TOTW : Spotify to Clarify

The ticket to paradise!  

A custom save the date to one of LDE's recent 

destination wedding extravaganzas! 

This is a great TOTW for all my destination brides : Spotify to clarify! 

What? 

So ... you are planning a destination wedding - and FYI, when I type destination, I mean outside of the US destination. Okay, back to business, you are planning a destination wedding ... how totally exciting! You've got your Pinterest board, you're venue, your dress. You are on a roll. What's next?  Why it's time to pick out your entertainment and, Houston, we have a problem! Why? Well it's very simple.  You want to walk down the aisle to an acoustic version of Squarepusher's Tommib Help Buss and during cocktail hour you want to hear a variety of Boyce Avenue and Straight No Chaser and during dinner you want  a mix of Buble and Sinatra and other crooners all leading up to an awesome mix of pop music to close out the night.  Yeah, try explaining what type of music Squarepusher makes to someone who does not speak English very well.  Not an easy challenge to do if someone is not well versed in your particular poison and does really speak English. 

What to do, what to do? 

As is the case with all destination weddings, you have two choices for the vendors : domestic or imported.  You can of course fly in a team of pros to get exactly what you want for the big day.  Along with covering their hotel, flying all the equipment in, and other expenses! Cha-ching.

Or  you can stay domestic.  And why not?  Support the local talent and interject some cultural flair into the wedding! After all, it is a destination wedding ... why on earth would you go to the extent of planning a wedding out of your own country but not want to celebrate on an international level! Okay, so maybe you don't want the entire wedding to be all samba music, which is why you need to Spotify to clarify. 

Create a virtual play list for your DJ to hear firsthand the genre of music you are looking to incorporate into the wedding.  And better yet, select certain songs (the exact version you like) that you want to hear so they can download them directly and add them to your wedding day play list.  The best thing is, as the DJ listens to the songs you've selected, they will really become well versed with your tastes.  As they understand your likes, they can enhance them with an awesome global mash up just for your wedding!  Hello ... now you've just taken your wedding to the next level!  Seriously, this is the perfect (and very foolproof) way to get everyone who is involved in the musical portion of your event all on the same page.  So Spotify to clarify!

Photos of a very happy + oh so in love LDE couple,  courtesy of Lindsay Hite of Readyluck  and snapped on location at Hotel El Convento  in San Juan, Puerto Rico during one of LDE's recent  destination wedding extravaganzas!   And yes, they did Spotify to clarify.

TOTW : Introducing The POC

 

This is a great TOTW! Not only because it's the first TOTW of 2014, or because it the first TOTW written in a LOOOOONG time but because it's truly applicable to anyone and in all areas of life. 

Three letters : POC. 

If you follow my pinning escapades on Pinterest, then you know I so totally heart my POC {Pops of Color}. And if you've worked with me, then you know first hand through personal experience that I totally interject a POC into all my events.

So, you ask, what is exactly so important about POC and why am I so crazy for them? It's simple, a POC is the unexpected twist that brings life to the experience of an event and at Lauren Daversa Events we are all about unexpected twists! Why without unexpected twists, life would be so completely boring. 

Okay, how does a POC come into play in your world? 

My ladies probably already know how to rock a POC but for the boy readers, a POC is the perfect way to shake it up a little.  And if you're planning a wedding, a POC is the perfect way to get involved with your wedding. Simply, think to yourself ... where can you bring in some color? Take my fabulous + dashing groom Andrew, who interjected POC via custom socks that he gifted to his groomsmen to wear on the wedding day.  Groom Andrew took it a step further, LOVE, and coordinated his POC with the wedding's signature color {SIDE NOTE: he and his beautiful bride picked out : dark peacock blue}.   

Seriously, look at how fierce the shoe shot above is with the awesome POC! How boring would it be to feature a close up of a plain 'ol black sock! 

And check out these leaping groomsmen below ... the POC is an integral element of this image's success! 

Hopefully, I've now at least opened the door to the importance of the POC.  Not only in a wedding or special event, but into your life!  So change it up a little - interject a POC at home, or in the office, in your nail polish, lip gloss, iphone case, bag, sunglasses, picture frame, rug, or even via your wedding dress!

Take it from someone whose entire wardrobe USE TO consist of one color ... black.  Hey, I am born + raised in NYC but thanks to personal evolution, a POC is now a welcomed feature in my life and in my events!

