In this episode of Now That I’m Engaged, How Do I Get Married?, Kevin Dennis and August Yocher sit down with Loni Peterson, owner of LP Creative Events and a professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, to talk about why wedding planning is about so much more than a design board.

Loni shares how inspiration tools like Pinterest are only the starting point and why logistics, backup plans, and risk mitigation are what truly protect the wedding day experience. From navigating environmental challenges and tight timelines to prioritizing guest comfort and vendor preparedness, this conversation helps couples understand what happens behind the scenes of a seamless celebration.

They also discuss why booking a planner early matters, the limitations of “day-of coordination,” and how asking the right questions can help couples feel confident and supported throughout the planning process.

Loni Peterson is a seasoned business owner and full-time professor in the Advertising, PR, and Design Department at the University of Colorado Boulder, blending real-world event experience with academic insight through planning, speaking, and education.

Highlights

1. Why logistics matter just as much as aesthetics
2. Building backup plans into your wedding from the start
3. How thoughtful planning improves guest experience
4. Why “day-of coordination” often isn’t enough
5. Questions couples should ask to ensure vendor reliability

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Connect with LP Creative Events:

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All right, folks, welcome to another episode. And now that I'm engaged, how do I get married? And I am your host, Kevin, with our co-host, August. We're here today with Lonnie Peterson. How are you, Lonnie?

Doing good, thanks for having me guys, good to see ya.

Of course. And before we jump into our topic here today, Lonnie, tell us a little bit about yourself and how we got you here today.

Yeah, so I am based out of Colorado and I own a wedding planning business called LP Creative Events. I'm also a full-time professor and I had the honor of coming out to do one of your Tri-Valley events at the end of last year and you you liked it enough. I'm back for a podcast, so here we are.

Here we are. Let's do it again. All right. So today we're talking about planning and risk mitigation. Why wedding planning is more than a design board. So ⁓ when couples can engage, ⁓ most planning starts with design and inspiration. Why is wedding planning about so much more than how things look?

Yeah, Pinterest is a wonderful thing. Google Image Search, a wonderful thing. It gets your creativity flowing and you start building out what you think your wedding wants to look like. But I think for folks who have not never been married before or planned a larger scale event, it's often really hard to comprehend what goes behind that beautiful floral install that you have pinned on your Pinterest board. So understanding the logistics behind getting things from A to B and the final product.

and the right team that you need in place to make that happen. And if on the topic of floral, like maybe hydrangeas aren't the right flower because it's too hot where you are and they'll wilt and die. just kind of, it's more than just that pretty picture. It's all of the logistics behind it, the right team and making sure you're picking all of the right elements. So you do end up with that visual at the end that you were hoping for at the beginning.

Yeah, I think coming into events the first time I did it, just, you know, gradually over the years you learn more and more. And it's just crazy, like all the variables you don't think of and seasons and, you know, timing, budgets, like areas that you live, all of that plays a factor into it. And it's, it's just insane.

Yeah, I know it's, ⁓ I think it's such a huge learning curve for engaged couples. And if you are newly engaged, think getting a team of people around you that are ⁓ seasoned in the wedding industry, they know your location and ups and downs that come with that location. And speaking from being in Colorado, altitude is our little devil that we have to deal with. And

Mm.

Yeah.

that comes with no power, no electricity and figuring out how to have porta potty is accessible for 200 people on the side of a mountain. And you look at the pictures of these beautiful mountainscapes where you get married and it's just stunning and it's picture perfect, but it's like, how did we even get there in the first place? So I think ⁓ bringing that team along with you that is seasoned and understands how to make that happen for you. And we'll have those hard conversations and say,

Yeah.

Well, that's a $50,000 budget. Do you have that? Great. Let's go. If not, here's some other alternatives that can be close to what you're hoping to have.

Yeah, I'm finding couples are coming right now with unrealistic budgets. it's, yeah, you definitely, we have to have that tough talk with them. So all right. So why is it important for couples to think about logistics and backup plans early on? Something that I'm sure planning ⁓ weddings up in the mountain, they don't think about.

