Wedding Industry News: Crafting Unforgettable Nuptials and Navigating Venue Legalities

Step into the world of weddings with us, as we unravel the key ingredients that make or break the most special day of a couple's life. Joining me is Laurie Hartwell, the woman behind the CWP Society, where we dissect the latest findings from The Knot and delve into how wedding planners can transform any nuptial into an affair to remember. Ensure every guest leaves with a lasting impression, potentially becoming a future advocate for your services. We'll also share a charming tale of a photographer who turned an ordinary situation into an extraordinary story, proving that sometimes, it's the smallest gestures that leave the deepest mark.

The episode takes a dramatic turn as we dissect the nightmare scenario of couple's reception brought to a halt due to the venue's legal woes. Hear what Krisy Thomas, a seasoned wedding planner, has to say about preempting such debacles. We analyze the importance of vetting your venue, and how expert planners can act as your shield against unforeseen legal mishaps that could sour your day. From emotional turmoil to financial loss, we lay out steps couples can undertake to safeguard their celebrations. Embark on this journey with us, and arm yourself with the wisdom to keep your wedding day dreamy, not dreary.

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Transcript

Speaker 1 0:18

Welcome to the Wedding Industry News, where each episode covers something old, something new, something borrowed and some news. This is March 2024, I'm your host, aisha Garnett, owner of Sharia More Weddings Event Planning Master, certified Wedding Planner and Certified Educator with the CWP Society and Industry Membership for Planters, venues and Pros. Let's dive right into our first segment. The Not just recently released a study collecting data from nearly 10,000 US couples who said their I-dos this past year, giving a more thorough insight into the evolution of wedding celebrations. The study shows, on average, that couples hired 14 wedding pros for the big day, with 92% of them ranking the dress vendor in the top category, followed by the venue at 91% and the photographer at 89%. The average wedding guest count was 115 guests and 75% of the couples stated that the guest experience was the most crucial part of the planning process. This figure increased to 80%, with couples who had over 100 guests attending the big day. Looking ahead to 2024, 95% of the couples stated that weddings should feel authentic and they emphasized the importance of making sure they were personalized to reflect the commitment of the couple. Now, as a certified wedding planner, I am fully on board with making sure I assist couples in creating the most beautiful celebrations, ensuring they hire qualified wedding professionals to help aid in a celebration that will wow not just them, but their wedding guests. This takes the wedding day from just being another beautiful and memorable day, but it's an experience, and that's one of the ultimate goals that wedding planning professionals want to provide.

Speaker 1 2:15

Joining me to discuss the importance of this a bit further is Lori Hartwell, founder and CEO of the CWP Society. Thank you for joining me on another episode, lori. Hey, aisha, it's so nice to see you. Good to see you too. I'll get right into my first question. While it's true that we want to make sure our clients are first and foremost when it comes to the wedding day experience, we can't forget about the wedding guests. They are the audience and we are potentially making those first impressions with potential clients. How important would you say it is for wedding professionals to have the wedding guests in mind as well, especially when it comes to the overall wedding day experience?

Speaker 2 2:57

I think that that needs to be the second most important thing that we're thinking about, and one of the things that I wanna express to wedding planners and wedding professionals out there is that every single guest at that wedding is our next potential client, and so the better experience that you make for the couple that you are currently working their wedding on, the better experience that is. Those guests feel it, they see it, they get to live it in that moment and they're gonna remember you and for anybody who's getting married in their orbit, they're gonna be recommending those wedding professionals because it was such a great experience. I feel like when I was planning weddings full-time, aisha what I always had in mind was, from the second I would walk in to a wedding day is how, if I was a guest, how would I be feeling right, this very second? What would I be feeling? Will I know exactly where to go? Is the signage very clear? Will I know where to sit? Will I know what to do afterwards? Where do I go next? Do I know where the restrooms are? You have to be thinking of all of those things Even when I'm sitting down and trying out chairs for one of my clients' weddings.

