Signature Soirees is on the hunt for energetic junior or senior level college students who are interested in the event planning industry to intern during our 2010 season. If you or someone you know may be interested, please have them visit our website to find out all the information about the position and how to apply.
Hurry, we are only accepting applications until the end of January!
There is nothing like the sense of excitement and newness (yes, it is a word, I checked!) that a new year brings. It is also a time to look back on the past year and think about how to make the coming year, bigger and better! I want to say thank you to all the vendors, venues, clients and their families, that I have had the opportunity to work with this year. All of you have further confirmed that I still have the best job ever!
Look for exciting news and changes for Signature Soirees in the New Year. Mark your calendars to meet my right hand woman, Jessyn and I at the Today's Bride Bridal Show on Sunday, January 17, 2010 at the I-X Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Doors open at 10:00am. Admission is $10.00, but if you contact me by January 10, 2010, you can get free tickets!
Until then, please check out some of my favorite websites that offer great planning tips and products for weddings and more:
Eventfully Yours,
I am truly honored and thrilled to announce that once again, Signature Soirees has been nominated as the best wedding planner in Cleveland on the Fox 8's Hotlist. Congrats to all my fellow colleagues also nominated in this category. Goodness knows we work hard, often to little or no recognition. So ladies, let's toot our own horns for once!
You can vote for Signature Soirees by clicking here and scrolling down to Signature Soirees, LLC Event Consultants and clicking on VOTE! Please note that voting ends November 13, 2009 and we need all the votes that we can get!
Eventfully yours,
Not in the way you're thinking, but in a good way.......
Yes, the team at Signature Soirees is now certified to handle all the details of your destination events, such as weddings, anniversaries or just because.
Call us today to schedule your complementary pre-event consultation at 866-880-7902 or our new phone number, 877-497-6383.
It is all that you have ever wanted. You and your beloved exchanging vows as the sun sets in the distance. Or maybe you just want to have a beach party for your graduation. Whatever the occasion, you must be aware of the costs that come along with an outdoor event.
Even if you are planning to just have the event in your own backyard, you must take the following into account:
1. The size of your guest list: Can your home handle the amount of guests you are inviting? Do you have adequate restrooms, seating and table space to accommodate your guests?
2. The size and state of your kitchen: If your event is going to be catered onsite, can your kitchen handle the demands of a full catering staff? Meaning, is there enough cooking or counter space?
3. Consider any electrical needs: If you are having a DJ, live band, lighting or any other electrical needs, make sure that your home can handle it. Nothing can be worse than blowing a circuit and then the party is over!
What if you decide to have your event else where at a beach or park? Remember that you most likely will have to bring everything in. Meaning tables, chairs, catering equipment, tents (which we will discuss in detail next week), etc. As the list continues to grow, the cost also continues to grow.
But outdoor events can be so doggone beautiful. Check out a few pictures from one of my favorite planners, Tara Guerard. Through her company, Soiree, Tara creates some of the most breath taking outdoor events, I've ever seen. Here are a couple photos from one of Soiree's recent weddings with 1200 guests! To read all about it visit the Soiree blog by clicking here.
It's that time of year, when your mailbox contains at least two invitations to somebody's bridal shower. For me, this is the time of year that bridesmaids are pumping me for information about what to do for their bride to be. My reply is to make it fun and remember who the party is for. More often than not, bridal showers seem to turn into to a boring tea party. It is like everyone is working from the some bridal shower planning list: Food (check), Drink (check), Purse Game (check)...
Before you even think about giving someone 15 points for that can of aerosol hair spray in their purse, here are a few bridal shower party ideas to consider:
I love the color pink and found this great party theme over at one of my favorite blogs, Hostess with the Mostess:
To read all the juicy details, click here.
My favorite idea is the cocktail party bridal shower. Not only is this a great idea for the party girl bride to be, it can also be a cost saving party as well. Serve appetizers that you purchase from your local wholesale club, like Sam's Club or Costco. To save on alcohol, create a signature drink to pay homage to the guest of honor. Don't worry, for your non drinking guests, create a non alcoholic alternative but still use the fancy stemware. There is just something about having a drink in a fancy glass that really says party!
