Ask and You Shall Receive
Many years ago I took the Dale Carnegie class – How to Win Friends and Influence People. One of the many wonderful things I learned was – consider the worst case scenario. Once you figure out what that is decide if you can live with it. If you can you are all set to move forward. If not, determine what you need to do.
When I am deciding to ask for something, like most people I hesitate and think the response is likely to be “no” – so don’t bother asking. Applying the rule above I came to realize I was creating the worst case scenario. If I ask, the worst that can happen is they say “no”. If I don’t ask – I’ve said no for them.
My husband and I were married in a quick backyard wedding with plans of an all-out party for the reception six months later. The backyard wedding was fantastic, we had all six of our children there and a few others. The minister was someone I found on the internet that made house calls. Simple, beautiful and a magical night.
Our reception on the other hand would be extravagant, beautiful and a magical night.
We hired a dinner cruise ship for the night and invited over 200 of our closest family and friends. For the entertainment we decided to go for something special. I’ve been a fan of John Berry’s for as long as I can remember. We decided, we (or rather I) would see if we could hire him for the event.
After a bit of research I found the number for his manager. I called and asked if John would do a wedding. The manger wasn’t sure but agreed to check with John. He took my contact information and the planning continued. Several weeks later I hadn’t heard back, so I opted to try calling again. I heard the same response from the manager. This time I made it clear that I’d like a response either way.
The next day, my cell phone rang – the number was from Tennessee – I was certain it would be the manager. I answered with my usual – ‘this is Bea’. The response I heard nearly knocked me over – “this is John Berry”. I quickly moved outside to finish the call, so there would be less chance of the call dropping. We talked for a while. He was available for the date but typically doesn’t do weddings. He has found frequently the bride and groom are huge fans but no one else know who he is. We agreed to pay for a 90 minute performance; however, he would decide when the show was over. If folks were obviously in to it he would play longer, but if they were not he’d wrap up early.
The night of the reception arrived. John setup on the top deck. The cruise made for a magical evening as the sun set and we were draped in a canopy of stars. John played for over two hours as the dance floor was never empty and there was standing room only on that top deck.
These are the things legacy moments are made of, it’s been 15 years as folks are still reminiscing about that night.