Speaker 2 4:08

I want it to be a relatively comfortable chair. I don't wanna provide just a really hard plastic chair that someone's gonna have to sit in for four hours. I wanna make sure that everybody's comfortable and happy and that we're thinking about all of those small details. But that has to do with a wedding planner making sure that they're hiring some of the best wedding professionals that are in that couple's area. I mean that entertainment provider, that DJ or that band. They are gonna make or break that wedding. That's a guest experience. Everything about a wedding needs to be thought about through the eyes of not just our couple but what our couple's guests are going to be experiencing for sure.

Speaker 1 4:49

I completely agree with you, lori, and that brings me to a story that I wanna share. I was recently on a consultation call with a photographer a potential photographer for one of my clients, and they also do videography and they were discussing just some of the moments and the experiences that they created for a past couple that really stuck with me. The photographer mentioned that the bride and her bridesmaids. They had just finished getting their glam done and they had a little bit of downtime, so there was a little time to spare and he asked the bride to just take a seat on the couch in their bridal suite. He had all of her bridesmaids around her, some on the couch, some on the floor. They were still in their getting ready rope, so it was kind of a relaxing moment, and he just posed a question for the maid of honor to ask the bride a simple question of how she was feeling in that moment, how her day was going thus far, and the photographer was able to capture some of the great pictures. The videographer was able to get that moment, the story, hear the audio, and it was just a moment that he created not just for the sake of another picture, but it created an experience.

Speaker 1 6:09

And when you think about wedding guest experience, your bridesmaids are your wedding guests too. Your groomsmen are your wedding guests too. So just to have that experience and that memory to look back on and knowing that that vendor thought of that and wanted to make sure they elevated the experience, I was really impressed by that and looked at them in a different light and definitely wanted to give my couple the option to figure out if they were a great fit. But I truly enjoyed the fact that they wanted to create those moments and not just take another picture. But when you look at the picture and you hear the video, they tell a story. So wedding guest experiences they are definitely important.

Speaker 2 6:56

It's a huge deal. It's a really big deal, and I love that you even had that experience, aisha, and that you got to see a wedding professional who kind of took a regular situation and elevated it. And isn't that what we, as wedding planners, are always looking for in other wedding professionals is how can those people elevate just your standard every day? What we see all the time they elevate it, and it changes even the experience for us as the wedding planner, which is really, really exciting. I had a similar experience, aisha, where mine's with the DJ, though. So I had seen plenty of weddings in my day and I was a guest at one of my friend's weddings, and this is how I got to meet this DJ. Now, he had no idea that I was, who I was as far as a wedding planner and how I have the ability to potentially send this person tons of business.

Speaker 2 7:49

I'm sitting at a table with my husband and some of our friends at this wedding and the DJ. I was watching him, because that's what we do as planners, right? We're watching everybody, even when we're guests at weddings. We can't help it. We try to help him, but we can't help. So I'm watching him and you know how he shared what he was doing. He was going from table to table, talking to each group of people saying so, tell me about you guys, where are you guys from? And what I was listening to is he was actually gathering information from each person, because you know how each region, when people are coming from all over the country, sometimes all over the world, they listen to different music, they have different tastes, they have kind of different ways of celebrating. And he was reading the room in a sense. He got to us and he was just making jokes.

Speaker 2 8:38

So all of a sudden and I'm very introverted and all of a sudden he made me feel so comfortable just being at this wedding where I knew half the people. I already knew almost everyone there, but as an introvert, sometimes I feel a little bit, you know, shy, if you will, but he made me feel comfortable and I will never forget how that felt. And so, guess who I started referring nonstop? It was this DJ, right, because of how he, I felt, elevated the entire experience for every single guest that was at that wedding. It changed it for me and you know, as we're sitting here talking, it reminds me of a little piece that my daughter, you know, my daughter's now in her 20s, but she wrote this and she called it the orchestra. And, if you don't mind, I really would love to kind of share this with you, because it kind of describes that wedding and how we see it from the guest point of view, the vendor's point of view, the wedding planner's point of view as well as the couple's point of view. So she called it the orchestra and it says a wedding is a symphony.