Yes. Yes.

Yeah.

Yeah, plan B is already a part of our plan a because even if you're getting married in May, which most places feels like a summer month, we could still be getting a blizzard in the altitude of regions. And so we have to always be prepared for the what ifs. And you have those conversations with your clients up front and say, how concerned are you about getting rained on snowed on and if some folks are, they're all for it. They're like, yeah, whatever happens happens. And so these outdoor venues are perfect. But if there's any stress or concern about having

precipitation, we have to find venues that have an indoor backup plan. It's easy to pivot or we have to make those concessions. And sometimes that's hard conversations to have on the front end. You want those beautiful end photos, but if you really don't want to get snowed or rained on, then picking a venue that will help you execute that desire is going to be priority over maybe what those end photos could look like. So it's, again, honest conversation and education. And the logistics is

Hmm.

everything. It's all down to the details. And, you know, it's all even how many people do I need to help set up? I have a three hour window of time for setup. Like how do I need to even make this happen? And if you're going in without a planner or someone who's simply there just to make sure that the building doesn't burn down, then you're setting yourself up for failure for sure.

Yeah, I agree with you on that, especially that's something that a lot of people don't think about is how much time and how much access time they have to get everything set up. you know.

Yeah, and some of these

venues in Colorado, it is a quick turn, especially I'm sure you guys have like state owned venues where they do three a day do like you get in in your little four hour window of time. And that is so hard. There's one venue here that's on a really beautiful lake in a town called evergreen. It's a city owned venue. But if you have the PM slot, you're not allowed in any earlier than five o'clock. And you better believe I tried to get in.

Yeah.

Yeah ⁓

⁓

They're

like barricading the door and they're like no entry. And I guessed arriving in 45 minutes because the sun was going down and like, know, everything else that you have to think about. yeah, timing and setup is huge. And you don't want to start your wedding day off on the wrong foot by being so far behind on setup. You know, you can't even get to the good stuff.

Yeah. Man, and

I'm sure like there's couples who maybe book those state-owned venues before getting a plan or two, so then they can't even be warned about that and just have to deal with the consequences, unfortunately.

Yeah, and you know, being in such beautiful places, people fall in love with the location. They're like, I'll figure it out. Like, I have to get married here. I'll figure the rest of it out. Right. And I get it. Yeah. But you're absolutely right. If they go for these venues without a planner, having chatted with anyone, you know, there could be some red flags popping up. And, know, with that one specific venue in Evergreen, it's a lottery system. So couples will put their names on a list. And then when booking opens, you're like,

Which is fair.

wow.

Wow.

Given July 6 and you're like, thank god. I wanted the holiday weekend or you know shoot. That's not what I wanted but that's just how High of a you know volume they have and how many people are trying to get in and out So it's lottery system for dates. So that's also wild. You don't know that unless you know, you've kind of been around the block

Yeah, we used to have a venue in our city that was the lottery system. it was, I remember there would be couples that would call you about getting married at that property, but don't even have a date yet, you know, kind of thing. And it's like, well, get a date, then let's figure things out. Because again, time of year is going to change what we do and what we don't.

Absolutely.

Yeah. Well, and know you talked about weather a little bit, but what are some other common risks that couples don't realize that they should be planning for? And I know you talked about lottery system with some venues, but what are some other more common things you come across?

Thank

So the biggest one in Colorado is just the dealing with of altitude. Like it is a real thing. Altitude sickness is a real thing. It is a risk. We can educate and communicate as best we can. But a lot of folks that are coming to Colorado for the first time don't believe us. And then they get here and they're like, I feel terrible. I'm like, how much water have you had? And if the answer's none, then I'm like, that's your problem. So I think dealing with what altitude means to all of your guests and making sure that that guest experience is thoughtful.

Yeah

Hmm.

