Why I Prefer Theatre to Planning a Wedding
Who would have ever thought the two would share any commonalities? Actually, it's pretty simple and most theatre people (or at least someone who has taken a Stage Management class) will of course understand how the two overlap.
For starters, there are plenty of excel spreadsheets. There's the guest list, the seating chart, the address, the gift list, the props (oh, I mean decor and such items), the photo list....need I go on? Secondly, you are dealing with way more people who are emotionally invested. Like in the theatre, a director has to work with not only the producer, but the lighting designer, the set designer, the carpenters, the dressers, the actors, and more. Everyone sits at a table and discusses what will happen: people may not agree 100% of the time. When planning a wedding, the bride works with not only vendors (caterer, band, venue, officiant, etc.), but must consider and discuss things with her fiancé, BOTH SETS OF PARENTS, the bridal party......and they certainly may not all agree all the time either.
The infamous "seating chart" that every bride loves to do. I have found in the theatre that in can be equated to working on who takes what on/off the stage.
"Okay", so you say. "If you're used to the environment of organization and working with tons of people, what's the problem?" "Why do you prefer theatre?"
Well, that's a very simple thing. In the theatre there is this thing called rehearsal. It is a glorious time where each individual is able to practice his or her own role. And then there is a week called Tech Week. Though it can sometimes be dubbed "hell week", it's a time specifically devoted to melting everything together so that one piece of work can be produced and shown. After everyone (actors, public relations, master electricians, and even housekeeping) has focused on his or her own role for so called, tech week is a time to come together and make sure everything fits. Most of the time these different participants are in the same area for long periods of time which allows conversation and changes to be directly made. Plus the show can be run over and over until there is a level of satisfaction.
A wedding is not that way. Oh, the week leading up can be called "hell week" also, but it is much more stressful than a real heel week. With a wedding there is no rehearsal, no tech week, no time to make sure everyone really is on board and that all participants are going to do their job accurately. Sure there is the night before which is called a rehearsal-but that's just for the actors (the bridal party) to get a feel of what's going to happen. In the theatre, there is very little "getting a feel". As I approach my wedding day, I can't help but wishing we could just do a trial run with everyone involved except the guests. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't trust my vendors, my bridal party, or even my parents; it's just that, this is a big special production that has a lot of emotional investment in it. What's wrong with wanting to practice it?
But I know that's not how it works. And if theres a final thing that theatre and a wedding relate on it's the fact that once that curtain goes up or the bride starts walking down the aisle, it's over. It is not in your control, or your vendors, or even your parents. It's in control of the Stage Manger, the Wedding Coordinator, or even just in everyone who is involved. And there is no reason to worry or try to control other people. You do your job and give everything you have.