Recent Posts

• Picking a Photographer for an Event

  

  The problem with events (weddings, birthday parties, etc) is that you spend so much time and money planning them out and trying to make everything perfect, then before you know it, the whole thing is over. After the mess is cleaned up, all that is left is the memories and the pictures.

  A good photographer is essential to any event that you want to remember. Photos bring memories of the events alive. However, when I look back at the photos of important occasions in my life, I often wish I had more pictures, perhaps from other angles, with other expressions, or with individuals who did not pose in that picture.

  When you are picking a photographer for an event, there are many things to consider. First and foremost is perhaps availability and reliability. No matter how good the pictures that the person takes, if he or she is not able to make it to your event, they do you no good.

  Assuming the photographer is available for your event, take a look at their portfolio and discuss pricing. It is important to understand what you are purchasing. Will the photographer be taking photos during the entire event or just coming for a portion of the event. Will the photographs be posed, candid, or a combination? How many photographs will the photographer take and of those how many will you get to keep? Who will own the rights to the images? Will you be allowed to make copies or the images yourself or will you have to purchase additional prints from the photographer? Would you prefer to get a disc of photos that you can print yourself or an album of printed pictures? If you do not have a lot of time, the album may be more convenient, but if you want to give copies of the images to everyone involved in the event, digital copies will probably be preferable.

  Most photographers are flexible with their options but the fee will depend in part on what product they are delivering to you. Purchasing rights to an image will probably be more expensive then just getting a print of the individual image.

  On the event day, the photographer will be busy taking pictures. Make sure if there is anything or anyone in particular that you want photos taken of, the photographer knows. If there is any assistance you can provide, such as gathering people for photos, be sure to do so. If you are happy with the photographer and the images they take of your event, refer them to friends who are having events and remember them next time you are holding an event of your own.

  As long as they are not distracting, it is never a bad idea to have a few extra cameras around an event, even if you hire a professional photographer. You never know what images an amateur may come up with that you may really like. You may also want to hire or recruit someone to videotape part or all of the event.

  Photographs last much longer than any event, so make sure that you get plenty of good ones!

• Planning an Animal Party

  

  Animals in the wild, at the zoo, and at the circus fascinate children. What little boy or girl does not want a puppy or a kitten? An animal themed party is sure to be a hit with pretty much any kids. The party theme can be based around all animals, a group of animals like ocean animals or birds, or a particular kind of animal such as a horse or a dog.

  Perhaps the easiest way to hold an animal themed party is to have the party at the Oregon Zoo. The zoo not only showcases a wide variety of exotic animals, but also includes a farm where kids can pet goats, rabbits, and other farm animals.

  Several farms in the Portland area also have party space and animals for kids to see and pet. For instance, Kruger Farm on Sauvie Island offers birthday party packages and a petting zoo.

  Want to bring the animals to your party location? Consider having a petting zoo, a reptile zoo, or pony rides at your party. Having a face painter who can paint animal faces on the kids is another fun party entertainment idea.

  Along with having real animals at your party, you can get animal themed inflatables and play equipment for your party. Inflatables like the Lion Bouncer and the Gorilla Bouncer feature are perfect for an animal themed party.

  You can pick up animal invitations, decorations, plates, cups, party favors, games, and toys at dollar or party stores. Buy or make a cake with decorations to match your theme as well. One simple way to decorate a cake is to use plastic animal figures on top of a simple frosting job. You can also get cake pans that are shaped like animals, or frost an animal face on a circle shaped cake.

  Kids are wild about animals so your animal themed party is sure to be a wild success. Have fun!

• Planning a Family Reunion

  

  My family is large, but they have always been very close. My grandmother hosts monthly birthday parties for whoever is available to attend along with holiday parties at Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving. Since I moved out of state, I have not been able to join the family for most of the parties, but I do make a point to see as many people as I can whenever I visit. My grandmother is turning ninety this year, so we are going to have a big birthday party for her. While most of the family lives nearby, this is a party that those that live out of state will be traveling in for. After all, people don’t turn ninety every day.

  Every family is different. Some are small, some are large. Some live close together, and some live far apart. Some visit regularly, and some only visit on a rare occasion. For small families who live close together, planning a family get-together can be a pretty simple event. The larger the family and the further apart they live, the more complicated it can be.

  Perhaps the first thing you need to decide on when planning a reunion is when you are going to have the reunion. The earlier you pick a date, the less likely people will have already conflicts. The more people you are including, the harder it will be to pick a date that everyone is happy with, but if you pick the date early enough, most people should be able to work their schedule around to come. Is the reunion going to last a few hours or a few days? If people are traveling a long ways or don’t visit often, they will probably want the visit to last a while. On the other hand, if everyone is in town and they see each other often, a short party may be sufficient.

  After you have determined when you are having your reunion, you need to determine where you are going to have it. If people are coming from all around the globe, the party does not need to be in your home town. Consider finding a central location or a destination where everyone would like to visit. For instance, since I live in Portland and my parents are in Reno, sometimes we visit in Klamath Falls which is about half way between us.

  If you are planning on having your reunion in Portland, consider where you are going to hold the party. Is the whole reunion going to take place at the same location or will there be multiple locations? If you are having an outdoor event such as a picnic for your reunion, be sure that you have appropriate shelter, or rent tents to protect guests from the rain.

  If guests are traveling for a multi-day reunion, you will probably want to have all the guests stay in the same hotel. Hotel’s often have meeting space available for events and many hotels have restaurants that offer catering services. Restaurants can be a great place to hold events too and the food is sure to be a success if you pick a good restaurant.

  How are you planning on keeping the family entertained? Perhaps guests will want to take a tour of the area as part of the reunion and visit attractions like the Oregon Zoo and the Portland Art Museum. Pick activities that allow guests to visit. If there are children involved, don’t forget about them when you are planning. After all, if the kids are entertained, they are less likely to be causing trouble. Bounce houses and other inflatables can be fun options for events.

  There are lots of other details that will need to be planned with any event, but hopefully this has started you thinking about how you want to plan your own family reunion. Be sure to contact Clowns Unlimited with all of your party rental and entertainment needs.

  -HL