The Main Event by Memory Makers Event Planning, LLC

This evening another event planner and I were invited to speak to a recently formed association of local DJs who are trying to improve the image of their industry. There is a trend with the current economy to not hire a DJ. In some cases it is a cost issue. In others, it is because of a bad past experience with a DJ. The group wanted to know what clients look for when interviewing and hiring a DJ. The following thoughts came out of the discussion. Clients want to know that their DJ and other professionals working at their event will provide the best possible experience; they want to know that the DJ is there to serve them and help make them and their event successful. Clients want to meet their DJ in advance; they don’t like having a stranger show up at their event. They want someone they know and with whom they can share any special issues related to their family or another situation. They don’t want to be blindsided by insensitive, and possibly embarrassing, actions, even if it’...

I read an article that stated that the number of weddings held in 2009 will hold steady at about 2.2 million nationwide. However, as we have all observed, the economy is changing the way we plan events. The article suggested the following as current national trends: Smaller weddings with fewer guests Destination or destination-type weddings closer to home Accent colors on dresses and cakes with the most popular being greens and blues Increased reliance on family and friends to help plan, pay, and provide some of the services Increased use of green "eco-friendly" products and services Simplified decorations, centerpieces and wedding invitations Increased use of online RSVP's vs. traditional mail-in RSVPs Off-peak weddings - mornings, afternoons, Fridays, Sundays; October becomes the new June Buffet meals, hors d'oeuvre, and cocktail receptions Cheesecakes, cupcakes and miniature cakes instead of a traditional wedding cake Though these...

After my last couple of posts about the lack of customer service, including from caterers, it was refreshing to spend time with Mike, the owner of TableRock Grill & Brew Pub. I have clients in town from California who have chosen TableRock to provide the catering for their August wedding. A couple of months ago I gave the bride a list of caterers' web sites. After looking at menus, she e-mailed 5 caterers to set up appointments. Mike was the only one to respond. In talking with him, he said the others are surely not too busy to need the business. His business is down and he is sure theirs is too. We met yesterday so the couple could meet Mike and share their ideas. I was impressed with Mike's desire to serve them and help them have a successful wedding. He is bringing 5 people; they will handle rental of tables, chairs, and linens and they will set things up and take them down rather than leaving after a couple of hours, as many caterers do. They will cut the wedding ...

It seems the economy has had a negative impact, not just on the bottom line, but on customer service as well. Businesses are shortsightedly trying to save dimes at the expense of dollars, as experienced this past week. My last rant was about caterers; this one is about hotels. I managed a two-day conference for nearly 200 attendees held at a local hotel. The problems began before the event with the front desk employees, some of whom were apparently not trained in how to make a reservation. When attendees called to reserve a room, some employees transferred the calls to a toll-free number at a national call center rather than handling them locally. The call center had no information about our conference, the special rate we were receiving, or those individuals we were paying for (about 20), so they charged credit cards. Just try to get the charge reversed. That was like pulling teeth. One person called several times and insisted to the desk clerks that they make his reservation local...

Last weekend a local rental center held their second annual wedding planning seminar. They invited businesses that regularly rent from them to set up displays. They also invited two wedding decorators and me to speak on the various aspects of the wedding planning process. About 15 tablescapes were set up to showcase the rental center's linens, chairs, and centerpiece items. Eleven caterers were present, 10 of whom offered food samples! Two cake bakers and a chocolate fountain were also present. It was a great opportunity to network with the participating vendors and to meet a couple of new caterers. One caterer was offering a new product, wedding cake truffles, which were delicious. The one I tried was carrot cake covered in chocolate. The attendance was small, but those who did attend had the opportunity to visit with vendors in an unhurried manner, to get some great decorating ideas, and to narrow their choice of caterers.

We are planning a 40th birthday party for a single gentleman. That may not seem unusual, but this gentleman has never had a birthday party before. How many of us can say that we reached adulthood, much less a 40th birthday, without having anyone want to help us celebrate our special day, even once. The birthday guy was raised by an alcoholic mother in a single-parent home. There were years when his mother didn't even remember his or his sisters' birthdays, much less plan a celebration. Chances are you know someone who comes from a difficult background and who may have rarely had the opportunity to be the guest of honor at a birthday celebration. Maybe it is an elderly person living alone. Or perhaps you know an older couple who haven't celebrated their anniversary in years. Maybe your children have friends who live in difficult circumstances and you can be a beacon of light and stability in their lives. If we take time to look around, we will find many people who need...

Nearly 3,000 athletes from around the world have arrived in Boise, Sun Valley, and McCall to compete in a variety of winter sporting events as part of the International Special Olympics. The opening ceremonies held on Saturday were amazing. The Idaho Center was sold out and you could feel the emotion as the athletes entered and the torch was lighted.   Irene Deeley of Woman of Steel gallery in Garden City created the huge cauldron and its rainbow-colored supports. After the ceremony, it was moved downtown to the Grove plaza for all to enjoy. What an awesome event this is and what an honor for Boise to host it.

