Emergency Preparedness for Wedding Planners

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There's a split-second on a wedding day when something shifts — weather, a timeline slip, a vendor delay — and every person in the room reads one thing first: the planner. If we tighten up or sound frantic, stress spreads. If we stay steady, the room steadies too.

Quiet confidence isn't a personality trait. It's the visible result of preparation done before anyone is watching.

In this episode, Krisy Thomas, Senior Educator with The CWP Society, is joined by Brianne Ackerland, Master Certified Wedding Planner and Certified Educator and owner of Stress Free Wedding Space in Iowa, to get specific about what "prepared for anything" actually looks like in practice.

They cover the blind spots many planners miss — including planning for the possibility that you can't be there — and how to build a backup plan with a qualified assistant, keep documents accessible for a seamless handoff, and use strong contracts to protect both the client and the business.

They also go deeper on venue walkthroughs: not just layouts and logistics, but emergency protocols. Who is the point of contact after you leave? How do emergency services enter the building? Where do guests shelter in severe weather? Where is the AED — and does the staff actually know?

Plus: how to have contingency conversations with couples without bringing doom, and how clear vendor communication during pivots protects trust and prevents missed moments.

If you want venues to refer you, vendors to love working with you, and couples to feel safe the moment they meet you — this one is for you.

🎙️ Subscribe, share this with a fellow planner, and leave a review sharing the preparedness habit you're committing to next.

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Transcript

Quiet Confidence Sets The Room

SPEAKER_01 0:00

There's a moment that happens at almost every single wedding. Sometimes it's before the final guest walks through the door, sometimes it's even in the middle of dinner service. And sometimes it's right when you thought that you have the entire day locked in and the day has been going swimmingly well. And that is usually when something shifts. And it's usually sometimes not a disaster, hopefully, not even necessarily a huge problem, just a moment where the situation requires more than just a checklist. It requires a planner or coordinator who already thought about it. And here's what I want you to understand venue teams and your wedding pros, they know the difference. They know usually within the first hour of working alongside a planner or coordinator, whether they're standing next to someone who prepared for that moment or someone who's just looking to them to solve it. Today I'm sitting down with someone who's built a real reputation for being that planner, the one that the venue already trusts before the wedding day even starts. And we're talking about the preparation and what it looks like at a professional level. Not just a checklist, not just a survival kick, the kind of readiness that gets you invited back, referred out, and remembered, but for all the right reasons.

SPEAKER_02 1:10

You're listening to the Wedding Planner Society podcast, brought to you by the CWP Society.

