The holidays are upon us!  Of course, we all know what this means… PARTY TIME!  There is no better way then to start getting in the spirit of the season than with a company holiday party.  Although company parties can become the source of water cooler stories for years to come, they are the perfect time to get to know the people you spend eight to ten hours a day with.

Yes, some co-workers will take this opportunity to enjoy a few beverages which can lead to some tipsy revelations, funky dancing, or perhaps some mild filtration it will also be a time for some fun and entertainment. Corporate holiday parties are similar to that once a year wedding we are all excited to attend, they allow employees to have a little fun and reward them for the hard work that has been put in throughout the year.

Below are some ultra-exciting corporate party ideas to ensure your event is something that your employees enjoy.

Company Olympics

Instead of running, swimming, skiing, and so on create a few fun events that employees can participate in for prizes.  Consider creating teams by randomly drawing names and have them compete in fun games like wine cork shooting ranges, team table tennis with one partner blind folded, bouncy ball basketball using mason jars as baskets, balancing by the books, and so on.  You really can come up with just about anything to create a night of activity and unexpected team bonding.

Rent an Indoor Field

What better way to get to know your employees and them one another than to rent an indoor athletic field for a game of kickball, softball, flag football, and more.  After the game, surprise employees with an entertainer that is able to set up a stage and perform for them after they have cleaned up and are ready to party.

Take Over a Museum/Zoo

How awesome would it be to attend a corporate event in a venue that is normally over crowded and unable to be enjoyed.  Think about having the Smithsonian, the Shedd Aquarium, or San Francisco Zoo all to yourselves to enjoy.  Having food and drink stations throughout for employees to enjoy.  What a treat it would be to have time to enjoy something so amazing without the crowds, just your co-workers and their families.

A Bar Crawl

Not all places of employment would consider this but a less conservative, smaller company might see this as a perfect opportunity to let loose.  Rent rooms for each employee and a company party bus to explore several bars throughout the area without having to worry about driving and getting home.

Of course, your corporate party needs to be planned with your company and employees in mind.  No matter what type of event you decide on you have to be prepared for a bit of “backlash” by outsiders uninterested in participating in activities outside of normal business hours.  As an employer your job is to plan for the masses and make sure to give your employees an experience that lets them know just how appreciated they are!

Event Planning DC provides full event planning, partial event planning, month-of (day-of) event coordination, event styling/design and decorating services throughout DC, Maryland, and Virginia, with access to local and national vendors who may provide additional services suitable for your event and budget.  We pride ourselves on providing only the highest quality event coordination, giving you and your guests the perfect day, no matter what the occasion including exclusive corporate and non-profit events, weddings, Bar & Bat Mitzvahs, community events and milestone celebrations.  More information can be found online at http://www.eventplanningdc.com.

If you haven’t started planning for your company’s holiday party, it’s time to start!  Our experts are on the job to assist in planning a bash that your crew will actually be excited to come to.  Corporate events don’t need to live up to their stale reputation, it is 2018 and having a good time with your co-workers is trending!  Here are some tips to create a corporate event that stands out to your employees for years to come.

Choose a Theme

Nothing turns a frown upside down faster than a party with a theme!  Even your typical drinks and dinner event goes from ho-hum to something better when a theme is stuck to it.  Think about it, you will be talking about how Donna from HR won the ugly sweater contest with her hideous, super flash, glitter, punk sweater for holiday parties to come.  Here are some other ideas:

• Create a wonderland with fake snow, twinkling lights, and all white décor
• Have members of your staff vote on a decade and dress like they are from that era
• Create a tropical resort or cozy cabin
• Choose a color theme
• Invite people of different cultures to share recipes pot luck style

Entice Them with Prizes

Winning something is always fun.  Think about prizes that truly connect with your employees and budget.  Consider the following ideas:

• Gift cards
• Gadgets
• Paid time off
• Tickets

Activities That Break the Ice

Games aren’t just for kids anymore.  Plan an activity that helps loosen everyone up and get to know each other better.  Activities where people have to work together are popular at corporate holiday events as it works as a team builder but in a non-formal setting.  Try the following:

• Charades
• Scavenger hunts
• Movie trivia
• Assemble gingerbread houses
• Decorate cookies

Some other fun ideas are:

• Give back to the community by helping others or hold a toy/food drive.
• Bring in some entertainment like a comic or hypnotist
• Do a gift exchange or secret Santa
• Do a group outing like to play laser tag, an escape room, or karaoke

Event Planning DC provides full event planning, partial event planning, month-of (day-of) event coordination, event styling/design and decorating services throughout DC, Maryland, and Virginia, with access to local and national vendors who may provide additional services suitable for your event and budget.  We pride ourselves on providing only the highest quality event coordination, giving you and your guests the perfect day, no matter what the occasion including exclusive corporate and non-profit events, weddings, Bar & Bat Mitzvahs, community events and milestone celebrations.  More information can be found online at http://www.eventplanningdc.com.

