Spice Up Your Event With Modern Dishes

Think back to when you were a child attending a wedding. There was dancing, there was excitement and laughter, and you may have been let down by the boring food. Cold briskets with bland vegetables that you have to sit down and properly eat were the worst, but you powered through knowing that the cake would come soon. Unfortunately, there was a plot twist because the fondant cake was also boring and unsatisfying!

Don’t let the food bring your wedding party down! Spice up your menus with modern twists that won’t weigh your guests down.

Comfort Food

No one knows how to eat and feel warm inside like Southerners which is why their comfort food is trending. Avoid basic roasts and serve up some fried chicken instead. It’s a comfort foot that can be quickly enjoyed by hand.

Also, put on a modern twist on a classic favorite, meatloaf. You can have your meatloaf stuffed with parmesan cheese and spinach for a delightful surprise inside, wrap it in bacon, or serve it on a sandwich.

Many types of meat are being served with updated sauces and glazes with hints of southern traditions. For example, salmon pairs great with a peach and pecan glaze, steak pairs well with spicy avocado sauces, and chicken goes great with an almond sauce. The creative possibilities to spice up the meats are endless.

Don’t forget southern sides! Nothing makes a person feel warm inside like hot, made from scratch macaroni and cheese. Plus, fried okra is always great to have around. No one knows asparagus better than southerners so check out their herb crusted and garlic recipes.

Everyone loves pizza and pasta, so consider serving up those dishes to please everyone on your guest list.

Keep it Light

People are healthy these days and don’t want to be weighed down, so serve them up a few clean and simple options.

A salad bar is always a good way to keep health conscious guests happy and snacking. They can serve themselves a variety of fresh and crisp veggies with an array of salad dressings to choose from.

However, isn’t salad slightly boring? Jazz things up with a fruit bar instead. Offer multiple varieties of cheese, nuts, and fruits to get the grazers happily nibbling on healthy items.

Also, you can stick with lighter meats like fish and chicken. Red meat often makes people feel sleepy and too full to function.

Keep it Moving

While being served plated food is nice and elegant, it’s also a little stale. Keep your party lively and fresh by getting people out of their seats!

People won’t mind getting up to serve themselves when you have exciting craft your own food stations. Taco and fajita stations are on fire right now. Guests can go up and request personalized entrees or serve themselves with their custom ingredients.

Baked potato bars, burger bars, and oyster bars are also tons of fun.

However, one of the most shocking food bars are the ones with breakfast for dinner! How exciting, people can have made to order pancakes, omelets, and waffles with personalized ingredients and toppings.

Miniaturize it

Guests don’t wanna be weighed down by huge meals anymore. How can they dance if they’re super full or bloated? Plus, big meals take a long time to eat, so consider making your food mini so people can quickly pick up a few items and eat them in no time.

Trending miniature foods include miniature tacos, mini burgers, mini mac and cheese bites, mini roasts on a bun, and even miniature bowls of ramen. Each of these items are fun to eat and can have personalized toppings.

Food Truck it

If you missed the food truck craze where have you been?! Food trucks have become increasingly popular and are popping up all over the city! You can have a few drive up to your venue and serve their local, creative dishes to your guests.

Each guest can pick which food truck they want to visit for delicious food creations from Korean BBQ to southern delicacies on a stick. They will really give your guests a fun memory from your event.

Stay Salty

You know what really kills a cake or nice cocktail? Too much sugar! Pair your drinks with something salty and delicious.

French fries are always a popular menu item. You can serve them cut straight, in curls, or even in a waffle shape. They can be placed in easy to grab containers like mason jars and enjoyed. You can even include healthier sweet potato fries! Regular ‘ole potato chips also pair really well with sweet beverages.

Pretzels and popcorn are salty treats with endless possibilities because they pair with excellent toppings like cheese, jalapenos, chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry sauce, powdered sugar, and more!

Update Your Dessert

Big, fondant cakes live in the past. Don’t stay stuck there with them! New desserts are taking the world by storm, like miniature pies ranging from apple to pumpkin. There’s a pie for every season.

Also, who doesn’t go nuts for donuts?! You can set a variety of donuts up for a beautiful, yet mouthwatering dessert display.

