File - Lovegevity University

PROJECT 3:
GRAND OPENING
A “Cause” for Celebration
Grand Opening!
Guests who would like to
attend the grand opening
will be directed to RSVP
online and will then receive
this e-ticket for admittance.
After filling in their contact
information on my online
form, the e-ticket will be sent
to their email address, and
they will be asked to either
print and bring the ticket
with them, or show it on
their phone at the event
entrance.
There is limited space in the
venue, so attendance will be
first-come, first serve.
Grand Opening!
Location Choice: Greater Reston Arts Center
The Greater Reston Arts Center is located near popular shopping spots among young professional women and
potential Happily Hitched brides. It’s located in Reston Town Center, a mixed use shopping, dining and
entertainment center in Fairfax County, VA. The venue is perfect for a grand opening celebration with its use of an
open floor plan with great lighting and space for demonstration tables and exhibits. Parking is free and easily
accessible and there are many businesses nearby who can offer their services to my brides. The close proximity to
their own business locations should make them more likely to join in the celebration either by sending a guest
representative or as a VIP vendor.
View of Reston Town Center
Arts Center: Interior
Arts Center: Interior
Arts Center:
Exterior
Grand Opening!
Neighboring Businesses: In Reston Town Center
World of Beer
Hyatt Regency
Edibles Incredible!
Desserts
Paper Source
Francesca’s
Mayflowers
The Tasting Room Wine
Bar & Shop
Lou Lou Boutiques
Midtown Jewelers
Jouvence Aveda
Salons & Spas
Meet the Owner
Christina has been assisting in wedding coordination since 2013,
helping various family and friends bring to life the perfect wedding day
they've always imagined. As a full-time fundraiser, she's managed
several events on Capitol Hill from start to finish, from sending out
invitations, to selecting menus. She has a keen eye for detail and knows
how to keep the trains running on time, even in the face of mishaps or
vendor errors, like forgetting key menu items. She is always thinking
three steps ahead and has a Plan B and Plan C so the show always goes
on without ever missing a beat.
Following her dream of becoming a wedding and event planner,
Christina is working toward earning her wedding and event planner
certification from Lovegevity's Wedding Planning Institute and will
complete the certification in October of 2016.
In her spare time, Christina enjoys time out learning new Latin dance
moves, from Salsa to Merengue and even Bachata. You'll also find her at
weekly Zumba classes - she loves to dance! Family is key, and she enjoys
spending time with her family and fiancé. She attends Fairfax
Community Church.
Christina Grier, CWEP
Christina Grier is a 26-year old native of Virginia. She currently resides in Fairfax,
VA and is looking forward to planning her own wedding taking place just 8 months
from now in April 2017! She is engaged to Justin, who works for the Discovery
Channel doing IT Security.
Christina graduated from Heritage High School located in neighboring Loudoun
County, VA where her parents still reside. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in
Political Science from James Madison University in Harrisonburg in 2012. She
studied at Penn State University in State College for graduate coursework before
returning back home to the northern Virginia area.
"I knew working with Lovegevity's Wedding Planning Institute to earn
my wedding planning certification was the best decision I could make
for the future Brides and Grooms I would serve. Planning a wedding is
such an exciting and momentous occasion in life, but it can also be
quite stressful and overwhelming if you don't know where to start or
how to plan that perfect wedding. My role as a certified wedding
planner is to eliminate that stress so the Bride and her family can sit
back and enjoy one of the best days of their lives. With a strong belief
in preparing Brides for lasting marriages, Brides won't just receive an
amazing wedding day from us, but also invaluable tips on how to create
a thriving marriage so they're prepared for their Big Day and all the
days after. The wedding day is just the kick-off to a lifetime striving to
stay Happily Hitched."
Mission Statement
Every Bride deserves to enjoy her journey into a lasting marriage. At Happily Hitched, LLC, the goal
is to take a bride and groom's vision for their big day and execute it just the way they've planned. Our
goal is to get you hitched without a hitch, leaving you with the peace of mind to entrust all the
details to us so you can enjoy your celebration with family and friends.
At Happily Hitched, LLC we recognize the key elements that will not only add value to your day but
to your lives as one. We help illuminate the things that are most important to you and assist in
building the foundation for your journey ahead. We provide affordable, accessible and memorable
service by ensuring all brides can have a wonderful wedding day regardless of her budget, a day that
will bring uncontrollable smiles to the face of the bride and her guests. We look beyond the wedding
day with our brides to make sure they have taken steps to prepare for the bigger picture- their
marriage.