Every couple wants the wedding of their dreams without the expense of their relationship.  Here are common but avoidable fights couples often experiencing when planning a wedding and how they can be handled.

Different Sized Guest Lists and Unequal Family Contributions

There are a number of solutions to help avoid the issue of uncontrolled guest lists and unequal family contributions.  This like many other times finances and family will be involved must be met as you would any business situation.  One approach is to set boundaries immediately with the number of guests each family can invite and how much they will be required to contribute to cover the cost.

Another approach, especially if the bride and groom are paying for the wedding together is to break it down, “This is the cost of your guest list, this is the cost of my guest list.  It seems as if there is an imbalance, can you address this with your family to see if they are willing to chip in and if they are not able to then how can we make the wedding more affordable, so everyone can come or how can we trim down your families guest list to fit within our budget.”   Compromising in financial situation is something that will be required throughout marriage.  Learning how to properly handle financial issues now will help prevent a lot of headaches down the road.

Lack of Interest in Wedding Planning

Many brides are so excited to plan for their wedding day.  It is a day they have thought about forever and are anxious to be detailing each and every intricacy of the day. The problem arises when brides see that their grooms are lacking their enthusiasm.

It is crucial that brides remember that although they have been thinking about this day since they were a little girl most grooms haven’t thought about it even once.  Most grooms don’t really want to be involved in each and every decision and are happy as long as their bride is happy.  What brides need to do to combat what they see as a lack of interest on the groom’s part is to get them involved in areas of the wedding that actually matter to them.  If they are into music hand that over to them.  If you have a foodie on your hands invite them to take charge of the menu.  It is important to be honest with your soon to be spouse and to speak honestly about a division of labor and where interests lay.

Allocation of Wedding Funds

When planning a wedding most often the first thing that is discussed is the budget.  Problems can arise quickly if a detailed allocation of funds has not been agreed upon.  Are you eyeing a four-thousand-dollar dress?  Does your spouse have their heart set on a two week, all inclusive honeymoon?  You can instantly see how problems can occur.

Unfortunately, when you are working with a large sum of money it is crucial that the two of you meet in the middle with how and on what the money will be spent.  This may require some give and take but, in the end, it is important to recognize the end goal, a happy life spent together.  After much thought you may see how a four-thousand-dollar dress you will wear one night is slightly impractical when you can spend two solid weeks together away from the stresses of the real world to enjoy your new husband and wife status.

As wedding consultants, we have seen some of the littlest arguments turn into something ugly, fast.  It is important to remember that although you want this day to be as magical as you always dreamed, it is in fact just that, one day.  Make sure that the small loop holes you are experiencing before the walk down the aisle are not bigger hidden issues looming in the dark.  Work together to make sure that a mole hill isn’t turned into a mountain.  At the end of the day what really matters is that you are marrying the individual you will spend the rest of your life with even if they don’t care about the pink napkins or choose invitations fit for a kids fifth birthday party.

Event Planning DC provides full event planning, partial event planning, month-of (day-of) event coordination, event styling/design and decorating services throughout DC, Maryland, and Virginia, with access to local and national vendors who may provide additional services suitable for your event and budget.  We pride ourselves on providing only the highest quality event coordination, giving you and your guests the perfect day, no matter what the occasion including exclusive corporate and non-profit events, weddings, Bar & Bat Mitzvahs, community events and milestone celebrations.  More information can be found online at http://www.eventplanningdc.com.

No matter how prepared a bride and groom are there will always be circumstances outside of their control when it comes to planning for the big day.  To prepare yourself we have come up with a list of issues our brides and grooms have run into and how to handle them if (when) you run into them while planning your wedding.

Awkwardness in the Workplace:

• In wedding planning there will always be people that think that they should have been invited to your special day. A lot of brides and grooms struggle with invitations for their boss and coworkers.  As a couple you are under absolutely no obligation to invite anyone to your wedding.  The best way to avoid awkwardness is to address the issue head on letting people know that it is nothing personal but that your wedding invitations are being limited only to family and close family friends.  This will help people understand why they have not received an invitation.  If you are not going to be inviting people from your workplace to the wedding it is best to keep wedding talk to a minimum.

