Mar 20, 2017 | About me
Fun times coming! Photo by Studio Finch Photography, www.studiofinch.com
As I’ve mentioned once or twice before, there’s a new website in my future. I’ll make a big announcement when it’s completely ready, but keep your eyes open. It’s going to be a big improvement. I mean, I love my old website, and it as served me well, but it’s time for an update!
But there’s even bigger news. Very soon, you’ll see a new address for me. I’m moving into a real, grown-up office space. Julia at Crafty Broads and I will be sharing her cute space in Rogers Park. (I’ll do a profile of her so you’ll know more about the custom garments and alterations she does.) I’m looking forward to welcoming you to the meeting space there. As a bonus, if you have an appointment there, you might see some of my handmade lace and custom embroidery work on display. I’m looking forward to sharing that with the world, too.
Stay tuned for updates on all these new and exciting things!
Feb 14, 2017 | About me
Here’s a pretty picture of summertime in Chicago to distract you from all the blog glitches. Courtesy of sprungphoto.com.
If you’ve been following closely, you might have seen all the articles I had posted in 2017. And then you would have seen a database error. And now there’s nothing back to the beginning of the year. What’s going on with my blog??
Well, as one of the posts that never appeared said, I’m in the process of getting a new website, and I have a lovely new website hosting company to go with it. I’m very happy about all these things. But transferring a website from one hosting company to another can be tricky, and sometimes it doesn’t work perfectly. Ah, the things you learn being a small business owner!
I’ll try and catch all of us up on what got lost in the next few weeks, so please check back. I hope to be back to business very soon, writing about weddings and events, rather than about technical issues. Thanks for hanging in there with me!
Aug 15, 2016 | About me, Weddings
I just looked at the calendar and realized that it has been ten years since I booked my very first wedding. It has been a long and interesting road since those days. I can say with some confidence that ten years of planning and managing weddings has given me insight into the process that I didn’t have in the beginning. So, here’s a journey in pictures through the last ten years of weddings. Some of my favorites:
Photo courtesy of Artisan Events, Inc.
Photo by Magical Moments Photography.
Photo by Happy Buddy PhotoArt.
Photo courtesy of christytylerphotography.com.
Photo by hannahelaine photography (hannahelaine.com).
Photo by Peter Coombs.
Courtesy of sprungphoto.com.
Photo by Allison Williams Photography.
Photo by Agnes Malory Photography.
Feb 1, 2016 | About me, Other Events, Parties and Special Events
I plan and manage weddings all year, but in my free time, I also volunteer my time with a terrific group of people who are founding a food co-op in Rogers Park. I always like to have at least one volunteer project in my life, and I have an undying passion for local food and the politics of food issues. (And, I really like food!) So, this group is a great fit for me, especially because I get to plan events to help the co-op grow.
The first major event I planned (with many other volunteers and Heartland staff) was last October: Heartland Cafe’s Harvest Dinner and Barn Dance. Heartland put on the event; I did a bunch of the planning for it; everyone had a great time; and Heartland made a sizable donation to the food co-op.
The event was a harvest dinner on the patio of the restaurant followed by a barn dance at the Red Line Tap around the corner (which is also part of the Heartland empire in central Rogers Park). Wade Chandler, a photographer who lives in Rogers Park, very kindly donated his services for the event. (Check out his Facebook page for more information.) Here are a few glimpses of this terrific evening.
The Heartland Cafe patio was all decked out for the Harvest Dinner.
Tom Rosenfeld, one of the Heartland’s owners, welcomes the guests–and tells them how important food co-ops are.
The Heartland’s kitchen served up a luscious buffet of seasonal dishes.
The guests enjoyed the food and the company.
The Co-op had its brand new t-shirts ready!
Volunteers at the pumpkin carving station improved on the decor.
After dinner, the dance started at the Red Line Tap.
Caller Jo Mortland and the band kept the dancers moving.
Jan 11, 2016 | About me, Budget Planning
Everyone trusts the vendors when they know they can trust the planner.
If you have looked at the page on my website that deals with Money Matters, you might have noticed my integrity pledge there. It says, “I will never take kickbacks from vendors, because I work for you, not for them. When I recommend vendors, you can be certain that I believe they deliver quality services at reasonable prices. I always pass along vendor discounts to my clients.” In case you’re not familiar with how this scheme works, let me lay it out for you here.
When I first hung out my (virtual) shingle as an event planner, vendors started getting in touch with me. They wanted me to refer my clients to them, and, for the privilege, they were willing to pay me–in hard, cold cash–a percentage of what my clients paid them for their work. I understand that this can be quite a good revenue stream for an event planner, but I am not willing to sell out for the cash. I always insist that the vendor give my client the equivalent discount, instead. It costs the vendor the same amount and it allows me to offer my clients a little bonus.
Taking the “commission” (as they call it) is a problem because I work for the person who is paying me. If I were to take both a fee from a client and a payment from a vendor, then I would have two bosses with conflicting interests. I would lose the ability to help my client stay within their budget, since my own personal interest would be for them to spend more. I also might be tempted to refer clients to the vendor who offers me the largest percentage, rather than the vendor who does the best work or gives the best value for money.
I heard a very telling story from a woman I know who makes and sells eco-friendly event invitations. She told me that she had been taking her wares around to various event planners. She was discussing the commission amount with one planner. The planner pointed to a wall of invitation sample books and told her that those vendors all offered her a much higher commission. She clearly expected that this woman would offer her more. That is a situation that can lead to bidding wars, which can not be good for the planner’s clients.
When I first started out as a planner, I was pretty sure I would never take these kickbacks from vendors. But the thing that really gave me the resolve came from a very unexpected place. I took a taxi home from the very first wedding I ever planned and coordinated. The cab driver was an older gentleman, and we chatted on the way home. Of course he asked me what I do and where I was coming from. When I told him that I am a wedding planner, the first thing he said was, “You don’t take those payments from the vendors, do you?” I assured him that I do not take them. And I have never been tempted to go back on my word.
May 26, 2014 | About me
It's the intangibles that make for great event and wedding planning. Photo by Magical Moments Photography.
When potential clients interview me, they usually have a lot of questions. One of my favorites is, “What sets you apart from other wedding planners?”
There are plenty of obvious things you probably know about me already if you’ve looked over my website. I like working on non-traditional weddings and I’m interested in everything eco-friendly, for example. But the big differences are experience and temperament.
I’ve been working on events, one way or another, since sometime in the mid-1980s. That gives me about three decades of experience. I have also had a huge variety of experiences, everything from cocktail parties to operas to street fairs to (of course) weddings. I won’t claim to have seen it all, but I have dealt with an extensive variety of challenges in my career, and I have learned how to manage them.
I am also fortunate to have a temperament that is suitable for event planning and management. I can handle stressful situations without giving in to the stress. I have excellent, unflappable problem-solving skills. And I know how to deal with all kinds of people.
So, that answers one question. If you have more questions about why you should hire me, feel free to give me a call and you can ask me in person.
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