Elizabeth Sherry hosts with guests Jenna Culley, Jenna Culley Events; and Matthew Sherry, Complete Weddings + Events as they discuss preparedness plans and what the landscape for events is looking like for 2020 in this COVID19 Era.
About Jenna Culley
enna Culley is a born and raised Wisconsin girl but began her career in New York working at high end, private clubs learning how to plan, execute and design over-the-top events. When she returned to the Midwest, she launched Jenna Culley Events in the Twin Cities and brought all of that big city experience layered with her small town smile. She now has a team of planners that hold her same service-driven values and perfectionist tendencies.
Jenna lives on the East side of the Twin Cities with her husband, Justin, and their three children, Cate, Ava and Wyatt.
About Matthew Sherry
Matthew holds a Bachelor’s of Business Administration and Management, Marketing from Winona State University.
He became CEO of the family-owned and operated Complete Weddings & Events in 2017, where he enjoys working along side his brother, CFO Michael Jr. Sherry.
Over his 20 years with Complete, Matthew has won numerous awards for his work as a DJ and emcee; talent he continues to use today to support many charitable organizations including the annual Relay for Life.
His extensive first-hand experience in the weddings and events industries led him to co-founding the popular local networking group Twin Cities Wedding & Event Professional’s (“TCWEP”) in 2009 with Michelle Tverberg and sister-in-law Elizabeth Sherry. Matthew served for three years on the membership committee of Business Network International (BNI) and for four years on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Catering and Events (“NACE”).
A loyal South St Paul native, he currently resides in “SSP” with his two children and two Chihuahuas.
About Elizabeth Sherry
Elizabeth Sherry is the Development & Engagement Manager for the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. She serves as the Director of Events & Programming for The Twin Cities Wedding & Event Professionals and is also the Director of Marketing & Communications on the board for Meeting Professionals International. She has won three International Live Event Association awards in the past couple years. Elizabeth has been a three time speaker at national Special Event Conference in 2013, 2014, 2015.
Show Dictation
hi everyone its Elizabeth Sherry program director for Twin Cities Wedding & Event Professionals and I am thrilled to be here with the two panelists I have today, Jenna Culley of Jenna Culley Events. Hi Jenna, oh we’re so excited to have you, and then we also have Matthew Sherry of Complete Weddings + Events. It’s so great to have you both here because in my opinion you’re experts in your profession and your field so it’s just so exciting to have you here and of course I may be a little bit biased because Matt is my brother-in-law you probably saw the Sherry name so I’m gonna just acknowledge that from the beginning. And then Jenna I seven years yeah long
time and you know it’s funny I
when you say expert it’s like yeah in
event planning but right now I feel like
who’s an expert in this let me start
with you Jenna like I just give us an
update and how are you and how are you
is your business doing right now yeah I
mean it’s it’s been an interesting year
and I you know we’re doing okay we’ve
had to postpone almost every wedding
that we had up until this point through
August we have one in August and then a
few in the fall yeah we’ve had to
postpone or cancel every event most have
postponed which is a good and a bad
thing because you know it’s now we’re
looking at next year and I literally
have a huge calendar trying to you know
these together what that’s gonna look
like for me and my staff so so it’s it’s
it’s been interesting for sure but we’re
you know we’re doing good and we’re just
kind of reevaluating different things
how how we’re gonna move forward and
what we’re gonna do create good to hear
you’re doing well and your calendar is
filling
for next year that’s exciting to hear
and how about you has complete doing
we’re actually in a pretty good position
at the moment considering everything
like Jenna said we boy every event we
had in April and May was either
postponed or canceled a lot of June I
would say 80 to 85 percent of June as
postponed or canceled July it’s kind of
holding on
I got we got I got some brides if you
ladies we can do it so I’m pretty
excited I mean I I know that things are
opening up we’re starting to open up now
even though it’s pretty slow in our
industry but you know I guess we’re
we’re gonna adapt and I don’t
necessarily think it’s gonna last
forever but there’s some some different
things that we need to pay attention to
and and just make sure we’re ready when
that business does come back and in a
good position to take care of people
great good to hear and as far as filling
this time up until now having events
