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Wedding Coordinator

Weddings: EverAfter Events, San Diego, CA

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Do you love to host a great party? Does the energy of a big event excite you? Do you enjoy finding out what people like and making their dreams come true? Then wedding planning could be for you! Let San Diego wedding planner Merilee Hennings, owner of EverAfter Events, guide you as you test-drive your dream job on a wedding planner VocationVacations dream job holiday.

Merilee majored in psychology in college, but after having a baby, she realized if work was going to take her away from her son, it would have to be something she was very passionate about pursuing. So she asked family and friends what they thought fired her up. Many said she seemed most excited when she was hosting an event or planning something. With that knowledge, Merilee worked for a wedding planner for a few years, and when the woman moved away, Merilee decided to start her own wedding planning business.

“It was a huge risk, and it was scary wondering if I would succeed or not,” she says.

After two years of planning weddings while also holding down a job as a teacher, Merilee realized she was ready to be a wedding planner full-time. That was three years ago.

One of Merilee’s favorite things about wedding planning is the flexibility and diversity the work offers. One day she is working in the office, another day she may work from home, while the next day she may be taking a bride to meet vendors.

“The freedom of it is wonderful,” she explains. “I can pick and choose what hours I work. I can pick my son up from school.” Then there are the rewards she gets out of her work. “One of the biggest satisfactions is the bride coming into the office not knowing what she wants, helping her pick out all the details, and then seeing the looks on the faces of the bride and groom on their wedding day. It brings so much joy because the results are usually so much more than what they were expecting.”

One challenge she didn’t anticipate is how much patience wedding planning requires. The work also calls for her to keep cool under stressful circumstances.

Another aspect of wedding planning that fulfills Merilee is the fact her job is always evolving. “It’s never the same,” she says. “People think you just plan weddings, but everyone has a different personality. Fashion is always changing. There is always something different. Every single wedding I’ve done has been very, very different. It is the happiest moment of their lives and to be such a huge part of that day is phenomenal. I absolutely love it.”

Over the years, Merilee has discovered she’s not only passionate about planning weddings; she’s also passionate about helping other people find a career that excites them. “You hear people say ‘Oh I hate my job. I hate what I’m doing.’ I want to help people discover what they’re passionate about and take the next steps to follow their dream,” shares Merilee.

During your Wedding Planner VocationVacations® dream job holiday with EverAfter Events, Merilee Hennings will mentor you in all or some of the following activities:

A real-life day in the office

Meet with Merilee to talk about how she began her business and the best way to get started
Discuss options on how to present wedding services to the client.
Discuss contracts, budgets, checklists and detailed timelines
Merilee will offer advice on the best organizations to join as a wedding consultant and the benefits of attending the local meetings
Discuss the importance of maintaining a successful working relationship with vendors

Rehearsal

Attend the rehearsal with consultant to understand how to run an organized and concise rehearsal
Assist in answering any questions the bride, groom, wedding party and family may have
Collect all wedding day items i.e. guest book, toasting glasses, programs, place cards, etc.
Help all the participants in the wedding to feel at ease and comfortable

Wedding Day

Assist Merilee on the wedding day
Assist at wedding location to hand out personal flowers, direct people to ceremony and restrooms, handle any last-minute request
Assist in lining up the bridal party and cueing them on when they need to walk.
Assist the bride with her gown and train.
Collect items after the ceremony (unity candle, readings, guest book, etc.)
Oversee reception set up and décor details.
Place reception accessories. (i.e. seating cards (alphabetized), favors, table numbers, toasting glasses, cake knife and server, menus, sign-in book, gifts, etc.
Check for correct set up numbers of tables, sizes, etc.
Listen in as Merilee reviews the schedule and announcements with the Banquet Captain and band or DJ.
Check head table and cake table for required items.
Greet guests on arrival and direct guests to their tables.
Cue the bride and groom, bridal party, family members and vendors for the reception grand entrance and events (i.e. toasts, first dance, etc.).
Pack up personal items and gifts and turn them over to person or room directed by client.
Pick up specified rentals and return to the appropriate vendor.
Set out place cards in alpha order at reception site
Count tables and insure staff has the correct amount of chairs and place settings
Run errands for coordinator and be available to take quick direction
Always have a smile on your face.

The Wedding Planner VocationVacations® dream job holiday with EverAfter Events will include:

Two days of one-on-one mentorship in your dream job as a wedding planner
The option to take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®), an online personality assessment designed to identify interests and skill sets
The option to participate in a total of one hour of pre- and post- VocationVacations career coaching from an accredited, affiliated VocationVacations career coach
A pocket-size VocationVacations journal so you can document your dream job coming to reality
Light lunches with your mentor

Available: All year based on mentor's availability

Price: $1999 Per Person

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Suggested Accommodations

Hotel Parisi

Hilton San Diego

(Not included in the price of your VocationVacations® dream job holiday)

Other activities and tourist destinations while on your VocationVacations® dream job holiday:

Reservation, Cancellation and Rescheduling Rules and Conditions:

Full payment of the VocationVacations dream job holiday is required to make a reservation. A $100 non-refundable fee is assessed if a VocationVacations experience is cancelled or rescheduled prior to 14-days of the scheduled VocationVacations holiday, based on the approved availability of the mentor to reschedule. A VocationVacations adventure cannot be rescheduled and is non-refundable if cancelled within 14 days of the scheduled VocationVacations holiday. Written notification of cancellation or rescheduling is required in all cases. In the US, Grounded Nomads, LLC and VocationVacations holidays encourage all customers to acquire travel insurance to cover any unforeseen expenses due to cancellation or rescheduling. In the UK, Grounded Nomads, Ltd and VocationVacations holidays must require all customers to acquire travel insurance to cover any unforeseen expenses due to cancellation or rescheduling and provide verification of such travel insurance to Grounded Nomads, Ltd.