1946 Rolls Royce Once Owned by Sammy Davis, Jr.McLaren

McLaren

 

Guests were invited to sample a variety of uniquely presesnted food stations, including the “Saladtini Bar.”

And sample featured vodka from a stunning luge.

As the night progressed, guests gathered on the outside patio to sample handmade cigars from our master torcedor who was born in Cuba and learned his trade on his family’s farm in the Dominican Republic.

Not to be outdone by the cars, two classic trucks made appearances as well: One held cheesecake pops and other bite-sized assorted deserts, while the band played from the bed of another.

We had such a wonderful time at this event. We cannot wait for next year!

Throughout my 20 years as a top valley event planner, one topic stands out as the most difficult for brides to manage: creating and maintaining a budget for their dream wedding. There are three important components to venue budgeting, not just one. In order for a venue to make the cut as the perfect location for your wedding, you must consider your budget, guest count, and the venue itself. Only when these three items are in alignment can you proceed with the perfect on budget event.

Let’s break these components down into individual categories:

1. Venue Itself- where would you like your wedding and/or reception to be held? Before making any decisions, you should visit two to three locations to get a feel for what each one has to offer. Be sure to look at the wedding and reception sites, as well as the weather back up, before making any decisions. It is important to know if the space is too large or too small to accommodate your guest count.  Next, ask for an estimate of charges so you can see what the food and beverage minimum is going to be.  Never, ever, sign anything without getting an estimate first!

2. Guest count- how many people will be attending your wedding and reception? Make sure to ask the person guiding your site tour how many guests can comfortably fit in the area they are proposing for your event. It is important to find out the anticipated size of the dance floor.  It will vary depending on your guest count and the size of the room. Also, be sure to view the exact space you will be utilizing.

 3. Budget- The venue portion of your event should not exceed 40% of your total budget and should include all food and beverage plus any applicable site fee. The food and beverage minimum concept seems to be very confusing for people planning an event. This is the minimum amount of money you MUST SPEND on food and beverage not including service and tax (Remember: Service is taxable in Arizona!). Sometimes, if your food and beverage minimum is high enough, or if it is off season, a venue may waive the site fee for your event.  Be sure to ask if this is a possibility as it can save you fair amount of money!

Now that we understand what the components are, let’s look at an example:

A bride has a guest count of 200 people, an estimate of charges with a food and beverage minimum of $32,000 and an overall wedding budget of $50,000. This means her food and beverage is going to be AT LEAST 65% of her budget ($32,000/$50,000 = .65 or 65%). This is WAY too high! Therefore she has 3 options:

1. Decrease her guest count
2. Increase her budget
3.  Change her Venue

She could also do a combination of any of the above, so that she would not have to drastically change any one option. 

Have questions about your budget, venue, or guest count? Email Charlee at charlee@az-events.com and receive top tips from the expert!

At Signature Events, we know that sometimes the smallest details have the biggest impact. From the bouquet, to the table cards, to the candy table, it is the finer points that make a Signature Event. Here are our top four tips on which details make the difference.

1. Bouquet Stem Wrap. Wrapping the bride’s and bridesmaids bouquet stem add that extra bit of elegance. It finishes the look, and ensures that the brides chosen colors are highlighted throughout. The wrap also provides a pretty detail and added sparkle for detail shots of the bouquet itself and the perfect backdrop to phoyograph the wedding rings. At Signature events, we either place the bouquets on the cake table or the head table during the reception for an extra bit of color and design.

2. Artful Table Card Presentation. Often times the table cards are presented as an after thought and not thoroughly incorporated into the design of the cocktail or reception area. By artfully arranging the cards on the table and adding a decorative centerpiece, the card table transforms from an afterthought to an integrated part of the room’s design.

3. Elegant Sign in Ideas. There are many cute and creative ideas for sign in boards (many of which can be found on our blog). If you are looking for increased elegance, try etching. By asking guests to use etching pens to sign their name on glass or metal matting surrounding the perfect picture, you are making your sign in board into a modern piece of art.

