What is the difference between an event designer and an event coordinator?

I’ve gotten this question time and time again and rightfully so. Being that the titles sound similar, it can be quite confusing. But today we are going to clear up any ambiguity between the two jobs, so that we’re all in the know and can finally sleep soundly at night!

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An Event Designer’s job is to create a complete vision, making sure the event is cohesive while sticking with the aesthetic. The idea is to develop and execute the “theme” of your event from start to finish. This progression brings together the overall look and feel, which contributes to you and your guest’s experience; think: five senses. Imagine the process as interior designing for your wedding or event. If you’re looking for someone to help make your vision a reality, an event designer is what you’re looking for! But if you need assistance making your event run efficiently, an Event Coordinator is what you would want.  Event coordinators, or wedding planners, deal with the logistics – produce a wedding timeline and other helpful paperwork, work closely with the venue and vendors, deal with transportation, handle contrasts and referee any last minute hissy fits between bridesmaids.

So you can get a better idea, here are the tasks an Event Designer might help you complete:

• Creative Consulting
• Coming up with a theme or style based on overall budget
• Working with your florist throughout the process to insure a cohesive aesthetic
• “DIY” projects: coming up with and making clever and crafty ideas
• Attending site visits
• Joining in vendor meetings
• Coordinating with event planners
• Collaborating with lighting and draping professionals
• Designing your tables, lighting and all visual elements
• Helping to choose rentals, linens and table accessories
• Sourcing items such as fabric, ribbon, candles and proper containers, etc.
• Assisting with the invitation process
• Monograming or graphic design work
• Creating and exhibiting savvy ways to display escort cards, table numbers, menus and other paper goods
• Putting together ceremony pieces such archways, chuppahs, aisle décor or chair details
• Aiding cocktail table décor
• Displaying candles
• Setting up dessert area or another fun party stations

Their titles sound similar, but don’t let that confuse you! Event Designers and Event Coordinators have very different jobs!

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Elyse Shumsky, a freelance event designer, has worked for many prestigious event companies throughout the New York City and South Carolina areas. Her goal is to create and perfect innovative, resourceful designs, personalized to each client’s style and budget. Contact her for any advice or inspirational guidance via email at elyseshumsky@gmail.com.

Tea Cup Bird Feeder

It’s Spring—finally!—and there are birds all over my yard and trees.  My kids love to watch them, so I did some hunting and found a couple of bird feeder crafts on Pinterest that were easy and fun to make with my kids.  This first one I mainly made myself and my kids added the seed and like to look out the window and watch the birds swoop down to rest on the saucer and peck away at their treats.  These were so much fun to make that I ended up scoring several teacup sets at the local thrift shop and turning them into teacher gifts for my son’s pre-school teachers for Teacher Appreciation Day which is coming up in a couple of weeks.

Cookie Cutter Bird Feeder

This one, my son was able to help make.  While it was a bit gooey to work with, they were really easy and the perfect project for a toddler.  We have them strung up on all of our trees and the birds love them.  Plus, I’ve seen several of our feathered friends taking off with the yarn for their nests, which is an added bonus!

Spoon Plant Markers

This summer, I am hoping to expand my herb garden so we can have enough to dry and use throughout the year.  These plant markers are simple and unique, and would be a great addition to any backyard garden.

For more DIY ideas, check out our Deposit a Gift Pinterest page!

]]> http://www.depositagift.com/blog/how-to/diy-pinterest-projects-backyard-edition/feed/ 0 http://www.depositagift.com/blog/how-to/diy-pinterest-projects-backyard-edition/http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DepositAGift/~3/nzFYUqwjJBc/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DepositAGiftBlog-CashGiftRegistryService/~3/JzP9NIrxlRc/ http://www.depositagift.com/blog/news/get-your-deposit-a-gift-fix/#comments Wed, 23 May 2012 13:08:27 +0000 Anna http://www.depositagift.com/blog/?p=8098 Here at Deposit a Gift, we are ALL about making our users happy. We just love supplying you with useful information and links on weddings, babies, honeymoons, home, travel, kids, fundraising and more! But if you’re only on our blog, then you’re missing out! You can find us just about anywhere…

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BRAND. SPANKING. NEW! We’ve become addicted to pinning all of our favorite wedding/baby/travel/etc inspiration. And our very own resident Pinterest expert, Allison, shares our favorite inspiration with our readers every week.

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On Twitter, we’ve got fun links coming at you all day, everyday! And if you’ve got any ideas for DAG, we’d love to hear them in a Tweet.

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Since you’re already here, it’s safe to say you know our blog! This is where you can find original content and guest experts every day of the week. Anything specific you’d like to see or learn about? Drop us a comment, and we’ll get right on it.

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Your Tastes are Different. You might love that zebra print throw rug, but it has no place in their colonial style house. Stick to what the couple wants, not what you want.

