A Celebration of Life

During the past 38 years of my event planning career, I have assisted clients with all

types of celebrations including weddings, engagements, birthdays, anniversaries,

gender reveals, graduations, reunions, births, and celebrations of life. When I started

Class Act Events it really did not occur to me that clients would reach out and need help

with planning and coordinating celebrations of life. It turns out that, out of all the different

life celebrations that people need assistance with planning, a celebration of life is the

one where I truly feel that I provide the most significant assistance.

At a time when clients are grieving and have so many tasks to perform i.e. writing an

obituary, dealing with burial plans, handling legal matters, banking, family dynamics,

and more; they also are seeking to honor their loved one and celebrate their life with

family and friends. This is where I find myself assessing how I can be of the most help

to my client when they reach out for event planning services.

Early in the planning process I try to discover as much about their deceased loved one

as I can, which can be very inspiring on its own. It is amazing to read three or four

paragraph descriptions about the deceased’s life experiences and accomplishments. I

often find myself in awe of their life well lived as well as how many people they touched

and inspired. Once I have a sense of the person we will be celebrating, I then move

forward to work with my client to help them create the celebration that they are hoping

for.

Many times, the approach that I take is to highlight the various facets of the life we are

celebrating. For example, displaying family moments via photos and identifying and

displaying items that could represent career, hobbies, civic involvement, military service,

awards, etc. Often, we can honor starting with venue selection, favorite music featured,

favorite food served, decorating with favorite colors and flowers, and of course,

featuring special people who will come forward and share their favorite memories.

In helping to create a special celebration of life event I am always sensitive to what my

client feels will best honor their loved one as well as what they think he or she would

have wanted. Being able to assist my client with all of the details and help with

suggestions to shape an event that truly honors the life we are celebrating, has proven

to be one of the most surprisingly rewarding and inspiring of my career.

New Years Reflections

Fall and the Holidays are a busy time both personally and professionally. During this time, we had the privilege of helping a family that had lost a loved one. We could plan a Celebration of Life that genuinely honored the person who had passed and proved meaningful for family and friends. Assisting families during difficult times is so rewarding for us.

Salem Emergency Physicians celebrated their employees by hosting a family BBQ event this past Fall. In addition to a delicious BBQ, the event featured face painters, lawn games, a balloon artist, a photo booth, inflatables, and lively music.

We enjoy working with students from the Salem/Keizer district and other high schools yearly. In the area, those who volunteer to serve on the SnoBall planning committee. This year marked the 70th year that SnoBall has been attended by hundreds of Willamette Valley high school students. We are honored to be able to help this Salem tradition continue and appreciate our generous sponsors, Dutch Bros., Keudell/Morrison Wealth Management, City of Salem, Capitol Auto Group, Maps Credit Union, Salem BMW, and ABC Printers.

Capitol Auto Group outgrew its campus as a venue for its Christmas Party and hosted the event at the Salem Convention Center for the first time in 2023. It was lovely for everyone to sit and enjoy a delicious plated dinner as the program honoring employees unfolded. We coordinated our first December wedding at Youngberg Hill Vineyard. Prior to this, we had only coordinated weddings there that were outside, with the reception taking place both inside and out. Because of the December cold, we had the ceremony and reception inside and dealt with some fun logistics transitioning the space from the ceremony.To reception, but it can be done! It worked out quite well, and the bride and groom’s vision was realized!

Our Linen Rental Manager, Judy DeShon, retired as of December 31st. Judy was a fantastic manager and flawlessly oversaw that part of Class Act Events for many years. We will miss her, but not too much, because she has agreed to still help with events occasionally!

Overall, 2023 was a great year, and we are looking forward to many more opportunities to create successful events for our existing clients and, hopefully, some new ones! We wish everyone a Happy and Healthy 2024.

~Susan Adkins

Where we’ve been:

Willamette Heritage

Center 50+

Embassy Suites Washington Square,

Youngberg Hill

Willamette Valley Vineyards - Estate Winery

Salem Convention Center

Oregon State Fairgrounds Pavilion

Rudy’s Event Hall

Log House Gardens

Sunriver Resort

San Diego

Riverhouse on the Deschutes

Events we’ve helped our clients to host and celebrate:

Weddings

Celebrations of Life

Corporate Holiday Parties

Company BBQs

Multi-Day Conferences

Retirement Parties

SnoBall

Wineries, Wineries, Wineries!

