My other company (besides Ninja Entertainment) is AV Associates Hawaii, which provides audiovisual rental and services for theatrical productions and special events. A recent theatrical production highlights the serious importance of communication among all of your wedding professionals in order for you to have a successful celebration. Let me explain.
At this recent production, I was hired to provide audiovisual and lighting services for a one-day, ethnic performance that showcased dances, singing, and other facets of a particular Asian culture. Normally I would meet with the show producers in advance to go over the logistics, timeline, stage setup, etc. This is to better understand the vision of the producer and to be prepared for the event, in order to best serve my clients. At the very least, I would insist on a lengthy phone conversation to go over these points. But for this one particular event, the show producer did not communicate in advance with me and the other event professionals he was working with.
Going into this show, I had no idea as to what the order of events would be like, how the stage was to be set up, and what to expect. As you can imagine, the setup that morning was chaotic, as my staff and I scrambled to move speakers, microphones, and equipment around to accommodate the singers, performers, and more. Needless to say, everything could have run much more smoothly if we knew in advance what to expect and thus be better prepared for it.
We did the best that we could, given the circumstances, and from the audience’s standpoint, it was a good show. But backstage, a lot of headaches could have been avoided if the show producer was open to communicating the details to us much sooner.
Tying this to your wedding, YOU are a show producer. Your wedding is an event that you’re spending a lot of time and money on. Communication with your wedding professionals is VITAL to the success of your event. If your caterer, photographer, videographer, DJ, and Master of Ceremonies know what’s going on in advance (that is, long before the wedding day), it will help them to better prepare for your event, and thus deliver the absolute best service they can deliver.
Here are some items that ALL of your wedding professionals should have before your wedding day:
- The Timeline of your event: Or as we say in the theatrical business, the Production Schedule. This helps your professionals know the order of events in advance, allowing them to set their own individual schedules as to what they have to do to best serve you. Videographers, for example, really appreciate this because they will know how much time they have between ceremony and video slideshow, and they can estimate how long they will need to edit and render your ceremony highlights.
Note: if you have any unique elements in your wedding (e.g., playing a game to give away the bouquet instead of a traditional bouquet toss), make sure you include an explanation as well, so your professionals can best understand your vision and reasoning as to why you’re doing it.
- The Floorplan: aka The Stage Plot. This gives your professionals an understanding of where everything goes, allowing them to adjust their own setups and ultimately saving them time that day when your professionals come in to set up. For example, if your DJ knows where they need to set up, they can do it as soon as they arrive rather than set up in the wrong place and later realize that you wanted them somewhere else!
- The List of Your Professionals: aka The Production Staff. Include their names, contact numbers, emails, and their role in your wedding. This helps your other professionals to get in touch with each other in advance to answer any technical questions they may have. For example, your videographer may want to contact your DJ in order to see if the videographer can connect his DVD player to the DJ’s sound system in order to play back your video slideshow. Or the DJ may want to contact your caterer/rental company to inquire about tables for the DJ’s setup.
Remember that while it’s nice to hear from your professionals from time to time, it’s also equally important that you clearly communicate all of your wishes and plans to them. They’ll appreciate you for it and will do an excellent job for you on your wedding day!
written by Marino_NinjaEntertainment
\\ tags: Advice, communication, floorplan, Partnerships, planning, stressfree, timeline
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