Wedding Packages

Wedding Packages - All About Wedding Event Planning

If you are in charge of being the event planning specialist for a wedding reception, wedding rehearsal, or something else that goes along with being involved with the wedding then chances are that you know it is a huge responsibility. Not only are the bride and the groom counting on you to make sure that every aspect of their wedding reception goes smoothly, but all of your event planning skills are being relied upon for the success of the whole event!

Even though not many people will realize if a specific faux pax is made on your part throughout the reception or wedding event because it may be so small in nature, chances are that you realized that you have messed up. Here are some things about wedding event planning that you should know about in order to create the perfect wedding reception, rehearsal dinner, and coordinating the cleanup efforts afterwards as well!

The Bride and the Groom

Even though the person chargeed with event planning for the wedding reception or the rehearsal dinner may feel overwhelmed at the great responsibility that he or she has, an important thing for the event planner to realize is that the wedding and everything pertaining to the wedding is all about the bride and the groom. Even though a lot of what's going on will feel like it has to do with the event planner him or her self, chances are that it will only feel that way because there is added pressure on the individual to make sure that things go off without a hitch!

Coordinating the Rehearsal Dinner

The rehearsal is just one aspect about wedding event planning that definitely should not be taken lightly! Even though all of the wedding attendants are not required to go to the rehearsal dinner for the bride and the groom, it would be a good idea if the wedding event planner were to convince everyone to attend!

In addition, another very important thing that must be thought about when it comes to the wedding rehearsal dinner is where it will be held, what food will be eaten, and how long it should last. Of course, a lot of these things will be chosen by the bride and the groom itself, but the wedding event planner will obviously have to help them make some of the more important decisions, such as where it will be held and also to make sure the reservations are in place!

A Successful Wedding Reception

Perhaps the best thing about event planning for a wedding is witnessing the marriage ceremony and wedding reception to make sure that it all happens succesfully with no real downfalls! The wedding reception is an important part of this; making sure that the bride and the groom have agreed upon the food that will be there, what type of cake they'll have, and where it will be held are very crucial issues to making sure everyone is satisfied!

In the end, however, it all comes back to realizing that the whole wedding event is about the bride and the groom, and that is the secret to making sure that your wedding event planning efforts don't go to waste! …Read more >>

Online Event Planning

Online Event Planning - Web-Based Event Management

By Tamara Ford

The easiest and most effective way to manage your events today is using web-based event management software. If this sounds like it's going to cost you a fortune then just wait - we have a solution that is not only really effective but also 100% free.

Event Software

The event software we recommend for your web-based event management is Web 2.0. This is not only free but you have over 60 different multimedia applications at your disposal to make the promotion of your event, as well as the different aspects of management really simple and fun.

You can create your own promotional web page with photos, video, music and many other elements free and easily. Customize it as much as you like to be the perfect match for your event. Add a countdown timer, polls, a comment wall to get people excited and interacting.

Once your promotional page is ready then send out emails to all those you are inviting and tell them to respond online. Once they have done so you will also easily be able to see who is coming, who is not coming and who still needs to decide which is great for working out numbers for catering purposes, printing notes for conferences or anything else where numbers coming are important.
Not only will you be able to see who is coming, but your guests will too and they will even be able to start networking online before the event.

Event Management

Apart from promotion, another aspect of web-based event management is, of course, the management side of event planning - delegating tasks, sticking to a budget and maybe keeping a record of what happened for those who will be planning next year's event (or to help you improve on this year, if possible).

Ok, so you have a team of volunteers lining up to help you (oh how we wish most of the time!) and you need to delegate tasks to each of them. We have included a free task manager tool in our web-based event management system that allows you to easily manage this and ensure that everyone knows what they are doing and that they do it.
You will notice that we are talking free tools here, that is because budget is often a very important factor in event planning and management and we know that. Our budget manager allows you to easily keep track of your finances and what you have allocated to each specific category of expenditure. This assists you in sticking to your budget (and even, perhaps, beating it).

