The Main Event by Memory Makers Event Planning, LLC

It's not too late to plan a company picinic yet this summer. Having a picnic or another social event is a good way to thank your employees for their hard work during the year. It also provides an opportunity to get acquainted with the families of your employees and to relate to one another in a non-work environment. Socializing together builds relationships between employees as well. You might plan a simple pot luck or barbeque at a park or arrange for an evening at Roaring Springs. You can also host an evening at a Boise Hawks baseball game. The options are limited only by your time, budget, and the number of people you will entertain. It is also not too soon to begin thinking about your company's holiday party. While most summer activities are family oriented, a holiday party is more often attended by only your employees and their spouses or significant others. Some company owners or managers choose to host a party at their home. Others arrange for dinner and perhaps dancing ...

If you are planning an event involving a large number of participants or guests, such as a family reunion or a wedding, you may want to create a web site or a blog as a way to keep everyone informed. Anyone with computer savvy can create a blog and you don't need much more expertise to create a simple web site. A web site or blog can include the date and location of the event, lodging information, planned activities, and much more. You can post photos, and if you are planning a wedding, registry information (which you should not include in an invitation). Guests can RSVP on the web site or blog. They can add comments as well. If you are planning a wedding, you can create a free web page at either www.weddingchannel.com or at www.theknot.com . Family and guests will appreciate the opportunity to be informed and you may generate more interest in attending your event.

The U.S. State Department issued new travel requirements that will affect anyone planning a trip outside the U.S. Effective 12/31/05, anyone planning a trip to or returning from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico, and Canada will need to have a passport or another approved secure document. Effective 12/31/06, travelers to and from Mexico and Canada will need a passport. After 12/31/07, a passport will be required to travel anywhere outside the borders of the U.S. The new requirements, which are aimed at fighting terrorism, will have a major impact on business and leisure travel, including travel for honeymoons and destination weddings and anniversary celebrations. Those who are taking a cruise to any ports in the Caribbean are affected as well. If you are considering such a trip, you won't want to wait to apply for a passport. Otherwise, you may be caught in the logjam of applicants that are expected near the end of the year.

If you were recently married, would you be willing to test your commitment to one another on national TV? A local couple did when they agreed to participate in a newlywed version of Fear Factor. One of the tasks involved eating a wedding cake made of live grubs, bugs, and crocodile eyes (yes, you read correctly). They had to chew the "cake" then spit the juice into a toasting flute. When the flute was filled to a certain level, they had to drink it. Ugh!!! They also participated in other challenging, and much less gross, activities. The couple feels their experience brought them closer together as they learned to rely on each other and work together. Personally, I can think of other ways to learn to work with and rely on my spouse, but to each their own.

Every couple of years the issue of kickbacks surfaces in our local event planning community. A kickback is a fee paid by a vendor to another vendor or facility for the "privilege" of doing business with them. This is not yet a problem in the Boise area, but it is becoming increasingly common in other areas of the country and is beginning to rear its ugly head here. The Better Business Bureau considers the practice unethical and we agree. Here is how it works. A facility might offer an event planner or a caterer a kickback on the amount that you, the client, pays for the rental of a facility. This kickback is paid to encourage the planner or caterer to persuade you to choose one facility over another because the planner or caterer will personally benefit from your choice (without your knowledge, of course). Therefore, you might be encouraged to choose a facility that charges $2,000 over a facility that charges $1,500 because a portion of the $2,000 fee will be returned to y...

If you enjoy a good mystery, you will enjoy the Wedding Planner mystery novels written by Boise author Deborah Donnelly. Deborah's newest book, the 4th in the series and set in Sun Valley, was released last week. Deborah will be signing copies of her book during First Thursday on May 5th at Book and Game on Main Street and on Saturday at Barnes and Noble.

Every event needs food but what kind and how much is up to you. Most events end with a dessert of some type, so why not make it spectatular. No longer is cake the first dessert of choice. Whether you are planning a wedding, an anniversary party, or a special birthday celebration, serve the dessert you or the guest of honor likes most. It might be pie, cheesecake, or a buffet of mini bite-sized desserts. If you love ice cream, serve ice cream sandwiches or ice cream baked potatoes. One of the latest dessert sensations is the French croquembouche. This spectactular dessert is actually a tower of individual cream puffs held together with a light caramel glaze. You might fill the puffs with traditional vanilla cream or with chocolate cream or another flavored cream of your choice. We served this dessert at a wedding, to the delight of the guests, particularly the men. Your guests will love your innovative choice, no matter what it might be.

