Category: Event Planning Tips

The Cocktail Hour

Published on by Stories of an Event PlannerLeave a comment

Hi everyone!

We continue with the wedding ideas saga! Last week, I shared with you ideas for your ceremony and today I want to share ideas for the cocktail hour.

Cocktail hours can last as little as 30 minutes and I wouldn’t go longer than 1 – 1 1/2 hours. At this point, guests are talking about how beautiful the ceremony was and how happy the couple is. Everyone is really excited for the rest of the wedding and want to start celebrating with cool cocktails and yummy appetizers. But if you make it too long, you may run into guests getting too hungry or bored, so if you will have a longer cocktail hour I would suggest having interesting cocktails, and a little more appetizers and possibly something to do in the meantime to entertain guests. Don’t over do the food though. You could possibly do an interesting station that could work as an activity as well like the one I found in The Knot website https://www.theknot.com/content/ways-to-make-your-cocktail-hour-more-fun

Here is where you get to get creative and show a little more about how the reception will be. When choosing your caterer is always easy to look up any vendor with good reviews and probably on the cheaper side because who wants to spend that much money on food? Everything adds up. right?. Also, you are probably thinking that you wouldn’t want to serve too much food (which in a way I totally agree), but, there are so many options now that offer sustainable food, and they are just as tasty and gorgeous if not better! So, don’t slack on your research. Also, remember that there are professionals whose job is to do the research for you, so don’t hesitate to contact them.

Just one tip, please tell your caterer or whoever is providing the alcohol to not put a straw on the glasses. There are so many other options like bamboo, paper or metal straws that could also work as favors. Guest can use the same straw all night and take it home once done! Check these out! https://pebblemag.com/magazine/living/5-eco-friendly-alternatives-to-plastic-straws 

Also, you won’t need much decor for this. If the ceremony is outside, have the cocktail hour outside as well and add cocktail tables and votive candles on the tables. The less the better. You don’t want to spend too much money here. Instead, look for fun activities for your guests to play and amazing drinks!

What was your favorite activity at a recent wedding you attended?

With love,
Natalie

The Ceremony

Published on by Stories of an Event PlannerLeave a comment

Hi everyone,

So, earlier this week I told you that I would post about eco-friendly ideas for your wedding! Earth friendly weddings don’t have to be plain or boring. You can get really creative and play around with all the textures, colors, and smells.

I guess the very first thing that you have to consider is to choose the right venue for you. Your venue will dictate your style and overall look of the wedding. Sometimes couples think that choosing a cheaper venue will save them money, but if the venue they chose doesn’t really match what they are looking for, they’ll spend more money on decor and rentals trying to hide what they don’t like or trying to make it look more their theme, so choose wisely and consider all the facts!

For the ceremony outside:

Having your ceremony outside really helps having all that nature around you already from trees, flowers, grass, sand, cobblestone, etc. Take advantage of those natural pieces to not have to get too much decor to make the ceremony look beautiful. If there is a tree at your ceremony site, use it and hang lights or seasonal flowers if you don’t like it bare. For example, the ceremony below didn’t need much decor. There was tons of trees and green grass that made this ceremony beautiful full of colors yet simple and elegant.

Ceremony Set-up2.jpg

For the ceremony inside:

You can make a backdrop with string of lights, or recyclable paper cranes like in the pictures in this link https://www.rockmywedding.co.uk/minerva-erik/

Depending on the venue, you can always select for the ceremony to take place by a window (if the view from the window is pretty) and use soy candles or seasonal flowers to decorate around. You’ll be surprise how pretty a space looks without over doing it.

Choosing vendors:

When picking your vendors for your wedding, ask them questions. They are there to help you. For example, the florist, ask them if their flowers are sustainable. Is their wholesaler near by or are they getting their flowers from oversees? Ask them what types of flowers or greenery is in season on the date of your wedding. They’ll tell you right away and will be happy to help you.

Also, remember to use real flowers if you are using them for isle or for guest to throw at you when you are walking out. Remember, anything plastic won’t vanish after your wedding is over, and using real plants is way better and it looks so much more beautiful.

I hope these ideas help you! Remember, you can still have your dream wedding while being eco-friendly and save some $ for your honeymoon or the new house you want to buy or for the baby on the way!

With love,
Natalie

Want Ideas for your Wedding?!

