I have often been asked what my worst mistakes are. Being in the industry for over 30 years, I could write a book called Preston’s Screw Ups.
However, in the hope that you do not make the same mistakes, here are my 10 all time worst mistakes going from bad to worse.
10. I think all florists can relate to this one. 10 years ago I purchased 500 hundred stems of white hydrangea, put them in water tubes, only to arrive at the event and find out they were all dead.
Lesson learned: One needs to properly cut and constantly spray to keep hydrangeas alive.
9. I had to set up an event in New York at a Fifth Ave. venue but didn’t know there was a parade that day and the area was completely blocked off. So, we arrived at the setup three hours after the wedding was supposed to start.
Lesson learned: Make sure you check for parades or any kind of blockage near your venues.
8. I promised a client she’d get 1200 peonies delivered from Holland, however when they arrived at the airport they were destroyed because of agricultural concerns (bugs were found on the flowers, so they needed to be destroyed).
Lesson learned: Some things are beyond our control.
7. Creating an over sized puddle of fabric with your tablecloths is not always a good idea. One of my client’s guest’s feet became tangled and she fell.
Lesson learned: Even if our clients like that generous look of any fabric, do not do it. It could be dangerous.
6. While installing a job, a hanging chandelier fell and injured one of my assistants.
Lesson learned: Make sure you have workman’s compensation and good insurance at all times.
5. When I first started, I thought It was the coolest thing to use live fish in round bowls for centerpieces. However, two hours after the event began some of the fish started to die and float in the water.
Lesson learned: If you want to use live fish at any event, make sure they are in a proper fish tank. Or maybe, just don’t.
4. 12 years ago, I was a guest at one of my events, and I actually witnessed one of my tall arrangements falling on one of the guest’s heads. They needed to take her to the hospital. (I still have nightmares about this one.)
Lesson learned: Make sure all of the tall, gravity-defying centerpieces you created are properly screwed to the tables. And of course, make sure you always have great insurance.
In next week’s Common Mistakes, I’ll list the top three all time horrendous mistakes I have ever made. You are not even going to believe number one.
As I have read many times, making mistakes is one of the surest ways to become an expert. So, please share with us any of your mistakes.
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George Bernard Shaw once said: “You see things and say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were and say, ‘Why not?’” That quote embodies how Preston Bailey approaches every event.
lindsey
February 24, 2011
Wedding at a venue with several stories, but not much space-
we placed all the bridal party, attendants and family members for the processional on the 2nd floor before the ceremony. the lone elevator in the building broke down- with guests stuck inside- and we had 2 non-ambulatory family members who were part of the processional.
it was beyond my control, but i regret forcing them to change floors for what i thought would be a short amount of time.
Alexandra Jusino
February 24, 2011
Thanks for sharing Preston. I think we’ve all been thru the hydrangeas fiasco. But it’s all about living and learning.
Lynn Earley
February 24, 2011
Dear Mr. Bailey…
Have always enjoyed you/your ideas/your work…many thanks for sharing this knowledge..I ‘ve been staging events since 1991, here in the metro NYC area…
founder of the Smart Party in NYC Without ALcohol..promote partying sans booze..would love to hire you someday ( will have to win lottery first;)
wish you much happiness/continued success..always inspiring..
Best, Lynn Earley
Kimberly Sevilla
February 24, 2011
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY?
Kimberly Sevilla
February 24, 2011
Thanks for the tips, never thought to screw something to the table.
As far as the other items;
Hydrangea, Check
Street fair event blockage, Check
Fish, (have been warned)
My worst was when my thermostat was blocked and my freezer got too cold and froze, and ruined all the centerpieces for a wedding. Fortunately discovered the problem when the markets were still open, unfortunately, I had to eat the cost of all the flowers.
Heather Herman
February 24, 2011
I created a beautiful, all rose casket spray shortly after taking over the floral shop. I was untrained then, but did not call in my floral designer. It was lovely until the next day when every head had drooped – I didn’t know you had to get the stems in so far into the foam! There I was, in a ragingwinter storm, crouched half in andhalf out of the hearse (which stopped at the shop on the way tothe funeral) hurriedly replacing every stem!
Gayle O'Donnell
February 24, 2011
20 years ago when I was placing my first invitation order I didn’t know about ordering a proof of the invitation, so it went directly to print. When the invitations arrived I discovered I’d left off the time of the wedding. Yikes! Of course that meant I reordered the invitations with the time added, and the client never knew of my mistake. This was an expensive way to learn a lesson, but I’ve never made the same mistake again. ALWAYS order a proof of your invitations!
