Tips for Choosing the Perfect Wedding Planner!!!

Preparing for your wedding is one of the most exciting times you will share together as a couple. Unfortunately, it is also one of the more stressful times in a young couples life together.

Planning for the ceremony, inviting guests, choosing a best man, picking ushers and brides maids etc! The list of things to do seems never ending. In addition to all of the personal decisions to be made, you need to select a venue, hire a caterer, hire a florist, decorate! it’s another seemingly endless list. But with the help of a professional wedding planner, you can eliminate much of the stress that accompanies planning a wedding.

But how do you know the wedding planner you choose will be able to fully meet your expectations?

The following tips will help make choosing the right wedding planner a little easier, and will help ensure that you find the wedding coordinator that can offer the best service.

Weddings Begin With Choices of course all weddings bring a flurry of choices, and certain decisions have to be made early. When considering a professional wedding planner, the first choice is what type of service you need. Full service wedding planners are ready to handle every detail of your wedding and reception, including hiring a venue, decorating, contracting with florists and caterers, and generally looking after every detail of your big day.

Many wedding planners also offer partial services, or day of coordination. These services are designed to help couples find an appropriate venue, and contract with the various vendors that will be needed for the wedding. Partial services can save couples a little money, but by their nature still leave most of the heavy work to the bride and groom. In the long run, a full service wedding planner can save both time and money, and can certainly lessen the stress load.

Interviewing Your Wedding Planner:
Before choosing any wedding coordinator, you’ll want to set up some interviews. Not all wedding planners are created equal, so give yourself some time to speak with a few different coordinators and compare costs and services. The first question to ask any prospective wedding planner, is where they were trained in the profession. Not all wedding planners have had professional training, and you want to be sure you choose someone who is well trained and experienced in their field. You will also want to ask how long they have been working in the industry, and what types of weddings they have organized in the past.
A good wedding planner should be able to provide a work history that gives you confidence in their skills, and should also be able to provide recommendations from past satisfied clients.

As you interview potential wedding planners, be sure to ask what level of service they provide. A good wedding planner should be able to handle all of the details of your wedding, from venue to décor, to catering etc.
Successful wedding planners should be able to take your initial ideas, and enhance them with concepts of their own. They should be quick with suggestions to make your wedding more beautiful, more personal, and all that you both dreamed it could be.

Total Cost and Your Budget:
While consulting with your wedding planner, be sure they understand all of your budgetary restrictions. Being able to work within a set budget is an important part of being a wedding planner, and they should be able to make suggestions that can save you money while providing first class service on the day. A good wedding coordinator will have contacts with a variety of vendors and caterers so that they can provide the best service at the best price for all of their clients.

Finally, ask about what will be covered in the total cost. Will the vendor’s and caterer’s fees be included in the total cost, or will they be paid separately. This applies to any support staff required prior to, and on the day of the wedding as well. Confirm when payment is due, and what forms of payment will be accepted.

Hiring a wedding planner can help to take much of the stress out of planning your wedding. When choosing a wedding planner, look for someone that understands what you want on your wedding day. Choose someone you are comfortable with, who will work closely with you and who is committed to bringing your dream wedding to life.

What To Do When Event Disaster Strikes!

What To Do When Event Disaster Strikes!

When event disaster strikes - and it does to everyone in this industry at some time or other, it helps to have a game plan. There are two possible general scenarios from which you will need to recover. One occurs when the event itself is in jeopardy and something must be done to make it continue successfully. The other occurs when you have to save a client and your reputation. These situations assume that you have already taken every precaution for controlling risk and have completed proper risk assessments before the event has even begun.

Saving an Event

When you are called upon to “save” an event, it usually means you must add, delete, substitute, reconfigure, or accommodate something in order to make the save possible! In almost all cases, the “save” is necessary because of unforeseen and unimaginable circumstances.
The following key rules are offered for handling those eleventh hour challenges, whatever their size and scope

*Keep a cool head and a professional demeanour; Your client depends on you to know the answers and also rely on you to fix the problems. If you go ballistic when faced with a challenge, you both lose! Find a non-public place to discuss the problem with team players. Always be the expert, always remain in control of your emotions and your temper, and always be a leader.

*Pull your core team together and determine what options exist; Questions to ask include, What are the key elements of this event that must happen? What is the most important thing to client? What are the physical and logistical limitations? What resources do we have to make changes – financial, human and technical? What are our options?

*Divide and conquer; As a group, determine the best one option and put all of your resources to work to make it happen. Once you have decided on the solution, make sure to clearly define individual responsibilities. During this crunch time, it’s important for everyone to be working parallel ahead toward the same goal.

*Don’t rule out help from your competitors; Make sure the new plan is clearly articulated to the client and approved. Also, be sure to communicate the plan to the entire event team, including all support vendors who may or may not have been contracted by you. Learn from the challenge.
What lessons were learned from this challenge that can be applied to future events to prevent similar situations from developing?

Saving a Client – and Your Reputation

Sometimes no matter how much you anticipate, how much you plan, how many times you double-check details, or how hard you try to make the “save,” Murphy’s Law strikes and a situation develops that has the potential to do serious damage to your reputation and your relationship with your client.
Every event planner experiences this at some point in their career.

