The Wedding Professional's Podcast Episode Fifteen - Sharan Kandola - Navigating Changes: An Investment Banker's Dive into Wedding Planning

Ever wondered how someone transitions from the high-paced world of investment banking to the detail-oriented world of wedding planning? Well, this episode featuring Sharan Kandola from Black Velvet Events gives us an inside look into that journey. Sharan shares her experiences and insights into the wedding industry, highlighting the importance of families being able to enjoy their events and the significance of capturing lasting memories through photos and videos.

As we dive deeper into the conversation, Sharan explains the ever-evolving world of wedding planning. She sheds light on the increased costs of weddings in recent years and the shift in family involvement from serving food to hiring professional vendors. Emphasizing the importance of collaboration with suppliers and venues, Sharan shares invaluable insights and strategies to circumnavigate potential issues on the big day.

Finally, we head into a candid conversation on Sharan’s dreams and ambitions, and how she manages work and family life. Revealing her aspirations of becoming a tour manager, Sharan shares her strategies for creating memorable events, highlighting the crucial role creativity and collaboration play in bringing a couple's vision to life. Tune in for an eye-opening exploration of the world of wedding planning and event coordination with Sharon Kandola.

http://www.blackvelvetevents.co.uk/

Transcript

Andy: 0:01

Hello and welcome along. It's Andy, your host on this hero podcast. And here we are, episode 15 of the Wedding Professionals podcast, and this week we're delving into the murky world of wedding planners, some of which you'll know I've got a check at history with, mostly because they're so far at their own backside some of them that let's not go there. But you know, the event is more about them than it is the actual couple and I really cannot stand that sort of attitude. So God forbid that we should spoil their decor or move a cushion out of the way.

Andy: 0:40

But this week's chat is with Sharon Candola, who runs Black Velvet events, and not of the same mould, I have to say. Worked with her several times and found a very, very accommodating and willing not even just willing, actually just keen to make sure that everyone can do the best job they can. So sit back, enjoy and let's have a chat with Sharon. So here we are, it's episode 15 of the Wedding Professionals podcast and today I'm in the leafy suburb so beautiful, beautiful home with Sharon from Black Velvet Events. Hello, sharon, thank you for joining me.

Andy: 1:24

To Sharon Sharon. Sharon, Sharon, Sharon's very English kind of pronunciation.

Sharan: 1:30

I get shazers, I get all sorts.

Andy: 1:32

it's fine and so you are Black Velvet Events, so tell me what you do.

Sharan: 1:44

So Black Velvet Events is an events and wedding planning service.

Sharan: 1:49

We do planning, we do coordination and the aim is just to help clients plan whatever their event is. It could be engagement, wedding, it could be a concert. We've kind of I'm branching out now into where I'd like Black Velvet to go and the aim is basically for people to be able to actually enjoy what they're planning, as opposed to taking over and doing it for them. I see it as more of a I'd like to advise and allow people to have that, to still have creativity, and just help them create what their, what their aim is, what their goal is and if they've got a vision to bring that to life. But I just believe that with Black Velvet I wanted to do it so that people actually enjoy the event, rather than they were stressed on the day and they were running around and you're thinking, why are we doing this? Why do we spend this much money? So that's why I started Black Velvet was to kind of help people create and manage what their expectations are and what their goal and vision was.

Andy: 2:47

Okay, so these things don't just appear out of nowhere. So where did you kind of let's rewind X amount of years? Have you done anything else in the wedding industry before you started Black Velvet?

Sharan: 3:03

No, so my job was completely different. Prior to Black Velvet, I was in investment banker in London.

Sharan: 3:09

So many previous investment bankers in that trade, I think there's a lot of us that were in finance and it came about that it was a change of location for me when I got married and it was a cliche of oh, I'm a bride, I've planned my wedding, I'm now can be a wedding planner, and it did start off, but it was a case of prior to that I'd also, even though I was in investment banking, I also did events. I had a background in TV. I worked on. I mean, this is going old. Some half the clients don't know what these TV shows were, but CDUK. I used to work on shows like that.

Sharan: 3:41

Back in the day, I had a passion on to become a TV presenter that died very quickly and then went into investment banking. It was a solid job and then when I got married, I took the risk and I thought, if sometimes you've just got to, you've literally got to take the risk. And I started the wedding planning service and it's a slow start. Any business that you do it's always a slow start and it's building up the clientele. But it was based on what I found with when, when planning mine is that you speak to suppliers and you get these proposals and you get these quotes and they vary. Sometimes they vary back then. I mean, I'm talking about 10 years ago. I've been married for nine now but it was a case of proposals were so the price was so different you didn't know what you were actually going to get for that price.

Sharan: 4:26

But on a piece of paper, it all looked the same. A centerpiece, a candelabra, everything looked the same. He thought, well, what's the difference? But then the biggest reason, the biggest reason I started this is because, well, it's about the families. It's about the moms and the dads who invest a lot of money to support their children in bringing these events to life and they never got to enjoy it. And on my event, I didn't see like I didn't. My parents weren't always on the dance floor. They didn't eat the food. You go to these food tastings to make sure everything's all you know it's going to be great on the day, and then, on the day you don't even get to, you don't even know if the food that was there was what you ordered.

Andy: 5:04

You've got no idea. I've got to say even at my own wedding, for weeks afterwards everybody was saying to me did you try the stuffed mushrooms? And it was like, no, I didn't even know we had stuffed mushrooms. I can't remember eating anything at my own wedding, like 32 years wed now.

Andy: 5:22

And it's just like that. That was the big thing. I distinctly remember missing out on the stuffed mushrooms, and that's one of the main memories of my wedding. So, yeah, so the aim is, then, to let people relax and enjoy the event, and enjoy like it's.

Sharan: 5:36

like we're not talking about hundreds, we're talking about thousands, if not tens of thousands. And if, when you look back at after the wedding, what you've got, what you have left, is those photos and videos, and if you don't even have a photo with your parents, or you don't have a photo with that immediate family because they were busy running around, then you can't. But you do have photos with, like, the extended family members, which is still meaningful, but it's not that photo you're going to put up on the wall, or you're going to put in the photo frame and it's the memories and I guess it's the investment weddings are an are.

