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Event Organizer Tips: How to Throw a Fab Party in 48 Hours or Less

The holidays are just coming around the corner and they have no plans of slowing down! Ask the event organizers! Their calendars must be filled with event right now! It’s deck the malls today, and you just can’t wait to attend all your pre-planned parties with your Amigas! However, we won’t always be the visitor all the time. Sometimes, we also have to throw our own party—whether it’s by peer pressure or sheer gratitude. And because time is of great luxury especially during this season, how do we get our acts together and throw a fun and classy party in, say, 48 hours?

Good news for us, with everything that’s instant today, we can do fabulous holiday party with a few quick and easy tips. Even the career-driven shopaholic full-time mommy could whip out a great get together in a breeze. Read on.

1. De-clutter. A clean home is always something that’s worth looking and staying at. Spend a few hours organizing your home and tidying up. Sweep, wash, polish, wipe and arrange! This sets the venue for easier pre-party preparations later. If the time is very tight, simply de-cluttering will do. Additional tip: hire or borrow some helpers specifically for this task.

2. Set the mood. When people enter the place, or even as early as they are looking for a parking space in front of the home, they should already feel the party spirit brewing around the area. Fill the place with affordable decoration and brighten up. Set a focal point for a more “organized” feel. It could be the buffet table, a unique piece of furniture or a gallery set-up. Usually, all it takes is a little tweaking with the lighting. There are a lot of affordable but fabulous home decors at SM Department store.

3. For the food-related shopping, it’s best to buy everything in just one day. Making a comprehensive checklist really works for most busybees. This way, the legwork is minimized and it’s also less hassle if we know we already got everything right on supply.

4. For the cooking preparations, delegate the pre-cooking assignments a day before the actual party. It’s convenient to make this a follow-up task right after the shopping checklist gets finalized. Marinate the night before (see, even make use of sleep time!), store the ingredients properly and prepare all cooking hardware needed (utensils, appliances and other kitchen implements).

5. If time is still very tight, here’s a last resort: fake home cooking. What really makes a party cozy is the food. In fact, many consider it as a deal breaker when it comes to party-throwing. The truth is, we can make do with good old lechon manok (rotisserie chicken) and just put it in a nice looking plate. To make it look extra special, try to steam vegetables or put fried potatoes on the side. There’s also powdered gravy sold in the market. Place that on the side for that extra gourmet feel. Sometimes, the plate also makes all the difference. Imagine takeout chopsuey, pansit and baby back ribs in a very regal looking plate. Imagine grilled meat on a banana leaf. Get the feel already?

6. For posh cocktails, don’t serve chips but instead, prepare cheese, little sandwiches, salami or even buttered French bread. Carrots, lettuce and cucumber also make for a great salad, the “healthier” cocktail. Garnish if you have more minutes to spare. For the beverage part, serve champagne/ wine. Isn’t it good that you can purchase them now from convenience stores? They promise a lovely time and some space for great conversations in between. I recommend Arbor Mist in Merlot and Chardonnay. It’s more posh than beer. However, if the boys complain, then simply order beer from the sari-sari store at the corner! No sweat!

With these quick and easy throw-a-party tips, you won’t be left wondering what to do to make your party fabulous and memorable while on a very tight time schedule. Just remember that days before the party, you should organize your calendar well. 

And don't forget to take pictures! :)

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If all else fails, you can just sit back and direct the party. Hire a professional event organizer to plan, conceptualize and take care of the entire party's production. Davao has loads of hardworking, talented and affordable event organizers...like, ehem ehem. Haha! Email us for a free quotation: prepdavao@gmail.com or call/text 0915 485 7006. You may also click this link for our Facebook page.

- PREP (PR, Events & Promotions)

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Event Coordinator Tips: How to Talk to Your Event Coordinator

There are a lot of people who think that event coordinators are merely girl fridays who are willing to do their client's requests no matter how difficult they may be. Sometimes we get yelled at, and mistreated. Clients who do not show up on time for an appointment? Clients who cancel at the last minute even if you already booked a lot of things for them? Clients who overly demand beyond what's on black and white? That, and so much more.

