Whitney and Craig’s Wedding Date: May 23, 2009

Taylor Nicole Events was blessed to share and be a part of this lovely couple’s special day. Whitney and Craig were married on May 23, 2009 in Center City and were blessed to have family and friends travel from every corner of the US as well as Canada to attend. This pair of doctors chose the beautiful Church of Holy Trinity in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square for their wedding ceremony. The 150 year old church features beautiful semicircular archways, intricate wood working and a beautiful skylight in a gilded dome. Whitney and Craig exchanged vows in front of family and friends during a uniquely personal service. The bride’s only sister who was also the maid of honor, belted out a beautiful solo while the mother of the bride followed by mother of the groom were escorted down the aisle; joined hands and approached the altar to light the unity candles. Pint sized ushers greeted arriving guests and the ring bearer, who did an amazing job, barely reached the tops of the church pews. Whitney, a beautiful woman and stunning bride, was escorted down the aisle by her father, Dickie Daniels, as her groom waited anxiously. And in all of his anticipation, the groom tried to take her hand before the pastor could say, “Who gives this woman to be married”. Paying homage to Craig’s Jamaican upbringing, guests watched as the couple signed the marriage contract as part of the wedding ceremony. This couple’s choice of church not only provided a beautiful ceremony location but a unique Philadelphia setting for photos. The groom was able to share quality time in Rittenhouse Square prior to the wedding ceremony with his brothers who were co- best men and his groomsmen. We congratulate Whitney and Craig on their marriage and wish them many successful years to come!

Retirement Dinner vs. Retirement Party?

If you are planning a retirement celebration, you might use the above terms interchangeably throughout the process, however, there is a BIG difference. And your choice to have one over the other may not be based on the guest of honor at all but rather on the guest list! Why do we celebrate Retirements? …So that friends; co-workers and family have the opportunity to gather to celebrate the start of a new chapter in one’s life and to honor the accomplishments of a past one (that is… a past work life). And sometimes, no matter how much preparation and thought one puts into this event it may not turn out to be the event expected. Think about your guest of honor AND the guest list; then determine what type of crowd you will be entertaining for the evening. Is this a crowd who prefers intimate conversation over drinks or one likes to rock out to a good DJ or Band? Does the crowd appreciate the value added décor and personalization or do they prefer a good dinner and even better laugh? Is this a crowd of active participants or reserved observers? All of these questions and many others should be taken into consideration when planning to have a retirement party vs. a retirement dinner. It is important to note that there is no one master plan that ensures a great celebration, be it a milestone birthday or Retirement. Understanding your guest of honor AND the guest list as well as enlisting the help of an event planner will get closer to the prize. Read more in our blog, “What is the Importance of Happy Guests?” Enjoy!

Events Honoring the Achievements of Others!

It is always nice, when by design or default; one can be a part of an event that honors the well deserved achievements of others. In 2009, Taylor Nicole Events did just that! We had the wonderful opportunity on two separate occasions to provide events services for the Jackie Robinson Foundation in New York City. The JRF is a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting minority youth with college scholarships. The organization’s effort does not end with financial assistance; students are mentored by professionals throughout their partnership with the foundation and every effort is given to ensure their individual success. Taylor Nicole Events provided design, rentals, setup and breakdown as well as staffing for each event; consisting of a light reception, lunch and a short program followed by dessert. We provided floor plans and an inventory management service which included, rental order creation based on menu and guest count, order placement, order receipt and confirmation. This service alone provides a large measure of relief for event hosts who are not familiar with the items and/or quantities to order. Order receipt alone can encompass a few hours depending on the size of the order. Our staff arrived early to set up the event space including tables, chairs, linens, napkin folds, buffet and food as well as beverage service. Our staff worked throughout the events to ensure that the food remained the proper temperature, replenishing food, serving guests and clearing refuse. At the end of each event our staff wrapped the remaining food, broke down the tables, chairs and buffet and ensured the event space was clean. It is always great to know that the host and their guests are happy with the service that Taylor Nicole Events provides but especially great to provide an exceptional service for a host honoring guests who deserve praise for their achievements. Thank you for allowing Taylor Nicole Events to be a part of your Event!

Don’t Count on the Flake List!

