Event planning is a field where experience is as valuable, if not more, than theoretical knowledge. For those aspiring to build a career in this dynamic and multifaceted industry, mentorship and shadowing a seasoned event planner can be a game-changer. In this article, we will explore how mentorship and shadowing can significantly enhance your planning skills and pave the way for a successful career in event planning.

Understanding the Power of Mentorship
Gaining Real-World Insights
Mentorship offers a unique opportunity to learn from someone who has navigated the complexities of event planning. A mentor can provide real-world insights that are rarely found in textbooks or classrooms. This knowledge is invaluable in understanding the nuances of the industry.

Networking Opportunities
Mentors often introduce their mentees to a wide network of industry professionals. This exposure can open doors to new opportunities, partnerships, and collaborations, which are crucial for career growth in event planning.

Personalized Guidance and Support
A mentor provides personalized advice and support tailored to your specific needs and goals. This one-on-one guidance can help you overcome challenges, refine your skills, and develop a clearer career path.

The Benefits of Shadowing an Experienced Event Planner
Learning by Observation
Shadowing allows you to observe a professional at work, providing a firsthand look at how they handle the demands of event planning. This experience is invaluable in understanding the practical aspects of the job, such as time management, client interaction, and crisis management.

Hands-On Experience
While shadowing, you might get the chance to assist in real tasks, offering a safe environment to apply your knowledge and skills. This hands-on experience is critical in building confidence and competence in the field.

Exposure to Different Types of Events
Shadowing different planners can expose you to various types of events, from corporate conferences to social gatherings. This diversity in experience can help you identify your niche and broaden your skill set.

How to Find a Mentor or Shadowing Opportunity
Networking
Attend industry events, join professional associations, and participate in online forums. Networking is key to finding potential mentors or planners willing to offer shadowing opportunities.

Volunteer
Offering to volunteer for events can open opportunities for mentorship and shadowing. It shows your eagerness to learn and contribute, qualities that mentors appreciate.

Reach Out Directly
Don’t hesitate to reach out directly to event planners you admire. A polite and concise email expressing your interest in learning from them can be effective.

Making the Most of Your Mentorship and Shadowing Experience
Be Proactive and Curious
Ask questions, seek feedback, and take initiative. Show your mentor or the planner you’re shadowing that you’re eager to learn and grow.

Reflect and Apply Learning
After each experience, take time to reflect on what you’ve learned and find ways to apply these insights in your future endeavors.

Build Lasting Relationships
Nurture the relationships you build during this period. Stay in touch with your mentors and the professionals you meet, as they can be valuable resources throughout your career.

Mentorship and shadowing in event planning are more than just learning opportunities; they are pathways to a deeper understanding of the industry and a successful career. By taking advantage of these experiences, you can gain the skills, confidence, and network needed to thrive as an event planner. Remember, every great event planner once stood where you are now - eager to learn and ready to grow. Embrace these opportunities, and watch your career in event planning take off!

A wedding toast is a special moment for the couple, their friends, and their family. Whether you are the bride or groom, it's an opportunity to share a heartfelt message about your relationship with everyone attending. However, knowing where to start when writing your toast can be challenging! This blog post will provide helpful tips on crafting the perfect wedding toast that will wow your guests and honors the couple. 

When crafting a wedding toast, you must first consider how you know the couple. Are you related to one of them? What is your relationship like? Share a story that reflects your relationship with them to draw people into your toast. For example, if you are close friends with the couple, tell a funny story about how they met or something silly they did together. If you are family members, share an anecdote about what makes them unique and why they complement each other.
 
The next step is to focus on what you appreciate most about each of them. Think about what qualities make them unique as individuals and what makes them work so well together as a couple. This can be anything from their humor and intelligence to their courage and determination—it’s up to you! Make sure to mention both of their names throughout the toast; don't just focus on one person or the other! For extra effect, you can add some lighthearted jokes here; humor always goes down well at weddings!
 
Finally, end your speech by expressing your excitement for their future together. Let them know that no matter what life throws at them, you have faith in their love for one another and in their ability to tackle any challenge that comes their way. Cheers!

Crafting a wedding toast can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be complicated or intimidating! By following these tips and keeping them lighthearted yet meaningful, you'll create a memorable moment for both the bride and groom and those in attendance. So practice ahead of time, keep our tips in mind while writing your speech, and cheers! Toast away!

When planning the perfect wedding, a memorable experience for your guests is a top priority. By no means are we saying people please and create a wedding about other people; however, we are saying that your wedding can be both unique for you and memorable for your guests. Every detail, from the personalized website to the food selections, will leave an impression on your guests. Here are some tips on how to create a truly memorable wedding experience. 

Personalize Your Website and Share Your Favorite Things to Do: Creating a personalized website with fun activities and precise details about your big day is one of the simplest ways to show your guests how much thought you’ve put into making their experience special. Plus, it’s free for them to access and explore! 

