East West Event Productions

Guest Post

2011-03-28T20:20:00.000-07:00

Check out my guest post on the Event Manager Blog.

"Wedding Planner’s Toolbox: 10 Tools to Help You Plan Your Wedding"

Happy Planning!

Published!

2010-07-11T19:24:00.000-07:00

I'm a published writer now! The Summer 2010 Issue of Serendipity Magazine is now on stands at Barnes & Noble, CVS, and Bristol Farms all over California.

Go check out my two articles in there!

Thanks so much to the vendors and contributors who sent me quotes and allowed me to interview them for the articles. I so appreciate your time and contribution!

5th Annual Talent 1 Media Film Festival!

2010-06-14T16:57:00.001-07:00

After a rather interesting weekend of car battery dying, getting a new car, and still making it to the beautiful Valencia wedding I coordinated (which I will HAVE to post photos when available, absolutely gorgeous!) - I'm ready for the next event! Which is....

The 5th Annual Talent 1 Media Film Festival!

I've been helping out with this film festival for several years now - such a great event highlighting and spreading awareness on the issue of human trafficking.

I'm so excited to see all the films the amazingly talented filmmakers put together. Please come join me! You won't be disappointed!

Details:
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Film Festival & Reception 3pm - 11pm
(Various food trucks will be onsite from 2pm - 12am; see complete list below)

Japanese American Cultural and Community Center
244 South San Pedro Street
(between 2nd and 3rd Streets)
Los Angeles (Little Tokyo), CA 90012

Admission: FREE

Food Trucks onsite:

Coolhaus (Saturday 2 - 4pm)
http://www.eatcoolhaus.com/

Komodo Food (Saturday 4 - 8pm)
http://komodofood.com/

Dumpling Station (Saturday 4 - 8pm)
http://www.dumplingstation.com/

Buttermilk Truck (Saturday 4 - 8pm)
http://buttermilktruck.com/

Sweets Truck (Saturday 4 - 8pm)
http://www.thesweetstruck.com/

Doug the Coffee Guy (Saturday 8pm - 12am)
http://dougthecoffeeguy.com/

Frysmith (Saturday 8pm - 12am)
http://eatfrysmith.com/

Slice Truck (Saturday 8pm - 12am)
http://www.slicetruck.com/

Dosa Truck (Saturday 8pm - 12am)
http://www.dosatruck.com/

Honestly, it's NOT about the details

2010-06-03T17:39:00.001-07:00

Often times, I sense and hear clients' frustrations when planning their weddings. They get bogged down with the little details - what colors, fonts, patterns, etc. etc. If things aren't exactly the way they want it, they freak out. Some do so more than others. I totally get it - wedding planning is very stressful if you let the details get to you. (Technically, you don't have to - if you have an AWESOME coordinator who will figure out the details for you.)

With all the wedding sites and blogs I subscribe to, I see tedious DIY projects like personal tissue holders or hand stamped invitations, and I think to myself, "WOW, how do people have time and the will to do that?" But I know everyone's priorities differ, some things people will put more effort into, others people won't.

Honestly, it's NOT about the wedding, or the details, what's most important is the MARRIAGE. Yes, you are having a wedding to show your loved ones your lifelong commitment to your significant other. But that's just it, it's a show, simply a one day event. The marriage is for life.

I'm learning this more and more as I start thinking about my own wedding. What are my priorities? Who are my closest family and friends? This period has been very contemplative for me. (Oh yeah, for those of you who haven't heard - the wedding planner is finally engaged! Yup, I got engaged a month ago! No more "always a planner, never a bride" )

Note to self and readers: Make sure to have your priorities straight, to have fun, and remember that you're celebrating the joyous occasion with your loved ones.

I made it to 2nd!

2010-04-12T20:22:00.000-07:00

This is long overdue - but on April 2nd, East West Event Productions was announced as the 2nd place Best Wedding Planner in Orange County on the MyFoxLA Hotlist! 2nd out of 41 nominees! Crazy!

It is an amazing honor as my business is based purely from word of mouth referrals, so THANK YOU - ALL OF YOU - for your undying support and love.

Wish Upon A Wedding!

2010-03-08T19:50:00.000-08:00

I want to take some time to introduce to you a great non-profit organization - Wish Upon a Wedding! I'm passionate about this organization as it involves my 2 interests - wedding/event planning and helping those in need!

Wish Upon a Wedding was founded in San Francisco, CA, in January of 2010, by a group of wedding and business entrepreneurs. It is America’s FIRST nonprofit wedding wish granting organization, producing weddings and civil union ceremonies at destinations across the United States for individuals facing terminal illness, regardless of sexual orientation. Boasting twenty chapters nationwide, it is headed by some of the industry’s most renowned leaders.

To qualify for Wishes, applicants must be unmarried legal citizens of the United States, over the age of 18, who have been diagnosed with less than three years to live. Simply apply online to request one of three wedding types: URGENT (Up to 10 guests, in hospital or at bedside); BOUTIQUE (up to 25 guests, in home town of applicant); ROMANTIC (Up to 50 guests, at any WUW destination) Wish Granters (any event/wedding professional) needed in all locations. Please apply online today to start helping us make Wedding Wishes come true.

Take a look at the story of Florence and Michael, the first WUW wish recipients hailing from Elk Grove, CA http://wishuponawedding.org/the-story-behind-florence/
http://wishuponawedding.org/florence-michael-wedding-wish/

Featured!

2010-02-19T08:57:00.001-08:00

Recently, Drexelle and her husband David from D. Park Photography approached me with an opportunity to feature me on their blog - all I had to do was answer some questions about my business and wedding planning services; in return, I would receive edited digital headshots. Of course I jumped at the chance!

Not only do I partake in a fun photoshoot with a talented, up and coming husband/wife photographer team; but I also can use those headshots for my website! (Much needed as the current photo on my website is horrendous!) Double score!

Here is the great post that Drexelle typed up:

http://dparkphotography.blogspot.com/

She did a great job showcasing who I am and what I do. Love it!

Thanks for featuring me, D. Park Photography!

Please vote for me! Best Wedding Planner in OC!

