We met with another potential wedding planner on Friday. Even though there was an appointment time mix up, we were ready to write it off as a miscommunication. But no, the mix up was indicative of the appointment itself.
I know this particular event planning company has a good track record, but the planner we met needed a “how to do a one-on-one”* training. Rather than ask about our story, or share her story, she went down a checklist: do you have a photographer? a location? All important questions, but not as openers. How about instead: tell me how you met, or what is your vision for the reception? If we chose to work with a wedding planner, we need to know that s/he can share and refine our vision, not just meet our logistical needs.
I gave her a few chances: Tell me more about you. I like the books with events planned by your company, but can you give me some examples of your work? Tell me some stories about events you’ve planned before.
But she kept coming back to logistics. A complete lack of recognition for what we were looking for. And when she finally did share her career history, she never tied it to our needs. Sigh.
Wedding planner interview #2 is a negatory.
*One-on-one: a personal conversation in which the 2 or 3 people present share their stories in order to get to know one another. It’s also helpful to persuade people to do something they might not be so keen on – like spend $$ on a wedding planner.
Julia and Kerry and Baby 