Anticipation…
Social Media Grand
Opening Countdown
Invite Idea
Vendor Invitations
Happily Hitched E-vite
Social Media Countdown
Invite with Discount
Social Media Grand
Opening Countdown
Grand Opening Invite
Arrival…
Sidewalk sign
Address Book for
Guest Contact Info
Step & Repeat with Logo
Guest Greeter at Entrance
BALLOONS!!!
Sign in sign & Social Media plug
Atmosphere…
OPEN sign on Display
Entrance into Art Gallery
Wedding Band Decor
Escort Card Exhibit
Sweetheart Table Exhibit
Cake & Gift Table Exhibit
Atmosphere…(continued)
On-site Photographers in Action
Vendor Table & Floral Exhibit
Happily Hitched Aisle Exhibit
Floral Arch Exhibit
Happily Hitched Table Decor
Atmosphere…(continued)
Bride Portrait as Art
Bridal Attire as Art
Wedding Dress as Art
Portraits of cancer
survivors will be hung
from “all you need is
Love” sign. Donation will
be made to Relay for Life.
Groom Portrait as Art
Appetite…
Hors D’Ouevres
& Sweets
Cake Vendor Table
Food Display
Bar Sign
Amusement…
Floral Arrangement Contest
Cake Decorating Contest
Dancing Contest
Door Prize Station
Guess that Dress! Contest
Door Prize Entry Form
Picture Perfect!
Good Music & Conversation
Appreciation…
Thank You for Social Media
Cupcake,
Chocolate
& Nail Polish
Party Favors
Thank You to Brides
Thank You to Vendors
Marketing
Business Materials:
To be included in marketing folders for all guests that attend grand opening.
Marketing Booklet
Business Card (Front & Back)
Marketing Flyer
(Front)
Marketing Flyer
(Back)
Website Map
Website:
Since Happily Hitched started solely as a marriage blog, we are in the process of
transitioning our website to become more bridal. We’ll have to add pages to show
potential clients our package offerings and adjust the “About Us” page to include
the new wedding planning work we’re doing.
The current website is www.happilyhitchedmarriages.com, but we also own the
domain www.happilyhitchedweddings.com as well, and will either build a
separate wedding planning site using that URL or will have it direct to the website
under the existing URL we currently have.
We will have to build up our “Portfolio” page as the business grows, but here are
just a few of the weddings we’ve helped plan/coordinate since 2013. We will still
have our blog, but it will include more wedding trend information and advice
based on real-weddings. Check out our blog post for our grand opening!
2013
2015
2013
2016
2014
Website Map
Website Pages: Homepage, Our Story, Biography
Website Map
Website Pages: Packages & Contact Us
Marketing
Target Market: Clients
To market the event to potential clients, we will do the following:
 Put brochures in bridal salons and other wedding store-fronts, with free samples of helpful tools for women to take,
such as the different types of dress and veil styles or how to create a budget, all on a simple postcard.
 Hang up flyers in public spaces, such as Panera, Starbucks, local restaurant community boards, etc.
 Happily Hitched will have a booth at area festivals and wedding expos.
 Our VIP vendor list will promote the event to their clients.
 We will use social media and word-of-mouth to let brides know they could receive discounts on services for
attending.
 We will post an ad in local newspapers and request promotional space on popular blogs, such as Loudoun
Weddings.
We’d like to attract brides who are young, professional women, ages 18-35, along with their mothers and friends.
Marketing
Target Market: Vendors
To market the event to vendors, we will do the following:
 Use our preferred vendors list to reach out via phone/in-store visits to let them know about the upcoming event.
 Convey how many brides we expect to attend based on RSVP numbers, and the excitement and buzz we’ve seen
surrounding the event on social media.
 Point out that this grand opening will be taking place ahead of the many Fall and Winter wedding expos, so
participating in the event could give their business a jump start on brides looking for services in 2017.
 Mail formal invitations to vendors we’d especially hope to join us, including information on how to provide wedding
giveaways for brides in attendance to attract more business.
 Use social media to give shout outs to vendors, such as Twitter’s “Follow Friday” and urge brides to check out their
offerings.
