parties2weddings.com

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.

So….you are planning a special event for your company or a wedding for a family member.  Perhaps a product introduction, company picnic or the celebration of a family milestone, like a fiftieth wedding anniversary.  Easy, right? Anyone can do that!  Not so fast.  What will a qualified event professional do for you? 

1. A good meeting, event or wedding planner is worth their weight in gold. They will base preliminary decisions on your budget and suggest what number of guests, atmosphere, location, decor and even date and time the budget can stretch to accommodate.  They will even suggest the degree of formality based on your budget.

2. A pro can plan everything from the venue, florist, audio/visual, lighting, arrange for decorations, valet parking, transportation to catering and much, much more all while saving you from costly mistakes.  Remember this is what they do all day long, they know who the best vendors are who will deliver what they have promised.

3.  They take the guess work out of the planning process.  You might like the price of company A but because you don’t do this for a living you might really be better off hiring company B because they do better quality work.  You don’t know this because this isn’t your expertise.  A planner will steer you in the right direction.

4. A qualified planner will always have a contingency plan.  They will assess the risk factor of any event and make suggestions and offer guidance to accommodate anything that could go wrong

The journey toward any celebration can be overwhelming by the huge number of planning and design decisions that must be made.  Then, once the design concept has been chosen you have the task of pulling everything together to make it work.  There are some basic rules that I want to share with you.  They will help you with making these decisions.

1. Don’t worry about “Trendy” The most successful events focus on basic classic details not the latest fad.  Classic is always beautiful.

2. Simple details are not the same as cheap details.  Simple does not need to be minimal.  You can make a simple design by limiting the types of materials but giving an abundant effect by repeating the design many times.

3. Focus on the event environment and design the elements of the event to suit the setting.  Your design for a garden party will need to fit the garden concept while a roof top terrace will lend itself to an entirely different design vision.

4. Design your event to make your guests comfortable.  Never sacrifice the comfort of your friends and family just to highlight a design element. 

5. Limit your design elements to three choices.

6. Know what is important to you when designing your event, then stick to your priorities.  If your priority is fun and dancing then put your efforts towards finding the best dance floor and band you can afford

7.  Worry about providing a gracious, comfortable event rather than making a huge impression and you’ll find the results worth the effort.

8.  Your guests will never notice that you used five flowers in your arrangement instead of three.  What they will always notice is if you skimp on service.  This is part of making the event comfortable.  If your guests are well taken care of they will have a great time

You may choose Magenta Cattleya Orchids, Gloriosa Lilies, Tulips or Yellow Cymbidium Orchids wrapped in a cuff of Rhinestones or Satin Ribbon with Mother of Pearl Trim for your wedding bouquet.  Your wedding planner can guide you in the right direction to help you select not only the perfect flowers but the perfect florist too.  These days the wedding bouquet is intended to be bewitching, enchanting with undiluted beauty.  It is easy to accomplish  the creation of an enchanting bouquet thanks to the abundant variety of blooms that are available year round from all over the world.   Choose flowers that reflect your style and personality then choose the most talented florist that can compose the perfect bouquet that makes a striking statement as you walk down the aisle.  Nothing quite captures the delight of romance and the magic of your special day the way flowers do.

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After you have selected your wedding planner the most important detail after you become engaged will be shopping for the most beautiful wedding jewelry you can afford.  Once the excitement of the big day is long past the wedding jewelry will be a daily reminder of the fleeting moment when you said “I DO”.   Set your wedding jewelry budget and then stay within your comfort zone and personal fashion style, remember you will both wear this treasure for many years to come,  day in and day out.  Choose a Jewelry Company that you are familiar with and that you trust.  Today there are some of the finest jewelry company’s available on line and with fantastic websites.  When you take advantage of these sites you have the advantage of more choices and designer selections at better prices, some are even duty free and most offer free shipping and hassle free 30 day return policies.  Check out Diamonds International, Blue Nile, Bright Diamond, Ice.com, Sea of Diamonds and Diamond.com just to name a few.  Happy Shopping!!

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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