I am Kendall Shaub, a current senior majoring in Communication Studies and a minoring in Sociology. This past semester I had the honor of interning at Leilani Weddings, a prestigious event planning company based out of Newport Beach. This company orchestrates events of all sizes all throughout the Southern California area. From glamorous to boho to minimalistic, this company has put on the most magnificent of weddings for every type of couple. The title of my position as an intern was “Wedding Planner’s Assistant” and I worked directly under the head of the company and lead planner, Danielle Leilani. This position is comprised of two components, wedding preparation and day-of responsibilities.

My all-time favorite part of this internship was the role I had on wedding days. I was granted the position of Lady-in-Waiting. This person is essentially the bride’s personal assistant and her “right-hand woman” throughout the day. While the other intern’s duties were to set up the ceremony and reception space, I got to be in charge of exciting duties like orchestrating the “first look” which is the first time the bride and groom see one another, holding the bride’s train as she walked down the aisle, managing her gorgeous bouquet, and getting her whatever she may need throughout the day.

Throughout this internship, I learned a lot about my personal work ethic and was able to put my communication skills to the test. I was often in charge of large numbers of people, and it was my job to get them to listen to me and take my directions. But most importantly, I had to gain the bride’s trust and reassure that I can make everything run smoothly, upon meeting her earlier that morning, on the biggest day of her life. Two concepts that I found extremely relevant and helpful were the use of interpersonal communication skills and appropriate self-disclosure.

If I could leave any piece of advice to other students that are interested in wedding planning, it would be to try an internship, like this one, where you attend wedding days and get hands-on experience. As exciting and meaningful as this line of work can be, it is not for everyone and can be a very high-stress environment where tensions run high. As an intern, planning a wedding differs greatly from the responsibilities that you will have on actual wedding days and I would love for everybody to have that experience. Thanks to my time spent at this internship, I now know what to consider for my own events in the future and am more than happy to speak with anybody that is interested in this internship or industry.