Event Planning DC

Wedding planning can be very stressful for a bride and groom under normal circumstances, let alone during a worldwide viral pandemic. Unique obstacles have continued to arise for couples planning their 2020 and 2021 weddings with many unanswered questions about what the future will hold short and long term. Hiring a professional event planner can help ease many of your frustrations, and together, they can help you create your dream wedding through these dark times to include a happy ending. First, take a deep breath and follow a few expert advice tips to navigate through this complicated experience. Postponing or Canceling? With advisements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), they continue to urge individuals to practice social distancing and limit groups of people to no more than ten and have enforced travel restrictions for months. If you have an event scheduled for this spring or early summer, it will most definitely need to reschedule for a future ...

The event industry is constantly changing and continues to grow in popularity as people's lives are on overdrive. They can't take the extra time to plan an upcoming event, or they don't need the added stress. Often, in this line of work, there are several terms used that are misunderstood or defined loosely. Certain words or even job titles can mean different things to different people. An easy example of this is the word "event" in which some people will interpret it to be a birthday party, business conference, wedding, sporting game , and the list goes on. These varying descriptions can be confusing in the event industry and so can job titles, such as "event planner" verse "event coordinator." What is it precisely that separates these two careers? Choosing an Event Planner No matter the type of event you are in the process of planning, whether it is a social or corporate gathering, an event planner is not a "party planner....

No matter the size of your party you are planning, it is bound to take a fair amount of time and yes sometimes a lot of stress to get to the finish line of a successful event. While in the planning process, it can be very easy to miscalculate time and your budget if not careful. One of the best options to take advantage of maybe hiring an event planner to help work all the details out more smoothly. The first thought many people have when the idea is brought up is they can’t afford one, but what if I told you, hiring the event planning company can actually save you money in the long run. Below we will discuss how this is possible and will make you change your mind for your next party planning. Area of Expertise As with other professions, event planners are specialized in their field of work and are experts in all event needs. Sure, many of us have attended weddings or company work parties and think that they should be able to figure out how to host one as well but sometimes ...

With the holiday season fast approaching, your calendars are sure to start filling up fun festivities. Now is the perfect time to begin planning a company holiday party for your workplace as well. Begin planning early enough to stay organized and make this a party that will create an experience that will boost company morale but also increase employee satisfaction. Start with the Basics It may seem overwhelming planning a party, especially when it’s a company holiday one. For this reason, many people will decide to hire a professional event planner to help in this task but depending on the size of the party, it is still something that can be done individually or as a team with a few helping tips. The first step is setting your budget for the party so that you will not over plan and realize what has been chosen will not work with your funds. Next, gather a list of the basic information you will need such as how many people are coming. Is this even going to include all employees or...

There is no doubt that planning an event no matter how large or small will bring a certain amount of stress along with it which can cause you to sometimes forget to prepare for certain aspects of the party. Hiring a professional event planner can alleviate many of your stressful obstacles and being a good reminder for things during the planning process but no matter which route you choose, throwing a party solo or having the help from an event consultant, things will be forgotten or missing guaranteed. To prevent these occurrences from taking place it is best to have an organized event checklist that can be synced or shared with a team that is involved in the event. Food for Thought When choosing food options for your event, there are more considerations to make than just selecting an appetizer, entrée, or dessert.  It may come to a surprise that many of your guests are vegan or have another type of food substitution for guests with allergies and knowing this information ...

Planning an event is hard. An obvious statement but planning an event has so many factors of which to keep track that it can not only be stressful on the planner, but stressful on those who attend should anything go wrong. Event planning is a serious juggling act, but there are tools to help any planner manage all the elements that go into kicking off an event that nobody will forget. One of the most popular and convenient tools is actual event planning software itself. Whether you are planning a personal event or something in the corporate space , there exists planning software for all occasions. But the question is, what do you need to look for in event planning software? Can I Plan an Event From Scratch? If you’re about to start planning a meeting from scratch, you’ll have to understand exactly what steps to take in planning the event with which you may need software aid. Long before the event is kicked off you should have a website made for the event that also include...