Bridesmaids and Groomsman Budgets:

• There is a slight chance you may hear some grumbles when it comes to the expenses associated with taking part in your wedding. When you consider the costs associated with being in a wedding don’t forget to consider all of the parties, the attire, the presents, and everything in between.  It is important that as the bride and groom you take them into consideration as you are choosing attire.  Try to choose a style that is affordable and that they may be able to use again.  Black suits for gentleman and simple, yet stylish dresses can be perfectly suitable.  If you are a bride that always dreamed of glitz and flash (otherwise a dress that will never be worn again) consider offering to split the expense.

RSVPs:

• This is the absolute worst part of wedding planning for most couples, getting people to respond! If the date you expected the RSVP’s back has come and gone it is time to get on the phone.  Never assume that those guests are not coming instead reach out and touch base with them or if it is a family friend have your parents reach out.  When it comes to a final head count it is better never to assume that people are not coming.  If you cannot reach them error on the side of caution.  It is better to have more food than and seats than not enough!

Toasts:

• This is another tricky area to regulate and thankfully that is why you have hired people. To avoid the scenario of drunken, inappropriate toasts, or toasts from any guest who can get a hold of the microphone speak to your DJ and wedding coordinator about the “rules” of the microphone.  Make sure they understand that under no circumstance should the microphone be handed over to any other guests than the ones that have already been preapproved by the two of you.

There are so many little things that can and will go wrong.  Some you may know about; others may be hidden from you because after all you shouldn’t worry…It’s Your Day!  Whatever happens it is important to remember at the end of the day the only aspect that is truly important is that the two of you become one.

Event Planning DC provides full event planning, partial event planning, month-of (day-of) event coordination, event styling/design and decorating services throughout DC, Maryland, and Virginia, with access to local and national vendors who may provide additional services suitable for your event and budget.  We pride ourselves on providing only the highest quality event coordination, giving you and your guests the perfect day, no matter what the occasion including exclusive corporate and non-profit events, weddings, Bar & Bat Mitzvahs, community events and milestone celebrations.  More information can be found online at http://www.eventplanningdc.com.

As adults we don’t tend to make a big deal about our birthday each and every year however the game changes when it comes when we reach major milestones.  Planning a special event can take a lot of time and planning which is something most of us don’t have extra of when we are reaching the 40, 50, and 60-year marks.  Thankfully this is where event planners come into the picture.

An event planner helps to take your vision and turn it into reality without much more than your input.  It is important to work with a professional in planning larger milestone celebrations to truly take the time to enjoy it rather than stressing about the details weeks.  A party planner takes charge from the inception of the idea until the last guest leaves allowing you to be the social butterfly you want to be when celebrating a major milestone in your life.

Below you will find a short list of some of the things that an event coordinator will take care of for you so that you can sit back and enjoy the event.

Invitations:

Your invitation will set the tone for the entire event and allows you to make a first impression to remember. The part of invitations that is tedious and not fun to deal with however, is the addressing them, sending them out, and responding to R.S.V.P.’s or worse yet those guests who never respond at all.  As an event coordinator it is our responsibility to track down your guests, make sure counts are accurate, and that everyone is knowledgeable of the day’s events.

Decorations/Colors:

Since most people don’t specialize in planning for an event, if left to their own accord often end up choosing from themes and colors commonly found at the local party store.  This is not the case when you hire a professional. Just because you are turning 50 and heading “over the hill” as it is often coined doesn’t mean you have to have an event themed around growing older.  Instead we help you to build an event around what makes you unique.  We create the day around you.

Attention Grabbing:

It is important to make sure that guests feel included in the event to ensure that they enjoy themselves and help to create the atmosphere you are looking for in your event. It is our job to grab their attention and guide them towards the theme.  Chilled events with wine and cheese trays are much different than those with themed adult beverages and photo booths with props.  The tone is set by planners who are guided by your direction. It is also important for you as the party’s guest of honor are recognized and readily available to mingle with guests.

Activities:

No one wants bored party guests. It is important to have things for guests to do as they arrive at the event all the way up until they leave.  Whether it is hiring live entertainment or offering interactive group games via smartphones it is crucial to keep events moving forward.  As a part of the party you don’t want to be worried about if people are having a good time, that is our job.

