Special & Professional Events

For most event planners, putting together a good party requires a lot of creativity and an ability to plan, organize, and coordinate. Whether it is a wedding, educational conference, or business convention, meetings and events bring people together for a common purpose. An event planner is someone who coordinates all aspects of professional meetings and events. Planners must be very detail-oriented, whether they’re planning a wedding or putting together a family reunion.

As for corporate events, event planners must listen to and ultimately exceed their client’s expectations while sparing their client all the headaches associated with putting together a social event. There are a lot of things to consider when planning any type of event. It takes a lot of pre-planning to make sure everything is well-organized in order to create a successful outcome. Staying organized will be a major key to planning a successful event. Below are a few of the different types of events and what to consider when planning each event.

A wedding a such a special occasion that usually only happens once your life. Needless to say, it’s a day where everything must go according to plan and be perfect in every way. When you first start planning your wedding, there are things that are nice to know. Then, there are things that you need to know.

• Food – If your wedding venue doesn’t offer its own catering service, if not you should start looking to hire one at least eight months before. When considering a caterer try to stick with your theme. Then find the right man or woman for the job, someone who’s well-versed in the cuisine that you plan to serve. Select a catering style – the plated dinner is the most traditional and will add an extra layer of formality to your big event – or if you want something a bit more laid-back, try family-style catering or a buffet. Now onto the fun stuff – choosing your menu. Keep your theme, budget and taste buds in mind when figuring out what to serve. Note: you’ll want to check with your guests about food allergies and sensitivities before setting your menu in stone.

• Photography - The photographer is one of the most important pros you’ll have at your wedding. After all, they’re solely responsible for the wonderful wedding photos you’ll get to pore over, cherish and have as a keepsake forever. Talk to your photographer before finalizing the schedule for your wedding day. There’s a lot to consider in terms of photographing and natural light. Explain to your photographer how you like to look in photos. Consider getting a second shooter who can offer another unique point of view throughout the entire day. Most importantly hire a professional photographer. A good photographer will give you direction to get the best moments and shots from the day.
  

• Flowers – Choosing your flowers is one of the most exciting parts of wedding planning. First you must find the right wedding florist. Then, have a general idea about your taste – are you a minimalist or are you looking to do something a bit extravagantly romantic. Create a wedding color concept – tackle your attire, choose your ideal color palette and make a list of your favorite flowers. Consider your wedding dress – your gown will dictate what kind of bouquet you should carry. Selections of flowers are needed for the bride, bridesmaids, groom, groomsmen, parents, the ceremony, and the reception, as well as for possible preservation of some celebratory flowers.

• Wedding Dress – Finding your dream gown can be stressful. After all, you’ve likely never tried one before, and it’s the most expensive garment many women will ever own. Plus, your dress sets the tone for your wedding as a whole. Start off by ripping pages out of magazines, clicking through bridal boutiques online, exploring on Pinterest, and checking out what celebrity brides are wearing to compile a visual file of your favorite dress. Bring your ideas to your first appointment with a bridal consultant and keep an open mind to finding a dream dress. Bridal sizing means your gown’s number will often be one to two sizes higher than your regular clothes. Many gowns take four to eight months to be produced, and once it arrives, you still have to factor in more time for alterations and accessorizing.

• Wedding Planner – Wedding planners are an investment for your wedding, not an expense. He or she will save you money – whether it’s directly or indirectly, saving money will happen. From finding the perfect vendor within your price range or preventing you from buying things you don’t need, you’ll definitely have made an investment when you work with a wedding planner. You need to tell your wedding planner any and every though that you have about your wedding so they can bring everything you have in mind to life.

• Music – Choices must be made for the ceremony and the reception. For the reception people usually tend to hire a DJ or a band.
  

More and more people are turning to event planners to create a once in a lifetime party for a birthday celebration. Often these once in a lifetime parties are a Sweet 16 or a Quinceanera which are slightly different. A Quinceanera is a celebration of a girl’s 15th birthday, typically by Spanish-speaking Roman Catholics. The celebration begins with a religious ceremony in which the girl affirms her faith. Afterward, a reception is held, often in a banquet hall. A Sweet 16 usually commemorates a girl’s 16th birthday. It can be traditional or elaborate, and there usually are no religious overtones to this celebration.

• Venue – From banquet halls to yachts, Sweet Sixteens and Quinceaneras can be held relatively anywhere. Each party can have a set them; from princess theme to a color being a theme throughout, these themes, number of guests, and of course your budget influence the venue you might pick. Depending on how much family is willing to splurge on the venue, girls can have their party as extravagant as they want.
  

• Food – People often hire the services of experts such as caterers to take care of the food during these events. Finger foods such as cubed cheeses or mini sandwiches are often offered as appetizers. A more elegant celebration may include main meat dishes, vegetables and breads. You may want to consider food that teenagers and younger kids can serve themselves, such as finger foods and dips. Buffet stations are probably the best ideal or a family-style service.
  

