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We are now offering our workshop “Planning Like A Pro” one-on-one!  

Because we will be doing single sessions, the catered lunch or dinner will not be offered so take $25 off the fee making the cost a VERY affordable $275.  The valuable piles of information and documentation that you will receive is what we usually save for our “Day-of” and Classic Package clients who pay anywhere from $1,200 to $3,000.  The coupons and discounts that you will receive from our Preferred Vendors will total more than the cost of the class.  Take it from Nancy and I who have been in the industry for a combined total of 43 years, it is better to be prepared from the beginning for all of the little details that will encompass you and your life during the planning process.

 Click here for details: Workshop Flyer 

 Just call Michelle at (512) 267-4544 to schedule a session that works for both calendars. 

Open House:      The Ranch House at Teravista

Date:                    TUESDAY, June 30^th

Time:                    6:00p.m. to 8:00p.m.

Address:             4307 Teravista Club Drive

 Contact Phone:     (512) 633-7632 

This new venue is unique and full of hill country charm! Be among the first in the Austin area to utilize this enchanting location for your wedding ceremony and reception or rehearsal dinner. Come check out the panoramic view from our back porch while enjoying complimentary beer and wine.

 Grooms!  Receive a free round of golf (Mon-Thurs) for attending. 

Brides!   Any bride attending the event who books their wedding with us by August 31, 2009 can choose to receive $250 off the facility rental fee, a free champagne toast for up to 100 guests OR a round of golf for 4. 

Please RSVP to Michelle Bromley at michelle@allisonsevents.com                 

Vendors Attending Include:
Allison Events – Raffle prize: 50% off your wedding planning package of choice.  Value $750-$2500
Gino’s Italian Restaurant
Fantasy Cakes
Bella Bloom
Classical Guitar by Emin Navarro
Make Up by Amanda
Eric Hegwer Photograhpy
The Moving Images CompanyCen-Tex Party RentalSilver & Stone Realty Executives

The answer is YES!  In this article I will share with you the different verbiage that many brides mistake for gratuity and explain who you should tip after your wedding and how much.

Being a bartender in a couple of high-volume country bars and later in a busy bar on 6th Street, I have heard a couple of different origins for the word “tips”.  It is an acronym that comes from the words either To Insure Prompt Service or To Insure Proper Service (TIPS).  The word you should focus on here is “service”.  All of the vendors you hire are providing a service to you that when added together should bring to life a spectacular wedding day.  The wedding bartender is not the only person providing a service and therefore should not be the only person tipped.

Some clients see the words “gratuity”, “service charge”, “service fee”, or “coordination charge/fee” on a catering invoice and assume that money will go to the catering service staff at their wedding.  This is not the case!  The waiters/servers rarely see even a little bit of that money.  It is important to ask your catering sales person how much, if any of that money goes to the service staff.  These people will be doing the most labor intensive work at your wedding and deserve to be tipped.  The average amount is $25 per server and each one should be tipped individually.  You should include the Event Manager in the service staff calculations.  Your final catering bill should have the number of staff that will be working your wedding.  If it doesn’t, be sure to ask.

How to do it? Slip cash or personal checks into envelopes and hand them out at the end of the night. Assign this to the father of the bride, the best man, maid of honor or your planner.

Bridal Open House at Austin’s Trendy Design Center of Austin

In the past 30 years I have helped hundreds of brides and corporate clients plan and design the decor for their events.  During this time I have been the lucky Event Planner that gets to participate in the celebrations of some of life’s greatest milestones.  Weddings, Birthdays, Memorial Services, Anniversaries, Corporate Galas, or a party to honor a special achievement, each and every one a special occasion and a cause for celebration.  Staging and decoration these events is an art form.  In essence, you don’t plan a party as much as you design it with the venue as your stage.  This room becomes the canvas on which you will apply your ideas and vision.   Experience has taught me to trust my instincts, to conceptualize, then design the event.  Start with a color palette, choose the room layout, select the size tables or cocktail furnishings, choose the linens, flowers and design elements.  Compliment everything with the most overlooked element, lighting.  Then when you select the menu it will be the last element that ties the decor together.  Choose the caterer carefully and make sure that the one you select is not only wonderful with the food but also comfortable with tablescapes that compliment the menu and pull everything together for a spectacular event design that will inspire all that attend.

