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

Edibles Incredible! Desserts

Lou Lou Boutiques

Mayflowers

Midtown Jewelers

Paper Source

The Tasting Room Wine Bar & Shop

World of Beer

Hyatt Regency

Francesca’s

Jouvence Aveda Salons & Spas

Meet the Owner

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.

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.

"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."

Christina Grier, CWEP

Mission StatementEvery 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

Social Media Grand Opening Countdown

Vendor InvitationsInvite Idea

Grand Opening Invite

Happily Hitched E-vite

Social Media Countdown Invite with Discount

Arrival…

Address Book for Guest Contact Info

Guest Greeter at EntranceStep & Repeat with Logo

BALLOONS!!!

Sign in sign & Social Media plug

Sidewalk sign

Atmosphere…

Entrance into Art Gallery

Wedding Band Decor

Escort Card Exhibit

OPEN sign on Display

Cake & Gift Table ExhibitSweetheart Table Exhibit

Atmosphere…(continued)

Vendor Table & Floral Exhibit

Happily Hitched Aisle Exhibit

On-site Photographers in Action

Floral Arch Exhibit Happily Hitched Table Decor

Atmosphere…(continued)

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.

Bride Portrait as Art

Groom Portrait as Art

Appetite…

Food Display Bar Sign

Hors D’Ouevres& Sweets

Cake Vendor Table

Amusement…

Dancing ContestDoor Prize Station

Cake Decorating Contest

Floral Arrangement Contest

Guess that Dress! Contest

Good Music & ConversationPicture Perfect!Door Prize Entry Form

Appreciation…

Thank You for Social Media

Thank You to Brides

Thank You to Vendors

Cupcake, Chocolate & Nail Polish Party Favors

MarketingBusiness Materials:To be included in marketing folders for all guests that attend grand opening.

Marketing BookletMarketing Flyer

(Front)Marketing Flyer

(Back)

Business Card (Front & Back)

Website MapWebsite: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 MapWebsite Pages: Homepage, Our Story, Biography

Website MapWebsite Pages: Packages & Contact Us

MarketingTarget Market: ClientsTo 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.

MarketingTarget Market: VendorsTo 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."

"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."

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, 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 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.

###

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 exhibition-style 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.

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 will provide full planning, month-of 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.

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.

PhilanthropyThe 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: Christina@happilyhitchedmarriages.com

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.