Peter Kelly, better known as Franc – wedding planner extraordinaire. He talks to EOIN BUTLER
Why are so many people excited about the British royal wedding? It's a huge event. The whole world will be watching. I was in New York recently and everyone was talking about it over there. It's on their TV screens, literally day and night. Also, as a wedding planner, this is an event that will change the direction of weddings globally for years to come. The dress, the bouquet, the cake . . . everything. So it's very exciting.
The groom has a massive bald spot. Do you think they'll spray paint over it for the big day?No, he is the way he is. He's a real person and the public love him for that. Plus he's got a good body and he looks fabulous in uniform. That is what's important. Luckily enough, she's absolutely stunning. Although, a lot of people are up in arms about her weight.
Her weight? There's huge controversy about her weight. People are saying she's too thin. So, clearly, they're both under enormous pressure and it's going to be a very nerve-racking day. If I was organising the wedding, I'd try to make sure they had time alone together, away from all their guests, just to chill out.
Have you ever had a bridezilla client who was impossible to work with?All the time. Some brides experience stress and anxiety in advance, but are calm and relaxed on the big day. Others will just breeze through the weeks leading up to the wedding and then completely freak out on the day. A common issue for brides is when they try on their dress for the first time. They have a lot of fairytale expectations – that there'll be champagne and that their friends will cry – and are often disappointed if that's not how it works out.
What do the grooms get annoyed about? Well, I think one of the biggest flashpoints for couples, generally, is the table plan. That's where you need two bottles of wine and a lot of hugs. The groom will want his friends and family seated in a certain place, the bride will have other ideas. Then if the parents get involved that's an added complication, because the more parties involved the harder it is to work out.
I'll be honest. In a million years, I couldn't begin to fathom why anyone cares about any of this. Well, look. A wedding is a marker in your life. For those 24, or 48 hours, all the people you love and care about most in this world are gathered in one place. That's what makes it such a unique occasion.
Within five or 10 years, sadly, about 10 per cent of your guests will be dead. So you’ll never have a day like it again.
No, I get why you'd enjoy having a big party. What I don't understand is why it matters what anyone wears or where they sit?It's a unique occasion in people's lives. They want it to be perfect. My job is to be their problem solver, because you never know what can go wrong: the electricity can go out, toilets can get blocked, things catch fire. Luckily, I'm calm in a crisis and always think quickly on my feet. You have to have contingency plans, because otherwise you're in trouble.
Okay Mr Problem Solver . . . After dinner, the bride's mother returns to her room and gets stuck in the lift. The hotel say it will be at least an hour before the lift is fixed. What do you do?Oh God, did that really happen?
Yes, it happened to someone I know. Her mother was stuck in the lift for over an hour. The bride was not informed about it until the next day.Well, that's good. If I'd designed that wedding, I'd have looked at the lifts in advance. If I thought they looked dodgy, I'd have made sure that was attended to. Also, I'd have made sure there was someone onsite who was able to deal with potential problems like that.
Finally, is business holding up in the recession?It's good. People are still getting married, so the hotels that do weddings are surviving, whereas the ones that don't are in trouble. The average spend during the Celtic Tiger years was about €35,000 – now it's €25,000. So you focus on what you want. If it's dinner, focus on the food. If it's a party, focus on entertainment.
I did a wedding in Adare, where the bride mentioned that she didn’t like cake. I said, well, then why bother with it? The great thing about a recession is you don’t have to do everything.
weddingsbyfranc.com