*When an event goes wrong or something unrecoverable happens, the key points to consider are; If the event is still ongoing, minimize any adverse effects on your client, the guests and the venue. It may be possible to minimize effects if the people on your team react quickly and competently, as outlined in the first section. For example, in the case of technical problems such as microphone or audio difficulties, computer glitches and such, if backup equipment and software are available, a minor problem will remain just that and may not require any compromises. However, if they are not and the problem is not resolved swiftly, it quickly becomes a big problem and a major interruption in an event’s flow, which will probably require some settlement with the client. Preparation and anticipation are the key words here.

*Communicate to your client exactly what has happened and why it has happened, as soon as possible and as honestly as possible; When a problem is obvious to guests or an audience, and to your client – and obvious is the key word - the worst thing you can do is to remain silent. Your client wants to be kept “in the loop” and must know what is happening literally from moment to moment. This communication is ultimately what will probably save your reputation and your client. Without it, the client can feel as if you are trying to hide something. Even if the problem is due to someone’s incompetence, admit it up front and take immediate steps to solve the problem. Don’t hide.

*Formulate a methodology to appease and keep your client; Now comes decision time, If in your assessment - or by way of client comments - the event was compromised by a problem, then after the event a continuing dialogue with the client is very important. Explain to him/her you are concerned that the event was not up to the standards you promised and are known for.

Learn from the problem, As in the case of saving an event, what lessons were learned from this problem that can be applied to future events to prevent similar situations from developing.

Why You Should Hire an Event Planner for Your Corporate Event!!!

If you’re on the fence about whether or not you should hire an event planner for your corporate event, think about this: Have you ever started a large project around the home which ended up being a budgetary disaster? What you thought might whittle the budget down actually ended up costing you more money and stress in the end than outright hiring a contractor to do the work for you.

Sometimes your efforts to keep within a budget by doing things yourself ends up costing you more than hiring a professional expert contractor to begin with. This theory goes for business decisions as well.

A Corporate Event is Not the Venue for Cutting Corners

Experts are considered experts for a reason. In addition to any formal education they may have received, true experts have also spent years of their lives obsessing over their field of expertise. They’ve found out what’s effective and what is not. They know their craft so well, that they are able to tell you what ideas for the event are worth your time and money, and what ideas should be tossed.
While some DIY projects can be a load of fun, there are some things you may want to consider turning to the experts for.

Should You Hire an Event Planner for Your Corporate Event

Of course we think the answer is yes, but here’s why:

*A professional event planner will help you develop a reasonable budget and stick to it. This helps eliminate unpleasant and expensive surprises down the road you may not have thought of.
An honest expert should also keep you from spending money in areas that aren’t cost-effective.

*Corporate events are a big, big deal. Your company’s reputation depends on it. Hire an event planner for your corporate event to make sure you are covering all your bases.

*Eliminate stress by allocating work to the pros.

*Extra insight. Remember, true experts are obsessive in their field, and the details matters most to them.

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How To Guide for Small Business and Corporate Event Planning

Whether you are preparing to host a small business or corporate event, planning a great event requires strategy.
In this series, we will look at some guidelines for small business and corporate event planning.

Pre-Planning:
Define Your Purpose – Is this event for recognition? Introducing a new product? Team building? Keep your purpose at the forefront so that you focus your efforts where they matter.

Define Your Target Audience – Now that you’ve defined your purpose, define your target audience. You must know who you will be catering to in order to effectively put everything else into place (budget, style, venue, event goals).

Examine the Calendar and Set a Date – Be sure to plan your event far enough in advance to avoid calendar or scheduling conflicts. If you know there are industry-relevant events in your area during certain times of the year, be sure to avoid those too.

Write Down Details as You Go – Begin making a list of details, from lighting needs and parking arrangements down to the appetizers and the napkins on the tables.
Keep this list handy as you continue planning your event, and add to it as you go. This will make sure you don’t miss any little detail. Remember, details matter and can affect your reputation! Be Flexible with Small Business and Corporate Event Planning The pre-planning stage is where you can write down all of your grand ideas for the event, but be prepared if you need to compromise on some of your ideas.
Hiring a professional event coordinator can become a huge asset in this area. They can help you get the most bang for your buck.

Now that you have thepre-planning portion of your small business or corporate event in place, the next part is to analyze your budget.
At this point, you should begin to line up your list of priorities within the context of a functional budget. The following will give you some direction for your small business and corporate event budget planning goals.

Small Business and Corporate Event Budget Planning Tips

Determine How Your Event Will Be Funded – This could be from event ticket sales, sponsors, or self-funded from the marketing budget. Get a good estimate on the numbers before you sign any venue or vendor contracts. Now days, even crowd-funding has become a popular way to raise some money to fund your event if it’s appropriate (offers benefits to public attendees). Be cautious with this approach.
Identify Your Expenses – These include special permits, licenses, venue, rentals (sound, lighting, tables, chairs), food, and entertainment. Look at your list of expenses and determine if there are any appropriate business who might be willing to provide one or more of those needs for your event in exchange for being named an event sponsor.

Prioritize your Event Expenses – Once you have a good idea of what your spending budget and expenses will be, look back at your list of ideas to prioritize those items and decide which ones make the cut and which ones don’t.

Need Help With Small Business and Corporate Event Budget Planning?