When The Perfect Day Catches Fire

How Venues Decide Who They Refer

The Preparation Gaps Planners Miss

SPEAKER_01 1:24

I am Christy Thomas, senior educator here with the CWP, and I'm really glad that you are tuning in today. I want to talk about something that I don't think gets discussed enough in this industry. And again, it's not a system, it's not a checklist, and it's not even a tool, but it's the energy you carry into the room. Because here's what I know to be true. The most prepared planners and coordinators I've ever seen don't look prepared in a way that most people imagine. You know, they're not always the ones with the biggest binder or the most color-coded spreadsheets, although those are quite helpful, but they're the ones who are calm, quietly, genuinely calm. And that calm, that specific quality, is something every single person in the room picks up on. Your couples feel it. The wedding pros feel it, and the venue team, oh, they feel it immediately. This quality has a name, and I call it quiet confidence. And it doesn't come from just your personality, it comes from preparation. So here's what quiet confidence actually looks like on the wedding day. It looks like a planner or coordinator whose tone doesn't shift when something goes sideways, whose body language doesn't tighten up when the florist runs late or the timeline slips by 20 minutes, who handles a hiccup, big or small, with the same steady energy they walked in with. Not because nothing is wrong, but because they already knew something like this might happen. And they already knew what they were going to do about it. That's the thing about true preparation. It doesn't show up all the time in your documents. It shows up in you, in how you move, in how you speak, in the look on your face when something unexpected happens, and everyone around you instinctively turns to you to read your reaction. And they will every single time. The couple is watching you, their wedding party is watching you, the catering captain is watching you, the DJ, the venue coordinator who has worked alongside more planners than you can count is absolutely watching you. And what they're all deciding in that moment is whether or not they can trust you, whether they can relax, and whether the day is going to be in good hands. Your tone, your energy, and your body language sets the tone for every single person involved in that wedding. And that's not a small thing, guys. That's the job. And I want to be honest with you about something because I do think it matters. There is no such thing as a perfect wedding day. There's just not. There is not a planner or coordinator alive who has executed a flawless day from start to finish without a single adjustment, a single pivot, a single moment where the plan and the reality didn't quite line up. And if someone tells you otherwise, they are not being honest with you. I'll give you an example of a day that I thought was the perfect wedding day. The timeline was on schedule. The day was flowing. The wedding party was great. The couple was happy. The family was so kind. And right when we were getting ready to do their grand exit, which we were using Cold Sparks, we wanted to test them out before we allowed guests to come outside. So we brought our couple out to test it out with our photographer. That way we could also get some solo shots of them with the cold sparks. Well, everything's gone off without a hitch. And there's a kid who's out there with us, and he looks at me and he says, Why is nothing catching on fire? And I looked back at him and I said, Oh, it's because they're cold. You can actually run your hands through it. The moment I turned around to face the couple, I see a big pompous grass bush catch on fire. Woof. Went up into flames. Because I have been at this space numerous times, and also because I was a very much prepared planner, I knew exactly where the fire accenture was. Ran, took off to grab it to put the fire out. And again, I was in that moment thinking this had been the perfect wedding day. I was humbled real quick because it was not. Now, what separates planners is not whether things go wrong, because again, it's going to happen, but it's what happens in the room when they do. A planner who hasn't done the deep preparation work will absorb the stress of a hiccup and they will wear it. You'll see it in their voice, their posture, the way they start moving a little faster, maybe even talking a little louder. And that energy spreads. It reaches the couple, it reaches everyone in the room, and it turns a manageable moment into something that feels bigger than it is. Now, a planner who has done the work, who has thought through the hard scenarios before the day started, who has already made decisions so that way they don't have to make them under pressure. That planner can receive a hiccup and stay even. They handle it with grace, and the room stays steady because they do. Now that's what grace under pressure actually is. To me, it's not a personality type. It's not something you either have or you don't. It happens when your preparation is deep enough that the unexpected doesn't find you empty-handed. And here's why it matters well beyond the wedding day itself. Venues recommend planners and coordinators. This is a real significant part of how the business works and how you can keep your business running. When a couple ask a venue coordinator who they suggest, the answer is shaped by every experience that venue coordinator has worked alongside with other planners. The smooth days and the hard ones. They are not recommending the planner or coordinator who had the perfect day, because again, that doesn't exist. But they're recommending the planner or coordinator who made their job easier, the one who handled the unexpected without making it everyone else's problem. The one whose presence felt like a partnership and whose energy kept things steady when they could have easily gone sideways. That reputation is built in the moment, so don't make the highlight real, but it's built in how you handle the things that almost went wrong. It's built in the grace you brought to a moment that you had every reason not to. And it starts with the work you do before you even walk through that door. So as we go into this conversation, I want you to sit with an honest question. When something shifts on a wedding day, and it will, what does your energy look like in that moment? And what does the room feel from you? Because that answer will tell you everything you need to know about where your preparation actually is. So I want to bring in today's guest because she is the perfect person to have this conversation with. Miss Brianne Ackerlin is back on the podcast. And if you don't know or you want to be reminded, Brianne is a master certified wedding planner through the CWP Society and is the owner of Stress Free Wedding Space in Iowa. And her specialty is all about being a planner who can be prepared under any circumstances. Because trust me, Brie has faced so many different circumstances. And she knows a thing or two about what it means to truly be ready. And again, I could not think of a better person to have this conversation with Bri. Welcome back to the podcast.

SPEAKER_00 8:11

Thanks so much for having me today, Chrissy. This is one of my favorite topics.

SPEAKER_01 8:14

Oh my gosh, you were the perfect person for this. When we were talking offline, you're like, oh, don't worry, I've already got some more stories from you for this season. So, Brie, you, your specialty as a certified educator is all about planners and coordinators being prepared for those emergencies. So I want to start right there. When planners think about being prepared for anything, where does their thinking tend to fall short? And you know, what's the gap that you keep seeing maybe when you talk to other planners or just in the industry as a whole when you see planners and coordinators when it comes to their preparation?