And perhaps it's planning an evening in Denver so people can acclimate to at least that level of altitude change before you take them up another 5,000 feet in altitude because you know those are that's a big jump to going from sea level to 13,000 or plus feet. So you know a night in Denver is a great opportunity. You know education on how alcohol feels in altitude and you know when people come to Colorado it's a little bit less severe now because there's more states that have allowed.

⁓ weed and people would just come here and smoke themselves silly and drink as much as they used to and at sea level and then I just see them they're just like green and their heads in their hands and I'm like, what did you do? But it's like we can do as much as we can but people have to obviously take care of themselves So with the the alcohol portion we can do a lot of management on that end So we often don't do shots rocks or neat

Mm-hmm.

No.

Yeah.

Beverages it has to be sort of mixed cocktail Our venues here close a little bit earlier So we have a shorter time in which people can be drinking and so there's a lot of that education up front as well because I want your guests to wake up the next day and be able to join you for brunch or a hike or whatever the next because people tend to go hard and then they don't realize the repercussions of going hard

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

especially when they're in the middle of it.

Yeah.

Yeah, we are having a great time. You're like, look at this insane view. I'm in Telluride. Let's take one back. then, yeah, you're SOL the next day.

That's funny.

Well,

and one thing that comes to my mind is like, and I don't know if you've ran into this, but I'm wondering if there's ever, I'm sure there has been, but a destination planner maybe like taking a job, you know, in Colorado and then not doing the research and then having to deal with those repercussions. Like, I'm sure that's happened, but like, that's just, yeah. I mean, I know when you were here visiting us, you know, a few months ago, you were talking about it, but it still just blows my mind.

Mm-hmm. Yep.

something I would never think of.

Yes, absolutely. And there are some mountain towns that do require like a local planner to be on board, especially for folks that are coming into the state for these reasons. Like driving up a mountain road is not normal. You know, it's going to be completely dark when you leave the venue and just making sure again, safety is first. And so when you do risk mitigation early on, you're really setting yourself up for success for guest experience and everyone getting to and from in a safe manner.

Yeah.

So prior to weddings, I did a lot of galas and fundraisers and an 1100 person, you know, quantity events. And we would often do our risk mitigation meeting prior to really get diving too deep into the design, because there's a lot of go through with a risk mitigation meeting. You can plan it away. You can put in steps one, two, three. If this happens, then do this. You can, you know, can change your budget around to accommodate for different things.

Mm-hmm.

So we usually do our, we would call them doom and gloom meetings upfront because you just have to think about all the terrible things that can go wrong and then work backwards and figure out ways to try to check all of those things off your list. ⁓ it's actually, it's next week's topic in my event planning class at CU Boulder for risk mitigation lesson. And there's different ways to do it for the class. I usually have them categorize it in ⁓ red, yellow, green. And so it's easy for staff and other volunteers to take a peek at.

Wow!

Mm-hmm.

I just saw this happen. Where does this fall in the risk mitigation plan? Who do I talk to and what are the steps that I can take? So back to education, communication as best you can to help with all of that risk.

Love it. All right, you were talking about thoughtful planning. So how does thoughtful planning protect the overall wedding experience?

It's everything, especially even the smallest thing of getting a little bit of cushion in your timeline, just because you know that that afternoon rainstorm is probably going to roll through. So give yourself a 15 minute buffer, just so you have a little bit of space to kind of wiggle and move things around. ⁓ And thinking about your guest experience and putting yourself in their shoes is huge to know, like, I'm used to driving all over the state, winding roads, whatever that is, but not everybody is. So how can we help think about what's going to be in the shuttle? Should we have?

know, tums and water or bubbly beverages to help with maybe some tummy upset, or do we have older folks that need additional support once they get to the location? So really thinking through little teeny tiny things that can make guest experience even better is going to help the rest of the day run even seamlessly. And you know, your clients know that you've got their back and you've thought about all these things. If something were to come up, we've got a plan to execute and to help solve the problems should.

