Behind the Scenes of an On-Site Engraving Event

BTS and helpful tips I've learned for on-site events

I recently had my first on-site engraving event of the year at Danza del Sol’s 12th-anniversary event, and it was such a memorable experience. Danza del Sol gifted guests with a wine bottle to take home, and I provided a personalized experience by engraving a custom message on each bottle. It was such a vibe and not to mention, it was Valentine’s Day weekend, so it was entertaining being able to customize everyone's sweet and silly messages.

I thought it would be fun to take you behind the scenes of a calligrapher and give you the lowdown on what goes on before, during, and after on-site engraving events!

Just want to let you know before you read on… some of the links are affiliate links, which means I earn from qualifying purchases as an Amazon Associate. I’ll only recommend things that I personally recommend/use.

Before

I arrive at least 30 minutes before the event starts to give myself time to set up, get familiar with my surroundings, and ask any questions you may have prior to the event. For this particular event, I arrived at 5:30 pm just as the sun was going down with a beautiful view of the vineyard. This gave me time to organize my setup and think about the process and placement of each completed engraving. This is important especially for a fast-paced event so it's not overwhelming when it gets busy. Pro tip: mock your setup and get as much detail as possible of your area from the venue at least a few days before the event, so you’ll know where everything should be placed once you’re onsite. Presentation (and preparedness) is key!

Here are some of my must-haves for on-site engraving events:

Carry Cases

• Makeup bag

• Duffel bag

Tools and Supplies

• Engravers (I keep 2 on hand just in case)

  • Inkmethis

  • Nail drill

• Drill bits

• Rub n buff

• Cotton swabs a budget-friendly option can also be found at Daiso

• Brush

• Stabilo

• Chalk marker

• Microfiber cloth

• Pillow

Organization and Display

• Pen holder

• Notepad and pen holder

• Business cards + holder

• Framed sign

• Drill holder

• Tray

• Name tag

During

As guests arrived, they were given a card to write their name and message. This event in particular was pretty fast-paced, so I knew I couldn’t spend too much time on each bottle. I drafted each message using a white Stabilo pencil before engraving. These wine bottles were dark, so the engraving stood out on its own without adding any rub n buff (phew!). Once I finished they were set aside for guests to take home before they left for the evening. It’s always great to have videos and photos, so squeeze in as many as you can (you’ll thank yourself later!).

After

And that’s a wrap! 3.5 hours go by pretty quickly when you’re having fun! I always let the event director know when I’ll be leaving about 30 minutes before to remind guests to visit the table if they haven’t already to give you time to do any last-minute pieces. By the end of the night, I was in need of a hand massage for sure! What I really need to learn to do is bring an extra pair of shoes… some things I still need to learn (over and over again).

If you wanted to get some insight about on-site events or were just curious, I hope you learned even just a bit from my experience!

Until next time,

Book me for your next on-site event!

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