2010-02-12T13:45:00.001-08:00

I'm against some tough competition, but I would really appreciate everyone's votes! If you know of my work or have worked with me at any time - please do vote for me! Thanks!

http://myfoxla.cityvoter.com/east-west-event-productions/biz/533778

Why should event planners care about Social Media?

2010-02-08T19:20:00.000-08:00

This is an awesome summary on why event planners should care about Social Media!

http://www.eventcoup.com/what-the-hell-is-social-media-in-2-minutes

Directly copied from the post...

(start)

Why the HELL should I care? Here are 10 really, REALLY good reasons…

REASON #1
Because social media is now the number one online activity beating porn and personal email to the top spot.
(Nielsen Wire)

REASON #2
Because 2/3 of the global internet population visit social networks.
(Nielsen, Global Faces & Networked Places)

REASON #3
Because time spent on social networks is growing at 3x the overall internet rate, accounting for 10% of all internet time.
(Nielsen, Global Faces & Networked Places)

REASON #4
Because online including social media has become the most influential source in helping consumer make purchasing decisions.
(Weber Shandwick Inline Research)

REASON #5
Because millions of people are creating their own content for the social web.
Your competitors are already there.
Your customers have been there for a long time.
If your business isn't putting itself out there, it ought to be.
(Business Week)

REASON #6
Because the next 3 billion consumers will access the internet from a mobile device.
People will update anytime, anywhere.
Imagine what that means for bad customer experiences!
(Wired Magazine UK)
This is called the super-fresh web
The ‘super-fresh’ web will force brands to engage with its customers

REASON #7
Because Facebook is now the operating system of the social web. It has won the social networking war
If Facebook were a country it would be bigger than the USA and 3rd largest in the World
Facebook added 200 million users in less than a year
Facebook adds ½ million users every day
On target for ½ billion users by December 2010
5 billion: The number of minutes spent on Facebook each day
1 billion: The amount of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photos, etc.) shared each week on Facebook.
Additional note: 350+ million Facebook users as of January 2010 out of which 50% log on everyday.
(Facebook)

REASON #8
Because Twitter believes it will have 1 billion users by 2012.
If this happens it will become the pulse of the planet
(Twitter)

REASON #9
Because one way marketing has had its day!
Stop thinking “campaigns”. Start thinking “conversations”.
Listening first, selling second

REASON #10
Because in almost all cases social media is free.
All it will cost you is time.

Inspired by the genius work of Marta Kagan author of WHAT THE F**K IS SOCIAL MEDIA
(end)

Social Media has truly revolutionized life, work, and culture! Thanks for posting, Event Coup!

Next up...how I personally use Social Media in regards to my event planning biz.

T minus!

2010-01-31T21:28:00.000-08:00

This post is 3 months in the making! (Well, more due to my procrastination) By request, here is a timeline of action items to piggyback on my previous post on Fundraisers, Benefits, and Cause Events.

If you have any more questions on this topic, feel free to comment on this post or email me at info@eastwesteventproductions.com!

6 Months - 12 Months Prior

Define the purpose for your event - Is it to raise awareness or to raise funds? Or both?
Determine your budget - How much do you want to spend and if you are donating profits to a cause, how much is your goal to raise?
Decide on the W's - Who? What? Why? When? Where?
Who? = Who is your audience? How many expected guests? Any partners you can work together with?
What? and Why? = see above - purpose and goal. What type of event do you want to hold? What type of atmosphere do you want to convey? An upscale affair? A fun soiree?
When? and Where? - time and location is obviously crucial. Make sure the venue fits with your purpose and theme. For example, and this is an extreme example - if you are holding an awareness event on human trafficking, it wouldn't be wise to hold the event at a nightclub, where who knows - human trafficking might exist under that same roof.
There are several logistical issues you should think about as well - Is there sufficient parking? Is security necessary? What type of catering is needed? Will you be providing entertainment?
Start enlisting and contracting your vendors and partners at this time.

3-6 Months Prior

Next up, start creating your guest list.
Create invitations and flyers for your guests. To save on costs, electronic is the way to go! A great site to create invitations and ticket tracking is: Event Brite
A great way to raise monetary funds and in-kind donations is by developing a Press/Sponsorship Package and going around to local businesses. Local businesses are usually great about supporting efforts in their direct community, especially if they know what they would be getting in return. Perhaps an ad in your event program or an opportunity for their coupons to be distributed at your event? Here is a nitty gritty guide on how to put together a Sponsorship Package.
Form a publicity and marketing plan - How will you promote your event?
Follow up with your vendors to make sure everything is according to plan.

1-2 Months Prior

Get cracking on promoting your event if you haven't already done so! The heaviest promoting should happen at this time. Use all social networking venues - they're viral and FREE!
Find and buy decor to use at your event.
Do venue walk throughs with your event staff, partners, and vendors.
Ensure the A/V is well equipped at your venue for your needs.
Recruit volunteers - churches, student organizations, local task forces, etc, are great avenues!
Continue to synch up with your vendors by holding regular meetings or calls.

1 Week Prior

Determine you guest count, create a check in sheet, and name badges.
Confirm all venue arrangements and vendors.
Make sure final payments are arranged.
Event rehearsal should take place with all entertainers and stake holders.
Assign staff/volunteers to their specific stations or tasks. It is helpful to create a detailed day-of timeline so everyone knows exactly where they need to be at what time.
Create event signage to direct guests.
Assemble favors and gift bags if any.

Day Of

Prepare and set up check in list, name badges, signage, favors, equipment, etc.
Do a sound check at least an hour before the event.
Make sure staff and volunteers are at their designated spots.
Pick up and set up catering if necessary.
Decorate event space.
Open doors once everything is ready to go!
Have the event!
Collect donations at the door or during the event with various jars/boxes placed throughout the venue.

Follow Up

Count the donations and send to appropriate charity.
Make final payments and settle invoices.
Write follow up releases - How many people attended? How much money was raised?
Send a thank you note to guests via Event Brite or social networking sites.

WHEW! That is a lot to think about. (I apologize for this text heavy post!) But with time and coordination from all involved parties, the event is sure to turn out well!

