Victims of Love
Wedding Woes: Slicing Through Costs, Online Traps, and Stylist vs. Planner Debates
Ever felt like the mere mention of "wedding" sends vendors' prices skyrocketing? Join Keely, Radz, and I, as we debunk the myths and give you the real scoop on what pumps up the price tag of your big day. Forget about wedding inflation and tune in to our lively discussion that's all about dissecting labor, logistics, and that pesky infrastructure contributing to your costs. Learn to challenge unnecessary fees and get a grip on the true value of wedding services, all while enjoying our insider stories that pull back the curtain on event planning.
Have you ever been lured into the world of Facebook groups promising to simplify your wedding planning? We're here to tell you, it's a jungle out there! This episode isn't just about blunders and cautionary tales; it's about empowering you with the smarts to steer clear of those well-intentioned yet hazardous online planning traps. We share real anecdotes, including a bride's hard lesson on why professional advice trumps crowd-sourced solutions. Our no-nonsense chat will arm you with the strategies for a budget-friendly and professional approach to the chaos of wedding budgeting.
Lastly, we're sorting out the event professional posers from the pros. Delving into the complex terrains of wedding styling versus planning, we blow the lid off the misconception that a knack for aesthetics equals event management prowess. We'll guide you through setting realistic expectations, sifting through social media pressures, and the importance of professional experience. So, grab your notepad, and let's transform you into a savvy wedding connoisseur!
Ever felt like the mere mention of "wedding" sends vendors' prices skyrocketing? Join Keely, Radz, and I, as we debunk the myths and give you the real scoop on what pumps up the price tag of your big day. Forget about wedding inflation and tune in to our lively discussion that's all about dissecting labor, logistics, and that pesky infrastructure contributing to your costs. Learn to challenge unnecessary fees and get a grip on the true value of wedding services, all while enjoying our insider stories that pull back the curtain on event planning.
Have you ever been lured into the world of Facebook groups promising to simplify your wedding planning? We're here to tell you, it's a jungle out there! This episode isn't just about blunders and cautionary tales; it's about empowering you with the smarts to steer clear of those well-intentioned yet hazardous online planning traps. We share real anecdotes, including a bride's hard lesson on why professional advice trumps crowd-sourced solutions. Our no-nonsense chat will arm you with the strategies for a budget-friendly and professional approach to the chaos of wedding budgeting.
Lastly, we're sorting out the event professional posers from the pros. Delving into the complex terrains of wedding styling versus planning, we blow the lid off the misconception that a knack for aesthetics equals event management prowess. We'll guide you through setting realistic expectations, sifting through social media pressures, and the importance of professional experience. So, grab your notepad, and let's transform you into a savvy wedding connoisseur!
Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of Victims of Love. I'm Sat here with Keely Say hello, hey and Radz Hi.
Speaker 2:Today we're going to talk about. We've had a few questions and comments come through about wedding pricing and what to expect and why do weddings cost so much? Keely, do you want to start us off?
Speaker 3:Well, do you know what? Because we were just talking about this, and so Radz and Dom have already heard this, because it's my biggest beef. You know, when you say wedding it, it doesn't, you don't automatically pay 50 percent more for everything.
Speaker 2:So I suppose that's what she meant. It's like that's the old kind of wedding. Uh comment, isn't it that as soon as you mention the one wedding, everything doubles in price?
Speaker 3:yeah, and it's really upsetting, you know, because that's if people knew what has to happen, especially so for you guys. But you know, cuz you have to buy food and everything. For us it's like, well, we have to have warehousing, we have to have forklifts, we have to have trucks, we have to have, you know, we have to wash everything, we have to iron everything. The actual labor element to doing a wedding is so crazy and the infrastructure is so mad. But we don't, you know, you don't go. Okay, this week I'm going to cost a bentwood at 36 dollars, like it's the standard cost of a bentwood is, and we work our costing out on how much the chairs cost us, minus the freight which, in the freight is, can be upward of 17 to 20 000, it's a 10 higher rate, you know. So, like any business you, but we don't just every day go. That person said wedding, so all of a sudden the chair's 36 dollars, yeah it's.
Speaker 2:It's always a funny thing. People think that you know you mentioned the word wedding, but I mean, like what, what?
Speaker 3:what is it? But not a wedding yeah, you're having a wedding. You're having a wedding like.