Celebrating any occasion with friends, family, and business coworkers is always an important part of our lives to take a moment and appreciate the changes that life continues to have for us all. Attending these types of parties always is something to look forward to however hosting or throwing the party can be a completely different story. Often during wedding planning, a bride and groom can get very stressed and overwhelmed with all the planning for instance. Weeding through the hundreds of vendor options and spending endless hours trying to be sure that you are getting the best value for every dollar spent since we all know that large events can be very expensive. Choosing to hire a wedding coordinator is a perfect solution when Management Skills With a job title of Event Coordinator , one would expect the individual to be a professional in leadership tasks. One of the main requirements given to an event coordinator is to lead a team of vendors or team of individuals in t...

Its wedding season and you know what that means, our confusion about what proper attire is for the vastly different events.  The wedding coordinators at Event Planning DC are here to help with this easy guide on wedding attire. When the Invitation Says: White-Tie Wedding Dress Code This is attire for the most formal event you can think of.  Attire you would wear to attend a White House reception dinner .  Ladies should wear a formal, floor length gown with conservative jewelry, high heels, and an elegant clutch.  There are no exceptions to this.  Men should choose a tuxedo with tails.  A formal white shirt should be worn with a simple colored vest and bow tie, think white, gray, or black.  Formal footwear should be worn as well like derby shoes or oxford styles. When the Invitation Says: Black-Tie Wedding Dress Code A step down from formal, but still incredibly dressy, black tie weddings most often occur in the evening.  There are...

Let’s face it, there isn’t a perfect time of year to get married.  Each of the four seasons offers a laundry list of positives and negatives.  Today our wedding consultants dive into considerations that couples getting married in the spring face.  Spring Weather The weather throughout the spring is highly unpredictable.  Many parts of the country have beautiful seventy-degree days throughout the season while others have large temperature variations from one day to the next.  One thing that can be said for springtime weddings is that you usually don’t have to take precautions against a heatwave.  If you are having a spring wedding you may experience gray skies or a little rain, possibly even a little snow but you for sure don’t need to worry about your guests dehydrating in the heat and humidity found during a summer wedding.  Holidays When planning a spring wedding it is important to consider the different holidays that fall througho...

Planning a wedding takes a great deal of time.  Many brides don’t have enough hours in the day to make this happen the way they want without the help of a professional.  There are several different professionals that play a role in making your big day come to a reality.  Some confusion comes from who they need to hire vs who is unnecessary.  This will basically come down to how much time and effort you, the bride, wants to put into planning your wedding.  Below we will look into the difference between wedding coordinators , wedding planners, and wedding designers.  These are the three key professionals that are hired to make your wedding dreams come to life.  Here we will find out exactly what role each plays in making your big day go off without a hitch.  Wedding Planners Wedding planners are logistic professionals.  From managing vendors, negotiating contracts, and day of execution wedding planners take any guess work out of the d...

New Year’s Eve is the BIGGEST party night of the year and the Event Planners at Event Planning DC are here to help!   Not everyone is a “party person” so that is why we are here to help.  Whether you are planning a party at your home or at a location there are a few creative ideas for celebrating with your family and friends. Below you will find some top tips for planning an event to remember. Snack Trays Instead of planning a huge elaborate meal consider snack trays to feed your guests throughout the evening.  Cheese, meats, and cracker trays, fruit and veggie trays, nut samplers, chips and popcorn trays, hummus and pita  platters, dessert trays, and more.  Karaoke Nobody can resist a microphone!  Karaoke is a crowd favorite.  If you have a speaker, a microphone, and a computer you can have a karaoke party. Whether you choose to sing popular Christmas tunes or piano bar songs people will love to sing along. Karaoke...

The holidays are upon us!  Of course, we all know what this means… PARTY TIME!  There is no better way then to start getting in the spirit of the season than with a company holiday party .  Although company parties can become the source of water cooler stories for years to come, they are the perfect time to get to know the people you spend eight to ten hours a day with. Yes, some co-workers will take this opportunity to enjoy a few beverages which can lead to some tipsy revelations, funky dancing, or perhaps some mild filtration it will also be a time for some fun and entertainment. Corporate holiday parties are similar to that once a year wedding we are all excited to attend, they allow employees to have a little fun and reward them for the hard work that has been put in throughout the year. Below are some ultra-exciting corporate party ideas to ensure your event is something that your employees enjoy. Company Olympics Instead of running, swimming, skiing, and so...