One of the most costly mistakes a small business or corporation can make, especially if it’s their first event, is to underestimate their expenses and overestimate their budget. This is why hiring an expert who has knowledge and experience when it comes to small business and corporate event budget planning is a great idea.

Who To Hire For Your Wedding!

Congratulation! Now you’re engaged! it’s time to start the planning of your wedding, but where do we start from? With all the many to-do lists, all the different choices of photographers, planners, designers, florists, bakeries, caterers and venues, it can all be quite overwhelming for many brides!

Being an event producer I can completely understand when brides come to me with questions about what each service entails! Many wedding stylists and event design companies overlap in many of these areas as well, but it’s good to know what you’re getting before you pay your deposit and sign any contract(s).

So what is the difference between all of these different titles and how do you know who to hire for your wedding?

Wedding Designer/Stylist: From my experience, many brides think that wedding stylists and designers just assist with the table centrepieces, prop sourcing and details, but much of the design work is in the small details and working with your entire supplier team. These creative minds bring to life an inviting and aesthetically pleasing environment that reflects you and your partner. 
If you have many varying ideas and different design desires, wedding designers can help you narrow down your wedding style and assist you in the realisation of what is really important to you and your fiancé for your wedding.
By taking inspiration from you and your partner, wedding stylists assist you in selecting your colour palette and inspiration board, creating a mood or vibe for your wedding and how you want your guests to feel when they enter your wedding environment, choosing linen selections and table centre pieces, prop and detail sourcing, right up to the installation on your wedding day and much more. Their main focus is to guide the whole look and feel of your event, ensuring that your supplier team is on the same page, working collaboratively to create a cohesive flow of your wedding aesthetic and style and bring all the design elements together on your wedding day.


Wedding Planner: A planner assists with all logistical management, development of wedding day timelines, handling vendor sourcing and referrals, telephone calls and emails to all contracted vendors, and handling bookings, negotiations and contracts. As well as making sure every supplier’s end goal is in relation to the client’s vision and design for their wedding.


Creative Director: A creative director, sometimes referred to as an art director, oversees the creative presentation and style of a wedding, editorial shoot, or other project. Their job is to make things interesting and beautiful, sometimes by sourcing the right props, wardrobe, or other items. They ensure the work the design team is hired to do... 
implementing the client’s vision throughout the process.


Event Designer: Essentially the same as a wedding designer, except that they typically specialise in a variety of events i.e rehearsals dinners, birthdays, anniversaries, bridal showers, engagement parties and corporate events.


Wedding Coordinator: Typically ‘day of’ or ‘month of’ coordination  for your wedding take on the time management of your entire wedding day, communicating with all other contracted vendors, working behind the scenes with the venue staff and overseeing that everything runs on schedule.




Keep in mind that when making your decision about who is right for you and your wedding dreams! Connect with their style and don’t be afraid to ask questions and share your desires and opinions. It’s the only way they will really get to know who you are and achieve the style you’re wanting.

It takes a lot of trust to put your wedding dreams in the hands of someone else, especially when design is not tangible, but rather visionary and something that has to be seen to be experienced. However, if you have faith and trust that they will do the job that you’ve hired them for, they will make it magical...

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How To Organize A Successful Charity Concert!

So, You Want to Organize a charity Concert

Many people ask, How do I raise money for a cause?
Planning a concert is always a great choice. I can tell you that doing so is a very fun and rewarding experience and that almost anyone can do it. Of all the non profit fundraising ideas out there, the charity/benefit concert has to be one of the best.

This article contains the advice for organizing a concert that I wish I had before I started as an event planner. You can find step-by-step fundraising guides elsewhere but I think that this is the information that you really need to know if you want to keep from losing your mind!


Building A Team: (The Basics)
The first thing you should realize when you are planning a concert or coming up with any non profit fundraising ideas is that you can't do it alone.
You must have a team in place of like-minded individuals who you can trust. It does not have to be a big team. The most important thing is that the team members share your enthusiasm for the cause because after all, they are not being paid. Surround yourself only with people who are constantly positive and encouraging. This does not mean naïve. They should be people who are intelligent, who you trust and who believe in you and the cause of the benefit concert.
Most important is that you can count on your team to support you throughout your time planning the concert.
Try to find people with different skills and different connections around town that may be useful.
To get to the point though, not everyone is going to follow through all the time. In a volunteer event like this, you have the ultimate responsibility to get things done when others don't. So, always be wary when people say they will do something. And do not wait around forever for them to take action. Give people deadlines and don't be afraid to follow up. Your team is your life support, but do not lean on them too heavily.


There Will Be Thrilling Highs and Devastating Lows:
When learning how to organize a concert, it's important to remember that you will have to be tough. It is an admirable feat to take on the responsibility of creating a concert for charity. It may be one of the most demanding things. That's why it is important to be realistic about your motivation from the beginning.


Here's how it will probably go:
You will have a lot of enthusiasm in the beginning which is obviously why you took on the challenge in the first place. You will experience thrilling highs of signing on a new sponsor or getting press coverage or booking a great band, but you will likewise experience painful lows. A major sponsor might back out, a team member quits, you feel exhausted, etc. These are the realities of organizing a concert, especially a charity/benefit concert where everyone works on a volunteer basis and so on.
If you are not willing to go through the highs and the lows, then you are not ready to do something of this nature. The most important thing is to always remember why you are doing this in the first place! to raise money and awareness for a great cause and to create an amazing event that people will enjoy.
Stay positive and never let anyone tell you that you won't succeed. To make it all the way through successfully though you must maintain an open mind and always be willing to change some of your original plans. Sometimes you've just got to roll with the punches.

