LAUREN & GARRETT

SUMMARY

My experience with this wedding was especially unique and exciting because of the location. The city of Chicago is one of the most popular places to get married in the U.S. (and rightly so, it was stunning!!!). I was invited to be an assistant to the coordinator, allowing me to be a frontline helper with the bridal party from getting ready in the morning to halfway through the reception that evening.

LEARNING EXPERIENCE

Something I learned while assisting the coordinator with this wedding was how to manage an unexpected situation. As unexpected as some incidences can be, when it comes to this industry unexpected situations in and of themselves should be entirely anticipated. While this was one of the first larger events I had participated in, I learned that very quickly. The head planner was no longer at the ceremony and my job was to ensure that transportation arrived and everyone would get to the reception smoothly. This became difficult when one of the four luxury busses did not show up to transport nearly 50 guests from the ceremony to the reception venue, including the bride and groom's parents. After speaking with the transportation company and letting the coordinator know what had happened, managing the emotions and expectations of the guests was key, especially for the families of the bride and groom. I assisted the remaining guests with getting ride services to the venue and ensured the bride and groom's parents that the company would be addressed about the mistake after all of the guests had been taken care of.

In the end I learned that it is important to handle unexpected situations calmly and to address the families and guests with care and confidence.