Hmm.

anything come up from the teeny tiniest thing to we gotta get somebody down the hill because they're puking in the bushes.

I love that.

Yeah, and I feel like those tiny things really make the biggest of differences because, I mean, just that exact example you showed, maybe I have an upset tummy coming up the hill and it kind of puts me in a bad mood for the rest of the day. But the fact that someone thought about me and thought about that this might be a possibility, even if I did have an upset stomach, mentally, I would still be feeling better and taking care of the entire day.

Yes, and I think you I tell my students this all the time. I learn something from every event that I do, whether it's a timeline addition, subtraction, adding something to the emergency kit, having a conversation earlier than I did last time. Like you learn something every time you do an event. So it never it never stops. And so my emergency kit is full of lots of really random things, because over the years you pick up what people have asked for and you want to be able to provide like you just said, those.

those like amenities that people don't think about coming up. And one of the latest additions has been ⁓ eye droppers, because altitude, you're really dry. And so people get very dry eyes up, it's irritating, it's annoying. And so having disposable one-use eye droppers has been huge for folks. But just, you learn as you go. think ⁓ engaged couples might not understand even a seasoned planner, we're still learning. But we've got a lot in our arsenal of things that we can help you with. ⁓

Mm-hmm.

⁓ You know, my mission this year is to debunk that day of coordination is a thing like I need to get on board at least eight months out in order to think through all these risk type items and then plan accordingly whether it's ordering things hiring a new vendor, know putting out communications earlier like we just need time to figure these things out and if you're only wanting myself to come on site for the day you're setting my team up for failure because we are not equipped to solve or help or do anything except be

Yeah.

the warm body that everyone's mad at. So, you know, if have coordination, not a thing. If it's eight month coordination, maybe sign me up. But, and I think Colorado is a unique territory because we just need time to prepare.

It's true.

Yeah, I feel like that's been a theme. Don't you agree, Kevin? Like lately is just like, yeah, it's not a thing. I mean, we've had a few planners come on to talk about month of, but even that sometimes depending on the size of the operation. And I know you said specifically for your area, like there's so many factors to consider, but even then sometimes you're like scrambling, right? Like, give me all the information. What can I do with this? And even down to the last day, you're still like moving stuff around. So it's really.

I love it.

Yeah.

Exactly.

And you know, it's so wonderful when clients want to be involved and book their vendors and do the research like you should absolutely be involved. But if you're handing me a list of vendors that I've never worked with before, I don't know if they're covered in insurance, I don't know if they're a viable business, I don't know if they're gonna have my back at 13,000 feet of something were to go wrong. Like the fact that you bring on a planner who's got experience with building vendor teams for specific areas is another risk mitigation opportunity because

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

I know the folks that I bring on board to these events, they've got my back and they know I've got theirs. So if anything were to go wrong, we're gonna figure it out. And so when you come in at this 30 day mark and you're just handed a list of people that they thought looked good online or were the cheapest option, like I can't do, I can only do so much with that kind of information. So I think educating and getting planners on board sooner is only going to be.

Yeah.

And I think we can all say this till we're blue in the face, like we can help you save money, but I think, I think that comprehension is only missed until something goes wrong and they're like, I should have, could have, would have, and then you've run out.

Mm-hmm.

I have a bad joke that, ⁓ you know, want to go a wedding's like a war and you want to go to war with, you know, the people that you have your back and you trust and, you know, and you, yeah, it's, it's, there's nothing more frustrating as a wedding professional to be working someone's wedding. And you're working with a bunch of green people or people that have no idea what they're doing and it's causing and creating more havoc. So it's always, always important to have a put together a good vendor team that works well together.

Yeah,

and you're absolutely right. It is war. I leave roosts, I'm covered in dirt, like I've walked a half marathon by the end of it. Like it's, it's a lot, it's a lot on the body and you know, it just helps when you've got that really great team with you, it really takes some of that pressure off.

Yeah. ⁓

It feels like it!

