Ever thought about the safety measures at your wedding venue? Maggie from the Lighthouse at Glen Cove Marina shares surprising tips to keep your celebration stress-free and secure.

When it comes to weddings, safety often takes a back seat to décor and logistics. Maggie from the Lighthouse at Glen Cove Marina reminds us why it shouldn’t. From her early days navigating earthquake protocols at Paramount Pictures to her current role managing wedding venues, Maggie has seen it all.

We discussed why fire safety and evacuation plans are crucial, especially for venues in areas prone to wildfires. Maggie shared how couples can prepare for unexpected emergencies, from having water stations during heatwaves to accounting for elderly guests’ comfort.

One surprising tip? Always look for the exits when touring a venue. It’s a small habit that could make a big difference in a critical moment. Maggie also highlighted the importance of catering safety, from managing food allergies to ensuring proper staff training.

Finally, we dove into real-life stories, including one involving a guest and an unexpected edible. Maggie’s ability to handle emergencies with calm professionalism left us all with valuable lessons.

Highlights

• Why fire safety and evacuation plans are essential for wedding venues
• How to ensure your venue can handle heat-related emergencies
• The importance of water stations and shaded areas for guests
• What couples should ask venues about safety certifications and staff training
• Real-life safety incidents and how Maggie handled them seamlessly
• Why hiring an EMT for your wedding day is worth every penny 

We’d love to hear from you! Got wedding planning questions? Send them our way, and we might answer them in an upcoming episode. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share this episode with friends.

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Kevin Dennis (0:0.685)

Maggie (0:29.195)

Well, you know, as with everybody, it's a process, right? It's a journey. I think the first time I really got into like safety, for instance, was when I was working for Paramount Pictures and Facility Operations in LA. And we had the 94 Northridge earthquake, which was, you know, compared to the 89 Bay Area one, that was the next biggest one. And Paramount Pictures put us through an eight-week course with the LA Fire Department.

Kevin Dennis (0:48.837)

89 Bay Area one, that was the next biggest one. And Paramount Pictures put us through with a weekly course with the LA Pirate

Maggie (0:57.323)

for community response team, if you will. So that's kind of where I started with that whole safety thing. And I'm like, this is kind of an important aspect that people don't really realize, because everybody panics, right? And then I worked for CBS and marketing and all that fun stuff and television and then came up to Bay Area because LA is LA sometimes. It's fine. It runs its course.

Kevin Dennis (1:18.426)

Ha ha ha!

Kevin Dennis (1:23.597)

Oh.

Maggie (1:23.767)

It's a thing that often gets overlooked and certainly from a client's side, they're not thinking about safety for their wedding, right? Because that's not really, you know, it's not warm and fuzzy and it's not glamorous, but it's important.

Kevin Dennis (1:56.421)

And certainly from the client's side, they are not thinking about the wedding. That's not really, you know, it's not warm and cozy and it's not glad. But it's important. Yeah, I agree. And it's the last thing that they're thinking about because they're planning their wedding day and they're thinking about a fun party. you know, the last thing is, is oops, what if something happens? So.

Maggie (2:11.007)

Right, right.

Maggie (2:17.451)

Kevin Dennis (2:45.815)

Well, and you forgot the most important part of your history is that we did Let's Talk Safety through the entire COVID, Maggie, myself, and Laura. So the three of us, Laura and I were just your arm candy and your backup singers. it was really you were the star of the show that really helped get all of us through COVID because no one knew what was going on and the numbers. And we talked all kinds of good stuff. And then we started talking about event safety and all kinds of stuff, safety in the workplace.

Maggie (3:13.299)

And I think you took away a really critical one about emergency exits.

Kevin Dennis (3:17.003)

I did. Yes, I never... It's funny. Yes, because that's the first thing I look at because I travel a lot and I never in a million years thought about an emergency exit, especially when you're in like the airport or anything. And now that's the one thing I always look at. Yeah.

Maggie (3:29.087)

You're in a new place all the time, right? whenever, whatever entrance you come in isn't necessarily the entrance you're going to get out of. But if you're not aware, you're in panic mode. And that's when we see horrible things that happen with, you know, not just weddings, but just events in general. So yeah.

August Yocher (3:32.045)

Hmm.

Kevin Dennis (3:49.443)

Yeah, for sure.

