Blue Planet Green Events has done some absolutely beautiful weddings, and posted some inspirations for brides and single ladies alike! Check out their sites to see even more here...
BPGE Facebook
BPGE Pinterest
BPGE Main Site
BPGE Flickr Sets
enjoy :)
-JH
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Little Contributions: here and there
Updated some pinterest boards to keep internet interest and personality up to speed!
Worked on numerous photo albums on facebook, flickr, and the main BPGE website to keep followers interested.
Added beautiful pictures to not only show our work on clients' weddings but so they could share their special day with the facebook community!
I created an innovative and fresh marketing plan for Toni's road side blooms truck which I will hopefully help her implement while I am back in Athens!
I worked on an inventory system for the ladies to show clients when picking out table decor and other ornamentation.
The End.
- The Final Countdown
My time here at Blue Planet Green Events being the summer assistant has come to an end and here are some of my final marks...
Knowledge of Work: Excellent. I came into this internship with no experience in the industry and common knowledge of the average practices. However, I hvae always had an interest in party/event planning and an extreme attention to detail. After working the first event with some guidance from the other interns and the bosses I saw how everything was run. From chair/table cloth alignment to getting little things done before I was asked. I gave myself high marks in this area because I adapted quickly and picked up on every little thing I could in order to be the biggest help to the ladies.
Image: Good. Walking into the office on the first day I had no idea what to expect. What do I wear? How do I act? What will they be like etc. etc. I went in with a very professional attitude even though I have a very laid back personality. I was a hard worker and kept a friendly face around clients and workers. I realize the importance of upholding the company name when you are working for someone else. The only thing I could have done better would be more consultation and interaction with the clients themselves. I wanted to be more in the background and behind the scenes because I wasn't sure what the bosses wanted. in the future i will be sure to be more outspoken on the day of the events. But I am proud of some of the ideas I presented at client meetings and times of need.
Communication Skills: Need for Improvement. Communication has been something I've needed to sharpen (and realized I've needed to sharpen) for a long time. Sometimes I am afraid to speak up or just afraid to say the wrong thing it is easier to say nothing at all. There are also times when instead of asking for help when I should I let something go on too long because I try to find a solution on my own. Communication is key, and have been trying to find it on the key ring for some time. It was especially hard to stay in communication at some points because the the girl I was subleasing from unexpectedly cancelled our wifi at the beginning of the summer. And after many other strokes of bad luck I fell victim of cellphone and wallet theft. All of these factors made communication and all forms of internet work very difficult. But lesson learned: Always speak up, remain in constant communication whether or not you may think it will be annoying, and ALWAYS check emails and deadlines despite the major anxiety that they give you.
Professional Judgements: I would give myself good marks in all aspects of this field. I worked my butt off for the company and never let fact that I was barely getting paid get in the way. I taught myself that I am extremely loyal and dedicated to anyone I am behind. I was/am always polite and professional yet also personable and friendly. I think I understand how to be an employee with the right attitude, people skills, work ethic, and dedication to any employer. I definitely noticed a change for the better from day one to today. I notice more things, I see problems before they arise and I know how to fix them. I now have gained so much knowledge from this experience and also many achievements for the company, and not to mention some great new contacts/friends!
Everyone has different skills and great abilities to bring to the table but but being able to realize that fact is something I think I possess which can sometimes be more important that everything. Being able to have an unbiased and clear perspective on what is going on is something I have always been able to do. Knowing which talents to utilize at which particular moments is a great tool because this industry is faced with new sets of circumstances on a daily and even hourly basis. There were times when you have to get down and dirty during set up/clean up. You can't be afraid to run out in the rain to save a table cloth from getting wet. It can't be beneath you to pick up a dirty napkin from the floor. It also came in handy in the realization that this was a husband and wife's special day, it doesn't matter how hard or silly you think a task is it is your job to make their wish come to reality. If you are having a terrible day or someone is rude to you one must still put on a happy face and remain polite. There should also be no half-assing when it comes to a person's event, get done what needs to be done. Attention to detail and an eye for aesthetics are also important abilities when it comes down to it.
I need improvement in communication and timeliness on multiple accounts. Communication in e-mails, deadlines, and responsiveness. Also standing up for myself and being more confrontational when I think something should be different. The timeliness improvement is needed because there is only a short timeframe to get some tasks done, and although making something flawless is great, it must be done with haste.
