Key Features for a Successful Fundraising Event

What it takes to throw a Gala, Auction, Fundraiser, or Alumni Event:

Over the past 20 years, we have developed relationships with many schools and non-profit organizations across New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. We understand how important the yearly fundraising gala is.

Here’s what you’ll need:

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LIGHTING

Lighting can be the simplest, most effective way to create an immersive environment for guests. There are infinite ways to transform a space with light. These are some of your options:

Uplighting

Uplights are powerful lights, with a huge range of color. They are traditionally placed around the perimeter of a room, creating a glowing effect of the entire space. Color choices for these lights can vary from one to many. They are also used to illuminate standing structures, props, entryways, and many other features and focal points in a room.

Auction Lighting

Lighting for auction items is key for a successful evening. You’ve worked hard all year to source these items, and with so much riding on those bids, you cannot let them go unnoticed. Clean, subtle, and effective options like overhead wash lights and pinspots highlight the allure of every prize and prize table. It helps make sure guests find exactly what they’re looking for.

Custom & Specialty Lighting

Creative lighting is a huge wow factor. GOBO projections use a customizable template, shining light through to project images anywhere in the room. These can be thrown on to walls, dance floors, ceilings and more. Choose from stock patterns and effects or design your own. Lighting effects like this, as well as colorful patterns or laser light displays can be continually layered to add more and more drama. Other options range from simple colored washlights to illuminate the band or dancefloor to high end LED light displays. Find what fits your budget. 

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DECOR

A unique evening is a memorable evening. Make sure this year stands out from the rest. Choose a cohesive theme and decide where your budget is best spent. Where would you like guests to keep their focus? This may depend on the function of the evening. If this is a sit down sort of symposium, or if there will be presentations, perhaps spend more on centerpieces - a great reason for guest to want to stay seated and still engaged, as well as inspired. If the evening has more of a cocktail/grazing vibe, try sourcing larger decor items, or dividing the space into the direction you’d like guests to take. Decide what your goals are for the evening, and come up with a floor plan that can accomplish this. Maybe the flow of the tables, bars, stage, etc. all lead right back to the auction items. Find your focus and the guests will too.

Centerpieces & Table Top Decor

From elegant and simple to intricate layering, centerpieces keep the theme in mind all throughout the night. They are points of discussion that immerse guests into the evening and always entertaining. Don’t forget accent items for your bars, food stations, and auction tables. These can be informative or decorative, large or small.

Large Props & Installations

Depending on the event space, you may decide to utilize larger decor or props to build your environment. This can be very effective. Things like ceiling treatments and installations are impressive, one-of-a-kind and site specific. Sculptural elements are also great focal points and keep the theme. Will there be a stage set up at the event? How can you draw more attention to it? Even if you do not have a physical stage in the space, you can create the illusion by flanking the area both left and right with something eye catching. Bar rentals are smart, sophisticated and can be custom features at your event as well.

Drape & Dividing a Large Space

Take a good look at your event space. How can it improve? Where will the focus be for the evening? Smart options like temporary drape walls and other structures can reinvent a room, hide unsightly features, and section off areas or create new ones. This is a great idea for behind a stage or podium. Backdrops do this as well and there are many options for drape in all colors, sizes, textures, and heights that can reinforce your theme easily. If you want guests to really hang out, look into renting some simple furniture and coffee tables, positioned correctly, it’s an instant lounge area. 

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Don’t forget its called FUNdraising for a reason. The event is not just about supporting your cause, it’s about celebrating you and your team, and those that continue to support the efforts of your organization. Make sure your event is one guests will return to every year, eager for more. With good intentions come great things. Don’t forget that non-profits are about helping others, and ask for help when you need it.

Feel free to reach out about your event to:

info@eggsoticevents.com or call at us (908)735-9870 for more information.