Matt do you feel that your company has
retooled and if you have what’s been
successful in that retooling yeah in
some I mean so we’re a multi-system
operator your service operator really so
we do photography and video we also do
DJ photo booth lighting you know some
coordination – and so different aspects
have had to change in different areas I
I’d say the biggest changes are in sort
of photobooth and DJ and the
entertainment areas some stuff with film
but it hasn’t really changed I mean film
is more kind of we’ve we’ve made our
self advance ourselves in film because
there’s just an opportunity for a lot of
the events where a lot of people can’t
attend at the moment so so we were
tooling in that way but we’ve done a lot
of really great things especially on the
DJ and you know just kind of focusing
more on different entertainment ideas
like games and trivia and you know
different kinds of entertainment
icebreakers there’s some issues about
dancing that are going
- so we’re kind of planning lots of
spread out line dancing things like that
that we can probably get away with so
we’re we’re doing our best I’m excited
to see the Macarena in that forum
because I don’t think that’s gonna
change too much there you go
and Jonah what about you I mean how are
you saying innovative and retooling
during this fill in time between yeah I
think honestly if I’m being completely
honest it has given me a chance to
really put together policies and
procedures that I’ve intended to have in
place for a long time you know and and I
think sometimes it takes things like
this a combination of just a little bit
of a slowdown with like okay now I have
to have them you know I have to have
these in place and so having policies
and procedures both for staff that I
have and how we are going to function on
wedding days and we need up to the type
of verbage that we’re using with both
vendors and clients you know just having
some kind of guidelines on that for them
and as well as just thinking through
what new tools we actually are
physically going to need on the wedding
day things like masks gloves
thermometers may become a thing in our
bags which I never thought would be a
tool I needed on a wedding day so it’s
just been kind of evaluating a lot of
that those types of things and actually
implementing ideas that I’ve had in my
head forever like oh I really need to
put that into you know our policies and
things and and now finally doing it
mm-hmm
but it might be a positive side
effective of all of this you know taking
that breath and thinking for it about
what is gonna be a problem or things
that year like you said bucket list I’ve
always wanted to add that you know
that’s so important to do because I
think as wedding professionals we all
just try you know water and we just hope
that we can take a breath come
Thanksgiving so I think it’s kind of
nice to be able to take a breath right
now and really analyze while we’re in
Myr
into what the season looks like so well
tear on that now then I am so curious
about what is the new normal for wedding
planner and event planners two of us
speak that but what what is your
day-to-day gonna look like either
leading up internet and even on day on
yeah it’s um it’s gonna be a little
different I think I don’t know about a
lot of other planners but I’m number one
I’m a hugger right I am connected to my
clients not only my clients I mean we’re
in a in an odd position need an event
planner where we really our goal between
between clients and vendors right so
some of my favorite people on the planet
are other vendors and now I’m gonna be
like but also with our clients we’ve
been with a lot of them from day one all
the way through to their wedding day and
so to have them walk back down that
aisle one of my favorite moments is
usually I’m the first hug right like
they walk back to me and I hug them and
all that so it’s just kind of thinking
through some of that of like elbows but
I think it’s also you know right now
we’re waiting you through as planners
we’re waiting through like what our role
is according to government restrictions
and stuff like are we having to take
temperatures of people are we having to
enforce social distancing just what is
our new role that day of and I think a
lot of people a lot of event planners
don’t want that that position of having
to enforce a lot of that so I think
we’re waiting on guidelines of what is
our role according to them but other
than that I mean new norm leading up to
the day is just thinking through plan a
plan B planning around all of these
unknowns and also a measuring tape is
not my best friend set on six feet of
distance
just thinking through like what are
those six foot squares that we have to
kind of keep people in so yeah a lot has
changed Oh her nest and I think of
wedding planners and I’m sure many of us
have witnessed wedding planners on a
day-to-day and you guys are running
around and you’re talking to this person
talking to this person so you’re
engaging with more than just a couple