As for record keeping, this needn't be boring and other people may even be interested in the record keeping we recommend. During the event we recommend a live video feed being sent to the web page, as well as other video clips being taken which will help to record the event for the future. You should also ensure that plenty of photos and notes are taken that can also be displayed on the web page. Then when someone (maybe you) needs to organize the event next year they can simply go and visit the web page and see what a great job you did.
…Read more >>

Vacation Planner

Vacation Planner - Vacation Event Planning on a Budget

Deciding to take a vacation can be one of the most fun things that you ever do in your life for yourself and for your family, however, event planning for the big vacation can be a big problem altogether.

If you're trying to decide what would be fun for the whole family, yet are also trying to stick to a budget then there may be some conflicts with those two ideas. Nevertheless, though, event planning on a budget and choosing a fun place for your family is definitely possible, but it only take a little bit of creativity and ingenious thoughts to pull off!

How Much Money to Spend

One of the definite things that you should consider when event planning for your vacation is how much money you'll spend in order to make it happen. Of course, how much money you spend involves the transportation getting to and from the place where you and your family will be staying, spending money on the trip for souvenirs and other gifts, as well as money for necessary expenses like food should all be separated into separate categories and divided up before the whole family goes on vacation. Deciding how much money is spent for the whole vacation and making a list of all the things that are important, such as those expenses described above, is very crucial to your event planning budget plan!

Decide How Long You'll Stay

Event planning for any type of vacation can be a difficult thing to do, but the first and foremost deadline that you'll want to set if you do have a budget is how long you'll stay at your destination. Many people simply think that they can plan open-ended vacations with no set departure date (especially if a car is being driven for transportation) but sticking to the budget should be the best plan possible if you don't have that much money already in the bank! Your whole vacation doesn't have to be ruined just because a deadline is set for the end of your vacation, but deciding when you'll leave your vacation is important to getting back home to school and work!

Giving Children Allowances

Vacationing for the whole family can often be a difficult thing to do. When event planning for the whole family's vacation, though, if it's important to stick to a budget then it is also important to make your children realize that there is a limited amount of money and resources that they are allowed to spend while on vacation also. Even though they may not realize the concept of a budget when taking your vacation (depending on how old they are), one good technique to use is to actually give them their whole allowance for the week and tell them that it is their budgeted allowance. This way when they spend it all they will have to realize that all they had was all the money that you did give them.

All in all, event planning for a family vacation doesn't have to be a difficult task, although many people choose to make it one. Deciding on the specifics of a vacation, though, if a budget has to be stuck to, is a very important principle to not overspending! …Read more >>

How to Teach Event Planning

There are many different sides of event planning and if you have been successful with event planning throughout your life then you may go through your life wondering why so many other people have trouble with it. If this is true in your case then you may just have to start considering yourself "gifted" and create an event planning company of all your own!

There are many advantages of creating an event planning company, but the main one is that you'll be essentially working for yourself. Even though realistically your business will have clients, you will be able to keep all of the profit you make. Furthermore, many event planners that market themselves as a huge business oftentimes will make a great deal of money when planning a wedding or other large, public event!

On the other hand if you cannot handle everything in your event planning business by yourself then one option you may want to try is to take on an assistant. Of course, you will more than likely have to teach the person everything that you know and have learned about event planning itself, but using an assistant throughout your job could easily take a big load off of your shoulders! Here are some important guidelines, though, if you absolutely have to teach event planning to your assistant or another person, though:

The Customer Gets What They Want

Even though most businesses use this slogan as their motto, event planning specialists really have to do what is necessary so that their clients and customers get what they want. After all, the customer is the one coming to them for help and chances are that they simply don't know where to find the right tools that they need to plan an event.

Additionally, restaurants are the most popular stores for saying that the customer is always right and should get what they want, but everyone knows that oftentimes this rarely happens! For this reason, though, event planners and their assistants must do everything possible to make the client comfortable and confident in their decision of choose them as an event planning specialist!

Organization Skills

Right below the issue of customer service are organizational skills. There is literally no event planning specialist without superb organizational skills and with all the dates, occasions, and events they have to plan organizational skills should be at the top of their list. Event planning assistants, though, too have a responsibility to organization. Whether it is simply showing up on time or making sure that all the event props are set into place at the appropriate time, organization is important for everyone who gets in the event planning business!

