Screaming in the car

[Abbey]

I think I've finally calmed down.

I did a wedding reception last night. Now, I've done probably a couple thousand...I think I know what I'm doing. In fact, it was a Canadian reception which is vastly different from an American. No problem.

Enter the wedding coordinator. (sound drama music) Why anyone would hire a wedding coordinator is beyond me. It's the caterer's, DJ's, photographer's, bartender's job to DO THEIR JOB. We don't need someone to do it for us. I was SO close to taking the cake knife and doing throat damage on her.

She sent me 16...yes, 16 pages of a timeline. At 7:01 say this. Then at 7:04 say this, yadda, yadda. Yeah...that's going to happen.

Well, events don't really work like that. Typically the wedding party gets tied up in traffic here so the event ALWAYS starts late. This threw her for a loop. She's screaming, "We're not on time!!" My response (which I think really annoyed her) was, "Not a problem...roll with it." This woman was having a heart attack in front of me.

She'd storm up to me in the middle of a song where the dance floor is filled and tell me to turn it off because it's 8:42 and time to do the bridal party dance. I told her I'd do it at the end of this song. Storms away in a hissy fit.

Here's the kicker. She doesn't realize I own the company along with my husband. She goes out into the hallway and calls him to complain about me. Tells him I'm 'resistant' to following the time schedule.

Keep in mind that the guests are having a great time. That's all that matters to me.

At the end of the event I told the banquet manager that I will never do an event with her in attendance again. He said nearly all his staff said the same.

Screaming part.

I bit my tongue the entire night. When I finally pack up and leave and get in my car, I think you could have heard me screaming a few blocks away. Five hours of biting your tongue tends to make you a tad crazy.

So, here's to you...wedding coordinator -

Abbey

 

[witzend]

You have to wonder where people come up with this stuff? Is that really what the bride wanted? Was the time schedule related to some sort of cosmic karma that would guarantee a happy married life?

Did the bride seem that way when they hired you?

 

[Abbey]

The bride was wonderful and happy. I asked her at the end of the night if she had a good time and she was thrilled.

It's all a big trap. When you have that 'magical' wedding, people tie you into so many services you do not need. Coordinator is one of them, unless you are completely lazy or dumb.

I don't see a problem with hiring a coordinator (actually there were TWO of them there) to set up the event, but interfere in other's jobs? No. You set it up and let us carry it out.

Abbey

 

[Star*]

Okay - now Abbey - we talked about this. And you should have included......

WHOT YOU DON"T LIKE IT?????

(loved the little addition of the I HATE YOU smiley) well THAT's an oxymoron isn't it?

YOU ROLLED GIRL
YOU ROCKED GIRL
YOU TELL THE COORDINATOR TO GET
(sheep in a group) GIRL.

I should so do crowd control and conflict management.

 

[Abbey]

I'm not kidding. I was SOOOO riled up when I got home that I couldn't sleep for 2 hours.

I KNOW how to make a good party. Don't tell me what to do. You give me a Catholic/Jewish reception and I'll make it work. Give me 2 years olds to 99 year olds and I'll play music that they all love. Is it a chatting crowd (haven't seen each other in years), or a party my arse off crowd? I figure that out quite quickly. I don't need some coordinator telling me what to do.

Ok...so maybe I'm not so calmed down.

Maybe I'll scream in my car as I go to demo green been cass today.

Abbey

 

[Star*]

Ho ho ho - green giant!

Oh and that crabby rich real estate woman you're going to win over - it's me - I'm in drag. lol

I really think I would have told that woman she needs to be rocked to sleep and then found a large rock and helped her.

 

[Abbey]

Ho ho ho - green giant!

Oh and that crabby rich real estate woman you're going to win over - it's me - I'm in drag. lol

I really think I would have told that woman she needs to be rocked to sleep and then found a large rock and helped her.

On, no...she's getting a lovely flower in her basket.

Can't come up with a green been costume. Wish I could paint myself green. The TOP DOG, literally the CEO for the bigger supermarket, came in and raved about my Latin costume. Keep in mind that I have maraccas in my hand and a guitar slapped over me, a Mexican hat, and Latin music playing. Ok...I'm 47. I need a raise.