you’re engaging with the wedding party
you’re dating with VIPs of that group so
I’m curious like like I think of you
bustling a bride’s dress like what is
that yeah well you know I don’t we
talked about this a little bit before we
started but we the good thing is we’re
behind the bride in that scenario right
so it’s not like we’re right here and
there’s an immediate sneeze possibility
so we are underneath but I mean it’s
gonna be masks and gloves and and you
know just sanitizing after the fact I
gotta love a little spray that I you
know watch our hands it’s gonna be doing
all of that or depending on the bride’s
come you know how comfortable they are
it may be doing guidance from afar for
somebody who’s in their household right
a sister mom somebody like that where if
they personally are like trying to keep
six feet of distance from everybody that
they can having to say like okay you see
the blue string okay now find the other
blue string and then tie verbal cues
from afar which is something new as well
I had a great conversation with Amy and
Michelle prior to this and it’s those
verbal cues that we’re all having to
work on instead of just doing it
ourselves because that’s what we’re so
used to so well thank you Joe that’s
really interesting to see the new normal
for your ear realm here and then Matt
what is the new normal for DJ’s you can
elaborate on photographers videographers
photo booths because I know you’ll love
and you’re around but feel free to talk
a little bit about each one of them if
you would like so what is it going to
look like sure well photography and
videography is probably
in the same area or similar elements so
a lot of that is just you know our
videographers or photographers are
wearing masks they’re wearing gloves
when needed you do have to be dexterous
with equipment so that’s not always
going to be a thing
photographers trying to keep their
distance and like Jenna said I mean just
doing a lot of deliberation and letting
other people that are closer and I move
people around stuff like that and you do
have you know we’ve we’ve done some
weddings you know this month that’s been
we’ve had some experience with it we do
notice that you kind of see people
volunteering to help the photographer a
little bit more so that that’s that’s
been helpful for DJ you know we’re doing
things like just making sure that we
have wipes available for all of the
equipment making sure that we have
sanitizer that is available for any hand
shaking or cussing that might happen and
to be able to do that on a regular basis
and kind of Reese Anna ties wireless
microphones you know we’re not passing
microphones right now so we’re putting
them on stands and we’re just kind of
wiping them off quickly you know just in
the poem no big deal no see anything
just a quick wipe invite people up to
give their speeches and their talks
that’s that that’s work really well
people have responded really well to
those types of things I just see a lot
more
Master of Ceremonies work at these
events I’m just a lot of more
togetherness a lot of a lot more
structure on the natural events that do
happen at these events any made
attention to those more entertainment
focus I think I mentioned earlier like
we’ve put together kind of a trivia
program too if anybody ever saw the shoe
game at a wedding basically it’s you
know it’s that times 10 and everyone can
use their phone and you know so that can
be some fun stuff that we’re going to do
and dancing you know yeah I mean we
might have to dance in our little
circles I’ve heard the word band a few
times I don’t know that how how we can
help that I mean if someone wants the
dance
they’re gonna do it I guess but maybe
not as encouraging or dancing as much
and then line dancing and that sort of
thing a photo booth there’s no enclosed
photo booth anymore right now you’re
sure so we do offer both and we’ve just
let our clients know that an open-air
booth is really the only option they
have props we’ve stopped giving props
momentarily
you just you just don’t know if they do
want to provide prompts they can they
can assume that liability on their own I
don’t know what venues we’re gonna do
these menus have their own liability and
everything but we’ve been making quite a
few changes you know that that I think
are going to help especially going
through this this fall and you know
hopefully things relax you know and we
can go back to you know doing dancing to
journey all together in big group hugs
yes well and you touched on my ability
mat and I know Jenny you mentioned
changing your contract so I’m curious
I’ll start with you Matt have you added
language to your contracts that helps
remove some of that liability and put
them back either on the clients or the
venue and not saying that that’s the
best way to go I’m just curious what
does that language look like for you
yeah we’re we’re kind of thinking of
different Burbridge that we can utilize
for it you know at the moment you know
no matter what and our contracts or our