Not to say that most clients are like that, but there are others, especially who just hired an event coordinator for the first time, who really have sky-high expectations. Worse, these clients even have the narrowest budgets. Dear clients and clients-to-be, I hope you weren't guilty of what I just said.

See, these situations can be lessened if only there was proper communication between the client and the event coordinator. Here are some tips on how to talk to your event coordinator:

1. 4 WS first. What is the event? When is it taking place? Where is your preferred venue? (If you're not decided, ask for suggestions based on the other factors.) Who are you celebrating the event for?

2. Clearly state what your expectation for the event is. Say "this is what I want and this is what I expect". Lay down the information to the last detail. For everything, ask the event coordinator if it is doable.

3. Clearly state what your BUDGET is. This is very tricky since many people underestimate the things needed for an event. For example, a wedding. If you are covering for 100 guests with hotel reception, with 100 souvenirs, around 50 invitations, photo and video coverage, bridal car rentals, formal wear rentals, event emcee, event decor, stage decor, etc. Certainly P100,000 might be short if you have very high expectations. The lowest, safest number that we work with for a wedding with that caliber of production is P120,000. That includes everything already.

4. Look for a MOA or a service contract and sign it as soon as you pay a down payment. The down payment is needed for the event coordinator to have something to work with (do initial legwork, etc.) and for the booking of the date.

5. Treat your event coordinator as a professional (just like you) and s/he also has value in the industry that s/he works with. Come to the meeting on time and treat him/ her just like you would a boss or a client. The better your relationship is, the better the event will turn out to be.

Those are the general rules. Good luck to your event!  :)

Photowall Set-up for Your Wedding, Corporate or Private Event

Get that Red Carpet treatment with our photowall service! For the price of P2500, you can enjoy unlimited photos, red-carpet style! Price is inclusive of layout design and printing of 1 8x8ft photowall, set up, studio-grade umbrella lighting and 1 dedicated photographer. See, it's very affordable! You may also request actual red carpet to fill the space that the photowall uses. Photos will be saved on a cd and will be claimed by the client in a few day's time. 

PREP has already booked photowall set up packages for 2 events just this week! Keep 'em coming, superstar! Text 0915 485 7006 for more info. Thank you!

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Wedding Coordination | Photography | Corporate Event Planning | Marketing | Public Relations | Event styling

Wedding Coordinator Tips: Hire a Coordinator for Savings

We understand that every to-be-wed couple will always have troubles budgeting their money. They bust their asses trying to find the cheapest sources which provide the most acceptable quality. They ask their friends for referrals. At the same time, they're on the lookout for the latest wedding trends that they can incorporate in their weddings so that they can make it as memorable (or unique) and as contemporary as it can be. Again, everything done with a budget. No matter how rich the couple is, there's always a certain expense ceiling that they're forbidden to hit. After all, a wedding is just a one-day affair.

See, a lot of people still don't get the idea but we'll say it again anyway: hire a wedding coordinator for more savings. And here's why:

1. Your wedding coordinator has access to the best suppliers in the field. For this, it's best to talk to someone who has been in the field for quite sometime. If your wedding organizer has been doing what she's been doing for years, chances are, she knows the best people for your specifications. Also, don't think that she will only get her friends for your wedding. You can just ask for quotations and work samples. If you ask her opinion outright, trust that she'll also give referrals according to your specifications.

2. Save money, time and effort from all the legwork. When you are still in the canvassing period, you might  be surprised how much time, money and effort you spend just to land with right suppliers. And imagine how many suppliers you have to get! Hire a wedding planner to do all the canvassing for you so you can focus on your career and on the other details of your wedding.

3. Save money from foresight. There are hundreds of things that you have to get right for a wedding. If you forget one, two or a dozen, you are forgiven because it's your first time to get married (most likely). Trust that your wedding coordinator will remind you of the things you have to pay for and buy. The good ones will even clue you in on where to get them the cheapest or when a supplier is having a sale for a certain item. Most things get more expensive when you buy them at the last minute.

See, these savings could mean a lot for your wedding! So don't think twice about hiring a wedding coordinator! Ask your friends for referrals, or give ours a look-see. Click THIS LINK to see our wedding portfolio. For wedding coordination inquiries, email us at prepdavao@gmail.com.