Throw your guests a curve ball with desserts that bring back childhood memories, like cookies and milk, s'mores, or ice cream sandwiches.

Don’t forget about custom sweets to pick up on-the-go like cake pops or hand-frosted sugar cookies.

Are you Hungry now?

We are too! We didn’t mean to get your mouth watering, but we wanted to make sure we could help you jazz up your event with delicious, hot and trendy food. Learn more event tips at Inspherio.com.

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Easily Build Your Event With Inspherio

There is one word to describe the event industry and that word is ‘chaos’. Even the most professional wedding planners can have something go wrong, or get so busy that key details fall through the cracks.

Don’t get caught up in a hectic frenzy, while trying to manage guest lists, pay vendors, keep up with the event activities, and more. Instead, stay on top of your event and easily manage every aspect of it with Inspherio.

What’s Inspherio?

Inspherio is the business management solution for all professionals in the event industry. From wedding planners, DJs, photographers, and more, Inspherio is the perfect assistant that simplifies managing your event. It’s full of innovative features for online payments, event progress, online
marketing, contracts, and more.

Building Your Event

Before planning an event it’s important to know what your clients want, which is why Inspherio makes it easy to learn about what your clients want by having them fill out the Know Your Event form. They can log into Inspherio and answer questions about what time of day the event is, the venue location, if anyone is a vegetarian, and more. You can also customize the know your event form by adding your own questions.

Then you can create contracts for your clients to sign online. The information from the know your event form will auto-fill on your contract, so you won’t have to enter in all of the information yourself. You can create custom payment plans with your contract, and your clients can log in to securely sign the contract online, and make payments.

Invoices for your event will be automatically created based off of the payment plan created with your custom contract. You’ll receive reminders for invoices that haven’t been sent out, and for outstanding payments. You can also create invoices for lost or damaged rental equipment.

Make sure your event runs smoothly with an itinerary that you can check on location right from your smartphone. The itinerary has pre-made templates that you can customize for your event, and you can share it with your staff, vendors, and clients to make sure everyone is on the same page as far as knowing when and where to show up. The itineraries can also be easily printed or mailed.

Are events even possible without guests?! Prepare an organized guest list with your client online, and even send out invitations directly from your Inspherio account. As more guests RSVP you’ll know how many people to expect, and how many guests to bill your client for. Plus, you can pull up the guest list from the Inspherio app no matter where you are to quickly make any changes that your client needs.

Events are expensive, easily keep track of expenses with Inspherio to avoid letting them get out of hand. Record each expense in relation to different events, keep up with which of your employees incurred expenses, and keep track of when you reimburse those employees for those expenses right from the palm of your hand.

Make sure that you have the right inventory to cover an event, and add these items to your contracts. Once an item is added to an event it can be checked out and can be checked back in later. These items will be added to your load list so you can make sure you have everything when preparing for the event. Also, when you return items to your inventory you can add notes about any damages and the condition of your items.

Manage your contacts. Keep track of your staff by adding them to events and assigning them tasks, and keep up with the payroll to make sure they get paid for their hours. Also, organize different vendors into groups related to different events and easily pull up their contact information in a matter of seconds.

Give Inspherio a Try

Enjoy a complimentary 30-day free trial to take advantage of Inspherio’s intuitive features that will help you plan and manage your event with features for managing guest lists, keeping track of vendors, keeping note of your inventory and it’s condition, email marketing, and more.

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Winter Wedding Trends

Now that the fall wedding season is winding down and we are saying goodbye to the fall trends with pumpkin centerpieces and warm shades of red and orange, it’s time to make way for the up and coming winter 2016 trends.

Winter Wonderland Style

First let’s check out the new dress trends that involve hints of vintage, rustic, victorian style. Many brides are choosing dresses with long sleeves for a graceful royal look, like Kate Middleton’s dress, and for warmth.

Shoulder straps are coming back, along with open back dresses and deep Vs in the front for a modern twist on classic dresses. Also, were starting to see more and more sheer dresses with sheer lace and crocheted cloth to give brides an elegant textured look, while showing off modest amounts of their legs.

Bridesmaids can be found in cream and pale colored dresses. Pale teal, greens, and purples are popular, as well as creamy shades of pastel pinks and oranges. Vibrant shades of jewel and velvet accessories that add pops of color to winter wonderlands are also trending.

