Club Jordyn

We recently got the chance to work with a local family create a party full of trendy decor, amazing entertainment, and fun times for less then they thought possible.  I am putting this blog together because I have been hearing way too much talk regarding people wanting to have a different and interesting event, but thinking they just can’t afford it.  I met with this particular family in the beginning of April.  At our first meeting they explained that they were looking to transform the Richboro Senior Center into a club for their daughter’s Bat Mitzvah, while staying within an affordable budget.  I first told them that they had come to the right place, and then congratulated them on making the decision to hire a planner.

I know with the current state of the economy, many consumers have been considering an event planner and unnecessary expense. . . these consumers couldn’t be more incorrect.  Having a planner is extremely important when you are working to achieve a particular theme that will have a cohesive feel among all elements (decor, food, entertainment, etc.) .  Planning events is not all we do, in fact it is a very small portion of all that being an event planner entails.  What are these other duties you may be wondering??  Well, we spend a lot of time out building relationships with other people in the industry to learn about all the great products and services that are available, in addition to getting to know these folks personally so I can match my clients with the professional that can best meet their needs.  I also spend LOTS of time researching, reading, and browsing to create an infinite database stacked with resources both online and locally, so that when a client is looking for something very specific I will know where to find it, and how to get them the best price.  This is why we were such a great fit to assist in creating CLUB JORDYN.

I presented Jordyn and her family with all different ideas for decor, options on renting vs. buying, and the pros and cons of each.  Using our resources, and the help of Cutting Edge Entertainment we were able to transform an empty room most likely used for BINGO and Gin Rummy into a chic, happening nightclub.

On the invitations (created to look like tickets for admittance to a club) the party was scheduled to kick off at 7:30pm; however for the professionals involved in bringing the event to life it started around 4:30pm.  This was an intense setup, especially for the crew of Cutting Edge who was responsible for getting a 4 point truss put up, in addition to getting the lighting correct and sound checks done.

The guests began to arrive around 7:30pm to find two “bouncers” on a red carpet with stanchions.  As the line built up, so did the anticipation.

The guests entered CLUB JORDYN to find fluorescent spandex linen covered tables, color changing centerpieces, glowing straws in signature drinks, flashing balloons, and a dance floor surrounded by some of the greatest technology in lighting around, including a custom gobo from Eventions.

They danced the night away with the dancers of Cutting Edge Entertainment, and enjoyed the food catered by The Gourmet Vendor.  The event was a great success thanks to the amazing team we had to collaborate with.  Thanks so much for every one’s hard work and dedication, and a huge thanks to Erin Duffy for the great images.

www.eventsbymonroe.com

Photos Courtesy of Erin Duffy

Our Favorite Margarita Recipes ~ Happy Cinco de Mayo (Philadelphia Event Planner)

We LOVE Cinco de Mayo!  No, I don’t have any ethnic connections with the holiday, I simply love margaritas.  They are my absolute favorite drink.  As you may, or may not know, I have years of bartending experience.  From this experience, I know in a busy bar how time consuming they are to make, and usually refrain from ordering them. . . 
BUT on Cinco de Mayo I get a free pass

Here are some recipes of our personal favorites.  Enjoy!

** If you are in a rush and you can find Friday’s Margarita mix it is the best!  To add it into any of these recipes simply take out the lime juice and triple sec/Cointreau.

Classic Margarita

1.75 oz Jose Cuervo Tequila

2 oz Roses Lime Juice

1 oz Triple Sec

Splash of Orange Juice

Splash of Sour Mix

Salt Rim

*To get the salt to stick to the rim, dip it in lime juice, or rub a lime around the rim.  Then dip it into the salt.

**To make this a Golden Margarita, add 1 oz of Gran Mariner.

Frozen Pomegranate Margarita

2 oz White Tequila

1/2 ounce of Triple Sec

1 oz Fresh pomegranate juice

6 oz ice

Blend

Garnish with a lime

Perfect Margarita

1.5 oz  Cuervo 1800 Gold Tequila

1 oz Gran Mariner

1 oz  Roses Lime Juice

1 oz  Sour Mix

Squeeze a lime wedge and orange wedge into drink.