Published on by Stories of an Event PlannerLeave a comment

Hi everyone!

Wedding season is coming up and I thought that it would be a great idea to post about eco-friendly yet beautiful, fun ideas for your wedding!

One of my best friends is getting married next year, and we are in the research phases trying to see what she likes the best and what is the overall theme that she and her fiancée want. Believe it or not, choosing your theme is one of the most hard and important decisions when you are planning your wedding because it will help you choose from your wedding venue to your decor and much more. But fear not, it’s also very fun!

My plan is to post every Thursday of this month, starting this week, wedding ideas from the beginning stages to your exit.

If you have any ideas in particular that you would like to share, send them my way!

With love,
Natalie

The Colorful World of Pantone

Published on by Stories of an Event PlannerLeave a comment

Hi everyone,

Happy Monday! I’ve had my cup of coffee already and ready to start my day.

So, it’s been announced that the Pantone color of 2018 is ULTRA VIOLET! yaaa! who’s excited? Last year, the pantone color was greenery, which was my favorite by the way.

Below are this year’s Pantone color and my favorite from previous years. I’m guessing greenery and blush are not going anywhere just yet and it’s such a beautiful complement to the ultra violet.

What’s your favorite? For more information on the wonderful world of Pantone colors, check out their website https://www.pantone.com/color-of-the-year-2018

crocus-flower-spring-purple-59992.jpeg
Ultra-Violet 2018
pexels-photo-175253.jpeg
Greenery 2017
pexels-photo-313707.jpeg
Rose-Quartz (blush) 2016
pexels-photo-414510.jpeg
Serenity 2016
pexels-photo-80628.jpeg
Radiant Orchid 2014

With love, Continue reading “The Colorful World of Pantone” →

Becoming a Better Example

Published on by Stories of an Event PlannerLeave a comment

play-stone-network-networked-interactive-163064.jpegHi everyone!

There are quite a few topics I want to write about, but I’ll be simple and stick to one only for today. Since I started working in the event industry, I’ve met so many people and worked with quite a few as well. I’ve had the pleasure of working with a really good team at one point and it was awesome! I would literally make notes of how things should be done and what went where, and they would literally make it happen because they enjoyed what they did and also because everyone got along  and respected each other.

On the other hand, I’ve also worked with people who didn’t care about their job (fair enough if you are in the wrong industry/position)  and were just plain impossible to work with that you had to worry about every detail and micromanage everything because you found that if you weren’t there, they would do it their way, which sometimes turned out to be the wrong way for that specific event.

When this happened, I had to take a step back and think why this was happening. I realized a thing or two, but so much more had to be done. One of the reasons some employees act this way is because maybe things have been done a certain way for way too long, and then an outsider comes along, and just changes everything. That can obviously be frustrating to some people who are accustomed to doing things one way. Another big thing which is very difficult to change in people is attitude and respect. Of the few times that I was irritated by people not following simple instructions because of their lack of motivation or because they didn’t want to listen to me, I made sure to let them know in a nice and polite way, but firm. Sometimes this didn’t work, but I didn’t want to be that boss that loses control and just yells. That’s one thing I promised myself and I intend to stick to it. So much more learning to do!

I believe every experience counts and I will keep trying and reminding myself to be better for me and for everyone I work with because that’s what makes a strong and motivated team, and also to keep finding ways to help people work better as a team.

Have you experienced something similar? What did you do?

With love,
Natalie

Awesome Party Supplies & Decor, The Sustainable Way!

Published on by Stories of an Event PlannerLeave a comment

pexels-photo-428124.jpeg

Hi everyone!

Happy New Year! I can’t believe we are already on the second week of January. Something is really going on with the months flying by. The industry right now is on the slow season for events, but it’s prime time for selling. You would think that we would have a break, but no, I’m full of tours, drafting proposals, and planning random events during these two months of January and February.

Although we are still busy selling, we do have some extra time on our hands to prepare for the year. This means we need to freshen up our marketing materials, social media, menus, look up new trends, etc.  I actually enjoy doing this party of my job as well as it gives me the chance to get creative and research cool vendors that I think would be beneficial to get in touch with.

I’m on Instagram everyday, as many of you are as well, I’m sure, and my feed is mostly about photographers, sustainability, cute animals, caterers, and random vendors that I find when they post cool pictures of their work. And yes, I do have my friends and family, but they don’t post as much…what is wrong with them?