August Yocher (3:49.750)

Oh, is that kind of like an auto thing that you do? Like any new space you walk into, like event center, venue, you're kind of just searching for that emergency exit?

Maggie (3:58.131)

Restaurant anything. Yep, like and in fact, that was one of the things when I moved up here I worked for AOL and I did another safety training through them and the paramedic the first thing he said was you take up to 30 seconds But it doesn't take long when you enter a new space Just think about how you'd get out right because it's not if we're in a new space all the time There's no mess muscle memory there. But like if you take a second to think about it

Kevin Dennis (4:0.066)

Yep.

Kevin Dennis (4:15.141)

Think about how you get out. Because it's not, you're putting your face all the time.

Maggie (4:25.959)

if something should happen, know, God forbid, like, it's just not a, it doesn't take a lot of time to think about it, but it pays off in spades if there's an issue, you know?

Kevin Dennis (4:33.241)

Mm-mm.

Kevin Dennis (4:37.517)

It's a good thing to think about because you never know and you're going to save yourself in a disaster.

August Yocher (4:42.444)

I guess especially if you're somewhere with a lot of people, right? Like, I do like going to concerts a lot or festivals, and I guess I don't really think about that, and scary things can happen quick when there are larger moments of people, so.

Maggie (4:57.099)

There's a lot of scary things and in this day and age, there's a lot of stuff going on at events, not just weddings, but just events in general. And that's something to think about when you're booking a venue or a property. A lot of people don't, again, it's not glamorous, right? It's not a first thing to think about, but I think it's a good priority. You don't drive your car without insurance, so why not have some type of safety?

Kevin Dennis (4:58.661)

and you know, in this day and age, there's a lot of...

Kevin Dennis (5:24.376)

Yeah.

Maggie (5:27.083)

plan, if you will.

Kevin Dennis (5:28.185)

All right, I think that's a perfect segue. So I'm a couple looking to get married and I'm touring a venue. What are some things that I should be thinking about, looking about on the tour when it comes to safety? Because I think no couple thinks about safety at all.

Maggie (5:42.983)

No, correct. I would think the first thing that comes to mind for me is, again, just what we talked about, fire safety or evacuation, right? And slash fire safety. We are in the Bay Area. And depending on when you book your wedding and where we are susceptible to fires. And, you know, are you booking a private winery up in Napa Sonoma County?

Kevin Dennis (5:52.547)

Mm-hmm.

Kevin Dennis (6:3.032)

Mm-hmm.

Maggie (6:11.305)

You know, how does everybody get out? Usually there's one windy road and this is not discouraging anybody from booking a venue, but it's just something to think about as far as like, you know, how would you get everybody out? You know, or do you have a backup plan if there are God forbid fires, right? It is something to think about. Again, depending on what time of year that you book your event, you know, is it indoor, outdoor, that kind of thing. But

But safety and evacuation is definitely, I would think, pretty important when you're thinking about a venue.

Kevin Dennis (6:48.453)

.

Yeah, and what about like, even the time of year? Does that change it? know, like heat in the summer, cold in the winter, you know, like, those are all things I think couples need to be thinking about as well.

Maggie (7:3.935)

Well, yeah, I mean, especially, you know, in the summer months, it's been getting super hot, right? August, September, October, we have some cooler weekends, but some weekends, I mean, we had one October 5th, it was almost 100 degrees at the marina here. And it's never like that, right? But I mean, you know, does your caterer, whoever's handling your food and beverage, should, I require water stations. It's just, it's a given. You always have to have a water station.

Kevin Dennis (7:9.356)

Mm-hmm.

Kevin Dennis (7:19.853)

Mm.

Kevin Dennis (7:29.228)

Mmm.

August Yocher (7:29.742)

Mm.

Maggie (7:32.159)

right, not only for the staff, but like for your guests, right, as they're arriving, because theoretically, nobody's having anything till after the ceremony per se, you know, unless you do like a welcome champagne wall. And then it's like, all right, now we're serving alcohol in the heat, you know, with no food until after the ceremony, which hopefully hopefully starts on time, you know. But those are all very important things to think about that, again, a couple is just not that's not in their wheelhouse. They're thinking about

Kevin Dennis (7:39.365)

even going to offer a ceremony for that. Unless you do like the welcome speech on the wall. then it's like, all right, now we're serving up.