Send Welcome Messages: If you know when your guests have arrived, consider sending them welcome messages or even small gifts as a token of appreciation for making the trip out to celebrate with you! It’s these thoughtful touches that will make them feel welcomed and appreciated. P.S. You can schedule these messages in advance. 

Provide Last-Minute Essentials: Consider setting aside funds for last-minute essentials like snacks, drinks, or toiletries that your guests may need while they stay in town. It’s a nice gesture that shows you care about their comfort during their stay. 

Inclusive Menu Offerings: Make sure that menu offerings are inclusive of diverse dietary needs by including vegan/vegetarian options or offering gluten-free dishes. One way to seamlessly collect this information is when your guests RSVP on your wedding website. This way, everyone can enjoy delicious meals without worrying about potential food allergies or restrictions.  

Infuse Personality Into Every Aspect Of The Big Day: Most importantly, infuse unique personality into every aspect of the big day - from decorations and music selection all the way down to small details like place cards and personalized favors! Showcasing your love story through different elements helps create an unforgettable atmosphere for everyone involved on such a momentous occasion! For destination weddings specifically, leaving time for exploration helps create an unforgettable experience for everybody involved in such an important celebration! 

With these tips in mind, you can ensure that every guest has an enjoyable time at your wedding, no matter where it takes place.

So don't be afraid to get creative when planning - this is YOUR special

90 Minutes for Hair and Makeup
Have you heard the saying "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?" This rings especially true when it comes to getting ready for your wedding. Most brides have wished that they had more time before their big day. 

We haven't had a single bride complain about being ready early, not a single one but I have had many of brides complain about the wedding starting late, missing out on dancing during the reception, first look, personal photos, sunset photos, and just moments in general.  
 
Trust us, it can feel like too much time but consider a traditional salon experience, your stylist has all her tools setup at her disposal and access to everything that she could need or she can ask her counterpart for something quick but on your wedding day, they are often traveling with alot of tools and doing their very best. Plus the salon doesn't have 5 of your besties all chatting, drinking, and talking all at once. There is so much to take in. 
 
Not only are these things happening around you but your stylist and makeup artist who may have only one interaction with you might find that you want some changes made to your hair or some adjustments to your original look, like tell me you had your makeup trial and didn't go into a dark hole on Instagram for other looks? Guilty?

Be ready 2 hours before the wedding ceremony start time.
Does being done with hair and makeup 2 hours before your wedding sound insane? Well, let's break down what you may still need to do after you are done with hair and makeup: 

• Wedding party robe photos
• Putting on your wedding dress
• Putting on your wedding undergarments and accessories
• Taking a potty break
• Tidying up the room for videographers and/or photographers
• First look with your spouse 
• First look with your parents
• Bridal portraits
• Pre-planned pre-ceremony photos
• Room reveal(s) 

It sounds insane right now but just ask a recently married bride why their wedding started late, oftentimes you'll find that this is simply due to the fact that they ran late with hair and makeup.  

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Wedding planners, wedding coordinators, event planners, event coordinators, event designers... there are a lot of terms for wedding and event professionals and they may sound one in the same. The roles of each are similar but there are distinct differences between them all. If that isn't already confusing enough, most wedding and event planners also offer coordination services.

We're here to help you make sense of it all! Keep on reading to learn more about each and the roles they play when it comes to your big wedding or event day.

Wedding or Event Planner
A wedding or event planner helps you plan aspects of your event, with the the level of service usually differing amongst package options. Most planning packages will also include coordination services from the planner or someone on the planner's team. Planners help you in many ways, from recommending vendors and venues, to scheduling appointments, to managing RSVP's, to developing the event theme & concept, to floor plans and more.

Wedding Planners often focus their services on weddings but some may also offer event services. For Event Planners, some may offer services for all events, but others may specialize in a certain type of event planning. These categories include but are not limited to:
-Non Profit Event Planners: Plans non profit and charity events such as galas, fundraisers, auctions, and more.
-Corporate Event Planners: Plans corporate events such as company launch parties, dinners, luncheons, seminars, company parties and retreats, company conferences, and more.
-Meeting and Conference Planners: This planner specializes in planning meetings and conferences that are usually on the larger scale.
-Social Event Planners: Plans social events such as birthday parties, baby showers, engagement parties, graduation parties, wedding showers, holiday parties, themed parties, and more.
-Virtual Event Planners: Specialize in planning and gaining awareness for online events.

Wedding or Event Designer
Wedding or event designers specialize in design and decor, being experts at making your event visions come to life. Event designers may offer their own planning & coordination services or work closely with other planners, allowing them to focus solely on design.

Event Production
​Event production focuses on behind-the-scenes tasks such as lighting, audio-visual, video, stages, and more. Event production works closely with the planner to assure the production is on par with the planning.