2010! A year of great possibilities!

2010-01-12T20:18:00.000-08:00

Happy 2010 folks! I am super excited for this new year and foresee so much change and potential for not only myself, but this business as well. It is officially YEAR 2 for East West Event Productions! I'm looking forward to working with everyone - clients and vendors alike!

I understand that there are readers out there who follow this blog - I truly apologize as I've been horrible at updating towards the latter part of 2009. To keep myself accountable, I am listing potential blog entries I have in mind for this year. I intend to update this blog at least twice a month with a worthwhile entry.

Topics include:

Finish T-schedule for fundraising and non-profit events (still in draft form!)
Friendor highlights on Harrison Long Photography, Chosen Creations, Petit Plume, Blossom Hill Florists, The Baking Lawyer, Ever Ours, Skybox Event Productions, among others
Photo recaps on weddings coordinated in 2009
Social media & events - a topic that I'm very intrigued by
"Real World: Event Planner" - thoughts on what being an event planner really entails

Stay tuned! And I give you permission to harass me if I don't live up to this promise!

Ring in the new year!

2009-12-17T13:39:00.000-08:00

Blog FAIL!

I haven't been updating this blog and also failed to mention this fabulous New Year's Eve party I'm hosting with Skybox Event Productions, Platinum Peaks Entertainment, and The Flower Tray.

Party for a cause and at a great price!

http://midnightattheloft2010.eventbrite.com/

Come ring in the new year with all of us! It'll be a great time of drinking, dancing, desserts, and much much more!

Tweet!

2009-10-11T23:57:00.000-07:00

I am now on Twitter (thanks to the NEW palm pre)! Follow me @Shana_EWEP!

Still working on a T-schedule for fundraising and non-profit events. Coming soon!

Downtime

2009-09-25T13:37:00.001-07:00

Random Musing....

I know I've been following up on wedding blogs/sites WAYYYY too much when I went to Knot.com last night only to find that it was down for a scheduled maintenance. And then had to go check again immediately this morning to see if it was back up.

Well, it IS back up! On to research more photographers! =)

Cost Saving Tips for Fundraisers, Benefits, or Cause Events

2009-09-21T22:39:00.000-07:00

Oops, I apologize for my 3 week hiatus. Been busy attending many networking functions and bridal shows!

As promised, I am now going to divulge cost saving tips for fundraisers, benefits, or cause related events!

I am such a penny pincher when it comes to these types of events, since the ultimate goal is to raise awareness and $$, it would defeat the purpose if excessive spending were involved.

I pride in my efforts on putting on quality events on a budget so I will still spend the money when necessary, but if I can do it for less or FREE, I will! In this economy, saving money is always good for you and your organization right?

Some key areas to cut costs:

1) Marketing
2) Decor
3) Entertainment
4) Staff
5) Food & Drinks

1) Marketing

Unless you are living under a rock, you must have heard of social networking. Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace are all great ones to market your event for zero cost. The medium depends on who your target audience are: Facebook for your close networks, Twitter for cause/topic related followers, and Myspace for a wider (and younger) audience. You can even create invites to distribute widely to your networks or fan pages for people to join. Best of all, things that are posted on social networking sites spread like wildfire - make sure your event or cause stands out and other people will do the marketing for you!
If you need to get an accurate count of who and how many people will be attending your event, you can use Evite or the event invites on the networking sites mentioned above.
Be green and forego the event flyers and rave cards. Create an eye-catching softcopy flyer or postcard and send out via the networking sites and email. Post on your blog or website and ask friends to too. Who really holds on to paper flyers anyways? They just get tossed out immediately. You will save money and trees!

e-flyer from last year's OneHeart event at UCI

2) Decor

I'm not afraid to admit - I heart Dollar Tree! Out of all the various 99 cent or dollar stores you can choose from, I've found the Dollar Tree to have the best selection and least tacky items. You can find table cloths, catering serveware, balloons, and thousands of decor items. I have decorated several Christmas trees using ONLY Dollar Tree items around the holidays.
Check out the LA Flower District (in Downtown) or the OC Flower Mart in Santa Ana. You can get cheap flowers for $1 or less each, depending on what flowers you are looking for. Buy a bunch, cut, arrange nicely in a glass vase and VOILA! - you have an affordable and easy decor piece. You can also use loose petals to decorate tables.
Your house is a hidden treasure chest! I'm sure you can find so many things laying around your house that you can use for event decor - baskets, vases, teapots (also great to display flowers in), doilies, lanterns/lamps, art pieces, random trinkets. Don't be afraid to be creative!

basket filled with tulips

3) Entertaiment

Hiring entertainment can get costly - do you really have hundreds of dollars to spend on a DJ or live band? If not, try approaching local college and high school art and music programs. There are talented students out there waiting for any opportunity to showcase their skills.
Through several years of planning events and networking, I've met many accomplished professionals and even people who just do their hobbies on the side - such as painting or photography. A lot of them belong to community clubs and organizations who share the same interests as them. A great way to recruit talent is to contact a local jazz organization, photo club, or artist community. Many of the fundraising and awareness events I've helped coordinate have involved local pro-bono talent! Most people would love to contribute to a good cause.

los angeles photo club (taken from the facebook group)

4) Staff

Churches and religious organizations are almost always the first to jump at volunteer opportunities and supporting a good cause. My church has always been super supportive of events I've coordinated.
College and high school students are the voice of this generation. Get one person between the age of 16-22 on fire for something and you'll get dozens more. Refer back to point #1 on Marketing.
This is a no brainer - friends and family are your biggest allies!

newsong church - a third culture community

5) Food & Drinks

For the most part, a big chunk of your event budget will go towards food and drinks. However, some or all of your food and drinks may be donated by local businesses if you just ask. Be prepared with a sponsorship letter explaining the purpose of your event, kind of audience, how many reached, and why supporting your event would benefit their business. Some businesses may also require a tax ID for sponsorship. I've had businesses like Whole Foods, Fresh & Easy, Lollicup Coffee & Tea, and Starbucks donate food and drink items for my events in the past. The idea of corporate responsibility to the surrounding community is a BIG issue these days. *NOTE: Sponsorships and donations are on a case by case basis. The businesses listed here are NOT guaranteed to donate to your event.
In lieu of admission, you could ask guests to bring a dish or dessert and have a festive potluck for the event! If your event is theme based - for example: a sustainable "green" event - suggest that attendees bring all green or organic foods. Have fun with it!

potluck time!

