Mar 26, 2018 | Eco-Friendly Events, Other Events
Here’s what we had on the tables on Saturday night. Photo by Darren Day Photography.
One of the things I do with my skills is volunteer my time to the Rogers Park Food Co-op. I’m currently the chair of the Events Committee for this start-up business. In case you don’t know how food co-ops work, here’s a short summary:
A co-op is a community-owned business. The backing for it comes not from a corporation or from billionaire investors but from individual share sales to members of the community. As you can imagine, this is hard work. In order to make it work, it is necessary for hundreds or thousands of people to come together, raise money, and make it all happen. And it is all powered by volunteers.
Once a year, we have our Annual Owner Celebration, a gathering for everyone who has bought a share in the business. It is a time to make sure everyone knows what is going on and to energize everyone to work toward our goals. And my small committee plans everything.
It’s a big deal event: rental venue, catering, photography, decor, speakers, meeting activities, tons of stuff to be transported, dozens of volunteers, and so on. We were expecting 130 people to show up at 6:00 at the Levy Center in Evanston. Set-up started at 4:00.
But, at 2:30, my phone rang, a call from an Evanston Park District manager with some very bad news. Levy Center was closed for the rest of the day because of a MAJOR sewer back-up that affected the entire building. The bathrooms were unusable; the kitchen was unusable; the entire building (reportedly) smelled of sewage. Plumbers were on the job but they would not be finished any time soon–and then the place had to be cleaned up.
It was the exact script of the event planner’s nightmare. That’s how it always goes in bad dreams. Only, in the actual nightmare, no one will help you, there is no equipment, and you flail about trying to salvage an impossible situation. Reality was actually much better.
The saving grace was that they were able to offer the use of another park district facility at the other end of town. The room is not as nice; the sound system is not great (and one of the reasons I wanted to use the Levy Center was their excellent sound system); and there’s no real kitchen. But at least it was a room that could accommodate our needs.
City staff hauled the tables from Levy to Chandler, brought in the sound system, and were generally very helpful. We just had the enormous task of making sure all 130 people knew about the change in plans!
Five or six of us from the committee and the board got on a conference call and worked out an emergency communications and transportation plan in about half an hour. I was texting and emailing volunteers all during that time, too. I notified catering and photographer (almost forgot the photographer!), scrambled my stuff together, and got there in time to re-do the ground plan on the fly and start wrangling volunteers.
And then, after all that, we had our event. No, no, I’m not tired at all. Why do you ask?
Mar 19, 2018 | Weddings
Candles look nice, but are they the best idea?
So, you’re planning your dream eco-friendly wedding, and you have the organic flowers, local food, and composting service all lined up. What could make it even greener? Giving some thought to making your wedding less toxic.
Now, I’m not talking about industrial waste or anything like that. But some people are more sensitive to toxins in the environment than others. Even small amounts of substances that are found everywhere can be too much for those people. And there are things you can do to reduce them. It’s not just good for your sensitive guests, it’s good for everyone. And if you’re one of those highly sensitive people getting married, you probably already know about this, but I hope you’ll find the reminders helpful as you plan.
So, what could be toxic at your wedding? Let’s start with the candles on the tables at your reception. Chances are, they are wax candles made from petroleum. When you burn them, they give off–you guessed it!–petroleum smoke. And that is one of the things that’s toxic in a small way. Consider soy candles, beeswax candles, or flameless LED candles, instead. They all have pros and cons, but they are all better than paraffin wax candles on the toxicity scale.
Here’s another one: Perfume. Synthetic scents are among the worst offenders for people who have a low tolerance. Even essential oils can cause problems. That applies to scented candles or decorations, as well as personal care products. Sure, they smell nice, but what’s in them? A professor at the University of Washington has started analyzing some of them and found some disturbing results. Suffice it to say, you’re better off without a lot of synthetic fragrances.
Here’s another one you might not think of: Has your venue been renovated recently? Is there fresh paint or new carpeting? Often, those are things that give off volatile organic compounds, sometimes for months after they are used or installed. If you want a non-toxic wedding or event, you might have to ask venues some probing questions before you sign a contract.
If having a non-toxic wedding is important to you, I can help. If you need a guide, this is something I know a lot about. It’s not always easy to navigate this area, whether you are planning a wedding or doing anything else. The good news is that it is worthwhile to think about it in advance to make your celebration accessible to all your guests–or to keep yourself healthy.