One of the best ways to connect with friends and family during the fall season is to visit wineries! Each wine tour is different from the last, and different regions have unique offerings. Whether you’re a full-time resident in Oregon, or just visiting, it is definitely worth seeing some of our local wineries. They are often scenic and give you the opportunity to taste rare blends that may not be available in other locations.  All things considered, wineries are a great option for spending a relaxing day off with friends or family. Below we’ve highlighted some local wineries near Salem.

First, Willamette Valley Vineyards welcomes visitors to its several locations. At its closest location in Turner, OR, the Estate offers many different activities for visitors to choose from every day. First, there is a Tableside Service & Wine Tasting option, where during a 90 minute session, a Tasting Room Associate will share the unique history of  Willamette Valley Vineyards and parties up to 6 can order wine tasting flights, bottles, or food pairings. They also offer a Private Winery Tour & Tasting as well as a Harvest Tour & Tasting, which offer respective behind-the-scenes looks at their winery or vineyard. Both feature interesting information about the processes the vineyard goes through to harvest and create wine, and offer cheese and wine selections as part of the tour. Finally, they offer special food pairing options, where customers can experience wines selected to match food flavor profiles provided by the vineyard. Many options require reservations, but even if they are not required, Willamette Valley Vineyards recommends placing a reservation. For more information visit https://www.wvv.com/Estate.

Second, Eola Hills Wine Cellar has a location in Salem, OR called Legacy Estate Vineyard which operates from 1pm-5pm on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. They offer wine tastings on their patio with excellent views, and at least 5 different wines to taste for a maximum of 6 people. Eola Hills also features a unique, wine and hiking experience where guests are able to take a self-guided hike through the vineyard. Reservations are not required, but are recommended for both options. Visit https://eolahillswinery.com/legacy-estate-vineyard/ for more information about booking a wine tasting or hiking tour at Eola Hills.

Cória Estates is another excellent winery in Salem, OR. They are open 12pm-6pm every day, with different activities available depending on when you plan to go. Their Self-Guided Patio Experience gives parties of up to 8 people the opportunity to enjoy a self-guided flight with a scenic view. Also available is wine by the glass or bottle, and charcuterie. For this experience, reservations are only available 12:30pm-3:30pm, so plan your reservation time accordingly! Their Terrace Experience offers Mexican ambiance as you are surrounded by unique stone architecture and palm trees, as well as a $50 wine credit to spend how you’d like, giving people an opportunity to choose a guided wine tour, or guests can grab a bottle of wine and a cheese plate and enjoy the wine on their own. These reservations must be made in advance and are for 1-8 people. Finally, they feature an Elevated Wine Experience, which offers parties of 2-8 a wine flight selected by the Winemaker, a charcuterie board, and a $20 wine credit to spend how you’d like. The experience takes place in a private outdoor tasting lounge and offers the opportunity to engage with a tasting associate about the estate’s history and wine making practices.

These are just 3 of the local wineries we’ve chosen to highlight in this blog. All 3 offer unique experiences, and an opportunity to learn more about wine making in the Willamette Valley and enjoy time with friends and family. Happy wine tasting and touring!

Events During and After the Pandemic: The New Normal For Large Events

In our previous posts, we’ve talked a little bit about weddings, and in our most recent post we began dipping our toes into a new topic: what to consider when planning events during and after the pandemic. This time around, we wanted to hone in on that topic a little more to help people plan for how events will look going forward. To get a general feel for the topic, we thought we’d kick off this series by talking about the new normal for large events. 

When planning an event today it is important to consider: how can you make it safe and comfortable for all of your desired customers or attendees to attend an event in this sort-of post pandemic world? First, think about holding an option for an online attendance. That way guests can either attend the event live online, or you can hold an online-only version of an event and tailor it to the needs of online people. We plan to talk about this more in future blog posts, so keep an eye out if you have questions about what each of these options might look like, and the pros and cons to pursuing them. 