Why not?  Life is too short + precious to bore yourself with BLAH!

Be sure to keep up with LDE on Pinterest and find out what awesomeness I come across during my late night, insomniac posting sessions!

Photo courtesy of LDE fave, Adagion Studio.

TOTW : Beyond Personal Flowers

Don't forget your floral budget needs to account for all of your event, not just the boutonnieres, rose petals and centerpieces. Flowers are utilized so many other areas of an event that are often put on the back burner. For instance, does your venue have light sconces on the wall that don't fit your scheme? How about unsightly vents, occupancy signs or outlet boxes you'd prefer to have covered? Think a further outside the box...could the bathrooms use a little flower power? Are the doorways in need of a garland? Is the driveway leading up to the venue dark and uninviting? Would uplights or pillar candles covered by hurricanes do the trick? And how about cocktail hour? Are the servers passing goat cheese tarts on silver trays? Wouldn't placing the delicate bites on top of banana leaves be a nice touch? And dinner - how will the food be presented on the buffet?

Many couples plan an elaborate event yet they don't budget funds to cover this portion of the decor. Unfortunately, they realize the need in the eleventh hour and have to increase the funds to maintain the look throughout the room/event or be left with incomplete look to their event.

Quality linen, flowers, leaves, branches, wheat grass, moss, rocks, acrylic pedestals, custom tables, fruit, silver or gold serving sets, personal pictures, books, mirrors, frames - I could go on for a long time - can be incorporated into the design of your event to add depth, fill in the space and accent the surroundings. But before adding on, check with the caterer to see what type of decor they will include in their pricing.

Don't be discouraged if you are working with a tight budget. Compromising on your budget does not mean you have to compromise on your style and decor! There are a lot of creative avenues to take to add nice touches, which can also cover the venue's sore spots. Working with a wedding planner is a fool proof way to maximize your budget while ensuring that you dot your i's and cross your t's - and don't get left with a bare buffet!

Photo courtesy of Martha Stewart

TOTW : Diacritical Marks

This week's TOTW is a fun tip to help relieve a small amount of stress from our brides + grooms who don't know how to format diacritic marks in excel. Okay but what's a diacritic mark? The answer is diacritical marks are ancillary glyphs found in many international names and addresses. For instance in the Scandinavian languages, characters with diacritics include ä, ö and å.

Great, and why do you need to be able to format them in Excel? Well, since I am sure you are all organizing your guest list in excel - is it is the preferred format for most every printer - you may find that you have a guest with an international name or address. Ahh, now you see why you need to know how to incorporate diacritic marks into Excel!

Don't worry, the answer is SO simple because you can type any character from the ASCII character set. Hold down the ALT key while typing in 0 + the number of the character you want. For instance, you can enter a German umlauted u (ü) into a cell by typing ALT 0252 followed by ENTER. See, I told you it was simple.

Where would you find this magical list? Well, there are tons of character sets available on the Internet. They will list all the ASCII characters and their corresponding numbers so you can painstakingly format all your fabulous international names and addresses for your DIY invitations. Enjoy and happy planning!

Photo courtesy of Michael Ciancio via I Love Typography

TOTW : Ceremony Music Demystified

Holy batman! Lauren Daversa Events is BUSY! We've got weddings going on all over the place and we couldn't be more excited. I've been asked a lot lately to explain the different parts of the ceremony music. If my brides are asking, chances are some of my readers would like to know too! So without further ado, the latest installment of our famous Tip Of The Week.

There are four parts that make up the ceremony music: prelude, processional, recessional and postlude. Below is a succinct description of each area to help solve the mystery behind ceremony music.

Prelude

The prelude music is the background music played prior to the start of the ceremony for anywhere between fifteen to thirty minutes as your guests are being seated. Don't let the idea of this being background music trick you, as the prelude helps to set the mood for your wedding. Ask yourself, "Is my wedding religious, romantic, chic and modern, elegant, unique, ethnic, joyous?" Or, is your wedding a combination? Once you've picked your selections, remember to have the music played quiet enough for your guests to be able to carry on a conversation once they've found their seats.