Speaker 2:It's not like even if you're just having a 50th birthday party. That's not a wedding. Yeah, you're having a wedding. You're having a wedding Like. It's not like even if you're just having a 50th birthday party. That's not a wedding that doesn't have a three-tier cake and transportation and florals and mass dining.
Speaker 1:A wedding dress, A wedding dress right. A wedding is only a wedding.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I mean well, like we'll mention for our point, like our food and our menus, it doesn't matter what you have. If you're a corporate event, a private chef event, oh, but that's all the same price yeah, we're not charged more because it's a wedding, the only thing that's going to cost more from our point of view for wedding is the labor.
Speaker 2:So if you're going to have us for six hours on site to look after your wedding, then that's what you have to pay for six hours worth of labor. That's really the only variable that we have when it comes to wedding well, so that's the same as us.
Speaker 3:There's no difference in the cost of a chair or a table or whatever. Your labour elements change depending on how many guests you have, because that's how many chairs have to be lugged into the back of a truck. So that's your labour elements. We actually are, and you guys are the same because we work together. Of course, some companies will put this event management fee when they're not doing on-site at night event managing.
Speaker 2:We don't have that, so I think that's why I get so shirty about it like, especially when it comes from like a company, like a higher company. So you're renting some tables and chairs and they've got the event management fee on there like well what are you managing? Yeah, like I'm not really sure what you're paying. I mean, a lot of times it'll end up being a few thousand dollars well, it's three.
Speaker 3:It's three and a half thousand dollars off the baseline of other companies, quotes, yeah, but as I always say to people, because, because it gets me, and they go oh so we're not having a managed wedding with you. What's going to happen? Well, actually I'm first in and last out, so I actually have no choice but to manage your wedding.
Speaker 2:That's right yeah, we don't like ourselves just by your virtue of being there. First thing, first out, and us by being there for the whole reception, we're managing it. Yeah, so if you're paying, anyone else management fees you're wasting your money yeah, it really gets me and that.
Speaker 3:So that fee is the naughty fee that people need to ask about is not the not go. Oh my god, I didn't want to tell you it was a wedding because I didn't want whatever. I say wedding, the price is is increased. No, no, that's. That's the cost of chairs and tables and labor and and trucks and things. It's, it's this weird event management fee. That's the fee that you need to contest and say well, if you're doing my furniture and lighting and you're managing the caterer because you own the my furniture and lighting and you're managing the caterer because you own the caterer as well and we all know who I'm talking about then then then manage the job. Be there at night, you can't go off.
Speaker 2:Then at 11 o'clock in the day you're managing yeah, I mean like when someone is, I always think you know when you're getting up there where it's like three thousand dollars worth of management fee, I'm like that is like someone earning 30 an hour for 100 hours. Yeah, that's like weeks of work. I'm like and are you getting out of my ass?
Speaker 3:you'll be getting six hours worth of kind of planning before and that's it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, if that, if at all you know if you could really call it planning yeah, it's well, yeah.
Speaker 1:So we all say how do you feel that when people say to you about food, like you know, yeah, um yeah, I just I just laugh because I'm just like, well, it's you know like no matter, you know you can, just you can say to me it's a birthday or a wedding, you're still going to get the same price, but it's that's what we do speeches yeah, for a different cooking environment.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so tommy's there at a private chef comes back to me the next day. I guess why the fuck did you not tell me it was a wedding? And I was like because I didn't know it was a wedding. But yes, just say it's a wedding, because we're not going to charge you extra, we're just going to give you that extra service.
Speaker 2:That's all it is we have to handle it differently.
Speaker 1:Exactly yes.
Speaker 3:Well, what do we always say? You know, because I I went for lunch and for two people with not even a lot of booze, you know, I had a few little pineapple cocktails but $300, and it was more than $300, but $320,. I'm being generous. Later for two people, how much is?
Speaker 1:dinner. Our dinner is two-course menu for $75. That is like an entree and a main, a proper main, you know dinner you don't have a restaurant and this is cooked in a kitchen that isn't a kitchen like. It's an off-site kitchen, and you would not be able to get that in a restaurant anywhere.
Speaker 2:No, it's like I need to explain to you, like the price point of it. Now it's seen, it sounds like it's cheap, and now it's not a cheap menu, but it becomes. It's all about the economies of scale, right? Because we're cooking for a hundred people at once, right that's?
Speaker 3:where you can ramp it up.
Speaker 2:So I'm not going to charge everyone $150 per person, like you pay in a restaurant because that just doesn't work from a scale point of view.
