Samantha: I am an Event Planner, planning my own wedding

By Samantha Kohn 

“It will be easy,” they said.

“You do this all the time,” they said. “It should be no problem!”

Well, yes I do this all the time. I am an Event Manager at a company, where I plan events as my career. Not to toot my own horn, but I can plan a pretty decent event, fairly quickly with all of my T’s crossed and my I’s dotted. Before that, I worked for a wedding blog where I wrote content as well as helped on-site at some weddings throughout Rhode Island, so I think I can say that I can successfully plan an event.

What I do not do all the time, is plan MY OWN wedding. Nope. This is my first time doing this. Not that I was surprised by everything that went into it, but I didn’t know all of the little things that you don’t think about before you start to plan your own wedding. Shocker, planning a wedding isn’t just Pinterest boards and trying on wedding dresses (although both of those are pretty great!). It involves timelines that you have to do backwards(?), changing your mind on centerpieces several times and the seating charts… oh the seating charts. Everyone was right when they said the seating chart was the worst part — certain family members can’t sit together, or certain groups can’t be broken up, but you can’t fit 12 people at an 8 top table! Also, planning an event for someone or something else, is much easier than planning an event pretty much for yourself.

Now, I am almost at the end — almost at the single digit countdown — and I am now at the part of all of the little odds and ends of planning, I think I can offer some advice. No, I am not saying that I am an expert, but I do think I can offer up something to non-event planners who are planning a wedding.

• You can only do your best when it comes to the seating chart. There are only so many options for how you can seat people. If you find yourself stuck, reach out to your venue and ask for another layout. It may just solve all of your problems. Also (and this is a big one) go to Staples, buy some poster board and post-its and make yourself a little seating chart. It will save your life.
• You are never going to please everyone. There is always going to be someone who has a problem, or who isn’t happy with the food, or where they are sitting, etc. etc. Just remember that you are never going to please everyone.
• When your fiance asks what he can help with, let him help. Write him a list, give him tasks, definitely let him help. Trust me.
• And last but not least….try and enjoy it. It really isn’t that bad.