect in every way. Use your time and their time wisely so that you can get the most out of their services as well as your investment in your event. Never be afraid to ask your event specialist what they will need from you, knowing what decisions you are expected to have in advance will make it all the easier for you when it’s time to sit down with them and plan.