Yeah, one bad apple always makes it a rough evening. all right. All right. So why do couples often underestimate how many moving parts exist behind the scenes?

True.

Yeah.

Gosh, this is what I get even in fundraising and nonprofit. It's like, that's easy I'll get that all the time like it'll be easy. It's not a big it's simple. It's just simple and That's the beauty of a good event planner. If it was easy. It looked simple You had a great time you were never confused. That means there was somebody who was super Involved early on that knows what they're doing So it gives us illusion that it is simple and it is easy and it is just like blink of an eye magic trick

Mmm!

Hmm.

Hmm.

But that took so much coordination and long term development and experience to get it to that feeling. People really only remember when like the food's bad or the timeline's long or somebody was mean to them. Like they don't, the takeaway doesn't stick as well if it was a seamless day, right? But people often come in going,

Yeah.

That's gonna be easy. I just want something simple, which for me is a red flag. Number one, if they tell me I just want something simple, I'm like, mm, yeah, right. And then also, and then the second red flag is my people don't drink too much. I'm like, okay, yeah, I know. I'm definitely calling 911 if you tell me the answer. For sure, it happens nine times out of 10 when they tell me. They're like, we won't drink that much. And I go, okay. And then sure enough, I'm getting an ambulance call because somebody went a little too wild.

The fact you had to say that is telling, yeah?

or don't listen to the advice.

mean that's also true. also am gonna my next petition for this year is to get a shirt that says what do I know because that's often what ends up happening is like here's my suggestion here's my seasoned advice and they're like yeah no I'm not gonna do that so whatever what do I know I've just been doing this for a couple of years.

Yeah, just for a while. Okay, so how can couples balance ⁓ dreaming big visually while still planning responsibly?

Mm-hmm.

This is such a good sweet spot. And I think we do need to dream big, especially when it comes to floral and design. And often when we do those quotes and initial inquiries, I'll have the florists go big, like put everything that they've wished for on this invoice because I want them to see what's the labor, what's the time, what's the cost. And then we can scale back and talk about what they actually want and what's at the top of their list. So I think.

Mm-hmm.

It's definitely a little bit of both. And you also need a planner that's going to be able to have those hard conversations with you and say, okay, so here's where you're going to get the most bang for your buck. Here's where your guests are going to spend the majority of their time. So let's spend money on table centerpieces or a big dance floor situation, because that's going to be the most time people are going to be experiencing this amount of your investment is on the dance floor. So I think you got to dream big because why not? It's your wedding, but having that other half being of realism.

and having conversations. And one of the last questions I ask any of my new clients is, what are your top five must haves? When you close your eyes and think about your wedding day, what are the things that you need to have on the day? If everything else goes to shit, if those five things happen, then it's the best day ever. And it can be anything. It can be a song that's played, a type of food that's served, ⁓ an emotion, anything they can list on that top five, because that's gonna be our North Star as we start deciding.

Mm-hmm.

where we go big and where we maybe scale back and save some money or find another alternative.

I love it. I'm always big on when we're working with our clients. I call it a go big, go home estimate and then think about, but I'm like, you might as well put everything in anything, you know, cause we're not going to, I'm like, I don't make you sign anything to walk out the door. I'm like this way you have all the pricing for everything. Everything's line item. It's easy to add, subtract or, know, and there's times where people go big and they're like, wow, that is, I'm, I'm dreaming way over my budget or.

I'm actually right within my budget and I can, you know, like I'm close, you know, kind of thing. So I think doing go big, go home estimates are great.

Yeah, and also I'm sure you guys have a really busy season, so I don't want to lose out on hiring a vendor or locking in inventory or, you know, making sure that my client could have the thing that they want if they decide to have it. So it's easier to reduce than it is to like magically have a lounge piece appear when it's busy season and there's no inventory left.

And that's a big thing, especially because inventory. always explain to couples that once you book something, belongs to you on the day of, and we can't sell it to anybody else. So therefore, it's a good idea to lock down the things you 100 % know you want sooner than later.