We provide all of the services listed above and are happy to offer donation based discounts to non-profit-organizations

Classic Globe Lights at Woods Edge Farm • Stockton, New Jersey

We love finding new and beautiful New Jersey barns that are available as event venues. The rustic wooden beams and the wide open layouts make them the perfect destination for wedding receptions and other celebrations.

We recently provided a classic globe light treatment at the Woods Edge Farm for Elin and CJ. They had a vision in mind of a simple, understated lighting design that would not only provide functional light, but make the barn more intimate.

We used globe lights like these (also known as bistro lights and market lights):

And created this lighting treatment:

It takes lots of extra time to achieve these even, symmetrical swags of globe lights, but the end result is well worth it. Our amber LED uplighting added more warmth and ambient light in the room, and also highlighted the hay bale wall, which the farm uses to partition the event space.

Here's a gallery of photos from Elin and CJ's beautiful wedding day, courtesy of Woods Edge Farm Events' Facebook page:

Huge thanks to Elin and CJ for choosing us to be a part of their big day! Thank you also to Amy and the rest of the wonderful team at Woods Edge Farm. 

Visit Woods Edge Farm's Wedding Wire page to see all the great things brides have to say about hosting their events there.

Venue: Woods Edge Farm, Stockton NJ
Photography: Greg Nesbit Photography and Eggsotic Events staff
Event Lighting: Eggsotic Events
 

Country Rustic Decor Meets Modern Lighting • Tented Rehearsal Dinner • Far Hills, New Jersey

One of our biggest projects thus far in 2015 is this fun, beautiful rehearsal dinner in the countryside of Far Hills, New Jersey.

Eggsotic provided centerpieces, linens, tent pole decor, lighting, foliage and more for this celebration for 225 guests.

Since the end of June is the week of the summer solstice, this party took place on one of the longest days of the year. This presents a fun design challenge: to create a look that works beautifully in both the daytime and nighttime. 

There were several design inspirations for this design. The bride and groom graduated from the University of Louisville, where the school colors are red, white and black. The groom's family's house has a classic countryside aesthetic. The client loved the idea of the tent canopy transitioning into an abstract night sky as the night progressed. We combined all of these concepts to create this dramatic look:

Here's a selection of daytime and nighttime decor photos:
(As a side note, these were all taken by Josh from our team using an iPhone, with no edits or touch-ups. Great job Josh!)

Rustic, garden box-inspired centerpieces with red roses, hypericum and live rooted floral accents

Tablescape with faux burlap linens, red frosted candle holders, and red chiavari chairs

Custom tent pole surrounds with metal and glass lanterns

Large floor lanterns, entryway urns with live flowers and foliage, and the long head table

The view from the tent to the house and cocktail area, lined with lanterns on shepherd's hooks

The view from the walkway to the tent entry at dusk, with amber uplighting in the tent

The beginning of the nighttime starry night effect

Programmed LED lighting allowed us to change the room color as the sky darkened for an ever-changing lighting effect

The Don Eaton Band on stage

It was an absolute pleasure collaborating with this Far Hills event planning dream team: Shelley Ryan of SBR Event Design and Coordination and Louis and team of Prestige Party Rental. Cheers to many more events together!

Location: Private residence, Far Hills NJ
Tent: 57' x 117' Stillwater Tent, Prestige Party Rental
Planner: Shelley Ryan, SBR Event Design and Coordination
Lighting, Floral Decor, and Room Decor: Eggsotic Events
Catering: Ross & Owren
 

Elegant Autumn Bat Mitzvah Lighting and Decor • The Stone House at Stirling Ridge • Warren, New Jersey

Photo by Ira Casel. Birch wall, ceremony lighting, and mason jar installation by Eggsotic Events

In our last post, we mentioned that many of our bar and bat mitzvahs have a "Favorite Things" theme. We love designing parties that convey the celebrant's favorite hobbies, colors, and more.

