I am convinced the world only has two types of people: those who love the journey, and those who just
want to get to the destination. I fall into the latter category, as do my son and my husband. We are
people who talk fast, drive fast, eat fast, walk fast… cuz we got places to go and things to do.
This can be good in business, because I quickly blow through a list of tasks and a pile of to-do’s…feeling
very accomplished and proud of myself. I do tend to also do things well, for the most part, so if I end the
day feeling like I got a lot done and did a pretty good job, I am a pretty happy camper. The bad part
regarding business—and really everything else, if I’m being honest—about rushing through everything is
that I struggle with slowing down enough to enjoy the moment.
Allow me to give an example when it comes to wedding and event planning. I read an article recently
regarding wedding business marketing, and one of the tips was to Take Photos of Your Process. Well.
My process includes one or more vendors cussing and sweating from the top of a ladder while one or
more other vendors are handing her zip ties, pliers, fabric, and maybe vodka. This past Saturday, I was
hired to decorate for a smaller affair and so I was the only decorator. I spend 34 hours sitting on the
banquet room floor removing tiny plastic tabs from fairy light batteries. If you know, you know.
Know what I did? I took a picture. I also took a picture of the ridiculously small screwdriver overseas
manufacturer gives you, lest you have difficulty with the fairy light batteries. By then, I was on a roll. I
took photos of the messy boxes, the caterer’s cart I used to lug the boxes from my truck, and the absurd
amount of plastic that gets vacuum sealed around tealight-packaging. This…is…my process.
This goes against everything I feel is “good” about my talents, and really, about my industry. I organize
beautiful photo shoots with amazing vendors who spend weeks poring over inspiration pics from
Pinterest and Instagram, studying images for the perfect color palette, captured in the perfect lighting.
Isn’t this what we’re after? Isn’t this what my clients want from me?
Maybe not. Maybe if my brides saw the sweaty mess on the ladder and my dirty jeans sprawled on the
banquet floor with miniature tools in hand, they’d realize immediately they do not want that to be
them! Maybe if I have video of my vendor phonecalls with the bakery regarding frosting ingredients
(determines whether the cake can sit out at room temperature during set up) and the photographer
regarding sunset photos (cuz that’s usually the time of night that the caterer is trying to navigate dinner
and the dj wants to get the dancefloor open) then my clients will realize that having aunt Sally as their
wedding coordinator might not cut it.
Process. The journey. Pausing to be in the moment and not be in such a hurry for perfection. This
doesn’t just go for the wedding and events industry obviously… it applies to everyone, everywhere.
Embrace. Your process.