Kevin Dennis (7:57.189)

things to think about. Said again a couple of times, this is not a movie or how.

Maggie (8:2.027)

you know, the pretty and the family and, you know, all of that and like logistics and safety is kind of on the back end. And that's something that when you go to a venue or a property, you might want to ask, like, what kind of staffing do you have? Like, you know, some venues, it's just like a venue representative that unlocks the door and locks it at the end, right? And then you're on your own, kind of.

Kevin Dennis (8:24.820)

Yeah, yeah you really are.

August Yocher (8:25.422)

Kinda scary.

Maggie (8:27.463)

Right? Like, you don't know, like if there's not somebody on site to answer questions or help guide, you know, maybe elderly people. I mean, that's one of the things we really curate when we're, you know, working with our couples here is like, how many elderly people are you expecting? You know, we don't need to know people's health histories or anything, you know, because of HIPAA, but like, you know, how do you, how many handicap, you know, adults do you have? Like, and you need to be aware of people.

Kevin Dennis (8:35.589)

you know, maybe elderly people. mean, not some of the things we use to raise more, you know, working with our couple of peers. How many elderly people are you expecting? You don't need to know people's health histories or anything, know, to give a of, but like, you know, do do you, how do you handicap, you know, adults who you have? And you need to be aware of...

Maggie (8:56.543)

that are elderly in the heat? Is there enough shade for them? Do we need to get some umbrellas? Do we need fans? Do we need to make sure they can be able to go inside for the AC? And that's another thing also that couples should think about is what type of AC or heat do they have? Some of the barns and things like that don't have AC, right? You can rent stuff.

There's a lot of things if you plan ahead, can mitigate. But it's certainly, I mean, if I'm a couple, I'm not thinking about that, right? You're thinking, oh, I want the drapery and the lights and all the fun stuff that Kevin's team does, right? But what about the temperature? Unless you're in a hotel and that's different, right? So it really kind of depends.

Kevin Dennis (9:24.951)

Mr's, yeah.

August Yocher (9:32.504)

Mm-mm.

Kevin Dennis (9:43.385)

Yeah.

August Yocher (9:43.757)

Yeah.

Maggie (9:48.957)

Again, lots of things to think about. Venues, there are no venues created equal. They're all different.

Kevin Dennis (9:54.344)

Mm-hmm.

August Yocher (9:55.562)

Yeah, that's definitely a lot. feel like as a couple when you're touring, trying to keep all of those things in mind. But how do you feel like as a venue, you kind of keep couples at ease in that area? I just wanted to ask too, I'm sure the staff plays a huge role the day of when it comes to safety. So your staff at the lighthouse or, you know, if you have any other...

kind of information on other venues, how do you think staff are trained to handle like medical situations or safety situations, security situations on the day of the event?

Yeah, that's a great question. And again, not something that couples are thinking about firsthand. I usually broach the subject on our tours. It's kind of like, we kind of here want to create sort of added value for people, even if they don't book with us, I just feel like we have the knowledge, let's give it to people. We want everybody to have a successful wedding or event wherever it is, right? And so,

Mm.

Maggie (11:3.147)

I sort of put at the forefront like, hey, you we think about safety here. Like, again, you know, if it's hot out, like, do we have enough water for everybody? Or the caterer having a water station, like two water stations? Are there umbrellas? Those types of things. Security wise, we always have a security guard on hand. And it's more of just like, to be helpful and guide people of, okay, this is where you go, that kind of thing, because we're a private property and we're kind of closed off. Once we have

We don't have enough water systems. I two water systems. Are there umbrellas? mean, for those types of things, security-wise, we always have a security guard on hand. And it's more of just like, it could be helpful and guide people. OK, this is where you go. That's a basic more private property and more community-based.

events. But any type of venue, how are they, you know, if you're at a hotel or a golf course or something that's a little more public, like how are they keeping other people out of your event, you know? And then as far as the safety aspect, you know, is there a safety kit on hand? A first aid kit? Is there an AED? You know, are your staff trained in, you know, CPR, that kind of thing?

