http://encountersevents.com/ Encounters Events Blog en-us Mon, 06 Sep 2010 12:27:44 -0400 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 12:27:44 -0400 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Even though it's a pretty rainy month, May has always been very popular for weddings. Our May Brides were very lucky this year since they all had great weather for their weddings. We had several weddings in May that we planned and coordinated – and one we attended as guests. All were very different and unique to each couple. Mary and Bruce are a couple that loves the outdoors. They first met when Mary joined a cycling club which Bruce was a member. Because of their strong connection to the outdoors, and Mary's family background in the floral industry, their venue had to be ideal. The beautiful Gudelsky Center at the Howard County Conservancy was perfect! Mary and her bridesmaids had five of the most adorable flower girls ever! After a meaningful ceremony at First Lutheran Church in Ellicott City, all the guests head out for a short drive to the Conservancy. Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres were served outside in the gardens. Along with family members, Mary and Bruce and spent a few minutes reflecting in the Conservancy's Honor Garden - an area where they were able to dedicate a few plants in honor of their parents who passed away. After cocktails, guests came inside to enjoy a wonderful buffet prepared by My Thyme Catering and danced into the evening. For their honeymoon, Mary and Bruce spent a week in the Great North Carolina Smokies cycling. Wed, 09 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=17 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php March 20th, the first day of Spring, a new season and new beginning. Daffodils and Forsythia bushes are blooming bright yellow flowers. And soon Tulips will be bursting in great color profusion. Spring has sprung and love is in the air.   The first day of Spring is the date that Jennifer and Victor choose as the start of their new life together. And oh what a beautiful first day of spring it was! After all the snow Maryland had in February, Jennifer and Victor had a beautiful warm and sunny day.   Jennifer is a girly girl who loves pink! With that in mind, pink was the color of the day. Her bridesmaids wore beautiful hot pink dresses and carried bouquets of white calla lilies with hot pink orchids. Jennifer's bouquet was hot and soft pink orchids.   The day started bright and early with hair and makeup at her parents' house. Once helped into her beautiful Maggie Sottero gown, Jason Lee began with photographs. Then it was time to climb into her waiting Limousine and off to church to be married. Because of Jennifer's Puerto Rican background we also included the Monedas Ceremony (trece monedas de oro). Thirteen gold coins were blessed and given to Jennifer; she then gave them to Victor. The coins signify that Victor will support her and she will share his wealth. These coins will then become part of their family heirloom.   After the ceremony, Jennifer and Victor exited the church and got into their limousine as guests gathered outside and popped confetti. Off they went to meet up with their bridal party and families for photo's - then on to their reception at the Sheraton Columbia. Because of the great weather, guests were able to enjoy a Martini bar Ice Luge and other cocktails on the patio overlooking Lake Kittamiquandi.   Guests were ushered into the Ballroom and found their seats at tables named after Victor's favorite Computer game – World of War Craft, which his buddies got a big kick out of! After dinner the deejay went into dance mode and the floor quickly filled up. Jennifer changed out of her big heavy wedding dress into a short sexy white number she could dance in.   While guests were busy having fun on the dance floor, we began setting up Jennifer's very pink candy buffet. Over a dozen different pink candies were available for guests to fill their candy bags with. Yummy sweet treats included; pink M&M's, pink and white marshmallow hearts, hot pink rock candy sticks, white and pink lollypops, Pink Hershey kisses, Dove chocolates, pink Good & Plenty, Strawberry Malt balls and much much more.   Eventually the evening had to end. After Jennifer and Victor's last dance to Journeys "Don't stop Believing", guests bid them good night and wished them fun on their Honeymoon Cruise. Bon Voyage!     Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=16 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Baltimore, Maryland – January 19, 2010 - WeddingWire, the nation's leading wedding technology company, just announced Encounters, Inc has been selected to receive the 2010 Bride's Choice Awards™ for Wedding Planning! The annual Bride's Choice Awards™ recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds. Encounters, Inc is among the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes over 100,000 wedding professionals across the US and Canada. Awards were given to winners across 19 different service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers. "We are excited to recognize and honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community" said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire's Chief Executive Officer. "The annual Bride's Choice Awards™ program has given us the unique opportunity to highlight the best wedding professionals in each region as reviewed by brides and grooms who have utilized their services in the past year." We are happy to announce that Encounters, Inc is among the very best Wedding Planners within the WeddingWire