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Debugging your wedding (Keeping insects away from the ceremony and reception)

This cool Portland summer has been lovely, but in some places, the dampness has led to an excess of bugs. Bug-off spray is a must at outdoor weddings, but here are a few  tips to make you the perfect wedding host:

– Avoid DEET-based sprays that can irritate skin. Lemongrass and geranium oil-based repellents are available and they smell much nicer.

– Transfer the insect repellent spray into nicer glass bottles before setting them out at your event. Empty glass spray bottles can usually be found in the bulk beauty aisle (lotions and soaps) of natural grocery stores such as Whole Foods and New Seasons. Wrap the bottle in a ribbon to match your scheme, and then it will be guest-book-table worthy.

(Vintage atomizers could be fun too!)

image from Polyvore

– Burning lemongrass torches or candles can keep bugs down in the immediate vicinity. Having gently-blowing oscillating fans can also help.

– If the area seems to be uncontrollably buggy, consider applying non-toxic lawn or yard insect treatments (some examples here and here) several hours or days prior to the wedding (get the permission of the venue owner first).

{ Sanity Saver } Don’t have the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding.

It's Friday night, and we are preparing for Becca and Ryan's wedding day tomorrow! They, on the other hand, are relaxing leisurely at their hotel the night before the wedding. How are they so un-stressed? One reason: they held their rehearsal dinner last night, rather than tonight.

The major advantage to this: giving yourself a free day the day before the wedding, rather than piling one big event after another. The major con? Not all of your wedding party may be able to take off work and make it into town a day early.

However, if your wedding party and family are flexible, you may love the idea of having your rehearsal dinner two days before, and making your "wedding-day-eve" a lot less hectic.

Blogging for your Event Planner Business


EJP Events is no stranger to event planner blogging – and Special Events magazine noticed that today, asking us to share some thoughts about why an event planner would blog and what’s in it for them as a business.

You can read the entire article, “Event Pros Who Make Blogs Pay Off” at Special Events Magazine’s website. Thanks to editor Lisa Hurley for reaching out to us and quoting us in the article.

Photo credit: Ed Yourdon on Flickr

Favorite iPhone apps for Event Planners


Planning an event is so much easier with a smartphone, don’t you agree? While I know there are lots of choices out there, it seems the tool of choice in the special events world is, surprise, surprise — the iPhone from Apple. I thought it would be fun to make a list of the apps I can’t seem to live without, and see if you all agree.

Sunrise, Sunset Does what it says on the box. Calculates sunrise and sunset times. Perfect if your client is wondering if they need additional lighting, or if they’ll get enough use out of their candles or twinkle lights.

TideApp if you’re doing an event on the beach, you need a tide table! Otherwise your wedding ceremony or employee picnic could end up with cold, wet, feet!

SoundLevel Never get busted again, keep the neighbors happy, and stay on the good side of the law. This app is a decibel meter. Simply stand at the borders of your event and check to make sure you are within the legal limits (usually 80 dB within a city).

Google Apps (Calendar, gmail, Tasks, Documents) Not specifically for event planning, but oh so helpful to have your calendar, email, and task list in the cloud so you can check it at any time. You can also share with employees or contractors at different levels of security so everyone has the latest updates.

Bar Stocker I might be cheating a little bit, since this is my own app. But it was so annoying to open Excel every time I wanted to calculate how much liquor, beer, and wine I needed for my upcoming events. Bar Stocker lets you input number of guests, length of event, season, and type of attendees and does all the work for you.

AccuWeather Premium . Critical for your outdoor events, for travel, and just all around good to know weather information. I pay additional for the premium service so I can get a detailed 15-day-forecast.

Tally Counter How many people actually attended the event? Tally Counter lets you stand in the back and click as you count heads.

iHandy Level Is that picture of the retirement party honoree level? Is the arbor you’re setting up perfectly straight? This app makes use of the iPhone accelerometer so you can check.

and of course, what busy event planner could live without…

Chipotle Ordering I’m only half kidding. If it weren’t for Chipotle on those on-the-go days I wonder what I would eat.

What are your favorite special event planning iPhone apps? Do please share!

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

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.

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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!

Portland wedding venues that might be off your radar

This just in on the desk, a couple of Portland area wedding venues you may not have thought of:

Mt. Hood Ski Bowl

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It’s a great place to snowboard, but have you ever wondered what’s up there in the summertime? From this picture on the Mt Hood Skibowl website, it looks like it would be a wonderfully scenic place for a wedding. Close by is lodging at Collins Lake Resort, so your out-of-towners could have a full weekend of outdoor activities at the mountain.

Northwest Neighborhood Cultural Center

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Portland-reception-hall-350-capacity

I’ve driven by so many times but have never been inside, I confess. After receiving a mailer from them, I’m going to rectify my oversight soon! There are few non-hotel venues in Portland that can handle over 300 guests, and NWNCC is one of them. They also allow outside caterers. Bonus: It’s walking distance to several religious institutions such as Congregation Beth Israel, St. Mary’s Cathedral, and Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, so members of those congregations may find it helpful that a unique and historic reception facility is close by.