Help your wedding guests remember the good times

Fun and parties go together. You buy some food and drink, put on some music and get the guests rocking in. Parties are a great way to be with all your guests.

Putting on a party requires nothing more than, creativity, organisation, persuasion, and having a theme; like, Mexican fiestas, beach themes, or a Roman toga party can add enormously to the fun. Of all the parties we can put on, the wedding reception is the most demanding, but rewarding.

What we can get up to just before marriage

In many societies it is traditional to have a “last fling” ; that last uncontrolled party night, before tying the wedding knot. These buck’s or hen’s nights, like every other party, are about having fun; a last opportunity to misbehave before getting hitched. Often raucous and bizarre, it’s your friends’ time to plan the party with whatever could create a fuss with your fiancé.

Nearly always, there’s free beer and alcohol as a a big part of these get togethers. One truly memorable souvenir are printed party, custom beer holders that you can get. In years to come, they’ll bring back memories of a great party had by all.

The most rad of all wedding receptions…

Romance, fun, family and friends combine at the wedding reception to make it a happy occasion. For the bride and groom, it’s, where the couple receives family and friends for the first occassion after the wedding ceremony.

It’s always one big party made up of many smaller mini events, all of which has a traditional element and keeps your guests captivated and enjoying the odd drink or two. Always, there’s food, drink, music and dancing.

In keeping with tradition, guests are nearly always given a token of appreciation for coming along to enjoy the fun. In the past it used to be many little gifts but more so today, is to give out wedding stubby coolers. Simply, they just add to the partying and festivities.

Have fun…

Afterwards; with their beer holder, every time the bride, groom, family and friends party, they’ll be a useful mind jogger of the great warmth and pleasure of the wedding.

If you’re planning a surprise party for someone special, here are some tips that will make planning and organizing the event easier for you, and unforgettable for them!

1. Start early. Pulling off a surprise party takes time and a lot of planning and organizing, so starting six weeks to two months in advance is a really good idea.

2. Find a theme. There are lots of party planning ideas on the Internet that can help, or you can find party-planning books at your local library or bookstore. When searching for the “perfect” theme, here are some things to keep in mind: the occasion, the time of year, the number of people you plan to invite, the age, interests and hobbies of the “guest of honor” and the people you’ll be inviting.

3. Decide on a color scheme. Once you’ve got your theme, figure out your party colors. Don’t go overboard, stick to two or three colors. For example, if you’re throwing a “Mexican Fiesta” red white and green, or red yellow and green would be perfect. By incorporating your colors into your theme, even inexpensive decorations and paper goods will create the ambience you want to create.

4. Plan your budget. Even if you don’t have a lot of money, with a little creativity and ingenuity, you can still create a memorable, exciting event by investing your time and thinking outside the box. For example, before rushing off to the local party store, look for items you’ve already got around the house that could be used in a different way. For example, your child’s red wagon could be filled with ice and used as a drink container if you had a western, cowboy or old-fashioned theme. Clear or colored Christmas lights can be called into duty and strung outdoors on the deck or patio. Even summer toys such as a sand bucket and pail or water toys can be used to hold flowers, candles or decorations. Don’t forget to check at dollar stores, yard sales and thrift stores for inexpensive containers, party favors or decorations that can be incorporated into your theme.

5. Send out invitations at least 4 weeks before your event and then do your follow up a week before to help you finalize your arrangements. Don’t forget that you can send email invitations for free — just do a search for “free email invitations” or “free online invitations” to see all your choices. Make sure that your invitations incorporate your theme.

6. Create a scrapbook. Ask each guest to write a letter, or bring a copy of a photograph that will have special meaning to the guest of honor. Include a copy of the invitation, pictures of the planning process and before party preparations, as well as a list of the food, guests, etc. This will become a treasured memento of the day. Don’t forget to ask someone to be the “designated photographer” or buy several disposable cameras and let guests take pictures during the party. These can be developed and added to the scrapbook later.

7. Prepare food and drinks that relate to your theme. Think about the “presentation” of food and drinks as well. Serving dishes that either relate to the theme or are in the color scheme will add to the festive look and feel.

8. Get organized, ask for the help you need and follow up. If you’re having people bring food or drinks, or participate in setting up before the party, make a list of who is responsible for what. Delegate as much as you need to to ensure that everything gets done and that you get to enjoy the party as well. Most people will be more than happy to bring something or help, if you just ask them.

