Separate but not Equal

What do you do when there are two separate ideas for a wedding and both of them are great? Bride has an idea, groom has an idea and you’re in love with both concepts but you know both won’t work together. Do you abandon one and focus on the other? Do you try really hard to see if they can infuse together (which you know they won’t), or do you ask them to come up with a completely new idea all together that’s separate from the original ones they have? A consistent statement I always make is that you have to stay true to the story of the bride and groom, and the true story of the bride and groom is who they are as a couple which then has to portray into the vision and the concept and the style of the wedding. So, because a bride wants one thing and the groom wants another, this really is who they are. You have to embrace the situation, yet guide them at the same time. My job is to make sure that it comes off well without embarrassing them or me while making sure the guests are comfortable. So step back and look at it completely differently. Look at why you’ve picked the two choices. Maybe one of the ideas is great for the rehearsal party. Maybe the other idea is great for the wedding, or maybe one of the ideas is great for cocktails and then you change the look into the celebration for the other idea. Don’t bail out right away. Like me, investigate the situation. Ask questions to the bride and groom. Or if you are the bride and groom, ask why you picked what you picked, then find a way to make it happen and make sure it makes sense.