Eventfully Yours

Do I Really Need A Planner?

You would be surprised at the number of times I get this question.  In this day and age, a person's inclination is to cut costs and go the course alone.  BUT and this is a big but, an experienced planner can actually save you time and money.  How? 

1. An extensive list of vendors.  An experienced can consult one of the many vendors, he or she has a working relationship with to get you a deal or at the least find one that is within your budget.
2. Knowledge of venues.  An experienced planner will know if not all, but a great deal of the ideal venues in your area.  He or she can direct you to the places within your budget.

Planners can also save you time.  Instead of calling about 10 different caterers or photographers a planner will handle those things for you.  They can set up appointments according to your schedule and save you from a lot of legwork.

If you are one who finds it hard to make decisions?  An experienced planner can reign you in.  They will also keep you focused on your budget and keep you as close as possible to your bottom line.

Money Saving Tip - Use Your Imagination

  I know that it is so cliche, but sometimes when you want to save on events, you have to think outside the box!  I can see the eyes rolling already.  Sorry, but it is true.  I will give you some tips on how to do it:

• Be flexible with your event date.  Years ago, Sunday weddings were quite the trend.  I held my wedding on a Sunday and enjoyed a substantial discount on services because this was a day that vendors didn't traditionally work and they welcomed the money.  I was also able to save on alcohol because in my opinion, if you were looking to get drunk on a Sunday then that is just wrong!  Now a popular day for weddings is Friday evenings and though the savings may not be huge, you can still save a few dollars than having a Saturday wedding.
• Get creative with your favors.  All those fancy little spoons and things are nice, but they are expensive.  I know because I sell them!  If you don't have a never ending bag of money then do your research before spending money on favors.  A packet of seeds with a custom label is just as nice and will cost less than some fancy engraved thingy.
• Save on Linens.  Why pay hundreds of dollars on linens like overlays and chair ties when you can find some low cost fabrics to get the same effect?

I hope that I have given you enough to get your creative and imaginative juices flowing!  Until next time eventfully yours!

Looking for funny event stories

I want to start featuring funny event stories on my blog once a week.   It can be from any type of event, but it MUST BE funny! If your story is used, in addition to being mentioned on this blog, you can also plug your own blog, if you have one and receive a $25.00 gift card!  Submit your funny story by clicking on the contact me button and emailing it.

Looking forward to your hilarious stories!

Vote For Us!

Signature Soirees has been nominated as the best wedding planner in Cleveland on the FOX 8 News Hey Butler Hot List.

Please vote for us by clicking on the box below, we need your support!

Tune Into EVENT TALK tonight!

Due to a bad storm that rolled through parts of Ohio last week, I had to reschedule my show on etiquette to this week.  So tune in tonight at 10:00pm EST as I will be speaking with Sandy Hyde of the Etiquette School of Ohio about etiquette as it applies to events.

Tips for a Memorable Toast

You've been asked to be the Maid of Honor or Best Man in your friend's wedding.  You are all for it until you realize that you have to say a toast!  For most people, the thought of speaking in front of a room full of people is terrifying.  The following are some steps to ensure that your toast will be painless as possible from beginning to end.

• Start with an outline: Create categories of topics you want to cover (such as thanks, anecdotes, advice), then fill in the blanks as you go.
• Recall and Reflect: How did you first meet? What do you admire about the person you're honoring?  It sounds obvious, but spend some time really thinking about your relationship.
• Seek outside inspiration: If you're having trouble expressing how you feel, consult a collection of quotes or poems or your loved ones.  Just be sure to credit the source.
• Practice, practice: Plan to have a draft completed a few weeks before the wedding to ensure you have time to do some dry runs.
• Keep it short: Your remarks should last no more than a few minutes.  Time yourself, and pare down if necessary.  Rewrite parts you find yourself stumbling over.  You may even want to record yourself, or rehearse before an impartial party and ask for feedback.
• Include stage directions: While you are practicing, get a sense of where natural breaks occur, and write "Pause" in your notes as a reminder.
• Bring notes: You'll want some notes to refer to, but avoid the impulse to write everything down and read verbatim.
• Make copies: Print a duplicate of your notes and give them to another guest, in case you misplace yours.