On Sunday we celebrated the 90th birthday of a family member with a reception for family and friends. The honoree was at first a bit hesitant about all the attention. However, as guests began to arrive, he was pleased to see people he hadn't seen for years. Guests came from Seattle and from Oregon, as well as some who had to drive a couple of hours. Guests commented that they were able to visit with people they hadn't seen for years, as well as visiting with the honoree and his family. If someone in your family is having a milestone birthday, a special anniversary, a graduation, or another event, use it as an opportunity to let the person know you love and appreciate them by celebrating in some manner. It doesn't have to be an extravagant celebration, but do something. Life is short and everyone needs to know they are loved and appreciated.

2005 is starting off as a banner year for events. I receive two or three calls a week from desperate people who can't find an available location to hold their event, particularly during the summer. Many people look in the Yellow Pages or try to think of places where they may have attended an event. However, there are many other less well-known places that rent their facilities for special events. By thinking creatively, you may find an affordable location that is still available. The most obvious locations that host events in the Boise area are hotels, the Idaho Botanical Gardens, the Boise Depot, the Bishop's House, golf clubs, city parks, and wineries. Not everyone is aware that the Boise Art Museum, the Esther Simplot Performing Arts Center, and the Idaho Shakespeare Theater rent their facilities for summer events. Grange halls, fraternal halls (Eagles, Elks, etc.), Legion halls, community rooms in apartment and condo complexes, some senior citizens centers, and private scho...

Last week I received a phone call from a writer with a national magazine. She had been assigned to write an article about the exodus to the "exurbs" (the suburbs of the suburbs for those of you who live in the wide open spaces). In places like southern California, New York City, and Chicago, those who want to purchase an affordable home are moving waaaaay out and commuting an hour or more each way to work. Many of exurbanites are young families. Now those of us who are trained in rational thought and good research methods would surmise the phenomonem is probably caused by the lack of affordable housing closer to the city or perhaps by the desire for homeownership despite the toll on personal time and the added stress. But not our friends at the magazine, oh no. They decided the cause is that women are desperate to get married and are therefore jumping into marriage at a younger age and producing all these young families that need an affordable place to live. The reporter had ...

A new scam is going around, apparently a version of the Nigerian scams that are so prevalent. In this instance, someone in another country, usually in the U.K. or Europe, contacts an event planner in the U.S. They say they are planning an event in the U.S. and need to hire the planner. Of course, the event isn't being held anywhere near where the planner lives, so there is no opportunity to ask for a personal meeting. The planner will have to travel to the site of the event - all expenses paid. Once initial contact has been established, the person says they have hired a photographer, videographer, live band, etc. from Europe and they need the planner to send money to the person or group so they can purchase tickets. There are promises to wire both the planner's fee and reimbursement for the funds wired to the photographer. Money may be wired but the check will bounce. Should someone fall for the scam, they will never see their money again and of course there is no event. I have...

Our annual wedding show, the Wedding Party Show, held yesterday and today, was the best ever. We set record attendance numbers, both for the number of brides who attended and the total guests who attended. In addition to the paid advertising, we sent out press releases to several section editors of our local newspaper and to other daily and weekly papers, radio and TV stations in the area. The press releases generated three stories and a number of listings on community calendars. The people who attended were serious about their planning, not just browsing, and they were booking merchants right and left. If the show was an indication, 2005 should be a banner wedding year.

Our newly redesigned web site went live yesterday - yeah! It has been two months of changes and technology challenges to get it up, but hopefully it will be an even better marketing tool than the previous one. The site can be viewed at www.memorable-events.com . Let us know what you think. If yu live in southwestern Idaho, be sure to join us at the 25th annual Wedding Party Show January 8 and 9 at Boise Centre on the Grove. Over 70 of southwestern Idaho's most professional merchants will be there to help with wedding planning ideas. Prizes will be given every half hour with 3 grand prizes of $1,000 given after each fashion show. Information is available at www.weddingparty-boise.com . Happy holidays to everyone!

