Destination Wedding Planning Tips

Destination weddings don't have to be a nightmare. Sometimes they can be a lot easier than preparing for a wedding at home. It is important to prepare early and think ahead. You probably are on unfamiliar ground and need to do a lot of research. Remember; never assume anything, especially when dealing with foreign countries. Ask a lot of questions and think all aspects through carefully, especially if you will have a dozen or more people flying out to celebrate with you. Of course, you can keep it even smaller, just you two, and elope to some exotic location alone. Eloping to a tropical resort can be especially easy since many resorts will perform a ceremony for free or really inexpensive. Below are some useful hints to consider for planning destination weddings.

Who Pays?

Make out a wedding budget. The first question you need to ask yourself is how many guests are you going to invite and who will pay for what? Can you afford to foot the entire bill? Travel, lodging, food, entertainment? If so, do you want to? Once you have established a realistic budget, chosen your destination, resort and wedding package, it will be clearer how much you can spend on guest expenses. Be upfront with guests when inviting them, being specific as to what you will be paying for, so that they can accept or decline based upon their financial ability to commit.

Informing the Guest -

Give guests plenty of time to plan for your wedding, especially if it is a long distance for them. They may need to request time off or save money.This may be your wedding, but it is also their vacation. As soon as you make your destination and resort decisions, inform your guests so that they can start planning. Be understanding of people who are unable to come to your destination wedding. It is not easy for everyone to get the money or time off to join you.

Wedding Coordinator -

Hire a wedding coordinator or planner from the destination. He/She will be knowledgeable about the local vendors, marriage procedures and destination facts that can simplify your planning process. Many resorts come with an onsite wedding coordinator, which makes it even easier to plan your wedding. If not, choose someone who is easily accessible, with internet access, so you don’t have to call her long-distance all the time. Ask your wedding coordinator for suggestions that can help personalize your wedding and incorporate local traditions or customs, which can make destination weddings more memorable.

Look for Deals - 

Many resorts are trying to make it easier for couples to plan destination weddings. Look for deals on rooms, airfare, wedding packages or anything else you need. Keep in mind that certain items you may expect to be inexpensive at the location may actually be more expensive; so be open to options and suggestions from the locals.

Resort Selection - 

Choose a resort that fits your style, wedding preferences and guests. Exotic weddings in remote locations can be a real dream, but you need to consider everyone participating. It is important for everyone at the wedding to be comfortable with the resort or destination. Do you want children at your wedding? Have you chosen an adults-only resort? Consider each person on your list while planning. Once you have the details, be sure to inform guests, and offer other accommodations for guests who might not be able to afford your resort. This is also a good time to find a destination wedding specialist, who can help with arrangements that meet your needs and the needs of your guests. 

Marriage Laws - 

Find out early what types of rules and regulations apply for your preferred location. You should be aware of this before booking in case there are conflicts that you would prefer to avoid. Marriage licenses in some countries can take much longer than expected or may require you to arrive early to process information.

Shipping Preparation - 

Getting everything to your wedding destination and back home can be a huge hassle. Plan early what you will need to bring and take home to optimize your space. Find out what is available at the destination that may be easier to purchase after arrival, like the attendant or bridesmaid gifts. Or purchase something small and meaningful. Utilize your close family and bridal party by asking them to bring certain items for you. Having to ship boxes can become expensive, so get the most out of your airline baggage allowances. Request that wedding gifts are sent to your home or to a relative rather than brought to the wedding destination.

Arrive Early - 

If time and money allow, arrive at your destination a few days or a week early. This could be nice alone time for you and your fiancé. You can also have more time to finalize any last minute details, get a good look at your ceremony site if you haven’t already seen it and get to know the local customs and people. This extra time will relax you before guests start arriving, allowing you to be a prepared and charming host.

Welcome Baskets - 

Putting a specialty basket in guests’ rooms is a wonderful way to thank them for flying out to your wedding and will start your wedding festivities off on the right foot. Put a bottle of water and light snack in the basket for a nice surprise after their plane ride, along with some local goodies or souvenirs.

