Monday I went into the office to work with the sales and marketing director.  We had two couples scheduled to come for a venue tour and sales meeting at 10:30 and 2:00.  I was able to help with both of these tours.  These two couples provided me with different outlooks on options an event planner can offer for weddings other than the traditional ceremony and reception. The second couple was really only planning on having a wedding for their family. They wanted something simple like a brunch or a cocktail style reception.  They didn’t want anything elaborate or formal, so during our sales meeting, we were able to present them with all the options One Atlantic had to offer for them, along with all the pricing and details. The third couple wanted an intimate ceremony with only 20 of their immediate family present. We were able to show the couple how the ceremony would be set up for an intimate ceremony, along with providing them with vendors for floral arrangements and photography to capture their day.

Later that day, I helped with the marketing budget. I created formulas in an Excel spreadsheet that calculated our projected and actual expenditure on each form of marketing for each month. This helped me see how to create a budget, the importance of it, and it provided me with insight on which forms of media are important for marketing in the event industry.

One Atlantic has also been featured in magazines like The Knot and Brides. One of my jobs while interning at One Atlantic was to archive our pages from these magazines to be used in the future as marketing materials to show to potential couples. Using the prints from the magazines, allows the sales team so show what types of high end events One Atlantic can provide and execute.

  Wednesday was my final day at One Atlantic and it was really bittersweet.  The last event I worked was the Atlantic City Air Show.  The Air Show is favorite of many in Atlantic City.  For about four hours, planes and helicopters performed aerial acrobats in the sky over the Atlantic Ocean. Some of the highlights of the Air Show included the Army Golden Knights and the Air Force Thunderbirds.  One Atlantic pre sold tickets to various companies and also individuals to watch the Air Show from our floor to ceiling windows.  We honestly provided the best view of all of Atlantic City between our windows and private terrace.  Along with a spectacular view, we also had a lunch buffet for all the guests.  It included a mashed potato bar (my personal favorite), panini station, pasta, Mediterranean station, along with a variety of salads.  Executing this event required a ton of organization.  The planner had to send out all the tickets ahead of time so guests would be allowed up into our venue.  They also had to create a system to keep the separate companies bar tabs in order.  They decided on wrist bands so we had 5 different wristbands to help our bartenders out.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

#gallery-0-4-slideshow .slideshow-slide img { max-height: 410px; /* Emulate max-height in IE 6 */ _height: expression(this.scrollHeight >= 410 ? '410px' : 'auto'); }

I am happy that I enjoyed my internship so much and had a great experience with it, but I’m sad to see it come to and end.  With all this being said, I am also extremely excited to go back home and then later head up to school.  At my internship, I learned tons of valuable information about the event industry. I learned how very stressful and high paced the environment can be, but the most important thing is to try to prepare yourself for the unexpected because you cannot anticipate everything. I learned all about coordinating and orchestrating the kitchen with the event.  I also learned all about banquet management and sales and marketing. I had a great experience at One Atlantic doing my internship and I am looking forward to furthering my career in the event industry after graduation this upcoming May.  I am so lucky and blessed that I was able to have this experience all summer.

Thursday I had a visitor! Ms. Dani Rieland came to spend the night.  A ton of our Bloomsburg friends were coming to Atlantic City to see a friend of ours DJ at Harrah’s so we booked a room for Friday night.  We had a great time with #friends and made lots of #memories. #sports.

  After a great night out with friends, I worked a wedding Saturday night.  On three hours of sleep (not my best…

Today was a lot more fun than the last week because we weren’t as busy so I was able to do more things and learn more about the kitchen.  We had a couple come in for their tasting at 1 so I was able to see how they prepare for that and I even prepared one of the hors d’oeuvres.  It was a watermelon cube wrapped in prosciutto.  I thought this was a really weird thing, but Chef had me try it and it was actually really good.  Its an uncommon but perfect combination.   After this I helped make some empanadas to serve for the wedding tomorrow.  I learned how to use the vacuum sealer they had in the kitchen.  Its a really cool thing that they use a lot.  The vacuum sealer allows them to prepare food ahead of time.  For instance, today they started grilling the filet mignon for tomorrow, so they cooked them all half way and then we sealed them and put them in the fridge and they will just finish them up tomorrow before serving them.  I thought this was really cool.  For the tasting today, the couple requested little shot glasses made of cookies filled with milk.  I’ve seen them on Pinterest and One Atlantic has never done them before so today was a first.  I even got to try one!  We were expecting a food delivery today but when they were on their way here they got pulled over and had an expired registration so they had to take all the food and transfer it to a different truck.  With this being said, we were missing a few necessary ingredients for the tasting this afternoon.  Chef took me “shopping”.  This is when we go to the other restaurants in the Pier Shops and borrow what we need.  I think its a really great how close all the chefs are and that they’re willing to help each other out.  Chef was talking to me and was reminding me of how important it is to help everyone whenever you are able, because you never know when you may be working for that person or you may need their help back.