If all of this is still too overwhelming for you, there is now a service that will do some of the work for you. Instant Wedding Toasts can get you up and running with a wedding toast whether you're the maid of honor, best man or parents of the bride or groom.

Money Saving Tip - Cakes

For your big day, you have dreamed of the ultimate wedding cake.  Five layers of dazzling and delicious confectionery delight.  Sometimes all of that comes at a staggering price.  Cakes can go as high as $15.00 per person.  Multiply that by 100 or more people and you've got quite a blow to your budget.  Here are some way to have your cake, eat it and save some money too!

• Choose frosting rather than fondant, which is more labor intensive and expensive
• Choose a less elaborate icing style
• Use fresh flowers to finish off your cake's decoration
• Pass on the sugar paste flowers, marzipan fruits, although they are lovely they are also labor intensive and expensive
• Choose one flavor and filling for your cake
• Choose a smaller wedding cake to display and use sheet cake that is cut in the back to feed the rest of your guest
• Wrap ribbon that coordinates with your wedding colors around the bottom of each layer and for added color use fresh flowers
• In lieu of cake, opt for cupcakes that can be arranged to mimic the layers of a cake

Do you have any money saving tips for cakes?  Please comment and share with the rest of our readers.

8 Tips for Selecting a Winning Speaker

For corporate and meeting planners, I came upon this article and thought I would share it.

Jonathan Edison is the President and CEO of Detroit based Edison Speaks International.  The following are his suggested tips for selecting a Winning Speaker.

1. Review the speaker's website.  A winning speaker should have a strong and vibrant website that is easy to navigate and distinguishes what sets him or her apart from the rest.  It should include photos,  a short bio and/or credibility description, a promise statement, return on investment bullets, powerful questions, testimonials, client lists, delivery style/uniqueness and a convincing demo video.
2. Review the client list.  If a speaker you're interested in has an outstanding client list with recognizable organizations, that is a good indication that he or she is a reputable speaker.
3. Make sure the speaker is a good fit for your group.  Review the purpose and goal of your function and the message you want to convey, and select a speaker  whose background and topics align with those goals.
4. Review the speaker's marketing materials.  A winning speaker has a detailed and very concise one sheet that provides you with a menu of topics and showcases the speaker's expertise in their perspective field.  Beware of speakers who speak on everything.
5. Stay away from the prima donna.  A winning speaker puts the client first and doesn't make you his or her personal assistant.
6. Look for the "secret" in the testimonial letters.  If a testimonial letter answers the question< "What changed after this speaker spoke?" you've got a winner.
7. Ask around.  Asking your colleagues for speaker recommendations and referrals can yield good results.
8. Make sure the speaker fits your budget.  Check your speaker's fee range before you begin the final selection process.

To find out more about Jonathan Edison and his company, visit his website by clicking here.

Tune In To Event Talk

Tomorrow night on my Blog Talk Radio show, Event Talk, we will discuss Etiquette as it applies to events. We'll talk to Sandy Hyde, a certified etiquette coach and president of the Etiquette School of Ohio. Topics to be covered include RSVP's, guest behavior and more.  This is a show you don't want to miss!  The show will air live Monday, September 15, 2008 at 10:00pm EST. Tune in live by clicking here or listen by clicking on the player down in the right sidebar.

Money Saving Tips - Event Websites

These days there is no end to the different type of websites you can have.  If you are getting married, there is the wedding website which has now expanded to include rsvp's and more.  For corporate planning, you need to have a website for meetings where people can register, find out about different breakout sessions and more.

If you look around at companies who have designated services for these types of websites, you could end up paying thousands of dollars when you could get your own web presence up and running for next to nothing.  You can do this by utilizing the services of social network, like MySpace or Ning.

You can get a MySpace up and running at no cost to you.  Add your photos, music and any information tht you'd like, set it to private and invite your friends and family to stop by and join.  I would recommend this to anyone planning a wedding on a tight budget.  For a corporate planner, I would suggest Ning.  You can add pages and even give your site a more professional and polished look by using your own domain name for only $4.95 per month.  You can even remove the ads and Ning tags for a nominal fee.

Tap into the power of the internet when planning your next event and see how many ways you can save.