4. Incorporate Your Colors Throughout. By choosing candy in your colors, you ensure this special treat is a highlight of the room, and looks as pretty as it tastes!

Would you like to learn more tips and trick of the trade? If you have a specific question, send an email to Charlee at charlee@signatureevents.com.

As an event planner with over 20 years experience , people are always asking me for my best tips and tricks. The following four keys are some of my favorites tips for creating a flawless event. 

1.  Always Have a Weather Backup. If you are having an outdoor wedding, reception, or event, a weather backup is a location  your event will be held if there are weather complications such as rain or extreme wind. Prior to signing my event venue contract, I like to preview the backup space to make sure that it can accommodate the size of the wedding  I am expecting.  I also want to make sure that the space is visually appealing to my client.  In the best scenario, you will not need the back-up space, but just in case, make sure you have this included in your contract.

The Ceremony Photos of This Beautiful Wedding Could Have Been Ruined by an Unattractive Weather Backup Room

Nothing Adds to the Romance of a Table Like Pin Spot Lighting

3. Add a Twinkle Drape. The uses of this drape are endless! It provides a gorgeous backdrop to the band,  is beautiful behind the head table,  and makes a stunning backdrop for unique photos.  Pretty draping increases the romance factor, and adds a little extra sparkle to a dramatic room.

4. Pay Special Attention to Details. Candy tables are are popular right now. To add that extra bit of flair and class to your party, make sure and pay special attention to the details. In this case, beautiful description tags, created by a stationer, were hanged with ribbon  to add to  the fun of a coordinated candy table. The candy itself was selected and ordered to  coordinate with the bride’s colors, and the glass vases showcase it to perfection. A sheer linen overlay accent completes the look and adds an extra bit of sparkle and dimension. Together, all of these details combine in a cohesive and breathtaking presentation.  

 

Details, Like Candy in Your Colors, Have a Big Impact on the Feel of a Room

 

The Scene is Set for this Incredible Wedding

We had an amazing time at Dolly and Joe’s AllStar FanFest Wedding! From the 32″ baseballs made entirely of flowers to the Cracker Jack favors with authentic AllStar FanFest prizes inside, everything was perfect. The following video shows you a behind the scenes look at how it all came together, including a complete tour of ideas and designs with Signature Events very own, Charlee Geisler.

AllStar FanFest Wedding Success

Major League Baseball and a panel of celebrity judges have selected the winning couple for the first-ever All-Star FanFest Wedding. As part of All-Star Week in Phoenix, Joe Curiale and Dolly West will be married Tuesday, July 12 at 11:00 a.m. Arizona time, at MLB All-Star FanFest at the Phoenix Convention Center. In May, baseball fans were asked to submit their stories online explaining why they should be chosen to win the All-Star FanFest Wedding.

 As residents of Humble, TX, Joe and Dolly frequently attend Houston Astros games. Joe and Dolly met in Texas while beginning their careers as flight attendants. The couple often will arrange layovers in the same city to
visit different ballparks. “It’s a great way to see all the major ballparks,” said Joe. So far, Joe and Dolly have visited more than 20 MLB ballparks together.

In their submission video, Dolly said, “Baseball is more than just a game to us; it’s a way for us to be together.” Although Dolly roots for the Texas Rangers and Joe is a fan of the Cleveland Indians, the couple shares a common love for the sport. “We’re hoping baseball can make us a part of its world as much as it has already been a part of ours,” added Dolly.

A panel of celebrity judges assisted in selecting the winning couple including WE tv’s “My Fair Wedding” celebrity wedding planner David Tutera, Host of NBC’s “The Marriage Ref” Tom Papa, MLB All-Star Ambassador Luis Gonzalez and Jenni Croft Badolato from ABC’s “The Bachelor.”

Joe and Dolly will receive a donated wedding package including a ceremony on the Diamond at All-Star FanFest, a catered reception at Symphony Hall for 50 guests by Aventura Catering, a wedding ring package from Molina Fine Jewelers, roundtrip airfare and two tickets to the 82nd MLB All-Star Game.