Cost Saving Tips for Weddings

2009-08-31T15:27:00.001-07:00

My dear friends Judy and Zak Zajac launched their new podcast today - Zajacs at Large. From their own words - "The audiocast features a range of interesting topics… some things will make you feel angry, happy, relief, or impartial. The main idea is that we get everyone talking and speaking their minds!"

Guess what the topic of their first episode is? - WEDDINGS! Yes, weddings - almost my favorite topic. (Although I enjoy planning and talking about weddings, I wouldn't say that is my top interest in the event world. I actually enjoy planning fundraisers and benefit parties even more because everyone is united by a similar cause.)

Anyways, in the podcast, Judy and Zak share how costly weddings really are (average wedding in the U.S. costs $28,000) - which turned them away from having a traditional wedding. They opted to do a Vegas wedding instead, which only cost them $4,000.

There are definitely ways to cut costs on your wedding, and it really just depends on where your priorities lie. Spend more on those non-negotiables and maybe cut things out that are frivolous.

Here are some cost-saving tips (in no particular order):

Destination Wedding! It's nice to extend invitations to family and friends for your destination wedding, in let's say, Hawaii. But not very many will be able to go, which can be good since it would substantially cut down the RSVP list as well as costs! Which brings me to my next point....
Smaller Guest List: If you don't want to spend a lot on your wedding, cut down your guest list! 60% of wedding costs are from the venue and food & beverage expenses. Less people means less money spent on catering costs!

Stay away from Saturdays: The most expensive days for weddings are Saturdays. Most venues offer discounted rental fees or packages for Fridays and Sundays - even more so on Monday - Thursdays! The best idea I've heard was a recent bride who chose to have her wedding on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. That probably saved her thousands on the venue! Genius!
Ask Friends: I'm sure we all have talented friends in various fields. Why not ask them to help out? Whether it be your cousin who is a hair stylist or a family friend who enjoys creating invitations or a coworker who puts together amazing slideshows, these people would probably be more than happy to help you in your wedding planning. It is definitely nice to offer compensation and at the very least, offer to pay for all materials. But if they don't accept or this is completely out of your budget, let them know that they can use their services as their wedding gift to you. Be sure to thank them and emphasize your appreciation! Note: One thing that I would not skimp on is photography. You can read my earlier post on that HERE.

Rentals: Instead of spending tons of money on a designer wedding dress you'll wear for 1 day and then leave in your closet forever, why not rent a wedding dress instead? You can rent a designer dress for 1/3 of the cost and never have to worry about it again! Sure, you knew about dress rentals, but I bet you didn't know about cake rentals! Shippable faux cakes that look like cakes from Ace of Cakes and extravagant cake competitions on the Food Network start at $175 on http://www.cakerental.com/. There's even an edible cake portion placed in a hidden compartment in the back of the bottom layer of the cake - for photography and cake cutting ceremony purposes. Guests can't eat the faux cake since it's made out of styrofoam, but you can buy sheet cakes at Costco for $16 a sheet (feeds 50) to serve guests. Just exchange the faux cake with cut up sheet cake and guests will never know the difference!

Cut Videography: This is really a personal opinion since I don't value videography as much as photography. For me, I wouldn't even hire a videographer for my wedding. As much as I would think I'd like to reminisce about my wedding day, I don't think I would take the time to sit down and watch hours of footage. However, when I get nostalgic, I can just flip through the photo albums. I actually saw a wedding video that was just a recording of everyone taking photos (with the family and table photos) - that was pretty lame. A slideshow of the photos is sufficient unless of course if there was a cool dance involved at the wedding that must be recorded.

Seating Chart: Instead of having escort cards, create a fun seating chart instead and post up right outside of the reception site. You can even give printed copies of your guest/table list to your ushers and ask them to help escort or point guests to their tables. Here are some samples:

Stay tuned for upcoming posts on "Cost Saving Tips" for other types of events!

Side note: If you enjoyed the Zajacs at Large podcast, check out Judy and Zak's company website: Verudia, LLC for more.

Surprise!

2009-08-27T10:21:00.001-07:00

Just read this post on 100 Layer Cake and had to share:

http://100layercake.com/blog/archives/1345

A surprise wedding for their guests put together in 7 days! How amazing is that!

So brides, no fret - if this couple can do it in 7 days, your 7 months is plenty of time!

P.S. - For those of you reading on Facebook, I know some of you are confused - why is she always talking about weddings??!!! This is actually a direct feed from my event planning blog located here: http://eastwesteventproductions.blogspot.com/

P.P.S. - I like postscripts.

It is not cheap...

2009-08-26T10:09:00.000-07:00

...to be a wedding guest.

Allow me to explain. Although I do love attending weddings and feel honored for being included in a couple's momentous occasion, it is not friendly to the wallet.

For females, you have the bridal shower, then the bachelorette party, then the wedding (and for some, not too long after - the baby shower). How much do these really add up?

Check out the following post on Weddingbee in which one blogger details her expenses:
http://www.weddingbee.com/2009/08/26/the-cost-of-being-a-wedding-guest/

Shower:
Gift: $50 (made stationery)
Travel: $35 for rental car that day (I was in town anyway, but required a rental car that day to get from where I was staying to the shower)

Bachelorette Party:
Travel to (Oakland to Las Vegas flight): $260
Cab/Shuttle fares (various throughout the weekend): $100
Lodging/gift chip in/cabana chip in/bottle service at club chip in: $275
Food (including chip in for bride’s meals) 4 meals: $100

Wedding:
Gift: $125
Travel (gas to drive round trip to Southern California): $80
Lodging (2 nights): $250
Food for 2 people (Mr. Peng and me): $120

TOTAL: $1395

Wow that is a hefty number!