Processional

The procession is the music played while key members of your ceremony walk, or process, down the aisle. The key members are grandparents of the groom, parents of the groom, grandparents of the parents of the bride, bridesmaids, groomsmen, flower girls, ring bearers, ushers who unroll the aisle runner, and most importantly, the bride. You may select different pieces to accompany the different members of the party (parents / attendants / bride) however, limit your selection to three or less. Decide whether you want to have a grand or understated entrance as this dictates whether you should select pieces to build up the intensity to create the huge anticipation of the arrival of, well you - the bride. Or, whether you should select pieces that are more subdued to create a more quiet, peaceful entrance.

Whichever way you go, make sure to have a designated friend/family member to cue the musicians, or even better, hire a planner like Lauren Daversa Events. Or else you really run the risk of the processional turning into a whole mess with bridal party members wondering when to go, musicians wondering when to play, musicians wondering when to stop playing, doors opening with people peering out to see what is going on, guests looking around knowing crazy behind the scenes shenanigans are happening, groomsmen continuing to be confused. Just madness, and certainly not what you want for your once in a lifetime wedding ceremony.

Recessional

The recessional is celebratory music played as you and your new husband and your entire wedding party exit the building! Musicians should be ready for the cue - unique to every ceremony - that signals them to begin the recessional. It could be the kiss or the officiant's introduction of, "Mr. and Mrs. We Just Got Married." Again, make sure to have this worked out in advance. Vendors are not mind readers and it this has not been discussed then it is a perfect opportunity for a little ceremony music drama to be infused into your service.

Postlude

The postlude is the background music played as the guests are being dismissed, similar to the prelude.

The Secret Fifth Part of Ceremony Music

The secret fifth part of ceremony music refers to any optional points during the ceremony where you may want to have music or singer(s) perform. For instance, the lighting of the unity candle, interlude between readings, responses, alleluias, mass parts, during the sign of peace, immediately following the vow exchange, during and after communion, a moment of reflection, a rose presentation, sand ceremony, memorial candle ... just to list a few. As you work with the officiant on your service, you will learn the specific moments where music would be an appropriate addition.

Photo courtesy of Reception -Wedding

TOTW : The First Kiss

Did you know that the reason why the bride kisses the groom at the altar is not just for a photo opp for a master photographer like New York's Brian Dorsey to capture! That's right. There happens to be a cornucopia overflowing with wedding traditions from the world's history's past. These traditions have trickled their way down through time into today's weddings, and the first kiss is one of them. In Roman times, a kiss was seen as a legal bond that sealed a contract! Sealed with a kiss starts to make sense now, doesn't it!

While 'the first kiss' is not required, I find it to be a beautiful symbol of the precise moment in time when the bride and groom have forever bound their souls together as one. Romance at its finest!

Hello New Yorkers, looking for the best of the best to capture your moments? Get in touch with Brian Dorsey!

TOTW : Inviting Coworkers

The guest list for any event is typically always an issue, usually because the high number of people on it. Distant relatives that have not been seen in years, 2nd, 3rd, 4th cousins, kids, college friends bringing their newest flame, social friends who aren't really friends, and of course... the coworkers.

Like it or not, coworkers are like a second family. After all, many people spend at least forty hours each week at work. Does this mean that your entire office and your fiancés entire office and of course their spouses all need to be invited to the big day? No. Absolutely not. Only invite the colleagues you are closest with.

So ask yourself, "Do I socialize with this person outside of the office?" If the answer is yes, put them on the list. If the answer is no, there is no need to go any further. That's actually a lie, it does need to go a little further. If you answered no to the question above, be sure to avoid discussing in great detail the plans for the wedding with those colleagues. I consider that type of behavior to be schoolyard rude - because only kids would talk extensively about an event to someone who is not going to be included.

Photo courtesy of Chicago Now

TOTW : It's Flower Time

Taking on the task of coordinating your own wedding will be, well quite frankly, it will be at times overwhelming. Thorough planning is a great way to alleviate this feeling. Seriously, plan everything. That's my motto.

When you get to the part where you are coordinating the event day details with all of the selected vendors, make sure that you have your personal flowers arrive at least an hour before the photographer and videographer. Especially if your packages have a time limit on them.

You don't want to have your photog and videog arrive, and not be able to snap pictures of the flowers. First, you will miss out on capturing the beautiful arrangements you've purchased. And lets be honest here. How many times in your life will you be toting around a custom made bouquet AND be dressed to the nine AND have bangin' hair AND have fresh make up AND be surrounded by all of the people who are closest to you in your life AND have a professional photographer and videographer on hand to document it all? Yeah, not that often right!