Plus, to stay warm brides and bridesmaids are wearing faux fur coats. Usually the bride wears a white coat and their bridesmaids wear brown, but shades of grey and black are popular too.

We can’t forget to mention something blue! Shimmering shades of blue can be found everywhere. For example, winter brides are wearing blue eye shadow, and bridesmaids have blue ribbons around their waists and bouquets. Even grooms are wearing blue jackets and ties. Blue is simply the color you can’t go wrong with this season.

Flowers for bouquets are going back to the basics, with simple white flowers with vibrant green stems. It’s also popular to have a few winter berries in the bouquets, along with a vertical, trailing shape.

Winter Wanderlust Decor

Sometimes less is more, which is why more and more weddings have uncovered wooden tables and chairs, for a natural woodsy look. They’re also sticking to natural color schemes for seating, with furniture that’s gray or black.

As far as cloth goes textured, crochet linens are in, but they don’t have to cover the entire table because a simple table runner will give the space the pop of color that it needs. To do something different check out metallic and shimmering table cloths in shades of gold and silver that will add to the winter magic of your wedding.

Big, blooming, centerpieces may be an accessory of the past because more and more wedding planners are arranging simple displays with succulents and sprigs of lavender or wild flowers.

Also, natural items from the winter landscape like pinecones and evergreen needles are being used as decorations. Pinecones can accent centerpieces and be used as card holders for seating arrangements. Evergreen leaves and branches can be crafted into wreaths, added to centerpieces, or used to garnish drinks. The creative possibilities are endless.

To create a romantic, elegant feel your lighting need to be simple, twinkling and warm. Single bulbs on a string or rows of white lights can create a snowy effect. You can also use chandeliers with small light bulbs and crystals hanging down for a dazzling winter affect.

Winter Wedding Refreshments

Weddings are meant to celebrate the love of two individuals who have found one another, but let’s face it, the food is exciting too, especially because wedding food is becoming more and more creative and hands on.

Not only are self-serving food stands popular, but now rolling food trays are in. Members of the waiting staff can push carts of food to different tables and guests can customize their own order. For example, at your wedding, you could serve customizable tacos or salads.

Plus, cake and dessert options are seemingly endless. Simple buttercream frosting is coming back and fondant is on its way out. Instead of lots of frosting roses, cakes are being topped evergreen branches and pinecones. Some people aren’t even serving cake, they provide macaroons, iced cookies, chocolate covered cranberries and fruit, and more instead.

Magical winter cocktails aren’t complete without sugar rimmed glasses and vibrant colors. Consider serving tequila cocktails with simple syrup, peach cocktails with a blush pink glow, or vibrant punch. You could also have a hands on, serve yourself bar where people can make there own mimosas or punch, garnished with a variety of different fruit to choose from.

One of the fastest growing trends is to have a hot cocoa and coffee bar set up, so your guests can cozy up with a warm beverage. Make sure that your cocoa bar has bursts of holiday flair with candy canes and marshmallows that can be added to drinks.

Need a Little Help Planning Your Event?

Now that you’re up to date with the hottest winter wedding trends use Inspherio to help you plan and manage your events. Inspherio is the management solution designed for event industry professionals with innovative features to keep track of vendors, online payments, day of event tasks, and more. Use your complimentary 30-day free trial to see how Inspherio can help you save time while managing and growing your business.

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The Perfect Tracks for a Father Daughter Dance

Whether it be a wedding, a sweet sixteen, or a quinceañera, daddies and daughters come together and take on the world step-by-step. Choosing the proper song for this rite of passage can be a bit tricky because you want to ensure that you’re giving off the right tone. Do you want to be sweet and cute? Or do you want to break it down on the dance floor?

First, consider the relationship you have with your dad. Are you constantly laughing? Do you share a more serious bond?