My best experience here was being able to live in Charleston over a summer and being able to work for two people I have grown to really enjoy. I have realized the immense impact that working in an amazing environment has on a person's spirit. I am so glad I got to build relationships with the people I worked with. I've always been a huge advocate for fun and happiness; a person should never to settle for mediocracy. Plus living in a beautifully historic ocean front city within 20 minutes from the beach never fails to put a smile on my face! Oh and every time I had an idea that the others liked gave me a boost of confidence.
The worst experience was the way my feet and back felt after non-stop work from the early morning to after midnight (and knowing I would only make about $100). Although it was rewarding knowing I was working hard. (In general) Having all of our things stolen from a condo and being stranded in Hilton Head was also not the highlight of my summer.
Biggest fashion lesson learned you ask? It is that fashion can be seen in everything. People constantly try to categorize our world into neatly defined segments and I think it is ridiculous. Look around. Fashion is in the history, it is in the way we look at others, it is in how we express ourselves, it is in movies, in businesses, it is in art and culture. Every part of our world is reflected on every other part as well. Fashion is one of the main aspects of a wedding. The bride searches high and low to pick one gown she will walk down the aisle in just once. The dress could be the first thing picked out for the wedding or the last. Now think about what is the first thing you ask to see when a friend announces her engagement, yes the ring. There you have two of the major factors of a wedding are strictly material pieces of fashion. One a dress and one an accessory. Fashion is clothing and a reflection of an individual's personal style and preference. Literally girls everywhere dream of their fantasy wedding and the style that will shine through their special day.
Yours Truly,
Jessica
Current Event 6- The Evolution
Blue Planet Green Events
Last week on the Job
Men and women for centuries have been practicing the ritual of marriage. These differences of each specific practice ranges from time period, to country, to personal preference. Wedding ceremonies today have evolved beyond measure and it looks like there is no stopping them now. There are some specific rituals that have been around since the beginning of time, for instance the veil. However, some of the newer traditions such as white dresses developed much more recently. Today, you will rarely find a simple home grown wedding of old, but rather an elaborate production.
(Ancient Weddings)
According to the article and Yalom emotional commitment and communion between a couple were non-sought after factors. Sexual release, procreation, and house hold labor were the sole purposes of finding a wife in a nearby village. It may hurt to hear these things being said, but survival and continuing legacy were about all there was to focus on in far distant times. The ideas of marital consent from the bride and divorce were concepts not heard of until the Romans. Wedding of ancient times were not for show as they are today. With wealth and revolution came the elaboration of wedding nuptials.
(White Wedding Dresses and Wedding Vendors)
Households of the early 1800s were simple, especially of the normal class people. Clothing was nothing like it is today and not just in regards to style. Closets were filled with a few pieces to be worn seasonally, and a best dress. This "best dress" would act as a wedding dress when the occasion arose. Usually a woman's best dress was dyed black or another dark color. It was not until 1840 when Queen Victoria wore a white dress during her wedding to Prince Albert. White was seen as one of the most luxurios colors due to its difficulty to clean, but after Victoria sparked this trend it overtook Endland and hopped across the pond to America. As time went on weddings continued to evolve. Towards the end of the century more outsourcing was being used to carry out weddings. Wedding professionals began to orchestrate ceremonies, and churches began to hold the wedding to allow for more guests. Now dressmakers were being brought into production of the bride's gown. Lavish cakes and flowers even began to make appearances at the affair. Quaint ceremonies of the past were turning into extravagant practices that would be the future.
(Wedding Industry Booms)
With the 1920s, 30s, and 40s came the big business. Stores finally opened their eyes to the immense potential profits that came with weddings. A majority of brides began to rely completely on wedding professionals (now know as vendors). Bridal sections in department stores opened up along with caterers, invitation engravers, photographers, and more. Young ladies and girls in America began to fantasize about the cookie cutter dream wedding.
(Wedding Diversity and Come Back to Center)
Uniqueness faded back in with the 60s and 70s straying away from the cookie cutter weddings of the 50s. However, the uniqueness factor would not last long. With the marriage of Diana Princess of Whales and Prince Charles, fairytales and opulence crept back into the minds of future brides. With today's weddings averaging $20,000 and professionals taking care of every detail of a couple's wedding, marriage ceremonies have traveled a long way from ceremonies of the past.
