Photography for All Seasons: November 2013

 

Photography for All Seasons is a new group that I have joined and will post monthly images that have exemplified the subject month.  The first week in November has been big for me for the past 10 years.  When I first emigrated to the United States of America, I came in as a dependent and was not allowed to work.  However, I was determined to get involved in the community. 

 

In 2003, a friend asked me if I would be interested in volunteering to do the seating of a fundraising banquet.  Could I do it - sure, would I be interested in doing it - absolutely.

 

And so began my journey of event seating....

 

The first year I worked with Ruth we got on so well, that 6 months down the line she came to me and said "I have a friend who works for a non-profit that works across Africa and Asia  and they are doing a fundraising banquet.  I am coordinating the event and I would love to have you do the seating with me.  Are you interested?"  15 banquets later, there is a bittersweet feeling to this last banquet as Ruth has decided to retire.  Ruth always said she could not do a banquet without me and I have to say the feeling is mutual.  I have loved working each event with Ruth. 

 

An event of this size has many hands involved.  There is the event coordinator, the person who designs the invite, the person who coordinates the mailings, and orders the items that will go on the table.  There is the lady that does the center pieces, there is me that does the seating, and there are the speakers.

 

There is also the Convention Center staff who are amazing in their flexibility and grace.  There is the catering staff who take the time to walk us through the most amazing food tasting so that we can narrow our final decision down to what will be placed on the table.  Finally on the evening there is the tech crew, the kitchen crew and there is a large contingent of wait staff who lay out the tables and serve the meals.

 

Late October, life starts to get busy.  Invites have gone out and names begin to come in, and so begins the art of shuffling until I get the right fit.  Early mornings, and late evenings and all that goes on in between.

 

 

As the event draws closer out comes the floor plan and I begin to start naming tables, deciding on where the speakers need to be seated, how many tables are tables of 10, how many are tables of 11, which are my overflow tables and which tables can I remove from the banquet hall.  The facility staff give me a deadline for my numbers and Ruth and I meet on the morning of the deadline and do last minute calling to outstanding table hosts, and double checking for duplicate entries and eventually arrive at a final number to give our facility coordinator.  Over the next three days I will email 120 table hosts and let them know their table number.  I will change names listed at their table. I will open up new tables for additional last minute guests.  Finally the night before I will lay out my alphabetical list and my table list - ready to send for printing in the morning.

 

 

The morning of the event I will close my lists and send them for printing, and then I take quiet time out to pray for the evening, and for no major hiccups as guests are seated.  Finally I will take myself off to get ready for the event.  My drive is 1 hour from my home to the convention center, and I use that time to try to decompress for the evening ahead.  Andrea Bocelli is often my music of choice on my drive to the event.

 

 

So welcome to my world......

 

 

I love this facility.  The ballroom is at the top of the escalators and once the doors open I will face a sea of tables laid out in autumn colors

While many hands go into the preparation phase of this event, 3 hours before the event is due to start, wait staff are calmly laying out each table with their numbers, salt and pepper sets, cups and saucers, knives, forks and spoons.  Someone else will come along and lay the napkins.  Staff with come along and place the arms bands over the napkins and make sure the table hosts information packets are on the table.  Center pieces are placed on each table.

 

 

Finally the food is laid out and the colorful starters grace the tables.  Trays of deserts are wheeled into the room and laid one by one on the table.  Red velvet cake this year.  Nice, but just not cheesecake. 

 

 

 

 

 

Last minute directions are given.  I have walked the room to make sure all my tables of 11 actually have 11 seats.  Ensured that my overflow tables have starters and desserts. And last but not least, that the table numbers correspond with my floor plan.

120 tables are ready - waiting for their guests. 10 people per table, with a few at 11 - it is almost as though a hush has gone over the room as I take one final look.  The room is ready.  My heart is in my chest. 

 

Deep deep breaths.....I am ready...lets rock and roll......  I head to my table.  My floor plan is in front of me, the guests are arriving, it's time to smile, greet familiar faces, give hugs to those I know well, and trouble shoot the unexpected. 

 

 

We do what we do, so that we can 

Impact One Life at a Time.

Nurture One Life at a Time.

Support One Life at a Time.

 

I am thankful that for this season of my life I have been called to the mission field of service. 

 

 

 

My mother constantly told me

 

Many hands make light work

 

How true that is!

 

Thank you for walking through my November season. 

 

Please remember to take a look at what Jesse Blake, "Montana Photographer" has shared for her Photography for the Seasons November post.  I am excited to get to know Jesse through her blogs. 


If you want to look at the Facebook page for Photography for all Seasons click here