Or better yet, check out these eight classic songs to describe your father-daughter relationship:  

1. “Cinderella” by Steven Curtis Chapman. This song is perfect no matter what age the daughter may be. Each of the verses takes you through a young girl’s life from playing dress up at age three to the prom to walking down the aisle. This tune is perfect for a slow waltz and may bring the guests to tears.
2. “Father and Daughter” by Paul Simon. You may recognize the cover of this song from The Wild Thornberry’s Movie. We were moved to tears as Nigel put his daughter, Eliza on a plane to England without him. The words ring true to this classic father daughter dance number and make for a great slow song.
3. “Shout” by the Isley Brothers. “You make me wanna shout…” This song is perfect for a father daughter song with a lighter tone because sometimes girls make their dads want to shout.
4. “Butterfly Kisses” by Bob Carlisle. “Butterfly kisses and bedtime prayers…” the line depicts the true depth of the bond between daddy and his littler girl. Guaranteed to make your Nana sob.
5. “Roam” by the B52’s. A song that you’ve heard in your own dad’s car on repeat thousands of times, and secretly know every word to. This song brings on some disco and will get everybody up and moving.
6. “Brown-Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison. Daddy’s little brown-eyed girl is all grown up and ready to start a new part of her life, but is Daddy ready to let her go?
7. “My Girl” by  the Monkees. Dad’s can claim their little girls as theirs forever and always, so why not celebrate with the go to song?
8. “Vienna” by Billy Joel. “Slow down you crazy child…” We all know that’s probably how our parents have always felt. Watching daddy’s little girl stroll down the aisle with him arm in arm makes the memories roll in and he relates quite fondly with Steve Martin in the movie Father of the Bride.

Are you ready to hit the dance floor with these crazy father daughter beats? I sure am! Bring your boogie shoes to the reception!

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The Best-Kept Secrets All Event Planners Should Know About Wedding Venues

The first question a bride should answer, after saying “yes” to her new lifelong partner of course, should be where she wants her wedding to be held.

And let’s just say—that’s not an easy question to answer.

There are  several factors to consider: do they want it outside or inside, want it in their hometown or in the middle of both families, or are they wanting a destination wedding?

And guess what, event planners? Your clients are going to be looking to you to help them make that decision.

So, we’re here to let you in on the best-kept wedding venue secrets we think all event planners should know.

Secret #1: The style of the wedding dictates the venue

Believe it or not, what your clients choose for their wedding style will really narrow down the venues you look for.

Now sure, we’re not saying you can’t throw a 1920s styled wedding in a rustic barn setting, because you certainly can. However, do your clients want an informal or formal event? Will it be at night or during the day?

When you help your clients start thinking about the type of wedding they want, you’ll really help them narrow down the venue selection.

Secret #2: The number of guests

You guessed it, knowing how many guests your clients want to invite is a sure way to help decide on the venue.

Let’s say your clients want a wedding with 350 guests. Well not much to your surprise, when you have a large guest count there’s a small selection of venues you’ll be able to choose from.

So getting an estimated guest count is a good first step in selecting the venue. And when your clients start thinking about who they want to invite, it will also help them decide on the geographical positioning of the venue—like if they want it in in an area near where the majority of their guests live.

Secret #3: The dreaded, unpredictable weather

When you’re helping your client pick the venue, the one thing you should warn them about is the weather.

And you won’t be the only one warning them. The weather plays a huge part in deciding where your clients’ event is going to be held. If they want a July wedding, is outside really the best option? And if they want it in April, are they ready to deal with the chance of rain?

You can never plan for the weather, so it’s always good to plan around it. Always have a backup indoor location on hand if you need to.

Secret #4: Traffic and driving considerations

We mentioned earlier that sometimes when picking a venue it could be important to your clients to find a centralized location.

Maybe one person’s family lives in New York and the other’s in Tennessee—maybe finding something in the middle could work well for their guests who may be traveling.

Now let’s think on a smaller scale, what if your clients want a venue that’s in downtown Charlotte, on a Saturday, during the middle of a city-wide event, what are you going to do?

You don’t want the guests sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic, or to have to delay the event. Make sure you think about things like this whenever you’re helping choose the venue.

You’ll also want to think about a venue that is too far removed from main roads. Sure, the view might be gorgeous, but is it difficult for the guests to arrive at?

So event planners, there you have it, some of the best-kept secrets when it comes to helping your clients select a venue.

Good luck! We know you’ll be able to help your clients find the location of their dreams in no time.

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Are You Facing These 7 Wedding Planning Challenges?

Everyone tells you wedding planning is so much fun!

Between picking the flowers, finding the dress, setting the seating arrangement, and hosting all those showers—wedding planning is fun, but it’s not easy.