Whether you are planning a grand event such as a wedding or something on a much smaller scale…don’t count on the flake list! The most important criteria to establish when planning an event are the budget and the guest list. After these are defined, they will influence countless decisions to come which include the event venue size and type, dinner menu selections, beverage service, rentals, entertainment and even dinner service. So you may be asking yourself, “What is the flake list?” and “How is it connected to these very important decisions?” The flake list is the term lovingly applied to the group of invitees that you’ve already assumed will decline. Most people comfortably embrace the idea that 10-20% of invited guests will decline with regrets due to a variety of reasons such as previous obligations or location. I believe that it is safe to expect that a flake list will begin to establish itself soon after the invitations have been mailed. However, it is extremely important not to make costly decisions based on a “flake” list overestimation. At the end of the planning journey and the commencing of an event, as the host, it would be very stressful to be forced to make last minute changes, if possible, and if not last minute bank runs as a result of decisions made based on a “flake” list overestimation. Be sure to have an open dialogue with your event planner regarding your “flake” list estimates, details such as holidays and travel costs do and will have an affect on the number of guests that respond with pleasure or decline regret. Plan smart and efficiently and don’t count on the flake list to make decisions that you couldn’t otherwise afford.

What is the importance of Happy Guests?

Okay! You’ve hired Taylor Nicole Events as your event planner; our job is to make sure that your: needs are attended to, day is managed properly and any issues that arise are quickly resolved as well as remove you from all of the minutia that comes with the territory and above all….Ensure that you have a great experience creating memorable moments on the most important day of your life? At Taylor Nicole Events we make sure that the needs of our clients are always addressed but we also love it when their guests say to them, “What a beautiful wedding!”, or, “What a wonderful reception!” or, “Your team is doing a great job!” As the host of an event you feel good when your guests feel good. Knowing that the bride’s mother is a tea drinker and ordering specialty teas for her or knowing that the ring bearer enjoyed the light show that took place on the building next door during the rehearsal and finding he and his mom to show him the even grander light show that took place during the reception or making sure the groom’s father has his favorite drink. These are real life examples of the level of attentiveness Taylor Nicole Events associates exemplify. The client is our priority but we don’t stop there, the guests of the client are our priorities as well and it is important to note that we accomplish this absent the “in your face” approach! Don’t you just love it when your guests really enjoy themselves at your event?

What is the true cost of an event planner?

All things being equal, in many cases hiring an event planner and/or wedding consultant will result in a net savings benefit for the host or hostess, furthermore, these savings are often significant enough to offset the consultant service fees. How is this possible you ask? The answer comes in the form of industry knowledge (florals [wholesale accounts], venues and vendors [procedures and fees], professional discounts [rentals and invitations] and bulk purchasing. Savings start in the low range of 10% and can go as high as 30% depending on the product. I pass each along to my contracted clients. For example, invitations can be a costly expense but it gives your guests insight into the type of affair they can expect to attend so as the host, you will want to put your best foot forward when choosing them. Check out the invitation selection on the Taylor Nicole Events website and as always they are discounted for our contracted clients. In addition to the monetary savings hiring a planner will eliminate wasted time and effort, alleviate stress and significantly increase the likelihood of you hosting a successful event. Give Taylor Nicole Events a call to see how we can help you host your next successful party and save you time and money in the process!!!

What is Dinner amongst friends?

Aside from planning great events for a living, my fiancé and I enjoy hosting affairs, large and small, at our home. For our last party of the year, we decided to host an intimate gathering for couples by creating a warm setting with one communal table for our guests. Drawing from my interior design background, I measured the room and laid out a floor plan to scale which included tables and chairs. I chose a color palette for my table design which accented my favorite colors as well as the walls in the room; a chocolate table cloth with an ivory overlay, chocolate napkins with a complimentary custom menu design. Chivari chairs with a custom pad helped tie it all together and during our last course we replaced the overhead lighting with amber to blue up lighting emitting from the corners of the room. To find out what we served during the four course dinner, check out the pictures! Our Chef and server for the evening were awesome and the design of our house created a restaurant open kitchen atmosphere. My fiancé created a dinner music mix which encompassed some soul, R&B, swing and jazz and one of our friends was gracious enough to give a vodka demonstration….it was awesome! I created the centerpieces using cymbidium orchids and greens floated in water. I also incorporated lots of votive lighting and lighting using floating candles!!! But the key to the success of the entire evening was OUR FRIENDS. When you have friends as great as ours any dinner party can be a success but to have the knowledge and experience to create a room as beautiful as the people who fill it is a huge compliment.