So, the other day, as I was scrolling through my feed, I came across some planners posting beautiful pictures of birthdays parties they have planned. The last picture I saw was of a kid’s birthday party and I loved everything about it! The theme, the colors and the creativity and work that was put into it. But I couldn’t help but wonder, how can we make the same awesome, colorful, fun theme birthday party more sustainable? That’s when I started doing some research and I found some very cool online stores where you can buy pretty much anything for a party and it’s Earth friendly! Yaaaa!

I don’t encourage single use items, but let’s be honest, for kid’s parties, they are a must. No one wants broken china and glass everywhere!

The first one is www.sustyparty.com. It will lead you to their website, but to shop, it will take you to Amazon. They have really good reviews and very cute cups, plates, eating utensils, napkins, table cloths, etc. and everything is plastic-free and non-toxic. I think it’s a win win!

www.greenpartygoods.com. This site also offers biodegradable, recycled and non-toxic products. Here you will find all kinds of party supplies from decor to party favors and much more! They even have biodegradable balloons! 

Get planning!

With love,
Natalie

Dreamy and Easy Holiday Decor!

Published on by Stories of an Event PlannerLeave a comment

Hi everyone!

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been very busy with the holiday season this year. Last year, it was just a blur. This year, I can notice when it’s Monday or Friday at least! I’ve been working hard are getting ideas for decor that are natural and reusable to save money and to be friendly to our Earth, and I’m happy to say that I found it!

As you know, I like to use items from around the house  that I already own, and get some accents to make it more special and make it distinct depending on the occasion. This year, unfortunately, I won’t be decorating my home because I will be traveling to see my dad in PA, meanwhile some of my family is in Chile, and my mom is in Paris having the time of her life. So, I had a little fun at work and prepared a package for my clients this holiday season which included the decor. We didn’t have too much in the budget for this, but it gave me the opportunity to resort to other things that I would probably have purchased otherwise.

I looked on Pinterest (always!) for inspiration and I loved the idea of using holly berries and cranberries. These berries have the perfect shade of winter red for decor and they look absolutely stunning with pinecones, and different leaves. The challenge was, where to get these berries at a reasonable price and not stealing them from people’s yard? I went to different stores and I hated the plastic look and honestly, it is not the most sustainable option either. After brainstorming for a couple of days, I had my aha moment! I work at a golf club! We have so many different trees, pinecones to decorate an entire block and holly berry trees everywhere! I also realized that I need to get out more and just grab a golf cart and drive around the course more often…

I also purchased vases in different sizes that I used to put a small branch of the holly berry with water and I topped it off with  real cranberries, which I purchased from the store, and added a floating candle on the top. The end result was amazing! I loved how everything looked! The good thing about the holly berries and the cranberries is that since they are submerge in water, they get to hydrate, and then after using them, I drained the water from the vase and leave the holly berries in the vase overnight and yes, they get dry, but once you put them in water again, they look just the same. The cranberries were drained and put in the fridge to keep them fresh. So you can keep using them as often as you need and no one will know that you are reusing them!

I think it’s the perfect idea to save money and be a little kinder to Earth!

What are your ideas to decorate for the holidays?

 

Holly Berry TreeHolly BerryBerriesPinecones With love,

Natalie

Thanksgiving Table Escape with a Twist

Published on by Stories of an Event PlannerLeave a comment

Hi ya’ll!

Last year I didn’t write about Thanksgiving and wrote about sustainable events instead, but I would still like to share with you the table decor I did. Sometimes we rather go for the more traditional look or just not a look at all because we place all the food in the center. If that is the case, you must have a BIG table!

In all honesty, table escape is one of my favorite things to do. Sometimes I visit vendor’s show rooms and I kind of wish I worked there so that I can play around with all the types of linens, china, different shapes of tables and oh the chairs and sashes!

Anyways, I wish I had taken more pictures of this table escape, but who knew I would have a blog! That year, I decided to get a little more creative and add some shiny and metallic objects. Now, I didn’t want to spend too much money on new decor just for Thanksgiving, so I picked out my favorite pieces from around the apartment and grabbed some Christmas decor and created my own version of a Thanksgiving table escape. I absolutely loved it! It had touches of Fall with the pine cones and dry scented flowers, and it still had original pieces such as the white china, wine glasses and the wood table. I love the look of wood, so I just added a beige table runner with soft designs to give it more color and to make all the different pieces connect with each other.