SPEAKER_00 8:48

That's a great question. Um, most of us are prepared to navigate weather changes. Like we are very good at planning A, B, and C for snow, tornado, Dorecho, like like we've got it all here in the Midwest with the weather. Um, so we're really good at those types of planning for those types of emergencies. What planners aren't planning for or thinking about is number one, themselves. You know, if something happens with them, what's what's their backup? What's their A, B, and C if something falls through the cracks, whether it's child care, whether it's health, whether it's a death in the family. Our job is not one that is easily transferable if you don't have the correct team in place. Number two, what happens at venues? What are their protocols? And I know we're gonna get into that a little bit further, but when we're looking at if there was an emergency here at this location, how would we navigate that? And again, it's not always the thought process, right? We don't ever think about worst-case scenarios, but that's something I've become proficient at. And now it's just an automatic tool in my toolbox that we just add right next to our weather contingency plans. Is now we have to have a contingency plan for these other emergencies that might develop.

Backup Plans For When You Can’t

SPEAKER_01 10:07

That's so smart, Brian. I can imagine with you having that much preparation, being used have to just absolutely adore you working with you because they're like, oh God, not only are you two steps ahead, you're technically you're a whole jump ahead because when you're thinking about these topics. So I want us to talk about that, that scenario planning before the wedding day. Because your process isn't just weather and just those contingencies that we all as planners and coordinators typically do. Walk us through what that actually looks like in process for you, the questions you're asking, and maybe even some of the decisions that you're mapping out in advance when it comes to these bigger type of emergency situations.

SPEAKER_00 10:45

Absolutely. So, number one for me is the planner, a protocol I have put in place is that my assistant for the day is a certified wedding planner. So she has or he has already agreed to work that day contractually. So it automatically alleviates the backup situation. If for some reason I wasn't physically able to execute my day, I have already had one person that has contractually agreed to cover that day as an assistant and they are prepared because they have the education to step in as a lead if need be. So that's one of those things that I already have a safety net. It's built in with my processes now because that is something that I have faced and I don't want to be in that scenario again for my clients. And then obviously, then my paperwork is in a format that they have easy access to, whether it's having uh a Google Drive folder or uploading into Rock Paper Coin and or Timeline Genius, and then obviously making sure that people have access to those things, whether it's password saved or you know, those types of things, but being able to transfer an event over if I couldn't do it. And then when I'm walking through those venues, and this again kind of piggybacks with some of our other questions, is when they're showing me the space, I'm like, okay, wonderful. Can you also share with me what are your emergency protocols? I have had a grandmother drop in the middle of my reception and we had to call emergency services. And somebody was looking for an IAD, which, if you don't know what that is, it is a device that can help uh a layperson put patches on someone and see if they need to have a shock to get their heart restarted. Um, it is one of those items that you don't have to be trained on necessarily to use, but it's helpful if you are. But it's not a state requirement that every venue has one. So those are things so besides a fire extinguisher, this is another one of those tools that a lot of hotels have because they have a fitness center and sometimes those are placed in that area or near a pool. But um honestly, the situation I had when I went to the front desk to ask, they didn't know where it was. Oh, so where it was. So now, once that happened, that was one of those things that now when I am visiting a new venue, that I'm like, oh, by the way, where is your fire extinct? Not the fire extinguisher they knew where it was, but they didn't know where their IAD was. Did they have one? Yes or no? If so, where was it? And one, they didn't know where it was. I passed it in the hallway when I went to go meet uh the firemen and paramedics when they arrived on site. So now I know exactly where it is in that location, but those are things that again, um, you know, finding out all of those extra steps also again shows your worth to the venue because you are thinking ahead of if they had an emergency there. Now she's also wondering how do we make sure we get safely get this gurney in the building? How do we navigate? Um, you know, does the elevator shut down if emergency services come, who's the best point of contact to, you know, notify in the building? Um, because maybe that that coordinator is gone. We know a lot of times coordinators are only there so many hours. And so who's the backup for that person? Because if it's past their time and now we're onto a banquet captain or a front desk at the hotel, knowing who that is, every venue's different. It's not always going to be the same person. So now it's just part of that tour question list that I've kind of started, I guess is a good way to put it.