Its just a few days till Christmas and I’m rushing around taking care of last minute details for our big Christmas Party.  I can’t seem to stop party planning even on the holidays.  I just spoke to my caterer and guaranteed my guest count and finalized my menu.  Since I didn’t call the florist in time I plan to do the flower arrangements myself.  I’m not a trained florist so I only arrange flowers for myself.  Since I’m the designer today I plan to use my favorite flower  It is the Iris which was the emblem of the gods to the Ancient Greeks, a regal symbol to the Pharaohs of Egypt and used in the beautiful art works of Monet and Van Gogh.  If you ever plan to purchase irises for a flower arrangement buy only irises when their buds show a little color, otherwise they will not open.  Irises that are already in flower will not last very long and are only worth buying if you need immediate colour.

When I owned my catering company, one of the most requested appetizer items was my fresh Corn Relish Dip.  Even now when I’m given the opportunity to design the menu as an event planner, I use this recipe when it fits the celebration style.  Most of the time I served it with Tortilla Chips, but its just as good with sliced French Bread and crackers or fresh raw vegetables.  This is the prefect recipe for any party.  Make sure you use only the freshest ingredients because that will effect the final outcome. 

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Imagine deep blue skies, gentle waves rocking you to sleep every night, gourmet food at every meal, interesting locations and beautiful ports of call.  A luxury cruise ship is one of the most fun and exciting locations for your wedding or celebration of any kind.  There is nothing more fun than a cruise so think how memorable a wedding ceremony and reception would be ship board.  Shipboard celebrations allow you to combine your event or wedding and reception with the option of having your family and friends joining you on vacation or on your honeymoon, if you want them to!  There are many packages available in hundreds of beautiful ports of call.  You choose a destination that is perfect for you and your guests.  Cruise ship events take place while the ship is in port so you can decide to have your wedding on-board the ship or at a romantic land location.  The choices are endless, a world-renowned white sand beach, an Italian Villa, a yacht, or in the ships chapel, its up to your imagination.  I believe that you pick an event professional to design your event to fit your individual needs and make your wedding day or special event the best day of your life, then sit back and relax!

Let’s face it, everyone has a budget.  Some are just larger than others.  I have put together some ideas that I know will help you with your  wedding or party budget no matter the size. 

1. Choose a location that allows you to hire an off-premises caterer instead of going with a Hotel.  Off-premises caterers are generally less expensive in comparison.
2. Choose a location that provides tables,chairs and linens when possible.
3. Pick a reception site that fits your guest count.  Too big is just as bad as too small.  A place that handles 200 isn’t suitable for 50.  Everything will look and feel too spread out and you will need to spend more on  event decorations to make the space feel intimate.
4. If you need to provide chairs for your event, choose the Samsonite folding chairs instead of the wooden folding chairs to save money.
5. Have your event or wedding any day other than Friday or Saturday.  Many venues as well as other event professionals will give you a price break on days other than traditional Fridays and Saturday.
6. Have your event at a time other than meal times and keep the time down to a minimum.
7. Buy your liquor wholesale if possible.  It is so much less expensive to bring in your own liquor. just be sure to check with your venue and caterer.  In some states only a licended provider can bring in liquor or serve liquor.  Its best to know ahead of time what your state allows.

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Wow, I had a great response from my readers about appetizers from my post yesterday.  One of my comments was a question: As a party planner what menu item would you recommend if you needed to serve lamb to a special guest?  My answer to that is that there are many, many lamb recipes that are wonderful but my favorite one is Skewered Lamb with Red Onion Cilantro Salsa.  This is a summery tapas dish that ideal for any occasion but especially good for an outdoor event.  These skewers are grilled but if you don’t have access to a grill then they can be broiled instead.  The accompanying salsa is simple but full of robust flavor to compliment the Lamb.  This is an easy appetizer that will be a huge hit with any guest.

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