JUNE 24 • 2021 | 51
school, which felt it exposed students to
too much risk.
Wedding receptions are being resched-
uled as many as five times, and usually to
smaller events. But parties for bar/bat mitz-
vahs and special birthdays or anniversaries
are more often just canceled.
Hoffman was able to pull off three events
in 2020, including an outdoor family event
and an outdoor bar mitzvah party. She has
coordinated one outdoor wedding so far
this year.
“We social distanced, and everyone wore
masks,
” she said. “Most staff were tested
for COVID a few days prior to working
the event.
” The tented party space featured
shields around seating areas, separate pods
for each family, and specific entrances and
exits.
“One larger event did two different time-
frames so they could accommodate more
people.
”
Star Trax’s Geoff Kretchmer says he was
most devastated at having to furlough many
of his staff, some of whom have
found other opportunities and
won’t be coming back.
Many vendors who serve
the party business have closed
shop, including photographers,
videographers and caterers,
making the planners’ job more
difficult.
“The vendors set the rules,
”
said Andrea Solomon of West
Bloomfield. Last fall, she was
able to reschedule some events
to a large tent on the grounds
of Congregation Shaarey Zedek
in Southfield. “I did a wedding
every weekend there,
” she said.
But where the hosts may have wanted to
have several hundred guests, they could not
have more than 50 due to state regulations.
Guests were widely spaced in the tent, and
sanitation stations were plentiful. Food was
served in boxes — no more buffets — and
there wasn’t much dancing.
The most popular party favors of 2020?
Masks and hand sanitizer, she said.
OUTLOOK IMPROVING
Things are looking up a bit. In May,
Solomon coordinated three events. “I hav-
en’t done that many in a year!” she said.
Kretchmer followed his clients’ lead during
the pandemic. “If a customer was more
comfortable canceling an event, then we
would cancel and return their deposit in
full,
” he said. “If the customer wanted to
downsize and get creative with a venue,
then we would help in that process.
”
Cherkasky said she appreciates her ven-
dors’ efforts to be as flexible as possible.
Even though things are now opening up,
the party planning business has a long way
to go before it will again be what used to be
considered normal, said Solomon, who has
been coordinating events for 32 years. One
of her brides canceled her wedding last June
and rescheduled it for this June, but in line
with current state regulations, she can have
only 100 guests, not the 300 she had origi-
nally wanted.
The planners share one piece of advice
for anyone looking to schedule a big event
this year or next: Start planning early. Many
vendors are already completely booked
through 2022, said Solomon.
“Be flexible and roll with the punch-
es,” said Siegal. “The largest, most
expensive, lavish events are not always
the most meaningful.”
Hoffman suggests that clients request
a “COVID clause” in contracts so they
can get a refund if the event is canceled
for a reason completely beyond their
control. “Carefully read a contract and
see how flexible any vendor will be
throughout the planning process. You
just never know when something will
come up that can change your whole
event.”
Star Trax has updated their party-plan-
ning resource, Plan it! Magazine, which is
now online at startrax.com/plan-it-maga-
zine. They will also hold their annual Event
Show at Orchard Mall in West Bloomfield
on Sunday, Oct. 21, with more than 50 spe-
cial event vendors.
Geoff
Kretchmer
Andrea
Solomon
An outdoor event
planned by Susan Siegal
A “neon luncheon” put
on by Star Trax
SUSAN SIEGAL FACEBOOK
STAR TRAX FACEBOOK