GSD Diaries with Angela Proffitt

Does your client want pyrotechnics, live animals, or some other cool, unusual touch at their event? Find out if you need a permit. In this episode of Weddings Unveiled, Angela and her lead consultant Alison share a story of a client who wanted to descend to his party and join the guests by jumping out of a plane and parachuting into the heart of a major city. Sounds crazy, right? Well, listen in to hear how Angela and her team handled this unusual request and helped him make it happen. We hope it reminds you just how much is actually possible.

Clients, especially brides, usually have clear visions for their events, but they rely on their planners to bring their ideas to life. Sometimes, this requires us to recalibrate or adjust their expectations. In this episode of Weddings Unveiled, Angela discusses an experience where a client had great ideas but didn’t fully consider how her outdoor venue would change when the seasons changed in time for the wedding. Listen in as to discover how Angela handled it; you may hear a few ideas worth using if you ever run into a similar situation.

As you continue to grow your skills and build your business, you may get opportunities to plan events for your peers in the event industry. It’s a tremendous honor when other professionals trust you with their weddings and personal events. However, it comes with a unique challenge. In this episode, Angela and her lead consultant Alison share a time when they performed a wedding for a professional designer who wanted to provide all of the decor herself. Check out this new episode to find out how you can deliver for your peers.

Here's a secret for you: People pay planners so someone else can plan their event for them. Crazy idea, right? Well, occasionally even paying clients don’t get (or simply forget) the memo so they jump into the planning process a bit more than they should. Today’s episode discusses an example of a client who wanted to take control of handling room blocks. Unfortunately, they didn’t fully understand the contracts, which ended up causing some trouble. Listen in to today’s episode as Angela shares how to explain hotel commissions to clients and, more importantly, how to respond when clients take on tasks that should be reserved for you as the planner.

Did you know that even the pushiest, picky, high maintenance or micromanaging clients want to let go of control? They really do. However, they’re looking for something to remove their fear of something going wrong. This is where your standard process for communication comes into play. When you have a standard, consistent process you use with clients, it helps establish trust. It also provides helpful boundaries. In this episode, Angela and her lead consultant Alison will share how to communicate and stick to your process so new clients get a great experience (even if they’re ignoring the process themselves).

The wedding and event industry is a lucrative business. As a result, new hotels, restaurants or clubs are opening up their space to host weddings and private events. This means you’ll likely have clients booking venues that you’ve never seen or worked in before. It’s a great opportunity to discover new spaces for future clients. However, it can also cause headaches for you and your time unless you follow the most important rule of using a venue for the first time. Require your team and vendors visit the venue at least once prior to the weekend or day of the event. Working in a new venue for the first time without a site visit is like hoping to fall in love on a blind date; it’s possible, but far from likely. Listen to this episode as Angela shares a story illustrating the importance of site visits.

The longer you work with weddings and events, the more you’ll master the big areas like logistics, design, catering, vendor management, etc. However, it’s impossible to prepare for every situation and every client request, and sometimes that leads to unforeseen mistakes. In this episode of Weddings Unveiled, Angela and her lead consultant Alison Burry discuss how you learn from these mistakes and develop simple solutions so they never happen again.

Whether it’s first your wedding or 100th wedding, every planner and day-of coordinator will encounter something unexpected in the process of putting on an event. Each time, you’ll be forced to answer the question: “How will my team and I respond?” In today’s episode, Angela is again joined by her company’s lead consultant Alison Burry. They’ll share an unexpected situation that they had never previously experienced and how they got through it. We hope you’ll hear a few ideas that you and your team can use when the unexpected occurs because it eventually will.

Everyone knows that adequate preparation is key to executing a successful event. However, what happens when your normal preparation measures don't quite cut it? Knowing when to step into high gear and over prepare can make all the difference in how smoothly everything runs on the big day. Listen as Angela and her co-host Alison discuss a time when a restaurant's first time catering experience taught them a valuable lesson in over preparation that they will never forget.  

In an ever-changing world, technology is no exception. From new ways to capture wedding footage to LED dance floors, technology keeps us on our toes and so do the requests of our clients. As an event planner, it is important to educate yourself on what new trends might be coming down the pike and who the right vendor is for those services. In this episode, Angela and her co-host Alison Burry talk about a time when technology almost got the best of them. Listen as they discuss valuable lessons in preparation and partnership, and how their experience can help you stay ahead of the curve.