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    Weddings Blog

Katy's Top 5 Horror Stories

As a wedding planner, I've seen it all—beautiful moments, heartfelt vows, and of course, the occasional disaster. While most weddings go off without a hitch, there are always those moments that make me question if I should have gotten into a less stressful profession! Over the years, I've collected a few unforgettable "horror stories" from the trenches of wedding planning. From last-minute cancellations to chaotic bridal party dramas, these wild experiences are a reminder that even the most perfectly planned events can have unexpected twists. So, grab a seat (and maybe a drink), as I take you through my top 5 wedding horror stories that prove anything can happen on the big day!

Horror Story #1: The Wedding Crasher Who Wasn’t Even Invited

You know how every couple has that one person who’s a little too invested in their life? Well, imagine if that person became so obsessed with ruining your wedding that they pretended to be the groom himself, and not just once, but multiple times! This was my life for a few weeks, and let me tell you, it’s not the kind of wedding drama you want to be part of.

It all started innocently enough—sitting at my desk, sipping on my third cup of coffee (because, let's be real, it's never just one). The phone rang, and a voice on the other end said, “Hi, I’m the groom for your wedding, and I’d like to cancel.” Now, if you've ever heard Kermit the Frog trying to cancel a wedding, you’d probably think the same thing I did: “This is NOT the groom.” So, I did what any sane person would do—I asked a few questions to verify his identity. Spoiler alert: He hung up.

At this point, I figured it was some weird prank, but no. Oh, no. A week later, I get a note from my boss: Call the groom—he wants to cancel his wedding. At this point, I’m like, “I knew it!” I dialed the real groom, and when I told him about the prank call, he sighed deeply and said, “Are you serious? He got your number too?” To which I responded, “Is this a common thing?”

Turns out, this wasn’t the first time this mystery caller had posed as the groom. Oh no—he’d been calling the wedding venue, the doctors, the caterers, and basically anyone involved with the wedding. It was like Mission Impossible—except instead of defusing bombs, we were trying to stop a delusional prankster from wrecking someone’s big day.

So, what do you do when someone’s determined to ruin a wedding? You hire security, of course. We had to keep an eye out for suspicious bags, shady characters, and Kermit the Frog wannabes lurking around the venue. And yes, this was actually happening.

The couple, in a valiant effort to uncover the mystery, ended up hiring a private investigator and spent a small fortune trying to track down their "wedding saboteur." Sadly, after all that effort...they never figured out who the culprit was. So, if you’re thinking wedding planning is all about champagne toasts and Pinterest-perfect moments, think again. Some days, it’s like being the head of security for a VIP event—and it’s definitely not in the job description!

Horror Story #2: The Virgin Mary Who Didn’t Quite Make It to the Altar

You know that feeling when you’re seconds away from everything going perfectly, and then—bam—everything goes terribly wrong? Yeah, that happened to me. Let me take you back to the time I broke the Virgin Mary on a wedding day.

So, I had this lovely couple, and they were having a beautiful ceremony with a very important guest: a life-sized statue of the Virgin Mary that they wanted displayed on the altar. No pressure, right? They told me exactly where they wanted it placed, and I confidently nodded and said, “We’ve got this!” Famous last words.

Me and a coworker were tasked with moving the statue into position. Now, I’m not saying the statue was heavy, but let’s just say it wasn’t exactly a "light as a feather" situation. As we both grabbed it and tried to move it into place, something magical happened: One of us yinged, the other yanged, and...CRASH—the Virgin Mary was face down on the floor with a large chunk missing…

Panic set in. The back of the statue was broken, and it wouldn’t even stand upright. You’d think at that moment I’d start praying, but no, I started running around like a headless chicken looking for super glue. No joke, I probably hit up five different staff members and scoured the venue like a madwoman.

Miraculously, I found the glue (thank you, universe), and with about two minutes to spare before the guests started arriving, my coworker and I managed to piece together the Virgin Mary like we were assembling a jigsaw puzzle. We did a quick inspection—she was upright, mostly intact, and looking...well, presentable enough.

The guests walked in, completely unaware that the sacred statue had nearly taken a tumble, and all was right with the world. As for us? We gave each other high fives, and I swore never to touch anything that weighed more than a bouquet ever again. All’s well that ends well—except for maybe a slightly cracked back end of a statue, but hey, no one noticed.

Job well done, right?

Horror Story #3: The Wedding That Turned Into a Soap Opera

You know how every wedding planner secretly hopes for a smooth, drama-free event? Well, one time, I learned that hoping for no drama is like hoping for a unicorn to show up at your wedding—it’s just not going to happen.

This particular wedding was beautiful—we’re talking Pinterest-perfect. The couple was adorable, everything was on track, and I had put in all the effort to make sure their ceremony and reception went off without a hitch. Everyone was happy, the vibe was fantastic…until we hit the reception.