The couple will also receive items from Major League Baseball partners including a $500 MasterCard
prepaid gift card, beverages for the reception provided by Budweiser, hotel stay provided by InterContinental
Hotels Group, and a $500 Newlywed Lawn & Garden Kit donated by Scotts featuring a wide array of Scotts
Miracle-Gro products.

Scottsdale wedding planner Charlee Geisler of Signature Events was selected by MLB to plan the All-Star FanFest Wedding, which will have a baseball twist. “We have some tricks up our sleeve for this one. We plan to incorporate the All-Star theme into the wedding while still keeping it classy and elegant. It will undoubtedly be one of the most memorable weddings I’ve planned. I’m very excited to meet Joe and Dolly.”

Joe and Dolly will be flown to Phoenix this week for a glimpse into their wedding day. The couple will shoot their engagement photos with the wedding photographer from Eyes 2 See Photography; Dolly will visit Uptown Bridal to choose her dress and also will try out hair and make-up with Cheryl Roberts of Steven Paul Salon. Lastly, the couple will get a first taste of their wedding cake to be provided by Julia Baker Confections.

Additional services donated by local Phoenix businesses for the wedding include:

• Angelic Grove – Wedding and event décor

• Serendipity Video – Wedding videographer

• Classic Party Rental – Specialized party supplies and rentals

• F/X Entertainment – Ceremony and reception music

• Celebrations in Paper – Invitations and wedding program

• Men’s Wearhouse – Tuxedos

Major League Baseball is inviting anyone attending All-Star FanFest on Tuesday, July 12 to watch the first-
ever All-Star FanFest Wedding. Fans will be able to watch the special ceremony from the bleachers adjacent to
the Diamond.

In Phoenix for the first time in its history, MLB All-Star FanFest will serve as the launch for MLB All-Star Week, which will culminate with the 82nd Midsummer Classic on Tuesday, July 12 at Chase Field. The five-day event provides an unrivaled experience for fans of all ages and among its attractions are an exhibit from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, batting cages, clinics from Major League legends, free autograph sessions with former D-backs and MLB legends, memorabilia, and much more.

If you have seen our posts on Facebook and want to learn more about Signature Events Involvement in the Major League Baseball All-Star FanFest Wedding, then Mark Newman’s MLB.com article “Lucky Couple Can Win All-Star-Fan Fest Wedding” is for you. This exclusive interview with Signature Events Founder Charlee Geisler is interesting, informative, and will give you the inside scoop on everything FanFest Wedding related.

Lucky couple can win All-Star FanFest wedding

Entrants can share stories of their love through June 1

By Mark Newman / MLB.com | 05/19/11 10:00 AM ET

In nearly 20 years as a sought-after wedding planner in the Phoenix area, Charlee Geisler of Signature Events has seen just about every kind of matrimonial request.

She has planned weddings for such Major League Baseball players as Mark Grace, Matt Williams, Mark Mulder and Quinton McCracken. She once had a wedding in which a judge agreed to perform the ceremony for a former clerk, but the only problem was that the judge started the ceremony before the bride had a chance to walk down the aisle.

“That was one of the craziest things that ever happened to me as a wedding planner,” Geisler said. “She was nervous and hadn’t done this. She walks down the aisle with her little notebook in front of her, beside the groom with the groomsmen following. She starts the ceremony. She forgot that the bride wasn’t down the aisle yet. I’m back there waving at her like, ‘Hello! I still have the bride back here!’”

Now Geisler, a D-backs fan, is already planning one of the most unusual, challenging and absolutely fun nuptials to come her way: the first-ever MLB All-Star FanFest Wedding.

MLB announced on Thursday that it will host a real wedding ceremony for the first time as part of All-Star Week. Couples are invited to share their stories now through June 1 on MLB.com for a chance to win this wedding.