Speaker 3:So that's why it is that price, if you're paying restaurant prices for an event where there's 100 of you, you're getting ripped off.
Speaker 2:That's not the way it should really work.
Speaker 3:But you know that's where it comes back to what we're saying. Saying wedding doesn't actually hurt you. You need to tell people that you're having a wedding, Whether it's for 10 people or 50, whether it's micro wedding or 60 people or 80 people. You need to have a discussion Like, hey, I'm getting married.
Speaker 2:I think it's important for people to realize I mean, out of all the vendors, uh, yourself and especially us with the caterer like, whatever money you give us, look, doing my chef maths, 60 of that money I'm giving away to other suppliers for food beverages and then later on top of that, yeah, it's not like uh it's not nowhere near a profitable kind of like a big profit at all, once you start factoring it all in.
Speaker 3:Well, that's what you know. When we just said just before the labor and the amount of hours. Okay, yes, it's just hard to know, but no one else is going to go to work for 18 hours a day for the actual amount that you actually end up with, and it is 18 hours a day.
Speaker 3:It is amount that you actually end up with and it is 18 hours a day, it is. I mean, it doesn't sit like if we're at the sugar wharf or something, it doesn't matter how many people are weddings for you know you're doing it at least a 12 hour day for us, you know?
Speaker 2:uh, that's probably about 14 hour day because uh you know, you just gotta, you just gotta get it done and you don't wanna, you don't be stressing about it.
Speaker 3:So so you can't. You know there's no way that we charge clients for. You know, for the leader, like the, the labor charges for us are like ten dollars on on a on a lug rate, like in and out and the truck feel when, if we were charging the cost of what it would be for 18 hour days, the because and there's usually three of them in the lead up, the day before, the day of and the day after for the cleanup and all of that, you're not paying that yeah, yeah, there's plenty of costs like that, that we just roll into our normal operating costs like a restaurant.
Speaker 2:Does you know you're not paying for the dishing, necessarily, but that's just part of your operating procedure.
Speaker 3:I mean there'll be lots of.
Speaker 2:There is other places that do charge for every minute that you have staff on there. But I mean I can't be bothered doing that paperwork you get an on bill.
Speaker 3:You know and that's something again that our businesses do not do we do not on charge. You know, if I'm there because and ceremonies, it happens to hud and I a lot where the ceremony runs over or the bride's running late, we accept that we might just be sitting in our truck for an hour and a half and we're usually dead set, exhausted, but we just that's the accepted thing. We don't go, okay. We don't send you a bill saying, okay, well, you had two crew in a truck sitting there for, you know, an hour and a half, which then is three hours. We don't, we don't on bill anyone. So I think, I think for me, that's my biggest thing with this and you, you're the same, you're always there helping me, you know, do stuff and then yours crew are lugging furniture at the end of the night to get it closer to the truck. There's no premiums attached to wedding quotes unless you are being charged event management fees on the base of a quote line.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And you're being ripped off $3,800. And I'm happy to say it because that's what it is.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. It's always very frustrating when you see things like that, especially when you're doing four thousand dollars worth of food for an event and they're paying three thousand dollars worth of event management fee like oh you know what do you get for it?
Speaker 3:yeah, what do you get for it? You get absolutely nothing. Yeah, nothing, because you, if, if you're a reputable business, you have to be there in the morning. You have to be there to make sure everything's as you have costed it or as you have designed. And then for rads, yeah, she has to be there. Someone's got to be there to stack the eskies, help set the tape, make sure I haven't put the cutlery down in the wrong spot, you know you have to then run the night.
Speaker 3:You then have to, you know, pack up your gear and pack your kitchen away, and then my trucks have to come in. So I don't see where the event management fee comes, and that's just my point of view.
Speaker 2:So there we go another thing that's popped up this week that we've been having a laugh about is, uh, organizing your wedding through facebook can I start this one?
Speaker 1:go, go for it, go for it so I got an inquiry the other day, which, which I like, literally did so much work, and I constructed the most beautiful email. I explained everything. I found dates and sugar wolf, like availability. Like you know, I got in touch with the right person. I CC'd Keely into the email. So, to do you know, this lady had a budget, this bride had a budget, and I was like, yes, we can definitely do this budget. It was I just, I was literally like going, I feel like AI writing this email, and I didn't use AI.