Venue Protocols And Safety Logistics

SPEAKER_01 14:22

No, I love that so much, Bri. Again, it just shows your preparation just goes beyond the basics. And and not only that, what I'd love too about the first half of what you mentioned, Brie, about the assistant. And I love that you said this because I've seen questions before in some Facebook groups and forums of first, should I have an assistant? I've I've worked a few weddings without an assistant, and my mouth always drops. Like every single wedding, regardless if it's 10 people or a hundred or a thousand people, you should have an assistant on site. But not the way that you pinpoint it, it's not just some, it's not just an assistant. It's not someone who can just easily put linens on the table, light some candles, help me. It's someone who knows what they're doing. It's someone who's also been educated and trained. And because of that, they make the perfect backup because they have that experience. If you know something does happen and they have to take over your role that day. Because, like you said at the top of this podcast, Spree, as planners, we forget about prepping for us if something bad were to happen to us. And I joke with my couples and I joke with our fellow wedding planners about my timelines and why they're so detailed. But I always say, like, if if I were to get in a car accident on the way to the wedding day, my timeline is so detailed the EMT could finish and execute the wedding. But obviously, my assistant, who is all my assistants are also certified, they can easily pick up and plan and execute this wedding if need be. We have to think about having a plan B for us. And obviously, you know, there are situations where I've seen also planners who are like, oh, my best friend's getting married now, so I can't do that wedding. No, you don't, you know, we're we're contracted. There are some things as wedding planners and coordinates that we do have to miss, unfortunately. But if it's a situation where you physically are unable to be at that wedding, having those plan B's in place of a really great phenomenal staff and team and those detailed documents, like you mentioned, where they have access to those documents is vital. So how you build your team, even if it's just your day of assistant, is crucial in that preparation process because again, these types of situations can happen. You have to be prepared for you as well. You know that same note, your contract. Having your really beautiful contract is also going to help you in some of these, you know, being prepared situations. That if something happens to me, this is what's going to take place. So that will protect you also. Now, we we briefly talked about venue walkthroughs. And obviously, this is something that every single planner and coordinator should do, or I'm hoping everyone's doing, but not every planner uses them in the same way. You know, we already mentioned some of the things that you were asking or documenting. Is there anything else that you like to confirm that kind of goes beyond the layout, beyond the fire extinguisher, things like that?

SPEAKER_00 17:07

Again, just knowing what the protocols are for the venue. Um, you know, if there's an emergency, what do we do? What who's the best person to contact? Um had a situation where tornadoes were coming through and we were at one of our baseball stadiums here, and the lead person came up to me during dinner. She's like, just so you know, the tornado warnings are going off. Here's what our protocols are. We have to go downstairs into like the dugout tunnels. Yeah. Um, if it escalates, because we were right along the Mississippi. We're not, we're in a great spot to get hit all the time here. Um, and so I was like, So what? So what's the cutoff? And again, like, where's the call? She's like, well, if it goes from a watch to a warning, then we do have to evacuate. And so I said, Okay, perfect. Thank you for letting me know. Um, you know, when that happens, then I will know. I'm gonna go talk to the DJ now just so that he's prepared. And if that's the case, then here's what we're going to do. Um, and so knowing what they're again, not every situation, not always in a situation where it's that type of venue where there are certain things they have to do legally to protect themselves. So we could be at another location where they're just like, just stay where you are. We don't have to, we don't have to go two stories down um into a different location because it's you know, because of their insurance policies and things like that. But adding that to your report, you know, your questionnaire when you're doing a visit, what where is it that we go if this happens? Because obviously being prepared with that, now I'm not trying to figure out where is it? When I have to help direct 200 and some scared people that, you know, we're right in the the eye of the storm coming at us, that now we need to navigate that. So that's how you can stay calm because you know what to do. You're prepared for where to go. But in the case where like emergency services were coming in, was I supposed to meet them? Was the hotel staff supposed to meet them? We don't want to have our signals crossed and too many people with their hands in the fire and then they're going to the wrong place. Yeah. But if I was reaching out to them and so was the venue, and now all of a sudden they're taking, they're getting delayed trying to reach the person that needs assistance because we didn't know the best way to handle that in that location. So we wouldn't want to be that hindrance because we're trying to be the proactive wedding planner and like, hey, let me show you where to like, no, maybe they couldn't navigate. Maybe the venue knows that that gurney can fit in that elevator or what's the best way to get to that person that needs assistance. So um, you know, don't put ourselves in the harm, we don't want to put ourselves in the way, but by being of informed of what needs to be done or how it's handled, again, that shows our humility. Like it's not uh, you know, we're not we are the superman or superwoman of the day to a certain extent, but when it comes to anything that's a health and safety situation, we need to take that back seat. We want to be informed, but we're not in charge. We need to make sure that we can help support everyone else um by knowing what's going on.