Be flexible, adapt, and keep moving. In the end, this is business and not a fairy tale. You'll be fine as long as you keep your head up.


Overestimate How Much You Will Spend and Underestimate How Much People Will Give:
In planning a concert of this nature, the goal is to raise as much money as possible and you have to be smart about how you go about doing so. There will be inevitable costs such as booking a venue, advertising, and merchandise if you choose. Always try to get people to donate instead of making you pay at first, but know that this will not always work.


Network Constantly:
If you want to put on the best show imaginable, you have to fully dedicate yourself to the cause of your charity/benefit concert. That means becoming a full time evangelist for your cause and your event. Tell all your friends, post updates on Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook, schedule appointments with business leaders, The point is, you have to be always on and enthusiastic.
You are the leader who other people have to want to follow and to help. If you are honest and sincere about your mission, you will find that you will earn some unlikely commitments. Some of these commitments will not come until the very last minute which is why you have to maintain your passion. Never be afraid to ask for help. You may be surprised by how much people are willing to give. You never know unless you ask!


Set Goals Daily the Night Before:
You should always have around 2-3 must-do tasks per day. They do not have to be major milestones but they should always be moving you forward. This will help you stay motivated, give you and your team a clear sense of purpose, and guarantee productivity.
As mentioned previously, give team-mates deadline and very specific tasks. This alleviates confusion and keeps you from having your time wasted.


Communication Is Key:
The most important skill that you are going to need when planning a concert to make it a true success is that of communication. When you speak with people, always be prepared. Demonstrate your passion to the cause, be able to illustrate why your cause is in need, and show people how they will benefit from being a part of your event.
People are not just going to give themselves to you. You have to demonstrate value, and there is no better way of doing that than genuine, face-to-face communication.

Also, respond to email and phone calls as soon as you can. It can be seen as highly disrespectful to keep people waiting and it would be a shame to lose support because of simply putting someone off an extra day or two. It is okay to have your team-mates help you with this. Just never let someone feel as if they are being hung out to dry. Always let people know how much you appreciate their support and how much they mean to you. Often times, it's really the little things that go the longest way.


Smile and Have Fun:
Being a great leader and creating an extraordinary event means inspiring those around you. How can you inspire people if you are not inspired yourself? Enjoy the experience and appreciate every moment! I can not stress enough the importance of smiling. Whether you are meeting with a potential sponsor or assigning a task to a teammate, you have a much better chance of succeeding if you have a smile on your face and can deliver the message that your main objective is for everyone to have a great time.
A charity concert is supposed to be just that, and there is no reason that you can't enjoy yourself in making it happen as well. It's all about the attitude...


Take Some Time Off:
This does not mean to stop spreading the word but rather it is a reminder that you do not have to be running around 24 hours a day 7 days a week thinking that you will fail otherwise. If you are determined, then you will get the job done. In order to keep from going insane though it is very important to take some time off and do something fun. Go to the beach, hangout with friends! You have to take some time off in order to stay fresh. In fact, doing something new may help you think about a problem from a different angle or come up with a creative new initiative for your team. Basically, don't burn out. Life is too short. (speaking from experience)


Conclusion: 
In the end, it's all up to you. Believe me, organizing any kind of grassroots event will not be easy, planning a concert is no exception. But if you really devote yourself to it and work hard, then it will be one of the best experiences of your life.
And don't forget to take lots of pictures. When it's all over, the memories will be all that you have left.

I hope this article has been helpful.
If you have any question or feedback, feel free to leave a comment.
Best of luck!



Awoliyi Michael
http://about.me/michealawoliyi

Event Planning Tips For Begginers...

3 Top Tips to Remember for Successful Event Planning!

Event planning can seem like a daunting task at first glance. But it can be a very rewarding, fun and exciting experience. You will get the chance to orchestrate a big occasional exactly the way you want it, from theme, colour scheme, location and overall atmosphere. Here are three top tips for event planning beginners to remember when drawing up ideas for the perfect big bash.


1) Set a Schedule:
To pull off a successful event you need to set yourself achievable goals. It is a good idea to mark up points in your calendar when you want to have already completed a planning sections. For example, set yourself a date to have completed venue selection.
This needs to be fairly on in your schedule as it will affect a lot of your other choices. Venue and location research is a good place to start your event planning. From here you can set yourself other goals with estimated dates of completion leading up the big occasion itself. Don't forget to set an RSVP date for your guest so you can confirm numbers of attendees to your venue and caterers.


2) Compare and Save Cost:
Make list and check it twice. It is a good idea to shop around when hiring a venue, caterers, staff or entertainers. Take notes of prices, timings or any additional factors. What can one company offer you that the other cannot? It is a desirable habit to jot all of this information down on a list to later compare and contrast your possibilities. This way you can be sure you are getting the best of the best. It will also help you to save a little on your budget.
Keeping a contact book will not only be a useful resource for planner your occasion this time around, it will also be a handy thing to keep hold of should you be event planning again in the future.