Once you’ve given someone a task to do though, follow up with them, to make sure that everything’s getting done on time. Also, because nothing ever goes exactly according to plan, make a list of ideas for party planning that would make the party “perfect.” But put a checkmark or star by those things that you know aren’t vital to the success of the party. If something does go wrong, or changes have to be made, you can cross these un-essentials off the “To Do” list first, and still pull off a successful party.

Save your “party notes” and when the party’s over with, do a quick evaluation of what worked and what didn’t. Over time, your party planning notebook can be used to mix and match ideas for almost any kind of party, and by referring to your notes about what worked, you won’t have to rely on your memory alone for creating well-organized and enjoyable events.

9. Buy Thank-you notes before the party starts. As they arrive, or sometime during the party, have each guest address an envelope to themselves. If gifts are being given, you can either make a separate list of who brought what, or write it in pencil in the upper right-hand corner of the envelope. Having the Thank-you cards already addressed makes filling them in and sending them much easier! Another simple idea is to take the guest of honor’s picture holding each gift perhaps with the gift giver — you can include the pictures in the scrapbook later, and send a copy with the Thank-you note.

10. Have a good time. Once the party starts, relax and enjoy yourself. No matter what happens, everyone will have a better time, if they know that you’re having fun too.

Keep the memory of your wedding day right at hand

Now, whilst having a few beers with friends the memory of your wedding day is never too far away; have the surety of leaving guests with a great memento and being confident…

Have everything perfect on the day…

With your marriage, you want the ceremony and reception to show who you are as a couple .  As a record of your love and commitment to each other, the wedding ceromonies will provide perpetual long cherished memory of the ceremonies experience of love, joy and sharing.

What wedding would be without accessories in your wedding theme? Without wedding accessories, the wedding would look bare and incomplete. Accessories are where together, you put your joint stamp of style to the day. The brides wedding accessories alone can include a handbag, undergarments, a tiara, shoes, gloves, and hair accessories. And where would a wedding be, without mementos of the day for guests and to add the finishing touches.

Fine finishing touches for extra fun and pleasure

Wedding accessories are a enjoyable chance to further satisfy the engaged couple’s desire to stamp a special mark on their day. And there is this pursuit of having just the right embellishments for the best wedding .

As you think about planning your wedding day with the guests in mind, you’ll always think of what they like and would value as a memento. If they party and share good times with friends, look no further than a custom stubbie cooler. They are a practical, memento that will complete the accessorizing of your wedding and reception gift.

There is a wide selection of standard, personalisable designs for your wedding stubby holder . Everything is customizable to your color schemes and themes. The practicality of printed stubby coolers ensures they are a populat choice with your guests.

Saved by…

And after the wedding, that stubby holder becomes an indispensable drinking friend, week after week and year by year; always there to remind you at every party of that magical wedding day date.

Pre-planning is one key to throwing a successful party, but there’s more to it than that. It helps to know how many servings you’ll need per person for the type of party you’re planning, too.

Appetizers

The size of your guest list and the party facility; your living room, backyard or a reception hall; will determine what sort of food will be provided, whether finger-food, appetizers, or a sit-down dinner. Some of the best and most enjoyed parties had nothing more than simple finger-food like pizza or veggie platters, dips and chips.

You will only need 3 to 5 pieces of appetizers per person if you are having a dinner party. Don’t forget nuts, olives, and other munchies can fill people up before dinner. So, don’t put out too many nibbles before a dinner party. If you are planning an hors d’oeuvre only party, make heartier appetizers than you’d serve at a dinner party and plan for 10 to 15 pieces per person. Think large shrimp on skewers, fresh veggies with dip and things like that.

Dinner

The entire menu shouldn’t be planned aroung a special dietary requirement. Just because one person doesn’t eat white flour or meat doesn’t mean your entire menu needs to be vegan. Plan a special dish for your guest and serve what you want to serve to your other guests. Make sure you have plenty of drinks for your guests (non-alcoholic too) and make sure they don’t over imbibe.

Kids

Make it quite clear in your invitation if kids are invited or not. If you do have kids to your party, create a space where they can eat and play, and serve something they’ll enjoy like grilled cheese or other kid-pleasers.

Serving

It’s much easier to set up a buffet and let guests serve themselves as most people like choosing their own portion sizes. If you can’t have a buffet, think about hiring a server to help get everyone served on time.

A good host should be prepared to keep the activity flowing. After some food and general conversation, party games are sometimes appropriate, particularly those that will involve the entire crowd . . . and not be embarrassing to anyone.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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