Let’s dive into what it’s like working with celebrities. When you are a professional event planner working with celebrities, it is on a different level. When they are the entertainers, the speakers, or the talent you have to make sure that you follow what they want, to the capital T. You need to make sure that you have everything set aside for them that they require as part of their contract. Typically, that’s always a green room or space for them to have drinks, snacks, or the things that they need to get ready for their performance or speaking arrangement. You also want to make sure that you have all the equipment that they need. This could be a specific stage size, specific lighting, or sound system. You are required to provide any equipment rentals or other needs that they have in order to have a successful performance, and this list can be quite extensive. A lot of these artists typically play arenas. It’s important to make sure your small wedding venue compared to an arena still accommodates all of these things. So, as you can imagine, a lot goes into it on the planning side. On a professional level, you want to make sure that you’re putting your best foot forward as a professional party planner. You want to make sure they have the best experience on-site as well. You never want to “fangirl” or fawn over them, and never ask for an autograph or anything like that. You just keep it professional. You’re there to do a job. ✅
This leads me to the time that I worked with the rapper, Coolio. It was such a fun event, and it was actually so early in my career that I got this opportunity. I admit, it was a little crazy, and I was definitely starstruck!🤩 But you have to keep that in check, and you have to remain professional. So, here’s the deal. I had a client reach out to me who was connected with the radio station Kiss FM. The entire Kiss FM team was a part of the wedding party as bridesmaids and groomsmen. They actually got Coolio to officiate the wedding, and perform at the reception! It was such a crazy experience. The wedding itself was at Big Al’s bar, so it was right there on McKinney Avenue in Dallas. The whole night was such an incredible experience.
Coolio got ordained specifically for this event so that he could legally perform the ceremony. So, this wedding is the first time he’s performed a ceremony. As my team is getting all the things done: floral and rental set up, making sure all the paper products are set, talking with the bridal party about where they are supposed to be and when, and lining them up! At that time I got the opportunity to talk with Coolio one on one, and make sure he knew exactly what the plan was. I had to make sure he knew what he was saying when he was officiating, where he was supposed to be standing, and where he was entering in from. It was such a funny and surreal moment because we were literally in the back alley behind the venue, just me, him, and one other team member. I just kept thinking, “I am talking to Coolio in an alley right now! My career is crazy!!!” So, we had planned for him to officiate the ceremony, then release guests to the cocktail hour portion, and then get ready for his performance at the reception. So imaging having Coolio officiate your ceremony, and then you get to dance party to his music. I mean it was such an awesome wedding for this bride and groom!!!
So funny story that happened (and something that you’ll learn when you work with celebrities) is the time that they’re contracted to be there is the time that they’re contracted to be there. And once they are done with that time, they are out the door, and they are GONE.👋 They are not sticking around, they are not mixing and mingling. I mean maybe some do, but for the most part, they are pretty much out of there and on to the next gig. So because this was so early on in my career, I did not know that.
With Coolio being the actual officiant of the ceremony, he needed to sign the marriage license. So funny enough, he actually escaped out of the venue before I was able to get back to him because of all the security and guards there!! The only time I was really one on one with him was right before the ceremony when I was going over everything that needed to happen. So he actually escaped from the whole reception, literally went back to his home state, and was not even in the state before I realized he was gone. And I didn’t even get him to sign the marriage license.🤦🏻♀️ So we ended up having to mail the marriage license to him so that he could sign it and send it back into the county clerks office, and legalize the marriage for my client!! So that was a huge lesson learned that with celebrities once their gig is done, they are gone and they are nowhere to be found. And if you have a moment with them, take advantage of that moment to get everything that needs to be done. Looking back at that now, I should’ve had him just sign the marriage license before the ceremony right when we were standing there!!
