How Much Do You Cost?

When a bride contacts us usually the first question asked is "How Much Do You Charge?" While cost is an understandable concern, just as important is the question "What do I get for my money?"

A Bride who chooses a company based strictly on price is asking for trouble. Not all wedding vendors are the same. Then good ones tend to charge more. The problem is Brides do not have an accurate measuring tool.

I tell prospective clients straight out if they are shopping for the cheapest service we will lose that competition every time. There are many vendors who choose to lower pricing, offer discounts and gimmicks and they are free to do so. At Pierce Events we offer custom designed events and in doing so, the number of Weddings we accept has to be limited. Therefor we have to be able to make a living with the wedding we do accept. We dedicate our self to making sure your "vision" becomes reality. While we never spend a dime foolishly, our events often come at a higher price because the quality we offer is above and beyond others.

One of the main reasons Brides suffer from sticker shock is because of price comparisons. One of the first places Brides go is the Internet. When you start perusing you will see price ranges. It our natural reaction to focus on the lowest price. We don't publish our pricing for that reason.

Take a look at Craigslist in your city. You will find ads from wedding DJ's offering services as low as $150. (Stay away from them. Trust me.) If you are expecting a $400service because you saw Internet prices, and a wedding vendor gives you a price of $1200, you are bound to gasp and think "This guy is nuts".

So what is a bride to do? Take a moment to decide what is most important to you on your wedding day. Is it food, entertainment, flowers, photographs, the ice sculpture? Put all those items in order of importance. Spend more on the things at the top of your list. Do you homework! Ask to speak to past clients. Meet face to face with vendors or planners. Give them a chance to show you why they charge what they charge and what you get in return.

We always ask Brides "How important is this to you?" We work full time to make your dream come true. It's not about hiring a worker, it's finding a match and building a relationship wherein you trust your planner with a once in a lifetime event...your Wedding.

Let's be honest, planning a Wedding is a really big deal. The typical Bride has a full time job, a busy social life, doing things with 2 sets of families now and so much more that her wedding planning is truly overwhelming. That's why we do what we do.

Price is important. I have never met a Bride with an unlimited budget. However finding a person or company that you can trust is priceless. We would love the opportunity to earn your trust. Contact us to schedule a meeting. Don't worry, the meeting is free.

Pierce Events offers complete event planning, production and management services for weddings, corporate, social and non-profit events. For more information and other helpful tips visit our website at www.pierceevents.net ◦

How Much Do You Cost?

Holiday Cheer

Faithful friends who are dear to us, gather near to us and they all want a drink!

Holiday entertaining offers a great time to explore some creative libations. The folks at Pierce Events are offering up some great beverage ideas that are sure to please.

Cheers from us to you!

Red & White Martini
2 oz. Vodka
11/2 oz. Menthol Schnapps
½ oz. light cream or half and half
Mini candy cane

Combine ingredients, shake on ice and strain in a martini glass. Hang mini candy cane on the rim.

Jamaican Christmas
1 oz. Blue Curacao
1 oz. Malibu
1 oz. Midori Melon Liquor
Crème de Banana
2 oz. pineapple juice

Shake and stain on ice in a highball glass and garnish with a pineapple spear and an umbrella

Snow Angel
1 oz. Vanilla Schnapps
1 oz. Baily's Irish Crème
1 oz. Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur

Combine ingredients in shaker. Shake and strain into a cordial glass.

Ginger Snap Martini
1 1/4 oz. Vanilla Vodka
1 oz. Frangelico
1/4 oz. Goldschlager
1/2 oz. Butterscotch Schnapps
2 oz. ginger ale or ginger beer

dash of ground ginger
dash of cinnamon
dash of ground clove
dash of allspice

Pour all ingredients in shaker with ice. Shake and strain into Martini glass. Splash ginger ale on top to fill. Stir gently.

Pierce Events offers complete event planning, production and management services for corporate, social and non-profit events. For more information and other helpful tips visit our website at http://www.pierceevents.net/ ◦

Holiday Cheer

A New Ticketing Service for Nonprofit Events

CharityHappenings, an online calendar of fund-raisers, recently launched a free service that allows nonprofits to list, promote, and sell tickets for events via its Web site. After creating an account, planners enter information into predefined fields to create a ticketing page that can be customized to represent the look and feel of an event. Users can also add information about sponsors, display auction items, collect donations, and promote an organization's mission.