As guests were seated, the bride stood up, glass of champagne in hand, and I assumed she was going to give a sweet little thank-you speech. Oh, how wrong I was. Instead of a heartfelt toast, she dropped a bombshell that could have only come from the depths of a daytime soap opera.

She grabbed the mic and, in front of the entire room, announced that the groom had been sleeping with none other than her MAID OF HONOR. Yep, you read that right. Not only did she air their dirty laundry, but she did it with style, making sure everyone heard about the affair, and to be honest, I almost had a front-row seat to the most awkward thing I’ve ever witnessed.

But wait, there’s more. She then proceeded to tell him and her maid of honor to leave that they were not welcome and as for everyone else, they could stay if they wanted!  “I already paid for it, so we’re going to continue partying!” It was like watching a reality TV show unfold in real time—guests didn’t know whether to gasp, applaud, or just quietly back out the door.

Naturally, the groom looked like he wanted to disappear into the floor, and I'm pretty sure his face turned the same shade as the bride’s bouquet. There were some whispers, some uncomfortable glances, and a lot of awkward shifting in seats. The reception turned into the world’s most uncomfortable after-party where half the guests didn’t know whether they should stay or run for the hills.

Horror Story #4: The Magical Garland Catastrophe

Ah, high-profile weddings—where everything is over-the-top gorgeous, everyone’s on their best behavior, and the price tag could feed a small country. I once helped plan one of these very extravagant affairs, and let me tell you, it was the kind of wedding where every detail was so perfectly planned, you could practically hear the sound of dollar bills rustling with every move. We had a rented tent, custom flooring, chairs, linens, napkins—basically, if you could rent it, they did. It was magical, like something straight out of a wedding Pinterest board...until it wasn’t.

Picture this: the whole ceiling of the tent was draped in lush, beautiful garland. I’m talking GORGEOUS. Like, if Pinterest had an "impossible to recreate" section, this would have been in it. Guests were happily chowing down at the buffet, sipping their fancy cocktails, enjoying the perfect evening… when BAM, out of nowhere, an entire strand of garland fell from the ceiling.

And when I say fell, I mean it didn’t just plummet—it landed on several tables. We're talking full plates of food, glasses of wine, cocktails, etc. It was like watching a slow-motion disaster unfold—except it wasn’t slow, and it wasn’t graceful.

So, there I was, trying to pick up the pieces (literally) while the guests stared in stunned silence. And of course, as a wedding planner, it was my job to keep calm, act like this was some perfectly timed part of the charming rustic vibe, and pray no one had too much wine yet. And yes, I’m pretty sure the guests were a little less “enchanted” by the floral display after it made direct contact with their dinner plates.

Now, I really, REALLY hope the florist got a call the next day from the couple, asking for some kind of garland refund because, seriously, that “magical” decor ended up as nothing more than floral carnage. It was a floral disaster that no one saw coming, but hey—at least the guests had a new, totally unexpected conversation starter for the rest of the night.

Moral of the story: Always double-check the garland hanging above your guests’ heads. You never know when it might decide to make a dramatic exit.

Horror Story #5: The Screaming Mother of the Bride

Wedding planning is all about creating a dream day—the perfect Cinderella moment, where everything is supposed to come together like a fairy tale. And in this case, everything did come together. The decor was stunning, the couple was glowing, the guests were all smiles—until I heard a voice that could only be described as the loudest sound in the universe shouting, “WHERE IS KATY?!”

Now, normally, when someone shouts my name at a wedding, it’s either for a bouquet toss or because someone needs a last-minute wardrobe fix. But no. This time, it was the mother of the bride. And she was NOT happy.

I rushed over, trying to keep my cool, thinking, "Oh, maybe she just needs a tissue or something," but no. She was red-faced, arms flailing, and it looked like she was about to combust. She screamed at me about how there weren’t enough seats for the guests. This is where I had to channel every ounce of grace I’ve ever learned in my life. "Okay, let's go into a separate room, and we’ll sort this out,” I said, hoping to de-escalate the situation.

We made our way to a tiny conference room, and she followed me in, still yelling, still putting me down like I was the reason her morning coffee hadn’t been brewed exactly right. Now, let me tell you, I’ve dealt with stressed-out brides, family drama, and even a surprise runaway groom situation, but I have NEVER been screamed at like that. She was going full volume, like I had just singlehandedly ruined her entire life. I was shook, and to be honest, I almost wanted to hand her a glass of wine and say, "Here, darling, let's all take a breath."

After trying to stay calm, I assured her that it wasn’t an issue—we’d add some more seats, no problem. Our team was already on it. Five minutes. Five minutes, and we'd have it all sorted. The mother of the bride stormed out of the room, still fuming, and I mentally braced myself for whatever else was coming.

