Grad Parties are Here

Step One: Pick Your Party

You’re on your way to having your diploma, so it’s time to plan your graduation party!  Now, where do you start?  Definitely get help from your parents and a professional.  If you’re looking to do something intimate and small, a couple options are a backyard barbecue, a bowling party, a card party (or game night), or just have your friends and family come to your house and hang out. On the other hand, more and more are looking to go Over the Top and have an affair to remember.. this is more our style! After you’ve decided on a type of party, you can pick your invitations and start sending them out.  Be the first to get them out so everyone knows when your party will be and you can minimize party overlaps.  You don’t want to have a graduation party the same day as your best friend’s graduation party, do you?

Step Two: Decorate Your Location

There’s always the question of how to go about decorating for a graduation party.  This is where a professional comes in handy—let them go crazy with the decorations!  Don’t hesitate to help give your input.

Step Three: Food!

It’s a party; you’re going to have food.  Whether you get a party platter from a local sandwich shop or have an amazing caterer, you’ll have to decorate the tables.  Be sure to select table décor within your colors and theme. 

Step Four: Favors

Make your graduation party more memorable by creating personalized favors (there’s plenty of options online). For example, not everyone has lemonade mix as a graduation favor.  You could also look into hand lotion, lip balm and mini notepads.  Whatever favors and decorations you end up choosing, the most important factor to any graduation party is fun. 

Baby Shower Time!

Planning a baby shower can be tons of fun, but can also be quite time consuming. Consider these 3 important steps:

1. Shower ideas
2. Products and gifts
3. Food and beverage

Budgeting for a baby shower is one of the first considerations many hosts have to think about. It is also one of the most difficult to arrange. Your budget determines the whole event. From the number of guests you are planning to have to the location for the party. By setting a budget, you will not find yourself bankrupt and still have a successful party.

Who hosts the shower?
NOT the mom to be! That would be tacky

Co-hosting, or having several baby shower hosts, completely from outside the family, instead of just one, is becoming a popular option. Each host contributes a mutually-agreed upon amount to the shower fund and the expenditures are deducted from that joint funding.

Gifts should be opened at the baby shower during the party so guests can see the mother appreciate the gift and other attendees can see what was given.

Baby registries are very useful ways for friends of the expectant parents to know what baby items are needed and themes that are desired. While it may have been considered bad etiquette to include gift registry information in the baby shower invitation in past decades, it is now usually considered helpful to do so.

Regardless of the times, thank you notes never go out of style. After the baby shower a mother-to-be should send thank you notes to her guests within about a month.

And then we have the most important part.. the CAKE!

Chat soon,

J

pictures:
 http://www.marthastewart.com/
http://www.cutest-baby-shower-ideas.com
http://babyfavorsandgifts.com/
www.simplysweet.ca

The Proposal- Leap Year

Well today is the day that some of the women around the world bend down on one knee to propose to the man of their dreams. The tradition started in 1288 when Queen Margaret of Scotland decreed that women could propose on February 29th each leap year.  

The stats show that 9% of proposals are from women and of that 80% of men would accept. Not sure I would be that brave! If you are good luck. I wonder how the ladies who are going to propose are going to do it.

2012 is going to be a very special year, especially for those of us living in the UK, with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, and also the Olympic and Paralympics Games this year

TRUE romantics might wait to show affection on Valentine’s Day but this year, we’re in a Leap Year. It could hold even further appeal for girls wanting to truly take charge of their relationships.

If your significant other has been dragging his feet, making excuses or changing the subject, take charge and pop the question on February 29th, a date that comes only once every four years.

How will you pop the question? Let us know

check out these videos for inspiration 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnVAE91E7kM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzEkLz-_6fM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJWlavnM6b0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVbX-4n0D4s&feature=related

Here's a few tips when planning your proposal 

http://www.yourengagement101.com/proposals/2010/07/15-marriage-proposal-tips/

How will you pop the question? Let us know

Chat soon, 

J

A Valentine’s Day Wedding

Valentine’s Day is one and the same with romance and if you’ve chosen this day to marry, you must exude love and romance. Set the stage for your Valentine’s wedding with a tantalizing theme of soft love.