But beyond this, without bouquets...what will all of you be doing with your hands? Can you say awkward. Most wedding gowns and bridesmaids dresses don't come with pockets. I sure don't want to be responsible for creatively posing, oh let's say nine bridesmaids plus a jittery bride when the don't have their bouquets to hold on to.

Lastly, time is of the essence on your wedding day. Most venues and vendors are flexible but only to a certain point. If you go over the contracted hours, you might end up paying overtime. So plan wisely!

Photo courtesy of My Phoenix Wedding Photographer

TOTW : DIY Gladiola Floral Arrangement

Hello. I am an event planner and I have at least two sides to my brain...(since I'm a Gemini, I actually have a lot of different sides, but that's for another time and another place!) Getting back on track to the two sides of my brain: the rational side and the escapist side.

The escapist side is the creative side where I come up with my inspiration for events. The rational side is how I try to figure out how to execute it. And since all of my clients are not working with the same budget, I need to determine exactly what the different stroke is going to be for each folk...so to type.

Here is a neat tip for brides who are on a tighter floral budget: gladiolas. Yup, they are great options when your floral budget is on a diet. First, when buying in bulk, they are priced very well. Second, they come in a variety of colors, which means they will fit into a whole lot of different color schemes. Third, they have their own flair. Yeah, that's right. I just brought back flair! They are long, and elegant, and bright and beautiful. Hmmm, sort of sounds like The Girl From Ipenama.

Check out this tutorial from Flower Arrangement Advisor. The flowers used are...gladiolas, of course. Check out just how long they are, the florist has to trim them to size. The height is important because is gives the arrangement that "wow" factor.

Now, the style of the arrangement may not be exactly what you are looking for...so tweak it to make it work for you. Pick up unique vases, add some ribbon, crystals, rocks, moss. Whatever ties it in to your event and makes it pop. But remember, arranging your own flowers is a lot of work. And not just the effort. It takes creative skill, which is not something that comes with directions. Hey, there is a reason why a good florist costs money. If DIY flower arranging is not for you, talk to a florist about incorporating gladiolas into your flowers!

Top photo courtesy of Opulent Creation Events
Bottom photo courtesy of The Knot
Video can be seen full screen at Video Jug

TOTW : How To Really Pin A Boutonnière

About this time last year, I posted on how to pin a boutonnière. Now I fully stand by my original post, however. When I came across the video below, I knew it was superior to my post. Watch, learn and enjoy!

How To Pin A Boutonniere with Carrie Scribner of Dutch Bloemen Winkel

TOTW : Eye Brow Waxing Disclaimer

This TOTW is short and sweet. Ladies, and men who get their eyebrows waxed - SIDE NOTE - good for you men who wax their eyebrows!! - do not experiment with a new salon, or a new esthetician before a special event or a holiday. Stick with who you know, the look you know and the products you know. Seriously, it's not the time to find out that a round eyebrow does not compliment the frame of your face, or that an inexperienced esthetician over plucked your delicate eyebrow.

If you want to explore a different look, or dye your eyebrows, or try out a new salon...awesome! I am all for it. Just start this process 6 - 8 months in advance. And don't even think that I am kidding, I am totally serious, because 6 - 8 months is how long it could take for your eyebrows to fully regrow.

Don't mess around with this advice. I have been sculpting my eyebrows since a I was a young teen. I've been fortunate enough to have them shaped by some amazing estheticians at incredible spas, including the J. Sisters, Ajune, Bliss, Red Door Spa. The list is too long. Hey, what do you expect, I was born and raised in the city. Having tasted the sweetness of a prefect arch, I've also tasted the sourness of the butchered brow. Yes, I've also been the victim to eyebrow slaughter. I know first hand what it feels like, what it looks like and how long it takes to recuperate from. So be smart, pluck wise before any big event!

Top photo courtesy of Flickr

Bottom photo courtesy of Gleny's Rome and Beyond

TOTW : Sun Block For The Groom and Groomsmen

This is short and simple, the best way for you boys to understand pretty much everything ;-)...wear sun block the day before and the day of the wedding! There is nothing worse than having the groom and the groomsmen show up on the wedding day looking like lobsters because they were out golfing all day long the day before. What was it I wrote...wear sun block the day before and the day of the wedding!