3-6 months before the tradeshow tips

§  Have a goal. Although there are many benefits of attending a show, you need a primary goal. A goal helps you make the decisions below and provides a yardstick for whether the tradeshow was “successful,” and therefore whether you should do more. Examples:

§  Make a sale on the tradeshow floor.

§  Get at least 20 genuine prospects.

§  Talk with 10 industry leaders.

§  Find 10 good recruiting prospects.

§  Find 3 serious investors.

§  Ask potential customers 3 specific things (market research).

§  Schedule a vendor presentation. Most shows allow vendors to give presentations, sometimes for a fee. Always do this. Even if just 20 people come to your talk, that’s 20 people you get to talk to in depth for 45 minutes — far more valuable than talking to 100 of people at your booth for 5-60 seconds. Some people frequently get a few sales just from the presentation.

§  Decide on your main message. Just like your home page, you get 3 seconds to convince someone to stop at your booth. You’ll need this message elsewhere (e.g. banner) so you need to decide what it is early on. Remember the goal is to get people to stop, not to explain everything about who you are and what you do! Boil it down to a single, short sentence.

§  Pick your booth. Booths go fast, and location does matter. Booths next to the bathroom are good even though they’re “in the back” because everyone’s going to hit the head. Booths near the front doors are good. Booths nearer to the center of the room are better than the ends. Booths at the ends of isles are good because you have a “corner” which means more traffic and your stuff can spill out over the edge.

§  Design your banner and handouts. Printing takes longer than you think because you’ll need to iterate. The colors on your screen aren’t the colors on their paper. The Pantone colors you selected for your banner won’t look the same as the samples. The sales guy you see at the counter screws things up. You need time to iterate and complain. And to find the right person.

§  Find the techie in the back of the print shop. The first person you see at the sign shop is typically the sales guy, who knows nothing about Adobe InDesign, DPI, CMYK, vector vs. raster, or anything else important to making your stuff come out properly. Ask for the techie and talk to her directly.

§  Plan on at least 3 people. You need two people at the booth to allow for busy times, to restock items, and to take breaks. Then you need another who can be walking around and going to meetings. Doesn’t have to be a strict separation of powers, just need enough people to do all of the above simultaneously.

§  Finish all the travel arrangements. Airplane tickets, hotels, rent cars. Fares are cheaper and there are no last-minute surprises with things being full.

§  Decide how your booth will be different. Attendees will see a ton of booths, all essentially identical. A logo, a banner, some “clever” phrase, and 8 adjectives like “fast” and “scalable.” Snore. You have to do something different. It doesn’t have to be amazingly unique, just different.

§  Buy shirts and other swag. With customization (i.e. your logo on a shirt), it can sometimes take a while, so get this done early. At least have a “tradeshow shirt” it’s the law.

7 Tips for a Winning Trade Show Booth

Exhibiting at trade shows is a very beneficial way to network for freelancers. Whether attending or actually exhibiting at the event, face time is essential in giving prospective clients the opportunity to get to know you. What could be better for business than having a bunch of one-on-one conversations about what services you offer?

If you’ve never exhibited at a trade show before, or if you are just looking for a few new ideas to freshen up your booth space, there are few tips that have helps to make trade show experiences a success.

1. Have your business cards ready-

Business cards are a must-have at any trade show whether you’re participating in the event itself or wandering from booth to booth. Do be sure to have your cards neatly placed on your table in a place that is accessible and easy to spot. Keeping a few in-hands for those networking conversations can be helpful as well. While it is important to calculate the number of freebies to giveaway, business card is an area not to skimp on. Be sure to bring plenty and then some.

2. Make sure you have easy-to-read signage-

Signs and visuals are a reliable way to attract attention by people walking past. To ensure your signs are working for you properly, be sure they can be read in one to three seconds, just like a billboard. By using colors that match your branding, you can continue to keep your marketing materials consistent, offering a more professional feel. A quick headline that’s easy to understand and attention getting can create a big impact as well.

