Having met in 2004, these two wedding planners hit it off immediately and have formed a strong bond and passionately bent on changing the scene of the Malaysian wedding industry.
The two ladies take some time off from their busy schedule to give us a candid view on the glamour and the “dirt” of the wedding industry business, bridezillas, the need for a governing body and what they are brewing in their cauldrons.
Q : We have certainly heard of wedding planners working with photographers, hotels, etc.. but wedding planner working together with another wedding planner? How did two competitors come to working together?
L : We met for the first time when we had a radio interview together with Traxx FM. Although we have heard of each other at that point, we had never come into contact till that day. For some reason, we just clicked! We hit it off and couldn’t stop since. As a result, we are able to discuss, brainstorm and help each other with the work. Share resources, share ideas, share trends, etc.
E : Contrary to what people believe, it doesn’t mean competitors cannot work together. We are comfortable and confident with our individual work-styles and knowing that this is a small industry, it will only serve us better to work together rather than work against. Let’s put it this way – if we work against each other, it is easier for clients to pit us against each other! By working together, we have more to gain and so too does the clients.
Q : A bit of background on your “individual” work styles?
L : I have been in this industry for 11 years and counting and had move into weddings in 2001. I take on more weddings that are based locally as that is where my forte lies. I plan each wedding like it is my own. I put my heart, soul and effort into every wedding to ensure that things run smoothly and the outcome is special to the couple. I like to run a tight ship with sufficient manpower to run, coordinate and execute everything to perfection. My couples become my friends and as I mention during the first meeting with anyone, you have to like the way I talk, act and my style. If you do not then I am not the wedding planner for you. I like to understand my couple to know the choices they make and their individual styles, in order to create a wedding they can call their own.
E : As for me, I have been doing advertising & event management for 13 years and in the wedding business, this is my 6th year. Don’t start calculating the age please! I do a lot more of destination weddings and one of the top hot spots for us is Langkawi Island. I am pretty much a control-freak, you need to be one if you’re managing events and especially weddings. Of course, no decisions are made by me or my team as it is not our wedding, but we’d like to be on top of every single detail. I am also known for my no-nonsense style. I really don’t care if you’re the mother, the father or the bridesmaid. For me – I would not allow anyone or anything to ruin the special day for the bride and groom. I mean, sometimes, a friend or a relative may give suggestions to the couple, without knowing head or tail of the planning process or without thinking of realities of logistics, etc.. etc.. From experiences, if these were to be pushed through, there is a high risk of something going wrong. Therefore, we would put our foot down over issues like these. As we are honest and transparent with all monetary items, we expect the same form of honesty from our clients. Don’t take us for a ride or make us do extra work just to get your money’s worth. We won’t stand for that.
Q : Ah, so you’re saying that there are, for the lack of a better word – “not-so-nice” clients out there?
L : Yes, of course! Plenty! Some would request for quotes after quotes, information after information before hiring us and then once we have passed these along, they disappear. Some believe that since they have hired you, you are their maid or butler for the duration of 6 months or longer. I even had a couple once who expected me to be at the hotel the morning after the wedding to help them shift their bags down from their suite to the car!
E : We have since stopped giving estimated budgets or vendor quotes until we are hired. Some clients would even just take for granted that you will “tie ribbons on 1000 pieces of invitation cards” simply because you are their wedding planner. They fail to see that they paid us a professional fee for wedding planning services. NOT labour. If labour work is involved, we charge for it.
L : At the end of the day – we are professional people. They are hiring us for our brains, our organization skills and our creativity. We want clients to realize if they want free labour, we would gladly substitute that with doing brainless labour work and not putting on our thinking caps.
E : That’s right. Just as clients want value for money – we too do so. I mean, would you pay a dentist to go shop for a toothbrush for you? You won’t. You pay him or her for their skills, their knowledge and their service of keeping your dental hygiene in order.
Q : Oooh…. I can feel the heat in the room already! This must be a day-to-day operations sore point for the two of you during your various clients’ planning jobs.
L : It is, indeed. But don’t get us wrong. We are not trying to be cocky or snobbish. But merely hope for people to understand a bit more of how to use a wedding planner. Given that the industry is still quite young – but clients have to learn. It is after all, to their benefit too. If you treat us like maids, we will act like one !
E : I agree. Besides, it is not rocket science. If you are nice to someone, they will be nice back to you. A little “thank you” goes a long way. We’ve had a client where I went to the markets at 6am in the morning, buy lose roses and try very hard to wrap a hand bouquet simply because the bride’s family insisted she had an extra bouquet for tea ceremony. It wasn’t my job. But she had been nice to me since day one. I would do it.
