“I think it’s essential to be able to provide and to be able to create the core essence of everything that an event needs.” – Carlos Lopez
While working at Haven Harbor Marina Resorts as the head coordinator of the Inn, he is running collaborations and working together with surrounding businesses in the county to create timeless memories for customers on either end. Being in the wedding venue world isn’t easy, come see what his perspectives are on the how to’s, the what if’s, and the oh no’s.
His Beginning:
One word… blessed.
Blessed is what Carlos Lopez feels as he has gone through life from the very beginning. He was honorably chosen to come from El Salvador and benefit the United States with his plethora of talents at a very young age. From New York, started his love of work and became a “workaholic” as he would say. Which we totally get if you haven’t heard.
While trying to pay rent in Manhattan… he started in catering and events! Who knew that was how he would have been led to us?
Overcoming Covid:
Carlos had choices to make LITERALLY right before covid hit… 24 hours before. With caring for a business, comes a lot of responsibility with the upkeep with an older building in the heart of NYC. Converting an elementary school into an event space was one of a kind space to hold. He converted the auditorium into an event space. “Now you can get married at your school, and so it was kind of fun.” They had to make the best choice for them, they had to sell. Then he had a special invitation to to go live his best life in Hawaii… “So I took a leap of faith…” Listen in the rest of the podcast to hear what he had turned to in his next steps of life.
Working as a team:
Working with every season is different for us as well. Trying to find new trends and working with the old ones until they start to change is always an experience for the whole industry as a whole. Watching how trends and different venues change. For us it has always been about relationships with our vendors. When we have the communication side to explain what is going on and have complete trust in the teams working together.
Working in new worlds:
Being in the wedding venue world, there are potentials for buyouts. For small and large wedding events and they both have their good qualities an then they have their “iffy” qualities. Balancing both entail two completely sides to event services. Depending on the size determines how many aspects you will have to juggle and honestly stress about. Before covid, it was a big wedding had 300-400 people. Now, it has gone down to 200-150 people. For smaller weddings, 10-50 including elopements have increased. It changed the world in how we see everyone in our lives, and how much of a budget you have. “Covid really did it.”
What we do:
Bottom line, we are caregivers, it is what we do. Being humble and believing in our guests’ ideas is one aspect we never take advantage of. We are in this industry that we know and love. A lot of hard work, legwork for our guests, because at the end of the day it is all about the guests. How to care for them, and how to make them happy.
Tune in to listen to all of the details regarding Carlos and his magical life! From beginning to and and behind the scene thoughts on what is like in the wedding venue world. What is the beginning? How does it differ from other specialists? How do we relate to him? Listen to find out!
Links:
Haven Harbor Marina: https://www.havenharbour.com/
What flower are you?
Lizzy: Plumeria
Liza: Eucalyptus
Amber: Sunflower
Carlos: Sunflower