Contingency Talks Without The Doom

SPEAKER_01 20:14

Can I say to you, when you were giving this story about the tornado, I and because that situation is frightening. I I know you are right in Tornado Alley. I'm in Dixie Alley, which is now that's the Southern's version of Tornado Alley. So tornadoes are frightening. We get them all the time as well. But I, which can be nerve-wracking and stressful. I immediately felt calm though, when you were like, okay, so what's the procedures when it from a watch to a warning? What's our deadline? When do we need to make this call? That was an immediate sense of calm. Like knowing that, okay, Brie's got us covered. Like I mean, I put myself as a guest in that lighting of like, okay, thank God Brie is here. But that's that calm confidence that I mentioned earlier and how it's so necessary in everything that we do, but especially in those really high stake, really stressful situations. And that kind of ties in my next question with you, Brie, when it comes to your calm confidence, is how we talk to clients, how we talk to our couples about these contingency plans, because nobody wants to plan a wedding thinking about everything that could go wrong, but conversation is just a part of our job as planners and coordinators. How do you frame it with your couple so that way it doesn't just bring the doom and the gloom to the situation?

SPEAKER_00 21:28

Well, I think it's like with anything, whether it's the weather plan and that bride really wants to get married outside, or it's you know, you start with the positive. We know your day is gonna be amazing. We've worked so hard to plan every last detail. We've envisioned everything from this transition to this transition. However, we could also encounter XYZ. So if we do, what here's how we're gonna navigate that. Or what would you prefer to have happen if we had to deal with that? So, yes, I. Already had a wedding this season where we had tornadoed the day before, and we had to do our rehearsal inside. And then the day of, we kept hitting rain patches off and on. My bride just wanted to get married outside. And so between myself and the venue, like we're watching the different radars. And you know, we were out there with the towels so we could get it, you know, sorted out. But obviously, we were trying to, you know, meet her wishes, her envision, her vision for the day, but also staying calm. Like, is this ideal? No. Pushing our ceremony 20 minutes so that she could get married outside, but also conveying that to the guests that yes, it's gonna happen. They've all showed up, wonderful. At least now anybody that was late, hey, don't worry, you're not gonna miss anything. So staying positive, obviously also checking our face. Because as somebody who's notorious for RBF, and I always tell my assistants to please remind me that I can look a little intense, especially when I know what I'm doing. Like I am a woman on a mission, I got my clipboard, I am like I got my phone. I'm like, let's go. Um, but just remembering like put that smile on because even though we are, you know, our feet are paddling like crazy under the water to handle all of these things, if we can stay cool, calm, and collected on our face and our presence, then it definitely puts everybody else at ease. Like, yeah, you betcha, we're gonna make sure your ceremony happens just the way that you're hoping it will be, you know, making sure it's safe for everyone and enjoyable. But in the meantime, we do need to consider if we can't, you know, we're still gonna make that vision happen here, you know, to the best of our ability. And we'll practice that at rehearsal so that we know. And so, you know, the more that we can do to prep and just be positive before we talk about the negative, it makes such a huge difference. Because then they know that we're not going to the negative, that we're not going to plan B first. When we talk positively about everything first, about how we want, we know they want it to go. Then if we have to switch, they're like, oh, there she's only gonna pull this, you know, trigger if we absolutely have to. So that puts their minds at ease. I think though, for the part where we're not available, they don't ever think about that at all. That I don't ever have couples think, oh, your wedding planner's not going to be there. And so, unless they ask specifically for me because of my health situations and other things, it's a safety net for them to know, like, you know, I don't, you know, I don't start off conversations, oh, I had a cardiac arrest a day after a wedding once. And that put it made it hard for my other clients, you know, a few months down the road. I don't start with that. I just like, hey guys, just just so you know, I am a one-person show. But if for some reason something happened that I would not be able to execute your wedding, then I have an assistant contracted to work that day. We're not scrambling to find a last-minute replacement. I've got protocols in place to make sure that we have a smooth, easy transition. Yeah. And then, you know, they're like, well, what would that? And then if they dig deeper into well, what would classify as you being like a no-show? I'm like, oh, it's not like a situation where I had vacation on, you know, schedule or something like that. I would, you know, in the situation where my father died the day I had a wedding and I had to transition out to my assistant that day because it was not something I could get past. You know, that was one of those days. Now I had my grandmother pass away the weekend of a wedding, and I was able to move forward with it. Things, you know, so sometimes I the assistant is needed and sometimes it's not, but those are things I've encountered, and so knowing kind of um the things I've navigated and I think to builds confidence, honestly. They're like, oh man, she's dealt with a lot, but she her events still happened, yeah. Or she was able to prioritize this over this. I'm not saying that happens every time, but you know, in depending on how I'm handling it, you know, I've got a person. So if I can, I will push through. But if I can't, then my assistant is informed and knows what to do to handle it.