Last weekend I participated in our largest annual wedding show in this area. Nearly 800 brides came through. In visiting with them and with other vendors, it was apparent that one way couples are reducing costs is by reducing the amount they spend on food. Several couples are choosing to have a potluck reception rather than hiring a caterer. Though it is considered bad manners to ask guests to help with the expenses of a wedding, which you are technically doing when you have a potluck, many people seem to be happy to help. I worked with one couple who had a potluck reception last year and it was a great success. The bride and groom provided the meat, beverages, and wedding cake and guests provided the side dishes. Before going this route, however, be sure your family and friends won't find it rude to be asked to bring a dish. Another trend we saw was people choosing to have a caterer or restaurant drop-off food, then having the coordinator and her staff oversee the buffet table....

We have all heard horror stories about bridezillas and mom-zillas, but a recent trend is the maid of honor-zilla. This is the person who is so focused on helping her friend/sister/cousin have a wonderful wedding that she bends all the rules of etiquette, courtesy, and even common sense to accomplish things her way, no matter how many people she alienates or whose feelings she hurts. She plans an extravagant shower that she can’t afford, then bills the bridesmaids and anyone else she finds handy to help cover the cost. She plans a bachelorette party, perhaps at a destination location, then expects the members of the wedding party to foot the bills. She orders people around, steps on toes, and generally turns into a monster, all in the name of helping the bride. Then, when the wedding is over, she wonders why her friends no longer speak to her. Perhaps maid of honor-zillas are a sign of the times. We are now seeing a generation of self-focused individuals who gre...

The recent downturn in the economy will have an affect on event planning and on the business of merchants who depend on special events for their livlihood. People still get married, have parties and business events no matter what the economy, but many scale back on the size of the event and on spending in general. As we have seen in past economic downturns, they will choose a less expensive location, less expensive food, and cut back on serving alcohol (a budget breaker at most events). Unfortunately, they may also eliminate the “luxury” services that can add to the uniqueness of an event. What can we as vendors do to keep clients coming through the door? First, look at your customer service. If it isn’t top notch, customers will either choose one of your competitors or they will forgo your service entirely. You need to add value in some way that makes you stand out from your competitors. In recent months we have seen vendors who arrived late, who had a poor attitude, and those who ...

We asked the caterer to provide tray-passed hors d’oeuvres during the cocktail hour, assuming that anyone in the catering industry knows how to serve hors d’oeuvres in that manner. Wrong!! Imagine our horror when the servers walked into the room (at an upscale venue) carrying large plastic trays used to clear tables. On each tray they had placed paper plates with one each of the four hors d’oeuves. A plastic fork was placed pitchfork-style in each plate. The servers walked around handing out their concoctions to the guests' horror. To make matters worse, later in the evening one of the servers, who had been carving prime rib, took off his chef’s coat and walked around in his undershirt. Less than a month later a different caterer sent only one employee to handle an event for nearly 100 people. The employee set three trays of hors d’oeuvres on a table then exited. When I asked him where the plates were, he said “They can use their fingers.” I then asked if he had brought plates ...

I just returned from a wedding reception held in Joseph, Oregon, a picturesque community in the Wallowa Mountains four hours from Boise. Planning an event to be held in a rural community four hours from the nearest rental center and three hours from the nearest caterer can be a challenge. It requires creativity and the assistance of numerous friends and family. The couple married at the court house several months ago. This was their "official" reception for family and friends from Illinois, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and California. About 125 guests attended. The reception was held at a retreat center located next to the city park and along the Wallowa River. The center included a large two story lodge with two kitchens and sleeping space for 32, large lawn, and an area away from the main building for a campfire. The couple and their friends erected a "tent" by placing an orange Forest Service parachute on metal poles. Tables and chairs were borrowed from the...

It has been awhile, quite awhile in fact, since I last posted. During that time my computer's mother board crashed, necessitating the purchase of a new computer. Of course, it came with a newer operating system which isn't compatible with anything, so that meant replacing much of my software and my printer/scanner. To complicate the situation, Microsoft has stopped supporting FrontPage, which is what I used to update my web site. They now offer Expression Web2, which is not as user friendly as FrontPage, so another learning curve. As if enough wasn't going on, I took two weeks out of the busy month of June to take my granddaughter to Alaska and the Yukon. It was a fantastic trip and well worth missing a couple of weeks of work. Now I am finding myself running in several directions at once. Suddenly a myriad of calls have come in for events in 2009 - woo hoo! I am also working with a local hotel to test the market for a new kind of week-end event package. Hopefully mo...