When it comes to planning, there are a number of factors to consider and challenges to overcome.

So before you start out in the wedding planning business, plan a friend’s wedding, or your own—watch out for these 7 challenges.

Challenge #1: The ‘Zilla Family

You’ve heard all about the ‘zilla family, right? There’s the momzilla, the bridezilla, the groomzilla—and they make wedding planning a living nightmare.

From throwing temper tantrums to having to have their hands in all of the wedding-planning cookie jars, the ‘zilla family is the number one challenge facing wedding planners.

So how do you handle them?

Simple! To prevent a ‘zilla from making an appearance, be sure to include people in your planning. The reason these unwanted helpers show up is because they feel left out and like their opinions are not being heard or appreciated.

Challenge #2: Dreaming Too Big

It’s the dream day, the dream dress, the dream bridal party, the dream venue—the dream list goes on. But there’s also a dream price tag.

When it comes to wedding planning it can be difficult to rein in the dreams and match them to the budget—but you’ve got to.

Unless you’re living the dream and have no cap budget for the big day, you’ll have to decide which dreams you’ll be able to afford.

So set out a list of “must-haves” that you won’t compromise on, and then spend less money on the other “nonessentials.”

Challenge #3: DIYs (Do it yourself)

Everyone likes a good DIY project every now and then, right?

I mean, I know for myself I enjoy getting on Pinterest and seeing what wild creation I can make. But sometimes, Pinterest and other DIY projects turn into more of a money-waster than anything else.

However, you can always just ignore your client’s wishes of a DIY project. So listen to their ideas and offer to connect them with people/vendors who could replicate that design for them.

And if you have to go the DIY route, make sure you choose your project wisely.

Challenge #4: Unrealistic Goals and Expectations

Unrealistic expectations—for me that would be trying to touch my toes, but for wedding planners those are the champagne requests on a beer budget.

Sometimes your clients might ask for something on their wedding day that you know you can’t achieve.

And that’s OK!

It’s alright to let your client know that some things are just unrealistic. Now of course, you’ll want to say that in the best way possible, but the point of the matter is to remember that it’s OK to say no.

For example: If your client asks you to cut your hair into a pixie cut for their big day, you know what, you can say no and walk away if you feel underappreciated.

Now of course, that’s an extreme example, but you should feel in control of your decisions and the situation—don’t let the situation take control of you.

Challenge #5: No Good, Very Bad Event Vendors

In the wedding industry, your co-workers are your fellow vendors. These are the people who supply you with everything you need to put on a successful wedding for your clients, whether that means tents, tables, or flowers.

And trust us, not all of them are good.

That’s right, sometimes you run into no good, very bad event vendors. And they can make your wedding planning process, well, let’s just say not very good.

Find vendors that match your ethics, your professionalism, and appreciation for quality service. When you raise the bar and your expectations of service, bad vendors will slowly fade away from the picture.

Challenge #6: The Stressful Moments

As the wedding day gets closer and closer, the stress gets a little more intense. Emotions are up and anxiety has set in—things are about to get a little rocky.

You’re the planner, so remember to keep people calm, reassure them that everything is under control, and that you’re there to help and support them with whatever they need.

You are the voice of reason, and the more you keep calm, the more the party will too.

Challenge #7: Taking Things Personally

It can be difficult to watch something you’ve created and planned get ripped up in front of you. And although most of your clients won’t literally rip your plans up in front of you, sometimes their critiques are too tough to hear.

One of the biggest challenges about being a wedding planner is hearing critique and not taking it personally.

But critics come with the job. So the best thing you can do is to understand that when your client critiques your plan, it isn’t a slight against you, it’s that they see your vision and want to build on it.

There are always going to be challenges in this industry, but we’re confident that you’re going to navigate through them just fine.

Want to know how we know that? It’s because to truly make it in this industry you have to have passion for what you do. And since you’re here, we know you must really love it.

So go out there, face the challenges, and plan the wedding of someone’s dreams.

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Making a Toast? Don’t Forget to do These 5 Things

It’s your wedding day!

Everything has gone perfectly. People arrived on time, you got down the aisle, said your “I dos,” and now you’re enjoying the party.

But you know sooner or later you’re going to have to stand up in front of everyone and make a toast.