Real-Time Pivots With Your Vendor Team

SPEAKER_01 26:10

And to me, that's all about the trust that we establish with our couples. And that trust to me doesn't just start the weekend of the wedding. Because especially when it comes to making those plan B, C and D, and you having to make that call, then trusting you and doing so requires you to be really good throughout the entire planning process, even as a coordinator. You know, we teach as coordinators you have to do those monthly check-ins. Check in how's planning going, making sure planning's on track, seeing how they're doing mentally, reminding them what's left to do, reminding them when you're going to step in. So, you know, that that's how you can plant the seeds of trust as a coordinator. Obviously, as a planner, you're with them throughout that whole duration. So the the seeds of trust will start during that process. Again, it just to me, it just shows that our job as planners and coordinators is so much more than just checklists and timelines. How we're making our couples feel so that way they can trust us in handling these emergency situations is crucial. To me, that is the big one of the biggest compliments as a wedding planner is when we're talking, we're looking I'm looking at the forecast that we have, we're talking about, okay, you know, we've already discussed our plan A, B, and C. And they're like, I trust you to make that call. I trust you to make that call, I know you're you're gonna make the right one. And that's because I'm so I am so invested in that couples that I do want to as much as possible go with plan A, but I've got a plan A point two in my back pocket if needed that they that they know about, but they trust me in in making that call. Now, Brie, when something shifts on the wedding day, and like I said earlier, it always does. What does your real-time decision making look like? And how do you stay ahead of it rather than behind it or trying to catch up to it?

SPEAKER_00 27:43

Well, it depends on what the scenario is, to be very honest. Um, I've already had an event, not this last weekend, the weekend before, where I got a phone call from the groom and it was 10 a.m., 9:30. And he's like, the bride's mom's in the ER. They're not sure what's going on. She woke up with some pain. I'm like, okay, how is she doing? How's the bride handling it? What do you guys think you might want to do? You know, um, and then, you know, and they're like, well, we've kind of thought about, well, if she's not there, obviously. It's we're not gonna not in this case, have they have people come in from California to Iowa, like not gonna not host it? Yeah. Um, but you know, he's like, she's just plugging through the day. And I was like, okay, you know, and so then I was like, I knew that my assistant was taking bouquets over there within the next hour. So she was gonna be able to touch point. And I said, just give me the vibe. I informed her, hey, hey, just so you know, my bride's mom's in the emergency room. Can you just give me a vibe check because I'm out here at the venue? Let me know how you think she's feeling, if there's any updates, you know, just check in. But obviously, how is mom doing? What, how do we want to, you know, what do you feel like you know, you want to do? Because if we need to shut this down or pivot or start calling people because we're not up for hosting it, then I need to know so that I can start calling vendors and notify notifying people. So it's always just what's the well check first with the couple? So it's not about it's not about me, it's not about my day. Yeah, I'm gonna have a laundry list of things to tackle, but whatever you're throwing at me, if I've got my phone numbers, I've got everything, you know, if I've got contacts, then it's just a matter of what's my next move, yeah. Um, depending on what they want to do. So in this case, the mother turned out she had a kidney stone. And so they gave her some drugs and she made it to the church on time and um was able to do some pictures, you know. And then I was like, if at any point you need to bail, like if she needs to bail out or we need to pivot somewhere, or do we want to, if while we have her at the reception, do we want to move things up a little bit just so that way if she stops feeling well and feels like she needs to go, that she's not missing your first dance or the mother, you know, the father-daughter dance, you know. So it was being willing to pivot with your schedule and then obviously checking bass with photo and with DJ that were our kind of key other players. Um, with that, like, hey, just so you know, the mom may not isn't feeling well, she's here, but we don't know how long we've got her for. So can you just be mindful that we may have to pivot and we'll check in a little bit more than what we would have originally? Um, so in real case scenario, that's exactly what we did. And you know, mom was did well enough that she was able to make it most of the the event, um, you know, on that side of things. But um, you know, it's one of those things where it's real time, like you're saying, it's it's real time decision making. So if we have our timeline solid and all of our vendors know our timeline is solid, we are not having to micromanage any of that. We can handle these things that are coming at us so much better if we are not having to worry about that they're gonna drop the ball. So that means we have great vetted vendors that are off our list, that our timeline has been rehashed so many times that we could repeat it, um, um, you know, in our sleep. And then that makes it so much easier if we have to pull our assistant go to go handle something, or if we need to pivot to now handle you know, something that's completely changing up the order of our day because we can trust our team that we have. So though all of those things are interconnected, um, and I know I'm preaching to the choir on that one, but it really does make such a huge difference when we have these emergencies that come up.