A lot of times people are these days and I wouldn't say that's like a first question to ask, but you know, if you're at, if you're at a private property, maybe up in Napa or Sonoma and there's some beautiful properties and maybe it's like a private home or something, if you're working with a planner, they really need to think about safety, right? Like does the house have a first aid kit? Do they have an AED? Probably not, but like if you had to call 911, where's the nearest hospital? Like,

Kevin Dennis (12:5.221)

But if you're at a private property maybe up in Napa or Sonoma, if you do the property, maybe it's a private home or something, if you're working with a planner, they really need to think about safety, right? Does the house have a first-aid kit? Oh, yeah. Probably not, but I think maybe it's public

Mm-hmm.

Again, and it may be a little overwhelming for couples, but that's kind of where we sort of gear them towards, you should really hire a planner. Because it's their job to think about all those things.

Well, yeah. And a lot of people think having a wedding at home is going to save them money and it's going to be a whole lot easier, but it ends up being a whole lot more work and it costs a whole lot more money because you're having to bring in things that you, you know, that a lot of these venues already have on site, you know, and, you know, it just like tables, chairs and, you know, bathrooms. Yeah, bathrooms. Yeah, that's the biggest. Yeah. Yeah. No.

Maggie (13:0.021)

Bathrooms, right? Do you want people traipsing through your house? You know, probably not, you know. Lighting at night, right? That's a big thing.

Kevin Dennis (13:7.915)

Oh yeah, yeah. A lot of times, yeah, when we do stuff at homes, we're just setting up like market lights or somewhere just more for safety or up lights for it's more safety than it is aesthetic for some things when we're at the houses.

I mean, yeah, illuminating paths, I'm sure, at nighttime, too, especially if it's the end of the event. People are walking back to their cars. Maybe the parking lot isn't well lit. I mean, that's definitely a big safety issue.

Mm-hmm.

Well, again, and when you're on those, you know, a lot of private venues or, you know, vineyards or things like that, they don't have a lot of ambient light out there. We have a lot of light here at the lighthouse. We have market lights, we have lighting in the parking lot, we have deck lighting. And we'll also walk people to their cars if they need to with a flashlight. generally, there's enough light. But again, it's just kind of like thinking of the client first and sort of relaying that when you're meeting with couples at first, like, you know, we've got you, right?

But again, it's just kind of like thinking of the client first and sort of feeling that

Maggie (14:4.075)

We're thinking about all of the things that you shouldn't have to, but are still important, right? And I think if you're a venue or a property, you really want to emphasize that because again, it's not something the couple's thinking about at first or second or third, but I think it's definitely really important.

Kevin Dennis (14:4.837)

thinking about all of the things that you should not do, but are still important. Correct, yeah.

Yeah, I agree. So if I'm a couple touring a venue, is there any kind of like certifications that I should be, that the venue should have or anything that I should be looking for when it comes to like certifications? Okay.

That's a great question. You know, a lot of people these days are trained in CPR and first aid, but a lot aren't, you know, that may be one to ask for. I'm certified in it, have been for years, actually teach it, but not every venue is, but some of the bigger venues like a museum venue or, you know, things like that, they do tend to require that from their staff.

OK.

Mm.

you

Maggie (15:5.737)

But this day and age as we're coming out of COVID and everybody's like getting back to parties and everything, there's a lot of contract work. And so, you know, maybe not everybody is trained, but is somebody trained or more importantly, do you know how to respond to an emergency, right? Like basically call 911 immediately. You know, engage that, you know, emergency response medical team, which is really hard sometimes to

Kevin Dennis (15:5.827)

Mm-hmm.

And so maybe not everybody thinks the same. But did somebody think more, more importantly, do you know how to respond to the word?

do if it's a wedding, because you're like, well, I don't really want to disrupt a wedding or whatever. But it may be necessary, and there's a way to sort of mitigate. And maybe sometimes the couple doesn't even need to know. We had a couple of times we had to do it this year. And one time the couple didn't really even know until way after the fact. There's just a way to be kind and still safe.

you know,

Kevin Dennis (16:0.290)

Yeah.

Maggie (16:5.044)

and make sure you're putting people's safety first.

August Yocher (16:9.698)

Well, and Maggie, it's funny you say that too, because I used to work at a couple of venues and, unfortunately there were times where we did have to call emergency services. But one thing that we did do to kind of avoid having the couple know what was going on is if we ever did have to call an ambulance or the fire department, we would ask them when they arrived and they came up the driveway if they could turn their sirens off.