Now you're thinking what kind of games can you play at a cocktail party?! That my friend is a post for next week! Stay tuned!
Right now, I am very confused. Let me correct that. I am about a quarter past confused and about an hour into completely lost. I am a very active volunteer at my kids' school and tomorrow is one of their big events. Mind you, this is not the first year of this event, this is an annual occurrence. Which is what is making me feel so lost and confused. When the volunteer sheet came home it expressed the need for volunteers to sign up for multiple jobs. Multiple jobs that it explained would be timed so there would be time between each assignment.
So imagine my surprise when the assignment sheet came back and I was assigned not 2 but 3 jobs, which any person could see would be impossible for me to cover. As I pondered the notion that the school must be in possession of the Kandice clone that I dream of, it occurred to me that the problem here was a lack of communication. With the event quickly approaching (this morning by the time you read this) I was lacking pertinent information. The time I needed to be at my first assignment, how I should get there, the length of time I needed to be there, etc.... Then I thought this would make for a great blog post.
When it comes to events such as weddings or corporate events, I am under the belief that you can't communicate enough! Even things that to you may seem to be common sense or common place may not be to others. When you communicate, put it writing. In the interest of saving trees, put it on recycled paper or in an email. Not only do you make sure that everyone is on the same page, but if something goes awry, you have something to refer back to and say, this was what should have happened. At the end of the day, your primary aim should be that you don't have any lost or confused people out there thinking that a clone of them exists. Although, it could happen....
The clock is ticking... In exactly one week, on Monday, May 11, 2009, it will cost you more money to mail those fabulous invitations. The rate change is as follows:
| Letters – first ounce | $0.44 | |
| Large envelopes – first ounce | $0.88 | |
| Parcels – first ounce | $1.22 | |
| Additional ounces | $0.17 | |
| Postcard | $0.28 | |
| Stamped Card | $0.31 | |
| Stamped Envelope | $0.54 |
Visit the United States Postal Service website for a more detailed list of the price increases.
Going off topic: For all you Simpsons fans out there (like me) there are now Simpsons stamps available for sale!
Aren't they cute?!
Back on topic: Be sure to add a little more into your budget for postage!
We all hear about it on the news. Even experiencing it in their daily lives. What am I referring to? I’m talking about the current economic crisis.
The current unemployment rate is at 8%, the highest it has been since the mid 1980’s. According to the Wedding Report, a wedding statistics and market researcher for the wedding industry, the national average spending for weddings has dropped from $21, 814 in 2008 to a predicted $20,398 for 2009. Things are looking grim. For those who are planning to wed amidst this troubled economic climate, you are probably facing a budget crisis of your own.
Before you cancel everything entirely, here are five tips to keep your wedding on track and save some money:
1. Hire a professional planner - A professional planner will have connections with various vendors and direct you to the ones that will fit your budget. They can also provide you with cost saving ideas and decorating tips.
2. Revisit the guest list - The cost of invitations, food, drink, favors and decorations are greatly influenced by the number of your guests. Keep the guest list small and you can very well keep your costs low.
3. Get a wedding website - Save money on invitations, save the dates and most of all, postage. If you know that most of your guests are computer savvy, take advantage of it. You can post all the information about your wedding, including locations, maps and hotel information on the website. Guests can RSVP, email you and also get your registry information. Signature Soirees can help you get one set up. Contact us today.
4. Recycle and reuse - Ask a friend that has recently gotten married or had a party if you can use some of their items. Vases, votive holders or linens can all be used again. Add your own special touches to them with ribbon or paper will breath new life into old items.
5. Saturday isn’t the only day for weddings - Schedule your wedding on a Friday evening or Sunday afternoon. Friday evening weddings can help you cut costs because the shortened length of time decreases costs for drinking. You can also have the ceremony and reception at the same venue. The same goes for a wedding on a Sunday afternoon. Additional cost savings here can be opting for an alcohol free reception or just serving a signature drink like a mimosa.
For help to plan a cost effective wedding in this economy, contact Signature Soirees’ Principal Consultant, Kandice Brooks at 866-880-7902 or visit our website.
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