When guests click on a link to the site, an invitation image (created and uploaded by the nonprofit) pops up, saving money on printing and mailing costs. While there is no charge to use the service, CharityHappenings charges 99 cents plus a 3 percent fee per attendee (up to $7.49) at the point of sale. (The nonprofit can determine whether it or the attendees will pay the service fee based upon the specific ticket type.)

Pierce Events offers complete event planning, production and management services for corporate, social and non-profit events. For more information and other helpful tips visit our website at www.pierceevents.net

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A New Ticketing Service for Nonprofit Events

Go for Launch

If you have a retail store, night club, or any other business, you need a way to stand out from your competition. Companies spend billions of dollars to market, brand and attract customer attention. But how do you showcase a product, location or service without breaking the bank? A LAUNCH EVENT!

What better way to launch something special—and grab plenty of attention—than with an unforgettable special event? Pierce Events creates fun interactive events that are totally hassle free. With years of promotional experience we stage events that intrigue, invite and capture the attention of customers.

The battle for holiday dollars has already begun many of our clients already understand the value and importance of our retail events. Create a dome that immerses customers in your brand experience, host and entertainment lounge that offers an oasis in the midst of holiday shopping. Entice the sense with light, sound, scents, touch and tasty treats. We make you stand out with holiday promotions, midnight sales, grand openings. Music and lights attract attention. When customers are having fun they are ready to spend. Let us show you how you can draw customers and stand out.

Pierce Events offers complete event planning, production and management services for corporate, social and non-profit events. For more information and other helpful tips visit our website at www.pierceevents.net

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Go for Launch

Back to School Sounds

It's back to school time. Hard to believe it but it's true.

Once again we kick off the third year of our "Clean Beats" program. We offer clean wholesome entertainment for all age groups so you can entertain without worring about what songs might pop up. We never play anything offensive in lyrics or subject matter. Each week we review the latest "Safe Songs" for school dances.

For more information call us at 724-986-6939

This list below is primarily designed for events at Middle and High schools:

Artist Title Featuring
Taio Cruz Dynamite
Katy Perry California Gurls Snoop Dog
B.O.B Airplanes Hayley Williams
Usher OMG Will I am
Usher DJ Got Us Fallin In Love Pitbull
Eminem Love The Way You Lie Rihanna
Travie McCoy Billionaire Bruno Mars
Mike Posner Cooler Than Me
Jason Derula Ridin Solo
Lady Gaga Alajandro
Tao Cruz Break Your Heart Ludacris
B.O.B MAGIC Rivers Cuomo
Enrique Iglesias I Like It Pitbull
Sean Kingston Letting Go (Dutty Love)
Black Eyed Peas Rock That Body
Drake Find your Love
New Boyz Break My Bank Iyaz
Ready Set Love Like Woe
Flo Rida Club can't Handle Me D Guetta
Nicki Minaj Your Love
3OH!3 My First Kiss Ke$ha
Katy Perry Teenage Dream
Ke$ha Your Love is my Drug
Jay Sean 2012 (It ain't the end of the world"
Jay-Z Young Forever Mr. Hudson
Bruno Mars Just the way you are
Cali Swag District Teach Me How to Dougie
Justin Bieber Somebody to Love

Recurrents- (Still popular- but off the chart)
Jason Derula In My Head
Justin Bieber Baby Ludacris
LaRoux Bulletproof
Timberland If We ever Meet again Katy Perry
KE$ha Tic Toc
Selena Gomez & The Scene Naturally
Black Eyed Peas Imma Be
B.O.B. Nothing on you Bruno Mars
Trey Songz Say Aah

DO NOT PLAYLIST ADDS
New Rick Ross Blowin Money Fast
New Chris Brown Deuces
New Drake Fancy
New Richard Vission/Static Revenge I Like That Ludacris
New Far East Movement Like a G6
Glasses Malone I Get Doe
Soulja Boy Pretty Boy Swag
Kanye West Power

Pierce Events offers complete event planning, production and management services for corporate, social and non-profit events. For more information and other helpful tips visit our website at www.pierceevents.net ◦

Back to School Sounds

"How do I get a job like yours?"

Each year about the same time I get a sudden wave of new college grad resumes. Each trip to the mailbox introduces me to another person seeking their first job in the event industry. It's a tough time to get a job any where, so I feel for them. Every once in awhile I'll get the question "How do I get a job like yours?"

