If you want to know how to throw a girl’s night out party, think about what your friends like, do a little advance planning, and create the best girls night out party ever!

If you are going to hit the town, make sure nobody has to be the designated driver. That’s no fun at all and way too much responsibility. I would recommend a limo. A less expensive option is cabing it.

Just because it's girls night out doesn't mean you have to go out.

Pick a theme

It’s more fun for the girls if you choose a theme for your girls night out party. Make it a movie night, a slumber party, a crafting party, or a dinner party, but choose a theme everyone is comfortable with and enjoys. For a crafting party, have everyone bring something from their "stash" so you can trade for new crafting materials while you create something new and different. For a slumber party have everyone bring their favorite music so you can dance the night away.

Stay In and Save Money

Girls night out doesn't have to mean a night on the town. Set up the karaoke machine at home, serve some fancy cocktails, and save money at the same time. Rent a romantic chick-flick and serve your own popcorn and snacks. If you take turns hosting these parties, you can still afford to have a girls night out without breaking the bank. Just make sure the boys spend the evening in the basement!

Decorations

Your decorations should match your theme, so if you’re throwing a 50s girls night out party, vinyl records, pictures of old hot rods, and of course, 50s music in the background are a must. You don't have to over-decorate, but you do want your party to feel like a real celebration. Decorations can help you meet that goal.

Most of all, just let your hair down and have fun when you throw a girls night out party!

www.michelledonnell.com

No doubt a wedding will be one of the most important moments that will happen in a person’s life. Countless hours go into wedding planning. Probably all of the list of things to do in wedding planning are frustrating, stressful, and time consuming. That is why it is so important to do some homework and find the right people for all of the jobs.  One of the most important jobs is that of the photographer. From my experience as a San Diego wedding photographer I’ll show you it can be a few simple steps away.

Trying to find a wedding photographer is huge responsibility and job. There are several factors to consider when making this important selection. The photographs that you get from your wedding day will be some of the most memorable moments that you. The photos will be all over your walls for the rest of yourlife. One of the most obvious factors when choosing any photographer is price. A lot of photographers will charge you a certain price for a specific lenght of time for the wedding. It is important to know up front what all is included with that
price. When it comes to finding a wedding photographer, the biggest upside to pricing is there is a lot of competition. Keep in mind that many photographers are willing to negotiate their price a little to fit what you need.

Another factor to consider when choosing is how much experience a person has. Is this their first wedding or their hundredth? Their price might be an indication of how many years they have been in business as well. Now just because someone may have a lot of experience doesn’t guarantee they will be better. Sometimes those people that are just starting out and trying to build a name for themselves will turn out to be excellent. The advantage of going with someone like that is you know you are going to get their best effort. In your search for a wedding photographer, you are going to find different levels of experience between them. When you do an interview of prospective photographers, it will give you a sense of what it will be like when you work with them.

A final thing to think about when you prepare to make that decision is what kind of personality does the photographer have. Are they going to call all the shots and make all of the poses? Or will they let the bride and groom make some of the decisions themselves? The other thing to think about is do you want to be the one to make the decisions on the photos. The bride and grooom will have enough worries the day of the wedding. Take these factors and consider them when you choose your photographer. If you do, you will have some wonderful photos to cherish the rest of your lives.  Take it from me, your experienced San Diego photographer.

A Hawaiian luau is a great way to have fun, eat some delightful food, and get together with friends. If you want to know how to plan a Hawaiian luau, follow these steps and you and your friends will be hula dancing before you know it.

Decorations

Bring out the islands in your decorations. Think palm trees, soft glowing tiki torches, flowers, palm trees, coconuts, and even beach sand if you have the place for it. You want to recreate the romance of Hawaii when you decorate, so think patio lights, grass skirts, leis, and more.

Food

You can be extremely creative with the food at your luau. Traditional fare at a Luau is roast pig, Kahlua Pork. The easy homecook method is to rub a big pork roast with coarse sea salt, wrap it in banana leafs (aluminum foil might have to do) and slow cook it in the oven until you can shred it.Compliment the roast pig with island staples like poi and island fruits like mango, papaya, and kiwi. Also quite popular in the islands are fresh seafood and Asian inspired dishes. Not up to all that preparation? Serve grilled pineapple and chicken skewers and some fresh fruit salads topped with coconut for a taste of Hawaii without all the work. Serve a traditional mai tai for the grownups, and of course, serve Hawaiian Punch to the kids!

Entertainment & Activities

Find a little Hawaiian ukulele music for the background, or try more traditional Hawaiian music with guitars and drums. Be sure to play “Tiny Bubbles” by Don Ho, it doesn’t get more Hawaiian than that. You can find Hawaiian CDs or tune in to on-line Hawaiian radio stations.