Are you on active duty with the military and want to get married? Your fiance/fiancee can't be present either? That's okay in Montana, the only U.S. state that allows double proxy marriages, but only in a few counties. For a fee, you can hire someone to stand in for both the bride and groom. To qualify for such a marriage, both the bride and groom must be U.S. citizens. In addition, either the bride or groom must be a Montana resident or be on active duty with the military. Several legal steps must be satisfied and the fee for a proxy marriage can be hefty. Double proxy marriages are recognized by all states except Iowa. Single proxy marriages can be performed in California, Texas, and Colorado, usually for active duty military personnnel. Colorado law, however, also allows for proxy marriages for those who are incarcerated.   So, if you are in the military and really want to get married, you might consider a proxy marriage. But a proxy honeymoon - I don't think s...

This past weekend I had my first winter wedding at Tamarack Resort in the mountains about 70 miles north of Boise. The ceremony was held in the Arling Chapel with the reception in the Arling Grange Hall across a cobblestone courtyard. There was at least 3 feet of snow on the ground and much more piled around where the roads had been cleared. For the photos, the bride skied the bunny hill in her gown. The groom and groomsmen wore kilts and they skied with her. The photographer secured some awesome shots. The ceremony was standing room only. We had a bagpiper hidden away to play for the wedding party's recessional. After they exited, he re-entered and piped the guests out and across to the reception center where a sit-down dinner was served followed by dancing. During the course of the evening we received many comments about the facility and how lovely everything was. Unfortunately, Tamarack Resort is now closed, so events like this will exist only in memory.  Photo co...

Every year between Thanksgiving and New Years our local botanical garden hosts Winter Garden Aglow , an evening event during which the trees, bushes, fences and other areas are decked in twinkle lights, totally transforming the look of the garden. This year on December 22 I had the opportunity to coordinate a wedding for a couple who created their own version of Winter Garden Aglow in the backyard of a private home. A grape arbor runs between the back door and the garage. It was covered in lights, as was the fence and the deck cover. Lights hung from the trees. The ceremony occurred in a small courtyard to one side of the arbor where a fire pit helped dispel the cold. The 60 guests walked out the front door of the home, around the corner, and through the gate into the backyard where they formed two lines under the grape arbor. Each held a battery-operated candle. The bride then walked through the line of guests and collected flowers for her bouquet from eight ladies. It began to sno...

October was the month for multi-cultural ceremonies. First, I planned and coordinated a vow renewal ceremony for a lady from Bulgaria. She and her husband, who is from here, married a year ago in Bulgaria at the registrar's office with her parents and sister, brother-in-law, and niece present. This ceremony was for his family and friends. While in Bulgaria, the wife had two gowns made, one for the simple ceremony there and a more elaborate one for the Idaho ceremony. The formal gown was very pretty and a bit different from our typical American gowns. It was two-piece, strapless, and laced up the back. The skirt had three deep gathers of fabric from just below the waistline to mid-thigh. The remainder of the skirt was organza with embroidery. At the end of a Bulgarian ceremony, a mother (in this case the husband's grandmother) breaks a loaf of wedding bread. She then dips small pieces in honey and feeds a piece to the wife and husband to symbolize always having food ...

A couple of weeks ago I participated in a wedding show. One of the new products featured at the show was custom-designed unity candles. A bride and groom can order a candle in colors to match their wedding. They can also customize the candle with a picture, poem, their names, or any other information they choose. The candles can also be used for anniversary celebrations, vow renewal ceremonies, and as memorial candles. The candles are available over the internet at http://www.unitycandles.com/ . If you are looking for something unique for your event, this may be just the item.

Want to add a bit of pizazz to your wedding photos and you don't mind damaging your gown? If so, you might consider taking "trash the dress" photos. This is a new fad created by wedding photographers to create unique, once in a lifetime, photos. When a bride is willing to get her dress wet or dirty, she may be photographed wading in the ocean or a lake, jumping into a pool or lake, sitting on a mountainside or on the beach, riding a motorcycle, rolling in the mud, or in other unconventional situations or positions that can harm her dress. This summer one of my brides was photographed playing in the fountain at the Grove Plaza in downtown Boise while wearing her gown, though she was careful not to get too wet. A photographer told me about shooting a bride who jumped into a swimming pool at a country club in her gown. The groom and several of the groomsmen then joined her. (If they were wearing rented tuxes, they now own them.) Another bride told me about her wedding in ...

On Friday I coordinated my third wedding this season at our outdoor Shakespeare Theater. All three were in different locations within the theater grounds and all were very different. The first, held on Memorial week-end in May, was held in a grassy area behind the amphitheater. The reception was held on the patio under a tent and inside the multi-purpose building. The second wedding occurred on a very hot 7-7-07 on the amphitheater stage in the bright sun. The play Arsenic and Old Lace opened that day, so we had to work around the sets. The reception was held at the Basque Center out of the heat. On Friday the most recent ceremony occurred at one end of the property in a clearing overlooking a pond. It was a small morning ceremony with about 30 guests. After the ceremony we went to a private club for lunch on their patio. In the evening, about 300 guests joined us at the bride's parent's farm for a reception. Three brides, each with different ideas and personalities,...