Since this article was written in 2007 I believe weddings have come even farther over the past few years. Weddings are even an bigger spectacle than they were a few years ago. With multiple wedding TV programs, growing technology, and social media outlets booming; weddings are bigger than ever. For most people weddings are a way to one up the last person. New bride's are getting over-the-top ideas from Pinterest and other online archives. Wedding planners can be found around every corner and wedding budgets are higher than ever.
This information means a lot for Blue Planet Green Events as an event planning company. Due to the fact that more and more brides are looking to professional planners to orchestrate the big day, this means more business for those planners. More business is almost always good business. On the downside of the information age comes wedding knowledge available to anyone with any sort of internet connection. The trend of the times is DIY. More and more brides are trying to create their own weddings from past ideas she finds online. However, the more the industry grows, the more overwhelming it will be to plan a wedding with no professional help. BPGE provides all facets of wedding help from total planning, to simply day of management, and even to providing flowers for the wedding. Adaptation is one of the best characteristics that any company in any industry can possess. With time comes change and we should file suit. Gay weddings will be next on the home front because of changing judicial laws within our country and even across the world. BPG is not only on the forefront of sustainable wedding practices but also on the future of the institute of marriage. Just the other day I helped with a photo shoot the company staged involving a gay couple's commitment ceremony.
This article relates to both sides of my educational knowledge: Marketing and Fashion Merchandising. So many aspects of the wedding business deals with business and fashion concepts. The process is extremely creative and beautiful on the outside, and a lot of business opportunities exist on the inside. I cannot wait to see where weddings of the future go, heck even my own wedding!
Here comes the bride: A history of the american wedding. (2007, May 08). Retrieved from http://www.randomhistory.com/1-50/009wedding.html
Last week on the Job
Men and women for centuries have been practicing the ritual of marriage. These differences of each specific practice ranges from time period, to country, to personal preference. Wedding ceremonies today have evolved beyond measure and it looks like there is no stopping them now. There are some specific rituals that have been around since the beginning of time, for instance the veil. However, some of the newer traditions such as white dresses developed much more recently. Today, you will rarely find a simple home grown wedding of old, but rather an elaborate production.
(Ancient Weddings)
According to the article and Yalom emotional commitment and communion between a couple were non-sought after factors. Sexual release, procreation, and house hold labor were the sole purposes of finding a wife in a nearby village. It may hurt to hear these things being said, but survival and continuing legacy were about all there was to focus on in far distant times. The ideas of marital consent from the bride and divorce were concepts not heard of until the Romans. Wedding of ancient times were not for show as they are today. With wealth and revolution came the elaboration of wedding nuptials.
(White Wedding Dresses and Wedding Vendors)
Households of the early 1800s were simple, especially of the normal class people. Clothing was nothing like it is today and not just in regards to style. Closets were filled with a few pieces to be worn seasonally, and a best dress. This "best dress" would act as a wedding dress when the occasion arose. Usually a woman's best dress was dyed black or another dark color. It was not until 1840 when Queen Victoria wore a white dress during her wedding to Prince Albert. White was seen as one of the most luxurios colors due to its difficulty to clean, but after Victoria sparked this trend it overtook Endland and hopped across the pond to America. As time went on weddings continued to evolve. Towards the end of the century more outsourcing was being used to carry out weddings. Wedding professionals began to orchestrate ceremonies, and churches began to hold the wedding to allow for more guests. Now dressmakers were being brought into production of the bride's gown. Lavish cakes and flowers even began to make appearances at the affair. Quaint ceremonies of the past were turning into extravagant practices that would be the future.
(Wedding Industry Booms)
With the 1920s, 30s, and 40s came the big business. Stores finally opened their eyes to the immense potential profits that came with weddings. A majority of brides began to rely completely on wedding professionals (now know as vendors). Bridal sections in department stores opened up along with caterers, invitation engravers, photographers, and more. Young ladies and girls in America began to fantasize about the cookie cutter dream wedding.
(Wedding Diversity and Come Back to Center)
Uniqueness faded back in with the 60s and 70s straying away from the cookie cutter weddings of the 50s. However, the uniqueness factor would not last long. With the marriage of Diana Princess of Whales and Prince Charles, fairytales and opulence crept back into the minds of future brides. With today's weddings averaging $20,000 and professionals taking care of every detail of a couple's wedding, marriage ceremonies have traveled a long way from ceremonies of the past.
