Why The Event Edit Exists: Bringing Wedding Planning Clarity to Couples and Pros

I didn’t set out to start a blog. I set out to execute events, make delicious food and create beauty. The Disconnect I Saw After 30 Years in Events

The poetry of a misspelled name & chaotic desk.

I didn't set out to start a blog. I set out to execute events. I love everything about them. The conception, the build, the crisis management, the exhaustion. I am good at this grind. It has been my identity for most of my life.

Over the years as an avid DIY girl, a lifelong caterer, an event planner (sometimes accidentally, sometimes begrudgingly), and most recently a venue manager, I kept noticing the same thing: There is a disconnect.

After 30 + years in this industry, doing all of the hard stuff, I thought the venue side would be the sweet spot. My clientele was largely part DIY. Over and over, as seasoned as I am, I found myself uncompensated for over performing, underappreciated by what I thought were nice people. After analyzing those few years, first taking responsibility for the scope creep I allowed, but then going deeper, I realized that there is only one thing that could be the culprit.

There are many unanswered questions and false assumptions with couples and, honestly, there is confusion with some vendors, too. I am guilty of providing well beyond scope for clients because I care about the experience and the memory that will last their lifetimes. I can see when something has a hole or a crisis needs to be managed on the backend and whether I am responsible or not, I am going to take care of it. So, I am not without fault in feeding the divide. At the root, though, the planning language is murky, the pricing curve is insane, and Pinterest isn't here to dispense the ugly truth.

After decades in the industry, I realized clarity is the missing ingredient in most wedding planning experiences.

Behind every beautiful event is a series of decisions most people never see. Who does what. What should be hired out. What can be done yourself. What do things actually cost. How to communicate with vendors. How to work with a venue. What expectations are realistic and which ones are Pinterest fiction. Some of the job titles that have somehow become standard are actually fodder. I mean, Day of Coordinator? It makes me want to rage sometimes. There is no such thing.

Jen Wead, Tampa Seasoned Event Pro and voice behind this blog.

Working inside a venue gave me a front-row seat to all of it. I saw extraordinary professionals at work. I saw clients doing their best with limited information and lofty expectations. I saw some DIYers pull off magic and others carry unnecessary stress simply because no one had explained how the machine actually runs. I myself provided outside of what was contracted but strangely was expected to be in a role I was not contracted for. (Venue Manager Plus IS NOT A PLANNER!!!)

Since the pandemic and the world decided to gather again, my personal, unofficial focus has been vendor relations-building stronger partnerships, clearer communication, and smoother execution from the inside out. I love the beautiful cadence of collaborating with experienced peers with the same work ethic as mine. As a vendor, the weddings that you arrive to, when you joyfully realize the entire vendor team are made up of some of the best in the industry and they just happen to be your longtime friendors, ahh, it just makes the long hours and hard work feel like a gift. For me, after those instances, I would be wired until the morning hours, laying in my bed with my body vibrating in pain, but virtually intoxicated by the success and the magic. I love to teach the newly initiated, but engaged industry pros, too.

My focus will always be on supporting my colleagues in this industry.

However, my focus has broadened as my life and career have changed.

The aforementioned divide, it isn't just one sided. The real gap isn’t between vendors. It isn't greedy, misinformed clients.

It’s the distance between them.

There’s a language barrier. An expectation gap. A disconnect between vision and logistics. I found myself frustrated, but standing directly

in the middle of it.

The perfect view to see. Really see,

I’ve been the DIYer. I’ve been the caterer. I’ve been the planner. I’ve managed the venue. I’ve worked alongside the pros. I've given too much and been expected to give more.

That perspective is rare and it’s exactly what this space is built on. My experience and perspective from what I have always referred to as the "trenches" is my platform. I am still focused on my colleagues, because have things I want to do to support my peers. I also see that I still have a role I can fill to support the couples and DIYers.

The Event Edit Blog exists to share what actually works and why.

Not just inspiration. Not just aesthetics. But my unfiltered insight on how things move, how decisions impact outcomes, and how to approach events with clarity instead of chaos.

I approach every event the same way:

Build the : Event. Assess it: Edit. Then we: Execute.

Event. Edit. Execute.

• You embody the plan. Envision every move.

• You refine what matters. Fill the gaps.

• You carry it across the finish line. Maintain their vision.

And, then you break it down and leave the space better than before you built there.

It wasn't until just recently that I realized how much that very flow has affected the way I have lived and operated outside of the event.

I have a lot that I have created for myself over the years that I want to share. While I will still pepper in some of the photos, shenanigans and inspiration from events that I have created, I will also be going deeper for the people currently in the trenches. There is more to this gig than checklists and workflows. There are some things we need to discuss.

What DIY Couples Actually Need

For the couples, I have some helpful planning tools I have been creating, unlike the usual tools you can purchase anywhere. The empty lines left for the couple to fill in enlighten no one. In fact, it perpetuates the misinformation.

A holistic understanding is just the beginning.

I am launching a tool that I have been putting my heart and soul into soon. It sat evolving in my mind, changing shape, form, and purpose for this entire year. When I finally realized what was needed to support myself and others like me, I cried from relief, excitement, and hope. Because I am on a crusade to unravel some things and fortify some others.

If you’re planning something meaningful, working inside the industry, or trying to figure out what, who, how and why of your event or event business, you’re in the right place.

Welcome to The Event Edit. Experience shared with intention.