liability is limited to the amount you
know of the the paid service so you know
we’re somewhat protected you know
something like that happens we can’t be
sued for the entire wedding you know or
something like that but I don’t know
what the verbage really is because you
know one upset or scare people about it
but at the same time you have to protect
yourself
and so we do have an act of God clause
that that sort of works and there’s
there’s there’s some variation in the
verbage from state to state as to what
that means you know but I don’t have a
good answer for that because what do you
get what are you gonna do you know
nobody’s getting into these contracts
planning on back
yeah you know and their their
unfortunate circumstances that’s why
we’re working so closely with their
clients you know I’m sending people to
next year cost me a lot of money because
it means this money didn’t make any
money yeah oh man and that’s because we
have a business that’s been around for
thirty years and I wanted to stay around
for another 30 years so I mean so it is
tough but we’re doing it because they
deserve their day you know yeah and they
deserve it to be the best way that they
want it and maybe they don’t want 20
people there and they do want that 150
200 people there so we’re going to give
them that spot good to hear and and
Jenna I don’t know if you have any
specifics you want to share our advice
you have for business owners on what
things you’ve added to your contract
that feel really good to you yeah well
so I had kind of a standard boilerplate
contract and that I’ve been using for
years you know just it was kind of what
I could do when I first got started and
then you have all these other things
that you’re spending money on and doing
as a business owner and just updating
that has never been a priority like it
is right now um and so I actually I just
hired a new lawyer to do like a very
specific contract for my team now and
one of the conditions that I do I was
asking her about that we could include
um is something called a working
conditions clause and basically what it
does is it allows us if for any reason
we feel like the client is not following
regulations or the group following
regulations and that we could somehow be
called liable for it or somehow
personally you know be getting sick from
it or whatever it may be basically
anything if one of my staff members
strongly feels like they are not in a
safe situation we can actually leave
that event and that clause in there
protects us from litigation so things
like that are things I never thought I
would need to look at and and add in
what are things that I just I want to
make sure that my staff and I are are
safe conditions so we’ve been looking at
that we’ve also updated our postponement
policies and things like that because
yeah just like Matt like we’ve managed
to be able to work with every client and
not we haven’t charged a postponement
fee at this point for things other than
you know if something is additional work
mm-hmm
it’s very it’s different with planners I
feel like because our clients know how
much work we’re putting in for different
things they see it as we’re going
through and so if they postpone I’ve
been saying like I will tell you if
there are additional hours with all the
changing over of vendors and whatnot you
know so so we kind of function that way
so but in our contract now we have act
of God clauses the postponement policies
and things like that just to make sure
that our business can continue to serve
clients in the future and not go away
completely well know those all sound
like really great additions and so
important to have to protect your staff
I think that’s something that in this um
you carry almost double liability in it
for you as both of you manage a team so
I think and I feel for you guys because
sometimes to put in a rock and a hard
place on that those contract terms I
think then make it a little bit easier
so you know Jenna my next question goes
to you because I know you’re such a
great forward thinker so now having to
go through 2020 and I this year would be
- what would be the bar spread this year
would be wasted and I hate to say it
like this if we all didn’t emerge from
this better people so what do you think
these next five years they’re gonna
bring for you maybe you have to just
kind of put your fortune teller hat as I
said in the last one eyes like what is
the next five years you know look like
for you you feel confident you can grow
your business or you want to keep it the
same it’s very curious to hear what you
have going on yeah yeah no it’s brought
up a lot within that and thinking how do
you pandemic proof yourself you know and
and you can’t to some degree right like
it’s I mean life is going to happen
for me the things that I’ve been looking
at are things like online services that
we could offer you know whether it’s
it’s a consult where I’m just helping
people kind of design their time line or
you know start if they’re starting to