It can be tricky to know what the first steps are when it comes to planning a wedding. There are many places you can start and a lot of resources you can look into, but let's be honest... it can be very overwhelming. Events Unleashed likes to start with our 10 questions for getting to know our client's and their wedding value. The following questions are a great baseline for getting to know your couple and understanding their overall wedding goals and values. If you are a bride or groom-to-be reading this post, welcome! These questions are a great start for planners and couples.

​#1: Tell me about you and your fiancé. How did you guys meet, strengths, things you like about each other?
Getting to know your couple and their story not only creates a more personal relationship, but gives you more insight to their goals and vision for their big day.

#2: What brings you to us and why do you find it valuable to have a planner in your corner? 
This question allows you to gain insight on how you're acquiring potential clients, and in return allows you to provide more insight about the value you can bring as a planner to the potential client.

​#3: What aspects of your event are most important to you (food, entertainment, timely start, attendance)?
Every couple is unique with what aspects of the wedding are most important to them. Finding out which are most important to each couple allows you to prioritize when creating the budget.

​#5: What are some of your current concerns related to your event and why?
Finding out your couples concerns allows you to talk them through the concern and help with a preliminary solution and/or suggestion. This allows you to show value upfront, while providing your potential clients some peace of mind.

​#6: Who is going to be the best point of contact for the services?
Establishing the point-of-contact upfront allows for better follow-ups and communication.

#7: What are some areas you feel you need expertise in?
Get to know the areas where your client feels like they need your help. This allows you to learn their expectations, learn what level of service they need from you, and establish a baseline for services.

#8: What is your budget and how have you allocated spending thus far?
It's important to understand your client's budget and what they have spent thus far. This will affect how budget management will go moving forward.

#9: What vendors are currently on your radar and why (cake, photography, venue)?
Asking this question allows you to learn what vendors your client is interested in and what vendors they may need your help in learning about/acquiring. 

#10: What would it take for us to earn your business?
Establish open communication to learn exactly what the client is looking for and how you can be a part of their dream day.

We hope our 10 questions for getting to know your client's and their wedding value helps you create better relationships, gain more insight, and plan more beautiful weddings. 

Be sure to check back for more planning tips & advice and follow us on our Instagram and Pinterest to stay up to date with our recent events and inspo. Let’s Unleash Together!
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​Post written by Kaley M. for Events Unleashed.

Planning a wedding can be stressful... but planning your day-of timeline can be even crazier! Planning a day down the exact minute can be time-consuming and intimidating, but don't worry— Events Unleashed has your back. We're sharing our top tips on how to craft the perfect wedding day timeline! Be sure to download our FREE step by step guide on crafting your wedding day timeline at the end of this post.

Tips for Crafting Wedding Day Timelines

1. Start from scratch.
It may be tempting to download a blank template and fill in the blanks, but we recommend starting from scratch. Although sample templates are great to work from, every wedding has unique logistics. The last thing you want is to fill in a template that doesn't have a space for a special moment you wanted to incorporate— this can lead to having to restart or shift your timeline you've been working hard on, or forgetting to include the moment all together.
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2. Remember to include the whole day. 
Sometimes we get so excited about laying out the details for the ceremony and reception, that we forget to include important times for the vendors such as your photographer and hair and makeup artists.

3. Decide on if you want to have a First Look.
First looks are a sweet intimate moment with you and your partner before the start of the ceremony. The photographer is present to capture all the feels. If you prefer to have you walking down the aisle being the first time you see your partner, this will create a different flow in your wedding timeline. Most couple portraits can be done during the first look if a couple chooses to partake in one. If they opt out of a first look, all portraits need to be taken after the ceremony, during cocktail hour.

According to Wedding Wire's 2019 NewlyWed Report, the average couple spends $38,700 for their wedding ceremony and reception, rings, and honeymoon. With the ever-so-increasing cost of having a wedding, some couples are opting to micro-weddings. Micro-weddings are a way to simplify planning and decrease costs while still having the pinterest and instagram-worthy wedding of your dreams. 

Intimacy
Planning a wedding can be stressful when it comes to not only how many people to invite but who. When you only include immediate family and your closest friends, your ceremony and reception will be filled with intimate, close-knit love and support.

Personalization
Having a guest list of 20 vs 120 allows for more freedom and choice when it comes to your wedding day. When catering to a smaller guest count, you may have the room to splurge on those smaller details that you wouldn't have been able to before. 

Budget
Nowadays it's less common to have parent's cover all or even half of the wedding costs. With student loans and demanding jobs, a sure way to keep a small wedding budget is by decreasing the guest count.

Simplicity
Not having to keep track of 150 RSVP responses never hurt nobody, right?! A tiny guest count makes daunting wedding planning tasks more simple.

Less Stress
By making things more simple, having more freedom to personalize your day, having your closest friends and family by your side, and spending less money, you can make for a less stressful, more joyous day.