Q : What would you say are the common problems with clients?
L : The one common problem with clients – especially brides are unrealistic demands or requests. A very good example is when the bride expects us, wedding planners to snap our fingers and stop the rain. We are not God. And there are those who expect us to change the country’s rules and regulations to suit them. Yet – there are also others who expect us to twist vendors’ arms and squeeze and squeeze for every last drop of value or discounts that we can get from them. Last I checked, we didn’t own shares with any other vendors!
E : Another common problem would be budget. Similar to the “unrealistic demands” mentioned by Leticia, clients have an “unrealistic expectation” of what they can do with their budget. I’m not saying each wedding need to cost a bomb and need to be luxurious. People ought to spend on what they can afford. I have one client who says “we are not common people and we only want the best.” But when we recommended the “best” options, he screamed murder and says he can’t afford. YET, the best part is – he wants them because they are good. I had a tough time and for a long period, I had a phobia with the phrase “I cannot afford!” *laughs* I always tell my clients – you do not walk into a Gucci store and expect to pay Petaling Street prices. That ought to put a lot of things into perspective!
L : Adding on to the budget aspect – it doesn’t mean you cannot have a beautiful wedding if you are on a tight budget. They are many ideas you can do to make it memorable, you may have to make certain sacrifices but you will still have your dream wedding. For instance, if had your heart set on arriving in a helicopter for the drama but cannot afford it, why not think of entering in with an entourage of volkswagon cars all dressed up like the bridal party?
Q : So, what are some of your “bridezillas” experiences?
L : I have had plenty of brides who cannot make up their minds, who build castles in the sky and when they realize their budgets do not meet the vision of a castle – they will pout. I have had brides who make a decision depending on which friend she talked to most recently, making the planning process a really long-winded one. Not to mention, confusing and tiring! And I even had a bride who started screaming at her husband, parents and family when she could not find the earrings she wanted to wear. So yes I would not say I have seen it all, but I have seen my share of bridezillas.
E : My God. This would take 10 pages just to list down all the horrible experiences! We’ve had brides throwing tantrum at us for not being able to control the weather (yes, go figure!), fathers pointing fingers at us and calling us rude and unflattering names, guests who kept bitching about everything to us and trying to make life difficult for us, families who treat us like pariahs when we enter the house. Most recently, we were doing a pre-wedding shoot at a mall. The client, even when we were shooting at an F&B outlet, didn’t even so much as asked the photographers or make-up artists if they wanted a drink. Yes, you paid them to be there. BUT it is human courtesy to ask people who are working for you if they are thirsty or hungry. Then you get better work out of them. Makes sense?
L : It is a thankless profession, really. You do a good job, and nobody remembers it. You make sure everything runs perfectly, the cake arrives on time, the musicians play on que and to the clients, you were “paid to do it”. But the moment you make a mistake, your entire career goes down the drain. So, people need to understand why we are control-freaks, why we put our foot down. We want you to have a great, a perfect wedding. At the same time, we need to upkeep our reputation too.
E : It is true. That’s why I developed this no-nonsense style. I don’t care if that person is your favourite or cheapest vendor. Because I have not worked with them or not heard of them, it automatically goes into my high-risk group. You see, to the client, it may be agreed that the vendor is their choice and we are absolved from anything that goes wrong. But to the rest of the world, they would say “aiyah… why the wedding planner use someone like that? Aiya…this wedding planner no good…. ” and word goes around. If you’re not paying me a six-figure fee, letting you jeopardize my reputation isn’t worth it.
Q : My, my…… ok, now, I’m pretty sure there were some angels amongst your clienteles?
L : Definitely, there are weddings and couple who you would love to do all over again. These couples are the rare few who trust your opinions and respect you as a person. They leave it to you to give them the best advice. With these couples you want to go the extra mile for them and give them extra perks just to ensure that the wedding is extra special. The planning process becomes enjoyable and fun. It reminds you why you got into the business in the first place.
E : A handful, but I cherish those experiences, really. It doesn’t make you want to hang yourself. The total experience was great and the wedding was perfect simply because there was great trust and respect from the client for us. They listened to us. When we say something isn’t right, they listened. When we say something is better than the other, they listened. I would have to say, these are clients who truly knew how to use a wedding planner. Therefore, the result is what people can actually see – a beautiful wedding with equally beautiful feelings to match. There had been clients whom we only met for the first time on the wedding day. There had been clients whose entire family treated us like one of them. We’ve had clients who bakes cakes for us to enjoy knowing how much I’m a sucker for cakes! Unfortunately, these are only a handful. Really, if you think about it – these are clients who have the well-wishes of not just us, but all vendors who find it so enjoyable working for them as they take their first step to matrimonial bliss. (whispers : as opposed to the nasty ones whom we curse underneath our breath!)