Short answer: I don't know. I traveled a twisted path of uncertainty to get where I am and the journey is far from over. I can tell you what I did, but I doubt it would do anyone much good.

It used to be you worked hard, paid your dues, found some good people to teach you and you were on your way. Sadly, I don't know how true any of that is any more.

For what it's worth here is my advice. You have to love what you do. That way even in the lean times at least you enjoy it.

Discover who you are. Are you willing to do anything to make a buck or do you have some boundaries that can not be crossed? I've discovered my boundaries and my unwillingness to cross them has cost me a few times. Yet I can sleep at night. You will be tested. People will chew you up and spit you out if you let them. Don't let them.

Don't think you are a star if you are not. Even if you are, don't think you are. You are always a student. People flock to honest, humble people because they are rare these days.

Lastly, dream big and don't let any one tell you you can't. Nothing is easy. Nothing is guaranteed. Failure teaches more lessons than success.

How you do you get a job in events? You create it with pain staking attention to details, adjustment to set backs, considering the needs of others and making each one better then the last. The same way you plan an event.


Pierce Events offers complete event planning, production and management services for corporate, social and non-profit events. For more information and other helpful tips visit our website at www.pierceevents.net ◦

"How do I get a job like yours?"

Trashy Events

I have a before and after photograph taken from the press box at the old Three Rivers Stadium. It was taken when we were doing a large concert there. In the after photo you see the field covered in garbage...cups, paper, ticket stubs, a real mess.

If you have been to any gathering you know when people assemble together, we create garbage. Street fairs, music festivals and sporting events all make a huge mess. Have you seen the trash after a Steelers game? The cleanup efforts are often massive and somehow the unsung heros who clean up our messes restore order until the next event.

Newsweek Magazine partnered with The Mother Nature Network to highlight their picks of the world’s most garbage-producing events. Here are a few:

1. College Football
Any time fans assemble for an organized sports event, what’s left behind are overflowing trash cans. But the worst offenders are college football games. After Georgia hosted South Carolina, custodial staff collected more than 70 tons of trash—broken tents, abandoned grills, and scores of empty bottles. There were also numerous instances of spectators going to the bathroom in undesignated places around the campus.

2. National Mall Events
The National Mall’s nickname as America’s backyard might ring true, except that people don’t usually leave their own property looking like the Mall did after the presidential inauguration in January or the tea-party protests in September. In both instances, the massive cleanup effort was completed by garbage crews funded by the District of Columbia and the federal Department of the Interior.

3. Beijing Olympics
China’s capital was a well-polluted place before the city hosted the 2008 Olympics. A study done after the event found the Beijing Games to be the dirtiest Olympics in history. Air pollution was almost twice the levels of the previous summer games in Athens and more than triple of those in Atlanta in 1996 and Sydney in 2000.

4. NASCAR
Start with what powers the races: gasoline, thousands of gallons of it. What comes next is the obvious air pollution from the races and the fans who often travel long distances to the event. Trash trade publication Waste Age did a study on the Daytona 500, which required 200 workers working every day for two weeks to clean it up. 'The cleaners worked across 700 acres and 168,000 grandstand seats, picking up litter, dumping 3,000 trash cans, and scrubbing 110 restrooms,' it reported.

5. Mardi Gras
After Hurricane Katrina brought the city to its knees, the size and vigor of former Mardi Gras fetes has returned to New Orleans. The most recent cleanups have included a battalion of massive street sweepers, garbage trucks, and pressure washers—all deployed to clean up the hundreds of pounds of the festival’s trademark beads and other strewn trash.

6. New Year’s Eve in Times Square
After the confetti settles, Time Square is left with a less-than-flattering makeover for the new year. It’s high season for the New York City sanitation department, which works overtime to clean up about 40 tons of garbage. And to get it all done within a few hours.


Pierce Events offers complete event planning, production and management services for corporate, social and non-profit events. For more information and other helpful tips visit our website at www.pierceevents.net

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Trashy Events

Timing is Everything

Anyone who has attended a meeting, conference, convention or incentive has seen the long lines at the telephone booths, people talking quietly into their cell phones during break or slipping out quietly to take care of pending business never to return. Are you scheduling your event over a particularly busy time period where your participants' minds are going to be elsewhere? For example, at the close of a sales period your sales force needs to be out signing contracts instead of being in a ballroom. Would midweek work better than scheduling your event on a Monday, or are you traditionally more quiet over Thursdays and Fridays? If your event is taking place far away, you need to take into consideration travel time, costs (airfares are lover if you are staying over a Saturday night), overnight stays enroute to the final destination and how the company will be handing requests for extensions. Do you need staff back and ready to work in the office Monday, or is there any flexibility?

