I’m going to take a step back now to tell you how Occasion Solutions all began….
Last year my parents celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary and I wanted to have a Thanksgiving function to commemorate this milestone in their lives and all they had accomplished along the way.
The Clients
I initially wanted this to be a surprise, but whilst I’m up for any challenge you also need to know how to manage stress, and worrying about them showing up on the day was an unnecessary hassle! And after all this was going to be their special day so in the best interest of satisfying the clients I needed to get their input.
The Date, Location and Catering Service
First things first we decided on a date and confirmed that our selected venue would be available on said date. Next I had to secure the catering service. My go-to caterer, Quality Caterers, said she would not be available on that date but fortunately I had a well recommended second option. Thankfully though she called back shortly after to say she would accommodate me….the benefit of our past relationship!
The Program
I consulted with the clients (my parents) and prepared a draft program which I then reviewed with our chairperson (my uncle), after he agreed to be chairperson of course! Subsequently, the persons on the program were contacted to confirm their availability and willingness to participate. I delegated my Dad to assist with this aspect….or did he volunteer….uhmm….
The Guest List
On to our attendees….I again prepared a draft list and went through it with my parents for their approval and to finalize numbers. We all shared in the responsibility of inviting our guests….most persons we invited in person, others by phone calls and I followed up with emails and whatsapp messages.
Tokens
For tokens for our guests I organized boxes of sweets (from the Weekend Caterer) and my Dad and I compiled a booklet which my friend helped me get printed.
Decorations
The color scheme of purple, lilac and mint green was born out of some floral patterned napkins I had purchased when I first began making my plans. I wanted to keep things simple with just some floral arrangements as table center pieces, but when my Mum (who volunteered because some clients do like to get involved) started calling around we realized how expensive flowers can be. So we started looking at alternatives and settled on a mix of flowering plants and candles.
From that point I moved on to balloons, table runners, draping fabric, fancy beads, decorative plants, bougainvillea (from a friend's home) and water fountains (on loan from my cousin). But I started looking at the items I purchased as investments for future events.
I assembled my decorating crew….all family members….and we went to the hall the evening before to set up.
The Big Event
The Thanksgiving function was a great success! Everything ran smoothly on the day, again with the help of my family, and we got lots of compliments on the program, the food and most especially the beautiful ambiance!
So all that got me thinking…..maybe I have a knack for this….and I most certainly enjoyed doing it! But I must say thank you to the Almighty and my family and friends who supported me along the way. I could not have done it without you!
Here’s a little video clip of set up to finish……
No comments:
Post a Comment