Do As The Romans Do. (Philadelphia Event Planner)

**This is the second part of the previous blog. If you haven’t read it, go back and catch up **

So. . . now that we had come up with this amazing idea, that would be the “surprise trip of a lifetime”, we had a LOT of planning to do.  We started by talking to all of her friends, and seeing if they would like to join us.  Seven of my mom’s friends were ecstatic to come along, making a group of 13.  13 people in Rome, now that’s a party!

We contacted my mom’s supervisor at work to let her know that she would be taking some vacation time.  Then we started the planning, the concocting of our story, and how we would get her there.

First we needed somewhere to stay, so we started looking around on all the top travel sites.  There are some gorgeous hotels, with amazing architecture, but so many of them only had rooms for two, which began to get pretty pricey.  We decided to see if we could find apartments to rent, which worked out to be much more cost effective, until my dad upgraded ours to the lap of luxury   He insisted that it’s a once in a lifetime trip, and we should enjoy it.  (Hey, I wasn’t going to argue)

We then began researching the area to plan our itinerary, and search for the perfect spot to host my mother’s birthday dinner.  We will be visiting all of the great tourist spots, shopping, and since we are Catholic, we acquired tickets to go to the Vatican for Mass on Palm Sunday.

My sister and my dad went out and bought her clothes for the trip, new make-up, and everything she would need.  My mom is VERY perceptive, if one thing was out of place she would notice (this is how I often found myself in trouble as a teen.  I was never as good at covering my tracks as I thought I was).  We couldn’t risk her realizing that something was missing, so new everything it was.

Now that we had her bag packed and tucked away in a closet she would never look in, we had to think about how we could get her there without her knowing.  We didn’t want to tell her about the trip until we were already on our way to the airport, so we tried to think of what would be in the same direction.  Longwood Gardens is a location our family has grown very fond of over the past year, and it just so happens to be in the same direction  as. . . you guessed it, The Philadelphia Airport.

My dad and I put together a fake email about a special Longwood Gardens, and an Authentic Italian Restaurant (the actual restaurant we will be having her birthday dinner at in Rome) was having for one night only.  This special was conveniently being held the week of her birthday.  It involves an hour tour of Longwood Gardens beautiful orchid display, followed by a five course dinner with fine Italian wines at the restaurant just down the road.  She bought it, and found it so thoughtful of us to find something she would enjoy so much (boy is she in for a shock )  My wonderfully amazing fiance has all the bags in his car, and will drive down to the airport and meet us there.  Meanwhile, while I am in the car with my family, about half way to the airport, we will ask her to type the address of the restaurant into the GPS, and when she asks for the city, we will tell her Rome.  I will, of course, be videotaping inconspicuously from the back seat, and will youtube her reaction for all to see!  Once we get to the terminal, all her friends will be waiting there already, which will be surprise number two!

I can’t wait to get back and begin my next blog series “The Ultimate Surprise Party”.  Stay tuned!

Who’s Monroe (Philadelphia Event Planner)

Each time I introduce myself and my company I always get the same question, “Who’s Monroe?” After having a blog for over a year, I suppose this is a post that should have come sooner, but better late then never. I do believe that curiosity creates intrigue.

The simple answer is that the company is named after my grandmother, however it is a more detailed story then that.

From a very young age, as I’m sure many girls did, adored Marilyn Monroe, her beauty, her sex appeal, etc. The older I got, and the more I learned about her my interest continued to grow.

My grandmother and I were very close, and she knew my love for Marilyn Monroe.  In many ways I saw her in the same light as Marilyn Monroe.  She did not have a great deal of money, but she was always well dressed and glamorous and her name was Norma Jean, just like Marilyn Monroe, or so I was told.

My grandmother battled cancer and won twice!  She is my hero!  What’s even better is through everything she endured during her life she never lost her good spirits and love for all adventures, people, and experiences.

On April 5th, 2005, Norma Grande passed away.  Although she had a very strong will to live, her body had had enough.  At this time I was 22, and in my senior year at Temple University studying Tourism & Hospitality Management with a focus in Event Planning.  I was leaving class when I got the call.  I was devastated.  My grandmother was always my unconditional supporter, and one of my best friends.

