We all know the nasty cliché “Always the bridesmaid, never the bride.” While almost exclusively used by condescending family to describe a single, chronic bridesmaid or by people who have seen “27 Dresses” one too many times, it is also a phrase I affectionately use to describe my summer job.
Always the…caterer?
That’s right.
Over the summer, I work as a formal catering server. In non-service industry terms, I work at a variety of formal events tending to the guests there.
While I’ve worked non-wedding events, my favorite events to work are weddings.
The excitement is contagious and I’m usually hard pressed to find guests without a smile on their face from the minute we get there to set up to the minute we wave goodbye to everyone. There is truly no greater job.
My Pinterest has even caught on to my side hustle and has been recommending me wedding-related Pins for months now. If you must know, yes, I actually do have every single detail of my wedding planned out…stay tuned for the guest list.
Even though the surface-level aspects of the job are just plain enjoyable, the service industry is much deeper than taking orders, cleaning up and interacting with patrons. It is making people feel cared for, loved, appreciated and, most important, welcome. To make guests feel welcome, especially during weddings where there tends to be a large amount of unfamiliar people in an unfamiliar venue, is a skill that is absolutely necessary in the service-industry bubble. While everyone thinks they can work catering or as a server, there is only a very small percentage of those people who have the grit, work ethic and people skills to actually work a job like mine.
Working as a catering server has given me much more than just people skills, though.
It has taught me the value of teamwork, dedication and attention to detail.
The team I work with is everything to me. They are strong, funny, focused and smart. My coworkers are the absolute embodiment of selflessness, and it is so amazing to watch them go from silly to server in a matter of minutes. I am blessed to leave every night at work with new friends.
Dedication is so key to working formal events, especially weddings. If you’re like me, the last thing you want to be is anything close to behind-the-scenes, especially during a party, but it is something you have to dedicate yourself to. Doing everything you can to enhance the experience of someone else, whom you have no connection to and might never see again, takes dedication and grit. It’s not always the easiest job, so sticking with it is key.
Wedding’s require precision, specificity and attention to detail. They are large-scale events that require many moving parts and a bunch of people (at varying levels of sobriety), so executing a specific, detailed plan is key and doing so with a smile on your face is the cherry on top.