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If They Didn’t Ask for It, They Don’t Need It. The couple selected items for good reasons and left others off for reasons. If they didn’t ask for a teapot, it’s because they just don’t need one.

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They Put Time and Effort Into the Perfect Registry. The couple is embarking on a new life together and this is what’s most important to them. If they went the alternative route and registered for their honeymoon, then they’ve put a lot of thought into crafting the perfect honeymoon and building memories.

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When In Doubt, Be Practical! You can’t go wrong with cash. Thoughtful and unique gifts are appreciated, but practicality is always valued when building a new life.

The second you said YES! to that charmer of yours, it seems like you said YES to 900 additional tasks on your to-do list. Oh, you know, in addition to that little chore we call REAL LIFE. Like a novice runner, you set off at a sprint pace to complete this wedding planning marathon. You’re a few months away from The Big Day; and you’re already starting to feel depleted from all the running around. Your head is spinning faster and faster with everything that you need to get done. The worst part: it’s starting to show physically. Sound familiar?

So, here are some ideas to make you look and feel great in time for the wedding that don’t feel like torture.

1. H₂Oh-yeah. Divide your body weight by 2. Then, drink approximately that many ounces of water each day. Not only will you feel less fatigued, your complexion will look less old, dry, and wrinkled.

2. Get some ZZZs. Getting less than 7 hours of sleep makes you fat. Yup, not just tired, but fat. It makes your hormones go haywire. You’re setting yourself up to overeat, store more fat and not recognize when you’re full.

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3. Hara hachi bu. Speaking of full, aim for just 80% full at each meal. It’s a Japanese expression that many Okinawan centenarians have practiced to achieve long healthy lives. (Pssst, they also eat a mostly plant-based diet of unprocessed food and don’t count calories.)

4. Scrub the flub. Try a hot towel scrub. Fill up your sink and use a wrung-out washcloth to scrub your skin until it’s pink. It softens hardened fat under the skin, promotes circulation, and stimulates the lymphatic system. Give some extra attention to those, ahem, lumpier bits. It’s also super relaxing. Try it morning, night or both.

5. Plan a date, not just the date. Slow it down for a few hours at least once a week. Schedule a date with yourself or that super-duper partner of yours. Drop yourself into a bathtub or into a taxi for a night out. Either way, make it a point to have some fun! You’ll bring down the levels of stress hormones in your body, which over time can lead to high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, lower immunity and, da dum, more of a gut. Yuck!

You could continue starving yourself or trying to whip yourself into submission at the gym (because that’s been working so well so far). Or, what if you worked with both your mind and your body to get the results that you want – a healthy, radiant, energized YOU walking down the aisle?

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Armed with skills from the classroom, boardroom and kitchen, Kara helps busy Type As get it together in the health & lifestyle department. She’s the owner of vital corps in lovely Northampton, MA and has worked with clients on 4 continents by phone/Skype. Otherwise, she’ll be looking radiant and practicing her false eyelash application for her upcoming atomic 50s luau of a wedding. For more information or a to schedule a free health strategy session, email her at kara@vitalcorpswellness.com or check out vital corps on Facebook and Twitter.

Step Stones

We love the look of flagstone stepping stones, spaced just enough to get some flowering creeping thyme growing between them.

Vegetable Garden

Our kids love to help plant seedlings in the Spring and check on and collect the bounty throughout the summer.  We plan to build raised bed rock benches to add some seating and entertaining space to the yard, while also serving as a garden for my novice green thumb.

Xeriscaping

With a large dog and a lot of maintenance required, we have decided to rip out our grass and embrace the high desert landscape that we live in by xeriscaping with native plants and boulders.

Patio

Seeing as we will be ripping out our grass, we have decided to replace it with a large patio for entertaining and enjoying the beautiful evenings we get.

Fire Pit

We plan to install a fire pit that we can use year-round for warmth in the evenings, and roasting some s’mores with the kids!

Character

Most importantly, we want to add some character to our yard.  With the warm days almost upon us, I’m looking forward to a summer full of eating outside and collecting fun finds for our new-found space!

What is your favorite part about your yard?  Any advice you have for me as we embark on our backyard transformation?

For more backyard living ideas, visit our Deposit a Gift Pinterest page and follow us!

1. Preregister for the Show: This will only take you a few moments to do online, but could be a long wait at the show to fill out a form.

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2. Know Your Budget: Don’t waste your time pining for things you can’t afford. Know what you can cross off your list to make decisions easier and your bank account easier.

3. Divide and Conquer: Bring a friend or two and divide your responsibilities. There won’t be time to speak with every florist, every band, and every planner, but with a little help, you can cover more ground.

4. Arrive Early: Beat the rush and get a leg up on free swag!

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5. Bring Your Calendar: Know your schedule so you can make follow-up appointments with vendors and take notes on what you like best.

6. Bring a Camera: Sometimes your memory just isn’t enough! Snap pictures of your favorite vendors so you can remember what you loved.