Absolutely. Yeah.

All right.

⁓ I was going to say I also really like the way that you kind of reframed priorities because I feel like in general, like when couples start planning, we always say like, nail down your priorities before you start. That kind of drives the ship when you're figuring out where you want to spend your money. But I like how you said pick five top moments because and like if those five happen, everything else is okay because

I mean, I feel like that's just such a great way of looking at it. Like if these things happen, the day is just going to be perfect to me. And I think that's a good way to look at it.

Yeah.

If you let them, the clients be a little bit open-ended about what's on that top five, it gives you some more internal information about what really they think is gonna be the best day ever. And so usually if it's like, want a really great dance floor. So I automatically know, okay, who's on my entertainment list is I know for sure is gonna have the best dance floor. So then I know I can help budget that.

vendor type a specific way because I'm like, well, a dance floor is on your top five. So this is now going to be your budget for getting that quality in that dance floor. And, you know, even some will say like, I want to be able to have quiet moments with my partner during the day. then to me, that is I'm, I'm watching if they get stuck in a corner for too long talking to their uncle, like, we're getting them out of that conversation, we're putting them away into the back room to have a moment of silence and just breathe. So it kind of helps.

You

me figure out the best way to help navigate their day in real time and then also who to recommend for their vendors.

It's funny you say that. remember when my wife and I got married, like after it was all said and done, we were like, we ended up back in the hotel and we both looked at each other like, what the F just happened? You're like, we were just like, it was such a, yeah, it was just like, what? And then it was started, opened the conversation. Did you see this? Did you talk to that? Did that, did you see when that happened? And it was just like, yeah, it was such a crazy, it's funny. I'll never forget that. So.

Like you just went through war.

No!

The debrief.

Yeah.

Alright, so how does planning for the what-ifs scenarios actually help couples stay present and relaxed?

The doom and gloom meeting as terrible as it is planning for those what ifs is going to bring you the peace and serenity on the day because you know we've talked about this, this and this and our planner is going to do this, this and this to solve it. So they don't have to panic, make decisions on the day. I don't have to bother them with questions. Now, if it's off our list that we haven't talked about it, obviously I'll consult, but like there's usually a ton of things that we've covered ahead of time that they know that I'm going to make the best decision for them. And if

I have to make a pivot, I'll inform them and they're usually like, yep, sure, sounds good, whatever you think is best. So building that relationship early on and having conversations about the what ifs and potential solutions for those just builds a a better sense of calm and that they've got trust in you to make those choices on their behalf if something comes up.

Yeah, and it's always better having, you're working on wedding with a planner that has that relationship with a couple because, you know, every once in a while stuff happens and when the planner can go, okay, we talked about it and we're going to do this, this and this and without even having to go to the couple and then, you know, and the planner goes to the couple and says, all right, we had a pivot and this is what we're doing. And they're like, great. And there's no problems. Yeah.

Yeah,

it's like, where do you draw the line of like saying you're going into war, anything that can go wrong will go wrong. So you know, making sure that they have like a reality check honestly, of what they could be experiencing on their wedding day.

Yeah.

Yeah, I agree.

I feel like it's just

that, what's that saying? Like preparing for the worst, hoping for the best. Like, it's just that.

Well, anything that does

go that day, anything, everything that does happen is wonderful and beautiful. And they're like so thrilled because we're to experience it and not have to do the stress and the problem solving side of it. They just got to be there.

Yeah.

Yeah.

All right. So in order for couples to prepare for these things, what kind of questions should they be asking their vendors just to make sure they're prepared and protected the day up?

Love it.

Yeah, so this can go from as cut and drive, like, do you have liability insurance? Like, are you a good business, good standing business to ⁓ asking like interview questions? Like when you go for a job, it's like, tell me about a time that was challenging and how did you handle it? Like have them talk through a scenario and explain what ended up happening, the steps they took to handle it. And then as the clients, you can decide, that was a good process or I wouldn't have done that.