The next few days of planning the funeral and making arrangements went by in a flash (which is what inspired me to provide funeral assistance as a service provided by Events by Monroe).  The morning of the funeral I drove over to Resurrection in Northeast Philadelphia (a bit of useless info . . my father was the first baby ever christened there) to attend the funeral mass.  I walked in and took several funeral cards to keep for memories.  As I turned the card over a wave of nausea and panic came over me.  The funeral director had made an unforgivable mistake!  She had written my grandmother’s name as Norma Eleanor instead of Norma Jean!!  I dashed over to where my father was speaking to my cousin and said “Excuse my interruption Dad, but they wrote the wrong name on the funeral cards!  How could this happen?”  My father looked at me like I had three heads and said “What are you talking about?  They have the correct spelling.”  I continued to argue that they had written the wrong middle name.  My dad explained to me that I must be mistaken and that my grandmother’s middle name is and always was Eleanor.  I think my father and I realized what was going on at the same time and just smiled.

My grandmother had told me her name was Norma Jean for all those years because she felt like it could be one more way for us to relate to each other.  It is obviously how she always wanted me to remember her.  So now every time I hand out a business card, or go to my website, etc.  I can think of her the way she wanted me to see her.

I love having this as my company name because it not only keeps my grandmother as a constant memory, but it also aids in many of the decisions I make.  When faced with a challenge, or a tough ethical decision, I always think about what she would have done, and use her as a guide.  It has worked out great so far

Great New Ad Thanks to Opaque White Design (Philadelphia Event Planner)

We would like to extend a huge thank you to Stephanie Wells for doing such an amazing job on our new ad that will be featured in Mainline & Bucks Life Magazine starting in May

I have known for 20 years.  Watching her grow as an artist and explore new areas has been an amazing journey.  She is extremely talented in graphic design as you can see, in addition to photography and many other creative forms of design.  Her photography is one of my favorite aspects of her art.  She has a great way of finding and portraying the beauty of the forgotten.  Her work is extremely intriguing.  If you have the time please take a look at some of the work she has done.  Her site is still in the works of being put together, but it shows a small sample of what she could do for you or your company.   You can also contact her through Facebook.   Thanks Steph!

http://web.mac.com/opaquewhitedesign

Congratulations Mike & Erica! (Philadelphia Event Planner)

I have been meaning to get this post (and several others) up all week, our office has just been very busy!  Last Friday great friends of my fiance and myself got engaged and we couldn’t be more happy for them!  Mike and Erica began dating last spring, and have been inseparable ever since.  Erica has a very fun loving spirit, and Mike is ecstatic to have found her.  It wasn’t long before he knew that he had met the girl he just had to spend the rest of his life with.  They are an amazing couple, and incredible friends.  They are also parents to two adorable pugs, Donovan & Kali, who love to play with our adorable pug   We wish them great happiness, and can’t wait to see how the wedding plans come along.  Feel free to congratulate them in our comment section!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

You can hear all the details from Erica in the comment section…

Tips for Shopping for Wedding Gowns (Philadelphia, New Jersey Event Planner)

As women, most of us love to shop.  Shopping for your wedding gown is one of the very exciting items on your wedding to-do list, but it can also become stressful.  One of the main problems that I see in wedding planning today is not the issue of being able to find ideas and information, it is information overload.  You can type “wedding gowns” into your web browser and come up with enough results to be searching through them for weeks, and become so overwhelmed that you feel like you are right back where you started.  A current Events by Monroe client has been facing some stress in finding a dress, so she is our inspiration behind putting this article together for our readers  

Read these tips, and complete these tasks BEFORE you go shopping, and it will save you time, stress, and aggrivation. 

