Wedding Planning: Lemonade from Lemons

My sister is the ultimate planner. One would think that this sort of organization and forethought comes in handy when planning your big day, but sometimes (most of the time) life happens and gives you an unexpected lemon(s). The first thing we tell our customers when they call panic stricken about a change in venue, date, etc… is to first, breathe, and secondly that it will all work out, usually for the better. What do you say when it’s your own sister?

Lemon #1- A month before my sister’s wedding, and after such careful budgeting and meticulous planning, Melanie’s photographer canceled. Melanie was exhausted from the last minute planning details and could not imagine how she would find an affordable wedding photographer in San Diego that wasn’t already booked. A wedding photographer is so important not only for their talent, but also for their ability to assess the vibe and capture personalities. This is where Rachel Wattson comes in.

Lemonade #1- Rachel is a mother of two and photographer that was recommended to us by our DJ (Dennis from Creative Music DJ’s.) Rachel was such a blessing and a wonderful addition to the wedding. Her ability to be a part of the wedding with out being obtrusive was amazing. My sister really wanted candid pictures that didn’t look too posed or artsy. You can see more of her work at rachelwattsonphotography.com Here are some of my personal favorites below:

Lemon #2- Melanie was so focused on her big day, 06-12-2010, that she made her reservations for the rehearsal dinner on her wedding day. Close to thirty hungry family members and friends showed up to Piatti in La Jolla ready to break into some red wine and enjoy some fabulous dipping oils and fresh bread, only to realize that our reservations were for the the next day… And this is where Kasey Avedesian, the Special Events Manager at Piatti comes in.

Lemonade #2- Kasey’s first step was to breathe and take a second to figure out how to turn this situation around. She and her team converted the neighboring breakfast-only restaurant’s courtyard into a private outdoor dining area for our party! Within minutes we were seated at round tables draped in plastic flowered table clothes, drinking wine and enjoying appetizers. The kitchen prepared our special pre-planned menu while cooking up amazing Italian dishes for a packed restaurant… no easy task. We were able to move around and be as loud as we pleased. Toward the main entree, Melanie was already agreeing that her mistake created an even better memory than could have been imagined. Yet another blessing in disguise!

Moral of the story… my sister is the perfect example of what we tell our customers, things always work out for the best. The details might change (ie: plastic flowered table cloths vs starched white table cloths) but the important things are the memories created and no planning or lack of planning can ruin that.