plan what you know what are the things
they should look at and is that
something a service that I could sell I
can sell it no matter what’s going on
right more of a in purse or a zoom
called contract kind of thing where it
would just be an hourly rate and people
can book that time with me um to looking
at things like that also looking at some
online course type things that that
brides and grooms could buy for me
whether they want to work with me or not
but just different aspects of the
wedding they’re like oh we really are
stuck here or you know an overall
wedding planning course that they could
purchase in an online forum so thinking
business-wise for some of those things
I’ve also had in my head to possibly
expand to other cities and that honestly
has has progressed even more with all of
this because you know one state things
are going really bad and you know you
just don’t know but other states things
are loosening up and are totally fine
and so having that in a way risk
mitigated across the country is good and
bad right there’s you have to learn all
of the protocols and all the regulations
and all the cities but having that has
been a thought and then for me
personally I also it’s looking at
diversifying I’ve had a another business
I have a network marketing business –
and if I hadn’t had that income coming
in during all of this it would have been
a completely different story for me
this you know during this time so I’ve
always heard only stick with one
business and you know put all of your
eggs into one basket and I’ve never been
able to do that I’ve always had these
two things and this year Ellison I was
like
you know that’s been great so I think
it’s it’s looking at those things as
business owners and saying like what how
can I change the services that I offer
to be in a more online format but also
how can I diversify our own portfolio so
that we’re we’re protected no matter
what happens
that’s great points Wow and just so cool
to hear about how you’re almost growing
your business outside of what you
normally do like the education that is
so neat I mean we do I remember planning
my wedding and thank goodness I knew
vendors so Matt how about you what’s in
the future for complete I mean you guys
are a franchise of multi cities and
states which is helpful but I’m kind of
curious big picture for you as Minnesota
goes and then even for complete as a
whole nation oh wow I mean for us
locally I mean we’re always looking just
to do the the best that we can we’re
looking to grow we think this year might
actually not this year necessarily but
next year might be a very great
opportunity for growth because a certain
amount of business is already booked and
we can you know we can move on top of
that and that’s a great opportunity for
us to hire more people and change more
lives that way to something I’m excited
about with which i think is fairly
temporary is you know these guidelines
and restrictions we’re going to have for
the next you know this season and maybe
part of the the next season is that it’s
giving us the opportunity to really
think outside the box and add some new
services that could be very marketable
and very exciting going forward you know
so you know with with the the trivia and
just with different icebreaker
interaction ideas there’s a lot of
things that we see with streamlining
film and being able to actually do good
production with streamlining ceremonies
and conventions and things like that
there’s some things we’ve developed that
I think are going to help us in the
future as add-on services you know and I
still believe it I believe in my heart
that you know be what’s happening is
terrible we need to be care
but it’s not gonna last forever and so
this isn’t you know we’re not going to
be talking about wearing masks you know
a year and a half from now if we are we
have much bigger issues you know so I’m
just I’m hoping hey you know what I’m
looking for and I’m being positive that
things will actually go to a much larger
resemblance of normal than we think at
the moment and so I’m we’re prepared for
that and we’ll be prepared in the future
that does happen but looking forward to
normalcy happening and growth you know
as usual and taking care of some really
great people on some very big days
that’s good to hear it
Matt I enjoyed then you know I work with
complete quite often and you guys have
done a wonderful job taking care of your
clients like really so I think you can
thank you but yes I think how how people
help vendors are handling this situation
is going to propel them forward or
propel the methods you know and I yeah I
think complete is doing a fantastic job
so I think we want to sit back and
complain but it’s not gonna help anyone
or anything so make the right plans
let’s go forward let’s do the right
thing and you know if we’re prepared and
it’s gonna be fine
you know let’s be prepared and if
everything is fine then we’re super
prepared and you know watch all of us be
incredibly successful because of it here