Speaker 1:I'm going to use AI now because it's just I think it's so fake. But anyway, I was very impressed with myself and I just thought I went above and beyond, like I do with all my emails, but this one was like extra above and beyond.
Speaker 3:Well, I could, because let me just interrupt you the reason why you went above and beyond is because the budget that was allocated is a very difficult budget to deal with.
Speaker 1:Yes, right.
Speaker 3:So so you know people. People don't realize when you have a smaller budget and it's not that's not a bad thing, so no. But when you have a smaller budget it takes actually much more work than the really big, crazy budgets. It actually takes a lot of know-how and a lot of experience to actually work a wedding into the budget that person had go yes, so, and then that later that night I found that person on facebook asking other people um like how you know?
Speaker 1:the exact same question she asked me, but sort of to the general public and then I started people showing quotes and I'm like no, no, no, these people are showing you fake quotes with costs that are not going to be in your budget, you know. And anyway, it made me really, really upset because I never got a reply back and I and I just feel sad because it's you know, I was really wanting to have a chat to this lady and just say, look, we can really help you and tell you where you can save money and and and be able to do your wedding with a budget. And I'm just afraid for her that later on she's gonna find out that she, you know, and it's just gonna be so bad that later on she's gonna get all these costs that she, she's signed up with these clients and then realize, oh shit, I'm paying for so much more and over my budget.
Speaker 2:Now so it's that whole, so that, like it's the curse of those facebook wedding groups isn't it yes? They're like, I hate them. They are basically just echo chambers, just people. I mean, how do you, how do you ask someone's opinion about like a wedding supplier, if they first of all that person hasn't used that?
Speaker 3:supplier like what do they know about it?
Speaker 2:and you're just going to have a lot of people talking about their own wedding, which is a very different yeah, I mean, everybody has different weddings. I mean those facebook groups. It's just people doing that and people trying to sell their crap that they bought for their wedding charge, cheap charger plates and shit like that and that's all I mean. I'll just stay away from them. They're, they're.
Speaker 3:Ask the professionals yeah, yeah, well, I think you know you and I talked about this because I don't have facebook. Yeah, um, I never have, but when you were showing me, I didn't realize that there's actually a thing like which listen, I'm going to get a big google review. I know, um, I'm probably gonna get a pissed off email. Listen, there are serial wedding pests on those canned facebook wedding groups. There is serious wedding pests on there who have had weddings and, trust me people I've seen the picture they're not very successful. That is not what you'd call a successful wedding, or? You know, and you, you are not comparing apples with apples. You are getting advice from people who who have done a certain type of wedding.
Speaker 1:Yes, you know.
Speaker 3:And that type of wedding is usually self-done.
Speaker 2:Self-styled Wedding DIY DIY wedding.
Speaker 3:Which we say, and Radz, and I say Tom as well, Nick, anybody who is in the know tells people very clearly do not do it, Do not try to do a self-done wedding. It costs you more money and you end up with a wedding that is subpar. And when you are getting advice from these people, you must know that doing one wedding does not make you an expert.
Speaker 2:Doing your own wedding does not make you an expert Just because you've been to a wedding? I've been to a hairdresser, but I can't cut hair.
Speaker 3:Exactly, it's the same thing. You get lots of these people after they have their wedding they'll turn into planners online selling all their theme and gear.
Speaker 2:You're like mate.
Speaker 1:Another example is a bride went on there and asked has anyone used these caterers Two caterers, and what did you think of them? This bride doesn't realize that the 15 people that have commented on there are that, that that chef's friends. They've never, ever had a wedding that this person has catered they have friends.
Speaker 2:Oh he's the best? Oh, that's the there's one guy on there that they're asking about there a few weeks ago and you could tell it was just all his little fucking drug mule friends getting in there and it's like there's all like just random bogan blokes and I'm like mate, are these brides going to be listening to Travis, whose mate is a chef.
Speaker 1:Yeah, right.
Speaker 3:I mean like can barely cook a pie. I'm like what are you doing? You know?
Speaker 2:so it's.
Speaker 3:I don't think it's a good look at all well, do you know and I want to say something about this too, because that that one particularly pissed me off- yeah, because there was management on the baseline of those that girl's quote yep for a ceremony three thousand dollar baseline manager just for a ceremony, yeah so then they felt obliged to then go on to the next venue with that company.
Speaker 3:This client had a budget. They obviously because the catering company associated with that event company and owned by that event company does not show any images online for very good reason. It's terrible. Then they're on Facebook. This girl is then on Facebook trying to work out why somebody who is a much more expensive chef why they're double the cost of the person right? Yes, why was the?