Q : Some clients do too have a harrowing experience with vendors. I’ve heard of cases where the photographers don’t show up or the wedding planners pulling a fast one. What do you have to say to that?
L : We generally keep track of vendors who are not delivering what they promise. The moment a vendor that we use gives us a bad impression and experience, we stop using them. Ever. And not just that – we put a word out to our brothers and sisters in the industry too. The last thing you want is to recommend someone who would come back and bite you in the you-know-where! That’s why clients need to check and get references from reputable sources.
E : Yes, Competition is getting tougher and tougher and everyone is starting to wage this price war. But at what price? At the end of the day, the clients pay. They think they got a good deal, but end up it wasn’t that great after all, simply because the service promised was not delivered. I mean, you have wedding planners who had planned their own wedding and then decide that they now want to become wedding planners. But they charge way below a professional fee. And therefore, what do you get? A non-professional wedding planner. And these non-professionals – planner or vendors, they ruin the reputation of the industry as a whole.
Q : Is that the main drive for setting up a Bridal Association in Malaysia then?
L : You can say that. We were one of the pioneers of the industry, in terms of wedding planning. We have a lot of passion, a lot of new ideas, a lot of ‘mojo’ in us still to keep driving things further, escalating everything to new heights. That’s why we would really hate to see the industry destroying itself by waging a price war. When people start competing on pricing alone, deliverables will suffer. Then, as mentioned earlier, whole industry will gain a bad rep and one day, there won’t be a way for people to even view us as professionals anymore!
E : Everything has a price to it. We operate our own businesses. In fact, Leticia here has a Bachelor of Science in International Business. So, we know – time costs, unit costs, service costs, etc. And we also know that a fee of RM500 isn’t going to cut it for us. Yes, pay us RM500, and we’ll cut down on time costs, unit costs, service costs, etc… what do you have left? We are professionals. Not freelancers.
L : At the end of the day, to be treated as a professional, one should charge a professional fee. You want a maid, hire a maid. You want a freelance wedding planner, hire a freelance wedding planner. You want a professional wedding planner, pay for one.
E : Please let me add to that! You walk into a hairdressing salon, you ask for the Creative Director’s cut. You pay a bomb. You want something cheaper, you get the Junior Stylist. Or for something that is definitely affordable, you pay for the student cut. Again – that makes perfect sense. Firstly – pay for what you can afford. Secondly – recognize that different skills = different fees.
Q : This Association would be a first in Malaysia. Can you elaborate more on its function, role, purpose, etc?
L : Firstly, we want to set some industry standards. Which is to say – we are professionals. We want to be treated and recognized as professionals. The stringent criteria in membership application ensure only the best of the best in the industry is accepted. Therefore, it automatically becomes a pool of credible and reliable wedding vendors. Because we want to be recognized as professionals, we need to charge a professional fee. And because we charge a professional fee, the quality of services is not compromised. It shouldn’t be compromised. Also, because of the constant need to upkeep the reputation, the moment we receive any complains from a client, the matter would be dealt with. If a particular vendor has been complained about for minimum of three times, his or her membership will be taken back. This all will happen via our accredited HQ office. Not by us.
E : Aside from that, the wedding industry will also get to share trends with other countries’ industries, network, attend workshops, seminars and courses. This is all for the betterment of themselves which would lead to the betterment of the industry as a whole.
L : For the clients, by understanding what the Association is about, would give them a peace of mind when hiring a particular vendor. They can always check with the Association on the vendor – credibility, reliability, portfolio, testimonies, etc. If they have a complain, come to us and we’ll look into it.
E : Overall, you can say that the Association is a governing body for the wedding industry. We will have workshops for both the industry players as well as potential clients. Different workshops catered to different needs. We will have workshops where the clients are able to interact with the industry players. We will also work together with the local tourism ministry to develop destination weddings to Malaysia. This is a good step for the country – it increases tourism dollars and offers more work opportunity. It is economics.
L : Lastly, we want to protect the industry. And by doing so, we are protecting clients’ interests as well. Wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime affair for many. The last thing you want is a photographer who shows up late, or a cake that topples halfway through the display, or even flowers who wilt before the day is over.
Q : I am sure we will hear more about the Association in days or months to come. Well, it had been a very fruitful chat and thank you for both of your time. It’s a pleasure indeed to meet the best in the industry.
L : You’re welcome!
E : Likewise *smiles*
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