Sharan: 6:07

They're an investment in in a sort of way. And yeah, I just that's what literally was. I just remember from mine and not seeing my own calls behind the like, helping behind the bar, making sure everything was going okay. It's just. Yeah, unfortunately it's one of those and that's literally the best thing that's come out of. That is the message I received from the parents, or from the couples say thank you for allowing my parents to be a part of our wedding day, to dance with us and sit with us.

Sharan: 6:33

As opposed to. They said they weren't stressed. They knew that they had that. I had everything in hand and that's the best thing that's come out of this.

Andy: 6:39

Yeah. So going back nine years to when you got married, how has the landscape changed in terms of, maybe, the size of events or suppliers, professionalism or just the whole shebang? How's it changed over the last nine years?

Sharan: 6:55

So definitely numbers wise it what I had 700 at my wedding, and back then it was not norm, but you still had your 5600. So you were still accommodating for a large number of guests. Yeah.

Sharan: 7:07

And you found that there were selected venues you could have. I got married in the Midlands, so at the time you had your motorcycle museum, hilton, metropole. You had the larger halls. Now you can. The numbers have reduced and you have this and you're able actually able to approach smaller venues, and sometimes there are a lot more. They're a bit more picturesque, you have grand halls. So that's changed.

Sharan: 7:30

Remember, when looking for venues for my own civil, I had a lot less numbers and I had so many more choices and so many more venues to choose from. In terms of suppliers, it was down to recommendation, which wasn't a bad thing because it was recommendation. You knew that someone had tried and tested that supplier, so you knew that they could be trusted, they could be going to deliver on the day. So sometimes having smaller choices isn't a bad thing. Now, with social media, it's widened it, which again isn't a bad thing because you've now come across suppliers which you may not have heard of before but can equally do a job, and maybe you'd be able to deliver something better and more suited to what you're looking for.

Sharan: 8:11

However, you also now find I think back then there was probably four or five decorators and now there's at least yeah, there's hundreds, and it's so confusing when you're looking at someone and, effectively, you look at this picture on social media and that they've put up and it looks like the same as someone else, but you don't look at this a wider picture, what a picture. Just shows you an image, but behind it is what's important. So the numbers obviously have reduced, but it's I think it's a case of the choices have widened so much now that there's just sometimes there's too much choice and clients get confused of which way to go.

Andy: 8:53

So I think, yeah, the choices are probably just too dazzling overall. There's too many people to choose from, and it's like where in earth does someone start so do? What's the first approach to you then? Is it from the couple, Is it from the parents? And what does that approach entail? Do they say you know, I've got 10 grand to spend, I've got 50 grand to spend, I've got 100,000 to spend, help me. Or how does that work?

Sharan: 9:18

So I get approach from parents, from both parents and and even sometimes family members, to say I've got a niece and I've got a niece getting married. Do you mind helping her? Just can you give her a call? We've heard about your service or they've used me in the past and the first thing that I always do ask is what's the budget? Because it's not to say, oh great, you've got so much more money that we can now go spend it.

Sharan: 9:44

It's like I said, I try to live up to people's expectations and try to be realistic, as opposed to saying, yeah, don't worry, I can give you the Dorchester, I can give you the Savoy, but whereas in reality, no, I can't, I can give you. It's the case of the client that'll say to me how much and I'll say these are your options. And it's not to try to put people's to break people's hearts or just to say, oh, can I just make you know, but I'm trying to be realistic and say to you this is what you're gonna get, as opposed to because at the end of the day, as I said, it's not.

Sharan: 10:15

We're not talking about hundreds, we're talking about thousands and tens of thousands, and when you start going up you end up going overspending by 50,000. So the first approach is literally that the client will come to me and say we've got so many events, we'd like help on this, maybe the pre-party and the wedding, how do you share and how do you get involved? And we'll kind of break it all down and say, right. So firstly, no matter what, whatever your event is, I will be there. That's without a doubt, even if it's a 100-person event, even if it's a 50-person event at your home.

Sharan: 10:48

I believe that if management is management, it's not a case of oh, don't worry, on that day you don't really need me, unless the venue. Sometimes they do have managers then they're literally gonna be running it. That's fine. But that's gonna be the first thing, as the client will come to me and say we need you for this amount of events, and then it goes on. So if it's coordination, it'll be a case of the client will tell me okay, we've planned this all the way, everything up to this point. And what, sharon? We just want you now to kind of get in touch with the suppliers and you take over from there, and then, when it's planning, it will be a case of we've maybe have found a venue, we might have found the catering, and then they could say, sharon, can you take over from there? Can you advise us on?

Andy: 11:28

I was gonna. Yeah, sorry to get the cross here no it was. My question really was why do people need a planner? Though, Come on, sell yourself why do people need a planner at their wedding? I mean, I know why I would have a planner at a wedding, but you tell me, I believe people need planners at their wedding for the basis of that.

Sharan: 11:48

When you do plan your wedding and sometimes people will say they planned everything and they spoke to John, let's put a John in there and John's planned everything and on the day John doesn't turn up, dave turns up because Dave is that day manager and everything you'd agreed with John and any last minute changes had made, john forgot to pass those on to Dave and sometimes those changes might be detrimental to how the event was gonna run or there might be seating planning changes. That's one aspect of why you need a planner, because I'm a consistent person that's there and involved from the get-go of being there, from the moment you started to knowing what you wanted to execute. However, even in those final few days and final few hours, you might turn around and say Sharon, we now need this is on more kind of the day part planning side of it.

Sharan: 12:39

We've now got 50 extra guests. We need to fit them in. Now, that person who you've been talking to had you not had a planner all of a sudden has disappeared and you've now got this. You've now just been cooking by my piece of paper for Dave to deal with it's. I'm there to make sure that's handled and it's taken care of, because in the morning, if there's a ceremony, for example, your family are involved in that ceremony.

Andy: 13:03

They're not there they can't be changing, making their changes? Have you had that sort of thing thrown at you as a very last minute, where somebody kind of goes oh yeah, we've got another 50 people coming now 100% all happens quite often. Really.

Sharan: 13:15

My rule of thumb is you have a seating plan. You have to. I believe you have to have a seating plan just because of the way costs work. Back in the day, food costs used to be 15, 20 pound a head. Now you're looking at from 50 to 70 pound a head sometime.