1. Consider the style and tone of your event.  Is it a beach wedding?  A black tie affair?  A reception in a restored barn with an outdoor cocktail hour?  This is the first thing to consider.  You may have had a vision in your head of what your dream wedding dress would look like since you were 5 years old, but will it match the look you are going for.  If your wedding is on the less formal side, a knee length dress would be appropriate.  If you are holding a black tie wedding go for a beautiful formal gown.   If you are holding your reception in a restored barn, maybe you are going for a vintage look.  Whatever the style of your wedding, your dress should reflect that.
2. Consider your timeframe.  You will want to order your wedding dress approximately six months prior to the wedding, so nine months in advance can be a good time to begin shopping.  If you are doing a last minute wedding, or are already beyond this time don’t panic!  You can still get your dress in time, there just may be a few additional charges for the faster service.
3. Make sure you are comfortable.  Although a dress may look phenomenal on you, if it is not comfortable it will affect the fun of your day.  If you love to dance and plan on moving around a lot make sure your dress can handle that when you are trying it on.  You dont want to have to be tugging your dress up all day, or adjusting it so the zipper will stop poking you in the side.
4. Consider your shape.  Men have the luxury of knowing what size they are, going into a store for jeans, picking up a 34×34, continuing to the register and out the door, without even a glimpse of worry over whether they are going to fit.  Infortunately, us ladies don’t have that luxury.  Every designer is different in sizing/styles as well as what shapes their clothes will fit.  Pull out your photo ablbums and start looking through formal events you have gone to in the past.  See if there is a pattern in the style of dress you usually buy.  As you are looking through the photos consider which of these dresses you felt the most confidant and beautiful in.  After this exercise you should have a guideline of the type of dress you would like to look for.  You can also look through the bridal magazines and websites for advice on what shapes look good in what types of dresses.
5. If you have a day you can take off of work, or a day your office is closed during the week try to shop then.  It is easier to have a salespersons full attention during the week, rather then a Saturday when the store is busy.
6. Money Saving Tips.  There are many ways to save on your bridal gown.  You do NOT have to spend thousands of dollars if you can’t afford to.  You can look for sample sales or floor models that are being discounted.  There are often one day trunk sales that travel around who often have sales.  Although it may seem odd many designers will try to sell their dresses on ebay for a great discount.  You can find some hidden treasures in consignment shops.  You can also find bridesmaids dresses in white or an off white shade that you may love (nobody has to know).
7. Sizing.  Wedding gowns run small so don’t be alarmed if your gown is larger then your normal size.  Also every designer is different.  Sales people at the stores should know how each designers dress will fit.

Here are just a few tips.  All wedding websites also have a plethora of information for you to read about gown shopping.  Feel free to contact us with your specific questions we can advise you on.  Happy Shopping!

Holiday Contest ~ Our Thank You To The Troops (Philadelphia, New Jersey Wedding Planner)

Holiday Contest For The Troops

Dates: December 15th, 2009 – January 2nd, 2010

At Events by Monroe, LLC we appreciate all our troops overseas do for us, and our hearts go out to those families who have a member overseas fighting for our liberties, and won’t get to spend Christmas together.  Being in this business we know just how much is involved in planning a wedding, and can’t imagine how hard it must be to do the planning with your fiance out of the country.  As our thank you to the troops we are holding a contest.  Whoever sends us the best story will win a full service wedding planned Events by Mornoe for free.  This means we will help you plan your wedding from start to finish for up to $5000.00 of service, which is generally more then enough.   To enter please send emails to renee@eventsbymonroe.com with the following information:

• Your address.
• The name of you and your fiance.
• A phone number where you can be contacted.
• Your story as a couple.
• Why you should win.
• Your wedding date

Good Luck,  Spread the Word, and Happy Holidays!

With Love, Philadelphia xoxo

As many of you know, I graduated from Temple University with my degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management, which means there are many things that interest me beyond event planning.  Tourism is one of them, and we are in the perfect location for it.  When you live in Philadelphia, I think sometimes you forget how much our city has to offer both residents and tourists.  I love the GPTMC’s (Greater Philadlphia Tourism Marketing Corporation) recent campagin.  It is titled “With Love, Philadelphia xoxo”.  The campaign started in May 2009, and every time I see the latest creation of it I have to laugh.  I received one of the ads in the mail which inspired this post.  The campaign is the GPTMC’s recessionary attempt to promote the tourism of Philadelphia and overnight stays.  They have many different ads that they have created to appeal to many different audiences, all with a common theme.  Each of the ads is a letter addressed to someone and written by “Philadelphia” itself.  The letters are really very comical, and each one entices people to travel and visit our great city. 