Shantay Washington
February 24, 2011
Wow! Well fortunately their is a lesson in every mistake (bad or horrifying). Thank you so much for sharing as always. You are a true inspiration!
joana tomova
February 24, 2011
For one of my first weddings, I was going with my car, with all the flowers for the reception, I was lost on the way to the restaurant and my car go out of gaz…. I got to the restaurant after the guests, and a minute before the bride and groom… I still have nightmares about this one
Lesson -be sure you know exactly where are u going, and full with fuel
Taylor Lea Thomas
February 24, 2011
I’m an instructor for your Signature Wedding & Event Design course at Miami Dade College here in Miami, Florida. As a class, we’ve discussed mistakes we’ve all made in planning events in the past. It’s always such a great learning tool and experience for the students because they get to open up and share with their fellow students knowing that they are not the only ones, and that mistakes do indeed happen no matter how much you prepare, prepare, prepare. Thanks for sharing your common mistakes. I will certainly share your lessons learned in this post in the next class on Monday, February 28th, 2011. Thanks Preston. It’s an honor to have been chosen to teach your course through The Wedding Planning Institute.
Elyna
February 24, 2011
Hello Preston,
First off, I must admit that my hands are slightly shaky as I’m typing this… You are a bit of an idol amongst all of us wedding designers, and it’s an honor just to be able to post a comment here.
That being said, I can completely relate to the fish and tall arrangements errors. The very first wedding I planned was near a river, under a tent. We had beautiful tall centerpieces. Little did I know that there was a hydraulic dam nearby, and the vibrations it created in the air sent all my tall vases crashing onto the tables (thankfully before any of the guests arrived).
And at another wedding I did, the Chinese couple requested to have red fish swimming around in tall martini glasses on the bar. They had all turned into floaters by the end of the night, and live fish are now a no-no at my weddings.
Thank you so much for sharing all of your wisdom!
Elyna
Kisha
February 24, 2011
Thanks 4 the tips of what not to do lol!
Meta
February 24, 2011
I love it that you will admit to your mishaps. It provides a great lesson for those of us who have not been in the business for 30 years that there will be mistakes, mishaps and msicalculations. I remember creating these great flower arrangements and placing them atop tall cylinder vases, out side in a tent. it got very windy and it had not occurred that the cylinders might need weight. needless to say i had a few to tumble off the table.
Zyanya Itzel
February 24, 2011
Once we arrived to set up but the place was closed and when the owner finally opened we had very little time left and the indoor fireworks couldn’t be set up at the right height therefore some sparkles burned the tablecloth, we had to pay like if they were new!!
Lesson: make sure the place will be opened at the right time for the set up and don’t try to make miracles when something is beyond your control.
Thom Green
February 24, 2011
I had a BarMitzvah in November, each adult table had a four foot Ice Sculpture that sat in a 2 inch drain pan. I got a frantic call from the planner to come and remove them as the guest were sitting for dinner, they had melted and were overflowing, the linens were soaked. I had to muscle each sculpture of the table and walk them out of the ballroom. I should have known to have a 5 gallon bucket under the able with a drain tube however I took the advice from my ice sculpture vendor.
Vuyelwa Xaba
February 25, 2011
In South Africa there’s a dance called “Lang Arm” pronounced lang aram, and it’s a fast ballroom type dance performed by Afrikaners( whites from Dutch decent). Now if you know anything about South Africa & apartheid you would understand that it was taboo for a Black Girl to be an event designer & decor specialist at a white wedding. Now I know they said please make sure that we have a strong dance floor that can withstand the high voltage nature of this dance. I went to my regular dance floor supplier whose workmanship I’ve trusted for years. The dance floor disintergrated within the first 15 minutes! Fortunately nobody was hurt except my pride and obviously no more business from that particular circle.
love.iarasanyang
February 25, 2011
My table centres caught fire from using the wrong candles. A very hard lesson learned.xxb
Amy @ Blowout Party!
February 25, 2011
Preston, I just have to tell you that I thoroughly enjoy reading your blog, and I check it every day. Your posts are informative, fun to read, and full of useful business tips. I love your work, and I really appreciate your blog. Keep it up and thank you!
GoIzzy
March 1, 2011
I think I experience most of these (except the fish) on a smaller level. This is what you pay for when you hire us.
It’s all the experience that we have!
one of probably worst issues I had was arriving to the venue and finding out they didn’t have enough tables to cover our event. So we were forced to set up quite a bit of stuff in one hour time frame. I would say always bring extra set of hands, if you are counting for an extra employee, bring two.
Pam Berries
March 9, 2011
A few months ago we had a wedding in a village near the city where we are today, days before the wedding we went to perform scouting and carry a GPS to keep all the important points to cover that day, such as the home of the bride, church and reception venue. The day arrived, without knowing that they were fixing the road, besides that to reach the village the GPS did not recognize most of the streets, the streets were blocked or were otherwise. We had to talk to the bride but to surprise the phone had no signal, so look for a way to call no surprise that the bride was Furious, in the end it was the worst experience we can ever had, just thinking and remembering my stomach starts hurting. The lesson we learn, never trust only in GPS, old school of paper and pencil will never failed you.