 Assure vendors that they will be mentioned by name as a participating vendor in any publicity Happily Hitched
receives either prior to or after the grand opening.
We’d like to attract one vendor in each category (i.e., attire, entertainment, catering, floral, etc.) to serve as our VIP
vendor on site, and to offer giveaways and discounts to the brides in attendance.
Press Release
Happily Hitched, LLC, a wedding and event
planning company, to hold grand opening on
October 19, 2016 at Greater Reston Arts Center.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 8, 2016
Fairfax, VA – Aishah Hunter and Christina Grier are
the pair of women behind Happily Hitched. As a
certified professional wedding and event planner,
Christina is in charge of wedding planning and
execution of logistic details while Aishah serves as
the Creative Director preparing the resources and
tools to help couples design not only their wedding
day, but also their marriage. The duo is not your
typical wedding and event planners, but strive to
ensure their clients know how to navigate the
wedding planning process while also setting
themselves up for successful marriages after they say
'I Do."
The grand opening will be held in the Greater
Reston Arts Center, a local art gallery that is a
perfect venue for the mock wedding exhibitionstyle event. Guests will be able to walk through the
venue as if they were walking through the stages of
a wedding. At each station, Happily Hitched will
showcase their vendors’ work and creative designs
from floral arrangements to reception table décor,
and will give area brides a chance to meet local
wedding vendors face-to-face. Also included will be
a cake decorating and floral arrangement contest
where winners will receive discounted products.
"With a strong belief in preparing Brides for lasting
marriages, Brides won't just receive an amazing wedding
day from us, but also invaluable tips on how to create a
thriving marriage so they're prepared for their Big Day and
all the days after. The wedding day is just the kick-off to a
lifetime striving to stay Happily Hitched."
Door-prizes will also be offered for a free bridal
bouquet, an engagement photo session, and free
rental items. Brides who bring along a friend have
the opportunity to receive a discounted rate for
specified Happily Hitched packages. Those who
attend and book wedding planning services with
Happily Hitched within a week of the event will
receive 15% off of any package, and 10% off hourly
consultations.
Happily Hitched, LLC was formally founded in 2014 by
Aishah Hunter and Christina Grier. The company's mission
is to take a Bride and Groom's vision for their Big Day and
execute it just the way they've planned. Their goal is to get
you hitched without a hitch, leaving clients with the peace
of mind to entrust all the details to their wedding planning
team so the couple enjoys the celebration with family and
friends.
Happily Hitched will provide full planning, monthof coordination, and partial planning services to
Brides in the Maryland, Virginia and Washington,
D.C. region. With a keen eye for detail and the
creativity to design every Bride's dream wedding,
this team knows how to keep the trains on track
and running smoothly to deliver memorable events
for their couples.
Happily Hitched has requested an admission fee of $7 per
attendee that will serve as a donation to the local Relay for
Life of Reston chapter. Artwork images of survivors
associated with the Reston chapter will be on display along
with their personal messages.
Happily Hitched believes 'Every bride deserves to enjoy her
journey into a lasting marriage', and provides marriage
prep workshops and bridal coaching sessions as additional
features to their service offerings.
###
Next Steps…
After the event has ended, Happily Hitched will get started booking brides for Fall/Winter 2016 coordinating services,
and coordinating and planning services for 2017 and beyond.
Winners of the pre-launch campaign “My Vow to Thee, Wed for Free!” will be announced, where one (1) bride per
category who attended the grand opening, and whose wedding meets the criteria in the categories below, will be notified
of discounted or free wedding planning services provided by Happily Hitched. Brides must fill out our contact
information form to enter. For weddings starting after December 2016:
 50% off full wedding planning service if wedding date on/after April 1, 2017.
 75% off partial planning service if wedding date on/after February 1, 2017.
100% (free!) month-of-coordination service if wedding date on/after December 1, 2016.
Additional Upcoming Events:
 11/15/16 – Wedding Seminar on Wheels: 8-10 engaged couples will have the chance to travel the area and meet vendors,
and learn about how to get the most bang for their buck for a fantastic wedding day. Admission of canned item or
grocery gift card to donate to Britepaths charity for Thanksgiving.
 1/15/17 – Washington Wedding Experience Expo: We’ll have a booth! Visit Us!