Photo courtesy of I Do Believe I Came With A Hat

TOTW : The Newspaper Shot

If you frequent photographers websites you should definitely be familiar with what I call the newspaper shot. For any of you who don't know what I'm talking about, it's when the photographer takes a picture of a newspaper, preferably the local newspaper from the town where your wedding or special event is taking place. The ideal shot would include the date, location and of course your wedding rings. This shot can be applicable to any event, it doesn't just have to be for a wedding. If your event is not a wedding, substitute any item related to the event for the rings; for instance, a diploma could be placed in the shot if you're planning a graduation party. Not only does the newspaper shot make a great picture, but it is just a fabulously unique keepsake from your wedding or special event. After all, how else would you know what was happening in the world on your special day.

Photo courtesy of Photo Bucket

TOTW : Special Events At Home

For the past three months, Lauren Daversa Events has been writing a series on hosting special events at home. TOTW has covered: the logistical issues associated with parking; the importance of understanding household capacity; the not so pretty topic of restrooms and cleaning; rental needs; and finally, last but certainly not least, issues associated with electricity.

As we've established in this series, turning the fantasy of a special event or an outdoor wedding at home into a reality requires many-a-things, each of which are significant. But the event would be lost with out one element in particular: electricity. Everyone involved in the wedding, or event, needs it. If the caterer is not working exclusively in your kitchen, then they've brought their own equipment and it all needs power. The band or DJ need to be heard, power. The beautiful lighting in the tent and around the property, power. AC or heating units, power! And of course your house will be lit up and cooled or heated...power! Everything needs power. The questions is...can your house supply enough of it?

First, determine how many outlets are available on your property. Then make sure they are located where the vendors will be setting up. Next, have an open discussion with your event planner about whether or not your house has a sufficient amount of power to go around to the vendors. If you don't have a planner, discuss this with your vendors.

Typically, most homes can not accommodate the amount of power necessary to light up a tent, provide power to the band / DJ, provide power to the caterer and their portable kitchen AND the house itself where the event is being hosted. If you don't have enough juice, and believe me, you don't want to risk blowing a fuse or even worse, a power outage...you will have to bring in a generator! NOTE, if you bring in a generator, make sure to keep it far enough away from the party so guests don't hear it buzzing all evening.

You might also have to purchase, or rent, extension cords. NOTE, if you have extension cords running all over your property, cover them up! For one, they are an eye sore. But also because they are dangerous. So, if you're saying to yourself, "Oh, I don't need to cover up the cords, they don't look that bad," think about it this way: guests or vendors can trip on them. Think, Extension Cords + Trip = Liability!!!

In the end, hosting any event at your home is a fantastic idea. All of the situations covered in the series might not apply to your event, however. Each area discussed is critical to cover in order to make sure your event is flawless. Remember, hosting any special event is all about being prepared. Hosting a special event at home means you have to go above and beyond to ensure your event is a success. Check back next week for another TOTW.

Photo courtesy of North GA Party Rental

TOTW : Special Events At Home

For over two months, Lauren Daversa Events has been examining the different elements that go into throwing an event at a private house. This five part TOTW series has covered the logistical issues associated with parking; the importance of understanding household capacity; the not so pretty topic of restrooms and cleaning; and now the series has reached the fourth and most critical segment: rental needs.

Undoubtedly, rentals can be almost as expensive, in some cases more expensive than the food and beverage for an event. Depending on the type of event being planned, rental needs can include, but certainly are not limited to:

1. Tables
2. Chairs
3. Tents
4. Draping
5. Lighting
6. Flooring
7. Dance Floor
8. Heaters/Air Conditioners
9. Tableware
10. Linens/Chair Covers
11. Bathrooms
12. Decorations
13. Staging

Pretty overwhelming, right? When you determine exactly what you need to make the event work, all of a sudden the perfect at-home wedding looks like a money pit. Securing rentals is one area where an inexperienced renter can be taken advantage of by the time the deposit is put down. This is also an area where having an experienced wedding planner really helps.

First, an event planner is educated in the cost of rental items, the labor involved to set them up and break them down, they know which companies are professional with good, well maintained products and which companies are just bad news! An event planner will also get a better price than the average customer. They work with these companies on a regular basis, they are not a one time shopper. Therefore, the rental company offers them discounted prices.