Network, which includes WeddingWire and Martha Stewart Weddings. We would like to thank our past newlyweds for nominating us for the 2010 Bride's Choice Awards™. For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront. About WeddingWire, Inc. WeddingWire is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding vendors. WeddingWire enables engaged couples to search, compare and book over 100,000 reviewed wedding vendors nationwide, from wedding photographers to wedding cakes. WeddingWire also offers an online community and a suite of cutting-edge planning tools, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding vendors, WeddingWire provides free online management tools creating the only market opportunity that gives businesses control over their clients, reviews, leads and performance. In addition, WeddingWire has partnered with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (NYSE: MSO) to provide its network of local vendors and online wedding-planning tools in the Weddings section of http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/. For additional information, please visit http://www.weddingwire.com/.   Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=15 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php   After 6 months of long distance planning, Deanna and Eric's wedding day was finally here. Everyone gathered at Savage Manor for the rehearsal, and then it was off to one of Deanna's Favorite restaurants"Aida's" for the pre-celebration dinner. Deanna was a bit anxious because the weather forecast was calling for snow. We really did not want a repeat of the massive Maryland snowstorm just three weeks before. Friday morning dawned and snow had fallen overnight. But it was only a couple of inches so everything looked bright white and sparkling clean. Just enough so driving would not be a problem. Hair and makeup for the bridal party started at 10:00 in the morning. I checked in with them at 1:00 pm and everyone looked greatwe were on time! Next stop; pick up Deanna's gown from the seamstress. Then it was time to change clothes, pack up the candles, menus, emergency kit and head out to Savage Manor. Deanna arrived right on time, followed by Anne Sachs of Artful Weddingsand the photography began. Documenting the wedding and emotions of their guests was very important to Deanna and Eric. So immediately after the ceremony, we gathered the bridal party and guests for a group portrait. Then it was outside for some intimate photos of Deanna and Eric in the snow. With a nod to the Military Traditions of both their families, the wedding cake was cut with a prized Marine Corps sword belonging to Deanna's Father. Once their guests had a taste of delicious wedding cake from the Cake Studio, they were ready to dance the night away. Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=14 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Lots of couples get engaged on New Years Eve. What better way to end a year and start a New Year!   New Years Eve is also a fabulous time to get married. You will be surrounded by family and friends as you commit your lives to each other. Then everyone is ready for a great party and the countdown to midnight! You can have so much fun with the décor of your New Years Eve celebration. Pair your favorite colors with silver or gold and you have a great look. If you are getting married in a city like Baltimore, Washington, DC or Philadelphia, consider hosting your wedding at a waterfront venue.  These areas generally offer a (free!) fireworks show at midnight. Baltimore venues like the Waterfront Marriott, Pier V, Science Center, The Harbor Court Inter Continental and Museum of Industry, all have a super view of the harbor and fireworks. Ringing in the New Year as husband and wife will give your guests two great reasons to celebrate!   Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=13 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Want to take a chance and have your guests reserve their rooms individually at a better rate?  The problem with this is you run the risk of another unexpected group reserving all of your local hotel rooms. Without a contracted block of rooms, hotels cannot guarantee availability when your guests eventually decide to book.  We have seen this happen on a few occasions where a city or county wide group booked up everything within a 50 mile radius.   There are advantages to reserving a block of rooms such as the ability to access rooming lists and make accommodation requests. Keeping track of your guests also allows you to issue gift bags and event information more efficiently. Calling around looking for attendees outside a room block can be challenging. Hotels are generally secure with guest information and will not offer it up very easily, if at all.   Best thing to do is check out the online rates offered by the major hotel room discounters. Use these rates as a negotiating point while reserving your rooms. Your negotiated group rate may be a few dollars more than the online discounters. But you will have peace of mind knowing the hotel will keep your rooms on hold when another group comes knocking. See: Conflicting Group Hotel Rates - Part I Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=12 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php   So you reserved a block of rooms for the out-of-towners attending your upcoming event. A little time goes by and one of your guests contacts you to say they got a better rate at the same hotel. Naturally upset, you contact the hotel to find out what the deal isor lack of.   