So that way, you know, they're still arriving, but they're not drawing a lot of attention to themselves too.

Right, know, there's ways, you know, have make sure somebody's out there to meet them as well, right, and show them where to go. So they're just not barging in going, okay, we're here. Where do we need to go? Right. Which is, which is right. Which is one of the things that I learned in emergency response is that, you know, just because you call 911, they're coming in blind, so to speak, somebody should go out and meet them and kind of give them the 411 real quick. And, you know, just kind of mitigate things and make it as

know, big people out there to meet them as well, right? And show them where to go so that they're not barging in and going, okay, we're here.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, where's the emergency?

Kevin Dennis (17:5.559)

Mm-hmm.

calm as possible. So in answer to your question, a long way back around, Kevin, is what do you ask for? Is your team certified in any type of safety? Do they know what to do in case of an emergency kind of thing? Again, those are all things I usually offer during the tour. But it's also things that couples aren't thinking about.

Do they

Yeah, no, and what? Oh, go ahead.

was going to say I kind of like how you bring it up during the tour because again, like you said, it's something that most couples probably aren't thinking about, but then it also kind of puts ease in their mind too, gives them a peace of mind like, hey, like this is important to them. It's kind of at the forefront of their mind and they want to make sure that I feel comfortable the day of. So I would definitely appreciate that if Venu brought that up during a tour.

Maggie (18:1.855)

Yeah, I just think it's another one of the bullet points to talk about when you're showing your venue or your property. It adds value for sure. And not every venue or property is the right fit for a couple, but it certainly puts that seed in their mind if they're looking for whatever particular venue they're looking for,

And I was going to say, one thing we did when we were doing the Lex Talk Safety back in the COVID days is we interviewed an EMT. And the one thing I would never in a million years think of having an EMT at an event, but if you had a lot of elderly or whatnot, having an EMT just there, the pricing was really reasonable. I was shocked when I found out how much it costs.

It was like $50 to $75 an hour, right? And if you have a six hour event, that's, know, in wedding dollars, right? That we always like to talk about, that's minimal, you know, for like an insurance thing. Because if somebody needs an IV, for instance, heat stroke or whatever, like those things can be mitigated very like quietly and just, you know, okay, they just need a little, you know, IV. And then, you know, if there's a trained professional there, then they can...

Correct. Yeah.

Kevin Dennis (19:1.028)

Yeah.

assess and do something further if needed, right?

Yeah, well, that's the one thing. It's like, back in the day, we told the story that there's a venue we work at that's like, it took the ambulance, we had an emergency, it took the ambulance over 30 minutes to get there. But thankfully, there was a lot of nurses that were guests and were able to help this guest. you know, like, so if you're at a venue that is like you were talking about earlier, not close to, yeah, yeah, this is just.

Far away, yeah.

minimal dollars to keep your guests safe in case something were to happen.

Right, so that's and that's something for you know potentially couples to think about right again. I keep saying you know, know a property or you know winery up in Napa Sonoma, which they're all lovely but they are there. There are ways to get there right here in Glen Cove. We have a fire department EMT. We have senior living facility like right up the road. So our response time is really great right and that is one of the things they used to train us like

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

be aware of what the response time is for medical attention if needed. Is it four minutes? Like is supposed to be the national average? Doesn't always happen. Again, we have windy roads and things to your point, a venue you worked at, it's 30 minutes. And that might not be because they're not moving slow, that just may be the logistics of just driving there. And so that could be a thing.

No.

Mm-hmm.

No.

You do have elderly people, I mean...

Yeah.

Yeah, the venue I was at, it's really close to the freeway. So it's not like it's far, but it's just not close to emergency services because it's kind of in between two cities in a county incorporated area. therefore, those are not heavily populated with emergency services. So yeah, it was eye opening and then doing it with you in Lexar safety was really eye opening.

Right.

Well, and another thing to think about too is, you know, not just like heat emergencies, but like food allergies. People have food allergies these days and great minds think alike.

I was just, okay, good question. Yeah.

We were just gonna talk about that. Yeah. Well, and we wanted to bring it up because I mean, I know we're gonna be heading out to Lighthouse soon for our networking event, but I haven't been there yet. So I'm not sure if you do have an in-house caterer or if you have approved outside caterers coming in, but how does the Lighthouse manage food safety during an event? Like, do you guys have...

like rules when it comes to food safety, dietary restrictions, allergies, how do you handle that?

