Event Leftovers is proud to feature event planning tips from event professionals across the country. Check back frequently for new articles or join us on Twitter to receive immediate updates when they are added. If you are an event professional with some tips you would like to share, email info@eventleftovers.com.

By Debbie Geller, President of Geller Events, a boutique wedding and event coordination firm that specializes in planning events in the Los Angeles area and worldwide. Debbie and Geller Events have been featured in national magazines and television.

One of the things that makes parties truly special is that they are for very special occasions.   Every detail is meticulously planned and each item is selected with precision to help to tell the story of the event.  The amount of time and effort, not to mention money spent can be significant.  It’s worth every ounce of energy, it’s worth every penny…the memories that are created during that celebration truly last a lifetime.  

Your special events are times when paying attention to the environment can also be easy on your pockets.  Make sure that “green” is one of the colors featured at your celebration!  

• Look around your house.  What could be more personal than using items you have to represent your style?  A wonderful vintage look can be created by using a mixture of silver pieces you happen to have, or assorted vases to house your flowers.  It used to be that you would have to be up at dawn to search flea markets for one-of-a-kind linens to give their wedding a vintage look.  Items like this not only give life to your special day but renew the life of the linen itself!  
• Bring some of your favorite collectables to personalize your party.  Think frames filled with pictures of loved ones and candle sticks that belonged to Grandma.
• When meeting with your florist, be sure to discuss which flowers are at the height of their growing season at the time of your event.  Most flowers can be acquired year-round by flying them in from either Holland or South America, but limiting your selection to locally grown products can offer a significant savings of both costs and fuel.  
• Think local for your menu as well.  In addition to a cost savings, food simply tastes better when it’s fresh.
• The cliché “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” is truly applicable in wedding and event planning.  Find your inspiration in magazines and websites, then search out comparable or similar items on www.eventleftovers.com.  It’s important to balance the five hours of your celebration with the next fifty years of the memories you are creating.  Plan smart.

Likewise, after the event, make the items you’ve acquired for your celebration available to others.  It’s easy to post them on line and sell them for use at the next occasion!  In planning a party you are doing something wonderful for yourself.  In creating a fabulous evening for family and friends, why not also make the world a better place to live?