3.Host a raffle-

A raffle is a fun way to gather information from prospects. Simply pick an item that you think is interesting enough to serve as a “prize.” Next, place a fishbowl or vase on a table and ask individuals to drop in their business card for a chance to win. Also note on a small sign, that by offering their card, the attendee is giving you permission to contact them with news/special offers from your business or company.

Designate a drawing time during the event and require that the winner be present to win; this tactic brings attendants back to your booth. A phone call or email to notify the winner a day or two after the show works as well. Not only have you created a memorable way to interact with your prospects, but you’ve also gained their permission to stay in touch with direct or e-mail campaigns. 

4. Add some greenery-

In order to liven up your booth space a bit and to give the eye something refreshing to look at, try bringing in a few plants or flower bundles. This is a great way to liven up the look of your display and you can also give away a nice arrangement or two as your raffle prize.

5. Lighting-

Trade shows can be very dark. Often these events are held in large convention centers and with all the display signage and props; a lot of shadows are cast. Think about setting a decorative table lamp or spot light on your booth table. It will brighten up your space, attract more attention and make you stand out a bit from your fellow exhibitors.

6. Promotional Items-

When trying to figure out how many promotional items to bring, first do a little research on the event. Often, the show organizer will be able to offer a rough estimate of how many people are expected to attend. It’s important to talk to the visitors that stop by and are interested enough to seek out your freebies. There are the few trade show attendees who do run from booth to booth trying to gather as many promos as possible. For these types of situations, do be sure to have a few extra materials on hand.

7. Follow up-

The work is not yet done even though the event may be. Be sure to follow up with any raffle winners you had and any contacts you made. Usually follow up soon and see that you’re not giving your prospective client the chance to forget about your encounter. Remind the person of your conversation and work to set up a meeting.

Trade shows are certainly a lot of work and do require some time. However, think of them as networking meetings with you as a focal point; people attend specifically to see the vendors and booth exhibitors. By working to gain their attention, create interesting visuals and by following up, you can turn a trade show into time very well spent.

Wedding planning is no more a family affair

A wedding is no more a home managed affair with family elder’s single handedly handling all the transactions and executing and organizing all associated events required for organizing a perfect grand wedding. With passage of time these onetime traditional weddings have become grandiose with huge amount of expenses incurred by people make the event a memorable one. As such now a day’s one requires different types of service providers for organizing catering, canopy, flowering, drinks, entertainment so as to efficiently negotiate and execute events and save precious time and resources of their clients. In wedding events the responsibility of a wedding organizer is to make the wedding most eventful in a couple’s life less stressful and enjoyable. 

A wedding planner works hard to make a wedding as comfortable and luxurious, perfectly scenic as possible. His/her job is to innovatively/creatively design and organize events leading up to the wedding as well as on the wedding day, the most eventful day of a couples life thoroughly enjoyable with no stress and tension as to how the grand event will unfold. A wedding planner not only visualizes and plans but also organizes and executes the wedding with much élan, perfection with attention to the minutest detail. Patient and hospitable with people friendly attitude is a must for a wedding planner in order to be able to execute a wedding to perfection. A wedding planner has to deal with not only bride or groom but also each and every relative or friend with diplomacy and make efforts to harmonize the grand event to everyone’s needs requirements and wishes. A wedding planner’s job thus is to professionally plan, manage and coordinate a wedding right from traditional ceremonies to organizing the honeymoon trip. 

A wedding planner also helps his/her clients to cut down costs of organizing a wedding using to his/her good contacts and networks with vendors of marriage related services and materials be it photographers, caterers, hoteliers, makeup artists, videographers, florists, jewellers, musicians, temples, banquets halls, and musicians to travel agents and negotiating deals in such a way that it translates a wedding into a spectacular event at the lowest cost. Without excellent organizational skill, its’ quite possible that a wedding planner; may miss time deadlines for deposits, miss appointments with other vendors and suppliers. As a wedding planner he/she has to be a visualizer, planner, organizer, facilitator, mediator, budget-manager, executer and much more. Above all, a wedding planner makes sure that a wedding is organized with success, safety and security as paramount concern in a tailor-made fashion. This makes a wedding planner a phenomenal manager who gives the betrothed a wonderful day of memories to be cherished for life.