There are plenty of other skills, of course, that are important to an event planning specialist that must be passed off to their assistant! All event planners, however, usually have organizational and people skills, which are two crucial elements of the personality of an event planning professional so that they are able to succeed with all their clients!
…Read more >>

Do you really want an Event Planning Business?

There are many people who think that owning their own business would be the best thing since sliced bread, however, much of the time they have this mindset only until reality kicks in. The event planning business that many people have is no different than owning another type of small business; although there are actually many different things that one needs to pay attention to if they want to succeed with their event planning business. Before you are all gung-ho about creating your very own event planning business there are some important things that one must think about beforehand. Some of these things include:

Other Commitments

Are there any other commitments, either full time or part time, that require your attention? Chances are that if you want to start you own event planning business then it will take up much of your time anyway, so making sure that you know the time commitment of an event planning business is crucial before actually creating one. One good way to really find out how much time an event coordinator uses is to spend the day or a period of time as an event planner's assistant? When spending time as an assistant for another event planner you will be able to see just how busy the day can get.

The Skills

Do you have the skills required to have you own event planning business? Once again there are many people who think that their personality would match that of an event planner but once they actually get into the position of power then they might cower or crumble after all the pressure and heat starts to kick in. Some of the personality characteristics that a person should have for their event planning business include being outgoing, friendly, as well as always having a smile on their face. Furthermore, being direct and forceful are other characteristics that should be deemed important!

The Financial Requirement

Even though you may have previously thought that all you would have to do is show up to be an event planner and everyone else would essentially pay you to do all the work, there is actually a big financial requirement that would be involved with your event planning business. For starters, some event planners pay for the whole event themselves and then only make a little bit of the purchasing price back with all their fees.

Of course these are just some of the things that must be thought about when trying to decide whether or not you want to start your own event planning business. Even though the experience of having and owning your own business can look good on any resume that you hand in, chances are that you may be surprised at everything that is actually required of a person in order to start and keep an event planning business! On the other hand you may be well and good with everything that is required, but nevertheless these are some of the important considerations that must be thought about beforehand anyway! …Read more >>

Event Planning for the Holidays

The time around the holidays is always going to be stressful especially if you are involved with event planning for yourself or for another person. However, there are some important steps to take when event planning around the holidays that will make the process a whole lot easier! Not only does everyone else probably realize that you have a great burden on your shoulders if you are planning an event for them (assuming you are not a pro at event planning), but you may also start to get frustrated with plans that go awry, uncontrollable situations, unforeseen events, and late guests-of-honor that arrive an hour behind schedule.

Slow Down and Grab a Cup of Joe

Even though you may be frustrated and upset at all the things that may be going on around you, it's very important to take time out during your event planning responsibilities to relax and have a good time for yourself! One suggestion is to have a sweet-tasting cup of coffee, espresso, cappuccino, or any other beverage that will make you satisfied! On one hand, though, you may not want to take time out for yourself because of all the things that still need to get done, but on the other hand event planning can be stressful anyway, especially during the holidays like Christmas or Thanksgiving! Taking time out to de-stress and regain your composure is important to not losing control.

Practice Deep Breathing and Relaxation

Another technique to use, though, if you're having a little bit of trouble staying focused on the event planning responsibilities that you already have is to practice deep breathing and relaxation exercises. Many professionals of relaxation techniques, as well as many physicians have said that progressive muscle relaxation and mindful meditation practices are just a couple of the methods that individuals can use to instantly relax themselves. If you have never gotten into the habit of practicing these two activities before, though, practicing them in the midst of event planning for a Christmas Party or Thanksgiving Day Dinner can be a great tool to help your body and mind relax!

Enlist Recruitments

However, if event planning for your Winter party or other holiday event is just too much to handle then you may consider enlisting help from your close friends and family members that are already planning to attend the event. Chances are that if they witness you becoming all stressed out that they will offer a helping hand anyway, but asking them ahead of time if they will help you with the event planning for the day is not a request you should be ashamed of. On the contrary, getting help from close people nearby may be the perfect thing you need to prevent a mental breakdown of all the built-up holiday stress!

