Category: groomsmen gift ideas

It’s clear that things have shifted beyond the world of events, impacting the way we communicate and operate daily. Friends, family members, instructors, students, colleagues, and entire companies now rely on virtual communication. So, how does one excel in this area? We are here to provide you with a few tips to improve your presence online to better engage a virtual audience.

Tip 1: Plan Ahead

Whether you are casually visiting with friends, or addressing an audience for a keynote presentation, preparation is key. Consider the lighting for the time of day, so you may prepare additional sources as needed (a great, affordable option we love is the ring light tripod!). Wear something that is comfortable, compliments the background, and gives you the most confident, camera-ready look possible.

Prepare your devices by charging them beforehand and securing back up options as needed. Guests will lose interest very fast if they are forced to watch the host troubleshoot during the event.

Additionally, once it is time to begin the event, we recommend having a run of show, or notes near by so you don’t forget to address any important topics. Even if you are planning a casual virtual birthday party, having a few talking points for guests is helpful if there’s a lull. Finally, it is helpful to have a glass of water nearby so you don’t have to exit the screen once the virtual audience joins.

Tip 2: Update and Test Your Equipment

Before you begin, it’s always a good idea to make sure all your hardware is working properly. If your budget doesn’t allow for hiring a professional production team, consider purchasing a microphone and webcam to achieve higher quality audiovisuals. The most popular solution for clear audio is a USB microphone, which connects directly to your computer and produces a fairly decent sound quality for the price. The Razer Kiyo is a great webcam solution that includes a professional-like LED ring and a high quality camera, for a little over $100.

Tip 3: Communicate Clearly

Clear communication is key to manage expectations, and keep the audience engaged.

On the invitation, you’ll want to include the specific time you want guests to join as well as any details they may need beforehand. Does the software being used need to be downloaded and tested? Do users need to create an account to join? Are there a specific number of spots you are holding? All of this information should be included in the initial invitation so guests can plan accordingly. We’d also recommend including an end time so guests may plan to stay through the duration of the event.

Once you are live with your virtual audience, it’s important to annunciate and speak clearly. You will quickly lose your audience if they can not hear you well or the sound is muffled.

Tip 4: Make Eye Contact with the Camera when Speaking

It can be challenging to engage someone when you can’t read their emotional response or body language first hand. However, by treating the camera as the eyes of whom you are addressing, you will create a connection that can be otherwise hard to translate into the digital space. Feel free to periodically look away, similar to how you would in an in-person conversation, in order to keep things natural. A pro tip for smaller attendee events, is to have the guest list near the camera so it visible to you as you are speaking to keep those personal connections as a priority.

Tip 5: Ask Questions & Prepare Activities

This tip is especially crucial if you are hosting a large scale virtual event. Having prompts, tasks, and actions guests can take while they are attending the event, encourages attendees to engage without feeling disruptive.

Regularly check the chat screen in case guests have questions or comments throughout the event. Addressing individuals to the entire audience allows guests to feel seen, heard, and important.

Tip 6: Be Yourself

Regardless of your previous experience, the audience is there because they believe you can add value to their life through an online event. If you typically talk with your hands when you are passionate, allow that to come through online. It’s easy to feel the pressure of being on screen, but genuine people are much easier to engage with online and in real life.

Finally, remember that people connect with stories; if you have personal insight you can share to relate to the content, it’s likely to make a bigger impact than sharing facts and data alone.

We hope this helps you feel more confident to improve your presence online to better engage a virtual audience. If you do need additional guidance for an upcoming event, virtual or otherwise, we are here to help.

We received so much love on our previous tablescape blog post, so we decided to recreate it. This time, we are sharing table setting inspiration for autumn specifically. Whether you have a wedding rapidly approaching, or you’re just really excited for Thanksgiving, enjoy these dreamy place settings providing all the fall inspiration.

First, we have a stunning winery reception in the Santa Cruz Mountains, complete with those classic fall colors we all know and love. The pops of rust, brick and goldenrod really pop against the wood tables and neutral linen runners. Not only did we incorporate the vibrant color palette in the florals, but also in the napkins and chair cushions which really tied everything in together for a beautiful fall evening.

Photos: Russ Levi Photography

Next let’s consider a new take on the traditional black and white color palette. Subtle pops of taupe in the florals and the use of natural greenery brought a fall vibe to this classic color combination. With the event taking place outdoors and given the time of year being possible for some evening breezes, we used place card holders. Not only was this a functional touch keeping guest’s place cards from blowing away, but they were another way for us to incorporate the color palette into the tabletop design.

