“Two decades of planning around the world have taught me that weddings and corporate events share the same DNA: politics, power, and a very expensive contract.”
After nearly 20 years of managing and executing corporate conferences to luxury weddings, I am often asked which I prefer. The truth is it is hard to say because they are far more alike than people imagine.
At first glance, a wedding looks nothing like a corporate event. One has champagne towers and first dances; the other has spreadsheets and shareholder votes. But anyone who has planned both knows the similarities: high stakes negotiations, strong personalities, fragile egos, and a very expensive contract at the end.
Weddings are in many ways the ultimate business deal. Families merge assets, reputations, and expectations. Stakeholders debate who pays versus who decides. Guest lists become exercises in diplomacy with every name carrying the weight of a small political appointment. In both worlds, some negotiations feel more like day three of a UN emergency meeting, with neither party or family member agreeing terms. I have sometimes wondered if hostage negotiation might actually be easier.
The budgets often rival international conferences, and the risk management is just as complex: weather, travel, catering, power. What the world sees is romance. What industry insiders know is that weddings are also about legacy, power, and image. They are statements of identity, not unlike a brand launch. A drone show in Dubai, a chateau in France, or a beachfront in Thailand, the production values mirror global galas, just dressed in white silk.
The planner’s role is to bridge these two worlds: to make the merger look like a love story, and the love story run like a merger. To calm the chaos like the conductor of an orchestra, ensuring every section comes in on time and in tune. Because while a CEO might survive a delayed keynote, a bride will not forgive a missing boutonniere.
Both matters. Both are business. And both, when done well, should look effortless. In the end, marriage may be about love, but wedding planning is always about business.