Sharan: 13:27

And it's a case of adding those 50 people on. You're looking at two and a half grand, yeah, and so I believe you have a seating plan. If you have 400 guests, you need 450 chairs, because 400 guests do not sit on 400 seats.

Andy: 13:41

What, what On the basis of that.

Sharan: 13:44

By that I mean that if, let's say, two families walk in a table a family of six and a family of four and there's two tables, they don't think we'll sit on one table. We're gonna split ourselves up. Then you have to fit all the other guests that walk in to fill those spaces. So I believe that, in that respect, that's why I was kind of going with the seating plan, because you know that cost is kind of covered. But with the planning, why you need a planner is because you have invested and contracted all these suppliers to make sure that they're going to do everything you've asked them to do, and sometimes there might be that bit more that they want them to do. Everyone's capable of doing their jobs, and that's why I believe you don't be in this industry. You're not capable. However, it's just managing and making sure that they've got the space and they've got the time to be able to create those jobs?

Sharan: 14:32

Have they got? Has an actual itinerary being put out in place where you've got time for empty room shots? Has an itinerary be put in place where you've got time for a photo shoot? Nothing's gonna know that's gonna happen and no one's gonna take that into consideration, because everyone wants to do their own thing. Every supplier's managing their own time. As opposed to thinking oh right, they actually need to now have a photo shoot. We didn't think about that.

Sharan: 14:57

We wanted them to walk in now for their entrance. We wanted to serve things, so it's making sure that everyone's actually aware of what's happening and for the planning part of it, of where I think you need a planner, is you need someone to be able to tell you and also give you advice on some suppliers that say that they'll be able to deliver things, but I just know from experience they won't, because they don't have the staff.

Sharan: 15:19

Or they don't have the facilities and they don't have the items that you need to create those visions, and that's one of the reasons and also, like I said, to take the stress away you've put your heart and soul and your money into these events is to make sure that on that day you enjoy and you actually remember it. Do you remember your wedding Gandhi?

Andy: 15:39

Not much of it, to be fair, just the stuffed mushrooms. I didn't get the stuffed mushrooms, damn it. So because it was 30 years ago and I'm old now, Not at all, but no, I think planners are around now.

Sharan: 15:52

People go, oh, but back in the day we didn't have planners. And it's true we didn't. We didn't have planners back in the day. Family did get involved but costs have gone up so much and what we have in our what's involved in our weddings now has increased. We used to have plastic back in the day for plastic plates. We now have crockery. It's all those elements where it's just Really plastic plates. We used to have plastic plates back in the day.

Sharan: 16:18

The food used to get served by the family. They used to create a train and the food would get passed along. Really.

Sharan: 16:23

We're going yeah, going, but that's how we used to serve 600, 700 guests back in the day, not a thousand, literally. We'd create trains and food would get. We never had waiters. Waiters were even waiters is a fairly new thing. Like we're not fairly new, but we're not yeah. So so much has changed. Like you said, video and photography People had it and you had the same. But I remember even for my aunts they both, they didn't get their photography in the end because back in the day it wasn't digital.

Sharan: 16:50

You never saw the image and the photos were all yeah, it didn't work. They didn't get their images in the end. They were just blurry. So things have changed. But that's the thing. Everything's gone bigger. You like you're not looking at your, just a key suppliers. You now have painters. You now have aerialists. You now have. So it's managing everyone, and that's what a planner does Planning, slash, coordination. That's what we do is manage everyone to make sure that you have the event and the best day of your life.

Andy: 17:20

I'm still astonished by the family making a train to serve food and it's just like wow, wow, that's brilliant, Right. My question really was do you get involved in the selection of other suppliers?

Sharan: 17:32

Yeah, so, yes, so in terms of helping clients find, so obviously, the coordination, majority of clients have already found their suppliers. But when it comes to the planning, yes, and that, literally the reason I ask about the budget is because from, even from photography, let's say that we're looking on the basis of looking for suppliers from photographers can range from anywhere from 3,000 up to 15,000. So that's why I ask about budget is to break it down into sections, so you're looking at your photography, your videography, your venue, your catering.

Sharan: 18:07

They're like your decor. They're one of your five key or the biggest costs. So we kind of work out. Let's say you said to me I've got a budget of 50,000, that about 30 of that if we'll go to those five suppliers, and then we kind of break it down from that and go, okay, this is who we can afford. However, then it will go down to the client If you want to spend more then we need more money.

Sharan: 18:31

But if you can't, that's fine, let's work with that, rather than me going oh, I know who you need. I want you to have X, y and Z, because it's that's only beneficial for me, because, again, it's just a picture and it's a event, but for that client I always think they've now have to invest another 10,000. It's a lot of money. Yes, I do get involved in helping the client based on what their spend is and making it manageable for them.

Andy: 18:58

Right, so you must have a huge Excel database spreadsheet going on in your little tablet, walking with millions of entries of money here, money there, suppliers here, suppliers there. How does your brain actually tie all that lot together of when it comes to I don't know how does that work? My brain couldn't do it.

Sharan: 19:16

Well, I'm very Excel savvy.

Sharan: 19:19

But, secondly, I think it's a case of it just I know it sounds really silly, but it just does because I really enjoy this job. I love, I like making it easy and breaking it down for people, and I'll break it down into 20 tabs if needed, and it's not just to make it more complicated, but it's just covering all little, just little, every little element of the event which people don't think about, including, for example, like oh, the reason I do these Excel spreadsheets is just because, for example, when you have a marquee wedding, people think, oh, it's a marquee, you've got tables and chairs, you've got everything inside and yeah, brilliant. We all know what we need to have a party tables, chairs, cutlery, crock. We all know that. However, do you have toilets, do you have rain cover, do you have rubbish collection? So that's what my job entails is to make sure it's because no one thinks about.

Sharan: 20:12

Everyone thinks about what's going on during the event. But what's happening before the event and what's happening after the event? Is there access close enough? That's step free access for the suppliers to kind of bring their equipment on, or do we need to take that into consideration? Is there ramp access if we need disabled? So disabled access, sorry.

