Lessons: Stressful Jobs

If you are reading my first "Lessons" post of 2012 you will realize that the news is not good at all for some wedding professionals.  It turns out that CareerCast has listed "Event Coordinator" as one of the most stressful jobs to have in 2012.

Event coordinator aka Event Designer, Event Planner, Wedding Coordinator, or Special Events Manager are all interchangeable to some degree.   It doesn't surprise me that event professionals have a stressful job.

There are plenty of reasons why it can be stressful but for me one of the things that makes Event Planning, Design, and/or Coordination so difficult is the amount of ambiguity.

"All people are paradoxical. No one is easily reducible, so I like characters who have contradictory impulses or shades of ambiguity. It's fun, and it's fun because it's hard. - Edward Norton"


Actor Edward Norton likes characters who are contradictory and who have varying impulses.  However, in wedding and event coordination this typically adds to the stress of the job.  When your client(and I don't care if it is a bride, mother of the groom, corporate committee), has varying likes, dislikes and needs, it leads to ambiguity and chaos.  Trying to filter through likes, dislikes, expectations, needs, whims makes for a stressful job because you are never certain if your decision making is align with your clients ultimate wants and priorities.  


One of the things that makes my job maddening is lack of inspiration or not understanding one's likes/dislikes.


A white back, I interviewed wedding clients who came to me without any ideas or vision.  Their hope was that I would instantly and magically come up with some brilliant ideas upon meeting them yet when asked  they couldn't really pinpoint any likes, dislikes, wishes or inspirations. When I asked them for something tangible to build on they said that they were hoping to find something in my portfolio that would click.   This dialogue continued for another 10 minutes because I kept saying that I couldn't just come up with something brand new if I didn't have one small thing that was personable and unique to the couple.  I asked question of their likes, dislikes in terms of style, flowers, colors.  I inquired about their engagement and other relationship milestones.  I asked what their favorite hobbies were.    I even asked if they had ever gone to a wedding that they thought was wonderful. And the more I asked the more the clients became frustrated and simply said, "Nancy, we're just boring.  We don't have any strong likes or dislikes.  Once we see something that we do like, we will go with it.". 


The problem is how am I suppose to figure out what they might like when I just met them 5 minutes ago.  I am no mind reader and I doubt that your event coordinator will have magic powers too.  How is anyone to create without some outside influence or brainstorming?


Let me just tell you that it was one of the most challenging meetings I've ever endured.  It was completely stressful for me and the clients.  Ultimately, I gave up on asking what the clients wanted and showed them 3 varying storyboards that I was working on for other clients in hopes it would spark imagination and show them that I did have creativity and good, solid ideas.

For reasons unknown, the client hired our studio to do their wedding.  To this day, I have no idea why because I thought I had failed --- horribly.  And that's why my job can be stressful because I work in an atmosphere of ambiguity.

Contradiction and ambiguity come in many forms.  Sometimes clients do have a vision but when you see their list of needs and wants, it can often be contradicting in style.

Filtering and narrowing the list to it's key and focal point can be equally as difficult as solving a Rubik's cube or Smullyan's logic puzzle.

Here is a summary of one client's needs and styles.  Can you picture this in your head?

Style: Natural, Organic, Modern, Understated
Venue: Outdoor lawn garden, vintage barn, white tent, Sonoma style
Colors: Gold, Red, Teal, Blue.  The bride will wear Green/Seafoam.
Favorite Flowers:  Green and teal hued flowers. Does not like yellows, reds, terra cotta hues.  Likes unusual blooms.
Decor Inspiration: Greece. Mediterranean. Villa life.  Terra Cotta walls.  Southern California Outdoor Living mashed with Indian culture
Floral Likes: Botancial arrangements. Prefer simple single flowers in modern glass. Nothing romantic, fluffy, vine like.  Like tropicals.

Centerpiece Wish: Tall grand all one linear flower.  Nothing round. 

Decor Items: Colorful linens.  Pillows.  Comfy Sofas.  Moroccan Lanterns

For many creative minds, this list has some definite key words and concepts that are exciting.  However, which one should you pinpoint as your focus?  What is the most significant and crucial thing?  Is it important to get the color right or the mood?  These are all valid questions and thus I concur that being an event coordinator might be( I mean IS) very stressful as you have to navigate the ambiguities while always being aware that you might never please them.