We loved the way the florals by Nicole Ha Design warmed up the entire space. Not only did the florals fill the entire table, but they extended beyond, providing an extra special touch. The seasonal floral arrangements included a variety of blooms and greenery alike including anemone, cappuccino roses, astilbe and dried bunny tails. Playing off the color palette we also introduced rose gold in the flatware, vases, lanterns, and votive holders.

Photos: Ashley Maxwell Photo

If you combine the two above, you may end up with something like this stunning set up from a wedding last year at Carmel Valley Ranch. We were obsessed with this elegant and romantic tabletop complete with chiffon runners, blush water goblets and hammered copper chargers.

Another important element to remember for fall tabletop design is lighting. Lighting is not only aesthetically beautiful but functional as well, especially when the sun starts setting earlier in the fall months. For this event we provided delicate string lights above dining for a romantic glow, in addition to a mix of taper and votive candles on the tables.

Photos: Joshua Rose Photography

Another memorable evening at Carmel Valley Ranch brought touches of greenery into a stunning fall reception. A unique element from this wedding was that there were two different designs for the long wood tables and the round linen tables. Look closely and you will notice we used a blush hued glass charger on the wood kings tables and a glass gold rim charger on the rounds. This design change was subtle enough to not clash and provided a fun design change across the dining tables.

Photos: Wedding Documentary Photo + Cinema

Finally, we have stunning winery tabletop complete with all the fall vibes your heart could desire. Clos LaChance Vineyards was the perfect backdrop for this stunning fall reception with its outdoor fireplace and crawling ivy that flawlessly complemented our color palette. This tabletop featured so many beautiful details including a tone on tone patterned linen, gold rim glassware, olive sprigs at each place setting, and custom acrylic table numbers.

The florals provided by Bloomster’s brought in the autumn vibes to the next level. We love how they executed our vision by incorporating not only stunning florals but also seasonal fruits like grapes, pomegranates, figs, and pears.

Photos: Ashley Maxwell Photo

Are you ready to celebrate this fall? Personally, these events are getting us so excited for the seasonal shift ahead!

Did you know you could find out more about Amazáe Events via PartySlate? PartySlate is a website that inspires people planning events and connects them with the leading event professionals and venues across the country and the world. Founder Julie Roth Novack was inspired to create a Houzz-like website to address the $143 billion events industry after attempting to plan a gala and spending hours online looking for ideas and venues, only to find wedding blogs, sterile vendor listing sites, and Pinterest dead-ends.

They have endless categories for finding event inspiration from aisles and arches, to silent auction designs, to signage and branding. Not only does PartySlate provide inspiration for events, but you can find insight to thousands of venues and vendors. For instance, you could get the inside scoop about Amazáe Events directly from PartySlate editors.

Over the last 3 years, we have similarly relied on PartySlate for connections to both clients and creative partners. One of the things that attracted us most to PartySlate initially was their neutral, classic and clean brand. The platform really allows our profile to stand out and let our work be the focus. We also especially love that they are event inclusive, unlike many similar competitors who only highlight one category of events (such as weddings). We love that we have one place to store all our social, corporate and wedding events alike. If you are a venue or vendor, we highly recommend creating a profile to connect with potential clients today.

Our profile has more than 65 event albums with over 2,500 images to give you the ultimate look at what we have done in the past. Here are a few highlights to give you a preview.

This intimate wedding at Rosewood Sand Hill will forever standout in our minds and hearts. It also makes quite the impression on our PartySlate profile.

Another beautiful wedding making a statement on PartySlate is this stunning wedding that took place at Carmel Valley Ranch.

We love the way Joshua Rose Photography captured the evening.

An additional standout includes this creative Neverland themed Anniversary Party at The Glass House.

We are so grateful for our partnership with PartySlate, and the opportunities they have brought to us.

To see more from our profile, like details from this gorgeous same sex wedding at Rosewood Sand Hill, head over to the Amazáe Events profile on PartySlate.

about us

Amazàe Events

Amazàe Events is your boutique event production company. With two decades of industry experience and accolades, we succeed in offering so much more than event production services. We ensure professional, elegant and enjoyable execution of all your wedding, corporate, social and/or destination event visions.