"I want to work as a bridal producer, but I'm worried that a company that is solely focused on the bridal business might not offer much scope for my future. So maybe a large hotel? But a hotel would have too many sections and I might not be assigned to the bridal department..." I was 18 years old and in my first year at a bridal college, and I was in the middle of a dilemma. Although I had a firm desire to "work in the bridal industry," I had a hard time deciding where to do it.
I met Happo-en during a company visit with my school. While other companies used beautiful images to present their companies, the person in charge at Happo-en told me a story about a wedding ceremony that was full of emotion. They do not impose their own worldview or ideas, but rather understand the customer's thoughts and think about what a wedding is essentially. "There's a company like this." It was a moment of light for me, who was worried about where to work. But that's not all. Happo-en was the only company that helped me with self-analysis at the information session. "You seem to be suited to this kind of work," "You seem like you could be this kind of producer," they were able to draw out my feelings and be there for me. They treated me like an ideal bridal producer. At that time, I no longer had any doubts about where I wanted to become a bridal producer.
Bringing out the truth
Create proposals that resonate with customers.
Shortly after being assigned to the bridal department, I realized that the job of a bridal producer is all about building relationships with customers. How much of their true feelings can you tell us, starting with "Actually..."? Can you listen to them and deeply understand them and make a proposal that will touch their hearts? For example, while listening to their stories, one bride told me about a precious memory of going to see the stars with her father when she was a child. "I've loved the stars ever since." I suggested to the bride, "Why don't you hold the ceremony on Tanabata?" and on the day of the ceremony, the bride re-entered the room holding hands with her father. Both of them were crying deeply, and I savored the joy of being able to be there.
Why do you want to have a wedding? I have worked with many customers and their reasons are truly diverse. Some customers don't see the point in having a wedding, saying things like "I don't want to do it, but I feel obligated to do it" or "My parents tell me to," and are not very positive about it. However, when I listen carefully, they always express some hope about what kind of wedding they want to have, how they want their loved ones to feel. I try to catch that hope and make it into something that exceeds their imagination. By doing so, I feel a strong sense of fulfillment when they think, "I'm glad I had a wedding."
Because of the responsibility,
Solve it as a team.
Now I can talk about the joys of my job, but when I first started out, I felt like I was being crushed by the weight of the pressure. A big budget. High expectations. I pushed myself too hard, thinking that I absolutely could not make any mistakes. A customer I was in charge of at the time said to me, "I want to ask you because you are so serious about us." From then on, in order to live up to that encouragement, I was able to carry out that important wedding with the help of many people, from my seniors to the manager. It is only when you have a sense of responsibility that you can make it happen with the power of a team, rather than carrying it on your own. This was a lesson I was able to gain because I was entrusted with important customers from my first year.
Among our clients, there are couples who continue to exchange New Year's cards even after the wedding, and come to see us at every life stage change, such as pregnancy and childbirth. One even brought their baby and said, "Sakou, please hold this baby." Being able to be deeply involved in someone's life in this way makes me feel like being a bridal producer is a fascinating job that can dramatically change my own life as well.
Good work is done in person.
From listening often.
It's the spring of our third to fourth year. We participated in the "Best Producer Contest" wedding production contest sponsored by Happo-en. The contest is to produce a detailed fictional bride and groom, and we compete in teams with finalists from each category, such as chefs and pastry chefs, to see what kind of wedding we can produce overall. We actually went to the hometowns of the bride and groom, spoke with local government officials, learned about the food culture and traditions of the area, and incorporated that information into our proposal. It was a very good experience as we were able to make a proposal that both myself and my team were satisfied with. After all, the basics are in person, in person. Meet properly, listen carefully, and communicate. The basics of a bridal producer's work will never change. This experience made me realize that again.
At Happo-en, everything is custom-made to express the individuality of the couple. Therefore, there are always new proposals and challenges every time. Conversely, I think that if there were no new proposals and challenges, the wedding would not be just for the couple. While the job of a bridal producer, which allows you to pursue anything for your customers, is rewarding, there are also many difficult aspects. But even if you take on a challenge you've never tried before, you'll be fine because you have everyone on your team. I truly want to tell this to my colleagues and juniors who will pass through the gates of Happo-en in the future, and to my 18-year-old self.
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