Thursday, March 25, 2010

    The Coordinator Client relationship

    Our 2010 clients are amazing people. Seriously, amazing people. I firmly believe that is because a conscious effort was made to make this happen.

    Last year I learned a very painful yet valuable lesson: not every bride is an Amber Events bride, and taking on the wrong client can have emotionally crushing consequences.  Seriously, one heinous bride made me consider giving this profession up all together. I knew this bride was bad news from Day One. I knew I should not have taken her on. The planning process was a total battle as we just did not like each other and could not communicate. Her wedding was beautiful and flawless, I put the entire experience behind me (after I added a verbal abuse clause to my contract), and then one month later she came after me to destroy my reputation. She was vicious and it was awful.

    Like every other wedding planner I know, we do this because we have a genuine passion for our clients. We pour our soul into the work we do, and all we have left to show is the reputation we have slowly built. And all it takes is one bridezilla, momzilla, or groomzilla telling us we are worthless to tear our self worth down to ground zero.

    So. After that learning experience, I promised myself that never again will I take on a client who doesn't sit right on my gut after our meeting. And I ask these potential clients to do the same. I firmly believe: you need to like all of your vendors, but you need to LOVE your coordinator and your photographer because we are with you during the most intimate times of your wedding.  

    Brides and Grooms: know that a vendor with a good reputation behind them is interviewing you as much as you are interviewing them.  You both need to actually like each other for the relationship to work correctly. You then need to respect their experience and have confidence in the decision you made.

    Here's to my 2010 and 2011 clients--I'm thrilled to be able to say that I adore you!

    4 comments:

    Eliza said...

    This sounds horrible!!! Don't you just hate when you go against your gut instincts and realize later on that you should have trusted your instincts.

    Anonymous said...

    Welcome to my world

    Paige Appel said...

    yes yes yes! xo

    Unknown said...

    Hear ! Hear ! Well said!