A few hours after we went “shopping”, one of the cooks asked me to go back down to the restaurant and gather some steam with the help of one of the other chefs.  I said to them, “Are you serious?”, and they got me a container and I was kinda just like “I’m the intern.  I don’t really know what I’m doing.  I’ll just do what they tell me.”  So I found my way back to the restaurant and talked to the chef from earlier.  He was like, “did they actually send you down here for that?” and I was like “Yeah, is this some sort of prank?” and he was like “Yeah.  Hahaha”.  Supposedly this is a very common thing.  They always send their interns to each other for stupid things like steam or an “oven stretcher”.  I was lucky they didn’t send me on a wild goose chase to other restaurants or Caesar’s like they do to other interns.  The chef at the restaurant helped me fill up my container with a little bit of hot water and told me to tell them “we consolidated the steam, so they wouldn’t have to do it later”.  So it took it back upstairs and they were all really impressed that I came back with at least that.  They said usually people just return with an empty container.  It was really funny and I can enjoy a good joke.  Another thing the kitchen guys do is “intern tossing”.  On our last day, they each get a turn in throwing the intern to see how many tiles they can throw us.  The sous chef was on vacation so we’re waiting until next week when the other intern begins in the kitchen so they can throw us both at the same time.  They’re thinking they can throw me at least 14 tiles so we’ll see….

#gallery-0-4 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-4 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-0-4 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-4 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Other than my internship, I’ve been working a lot at The Cellar.  I try to spend my mornings/afternoons at the pool or the beach before I have to go to work, so Tuesday I went to the pool located in my apartment complex. Yesterday I didn’t have  to be at work until 6 so I decided to head to the beach that morning.  I went to Dunkin before and then drove to Brigantine.  I set up my camp and sat down to enjoy my bagel. As I’m eating one half of my bagel I begin to notice that seagulls are coming towards me so I try to eat it more subtly.  They were showing no signs of leaving anytime soon so I decided to put away the other half of my bagel until they were gone.  As I was putting it away, I got some butter on my finger from the bagel and didn’t want to lick it off so the seagulls would think I was eating, and I didn’t want to wipe it on my towel so I just sat there like a statue hoping they would leave. Then all of a sudden, A SEAGULL SWOOPED OVER AND BIT ME IN THE FINGER thinking the butter was food! It was SO SCARY!  After that I was terrified of the seagulls all day and never did get to eat the other half of my bagel.

Being in New Jersey, its disappointing how many things I miss at home.  Saturday will be the Lake Meade fireworks and I’ll be missing them.  I’ll be working all weekend and until today thought I wasn’t going to get to see any fireworks or celebrate the 4th.  But thanks, to the impending weather, Atlantic City has postponed their fireworks until Sunday and I don’t have to work on Sunday so I’m really excited to see some fireworks over the ocean from the beach.  Even if others may be upset about the postponement, it worked well in my favor. 

#gallery-0-4 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-4 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-0-4 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-4 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

This wedding was on the larger size in comparison to other One Atlantic events.  There were just under 300 guests.  The color themes were mint, champagne, and gold.  The centerpieces were made by the bride’s family.  Their wedding favors were little burlap bags containing chocolate poker chips to go with the Atlantic City theme.  The chocolates contained their names and their anniversary.

This was such a great wedding to work at.  As an intern, I take a little bit from everything I do, and I definitely took some good things away from the #RockyWedding2014

Yesterday was another very full day.  I tried to blog about it last night at 1:30 but couldn’t form a complete thought let alone a blog post, so now that I’ve slept for a while, I’ll give it a shot!

I went to my internship yesterday from noon until five.  I really like the people at the office and I like what I’m doing so it never feels like a chore.  The first thing I did yesterday was create…

One Atlantic

So this morning I woke up at 8:15…I had to be at the office by 10, so I had plenty of time to get ready.  I was ready by like 8:45 so I relaxed a little with Kelly Rippa and Michael Strahan.  As I’m getting ready to leave at 9:15 I realize my keys are missing! GONE! CAN’T FIND THEM! My apartment is not that big so I had no clue where I could’ve possibly lost them. So of course I’m freaking out! I have a spare car key but then I had no way of locking and getting back in my apartment.  After about 5 minutes of panic and a phone call to my mom, I locate them in the bathroom I don’t use.  PROBLEM RESOLVED! So then I get in the car and start my 20 minute commute to work when I realize that the road I was on, wasn’t really anywhere near where I needed to be.  So I took a “lovely” detour through the back streets of Atlantic City on my commute.  GPS involved and PROBLEM RESOLVED! Then I get to the parking garage and let me tell you, a girl from Dillsburg does not do parking garages nor do I understand how you go up or down on levels. I was driving up the same rows for like 5 minutes I swear.  Finally I found a spot and PROBLEM RESOLVED! After all these issues I could’ve sworn I was going to be late for my first day.