Another way you can help to make attendees feel comfortable is by planning for extra sanitation practices and providing easy access to sanitizing materials. Hiring people to wipe down high-contact surfaces, having a plan for cleanliness of restrooms, keeping track of guest attendees for contact tracing, and using extra precautions with employees can make events more sanitary and more comfortable for concerned attendees. Additionally, having nearby hand sanitizing stations, masks available, and other sanitary items will help people feel they have extra protection against diseases and prevent spread of germs between guests. 

Finally, we’ve talked about this idea in a previous post, but wanted to reiterate it here. The reality is that covid has been a very politically-motivated topic and therefore guests are all bound to have a wide range of opinions and comfortability related to post-COVID practices. One strategy to try to make as many people feel comfortable is having wristbands at your event that indicate the level of comfort your guests have with social interaction. A red wristband would mean “I would like to social distance at this event,” a yellow would mean “I am comfortable being close to others and talking, but please don’t touch me,” and a green would mean, “I’m excited to touch and talk throughout this event.” These options make your event a safe and comfortable location for guests who are uncomfortable with some kinds of social interaction because of covid, or guests who have health issues that necessitate some form of distancing.

Holding large events currently can be challenging because there is no one “right way” to approach them as the pandemic is ending. What’s most important: the comfortability and safety of your guests. Depending on the type of event you’re holding, different choices may not be feasible or may not be right for your event. By providing different attendance options to guests, making thoughtful choices about sanitation, and offering ways for guests to communicate about comfortability with interaction you can make your event more covid-friendly and welcoming to people of different opinions and needs. 

Salem-Keizer Graduation Plans

Summer is just around the corner and with it comes high school graduations! We are so excited to have our 2021 graduates getting a celebration they deserve after this last year. Today we will highlight what our Salem-Keizer schools have planned for their graduation ceremonies.

McKay High School will be celebrating their graduates on June 8th at the Volcanoes Stadium in Keizer. Graduates should wear their caps and gowns and are able to bring up to ten family members or friends during their time slot. There will be a professional photographer at the stadium for graduates when they pick up their diplomas.

McNary High School has their graduation tentatively scheduled for June 9th at the Volcanoes Stadium in Keizer. There are three slots at 10am, 12pm and 2pm that graduates need to register for before June 1st. Students will be able to bring up to eight guests with them. Graduates are also invited to participate in the parades of honor at a local elementary school on June 3rd or 4th. For more information, follow this link. 

North Salem High School is holding their graduation at their football stadium with multiple time slots between 10am and 8pm in one hour increments. Seniors will be allowed to bring four guests and a professional photographer will be on site!

Roberts High School and ECHS graduations will be held on Friday, June 11th at the West Salem Stadium. They will hold three ceremonies for the graduates at 4pm, 5:30pm and 7pm. Students will be able to sign up for the ceremony that best suits them and each will be provided with four tickets for guests to come cheer them on! Each ceremony will be filmed and live streamed to be seen by the loved ones who cannot make it in person as well!

South Salem High School will be celebrating their graduation on June 11th at the Bennett Field at Guido Caldarazzo Stadium. There are three time slots available at 4pm, 5:45pm and 7:30pm and graduates may bring up to four guests with them. The deadline for signing up for a time slot is June 1st. If graduates have received scholarships for their first year of college or want to share their military, work, travel or volunteer plans they can fill out this form and have their plans mentioned in the graduation program.

Sprague High School is having both a graduation ceremony and a senior celebration! The senior celebration will be held on June 9th at their stadium from 4:30pm to 5:30pm. This is a semi-formal celebration where they will give out senior superlative awards and other senior awards as well as a boxed lunch. The formal graduation ceremony will be held on June 11th and have three time slots at 3pm, 5pm and 7pm. For more information and great details check out the Sprague senior scoop.

West Salem High School’s graduation ceremony is tentatively planned for June 10th with the time to be determined at the West Salem High Stadium. West Salem is holding a senior Gala this year, combining three of West Salem High’s traditional senior events; senior banquet, senior academic awards, and spring formal. The Gala will be on June 5th in the school’s stadium and will feature senior awards, music, food carts and prizes. To celebrate the 2021 grads even further, there will be a grad party set up by West Salem parents, held at TopGolf in Hillsboro!