Presents/Parting Gifts:

Even when invitations specifically say not to bring a gift you can be assured no one will listen. We prepare for the unexpected and make sure that you come prepared as well.  Every detail, down to the partying memory you give guests to take with them is planned for you around your ideas without any actual leg work needing to be done on your part.

Event Planning DC provides full event planning, partial event planning, month-of (day-of) event coordination, event styling/design and decorating services throughout DC, Maryland, and Virginia, with access to local and national vendors who may provide additional services suitable for your event and budget.  We pride ourselves on providing only the highest quality event coordination, giving you and your guests the perfect day, no matter what the occasion including exclusive corporate and non-profit events, weddings, Bar & Bat Mitzvahs, community events and milestone celebrations.  More information can be found online at http://www.eventplanningdc.com.

According to most bridal magazines and several wedding blogs it takes at least a year to plan a wedding. There are even check lists telling you when you should accomplish each goal needed to have the perfect wedding. However, as many wedding planners will tell you, it is possible to plan a wedding within a few months or even weeks.

The actual time it takes to plan a wedding will depend on several different things including:

Your Expectations

Many women imagine the perfect wedding from the time they are quite young. They may want a certain venue, band, location. In cases such as these your wedding plans may take longer depending on when the venue is available. On the other hand, if the location of your venue is more general and you have hired a wedding coordinator or wedding planner they may have a list of possible venues and vendors that you contact at book on short notice if they are not booked.

Type of Wedding

Casual weddings often take less time to plan than more formal and intricate weddings. Although it is possible to put together a large wedding with 16 bridesmaids in just a few months it is easier to put everything together for a backyard wedding with just a couple of bridesmaids and less fanfare in a short amount of time. In addition, if you are one of these couples who want an unusual theme for your wedding as a Medieval theme, then it may take time to find the right clothing or have dresses custom made to fit your wedding theme, which will add on time to the wedding planning.

How Much Help You Have Planning the Wedding

Having knowledgeable help when planning a wedding can make a huge difference in the length of time it takes to plan a wedding. Having a wedding planner who has planned several weddings in a short amount of time can help keep you organized when planning a wedding in a short amount of time. A wedding coordinator can be essential in helping you put together a wedding in just a few months.

Your Guests

If plan on inviting a lot of guest many of which live a good distance away, then it may take a bit more time to plan your wedding since your guests will need time to plan for both time off work and making travel plans. However, if most of your guest live locally then it is easier for them to get to the wedding on shorter notice.

Many people feel they need at least a year to save enough money for the wedding, but recent figures show that for each month over 6 months that it takes to plan a wedding 10% is added to the wedding cost so, it is cheaper to get married sooner than later.

The fact is that depending on the couples wants and their own eagerness to get married a wedding can be planned within any amount of time set by the couple and a wedding coordinator or wedding planner can help you with the arrangements.

Event Planning DC provides full event planning, partial event planning, month-of (day-of) event coordination, event styling/design and decorating services throughout DC, Maryland, and Virginia, with access to local and national vendors who may provide additional services suitable for your event and budget.  We pride ourselves on providing only the highest quality event coordination, giving you and your guests the perfect day, no matter what the occasion including exclusive corporate and non-profit events, weddings, Bar & Bat Mitzvahs, community events and milestone celebrations.  Contact the professionals at Event Planning DC http://www.eventplanningdc.com today!

Summer weddings are every bride’s dream until they realize that there are many things that can and will go wrong on their big day.  Unfortunately, not everything that can go wrong can be controlled, which means that summer brides need to be prepared to go with the flow and accept each unexpected event that comes their way.  Thankfully, a wedding consultant can help the bride and groom through the entire planning process, which should make things go a little smoother on the big day.

Almost every bride that wants a summer wedding also wants their ceremony and reception to be outside.  And who wouldn’t?  After all, bright blue skies, a couple of white puffy clouds, the glow of the sun, and birds chirping in the backyard all sound like each summer bride would have an idyllic day!

However, on the day of a summer wedding, many brides may face dark, threatening clouds that want to open and send rain pouring down any second, or such brutal winds that either no one can hear the wedding vows, or everyone is getting blown away.  The weather obviously can be controlled but our reaction to it can be and will of course set the tone for the rest of the event.

The first thing that a wedding planner will have couples do for their summer wedding is send out save the date cards.  After all, summer is a busy time full of vacations, summer camps, and more, and there is nothing worse than planning a wedding that no one can attend.