3) Meet and Greet:

As the host, it is important to meet and greet your guests as they arrive to your big occasion. However, to be a top host you need to mingle with your party-goers. When drawing up plans for your event it is important to give yourself some down time too. Event planning is all in the little details, the final touches and the perfect finishes.
Talk and mingle and don't be afraid to delegate jobs that need doing to your event helpers, planners or co-organisers. A problem shared is a problem halved after all. Being a part of your own event and seeing as many as your guests as possible for quality conversations will make them feel welcomed, valued and important to you.




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Events By Swaggerents Wedding Packages!

Events By Swaggerents offers variety of wedding packages that will allow any bride and groom to get exactly what they are looking for in a dream wedding. 
Whether your dream is a lavishly grand wedding for 500 or a small and intimate affair for 100, every wedding deserves the personal touch of the bride and groom (with a little help behind the scenes of a planner).  While we offer several packages to choose from, we can also customize any package to fit within your budget and needs...


Below is a brief description of the packages we offer:

• A Week Of Wedding Coordination Package: is for the couple who has planned their whole wedding and now need a professional to pull it all together and make their wedding day run smoothly. 


• A Month Of Wedding Coordination Package: This is for the couple who has done most of the work themselves and is now ready to have us step in and guide you through the most stressful part, the last month. 


•Partial Planning Package: is for the couple who has some of the planning done but need a little help with the rest of the details. This package includes negotiating contracts and help with design, style, and overall theme of your wedding. 


•Full Service Planning package: is our most desired package! This package is designed for the bride and groom who are looking to enjoy their engagement without all the stress of planning their dream wedding. We will attend appointments with you and guide you in the process. We will help you plan a wedding to remember. 



For Consultation Please contact:

         @swaggerents

    Pin:2B18B17E

 ☎ +2347062995569

swaggerents@gmail.com
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5 Reasons Why You Need A Wedding Planner!

Planning a wedding is hard work, and not everyone is savvy at event planning, let alone planning a wedding for the first time.
Planning a wedding on your own can be a very hectic and stressful affair, Using a wedding planner instead will significantly save you time and energy as well as stress. 
Wedding Planner can provide insight and help the bride and groom with the wedding of their dreams.
Here are several reasons why you need a wedding planner.  


•Keep the stress away – A wedding planner will take care of all the details that you don’t need to be stressing about.  The wedding planner will handle all the necessary phone calls with vendors and allow you to embrace this special time in your life. 


•Keeps you to your wedding budget -  Looking to keep costs down with various aspects of your wedding?  A wedding planner can make that happen. Since he or she has extensive relationships with vendors and wedding locations,  they are more likely to find ways to keep costs down.


•Handles the wedding day chaos: Things will happen on your wedding day that you will have no control over.  A wedding planner will keep everything under control so that you can fully enjoy and take in all the greatness that is happening around you.
As much as you would like your day to run exactly as planned, it’s nearly impossible to make that happen without someone there to run the day. Who is going to make sure the vendors arrive on time, the tables are set according to your vision, the cake isn’t melting, On your wedding day, you should be focusing on getting your hair done and putting on that beautiful gown, surrounded by friends and family, not on the phone talking to the caterer who can’t find the venue.


•Vendor relationships: Part of a planners job is to spend time researching and getting to know the best vendors out there. A vendor is more likely to negotiate well with a wedding planner since they are sure to refer continuously and give them repeat business. A bride by herself is a one time customer, but a planner is a repeat one.


•For a vision: Hiring a wedding planner can help most brides that have no idea what they want when it comes to their wedding day. 
Planners can help bring to your special day any unique style or touch you have always craved for. They will take time to source for every details, they ensure that they help you achieve a beautiful wedding that will gladden your heart.


NOTE:
To achieve your "Fairytale Wedding", all that is needed is commitment and the right planning.
Good Luck and best wishes on your Wedding Day...




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Choosing A Wedding Planner!

So you've made the decision to hire a professional wedding planner? Congratulations! In the months leading up to the big day, your wedding planner may very well become your new best friend. 
A professional planner helps you maintain your sanity by assisting with all aspects of the event, such as creating a budget, choosing ceremony and reception venues and incorporating a theme or design scheme.


Choosing a wedding planner can often be a leap of faith-after all, it's hopefully a one-time relationship, and you've most likely never hired one before. If you know other couples who've had a positive experience with a planner, you may want to consider asking for a referral. If that's not an option, you'll need to conduct a search for your own-no easy task in itself.

When meeting with a prospective wedding planner, don't rely on personality and likability alone. To ensure that he or she will be able to achieve your vision and execute your special day without a hitch, don't sign a contract until you've received satisfactory answers to the following vital questions:


•Are they detail-oriented? 
This is by far the most important trait for a wedding planner to possess. Don't just take their word for it! request references from previous clients. If a planner is doing their job well, they should have a repertoire of dozens of satisfied brides and grooms more than happy to rave about their experience.


•Are they a control freak? 
Remember, unless you've instructed them otherwise, the wedding planner's job is to guide you through every step of the process, not to completely take over. Make sure the planner you choose is willing to let you have as much say as you want to ensure that your celebration is unique to you.


