This company started as an idea on a napkin; and a baby in my belly!
In my late teens, my love for event planning was sparked when I assisted as support staff at neighborhood parties and it then began to evolve when I joined the prom committee at my high school (Pennsbury High which is consistently the school on the internet known as, “The Best Prom in America”; it in fact has a book written about it). Then in College, I was a regular volunteer planning University of Maryland events and planning events for; “Elegant”; the organization which I was The President of in my College Department.
I loved events so much that during college I also interned/worked for The Lerner Corporation at Landover Mall for years. We planned and executed events such as Desert Storm memorials, Easter bunny/Santa visits, fashion shows and more for the purpose of getting more customers to shop and visit the mall. After College I joined the New York City Bloomingdale’s management team and interned for The Rouse Corporation at The Harborplace in Baltimore, MD exclusively planning and running events for National Harbor.
After living in New York for a year +, I chose to return to Maryland working with Bloomingdale’s as a Department Manager. I continued my career eventually moving on and working again for Lerner Corporation at White Flint Mall as the Marketing Director; executing and developing the malls events. I found myself next in the corporate world; representing Seiko Corporation as a local event representative, until they were forced to make employee cuts after my 3 great years and I then found myself working for The DoubleTree Hotel Corporation as an Event Manager/Catering Director. During this phase of my life I was planning my own wedding and was soon offered the position of Marketing/Events Director for the long-lost retail chain called The Incredible Universe. Again, my job was to plan and execute events in the store with a purpose of getting more shoppers to enjoy the experience and visit the store which then led to sales. Throughout my experiences I was learning that there was ” a need for something different in the event planning world”, and I began to dabble in opening my own business.
In between all of this; with my husband Joel’s blessing, a new puppy, and a baby on the way; in 1994 while on vacation with my husband, we started drawing ideas on paper designing “that something different event planning company”. We came up with a concept on a napkin while at dinner one evening; yes the business on a napkin idea is in my story also..
I went back to school for my Certification in Event Management at The George Washington University School of Business and Public Management joining the graduating class of 1995. I studied business ethics and laws at Montgomery College, I threw up some flyers around the county and I got some fantastic press and write ups about my start up company called Practical Planners, Inc. This company was my side hustle with the goal of being different; focusing on teaching people how to “plan their own event” and how to enjoy the process, and how to maybe even throw in doing good for the world as part of the event. I wanted to build a company for my kind of planning needs; someone who would provide help with planning but not take over the planning, someone who knew the right vendors because the word website was not even a blip on the screen with AOL dial up, and finally someone who you could trust and count on for your special day; affordably.
What I didn’t know is that I was actually building what is now known as WeddingWire or Theknot. Okay, so I didn’t have computer knowledge, so my concept was not virtual, it was physical. Finally, when Incredible Universe closed their doors and I was laid off, I became 100% mom and 100% business owner. Eventually Practical Planners became known as Save the Date, LLC events and promotions your way. I brought in some staff, I hired some interns, and I continued to create the company. After 20+ successful years of gaining experience, writing books, speaking at conferences, and building the business; we have always stayed true to our “cause” now only slightly restructuring to create the original plan that we drew on the napkin and so much more. WE are still the same company, with a new website and updated packages branded now as SAVE The DATE, LLC EVENTS… events and promotions your way.
At SAVE The DATE, LLC EVENTS we offer even more then any computer can offer; with personalized real educated referrals and planning help from non partisan pros in the business who we call our friends. We are your Psychologist, organizer, teacher, referral organizer, Director and manager all in one. Now, in this next era we are adding even more; workshops and classes, month of planning and video tutorials, blogs and social media, day of only and party support staff. Think of us as the next Uber of Event Directing (with the highest level of screening and management skills offered in this price point)…what is next is soon to come…
This company started with an idea on a napkin and pretty soon a baby in my belly. Now over 25 years later that baby has finished College and has a full time job, with her brother following right behind her. The Co-Founder, my husband Joel, now also runs our other business Your Cleaning Connection (yourcleaningconnection.net) which also ties in nicely with SAVE the DATE, LLC EVENTS, and every day we continue to grow and learn while gaining more and more happy customers.
My drive for this business and my dreams take me on that ride that I love so much…beyond what words can describe.