Maggie (22:2.431)

Great question. We do not have in-house food and beverage. So that is one reason why we have a curated preferred partners list that we request people go off of. If they do not, there is an added fee because I need to really vet them and make sure they have all their food certifications and things like that. Generally, when we book our clients, even if they're not working with a planner, like I want to see all the details. I want to see

the catering menu, the contract, all of the contracts and review them just because like I know what to look for and it's just an added layer of looking out for the clients. You know, not every venue may know how to do that or does that. We're just a small operation and because I have the knowledge, you know, it's something we just do, right? I just think it should be automatic, but I get it. It's not like a general thing that necessarily every venue would do, but.

Mm.

Mm-hmm.

because we have to be super careful because we don't have in-house food and beverage. We want to make sure that those vendors know what they're doing, right? And food safety is one of them. Did you talk to the client about any, did you ask the question, do you have any guests with food allergies? Because not everybody, not every couple is going to think of that first. I think it's getting more and more mainstream to ask those questions.

Yeah.

especially here in California, like we have a lot of gluten-free people, they're vegan, that kind of thing. And then there's the people that say they're allergic to something, but it's really, they just don't like it. Like we had somebody say they're allergic to avocados and we were all like, hmm, never heard of that one, but you don't want to dismiss it. Do you know I mean? You don't want to judge. We don't want to do that at all. Like, okay, well, we'll make sure you don't have any avocados.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

you know, or it's not on the menu or whatever. But there are some serious food allergies, like, you know, nut allergies and things like that. I did have one at a previous venue where they called 911, you know, and they come up rolling up and the speech is going on and we're like, can you turn the lights off? person was fine. It was more of like, they just kind of panicked, but you know.

Kevin Dennis (24:0.485)

Correct.

August Yocher (24:2.989)

What's

Even like shellfish, I have a really good friend that has shellfish allergies and we were at an industry event and he's very good about not eating anything with shellfish but something must have got cross contaminated because all of a sudden his throat was swelling up. So, yeah.

Right?

Oh shoot.

swelling up. And that's the thing, food safety, cross contamination. That is, you know, very important. The catering company I used to work for moved to food production and that was a big thing. Everything between runs of certain things had to be clean, sanitized, documented, all of that stuff. And your caterers, that's not their world, right? It's different. There's food production safety and then there's catering.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

they still need to have food safe certificates and stuff like that. But it just takes not washing one thing or, we had a caterer here one time and I was like, why don't you have gloves on when you're handling the food? Like that's not okay. You know what I mean? Like I'm watching for stuff like that in the background. And again, that caterer has not been back here. Like that's just not acceptable.

Kevin Dennis (25:7.097)

Mm-hmm.

Oh my goodness.

Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, crazy.

Well, I guess that's why it's nice having that approved list too, because you're like, these are people I can trust. mean, obviously you're still beyond your A game, you know, on the observation of, you know, things like that happening. But I'm sure it kind of gives you a little bit more peace of mind too, because you're like, I know these guys, I trust them. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. No, and it's funny. I thought it was so funny you brought up the whole, are you allergic to this or do you actually not like it? Because back when I worked at the venue I was at,

I don't need to babysit him.

Exactly.

We did have in-house catering, there were so many times where there would be just a random ingredient. And the biggest one was always onions. So I would work in the banquet team and one of our chefs would be like, can you please go ask them if they're actually allergic to onions or if they just don't like them because it's just cooked into so many of the sauces and it's marinated and things. It is.

So there were so many times where there would be a random ingredient. Like the biggest one was always onion. So I would work in the baking team and one of our tests would be like, can you cancel out some, they're actually allergic to onions or if they just don't.

It's a flavor base. It's a flavor base, you know? Yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

So sometimes you're like, we don't have to put onions on top of it, but there will be onions like kind of mixed in. So that's, I thought that was hilarious.

which a food allergy still ties in and goes back to an emergency response service, whether you have a medic on site or if you have to call somebody, that's something to think about. And again, the couple doesn't necessarily need or want to think about that, but that's where your tried and true vendors and properties and preferred partner teams, that's where all our heads should be, right?

What?

Yeah, yeah.

