Tuesday Tip - Inspiration

What's a Tuesday tip? - A tip to make your event, easier, more efficient, more sophisticated or more spectacular.

What better place to start than with advice from the one and only Preston Bailey. Earlier this summer I attended engage08 in Celebration, Florida, a "high impact business symposium" for the wedding industry. The seminar was intimate by design (fewer than 100 in attendance) and there were some absolutely amazing people there, magazine editors, high end designers, consultants, resort managers, photographers, and other wedding professionals. Rebecca Grinnals of Engaging Concepts, a highly talented, experienced and in demand consultant to the wedding industry, orchestrated the event and it was amazing!!

One of the highlights of the event was a two hour session with world renown event planner and entertaining expert Marcy Blum and event designer extraordinaire Preston Bailey. Their humility, insight, humor, experience and willingness to share was absolutely amazing.




Preston gave each person at the conference a copy of his book "Inspirations". In it are pages and pages of exquisite events. In the introduction he talks about the sources of inspiration for his beautiful designs. Here is a quote I found very insightful "More often than not, my fabulous clients... have been the inspiration for the ideas that bloom into the flowers of my design. In planning any event, a salient part of my process is to sit with the clients and get to know them. And, to put it bluntly, get into their heads. I strive to unlock their storehouse of fantasies. I want to get a glimpse of their dreams."

This same principal applies to any event, from the simple to the extravagant. A celebration should reflect those being celebrated. Do you love travel and exotic locals, use that as your inspiration. Have you always loved roses, use them in abundance! Are candles your thing? There's no better, less expensive way to bring up the romance of your event. Sources of inspiration are everywhere, magazines, television, the Internet, other people's parties.... they're all great . But if you want your celebration to be memorable and unique, the most important source of inspiration is YOU.