Sharan: 20:31

So that's what my Excel sheet covers is every little minute detail as opposed to, yes, we have a deck, or check. It's covering what else is included. Do we have the right ceiling height? Do we need to turn the fire alarms off in the venues? So it's covering every little checklist where people don't ask these questions when they go to see a venue, but the venue doesn't tell them because they're not expecting a fire breather to come in, they're not expecting a crane to come in, they may not have seen that before. Every event is different, so and they only base it on the last event. So it's just that's what my checklist entails. It's not your simple X, y and Z. Oh, venue check, cake check, caterer check. It is again with the cake. Yeah.

Sharan: 21:15

How many tears is it? Is it eggless? Are there allergies? What the flavours? Would you like to take any home? There's a lot of other things on these Excel sheets.

Andy: 21:22

My goodness.

Sharan: 21:23

And when it comes to suppliers, it's not even just down to again. Like your main suppliers, there's additional people in there of the champagne skirt or the painter. There's other suppliers now that you wouldn't find on it. If you can get general checklists and they do cover the general things, but these ones, what you get with me is experience.

Andy: 21:45

Is that attention to micro detail, micro detailing?

Sharan: 21:48

And the experience of what's gone wrong in previous and what people didn't think about, to what they should think about. Yeah, and it's on everyone's like, not contract, but everyone's project that I have has that same Excel sheet, because eventually some people do end up having they might have the venue for their wedding but they will still have a market at home for pre-events. Oh, sure, yeah. So it may not be the main reception, but it's everything.

Andy: 22:12

Okie dokie, just breaking in halfway through ish, just for the usual. Please share the podcast message. I know I do it every single week and it's got to get tiring, but please, I beg of you, if you're enjoying what you're listening to and you're enjoying the wedding professionals podcast, then please do share it out on your socials Instagram, facebook threads how many more are there? Twitter Does anyone use Twitter anymore? I don't know. Anyway, please share it. Thank you very much. And let's get back to Sharon and those home events can be like. I mentioned the toilets there. It's just if you've got 200 people, they're the hardest ones, 100% they're the hardest ones. Can someone have a?

Sharan: 22:53

portalou, yeah, I mean, it's a luxury to have a mobile toilet on site. So yeah, it's covering home. Events are probably the hardest because of access and no one ever thinks about the access. They think, yeah, I've got a side access and I'm like it's one meter wide. Yes. You want to get a food fan at the back. Yeah. It's not possible. Yeah, so it's making sure, yeah.

Andy: 23:15

So do you have to lower people's expectations as well sometimes and kind of go hold your horses, because you were sort of mentioned that I could get you the civil, I could get the Dorchester one, maybe a calm tent and so do people come to you and sort of because sometimes and I have to say this I walk into a venue and I think this is ambition over budget right here, because the tables are crammed so tightly together and is probably less prevalent today, but it certainly was in the past an issue, particularly when you've got a venue full of tables, absolutely rammed with tables. Tables are rammed up to the side of the dance floor and they've booked a crane, for instance, making it all about me and there's no space for me to operate. So so part of your job after that great big, long ramble is is part of your job lowering people's expectations.

Sharan: 24:07

It is. Sometimes I am the bit of a baddie, where I had it a few years ago where the client said to me we'd like to have our wedding in the garden and I looked at the space and it wasn't a small garden. But when they stated the number of people, it wasn't just saying I could fit, they had 100 guests. I said you can easily fit 100 guests in your garden, that's not the problem. However, you then want to have a reception after that. Where do you, would you like those 100 guests to go? Where would you if it rains? We have no rain cover. As you want catering, we also need a catering tent. In that, it's so it's. I'm always looking at the bigger picture as opposed to looking at the event space and looking at a room. And it's even like when people go oh, we found a venue and it says in cater 500. I'm like no, no, it caters 500 without a dance floor. That dance floor, you need to take away at least eight tables at a minimum to then also fit your DJ in. So you've now also, all of a sudden, got a venue that's 80 less. Example for yourself.

Sharan: 25:06

Like I said when we worked two weeks ago we worked together at Ragley Hall. I asked that was with the story emotion. We asked can work. Where would you like to put the crane? That email was sent two weeks prior because that is also, it's a piece of furniture. Effectively, yes, obviously you can move around. However, again, have you got the space to move around? Because, effectively, when a client wants a crane, they want different angles. That's the point of the crane.

Sharan: 25:31

So, it's making sure everyone's got that freedom of movement. When a client does show me a space to say, yes, it's going to work. No, that's not going to work. You said you want this, you want a 30 foot screen, a wide screen. You haven't got the space. They need a meter behind the screen to actually access it. So sometimes I said I am the baddie because people see a piece of land or they see a room, but it's like anything when you go to buy a new home and everything looks big because it's empty rooms and as soon as you put your furniture in you're like no this is a fit that was a bit tiny.

Andy: 26:08

Yes, that, coming back to the space, that job at Ragley a couple of weeks ago, you'd sort of made sure that there was plenty of space actually for me to operate and again, this is not all about me but for the other videographers and other supplies to get people serving. For instance, there was space around the dance floor and nobody. So frequently people spill off the dance floor anyway and they're all over the place dancing, which is fine. Now there are some planners Shall.

Andy: 26:42

I go here? Yes, I shall. There are some planners who and one notable one I had last year who felt that the presence of a camera crane was detrimental to his vision for the room and his plan for the room. And I felt like saying, fella, it's not your event, it's the couple's event and if they've chosen to have a camera crane that's because they want the angles that I'm supplying and that's their choice. It's not for you to come along and say to the videographer that I was working for. No, you can't do that, because I know there was somebody else who's in camera crane who was kicked out the ceremony. It was just like no, we can't have that camera crane in here because you know it spoils the look. So what's your take on that sort of attitude from? What's your take on that sort of attitude?

Andy: 27:36

I that's a difficult question and I'm sorry to chuck it at you, but just from a selfish point of view it's relevant for me.

Sharan: 27:45

Like I said, I see myself as I work for the client, even though, yes, it's my event in regards to it's my management on the day. It's that client's vision and it's that client's money and it's that client's choice. So, if that's what they want.

Sharan: 27:58

As long as I've done my duty and I've done my homework beforehand to make sure it happens and we can work together with everyone to make sure it looks exactly as the client will, you know how they're hoping it to look. They will know that beforehand. So even if, for example, whether it's the look of a crane or whether it's a look of wires, as long as the client is aware prior and as long as they've signed it off, then that's how it's. Unfortunately, that's gonna have how it's refreshing change.

