Event Planner Tech Tip of the Day: Reading PDFs in iBooks

For us in the event planning world who use iPhone, iPad, and iOS (which seems to be the majority), we are always looking for that cool new shortcut or hack that will make life easier. While not splashy, using iBooks to read PDFs that are emailed is one that I have found to be a huge time-saver.

Let’s say someone emails you a PDF that is important, but you want to read later. The other day, I received the Splendid Insights Global Study Wedding Report (thank you Liene!). It is 41 pages of wedding marketing goodness that I do not have time to read in one sitting, unfortunately. I also am a compulsive inbox-cleaner, so I can’t leave something like that in my inbox.

Enter iBooks, the Kindle alternative for iOS. The thing is, it’s not just for books, it reads PDFs as well and organizes them elegantly on a nice little bookshelf.

To put your PDFs in iBooks, first tap once on the PDF attachment to make sure it is fully downloaded. Then simply press and hold down down on the attachment in your email. A pop up menu will ask you if you want to “Quick Look”, “Open in iBooks”, or “Open In…”. Select “Open in iBooks”. It’s that simple!

Now your PDF is on the bookshelf ready to read when you are on the train, waiting for your table in the restaurant, or whenever. You can also use this method to save any PDF – such as event plans, event timelines, or diagrams. No more clunky clipboards at the event, just put your phone or iPad in a handy spot!

Find this hint helpful? Know any other quick event tech tips? Please leave a comment below. And if you did find it helpful, please feel free to share or pin.

Idea of the day – LED light letters

LED-light-letters
Happy October! We are lucky in Portland that summer still seems to be holding on, in the afternoons at least. Makes me want to blog all the past warm-weather goodness from the last few months! One great idea we saw at a September wedding we coordinated, was a "BAR" backdrop sign designed by René Steelman of RK Steelman Events and Interiors (also mother of the groom!). It's always so flattering when event pros themselves hire us.

I loved this idea to create a "name in lights" using battery-operated LED tealights. No cords needed! René chose chevron fabric and pink rickrack which she mounted to a board. Then added embellishments like tiny mirrors with more tealights, pink flowers in test tubes, and of course, the letters. More pictures from this fun wedding are on our Facebook page.

Hope this gets your creative juices flowing – do let me know if you've seen or heard any great design ideas at weddings in Portland or beyond; email me at The Portland Wedding Coordinator or comment below.

Like this idea? Feel free to share or repin using the buttons below as well.

Planner Olympics 2012

Photo courtesy http://www.flickr.com/photos/communitiesuk/

Two thoughts have been cooking together in my head lately. With the London 2012 Summer Olympics all over my various dashboards, it’s hard not to think of all of the related events and the planners involved. This year, CareerCast.com also listed event planning as the #6 most stressful job – right behind soldiers, firefighters, and police. (Really?)

I hereby propose the hashtag #plannerolympics to my event planning community. If you’ve ever gone 8 hours without a restroom break, worn high heels on concrete convention hall floors for 12, or (my true story) sat politely eating nothing during a 2-hour menu tasting whilst 12 weeks pregnant and starving (because the client barely touched her food and I didn’t want to look rude), then #plannerolympics is for you.

July and August in Oregon are especially trying for independent event planners as we juggle current clients with incoming inquiries for next year, while also fielding last-minute inquiries for every event type imaginable. Strength, stamina, patience, and focus…needed by medalist athletes and professional event planners alike!

So whichever social tool you’re using, be it Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, Tumblr, or Google+ … tell me about your #plannerolympics. Long distance marathon walking? Heavy decor deadlift? The “don’t put that steak entrée in front of our vegetarian VIP” sprint? Do tell!

5 things we’re still loving in 2012… { Wedding Fashion, Style, and Trends }

Over halfway through the year, can you believe it? I just returned from some Independence Day festivities in Florida where I did lots of people-watching in Miami and West Palm Beach. Super fun!

It just reminded me that there are a lot of hot styles that generated buzz around the first of the year, that I noticed are still super relevant and could be fun to use in your upcoming wedding.

1. Chevrons and Bold Stripes – It seems like we just can't get enough of these bold, preppy patterns. Whether it's a delicate herringbone paired up with lace, or black and white stripes with bright color accents, there's something about chevrons and bold stripes that just makes me go ooh!

Bold-stripes-white-dress-by-shorePhoto: Carla Ten Eyck; Coordination: Jubilee Events; via The White Dress by the Shore

Chevron-wedding-jesi-haack-designPhoto: Avery House; Jesi Haack Design; via 100 Layer Cake

Chevron-sequin-tablecloth-la-tavolaLa Tavola Fine Linen Rentals

2. Colorblocking – Yes, the 80s trend is back, but this time it's more layered and less Mondrian-esque. Look for styles incorporating similar color families and sherbet brights.