Speaker 2 9:46

You are the composer, your wedding planner is the conductor, your wedding vendors are the orchestra and your wedding guests are the audience. At the end of the night, your guests should be left with an overwhelming feeling that they have just witnessed a masterpiece. Every part of the composition is important, but the most pivotal elements of any performance are the tempo and volume of each piece. The person in control of the ebb and flow of every song, the individual to whom every section looks for the dynamics, is the person that can make or break a wedding. This person is the wedding planner, and at the CWP Society we have created a community of fantastic conductors. Our certified wedding planners will take your vision the Sonata you may have spent years composing and bring it to life through the connections that they have with the brass, woodwinds, percussion and strings that make up their own Carnegie Hall-ready orchestra of preferred vendors. And are you ready to put together an unforgettable symphony worthy of standing ovation?

Speaker 1 10:54

Oh through poets.

Speaker 2 10:57

Well, my child's obviously a genius, but I'm just. You know, I'm not partial at all, by the way, but it really is when she's yeah, she's just brilliant.

Speaker 2 11:08

But honestly, when I read that I'm like she gets it. And how do I get other people to understand that? And because you do want your audience, your guests, to feel like they just witnessed a masterpiece. And one of the things that my vice president, chrissy Thomas, talks about on a regular basis is making sure that the personality of each couple shines through and that the wedding guests go oh, this is so them, right. And that also kind of adds to the guest experience as well, because then it just feels like it all has come together so magically and so beautifully. And I think that that's we all, as wedding professionals, need to be thinking about that, not just from the perspective of our couples happy, because I mean, of course, that's a given, but are each of the wedding professionals that are hired are they happy? Did every single guest that arrived on site are they happy? We should care about the entire picture.

Speaker 1 12:04

Absolutely. It is definitely a collaborative effort in making sure that the day goes amazing and every single person that's involved, like you mentioned whoever's showing up, the vendor, the guest, everyone should feel as if they had an experience, and that just makes for an amazing and a beautiful wedding day. I agree, I agree. Thank you so so much, lori, for weighing in on this topic. It's always fun time chatting with you, so thank you so much.

Speaker 2 12:34

Thanks, Aisha.

Illegal Wedding Venue Fiasco Analysis

Speaker 1 12:38

Now on to something borrowed. In this segment we feature information from an alternate source that I feel you would be interested in. According to 12 news in Arizona, wrangler's Roost in New River, a historic private property Vacation Rental, owes more than $70,000 in fines for advertising as a wedding venue and continuing to operate as such, despite their zoning citations. Unfortunately, several couples have fallen victim to this violation, but one in particular is Holly Ann Tran. This bride was set to enjoy a beautiful wedding day, but it was cut short literally within a few minutes into the wedding reception due to a sound ordinance.

Speaker 1 13:22

Wrangler's Roost is located in a residential area and multiple complaints were called into the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office on the day of her wedding due to the loud music. Maricopa County Sheriff deputies showed up to the location and ordered Tran to turn the music off. Tran's mom tried to convince the sheriffs to allow them to continue with the reception and the music, but even showing them the signed contract that included a call stating that music could be played until 10 PM, deputies informed them of the noise complaint and the fact that Wrangler's Roost wasn't zoned to even host loud events as a business in the residential area. This included weddings, although deputies wanted to avoid being the bearer of bad news, they had to respond to the complaint. When the bride's mom reached out to the owners, they replied with a text message that stated to just continue playing the music. Tran didn't want to make matters worse, so she simply complied with the sheriff and ended her wedding day earlier than expected with a host of emotions. Quoting I cried all night.