Andy: 28:28

And please take note, some of the planners, highfalutin, people that have a very uncharitably dubbed Dubb planners, cushion, cushion arrangers in the past, which is very unkind. But we all need to work together to make sure that the bride and groom get the day that they want and the video that they want to the imagery that they want. Other suppliers want the imagery, as everybody's, so I say, oh, can you just give me some still shots out of here? And so we're all there to work together for the betterment of the couple, not for ourselves and our own egos, you think 100% on the day itself.

Sharan: 29:03

It's about the couple. It's not about us as individuals. We're there, we're paid there to do a job and that's the job we have to do. It's not about our what we want from it. Obviously yes, if we can get, you know, some images so we can show future clients, this is what we can deliver 100%, because that's how we advertise ourselves yeah however, but on the day, it's teamwork yeah and that's my always say to every supplier there I'm not there to tell you what to do, I'm there to help you so that I know you can deliver what you want to do, as opposed to me saying dictating to you what I'd like you to do like it's not my event, it's my.

Sharan: 29:38

I manage it, but this is the. Whatever the client's names are, whoever the client is on the day, it's their event. Yeah, it's their day thank you.

Andy: 29:47

So thank you. Um, it's not just in the Asian sector. Actually I did it. I did a church wedding, church of England wedding, and the vicar wouldn't allow us to film from in front of the couple during the ceremony, so the shots were predominantly the back of the bride and groom's head and the vicar, so it's not just yeah, it's come on manly. It's not about you, but it does happen. It's like I said, I think it's a case of um.

Sharan: 30:13

It can happen in, like in all, in all religious settings. Anyway, they don't want certain things that done a certain way yeah um, some are flexible. Yeah, some aren't. Some of you just have to kind of go with it um and some are just a little hitlers, as silly as sounds, even like something like the simplest, like like the band budger, like back in the day, like when we have you have the inter-rentalists walking you in and now some venues won't allow that um to they were you've got, you've got to go to a certain point.

Sharan: 30:41

So yeah, it's. Yeah, it's just unfortunate.

Andy: 30:44

It's sometimes it's unfortunate of based on where so you need to be not only for everything else, you need to be a hundred percent aware of the venues, rules and regulations, and you can't do this. You can't do that like Hindi ceremony. No, you can't have fire, you're gonna have to do it over there. What, what, how on earth do you go about that?

Sharan: 31:03

so site visits and meetings beforehand. So the suppliers know so the, especially the venue manager sorry, know exactly who I am yeah because on the day if I'm not going to run to the client to say, hold on a second, you've just booked sparks. They don't allow cold sparks in your venue. That's all signed off beforehand, so the the venue know exactly what's entering their at the last minute exactly what's entering their premises, because if anything goes wrong, no, what the the?

Sharan: 31:28

and if anyone gets hurt, it's on the venues head, as opposed to sure the suppliers going well, they booked me, I'm coming in, I'm doing what I want, yeah. So I just do like kind of reiterate to all suppliers what's happening, who's coming in, whether big or big or small, even if it's the car hire, just let you know this wedding car hire person is going to come in. So they're aware because, like, it's affected their home that we kind of come into on that day.

Andy: 31:50

So it's yeah, it's just managing all that how do you find managing all us unruly suppliers who turn up and just kind of go, yeah, I'm gonna do it this way, thanks, how do you? I mean, you're supremely nice and kind of just say well, actually, if you just do this, so, but is it ever a challenge? Does anybody really challenge your patients when, when we turn up?

Sharan: 32:14

um, they do, and especially when they're late okay um, or they've got the no, they haven't got the wrong address, they didn't do the home up beforehand, they didn't work out their timings beforehand, or they had another project and they thought they could make it work.

Sharan: 32:29

And that's great. And, yes, sometimes we do have to like manage multiple events on on a day. I'm not saying that. It's just more of a case of plan plan beforehand of what time you're gonna get there and don't, and just because if you were running late, another team should have been sent out to do your job. But it's even when I've had a venue uh, it was a. I don't know if it was a DJ or it was just a company that offered the dance floor on the day. I think it was just company that did the dance floor and they turned up to the complete different venue. And when I called them, it's because there was a park and a venue that were named the same but the park itself was about an hour away, like a normal public park was a way of an hour away from the actual venue.

Sharan: 33:07

Yeah, so they literally set up three minutes prior to the guest walking in. That's as when they finished. So, but you but? Do I get sorry's? No, do I get apologies? No, it's fine, I'm not. You're not that I'm saying sorry to me. The part the apology would come is if it completely ruined the wedding, um, or if the client is aware. Clients are never aware of anything that happens unless it's so detrimental to. We've lost a family, well, which I have lost family members on the wedding days.

Andy: 33:31

They've gone missing somehow, I don't know how, um, but they do they're sort of acting as a buffer between us and the and the bride and groom and the families and all that exactly. They don't need to know.

Sharan: 33:41

No what's going wrong, unless, like I said, it's so detrimental that we have to stop their venue, or yeah, and like I said, I want to work with everyone and sometimes also, giving people a bit more space, they actually become a bit more creative yeah whereas sometimes tell them, no, you are going to do that, they will only do that yeah whereas if I say to someone, okay, you can do it, or you can play that extra track, or if you want to, you know, do that.

Sharan: 34:02

That's fine and they become much more creative and they could actually change the party for the better, for the client, because the client might base what they want on a previous wedding and their wedding would just be a copycat of that previous wedding. But sometimes when you give a bit of freedom, yeah people become a lot more creative and they actually they'll do it. They go above and beyond they take more photos.

Sharan: 34:20

They play more tracks or variety of tracks. They film in different angles yeah um, they may bring out your starters and obviously the food's the food, whatever you've agreed on the day, but they may provide extra food. So yeah sometimes it's like I said, it's all about working together. Yeah, but yeah, unfortunately I haven't had too many bad supplies to work with. But again, when I speak to clients and I do go through the supplier list, I kind of I also know what's going to happen you know, I already know.

