When planning a wedding, many women shamelessly work the office phone and fax machine during the business day. How else can you schedule fittings, talk to florists and investigate hotels for your out-of-town guests during business hours? But if you go this route, one day you can expect to get the following phone call from your boss: "Can you please come see me? I have something for you on my desk." You present yourself only to be confronted with a hefty fax detailing your caterer's hors d'oeuvres choices. Trust us, your boss is not at all interested in the tuna sashimi or the chicken satay. If you want to keep your job, you need to learn how to plan your wedding on your own time.
And that is no easy task. Planning a wedding is like a full-time job in itself. It’s challenging to squeeze in all of your wedding related meetings, appointments and phone calls with all of the meetings and appointments and phone calls you have for your real job. But it can be done. Here are some keys to planning a successful wedding and keeping your job, and your cool.
I Love My Job.
Although you may be totally preoccupied with thoughts of hazelnut cream for the cake filling, you want your boss to think your job is your number one priority. This concept may be hard to grasp when you’re in the midst of a wedding planning frenzy and the upcoming big day seems like THE most important thing in your life. But remember: this is the job you worked years to get, this is what you went to school for, this is your livelihood. Show respect for your job and your own achievement in your career. If you have an appointment with your photographer at 6 p.m. and your boss needs you to stay late, reschedule with the photographer. If you’re on the phone with the florist and another call comes through, pick it up and call your florist back. Unless you dislike your job and plan to make a change, don’t jeopardize your employment. Once the wedding is over and you return from your honeymoon, you’re most likely going to want a place to work.
Keep it Simple.
Think about the kind of wedding you’ll be having. If you just started a new job that’s very important to you, maybe now is not the time to take on a complex extravaganza with intricate planning. To alleviate stress, you may need to plan a simpler wedding.
After Hours.
Keep phone calls, faxes and online wedding time to a minimum during working hours. Schedule some phone time during your lunch break to make appointments. And make the appointments for after work or on weekends. Many bridal vendors have extended hours that accommodate working brides. Don’t try to squeeze in too much during your lunch hour. If you’re at a lunchtime gown fitting and the dress has the wrong sleeve length, you’ll be stressed and rushed and late back to work. Use your lunch hour instead to log on to WeddingChannel.com’s
Guest List Manager and work on your guest list. Also, be honest about your whereabouts. If you do have an occasional wedding appointment during the workday, don’t lie about it. One bride scheduled a meeting with her wedding officiant and told her boss she was going to be out of the office at a business lunch. The boss paged right as the bride was in the middle of talking to her rabbi. The bride had to call back and lie about where she was right in front of her spiritual advisor, and was completely embarrassed. Honesty is indeed the best policy.
Communicate.
The best way to deal with your superiors at work is to have a meeting at the very beginning of it all and say something like this, "I’m getting married and may need a few days off during the next 6-12 months to plan my wedding." Then get out the calendar and schedule those times, if your boss is amenable. Offer to work late on certain days to compensate for hours off. If your boss is agreeable, and it suits your planning style, you might even negotiate to work an hour later, Monday through Thursday, so you can take a half a day off on Friday for wedding errands and appointments. If you plan to take a few days off before your wedding, tell your boss as far in advance as possible. Clear your honeymoon dates with work way in advance, too. A last minute three-week honeymoon may not be looked upon favorably at work. Most bosses do not like such surprises. You may find that some bosses are very understanding when it comes to honeymoon time-off if you plan well in advance. You should be prepared to compromise with dates, too. If you work for an accounting firm, don’t expect to take off for a honeymoon in Tahiti in early April. Be sensible about what you ask for.