What a spring!! I’ve had back to back weddings since April 18 and while life was a bit hectic, every single bride was WORTH it!!!:)
When my spring started to fill up, Matt and I talked about what I should do. At this point, we knew I was going to go full-time since there was no way I could take on more weddings, grow DSE AND work 40 hours per week for someone else (it just wasn’t physically possible!)!! When spring inquiries kept coming, we decided that I would take as many as I could (which meant every weekend!) since I WAS going full time and we wanted to ensure the income would be there!! So here we are – 12 in a row has come & gone & what a CRAZY ride it was!!!
While I don’t necessarily suggest that you book 12 in a row (I’m honestly not sure I will do it again), I know that there are A LOT of vendors in the industry that will have 3, 4, 5, 6 weddings in a row on a normal basis. That’s why they call it “off season” in the winter, right? Because we don’t have as many inquiries coming in for these months and therefore the chance o having multiple in row in winter is slim!! So naturally, April-June and Sept-Nov are BUSY, BUSY months for wedding professionals!!
I learned A LOT about myself in the last 12 weeks, and I thought I’d share tips about how I survived multiple weddings in row. Hopefully it will help you this fall if the same situation applies!!:)
1. A supportive spouse! This might be the mushy one, but it’s true!!! If Matt wasn’t supportive of late nights and weekends gone, then this would not be possible. While I was neck-deep in flowers and timelines, he was researching homes for our house hunt, buying our grocery and keeping me laughing. He cooks our meals and keeps our family running so that I can focus on my brides, and for that I’m so grateful!
2. Having a system! Whether it’s for blogging or workflow, having a system in place will allow you to wear all the hats of your business well! I have a workflow chart for each of my wedding packages, so I am able to keep track of where I am with each client! I also kept up with my blogging calendar so that the blog wouldn’t completely die (although there were a few weeks I slacked a bit!)! Maintaining a system in the chaos will keep things on track!
3. Have a plan & stick to it! Having multiple weddings in a row is NOT a surprise for you – you know it’s coming!! Plan accordingly so that you can have your best self available for your clients! As a wedding planner, my work is BEFORE the big day. After the wedding, I don’t need to worry with culling images or designing an album. But BEFORE the wedding, I’m finalizing the timeline, designing flowers, working with vendors and trying to be as present as possible for the bride-to-be! With that being said, I had to give myself deadlines for when various tasks for each bride would be done. Having systems in place (like I mentioned previously) is really helpful for that, but that’s not ALL that goes into it. You need to prioritize your workload both for business AND family!! It will only make it easier!!:)
4. Take time off! Having multiple weddings in a row is a sure way to get burnt out because you work too hard with not enough rest. Back in April, when I was prepping for this time, I decided to make Mondays my day off. I do not make any DSE or C@H appointments on Mondays. I allow myself to sleep in, do laundry, run errands and just catch up on LIFE. I encourage you to find time todo that!! If you’re working full-time and can’t spend an entire day off, carve out weeknights to just BE. Don’t answer emails, don’t schedule consultations… just hang out, watch sitcoms & relax!!
5. Discover what helps you be productive!! When I have flowers for a wedding on top of the planning, it cuts my work week in half. My flowers arrive on Wednesday & I spend Wednesday & Thursday processing & designing. Then Friday I leave for the Rehearsal (since 90% of my weddings are 2+ hours away!) That means I ONLY have Monday & Tuesday to work in the office!! Since I try to take Monday’s off from appointments, that means I need to be EXTRA productive with the time I DO have in the office!! I found myself going to Barnes & Noble quite a few times in the last two months because I had a LOT of work and a little bit of time to do it. I needed to immerse myself in an environment where I would be able to focus and have little distraction. I also found that getting up EARLY helped me to stay focused!! I am NOT a morning person – I could sleep until 9 or 10am if you’d let me!!:) But I found when I woke up at 7:30am, I would be VERY productive from then until lunch! I got on a role and it helps me keep up with all of my systems. I challenge you to find what environment you find the most productive!!
6. Set up an email response. I actually have an entire blog post about my email response coming next week, that’s how much I love it!!:) The very first line in my response reads: Hooray!! Wedding season is in full swing!! Due to the general busyness of the season, it can take up to 48 hours to receive an email response. I appreciate your patience and can’t wait to chat soon!! I let people know ahead of time that (a) my time is precious (b) I’m very busy and (c) it may take 2 days before I can reply. This lets clients, potential clients, and vendors in on how busy your life is and give wiggle room for a response time!
7. Give yourself grace. THIS is key, friends!! You will get tired. You will have a never-ending list. But you’re doing this for a reason, right?! You LOVE this dream job of yours so don’t let the late nights wear you down!!! Remind yourself that you’re only human (believe it or not, your clients know that too!)! I have had to email brides and request an extension on a project. I have had to ask Matt to reschedule date night when other things came up. GRACE is essential!! Don’t forget that!
Have you worked multiple weddings in a row? What tips do you have?! I have another long stretch this fall and would LOVE your advice!!:)
xo! kat
Image by Rachel May Photography from the Amanda Veronee Floral Workshop, chair from Paisley & Jade
