Mar 24, 2010 | Family Parties, Parties and Special Events
Here’s another event story from before the blog:
Three sisters wanted to throw a surprise birthday/anniversary party for their parents. Two of the sisters lived out of town; the third sister worked full time, had small children, and was going back to school, so she couldn’t do much planning. They needed someone to find a nice restaurant for the party, work with them to finalize the menu, arrange for decorations and set them up, and find a hotel for their guests. I worked with them on all these things, plus getting a birthday cake and finding another restaurant with a party room for brunch the next day. I was able to keep the costs under their budget and save them some headaches, as well. Their parents were beautifully surprised when they entered the restaurant’s party room to see all their friends and relatives from out of town there to celebrate with them.
Feb 22, 2010 | Family Parties, Parties and Special Events, wedding planning, Weddings
It's all about you.... Courtesy of sprungphoto.com.
I was most honored to receive a very positive review on Yelp that described me as, among other things, having a “servant’s heart.” At first, to be honest, I was not sure what kind of a compliment that was. After all, I am a professional and consider myself to be a manager.
The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized that it is one of the highest compliments I could have received. My work is in a service industry, after all. My goal is to make magical things happen while remaining invisible, myself. My focus is on my clients and on their wishes. These are, I think, all the hallmarks of service. If that is what is in a servant’s heart, then I do fit the description.
I’m sure that I came by this ethic by working as a theatre stage manager for so many years. In the arts, the highest goal is to serve the artistic product. There is no room for ego, so I learned to think less of myself and more of the art. This has carried over into my practice as an events professional. It’s not about me. It is all about you. And I am very pleased by the feedback that tells me that I am achieving that goal.
Nov 18, 2009 | Family Parties, Parties and Special Events, wedding planning
No disappointments here! Photo by Magical Moments Photography.
How do you know which vendors are trustworthy? How can you be sure to hire people who will deliver? How do you avoid wedding scam artists? If you’re planning a party or a wedding, I am sure that these questions have crossed your mind.
Well, because of who I am, I will give you the self-promotional answer first and then some further thoughts: The easiest way to get trusted vendors is to hire an event planner who doesn’t take commissions from vendors and ask for her recommendations. Not only does a professional have to have good contacts, but also no vendor is going to take a chance by letting down a planner. Vendors rely on planners to recommend them to future clients, so they are less likely to let you down.
Not everyone can or needs to hire a professional planner, however. If you are hiring vendors on your own, here is how I find good ones. First, I ask around. Someone you know has the information you want. I found my favorite caterer via the recommendation of a friend of my mother-in-law. You never know who knows someone.
Then, always (and I do mean always) check references. Ask for the names and phone numbers or e-mail addresses of at least three recent clients. Don’t just get the information but also call or e-mail these people. They have agreed to be references so they won’t mind talking to you. Chances are, they are more than happy to tell you the good experiences they had with the vendor. Ask specific questions, such as:
- Did this person deliver on what they said they would do?
- Were they easy to work with?
- Did you have any difficulties with them?
- Do you think you got value for your money?
- Would you recommend this person?
You can also ask for a general description of the reference’s experience with the vendor. Almost any specific question you ask will probably give you some of the information you need.
Some people, I think, hesitate to ask for references, thinking somehow that it is a sign of a lack of trust. But when potential clients ask me for references, I am actually very glad. First, I know that my references will say good things about me. Second, it shows that the client has done her or his homework. Finally, I find that clients who ask for references end up trusting me a lot more. When they believe they can trust me, we work well together.
With a little time and effort, you can find trustworthy vendors who will make you happy with their work.
Nov 2, 2009 | Family Parties, wedding planning, Weddings
I get a lot of questions from my clients about when to send out invitations. Here are a few guidelines to get you through this part of wedding or party planning:
You can send out save-the-date cards (or e-mails, or you can make phone calls) about six months in advance. If you have guests who might come from overseas or who have other situations that require more notice, you can alert them to the date a year in advance. Most people have trouble planning anything more than a year in advance, though, so if you tell people farther ahead than that, expect to remind them at about the 6 to 9 month mark.
Be prepared to put your invitations into the mail six to eight weeks before the event. Leave yourself ample time to address all the invitations if you are doing them yourself. If you are hiring a calligrapher to address them, be sure to ask him or her how much time is needed for the number of invitations you have. Then add a week, just to be on the safe side.
Your RSVP deadline should be about three weeks ahead of the wedding or party. (If you only plan to get the invitations into the mail six weeks ahead of the wedding date, you can get away with about 2 weeks for the RSVP date.) Your caterer will probably want a final head count between a week and two weeks ahead of the date, and you want to leave yourself enough time to call the people who have not responded by the deadline.
And there will be people who don’t respond. Be sure to leave yourself enough time to call them and just check in. You don’t have to remind them that they have been rude enough not to reply. Just ask them if they plan to be there (and what they plan to eat if you have asked people to tell you in advance). Don’t skip this step. You don’t want to have people show up if you haven’t planned to feed them.
Your spreadsheet is useful for making place cards, too. Photo courtesy of Artisan Events, Inc.
I find that the best way to keep track of the guest list is with a spreadsheet program. I like to have columns for name; address; save-the-date card sent; invitation sent; responded yes or no; and dish requested. The same sheet can also double as a gift tracker so you know what to thank people for and whether you have done so. And you can use it to help you make place cards.
These are only guidelines, of course. Special situations may require a different approach. But you can use them as a road map to get you started on this most important part of the process.
Sep 21, 2009 | Budget Planning, Family Parties, Parties and Special Events, wedding planning, Weddings
Everyone trusts the vendors when there is no funny business. Photo by Magical Moments Photography.
If you have looked recently at the page on my website that deals with Money Matters, you might have noticed at the bottom that I have my integrity pledge there. In case you’re not familiar with how this scheme I mention 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–an amount equivalent to 10% 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) has several drawbacks. 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 masters 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. And 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.
Jul 7, 2009 | Budget Planning, Family Parties, wedding planning
One way to control costs at your event is by considering the beverages.
Non-alcoholic beverages are relatively inexpensive and may be included in your food package. Bar service can either be very expensive or relatively inexpensive, depending on your venue and the way you procure it. Many venues have bar packages: beer, wine, and soda; mid-price open bar; and top shelf, among others. I have not generally found that it is possible to negotiate these prices with a venue that has standard pricing. But, if you are on a budget, the beer, wine, and soda option is generally affordable. If you’re on a really tight budget, you might have to forego alcohol entirely, or just do a champagne toast. One way to liven up a beer and wine package is to add a signature cocktail to the package. This can often be done without a large additional cost.
Champagne toast. Photo courtesy of Artisan Events. Inc.
If your venue allows you to provide the alcohol, you have even more options. The least expensive of these is to purchase the alcohol yourself at a liquor store. Be sure to choose a store with good prices that allows returns of unopened bottles. This option also gives you maximum flexibility in your choice of what to serve. There are even a few liquor stores that provide event service. They will sell you the liquor, deliver it to the venue, provide glassware at no extra charge, and pick up anything left the next day to give you a refund or credit. These establishments are becoming a rarity, however, so don’t be surprised if you need to do the heavy lifting yourself.
One thing I do not recommend for keeping costs under control is to have a cash bar. As the host of the party, it is your job to provide food and drink. If your resources dictate a limited supply of alcohol, your guests will live with the restriction. The quantity of alcohol served is not a measure of how good the party is. Serve what you can afford and you will have enough left over to do whatever else is important to you at your event.
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