If you haven’t started planning for your company’s holiday party, it’s time to start!  Our experts are on the job to assist in planning a bash that your crew will actually be excited to come to.  Corporate events don’t need to live up to their stale reputation, it is 2018 and having a good time with your co-workers is trending!  Here are some tips to create a corporate event that stands out to your employees for years to come. Choose a Theme Nothing turns a frown upside down faster than a party with a theme !  Even your typical drinks and dinner event goes from ho-hum to something better when a theme is stuck to it.  Think about it, you will be talking about how Donna from HR won the ugly sweater contest with her hideous, super flash, glitter, punk sweater for holiday parties to come.  Here are some other ideas: Create a wonderland with fake snow, twinkling lights, and all white décor Have members of your staff vote on a decade and dress like they a...

Every couple wants the wedding of their dreams without the expense of their relationship.  Here are common but avoidable fights couples often experiencing when planning a wedding and how they can be handled. Different Sized Guest Lists and Unequal Family Contributions There are a number of solutions to help avoid the issue of uncontrolled guest lists and unequal family contributions.  This like many other times finances and family will be involved must be met as you would any business situation.  One approach is to set boundaries immediately with the number of guests each family can invite and how much they will be required to contribute to cover the cost. Another approach, especially if the bride and groom are paying for the wedding together is to break it down, “This is the cost of your guest list, this is the cost of my guest list.  It seems as if there is an imbalance, can you address this with your family to see if they are willing to chip in and if they ar...

No matter how prepared a bride and groom are there will always be circumstances outside of their control when it comes to planning for the big day.  To prepare yourself we have come up with a list of issues our brides and grooms have run into and how to handle them if (when) you run into them while planning your wedding . Awkwardness in the Workplace: In wedding planning there will always be people that think that they should have been invited to your special day. A lot of brides and grooms struggle with invitations for their boss and coworkers.  As a couple you are under absolutely no obligation to invite anyone to your wedding.  The best way to avoid awkwardness is to address the issue head on letting people know that it is nothing personal but that your wedding invitations are being limited only to family and close family friends.  This will help people understand why they have not received an invitation.  If you are not going to be inviting people from...

As adults we don’t tend to make a big deal about our birthday each and every year however the game changes when it comes when we reach major milestones.  Planning a special event can take a lot of time and planning which is something most of us don’t have extra of when we are reaching the 40, 50, and 60-year marks.  Thankfully this is where event planners come into the picture. An event planner helps to take your vision and turn it into reality without much more than your input.  It is important to work with a professional in planning larger milestone celebrations to truly take the time to enjoy it rather than stressing about the details weeks.  A party planner takes charge from the inception of the idea until the last guest leaves allowing you to be the social butterfly you want to be when celebrating a major milestone in your life. Below you will find a short list of some of the things that an event coordinator will take care of for you so that you can sit b...

According to most bridal magazines and several wedding blogs it takes at least a year to plan a wedding. There are even check lists telling you when you should accomplish each goal needed to have the perfect wedding. However, as many wedding planners will tell you, it is possible to plan a wedding within a few months or even weeks. The actual time it takes to plan a wedding will depend on several different things including: Your Expectations Many women imagine the perfect wedding from the time they are quite young. They may want a certain venue, band, location. In cases such as these your wedding plans may take longer depending on when the venue is available. On the other hand, if the location of your venue is more general and you have hired a wedding coordinator or wedding planner they may have a list of possible venues and vendors that you contact at book on short notice if they are not booked. Type of Wedding Casual weddings often take less time to plan than more formal...

Summer weddings are every bride’s dream until they realize that there are many things that can and will go wrong on their big day.  Unfortunately, not everything that can go wrong can be controlled, which means that summer brides need to be prepared to go with the flow and accept each unexpected event that comes their way.  Thankfully, a wedding consultant can help the bride and groom through the entire planning process, which should make things go a little smoother on the big day. Almost every bride that wants a summer wedding also wants their ceremony and reception to be outside.  And who wouldn’t?  After all, bright blue skies, a couple of white puffy clouds, the glow of the sun, and birds chirping in the backyard all sound like each summer bride would have an idyllic day! However, on the day of a summer wedding, many brides may face dark, threatening clouds that want to open and send rain pouring down any second, or such brutal winds that either no one can ...