We are so glad our Salem-Keizer grads are getting the recognition they deserve and that our community is able to come together and honor their achievement! We could not be more proud! Congratulations again graduates!

Congratulations 2021 Graduates!

It is the time of year to celebrate our 2021 graduates! We wanted to create a post to help families and friends find the best way to give their graduates the love and recognition they deserve. Graduating is a huge accomplishment magnified by the challenges our students went through this last year in a rapidly changing education system. They deserve a party! Here is what we have learned over the last year, watching the waves of cases and following CDC and local guidelines and regulations for hosting events. 

The good news!

There is so much good news! First on the list is hybrid events which are growing in popularity. With both virtual and in-person elements, you can include loved ones that are far away but still have a tangible feeling party with those in your social safety bubble. Setting up a zoom, skype or google meet call has become second nature to many of us and if you are not feeling tech savvy enough, your new graduate can probably lend a hand getting a video call connected. The trick to hosting a successful hybrid party is to have those joining virtually to be involved for a smaller portion of the event. When the video call is live, it is the time to let your graduate shine by talking to them about their next big plans. Let everyone on the call get in their congratulations while people in the in-person party munch on snacks. You can include some trivia games over the video call revolving around the graduate’s major or favorite school subject and then open the gifts the guests mailed over or have them say what they plan to send so the graduate can thank them in real time and the guests can see their reaction! After this, the in-person crew can play their own games and enjoy a celebratory meal together. 

The other good news is that warmer weather means outdoor parties and gatherings are much more comfortable. This is a relief because outdoor events are still the safest way for us to gather if anyone on the in-person invite list has not been vaccinated yet. You can still have indoor gatherings but they are slightly more limited. If everyone at the party may not be vaccinated (children included) you will need to follow the below regulations established by Oregon. Marion County is currently in the High Risk category.

The regulation side of things (better than bad news).

Outdoor at-home events based on county risk level:

Extreme Risk: Limit the gathering to no more than six people

High Risk: Limit the gathering to no more than eight people

Moderate Risk: Limit the gathering to no more than ten people

Lower Risk: Limit the gathering to no more than twelve people

Indoor at-home events based on county risk level:

Extreme Risk: Limit the gathering to no more than six people, indoor.

High Risk: Limit the gathering to no more than six people, indoor.

Moderate Risk: Limit the gathering to no more than eight people, indoor.

Lower Risk: Limit the gathering to no more than ten people, indoor.

In both indoor and outdoor at-home events masks and distancing are both required if not all present have been vaccinated. While Oregon has not published a set of separate guidelines if everyone in the gathering has been vaccinated, the CDC has published an update on their guidelines for fully vaccinated individuals. We have highlighted the ones applicable to private social gatherings.

According to the CDC, fully vaccinated people can:

• Visit with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing

• Visit with unvaccinated people (including children) from a single household (who are at low risk for severe COVID-19 disease) indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing

• Participate in outdoor activities and recreation without a mask, except in crowded settings and venues

• Resume domestic travel and refrain from testing before or after travel or self-quarantine after domestic travel

For now, fully vaccinated people should also continue to:

• Wear well-fitted masks when visiting indoors with unvaccinated people who are at increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease or who have an unvaccinated household member who is at increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease

• Wear well-fitted masks when visiting indoors with unvaccinated people from multiple households

• Avoid indoor large-sized in-person gatherings

• Get tested if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms

As always, be sure to keep up to date on the CDC guidelines as well as the risk level in your county.  They can change unexpectedly.

The Takeaway!

This means that if your party squad is not fully vaccinated (meaning two weeks after their final shot) a hybrid event may be the best option for your extended friends and family to be able to join in on the celebrations.

If everyone on the guest list is vaccinated however, your graduation party may look (dare we say) next to normal?! 

We hope this helps clarify all the changes that have been thrown at us this year. We are doing it! Together, we are making it through this pandemic and the light is at the end of the tunnel. Keep it up everyone! And congratulations to all our wonderful 2021 graduates! You deserve to be celebrated!!