Corporate Events, Fund-Raisers, Special Events
For corporate events, fund-raisers and special events either mid-week or Saturday night is the most successful for achieving maximum attendance for those form whom it is a religious day and for those who want to get away for the weekend. Many things come into play in selecting the perfect date for your event. Consideration should be given to:

* Whether it should be a daytime or evening event
* What time would it start?
* Will it be formal or informal dress?
* Will guests have time to change clothes if coming to/from work?
* Will volunteers have time to leave work and have everything ready well before guests arrive?

For most of these events, your guests may be invited to bring their partners. If the event is planned to take place during the day mid-week, it could be difficult for one of the partners to attend, and an evening event may be a better choice. Or you could look at moving it to the weekend when both may have more flexibility.

Where will your guests be coming from? Take this into consideration as you plan your start time. Will they be coming directly from work? When does their work day typically end? If they are bringing a guest will this work for them as well? Could they be caught in traffic? Are you bringing them from uptown to downtown? Both scenarios could apply depending on where each of the partners work or live. How late will your event go? Is the next day a business day where both partners may need to get up early? Partners may arrive independently, in separate cars. Is there enough parking?

If the event is black tie, will your guests have time to go home to change, or will they need to bring a change of clothes to work? Will they be in a position to leave work early?

Have you left sufficient time for your set-up crew or volunteers to travel to the event, park, have everything ready, change, eat and be ready to go at least a good half hour before the first guest is scheduled to arrive?


Pierce Events offers complete event planning, production and management services for corporate, social and non-profit events. For more information and other helpful tips visit our website at www.pierceevents.net ◦

Timing is Everything

Paying the Piper

Professional DJ's, I mean the ones that make their living doing it (not guys playing for beer money) have a tough road to travel. There are 52 weeks in a year. That give us 52 Saturdays (when most wedding happen) and excluding holidays that gives Pro Wedding DJ's about 47 possible days to earn their money assuming every date though out the year is booked.

The cost of a wedding DJ can vary widely. Locating wedding DJs in Pittsburgh who are priced right can be difficult. I've seen ads for DJ's at $50 an hour. If you are spending ten to twenty thousand dollars on a wedding, do you really want to end the celebration with a person who values them self at $50? Don't buy a bad DJ.


Often times the DJ is overlooked in the budget process. Even with private parties, if you are booking a Saturday event you need to understand how and why things are priced. Having an enjoyable and fun time is usually dependent on the music played by the wedding DJ. But it's much more than just speakers and lights. You need to find a person who not only has a good variety of music but also can interact with and entertain your guests. You need an entertainer, not just a person to play music.

The average cost of a local wedding DJ in Pittsburgh in 2007 was $1293.00. Yet some people scoff at a price anywhere north of $500. We all like a good deal, but proceed with caution.
Let's be honest, what people are going to remember the most about your event is the entertainment. Good or bad; that's what sticks.

When it comes to hiring a wedding DJ, Pittsburgh has many to choose from. How do you go about finding the right one?

First DON'T base your decision on price. You are choosing a DJ not a number. You get what you pay for. If this is a once in a lifetime event, treat it as such and invest in quality.

Meet face to face with the person. Your DJ will need to be your production partner. It should be someone you like and trust. Evryone from the caterer to the photographer and the entire bridal party will be looking to the DJ for cues. Make sure they are professional. Ask if they carry insurance, ask for references, read their contract carefully and ASK QUESTIONS.

At Pierce Events we take the time to get to know our clients. We have professional radio experience, know how to entertain without being overbearing and we guide you though the process of time lines and planning your celebration.

We would love to talk to you about our services and what makes us so different from other DJ's. If the date you request happens to be already booked, we would be happy to refer you to a quality professional in the area.

Give us a call at 724-986-6939 to talk about your event.