There are 54 unique executions of the idea (letters from Philadelphia) which include :

• Dear World Champions
• Dear Guys who like guys and Girls who like Girls
• Dear Schools out for Summer
• AND MY FAVORITE – Dear Guy Who Claims He Never Cried During Rocky IV – http://bit.ly/63rFDc you have to look at it.  It’s very funny.

The agency responsible for creating this great campaign is Red Tettemer.  The campaign is running in Philadelphia, New York, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Lebanon, York, Washington, and Nationally online.  The total cost of the campaign is $1.4 million and is being funded by the 1.2 % tax increase on hotel rooms which was approved by the Mayor of Philadelphia, the City Council, and supported by Governor Ed Rendell. 

I believe this campaign is coming to an end or has recently ended.  I can’t wait to see what the city comes up with next.

Great Wedding Resource! (Philadelphia, New Jersey Event Planner)

I have recently become more acquainted with Wedding Wire, a great resource that I am now using on a daily basis.  It is a great site that you can use to search for various types of professionals to assist you with your event.  It also has a multitude of useful tools to help you stay organized and on track with all the planning for your event.  They are very interactive on Facebook and Twitter, where they keep you posted on all their latest tips and advice.  You can now find Events by Monroe, LLC as a listed event professional on Wedding Wire, as well as Best Philadelphia Weddings, and Martha Stewart Weddings.  We are very excited to be expanding.  I hope you get some use out of these sites and the great tools that they offer!

Please Help With This Great Cause. (Philadelphia, New Jersey, Event Planner)

Good Morning Everyone!

Many of you are not aware that I also participate in a program called Send Out Cards.  I use it a lot for my business, but there are many great features to this program.  One of these features is called Send Out To Give.  Every once in a while we will get an email asking us to send a card to a person we don’t know who is really in need of receiving it.  Here is the email I got this morning:

“Diana Harrison Biorkman (friend of a friend) has a 5yr old son Noah, He is in the last stages of a 2 1/2 yr battle with Nueroblastoma Cancer. The family is celebrating Christmas next week with him and Noahs request is to get lots of Christmas cards Please send cards to: Noah Biorkman 1141 Fountain View Circle, South Lyon MI 48178 Lets see how many cards we can get this little guy! Please forward.”

I have already send Noah a card this morning, and it would be great if you all could too!  There is something special about doing something selfless for someone who needs it, which is what the holidays are really about.  If you don’t have time to run out to Hallmark you can go to this link http://bit.ly/1Wl2pg and send a card for free by clicking the banner that says “CLICK TO SEND A FREE CARD”.  The card will be printed, stamped, and mailed without ever leaving your desk.  Less then five minutes out of your day can help make Noah’s dream come true. 

Thank you all for your help.  If you need any help getting a card sent out feel free to contact me by phone or email.  Also please feel free to forward this to anyone you like.

Exciting News! (Philadelphia, New Jersey Event Planner)

So.  . . as promised, here is the big announcement.  About two weeks ago, my boyfriend and I went out to dinner, and he proposed to me!  Of course I said yes!  We are both very excited.  I wanted to find a way to make this an exciting  adventure for all of my readers also, and here is what I came up with . . .

From now until the wedding I will be writing about all the details of our planning, no matter how big or small, exciting or aggrevating    You will all be able to follow along with all of the decisions we face, and I will even be taking polls to let you help us to decide on many things.  We would also love to hear any feedback and comments you have regarding our big day! 

So. . . now you will not only be staying up to date on all the latest trends and advancements in the event industry, but you will actually get to help in planning my wedding!  I can’t wait to start.