Twobirds-bridesmaids-colorblock-gown-trent-bailey Twobirds-bridesmaids-colorblock-gown-trent-bailey-2Twobirds Bridesmaid Gowns, photo by Trent Bailey

Chuchus-suarez-chicismo-colorblockChuchu Suarez's street style featured on Chicismo.

3. Envelope clutch purses – I say avoid the giant ones that dwarf your body type, but there are so many sweet styles out there that can go with the wedding gown or bridesmaid's outfit. And of course, there are chevron ones too!

Harlex-etsy-nude-envelope-clutch
Neutral envelope clutch purse by Harlex on Etsy

Harlow-envelope-clutch-bcbg
BCBG Max Azria "Harlow" envelope clutch

Edie-parker-clutch-purse
Edie Parker acrylic clutch purses via This Is Glamourous

4. Ombré – varying shades of the same color can make a big impact, whether in a gown, a cake, or somewhere else in the decor scheme.

Ombre-gown-Christian-Dior-Couture-Spring-2012
Christian Dior couture gown via The Simply Luxurious Life Blog

Peach-ombre-cake-martha-stewart
Peach ombré cake via Martha Stewart Weddings

(The ombré cake craze is well documented in this post by Polka Dot Bride.)

5. Maxi dresses – Not every formal, long bridesmaid gown is really what I think of as the hot "maxi dress" of 2012. I'm thinking, the long, flowy, goddess-y dresses that make your bridesmaids look like romantic figures in an 18th-century painting…

Mismatched-maxi-bridesmaid-dress-aaron-delesieKay Unger gowns on the bridesmaids; Photo by Aaron Delesie via Style Me Pretty

What do you think? Will these styles and trends hold up through the rest of the year and in the years to come, as we look back at the wedding photos? Are you using any of these in your Portland wedding? Or are there any styles or trends that you are (gasp!) getting a little tired of? Please share your comments.

Menswear, tuxedos, and formalwear for your Portland wedding {Vendor Spotlight}

It seems like it can be hard to find the local flavor when looking for menswear and formalwear in Portland. Many wedding clients get steered towards giant warehouse-type stores and I know I’m not the only one wondering where you can get personal service.

Tuxedos-for-rental-and-purchase

Este’s Menswear in Northwest Portland is stepping up to the plate and offering an excellent wedding and formal wear line that includes rental tuxedos and suits. I stopped by to visit with Kelsey and Tony recently, to see what they had to offer. It is a neat little shop that reminded me a lot of the J. Press in New Haven where I went to school.

Este’s is carrying a wide variety of popular tuxedo lines, including Joseph Abboud, Oscar de la Renta, Perry Ellis, After Six, Jean Yves, and Chaps Ralph Lauren.

A few thoughts:
-They recommend coming in as early as possible to start the selection process, at the least 1 month before the wedding to give enough time for rental and alteration.

-In addition to the formal tuxes, Este’s also has suits for rent. Colors include mostly grays and navys, but brown or seersucker are possibilities.

-Grooms can get formalwear selection advice. Tony has 30+ years experience in men’s attire and is happy to assist in decision making, especially with regards to formality level, black tie vs. white tie, what colors are appropriate for what time of day, and all kinds of other questions one might have.

-Finally, Este’s offers a service-oriented experience with local flavor for the men that equals what women are used to. Men can relax in the “club room” that includes a traditional barber shop. Go ahead and have a beer, enjoy the massage chair, watch sports, get a haircut or even a straight razor shave. Sounds like a great atmosphere for the guys!

Store info:
Este’s Men’s Clothing
1633 NW Glisan
Portland, OR 97209
503-227-0275

Gluten-free beer tasting tonight at Belmont Station

Gluten-free-vegfamilycomImage from VegFamily.

Gluten-free is a hot topic around Portland weddings and events these days, as many people are eliminating this protein from their diet either for better health, or because they have been diagnosed with an intolerance. Whatever the reason, it's great to have options so you can accommodate those important friends and guests who are going this route.

So it's so great that tonight at Portland's lovely Belmont Station, one of my favorite places to get beer, there's a tasting where you can try every single gluten-free beer available in Oregon.From their newsletter:

THURSDAY JUNE 7  5 – 7PM GLUTEN FREE BEER TASTING. Taste every Gluten Free Beer available in Oregon, from Portland's own Harvester & Omission, plus all 3 New Planet Beers, Lakefront New Grist, Redbridge, Bard's Tale, and imports from Green's, St. Peter's and Estrella.  (FYI: In the case of Estrella and Omission there is some debate about whether they can be called Gluten Free but they are very low parts per million gluten, thus meeting stringent guidelines)  A brewer from Harvester and some of the distributor/brand reps will be present. 

If you've been wondering what gluten-free beer options are like, you'll definitely want to be there!

Are you eliminating gluten from your diet and wondering what to do with menu items at the wedding, such as cake, alcohol, and so forth? What creative ideas have you come up with? Any caterers or cake bakers you just love? Feel free to leave a comment.