It just hit me this morning, right in my proverbial face and mouth, that the Wedding Show is finally here! It comes together a lot like the "Dock of the Bay" fundraiser we host in early May - and by that I mean that you talk and plan and wait - then all of a sudden you have rooms full of flowers, tables, etc. Event planning intrigues me, so...
Based on what I have learned, I have taken the liberty of outlining the proper steps to planning a BIG event...
Step 1:
Have an idea ( a good one)
Step 2:
Convince friends that the idea is good i.e., is the project providing a service, will it be beneficial to others, etc...if the idea is good, proceed to step 3 - if the you can't convince your friends that the idea is good then get another idea or different friends.
Step 3:
Determine the cost of the event and how it will be paid for...people generally enjoy lavish events, so this makes it tough! And since I misplace my wallet hourly, I will never be responsible for this portion.
Step 4:
Once you have developed the financial plan, marketing opportunities must be discovered...luckily we have Sara Phelps...she is one of the few around here who has a face for TV...and her experience and relationships with local businesses makes this a cinch for the Center.
Step 5:
This step must be accomplished for full enjoyment of the event -Get bogged down with something else...there is nothing more exciting than planning for two fund-raisers at once, trust me. Luckily, no one is getting confused around here with all of the planning...it would be terrible to receive our signs from the print company and discover that they all read "Welcome to the Sixth Annual Dock of the Wedding". Also, playing catch-up is exciting...and since we all drink coffee, it's an excuse to drink more of the stuff! Luckily, Sara keeps us all on track.
Step 6:
Arrive one morning shortly before the event to see delivery trucks and moving vans at the site of the event. This is when the event starts to physically take shape...only yesterday the Conference Room sat in starkness...now it is full of beautiful flowers, exquisite linens, roman-esque columns, and strong men altering their locations. For all of the long meetings, extra projects, and nervous waiting, watching the Wedding Show come together (finally) is a site to behold. I wish I had the fancy tastes of Sara, but I don't. Nikki and Teresa have the fancy tastes, but I just do not. I am thankful to work at a place that is beautiful year-round, and made more beautiful by the people who work in it and on it...
Step 7:
On the day of the event, leave something at home - preferably in the stove. There could be nothing worse or more unavoidable...trust me, it will happen. In fact, if you have ever had any BIG occasion, something will hamper your efforts...I have left for meetings and conferences only to find out (2 hours down the road), that I left my luggage...in the stove. However, once you recover from the mishap, you'll be surprised to find that the event is now underway, and will soon be over, and a slight grief settles in your gut. Curiously, I have always wondered why people climb Mount Everest...months of planning and effort, for a 30 minute view from the roof of the world. But I can say this...for all of the planning and work - Dock of the Bay is AMAZING, I mean it is literally the best party ever - and it serves a mission by providing campership funds. So with that said, and with Sara's track record...this could actually be the best wedding show ever!
Step 8:
Clean-up...a couple of days after the event. Let your success sink in...reintroduce yourself to your family members and pet.
WELL, there you go...just follow the above steps the next time you want to host your very own party, fundraiser, on reunion...and this weekend if your special someone says "Do you wanna go to the Northeast Wedding Show?"...make sure you say "I do"....and check the stove.
Chase
**This post is dedicated to the staff members who put in tons of effort to make this wedding show the "Next Big Thing".
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