Don't beat yourself up if you're not working with an event planner. Have the rental company to the site of the event for a site inspection and ask LOTS OF QUESTIONS. Don't be intimidated. Ask them why they are proposing the specific tent size and have them mark the space off on your lawn. Get their input on unexpected weather because - note to self - unexpected weather changes everything. Will the tent withstand wind and rain? How about the land? Is the land level where you want to put the tent? Or, might you need flooring? And those gold chivari chairs you broke the bank for, they certainly cannot get wet. If it rains, will the lawn become a mud pool? How about an unexpected heat wave, or cold front. Do they have heaters, air conditioners or fans? Ask them what they suggest for a Plan B. Then do your homework and research what they are proposing.

When you receive their quote, go through it, line by line. Ask what their less expensive options are. You might not need the highest price china. Make sure you are getting what you need and want and that they are not burning a hole through your pocket. And always make sure you have everything agreed upon in writing. When you know what you need...check with your other vendors. The caterer will definitely be able to supply a lot of your rental needs.

Yes, you'll need to rent everything: tables, chairs, china, dinnerware, napkins, linens, settings, barware, portable restrooms, a tent, lighting, draping, flooring. It's enough to make your head spin. However, take it step by step. Determine what you need, who has it and how much. Go with reputable companies, read the contract and you're all set! Remember, hosting any special event is all about being prepared. Hosting a special event at home means you have to go above and beyond to ensure your event is a success.

This is a five part posting. Check back next week for the final post on Electrical Capacity.

Photo courtesy of Top Hat Party Design

TOTW : Tables

Banquet tables make more efficient use of space versus round tables. If you are using round tables, create visual interest and variety by using a mix of different sized tables.

Photo courtesy of Blooms By Martha Andrews

By the way, check out Martha's blog. It's overflowing with inspiration!

TOTW : Important Rental Questions

There seem to be an endless list of important questions that must be asked when renting items for your wedding or special event. Most of those questions focus on the rental items, set up and pricing, however. There is another aspect often overlooked, which is break down. It's extremely important to find out exactly what is required of you after the event is over. Below are six key points to discuss with your representative. Keep them on hand when booking your rentals because overlooking them usually results in additional charges and nobody likes that!

• Do the dishes need to be separated, rinsed and / or washed?
• Do the tables need to be broken down and / or stacked ?
• Do the chairs need to be stacked and / or bagged?
• Do the linens need to be folded?
• How do I maintain the fountain?
• Do I need to gather all the rental items in one single location, or place them in a certain area for pick up?

Photo courtesy of Encore Party Rentals

TOTW: Count Yourselves

Do you want to eat at your reception? Then don't forget to include yourselves in the guest count. Seems to obvious, right? Well, what appears to be a funny thought -the guests of the hour not having something to eat- really does happen.

It's not that difficult to figure out how. Picture this, the bride and groom have diligently worked on their wedding spreadsheets for twelve months. They have made sure to dot every i and cross every t. They can tell you who is having steak, who is a vegan, how many vendor meals they ordered and who is sitting at table ten. Their spreadsheets are perfect, not even a typo in the bride's college roommate's new boyfriend's last name. That's right, it's all perfect except they didn't include themselves in the final guest count. Okay, maybe the bride and the groom will eat but someone might be eating the leftover stuffed mushroom caps from the cocktail hour for dinner.

Now in a perfect world where everyone has hired fantastic vendors, this is a non issue because these fantastic vendors are prepared, however. The bride and groom who had worked so diligently on every single detail, also have a tight budget where every penny is accounted for in the beautiful, 98 person, garden reception they've planned. When they didn't hear back from Uncle Joe, Aunt Beth, cousin Steve and cousin Drea, they assumed they were not going to make it to the wedding; and, when the groom never heard back from his father's old golf buddy who just remarried and moved across the country, again they assumed they were not attending; and they never imagined the photographer would end up bringing two extra assistants to the wedding to cover even more angles of the event. So, three days before the wedding, they called the caterer and gave them the final head count of 98, accidentally leaving themselves out of the final count.

Ta-da, this is how easy it is for there to be a food shortage at a wedding. So make yourselves count!

