I just can’t help it.
What I consider to be my “planning failures” haunt me at the most inopportune times. Big or small, I just keep reminding myself that I messed up!
I was just sitting here eating (as always) and minding my business when I randomly thought, “I should’ve done a better job selecting a DJ for my sister’s wedding.”
My sister got married in 2015.
2015.
Since this thought popped up in my head again for the thousandth time, I figured I’d write about it. Maybe this will be therapeutic, right? If anything, hopefully, someone will read this post and will learn something from my mistake.
Unlike the challenges I previously shared in my post “It’s Not Your Fault, But It’s Your Problem”, this was totally my fault. And while my sister and brother-in-law are happy with the outcome of their wedding, it still bugs me to this day that the DJ didn’t work out as planned!
Let me explain.
My sister didn’t have a choice when it came to hiring a wedding planner. I told her I was her planner and that was it. As a result, I was fully responsible for everything and everyone on her big day.
If you personally know my family, you know we LOVE to have a good time. Music was one of THE most important things to get right for the reception. Because it was a top priority, I wanted to get the best DJ for my sis because that’s what she deserves!
Instead of going through the formal process of looking for a DJ, I went back into my files and found someone that I had worked with several years before. He did an amazing job at that event so I knew he would do the same for my sister. I quickly hired his company and checked “DJ” off my to-do list and moved on to the next vendor.
That was a mistake.
Unfortunately, this DJ was still operating like we were in the late 90s.
It wasn’t until the morning of the wedding day, during set up, that I observed several large, nylon CD binders stacked on top of each other. My stomach dropped. In my head I was screaming, “WHO STILL USES CDs IN 2015?” and “WHERE IS YOUR MAC LAPTOP, SIR?”.
While I was semi-confident he would still be able to execute the preselected songs we chose during the planning process, I was suddenly dreading our decision to allow the DJ to choose songs and allow guests to make requests for the rest of the night. Despite the significant number of CD binders, I knew there was no way he would have all the songs our guests would want to hear. Of course, my assumption was right.
The reception started off okay. His MC skills weren’t great, but our preselected songs filled the dance floor as expected. However, when it was time for him to choose songs based on our genre recommendations, he got it all wrong. And then when guests came up with requests, it continued to go downhill from there. Guests were told “Sorry, I don’t have that one” or “I don’t know who that artist is” as they requested recent, wildly popular songs. The good thing is, most people were so intoxicated, they had a great time anyway. As for me, I was mortified. I learned a crucial lesson in real-time that still bugs me in 2021!
After this experience, I made changes to my vendor selection process. When I consider hiring a great vendor I’ve worked with in the past, I simply ask more questions. I no longer make assumptions that the service provider has continued to learn new skills or evolve their business over time.
Just to be clear, I did not write this post to bash the DJ. If I would’ve taken the time to ensure his skills matched our needs, this post wouldn’t even exist. And maybe if my sister would’ve been allowed to choose a different planner… You know what, nevermind. Scratch that. She had the best! :)
Truth be told, Jessica as a wedding planner in 2015 compared to Jessica as a wedding planner in 2021 are two different people! I probably owe several “my bads” to clients and vendors I worked with during my first year of business! The wedding industry is challenging and there’s always something new to learn! I make it a point to learn from all my mistakes and continuously sharpen my skills so that I get better and better for every event!
While it’s been slightly therapeutic to write about this, I’m sure the thought will pop up in my head again in the future. However, I feel much better now that I’ve issued a public apology to my sister.
Once again sis, my bad and I love you!