Does the planner have established relationships with local wedding vendors? 
Ideally, they should be able to make informed recommendations for florists, travel agents, caterers, and other merchants. That said, make sure they truly have your best interests in mind and aren't suggesting a company for the sole purpose of receiving a monetary kick-back. A good wedding planner should use their connections to benefit you, not themselves.


Are they willing to manage all of your vendor communications? 
This can be a huge time-saver, eliminating dozens of follow-up calls and confirmations. A comprehensive planning service should include the handling of all merchant relationships.


Is your prospective planner abreast of the latest trends and fashions for modern weddings? 
Unless you're striving for a period-themed event, you probably don't want your ceremony and reception to exude a dated air.



Do they hold a certification or diploma from a reputable wedding planning school or association?
Keep in mind that while a degree is preferred, it's not absolutely essential-education can't replace the value of seasoned experience and beneficial connections, however if they belong to some sort of association it helps to establish them as a reputable vendor.


What's their communication style?

Are they easily accessible via cell phone and email? Are they available on evenings and weekends? The most in-demand wedding planners provide "on call" service to their clients.


Does the planner coordinate weddings as his or her full-time job, or are they just moonlighting?
If they're committed to another "day job" and just plan weddings on the side, you may find it more difficult to track them down when you (or your vendors) need them.


After getting all of the answers to these important questions, consider whether you get a "good vibe" about the prospective wedding planner. Never underestimate the importance of your own personal judgment. You'll be working closely with your wedding planner for many months to come, so it's crucial that you feel comfortable communicating with them. In the best case scenario, you'll emerge from the experience as a very satisfied bride who's gained countless priceless memories-and is prepared to share a glowing referral to other couples.

How to Prepare a Wedding Budget

When it comes to working out a wedding budget for your big day, there are more than a few [potentially conflicting] factors to consider: the items or services you want, the amount you're willing to spend on them, and their actual cost! If you've been dreading your wedding cost calculations, the following steps can help you and the groom tackle your budget head-on.

7 Easy Steps To A Manageable Wedding Budget

1. Schedule some time for both you and the groom to sit down and draft up your budget. Remember: there's no such thing as "too early" when it comes to planning out your wedding costs - the earlier you get started, the more options will be available to you, and the fewer last minute "convenience costs" you'll have to pay.

2. When you and the groom both have a few hours set aside, begin by preparing a chart with three columns and about 30 rows. Label the first column, "Wedding Item or Service"; the second column, "Willing to Spend"; and the third column, "Actual Cost."

3. In the rows beneath "Wedding Item or Service", write down all of the things that require payment for your wedding in the order they're required. For example, start with items and services you'll need before the wedding, such as wedding invitations, announcements, postage stamps, the bridal gown, and the groom's tuxedo. Continue with items and services that will be required as you get closer to the wedding date, such as the rehearsal dinner, pre-wedding thank you gifts for the bridesmaids and groomsmen, and pre-wedding gifts exchanged between the bride and groom.


4. Since the items and services for your wedding day will take up most of the budget, break those ones down into the following sub-categories to keep things simple:

Wedding Day

Venues: Rental fees for the ceremony location and reception location.
Services: Think of all the people that will be 'employed' on your wedding day and require payment, i.e. the bride's hairstylist and cosmetologist, the person officiating the ceremony, the ceremony musician, the photographer, the videographer, the driver, the DJ, the reception caterers, and the reception bartenders.
Decorations and accessories: These might include items such as pew covers for the church, flower arrangements, bouquets for the bride and bridesmaids, reception chair covers, tablecloths, the guest book, and wedding favours.
Food: This includes the meals at the reception, the wedding cake, and bottles of wine on the tables at the reception.
5. Move on to post-wedding items and services, such as the wedding party brunch, honeymoon, thank you notes and postage stamps.

6. Once you've written down all of the items and services you can think of, start filling in the respective amounts in the "Willing to Spend" column. This column will probably need to be revised once you gather quotes and get a feel for how much everything costs, so don't worry about filling in the exact dollar amount - even a percentage of your total wedding budget is fine.

7. Start gathering quotes from vendors for items and services and add them to the "Actual Cost" column. Once you have an idea of the actual costs, you can start reallocating some of your budget funds; i.e. if the reception meals turn out to be way more than you anticipated or were initially willing to spend, that will likely mean borrowing from the amount allocated to another item or service.


And finally, if all of this budget talk has got you freaked out, you might consider looking into the possibility of hiring a Wedding Planner...

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DIY Wedding Centrepiece Ideas!!!

Sometimes, turning your wedding planning visions into reality doesn't accommodate your pocketbook, especially in such economically trying times. Thankfully, being frugal and budget oriented does not mean taking away from the special details that will make your wedding unforgettable. DIY is not always budget-driven creativity is important and getting-it-exactly-right as well.

Either way, do-it-yourself weddings are "in" and with so many couples embracing the DIY movement, we 're always busy helping you along the way with as many easy, affordable and practical ideas as we can collect. Today, more "do-it-yourself" centrepiece ideas that will impress even your most discerning of guests.

1. Glasses

Rent some large Martini glasses (or other glass vases) and fill them with either clear or coloured gel balls; add a small LED light or candle. Or, skip the candle and add flowers or seasonal fruit.
Or simpler yet: find some large water goblets and place them upside down on your table with a flower inside each one, plus a small candle on the top.