Mar 12, 2018 | Weddings
This was one of the most popular posts I ever wrote. I have updated it with new information.
What do you do with leftover mini-cakes? Photo by HappyBuddy Photo Art.
One thing that often gets overlooked in party and event planning is what happens after the party is over. If you are planning a wedding, party, or other large event, now would be a good time to think about what happens when the fun is done. Beyond the basic logistical question of who is going to transport stuff from one place to another, there are the considerations of what to do with left over items. Here are my thoughts on several of categories of those items.
Food: If you didn’t run out of food at your party (heaven forfend!), then there will be leftovers. It would be a shame to throw them out. In some places, a local food bank can pick up your extra food and distribute it to food pantries and shelters. (See the Feeding America food bank locator to find a local food bank.) Some states and municipalities do not allow this practice, though, and not all food banks are set up to handle it, so check with your food bank ahead of time. And unless you’re a food safety expert, don’t try it on your own. Even if you can’t distribute your leftovers to hungry strangers, you can probably find some friends and relatives who would be happy to take some of it. Prepare for this possibility by having appropriate containers available, and instruct your caterer how to distribute extra food. Whatever you do, talk to your caterer ahead of time!
Flowers and other decorations: The nicest way to take care of flowers and other centerpieces is to donate them to a local hospital or nursing home. As with donating food, this is both eco-friendly and socially responsible. Not only do flowers get a second use, but they may also brighten the day of someone who could use a little cheer. Perhaps you already have a relationship with an institution where you can send your flowers. At one wedding that I coordinated, they announced at the reception that all the flowers would go to the hospital where a family member had received treatment in his last illness. It seemed like a most fitting thing to do. If you don’t have the resources to do this yourself, in Chicago and a few other cities, there is an organization called Random Acts of Flowers who will do it for you.
Favors: Extra party favors can be a real problem. This is one area where you will really need to plan ahead. For one thing, you will almost definitely have extra favors. If you plan for one per guest, there will be some guests who don’t take one, or who take one for a household, instead of one per person. But you don’t want to have too few, either. When deciding what kind of favor to give your guests, consider how easy the extras will be to get rid of. If you have a common item that is usable by anyone (like decorated pencils, for instance), then you can give away extras on Freecycle or to an organization that can use them (like your local school). Food favors are even more difficult to get rid of than catered food. Novelty items will probably be sitting in the back of your closet for years. You might need to turn to an organization like Special E in order to find a second use for some of these things. One couple I worked with gave away beeswax candles (tied with ribbons in their wedding colors, of course). There were plenty remaining at the end of the evening, but I imagine they were perfectly happy to have a supply of such a useful item.
Decor and Clothing: If you have decor items (candles, table runners, pennants, table numbers, etc.), clothing or jewelry, you can donate them to The Great Wedding Recyclery in Chicago. They are sold to people who want sustainable and inexpensive wedding items and the proceeds benefit the Green Wedding Alliance. You can also rent a table at the Recyclery and sell your items yourself. Details are on the website. It’s coming up soon: Sunday, April 22.
Be sure to talk to your planner or coordinator about what happens to everything when the party is over. You can save yourself some headaches, bring joy to friends and strangers, and keep things out of the landfill with just a little extra effort.
Mar 5, 2018 | Weddings
I’m not tired of last summer’s wedding pictures, are you? This is one that really warms my heart. It was a stand-alone reception. The wedding had been a small ceremony at home earlier in the year. This was the big celebration for friends and family. And it was fun! These two women really know how to throw a fantastic party.
The reception was at the Clubhouse at Dolphin Lake in Homewood, with catering provided by the venue. The Cover Girls from Cagen Music provided both background music and a spectacular floor show. Mr. Otis Mack (yes, that Mr. Otis Mack!) was the evening’s MC. Roses are Red Flower Boutique provided all the flowers. Media in Black did videography. All photos are courtesy of Godzroqk Designs Photography.
Here’s the family/wedding party before the guests arrived.
The brides pose by the lake.
Two bridal bouquets.
The head table, with candles and flowers.
The guests tables were well-dressed, too.
A closer look at the centerpieces.
They had heart-shaped measuring spoons for their favors!
The Cover Girls entertained the guests during dinner with their unique floor show. Highly recommended!
This photo doesn’t do them justice, but it gives you a taste of their dancing (while playing violins).
A beautiful sweet table was prepared for dessert.
The happy couple.
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