The Couple's Perspective Part 2

This blog is a continuation of my discussion from the last post about my personal engagement and the process of wedding planning from the couple’s perspective. If you haven’t read that post already, I touch on topics of the proposal experience and give my own as an example of a non-traditional proposal that is not initiated by the man. Then I go into the beginning steps of the wedding planning process. In this second half, I will discuss the journey of building a budget, some tips I’ve learned that I didn’t read online about finding the right caterer and vendors and the benefits of a wedding website.

The trick to building a budget isn’t to be a penny pinching couple whose whole focus is on how to have a cheap wedding. I recommend you start with your wedding inspirations, hopes and dreams. Take a look at what you really want your wedding experience to be and then look at your bank account. If you need to have a one or two year engagement to save up some money for your dream wedding or honeymoon that is perfectly okay. If you have a limited budget and want to get married sooner there are lots of tempting options, like backyards, public parks, beaches, etc. but understand what your wedding will really look like if you choose to go cheap on the venue. If you want it to feel like a Pinterest wedding and have lots of guests it will just end up being a horrible hassle, having to figure out parking and restrooms and rentals and you really will not end up saving yourself money either. If you go to a free location like backyards or parks, really limit your guest list to no more than 30 people and make sure they can carpool.

If you need to keep your budget low you have a few other options too, lower your guest count at a venue that offers a discount on small weddings. 75 and under is generally considered a small wedding at most venues but if you host under 50 guests many venues offer complimentary chair covers and sashes or linens. Another option is to have your wedding in the off season, ie. October-May. Keep in mind, off season weddings generally have to be indoors here in Oregon, but this can possibly save you up to one thousand dollars depending on the venue. You can also choose to host a buffet dinner or have an earlier wedding and provide less expensive breakfast food items or lunch items. Lastly, seriously consider whether you need to feature alcohol because hosting alcoholic beverages has a significant impact on the budget. Would everyone be fine with just a glass of champagne to toast with?

My secret trick I learned while looking for vendors and touring venues was that often venues will have lists of preferred local vendors. If you see the same vendor popping up on multiple venues’ preferred lists they are usually well liked for a reason and are probably a safe bet. In addition to that if they have already done an event at the venue you want to use, they will know how to set up and things are more likely to go smoothly. That said, it is also important to challenge the assumptions the preferred lists have and make sure you are consciously aware of the amount of diversity present on the list. If supporting bipoc owned companies is something you want to use your buying power for then you can go beyond the preferred vendor list if you don’t see any listed. 

My last point is that building a wedding website is incredibly helpful. There are a couple of easily accessible free websites that let you build your own wedding website off of a template provided.  These are great specifically for RSVPs. Adding your wedding website to your invitation makes it easy for guests to quickly let you know if they can or cannot attend. The sites also have great things like a gift registry, a place for cute photos of the couple and information about the wedding location. This can help people find hotels and activities in the area if they are flying in for the wedding. There are great, free wedding planning apps and websites out there BUT I will say those sites do not know your local area like a wedding planner does. They do not have the best prices for venues and they miss a lot of local vendors. So my advice is to use the website for your own organizational purposes but if you aren’t finding what you want or you don’t know how everything is supposed to fit together for the big day, hire a wedding planner. You will save yourself a lot of stress and it can be the difference between a magical day and a frantic day.

I hope this helps some of you newly engaged couples! Congratulations! Give us a call or send us an email if you have any questions!

Best wishes,

Riley McCann

The Couple's Perspective Part 1

Hello our lovely followers and friends! This post is a little different, I’ll be writing about my very recent, personal engagement! We at Class Act thought it would be nice to have a post about wedding planning coming from the perspective of the couple. I first wanted to talk about how I planned my engagement. We all want the proposal moment to be magical, thoughtful and planned perfectly but… your engagement is still 100% valid and meaningful even if it does not go according to plan. 