Pierce Events offers complete event planning, production and management services for corporate, social and non-profit events. For more information and other helpful tips visit our website at www.pierceevents.net ◦

Paying the Piper

Safe and Sane On The Dancefloor

One aspect of Pierce Events that always draws a lot of interest is our "Clean Beats" DJ show. It's great for schools and teen dances because we don't play anything offensive or suggestive. Recently we took the "Clean Beats" show to Chagrin Falls, OH for a show at the high school and the response was fantastic from parents and students alike.

While much of the popular music today doesn't make our playlist because of subject or lyrics, dances can still be fun and filled with popular music.

The new Miley Cyrus song " Can't be Tamed" has still not debuted but is getting tons of airplay around the country. While we are cautious with younger audiences it's on our Middle and Junior High HOT list.

A new add to the Do NOT Play List is a song by Kardinal Offishall called BodyBounce. Nasty! Also, while Ludacris with Justin Bieber is fine, Ludacris just came out with a nasty single. I won't name the title because the filters would ban this site! Avoid it for obvious reasons.

Our picks for "Clean Beat Songs" this week:
Tao Cruz Break Your Heart
Usher OMG
Lady Gaga Alajandro
Ke$ha Your Love is my Drug
B.O.B. Nothing on you
Jay-Z Young Forever (Play edit)
B.O.B Airplanes (Play Edit)
Sean Kingston-Justin Bieber Eennie Meenie
Black Eyed Peas Rock That Body
Travie McCoy Billionaire
Jason Derula In My Head
Iyaz Solo
Black Eyed Peas Imma Be
Mike Posner Cooler Than Me
David Guetta Getting Over You
Selena Gomez and The Scene Naturally
Drake Find your Love
Trey Songz Say Aah
Justin Bieber Somebody to Love
Justin Bieber Baby
Kevin Rudolf I Made It (Cash Money Heros) Play edit
3OH!3 My First Kiss
Enrique Iglesias I Like It
LaRoux Bulletproof
Aaron Fresh Spending All My Time
Taio Cruz Dynamite
Nicki Minaj Your Love

Recurrents- (Still popular- but off the chart)
Lady Gaga Bad Romance
Timberland If We ever Meet again Katy Perry
Timberland Carry Out


We offer Clean Beats in Country and CCM formats as well. If you would like to book a "Clean Beats" show or to find out more call us at 724-986-6939.


Pierce Events offers complete event planning, production and management services for corporate, social and non-profit events. For more information and other helpful tips visit our website at www.pierceevents.net ◦

Safe and Sane On The Dancefloor

Entertaining in Motion

Whether it’s a group of editors riding to and from a product launch or a sales team headed out of town for a meeting, travel time is part of the experience, for better or worse. Here are ways to entertain or inform people, or just pass the time.

Educating passengers about their destination is a popular and useful touch. Ronnie Davis, managing director of Great Performances in New York, uses videos in place of a tour guide. “We work with an outside agency to create a video that gives them information about where they are heading. We have done it for groups going to Ellis Island, West Point, and other historic locations,” he says. “The city is cracking down on alcohol on buses, so it’s not easy to do that anymore. This entertains everyone and is not a liability.”

Games can work for certain types of groups, especially among passengers who might not know each other. “Guests can play a customized bingo game for fun prizes or a unique opportunity at the venue they’re heading to,” suggests Sarah Schnell, senior program manager of Total Event Resources in Chicago. “You can customize the bingo board by changing the word or the numbers in the boxes to something more unique to the attendees, such as a corporate logo or a product’s major buzzwords. Have an M.C. or host facilitate the game from the front of the bus, and the employees can play either alone or in teams with their seatmates.”

Bringing entertainers on the bus can make a long trip more enjoyable. “For our corporate and nonprofit clients, we’ve hired fortune-tellers, mentalists, and one time we worked with a contortionist,” says Lynda Webster, founder and chairman of the Webster Group in Washington. Other options include hand or neck massages by staff from a local spa, stand-up comedians, or trivia hosts.

Travel time can be both fun and informative. Let Pierce Events show you how!

Pierce Events offers complete event planning, production and management services for corporate, social and non-profit events. For more information and other helpful tips visit our website at www.pierceevents.net ◦

Entertaining in Motion

Quantity versus Quality - from the D.J.’s perspective

Jim Pierce - Event Director, Pierce Events

Since the introduction of MP3 players, file sharing networks, Wi-Fi, and every other form of accessories that has accompanied these great advancements in personal technology, it seems as though the market has been flooded by amateur DJ’s (termed used loosely) willing to do 8 hour weddings or 72 hour dance-a-thons for prices that are too good to be true.