Luckily I got there 2-3 minutes early.  Walk into the office and nobody’s there? So I just sit and wait and about 10 minutes later the first person comes in.  She said they had an event the night before that ran late so they were all probably straggling in a little later this morning.  Eventually they all come in and the day begins! I reviewed some paperwork with the director and then she assigned me to an event planner named Eileen.  So for the first three weeks of my internship I will be working with Eileen.  She introduced me to the softwares they use and showed me the kinds of correspondences they were having with brides, along with showing me the filing systems, insurance papers, and floorplans.  On Wednesdays and Thursdays, brides and grooms come in for tastings before their weddings.  The other event planner, Daniela had a tasting today so she let me sit in on it and take notes and observe.  The couple is getting married on October 4, 2014.  So they usually have their tastings 5-6 months out from their event date.  They were a very nice couple and even brought us all these wonderful chocolate covered pretzels!  They were from Bucks County, Pennsylvania so we talked a little about the area.  The bride always wanted to get married down the shore, but originally pictured an outdoor wedding on the beach.  After stumbling upon One Atlantic, they realized it was perfect because there is no issue with weather.  They were so sweet and even invited me to come back to their wedding to see it all executed! hahah So who knows?  Unfortunately, I didn’t get to taste any of the food today, but my time will come.  Everything looked so delicious!

Here are the butlered hors devours and desserts the couple tasted today! (All photos belong to One Atlantic)

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

#gallery-0-5-slideshow .slideshow-slide img { max-height: 410px; /* Emulate max-height in IE 6 */ _height: expression(this.scrollHeight >= 410 ? '410px' : 'auto'); }

The Cellar 32

After my internship, I headed right over to my part-time job and chowed down my packed lunch before my shift at 5. Thanks to my friend Michelle, whom I know from Bloomsburg, I got a job at The Cellar 32 on Brigantine Island.  I will be working as a hostess, and possibly training as a server as time goes on.  I have a lot of experience working in restaurants both as a server and a hostess so a lot of things came very easily to me.  I haven’t hosted in like 3 years so I forgot how sloooooww it can be.  I’m used to serving and being the only server on and running around like a mad woman so this was very slow paced in comparison.  (Granted it was a Wednesday night out of season)  They said it really picks up in June/July and that tonight was very slow anyways.  I think I’m going to like it.  I met a lot of really nice girls that I can see myself hanging out with outside of work.

  Today I hit the ground running with both jobs, but I love being busy.  I love having my relaxation time, but for now while I’m living alone, its really nice to be around other people all day and then come home at night and have my alone time.  I had a 13 hour day today between my two positions and the best part…I GET TO DO IT ALL AGAIN TOMORROW!

Goodnight All! <3

When you think of Atlantic City, what comes to mind? The boardwalk? The casinos? Sure, of course those things go hand in hand with America's original playground. But do you think about destination weddings when you hear Atlantic City mentioned? Before you start imagining cheesy all night chapels or gaudy casino weddings, let me tell you about an amazing event space I got the chance to visit when I was in Atlantic City last month! 

One Atlantic is a gorgeous over-water event space that is centrally located on the Boardwalk in the top floor of The Pier Shops at Caesars. The space also has the distinction of being one of only six restaurants in New Jersey to become certified as a 2 Star Certified Green Restaurant. Additionally, One Atlantic focuses on sourcing locally grown foods for their catering selections. The space includes the main event space - The Atlantic Room, a cocktail space, an intimate study, a terrace with boardwalk facing views and waiting rooms for the bride and groom.

One Atlantic is a unique event space that looks to incorporate as many aspects of the bridal couple's personality and family traditions into the ceremony and reception as possible. This even includes creating an entirely vegan friendly menu or adding creative versions of family recipes to the reception or cocktail hour fare! They have also become well known in the New Jersey area as a premiere wedding venue for South Asian themed weddings. One Atlantic works directly with the couple and local partners to create a magical event for as many as 425 guests, complete with the groom's processional from the Boardwalk to the actual ceremony space. 

Although One Atlantic does offer pre-designed wedding packages, they prefer to view them as starting points. Bridal couples can completely customize their event including design elements (floral, lighting, etc), the menu, entertainment and can even request a fireworks or pyrotechnics display as a grand finale to their big day! 

The venue also has experience working within tight deadlines, with an ability to create a spectacular event in as little as three weeks. One Atlantic is a fantastic destination wedding space, with experience managing the unique challenges out-of-town couples face including the non-resident legal requirements for marriages in New Jersey, something they like to call "Romancing the Details"!