I decided I wanted to be the person to propose and go the non-traditional route. My partner and I had many playful discussions about getting married throughout our relationship and they were becoming more frequent a few months leading up to the proposal. Also, the more I thought about it, the more I was sure I wanted him by my side though all of life’s challenges. I was not sure how to properly propose coming from the woman because usually men do not have engagement rings but it felt wrong to propose without any ring. I decided we would both wear rings during the engagement and to transform his from an engagement ring into a wedding ring, we would get it engraved shortly before the wedding. So I got his ring size when we went grocery shopping at Fred Meyers and tried to make it lighthearted and act like I just wanted the information for the future. He did not freak out, which was a good sign! Later I ordered rings for both of us and I planned on presenting his to him during the proposal and if he said yes then I would also put mine on too. 

This is also all during lockdown so I wanted to get creative and make a nice dinner sense we could not go out to a fancy restaurant. Well, everything was ready and still secret but then the rings came in the mail and my partner saw them… so the cat was out of the bag a few days early. But we still had a tender and loving conversation about our relationship and I proposed without a fancy dinner or any of the other romantic flourishes I had planned. He said yes and we made a nice dinner together instead. Just by ourselves, in our home with our kitties as witnesses. It fit our quiet and private lifestyle very well and it is SO hard to keep big plans secret from your partner. So I have to say one more time, your proposal moment does not need to be a huge, grand affair. As long as it is thoughtful and loving, that can be just as meaningful and romantic.

The most important piece for us when getting into the wedding planning process was determining the timeline. This is a bit interconnected with the venue too. Mainly deciding if you want an indoor or outdoor wedding will be really important to determine what season you will have your wedding in. I think both have a lot of appeal but I was really drawn to a casual backyard BBQ style with lawn games. So we decided the warmer season was when we wanted to have our wedding, because that is coming up pretty soon and we are still affected by the pandemic we decided to push it to next year. I recommend at least 10 months for planning a wedding so pick your season and if it is sooner than 10 months, plan on doing it the following year. Otherwise you risk having to settle on a date or a venue that you do not really want but is the last one available.

That brings me to the next step, venue. This is something you can start looking at the day of your engagement (or if you are the one proposing you can even start this search before the official engagement). Browsing venues is really helpful to give you a basic understanding of the average cost of the type of venue you like when you build a budget. Next week I’ll continue this topic and go over budget building, vendor searches, wedding websites and catering. Plus add some tips I have learned that I didn’t find through internet research!

-Riley McCann
Class Act Event Assistant

Ask a Vendor: Lux Sucre Desserts

Lux Sucre Desserts

We asked Lux Sucre Desserts, a bakery in Wilsonville, to share their process for handling larger events during covid and how they have made adjustments to their daily operations.

“As a vendor who doesn't stay on site during the event, we have been working hand in hand with the Venue Coordinators as well as Catering Managers to make sure that all of the appropriate serving protocols are met.  Many of the Venues that we work with have invested in acrylic sneeze guards or stanchion ropes that we set up to protect our wedding cakes and dessert tables from close interactions with guests. In most circumstances, even prior to COVID, the catering team handles the cutting of the cake and plating it for guests. Where we have seen the most change is with our "Buffet" style dessert tables. Our process now is to set up the dessert table with its proper protection and then the catering team comes along and plates a variety of desserts and delivers to each table. This allows the happy couple to have the dessert display of their dreams without compromising the health and safety of their guests. In order for this format to work effectively, the catering team will need to rent/provide additional service platters to account for each table- a note that is important for the couple to discuss with their catering vendor. While we are not able to stay on site, setting our clients up for success has been an important part of our transition. All our staff wear masks during delivery, sanitize and clean hands and surfaces frequently, as well as provide fresh boxes for leftover cake, etc.

Now that we are a year into the process of COVID, we have hit an operation groove and found our stride within the COVID guidelines. While many of our couples from 2020 postponed to 2021, we are confident that our summer season will be successful for all couples who have realistic expectations about guest count, processes, & overall format. While "normal" is still in the distance, we can find ways of working together to achieve successful & beautiful events. Lux Sucre Desserts is fortunate to have a storefront that was able to pivot into Pop Up Sale events as we made adjustments to our walk in process, carrying us during all of the postponements. Our bakery is now allowing single groups in our storefront at a time, all guests must wear masks, hand sanitizer is provided, and contactless payment is also available. We are looking forward to a smooth & healthy summer season!”