Couples will want to plan their ceremony for a later time in the day, so that they do not need to deal with the intense heat of the midday hours.  The only problem with that is everything after the ceremony ends up starting later and not every guest enjoys staying out till midnight as they are waiting for the wedding cake to be cut.  A wedding consultant can be quite helpful in these situations, because they can keep things moving in an orderly fashion.

The food that is served during a wedding can be an issue for summer weddings as well, because it needs to be kept at proper temperatures.  Cold foods can be almost impossible to keep cold unless they are set inside buckets of ice, and while hot foods can easily stay warm, it doesn’t take too long before those foods have bacteria growing in them either.  A wedding planner can be helpful at this point of the day, because they can make sure that the food is being kept at the proper temperatures, so that no one ends up getting ill afterwards.

Since not every guest is going to love the heat of the summer, couples are going to want to be prepared with ways to keep their guests cool and comfortable from the beginning of the ceremony until the end of the reception.  A wedding consultant can bring portable air conditioners to be used inside tents, while fans can be used near where the guests sit for the ceremony.  Ice-cold water should be available in more than one location, and a wedding planner will want to make sure that they order twice the amount that they think that everyone will go through or they will take a chance of running out.

It can be interesting trying to plan a summer wedding, but wedding consultants have planned so many that they know all the issues that can pop up at any given time.  The experience that wedding planners bring to each wedding will ensure that a couple never needs to be too stressed out over anything that may or may not happen on their big day.

Event Planning DC provides full event planning, partial event planning, month-of (day-of) event coordination, event styling/design and decorating services throughout DC, Maryland, and Virginia, with access to local and national vendors who may provide additional services suitable for your event and budget.  We pride ourselves on providing only the highest quality event coordination, giving you and your guests the perfect day, no matter what the occasion including exclusive corporate and non-profit events, weddings, Bar & Bat Mitzvahs, community events and milestone celebrations.  Contact the professionals at Event Planning DC http://www.eventplanningdc.com today!

Many people are interested in ways that they can make their events interactive for participants.  From weddings and birthdays to corporate outings and non-profit events, event planners are often tasked with finding ways to make the event interactive so that guests can have a way to be active participants in the event.  To turn guests from passive to active here are a number of ideas to set your event in motion.

• Inspire Imagination: When you see a canvas that is blank what is the first thing you want to do?  I know the first thing that enters my mind is to draw on it!  This is the case with most people.  One interactive activity that people love is to turn a blank space into something special.  A space or two to doodle with paint, chalk, dry-erase markers, crayons, and more are all great options to give guests the inspiration they need to create a wall of awesomeness.  If you are looking for zero-waste and little clean up some tech organizations are offering graffiti walls out of digital devices.
• Photo Memories: Photo booths are such fun and very common for events now-a-days. They allow guests to capture memories and leave event attendees with a personalized keepsake.  Depending on the type of event, it may be a nice touch to add props and costumes.  It is even better if the images that are taken can be projected for viewing throughout the venue.
• Up Close Entertainment: Performers that are allowed to showcase their skills while integrating into the crowd is an awesome way to keep guests involved.  From magicians, dancers, gymnasts, still-walkers and more are popular to work a crowd especially during cocktail hours before and after the main event.
• Voting Booths: Encourage guests to get involved through voting.  Create campaigns on anything from music to food samplings.  Get creative casting online votes before the event or throughout the event using smart phone devices.
• Item Testing: If your event is to introduce a new product or service allow attendees a firsthand experience.  Find a fun way for items to be used from massages to pedicures and cookware to paint incorporating a way in which attendees can use your product or services.
• Teach Guests Something New: A great way to get guests involved in your event is to teach them something they didn’t know before they came. Maybe it is a fun game, activity, dance move, cooking technique, drink, or whatever the case may be teach guests.  This allows them to be involved while taking something from your event.

Event Planning DC provides full event planning, partial event planning, month-of (day-of) event coordination, event styling/design and decorating services throughout DC, Maryland, and Virginia, with access to local and national vendors who may provide additional services suitable for your event and budget.  We pride ourselves on providing only the highest quality event coordination, giving you and your guests the perfect day, no matter what the occasion including exclusive corporate and non-profit events, weddings, Bar & Bat Mitzvahs, community events and milestone celebrations.  Contact the professionals at Event Planning DC http://www.eventplanningdc.com today!