Relaxation and meditation techniques, sipping your favorite hot beverage, and getting help from others are all great methods to use if you need help with holiday event planning! Nobody should expect you to do all the work by yourself, but it's important to follow the guidelines above to make sure that you are taking proper care of yourself as well! …Read more >>

Event Planning for Beginners

Whether you have just gotten involved with event planning or you know someone who has just started their own event planning franchise or business, most likely you already know that event planners are very busy, have most of their day spent with their clients, and sometimes are too overworked to actually look at themselves in the mirror. However, beginners in the event planning industry probably already realize that most of their time is accounted for when they wake up in the morning, but being on call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week is one of the keys to being one of the most superb event planners in the United States.

Indeed, knowing the time requirement that an event planner must make is only the beginning that those who are just starting out should realize about the event planning industry. There are plenty of other things that one should know about, so here are some basic ideas to think about for those who are just beginning with event planning:

Communication Is Key

As mentioned, your event planning business will need to be on-call pretty much all day long. Even though you may turn your cell phone off during sleeping hours, communication is key with the event planning business and so your clients should be able to get a hold of you at any time of the day no matter where you are. It is also important, as the event planner yourself, to answer those beeper noises and cell phone rings when they come.

If the calls don't come from potential clients then chances are that they are coming from clients that are already having trouble. In other words, for your event planning business you are essentially the main line to customer service. Being at your virtual desk everyday and all-day long is important to not only your event planning business but also to your clients as well!

The Second Key: Understanding

As an event planning business owner you will also have to wear numerous hats when dealing with your clients. One of these hats, even though you may not like wearing it most of the time, is the sympathetic hat. If your client is having trouble with something for some reason or another then you must put on the hat of understanding. In addition, if your event planning clients disagree with you on a specific topic then you must also be understanding! Chances are that if this situation arises then you should naturally defer your opinion to your client since customers are always right, but since you are the main event planning it's very important not to conceal your honest opinion as well!

For beginners, these can be some of the most useful tips for anyone around. In order to succeed with your event planning business one must be able to be understanding and communicate effectively; all businesses have special keys for their business, but communication and understanding are the two keys for your event planning business! …Read more >>

Major Secrets of Event Planning

If you know someone who is an event planner or you are involved with an event planning business or organization yourself then chances are that you already know how many duties and responsibilities are associated with having the pleasure of coordinating someone else's event.

If it seems like event planning is right up your alley, though, and you or someone you know wants to get into the business of becoming an event planner there are three major secrets of the business that should be known about. If you have ever watched someone in real life or on television tackle coordinating a large event then you already know that it takes a special type of person to do something like this. But here are the three main secrets, or ingredients, that are needed for a successful event planning business:

Visualization Techniques

There are many people all over the world in many different professions that use visualization techniques to get things accomplished. Event planning professionals are no different in this respect because visualization techniques are very crucial to their business as well! For starters, it's important to visualize an event from start to finish just how you think it might go. Professionals who are event planners probably have more experiences and are the best at this because they will actually be able to see their creation and event come to life when it's time!

One important guideline to the visualization techniques that are used when event planning, though, is to erase all of the potentially bad details of the event that you may foresee happening. If one of those bad details happens during the visualization process than an important step to take would be to write down the situation and do the most to prevent it from happening!

The Organizational Techniques of Event Coordinators

Of course chances are that you already know that the organizational techniques of event coordinators is very important when event planning. Indeed, being organized, keeping phone numbers in their respective place, making sure that the wedding cake is delivered on time, as well as making sure the other important people of the event arrive on time are very important things that one can do in order to stay organized through the event planning process. Nobody will enjoy working with an event planning professional that is scatter-brained and gets frustrated very easily, so making sure that your organizational skills are superb is very important!

Controlling the Whole Event

Thee are some obvious aspects of the event that an event planning professional will not be able to have control over, but those things that he or she can control definitely should be. An example of something that a planner would not be able to have control over is the weather, but something that he or she could have control over is what will happen if bad weather does strike!

Altogether, the amount of control that a person has over the event, organization of the event planner, as well as the visualization techniques are three very important keys to event planning successfully! …Read more >>