Family Resource Management

Section 5 – Special Events

Content 1 – Types of Events

A special event is an event organised either once or on select occasions for fun and leisure or
social experiences that fall outside the scope of everyday experiences.

Special events can take many forms and some of these have been discussed here.

Marriage and Marriage-related Events

A marriage is a ceremony uniting two people in a bond that is supposed to last until death.
Traditions in marriage may vary depending on the religious beliefs of the couple,
however, exchange of vows, ring exchange and pronouncement are common customs in most
ceremonies.

The following events take place during the wedding ceremonies.

Exchange of vows: Marriage vows can be traditional or personal statements that come straight
from the heart expressing your true feelings about your partner. It is a promise to your partner
that you will keep until the day you die.
Ring exchange: The Exchange of Wedding Rings symbolise the vows and promises the bride and
groom have exchanged and signify to the world their devotion to each other.
Pronouncement: Pronouncement is where the pest, minister or justice of the peace pronounces
the newly married couple with the phrase, “I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

A wedding is a celebration of marriage which includes the marriage ceremony followed by a

wedding reception.
The wedding reception is an event where the newly married couple and their guest gather to
celebrate the marriage. The celebration usually includes a three-course meal, an open bar serving
wine and champagne among other drinks, wedding speeches and toasting to the bride and groom,
cutting of the cake, dancing and having a grand time. Guest also present gifts to the newly
married couple, as a token of appreciation and a gesture of best wishes.
 1. An engagement party is simply a celebration of getting engaged and is the first event held in
a couple’s honour.

2. A bridal shower is an all-female event to honour the bride-to-be. It is usually a fun time

where guests participate in a meal and games. The bride-to-be usually opens her gifts in
front of everyone.

3. Bachelorette and bachelor parties. The bride-to-be and groom-to-be gather separately with
their favourite people to celebrate their end of being single.

Birth and Death-related Events

In different countries, families welcome babies with each family following its tradition. For
example, many Hindu and Islamic communities believe that a baby’s first taste should be
something sweet so that the baby will speak sweetly. In many cultures, it is also common for the
couple to hold a naming ceremony for the baby.
A christening is a Christian ceremony where a baby is welcomed into the church community. A
priest pours or sprinkles holy water over the baby’s head and says “ I baptise you in the name of
the Father, and the Son and of the Holy Spirit ” to indicate that the baby is freed from original sin
and is now welcomed into the church. The baby receives godparents who stand with the parents
at the altar and promise to bring up the child within the Christian faith.

On the other hand, death is an unwelcome event in a family causing overwhelming loss and
misery to the loved ones of a person who passes away. Family and friends of the deceased may
pay their last respects through various ceremonies.
 1. A wake is usually held before the funeral where people come together to talk about and
celebrate the life of the deceased. Although it’s a sad occasion, families celebrate with
food and drinks, music and card games. Some families also have a song and prayer
service to pay their respects to the deceased.
2. A funeral service is presided over by a religious leader. It is a goodbye ceremony and
includes hymns or traditional songs, eulogy and prayers. Different religions usually
observe specific rituals for this occasion.
3. Repass is a gathering following a funeral, for everyone who attended or sometimes, for
only immediate family and close friends. It allows family members to share a meal and
show appreciation for the support given to them after the loss of their loved one.
4. Memorial Service is similar to a funeral service and is held without a coffin. It honours
the life of the deceased loved one and can take place weeks, months or even a year after
the death.
Anniversaries
An anniversary usually represents a date on which some important event occurred previously. In
this sense, your birthday is a kind of anniversary that marks each passing year from the day you
were born.
It is common to find couples celebrating wedding anniversaries. As years go by, the importance
of the anniversary increases. For instance, you may have come across couples celebrating five,
ten, twenty-five or even fifty years of marriage. A twenty-fifth-year wedding anniversary is
usually called a silver jubilee wedding anniversary and a fiftieth wedding anniversary is called a
golden jubilee wedding anniversary.
An anniversary usually represents a date on which some important event occurred previously. It
is a reminder of something that matters to you. Whether you choose to celebrate by throwing a
lavish party or to keep things small and personal will depend on your budget. As years go by, the
importance of the anniversary increases, and the celebration is sometimes grander.
Birthday Celebration
1. Birthday is a kind of anniversary which marks each passing year from the day you were
born.
2. Wedding anniversaries for some couples are just as important as the wedding itself. It is a
celebration of love and commitment . The first few years of marriage up to ten years are
all considered major anniversary landmarks. Traditional names exist for milestone
anniversaries, for instance, twenty-five years of marriage is known as silver anniversary
and fifty years is known as a golden anniversary.

3. A work anniversary signifies a milestone in the career of an employee. Usually,

organisations honour employees by congratulating them or by giving them tokens of

appreciation, especially if the employee has been working with the organisation for a
significant period.