The location for your Valentine’s wedding must provide the feeling of intimacy, a good choice may be a country inn, bed & breakfast or winery.

It does not need to be small, but will ideally provide nooks, alcoves and romantic “hideaways” for guests to rekindle their own romantic flames. Candles and lots of them, soft lighting, comfy sofas for guests to relax in will all set the stage. A romantic country inn, bed & breakfast or winery are all great choices.

On the other hand if your aiming more for a dramatic look full of lusciousness and sexiness, try scouting for castles and historical mansions.

Red is the obvious and dramatic color of Valentine’s romance – the traditional color of the heart. You can play on this color without being limited to the bright red of Hallmark Valentines. Deep burgundies and maroons are just as romantic.

You can also choose a different color scheme for your flowers, bridal party attire and décor. Deep colors tend to be more dramatic like shimmering gold and rich ivories.

Valentine’s Wedding Attire

For your gown, think about what feels romantic to you.  Whether you have a dramatic satin or velvet dress with a plunging neckline, or a tight bodice with a tremendous skirt, always dress to capture the essence of the mood.

For the groom, a traditional black tuxedo with a red rose boutonniere or a deep red tie is dashing. Or a more 1940’s twist may be up your alley.

Floral designer Joe Massie and his Valentine's Day flower dress really caught our eye!

Valentine’s Wedding Decorations

Candles, candles and more candles!!!!!!!!!!  Candelabras will also help set the mood. Any lighting should be low, and fabrics should be soft and light.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Chat soon

J

With 2012 off to a great start, we have several brides who are wanting to make their wedding more of an event rather then the “traditional”  sit down reception.  Entertainers, musicians, even celebrity starts are now appearing at weddings and events, so why not take it one step further make your guests part of the fun!  We know not all will event entertain the idea of having animation, let alone games at their wedding, but by popular demand, here are some popular games that are played on or with the bridal couple.

Lifesaver
Blindfold the groom (you don't want to mess up the bride's makeup). Put 4 different colored (flavored) life savers in the Bride's mouth. Have the Groom fish each color out in a specific order (get the audience to choose). For each one he gets wrong, he has to do a drink (if he has been drinking too much may I suggest a full glass of water for each error)

Pop the Balloon
Get the wedding party out and place a balloon between each woman and man (use your imagination of where to put the balloon). They have to hug tightly enough to break the balloon. The last one to do it is punished. (Do not fully inflate the Newlyweds balloon - it makes it harder or impossible to pop). Punishments can be anything from kissing, to singing , to carrying the bride around the room, etc...

Instantly-Wed Game
Same as the Newly Wed Game - When the Bride leaves the room to change (or powder her nose) ask the groom some questions about them to see if the Bride answers the same when she returns. For each wrong answer you can offer a punishment. Sample Questions would be: What was the other person wearing when they met? Does the other person like their toilet paper to roll off the top of the roll or the bottom? Who is smarter, the bride or the groom and why?
You can also use do the above game with the bride and groom taking off their shoes and exchanging one of theirs for their spouses. Make the questions so that they have to answer with either a him or her. For example, "who will be the one who takes out the garbage?" The newlyweds would then hold up the shoe that corresponds with who they think is going to do it. Of course the couple have to be back to back so they cannot see how the other responds!

Guess Who

Have the bride and groom sit on chairs face back to one another, and ask a series of questions as to who is more likely to? Or who will be the first one to?

Check out this video from utube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yubZktEvvrU

Guess the Hands (Calves, Thighs, Butt, etc... work too)
Blind fold the participant and have him or her feel a certain body part of some volunteers and then their spouse (remember your doing a family show here!). Then he or she has to guess which one was their partners.