Speaker 1 14:32

Tran later learned that Maricopa County Sheriff's had been called to the location at least 60 times in the past three years for the same instance. The county sheriff's office filed charges against the owners and officials in. The Maricopa County attorney's office mentioned that they have an open case against the owners of the property and they are facing nine misdemeanor charges for noise-ordnance violation and maintaining a public nuisance. Sergeant Joaquin Enriquez wanted to raise awareness for future couples that may be thinking of booking this location for the big day as well. Although Tran was issued a partial refund from the owners, it wasn't enough to replace the devastating experience she endured on her special day. Joining me to discuss this a bit further is Chrissy Thomas, vice president of the CWP Society. Thank you for joining me on another episode, chrissy. Of course.

Speaker 3 15:24

I'm always happy to be here. Thank you, Aisha.

Speaker 1 15:27

No problem. Getting right into my first question, venues are not obsolete when it comes to being professional and ensuring to provide the best service they possibly can for their clients. In this case, the venue is operating illegally as a wedding venue, but I'd like to get your take on what the bride could have done when vetting this location as a venue space for her wedding. It doesn't seem like there was a planner involved either, but what's your take on this story?

Speaker 3 15:53

I think what's hard about this particular story is the fact that this house I'm going to call it house because they were operating illegally as a venue was not being honest and it was clearly advertising that they were a venue. Now, as a wedding planner, what I will do whenever I am researching venues to add to my vendor list or to recommend to my clients is I'm doing my due diligence regarding them being a venue. I'm looking at their reviews, I'm checking out their website. I'm asking them all the right questions Are you licensed, are you insured? All of those details I'm asking. But this venue is essentially, this is a private residence, but they're operating as a venue.

Speaker 3 16:28

Now, as a certified wedding planner, when we're dealing with private residence weddings, it's a different beast. We didn't have to take it a bit, a step further in reaching out to maybe the county clerk or your city and making sure you know what the noise ordinances are, all those details I need to make sure I'm aware of as a private residence. It makes me feel really sad for the couples that are involved because you just don't know If you are operating and claiming to be a wedding venue, you're hoping they have all their ducks in a row and, as a wedding planner, we do have to make sure that our venues have all their ducks in a row. One of the big things is making sure they are licensed and insured and getting your eyes on that would have been something that's a planner I would have done. But if they did all these things, if they had the license and insurance but they weren't zoned properly, that would have been hard. I feel like I wouldn't have known that they weren't zoned properly because they were advertising that they were zoned properly. But do know that if you are hosting a private residence wedding, you do have to make sure that you have their ducks in a row with your county, with your city, and that you're aware of all these rules and policies that take place. When it comes to being the public nuisance, the fact that they what did you say? 70, 60 times, yes.

Speaker 3 17:34

So to me also, with that many complaints, I do feel like maybe there were some reviews of this place and some locations. So hopefully, as a couple, if you are looking at hosting your wedding venue not just your venue, but with your wedding pros you hire or do that due diligence and look up those reviews. But also, my biggest thing I want to say is hire a certified wedding planner, because that is 90% of our job right there is making sure that we do that hard work. We're asking all the right questions. We're looking at the reviews and not just the reviews that we see online.

Speaker 3 18:09

We're asking fellow wedding pros because I can imagine, with the fact that there were 60 complaints, there were other wedding professionals who have dealt with this venue and if I'm talking to my wedding planner, bestie or photographer, I love and say, hey, my couple's considering this venue and they'll say, oh no, we had a wedding. When you get shut down, that's going to be a ding, ding, ding. Let me talk to my clients about let's look at other locations. I can imagine, with that many complaints, there are probably people who've been impacted from that and that just takes that due diligence and that conversations that your wedding planner will have with their fellow wedding professionals.