and you know a lot of our audience is
vendors so we’re speaking to them but in
case those audience members are engaged
or are gonna be couples themselves here
soon with an upcoming wedding I’m just
curious if you guys have anything you
want to say directly to them because
what I’m hearing right now and I want to
take words on your is his mouth is that
you’re willing to work with them like
you’re humans they’re human you really
want to make sure their wedding day is
spectacular you know with keeping to
making people are see so you guys have
any words of wisdom for you know couples
that might be listening yeah
yeah I actually had um I had clients
that about a week and a half ago maybe
two weeks ago contacted me and just said
they’re more they’re more day of so
they’re handling a lot of the vendor
communication themselves but they
contacted us to let it let us know like
they’d probably we’re gonna be
postponing or cancelling their wedding
altogether they were having some issues
with the venue and with their caterer
and and they had already talked to a
lawyer and things were height you know
emotions were heightened and I basically
told them I said listen take a breath
understand these vendors want to work
with you like they’re it’s not you
against them they want to work with you
they really will they I know this this
caterer they will work and rearrange
things with you however they can do they
need to protect their business and do
they need to protect the income they
were expecting yes but they will work
with you to try to figure out a solution
that works really well through both
evening and we just got an email earlier
this week that they were able to talk
everything’s back on she was so excited
you know everything she’s like I feel
like it’s we’ve done a 180 you know and
and so my advice is just to be super
honest and super specific for what you
need with from that vendor if they are
able to do it they will do it you know
if they aren’t able to do it it may be
able to meet you somewhere in the middle
that makes it a good arrangement for
both of you but I I think having that
complete transparency and just really
honest conversations with your vendors
is what’s gonna make everybody come
through this situation so much better
that’s really great advice I love that
type of story that testimonial is huge
and that anything you want to say to
clients of people planning their wedding
for this year or next year well I think
I would second what Jenna said
especially for events that are happening
within the next six months you know and
ones that have already been postponed
and canceled and working with them and
we we do we this is what we do and we
love what we do and we want to do it for
that client you know and you know we
have to protect ourselves and you know
and and and and so we’re working with
them and making sure that they
understand that we have their back and
we’re in there for like next year 2021
I’m honestly just kind of like hey you
just got engaged playing wedding and
plan it like you want it to be you know
and we’re not worried about that stuff
right now and in seven or eight months
we’ll have a better picture and if we if
we have to make some adjustments to make
your plans work or change some things
around we’ll do that absolutely
doing this for an entire year and if not
and things are wonderful and great you
know you just had a really great time
you know putting everything together and
you get the day you deserve and you work
for you know and just just think of that
you know you know this is this is some
of the best stuff of human beings it’s
just being able to celebrate with each
other and celebrate big moments in our
lives with the people we love you know
it means more to us than most everything
else you know and I’m not gonna let it
go
so this industry’s gonna stick around
because I’ll have a deejay board in my
car and ready to just do parties I don’t
care
think about the celebrations after all
of this lifts I mean it’s just it’s
gonna be a huge party for everyone I’m
excited about it well you guys are said
party and celebration it just inspires
me to think that we should probably
provide our audience with what our best
social distancing dance must look like
now that we have the space to do the
dance moves we want to do I mean now no
longer pack dance floors we get to have
this thing so I challenge you both to
get out with me here we go did you yeah
we’re gonna do this distance dancing huh
and that’s all we’re gonna get together
again and have events again
now that our heart rates up and our hair
is a little hostile I’m gonna say
goodbye Thank You Jenna and Matt for
being our special panelists today it’s
been so great chatting with you and and
to our audience listening thank you so
much for tuning into our 3rd edition of
our collab web virtual so thank you
again Matt Jenna we are excited to see
what comes out from your guys’s your
stuff everyone have a good day
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