Or, place one single flower in a wine glass; you can even add some pearls to each for effect. Assemble three or more of these glasses on your table's centre and you have a very unique and elegant centrepiece.

2. Candles

Candles are always a wedding favourite. You can buy lots of candles and arrange them any way you like to create a memorable and eye catching centerpiece.

For example, buy lots of little candles and a multi-tiered cake plate for each table. Arrange the candles on each cake plate to create a stunning illusion.

Or, keep it simple with a variety of tall thin candle holders and a simple tall candle to match...

3. Themed Centrepieces

If you really don't know what you would like to use on your tables as décor, one of the simplest ways to find the perfect centerpiece is to choose an item that represents the two of you as a couple! 
For example, if you are coffee or tea lovers, place a coffee or tea pot at each table. Remove the lid and place flowers on top. Rest the lid next to the pot with the table number on it...




"Creating centerpieces for your wedding can be fun and creative. Just use your imagination and you will undoubtedly come up with something that will be a one of a kind DIY masterpiece"

African Themed Wedding Decoration!!!

African themed wedding decor is a brilliant idea if you want to incorporate your roots in the ceremony or if you love Africa and want to bring bits of it to your ceremony. To incorporate Africa into your wedding decor you want to consider culture, sculptures, fabric, texture and more. Include such things as calabashes, guards, jewellery, vases and dried flowers.

The hall or tent you use needs to be draped in various African fabrics. Use Maasai red, kitenge, kanga or kikoy fabric. You can use the drapery on your chairs and tables, on the walkways, stage area and more. The centre pieces you select can reflect African culture and can include baobab tree sculptures made from banana leaves, wire figurines, calabashes, sculptures made from soapstone or pots. African colors tend to be either bright or earth colors. Incorporate these as well as various African prints.

Flowers, especially dried flowers, are a great addition to African themed wedding decor. Put them in a vase and wrap the vase in African print fabric to create centerpieces for your tables. Get the dried flowers in the colors that best reflect Africa or those within your wedding color scheme. Sculptures will add flair and drama to your African themed wedding decor. You can go for wood, stone or metal sculptures and these can be of animals, people or things. African masks are a great idea as well.

African themed wedding decor is a great idea that gives vast creative possibilities. 
Have fun creating your dream African Wedding!

Call 07062995569 if you need assistance creating your African Theme Wedding Decoration...

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How to Do It Yourself Event Planning (DIY)

There are times you may want to plan an event yourself, This can happen for any number of reasons:

1. If you have a limited budget for the event.

2. If you have a small number of attendees.

3. If you want to get experience planning your own events.

Whatever your reason is, here are a few tips to doing it yourself.

  Venue Selection

Have you picked a venue yet? Write out how many attendees you will have and pick an appropriate facility that can accommodate your invite list.

Does the venue offer clean-up service? Does the venue have room for you to bring food? Does the venue have chairs and tables or do you need to bring your own? Be sure to ask these important questions.

  Food

Decide if you will have food at the event and how you will transport it. Will you do all the cooking and be bringing it yourself? If you are, then ask friends and family to help you with it early in advance.

  Entertainment

Most events (birthdays, anniversaries, celebrations) will have entertainment.  Be sure you find out if the venue has speakers, stereo systems, projectors, and microphones if you need them. What will the theme of your party be? Often times your entertainment will coincide with the party theme.

  Parking

Most venues have dedicated parking lots for you and your guests to use. You should include parking details in your invitation so guests know exactly where to go.

You can plan most small events yourself just by covering these four main areas: Venue Selection; Food; Entertainment and Parking.

How to Find an Event Planning Job (5 Tips)

While finding a job can be difficult at times, it is important that you stay persistent and keep submitting resumes. If you start to get discouraged with your search, take extra time to analyse your resume and make sure you are submitting the best possible applications. Sometimes employers require very specific application procedures so be sure you read their ad carefully and abide by their application process. Below are a few tips you can use to land your dream job.

Tip 1: Determine your Skill Set

The first step to take is to properly determine your skill set. Determining which skills you possess that help set you apart from the competition will allow you to create a much more focused resume. Take an honest assessment of your best and worst skills. Brainstorm and write them all down – highlight the positive skills and figure out how to spin the negatives into positives. You will be able to highlight the different characteristics you possess that make you a perfect candidate for an event planning job.

Be sure to highlight and apply your best characteristics for how they relate to the event planning world. You want to make it as clear as possible to an employer that you have what it takes to get the job done. Taking an honest assessment of your skills prior to applying will help you put your best foot forward on your resume and in interviews.

Tip 2: Tailor your Resume to Each Job Opening

This tip is obvious but you would be shocked at how many applicants copy and paste the same resume, cover letter and email to every employer, regardless of the job criteria. This is a huge mistake and by simply applying this tip you will put yourself ahead of 50 – 60% of job applicants.

Every event planning job opening will require a slightly different skill set. Carefully reading the job description and day to day responsibilities expected will allow you to tailor your resume to highlight your previous work experience that directly correlates to the skill set an employer is seeking.

Submitting a resume that is laser focused on the skills required for a specific position will greatly increase your chances of landing that job as you will be able to demonstrate your experience within the event planning industry that specifically match that job opening.