This bat mitzvah, held in October at The Stone House at Stirling Ridge, had an eclectic mix of design inspirations: 
• Amethyst: the gemstone and the color as well
• Nature, especially trees and moss
• Preservation: eco-friendly materials and reusable, recyclable elements
• Art, especially painting

We've worked extensively with Lori, Jillian's mom, who has planned fundraising galas for several years. She's done a wonderful job creating memorable, elegant events in the past, so of course Jilly's bat mitzvah was no exception.

We partnered with Laura of Laura Clare Designs and Carissa and her team at Stone House to create a one-of-a-kind celebration of all of Jilly's favorite things.

The Ceremony

For the ceremony, Jilly wanted a sophisticated outdoor setting that reflected her love of nature. We used our handmade birch wall backdrop and created a custom birch torah table, which at 5' x 5' makes a beautiful focal point in front of the birch wall.

We lined the aisle with our pewter lanterns, which held our handmade birch wood candle holders. Simple touches, like reusable natural candle holders and eco-friendly soy tealights, added to the environmental preservation theme. We also hung mason jar candle lanterns from the tree and used our battery-powered LED uplights to illuminate the trees in the ceremony area.

Here's a mini-gallery of ceremony photos:

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The Cocktail Hour

The cocktail hour was held in the tent adjacent to the ceremony area. Since the guests would only be in the tent for a little while, we kept the lighting design simple. Amethyst purple uplighting and pin spots for the food stations made the cocktail tent look cohesive with the rest of the event. Laura Clare's tabletop lanterns completed the look.

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The Reception

The reception lighting was bold and elegant, with purple and green uplighting and pin spotting for the centerpieces.

We used live trees and ferns to create an organic feel. We framed the kids' lounge area using ivory drape and portraits of Jilly. It was accented by Jilly's name in moss, provided by the client. 

For entertainment, the family selected a photo booth, silhouette artist, and lots of games. We commissioned an interactive portrait artist to do live interactive painting. Jilly selected an inspiration image, our artist Marcelo created a foundation for the painting, and guests joined in throughout the party to add to the canvas. It turned out absolutely beautiful and makes a great keepsake for many years to come.

Laura Clare created gorgeous centerpieces and selected linens that tied the tabletops into the room decor perfectly.

Here's a gallery of images from the reception:

The planning for this mitzvah came together in a very short time, and the results were spectacular. Thank you to Lori, Jillian and family for including us in your special day! Read Lori's note from the next day below:

“I cannot express my gratitude enough for assuring that our vision for Jillian’s special day was carried out throughout the event. In fact you managed to exceed our vision! It truly was so beautiful and magical. Jillian was so so pleased with how everything looked.

With much appreciation and respect for your artistry :)

Warmly,
Lori”

Huge thanks to Ira Casel for sharing such beautiful photos of the day!

Photographer: Ira Casel Photography
Location: The Stone House at Stirling Ridge • Warren, NJ
Floral Decor: Laura Clare Designs
Calligraphy and Handwritten Signage: Belles Lettres Calligraphy • Mendham, NJ
Lighting, Trees, Interactive Painting, and Room Decor: Eggsotic Events

FAQ Series: Pin Spotting Explained: Why Your Centerpieces Should Have Pin Spots

This is our second entry in a series of Lighting FAQs. To learn about Gobo Light Projections, click here.

What is pin spotting?

Pin spots are focused beams of warm white light, projected onto tabletop focal points, such as centerpieces, wedding cakes, artwork, and auction items. Pin spots highlight these elements, making them stand out in photographs and in person.

Pin spots are light fixtures with specialized bulbs inside, that are narrow spotlights (rather than a normal lightbulb, which is a wide angle wash light). The pin spot fixtures are secured to freestanding support hardware, then focused by professional installers to maximize the impact they make. Perfect pin spotting is like an art form, making the tabletop decor elements glow just right.

How are the pin spot lights set up?

