Perillo

Name: Samantha Perillo

Guiding Question: Will I want to be a wedding planner as my future profession?

(optional) Use this space to list possible activities, tasks, experiences. Remember everything you do should help you answer your Guiding Question.

(Required) This plan is a “best guess” as to what you and your mentor think you will be doing. It is not meant to be a hard and fast schedule for your Exploration. The plan should illustrate how you intend to complete a minimum of 80 hours.


 * = Date ||= Location/Activity ||= Number of Hours ||
 * = 5/4-20 ||= Research for weddings- @ home ||= 17 hours ||
 * = 5/15-20 ||= working with Cindy H. ||= 10 hours ||
 * = 5/21 ||= Wedding with Linda ||= 12 hours ||
 * = 5/29 ||= Wedding with Kameron ||= 10 hours ||
 * = 5/21-29 ||= Research ||= 10 hours ||
 * = 6/4 ||= Pre-Wedding with Linda ||= 7 hours ||
 * = 6/5 ||= Wedding ||= 12 hours ||
 * = 6/10 ||= Wedding with Kameron ||= 7 hours ||
 * =  ||> Total Number of Hours ||= 84 hours ||
 * = 6/10 ||= Wedding with Kameron ||= 7 hours ||
 * =  ||> Total Number of Hours ||= 84 hours ||
 * =  ||> Total Number of Hours ||= 84 hours ||
 * =  ||> Total Number of Hours ||= 84 hours ||
 * =  ||> Total Number of Hours ||= 84 hours ||
 * =  ||> Total Number of Hours ||= 84 hours ||

Journal: I was able to follow through with my plan of action with many research projects and availability for an upcoming wedding with one of my sponsors, Linda. Linda and Kameron have given me many opportunities to finally see what the planning industry really entails. For example, I had to research ideas for a Rock and Roll Halloween Party for Kameron and a Bugs Bunny Themed Party for Linda. Not only was I looking up themes for parties, but I was also researching types of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages for wedding guests at receptions for weddings which I plan to be assisting. The past two weeks I have put in at least 16 hours of research for the two. I believe I am very close to answering my guiding question. So far, I have really enjoyed my experience so far. I was given the opportunity to assist a friend in planning their wedding. Now that I have been able to see what all of this entails, I have been able to now combine both experiences together with using the research I have to help assist planning this other wedding. I plan on counting these hours into my minimum amount due to the fact that I am planning just as much as I am assisting the company. However, my priorities lie with Kameron and Linda, so when they need me to do something that is my priority over the other wedding seeing that they are my sponsor.

At this past wedding I experienced with Kameron, we had a long discussion about types of planning, how and what personality traits one should had to be a wedding planner, and how schooling affects your industry. Kameron began to explain to me that you do not need to directly go into school for an event planner. She is a double masters in Psychology and minor in business. When she asked me about my expected course I told her Business Communications and she told me that if I wanted to go in the path of event planning its best to have business under your belt because it will give you a view of how the industry works but also it won't leave you in such a limited course of opportunities in the future. Kameron and Linda are fantastic interns and really go out of their way to make sure that I get the experience that I need. Last week I was at a Reform-Jewish wedding which was quite different from a Catholic wedding of which I experienced a week prior in the Villanova area. I really have been enjoying my internship, I have learned so much about the details going into a wedding, the little time that you can have to plan things, etc.
 * 2

Wrapping up this externship I've really learned a lot of new things about the wedding planning industry. You don't get paid that much, you've really have to have a certain type of personality to be able to handle all sorts of things thrown at you and so much more. However, with this in mind, I have definitely come to the conclusion that yes, I would love to do this for my future profession. Seeing as this is what I want to be when I am older, I thought it would be great to start off with this as my Senior Exploration and I am for sure glad that I did so. The sponsors, Linda and Kameron, were fabulous. They helped me learn SO many things and even told me that I can write each of them down as a reference for future employment opportunities. I've met many individuals from photographers to catering businesses and disc jockeys which I incorporated into the wedding I've been helping plan for a friend of mine.
 * 3