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22Sep

#TBTWedding – The Cat’s Meow!

Posted by: Stephanie Day Categories: Weddings
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Referrals mean more to me than any other advertising because it shows that a friend or former client of mine has enough trust in me to do a good job for their friend.  Today’s #TBTWedding for Laura and Joe is timely – they are about to celebrate their 1 year anniversary on the 26th!

Laura’s mother worked with a very old friend of mine and when she mentioned some issues she was having with the venue for her daughter’s wedding, my friend gave her my name.  I’m glad she did because the issues continued to be a problem and I was able to help navigate the planning through 3 different sales people and lots of unanswered questions.  Ultimately, the venue came through and it was a beautiful wedding day.

It was so much fun planning with Laura and her mom!  They are really10522745_10153703409083249_7274688620494485201_n close and very much alike.  Here’s a cute shot of their “Mother-Daughter dance” during the reception!

 

 

 

 

Laura and Joe LOVE cats…I mean they really love their cats so they brought that love into their wedding day with a few really subtle touches.

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Just a few more shots of this beautiful wedding…

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(That’s me on the left!)

 

 

 

Since their wedding Laura and Joe have purchased their first home and added an adorable puppy to the family – the cats are adjusting.

Laura and Joe, I wish you a very happy first anniversary and many more!

(Photos Courtesy of Mary Ellen Otter Photography)

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26May

#TBT Weddings East Meets West

Posted by: Stephanie Day Categories: Weddings
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We’re staring a new series of #TBT posts today to highlight a randomly selected wedding we have planned and coordinated.  Strolling back through the memories of each wedding we have been a part of is so much fun.  Every couple we work with shows a unique style and personality in their weddings and I just love seeing vision come to life on the wedding day!  We hope you enjoy these #TBT posts too!

Stephanie and Akash come from two different cultures but one thing they knew, they wanted a wedding that represented both their worlds, and their love for each other.  Can’t you tell these two adore each other?  Stephanie is a meeting planner so she knew how to plan the wedding logistically and had some great ideas to make it work at Harwood Hills Farm, a venue with endless possibilities.  She also knew she needed help to execute the day.   Here’s why…

This was one of the biggest weddings we have worked on.  It had the most vendors with a grand total of 18, 2 ceremonies, 3 dress changes, 2 cocktail hours and over 300 people!  Side note: I logged in over 30,000 steps on my FitBit in one day; the most from any wedding I’ve coordinated!  My other two coordinators Jaime, Anjie and I were wiped out but so excited to see Akash and Stephanie so happy throughout the entire day.

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I have to say, Stephanie and Akash’s weddings were stunning.  Garden romantic with the Western ceremony (Stephanie’s) and festive and symbolic for the Eastern ceremony (Akash’s).

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They did the traditional Mehndi Henna for Steph’s hands and she wore both a stunning vintage dress for her ceremony and the traditional Indian dress for Akash’s with fabric purchased while on a trip to India.

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After the two ceremonies and cocktail hours (1 BBQ and 1 Indian), the party started under a gorgeous clear top tent with table runners made from the fabric purchased in India.  Simple wildflower groupings on the table brought the “Western ceremony” feel back into the evening.  The guests ate traditional Indian cuisine and instead of cake, ate pie for dessert!

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Akash and Stephanie combined two very different cultures into a beautiful wedding representing two families blending into one.  All the guests loved participating in the Barat, the traditional “dance” to escort the groom and his family into the ceremony.  The amazing video by Ryan Geldermann can be seen here to get a taste of how it all happened.

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Some of the fantastic vendors who worked on this event with us!
Harwood Hills Farm
Grand Rental Events
Blue Pit BBQ
Taj Caterer
The Wright People
Douglas Pettaway  (photo credit for most of the photos above)
Ryan Geldermann Videography
Local Color Flowers
Ken and Brad Kolodner – folk band
Planet DJ Productions
Culdesac Chauffer Company
Barat Horse from Spring Fever Farm
Mandap from Dharma Events

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3May

Four ways to ensure a successful vendor relationship

Posted by: Stephanie Day Categories: Corporate Events Event Planning Tips and Tricks News Non Profit & Fundraising Events Social Events Weddings
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20151212_145327When you choose to hire a planner or day-of coordinator to assist with your wedding or event, there are a number of factors that help to make a successful relationship, which in turn makes a successful event.  These tips apply to a majority of your vendors so here are a few things to keep in mind when working with the team of vendors you hire…

1) Don’t reinvent the wheel.  Your planner has been doing this for a while and most likely has forms or templates that she/he will have you fill out or complete together.   The vendor uses these forms over and over again and are very comfortable with what is included in them in the order they need it.  When you create new spreadsheets, forms, timelines, etc. and turn them over to the planner, they not only have to re-write the information back into their own forms but also your information may be missing critical information.  It’s always bet to use what they provide.    *Note, the only exception to this is if you hire a planner well into the planning process and you have documents you created already.

2)  Be up front and honest with your wants and needs when “shopping” for a vendor.  Be specific when looking for particular services.  Do you want the planner to accompany you on vendor meetings or just recommend vendors? Ask questions.  If a vendor is hesitant to answer your questions, move on.  Do you want a planner who can aggressively negotiate contracts for you or one that has a warehouse full of decor to rent?  Do you want a planner who will keep you moving and help make decisions, then organize all those decisions into a game plan?  Will your DJ get out on the dance floor and start the line dances or do you want him to simply play music to keep your crowd dancing?  Is your videographer shooting more cinematographic style or traditional?  Knowing what you want during the interview process will help you find the perfect fit with all your vendors.

3)  Trust your team.  You did your research, met with and hired experts in each category that you felt would be the best for you. So trust them to provide you advice and support.  These vendors are in the industry and know the best ways to execute your event, keeping your vision in mind.

4)  Communication is key.  You hired us to help you plan and execute your event.  Give us all the information possible to complete the specific tasks we’re working on.  Your vendor will ask direct questions to learn your preferences but make sure you can be specific during your meetings and via email.   Create a list of questions for each vendor to send in one email that they can respond to all at once instead of many emails that could get lost in the inbox. Communicate in one form – by keeping all your communication within one format (email, text, social media) this will help keep all the information about your event easy to retrieve.

Hiring an experienced team of vendors to execute your event, relying on their expertise and engaging in active communication are the keys to a successful and stress -free event, for both you and your vendors!

 

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17Mar

Meet Terri Baumann!

Posted by: Stephanie Day Categories: News
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“Hire people who are better than you are, then leave them to get on with it. Look for people who will aim for the remarkable, who will not settle for the routine.” ~David Ogilvy

Having great team members means that my business runs even when I can’t be there and our clients get the quality of service they expect. Many times the assistant coordinator will be at the venue setting up and coordinating all the vendors for the reception while I am at the ceremony ensuring it runs smoothly.

I introduce you to Terri!    Terri Baumann

Terri Baumann joined Stephanie Day Events as Assistant Coordinator in early 2014 and has been loving it ever since!

Terri has experience planning events of all kinds–from coordinating a political campaign kick-off to organizing musical performances at Artscape, the largest free arts festival in the US.

Known for her OCD (cough) uh, perfectionism, Terri will ensure your event runs smoothly, with the smallest details in place.

Terri holds a degree in music and marketing, and currently works in the latter field, specializing in media and public relations.

I can’t imagine weddings without Terri’s help, fun attitude and ability to see the things I don’t.

Fun fact: Terri and I are sorority sisters!  Although Terri was at UMBC much, much later than me.

Next up, I’ll introduce you to Jaime, our newest assistant joining the team.

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