Today I am continuing in a series called “What to wear” for wedding and event planners.  Over the last couple of months we have covered the following topics:

What to wear: to a client meeting  

What to wear: to the wedding/event

What to wear: to evening events

These topics have had some of the highest number of visits on the blog, which tells me that what you wear while representing your business is important to you.  Future posts are planned for what to wear to the rehearsal and what to wear to wear on your day off.  If there are any additional topics regarding what to wear that you would like me to cover, just send me an e-mail info@thestylishplanner.com to let me know!

Today, I thought I’d talk about an attire policy for wedding/event set-up.  From past conversations with other planners, I would say this is one area where we have widely differing opinions.  Some of you have company shirts made with the company name and logo for your set-up “uniform”.  Those who do this usually ask your staff to wear these with jeans, khakis, or even shorts in hot climates like we have here in Atlanta.  I’ve also heard planners say that you simply wear jeans or shorts.  Others say that they wear the same attire throughout the day, but that you wear flat shoes for set-up and change into a dress shoe prior to guest arrivals.

Funny story:  The very first wedding I worked, out of a desire to look professional, I wore a short sleeved summer suit and stylish leather flats that I thought would be comfortable.  By the time the reception started, the suit jacket had seriously chaffed the skin on the back of my arms from how much I had been moving around all day.  In addition, I could smell something horrible everywhere I went.  It wasn’t until I went to the restroom to change into my dress that I realized the smell was my own feet!  The leather shoes had been a terrible choice for running around in all day.  I ended up washing my feet very quickly in the restroom sink!

  www.theweddingplanner.com

Dressing for event set-up is largely a personal decision, and I will say again that it is really best to know your client base.  I will also say you should take each event into careful consideration.  Here are a few things to consider when choosing what to wear for wedding/event set-up:

-How much equipment do you have to load in for this event?  For instance, if you are providing day-of coordination only, you probably don’t have much to load in compared to an event in which you may be providing event design services in addition to coordinating the day.

-Will the venue have the a/c or heat going throughout the day as needed?  Venues that are not open to the public during the week may keep the heating and air turned off.  It can take a while for the building to warm up or cool off.

-What kind of venue is it?  I may feel inclined to dress a little better at a museum or hotel venue where it is likely that I encounter visitors during regular business hours.

-Will you have ample time to change in between set-up and ceremony or reception start?  If I know the schedule is going to be extra tight, I may go ahead and dress for set-up in simple black slacks and a simple blouse just in case I don’t get a chance to change before being seen by wedding guests.  I have ran out of time before, and was very grateful I hadn’t dressed too casually. 

-How much driving around will you be doing for the day?  If you are making multiple stops on your way to the venue, or traveling from a church ceremony to another venue for the reception, all the more reason to be comfortable.

Even if you are merely overseeing set-up details, you will be running around a lot, so comfort is the key to helping you survive the day.

To summarize, I’m not sure there is one “right way” to dress for event set-up.  At FAVOR Events, we really do not have a set policy, other than that I do require my staff to wear lanyard style nametags at all times.  I have considered implementing a dress code policy, however, every wedding seems to hold a different set of circumstances.  I have worn everything from a simple cotton sundress and flip flops in extremely hot weather to jeans, boots and a sweatshirt in cold weather.  I’ve worn a cardigan sweater with a t-shirt, slacks and ballet flats.  I’ve even worn tennis shoes, Bermuda shorts and a Georgia Bulldogs T-shirt when I had a great rapport with the groom and knew that he and his groomsmen would be onsite watching the game.

In your opinion, is attire for event set-up a big deal or not so much?  Do you have a set policy regarding set-up attire for your company?  I’d love to hear it.  Better yet, send us photos if you have them – we will share them in a future post!