• Photography – The role of a Sweet 16 or Quince photographer may start a few weeks or days prior to the event. First up is a photo shoot of the birthday girl at a location of her choosing – to capture her beauty and elegance. These photos will most likely be showcased at the event for guests to see. The day of the event the photographer will show up a few hours before the event, maybe take pictures while everyone is getting ready. Then the photographer will then either travel with and take pictures of the entourage in route or go ahead to the venue to there before anyone arrives. Finally, the photographer will be busy capturing moments of the party itself, and also take a few more formal photos of the birthday girl, her family, and entourage. Now a days, you can also rent a photo booth to add some fun to any birthday party event.
  

• Dresses – A Quinceanera usually wear a ball gown and the newest trend is to have a less formal dress for the dance part of the party. Quince dresses traditionally wear white or pink; yet now a quince girl has a lot more options and can have the dress match any color theme. A sweet sixteen girl has an unlimited choice on her type of dress; she can branch off into all sorts of styles. In general, for both events a girl has more freedom in picking the style she wants to wear, opting for more than one dress for the occasion.
  

• Music - Sweet Sixteens and Quinceaneras both have a father-daughter dance to a song of their choosing. Additionally, a Quinceanera has other dance routines: the entrance, the waltz, the toasting, and the surprise dance or baile sorpresa. The entrance and surprise dance can be the most fun of all dance routines, since you can really personalize them. After the all the dances are completed, a DJ is usually hire for the rest of the night.
  

Events provide business a personal way to build relationships with their target audiences as well as build brand recognition and loyalty. Hosting a corporate affair allows you to connect with current clients and attract future ones.

• Venue – Location is key to attendance. Book a venue in a convenient area with a vibrant atmosphere so attendees feel comfortable and will make the commute. Once you have a good understanding of the following 3 things, you can begin your search for a venue: budget, estimated event size, and space requirements. Book a venue at least 4-6 months in advance so that you will have enough time to plan other critical things, such as catering, event brochures, and more. Make sure the venue has a lot of parking and possibly valet parking.
  

• Food – Try using local vendors for catering needs. By doing this, you support the local community and give them the opportunity to network and expand their business. Having the right food and beverages available can help transform a subpar event into a great memory. If you wish for more employee participation, then poll your employees or guests to get a sense of what foods they would prefer. Use this opportunity to ask about potential food allergies or sensitivities as well. You must know the style and various details of your corporate event to help you choose the right food and beverages. A morning meeting will likely consist of breakfast pastries, juices, and coffee. An evening meeting, however, will typically require a formal sit-down meal with the option of alcoholic drinks and various sodas.
  

• Music – Music may not be the first thing to come to mind when you think of corporate events. However, all business events, from awards dinners to conferences can benefit from a well-considered soundtrack to set the mood. At a business event, background music tends to work best. You’ll want your guests to hardly notice the music so that it doesn’t become a distraction and discourage social interaction, but manages to smooth over any busy background noise.
  

• Photography – Hire a photographer to capture photos at your company’s up-coming event. But, before you hire just any professional for the day, there are a few important things to consider. You want to be certain your corporate event photography is aligned with your brand, image and company. Hiring a professional will ensure your event is covered from start to finish. The photos will provide you with compelling content to use in publicity, corporate documents and for other marketing requirements.
  

Coming of age for a Jew, which happens automatically at age 13 for a boy and 12 for a girl, is termed bar and bat mitzvah, that is, obligated to perform the Jewish mitzvot. A ceremony marking the first performance of mitzvot such as being called up to the Torah to say blessings. The meaning of the ceremony flows out of the planning details, which themselves are determined by a familial vision of what the event will be. Preparation for a bar/bat mitzvah usually begin a year before.

• Venue – Your child’s Bar/Bat Mitzvah is a once-in-a-lifetime event. You’ll want to choose a venue worthy of such a celebration. A few things to consider before you begin your search for an appropriate venue are: the number of guests you want to invite, if you want to host a party for kids and close family, or a larger celebration and choosing the time of day that best suits your family; is it a luncheon, an evening party or perhaps something in between.
  

• Music – Even the DJ your son wants to hire may be familiar with the funky new takes on old Jewish songs. Klezmer, rollicking Jewish music, has made a big comeback in recent years. There is Jewish music beyond “Hava Nagila.” During the beginning of the Bar Mitzvah, the DJ usually starts off with the Have Nagila song. Family and friends all get on the dance floor and begin the traditional Hava Nagila dance.
  

• Food – A bar or bat mitzvah meal is a seudet mitzvah, a mitzvah meal, and every effort should be made to ensure the meal meets kosher standards. However, even if you choose a non-kosher caterer, skip the obviously non-kosher food. A kosher caterer would be a big a hit with your kosher observing friends.