Give everyone a grass skirt and teach them how to do the hula, or hire local Hawaiian dancers for a real, authentic native dance. Make sure you greet each of your guests with a lei, and you can ask them to wear Hawaiian-inspired clothing, like shirts and sarongs.

www.michelledonnell.com

Many Disney Princessess have surfaced in the last decade and have always been a hit among little girls around the world. Although our younger generations seems to differ in many ways from our decendents, princesses will always remain an integral part of every little girl’s imagination. What better way to celebrate a birthday then with Disney princess party supplies filled with enchantment and dreams.

You can celebrate with a complete Disney princess party supply box with all the trimmings such as balloons, napkins, tablecloth, plates, invitations and much more. You can also get a personalized banner made of strong vinyl with favorite characters along with any name of your choosing. Add some theme balloons and you have the perfect stage for a Disney Princess Party.

If a party package is not a choice, you can buy a small amount of basic necessities based on your little girl's desired princess. Perhaps she loves Ariel from Little Mermaid which could lend itself to an underwater theme coupled with beautiful tiaras and golden jewels. Maybe she loves the classic Cinderella story or Sleeping Beauty.

If you want to offer a real treat for your guests, have some princess costumes available to adorn when they arrive. They can twirl, laugh, play games and create endless fantasies. Be sure to send your royal guests home with treat bags filled with royal goodies.

No matter how you plan the big day, you little princess will remember and cherish this special day for years to come. Take plenty of pictures and create a special scrapbook that your daughter can embellish herself with glitter, Disney stickers and more. Leave it up to her imagination and she will be gratefull for this celebration and the time spent with mom for a very long time.

You don’t need much in order to start an event planning business, and this means that event planners are a dime a dozen in the big city. Competition is very fierce and you have to offer something that makes you stand out from the crowd so that the bigger, more established groups of event planners don’t gobble you up.

Starting in the party planning business is exciting to say the least, but a bit of reality check is needed every once in a while. One way of making sure you’re not just building castles in the air is to make ensure there is actually a market for your party planning business. Specialization is an option for event planners who want to corner a certain target market. For example, you could focus on the graduates and plan your business model around this group of people. However, if you feel that young teens and parents won’t easiliy spend on graduation balls, you may choose to target the bachelorettes who are more likely to shell out cash for a memorable hen party.

Event planners should engage in market research to….

1. Measure the acceptability of your service or product
2. Narrow down the specific needs of your target market
3. Guage the scope of your target market
4. Consider the best strategy to adopt
5. Identify your top competitors, and
6. Research a way to make your service more unique

You can narrow down your target market according to their demographics (age, gender, income, religion, education etc.), geographical location (urban or suburban) and psychographic traits (lifestyle, personalities and values). Don’t forget that there is probably an untapped market that your competitors are ignoring. Finding out where these people hang out and what their main concerns are will enable you to corner the market.

You can usually assume that event planners are among the sharpest among all the business people in a locality. They can discover opportunity from miles away and will always find ways to pitch their services to potential clients. They have to be aggressive because the event planning business is very dependent on trends and market demands. You should also undergo a thorough self-analysis to determine your unique selling position. Here are some questions you need to ask befor you launch.

1. Do you have real passion for the business?
2. Can you afford to give out discounts to well-connected individuals, socialites in return for future promotion?
3. Do you have enough employees to cover your back just in case you need to work on simultaneous projects?
4. What stands you out from the rest?
5. Are there enough suppliers to support your growing business? and
6. Do you have a plan B? (or C or D…)

So,…what is a plan B for event planners? The main purpose of a plan B is for you to keep your business going and earning during quite time of the year. One good plan B is to go back to your roots. If business is slow or if your competition is too big for you to handle, the best thing to do is to regroup, re-organize and go back to the drawing board.

How To Plan A Successful Party

The key to any successful party is planning. If you put some thought into the event’s purpose and the types of guests who are coming, then you can be sure to pull of a party that is sure to be remembered for quite some time. The following are some basic tips for planning a successful party.

Your first step is to come up with a theme. A well-chosen theme can not only help you choose decorations and food for the shindig, but it can help psyche up guests because they will have a theme to think of when planning costumes or buying gifts. The purpose of the party will help you decide a theme. If this is a birthday party for a lawyer, you might want to have a Legally Blonde-type theme, and if the party is for a child, you could have a Dress as Your Favorite Prince, Princess or Pirate theme.