As much as the hosts of the weddings complain about how costly the functions are, the guests have it pretty rough too.

P.S. - For the wedding guest newbies - it's good ettiquette to give at least $100 (or close to) as a wedding gift. You're pretty much paying for your attendance and meal at the event. I've had someone say to me that he thought you didn't need to bring gifts to weddings. That weddings were a free event. Uh...wrong! I assure you that if you show up empty handed or with a cheapo gift, the couple is NOT going to be happy with you.

P.P.S. - Don't get me wrong. This is NOT a knock on weddings nor the engaged couples hosting them at all. I LOVE LOVE LOVE participating in weddings and find much joy in that weddings are a place where people are reconnected. Weddings are truly celebrations. Many THANKS to the couples who have allowed me to partake as a guest in their wedding festivities.

Just wanted to share from a guest's perspective.

Worth 1000 words

2009-08-25T11:23:00.000-07:00

Pictures are worth 1000 words. Here are some photos from Jisun and Dan's wedding at the Grand Events Center in Long Beach.

Colors were black, white, and pink. Absolutely stunning!

Photos courtesy of Vince & Carla. (Also - congratulations on the recent addition to their family - a new baby boy!)

The 3/50 Project

2009-08-19T20:44:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to blog about this, although it's not directly events related, but I think it's a great "project" to contribute to and make a part of your life routine. The boyfriend and I just started this last week; and plan on spending at least $50 in 3 independent stores or restaurants a month.

My first contribution was to the Sweet & Saucy Shop in Long Beach, CA for their Grand Opening. I bought 2 of their delicious cake lollipops! So many event vendors are considered independent (only if they have a storefront) - bakeries, restaurants that cater, gift boutiques, etc. Why not stop in and support all those indie business owners!

Recession Buster of the Week - The 3/50 Project

It’s time we own this recession and get busy rebuilding and supporting our communities and our country.

The 3/50 project was born out of the concept of buying local to build the economy.
How do you support your local business and stores when your pocket book is so slim?

1. Pick 3 independently owned businesses that you would miss if they disappeared. Stop in. Say hello. Pick up something that brings a smile. Your purchases are what keeps those businesses around.

2. If half the employed population spent $50 each month in local independent businesses, it would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue annually. Imagine the positive impact if 3/4 of the employed population did that!

3. For every $100 spent in locally owned independent stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures. If you spend that in a national chain only $43 stay here.

4. The number of people it takes to start the trend…one….you!

Read more about the 3/50 project here http://www.the350project.net/media.html
*Idea taken from the BargainsLA.com Weekly Newsletter and the 3/50 Project.

Amazing!

2009-08-16T20:14:00.000-07:00

The Party at 511 for Angela and Grace was AMAZING! I really cannot take any credit for the work that was put into this event - all I really had to do was show up!

The talent line up was a good mix of dance, music, and spoken word. The food was absolutely incredible! So many volunteers dedicated their time and resources to this event, that everything went so smoothly.

Some highlights:

1) Cajun Vic's mouth watering gumbo! My friends and I could not stop going back for seconds, thirds, fourths...
I am a fan of southern comfort food and this is by far the best southern dish I have tasted. Cajun Vic is a native of Louisiana and now has a catering business based out of Huntington Beach. He has an amazing story to tell too, you should read about him on his website - http://www.cajunvics.com/. Definitely a friendly and admirable guy!

2) Andy Windak - food blogger and photography extraordinaire! He also does animation! Such a multi-talented individual. He takes different foods that he has experienced and tries to recreate the recipes. One of his fave are caneles, which he brought out to share with us - chewy, sugary, delectable goodness. Don't know what they are? Check it out on his blog here: http://www.windattack.com/?p=109

3) Matt Shockley - up and coming musical artist! I really don't want to put him in a box and tie him down to one genre since he does have a very unique sound so you just have to hear him for youself. http://www.mattshockley.com/He has FREE shows all over Southern California so catch one in your area!

Mad props to Angela and Grace for putting this together and giving me the opportunity to be a part of this great event! I don't know the exact numbers yet but last I heard, over $1000 was collected at the door to give to PATH and over 100 people were present! AMAZING!

UPDATED NUMBERS: 200 guests were in attendance and $2000 was raised for PATH and 5Eleven. Read more here:
http://partyat511.blogspot.com/2009/08/2000-and-more.html

Picture time!

the guests of honor

the event space

me doing my thang

dessert table

pretty flowers

andy windak!

Me? Speak??!!!

2009-08-13T11:24:00.001-07:00

I was recently invited by Nadia, the Program Coordinator for the Asian Pacific Islander Student Resource Center at Cal State LA to participate in a career workshop there. Me, being the student involvement advocate (I was in several organizations in college), of course I jumped on the opportunity. Plus, someone is actually inviting me to speak??!!! That is a great honor.

I can't say that I have my career all figured out, but I do know that event planning is something I want to do in the long haul. I'm happy to dish out guidance and advice to confused and curious college students - I was there once too.

So, if you're free and in the area, stop by for an hour and hear me speak about my experiences regarding my career and event planning!

API’s Work(in) It: Popular Industries among Asian and Asian American Students
Time and Date: 3:15pm to 4:30pm, Wednesday, October 28th, 2009
Location: Los Angeles Room A, U-SU, CSULA
Concept:
Professionals in various fields will provide students suggestions on how to improve their skills and become marketable in their career search. This workshop features professionals in fields/industries that have had a typically high percentage of the Asian and Asian American population. Current professionals who identify as Asian Pacific Islander will be featured as panelists and participants will be able to participate in small groups to have a more intimate conversation with each professional affiliated with their field of interest. This event will also encourage students to bring their resumes as conversation starters!

Personal note: So interesting how Nadia found me. She is a follower of the Angry Asian Man blog, who posted about Grace and Angela's party this Saturday. Then she went to their party blog and saw that I was coordinating and then contacted me via my EWEP website! Very cool!

Oh the power of social networking! This business has truly been blessed because of how supportive everyone has been. I do virtually NO advertising except for my blog and website, but there are still people out there who find me...and it's mostly via word of mouth referrals. It's been great meeting the various clients and vendors that people have connected me to.

