It looks as if we had planned it this way all along, doesn’t it? (Photo courtesy of Gold Grid Studios.)
From time to time I like to share these Success Stories with you. They are all about how your wedding planner saves the day! (Hey, someone’s got to pat me on the back once in a while, even if it’s myself.) Besides, these are the things I really enjoy about my job: I get to make someone’s wedding day better. Here’s one from last summer.
The bride and groom were a fairly laid-back couple, but they were having an enormous wedding at the Notebaert Nature Museum. The ceremony was to be in the courtyard; cocktails inside the museum; and dinner on the rooftop terrace. Naturally, we had back-up rain plans for both the ceremony and dinner.
Well, the weather was extremely iffy. It was quite hot and humid, and there were definitely thunderclouds on the horizon. I had been watching the weather forecast for several days to see if we could predict which way it would go–and it just would not settle down to be one thing. It even changed a couple of times after I checked in the morning of the wedding day.
The ceremony was early enough in the evening that we were pretty sure that we could get it in before there was any rain. So, we set it up outdoors. And, being optimists, the caterer and I decided we would set up dinner outdoors, too. The weather really did look, then, as if it would hold for the evening.
Well, it was really one of those changeable days we get in Chicago in the summer. Sure enough, it got to within half an hour of the ceremony time, and the clouds started to look rather threatening. We took a chance on it, though, and started the ceremony as planned. The musicians were prepared for rain: The keyboard player had some (not-so-decorative) plastic sheeting to cover his instrument, and the violinist informed me she would take her instrument indoors if there was rain. (As I’m well aware, even a drop of rain on the finish of a fine violin can change the tone permanently. Violinists don’t take any chances with their expensive instruments.)
About halfway through the ceremony, the drizzle started, but everyone (except the violinist) stuck it out, and it was a lovely ceremony. Meanwhile, the caterer, my assistant, and I put our heads together about what to do next. I knew the couple had a strong preference for having dinner outdoors. But we looked at the weather radar and the forecast and decided that it would be prudent to move the festivities indoors.
Obviously, I couldn’t consult with the couple; they were busy getting married right at that moment. So, I had to make the call on their behalf. After all, that’s what I do: Look after the best interests of my clients. I took the responsibility and we decided to move all the tables indoors. Thank goodness for a caterer with enough staff to do all that in a short time!
I found the couple during cocktail hour and explained the decision we had made. They were sad about having to change plans, but they understood that it would make their guests a lot happier. I have to say, the mother of the groom was thrilled that she would be spending the evening in air conditioning!
And it all turned out beautifully. The guests were perfectly happy with an indoor reception. It rained enough that no one would have wanted to eat dinner in it. There were still s’mores on the terrace for dessert, so everyone got to enjoy the view. (The rain had stopped by that time, mostly.) Dinner was a success, the dancing was superb, and it was a wonderful wedding.
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