"This is a note to all Brides and planners alike. There is always a tendency towards disorder, but what is, will be, and he will send you many angels. So in your planning process trust in the lord."
JOURNAL ENTRY
So after the debacle with "you know who" at "you know where" back in March, I was pretty frazzled. I turned to Jennifer my trusted intern turned business manager and say, "Well we have to change the venue and reschedule the event."
I get back on the phones. Where?
The Newberry bites it. Instantly we both get excited. The price is right. The venue is on the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast. Wait a minute. This might actually work, right?
So, the first hurdle is getting all the people who were on board before to be on board again. A couple of the vendors jump ship, but most are understanding.
Now the other problem is that my time is all occupied because of the heavy prom and bridal season, so I've got to spend most of my time sewing and not planning. So, in the fire my intern turned business manager goes -- Jennifer you will appreciate me for this one day. "But, Robert I'm only an intern I don't know..." "Can it Jennifer, duty calls" I warn her.
So, I've got to get someone to help her out so it doesn't become too over whelming. I call up Shari. She goes on and on about how horrible my reputation has been hit by the debacle at "you know where" but she agrees to come to my rescue, and bring out all the "Gold Coast" socialites. And she delivered I might point out here --first problem solved.
I'm over budget at the onset because I've ditched out some payments where services were not rendered by "you know who", so I reach out to another friend Nicole from Allen/Williams Events, who comes through with a sponsorship, and we are able to secure the venue. Incidentally, Nicole showed up three days before the show and kicked in DAY OF services for the event which really helped Jennifer out--second problem solved.
We can't find a caterer, I'm biting my nails, and none other than Berghoffs comes through a week before the event. The food was so good. Everyone was talking about it. There was steak, shrimp, I mean it couldn't have been better--Third problem solved.
So now everything is smooth sailing.
WHERE ARE YOUR MODELS?
The easiest thing would have been to just call up Benjamin Cottrell, the maestro of fashion in Chicago, and a good friend, and he would have brought the models in. But, I remembered my fiasco at "you know where" and was timid to call him. So, I post a model call on Facebook.. Lots of models show of which I choose three including a model from Catherine Dean. So, this is the illustrative Catherine Dean the designer, model, "jackie of all trades" that I heard so much about. She brings me a "sickening" model that looks like a cross between Diana Ross and Keri "Hilson, Wilson --the two hit wonder".
So now I've got three models where am I gonna get the rest? I only have a week. A lady named Patricia Gomez responds on facebook. "I can bring you five European models with experience." So I'm thinking this is some sort of set up. What if on the day of the event they don't show u?. What if this is one of my enemies sick idea of a joke? I pray. And I listen to God. She shows up with five of the most beautiful women I've ever seen. Benjamin "a true friend" surprises me on the day of my event and helps with the model walk!-- Fourth problem solved.
So the day of the show I'm out with Shari trying to find linens for the tables, "You better not give those rental people four hundred dollars for linens" says Shari four days before the event, "I can get linens" only once she starts calling around she realizes it's harder than what she thought. So on the day of the show, me, her, and her gorgeous daughter are in her Beamer, which is about as junky as my studio Shari, and we are riding around looking for linens.
Shari's daughter is having a birthday party this weekend also, so we end up at a party store where Shari and I get into the biggest fight. She wants to cover the vending tables with plastic, and I'm telling her how embarrassing that would be. Shari it's a bridal event no plastic. Shari grabs four plastic gold table covers for a dollar a piece, "Just in case, Robert" She yells. We get the stuff for her daughter's party and we leave.
We go to many stores looking for cloth linens within budget with no luck. We wound up at Marshalls. They have two white linens. We grab those. Shari and I have another fight. She wants to get white shower curtains and cover the tables with those--and she is serious, "No one will see the ringlets, Robert!".
Shower curtains?-lol. I buckle to the pressure and began laughing hilariously in the store. I mean I literally couldn't stop. I had a vision of one of the soccer moms turned event planner discovering the shower curtains and a whole comedic skit ensued. After Shari sees how funny it is we walk back over to the linen section where she discovers that there are some yellowish, goldish linens that we could use. We grab six of those to add to the two white we have and we are off again.
Sandra Dognmi calls us, and says that she has some white. So, now we mix in the gold cloths we brought,with Sandra's white, with the three plastic gold ones (from the party store) and...Fifth problem solved.
SO that's it. No more problems, right?
NO!
Makeup artist calls in sick at 1:00. What am I gonna do now. Turns out that Catherine Dean the "jackie of all trades" is also a MAC certified make-up artist. --Sixth problem solved.
We all make it to the venue by 5:00. Black Tie Tuxedo comes through with me and my son's tuxedo at 5:45. The room is packed, and all the seats filled by 6:30. The models are all ready by 7:00. The show begins and BAM! The White Collection -LUXE, comes out. Love Prevails. SUCCESS.
Many thanks to all involved.and all who attended
LOVE ROBERT