Yeah.

Mm.

they handled it too quickly or you whatever you take from that exercise. think asking those open ended questions is great. I get asked often like what if you know, you're sick on the day what happens and so I come back with, I've got a great team. built a lot of great relationships in the industry. If anything were to go wrong, I've got at least seven people on my speed dial that I could call but like my number one goal is to be there for you and make sure that nothing goes wrong and hence also why we work in the buddy if not.

triple system of having other people on site that it's not all on one human, which I think is another misconception that it just needs to be one person, but I can only be so many places at the same time. So yeah, asking if you've been in a challenging situation, how have you handled it? A lot of maybe personal conversations with family members, you can ask, have you had to have a conversation with a mom and aunt or somebody, how have you handled that?

Mm-hmm.

And then the people that do know that their people drink will ask like, okay, so how do you handle somebody who's been over served? And you're like, okay, here's how we would do that. And here's how we can help make sure that person is not over served and gets to that point because that's obviously the goal is we don't want to kind of let it be willy nilly. And then all of a sudden we have something to deal with at the end of the night.

I had a not so proud moment one time where I had to look at the father of the bride and look at him and say, you need to chill the fuck out. I mean, flat out, I was just like, and that's, and that's where we were in that situation in that moment in time. And he actually came back and thanked me because he was, because the moment, you know, the bride's mom and him were freshly divorced and it was really becoming, I go, I go, we're here for your daughter today and I'm sorry that you don't like your, you know, and we went through this whole thing.

Yeah. We're done.

You

He needed a reality check.

And he, I thought he was going to punch me in the mouth when I said that, but it was just like, it got to a point where like no one could take him anymore. And I was just like, and I just opened my mouth when I pro no. Yeah. And I just opened my mouth, but I, I, at the end of the night he came by and thanked me for, yeah.

I gotta be the bad guy. Yeah.

Yeah,

and I think people again, maybe don't realize they need a little bit of a bulldog on their wedding day because you everybody's high emotion. Everybody's tired. Everybody's got their own thing going on, whether you're the mom or the dad or the siblings or whatever's happening. And you know, you need a team of people who can answer it just like you did. And also for the planner to kind of be the safeguard and to make sure that things are happening behind the scenes or they get taken away from situations. I had a client tell me that

Yeah.

Yeah.

You

Mm-hmm.

the mom and the stepmom had to like sit back to back. They couldn't sit looking at one another. So every time we had seating arrangements, I'm like, where's Suze? And we had to make sure that like their backs were strategically sat, but like, hey, we did it. They didn't bite each other's head off and everything went fine. But because, you know, we take that extra conversation and attention to detail and make sure that those things are set up for their success in a public setting.

You

Yeah.

You went into planning.

I had a mother of the groom dressing all black and even a black veil for her son's wedding and it was the most, yeah, was so, yeah, it was so over the top, but everyone hated that woman. was, I'll never forget that wedding, but anyway.

⁓ my god, drama!

It's so funny how often, like, I feel the parents cause so many problems, like... Yeah.

Parents or siblings? Usually, yeah,

siblings will get involved.

Yeah, it's pridezilla's

not really the problem, it's the moms and other folks who feel like it's their day, you know? And they sometimes just need a little reality check and you you need somebody will powered enough to like be able to step in and have the confidence to save those things. Cause sometimes all they need is just a little tap on the shoulder reminder. Like, this isn't your day, it's your child's and we need to act appropriately. Exactly.

It is. It is, yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Or this is what the couple wish and this is what they

Yeah. Good.

want. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

In my contract,

it says like, we didn't talk about something and somebody asked me to do something and we didn't discuss it, it's not happening. So there's a lot of things that try to happen under the table or I'll get emails on the side. I'm like, well, that's not what she wants. So we're not doing it. Thank you so much for that recommendation, but not today.

Yeah.

Wow, Ian.

Yeah.

