Insights from Venue Staff: Secret Tips They Wish to Share with Couples That Are Hard to Say Directly*

2019.11.15 published

How to Hear Real Opinions from Wedding Venue Staff?

Hello, this is Nagisa from Marry＊

Suddenly, I have a question for everyone.

"Don't you want to hear the real opinions of the wedding venue staff?"

To hold a wedding, cooperation from the staff is absolutely essential. It’s natural to be curious about what they think and their real opinions.

However, the reality is that it is often difficult to hear the genuine thoughts of the wedding venue staff.

Naturally, even if they have things they want to say to the bride and groom, they often think,

"This might be too intrusive."

"This might be overstepping boundaries."

"Saying this might make them feel uncomfortable."

And they might hesitate to speak frankly (which is understandable).

But the real opinions of the staff who work at wedding venues are incredibly valuable, and I'm sure brides would want to take this perspective into consideration!

Moreover, the staff likely have many things they want to convey, even if they can't tell the bride and groom directly…!

Since I used to work at a wedding venue, I’d like to share what I heard at that time: "Things that are hard to say directly to the bride that you should know."

Please refer to these real opinions of the staff♩

① Photographer's Opinion: Ask Someone Other Than the Photographer to Use a Mobile Camera!

First, I would like to introduce the opinion of a photographer.

The photographer said, "Please ask someone other than me to use a mobile phone camera!"

Here are the reasons:

☑ Anyone can press the shutter on a mobile camera

☑ Professional photographers use specialized equipment to take photos

☑ Therefore, it's a waste to ask a professional photographer to take photos when someone else could do it!

It is true that the role of the photographer is to take pictures, so it's easy to inadvertently ask them to use your own camera.

However, taking photos on a mobile device can be done by other staff as well.

It’s a waste to ask a skilled person to do something that anyone can do…!

We’d much rather have beautiful photos taken using professional equipment, capturing wonderful and natural expressions.

It’s certainly tough for the photographer to directly tell the bride and groom, "Please ask other staff members to use the mobile camera."

So when taking photos with friends, the bride and groom should take the lead and ask other staff or have their friends snap photos together♩

② Planner's Opinion: Please Give Your Thanks After the Ceremony!

Next, I would like to introduce the planner's opinion.

The planner said, "Please wait until after the reception to express your thanks!"

Here are the reasons:

☑ The wedding is a place to express gratitude to parents and guests. It feels inappropriate to take their time.

☑ Especially during highlight moments like the bride's letter or the groom’s speech, they're worried that focusing on the planner will dampen the guests' emotional experience.

The wedding is a place for the couple to express their gratitude to their parents and guests. They have worked together to create the best wedding, but when thanks are given to the planner in front of everyone at the end, it can be incredibly moving and joyful yet also makes them feel guilty.

It seems common for thanks to be directed to the planner during the bride's letter or the groom's speech, but the planner is concerned about how the guests perceive these moments.

The planner's job is to create the best wedding experience. During the reception, it's best for the couple to focus on expressing gratitude to the guests, and then they can show their appreciation to the planner after the ceremony when saying goodbye◎

③ Videographer's Opinion: Don’t Rush the Delivery!

Lastly, I would like to introduce the videographer's opinion.

The videographer said, "Please don’t rush the delivery of the video!"

Here are the reasons:

☑ It takes time to review the footage (simply reviewing all of it takes as long as the wedding itself)

☑ There are videos from other couples as well (the videographer is not just editing one couple's video)

Anyone who has edited footage even once knows that it is an incredibly challenging task.

Simply, it takes the same amount of time (2-3 hours) to review the footage as it did to film the wedding, making it not a simple process!

Additionally, videographers are editing multiple couples' videos simultaneously.

Of course, videographers are filled with the desire to show the lovely video to the couple as soon as possible. However, they often face a dilemma where, despite their eagerness, the task inevitably takes time to complete.

If the newlyweds rush them too much and prioritize speed over quality for the delivery, it could turn into a disaster if there are parts they don’t like.

To ensure that you receive the best video from the videographer, let’s be patient and wait for the footage to be completed◎

Accepting the Real Opinions of Staff and Preparing for Your Wedding＊

I shared the "things that the staff cannot say directly to the bride and groom but want them to know" from current wedding staff members♩

What the staff are thinking truly revolves around what is best for the wedding couple.

The photographer focuses on their work to provide many wonderful photos for the bride and groom.

The planner prioritizes the best moments to express gratitude to the guests and families over getting thanks for themselves.

The videographer is trying their best to process a vast amount of data as quickly as possible to create a great video.

The real opinions of the staff who have experienced hundreds or thousands of weddings are incredibly precious, and on reflection, they often lead you to say, "That’s true!"

Use the opinions of the on-site staff to create a wonderful wedding♩