What Meeting Planners can Learn from Wedding Planners

From planning my own wedding to working with high-end wedding planners to coordinating resort weddings, I have learned that I prefer planning conferences over weddings. With the traditions to follow, etiquette that must be maintained, and the family dynamics that have to be considered at every level, weddings are much more complicated. Conferences have plenty of their own idiosyncrasies and clients to keep happy, but I find them easier to manage without the emotional stings that often come with weddings. That being said, conference planners can learn a lot from wedding planners to improve their planning and the conference results achieved.

The number one lesson from wedding planners is that it really is all in the details! Weddings are full of small, intricate, painstakingly thought out details. The details begin with the invitations, flow through the special nuances of the ceremony, appear in the reception menu, tie into the songs danced to, and connect all the way to the goodbye of the couple and guests. While conferences may not have as many details to consider, planners should look at all the details possible during the planning process to find ways to improve the overall experience. One great piece of advice I was given was to take a client’s idea, maybe a small, unassuming idea that they don’t have big plans for, but mentioned offhand, and make it amazing and surprising. This shows the client you were listening, thinking of them, and worked to make their idea special. The surprise and gratification are well worth the extra effort.

The second lesson is to have a backup plan for absolutely everything! I was lucky enough to attend Laurie Aron’s Wedding Planner Masterclass and learned this lesson from the instructor from Paula LeDuc Catering. The level of their pre-event planning is truly impressive. They always do at least two site walkthroughs of every event; the first one with the planning team early on and a second one shortly before the event with all involved vendors. They look at the event from every single angle to see where there may be issues. With everything from loading in the tables and chairs, where electrical wires will run, how food service will be executed, to how the weather will impact everything, these seemingly minor details can cause big problems if not forethought and planned out. They talk through every possible scenario as they walk through the sequence of events and make plans for anything that comes up. This sets up the planner as well as the vendors for successful execution of the event. In meeting planning we have risk management plans for various scenarios that could occur. However, I have not seen any taken to the level as I have seen in wedding planning. To be the most prepared meeting planner, take your backup plans seriously and look at the entire event from every possible angle so you are prepared for anything that could possibly happen. It will also help with your stress level should you need to pull out one of those backup plans during the event!

The third lesson wedding planners can teach us is that attendees are important guests and each one should feel special and appreciated for their attendance. Materials are meaningful, guests are included in the couple’s special moments, thank you cards are personalized, and mementos are heartfelt. Seeing your meeting attendees as special guests at your event can give you a new perspective when planning and enable you to find ways to incrementally improve their experience. Attendees will leave feeling truly appreciated and take with them fond memories of your incredible event.

These are just a few of the most important lessons I learned while planning weddings. While there are many more ideas and lessons we could discuss, I am happy for now to go back to meeting planning! Don’t get me wrong, I do love watching a beautifully planned wedding and appreciate the opportunity to be involved in one of the most important days of a couple’s life together, but I will happily stay in the conference world and fondly remember the lessons I learned planning weddings.