7. Do Your Research: Scout out the vendors before hand and know which ones really interest you, so you can focus your efforts on the ones you really like once you’re there.

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But there is one gift that everyone wants – cash! With gift money in-hand, you can get exactly what you need to transition into the real world or celebrate your graduation exactly the way you want. Of course, you can’t just send out a “MONEY PLEASE” email blast to your nearest and dearest. That’s tactless on more than one level. Luckily, we’re in the age of technology and Deposit a Gift here to save the day. Create your registry and share with friends so they can help contribute to life in the Real World. It’s easy to set up and something that your parents can politely circulate on your behalf anytime someone inquires about a gift for you.

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So before you end up with more university blankets and picture frames than you can count, just think about all the ways a higher balance in your bank account can help you get a leg up in life:

1. Set up your first apartment
2. Two words: School Loans
3. Travel: the open road is calling your name
4. You’ve got an idea for a start-up…consider this your first round of funding!
5. Groceries

Money is the most flexible, useful gift, and for grads, now more than ever, it’s essential to get practical gifts that we can spend exactly as we see fit. The next year is a big one for us and a few extra dollars in the bank is the best possible gift to help pave the way to a bright post-college future.

1. Simple Precautions. If weight training is already part of your exercise routine, there’s no reason to stop if your program:

• Emphasize low-weight
• Focuses on maintaining proper form
• Focuses on maintaining good posture

Free weights, weight machines, resistance bands are all great methods of weight training during pregnancy.  Perform 10-15 reps for 2-3 sets for each muscle group or exercise, taking a 30-second or more rest in between each exercise.

Focus on exercises such as bicep curls, side arm raises, and standard military presses for your shoulders and arm strength, 2-3 times per week.

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2. Modify your fitness routine from trimester to trimester. During pregnancy you may find that your balance and coordination are more challenged while doing exercises standing up, as your center of gravity actually shifts during pregnancy due to the extra weight in the front of your body.  If you feel unstable while working out:

• Decrease the amount of weight you are lifting
• Sit rather than stand while lifting weights
• Limit your range of motion and intensity

3. Avoid lying on your back. Once you reach the second trimester, ACOG recommends avoiding exercises in the supine position (lying flat on your back) as in this position the growing uterus and fetus can compress the blood vessels running to and from your heart.  An easy fix is to switch from using a flat bench to an incline bench.

4. Listen to your body. As important as it is to exercise for both mother and baby, terminate exercise immediately and contact your physician if you experience unusual symptoms such as vaginal bleeding, dizziness, or any type of pain.

Pre-natal Exercise:

Try this excellent pre-natal exercise at home in front of the TV, or at your local gym. After starting with a 5-10-minute warm-up, perform 10-15 reps for 2-3 sets.

Backside Burner

1. Start in quadruped (on all fours) with one dumbbell in right hand
2. Extend left leg back and squeeze glute as you reach right arm out to side in line with your shoulder, palm down
3. Return to start.  Perform 10-15 reps
4. Repeat on other side

Tips for Second- & Third-Trimester: Do the arm reach without the dumbbell.  Do the side arm raise and the leg movement separately.

Healthy Mom = Healthy Baby!

While it may be tempting to veg out for the next 9-months, sitting around won’t give you the same benefits as staying active can.  With exercise helping reduce recovery time after labor and delivery, and even helping reduce pregnancy discomforts such as backaches and fatigue, pregnancy can be a great time to get active – just remember, listen to your body and give yourself permission to rest when needed.

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Laura Foss is a certified personal trainer based in New York City.  Laura specializes in pre-wedding training and prenatal/postpartum training.  With over 9 years of experience with clients in both Australia and New York City, Laura’s dedication to health and well-being translates into extraordinary results for each and every one of her clients.  Please contact Laura via her website.  You can also visit her blog, and follow her on Twitter.

Fish Hats

I’m a bit knitting-obsessed, but these are an easy and fairly doable project for the beginning knitter.  My son loves his fish hat, which we call his “Swallowed by a Fish” hat, and so far I’ve made five of them for his buddies, so we now have a school of fish! I decided to use buttons for eyes rather than felt, which for a 4-year-old seemed more appropriate to me than the “dead” fish in the pattern.

Hair Clip Holder

While my daughter, Lila, doesn’t have much hair to speak of yet, I am loving putting the little bows in what little she does have and adding that girly touch to her ‘do!  I found myself wondering what to do with all of those tiny little clips until I found this on Pinterest:

Here’s my version!  You could do any color you want to match your room décor.

Button Monogram

My son has his name on the front of his bedroom door in funky wooden letters. I wanted to have something on my daughter, Lila’s, bedroom door as well, so I found this button monogram craft, and with the help of my glue gun and a ton of random buttons I’ve been collecting I came up with a cute buttoned letter “L” for her door.

What have you been crafting lately?  Any DIY finds on Pinterest you recommend to feed my obsession?

For more DIY ideas, check out our Deposit a Gift Pinterest page!