I recently spoke with a woman who booked a 5 hour wedding DJ for $150. After I hung up the phone there was a sinking feeling in my stomach. I didn’t feel as If I had lost a job, but as if this woman had truly put her once in a life time event in jeopardy for the lowest bidder. I tried to explain, not for my financial gain, but for her benefit and peace of mind, the danger of entrusting her event to an inexperienced D.J. I got the response that I have been hearing a lot of these days- “ Well he has 75,000 songs and if he doesn’t have it he has wireless access and can download it on the spot. “ Do you? I wished her the best with her choice of DJ…

In actuality I have more than 75,000 songs, and yes I have wireless capability, but it is not something I advertise. First of all, a DJ is much more than set of speakers and an internet connection. A DJ’s job is to play the right song at the right moment to create a feeling, a mood, and ambiance. Often, it is just as important the songs I chose not to play as the ones I do. And those that advertise on-site downloads leave themselves in a very curious position. If they choose not to play a song, it is solely a personal choice that puts them in an adversarial position with the person making the request. I have the ability to apologize for not having an offensive song at your Grandmother’s 75th Birthday party and asking if there is anything else they would like to hear. Also, they have a much more difficult time guaranteeing the content and integrity of just downloaded material.

How many times have you been jamming out to your iPod when a minute and 38 seconds in to “Walking on Sunshine” you have been startled by that mp3 screech? And maybe you added Coolio’s Fantastic Voyage to your playlist to relive some of the top 40 hits of your youth, only to realize that you don’t remember that many cuss words on the radio version.

I won’t even speculate as to the legality of many of the downloaded songs being played for public performance but I would venture a guess these folks aren’t all using pay sites.

To be a Great Disc Jockey takes more than a library. It takes time, dedication, and money. Staying current with the hits and making sure you have clean, appropriate, radio edits takes a hefty investment from a DJ.

I’m not implying that these things can’t be valuable tools in the arsenal of talented and experienced mobile DJ's, but I fear that this surge of amateur Jocks holstering IPods and fueling up on Limewire are endangering the integrity of our business. For every Job an inexperienced DJ bombs at, they hurt all of our reputations.


Pierce Events offers complete event planning, production and management services for corporate, social and non-profit events. For more information and other helpful tips visit our website at http://www.pierceevents.net/

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Quantity versus Quality - from the D.J.’s perspective

The View From Here

As we at Pierce Events march into 2010, many people and companies are unsure of what the future holds and are extremely cautious. I get it, but life does go on.

In a time when 1 in 10 Americans are out of a job, we all must be very careful with how and where we spend our money.

I meet with couples and companies everyday who share their stories with me and the one thing that has not changed is the drive and spirit to get out of the ditch we find our self in.

Last night I met with a couple planning their wedding, another young woman called me about her fall wedding. Love (and weddings) go on despite the global economic conditions.

We also march on. We are very excited about some things happening.

We recently partnered with Ticket Leap to coordinate ticket sales to public events. Our first event is happening on March 13th in West View, PA. It's a tribute to our long time friend and radio host who passed away last year RD Summers. I produced his Sunday Night Oldies Diner Show for years on 3WS radio in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh is considered the oldies capitol of the world and this wonderful event will not only honor RD and his many years on the radio, it gives fans of the show a chance to come together, share stories and hear some great music.

You can buy tickets online and the price includes beer, chips and snacks. I hope you can join us.

I'm also happy to announce Froggy Radio has renewed their Radio Parties for the second year with Pierce Events. It wholesome family entertainment that is perfect for schools, churches and community groups. We bring the fun. Contact us and we tell you how you can have Froggy come to your event.

We were also thrilled to be included the the Whirl Wedding Guide as one of the top wedding planning companies in the region. For future brides we are offering an incredible package.

You get professional DJ service for your reception AND your professional wedding photographer all for $2000. It is by far the best package we have ever been able to offer. Contact us for complete details and availability.

There are more wonderful things on the horizon. Be sure to follow us on Twitter for up to the minute announcements, event happenings, exclusive offers and more.

Thanks for checking us out and let us know what event your planning....