So THANK YOU - readers, friends, family for your encouragement and support. Know that words cannot express how grateful and appreciative I am. Cheeeeese.

Left my heart in San Francisco...

2009-08-10T17:16:00.000-07:00

or was it my stomach? Anyways, I heart SF! Especially all the yummy food!

This past weekend took an amazing trip with the boyfriend to see some friends in San Francisco. And lightbulbs in my head popped up everywhere we went!

San Francisco is such an eclectic city full of surprises in every corner. Inspirations for wedding/event decor and food can be found in so many places!

How about an engagement photo shoot with a SF cable car?

Photo courtesy of Geoff White Photography. You can see the complete engagement photo session on their blog. Fabulous!

Desserts you found at a farmer's market?

Kingdom Cakes at the Island Farmers Market in the Metreon. With yummy and unique cupcake flavors like "Pancakes n Bacon", "Basil Lemon Blueberry" (pictured above), "Strawberries & Champagne" - how can you resist?

Favor ideas from the many chocolatiers in the city?

This is a cute gift box from Teuscher in Union Square. You can find various whimsical candy boxes on their website.

If you're native to SF, I would suggest exploring the city even more for inspiration for your event or wedding - you never know where you'll see something creative and awe-inspiring! And for the non-SF folks, it doesn't hurt to make a trip up there! You'll fall in love with SF just like I did!

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT: Party at 511!

2009-08-03T12:05:00.000-07:00

I was recently contacted by Angela from Newsong Church to participate in a party that she's putting together with her friend Grace. This celebration will be a benefit party - where the arts, culture and social justice come together. It will also be to celebrate Angela's 29th birthday and Grace's going away. How cool is that? They are turning a celebration which could've been only for exclusive and self-involved reasons, but instead, they chose this to be a public event benefitting some great organizations!

See below for the event announcement:

Bye-Bye Grace… Hello 29! – August 15 (4pm-10pm)

A benefit party: where the arts, culture and social justice come together. Come for food, live artists, great music and fun community!

Proceeds will go towards organizations that Grace Yi and Angela Park love:
PATH (http://epath.org/) and 5Eleven (http://511.urbanartsoutreach.org/)

Date:
Saturday, August 15, 2009

Time:
4pm - 10pm

Location:
5Eleven – Santa Ana’s Creative Space
511 E. Santa Ana Blvd.
Santa Ana, CA 92701

This event is open to the public. Bring your friends and family!
For updates and details: http://partyat511.blogspot.com/ (schedule of events to be posted soon)

I will be onsite to coordinate. Please come support these organizations and enjoy yourselves with some good food and entertainment!

Umbrella - ella - ella!

2009-07-31T23:55:00.000-07:00

One of my clients is having an outdoor ceremony in October with 350 guests. It's an open, grassy field so we can pretty much do whatever we'd like with the space. One caveat is that there's almost NO trees for shade - and as the SoCal folks know, the afternoon sun can get hot! But the wedding is in the middle of Fall, so I'm not too worried.

The bride is concerned about the lack of shade because her side of the family and friends do not like being out in the direct sun. I quickly called around for some estimates on a large canopy, which will fit 350 guests underneath (Ceremony rows only, no tables - reception will be indoors).

Canopies do not come cheap, especially for a 40' x 80' one! Average price quoted was around $1200. Yikes!

So I got to thinking...how about sun umbrellas (aka parasols) instead? They would become part of the ceremony decor - and add color to an otherwise empty grassy field. I would imagine that it would look pretty nice in photos. As guests come in, ushers can hand out the parasols to the female guests or those who wish to use them. There can even be a pretty basket to hold the parasols.

This site has an excellent selection of parasols in various colors, styles, and sizes: http://www.lunabazaar.com/

If one buys in bulk, each parasol is $5.50. In my clients' case, let's say half will use parasols. I'm thinking the men will be fine without one. That would be $962.50. They will be saving close to $300 and guests can take the parasols home as wedding mementos. One vendor even suggested that if we were to rent a canopy of that size, to rent portable fans as well, since it may be stuffy with so many people. There you have it, with this idea, no fans are needed either!

Alright, now I'm going to pitch this idea to my client. Wish me luck!

Friends and DSLR Cameras

2009-07-30T12:14:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed that everyone nowadays has a DSLR camera? Well, I can't blame them - the quality of the cameras are definitely better than the point and shoot ones and at the prices nowadays, the DSLR's are great investments! I'd get one too if I wasn't so forgetful about taking photos. I rely on my friends to remember. (There's usually at least 5 different cameras in a large party.)

I understand people like taking photos, and clear, high definition photos at that, but one gripe I have is when an Average Joe has a DSLR and is confident that they can break into the professional photography business.

When I first launched EWEP, I had many friends try to refer me to various photographer friends. Some whom I met were the actual professional ones, who've took classes and trained in the art of photography. But then some were simply a friend of a friend who owns a DSLR and wants to do wedding/event photography for fun or for low fees.

Photography is a HUGE priority on my list for wedding MUST HAVES. So I don't take photography lightly. Photos serve as memories, and if you don't have quality photos, how are you going to recollect every detail of your special day?

Anyways, Mrs. Avocado said it best in her post on Weddingbee here: http://www.weddingbee.com/2009/07/29/my-friend-has-a-camera-he-can-do-my-photos-right/

"My Friend Has a Camera, He Can Do My Photos. Right?"

WRONG!

Professional photographers are professionals - they have spent years and money on education, equipment, and experience. They will get the best shots and have the creative juices as opposed to your Average Joe.

If your budget is your main concern, there are professional photographers out there that vary in price ranges and sometimes even do complimentary shots or discounted packages. Professional photography does NOT have to be sacrificed due to budget! I promise you that!

Here is a small list of some of my fave professional photographers!

http://www.table4photography.com/
http://www.vinceandcarla.com/
http://www.harrisonlongphotography.com/

Inspired!

2009-07-30T11:59:00.000-07:00

I've been following various event/wedding blogs as of late and have decided that some revamping is in order for my EWEP blog.

