What do you do when the couple you’re planning a wedding for adds 40 guests the night before the big day?
This was one of the many challenges senior Emily Wallace faced last year while gaining hands-on experience as a lead planner of the Blissful Wish Wedding.
Now in its second year, the event allows students in the Department of Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management to oversee the planning and production of a wedding for a real-life couple.
The event is the final project for the Wedding Production and Execution class, during which students gain practical experience in wedding planning, client management, venue and vendor selection, design and styling, financial and time management, and more.
The process for the class begins long before the first day. Potential couples apply the summer before the fall class begins. Once selected, the couple is introduced to the class, and the rest of the wedding is entirely in the students’ hands.
This provides a way for students to graduate with actual event planning experience under their belt. They have a legitimate portfolio, and they now have a hand up.”
—Nancy Barger
To take the class, RHTM students must submit a resume, cover letter, and digital event planning portfolio. Qualified students interview for a spot in the class, explaining why they want to participate and how it will help advance their career.
The class is guided by two professional staff members, Associate Professor Stefanie Benjamin and consultant Nancy Barger. Students are split into six pairs and assigned roles based on their interests. Teams include attire, catering, decor, lead planning, logistics, or social media and photography.
Wallace was part of the lead planning team, which directed the day-today operations between teams. Her team coordinated collaboration and communication among the other student groups and was the first line of ensuring that operations were effective among the class.
“We oversaw all of the moving pieces and handled the timeline for everything,” Wallace says. “We took care of all of the details.”
Another essential role of Wallace’s team was handling the budget for the wedding, which was a unique challenge because technically there was no budget. Instead, teams were responsible for finding vendors to donate products or services free of charge. The lead planners and logistics teams worked together to estimate what the wedding would have cost without the class.
Handling challenges like scrapping a seating chart the night before to fit in 40 more guests and managing an imaginary budget throughout the semester are exactly the experiences Barger and Benjamin want students to face.
“Things are going to go wrong,” Barger says. “Weddings are one day and you cannot miss it. Whether you’re sick, not feeling well, it is real life and you are showing up for that wedding.”
The ultimate goal for the class is not only to provide students with experiential learning that they could not attain in a classroom but also to give them a portfolio of materials to help them land their first jobs and beyond.
“Students will be able to go to a client and say, ‘I’ve produced a $43,000 wedding, and here is the budget line by line with a final walkthrough,’” Barger says.
The combination of real-world experience and insight from industry experts is essential in preparing students for life after college.
“What I got out of this class is unique real-world experience with access to personal advice from actual professionals,” Wallace says. “I learned the importance of teamwork and building a strong team where each member shines and thrives within the strength of their own role.”
Barger says having a well-rounded portfolio is the most important factor for young professionals, and having the experience gained in this class gives them
an advantage.
“This provides a way for students to graduate with actual event planning experience under their belt,” Barger says. “They have a legitimate portfolio, and they now have a hand up.”