Pierce Events offers complete event planning, production and management services for corporate, social and non-profit events. For more information and other helpful tips visit our website at http://www.pierceevents.net/

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The View From Here

Busy Times

Pierce Events was honored to be included in the new issue of Whirl Wedding Guide. Whirl asked 5 event planners for the latest wedding trends and we were pround to be included.

It seems love is in the air as more and more couples are contacting us about helping them plan the perfect wedding.

From cozy backyard wedings to a grand celebration at Falling Water, each wedding is a unique and personal experience. We do still have select 2010 dates open and are already booking 2011 so give us call.

In other news, we are working an exciting class reunion in the fall at PNC Park. If your reunion is coming up we would love to talk to you about ideas for entertainment, venues and getting the word out.

Our Radio Road Shows are about to begin again. We have an oldies dance and tribute show planned for March 13th in West View, PA. Details coming soon.

We are also working on a fundraising concert in upstate New York.

Most people assume they can;t afford an event planner. That;s until they talk to us and we them how you can save money but working with an event planner.

Feel free to give us a call at 724-986-6939 and tell us about your next event.


Pierce Events offers complete event planning, production and management services for corporate, social and non-profit events. For more information and other helpful tips visit our website at www.pierceevents.net ◦

Busy Times

The Cost of "I Do" - Planning Your Wedding Budget

Planning Your Wedding Budget

Once you decide to get married there's much to do. You need to make the official announcement, pick a date, and start making wedding plans. You've got to arrange for your honeymoon, think about where you'll live, and pick out your wedding dress, photographer, flowers, cake ......

As wedding planners, we at Pierce Events can help you with all that. Still, there are some things you must do. You've got to consider your personal finances and how the wedding and marriage will affect them. A wedding can be expensive. The decisons you make now, will effect the two of you for years to come.

Ring it Up

One of the very first expenses involved with getting married is buying an engagement ring. Listen up guys! I know you want to wow her with the Hope Diamond but it's not a smart move to buy a ring you can't afford. An engagement ring should be a symbol of your love and commitment, not a statement of your financial situation. You'll have plenty of occasions to upgrade your ring after you're married.

A recent survey by Bride's Magazine showed the average amount spent on an engagement ring is $3,044. Don't let a jeweler talk you into buying a ring you can't afford. We can guide you to some wonderful and reputable jewelers. Just give us a call.

Here Comes the  Bride and the Bill

Traditionally, most wedding expenses were paid for by the bride's parents. But times have changed, and the way we pay for weddings has changed as well. Often the bride and groom pay for the entire wedding, the two families might split expenses, or each family may pay for the number of guests it invites.

Bride's Magazine reports that the average cost of a wedding for 200 guests and five attendants is $19,104.

Regardless of who is footing the bill, the first important thing to do when planning your wedding is to establish how much you can spend. This will require talking to everyone who might be contributing and finding out how much you'll have. A wedding does not have to cost $20,000. We can give you cost savings ideas and discounts through our network of vendors. Often using a good wedding planner will actually save you money in the end. Whatever you budget is, work within those parameters and make sure your planner does as well.

The budget for every wedding is different, because every wedding is different. Grab your calculator and let's get an idea of how much money you'll have to spend for each cost area.
Total wedding budget $________________

                                     Estimated Cost           Actual Cost

Stationery items (3%) $ ___________ $ ___________

Bridal attire (10%) $ ___________ $ ___________

Reception (40%) $ ___________ $ ___________

Flowers (8%) $ ___________ $ ___________

Music (3%) $ ___________ $ ___________

Photography (7%) $ ___________ $ ___________

Gifts—attendants (2%) $ ___________ $ ___________

Honeymoon (20%) $ ___________ $ ___________

Misc. (e.g., special parties) (7%) $ ___________ $ ___________

Planner (15%) $ ___________ $ ___________

Total ________________

Obviously, these percentages will vary, as you customize your own wedding. Be sure you keep track of all your wedding expenses by saving all receipts and filing them in a safe place.

It can all be a bit scary, but we are here to help you make wise decisions every step of the way. Don't think you can afford a wedding planner. In most cases you can't afford not to have one!

 

If you have a question you would like to submit, email it to: info@pierceevents.net

 

Pierce Events offers complete event planning, production and management services for corporate, social and non-profit events. For more information and other helpful tips visit our website at http://www.pierceevents.net/

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The Cost of "I Do" - Planning Your Wedding Budget