Next, you have to think about the food. Serving delicious food will make everyone happy. Always have snack bowls around the party. You will create a positive atmosphere for the event while providing a way for guests to mingle. Make sure the snacks are easy to eat: finger foods are a good bet. After all, you don’t want the event ruined because some spilled a messy snack all over themselves.

Lastly, do not forget to plan for activities and music. Activities are a great way to get people involved in the party and to make it fun. When activities are not in session, be sure to have music playing that fits the theme of the party. If you’re having Luau, you can play Hawian music from on-line Hawaiian radio stations or CDs, and if you are going with a horror theme, then you might want to go with some spooky tunes.

www.michelledonnell.com

Coming up with ideas for a retirement party may be a bittersweet task. Even if you’ve been in the party planning scene for a while, a retirement party can bring tears to your eyes, particularly when it’s been planned in a sentimental, light-hearted manner.

Before you plan a retirement party, consider the emotional side of retiring. Anyone who has been working for a long time in the same team will be looking forward to that day when they can finally retire. “I can finally go to Florida”, says one man who is nearing retirement age. However, during the retirement party, he might feel nostalgic because he wonders if his coworkers will ever contact him again. Retirement might feel like leaving a familiar place where one is cared for and appreciated.

The working men and women of today love to discuss retirement plans with family and co-workers. An employee might keep a poster of his favorite beach getaway near his work station and will daydream about owning a property there someday.

As a party planner it is your job to ask about the retirement plans of the celebrant, as well as the details of his job. Someone who’s putting together ideas for the retirement party can use these details to consider the best party theme, the prizes and the look of the invitation. The best retirement party will include elements of the person’s retirement plans and the memorable moments in his career.

Here are some recommended party planning ideas for a retirement party

1. Make invitations that show his first stop after retirement. If he’s an avid golfer, the invitations can contain graphics of golf clubs and golf balls. If he’s a teacher, the invitation can be shaped like a graduating student’s gown.

2. Be unique! The banner over the hallway where you are holding the party should show a message of appreciation. A banner saying “Thank you, teacher Bill!” is more personal than just a plain “Happy Retirement” banner.

3. Ask friends and former colleagues to prepare a speech or two. Then, you can distribute personalized medals among his friends. The medals could be engraved with words that the giver remembers the retiree by. As an example, a retiring fireman can receive personalized medals with words like “valiant fighter”, “true hero” and “unforgettable save”.

4. Make up a song or ask some people from his workplace to prepare a short depiction of a funny incident at work. Remember that this is more than simply a retirement party; it’s a send off to a life of relaxation and fun. Family and friends want him to start this “life” with a heartfelt laugh and a glowing feeling.

5. One of the best party planning ideas for a retirement party is to adopt a “fan club” party vibe. Prepare fan club tee shirts that guests can wear. You could even create fan banners and pompoms that his “fans” can wave as he enters the event hall.

Most party managers build their reputation around childrens party planning and kid-friendly party supplies. Parents will always want to throw parties for their precious little ones, and they probably won’t quit until he or she reaches adulthood. Inside the party planning industry, kids party planning is the most complex and well-paying. There are so many ways to plan a child’s party. Perhaps a popular party theme, like those centered around television shows (Dora the Explorer and Spongebob). You may even consider a favourite past time, such as finger painting party.

Here are some tips for kids party planning

1. Send party theme favours with the invitation

Throwing a pirate-themed kids party? You can get eye patches from your favourite party supply shops and craft stores, and include them with the invitations. If you’re having a “wizard” theme party, perhaps send out magic wands.

2. A birthday party needs fresh ideas

Throwing a unique and memorable party for your child boosts parental pride. Folks will always want the newest giveaways, the best food, the brightest balloons, the most over-the-top cakes. Many parents will plan kids parties themselves, but there are those who will take that extra step and hire party planners. Either they cannot afford to risk the “chic” aspect of their child’s party or they want only the best. This means they will bail if your ideas are too common or too drab. So use your imagination!

3. Think Fresh!

No matter how many catalogs or magazines you look through, sometimes you just hit a wall and can’t come up with anything fresh and fun. When this happens, you should use old concepts but incorporate new things, like face painting or balloon sculpture. Why not ask the kids for suggestions! Sometimes, a fresh viewpoint is enough to get you actively thinking up new themes again.

4. Teaching the value of memories

Why not get cheap disposable cameras and snap photos of the kids with their friends. Distribute scrapbook pages and crayons, and just let the kids create! Assign a scrapbooking assistant per table to help the kids. Letting them dressup their “friendship photos” will encourage them to value memories with friends and loved ones. You can even let them create their own giveaway boxes. Just paste the photos on a cardboard box and let them decorate the boxes.