Most often, pin spots are rigged to racks, then supported by freestanding pipe and base structures. Additional weight is added to the bases to make sure that these tall, heavy racks are safe near guests. Our team of professional lighting installers deliver, install and focus the pin spots before the event, and uninstall them after the event.

Here at Eggsotic, we also have a pin spot technology that allows us to incorporate pin spots in the existing lighting system of the venue without freestanding hardware. For more information about this, please call or email us.

Soft pin spotting makes floral centerpieces pop at this Bernards Inn wedding. Photo by Therese Wagner Photography.

Do my centerpieces need pin spots?

Here are questions to answer to determine whether or not you need pin spots for your centerpieces:

• Are you having an evening event?

Pin spotting is intended for evening/nighttime events. Or, if you're having a daytime event in a space without windows, pin spotting can still be effective.

We do not recommend pin spots for daytime events in window-filled spaces, as the effect won't be as dramatic as you'd like.

• Are your centerpieces large/elaborate?

If so, you've most likely spent a significant amount of money on each one. A major design mistake we've seen is spending several hundred dollars per table on floral arrangements, then opting out of pin spotting. The centerpieces get lost in the look of the room, and none of your guests can see all of the exquisite details in the flowers.

• Are your centerpieces floral arrangements?

Floral arrangements often need pin spotting in order to be seen clearly in low light. This is especially true if you're including colored uplighting or other light effects.

• Are you using other types of lighting in the room?

You may think that if you're using uplighting and other lighting effects, you don't need pin spots. In fact, the opposite is typically true. The high-end look you're trying to achieve comes from layering different types of light. The uplighting creates a colorful wash, then the pin spots create dramatic focal points and keep the room from looking like one solid color. This combination draws guests' eyes to each beautiful element in the room.

• Do you have lots of candles on each table?

If your centerpiece primarily consists of candles, pin spots aren't necessary. If you plan to use candles as accents, a gorgeous balance of light comes from a pin spot on the floral centerpiece, and 3-6 candles as accents around it. Here's a great example of that look at our Birch Wedding at the Bernards Inn in Bernardsville, New Jersey:

Photo by Andres Valenzuela

The above photo shows the difference in light level between the centerpiece and the rest of the table. The centerpiece is the clear focal point, and the light level around the rest of the table remains intimate and not over-lit.

How much do pin spots cost?

Pin spot pricing is dependent upon a few factors:

• What is the timeframe for setup and takedown?

   Labor rates are calculated based on how much time is allowed for setup. Less time for installation means sending more installers, which can increase the cost. The timeframe should always be discussed with your venue prior to booking.

• Where is the event being held?

   Labor and trucking rates are also dependent upon the distance from the vendor to the location.

• How many pin spots do you need?

   If you need over twenty pin spots, you can often pay a lower price per table than if you only need a few.

To receive pin spot pricing, please contact us with your event location, date, timeline, and table quantity. This information allows us to create a prompt quote that includes setup and takedown.

Unique Bar Rentals in New Jersey and New York City

Decorative bar rentals are a great way to reinforce themes, while also providing a functional focal point for your event. Here are some of our favorites from the Eggsotic Events collection:

Our simple, rustic oak barrel bar is popular for tent weddings and vineyard events, and features a wooden top and two classic oak barrels. Special rigging makes it sturdy even in high use. It looks great accompanied by live ferns and other floral/foliage accents.

This high-impact 12' double bar was part of the Club Primesport Super Bowl Pregame Experience. We provided glowing bars and installed custom graphics to reinforce the host company's branding. Behind the bar, we used custom black drape, diamond plate panels, and custom artwork of Bonnie Bernstein, one of the event's celebrity hosts.

This nautical themed bar was for Sailor Jerry Rum's booth at an alcohol industry trade show. We heard it was the highlight of the event and the busiest booth of the whole show. Our captain's wheel, swordfish, foliage, and other nautical accents reinforced the brand's signature look.

This is actually the same bar as the Sailor Jerry bar shown above, only instead of a nautical surround, it was coupled with an elegant tropical floral arrangement and a personal accent photo.