Simple Yet Elegant Wedding Souvenirs/ Giveaways

If you are having a hard time finding cheap wedding souvenirs/ giveaways, then relax. The truth is, simple yet elegant wedding souvenirs may not cost you an arm and a leg. Some of the famous suppliers here in Davao may have unbelievable prices for their souvenirs but don’t you worry. The truth is, you can just make your own wedding giveaways and you’re good to go. The key is to make them meaningfully unique. After all, that’s how a souvenir should be, right?

Here’s a quick formula for meaningful, affordable and adorable wedding favors: artsy ribbons, soft cloth for souvenir bags and the choice items you’ll fill the bags with. Easy, right? You can do the artsy ribbons using a few meters of lace from the department store. For the soft cloth, you can use organza or even tulle (costs around P30 per meter only). Now here’s the clincher: the choice items.

Being a wedding organizer for more than 3 years now, I’ve mastered the art of staging a wonderful wedding on the cheap. Enough with the cliche glass swans and dove figurines. Those souvenirs disgust me, seriously. Here are some of my suggestions for cheap yet elegant wedding souvenirs:

*Potpouri, Incense or anything aromatic

*Organic tea (have its tea bag come in the same color as your motif)

*Stainless “charms” (like the ones for a charm bracelet, may also be used for pendant, keep it unisex)

*a CD mix of your favorite love songs

*little good luck bamboos

See, all of these things are easy to make and they’re also very inexpensive! Just customize according to your theme and budget. If, at the end of the day, you’re still baffled and you still want something else for your wedding souvenirs, you can shoot us an email (prepdavao@gmail.com) or text/ call us: 0915 485 7006.

Thank you and have a dazzling wedding!

Spend for the Marriage, Not the Wedding

If you are getting married but you are a little bit short on the budget, then be very practical about your wedding and, instead, spend more money investing on your MARRIAGE rather than on a one-day affair such as your wedding.

There are a lot of women who want their wedding days to be as magical as it can be, and they whine and pout to get what they want. They grew up looking at the fairy tale endings of their favorite books, on posh bridal magazines and they have been feeling the social pressures that come with being a bride—having a nice shower, a big ring on your finger, and a grand wedding.

Their fiancés, on the other hand, simply want to please them and if they don’t work together to do the budgeting and to arrive in certain compromises, then you don’t need early warning devices to tell you that they are only heading towards disaster.

It’s simple really. If you want to get married but you’re short on money right now, you can either postpone the wedding so you can have more time to save for it, or you can push through with it on your desired date but not go all-out in the spending anyway. It’s such a bad idea to end up working doubly hard while you’re still starting as a family just because you wanted those designer table runners on your reception tables. Or specifically wanted a Benz as your bridal car.

I know a once-bride-to-be who wanted her wedding to be very special. She was the only daughter and was the youngest so her family really wanted her once-husband-to-be to shoulder a big part of their wedding. The family even wanted to name it a dowry and asked P100,000 from her once fiancé. What the guy did was to loan a big amount of money so she got the wedding that she wanted. The ending? When she finally got to live with her husband under one roof and shared a life with him, she also shared the burden of paying the loan. So her wedding pictures looked good, alright. But afterwards she looked so haggard from working so hard.

Be smart about this issue; after all, you’re taking a big and bold step towards a whole new life. Remember that the money that you spend in your wedding will also be helpful when you begin setting up your new home where you will start your family. Imagine how many kitchen implements a designer gown could get. Or how many bathroom essentials your expensive chocolate fountains could afford. Be very smart…it’s about time.

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One of the smartest decisions that you will make in the course of your wedding planning is hiring a wedding planner or a wedding coordinator. They will hold your stress buffer and they also have the right network for the quality wedding suppliers at any budget. At the end of the day, you will find out that you saved a lot of time, effort and money because you got the right person on your end. 

We, at PREP, have years of experience planning weddings...and start-up marriages. Tee-hee. We have seen many couples make good and bad decisions in planning their weddings so we'd be able to hold your hand throughout the process. Ready to book your wedding? Want to inquire about our wedding coordination packages? Shoot us an email-- prepdavao@gmail.com. :-)