Andy: 34:49

You know who's who to begin with. Yeah, just, joe hell made a very salient point on it when I was talking to him on the podcast that somebody being late has such a domino effect down the down the line, or it can do, and it can finish up costing a huge amount of money because if waiters have got to stay later, or food services got to stay later, and then the party runs later, and then, because it's late, you know the venue's got to stay open a bit longer.

Andy: 35:13

So, um, keeping us all in line and keeping us reined in and and doing stuff that we should when we should, I think probably um, uber important it is the cost, I think such a big, like I always say to every client, wherever your budget is, or whatever your reception, let's say your reception costs 60 000 yeah and it's six hours yeah divide it, it's 10 000 an hour yeah

Sharan: 35:36

that's how much you're spending and then, literally, when they step back, they go. We didn't think about it like that, Sharon, I'm going. That's how we. You do need to think about it and that's how everyone why people do need to be on time and why, when you choose a venue, make sure you have the access. It's great having a setup, but sometimes that setup might take a whole day beforehand or it's going to take if the access is 7 am and your party's at 12 pm.

Sharan: 36:00

Five hours isn't enough to get it all done, so you might need to pay for access the day before if it's possible. But some venues are really flexible and they're not giving that access as well. So, yeah, it works both ways.

Andy: 36:10

It's your job, fun.

Sharan: 36:12

I love my job. People always look at me going. That wasn't the question.

Andy: 36:15

The question was it's my job.

Sharan: 36:17

fun, I would say it's fun on, it's fun when it's all going right. Yeah, that's the whole idea. When it's going wrong.

Sharan: 36:31

I think people look at me and go Sharon, you look stressed and sometimes I'm not stressed, it's just sometimes it's just my resting without swearing, it's just my face, but I it's fun because I make it fun and I think, like anything again, I suppose it's fun when you see suppliers on a weekly basis and effectively they're your colleagues. They're like those where you have, if you had a nine to five job, that would be the people that we don't do Christmas parties, but that's who you would go out for drinks with and it's fun in that respect and you get to talk to suppliers and yeah, it's nice in that way. But, like I said, you've got to. I think with any job you do, if you don't enjoy it, it's not fun.

Andy: 37:12

No, no, absolutely right. So in terms of working hours, obviously you're a working mum, yes, so how are you sort of away all weekend, or have you got the weeks free, or how does your time go?

Sharan: 37:29

I think it was harder when the kids I mean, they're not that old now anywhere, they're still young but I think it's the case of when you do have like school and nursery. That's when a lot of my work does get done. When they go to bed. I'm working from like seven till midnight, if not longer. Oh really.

Sharan: 37:45

Yeah, sometimes my meetings and so forth will go on or start at seven, and sometimes we don't end till 10, 11 at night. Sometimes, the meeting start at nine, but it also goes down to client availability. Okay, yeah. If they've got nine to five jobs. I can only speak to them when they're home and when they've eaten, so sometimes it does work hand in hand, yeah, but I'm fortunate for family. Family support is the biggest that's helped me with this job. Okay.

Sharan: 38:10

They help look after children. My husband's has got a nine to five so he kind of then he'll take over. So that's been a good balance for us. Yeah. But yeah, 100%, I'm away, sometimes away for weekends. Wise, I could be away from Friday to Sunday. And that's just part of it, but then I am with them Monday to Friday. Yeah. That's just how this job works and that's and we we understand. I understand that and they're really good with it as well. But no matter what, whenever they're away, can I'm at home.

Andy: 38:38

I think, I think our business is a relationship killer, to be fair. I think you've got to have understanding family and partners and things to help you, help you get along and clearly, even today, I think your mum's here looking after children right while we're talking. So thanks, mum. Are you where you want to be within the industry, or have you got ambitions to? You know, Black Velvet covering the entire world. In fact, have you done destination weddings?

Sharan: 39:05

Destinations on the cards. At the moment they're in the planning process, so that is exciting. Where might you be going?

Sharan: 39:11

Underups. At the moment it's underups, they're going to be like kind of fairly local, but also I think it's a case of I'm trying to broaden out a little bit more to destinations where people haven't gone. One thing you do you get clients and they say we'd like to get married there. And you do end up kind of going from the basics and basically like planning, exactly planning here, and sometimes I feel like you're a bit on the back foot because it's not like I can just run to that venue.

Andy: 39:37

No, if you'd like, because I think this year there's probably been 17 weddings in Lake Como and it's just like you know that there are. I think, at the risk of being controversial, lake Como is looking a bit tired now because everyone's done it. But I understand you know you can't just nip off to Villa River in an afternoon and have a site meeting there, can you no?

Sharan: 39:57

so I'd like to kind of, instead of chronic, go more down the creating a base. Okay.

Sharan: 40:01

And something that then people yes, obviously it may get not boring, but it's people will be like oh, everyone's getting married there, but it's kind of creating a base of the wedding, of kind of changing it a bit and so it's a bit easier to plan and creating a team out there, kind of taking that way. At the same time, I also love like I helped out with the concert last year and it was the best thing I ever did.

Andy: 40:25

Yes, now you mentioned this at the top of the show. Like we're on radio so you mentioned this earlier doing concerts and stuff. So talk to me about those a little bit.

Sharan: 40:37

So someone approached me last year and said would you like to help with as an artist? His name's got an orgelar, he's coming from Canada, he's gonna do his concerts and he said would you like? And I met him at a wedding. Okay, and I was like I would love to. I mean again. So my dream job as a part of the TV presenting was to be a tour manager. Okay.

Sharan: 40:58

I love concerts. I'll go to concerts all day long Coldplay, beyonce. I go to them because I love the live atmosphere, I love live music. But when I stand there, as well as obviously looking at the artist, I look around to see the team behind it. Who managed that? Who brought that together? Oh, there's a tour manager. Oh, okay, they've arranged and that's been a passion, that's been my interest. Okay, oh, there's, I don't know, that's me. I'll look around at the screens, I'll look at the lighting as opposed to just seeing again, and I suppose that's the whole planning side of me to think who brought it together.

Andy: 41:29

I tell you, no, it's like if you go to a wedding as a guest, you're gonna spend all your time not enjoying the ceremony because you're looking around thinking I'd have done that better. Oh no, I know, I know I'm not that bad.