Fast forward to when the bride came up to me later. She looked mortified and immediately started apologizing, practically falling over herself with regret. “I’m so sorry about my mom,” she said. “Some extra people showed up. But honestly, she was way more upset than she needed to be.” Oh, don’t worry, I’d noticed. Apparently, the issue was that 10 uninvited guests had crashed the party. No problem! We made the seating changes in five minutes—exactly as I’d promised.

But it didn’t stop there. Later that evening, the dad came up to me and apologized. The dad! He was like, “I’m so sorry about my wife—she’s a bit... much.” I had to resist the urge to ask if he wanted to sit down and cry about it with me.

Weddings are stressful. I get it. But here’s the thing: there’s no need to scream at the person trying to make your day perfect. I survived the chaos, and the wedding went off without a hitch—but let’s just say, I’ve never looked at a “perfect Cinderella moment” the same way again. Cinderella never had to deal with the mother of the bride yelling in her face!

Why Can't I take My Leftovers Home From My Event?

We get this question all the time! It is in all of our contracts as well that per state law, no residual food may be taken home by customers. But why?

The reason you cannot take food from our venue is FOOD SAFETY! It is more than a liability. It is dangerous to eat food that has dropped below temperature when it has been sitting out for hours. When you hire an experienced chef, there will not be many leftovers. Truly. Many people would like to take leftover food to their local homeless shelter or soup kitchen, but It is also in THEIR policy to not except leftovers because of food safety. I do understand people’s concern and totally see why they would think it is weird but there are LAWS in place for a reason and that is to protect everyone. Restaurants are different because you are bringing your leftovers home immediately and refrigerating them. At an event, you have a good 3 hours or more between food service and the end of the event. Hope that helps to clarify… we have had to explain it to a lot of clients!

 

Understanding the Cost of a Wedding Venue

Having a wedding isn’t as simple as saying “I do”. There are a lot of moving parts and costs associated. Many couples who are newly engaged need to know how much each part of a wedding costs and why. For most people, this is their first time getting married and they need to be educated. 

The average cost of a wedding in Janesville-Beloit Wisconsin according to the Wedding Report’s 2019 study is $26,077. If that seems daunting, remember that a professional wedding is made possible by several professionals that will be charging professional wedding prices, because it is one of the most important days of your life!

One of the first decisions you make when planning your wedding is choosing your wedding venue. You will likely spend a large portion of your budget on your wedding venue cost, so it is important to do your research! The average wedding venue cost according to WeddingWire is $6,000 with most couples spending between $3,000-$11,000. Note that these are averages and depend on many factors. For example, the location of your wedding will impact your costs. Getting married in a bigger city tends to cost more than weddings in more rural areas. Your wedding date will impact the cost. If you get married on a Saturday night during peak season you will pay a premium price versus a weekday wedding or a wedding during the off-season. Size is also a factor, the more people you invite, the more money you will spend. What is included in your venue fee will also have a large impact. Some venues you will have to hire an outside caterer, a rental company for tables and chairs, and all other vendors. Please note that Glen Erin Golf Club is an all-inclusive venue which means that your rental fee includes all day access to the venue (10am-12:30am), all tables, all chairs, floor length linens (white, ivory, or black), napkins, silverware, dishware, glassware, set up, tear down, 1 hour rehearsal ceremony, cake cutting, PLUS a wedding coordinator to help you once you book through the day of your wedding! We also have a culinary team on staff so all food and beverage is provided by us. We are truly a one stop shop! You have an entire team working to make your day as stress free as possible. 

Keep in mind the location of your ceremony and if you want it at the same location as your reception. There is a cost associated with having a ceremony as well, whether in a church, at a local park, or at your venue. The average ceremony cost according to Weddingwire is $600.00.

What are some additional venue costs to consider?

Parking – be sure to check to see if you have to pay for valet or other parking fees for your guests. At Glen Erin Golf Club, all parking is free!

Taxes and fees – Cake cutting fees, corkage fees, service charges and more. Always ask the venue if there are any additional fees and taxes! Be sure to read all contracts carefully and fully understand what you are paying for before signing the dotted line.

Tips – be sure to ask if tips are included (also known as gratuities or service charges), if not you will need to be sure to tip the wait staff, bartenders, restroom attendants if any, and coatroom attendants if there are any.

Outside vendor fee – Many venues have vendor lists – a list of vendors they trust. If you choose someone that is not on the list you may need to pay an outside vendor fee. Please note that at Glen Erin Golf Club, there are no outside vendor fees. We do have a list of vendors that we trust and know will do a great job, but it is up to the client whether they choose to use them or not.

I hope that this article has helped you better understand the cost of a wedding venue! Getting married is an important day in your life that you will remember forever. Our staff at Glen Erin Golf Club believe it is important to make memories that last a lifetime! 

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