But I don't have a sister...

I just finished a magnificent and classic wedding on board the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA. (Congratulations Isabella and Ken!) And, as always, there were a few things to overcome on the way to perfection.

This time?

A sister that didn't exist.

And a new on-site event team.

Now, we ALL know that the Queen Mary is haunted (right?), but this was going a little far...even for me. When I called to try and discuss the final arrangements with one of the QM's catering assistants, she told me about Maria, the bride's sister. Evidently Maria wanted to significantly change items on the menu, as well as how the bar was being handled.

The problem?

First, only the bride, groom, or coordinator working on their behalf have the ability to change items. Beyond that, there are usually no changes allowed by the venue or vendors in the few short days prior to the event.

Beyond this?

The bride didn't have a sister! The couple didn't even know anyone named Maria...and this was about to cause me more trouble than I ever expected.

The fictional family member caused the catering assistant to inform everyone on the venues event team not to speak to anyone but the bride. Meanwhile, the bride had requested that I speak to the event team on her behalf since she was busy playing hostess to many guests from abroad. She also trusted me enough to allow me the freedom of decision making, knowing I would always do right by her and her event.

Okay, not a problem for me, a coordinator. That's my job.

Isn't it?

It turned out that the lead Queen Mary coordinator assigned to our event, stopped working for the venue shortly before our event. So, when the event file started making it's way to the new site coordinator, the fact that the bride had a wedding coordinator seemed to disappear. Also, the catering assistant's order for the crew only to speak with the bride circumvented me completely and the bride got hopping mad.

She was getting deluged with phone calls from several on-site coordinators in different departments, and kept telling them to speak with me. Thankfully after a few phone calls an a bit of explaining, it was all sorted out with the chapel coordinator. But when it came time to deal with the head for the rehearsal dinner....I got no return call. What did I get? Accused of being Maria. And an apology shortly after.

It turned out she was not in direct communication with the bride or me, but with the catering assistant. So, who can fault her for not knowing the real story?

I do have to tell you, it all worked out in the end...but to this day no one has ever been able to figure out who the mysterious Maria was, and why someone would want to change a wedding order just before the big day. Was it just a case of mistaken identity?

We may never know.

But, what I do know is how very important good communication is.

So, whenever there is a change in your event staffing, which most often happens once at venues such as hotels and larger event sites (from sales to event staff), make sure your entire planning team is familiar with your whole venue team to prevent things like this from creating havoc, drama and stress when you need it least. By making solid connections and introductions, you can alleviate some of the many hurdles down the road to Happily Ever After.