Sharan: 41:41

But it's not about what I would have done better or, more importantly, like oh, that would have been better. Have we changed that a little bit, that would have flowed, but it still works. Everyone's wedding still works. But yeah, that's been my I suppose. That's my mind is like even five years ago I used to see men like kind of climbing the ladder to get to the top, the top light at Wembley Stadium. Now it's all mechanical, so that was my dream job was to be a tour manager. So when I remember that moment of when got on stage for the first time and I think emotions just kind of came across me because I was like this is what I've always, and like the audience went crazy and it was amazing. But even on them we had a technical hitch. No one will ever know whatever happened.

Andy: 42:20

No good.

Sharan: 42:20

But it's dealing with it. And again, it's not a case of like putting pressure on the person to be like what's going wrong, like it's having a level head and controlling it and managing it. The artist isn't to know anything that's happening and he shouldn't. It's his event. He should be relaxed, same as a client. A client is a client, no matter how big you are and whatever, whoever you are and what your day is.

Andy: 42:41

I see everyone as a client, but that's again.

Sharan: 42:45

I'd love to go into more music and more live music, and if I could do Coldplay one day, then, yeah, I'll keep going. I'll keep going with it.

Andy: 42:52

Oh no, they're a bit dirgy, aren't they?

Sharan: 42:54

No, not at all, not at all. Sorry, Coldplay fans.

Andy: 42:59

Are there any? I don't know. So do you think you'd leave weddings behind for concerts? Probably in the blink of an eye, would you? You'd be gone.

Sharan: 43:06

I actually think I would only because that was my dream. But I still do enjoy the magic of a wedding and I enjoy, like I said, the best thing is when the family's come up to me and saying thank you for allowing us to enjoy this event. And again, like I said, that's why I started Black Velvet was to help. Even just on a complete side note, I think it's parents that have become ill over planning their children's weddings and that's been sometimes the hardest thing to watch and I don't think people in supplies realize that. And that's like with my job.

Sharan: 43:37

I really get involved in your family lives. I'll hear about everything that's going on and I know people's parents that have suffered mental health from planning the weddings because they found it that stressful. And I've seen I've seen a lot which people will never know. But suppliers never see that. They kind of come on the day. They do their job and, yes, they've spoken to clients beforehand to agree what's been done. But I really get involved with families. I'm so fortunate that to stay, I'm still friends with the families and they'll ask about my kids how are you doing? Oh, you've got children and it's really nice to see you and that's a blessing. But yeah, that was probably one of the things I remember when I first started of how ill parents get because, and also financially how much money.

Sharan: 44:23

It's a huge amount of money, it's a huge amount of money and people go oh, you know, sometimes the worst bit is in the last two weeks is when a supplier goes oh, you want that. Oh, we didn't know that that's an extra thousand. And you're at this point where you're thinking, okay, what do I do? I'm gonna. If I don't do that, they're not gonna do this, I'm gonna have to spend.

Sharan: 44:40

Sometimes clients end up spending 10, actually 10 grand in the final two weeks which they didn't realize they were gonna need to spend Sometimes those, because if I'm doing the coordination, I didn't know what was happening and they hadn't covered those and suppliers hadn't told them about it either. And that pressure on that family member who's already gone over budget is sometimes the hardest thing and they'll say, Sharon, look, we need to do it that way. We'll do it that way, We'll make it work, no matter what.

Sharan: 45:03

Yeah, I'm a people's person and, like I said, it's not about me saying oh, look at my event, look what I created. I really do get involved with the families and, like I said, I'm fortunate that I'm friends with the families after and that they still see me. And I'm also fortunate I don't really post much on social media and that's probably my little downfall on that. I've got so many events to post, but my work's been through recommendation and word of mouth and I get so much work via recommendation and, like I said, kind of going back to what you said when you said of what's changed, the landscape's changed from nine years ago is that was the best thing for us is we book suppliers based on recommendation, and that's how I'd like to see.

Sharan: 45:40

that's how I like Black Velvet is because it's based on recommendation and people's own personal experiences Rather than a flashy picture on Instagram.

Sharan: 45:47

Yeah, and obviously, again, like I said, you do need to showcase your work. That is how we do showcase work is on social media, but sometimes people go. You don't post and sometimes I'm like that post would be a picture of me, because when you invest in Black Velvet, you're investing in my experience, my time, my management, my skills, as opposed to I'm not. I can't give you a candle. I can make you one, I can buy you one, but you are. That is Black Velvet is me personally and that's like I said. I'm there at every event because fantastic.

Andy: 46:17

So nobody ever really mentored you into the business. You just got off your backside and went. You know what I want to do this.

Sharan: 46:24

I want to do it and, like I said, I've had some good support off suppliers in the industry from the get go and even to this day where they'll say you need Sharon we know someone, yeah, and I've done some of the industries their own weddings as well and they said, sharon, will you help us on the event? And I will, and it's been and it's lovely. It's lovely, like I said, to help and kind of just yeah.

Andy: 46:46

Yeah, one of my sort of go to questions, of my selection of question cards is always you know, when did you think you'd actually sort of made it? And I'm guessing that concert that you were talking about just now would be the moment where you stood, maybe at the side of the stage and thought, here I am, I've done it.

Sharan: 47:03

Yeah, for me that was my like. I said that was a childhood dream and that's where that one tick the box. I think for weddings, they all tick a box in a different way. And it's not about how big a wedding is or how big the artist is that they had at their wedding, and sometimes there are some big artists at these weddings. But to me that's an artist and he's or she's in their own right. That's there.

Sharan: 47:23

It's not about like oh, I had so and so at my wedding, that like I'm amazing. Yeah, like I said, as long as the client's happy then yeah, yeah, that's a different thing.

Andy: 47:32

And so how often do people come to you and say you know, hey, I'd like an enchanted garden wedding. Here's 50 grand, go away and sort it out.

Sharan: 47:41

Quite often, okay, quite often, enchant is very popular, yeah, but it's the case. I think again, it goes down to 50 grand. Is also depends on what you want as enchanted.

Andy: 47:54

What does enchanted?

Sharan: 47:54

mean? Does it mean some trees on the tables? Does it mean are we talking about flowers? It's a that's a yeah in terms of like visions. And what then clients asked me they do ask for? Oh, I you know what the base I always say to be. Can you go and Pinterest and give some ideas and go select images that you like and select ideas of those, and what do you like from that image? Is it that you picked up that the table had a table or an ongoing, or was it the fact that the centerpieces were taller? Yeah.

