So you think it's easy to be a wedding supplier?

Hmm... let's see...

a) Everything is "take one". Usually, there's no chance to do a take two because there are time limits and of course, it's a once-in-a-lifetime affair. A bungled thing is a bungled thing is a bungled thing... Get it?

Oh, and it's not easy for couples to move on when there are too many bungled parts... Wrong music playing at the first dance, forgotten distribution of gifts to principal sponsors, etc.

b) Your "officemates" are constantly changing. While there are times when suppliers get lucky and end up working with people they are used to, there are also days when their co-suppliers are downright difficult to work with or are nice but inefficient. When that happens, suppliers who know better need to go beyond what they are expected to do -- just to save the day, literally and figuratively.

So yes, I am personally thankful to all my couples who got reliable suppliers. No added stress... yey! :)

c) You need to be healthy all the time -- first, because the couple did book you and they wish to see you on their big day and second, because it's not easy to look for a replacement. So as the saying goes, "the show must go on" (even if you have fever, you're coughing your lungs out, etc.)

Why am I writing this? Well, I've heard too often from outsiders that it's easy and glamorous to be in the industry. While the job can be considered glamorous from a certain vantage point -- "easy" is far from the real picture. It's as difficult a job as any -- we don't have lots of room for mistakes, in fact, even just one mistake can prove "fatal" to our reputations; we don't have emergency leaves and the like, and most of all, we work in a constantly changing environment where we must learn to adapt really quickly, step up and go beyond what is required of us, and deal with personality quirks on the side -- all in the name of giving the couple their dream wedding.

Why are you in the wedding industry?

I've always viewed the wedding day as a day of cooperation among suppliers. After all, each one is vital to creating the big picture. I feel that it's necessary to forego getting credit and just troubleshoot wherever needed. However, it's difficult to cooperate and compromise if some suppliers have this mindset: "Basta ito ang amin, ito lang ang gusto kong gawin, bahala kayo". 

"Tulungan" po ang name of the game dito because at the end of the day, what counts should be the fact that we all helped each other achieve the couple's dream wedding. That's why some of my supplier-friends end up going beyond their roles as well -- if one is having difficulty, the other suppliers step up to cover for the one who can't get it together at the moment. All because we don't want the bride & groom to lose the positive vibes of the day.  

I thought of UNITY & COOPERATION because a coord team member told me that it's not her job to help the projector tech -- in the middle of the program, after seeing the projector tech flounder with the first AVP. In the first place, as coord it's your job to check on the in-house projector operator prior to the reception (and request for a different one if he can't do the job well). How about the tasks I did for you? Did I ever say, "This is your job; it's not mine to do"? (It is not my intention to malign any coord team. I am simply writing this as a case in point.) 

Let's not make things go south for the couple. Let's work together and avoid the blame game. 
Bottomline, we all need to do our part to make the day stress-free. It's not just the coords' task to make everything run seamlessly, they also need our cooperation as fellow suppliers. I'm saying this because I also coordinated in the past. I know how hard it is to wear that coord hat. So I help... Not to say, "I helped"... But to say, "I can relate". 

P.S. 

I can proudly say I know a lot of people in the industry who have the same mindset, ie on the day, we all belong to one team named after the bride and groom. :)