Photo bride and groom chocolate caramel apples courtesy of Beau-Coup

TOTW: Special Events At Home

This article marks the half way point of the five part TOTW series on hosting special events at home. The first entry in the series explored many of the logistical issues associated with parking. The second entry focused on household capacity. Today the focus turns to the not so pretty but boo hoo because it's imperative to think about topic of restrooms and cleaning.

Two of the most common areas overlooked when hosting any special event at home are restrooms and cleaning, starting with restrooms. Can your home support 150 people going to the bathroom between one and three time over the course of a four or five hour period? I'm going to go out on a limb and say no, unless you have mighty toilets and a super septic tank. And even if you do have mighty toilets and and a super septic tank that can withstand constant flushing, the average house has only has two or three bathrooms, which is just not enough. The magical number of toilets should be at least 1 toilet for every 35 guests.

If this is not sufficient support that provisions need to be made for additional restrooms, how about this: are all your bathrooms located on the first floor, right next to one another? Probably not. They are more than likely spread out throughout your house. Meaning, guests will have to walk into your private bedrooms to access the restrooms. Hmmmm, no thank you!

Okay, still not convinced? What happens if one of the toilets malfunctions? Besides creating a mess -literally and figuratively- you'll be out the money that should have been spent on the additional restrooms anyways since you'll have to hire a plumber to fix the problem. So cut to the chase and make the right provisions by renting additional restrooms.

And there is NO need to be embarrassed by having port-o-potties trucked into your gorgeous wedding because they have gone glam. Seriously, check out Kholer's luxury restrooms. This is a luxury restroom that provides an upscale environment for events such as concert tours, sports tournaments, corporate events, birthday parties, and weddings. The multi-user restrooms features individual male and female suites, and porcelain KOHLER® sinks and toilets, chrome faucets, and luxurious trim and finish materials available in cherry wood and marble. Tasteful artwork, music, air-conditioning, and full-length mirrors are also present in all restrooms, to make participants feel comfortable in their bathroom-away-from-home. Okay, maybe this isn't in everyone's budget. But the port-o-potty has evolved from the blue constructions workers stalls of the past. There are upscale options available.

The second portion of this entry focus on cleaning. Hiring a clean up crew is another must for an at home special event. Of course, your caterer will help to clean up the event, however. The caterer will probably not be cleaning your luxury restrooms throughout the evening, or picking up anything the guests may have dropped, tidying up the house, wiping down the floor or table tops, emptying ashtrays, keeping trash cans empty. After all the guests have left, the crew can also do a sweep of the street picking up any mess left behind. This is something you will not want to do after the party, or even the next day. But left unattended could result in a costly fine from your neighborhood association or the town where you live. Don't worry, the clean up crew doesn't need to be an army. Certainly one or two helpers will suffice.

Remember, hosting any special event is all about being prepared. Hosting a special event at home means you have to go above and beyond to ensure your event is a success.

This is a five part posting. Check back next week for tips on Rental Needs.

Photo Courtesy of Atlantis Home

TOTW : Special Events At Home

TOTW is pleased to write this five part series on hosting special events at home. The first entry in the series explored many of the logistical issues associated with parking. This second entry focuses on household capacity.

The question is simple: How many people can the house hold? There needs to be enough space for your guests, their cars, the tables and chairs, the DJ or band and the caterer, along with their crew. If the event is a wedding, there must be space for the ceremony and the reception. Of course, there is no place like home but be honest with yourself and accept that there is such as thing as being too close for comfort. If your home is not prepared to host a 100 person wedding or special event, you either have to trim the guest list or find an alternate location.

You don't need to have an estate to host a special event but you do need to be well equipped to deal with the amount of guests you invite to your home. Inclement weather can end the event, which is why it is essential to have a solid plan B. Tenting the backyard is one option. Keep in mind, renting a tent, dance floor, sidewalls, draping and lighting can add up. Of course, utilizing both indoor and outdoor space is another option, however. Should all the guests be forced to stay inside, will everyone fit? Again, if your home is not prepared to host a 100 person wedding or special event, you either have trim the guest list or find an alternate location.

Hosting any special event is all about being prepared. Hosting a special event at home means you have to go above and beyond to ensure your event is a success.

This is a five part posting. Check back next week for tips on Bathrooms and Cleaning.

Photo courtesy of Splash