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It’s not always smooth sailing come wedding day—but for these local planning pros, their experience and quick thinking always come to the rescue.
Jacque Riehl, Owner, Riehl Events, SLC
“We did a wedding in a park and understood from the bride that she had all the necessary permits from the city and county. But the day of, the park commissioners showed up with two policemen and informed me we didn’t have a permit for an event in the area.
"Since we were the company in charge, we could be arrested, and the entire event could be shut down. My jaw dropped—we had 150-plus guests sitting at a ceremony that had already begun. Luckily, I talked them out of doing anything and apologized to the commissioner and the neighbors involved.”
Jacque’s advice: “Be sure to have all your permits through the city, county and the park system for a wedding in an outdoor setting. And always have copies on hand.”
Jen Bennett, Wedding Planner, Scenemakers, SLC
“We set up early for a wedding, and to our surprise the cake arrived far too early. After it was set up, we noticed it was slightly leaning so we tiptoed around it all day. The day got hotter and hotter. We asked the reception venue to refrigerate the cake, but they couldn’t.
"The cake was holding steady, but then I saw it go down in slow motion. We cleaned up all the crumbs, salvaged what fresh flowers we could, and heaped them all on the bottom tier of the cake—the only part that hadn’t hit the floor. We told the bride, and she didn’t fall apart—she got past her disappointment and had a lovely evening.”
Jen’s advice: “No matter what disaster befalls, enjoy your reception. Don’t let mishaps spoil everything. Trust that someday you will laugh about it—or at least have an entertaining story to tell.”
Lillie Garrido, Owner, White Couture, Park City
“I had a bridesmaid who pressed her dress two days prior to the wedding and burnt a hole in it. Luckily, we were able to overnight another dress (it was four sizes too big for her, but it was the only dress available), and our seamstress replaced the front panel of the dress in 24 hours. You couldn’t tell the difference!”
Lillie’s advice: “Always use a press cloth and iron on low. Test a small part of the dress first, or if you had alterations done, ask the seamstress to save you a piece of fabric so that you may test it before you iron it. Give yourself enough time, and plan ahead.”
Kristin Spear, Event Designer, Soirée Productions, Park City
“I had a bride last summer who planned her wedding in her childhood church. It was a quaint vintage chapel with no central air-conditioning. It turned out to be an unusually hot day in Salt Lake, and the temperatures soared. Family members were concerned about the elderly grandparents who would be attending. We bought portable air conditioners the morning of the wedding in an attempt to cool the space, but they made no impact. With only an hour to spare, I quickly changed the cocktail area of the reception venue into a beautiful ceremony site, and we diverted guest shuttles to bring them from their hotels directly to the venue.”
Kristin’s advice: “Plan ahead for weather. And if you don’t have a professional planner, be sure to designate someone who can troubleshoot quickly!”