This glowing acrylic bar is coupled with one of our hand-painted panel art creations by Egils Matiss. It's our Voodoo Spirits artwork that color changes with a flashing LED light effect and reacts to UV black lights. For more photos from this gorgeous glowing event, visit our black light glow parties page.

These Asian food stations also double as bars. They're designed to fit perfectly over a standard 8' banquet table. Add a bar height table and you're set! These surrounds include bamboo roofs, authentic decor accents, and our realistic artificial bamboo plants as a background accent.

This is our glowing acrylic bar in cyan blue, with our unique abstract pattern backdrop. This backdrop is completely modular, so it can be sized to stage backdrops, tent side walls, or hanging decorative accents. This element also makes an appearance at our recent candy theme sweet sixteen.

This bar was in the kids' area at one of our most memorably unique bar mitzvahs: an Archie Comics theme mitzvah. We created a '50s diner-inspired backdrop and used our jumbo ice cream, ketchup, burger and gum ball machine as accents.

Here's a glowing bar we customized for a technology trade show in NYC. We used our ultra-bright LED lights, so that even in a room with the house lights on, this bar shines. Here's another great perk of glowing bars:

Glasses and bottles glow on top of the bar, creating a bonus focal point. 

For a more classic look, this wooden bar was the perfect match for the stone barn.

For winter events, an ice bar with our arctic surround is the perfect focal point.

One of the most recent additions to our bar collection is this beautiful 3-sided wooden bar with shelves. The frames over each bar can be customized with the event's branding. The real oak barrels underneath are coupled with fall foliage accents, and the shelves are lined with wine bottles and themed images. This bar can be transformed into different styles based on theme and season.

Are you looking for any of these bars, or another style of bar for your next event? Email us at egg@eggsoticevents.com to discuss your customized bar solution.

Valentine's Day Luxury Wedding Lighting and Decor • Pleasantdale Chateau • West Orange, New Jersey

Valentine's Day weekend is a classic time for romance. Eggsotic Events collaborated with Marie Danielle Vil-Young of A Votre Service Events to create a luxurious, romantic wedding setting at the Pleasantdale Chateau in West Orange, New Jersey.

Eggsotic Events provided programmed, custom-color LED uplighting, as well as pin spotting. We also provided the custom graphic dance floor, using a pattern that matched the wedding stationery. The dance floor overlay was applied over the venue's existing octagonal dance floor.

We also provided a rich red velvet drape entry into the ballroom.

A Votre Service provided candelabra centerpieces with gorgeous red rose floral arrangements, as well as custom seating, linens and place settings.

We loved being part of such a dramatic transformation of an already beautiful event space.

Click here to see a video of the transformation with an interview with Marie Danielle.

Venue: Pleasantdale Chateau • West Orange, New Jersey

Planner: A Votre Service Events • Somerville, New Jersey

Lighting: Eggsotic Events • Hampton, New Jersey

Tented Engagement Party • Private Residence in Somerset County, New Jersey

Eggsotic Events teamed up with the Bernards Inn's talented staff to produce a beautiful, one-of-a-kind engagement party at a client's Somerset County home.

The party combined soft, rustic elements with modern purple lighting to create a space that's romantic and inviting.

Eggsotic Events provided LED uplighting, pin spotting, rustic oak barrel bars, tables, linens, and other assorted decor.

Our Bride-to-Be and Groom-to-Be chair banners, with Jardiniere's hydrangea floral arrangements.

Lavender uplighting creates a soft glow, even during daylight hours.

Our rustic oak barrel bars

Planner and Caterer: The Bernards Inn • Bernardsville, New Jersey

Venue: Private residence

Tent: Prestige Party Rental • Prospect Park, New Jersey

Floral Decor: Jardiniere Fine Flowers • Far Hills, New Jersey

Photography: Therese Marie Wagner Photography • Red Bank, New Jersey

Lighting and Other Decor: Eggsotic Events • Hampton, New Jersey

FAQ on Gobos

What is a gobo?