Shake and pour over ice.

Frozen Strawberry Margarita

1.5 oz  Jose Cuervo Tequila

1.5 oz  Roses Lime Juice

1 oz  Triple Sec

4 oz crushed ice

Blend

Sugar Rim

We hope you get to sample some of these today while enjoying some sun.  Be careful . . . they taste delicious, but the tequila can definitely sneak up on you

You Get What You Pay For With A “Virtual Event Planner”(Philadelphia, New Jersey, Event Planner)

I am a faithful reader of Real Simple Magazine.  They always have great products to promote, recipes to share, and new uses for old household items.  While reading through the February issue something caught my attention in their article titled 9 PROBLEM SOLVERS OF THE MONTH.  Number 8 is listed Mypunchbowl.com.  So I began to read the description, and became immediately disgruntled .  The description reads as follows:

“Need a virtual event plannerto organize your sister’s baby shower (turned thunderstorm)?  This party-savvy website allows potential attendees to vote on the best date, creates online invitations, and helps you find a theme, a venue, a caterer, and more, leaving you ample time to shop for Onesies”

I took a look at www.mypunchbowl.com.  It is a great resource for gathering ideas, getting some inspiration for your event, creating gift registries, etc, much like weddingwire.com, theknot.com, and many others.  You can find unique favors, fun themes, and even create some online save the dates to send to your guests.  Online event resources are very useful, and neccessary.  According to recent studies 94% of brides will use the internet at some point when planning their wedding.  So you may be thinking “So what is my issue then?”  Here is my issue. . .

My anger stems from the wording “virtual event planner”.  There can not and will never be a virtual event planner.  A virtual event guide, yes.  A virtual event resource, yes.  But a virtual event planner, no.

An event planner/wedding planner has progressed from a luxury to a necessity in todays society.  An event planner is an extremely creative  individual who is knowledgable in todays styles, trends, and etiquitte.  The major job of an event planner is to get to know their client personally by learning their wants, likes, and needs, and to then take that information and match it with the industry professionals that will fit into their criteria, in addition to having compatible personalities.  Please show me a computer that can do that.

Using the wording “virtual event planner” gives readers the impression that they can go onto this website for free and use their resources in place of hiring a professional event consultant.  I stated earlier what you will get on this website.  Here is what you will not get.

• You will not get the organizational skills of a professional to tell you how the flow of your event timeline should go to optimize your guests enjoyment.
• You will not get a professional on site the day of your event to fix a last minute emergency should things go wrong.
• You will not get access to a planners industry connections that they spend hours each week building so that their clients can get the best value for their money.
• You will not get a professional to look over your event contract and make sure you have not been overcharged, taxed on non taxable items, or that important elements have not been left out.
• You will not get to have a stress free day that you can enjoy every minute of knowing that there is a professional seeing that everything goes as planned.

Please take the previous points into consideration when trying to decide whether or not to plan your event on your own, with simply a computer.  Use these sites for what they are created for, ideas, inspiration, and a good starting point.  The cost of event professional pays itself after all the tragedies averted, budgets kept, and the value of professional service is accounted for.

Blue & Grey Inspiration (Philadelphia, New Jersey, Event Planner)

I saw this today on Trendsetter Wedding, a blog I love to read. I wanted to post it because it was just soooo refreshing to me to see blue paired with something other then brown. Although blue and brown have been hot for quite some time, it’s nice to see something else. I think the grey and blue look great together.

Prima Ballerina (Philadelphia, New Jersey, Event Planner)

Don’t let this post throw you off. Contrary to popular belief, this is not a wedding blog. It is meant to be a blog discussing all types of events and the latest in hopsitality, however it somehow always seems to cylce back to weddings They’re just so much fun to talk about. Today we have something different. I was looking at one of my favorite blogs http://finestationery.blogspot.com/ and I came across this collage. This is a great idea for anyone with young children who want an affordable ballerina themed party. How cute!