It may come as no surprise that Sean Parker, the former Napster dude and now Facebook billionaire, threw himself a multi-million dollar wedding when he made it official with Alexandra Lenas in Big Sur a week ago. It may also come as no surprise that he went all out for his affair, creating a movie like set {that many say was Game of Thrones-esque in appearance} and hiring a famed costume designer to create outfits for all of the guests. What may come as quite a surprise? That on top of the 10 mill he spent creating his picture perf wedding, Parker was forced to pay 2.5 million dollars in fines…for not getting the correct permits to build his wedding “set” in a protected ecological area.
Photo: Just Jared
Now, chances are that the majority of the weddings you work on won’t be quite this lavish, but this costly mistake is a very good lesson for the rest of us on the importance of permits. Whether the wedding is in a national park or backyard, there are often special permits that need to be attained, whether it has to do with the fire department or as in the case with Sean Parker, sustaining the environment. As wedding vendors, it is our job to guide our clients in the right direction when planning their weddings, so make a point of familiarizing yourself with the permits needed in your city or for some of the venues {such as parks} that you may work with, so that you can make sure to avoid a costly mistake for your own clients. And, you never know – your clients may not get as lucky as Sean Parker, who was allowed to go on with his wedding and simply had to pay fines – that frankly, he could afford! It is possible for the fire department or park services to shut down a wedding that doesn’t have the correct permits, and you certainly don’t want that for your clients! Because really, a wedding that goes off without a hitch – with all the correct permits in hand – is going to garner way more fans for you on Facebook :).
Have you ever discovered the need for permits that surprised you when working on a wedding? Please share in the comments below!