4. The death anniversary of a loved one is celebrated in some cultures. Lighting a candle,

planting a tree or having a family gathering are some of the simple things that are usually
done.

Graduation
Graduation is the receipt of an academic degree or diploma by a student upon completion of
studies for a certain level of education. The ceremony at which the degree or diploma is awarded
is commonly known as the convocation .
The term graduation is also used to celebrate developmental milestones for students as they
move to higher levels of learning. There are at least four instances when a student normally
graduates: from preschool to primary, from primary to secondary/high school from
secondary/high school and finally from college or university.
A High School Graduation Photo
Graduation is an important milestone that not only helps you cherish past accomplishments but
also encourages you to look forward to what the future holds. It also indicates that you are
moving from one phase of life to another. When you graduate from high school, it gives you a
sense of responsibility and instills in you the confidence that you can take care of yourself.
Further, graduating from college brings with it the realisation that you are about to enter a world
requiring you to be prepared to tackle real-life situations.

Events Involving Families

There are several celebrations of secular and religious events every year in the Caribbean. People
within communities and across the country come together to celebrate and hang out with each
other. As families do things together, they build relationships and make memories and they also
learn to tolerate and appreciate each other. Each territory may have specific events, but there are
some events that may be common among the Caribbean islands.
Secular events include game nights (indoor and outdoor), community picnics and fun days, cook-
outs and Bar-b-Ques, Family beach time, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, sports day, health fair,
family reunions. Some of the religious events celebrated are Christmas, Easter, Diwali and Eid-
ul-Fitr.
Sports and Entertainment Events
Sports and entertainment events are opportunities for individuals, families and communities to
relax, have fun, build relationships and make new friends. Many students also participate in
sports at school or within their communities. The hosting of these events at a national level is
usually costly but offers cultural, social and economic benefits to a country or region. Some
examples of these national events are, the ICC World Cup of Cricket, Champions League for the
Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF),
Carnival and Reggae Sumfest.
Football is a Popular Sport in the Caribbean

Content 2 - Planning Special Events

Organising a successful event is no easy task and requires detailed planning and effort. Event
Management is the process of analysing, planning, marketing, producing and evaluating an
event. Some of the steps which can help you plan an event have been given in the Diagram 1.

Planning Special Events

Organising a successful event is no easy task and requires detailed planning and effort. Event
Management is the process of analysing, planning, marketing, producing and evaluating an event.
Some of the steps which can help you plan an event have been given in the Diagram 1.
 Defining the objectives: While planning an event, the first step is to clearly define your
objectives. You need to understand what event you are organising and why you are
organising it. You should also know when it is happening. An event can be successfully
organised, only if you are fully aware of what you seek to accomplish at its end. For
instance, you may organise a fundraising event for a school project. Or you could be
organising a birthday party for a friend. In the case of a fundraising event, your objective
is to raise money for your cause, and in the case of a birthday party, the main idea is to
celebrate.

 Determination of the audience: The next step is to determine the people who will form
the target audience of your event and the number of those people. You need to understand
whether you want to invite a diverse set of people or a select set of people. For example,
if you plan to hold a blood donation drive, your target audience would be individuals who
meet the age and fitness criteria required to donate blood.

 Development of the organising team and their role descriptions: You need to put
together a team that will oversee the end-to-end execution of each aspect including venue
management, music and sound, parking facility, sponsorships and so on. Alternatively,
you can also entrust these responsibilities to a professional event management team
 which will require payment. However, if you are not going to hire an event planner, it is
important to ensure that everyone on your team knows their duties and responsibilities.

 Development of the budget: Understanding how much capital you have to organise the
event is important. Before you chart the expenses, calculate if any income can be
generated during or through the event. Factors that will help determine your budget
include considerations regarding attendees, whether they will be required to pay an entry
fee and whether enough sponsors have been acquired. Once you know the status of your
funds, you can manage costs accordingly. The purpose of budgeting is to make sure that
your costs do not exceed your income or the initial capital.

Organising Events Like a Wedding Ceremony

 Co-ordination of the logistics: Another step in planning an event is coordinating the

movement of people and goods required for the event. For example, sometimes you
might need to lodge your attendees at a hotel or somewhere near the venue. In such cases,
the attendees might need access to transport services to the venue. Similarly, if you are
arranging for a caterer, arrangements need to be made for setting up the dining area and
stalls as desired by the caterer.

 Assessment and follow-up: Once the event is over, assemble your team and review the
work done. Find out what worked well and the areas in which improvements are required.
Make a list of the aspects that went well and appreciate the team for it. Similarly, make a
note of things that did not work out as expected and brainstorm improvements for the
next edition of the event.