Yep! Toast making (without the toaster) isn’t just for the maid of honor and best man—the bride and groom are expected to say a word or two.

And unless you’re a creative muse I don’t think it’s possible to think of a speech on the spot without forgetting to mention a few things.

So we’re here to help you prepare your toast BEFORE you get in front of the mic.

Let Them Go First

You’ve heard the saying, save the the best for last? Well to not sound too snobby here, but you’re the party so you should give your toast last.

Let your bridal party say a few words, the maid of honor and the best man, your parents, and then you and your partner.

Having someone else open up the floor of thank yous before you is always a good route to go.

Why?

Well, it helps you calm your nerves and regain your composure.

Be an Inspiration and Get Inspiration

We’ll admit, sometimes it’s hard to find inspiration for what we’re about to say or write. And the same can be said about your toast.

It’s OK to find sources of inspiration, words of comfort, etc. that came from other people to help you write your toast—just use the Oscar acceptance speeches as examples.

But you don’t just need inspiration, you also need to be an inspiration. Get your guests to laugh and smile along with you—let them share in your happiness.

Telling personal stories (that are good) about each other that have everyone in attendance smiling will help when you transition into saying thank yous later on in the speech.

Keep it Classy

So OK maybe you have a couple funny stories about your truly beloved, but maybe they aren't suited to be announced over a speaker.

Remember that you want to keep your toast full of happy memories (and comfortable ones).

Don’t make your guests feel uneasy with stories that could embarrass you and/or your significant other.  

Besides, this toast is to thank people for being there to celebrate your big day.

Practice, Practice, and Practice Some More

Everyone tells you that practice makes perfect.

You’ve heard this saying so many times you could probably scream, but hey, it’s true!

Practice what you’re about to say before you’re about to say it to make sure that the delivery is flawless.

And remember, your significant other and you are going to be talking together—so practice together!

Remember the Thank Yous

The biggest (most important) part of a toast is the thank you.

Your toast should have elements of happy moments about the two of you, but it should really thank the people who made your day special.

But to avoid forgetting to name specific people, keep your thank yous broad. Thank your family, thank your friends, and thank everyone for making this a special memory.

And one last piece of advice: memorize the last line of your speech so that you can look up at the crowd and lift up your voice. You want that moment to be big, not trail off into some mumble or whisper.

Ready to give your toast? We believe in you!

And to those who already gave their toast, what advice do you have? Let us know in the comment section below or share it with us on our Facebook page.

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5 Things Nobody Tells You About Your Wedding Day

It’s almost your big day, you’ve got everything prepared and ready to go, and people are beginning to tell you that you should enjoy this time as your day will go by so quickly.

But there are five things people just don’t warn you about on your wedding day.

Check them out!

1. You Won’t be Able to Eat

Sure, you’re probably thinking “oh, it’s because I’ll be so nervous.”

Wrong.

You won’t be able to enjoy the delicious food you picked out because you’ll be too busy running around trying to say hello to everyone.

And between pictures, I dos, and meets and greets, food will be the last thing on your mind.

So grab yourself a protein bar and power through.

2. You’ll be Exhausted

Your big day is full of excitement and special moments, which means after the party ends, you’ll probably be, no, you will be exhausted.

From the early morning wake-up call, to the hours of hour and makeup, to the big moment—you’re going to get tired.

3. Prepare to Hate Your Hair and Dress

After the millionth bobby pin is pushed into your updo and your six hundredth button fastened, you’ll be begging for your pajamas and a hair brush.

Although you’ll love your hair and your dress the first couple of hours, be prepared to hate it.

4. Your Face Will Hurt 
 

From pictures, to smiling at all of your guests, prepare to have screaming cheeks.

On your wedding day, you’ll probably smile more than you ever have in your life (well, we hope you will for that matter).

So practice!

5. You Will Feel Different

Most people say you won’t feel any difference between dating and getting married. Well prepared to be shocked.

On your big day, you will definitely feel different.

Although you've probably been with your partner for several years, the moment you get married it will finally feel official.

So enjoy the feeling!

We hope you enjoy your big day, and are pleasantly surprised by all the special moments that occur.

If you’re recently married, share with us in the comment section below or on our Facebook page the unexpected moments that happened on your big day!  

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