“What’s love got to do with it?”

Wedding Manager Blog - Unveiling love, logistics and vulnerabilities.

#nationalcouplesday had me pondering about the many and varied couples we meet during the planning of their weddings and despite their differences, their similarities are astounding.

As the manager of a busy wedding department within a hotel, country estate and spa, I've had the privilege of witnessing (sometimes even in the legal sense) their individual stories and personalities unfold. From extravagant receptions to intimate ceremonies on the lake jetty, each bride and groom presents with their own unique blend of emotions.

Amidst the grandeur and excitement, there's an undeniable vulnerability that envelops the bride and the groom as their special day approaches. Wedding planning is a time when they not only navigate the logistics of the day, but also commit to their lifelong partnership, which involves a leap of faith into the unknown.

Weddings are often imbued with cultural, familial and societal expectations. These expectations can exert tremendous pressure on the couple to meet standards set by tradition, peers and the dreaded social media. Weddings are inherently public events, where couples stand in front of family and friends to declare their love for one another. Sharing such an intimate moment with a multitude of eyes upon them can evoke a sense of vulnerability, which is further heightened by the fear of nerves, judgment or criticism.

Every bride and groom dreams of a flawless wedding day. However, the reality is that weddings are a theatre, a live event and therefore sometimes subject to unforeseen hiccups. The fear of imperfections unfolding in front of a gathered audience can lead to heightened sense of anxiety. I often witness couples grappling with the fear of the unknown and the unexpected, on one occasion - a mere three minutes before the ceremony started, I was alerted to the fact that a groom was prone to fainting when under stress and another needed help to lift pollen stains his beige suit with Sellotape!

As a wedding coordinators and managers, our roles extend way beyond the planning and? logistics. We’re entrusted with not only managing the operational side of the event, but also providing the practical (anyone got a safety pin?) and emotional support before the couples come together in front of the officiant. We are the one constant and reassuring presence throughout the process, guiding bride and groom through varying degrees of planning, anxiety and uncertainty. Through open and honest communication, combined with patience and understanding, we can help create an environment where their vulnerability is acknowledged and embraced, albeit it with hugs and tissues, or freezing cold air-con and iced water to hand, at just the right time.

Ultimately we are very privileged to be entrusted with their raw, sometimes unchartered emotions and in playing our part with professionalism, we ensure that their vulnerability is met with empathy, care and their wedding day goes without a hitch.

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