UrDreamPlanner's Wednesday Knowledge: Sage & Time Designs!

Today, on the UrDreamPlanner blog, we bring you some knowledge from the amazing Mary Shannon Hernandez of Sage & Time Designs. Enjoy! :-D

Set the Tone of Your Event with Stylized Stationery

It’s time to ditch drab stationery, once and for all!  Event stationery should be eye-catching, unique to YOUR event, and set the tone for your guests.

Consider this custom-made blinged out baby carriage invitation.  Upon opening this piece of mail, what message is conveyed automatically, to you as a guest?  If you are thinking, the person who sent this to you loves sparkle, and bling, is proud to announce their baby girl to the world, and might be a little obsessed with all shades purple, you are right!

Not all custom stationery has to be sealed in the confines of an envelope.  This is one of the great aspects of working with a custom designer.  If you would like to be a little more edgy and non-traditional, or make a bold statement, how about using a box mailer?  This invitation was designed with one purpose in mind--it’s party time!  For this design, we used pink and green polka dots to convey the festive atmosphere for this newly engaged couples’ outdoor BBQ party. Coordinating polka-dot ribbon and pink raffia shreds covered the invite so it really felt like guests were opening a present when they received their invitation in a box.

This wedding invitations oozes elegance, royal, and sophistication.  Sage & Time Designs worked closely with this client to incorporate precise detail into the design.  From the single feather, to the rich hues of gold, deep purple, and teal, right up to the hand-lined envelopes, this invitation suite conveyed the wedding tone from the very beginning.

M. Shannon Hernandez, owner and designer of Sage & Time Designs, is a stationery designer in Brooklyn, New York.  She works closely with clients and event planners across the world to design handcrafted and custom stationery for their personal and social lives.  All products are handcrafted and designed specifically for each client, ensuring truly unique and customized products which help set the tone for the important events in our lives.  You can learn more about Shannon on the Sage & Time Designs blog, on Facebook at Sage & Time Designs, and Twitter @SageTimeDesigns.

Thank you Shannon for being a guest blogger today!  

 

Talk To Me: 

Are you planning or have you planned a special event? Did/Is your stationery set/setting the tone for your event? How important is stationery to you? What's your favorite stationery item?? Share your thoughts below in the comment zone! :-)

 

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Book us at www.BeautifulBeyondDreams.com

Sincerely,

UrDreamPlanner's Monday Inspiration: Celebration Food!

It's Monday and I don't know about you, but I love to be inspired! I get inspired by life! A smell, sound, just seeing something beautiful, can spark a bit of inspiration up in me. One thing that can always inspire me is, FOOD!!! Yes, I love food! Besides being a very picky eater and allergic to the entire nut family, milk and chocolate...I LOVE TO EAT! So today's inspirational post is about food!! And not just any food, but food that guests dream about when attending a wedding or event!

Celebration Food!

Celebration Food is what I like to describe as "fun and tasty" food that you eat at weddings & events. 

 As a guest, you have two expectations:

{Found via: "i shoot my dinner blog"}

-Expectation #1: You are expecting it to not taste like your basic "wedding" or basic "party" foods. (Guests want to walk into a room and see decorated tables. A nice spread of something delicious. They don't want to eat basic turkey and gravy. Guests come seeking Filet Mignon topped with mashed potatoes that look like a flower and dressed with baby carrots & asparagus in some amazing sauce! Or at least something equally fancy and yummy.)

 {Found via Colin Cowie's Rules for Great Wedding Food}

-Expectation #2: You are expecting to leave full! (When attending a wedding or event, guests expect to eat! The "Celebration Food" is the highlight of the morning, afternoon or evening. Be prepared to feed your guests because they came hungry. Don't scare your guests, with food that looks so foreign you end up wasting your money because everyone just picks over their food. Give your guests familiar options, so they can actually enjoy the food!! Food makes guests happy, and happy guests dance, take pictures and rave about your wedding or event!)

When deciding what food to serve to your guests, think about their common likes and dislikes. Consider any allergies and diet restrictions. Guests are coming to celebrate you, as you are the guest of honor. However, you as the guests of honor should treat your guests like royalty AND royalty eats well!! So get inspired by the guests you invited and make sure the "Celebration Food" is fun and tasty!! 

Be Inspired!

Talk To Me:

What is your experience with "Celebration Food" when attending a wedding or event? Rate it on a scale of 1-10, was is it excellent(10) or horrible(1)?  What is your favorite food to see when attending a wedding or event? Share your stories below in the comment section!! :-D

 

Follow us on Twitter @UrDreamPlanner

Like us on Facebook BeautifulBeyondDreamsLLC

Book us at www.BeautifulBeyondDreams.com

Sincerely,

12 Day Giveaway - Day 4!

We're up to day 4 in the Beautiful Beyond Dreams, LLC 12 Day Giveaway!! So many awesome prizes have been won so far and there is lots more to come!! Today's prize will absolutely **BLING** out your upcoming event, wedding or special occasion! Remember to submit your answer to the our FB Fan Page Wall by 12 midnight tonight! Check out the picture below and Good Luck!! :-D

To answer this question and have a chance at winning all this **BLING**, visit our FB Fan Page and submit your answer today!!

Good Luck!