SPEAKER_01 31:48

Huge. And it really matters who is in that room and who, because the grace under pressure is not just handled by the planner or coordinator, it involves everyone. We're a team effort. So that one person who's panicking and causing chaos and all that, it trickles down to everyone. Obviously, as a planner or coordinator, you're that point person. So you do kind of impact the overall vibe, but you can still, if one of your pros is not up to handling pressure well, that's gonna impact everything else. And and I tell my couples this when I talk about the importance of my approved vendor list, I say I see beyond the pretty, I see beyond the pretty Instagram feed, I see how they handle the wedding day. And I remind them once more wedding days are not perfect, things happen, things go wrong. So I see how the wedding pros can handle being able to pivot, and if they can do so with grace under pressure, and that's important on your day. I obviously do, but I want to make sure I'm building a team of people who can also build that same wonderful energy. And can I say too again, your your tone, Bree? I love it. When you mentioned that you got that phone call and how you immediately said, How is she? How is she doing? Like that calm tone voice is everything because it sets the stage for the next steps moving forward. I can imagine if you're like, oh my gosh, what mom is in the ER? Oh my goodness, what are we gonna do? I can imagine that would immediately wind him up and cause even more panic. What does that do? That that does no one any good. Calm, reassurance. That is that confidence that every couple needs from their planner or coordinator. And to me, it goes beyond just a personality trait. It has everything to do with how prepared you are. So I'm I'm so glad that you mentioned that. And I'm preach about the vendors too. I want to piggyback off of that because that is again that that to me, that also goes into being prepared. You suggesting and only working with vendors who you've vetted and who you know can handle anything that comes their way and do a phenomenal job at what they do, that comes with you being a prepared planner and coordinator.

SPEAKER_00 33:47

So that also solidifies why you're recommending them. And when you give those scenarios where this particular DJ, we had an issue with the buffet, and I was like, we need an extra 10-15 minutes. Can you like I was just like, What can you can you please handle that? I've got to go deal with this. And he immediately did. It was, I don't remember even what he did because I was back in the back. But you know, it was one of those things where if you can just try, I'm like, hey, we need more time, can you stall? Yep. Whatever, and he's like, not a problem, right? I don't have to try to sit there and try to give him a list of things to try to come up with. Um, if they're if they're, you know, a team a team player and you know that you can trust what they'll do. I it, you know, it nobody needed to know that there was a problem going on with the buffet. So it things like that happen, and those vendors, you know, when you share that information, then they're like, oh, this is why, you know, that it's again. I was like, it's not because we're there giving me a kickback, it's because they've covered me when I've had to go cover somebody else, and now we're all supporting each other, and that's what makes him refer me and put him, you know, as a planner on his top list, and then as a DJ on my top list because it makes both our jobs stress-free if we can rely on each other and not be floundering when we're just dealing with these things that pop up on the day.