The Tower of Chocolate was featured on the front page of today's Idaho Statesman along with a great picture. If you haven't yet had the opportunity to try a chocolate fountain, you are missing a treat. According to Thelma, the fountain owner, men are as fascinated with the concept as are women and children. I have taken on the responsibility of mentoring a high school senior through her senior project. She will job shadow for 5 months, attending planning sessions, meetings with merchants, and actually attending a couple of events, as well as helping at a wedding show. I have worked with high school and college students in the past, but this is the longest project I have been involved with. If you haven't shared your expertise with students, you are missing a great opportunity. All of us have something that we do well that we can share with others to increase their knowledge. It is particularly satisfying to learn that they got a good grade on their project or paper because ...

Today I read about a couple in Washington who asked for international telephone calling cards for wedding gifts. They received 60 of them and then donated them to a national guard unit being deployed to Iraq. If you are planning a wedding, birthday, or anniversary party, or another event where gifts are given, you can use your event to benefit others too. If you have a favorite charity, you might ask for items they need; perhaps canned food for a food bank, clothing or sleeping bags and blankets for the homeless, baby clothes for a crisis pregnancy center, food for an animal shelter - the list could go on and on. It is considered poor form to mention gifts in an invitation, but you can verbally tell people what you would like to do when they ask. Your guests may be very happy to give to a good cause.

Thanks to those of you who find information here to be of interest. Some of the businesses mentioned in our posts have indicated that they are receiving e-mails and calls as a result of this blog. We would love to hear your comments as well. If you found a merchant to be particularly helpful or you had a bad experience with a merchant (please don't list specific business names), others can learn from your experiences, so please share with us. If you have heard about or experienced a unique idea related to special events, let us know as well.

Have you yet used a chocolate fountain at your event? They are the latest rage all over the country. The fountain is about 3 feet tall and made of tiers of stainless steel. The base contains a motor and pump. Finely cut pieces of chocolate are placed in the base where it melts. The melted chocolate is then pumped up through the center of the fountain and spills down the sides. Guests use skewers to dip fruit, cake, and other items into the cascade of chocolate. Fountains must be used indoors, where they won't attract gnats and other small insects. High quality chocolate that doesn't contain wax or other additives is used so it doesn't interfere with the working parts of the pump. The machine must be cleaned immediately after use to remove the chocolate before it hardens. Therefore, you won't usually find a chocolate fountain at a rental center. Instead, most belong to small owner-operated businesses. This is a great part-time business for anyone who is looking for a ...

We held our first mountain top wedding in September in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho near Stanley. The ceremony was held on top of Elk Mountain with a great view of Mt. McGowen in the background. Guests drove up the mountain on a narrow one-lane dirt road. After parking, they hiked to the top of the mountain. Even an 85-year-old guest from Iceland made it, as well as someone on crutches. Guests stood during the ceremony, then departed back down the mountain to the reception held in Elk Meadow, about 5 miles away. Everything had to be trucked into the area from Boise, 128 miles away and over two mountain summits - tent, tables, chairs, linens, dance floor - you name it. We hired a 7-piece rock and soul band that also came from Boise, as did the florist, who personally delivered the flowers. The caterer came from Hailey. The festivities began two days before when the wedding party and families gathered for a special pre-rehearsal dinner at the Stanley Community Center. The next e...

Our first Medieval wedding was held June 19th at a winery. The groom looked like Henry VIII. The father of the bride was Merlin, complete with long white beard and hair. The minister was dressed as Friar Tuck. The catering staff all dressed as jesters. The bride found her gown, complete with bishop's sleeves, at a local bridal salon. About a third of the guests, including yours truely, were in costume. The ceremony occurred in front of a waterfall. Dinner was served family-style at long tables and included whole turkey legs for true Henry VIII authenticity. The couple did, however, add a modern wedding cake. It was decorated with fleur de lis and griffens and topped with two pewter dragons forming a heart. They cut the cake with a dagger. It was a fun and unusual wedding, one we will long remember.

Many events can be enhanced by the creative use of balloon decor, which can make your special occasion soar. If you are planning a grand opening, you might place an arch of balloons in front of the entrance to your establishment or use a large column of balloons in front of the building to draw attention. If you are planning a wedding or reception, consider placing a balloon arch over your dance floor or in front of the entrance to the room. From the bridal shower to the rehearsal dinner, the ceremony to the reception, balloons can be used in centerpieces and in other ways. They can be incorporated into floral arrangements or combined with ribbons, fabric, and other items to create a unique look. Balloons can make a unique statement when used as holiday decorations for your company party or picnic. Consider a Christmas tree made of balloons, or a balloon snowman or Santa. How about a large heart for Valentine's Day or a palm tree for your luau. If adding balloons to your eve...