I've really only been using this blog as a document of events I've coordinated, but I don't think that's enough. And by the time I come around to updating this thing, months have passed since the event occurred! That's just not acceptable for a self proclaimed perfectionist!

With that said, I am now striving to use this blog as a journal of thoughts, ideas, happenings, links to other relevant blog articles, etc in my event planning world.

First topic - friends and DSLR cameras.

Recap: 4th Annual Talent 1 Media Film Festival

2009-06-19T18:19:00.001-07:00

As I stated in my previous post, the last 3 months I've been assisting Talent 1 Media in putting together their annual film festival in Little Tokyo. This is their 4th year putting this festival on and it just gets bigger and better each year.

A little bit about Talent 1 Media...

Talent 1 Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping emerging filmmakers and artists use their creative talents for the purpose of causing change through raising awareness of social injustices. They offer wonderful and entertaining films, seminars and workshops, and live entertainment throughout their annual film festival, and best of all, the event is FREE! You can find out more information on their website at http://www.talent1media.org.

I had the pleasure of working closely with Sun Kim, Founder of T1M; Johnny Lee, Director of T1M; and an awesome planning team all made up of volunteers. As this is a completely free event for the general public, we had to rely on donations and pro bono work from volunteers. Thanks goes out to generous donors like Whole Foods, Platt Designs, Blossom Hill Florists, Wet Ink Printing, and many many individual donors who contributed cash and in-kind donations for the festival. Because of their kind donations and all the hard working people behind the scenes, we were able to provide food and entertainment for over 900 people, as well as spread awareness on human trafficking to the residents of Southern California and beyond.

My role was the Reception Coordinator, so I was in charge of coordinating all aspects of the evening reception. This included getting the red carpet and step & repeat set up, arranging DJ and music, coordinating catering, and laying out the decor. It was a lot of running around on the day of, but well worth the turn out! I definitely felt blessed to be a part of this amazing event and experience.

Pictures speak thousands of words so I'll just let these pictures do the talking...

Photos courtesy of Ed D. Chu and Frederick Chung

Sneak Peeks: Jisun & Dan's Wedding and T1M Film Festival

2009-06-17T10:33:00.000-07:00

I am the WORST blogger EVER. I am so sorry for the incredibly long lagtime between posts. EWEP has been quite busy these last few months!

I've been working with one of the most amazing couples the last couple of months - Jisun & Dan. They were mucho organized and detail oriented, which made my job so much easier! Their wedding was at the end of May at the Grand Events Center in Long Beach. It turned out fabulous! I will post up a event summary and photos soon.

Another event I've been working on was the 4th Annual Talent 1 Media Film Festival that took place just this past weekend at the Aratani Theatre in Little Tokyo. Being the Reception and Marketing Coordinator, there were a lot of moving parts involved. But with the help of an awesome planning team and 40 volunteers, the event pulled off effortlessly! Photos and summary to come shortly!

Ta-ta for now!

EWEP Website!

2009-03-01T09:30:00.001-08:00

YAY! It is up! After 3 months of prepwork, the EWEP website is officially LIVE! Please do check it out at www.eastwesteventproductions.com and use the contact form for any questions, comments, or feedback. It is greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Special thanks to Heather Feather Design who worked efficiently and expertly in creating a beautiful site, as well as to Steven Nguyen and Table 4 Photography for providing amazing photos. The website could not have been possible without your help!

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day!

2009-01-11T17:19:00.000-08:00

Today is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day!

Some action items you can do: report suspicious behavior to your local law enforcement agency, learn more about the issue and get involved in combating human trafficking via www.ochumantrafficking.org, JustOne, Polaris Project, Not for Sale Campaign, and other cause organizations, buy fair trade products. So many things we can do! It really does happen in our own backyards, but most of the time, we aren't even aware of it or choose to ignore it.

Anyways, as I'm typing this entry, I'm also writing thank you emails to all the people who supported and participated in the OneHeart OC event this past Friday at UCI. Let me just say that it was so awesome to see so many people come together for the cause and do whatever it takes to spread awareness for human trafficking. We were able to raise approximately $1000 to donate to OC Human Trafficking Victim Services - this money will help victims in OC get reacquainted with society. There were 207 people in attendance, 10 community organizations represented, 10 artists and photographers displaying their pieces, 6 performances (music, comedy, and spoken word), 2 films, and a keynote speech.

There were some setbacks such as technical difficulties (hey, it happens, right?) , but overall, the feedback that I received was that it was a great night of education and entertainment around the important issue of human trafficking and modern day slavery.

Thank you to everyone that participated in and attended the event! Special thanks to UCI Chi Alpha, OC Human Trafficking Task Force, and Talent One Media for being amazing partner organizations to work with!

Happy 2009!

2009-01-07T13:42:00.000-08:00

Hello readers! Happy 2009!

I'm hopeful that it will be another great year - but 2008 is a little hard to beat for me, considering it was such an eventful year! Promotion, new relationship, moving, starting East West Event Productions, what more could a girl ask for??!!

Updates:

T-2 days until OneHeart OC! THANK YOU to all the artists, photographers, performers, speakers, partner organizations, supporters, volunteers, etc. Everyone has been so supportive and pleasant to work with! This event could not be possible without each and every one of you! Looking forward to an awesome event on Friday!
Booked 2 weddings - one in May and one in November - very exciting! I really love helping couples make their dream wedding a reality. Thanks to those of you spreading the word about my new business. Referrals are so powerful!
Found out I will be attending a couple weddings as a guest this year. Weddings are so much fun - especially seeing people I haven't seen in ages! 2008 was the year of engagements, 2009 is the year of weddings and babies!
Going to sit on the advisory board of a very dear friend of mine's non profit medical organization. He's trying to develop a children's hospital in rural China. Very cool!
The East West Event Productions website is still underway. Website creation and design is not an easy task!

ONEHEART OC and OC Human Trafficking Task Force

2008-11-26T12:52:00.000-08:00

I am pumped! I just got back from the monthly meeting for the OC Human Trafficking Task Force and it was so awesome to see other people and organizations who are so passionate about combating human trafficking. There were over 40 people in the room from all over Southern California from various non profit, student, religious, and law enforcement organizations!