Abbey

 

[TerryJ2]

Wow. Her title should be Control Freak Wedding Planner.
So sorry you had to do that. Funny that she called your husband to complain about you!!!

 

[Sara PA]

Those wedding planners really exist??? I thought they were just the figment of some comedy writers' imagination.

Could this have been her first wedding ever? I wonder how long she has to be in that business until she realizes that real life isn't going to comply with her timetables.

 

[Lothlorien]

Jeeze, I thought Bridzillas were bad. What do you call her, coordinatazilla?


I'm not one to bite my tongue for very long. I think I would have blown a gasket with her.

 

[skeeter]

When my son got married, my to be daughter-in-law's mother is the wedding coordinator of the church.
First, this was a HUGE wedding - 7 bridesmaids (I told my daughter in law that she had to stop, NF had no more friends and we would be pulling homeless people off the street to fill the bridal party) and two junior bridesmaids.
We all had tape with our name on it slapped all over the alter area so we knew exactly where to stand when.
We were all timed to the second as to when we were to walk down the aisle to the music playing (including me, the grooms mom, the grandmothers, etc.).

We had the rehearsal dinner at Dave and Buster's (for 55 people!). My son said he wanted to have FUN that night, because he knew the wedding was going to be a logistical nightmare.

It really wasn't THAT bad, but I was really really glad I was the mother of the groom!!

 

[Steely]

I would have been screaming right there with you. That is just absurd. Where do people get off? She will not last long with that position.

Hugs.

 

[Andy]

Do we know a wedding coordinator who needs a difficult child in her life in order to loosen up?

Loved your reply about "No problem". I use that soooo often at church with uptight people who are unable to relax and be flexible. It always throws them off, just not the reaction they want.

Good going on keeping your cool. What did husband say to this lady?

 

[WhymeMom?]

Hope bride is aware that the success of her having a good time WAS NOT related to the wedding planner.... timing to the minute is just plain stupid......what a fool!

I'm hoping this woman is not in the business and it was just a friend? With this kind of behavior I can't imagine she will be in the business long......

 

[Abbey]

Naw...she's in the business. Hopefully not for long.

Typically, I have brides fill out a wedding planner form where they can pick special songs, dedications, entrances, etc. I judge the mood of the event and go from there as what to play and when to play it, and coordinate with caterers, photographers, etc. That's my JOB. It just annoyed the heck out of me to have someone who has never done this to come in and be a you know what.

Being a DJ sounds silly, but having a full dance floor is gold. When someone comes up to me with a full dance floor and tells me to cut the song RIGHT NOW, I have an issue with that. Can you say, BUZZ KILL??? It's not like I'm going to let them leave without cutting the cake or garter toss. I'm sorry that it didn't happen at 8:42, but it will happen.

She doesn't know that she called husband. Fortunately, husband knows enough of these people that he just shrugged it off. Me, on the other hand, am still steaming about it. Usually, brides are happy. It's the moms that stress to the hilt.

Now, I'm going to shower to get the ton of chicken grease off of me from demoning carne asada. If I never see a raw chicken again, I will be a happy camper.

Abbey

 

[susiestar]

I am sorry the coordinator was such a fool. Man, weddings just are not like htat in our family, with the exception of my bro and exSIL's.

I can't imagine using a coordinator, much less one like that.

It sounds like you are a really great dj. It sounds like you have FUN while you do it, AND like you really know your stuff.

blow off the coordinator. She will get hers someday.

Hugs,

Susie

 

[Hound dog]

I doubt this coordinator will last long in the business. To be an event planner of any kind you have no choice but to be flexable. Life happens, and it's never on the schedule.

An idea for the Green Giant costume......Would you be too embarassed to go as Mother Nature? You know, Green Giant is so yummy even Mother Nature loves it.

Then you wouldn't have to invest in green paint.

Oh, you might have been fuming, but odds are the coordinater was having a nervous breakdown by the time the wedding was over. lmao

Hugs

 

[tiredmommy]

This just further validated our decision to elope...

 

[KTMom91]

I'll second the vote for eloping. If I had had to plan a wedding with Miss KT, Hubby's then-undx'd ADD, the undx'd ADHD of #1, and the 16 year old attitude of #2 when we got married, I think I'd have killed someone. Or you would have heard me screaming along with Abbey.