When I was driving to set up my first event of 2020 it was a chilly late February day and the car radio was full of talk of a new virus emanating from China called Covid 19, with a reported outbreak in an Italian ski resort. I was concerned but didn’t think too much about it. When I arrived at the event, I discovered a couple of the catering team were not well and my phone kept pinging with guests dropping out for fear of catching the illness. If only we had known!
2020 and 2021 were full of endless contract changes, negotiating with suppliers and looking deep into the crystal ball, we quickly learnt to use pencil rather than pen in the event diary! It was a very stressful time and hard for so many in the industry as businesses had to adjust to the new normal. 2020 was fairly quiet but by 2021 we managed to deliver some incredible events and it was a real team effort.
Some of us felt a bit rusty but we were soon back in the saddle with all worries forgotten. The atmosphere at one wedding I organised in late 2021 was totally electric and the guests certainly hadn’t forgotten how to party. It was back to going to bed as the sun was coming up!
Fast forward to Spring 2022 and a day in the life of a party planner is as hectic as ever. We are on permanent ‘catch up’ from all the weddings and parties that were postponed or cancelled in 2020 and 2021. A couple of years ago it would have been unheard of to have a wedding on a weekday other than a Friday, but now we have to be open to all options when starting the planning process.
Time and time again clients have had their hopes dashed which has impacted on them both financially and emotionally. I have been amazed at how lovely and understanding everyone has been and my biggest shout out has to be to the wonderful teams of suppliers that I rely on every day to deliver what I am promising! We have all learnt to be flexible, patient, diplomatic and kind in the past two years.
This summer is reported to be the busiest ever for weddings in the UK and it is beyond exciting to be planning events without restrictions. All we need now is plenty of sunshine and champagne! Let the party begin!
Katie Tottenham Events 