Maggie (27:0.339)

in addition to executing whatever our service is for the client.

Kevin Dennis (27:5.637)

Yeah, I've also seen it at an industry event where someone didn't like what was being served and so they said that they were vegetarian so they didn't have to eat what was being served. you know, so there's all kinds, like you said, are you really allergic to it or is there, you know?

Yeah, and there's a kind way to sort of navigate that, right? Like, because we know that to your point, it's maybe it's really not an allergy, but if it is, you know, we need to be paying attention to that.

Yeah, yeah.

Correct.

I also had a story once where this was just wild. I don't even know why this happened, but it was back when I was a banquet captain at the venue and it was the end of the night and this lady and man came up to me and he was saying, like, oh, my girlfriend, my wife, she's having an allergic reaction because she ate the fish entree. And I was like, oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. Like, was there something in it that caused this reaction? And he goes, yeah, she's allergic to fish.

And I like had, no, I know, I had to take a step back and be like, so she's allergic to fish and she ate the fish on training. He goes, yes. I'm like, okay, great. Like what can we do now? So, um, yeah. But I mean, even stuff like that, like having an EMT on site, like even if people are just, you know, unfortunately being stupid and doing stuff like that.

Kevin Dennis (28:5.413)

Yeah

Yeah, I think they released a liability from that, you

Stupid.

Well, and technically, venue or a service person, are not and should not give anybody any type of medication, right? Like, right, you should not. I like, I was at an event one time and the event planner, she's like, well, I've got Benadryl or whatever. And I'm like, I'm not, you can't give that to them. And she's like, well, I can put it on the counter there. And if they take it, you know, okay, that's fine. But you theoretically, and you cannot give anybody any medication because also,

Oh, we were not allowed to, so yeah.

I mean, like, I was at an event one time and the event was

it is that for them. Like, well, I can put it on the counter there and if they take it, you know, okay, that's fine. You theoretically and not give anybody anything.

Mm-mm.

Maggie (29:0.741)

this day and age you don't know what that pill is, right? So which is all the more reason that that sort of is a great reason to have a EMT there because they can administer potential medication and there's two different levels of EMTs but I don't think couples need to worry about that level. But yeah it's it's another level that that I think people should be aware of for sure.

Kevin Dennis (29:5.197)

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, I agree. All right, so we're kind of getting to the end and I kind of saved the juicy one for the end. can you tell us some safety incidents or things that have happened and how have you handled them? I think we all have stories of stuff that's happened, but what are some of your more memorable ones?

Oh boy.

Well, I'm glad you saved this for last because in this day and age, there's also alcohol consumption. We need to be safe, right? All of our beverage service, everybody has to have a responsible beverage service certification here in California. I have to have it as well as the venue manager. And you have one or two. In fact, anybody who technically touches alcohol, like even clearing a glass is supposed to have it.

Yeah.

August Yocher (30:3.800)

I have one too.

seems to be a little bit overkill, but you we want to have safe alcohol consumption. Having said that, we also have another thing that people invite in and those are edibles and things of that nature. And we did have to call 911 this year because an elderly person ingested an edible and it was warm out, right? So I kind of thought it was like a heat related emergency at first or she didn't eat or something.

Mm-hmm.

This is a good story. Yeah.

for the first time.

but she had her head down and the people panicked at the table and thought she was not breathing, called 911. And again, mind you, I walk around the property all the time. like literally this happened within a span of like, you know, five minutes that I hadn't been walking by, five, 10 minutes. And they're like, yeah, we called an EMT. And I'm like, well, okay, what's wrong with this gentleman over here? And they're like, oh, that's her husband. He thought she was dead. So he started having heart palpitations, like a heart attack. And I was like,

Okay, so we have two paramedic teams potentially coming here. So we, you know, handled all that again, bride and groom were out doing pictures, we handled it very, we finessed this. And I didn't know, by the way, at the time, why they had necessarily called the first time and I was talking with the EMT, I'm like, are they going to be okay? Like, you know, they're like, yeah, she just ingested an edible, or, you know, smoked something or whatever. And I'm like,

Mm-hmm

Okay, this is a new one now. I need to be aware of and there's no way that you can potentially monitor and you know, anything like that. But the bride and groom were super cool. the client like their family members took this lovely couple back to the hotel, you know, and everything was fine. And because you know, we're like, Do you need a blanket? Do you need water? Do you want to lie down? Do you want to you know,

I need to be aware of, and there's no way that you can potentially monitor and know, things like that. the writing group was super cool, like the family members were super

I'm

Kevin Dennis (32:1.314)

you

Maggie (32:7.541)

So just kind of being there for support. But yeah, it's a new thing, I think is another type of...

substance to be aware of that people would be ingesting and vibing at a party or wedding, you know.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, and whether you're in a state that it's legal or not legal, you still, I think, have to be aware of it. So, yeah.

