event planning | EBE Talent
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event planning | EBE Talent

Oct 18
0

EBE Spotlight: Elaine Igoe

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EBE’s Elaine Igoe:

Entertainment Representative &

Event Planner

 

EBE is made up of a myriad of people and personalities. Throughout this series of EBE Spotlights, we’re looking past the job title and learning more about what makes our team tick. We were able to sit down with Elaine Igoe this week, one of EBE’s Entertainment Representatives & Event Planners.

Elaine is one of EBE’s two Event Planners on staff. She has been in the event industry for 25 years, and has been with EBE for 13 of them. Throughout those 13 years, she has been executing incredible events – from Bar/Bat Mitzvahs and Weddings to Corporate Events and Social Galas.

Her passion for making each and every gathering exceptional is demonstrated by the attention she devotes to all elements of the planning process. Elaine works with every client to ensure that each detail is carefully chosen and then flawlessly executed to allow them and their guests to have an event that is seamless and memorable. Most importantly, she allows her clients to relax and enjoy every moment of their party.

I asked Elaine a series of serious & silly questions to get to know her better. Check it out below!

Who is your hero?
Nick Foles for that Super Bowl Win!!

What is your favorite movie?
The Sixth Sense… I did not see that ending coming

Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about?
I can play the drums. I took ballet for years and even got into pointe shoes… and I wrote a children’s book for my nephew!

What is your zodiac sign?
Libra BUT I was induced, so I should have been a Scorpio

If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Sushi

What is your favorite thing about your career?
The diversity of what I do, the people I meet, and how appreciate my clients are of the work that is done to make their event perfect

If you were a superhero, what powers would you have?
Reading minds or making life 100% positive

Who would you want to play you in a movie of your life?
Sandra Bullock

If you could join any past or present music group, which would you want to join?
The Who

If you had to describe yourself as an animal, which would it be and why?
A client once called me “a pitbull with lipstick” as he saw me in action during the 2 events per year I planned with them for 7 years



Want to learn more about our EBE Team Members? Vendors We Love? New Products?

Mar 31
0

Wedding Planning Basics

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You’re newly engaged and ready to start the process of planning your wedding…but where do you start and what all does planning a wedding involve?  While there are several variables, like budget, location, and size, that will impact your wedding planning specifics, we wanted to go through the general basics to help give you a guide to get the process started.

Wedding Planning: First Steps

When you’re ready to get the planning process started, the first thing you want to do is create a wedding binder.  Give yourself a good 2-3 weeks to really pull your ideas together.  This binder will be your goto book until your big day.  It will also make a cool keepsake once you’re married.  You’ll want to keep a variety of things in your binder as you go along:

  • Articles and photos from bridal and lifestyle magazines and websites
  • Contact information for your wedding team
  • Budgets and contracts
  • Swatches, colors schemes and a photocopy of your vision board (if you opt to create a poster size version)
  • Copy of your invitations, reserve the date cards, and your announcements

Your next step is going to be to define your budget.  Decide what the absolute maximum you can afford to spend is and then define your ideal goal.  This way you’ll know how much wiggle room you have to splurge as you go along.

Finally, you want to select your wedding party and pick a date.  Your bridal party will be by your side throughout the process so you want to get them confirmed early on.  And let’s face it, the entire planning process will revolve around your wedding date, so this is a must have before you move forward.

These first steps should take you about a month from start to finish.

Wedding Planning: Bringing in the Professionals

Most newly engaged understand the value of a wedding planner but are under the impression that it’s too expensive or that they can handle everything by themselves.  We caution against this misconception as hiring a professional wedding planner can actually save you time, money, and stress down the road.

When selecting your wedding planner, remember ‘referral, research, and interview’ in order to find the right wedding planner for you and your soon-to-be spouse.  Also, it’s a great idea to share your wedding binder with your planner during your first meeting.  Seeing your binder, and vision board, if you have one, will give your planner a good idea of your wants and likes and will make the overall process much easier for you both.

Once you have your wedding planner secured, you will begin the process of selecting a venue, an officiant, photographer, caterer, band, and florist.  When it comes to finding the perfect wedding professional services, your wedding planner will be able to guide you and help to set up tastings, meetings, and events where you can experience for yourself which services you would like to book.  The monthly EBE Live Band Showcase is a great example of how you can hear tons of great bands in one afternoon and find the perfect sound for your upcoming wedding.

This phase typically lasts about three months from start to finish.

Wedding Planning: The Little Things

Your wedding planner will guide you through everything as you get closer to your big day, but some little details to keep in mind include:

  • Reserving hotel room blocks for out of town guests
  • Creating wedding goodie bags for out of town guests they’ll receive upon arrival
  • Creating a wedding website
  • Developing a day-of timeline so everything is laid out in detail (make this available to your maid of honor as well)

Create a detailed checklist with your wedding planner so you’re sure everything that’s important to you is covered, no matter how small the task is.  RealSimple has a great checklist that you can use as an initial wedding planning checklist guide.  This checklist will help guide you through the remainder of the process, right up through your big day.

The two most important things to remember are that no two weddings are alike….this is your big day, so make it personal and a reflection of you.  This is your love story to tell, not anyone else’s.  Secondly, relax and have fun!  This process can be an overwhelming one, so lean on your wedding planner and maid of honor (that’s what they are there for) and soak up every moment along the way to your big day.