Thinking the hotel pulled a fast one; the rate probably did not come from them. Chances are your guest received the lower rate from an online company like Hotels.com, Cheap Hotels and Travelocity. These online discount companies are licensed to sell rooms for profit. In turn, the hotels get advertizing exposure.   Second and third party online rates are generally exclusive to individual or transient guests. So don't expect to get group blocks from these companies. For the exception of slow periods, most hotels only allocate 3-5 rooms for discounted online sales.   Your guest may mention they got the rate directly from the Hotel web site. In this case, a hotel management company is probably hosting the site on behalf of your selected hotel. The management company may be using the same online marketing tools as conventional hotel rate discounters.   Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=11 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php It is a common request that fathers want to say a few words at their daughter's wedding. And dads are always asking us what they should say. After witnessing many-a-toast, here are a few of our guidelines. Do not feel you have to include them all.   1) Welcome your guests, and thank long distance family and friends for traveling. 2) Tell a favorite little story about your daughter at a young age. 3) Mention proud achievements and fulfilled dreams, culminating into the woman your daughter has become. 3) Welcome groom into the family, i.e. "did not lose a daughter, but gained a son" sort of thing. 4) Give the groom some tips/notes (in a humorous way). 5) Mention the joining of two families. 6) Express the hopes and expectations, you have for your daughter's future in marriage.   9) Remember this is a wedding, not a "roast". DO NOT tell long drawn out embarrassing and comedic stories filled with jokes, insults and criticism. This is more appropriate for the rehearsal dinner. 7) Most importantly, keep your speech short - preferably 5-8 minutes max. Guests tend to get antsy and bored with long toasts. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=10 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Ahnothing like departing your wedding in a two-tone 1952 Bentley at the gaze of all your guests. Or waving to the crowd from a 57' Chevy convertible during your groundbreaking parade. These classic cars are rare, expensive and serious head turners. Riding in one of these babies screams romance, power and privilege.   Because so few are in good condition, vintage cars can be pricey to rent. Costs can range from $450-$700 for 3-4 hours of use. Like most older model vehicles, classic cars are notoriously unreliable and need constant care and maintenance. We have heard a few stories about wedding couples who reserved a specific vehicle, only to find out it broke down and something different showed up.   Due to possible mechanical problems and accidents, transportation companies will be hard pressed to guarantee your selected vehicle. When choosing a classic car, ask if the undercarriage is original or new. For better reliability, some transportation companies will swap the old chassis for a newer Ford or Chevy. Just be sure they will provide you with a reasonable replacement based on your preferred color, make and model. Always a good thing to check out the fleet in person. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=9 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php In this weak economy, it only seems fitting that we address the many inquiries for weddings under $10,000. Many of these requests are for 100-200 guests. Hosting a wedding at these numbers can be a bit of a challenge, especially in the Maryland/Wash DC/Virginia area. For a nice quality wedding under 10k (besides the local church hall or VFW), 200 is a stretch but 100 guests may be possible. Since the majority of your budget will be spent on venue and catering, this is where you should focus your immediate attention. Keep in mind some sacrifices will have to be made in terms of menu, day, date and even time of day. Hosting a Saturday evening wedding during the springtime or fall still commands top dollar. However many venues and caterers are feeling the economic pinch and are offering better-than-usual deals during "off peak" times. You should start looking at caterers who have their own exclusive venues. They want the catering business and generally have the power to control any additional rental fees. You will also have a better chance of negotiating with one company. Caterers want to fill as many empty slots as possible, so be sure to ask about off-peak packages. Mid to late summer and winter dates are where you will find your best deals. Friday and Sunday even better. Select a lunchtime wedding and you should really save big! Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=8 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Friday morning started with a hair and makeup consult from the talented Ana Kenny. Deanna experimented with different versions of the popular "half-up half-down" requiring a follow up appointment with Ana in January.   Next stop: dress fitting. Deanna thought she would wear a ballet type slipper for the wedding, however the intricate design on the bottom her dress allowed for little hemming. So Deanna decided to look for shoes with a ¼ inch heel to match the claret in her dress.   An appointment was scheduled to meet with the offficiant over lunch. After introductions, I excused myself and left them to discuss the ceremony. The rest of the evening was filled with DYI tasks for Deanna and her bridesmaids.   