 -Brandon Co-Owner

Bakery Phone: 503-694-2321

Shop: 31840 SW Charbonneau Drive,Suite H, Wilsonville, OR 97070

Also visit their website at www.luxsucre.com

Or follow them on social media!

Lux Sucre Desserts on Facebook

Lux on Instagram

Lux Weddings on Instagram  

Virtual Auction Tips

It’s auction season! Luckily, while we still have to wait a little longer for those fully in person events, there are tons of good ideas and options for hosting an auction or fundraising event online. One thing this massive upheaval of our lives has provided is an environment that rewards creativity and is full of people eager to engage with their community again. Which means, it is the perfect time to try some new strategies for fundraising and expanding the reach of your network across the web. 

Virtual Auction’s

Covid won’t be canceling this auction season!

No doubt, after a full year of various degrees of social lock down, your organization has probably already held some virtual announcements, meetings and maybe even concerts or social media selfie parties. But fundraising probably took a dip last year as everyone was adjusting. Here are some tips for how to avoid “garage sale” auctions and actually get some of your money’s worth out of these events, even if they are entirely online!

A big difference between virtual and in person auctions is the timeframe. Virtual actions should last a few days to two weeks. To keep engagement over that length of time, add creative elements to the auction throughout its duration. For example, some of your items could have an extra prize attached to them that you would advertise each day or week, for the first person to bid over a certain amount. Keep the amount they need to bid and the auction item the prize is attached to a mystery. A huge advantage to virtual actions is their length of time. Use this to reach more people and find ways to drive up the bidding.

It is also vital to invest in online auction software with mobile bidding capabilities, to catalog your items (pictures, pictures, pictures) and track event engagement. The good news is if you invest in this software now, virtual events do not have to end once social restrictions are gone. You can host a wider range of fundraising events in the future and virtual events tend to have a lot less overhead costs. Also, remember to look for software that will work well with your other tools if you plan on using live streaming or other virtual elements for your event. 

Another tip to get higher attendance and engagement is to encourage early registration and build up excitement for those who have registered. Offer early bird extras like free raffle tickets or early bidding access. Market the fact that your auction software is also mobile compatible and have a contact number before and during your event that can help people troubleshoot technical issues who are trying to attend.

Lastly, silent auctions often have a hard time generating excitement and items go out the door way under value. Mitigate this by setting your starting prices strategically and having a few items a day that are auctioned with livestream bidding and an emcee who can be the auctioneer that adds a bit of urgency and energy.

Not to shamelessly plug ourselves, but it is a good idea to consult with planning professionals if you have never held a virtual auction before. Event planners will be able to make sure your event software has all the elements you need and is user friendly. They can also help with strategizing the best ways to advertise and help with getting the best auction items for your target audience! Happy auctioning!

2021 Flavor Trends

There have been so many changes to every aspect of life over the last year. Some changes, however, are part of our sense of normal and we look forward to exploring them each year. I’m talking about trends! Specifically food and flavor trends. What is 2021 serving up? According to flavor leading experts, Beck Flavors, 2021’s fruit of choice is yuzu. The new innovative flavor is dill pickle. If you like botanicals go for cherry blossoms and the people’s choice for the year is honeycomb toffee.

If you are like me then you may not have heard of yuzu. They resemble a cross between mandarin, lemon and grapefruit with a tart, citrus flavor. According to Great British Chefs, “Think of yuzu in a Japanese context alongside other traditional flavours like ginger, matcha, shochu and soy. The citric acidity means that yuzu works in similar scenarios to orange, lime and lemon — flavouring everything from marmalades to sorbets and light crab or fish dishes.”

Dill pickle might not be your cup of tea but many couples are using the flavor on snacks like chips and popcorn. My go to would just be to have some tiny gherkins as an accompaniment to cheeses and cured meats. You either love them or you hate them.

Cherry blossom, or sakura, is a flavor America is finally catching up on. Already a favorite in Japan, sakura is a sweet and floral flavor used mainly for tea, alcohol and sweets. This spring maybe we will see some sakura flavored wedding cakes to show off the season. Better yet, opt for a japanese fluffy, moist castella cake with the traditional springtime flavor!