The lucky couple will be married (speak now or forever hold your peace) at 11 a.m. MST on July 12 at the Phoenix Convention Center, site of FanFest. The wedding package includes a ceremony on the Diamond at FanFest; a catered reception for 50 guests by Aventura Catering; a wedding-ring package from Molina Fine Jewelers worth up to $15,000 that will include either an engagement ring or two wedding bands; a wedding dress by Uptown Bridal; and round-trip airfare and two tickets to the 82nd Midsummer Classic that night.

“I thought it was great and I was excited,” said Geisler, who was able to do this because, unlike most places, midsummer is the slow time for weddings in Phoenix, due to the climate. “I’m approached frequently to do gratis weddings and I don’t do them. I really don’t. First of all, it’s so time-consuming. Unless it’s for a really, really good reason, I just don’t do them. This just sounded like so much fun and it’s such a great idea.”

It is about as challenging as it gets for a wedding planner, but Geisler said the winning couple “will not be disappointed. I have a great plan for this event and it is anything but ordinary.

“The challenge from my end is that it’s such a tight time frame. Most brides will start planning their wedding with a minimum of six months out, up to a year. The average is between six months to a year, and I have one month, not even that, to get this done. So we’re laying all the groundwork (i.e., invitation paper and florist are preselected), then, when the bride and groom are selected, flying them in that weekend, it’s a very busy two days. Running around to hair and makeup, cake tasting, bridal gown and tux fitting, a lot is packed in those days. She’ll pick out her bridesmaid dresses and so on.

“It can be done. It will be done. A challenge to me makes it fun. The fact that it is such a tight frame makes it fun for me.”

Tom Papa, host of NBC’s “The Marriage Ref,” will join WE tv’s “My Fair Wedding” celebrity wedding planner David Tutera, MLB All-Star ambassador Luis Gonzalez and Jenni Croft Badolato from ABC’s “The Bachelor” to assist MLB in selecting the winning couple.

“Baseball fans are so passionate about their sport that I expect many will jump at the opportunity to get married at a great event like MLB All-Star FanFest,” Gonzalez said. “This is something unique to Phoenix, and I’m incredibly excited to help make a memorable day for a special couple.”

Geisler has this advice for those planning to enter the contest:

“The criteria is important. One, when they send in the videos, they obviously are very much in love with each other. That to me is critical. To have avid baseball enthusiasts will be really, really fun. And we’re looking for just a well-rounded couple. They’re fun, they are enthusiastic, they enjoy the sport, they have a nice sense of humor.

“I still love this business, it’s an incredible career. It’s been good to me. I do this and I’m excited about this. The career is something I love, it’s not just a job.”

The lucky couple will receive items from MLB partners, including a $500 MasterCard gift card, beverages for the reception provided by Anheuser-Busch, hotel stay provided by InterContinental Hotels Group, and a $500 Newlywed Lawn & Garden Kit donated by Scotts featuring a wide array of Scotts Miracle-Gro products.

Additional services donated by local Phoenix businesses for the wedding include Angelic Grove (floral decor and arrangements), Eyes 2 See Photography, Serendipity Video (wedding videographer), Classic Party Rental, F/X Entertainment (ceremony and reception music), Celebrations in Paper (invitations and wedding program), Cheryl Roberts with Steven Paul Salon (hair and makeup), Julia Baker Confections (cake) and Men’s Wearhouse (tuxedos).

Mark Newman is enterprise editor of MLB.com. You also can leave comments on his MLB.com Blogs Central community blog. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

There is only one word to describe Molly and Javier: FUN! These two lovebirds share a love of the law, but celebrate their heritage and  cultures in very diverse ways.  Molly is Jewish and Javier is Mexican American, both steeped in rich traditions.  Molly and Javi wanted their special day to reflect each of their heritages, and the resultant wedding was an adventure in creative cultural ideas and laughter.

Molly and Javier added a  fun unique twist to table cards by turning them into refrigerator momentos. Each table card was represented by a loteria card with a matching picture for each table. The gold band at the top held the guests’s names.  These table cards were then mounted on magnatized sandwich chalkboards as a fun alternative to the standard table card display. This creative presentation complemented the feel of the Phoenix Art Museum.

