Camden Carter

Kelly Dunbar
Senior Project Event planning
April 2014

Event Planning

Parties and celebrations around the world have been enjoyed for many years. Without the
help of event planners these celebrations would not be as organized and in some places not even
be held. Everyone loves a good party especially when everything goes smoothly. Event planning
is essential for official and organized parties. People pursue this as a profession and they can
focus on social events or religious events. There are many different types of parties that can be
categorized under social or religious events.

Becoming an event planner can not only be very entertaining but also very profitable if
one lives in the right area. Event planners average median hourly wage in 2011 was $22.13.
[careerplanning.about.com] To become an event planner one must take at the minimum a
training course to get a certification but a degree in event planning is also available. To build up
ones cliental they should intern at a company or with a small business they know. Getting
connected through social media and the community is also very important in this business. To
keep up ones credentials and stay ahead of the game its best to attend as many workshops,
seminars, and conferences that they can. People who get into event planning usually really enjoy
their job and have a lot of fun with it.

Starting out one might not be able to make their own schedule but further into their career that
will become much easier. Many different corporations and businesses hire event planners such as
shopping malls, banking and investment groups, car dealerships, casinos, catering companies,
department stores, florists, cities, hospitals, hotels, museums, country clubs, cruise lines, private
schools, theme parks, universities and more. As one can see there is a very wide range as to what
one can do in this field. When planning an event or party one should come up with one main
thing to market. Having a specific focus point draws people to the idea and creates desire.

Knowing the client is an extremely important factor to being a successful event planner. When
one first meets the client they should create a customer profile to get to know the person and
what they want. When talking with the client one main thing to discuss is the budget and if they
are comfortable going over at all. A good way to find about the client is having lunch, dinner, or
just having a sit down meeting. A typical day in an event planners life is meeting with clients,
visiting possible venues, registering guests, meeting on-site staff, making phone calls, sending
emails and more. Being a successful event planner you should develop a variety of skills
including good verbal and written communication, organization & time planning, project
management & multitasking, being able to be a team player, able to understand technology &
Microsoft Office applications, being detailed & deadline orientated, staying calm, being able to
negotiate, budget management and more. [www.eventplanning.about.com] One may not have
all these skills right off the bat however over time they will develop these skills. Knowledge
wise, event planners should understand production, entertainment, transportation, lodging, venue
selection, and conference services. Many people enjoy event planning as a profession.

There are two main types of parties and one includes any type of social parties. There are many
types of social parties around the world. One that is commonly celebrated around the world is a
birthday party. Though it is globally celebrated as a birthday party they can vary based on
culture, religious traditions and spiritual beliefs. Some people believe that the earliest records of
birthday parties are before Christianity and one of the largest birthday party celebrations was
Jesus. Some of the popular birthday traditions and symbols we see today originated hundreds
of years ago. Some believe the birthday cake was started by early Greeks who used to take round
or moon shaped cake to temple of Artemis also known as the The Goddess of Moon. Others
believe the custom of birthday cake initiated in Germany where people used to make bread in the
shape of baby Jesus swaddling cloth. [tokenz.com/history-of-birthday-parties] Some people
also believe that the candle lighting tradition started with the Greeks when they took it to
Artemis' Temple to make the cake glow like the moon. However, others believed that lighting
the candles on the cake meant that the Gods up in the sky could receive the signals and prayers.
Germans are said to have placed a large candle in the center of the cake to represent the the light
of life. Which is where people making silent wishes when blowing out candles on their cake
comes from today. Some people believe blowing out all the candles in one breath is good luck!

