One of my favorite details in any wedding is the floral. Many couples, especially brides spend lots of time and money ensuring they have the perfect bouquet. Wheat happens after the day is over? Ever think of preserving those lovelies and creating a keepsake? There are many ways to go about this. My favorite option is to freeze dry and then place them in a frame or glass container. Jordan from Blum Floral Designs loves the idea of pressing flowers as opposed to drying them whole. “The best flowers to press are either flat in shape or more delicate (i.e. sweet peas work better than roses). Good old fashioned parchment paper in a heavy book works great and you just leave it there for a few weeks. Once they’re dried you can frame them pretty easily.” Another one of Jordan’s favorites is to send a photo of your floral to a painter and have them preserve it in art form. Regardless of whatever option you choose, you can’t go wrong.

Throughout the past few years I have been posed with some questions and comments that surprised me. Some include, “why would someone hire an event planner or meeting planner if they have an assistant?” or “I don’t need a wedding planner - how hard can it be.” Event management is an art and those that are in it have multiple skills such as being detail oriented, delivering great customer service, multi-tasking, creative thinking, sales and negotiation skills, and business savvy. As Brittany Bowens states in her article 6 Event Planning Myths, “Event planning is full of sleepless nights of decor prep, stressful budget negotiations, and 16-plus hours on your feet in any given workday. Being an event planner is more than just a fun job…”. Event planners do face pressures ensuring that the event runs flawlessly, attendees are wowed, and budgets are met. Creating an event is not just about making a reservation, but ensuring all the details such as registration, travel, food, A/V is in place. Little things can make a big difference.

So you ask, why should I hire an event planner? We know how to get the job done. Our jobs start from day one researching all the best venue options for our guests and doesn’t end until the last vendor packs up and leaves and bills are paid. We spend countless hours doing walk-throughs and negotiations to ensure our clients don’t overpay and go back and forth with the venues to make sure we get the best deal. One of our many perks is that we have relationships with multiple vendors so that you are not paying top dollar. In addition, we focus on the details that are important to our client and their guests. We add those additional wow factors to not only get the guests in the door, but make it so that they don’t want to leave. Imagine you spend hours planning your special day and when it finally arrives little details fall through the cracks. Your photographer shows up late to your cocktail hour forcing you to miss out on welcoming guests; your band never receives a list of names for the bridal party introduction so your stuck writing down the names of your wedding party 30 second before the party starts, or the main course is served late. All these things can happen and have happened. Thats not to say they will to you, but part of the reason you hire a planner is to ensure they don't happen. We take the stress out of your day so that you can focus on what is most important.

Planners work with all facets of the event such as the caterer, A/V technicians, transportation, hotels, airlines, florists, etc to ensure that our guests are taken care of. Have you ever gone into an event and noticed the music was loud enough for you to enjoy it, but also low enough for you to have a conversation or attend a special event or conference as a VIP and receive a small token of appreciation in your hotel room? Those details are things we think about. So to answer the initial questions, yes assistants are very helpful in many ways and I am sure they are capable of planning an event. However, we are in business because we have proven time and time again that details matter. Producing a fun, flawless event that exceed expectations while staying within budget takes time, energy and creative thinking. Most people do not have time for that. However, if you hire Danielle Caldwell Events, we can deliver that and much more!

Have an event coming up that needs our expertise? Please email us at info@daniellecaldwellevents.com to setup a free consultation. We look forward to working with you!