An Intern’s Experience as a Wedding Planning Assistant

From Rachel Ambrogio, Intern:

This past weekend, I assisted alongside Kelly at my first wedding at a private residence on Cape Cod. In the weeks leading up to the wedding, I enjoyed learning about the couple’s vision, and I was excited to help make it a reality! 

Even though I had a general idea about the plan for the day, I’d met the couple, I’d reviewed the timeline, I didn’t really know exactly what to expect. I began the day with a positive attitude and wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be. I never underestimated my abilities, I was prepared to take on the day, learn from Kelly, and complete whatever task came my way.

We started off the day going through the checklist and we discussed that no matter how good your timeline is, something unexpected always happens. This taught me the importance of being prepared, being flexible, solving problems, and communicating with and trusting your team. The goal is to never let the client know there are issues, because in the end, everything always works out exactly as it is meant to!

I also learned that being prepared allows for wedding planners to have breaks during the day. This is a bonus. It is a time when planners can reflect on what has already happened and what will happen next. It is also a time when a wedding planner can take a pause, having been immersed in everything that’s been going on. 

It was lovely meeting a variety of different vendors. Without them, all the creativity that was present wouldn’t have been possible. It, literally, takes a village to create a wonderful wedding experience. I was able to make connections with some vendors, and I learned how to network with vendors throughout the event by observing Kelly, or taking on that responsibility myself when the opportunity presented. This is something that I had always wanted to see in action, and I was finally able to experience it.  

I consider myself as having an eye for detail, and I truly enjoyed designing the table and suggesting creative ways for how to place furniture. I was able to express my creative ideas throughout the set-up time, thus gaining a feeling of independence. Once everything was set-up, I felt a true sense of accomplishment.

As the day progressed, Kelly put me in-charge of certain aspects. This is something that I have rarely done before in a professional setting, so I was quite proud of myself. Since a wedding is a once in a lifetime experience, I wanted to make sure that everything fell into place, that the vendors felt supported and that the couple was able to relax and enjoy their day.  

Kelly had mentioned that the day will go by fast and I honestly couldn’t believe how quickly everything happened once the deliveries were completed. Literally, everything fell right into place and the next thing I knew we were working together to get the couple and their families down the aisle!

 This weekend's wedding was nothing, but amazing! Besides giving me the privilege of meeting a wonderful family, it taught me the importance of staying organized amid the chaos, how to tackle or plan around any inconveniences that may crop up, and how to appreciate all the details that go into a spectacular wedding day. I would like to thank Kelly for giving me this opportunity to participate as her wedding planner assistant. If it weren't for her confidence in me, I wouldn’t have been able to experience this day, or gain trust in my skills, improve my self-confidence and experience some professional independence. She trusted me and that made all the difference. Here’s to me and my future, gaining more experience and learning along the way!