Speaker 1:price such a difference?
Speaker 3:Yes, and the saddest thing for me is, either way, that girl is absolutely screwed because the really really expensive guy who she thinks is really really expensive and is getting advice about him, is being told to use. Does not stock their own bars, does not carry their own glassware, does not stock their own bars, does not carry their own glassware, does not do their own plates, does not have their own cutlery. So, outside of the cost of that very expensive menu that you're now looking at, you haven't and the people on Facebook do not know that then you're going to be in for a cold room. You need another $1,500. Forget the extra cost of the food. Add on another $1,500. Forget the extra cost of the food. Add on another $1,500 and call it a day.
Speaker 1:They're really cheap guys, food that you can't see any pictures of and is associated with that company is so terrible.
Speaker 3:So you're not even you. Just you use completely the wrong way because somebody tried to charge you event management and you. But you are on Facebook asking people who have those.
Speaker 2:Facebook groups are literally just made up of all the suppliers running.
Speaker 3:You can see them all in there.
Speaker 2:When you see one of those questions get asked, I say to people I've told all my friends do not mention my name or put my business forward in any of these messages that you see on Facebook.
Speaker 3:I'm not fighting for business on Facebook, I'm not putting myself out.
Speaker 2:Oh, pm sent. Oh, we'd love to do your wedding. I'm like no, no, no, we don't fight for business on Facebook.
Speaker 3:Okay, it's a lot more of a professional environment Well. I don't even know what a PM is, but that's what's trying to tell me. I was like is that like Perry?
Speaker 1:I don't know what he's doing on. Yeah, back to like, I've said this before on other podcasts. Uh, if you are wanting advice, just call these companies and talk to them and and see, you know, are you talking to a backpacker who's not going to be there in three, you know, three months time? Are you? Are you talking to someone that's been in the business for eight years and has done this? You know, so, just pick up the phone.
Speaker 1:I know it's hard in the day and age that we live in, where everyone's behind a computer and it's all about socials. But, you know, make that phone call and talk to a genuine person and see, you know. Even for the other thing I'm finding at the moment is Am I being like? I have this thing? I can't do a full inbox. As soon as I see an email, I'm like I need to answer that email straight away, even if it's at 9 o'clock at night, just to say hi, I need my, you know. So how long are these people waiting to get back to your inquiry that you've sent to them? Because I'm feeling at the moment, am I too quick in my inquiries? Like, am I like you?
Speaker 3:you know, the other day someone sent me an inquiry, and within 10 minutes I I'd sent the quote um the initial inquiry, hi, introducing myself, and I was like was that too quick? Well, I guess, I guess that's something like we can touch on quickly.
Speaker 2:We might talk about this another thing, like we've been doing this for so long now yes like, and a wedding is a wedding. Yes, it has certain set of puzzle pieces that go together.
Speaker 1:We know what they are, so we can put a quote together and show you what you need to do relatively quickly.
Speaker 2:If a company is saying to you it's going to take them a month to get back to you with a quote, alarm bells, red flags.
Speaker 3:They're just doing that to hold you off, so that your time is slipping away.
Speaker 2:So then by the time you get a quote, you're stuck. You have to book them in because everyone else is getting booked up. Yeah, and that's why they do it. It should not take anyone more than a day to get a quote to you, theming and furniture. Certainly a little bit longer, because that's a little bit more involved.
Speaker 3:But for the rest of it, for your photographers, your DJs, your caterer, they should be able to get a quote to you within three days max.
Speaker 1:For me it's literally a half a day turnaround, a one day turnaround with a quote, because all our quotes are exactly the same. So I literally just, you know, change the guest numbers. Obviously, you know I don't go. Oh okay, well, they've got 100 packs, so I'm going to, you know, charge them more? No, we have set prices, so it's easy for me to just go. This is your cost. There's, no, there is no hidden costs on our quotes. So that's the other big thing, that everything you see there is what it is. The only thing that will change on our quotes is the final. You know the staffing costs at the end and that is it. So I will be. We base all our quotes on a six hour wedding. So if you were to turn around at the end and go, you know it's four hour wedding, then fine, it will be reduced.
Speaker 3:But yeah, I just, there is yes do you feel like you're being punished for being really efficient? I think so.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I agree sometimes I think it can be, you know, I'll be like, oh, maybe we have to sit for two days and not do anything for this thing. So they so that the clients think that we're working on it for two days now we don't need to work for two days.