Our prospective clients ask us this question often, so we'd like to explain the meaning and applications here. 

A gobo is a steel or glass stencil-like sheet that is used in light projection fixtures. Gobos project patterns, textures, colors, and graphics on to floors, ceilings and walls.

The name gobo comes from "go between" or "goes between optics". The gobo is inserted into a sleeve in between the light fixture's light source (bulb) and its lens. The lens allows the installer to focus and size the projected image based on the desired look.

There are two primary types of gobos: standard stock gobos and custom gobos. 

There are also two types of gobo materials: steel and glass.

Standard Gobos

Standard gobos, or stock gobos, are gobos that are pre-manufactured in thousands of different patterns, images, and objects. Many common items, such as landmarks, hearts, stars, sports imagery, and abstract patterns are available as standard gobos. When you select a standard gobo projection fixture rental, we include your choice of standard/stock gobos at no additional charge.

Custom Gobos

Custom gobos are manufactured specifically for your event. They can include your logo, company name, couples' names, initials, event date, graphic of choice, and so on. They are manufactured by taking your image (a high resolution JPEG, PNG, or PDF) and manipulating it based on the type of gobo.

Steel Gobos

Steel gobos are the most frequently used kind of gobo. They are laser-cut from a thin sheet of steel. This means that the image being produced has "bridging", which refers to very thin lines to hold the gobo pattern together. For example, this image shows the difference between the original graphic and the gobo pattern:

(Image via Apollo)

Steel gobos are the most cost-effective choice of custom gobo. However, there are some limitations to the complexity of the image, and some graphics are more heavily impacted by bridging than others.

Glass Gobos

Glass gobos are custom manufactured, and can include a 1-color or full color image of your logo, monogram, or other graphic. Glass gobos can be more complex and also more easily legible than steel gobos. If you are hosting an annual event, glass gobos are an excellent choice because the projection quality is high and they are reusable year after year.

How many gobos do I need?

To determine the quantity and type of gobos you need for your event, please contact us. We'll review the layout of the space, the objectives of the projections, and we'll develop a layout that creates the impact you're envisioning. Our phone number is 908-735-9870 and our email address is egg@eggsoticevents.com. Please also visit our website at www.eggsoticevents.com.

Great Gatsby Office Transformation • Union County, New Jersey

We love the recent Great Gatsby theme decor trend, and we have a large collection of props and decor elements that are perfect for a Great Gatsby, art deco, 1920s, or speakeasy theme party.

Here is a recent transformation of an under-construction raw office space:

Before:

Before: Unappealing lighting, a large window wall with an undesirable view, a concrete floor, and an unfinished ceiling.

After:

After: Blackout draping to hide the window wall, metallic gold draping as an accent wall, a champagne tower with pin spotting, LED colored downlighting, gold lame linens, and majesty palm trees.

We combined art deco decor elements with modern lighting technologies to transform this drab office into a Great Gatsby era experience.

Creative use of downlighting draws attention away from the unfinished ceiling, while draping and art deco decor elements create new focal points.

Acrylic crystal chandeliers act as room decor and floating centerpieces. LED uplighting in fuchsia and green added bold color to plain white walls. 

Metallic fringe draping, shown here in gold, is also available in many other colors and heights. It's perfect for a photo backdrop. It is displayed using our freestanding support hardware, so nothing is attached to the venue's walls or ceilings.

Putting the food station in the center of the room creates a gorgeous focal point. It also encourages guest flow throughout the space, making it perfect for a cocktail format party.

Our art deco beehive urns with gold lion's paw pedestals, paired with fresh majesty palm fronds

Event Credits:

Venue: Private Office Space in Union County, New Jersey

Catering: Country Picnic in Bedminster, NJ

Design, Lighting and Decor: Eggsotic Events