Category: Tips, Tricks, Ideas

BarStocker – the iPhone app that calculates liquor needs for your party or wedding

Posted on by Emee Pumarega

Many of our clients are in turnkey venues where they can provide their own caterer and bar. But figuring out how much liquor, beer, and wine to order is always a challenge. Order too much and it's a bit of a waste. Order too little and you risk running out during the event, and having to send a wedding party member to the nearest 7-11.

EJP Events is pleased to unveil our own iPhone app to tackle this continuing problem. Based on an algorithm developed over our 13 years in the event planning, catering, hotel, and wedding planning businesses, BarStocker will save you time and prevent a waste of money or alcohol by helping you figure the perfect amount to order.

Iphone-app-event-planning-bar-liquor-drinks

 

 

Iphone-app-event-planning-bar-liquor-drinks-2

Customize your order based on length of party in hours, time of year, types of alcohol being served, and how much your guests like to party :-)  It's available right now on the iTunes store. Please let me know what you think!

Color story: Chartreuse, lime green, and apple green

Posted on by Emee Pumarega

 

One of our favorite color palettes is inspired by the brilliant 'Chartreuse, lime green, apple green' …or whatever you want to call it! This color has been on our radar for the past few summers with some of our most memorable weddings featuring chartreuse as either their main or accent color. Chartreuse was the focus of our client's vision and brought the wedding design to vibrant life, so we'd like to help you do the same!

Chartreuse is a bold color and by using this vibrant shade you're sure to leave an impression on your guests. Chartreuse can be used in a variety of ways, including bridesmaid dresses, table decor, floral arrangements or on top of your cake! Elements for those who enjoy small color splashes may include one of our favorites, colored shoes. Colored shoes are a fun way for a bride to add personality to her traditional white dress. 

Your color palette can be a combination of shades ranging from neutral to pastel. First, we recommend getting really familiar with the focal points of your wedding space, since the existing colors of your venue can greatly influence your them. Additionally, your wedding colors  create the emotional tone of your wedding. Chartreuse created a romantic, high-energy mood for our bride's weddings, all of which were memorable affairs. We hope that choosing your wedding colors is a fun experience and that chartreuse may come as an inspiration!

Why a receiving line is a good idea

Posted on by Emee Pumarega

Why a receiving line is a good idea:

Wedding-planning-receiving-line

Photo: Jessica Spengler

Receiving Lines: Do they bring to mind stuffy, overly-formal, laced up affairs from 1987?  Actually, a receiving line is a very good idea for several reasons.  Here’s why: it’s imperative that you personally greet each and every guest that comes to your wedding. They have taken off work, scheduled babysitters, and traveled from far and near to witness your big day. Don’t leave your guests hanging and yourself in a tizzy, wondering if you got to this group or that group.

In addition, leaving the guest-greeting to a casual time, such as the interval between dinner and dancing, means that you will inevitably have to cut your meal short in order to go table-to-table. Let’s think about that. Most of you have spent so much time planning the menu! Most of you say, “The reception – food, drink, dancing – is the most important part.” Shouldn’t you enjoy your first meal as husband and wife as well, instead of hurrying from group to group?

There are lots of different places you can fit a receiving line in your wedding timeline. Immediately after the ceremony; as guests move from cocktail hour into the dining room; or even a reverse receiving line where the newly-married couple can greet each pew in the church as they leave. Check with your planner to see which scenario is best for you. Hopefully now you can see why a receiving line is a good idea. By all means, make sure you greet each of your guests personally!

{Wedding Planning Tips} Five commonly-forgotten items at the wedding

Posted on by Emee Pumarega

No, not the marriage license or rings, but still there are a few items that people always seem to forget. Take care of these now and make your life a lot easier.

1. A place to put cards that are given as gifts. Whether you use a customized cardbox, or just a nice glass fishbowl, have a secure place for guests to put their cards so they don’t fall under the gift table or blow away.

2. A good guest book pen. Make sure it does not smear easily and has acid-free, archival quality ink.

3.  Someone to handle final payments and tips or gratiuities. Most payments are due before the day of your wedding, but there may be last minute changes, overtime, or just a tip for the hairstylist that would be best if payment is given the day of. Don’t be in charge of this though — hand this task over to the best man or the wedding planner.

4.  A vase or vases to display the bride’s and bridesmaids’ bouquets.

5.  To go boxes for leftover food and cake. Many counties have health department restrictions on food that can be taken away after it has been left out for a period of time, so check with your caterer about what happens to leftovers and whether or not you will need to provide the containers.

Have you been the member of a wedding party? Can you think of any items you forgot or wish you had? Please post your comments below for the Portland Wedding Coordinator.

 

Photo: Powers Studios. A version of this post originally appeared on this blog in May 2010. 

{ Portland Wedding Coordinator loves } Damask lighting treatment and chandeliers

Posted on by Emee Pumarega

We’re just oohing and aahing over the images from the International Special Events Society – Portland Chapter’s recent event, dubbed “Pimp My Warehouse”. A team of ISES event suppliers and designers came together to take a drab warehouse from grimy to glam. This is my favorite image from the event:

Damask-lighting-treatment-wallpaper-wedding

Image provided by Greenlight Creative. Dwayne Thomas of Greenlight Creative and ISES Portland says, “Main seating area and projected “damask” wallpaper….I’ve been waiting for YEARS for an excuse to project this pattern, and we obliterated the walls with it! Greg Eggen also washed the ceiling in deep blue, and uplit the sheer drape dividing the main seating area and the registration lobby with energy efficient LED fixtures from Hollywood Lights.” The chandeliers came from Royce’s Prop Shop and Peter Corvallis Productions.

For the full photo album from this event, visit Greenlight Creative on Facebook. Wonderful work ISES!

Mojuba Wedding Day Survival Kit – a more chic emergency kit!

Posted on by Emee Pumarega

We’ve been meaning to blog about these cute emergency kits from Mojuba Weddings forever…

 

via www.mymojuba.com

We love the chic styles for man or woman, the reusability, and convenient travel sizes. At ~$165 the kit may feel like a splurge, but you could register for one on wishpot.com, or think of it as an addition to your handbag collection.

At any rate, do make sure your coordinator or helper is prepared with a stash of little things for the big day.  Some helpful lists here.