Speaker 3:We days. We know what we're doing.
Speaker 2:We've got a decade's worth of experience behind us, so that's what you're paying for that we can get this done quickly and efficiently, you know.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and it doesn't mean that we're not busy. You know, rad's and I do this. We probably because I'm the same. When an inquiry comes in, it might be 10 o'clock at, but for me, because our working hours are a little bit strange, especially when we get into the season, we actually have to be very efficient in the off-season.
Speaker 1:Very yes.
Speaker 3:Because when we're on the ground for 14 to 18 hours a day, there's no time, and yeah. So if you're at home and you're on your couch and you're wanting to do your wedding planning, and at 10 o'clock at night it comes in. That may actually be when I'm up, just about ready to put my shorts on to get back in the truck to go out.
Speaker 3:So and I will quickly check, because I won't be able to do it again until 18- hours, nothing worse, when you have that busy week and you can just see the inbox just being neglected and you're like, oh, we're gonna get to it, you know yeah so I think it means the opposite really is is, if we're answering emails at really strange times 6 am5 am 9 o'clock at night, whatever it actually means that we're answering emails at really strange times 6 am 5 am 9 o'clock at night, whatever it actually means that we're actually very, very busy and what's happening is that we have emails on our phones as well, because we actually have to be able to answer people from wherever we are at any time when we actually can get to them.
Speaker 2:Well, I remember like talking to the previous owner of this business, Cameron, going on about back in the day they would send quotes out in the post and I was like how does that even work?
Speaker 1:I was like oh my god, I could not like you mean how like council still sends letters.
Speaker 3:I'm like, did they just why? The bank sends out a big folder full?
Speaker 2:of your bank statements. It's like what is that?
Speaker 3:paper wasted.
Speaker 2:I was just like what the briar gets that, and then what? Writes you a letter back and I was like, oh my God, and by the time the post arrives.
Speaker 3:The guest numbers have.
Speaker 2:You'd only do like four weddings a day, surely you?
Speaker 3:know that's funny.
Speaker 1:Well, can I just I just want to click on something that you were saying about.
Speaker 3:you know, is it a backpacker answering your emails or whatever? So Radza's going to kill me for saying this, but I'm going to say it and go for it. Delete. Stop Hit me up. Hit me up, dm me. Yeah, look, something happened. We're all looking for staff for Radza's oh, not me and Huda just going to run it crazy. Now listen, when somebody applies for a job, they'll often say you know, especially backpackers.
Speaker 3:Oh, I'm just looking for a job and I've got another job. Look, there was an instance where a girl applied I'm sure she's a very nice girl, there's nothing against this girl, I'm not saying anything like that. She was saying oh, I'm a wedding planner for another company. Listen, she's only ever done one wedding, so people that's how I want to end this.
Speaker 3:Yeah, listen, check who you are talking to. Yes, do not go on Facebook groups, but when you do talk to someone, because this girl was a house cleaner, she had only done one wedding.
Speaker 1:I am not going to get angry about this.
Speaker 3:I'm going to elaborate on this right Because it is bad news.
Speaker 1:So I've got like 45 million resumes from staff members looking for jobs, which I have a little folder for. So, because we're getting into our season, I thought I'm going to start recruiting. Meet these people Called one of them and I said hey, are you still looking for work? Because I'm blah, blah, blah. And this person's like yes, I am now the event stylist and manager for a company, but I'd love to work with you because I only work 20 hours a week, so I would love to do a night shift with you. And I'm like oh, no, no, no, no, no, that's not how it works.
Speaker 3:You know how do you event manage and and be as an event stylist and manager for another company and only do 20 hours a week. That's one day.
Speaker 2:That's monday, people exactly, yeah, I mean I would say like, like, especially with weddings, like if you're a wedding, uh, a wedding manager or a consultant or whatever you're going to call yourself, like you need to have, I'm going to say at least 50 weddings on your belt yeah, you, yeah so you need some experience and I was like anyone under the age of 25 has not got
Speaker 3:50 weddings on their belt okay like you know, you're doing one wedding every week for a full year. It's not happening. So not if you're not, if you're basically cleaner.
Speaker 1:No, no, well, her, she was a um. She studied, studied interior design, so that was it. That was her thing, so that qualifies her as a stylist.
Speaker 3:Uh bs, no, you don't sorry because you just literally and you're 20, what?