The main reason I attended this meeting was to promote and ask for community support on a human trafficking awareness event that I'm coordinating, which is taking place in January. The event is being held at the UCI Student Center on Friday, January 9. See flyer below - flyer courtesy of Johnny Lee from Talent One Media. It'll be a night of art, music, spoken word, dance, photography, as well as educational information on human trafficking. I encourage everyone to attend! It'll be a great night of education, entertainment, and empowerment!

Anyways, after the meeting, I had at least 8 different people from various orgs come up to me to offer leads on performers and get more information on how to support the event. One staff member from Golden West College was even interested in re-creating this type of event at Golden West and he wanted to get advice and my planning services. How cool would it be if we could do this on each college campus in SoCal? So many college students would become aware and hopefully empowered around this issue. It's a movement of its own.

I am really excited about this event! I am also learning so much about human trafficking. People often think that it only happens in other countries, but did you know that each year over 15,000 people are trafficked into the U.S.? They are then forced to work in salons, factories, massage parlors, etc. Human trafficking is a common crime in Orange County too! There was just a bust in Westminster recently I believe.

So I like to end my posts with advice or lessons learned when I plan events - kind of like an advice column for event planners or anybody who needs to coordinate special events. In this particular case, I say:

If you are planning an event for a non profit organization or a cause, learn about that org/cause - you have to fully believe and be behind the cause too if you are going to plan an event for them! Otherwise, you're just a phony!
Networking and making connections is SO important in the event planning business. I don't have to explain this one do I?

Alright folks, check out the event flyer below. Hope to see you there! Oh and also check out www.ochumantrafficking.org. Lots of great resources and info on human trafficking in OC there.

A couple things

2008-11-24T16:35:00.000-08:00

1) I know this blog is NOT pretty nor creative. This is a makeshift website/blog until my actual professional website is up. I'm hoping to get the domain - www.eastwesteventproductions.com. Long, but easily remembered right? Timeline for the launch of the website is hopefully March 2009.

2) When people ask me what my dream job is? I answer: event planning. Why? Because I love seeing people having a good time. I don't like being the center of attention, but rather, I like to do behind the scenes work that allow others to enjoy themselves. Ever since college and even high school I've enjoyed setting up get togethers with friends, social outings, day trips, birthday parties, banquets, etc. Almost right after I graduated college, I fell into jobs doing marketing, which consisted heavily of event planning. At Lollicup Corporate, I organized trade shows, Grand Opening celebrations, company events, and conferences. Now at Microsoft, I coordinate all kinds of workshops, seminars, business luncheons, and product launches. These experiences and jobs continued to fuel my passion for events - so I thought, why don't I take what I've learned and start my own business? I really want to use my gifts and talents to help people and organizations to have a good time instead of being bogged down with the details. One desire is to help non profit organizations put on events at low cost or no cost for my planning services, that way they can focus more on their cause!

3) I have not quit my full time job. I am still a Marketing Coordinator at Microsoft doing mostly corporate event planning. This is just a business that I'm doing on the side. I try to spend 10-20 hours each week on plans and projects for East West.

4) Many thanks to the people who pushed and supported me in starting this company up - of course my event planning mentor, Ngoc Nguyen (check her website out at: http://www.skyboxeventproductions.com); my boyfriend, Andrew Brewer; members of Newsong NOC church; my small group members, Sam Song and Art United; and my family.

Jeanie Wang + Sherwin Yen Wedding in Dallas, TX

2008-11-24T13:16:00.001-08:00

This weekend I had the privilege of attending and coordinating one of my close childhood friends' wedding in Dallas, TX. Jeanie and I have known each other since elementary school and when she asked me to be her wedding coordinator, I was ecstatic! It is really a great pleasure to take part of the preparation of someone's big day, especially someone I know and love so dearly.

The wedding was amazing and I really didn't have do to too much - Jeanie and Sherwin pretty much planned and lined up everything for me. All I really had to do was show up. Annabelle Mansion was a beautiful site - a breathtaking, very Gone with the Wind kind of feel.

To see photos from the wedding, please visit: http://www.table4photography.com/jeanie+sherwin

As you'll see, Table 4 photographers Jason and Andrew did an excellent job! Their work is truly amazing! Props to Andrew for doing the table greetings with me - visiting 15 tables in a tight space was difficult, but we were able to get the pictures done without a hitch.

Some advice and lessons learned from coordinating this wedding:

Even though weddings are stressful, you are only as stressed as you allow yourself to be. As a wedding coordinator, always present yourself as composed and unwavering. You want to provide the best service possible.
It is best not to bother the bride and groom if you encounter any hiccups with logistics on the day of. If you can resolve it yourself, go ahead and do so, then inform the bride and groom on the situation and resolution. You don't want to stress the bride and groom out if you don't have to.
Just as long as the bride and groom enjoy themselves, then you know you have done a good job.
It is important to remind the bride and groom to provide food for their vendors - photographers, videographer, DJ, catering staff, band, etc. They work hard to make the wedding day a success.
Picking a venue and staff that understands the bride and groom's cultural or social customs is essential. Just because the venue/staff does not understand those customs, does not mean they can just throw it out the window. Make sure the couple is happy with what the venue can provide to satisfy the bride and groom's cultural wishes.
Having more than 3 coordinators/assistants (venue coordinators AND wedding coordinators) can get chaotic for a medium sized wedding (150 guests) at times. To avoid chaos and confusion, make sure all coordinators/assistants know all the details and time schedules for the wedding day.

Congratulations Jeanie and Sherwin! You two are a perfect pair!

It's finally here!

2008-11-06T19:48:00.000-08:00

After 4 years of just talking about starting my own event planning business and no action, as of November 2008, I finally decided to file the paperwork for a sole proprietorship. It's actually not as difficult to start a business than people think - but of course, there are more steps involved with a Partnership, LLC, or Corporation.

With that said, I now present to you...

East West Event Productions officially commences business on 11/15/08. Definitely a momentous event in my life! Post on why I chose event planning as a career and how I came to this stage to come soon.