Sharan: 48:23

So I always use Pinterest as a really good base so people to actually get gauge what people are actually picking up on. Yeah. Enchanted could mean do you want just complete green decor? Yeah you can now have white trees, pink, what it's, and yeah they're very vague.

Speaker 3: 48:36

Sometimes these words are as yeah, it covers a lot of it does.

Sharan: 48:40

It covers a lot of things, so, but in terms of visions, yeah, I always say give me a template and then I'll speak to the right supplier for you. Every decorator is talented in their own right and of what they can offer. You have decorators who will create different themes and I may be able to go to them and go your theme is going to match my client perfectly.

Sharan: 48:58

Yeah let's work together. Or it might be someone who'd be like you'll, you've got, you've got. You'll pick up elements from different things, and or they'll build a creator centerpiece for you. You'll be the right. However, it's just making sure that that supplier will fit into that budget and that's probably the hardest thing.

Andy: 49:14

And when it's all said and done and we've got the, you know we've been running around going, sharon, we want an empty room for room shots, and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, and so for a moment probably, you can just stand there and look around while we're doing the shots and the whole picture is just laid out and the creation has come true. Do you sit there and give yourself a little pat on the back?

Sharan: 49:37

I don't think I have a chance.

Andy: 49:38

It's more of a case of.

Sharan: 49:39

I think it's I do sometimes. The funny thing is, when the clients have told me what they want, I actually can already vision it, and the room does turn out exactly how I had in mind, whereas the clients like I already I couldn't see it. I'll show you that that's look, that's really good, like, wow, like what. Okay but I really got it in my head and I don't know whether it's because obviously we've seen so many weddings.

Speaker 3: 49:59

So when someone tells you something, you're like yeah, I know what that's going to look like.

Sharan: 50:02

Yeah, but yeah, sometimes it looks better that there might be elements. I'm like, wow, that actually looks better than what I had imagined. And, like I said also, when you give a supplier, sometimes creativity- and free flow. They will go and put things in, thinking you know what, that it looks better because we put that in. That's what I'm saying. I'm not always restricted on what people can do. I think everyone should have their own free flow and creativity in their own right.

Andy: 50:27

Yeah, yeah. So presumably inspiration can come from the suppliers themselves as well. Then they can come to you and go. Well, actually, you thought that was good. What about this Exactly?

Sharan: 50:36

Same with like DJ's Deco here is that they'll. They'll, literally, like the catering might come and serve it in different bowls, thinking you know what, sharon, you said to me. There's going to be a Moroccan theme, so we've got these kind of like tangine or like doing that type of the dishes to fit in or the DJ might be like you know what, sharon? We've gone with these extra additional lights that are going to do X, y and Z for you now, whereas prior to that you literally just had these standard static lights because they're like let's change this up, let's change the room.

Sharan: 51:01

So, like I said, it's creativity is it's. That's why I hope everyone kind of like what they're in the field that they're in is because we're all quite creative and what we can do, and so I believe in that, letting everyone kind of have a bit of kind of free flow, I suppose to create what they want to do.

Andy: 51:19

And what sort of time you get like at Ragley I think we finished what 11 o'clock midnight, something like that what sort of time are you getting home after, after that sort of event?

Sharan: 51:28

That night I got home at half three and I started that journey in the morning. Oh gosh, I remember you got there. I mean, Andrea, you were early, you were always on time, but I got there at nine so I would have left about eight. Yeah.

Sharan: 51:42

So left at eight and I got home at three. Yeah, Some events are four, 24 hours, 23 hours. For me, Some events are 20. I'm the first person there because it goes and I've had people go. Why are you there so early? And I'm going to go because if I walked into the room and you put somewhere so I put the bar in, I can't move that bar if I come an hour after. It's not possible. So I am there from the get. Go to make sure every little piece of jigsaw is slotting into place as opposed to, well, the corner's in the middle.

Andy: 52:12

That's one of the reasons that I turn up early is just simply because if I turn up late and the table's already set and there's no room for the crane, then I'm kind of snookered. So I kind of if I get there early, I can make sure, work with everybody, make sure we rearrange stuff if need to be, and then you can do the best job.

Sharan: 52:30

that well, I can do the best job I possibly can for the couple so yeah, I can't call myself a bit of a sheepherder on the day as well? Definitely. Getting guests in out left, right next room, this room- At the end of the night, it's the hardest to get them out.

Andy: 52:44

Yeah, because everybody wants to party, yeah. So my final question, which is one that I ask everybody, is if I could give you the skills and the tools and the abilities to do any other job within the wedding industry, what would you do? You're not allowed to choose what you already do, so you have to choose something else.

Sharan: 53:08

If I, I think I'd be the photographer Only because I think what they create and the images they capture can have so much emotion and they literally take a still frame from your day and that picture you'll put on the wall.

Sharan: 53:27

I think it just. I see, I to me. I think some people don't want photography on their wedding. I think it's so important because after the wedding day, the only thing you have left to remember that day is apart from, obviously, what you've got. What you can remember from the day is the photos and the videos, and sometimes there might be moments as a couple that you don't get to see what was going on in the canapes and you'd planned so much going on. But the photographer will capture that for you.

Sharan: 53:50

Say with a videographer in a cinematographer sorry, they will capture that but for a photographer, however, those images end up in your home and you'll always you literally do create lasting memories for them. So, yeah, I think I'd go with a photographer.

Andy: 54:04

Well, listen, we've got to the end, I think so. Thank you very much for your time.

Sharan: 54:10

No thank you for having me.

Andy: 54:11

And I shall look forward to getting some space at the next venue that you're at, of course, anytime and not having to fight to get out of that table over there. So no, seriously, though, thank you very much for coming on. I really, really appreciate it and, yeah, we'll see you soon.

Sharan: 54:29

Thank you.

Andy: 54:32

So there we go. That was my chat with Sharon, and very enjoyable it was too, and I always enjoy working with her, mostly because she's not oity, toity, toity. Do you know what I mean? So anyway, to all those other wedding planners, I hope you made notes about how to deal with suppliers. Thank you very much and I'll see you on the next episode of the Wedding Professionals podcast. Thanks for listening. Bye.