Our Favorite Kind of Event……

As mentioned in my last post about a recent visit to a local prop house, we were on the hunt for unique and extraordinary items to add interest and dimension to an incredible event (Bar Mitzvah party) we had coming up – incredible from the standpoint of being a delicious opportunity to create an overall ambience made up of a series of mini-environments, each with its own individual creative flavor.

The event took place in a huge (14,000 square feet!) warehouse-type space with fantastic bones – mostly brick walls and a bow-truss ceiling. We had such a blast transforming the venue, section by section!!

The guests entered at approximately the mid-point of a very large rectangle with the main bar immediately to their right:

The adult guests then had the choice of various seating vignettes (and a smaller vodka bar with an ice luge!) both in front of them and to their right,

and for dining one could choose either to continue lounging or to sit slightly more traditionally at the 32′ long table.

There was even a glamourous little boudoir for the older sister!

The kids had the run of the left side of the room which also housed the dance floor

with its spectacular ceiling treatment!

There was one two-sided buffet for all the guests…

as well as a couple more seating areas adjacent.

This is truly our favorite kind of event as we get to let our imaginations run wild!! We had so much fun planning it even though there was of course a lot of intricacy involved and lots of potential for things to go wrong (which they thankfully did not)! Seeing an event like this finally take place in real life after months of planning is truly such a joy! Many thanks to our beloved Cindy and Claudia of Gold Wong Photography for the unbelievably gorgeous photos and for always making us look so good!!

Unique and Party-Worthy Prop House Items

We went to the prop house the other day in preparation for a big event we have coming up that is going to be mind-blowing from a decor standpoint – can’t wait! I’m not posting any photos of what we chose for that event here, but I took photos of a bunch of random stuff which I found to be fun and inspiring.

Cool globes:

Unusual wall hangings:

A couple of space ships:

Avant garde seating:

Fabulous body-conscious sculpture:

And, my favorite, a red shark end table – why???

So many party ideas; so little time. I love my job!!!!

The Event as “Self” Expression

I put “self” in quotes here because there are times that the self can be considered not only the individual in question but rather a team standing behind that person to enable them to achieve something.

One way to think of your event planner is in the same manner you would think of your interior designer, personal shopper, even life coach or therapist  (all of which “hats” all event planners need to don from time to time!) – someone who has the skills, vision and creativity to help you present your best self to your friends, family, peers, co-workers, the world around you. Whether its a party you give for another – your child’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah or Sweet 16, your best friend’s wedding or baby shower, your husband or wife’s milestone birthday party; or for yourself for whatever reason, even if just an intimate dinner party, the event can be viewed as an opportunity for you to be that person you may have idealized yourself as being – the person who’s known as having the most outrageous and highly anticipated annual Halloween party whose home is transformed into the scariest of funhouses; the elegant and serene hostess who’s known for always having the most interesting and eclectic selection of guests as well as the most delectable food and a gorgeous table; the guy who wants to treat his buddies to a day of their favorite activities, whatever they may be, to help him celebrate his 40th birthday; the woman who wants to mark her 50th birthday by engaging her favorite people in a celebratory ceremony to usher herself into a new phase of life; the couple who wants their wedding to consist of a weekend of activities and festivities their guests will be talking about for years to come…..you get the idea; the possibilities are endless.

You might know that you want to mark whatever occasion you’re celebrating in one of these ways or in some way but not have the time, inclination or knowledge of how to bring about what you envision – this is where your event planner comes in; in fact, this is the essence of what we do – creating the embodiment of your vision while making it happen in the most organized, apparently seamless manner possible, and in the most cost-efficient manner possible, utilizing our very carefully selected and nurtured contacts with whom we have the best of working relationships.

Is having an event planner a luxury that can be viewed as being excessive or over the top – NO!!! A good event planner has contacts to make what you want to happen happen in ways you very likely would not be able to achieve on your own, and, best of all, will enable you to be a guest at your own event. What greater gift can you give yourself than that?

With warmest regards from Nicole and Debi, the QP Dolls!

If You’re Thinking About Hiring an Event Planner….

…even a little bit, right now or sometime in the future, then take a few minutes to read these few words of QP Doll wisdom.

First of all, what is your perception about what an event planner does? Obviously, he or she will essentially “take over” the handling and running of your event with the goal of making it the least stressful experience it can be for you and your family, while involving you for the most part in only the “fun part” of the decision making processes leading to the event. Certainly this expenditure can be seen as an extravagance, especially in crazy times such as the one we’re all living through.

However, equally if not more importantly, what you are paying an event planner for is the wealth of contacts and relationships he or she has developed and nurtured with the primary purpose of being able to offer their clients the richest experience possible for as little money as possible. Those contacts and relationships include hotels, clubs, and all kinds of venues, some of which you might have never dreamed of having your event at; stationers, printers, invitation designers and such; caterers; DJ’s, bands and musicians; rental companies; lighting vendors; florists; entertainment vendors; wholesale decor companies;…the list goes on and on.

Often we hear from clients and prospective clients “I’ve already done thus and such…”, “I really only need help with a couple of things”, and while we can of course appreciate the time and effort that has gone into what they have accomplished, way more often than not they’ve hired one or more of the above who are more expensive and not necessarily effective as they need to be, and which has left them less in their budget to spend on bringing the “wow factor” to their event. And while, yes, hiring an event planner can be viewed as being an extravagance, what most people don’t realize is that, because of the treasured contacts and relationships your event planner has nurtured, they’ll actually save money on so many of the elements such as those listed above that go into the pulling off of a great event that that “extravagance” turns out to be well worth it – PLUS they get to relax and enjoy their well-orchestrated, organized and fabulous event!

So before you start spinning in all directions at the thought of pulling off that 30th/40th/50th/60th birthday party, holiday party, wedding, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, anniversary party, etc., give that event planner you’ve heard such great things about a call. They’ll be thrilled to hear from you and will be happy to meet with you and address any questions or concerns you might have.

Wishing you the happiest of holidays – Nicole and Debi, the QP Dolls