The perfect blend of both cultures is showcased by displaying the yarmulkes in a vintage suitcase, marked with “Just Married” signs. The gift cards were placed in the cactus shaped pinata and wedding photos were displayed from both familes. Combining elements from multiple cultures is a specialty of Signature Events, and one Molly, Javi,  and Charlee enjoyed planning together.

Prior to the wedding, all the guests stayed at the beautiful Hermosa Inn. To comemorate this joyous day, these adorable signs were photographed in various locations throughout the property.  On one side,  the signs said ”senor” and “senora,” and on the other side  ”recein” and “casados” (just married).  These signs were then taken to the Phoenix Art Museum and put in the top pocket of the vintage suitcase hihglighted above.

These adorable succulents were given as favors to all the friends and family who attended. The goal was for each person to take a part of the desert home with them to remind them of this special day.

True to form, every aspect of the food was customized to reflect something fun about our couple. Mini hand cut papel picados with Molly and Javi’s name and wedding date  adorned the peppers. Two custom made sharks topped the cake and gave a cheeky nod to the fact that both the bride and groom are lawyers.  Succulents matching the favors and bouquet adorned each of the three tiers of the cake.

Molly and Javier, we wish you happiness, love, and above all laughter in your future life together.

     Signature Events owner and founder Charlee Geisler was recently asked to speak about social event planning at Arizona State University’s Advanced Special Event Management Class. The class is an integral part of receiving a Special Events Management Minor. This minor is designed to offer students a solid understanding of special event programming and management. It provides students both basic and advanced instruction and experiential learning opportunities through event production.   Students from such various disciplines including business, communication and many others find this program a beneficial supplement to their existing program.[1]

     After her speaking engagement, two interesting questions were posed to Charlee, and she wanted to share them with you. 

It is my understanding that you began your business coordinating cooperate events. Why did you switch your focus to primarily social event planning?

      You are right. I started my business on the corporate side and once in awhile would do a social event. Right out of college I worked for a major pharmaceutical company. This was over 20 years ago and, as a woman, I was often asked to help in the planning of the national meetings when they came to the Phoenix area. I loved every minute of it!  When I left the pharmaceutical industry, event planning became a natural fit. I started Signature Events 21 years ago, and have been coordinating mostly social events ever since.

     I  chose social event planning over corporate for many reasons. Primarily, I found that the emotional rewards were much greater seeing the joy and love expressed in creating  weddings from beginning to end versus the finality of corporate events.  I have maintained wonderful relationships with many of my brides and their families. These types of lasting relationships are often not possible when planning corporate events. It is also very rewarding for me to have planned a girl’s bat Mitzvah  and years later, to see her through her wedding. 

 You are often asked to speak at various engagements around the country. Why did you choose to speak at ASU?

      Actually, this is the third year in a row speaking to this class. As a graduate of ASU myself, it is always my pleasure to speak to the advanced event management class.  I love to see the enthusiasm from the students and enjoy helping them better understand the industry. If there is any way that I can be encouraging or helpful to someone entering this career path, I am more than happy to do so.

Do you feel your presentation was successful? 

     I do. I received the following emails from the professor and one of the young women in the class. I would like to share them with you and thank everyone for their participation and interest in social event planning.

“Charlee….your were AWESOME today speaking to my students. A number of them came by after wards and told me how much they enjoyed it! You hit every topic I hoped would be covered….and your “things that can go wrong section” was perfect!  When I get the students reaction papers in I will forward a few to you…I know they will be SO positive!  Thanks again!

Til next year…..

~Wendy

Wendy Hultsman
Associate Professor, Parks and Recreation Management
School of Community Resources and Development
Arizona State University

Dear Charlee,

   I just want to say thank you so much for your wonderful presentation to Wendy’s Special Events Management class at ASU last Friday.  I have been interested in Social Event Planning my whole life and found your presentation just fascinating!  Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule. 

Sincerely,
~Emily O

ASU Student

[1]https://scrd.asu.edu/programs/undergraduate-programs-1/parks-recreation-management-prm/special-event-management-minor