Reduce - Reuse - Recycle - Reclaim the Earth!

Its THE latest trend throughout our culture.  But what it actually means and how it applies to events and weddings can be often times be confusing.  In the broadest sense, being “Green” means partaking in practices that are environmentally sustainable.  And sustainability is being able “[to meet] the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
So how do we apply that to large scale events and weddings?  Well, we have to be conscious about how the decisions we make impact the environment…and it is in each decision you make.  But there are varying degrees of “green” so you may elect to be “light green” rather than “dark green”….but at the end of the day you are still making conscious decisions about your event and the environment!
So what “Green” options are available to you then?  Well here are some ideas to get your started!

• Venue - Is the landscaping comprised of native plants?  Especially in California (which is in a drought!), landscaping that is native and requires little watering is a big plus!
• Food - Locally Grown, Organic, Free Range & Wild!  Those are the buzz words you should be looking for when creating your menu.  There are seasons for fruits, vegetables and even fish!  So look up what items are in their prime at the time of your event.
• Rentals - Don’t go custom!  Use stock linens and ask your rental company what their green policies are.
• Dishes & Glasses - Its best if you use the real thing…but if you must go disposable then use corn or potato based products (amazing what you can find these days!)
• Wine - Organic Wines are tricky….but you get credit for using wines made from Organic Grapes!
• All else fails….PLANT A TREE!  Here’s a great website that will measure your event’s carbon footprint and estimate the number of trees to plant to make your event carbon neutral.  You can even go so far as to make the trees the “favors” for your guests!

Check back for more details and ideas on Greening your event!

You may be planning a small intimate dinner but want to assign your guests seats at the table.  Or perhaps you have a large soiree and want to assign your guests to a particular table, but let them choose their seat.  And maybe you have a desire to do both: tell your guests what table and what seat they are in.  Well, this is where place cards and escort cards come in.

When assigning guests to a particular table, you use Escort Cards to tell your guests what table they are assigned to (so they may escort themselves to the proper table).  These are usually setup alphabetically as guests are about to enter the dining area.

When you are assigning guests to a particular seat at a table, you use Place Cards to tell your guests which seat (or place) at the table is theirs.  These are typically pre-set at the place settings at the dining table(s).

Now, you may ask yourself “So?!  What’s the big deal?”  Well, it is a big deal when you are using BOTH.  Escort Cards so your guests may find their table and Place Cards so they may find their seats.

Why would you be using both?  A few reasons.

• For a particular type of dinner service, your venue may require you to use Place Cards at the tables to denote the meal selections (and if your party is over 20 or 30 people, then you will want the Escort Cards so your guests know which table to go to).
• Does a portion of your dinner program require audience pickups by a cameraman?  If so, then you better know where those folks are sitting!  In this case, Place Cards may only be required for a few people, while Escort Cards are provided for everyone.
• Maybe you simply like the formality and presentation of using both Escort Cards and Place Cards.

Whether you are using one or both, it is a good idea to know the distinction so as to avoid any confusion.  I once had a client that said “Escort Cards” and I figured we were talking about the same thing (I’ve since learned not to take such things for granted).  So when they brought me Place Cards instead of Escort Cards and no way to tell their guests what table they were at in the first place , it presented a great challenge (trying to tell 100 guests what table they are seated at is no easy task)!  Luckily, I had about 24 hours to find an effective solution.

So don’t let something as silly as the wrong phrase be a monkey wrench in your day!  Remember, your guests are first ESCORTed to a table and then PLACEd at a seat.

I’ve been writing my “Etiquette Monday” posts for a couple of months now.  I felt it was appropriate to define “Etiquette” today.

et⋅i⋅quette
/ˈɛtɪkɪt, -ˌkɛt/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [et-i-kit, -ket] Show IPA Pronunciation
-noun
1. conventional requirements as to social behavior; proprieties of conduct as established in any class or community or for any occasion.
2. a prescribed or accepted code of usage in matters of ceremony, as at a court or in official or other formal observances.
3. the code of ethical behavior regarding professional practice or action among the members of a profession in their dealings with each other: medical etiquette.
-Courtesy of Dictionary.com

Now, I tend to get a bit free and loose as to what I consider etiquette (or more accurately, what I consider good writing for Etiquette Mondays).  So, “Etiquette Monday” encompasses all things etiquette, manners, hostess tips & tricks, and social observations.  Not that I am little miss perfect.  But I am a bit persnickety about some things (as you may have noticed by now), and I am always learning something new!

So here’s to all of us improving our social graces in 2009!

Its a term that has become quite overused and undefined.  In our industry, there is not a standard of what “Day of Coordinator” means (although some folks are trying to correct that!).  And for those of you planning your special event, you may be slightly confused as to what you’re looking for because you can’t get a clear sense of what a “Day of Coordinator” is supposed to do (in fact, I prefer “Wedding Day Manager”).  So here is what you should expect from someone is a pro!

• “Day of Coordinator” translates better to “Month of Coordinator.”  We don’t just show up the day of the event and work.  A proper coordinator will put forth some significant pre-wedding day planning to ensure the day runs smoothly.
• We will assist with the setup of: favors, menu cards, place cards, escort cards, programs, and other items such as these
• We will be the main contact person for the day and handle any questions and/or issues that may arise and will only come to you when the question or issue is about money
• Your taste and style will be honored as though it were our very own
• We will help direct the wedding rehearsal as needed
• Timelines for you, the wedding party, the vendors and venue(s) will be created by us and distributed to all appropriate parties.  This timeline will cover everything from your first task of the day (usually the bride’s hair and makeup) to the last vendor leaving the venue.
• We will review your contracts and make sure all vendors requests are honored as best as possible (i.e. Did you know your band requires to be fed a hot meal BEFORE the reception begins?  Did you know your band/photographer/videographer requires a green room?  Contracts can be pesky little things!)
• During our pre-wedding day planning process, if we notice any holes in how your wedding day needs are to be met, we will discuss them with you and help you figure out how to fill those gaps (i.e. you ordered specialty desserts from your favorite bakery/restaurant but they don’t deliver and your caterer does not want to accept liability for something that is not theirs, oh and they require refrigeration which does not exist at your venue…what do you do?)
• We will help you keep your sanity.

You will find some variations to this, but at minimum this is what a professinal coordinator will provide.