Since this article was written in 2007 I believe weddings have come even farther over the past few years. Weddings are even an bigger spectacle than they were a few years ago. With multiple wedding TV programs, growing technology, and social media outlets booming; weddings are bigger than ever. For most people weddings are a way to one up the last person. New bride's are getting over-the-top ideas from Pinterest and other online archives. Wedding planners can be found around every corner and wedding budgets are higher than ever.
This information means a lot for Blue Planet Green Events as an event planning company. Due to the fact that more and more brides are looking to professional planners to orchestrate the big day, this means more business for those planners. More business is almost always good business. On the downside of the information age comes wedding knowledge available to anyone with any sort of internet connection. The trend of the times is DIY. More and more brides are trying to create their own weddings from past ideas she finds online. However, the more the industry grows, the more overwhelming it will be to plan a wedding with no professional help. BPGE provides all facets of wedding help from total planning, to simply day of management, and even to providing flowers for the wedding. Adaptation is one of the best characteristics that any company in any industry can possess. With time comes change and we should file suit. Gay weddings will be next on the home front because of changing judicial laws within our country and even across the world. BPG is not only on the forefront of sustainable wedding practices but also on the future of the institute of marriage. Just the other day I helped with a photo shoot the company staged involving a gay couple's commitment ceremony.
This article relates to both sides of my educational knowledge: Marketing and Fashion Merchandising. So many aspects of the wedding business deals with business and fashion concepts. The process is extremely creative and beautiful on the outside, and a lot of business opportunities exist on the inside. I cannot wait to see where weddings of the future go, heck even my own wedding!
Here comes the bride: A history of the american wedding. (2007, May 08). Retrieved from http://www.randomhistory.com/1-50/009wedding.html
Monday, July 8, 2013
Headed to the office- week 6
(I am saving the final evaluation until my last week, but here is a little update on things so far.)
Now that the company's weddings have ceased until the end of the month, it is time to hang up the votive candles and head into the office. Normally the thought of being trapped in an office would have me running in the opposite direction, but not in this case. Blue Planet Green Events' laid back friendly demeanor translates into the company office as well. Luck for me, the little space to work in creates a warm, comfortable, fun work environment.
Lately I have been working on uploading photo albums from recent weddings and attaching information and cute captions to each. It is true, uploading photos is not the hardest task in the world but now that I am working for someone else these things should be done in the manner in which the owners wish. It is key to remember that as an employee, you are acting behalf of someone else's dream someone else's business. Uploading the photos involves choosing the best detailed photos that captures the essence of the wedding. the last thing people want to do when researching wedding companies is scroll through hundreds of pointless frames, they want to see beauty before they get bored. So I choose the photos best suited for the company website, company Facebook page, and company Flickr account. Once all of these photos have been chosen and uploaded I must then go through and tag the photos and add captions in order to gain a higher chance of visibility on the Internet. My main goal was to go through the three media outlets and figure out how to increase Search Engine Optimization as much as I could for the company. I did just that!
My next big task/accomplishment of the week was creating a marketing strategy for one of the owner's flower business. I have designed a plan with a target audience and all of the works included. I am extremely excited to show her my creativity and hard work on the project. Next step is implementation and bringing this idea to life! My goal is to optimize business for both the event planning company and now this flower business venture. Next thing is working on the website and keeping everything fresh and up-to-date. I've been here for over a month but I am excited to get into the office and put my marketing skills to work. I am not looking forward to the day when I hvae to leave this wonderful place.
Roadside Blooms
Fashion With A Conscience- current event #5
Peraelz. (2013). Clothing With A
Conscience. Verte, Retrieved from
http://issuu.com/vertemag/docs/vertemag
Stumbling through pages upon pages of
Internet links can be great...or terrible. Today wound up being a great
Internet day for me. At first I wanted to find a meaningful article on hemp
dresses, but that proved unsuccessful. After moving away from the idea of a
hemp dress I ventured to search for articles on sustainable men's wedding
attire. After an unimpressive showing from Internet material provided for the
men's wedding sector, I decided to nix the wedding subject and stick with
sustainable fabrics as a whole. Finally! I came across a wonderful website
about the Sustainable Fashion Initiative group. "Stitching for a better
tomorrow" happens to be the group's motto. This initiative group blends
the Fashion Merchandising major I am a part of at The University of Georgia
with an eco-friendly balance I practice in my current internship. As the two of
these worlds mesh in a beautiful marriage, I can already see a bright future.