As you can see in the picture, I have Fall, original and metallic pieces giving it a special twist.

The following year, I did pretty much the same thing, but I made linen napkins that I absolutely loveand placed them in a trifold shape on the top of the plates and I alternated pines cones and cranberries.

Thanksgiving table settingNapkins

I hope you love it!

With love,
Natalie

Spooktacular Halloween

Published on by Stories of an Event PlannerLeave a comment

Hi everyone!

I love the fall and the month of October because Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I don’t usually dress up, but I love everything from the imagination people have with their costumes, the spooky decor, the movies, and the pumpkin scent in everything! This year, I was once again a witch…

We hosted a Halloween party at the club this past weekend for both the parents and the kids and it was a huge success, I would say. I started planning this event about two months out. We had decor all around the club. We had spider webs with tiny spiders on the chandeliers, on the corner of some doors, and we also did a candy station for the kids. We had games set up around the banquet room and played a kids Halloween movie, which they loved by the way, especially the older kids. The only thing that was missing was the spooky golf cart ride around the 4 mi. long golf course. Now, that would have been awesome!

For the food and drinks menu we got inspired by the fall ingredients and had from Butternut Squash Soup (which was vegan and awesome btw!) to Smoked Salmon. We also had some signature drinks perfect for the day such as Bloody Mary and Pecan , Maple, and Peach Whiskey on the rocks.

As people were coming in, I went around the club greeting the parents and kids. I was also offering what we had on our special menu and honestly, I felt like it was wrong to offer alcohol at 3 pm, but the funny thing was that one of the mom’s who came, when I told her about the menu and the cocktail specials we had, and I may have mentioned that I understood that it might be too early for some parents to drink, she literally looked at me, smiled and said “we have kids, of course we need the cocktails!”. That sentence right there pretty much made my day and realized that most of these parents were pretty laid back and that they were up for anything with kids or not. Some of them even came wearing costumes, which I thought it was amazing.

Now, I know to always have alcohol, just in case, no matter the event! Something to really think about when planning your next event!

With love,
Natalie

So Much for Majoring in Marketing! The learning continues…

Published on by Stories of an Event PlannerLeave a comment

Hi everyone!

Yesterday, I had a realization at work. A realization like many other, it was a no-brainer, but often I overlooked it because it’s an obvious thing.

Well, yesterday, as I was giving yet another wedding tour, and like many other times, clients call me later accepting the proposal or rejecting it after they have slept on it and toured other venues, I booked two weddings back to back on the spot. Then, I thought, wow I guess I’m getting really good at selling events, and the the club is not one of the gorgeous venues around the Atlanta metro area? After of five minutes of congratulating myself, I started really thinking about what encouraged them to book us instead of other venues.

So, I feel like I have to start the story from the beginning…

In D.C., the market is very different than here, at least the area I’m at (not Atlanta downtown). When I worked at a popular wedding venue and off-premise catering, the clients that we usually got were not too concerned about how much they were paying for just the venue or just the food. In fact, they wanted to wow their guests and they showed it with the venue, design, and food and the open bar was never missing. Yes, they were working with a budget, but it was way more reasonable than the budgets I get here!

Here, the market is different. When I started working for the club as a private event coordinator, my main responsibility was to sell events. And so, when I came on board, I was adjusting a lot of things such as: menu, food presentation, the way events were coordinated, the vendors that we partnered with, etc. I was doing this because there wasn’t much in place for weddings.

After trying to sell and sell the first couple of months, I felt like I was being unsuccessful. So, then I started to really understand the types of inquiries I was receiving from potential clients. I later realized that this market doesn’t care too much about the decor, the different options of food, and many called me only a few months before their wedding.

With my unsuccessful wedding menus that were probably too high for the market here, I decided to do an inclusive wedding package that looked more reasonable, yet appealing so that the client felt like they are getting a better deal.

Long story short, the new inclusive wedding package I designed, after I started advertising it, was getting more and more attention and people started booking us. We also had to do a styled wedding shoot to update the marketing materials, but that’s for another story…

So, what to take from this long article? Study the market and don’t try so hard to change it. I accepted the fact that we probably wouldn’t get the clients that I wanted to get just yet and I was the one who needed to adjust to them.

With love,
Natalie