Another type of social party is a Bachelorette or Bachelor party. This type of party can be called
different things around the world, in example, in Canada and the UK its called a stag party and
in Australia a bucks party. However, all in all the celebration is the same for the pre groom or
bride. A bachelor party (male) which is celebrated before he is married is meant to represent the
last kind of outing with guys before leaving adolescence and becoming a family man. The
Bachelor party is said to have been started in Sparta during the 5th Century BC. During this time
the soldiers would get together the night before the other mans wedding and celebrate with a
toast at dinner. In this day and age the Bachelor parties did not involve female strippers, shots
and weekend trips to strip clubs and party cities. However, they involved a nice sit down dinner
to relieve stress. This tradition is said to have been switched over in the late 1800s. Gentlemen
of the Victorian Period wanted a night to say goodbye to friends who might be too embarrassing
to bring over to the house once the wives moved in. [www.divinecarolina.com] Bachelorette
parties (female) also known as hen parties are said to have Spartan roots starting around the
1960s. Before this time women only had bridal showers no bachelorette parties. It started out
just as having some girlfriends over to give gifts the Bride wouldnt want to receive in front of
relatives like lingerie. Then, in the late 1980s they became known for the wild and lavish parties
which most of the time included male strippers. The bachelorette party is meant to be the
womans last outing as a wild night. Its supposed to be a care free, fun and stress relieving
night. Regardless if its a bachelor party or bachelorette party they are both meant for the
honoree to go out and have a good time before the wedding. People may think this is a goodbye
to single life and friends however, more of a time to strengthen friendship bonds and have a good
time.

Religious events and parties have been around for centuries. A very popular religious
based event is a wedding! Without question, the wedding industry has piled on the notion of
paying to preserve tradition, when in fact, many of those high-priced traditions, such as the
diamond engagement ring, dont go back much further than the 1920s.
[howstuffworks.com/culturaltraditions] The word wedding is derived from the Anglo-Saxon
word wedd which means when the man marries the woman he pays her father. Many societies
view the bride to be existing in a vulnerable state and that she should be covered to preserve luck
going into marriage.

In todays world and in America today this tradition is not followed so much, whereas now many
wedding gowns are low cut and revealing. Wedding invitations are what most Brides and their
mother look forward to doing. There are records showing wedding invitations in caves, however
by the 1700s most all invitations were verbalized. Anyone who heard the wedding announced
could attend. Invitations at this point in time were not written because of the lack of literacy.
Although, of course if you were very wealthy or royal you had written invitations. As of today
most all wedding invitations are written and a hard copy. The bouquet has been a tradition for
many years. Until modern times, the bouquet was made up of dill and garlic. Over time, brides
have obviously added better-smelling flowers and nicer arrangements to the bouquet.

In many different religions the veil is a sign of humility and respect before God during a
religious ceremony. [howstuffworks.com/culturaltraditions] Not all brides choose to wear a veil
in modern times assuming most grooms have seen their significant other. It is now more of a
finishing touch to the wedding, most brides feel that it pulls together the hair and makeup. Most
weddings have bridesmaids and grooms. The bridesmaids are usually the brides closest friends
and family. The grooms are likewise. The bride has a maid of honor who is the head of the bridal
party and is usually the brides sister or best friend. The groom has a best man who is in charge
of the grooms side of things. The best man is usually a brother or a longtime friend. All of the
groomsmen wear a suit and all of the bridesmaids wear a dress that the bride has chosen. The
flower girl tradition started around the Victorian era. The flower girl was represented to keep the
family calm and relaxed before the bride was to walk down the aisle. The boys were known as
Ring Bears, the Ring Bear was in charge of carrying the rings down the aisle as that is still the
tradition today. The reception is a huge part of the wedding that comes after the religious
ceremony. The reception includes dancing, music, eating, speeches, cutting the cake and more.
The reception is known as the huge party for all the guests to attend. This time is for the Bride
and Groom to get a chance to mingle with their guests and have a good time before leaving for
their honeymoon. As most people know the honeymoon is a large and exciting part to the newly
married couple after the wedding. Most newlyweds choose to travel somewhere they have never
been. The honeymoon destination is usually far from the home town. The trip can last however
long the couple chooses to stay although, most honeymoons last around one week.

