Colours, Colours & More Colours
Anyone who knows me, knows that I love colour, especially paint colours. My dream job would be naming paint colours… a job I have always imagined takes place on Friday afternoons sitting in a jazz bar sipping on martinis… otherwise how do we get colours named Northern Lights or Folk Art? - Did you guess that these are both greens?
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Website changes!
In the very near future my website will be undergoing a little “face lift”… One of the biggest changes is that the Events page will be transforming into a Promotions page (yay!). This is where you will find current contests, discounts and deals.
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Destination Weddings…Cuba
Last month when I was supposed to be blogging I took off for a much deserved and needed holiday in Melia Las Dunas, Cuba…lot’s of tennis, swimming, walking, talking and drinking…in other words a perfect time. Although I didn’t answer any emails or have access to my phone (some friends think that I never do), that didn’t stop me from occasionally thinking about business. Destination weddings have become so popular in the last few years and Cuba is one of the most popular destination, probably because it is a very good value. The setting is idyllic! Crystal clear water, azure blue skies, long, white sandy beaches,
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“Be cheap…don’t look cheap.”
When couples come to The Richmond to see if it is the right venue for them I always ask, “What’s your budget?”. This is a question that no one seems comfortable answering. Maybe because they are afraid that I will find a way to spend more money than they really want to. In fact I ask this question in order to help them. I am not afraid to tell couples that they don’t have to overspend. Weddings are only one day and as they will find out later in life (compared to births, children’s graduations etc.) not necessarily the best one. In order to put them at ease I have coined this phrase….”Be cheap…don’t look cheap.”
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Knotted Linens - Inspiration from anywhere
It’s three weeks after I wrote my first blog; I had lunch with my marketing guy, Greg, and of course he is on my case to get going on this. It feels like a New Year’s resolution…easy to make and hard to keep. So I went out for a walk this evening, which is hardly ever difficult for me to do, and thought, “what inspires me for my business”?
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New Year - New Blog - In Any Event!
So, I have just finished my first year of blogging on this web site and I think that I totally missed the mark ... as I look back, I see that the entries are informational but not at all personal (a.k.a. boring). If I’m going to keep blogging I’m going to have to start using my voice.
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Five Uncomplicated Ways to Green Your Holiday Party
Holiday parties are a perfect chance to unwind and connect with coworkers, friends and family; unfortunately many events and parties leave a carbon footprint larger than necessary. If it’s your responsibility to plan a company party, or even just a small get together for those closest to you, here are a few effortless ways to help reduce the footprint of your event (without taking away from the fun or elegance):
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Event Designers vs. Event Planners
A question I am frequently asked is: what is the difference between an Event Designer and an Event Planner? Sandra Downie, wedding & party designer, dessert table stylist, and editor of The White Library based in Connecticut posted a great explanation of the two and how one or a combination of both can relieve some of the stress in materializing your vision.
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Holiday Events ~ Now with even less fees!
To make planning any event even easier I've made a major change to the venue's catering policy (in a great way). Now any Toronto catering company is welcome into the space with NO LANDMARK FEES! And, just to remind everyone, we've also never had any CORKAGE FEES!
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Helium: a non-renewable resource wasted on party favors.
Here at The Richmond we believe any small step towards celebrating responsibly (environmentally speaking) makes a much larger impact towards the future. This year a new green initiative has been illuminated for me by Steve Connor, writer for The Independent, who points out in his article (Why the world is running out of helium) the potential dangers of running out of this commodity.
"It is the second-lightest element in the Universe, has the lowest boiling-point of any gas and is commonly used through the world to inflate party balloons. But helium is also a non-renewable resource and the world's reserves of the precious gas are about to run out, a shortage that is likely to have far-reaching repercussions."
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Every Kind of Bomboniere
Over the years, I have seen just about every kind of bomboniere (gifts that brides & grooms give to their guests). As you can imagine, most end up in the same place…the back of your vehicle! That is, until you find it a month later, and (with a smidgen of guilt), it gets packed away for years, or even worse, tossed into the garbage. In the last few years some couples have started to make donations to charities on behalf of their guests, which is a lovely gesture without adding a lot of garbage to the landfills.
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“Greening” The Richmond
The other day I attended the Toronto Green Living Show at The Direct Energy Centre. I have a fondness for this show because four years ago it was the inspiration for the "greening" of The Richmond.
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Great Inspiration for an Industry Open House
Last week I visited a web site that just blew my mind! http://www.prestonbailey.com . I hadn’t looked at Preston’s web site in a while, and had almost forgotten what an inspiration it is for me. Most of us in our industry (the fabulous world of events) will never have events with the budgets that Mr. Bailey works with.
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A Year In Donations
This year I am donating The Richmond to three charities, no strings attached. The only stipulation is that I want charitable organizations in the following areas: cancer, gay youth or the environment.
Last week I received a call from a man who is doing The Ride to Conquer Cancer this year and has to raise a minimum of $2500 to participate. He, Wayne Barbaza, came to talk to me about his event and whether I would be interested in donating the venue. He and his girlfriend Kristal are holding a Salsa Night at The Richmond on May 01, 2011. We talked about the event and of course I gave him some suggestions…anyone who has met me knows that’s what I do.
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Aluminum Cans VS Pop Bottles
At The Richmond, we no longer allow flat water in plastic bottles to be brought into the venue for events. The reason is three-fold: to cut down on unnecessary packaging and waste that is produced by these bottles; we supply filtered tap water that is just as tasty and clean as bottled water; and most importantly to me, to cut down on the amount of precious water that is thrown away from half-full bottles, water that many people in our world have to walk many kilometers each day for their families to survive.
So recently clients have asked me about whether it is better to bring their soft drinks in aluminum cans or two-liter plastic bottles. Actually, I did not know but have always liked the aluminum cans because there appeared to be less waste. Unopened cans could be taken home and used; opened two-liter bottles typically were just emptied and thrown out. Well, I just found an article in the Green Guide that I think is worth reprinting.
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Welcome to the First Richmond Blog Entry
Welcome to my first blog ever. I have been thinking about where to start and what to talk about so where better than how and why I decided to green my venue. In January 2007 I met Sheena, an incredibly creative, forward thinking woman. In the course of getting to know each other and our businesses Sheena asked me if I did green events. Well, I really didn’t understand what green events were or who would hold them…and yet the question nagged at me.
Three months later I went to the first Toronto Green Living Show. As I walked onto the show floor it was if someone had hit me with a two by four. In front of me were so many options and now I was in a race to find what I needed before I went to hear Darryl Hannah speak. I was almost running up and down the aisles looking at light bulbs, cleaning products, filters for water and A/C units, paint products, etc. And then I saw a rather large booth with the name Enjo on its sign...
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