With advanced technology in textiles and the advancement of a green conscience,
the world is heading towards a solid sustainable practice. Positivity for the
future of the textile business is great for the advancement of the eco-friendly
wedding company I am currently working for. It will not necessarily bring in
business directly, but it is advancement for mankind and the future of our
environment. However, coming from a marketing standpoint, I believe the global
trend towards sustainable practices in fashion will inadvertently sway more
couples to seek eco-friendly wedding practices. When more and more couples want
to follow through with a green wedding, Blue Planet Green Events will be there
to put it on!
When I fell across The
Sustainable Fashion initiative's program website I discovered a magazine that
the group had created. Verte is the name of the magazine and inside are
beautifully designed pages put together to spread awareness of the vast world
of sustainable fashion. Within the pages of the magazine I found a striking
article that really caught my attention. On page 45 an article by the name of
"Fashion With A Conscience," can be found. In the article,
interviewer, Isabella Peraerlz paints a picture about a youthful designer that
made it her mission to design sustainable clothing to change the world. Tabitha
St. Bernard's love for our planet led her to create the zero-waste economically
friendly clothing line she has today. She took something that everyone is dependent
on and interested in and found a way to make it better. Tabitha is paving the
way for followers to not only design but also wear sustainable clothing. This
trend can become a staple in every closet across the country if it becomes big
enough. Check out the sustainable designer duds by searching Tabii JUST.
Tabitha managed to take a lifelong interest of hers
and turn it into a reality. Just because clothing and textiles are sustainable
does not make them unfashionable Tabii JUST pieces are vibrant and elegantly
constructed. Many women would love to flaunt one of these eco-friendly pieces.
When thinking about the environment it is easy to say, "I'll leave that up
to someone else." When an overwhelming number of people leave sustainable
choices up to the next guy then we are not getting anywhere. Next time a choice
arises choose the right thing. Be conscious of your decisions because no matter
how cliché it sounds, every little thing counts. All of those little things
will add up to one big thing for the future of our blue planet.
current event #4- The Myth of Conflict Free Diamonds
McDonough, K. (2013). The myth of conflict-free diamonds. Salon, Retrieved from http://www.salon.com/2013/01/07/the_myth_of_conflict_free_diamonds/
One of the details to a green wedding lies in "the rock". After the initial engagement announcement the engagemet ring is what what friends and family swoon over. Conflict-free diamonds are one way for a bride and groom to take part in putting together an eco-friendly wedding day. When a couple starts the marriage in a sustainable atmosphere they are destined to uphold those standards. Now, with all of the optimism of starting a green life with with your new spouse out of the way, is finding a conflict-free diamond something that is actually attainable? I'm here to tell you that, unfortunately, getting your hands on one of these stones is harder than you would like to think.
According to Salon.com's article, "The Myth of Conflict-free Diamonds," due to a lack of trade regulation, differentiating between clean and dirty diamonds has become nearly impossible. Numbers don't lie and according to a piece in Foreign Policy, the odds of having a conflict stone on the market today is 1 in 4. What happens is, the mined diamonds are shipped in from places in the world like Central Asia, Africa, and other heavy mining spots. A majority of these diamonds are then sent to Surat, India where they are to be polished and cut for retail markets. A problem occurs when both illegal and legal diamonds mix in Surat, leaving traces of origin nearly untraceable. When the diamonds hit the end of the road in Mumbai, they are shipped out to sell with documentation of being clean even though that is most likely not the case. Since differentiating between clean and dirty gems has become so difficult, today's dealers have stopped asking altogether.
Even if conflict-free diamonds do pass through Surat, the labor endured there could be classified as intolerable. The boys working in these factories spend 100-hour work weeks squinting and inhaling tiny diamond particles. Payback for hard work in the diamond factory means early loss of vision and "diamond lung." Tuberculosis and respiratory disease is developed in tens of thousands of workers annually, and the workers are tossed out on the street when their work is no longer up to par. So whether your diamond is conflict-free or not, chances are that little diamond caused harm somewhere in some way.
Maybe the only way to have a truly conflict-free stone is to go synthetic. While buying a diamond that is grown in a lab is not the most ideal option for brides-to-be, it may be the safest route. I personally have always been accustomed to the idea of one day having a beautiful and natural diamond on my left ring finger. With further thought and consideration, we must think deeply about our purchases and the possibly harmful paths they took on the way into our possession.
By: Jessica Howard
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