Speaker 1:four years old. No, and you.
Speaker 3:I think she did one wedding somewhere well, let me just say really oh yeah, it was on an island for 10 people. That's what it was so let me just say really clearly oh, because I have done a few houses for, for people I won't name the man that I do some house stuff with um, that is very, very different to yeah. Well, I was just gonna say like, uh, wedding stylist is not, that's all good, but I mean wedding starting is more humping.
Speaker 3:You're not just once running around you know, putting up the curtains, yeah, you know it's a. It's actually a completely different. Yeah, when I do that for Dwayne, I'm there to put up the curtains. Um, it's to be an event manager and to be an event planner takes us, that is. That is a lot of experience and a lot more than 20 hours a week. So that's it, don't avoid, avoid the Facebook groups, but but yeah, check who is. What is this, what is going?
Speaker 1:on. Yeah, I don't know, we can't, I can't, I won't even employ a backpacker, yeah, but to to clean my fucking napkins.
Speaker 3:Well, we are not put you in front of clients yeah, right you are.
Speaker 2:You know we've got jobs, we've got goals and all that. But the roles that we need to fill, that deal with clients and organize stuff, we're filling those with professionals.
Speaker 3:We're pros, they're gonna be here and if you put a wedding with us, that's happening in two years.
Speaker 2:That person is going to be here in two years, I hope so anyway, yeah, well, I'm gonna.
Speaker 1:I'm waiting for my long service, so I've got two more years to go. So, nick people, I'm still here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but we were, we were closed for a year during covid, so it's actually it's gone back.
Speaker 3:Let me elaborate for me I can't employ backpackers are wonderful help and I do get that.
Speaker 1:I can't employ backpackers because 18 hour a day jobs lugging furniture and it is horrible, they last a day the amount of times I have seen keeeley have a staff member, a backpacker, a strong fit backpacker, and the next day I'm like where are they? She's like it was too hot, it was too hard. Yet she is there in the back of her truck every morning, every night.
Speaker 1:Dom said to me the other day he's like so does she come back and pack all this up? And I was like, yeah, she does. He's like so does she come back and pack all this up? And I was like yeah, she does.
Speaker 2:Like fuck, she's keen yeah, I was like yes, she's not keen, it's mandatory.
Speaker 1:She's got no option there's no one else.
Speaker 3:It's like you know. The attrition rate of our staff is outrageous.
Speaker 1:It's not easy work it is hard work and slugging even. You know Tommy and Dom, they did their first big push. The other day is setting up a kitchen and stuff and their bones were like yeah, I just threw those shorts straight to the bed yeah, so look I, just that's where I guess we're going to leave this.
Speaker 3:But Facebook groups, serial Wedding Pests on there, come on. And just as Rad said, you know, there's no desperation in answering emails at 9 or 10 at night, or 5 am in the morning, For me sometimes 4 am.
Speaker 3:That's when we can get to you and I actually really feel like people deserve a response, whether it be hey, how are you? Thank you so much for your inquiry. Um, we're out of the office for for the next 18 hours or next day. Um, we'll come back to you. I think that that is actually, I don't know where manners have gone out the window, but I think that that is actually just good manners and everybody has time to to say that yeah, I guess I was like just thinking what you're saying now on Facebook.
Speaker 2:I reckon if you do ask a question in a Facebook group, I would avoid all the ones that get suggested. If companies are not being suggested, they're the ones to go for. I would say.
Speaker 3:Well, facebook's as bad as Google, isn't it? So you get a bad Google review. You can't even reply to it. But in saying that too, if you come to rads and I, or whatever, after you've been on facebook, ask the questions, it's okay. I don't mind if somebody says to me kill you before I choose you. I want to talk about a google review. I want to tell you I have no right of reply on a google review.
Speaker 3:So I want to tell you I want to be. I don't mind if somebody on facebook has said or don't get pdc because they cost x, y and z ring pd. Ask them, talk about it. Yeah, like, ask the questions because that's how you're going to have yeah that is how you are going to be a wedding winner and not a wedding loser absolutely, yeah, all right all right?
Speaker 2:well, we'll finish on that point. I reckon that's a good point.
Speaker 3:Yeah, don't be a wedding loser. People, people, all right.
Speaker 2:Thanks for listening everyone this is Victims of Love with Tommy Rats and Keely, we'll see you next time.
Speaker 3:Ciao, ciao, tom, tom you.