I have been simmering on the idea that our clients don’t actually know what they want, despite almost all wedding vendor websites claiming to give them whatever they want, for quite a while now.
I even had half an article drafted, and then today Liene at Think Splendid wrote this great piece and it nailed the whole idea.
If you offer clients “what they want” without offering your expertise and insight, then your clients are actually getting a bad deal. You are getting paid for your professional opinion: speak up.
Read her piece here then maybe edit your marketing materials to reflect the professional you are. Or if you don’t have a professional opinion, develop one, or shut down. When your clients hire a celebrant, they’re hiring an amazing skilled and talented professional, not a “by the hour” legal signatory to some documents.
While I agree with this to a certain extent, I’m still of the view that, even after I’ve explained my professional advice and why what they want won’t work, if they still want it, they get it. I can give them all the advice in the world, based on my professional expertise, but I’m not an expert on them, their families, or their vision. If they really want a three rituals and five readings, and I’ve explained to them that the ceremony will likely take an hour, and all the reasons I believe that’s a bad idea, if they still want all that stuff after they’ve absorbed my advice, they get it.
It’s the same with extreme weather; how many of us actually put our foot down and say we’re not going to do the ceremony outside because it’s 7 degrees and raining or 45 degrees and burning? We give our professional advice that what they want is a terrible idea, but ultimately if that’s still what they want, they generally get it. I’m not yet brave enough to refuse to perform a ceremony in extreme weather conditions, although I hope one day I will be!
I agree with you, ultimately the client gets what they want. The direction I was firing towards was the “whatever you want” as a marketing position.
Absolutely agree with you on that one
Oh good Gawd the weather thing.
I married a friend a week before our baby was due, my wife was also a guest at the wedding and she was out in a fricken rainy blizzard because the bride’s dad “had a special app” that insisted the storm would pass in a moment.
I put my foot down for real after 45 minutes, after my soft footedness was not accepted or acted upon prior to that. Omg I could have a stroke just thinking about it I get so mad!