Sincerely,

ABC's for Marketing Part 3

Two weeks ago I started blogging about the ABC's to Good Marketing and today will finish up the alphabet.  The following tips that have been shared and will be shared today can apply to any industry. To refresh your mind visit the topics below: ABC's for Marketing Part 1 ABC's for Marketing Part 2 ABC's: M-Z M. Meet & Greet: Set-up lunch meetings, dinner meetings, coffee meetings with other professionals in your area that are you considering working with. This allows you to get a vibe for their personality and to learn more about each others business. If you suggest the meeting, then offer to foot the bill too depending on the location.

N. Networking: Your net worth is your network! Networking is a great part of doing business. It helps circulate your name and if you've made a good impression you often find yourself getting and providing referrals. Always bring at least your business cards and a smile! :-) O. Operation Back-Up: Drive around your new area. You want to become familiar with all the main routes as well as good back roads in case you find yourself in need of an alternative route. I know from experience how bad it is getting lost when going to meet a client or maybe a traffic jam has occurred. Know your surroundings and have a good back-up plan for getting out of a jam. Purchase a good GPS, it will be your lifesaver!! P. Phone Etiquette: When a prospective client calls you or another industry professional be sure to answer the phone in a quite area. Answer professionally and sound awake! Speak clearly and listen. Don't make the other person feel rushed, try to answer all questions right away. Ask open-ended questions. When ending the call, allow the other person to hang up first just in case they may have another question. Q. Quality not Quantity: As a professional you want to deliver quality work. Having planned a hundred weddings, but none were of good quality then they will not help you book more. Quality is always better than quantity, because quality work will always leads to referrals and more business!  R. Register Your Business: Starting a business is easy and so is registering your business. Learn about our local costs and become registered. This tells prospective clients and other professionals that your a professional business and that this is not just a hobby but a career. S. Social Media Marketing: Social Media Marketing has advanced greatly in the past 5 years. Social Media consists of Blogging, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and many many more networking social outlets. It allows you to reach your target market instantly and communicate with them. It requires  some skill, motivation, and will be time consuming. As a business it allows that personal connection with your audience, however you can hire someone to do your social media marketing for you.  T. Tell Your Story: I believe that every business has a story as to how they started. When meeting a prospective client, tell your story. It allows for a real-life personal vibe to enter into the meeting and surprisingly you will learn about others goals, while sharing yours. Don't tell all your secrets, but sharing a little goes a long way. U. Utilize The Resources: Resources are readily available at your fingertips. Many professionals do not utilize their resources (I am even guilty of it myself sometimes) Learn about local resources, learn how they can benefit your business and utilize them. A large quantity of these resources are FREE, which is an even better reason to utilize them! V. Visit Forums: Visit forums that are related to your industry and actually be an active member. This allows for open communication, collaboration, venting, and learning. Being a part of a forum community is great for a small business because it creates a family environment and also circulates your business name. The key to really benefiting is to actually be active and most often and comment on others post, not just posting about yourself. W. What's Your Niche?: Marketing is a great way to promote your new or current business. When promoting your business you want your audience to be able to tell you apart from your competitors. Whether it's your logo, business name, tag line, product, etc you should have a niche! Something that makes you special and different. At the consultation is when you should share why your different. In a saturated market  having a niche will be a great way to book the client's your desire! X. Experience Counts: Once you know you want to begin a career, get real experience. Do an internship or shadow a company. When you begin marketing, you will want to show that you have hands-on experience. Prospective clients entrust their important occasion to someone who has experience under their belt versus someone who doesn't. Y. Your Not Alone: Remember that your not the only one marketing your business. If you have a question or are unsure about something don't be afraid to ask. Not asking holds you back from exceeding, no matter how simple the question may be. Z. Zeal:  Be zealous, having a passion for something is awesome! Once you find your career choice, really show who you are. It's nothing better than someone who has zeal, drive, a desire to succeed! Make your mark and do it well.   I hope the ABC's to Good Marketing has helped you in some way. Whether you have heard them all before or not, it is always nice to get a little reinforcement. Do share with your colleagues and apply them to life in general. :-) Thanks for reading!

Are you Following the Law: Internships??

The Wedding Industry is a hard one to get into and stay in, if you want a successful business. Many professionals recommend an Internship at a leading company, some place that you can gain real experience and decide if this really is the career choice for you! If you have ever done an Internship, you will know that 90% of the time when Wedding/ Event related they are for college credit, or "Non-Paid aka Free". You will find the good companies that will feed you and help with your gas and there are also companies who won't. You have to find one that works for you and give you the best experience and knowledge. Most Wedding/ Event related internships last anywhere from 3 months to 1 year. 

This blog post is for both the Employer & the Intern! Follow the link to find out if your following the Fair labor Standards Act Advisor! 

Happy Reading,

Wish Upon A Wedding-Blissful Wishes Ball

 

Couples planning to be married can bid for wedding-related auction items online starting in October or at a Blissful Wishes Balls Nationwide in November, with all proceeds benefiting  Wish Upon a Wedding .This new organization is the world’s first nonprofit that provides weddings for individuals facing life-threatening illness. 

 

 

Wish Upon a Wedding is currently seeking donated products or services in 46 cities, ranging from wedding gowns to tuxedos, invitations to cakes, and limousine services to honeymoons. It only takes a moment to register and make a difference in someone’s life at  

https://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/AuctionHome.action?auctionId=115386483

 

 

Be sure to add your item to the correct category (city), and don’t forget to include your company logo and URL.  What a great advertising opportunity~ and you’ll be making a positive difference in someone’s life who truly deserves it!

 

 

Let's All Help Make A Difference!