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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

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

Weddings are an affirmation of love, caring, family, friends and hope for the future.   They are the perfect opportunity to show a couples love, affection and gratitude by giving their friends and family a day they will never forget.  It is a compliment to everyone who attends your wedding and reception to plan out a beautiful, fun, interesting event.  Attention to the details will make the difference.  Remember it is the little details that create the biggest impression.  Start by collecting ideas that capture the mood, feel and style you want to convey.  Pictures from magazines, scraps of fabric, paint samples from your local hardware store, colored ribbons, maybe even a poem, single words or phrases.  Anything that gives you inspriation to leads you to sum up the look and mood of your special day.  Having a clear sence of what you want to achieve before you start will help you with the hundreds of decisions you will need to make when planning your wedding.

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.

Whimsical….Opulent…Romantic?  Choose your style and then let your imagination run wild.  Give your event planner many ideas and options and allow them to create a design that reflect your personality to its fullest.  Your inspiration might come from a sparkling waterfall, a simple red fall leaf or the elaborate water fountain outside your favorite building, perhaps you saw a cascade of orchids with bold colors in a fabulous vase with a different shape, whatever your inspiration, strive to create a tablescape that sets the tone for the entire event with a single glance.  Start with the simple shape of the tables and add lush linens, several layers of color and fabric texture are very much in vogue right now.  Find linens with rich trim and unexpected color combinations to add interest and an element of surprise.   If the room is large and opulent then use arrangements that sore above the table.  For a room that has low ceilings try using long and low arrangements.  When given a choice use seating options that add variety and interest such as benches, ottomans or a combination of chairs and couches.  Shake it up and add throw pillows in bright complimentary colors. Floral arrangements don’t need to be made of only flowers.  Add colored jewels on sticks, colorful summer fruits and vegetables or add herbs and other natural materials. Look for elements that will differentiate your event from all other and remember that everything does not necessarily need to match.  Mix up the china, glassware and silverware for an eclectic affair, just keep it simple to keep from becoming too busy.

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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Happy New Year!! And Congratulations! You just got engaged and now its time to start creating the ideal wedding.  One that’s fun, beautiful and one that is uniquely you.  As you begin this exciting journey to get you and your fiance down the aisle your wedding planner will be your guide to make sense of the ideas and inspirations you’ve collected.  You will have a million little details and decisions to make before this adventure comes to a close.  The more photographs and notes you can provide to your wedding planner the more able they will be to provide you with expert advice and design ideas that fit your event.  You will be faced with decisions you probably haven’t even thought of or anticipated yet.  Many of these decisions may even come as a surprise to you.  Details from the shoes you plan to wear, the icing on your cake, the size of the cake, do you want a grooms cake, the wedding jewelry, the wedding gown, bridesmaid dresses, flower girl attire, flowers, the ceremony, the reception, the sign-in book, the guest list, the weight of the invitation.  The list goes on and on!  Today’s most sought after wedding planners know where to find answers, know where to find inspirations and know who the vendors are that you need to turn to to create your dream event.  Most importantly, they know how to make the right decisions and that will make your wedding day a dream come true.