Tip 3: Apply your Skill Set to Event Planning

While you may consider yourself an organised individual, simply listed “organised” on your resume will not get you far when seeking a job within the events industry. Rather than listing generic traits and qualities, you will want to mention specific tasks you handled at previous jobs that demonstrate your organisational skills.

For instance, if you were in charge of putting together a guest list for a large event, you could state that the number of guests you added to the list, number of invitations sent out and the time frame within which you accomplished these tasks. This will give a future employer a much better understanding as to your ability to meet deadlines and complete tasks as instructed.

Tip 4: Use Modern Job Search Strategies

The way people are searching for a job is changing with advancements in technology. Specifically, the way people network is vastly different than it was 10-15 years ago. Making use of social media websites to network with influential people and decision makers in the events industry is a terrific way to meet other industry professionals and further your career. Often times when a company is hiring they will look through their LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter connections before looking outside of their immediate network.

Finding new and unique ways to network with people who are currently employed in the industry is one of the best ways to improve your chances of landing your dream job. One example is conducting informational interviews with executives at planning companies. Try doing informational interviews with events people in different niches – social events, corporate events, weddings, meeting planners, etc so you get the full spectrum of job responsibilities. Another example is to follow up via email with everyone you meet within 24 hours so they remember you. People meet many other people at networking events so you want to make sure you stand out above others by following up right away before you need to call on a favour.

Using this strategy will get your name and resume in front of decision makers who may eventually have a position open up at their company.

Tip 5: Keep Learning the Latest Event Trends

Perhaps the most important thing you can do is continue to stay on top of the latest trends, news and goings-on within the industry. Event planning is a dynamic field where things change. You must always be up-to-date on your knowledge of best practices and industry events.

If you are going through a prolonged period of unemployment, you could internship or volunteer at events to keep your skills sharp. Lack of experience is often the biggest obstacle a new job seeker faces. Without real-world event planning experience, it is difficult to demonstrate to an employer that you have what it takes to get the job done on a consistent basis.

Taking time to volunteer with local organisations or intern with smaller event planning businesses will enable you to gain valuable work experience that you can put on your resume to show you are doing everything that you can to land an event planning career. The more related work experience you can put on your resume the better your chances of landing the job.

Using the tips outlined in this article should help you perfect the process of capturing the attention of decision makers who will be hiring you.

Eight (8) Tips For Sourcing A Venue That Is As Unique As Your Event!

We all have attended or hosted events in traditional venues throughout the years. These events tend to blur together over time as they may be held in similar meeting spaces. Rarely does a venue “wow” us anymore, touching our senses, inspiring us with their atmosphere and ambience and creating a memorable event. These kinds of venues are, however, out there and are simply waiting to be found. 

Many of these distinct venues may not be marketed in the usual way or perhaps they are unaware they could be used for such a variety of purposes. There are many locations in almost every city which are rare, unique, memorable and accessible.

The right venue can infuse creativity, provide conversation, inspire collaboration, attract attendees and impact the event in numerous ways. These unique venues can be cathedrals, universities, libraries, restaurants, parks, theatres, mansions, piers, museums or simply space that the event planner dreams could be used for their event but isn’t yet sure how to source it.

Once you set out to find that special venue, the following tips may help:

Web search: This is the holy grail of sourcing a venue but you have to refine your search for a unique or specific setting. Many venues won’t be listed traditionally under meetings or events as many aren’t within the industry and cater to a different clientele for other reasons. Using specific key words in combination with the resources and necessities that convey your ideal venue such as: city, cultural theme, inside or outside, location i.e.: waterfront, park, seafood restaurant, marina, mountain view, etc.

Specific websites: There are websites dedicated to local, national and international venues which are distinctive and rare. These are great resources yet they do not encompass all venues as they tend to pay to be listed on the site. Still there are many great venues represented on these sites.

Word of mouth: When in doubt, pick up the phone or email a friendly event planner in the city you are headed to. They will be able to provide you with guidance on those special venues in their town that outsiders are unfamiliar with. Better yet ask a bride-to-be – no one does more research on venues which are non-traditional than a bride.

Tourism bureaus: Tourism bureaus are great assets at providing event planners with potential venues. They have scoured the city for places to host meetings and events to show potential clients how special they can make their attendees feel.

Conference Services Managers: A Conference Service Manager makes more recommendations to their clients in the planning process than anyone else. Speak with a CSM about a potential offsite venue which will stimulate your delegates or play to your event’s theme, goals and objectives.

Suppliers: Suppliers are also a great resource. Speak with your audio-visual, outside catering company or exhibition company and ask them where they’ve executed events.
What do your attendees want? Engage your attendees if this is an ongoing event. If you have the opportunity to post a question in a survey about a venue do it. You will be surprised by the positive responses.

Think “uniquely”: Would you like to host an event at your city hall? How about your local court house? Perhaps you’ve dreamed of blocking off part of Main Street for an outdoor reception or hosting a meeting in a historical building or church. These can all be accomplished as long as you speak to the correct person. 

Contact them directly; let them know that you will manage the event from beginning to end and inform them of what you require from them.
As a participant there is nothing better than attending an event which is new, fresh and exclusive. An event held in the right surroundings can be innovative, vigorous and stimulating. The right venue can influence the attendee with an experience they otherwise wouldn’t have

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