 3/18/17 – Office Hours: Join us for our quarterly office hours, where we’ll provide free consultation advice for creating
your special day. We’ll be rotating between vendor shops, hotels, churches and community centers, so be on the look
out for the next location!
 5/20/17 – Relay for Life: Join Happily Hitched in partnership with the Reston area chapter and walk for a cure. Happily
Hitched will be giving free wedding planning services to a local area survivor. Family and friends should submit a
letter and video recording to help us get to know their loved one.
Philanthropy
The Relay for Life Reston chapter would be a perfect connection to make to
create relationships with cancer survivors and their friends and family.
After cancer survivors have been through so much, we’d love to provide our
services to them free of charge so they don’t have to take on additional
financial burdens while paying off any lingering medical bills.
We want these individuals to feel beautiful and special, so we would offer
to provide free wedding planning services for cancer survivors, and make it
a raffle item at one of the Relay for Life events. It also serves as a great
wedding giveaway opportunity for other vendors to participate in, from
make-up and hair, to beautiful photographs, these brides are sure to feel
special on their big day. We’d also take up donations at our grand opening
to give a contribution to the local Relay for Life chapter.
To see additional causes Happily Hitched will be giving to, please continue
to the next page.
Philanthropy
Contact Us!
Christina Grier, Certified Wedding & Event Planner
Website: www.happilyhitchedmarriages.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (540) 251-4255
Essay:
This grand opening will serve as the community’s formal introduction to Happily Hitched. The mission of Happily Hitched is to get
couples hitched without a hitch, leaving them with the peace of mind to entrust all the details to us. We strive to execute a bride’s
wedding day exactly as she has envisioned. The event will take place in a local art gallery in a popular town center. It’s a great area that’s
easily accessible, but the balloons and signs placed outside the venue are likely to attract the attention of passerby and other businesses
nearby. With this event, Happily Hitched wastes no time asking potential clients to simply trust them with planning their big day, but
will show guests exactly what their special day could look like in this mock wedding exhibit. At each exhibit, we will provide cardstock
handouts or paper one-pagers with tips that make it clear to brides how to avoid mishaps in that exhibit’s category (whether it’s catering,
hotels, the reception, ceremony, etc.). This will show guests that Happily Hitched is ready to serve them as clients and will help build our
reputation, trust and likeability. Guests will walk through the venue and experience the wedding day of their dreams while getting to
meet the vendors who will make it possible.
Anticipation will be built up by creating a buzz about the event on social media, and vendors will receive formal, mailed invitations.
When guests arrive, they’ll be greeted by balloons and a photo-op on our red carpet. The atmosphere will consist of soft up-lighting
against exposed brick walls and the aroma of passed hors d’oeuvres. Catering vendors will provide food and cake samples to for guests to
taste, and local wineries will provide wine tastings paired with ideal menu items. Images of cancer survivors associated with the local
Relay for Life chapter will be on display for guests to see, so they put faces to the cancer statistics they hear about when they give their $7
donation as an admission fee. For entertainment, there will be contests for guests to decorate cakes and put together floral arrangements.
Winners will receive free or discounted products from the vendors in attendance. Door prizes will also be offered. Brides could win a free
bouquet, free rental of hand painted signs, a free three-hour engagement photography session, 2 hours free for a DJ, jewelry, discounts on
officiants, rehearsal dinners, transportation for a bachelorette party and deep discounts on hotel room blocks. Finally, each guest will be
sent home with a treat goodie bag from a local dessert vendor, and a marketing folder if they did not already receive one. We will thank
guests, vendors and our philanthropic partner in the following days on social media as well.
A videographer will be on hand to film the event, as well as a photographer, both of which will then be used in future marketing material.
For all of the contests, whether a door-prize, or the pre-launch campaign where winners could get free or discounted Happily Hitched
services, it will require brides to fill out their contact information. This will serve two purposes: the first will be so Happily Hitched can
contact them if they win a prize, but also to begin list building a database of potential clients for marketing. Community leaders, elected
officials, and local chamber of commerce members will be invited to the event, and we will send out a media advisory if we receive any
RSVPs from high profile community leaders. A weekday was chosen for the event because many people will be off work and can attend,
but it also doesn’t take up a bride’s weekend. It’s also cheaper to reserve the venue during the week. With the grand opening being in
October, it can give brides and her family time to think more about and discuss our planning services over the upcoming holidays.