Honeycomb toffee… It was people’s choice for a reason. The possibilities are almost endless. This intensely sweet, caramelly, melt-in-your-mouth sweet can be broken up and used to sprinkle over your wedding cake or cupcakes, used as chips in toffee cookies, or dip half of a bar in chocolate for a treat your guests can grab as they mingle, or skip the chocolate and serve the toffee plain, use it for a unique ice cream flavor, or make dalgona toffee coffee! Whatever you have going on at your wedding, honeycomb toffee could fit into it easily.

A bonus flavor to keep your eye on is not necessarily new, but continues to make a big impact each year. Coffee. I mentioned dalgona coffee which is a newer, extremely sweet, whipped coffee and of course there is the recently popular nitro coffee which brings the creamy texture to the drink without adding the extra fat. But say goodbye to cold brew and welcome snapchilled coffee which rapidly cools a freshly brewed cup, capturing more flavor and eliminating wasted cold brew coffee at the end of the day. Also look for more mushroom coffee and buttered coffee this year.

We hope you have fun with your flavors and that this at least inspires you to think outside the box and go for what you really want at your wedding!

Links: https://beckflavors.com/flavoroftheyear/

2021 Wedding Trends

This year promises to be unique and intimate, 2021 we are ready for you! We won’t sugar coat it, 2020 definitely shook the events industry as a whole and 2021 is still adapting to the new environment we are in. The good news is we have had a whole year to come up with creative ideas for gatherings that are still fun, impactful and meaningful. 

From purely online to hybrid events to creative social distancing, there are many options this year for how you want your special day to look. Outdoor weddings were already on the rise but having the entire event outdoors is starting to become more popular as people are keeping social distancing guidelines in mind, this leads to planning for warm weather and holding your wedding during the day or hosting a brunch wedding when it is still bright out. Some couples are moving their evening reception online where they can share slideshows about their love story or embarrassing baby photos with loved ones. This also means more people can participate in our special day if you have family or friends that are not comfortable with coming to the in-person portion or who live far away and cannot fly in. If you decide to elope this year, a great way to include your loved ones is to livestream the event and then send them a gift basket with some wedding cake, champagne and party favors!

While elopements have gained popularity, if you still want your loved ones around, you have other options. Along with having day events, micro-weddings are how it is done this year! With a guest count under 50, a micro-wedding allows for more of your budget to go toward personalizing and tailoring your event for you and your guests. Having intentionality in choosing vendors and your own décor instead of just going through the motions of your venue’s in-house vendor options gives your wedding a unique and special quality. It also allows you to include your values in your wedding whether that is being mindful about sustainability and the environmental impact of your event or making sure to support small, local, BIPOC and LGBT+ businesses. Not to toot our own horn but wedding planners are a great resource for making sure your values are represented at your wedding and can do all the negotiating and leg work for you!

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If you aren’t sold on small weddings, take a look at these venues from HereComesTheGuide and see if you can picture your wedding in these gorgeous, cozy and affordable spaces! Many of them are also bed and breakfasts where your wedding party (or just you and your partner) can stay the night and get pampered in the morning.

Curated Vendors

Make your wedding yours

Picking the right vendors for you

There is a new approach to wedding planning that makes the lives of couples not only easier but also makes sure they are supported on their special day by everyone involved. The buying power of couples is being used to support diverse vendors and ensure that the vendors the couple hires are in every way, the best match for that couple. Instead of finding individual vendors for makeup, catering, photography and so on… planners are focusing on groups of vendors that all share either a specific style, a cultural awareness, a sense of respect for diverse identities or a sensitivity to causes, dietary restrictions and lifestyles. The use of curated vendors is not only about aesthetic, budget and common styles. It is also a great way to exercise allyship. This article by TheKnot How to Make Sure a Wedding Vendor Is On Your Side gives an excellent guide, for both couples and planners, of the kinds of questions that are asked to create a curated list of vendors. If diversity is important to you don’t be afraid to ask your wedding planner or your chosen venue if they can focus their efforts to find vendors you want to give your support to and don’t be afraid to double check the list they give you!

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Here are two amazing online resources that can help you find diverse vendors in the Pacific Northwest.

Vendors of Color

Portland’s Gay Yellow Pages