5. Hire a great host

Some kids love clowns, while other kids like grown ups they can idolize. Hire a good disc jockey or a clown to keep the fun going, and to encourage the kids to participate in kids party games. The host needs to genuinely like kids and must have the patience of a saint. In fact, you can hire a team of hosts so that you can plan one or two mom activities while the kids are having a blast!

There are many factors to consider besides price when choosing wholesale glow necklaces. The first, quality type. There are 2 different types of quality of glow necklaces products in the market: standard quality and premier quality. Even though they might both look acceptable by name , consumers should get to know  what they mean . Typically the standard quality glows 4-6 hours while the premier quality ones 8-12 hours. If one has an event that only needs glowing less than 4 hours, the standard quality glow necklaces might work . If not, premier quality ones should be chosen .  There are some online shops who carry both quality types of products and some only carry the standard quality ones. The difference between prices usually is not much .

Secondly: diameter . Although glow necklaces products are all 22” long, two kinds of diameter exists: 5mm and 6mm. And they do make a difference. Even though the diameter difference is only by 1mm and 20%, if calculating the volume, the chemical content in the 6mm necklaces are a lot more than the 5mm ones . Therefore the 6mm ones are considerably brighter than the 5mm ones. But price difference is small. So it’s always a good idea to go with 6mm diameter glow necklaces than 5mm. Another difference is packaging, 5mm glow necklaces come in 100 pieces per tube while 6mm necklaces because they are a a little bit thicker, to fit in the same size tubes, they are packed at 50 pieces per tube . A tube of (100) 5mm necklaces weigh about four and a half pounds while a tune of (50) 6mm ones weigh about three lbs.

Thirdly: tinted casing necklaces, is it a good idea? Glow necklaces come in a variety of colors: green, blue, yellow, red, purple, pink . Dyes are used to make different colors. With certain manufacturers, they make red color glow sticks with tinted casings, which are red plastic tubes, that means the red glowing is not a real glow from the reaction but rather a colorless glow in red plastic tubes. Because of tinted casing, the glowing intensity will be much less than necklaces made with fluorescent dye – the REAL glow necklaces. There have been complaints of glow sticks made with tinted casings. So don’t  pick glow necklaces with tinted casings. their price might be very low but they are low quality products people should not purchase . It’s always not a good idea to buy cheap glow necklaces.

Consider these factors when buying wholesale glow necklaces next time to make your event  fun for everyone!

If you have ever planned a birthday party, then you probably know, depending upon your personal circumstances, that it can be difficult to come up with a way to make it a great birthday for the honoree. However, many times there are things that you can do to help ensure it will be a success, such as with the party planning. If you are looking for a theme for your party, then consider the gender of the individual, their age and personality before making any final decisions.

For example, for a “Sweet 16″ get together, consider a Glamour Shots type of party complete with gowns, gloves, makeup, etc. This is a perfect birthday bash for your teen as they can get dressed up in whatever they want and apply make-up and then be ready for their close-up. It is a good idea to start gathering different types of clothes and shoes; a thrift shop is ideal for choosing some clothes. It is advisable to have each girl bring their own brush and make-up or you can purchase individual kits for each girl and let them keep them as party favors. You can make a copy of the pictures and include them with a thank you note from the birthday girl.

Another great idea for a themed birthday is “Movie Night.” You can create movie ticket type invitations (Admit One) and perhaps include the birthday boy or girl’s name in the title of a movie. Check around for some scrap carpet that is red. Many times if you go to a carpet store and tell them what you are doing they will just give it to you. On the day of the birthday party lay down the red carpet as much as you can between the driveway and front door so that guests can walk the red carpet. Have someone wearing a tuxedo stand outside the door and check their names to make sure they are on the list.

For an unforgettable winter birthday bash consider a beach theme. For the invitations, purchase several beach balls and write the party information on them in permanent ink with instructions to blow them up when they are received. You can also ask everyone to come dressed in beach attire, Hawaiian shirts, etc. You can hang beach towels on the walls, scatter some seashells around the room and hang fish nets for an authentic feel. For a truly amazing effect, if you don’t mind the mess, you can cover the floor with sand.

Reality can be tough, especially for teenagers who want to be grown up, yet still have that small side that enjoys pretending. So, for just one night, why not indulge their active imaginations and have a Medieval Time themed birthday party. For that authentic feel, have the invitations done in calligraphy style, rolled up as a scroll and tied with a ribbon. Place a suit of armor if available at the front door or engage the help of friends to stand as King and Queen welcoming everyone to the party. For a great birthday that will be remembered, consider making a birthday cake that is a castle masterpiece with circular turrets and small flags placed on it.