Two Actions To Do This Week

SPEAKER_01 35:09

Exactly. And on the flip side of that, it can also cause people to not want to recommend or work with you as a planning coordinator. One of my favorite videographers called me and it was 11 p.m. And he's like, I know it's late, but I am still so furious about what happened. He and he doesn't know exactly why, but he he's like, Me and the photographer were in the vendor, the venue's vendor room having our dinner at the designated time that was on the timeline. And all of a sudden we hear clapping and we look at each other, we peep outside where the tent was, and they're doing toast. That's happened to me. He completely missed the father of the bride speech, and he's a videographer. So obviously, this is something you want to be filmed, and it was because the planner things got bumped up for some reason, but the planner didn't do what you did earlier, like you mentioned, letting everyone on the team know if we have to pivot, this is when we're pivoting or this is why we're pivoting. And he was like, I take that for granted with working with you, because to me, I think that's just just comes natural when you're working with a coordinator that if things suggest, they tell me. And I realize that that's not what you know, some planners don't do that. And I just want to call and tell you I appreciate you, but I'm also furious and you need to let this player know she needs to get certified. And I was like, Okay, okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but you're right. So we have to know to communicate with our vendor team when there are situations that don't go as planned. We have to communicate with our vendor team in order for them to do their job as well, or else they will not want to work with you again. Trust me. Yeah. So, Brie, as we wrap up for someone listening right now who wants to take their preparation a little bit more seriously, what's one concrete thing they can do this week?

SPEAKER_00 36:54

This week, I would definitely recommend figuring out what would what would they do if they were not able to handle an event? So if that means evaluating who your assistants are and how much education they may need to add. So that way they could be a better support for you or networking with other planners in your area that could be a potential list of if you're not available. Um, that would they be willing or would they be willing to cover your event if if they were open? So I would start with that first because you can't control what happens to you physically. And so you need to make sure you've got a backup for yourself first and foremost, because obviously we're going into heavy season here, and that means there could be something that would come up in your personal life that could be a conflict for one of your event days. And then my number two then would be just the next reach out to your venues that you currently have on your kind of you know list of hey, I'm coming here this summer or this fall, and here was something I forgot to ask you guys. What would, you know, what would happen if something happened an emergency happened in your venue? Kind of can you just share with me typically how you guys would handle that? If emergency services had to come, you know, or if we had, you know, the a tornado come through or a fire or um, you know, somebody feel like they were having heart palpitations and kind of pass out, you know, what what would your team do or who would be the best person to contact? And then next time I'm in person, could you kind of just show me what is your route? Where where do people go if the weather is, you know, if the weather is bad? Where are these items that are our safety items that are here in your venue? If I had to use them or who would I contact and would they know how to operate them? Um, because that's what that would be an easy one that you could do via email. But number one, you got to take care of yourself first. Planners, you're you're one person. And if you've got a team, fantastic, then make sure your team is in a good place that if they had to pull in to take an event for you, that they could. But if they're subbed out to do other events, then they're not available to cover for you. Yeah. You know what your calendar is, you know what your team's calendar is if you have one. So then you need to start either filtering in a person that doesn't have an event on a weekend so that they could fill in for any of these other people. Um, or again, start um looking at your own protocols and procedures to see what you would do if you could not physically execute one of your events.

Certification Invite And Listener Discount

SPEAKER_01 39:26

Yeah, exactly. Well, Brig, thank you so much for being here. To me, I think this conversation is going to give our listeners a lot to sit with. And I think it's all because of how intentional you are with your work. And I think that's something that this industry desperately needs more of and being intentional when it comes to being prepared. So for everyone listening, I hope what you're taking away with from today isn't just a to-do list. I hope it's a shift in how you think about your readiness as something you build deliberately, not just something you hope for. The planners and coordinators who earn the deep trust of those venues, who get called back, who get referred, they didn't get there by accident. They invested in the way they work. And that investment starts with how seriously you take your own professional development. Now, if you've been in this industry for any amount of time, you know the difference between a planner and coordinator who's just doing the job and one who's genuinely committed to doing it well. You've probably seen that difference in other people. So, my question for you is are you investing in yourself the way that you're capable of? The CWP Society exists for this exact reason. Our certification programs are built around the kind of knowledge, preparation, and the professional standards that we've been talking about today. And that work makes you someone venues trust, clients recommend, and that the industry respects. If you've been circling certification and you haven't made the move yet, I want to invite you to stop waiting. This is a strategic decision for your business and your career, and you can make that decision now. Visit CWPsociety.com to learn more about our executive and master certification programs, as well as our free wedding pro membership and our student membership. You've done the work to get here. Let's get the credential to reflect it. Thank you for spending the time with me and with Brianne, of course, and we will see you guys next week. Thanks, Brienne.

SPEAKER_02 41:16

And before you go, we've got a little something just for our podcast listeners. If you're ready to elevate your career as a wedding planner or coordinator, you can use code podcast to receive$75 off the executive certification program. This code is valid until the next episode releases. So be sure to take advantage while it's available. This offer can't be combined with any other discounts. Visit CWP Society.com to learn more.