Correct. mean, you know any anything can happen at any time. So yeah, so that's

Yeah. Good story. I love it.

That's crazy, mean, I'm sure you handled that very well, but yeah, two simultaneous emergencies, that's a lot.

I mean, I was kind of in shock, right? Just like, really, is this happening? I mean, I'm like, where's the camera? Are we on like an episode of like, Chicago MD or something? But anyway, so yeah, something to think about.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah

Kevin Dennis (33:1.401)

That's hilarious. It's hilarious, but not hilarious, if that makes sense. So right. So tips. Let's talk about something you took away from or something that couples should think about. And I'm going to steal what Maggie said that I always do is look for the exits when you're at a venue or wherever you are. I mean, it's something that I took away many, not many, but a handful of years ago when we were doing Let's Talk Safety.

Hmm.

It feels like so long ago, Maggie, we were doing those. anyway, you know, it was really just. Yeah, but still, it's just, you know, anyway, it was a time in our life that we don't want to remember. but I think just when you're either planning a wedding and you're thinking about a venue, look for the exits. And even when you're, you know, in the airport or at a restaurant or wherever shopping mall, you know, figure out how to get out in case there's something that happens. So that's my tip.

Yeah, well it was, it was about four years.

Anybody? You guys can go.

Maggie (34:0.305)

I think my tip would be just overall safety for your guests. Again, can the venue handle any type of health-related emergencies either via mitigating a heat emergency with making sure there's plenty of water on hand? Basically, how good are they at preventing issues? Because that's one of the big things we always used to teach. I teach CPR, never had to perform it, knock on wood.

one of the big things we always do is keep the art, never had to perform it, not on wood, and I don't ever want to have to, but you want to recognize the signs before something like that happens and mitigate it. How good is a venue, a property, keeping all of your guests safe? Their safety is in, know, harmony.

And I don't ever want to have to because you want to recognize the signs before something like that happens and mitigate it. So how good is a venue or property at sort of keeping all of your guests safe? Their safety is in part of what they offer.

Good stuff. August, you got your last.

Yeah.

I'm always last. I think I just took away, it's better to be safe than sorry. like Maggie said, in terms of wedding dollars, it's really not that much more to invest in a EMT or medical professional on site just to kind of give that extra blanket of reassurance to not just the couple, but just the guests in general.

Kind of piggybacking off of what Maggie said to considering the guests, right? So if there are a lot of guests who are elderly or maybe do have a complicated medical history, it is just kind of nice to have someone on hand that could assist with a potential emergency.

Yeah, and I'm a big believer it's couples should be planning their weddings for their guest experience and making sure the guests have the best experience possible. And that's something that I think they can add to their list because then that enhances the guest experience as well. So all right, Maggie, I felt like we just scratched the surface when it came to safety. So I feel like we're going to have to have you back another time to talk about something else. yeah, but with that said.

Right. Right.

Maggie (36:1.545)

Love to.

Kevin Dennis (36:5.807)

How would someone get in contact with you and if we wanted to have a wedding out at your place or just talk safety?

Yeah, well, can, you can, uh, all of our pricing and all of our information is on our website, the lighthousegcm.com. Um, this is a picture of it in its original location back in the fifties. Um, it was put on a barge and moved here. So super fun, uh, private property. Um, we'd love to hear from you. And again, we sort of curate and sort of help people with their experiences. If we're not the right fit, we will recommend a venue, our property that, that might work for you. So we're here to help.

Perfect. And we'll have all that information in the show notes. So you'll be able to contact Maggie. And we'll tag all of her in Instagram and all that good stuff as well. So you'll be able to get in touch with her as well. So Maggie, thank you for being a guest. Happy New Year, everyone. And thanks for being here, guys. Bye.

Alright, bye!