We started bright and early on Saturday with a floral appointment to discuss bouquets, boutonnières, ceremony arrangements and centerpieces. Then we called it a day so Deanna could get ready to attend a friend's wedding.   Before heading back to Missouri, Deanna had one last set of appointments. These included meeting her photographer Ann Sachs of Artful Weddings and interviewing a Deejay. Deanna accomplished a lot in four days.   Now it was time for Deanna to head back to Missouri and straight off to work. As for us, it was time to review and tweak her contracts and services. Back to phone calls and emails.   See you in January Deanna! Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=7 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Encounters has had a number of brides who do not live locally, but wanted to be married in the Maryland/D.C area. We had clients from England, California, Washington, Texas, and New Yorkjust to name a few.   Some brides want to come back to Maryland because they grew up here and others because this is where they met their husband to be. Much of planning is done by email and phone calls. But when a bride can make a visit to Maryland, we cram month's worth of planning into a few days.   Right now we are working with Deanna who lives in Missouri. Deanna came home earlier this month to plan her January wedding to Eric. This was her only trip home, so she had to meet and contract with all her potential wedding vendors. Of course we had not even met Deanna yet! From the beginning, all communication with Deanna was through email, phone calls and her mother.   First thing on the agenda was to visit the venue that Deanna had contracted based on photos her mother had taken. Deanna was thrilled with Savage Manor! She had a wonderful tour of the venue, and then off to her cake tasting. Deanna had an idea of how she wanted her cake to look, but just needed to taste and pick her flavors.   After the cake tasting, we headed back to Laurel for a menu tasting with Putting on the Ritz. POTR is the exclusive caterer at Savage Manor where Deanna and her mother were greeted warmly, and immediately offered appetizers. After tasting several menu options, Deanna and her mother choose their menu and selected table linens.   That was the end of day one. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=6 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php On those weekends that we do not have a wedding scheduled, Encounters is still busy with wedding planning. There can be floral appointments in the morning, cake tastings at lunch and perhaps a photography appointment in the late afternoon. Some days we are just busy touring venues with our clients to help them find the perfect place for their celebration.   So last weekend, while I was thankful that I did not have to deal with a disappointed bride because of the early nor'easter that hit Maryland - we toured venues with Samantha and Brandon. Key for them is water! They really would like to host their wedding overlooking the Chesapeake Bay or a river leading into it.   Initially we had started looking at a couple of venues in Baltimore like the Museum of Industry, Maryland Science Center and Pier V. Our second expedition included the Phillip Merrill Center at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Annapolis, the Silver Swan in Stevensville and Chesapeake Bay Beach Club. Then we headed out to St Michael's and visited The Oaks. Even a cold rainy day could not take away from the beauty of this venue. Brandon, Samantha and her mother all fell in love the place. They knew that this would be a wonderful place to celebrate their love with family and friends.   Now on with the planning Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=5 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Ann Louise and Michael choose beautiful Swan Harbor on the banks of the Susquehanna River to be site of their wedding ceremony and reception. The celebration began on Friday with their rehearsal at the Lighthouse followed by a dinner cruise on the Lantern Queen. It was a perfect night for a scenic boat ride. Saturday dawned gray and drizzly, but while Ann Louise and her ladies were getting their hair and make up done, the rain slowly dissipated and the sun began to peak through.   Ann Louise and Michael are a super fun couple who know how to kick-back and enjoy life. With this in mind, Ann Louise provided lawn games including Baggo and Bocce Ball for her guests to play.   One of Michael's passions (other than Ann Louise) is goose hunting. And Ann Louise wanted to acknowledge this at the wedding. For Michael's boutonnière, Ann Louise asked Teresa of Floral Impressions to use mini cattails - which of course were in her bouquet also! The ceremony aisle was lined with seasonal red and orange mums that Teresa had put in moss lined containers. These mums were recycled as centerpieces on some of the guest tables.   Another nod to Michael's love of goose hunting was a surprise Grooms cake that was a replica of a sleeping goose. Guests commented on how real the feathers looked! Debi from the Cake Studio did a great job on the wedding and grooms cake.   After a long evening of celebration with friends and family, Ann Louise and Michael climbed aboard one of their Shuttles and headed back to Aberdeen. The party continued till the wee hours at the Holiday Inn where everyone eventually headed off to sleep. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=4 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Finally after all of the planning, Jennifer and Greg arrived from California for their wedding at Jennifer's childhood home in Ellicott City. During the few occasions Jennifer was able to visit Maryland for wedding planning, rain or sleet filled the air. We were a little worried that her dream of being married outdoors in front of her parents beautiful home may need to be altered. But Mother Nature smiled on all of us and gave Jennifer a beautiful late summer day. The festivities began Thursday evening when Greg's family arrived from California with a welcome party at the Sheraton Columbia Town Center Hotel. Continuing the next day, after the rehearsal, everyone climbed on board a shuttle and headed to Baltimore for food, drink and an Orioles game. Unfortunately the Birds lost but that did not dampen the mood. It was during a trip to Paris that Greg surprised Jennifer with her engagement ring. This was the inspiration for their French Cafe wedding theme. Foods prepared by Simply Elegant had a French flavor. Centerpieces created by Christine's team from Fleur de Lis made you feel as if you were dining at a Parisian Bistro. Saturday was a sun filled day with highs in the mid-seventies. Jennifer spent the early afternoon having her hair and makeup done, and then on to some pre-wedding photo's with her bridal party. The reception was scheduled to end at 10:30 pm; however the party was still in full swing! As Michael Valenti kept the dance floor filled with his wonderful mix of music. Jennifer wanted to keep her party goingso we did. After the 3rd last dance, the music finally ended at 12:30 am. As the shuttle driver was ready to chauffeur the last few guests back to their hotel, the bridal party had other ideas. Now it was time for a pool party! One by one most of the groomsmen and a couple of bridesmaids made celebratory leaps into the pool. And in the endJennifer however gracefulalso took the plunge. An unplanned "Trash the Dress". Of course, every fun party needs a signature cocktail. Jennifer and Greg offered their guests French Martini's served from an Ice Luge.   French Martini 2oz. Vodka (Grey Goose) 1oz. Chambord 11 ½ oz. Pineapple Juice   Pour Vodka, liquor and juice into a mixing glass. Add ice, stir to chill and strain into a Martini glass. Enjoy!         Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=3 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Lately the amount of inquiries for charitable events have not diminished much. Given the obvious state of our economy, recipients of these fundraising efforts are struggling and need help more than ever. And to no one's surprise, charitable foundation budgets have been pretty tight lately. What makes planning these events most challenging? Guest counts and expectations remain the sameif not more so. But the fundraising must go on! Our first thought for a successful fundraiser is appealing to the donors. These would be individuals and organizations that frequent social events and expect something special for their support. Not everything needs to be over the top. However a pleasant and stimulating environment with a little creativity can go a long way. The goal is to maintain longtime supporters, gain new friends and make money. To get the most bang for your buck, follow the best deals instead of trying to create them on your own terms. The date in particular is key to this one. Saturday evenings during the peak months of Spring and Fall seem ideal, yet expensive. You will also be competing with other social and personal events. Avoid local, national and religious holidays too. A great attendance means more donations! Weekdays are ideal for charitable events on a budget. Supporters will look forward to breaking away from their busy work schedules to attend a festive event for a good cause. Better yet, many event professionals offer deep discounts for weekdays since the majority of their business is on weekends. Ask a few preferred venues, caterers and other service professionals what their policies are regarding charitable contributions. Mention your organization is flexible and open to all available options during slow periods. This could yield anything from a donation to below average discounts. Compare estimates from your various offers to come up with the most budget friendly date, location and vendor services. As with all fundraisers, incentives for potential vendors will greatly enhance your negotiating opportunities. First and foremost are tax breaks, free advertising, cross promotion and bartering. Sending event professionals a few client referrals is also a welcome gesture. Tap into relationships you have with your benefactors and encourage them to consider your vendor referrals when booking future events. Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=2 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php Meet Peyton and Karin Craig owners of Encounters Inc., a Maryland and Washington D.C. based event planning company. Established in 1999, Encounters specializes in planning, consulting and coordination of weddings, corporate and other special events. Encounters has serviced hundreds of weddings and special events for fortune 500 companies, major healthcare institutions and government contractors. Their industry knowledge has been featured by media publications such as Style, Brides, theknot, Baltimore Sun and Washington Post. Recognized for their expertise and client advocacy, Encounters has gained a reputation as a leader in the event planning industry. Peyton and Karin love what they do! They enjoy meeting new people, take pleasure in the happiness of others, are devoted to the success of their efforts and thrive on new ideas and changing needs. More... Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400 http://encountersevents.com/blog.php?thread_id=1