Yeah. And one thing Kevin and I will ask too during planning meetings is about family dynamics because there's always something that comes up. And I've told couples in the past, and I think Kevin has too, is if you need us to be the bad guy for you that day, we will. Because I'm never going to see these people again. And you're my client. So I'd rather make you happy and you have a fun day and not have to deal with all that drama.

Absolutely. And the wonderful thing if there is alcohol involved, like, they're not going to remember this. ⁓

down.

They're not gonna know. Yeah, exactly.

Hehehehehe

Yeah.

Being in your state, they got the other stuff too. Yeah.

Ugh, it's double whammy, my gosh. Yeah.

⁓ yeah.

⁓ I can't even imagine. Wow.

Alright, so if you wish couples would change their mindset about one thing when it comes to the wedding planning process, what would that one thing be?

A good planner is worth their weight in gold. A good planner will save you money, relieve your stress. It might feel like a huge upfront cost, but it's not in the long run. If you do quick math, it's like 400 hours to plan a wedding. And if your planner's charging you 10,000 bucks, it's like $22 an hour. Like that's less than minimum wage some places. I can't live a life doing one wedding at $22 an hour, but...

Hmm.

Mm-hmm.

It the mind shift needs to change of what they're investing in in a seasoned, experienced planner and what stress they're going to remove from their plate that is also added value because it's not only because I think with planning, I don't have a tangible thing to produce, right? I have my support, my network, our conversations, your trust in me, our relationship that we're building, timeline management. I don't have food or a beautiful playlist or

you know, flowers on the table. So I think it's a little bit tougher to justify a cost for planning when their benefits are going to be an intangible thing, less stress, a specific emotion. And also, they can't foresee all of their guests going, this was the best plane wedding I've ever been to, I had the best time, I was never stressed out. And so those things stick in their minds. When folks invest in a planner,

You

Mm-hmm.

And when you don't, like you're hopefully never getting married again and you've kind of lost this opportunity to have this perfect storm of somebody really looking after you and having your best interest during the entire planning process. So get your planner early. If you're getting married in 2027, book us now. Guess what? That investment's now stretched over 24 months and not six. So, you know, think about the girl math that way. Like, what is that investment over the duration of your planning time?

Yeah.

⁓ In addition to the, want day of coordination, short runway planning times. Some could be good, some could be not great to have a six month or shorter planning scheme. I think thinking through ⁓ the order of operations in which newly engaged couples look at vendors.

Yeah.

Crazy. And I like your girl math. That was a good one.

No, it's true, though. Getting more bang for your buck that way, too.

Yeah, I mean you have access to me as soon as you sign the contract. If you're getting married in 24 months, whatever you paid me just gets stretched out over that entire time. you know, it's, again, it does feel like a large lump sum, but like I'm open to payment plans, whatever. This is going to relieve so much stress down the way, no matter how many five-star reviews I have, like it's still this thing of like, you're too expensive, you're too expensive. And I'm like, all right, fine, I'm not for everybody, but here's the thing, you know.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

What do you value in your wedding day experience? You know, do you want someone to have involvement and understand how you and your partner work and can make choices for you and advocate for you and build a really strong vendor team? Or do you want to willy-nilly and like hope for the best because that's honestly what's starting to happen. I think.

Mm-hmm.

Perfect. right, Lonnie, we're wrapping up. So where can couples learn more about you and your wonderful work?

Yay, so my website lpcreativeevents.com. I'm also on Instagram, lpcreativeevents. I think it's a good time. I show a lot of my puppies and horses, so it's not all wedding content because you get to kind of see my personal side of my life. And I also do keynotes. So on stage with Lonnie is my keynote Instagram and lonniepeterson.com.

All right, perfect. And we'll be sure to share all of Lonnie's information in the show notes. So Lonnie, can't thank you enough for being here today. We really appreciate it.

Yeah.

Thank you. Appreciate

you guys. Thank you so much.

All right, folks, thanks for listening to another episode of Now That I'm Engaged. How do I get married? We'll see you next time.