Another religious event/party that is common around the world but mostly in Latin or Hispanic
nations is a Latina girls Quinceanera. A Quinceanera is celebrated when the young girl turns 15
years of age. This celebration highlights God, family, friends, music, food, traditions and
dance. [www.latinamericanstudies.org] In Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban Central and South
American traditions, the custom can be referred to as a Quince Anos, a Quinces, or a
Quinceanera. [www.latinamericanstudies.org] This celebration usually starts with a religious
ceremony, which the family starts planning at least 6 months in advance. Not many people come
to observe the religious part of the ceremony, it is meant more for immediate family. However to
the reception the size of the party can range anywhere from 100 people up into the thousands.
The reception afterwards is usually held at a banquet hall or at a home. This part of the
celebration usually lasts til around 2 AM in the morning. All of the festivities include music,
dancing, food, and in most, usually a choreographed dance performed by the Quinceanera and
her court. The Quinceaneras court usually includes other young girls (called a Dama) and young
men (called Chambelan). The court is usually made up of 14 people and is decided about 2
months before the party. A huge part of this celebration is the Quinceaneras ball gown. This is
usually a very nice affair and the dress is a huge part. The dress is usually very large and most of
the time has a lot of sparkle to it. After the religious ceremony the girl has her pictures taken in
the extravagant dress. The most common gifts received for the Quinceanera are a tiara, bracelet
or ring, earrings, cross or metal necklace, or a bible. During the celebration after the religious
ceremony the father daughter dance and is one of the most emotional parts of the celebration.
The dance is meant to symbolize the father having the first dance with his daughter becoming a
young woman which is shown in the ceremony by changing his daughters flats to heels.

However, there are parties that incorporate both social and religious aspects. One type of
party that does is a baby shower. Although baby shower is a relatively new term that is spoken,
pregnancy and childbirth rituals are both ancient and enduring. The middle ages took a different
turn to the rituals as the Christian Church established and became more powerful. The baby
shower at this point in time was simply the sacrament of baptism. The mother was not allowed
to attend the baptism of her own genetic child as she was confined to isolation for 40 days.
[Elena Bianchi] During the mothers time of confinement the godparents would care for the child
and showered the newborn with gifts. Some parents appointed godparents who were very
wealthy just for the gifting purpose. Baby showers during the Renaissance also brought new
meaning to the baby shower. The celebrations during this age were very lavish and long
lasting. Gifts would be given such as jewelry, jars, clothing, toys, paintings, sculptures and more.
Religious symbol would surround the mother to inspire her to fulfill her role as a mother.
Another change in baby showers happened around the Victorian period. The Victorians were the
ones who have altered the baby shower into the Anglo-Saxon tradition which is how baby
showers are celebrated today. The only differences were once the mother realized she was
expecting she would remain indoors as long as possible to keep it a secret. Once the child was
born, the parties began.

In todays society baby showers are a bit different. Of course now there is technology to help
with the invitations, decorations, and the whole speed process of the shower. Whereas all baby
showers in the early ages were women only, today, some baby showers have male invitees. Baby
shower gifts have also altered and instead of all the gifts being targeted to the baby, some gifts
are more for the mother-to-be. A new trend lately is known as a gender reveal party. The
gender reveal party is for the expectant parents to announce the gender of their baby to all their
family and friends on the day they find out. There are many different ways the expectant parents
can announce the surprise. They sometimes use a box with either pink or blue balloons filling it.
Another idea is baking the cake with either a pink or blue filling. These gender reveal parties are
a fun way to announce the gender of ones new baby but also to have a good time with friends
and family.

Event Planning is essential for official and organized parties. People pursue this as a
profession and they can focus on social events or religious events. The average number of event
planning jobs in 2012 was approximately 94,200 as to in 2010 there were approximately 72,000
jobs available [careerplanning.about.com] This profession field obviously becoming high in
demand and rising up.