Speaker 1 18:43

I completely agree with you, and in dissecting that story a bit further, I couldn't help but to think about the other wedding professionals that were also impacted on this day. The day ended for the photographer earlier, the DJ earlier. If there was a caterer on site, they had to stop their services. So these wedding professionals didn't get the chance to even complete their services, and I'm pretty sure she paid for their services just as well as paying for the venue, and this could have escalated into a full on legal battle with a few wedding pros involved. So what advice and you probably, I'm sure you've touched on this, but is there any other advice that you could give wedding professionals to avoid similar situations, if they can help it?

Speaker 3 19:28

I'll say two things. First thing, you want to ensure that you have a contract in place. I don't care if you are a caterer or a baker or a horse hair and makeup artist. Every single wedding pro needs to have some sort of contract in place. It's going to protect them and have clauses that maybe say I'm not liable for the actions or behaviors of the other wedding pros hired or of the venue where you're hosting your wedding, whatever that may be, to kind of protect them from this type of situation. And then B I really do think you know when you think about this market, in this area, my next suggestion is to make sure that you have some sort of community that you're involved with with your fellow wedding pros.

Speaker 3 20:08

We talk, you know, we have those conversations about what's happening in our market, in our area, and that's one of the big benefits about the CWP society is we are a nationwide community. But the fun part about that is you can, within our community, find fellow wedding pros within your area. That way you can have those conversations and kind of ask more questions about particular wedding pros or venues in your area. But then also making sure that you're recommending and working with wedding planners Because, like I said earlier, we're coming to that first, that first touch point of knowing what venues in that area are legit, knowing what venues in the area are going to deliver that A plus service and hopefully knowing what venues in the area are actually wedding venues and not lying about it. But, like you said, I really do think contract and community would really help other wedding pros in this situation.

Speaker 1 20:59

I couldn't agree with you more, chrissy, and thank you so much for sharing your insight on this story for me today Of course it was such a like.

Speaker 3 21:07

This story was wild. I hope by the time this place is shut down, because I'm like I just can't imagine doing that to people.

Speaker 1 21:16

People, oh, I hate that too much, but thank you so much, chrissy. Next up is our old and new segment. This is where I'll be discussing a few of the older trends we are familiar with and sharing insight on other options to share with couples. Spring is upon us and that means the weather will be changing, flowers begin to bloom and the wedding season will be in full effect, with ceremonies taking place outdoors. That isn't the only change that I'm seeing for spring.

Speaker 1 21:49

When it comes to wedding attire, specifically the beautiful options of wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses and the like, there are a few design favorites on the rise. Of course, nothing will replace the traditional wedding gown designs, but I'm seeing and I am loving the pops of color. Brides are stepping out of the box into their fashion forward era and adding texture and the new textured jacquard fabric, which includes beautiful detail. Or they are opting to go with the wedding dresses that incorporate three dimensional floral appliques. It doesn't end with the dress. Brides are also incorporating these style choices into the accessories of the day as well, with the option of customizing and even adding those elements on the wedding veil. Spring is the perfect time to echo the blossoming surroundings and incorporate it into the wedding attire. The 3D textured, embroidered florals showcase a bit of the bride's personality. So to the bridal boutique.

Speaker 1 22:49

Wedding professionals, you've got your hands full with making sure your clients enjoy the personal journey and have an experience in selecting what will be the most important outfit of their wedding day. So be sure to encourage them, assist them in selecting the wedding gown that will showcase their unique style. While the clean, simple, classic and or modern wedding dresses will forever make a statement, there's always room for a new statement. Don't be afraid to encourage your client to embrace those bold choices when selecting their dress. Whatever style they decide to go with on the big day, make sure they are springing into the new season feeling beautiful, radiant and confident, having said yes to the perfect design for what will be one of the most important days of their lives. That wraps up our March 2024 wedding industry news. As always, we appreciate you for joining us, whether you are listening via a streaming platform or tuned in on our YouTube channel. We look forward to you joining us here next month on the Wedding Pro podcast.