Silver Swan Bayside

This past week I had the opportunity to visit another beautiful venue in the DC Metro Area that I just had to share! The venue, Silver Swan Bayside, is located along the picturesque Chesapeake Bay on Kent Island in Stevensville, Maryland. If you love the water like I do, you will absolutely fall in love with this site! The place is gorgeous, the food was delicious, and their director of sales, Taylor, was wonderful to work with! It's the perfect place for a wedding, anniversary party, corporate event, or any other special occasion. These are some of the pictures I took while there.

Some outdoor pictures:Exterior views of the tented patio and the Bridal Suite.

And some indoor pictures:The Bridal Suite, the Interior Hall, and 2 views of the tented patio.

Silver Swan Bayisde can accommodate up to 230 seated guests and will be featuring new special event packages for the holiday season. Check them out!

The Magic of Color

I just wanted to share some pictures from a venue marketing event that I attended a couple of weeks ago. The event, called "The Magic of Color," was hosted by SESMA (Special Event Sites Marketing Alliance) in the Columbus Club at Union Station in Washington, DC. Union Station is a beautiful, historic venue whose setting and ambiance makes for a wonderful site to host your next special event! In addition to the Columbus Club, Union Station has two other sites in the Main and East Halls which can accommodate anywhere from 200 to 2,000 seated guests!

Here is a picture of a vibrantly decorated eco-friendly bar.

I absolutely loved the colors of this table setting!

If you would like more information on hosting an event at Union Station, please visit their Special Events website!

Planning a "Green" Event, Part II

As promised, here are three additional tips to help you plan your next eco-friendly special event!

1. Food & Drink: Use locally grown produce! Many venues and caterers now boast a more eco-friendly menu with locally grown items on their catering lists. Have guests pre-select their food choice from your menu in order to avoid wasting excess food after the event. Also, try to dispense food/drink items in bulk. For example, a large beverage dispenser with a spigot for drinks, such as this 3-gallon dispenser from Fresh Finds.
   
   
2. Location/Distance: Select a venue within close proximity of where your guests live. If you will be hosting several out-of-town guests, select a venue within close proximity to an airport to minimize travel distance and emissions. For destination events, choose a "Green" destination city, like those listed in National Geographic's Green Guide.
   
   
3. Decor: Think usability and re-usability. For example, reuse previously built props and decor from another event.
   
   

I hope these three tips, in addition to the three in the previous post will get you on track to planning your next eco-friendly special event. For additional great suggestions and tips, please visit Planet Green, a wonderful resource!

Planning a "Green" Event, Part I

We all need to be more proactive in making environmentally responsible choices in our everyday lives, and planning an event is no exception! When planning a "green" event, an individual, planner, host, or supplier should ensure the use of sustainable products and utilize efficient waste management practices as often as possible.

This will be the first post of a two-part topic, each offering three usueful "greening" tips to get you started with planning your next eco-friendly special event. Here are the first three great tips:

1. The venue: A truly "green" event will be hosted in a "green," or LEED certified building. Not only will the building itself be built to safe, eco-friendly standards, but they will also offer everything from recycling bins to composting containers for separating waste to ensure a successful event. If there are no LEED certified venues available in your area, try to choose a venue that is easily accessible by public/mass transit or near an airport to accommodate guest travels.
   
   
2. Serve ware: There are several ways to incorporate eco-friendly alternatives for trays, plates, silverware, and glasses. Reduce and reuse as often as possible! If you plan to use disposable serve ware at your event, ensure that the serve ware is biodegradable and/or compostable.
   >>Great Finds!
   
   • Biodegradable dinnerware made out of bamboo by bambu
   • Dinnerware made from fallen leaves by Veterra
   • Compostable disposables by Compostable Goods
     
     
3. Technology: Go paperless by encouraging and promoting the use of digital technology whenever possible. Send out "e-vites" instead of traditionally mailed paper invites, and have your guests RSVP by phone or email.
   
   

These three tips should help get you started with planning your "green" event. The next post, "Planning a "Green" Event, Part II" will focus on three additional tips concerning food, distance/location, and decor. Be sure to check back soon!

Planning a Special Event on a Budget

During these tough economic times, many of my clients ask me how they can save money without sacrificing style. They all want that fabulous event without breaking the bank! Although this topic has been covered many times before by other industry bloggers, I believe that during these tough times, there is even more reason to revisit them. So, here are some budget-saving tips and suggestions to take into consideration!

1. The first and most important thing to consider is the venue. After all, the venue sets the tone for the entire event! Even more than before, I find that when I visit various venues with my clients, the following is suggested: for evening weddings and other events -- try a weeknight, as venues often offer discounted rates for these times. This also holds true for most other vendors -- caterers, DJs and/or bands, florists, etc.
   
   
2. Consider the time of your event! Go for a daytime wedding and offer a brunch or luncheon instated of a more costly traditional sit-down dinner. Venues will often have cheaper rates for say, Sunday afternoons, instead of Saturday evenings!
   
   
3. Offer a nice chicken or vegetarian dish instead of a more expensive beef or lamb dish. Many caterers now have many fancy and delicious alternatives to more expensive meats.
   
   
4. For a wedding, birthday or other social event where cake is to be served, consider cupcakes or pre-cut slices of cake so none goes to waste. A good idea is to serve the cupcakes or cake slices in a box, which can double as your favor instead of candy or almonds.
   
   
5. Instead of an open bar, offer a signature cocktail and serve sparkling wine instead of champagne.
   
   
6. In regards to entertainment, hire a DJ instead of a band.
   
   
7. For centerpieces, use small containers filled tight with inexpensive flowers like carnations and babies breath with candles in between the arrangement, or forgoe the flowers altogether!
   
   
8. Use smaller tables to seat your guests! And for cocktails, intersperse a few high boys around the room with a small candle or centerpiece for decoration.
   
   
9. DIY, DIY, DIY! -- or, "Do It Yourself!" Consider homemade inviations, putting your favors together yourself, homemade centerpieces, etc. Let your imagination and creativity guide you.

I hope these tips any many more like them will be of use to you while you plan your special event!

Welcome!

While my website is being revamped, I've decided to delve into the world of social networking. That's right... I finally caved! Now, you can follow me on Twitter and find me on Facebook.

I don't have much else to say for now, but be sure to check back soon for more updates about my business, events I'm planning, and other news relating to the planning and coordinating world!