Party Foul: Don't Let the Whistle Be Blown on Your Next Get Together

We've all been to a party where red wine ruined the hostess' new cream carpeting, or brought veggies to a potluck just to realize they're ice cold by the time you serve them. Don't worry, these "party fouls" happen to all of us once in a while. But they don't have to keep happening.

For Christmas I was given a book called Heloise Hints for All Occasions, copyright 1995 by The Hearst Corporation. This book is amazing! It has tips and hints for everything you could think of when planning for a special occasion. From pre-party planning, to cooking for a crowd, to special gift ideas - it's got it all! Pick this book up on Amazon or at a local used book store; it'll be a life safer at your next party and save you from those embarrassing party fouls.

To give you a taste of the ideas in this book, I've included a few hints that will help with some common party fouls:

• A glass of red wine was spilt on my new tablecloth. How can I save it?
  Heloise says "pour salt on the stain to absorb the liquid...remove the tablecloth, let it soak in cold water" then "rinse and wash as usual" (p. 99).
  I've also seen this work on carpet, too. Red wine was spilled on an expensive rug at a party I attended. The hostess covered the spot with salt, and let it sit. When she cleaned up the salt, it had absorbed most of the stain and she simply cleaned up the rest with soap and water.
  
  
• My apple pie recipe calls for cups but they're only sold in pounds.
  According to Heloise, for "apples: 1 pound equals about 3 medium or 3 cups sliced" (p.17). This isn't the only measurement hint in Heloise's book. She covers everything from fruit to coffee to flour.
  
  
• My daughter's birthday party is today, and I forgot to buy gift wrap!
  Heloise suggests that you "save the shiny helium balloons you receive for birthdays...and then use them for gift wrap after they deflate. Carefully slit the edge of the balloon to make an opening large enough to insert the gift, then realign the open edges and tape them shut with transparent tape" (p. 125).
  
  
• It's my turn to bring veggies to our family potluck, but they never seem to stay hot.
  When transporting hot vegetables, Heloise suggests you "put the hot vegetables into a wide-mouth half-gallon thermos" (p.65).

I have fallen in love with the handy tips in this book. I recommend it to anyone planning a party, be it a small dinner gathering or an anniversary party for 200 guests. You'll find everything you need to know to keep the whistle from being blown on your next get together.


Image found at www.heloise.com/booksocc.html.

"Budget" Isn't a Four Letter Word

Let's face it - nobody likes to talk about money. It seems like no matter who you are, there's never enough to do everything you want when you want to do it. This is especially true when planning a wedding.

But, money is a fact of life and talking about it is necessary...especially when planning a wedding. Knowing your limits up front will save you hundreds of headaches down the road. Avoiding the topic will undoubtedly end in disaster.

So, here are a few tips to ease the financial stress surrounding your wedding planning:

1. Honesty is the best policy: It sounds like a cliche, but it's true. Be honest with yourself when making your initial budget. Don't allot $2700 to your dress budget when you know that you can realistically afford $700. Also, be honest with your wedding planner. Part of her job is to help you achieve your wedding dreams while remaining in your budget. There's really no reason not be honest with her; it'll work out in your favor in the end.
   
   
2. Hire a planner: If you're working on a tight budget, hiring a planner may seem frivolous and unnecessary. Actually, a wedding planner is exactly what you need. Planners have been in the business long enough to have made many, many contacts in the area and will be able to negotiate better deals than an individual can. This is because they work in volume; wedding vendors are more likely to strike a bargain with someone who can bring them a dozen weddings over someone who can only bring them one. Wedding planners offer a variety of packages to fit every budget and need, ranging from simply allowing brides access to their preferred vendor list to partnering with a bride to plan a wedding from start to finish. For more information on the benefits of hiring a wedding planner, check out this article from WedAlert.com.
   
   
3. Budgets are guidelines, not law: The purpose of budget is to get all your expenses down on paper so you can see and prioritize them. This does not mean that you can't change your mind, or that surprise expense won't come up that force a change. To get an idea of what you'll be spending your wedding budget on, fill in this worksheet from Real Simple Weddings Magazine. It includes a lot of details that people often forget to allot money to (like postage for mailing your save-the-date cards and invitations) that lead to big surprises along the way.
   
   
4. It's not about giving up, it's about spending smart: Oftentimes people assume that working within a budget automatically means that you're going to have to do without something. That's not true! You just have to spend smarter. Instead of buying your favors, make them. Have a friend bake and decorate your wedding cake, rather than hiring a bakery. Use a student from a local art school as your photographer instead of hiring a professional. Your wedding planner can help here too. She knows endless ways to give you the wedding of your dreams while spending smart.

I hope these few tips will help you as you start to budget for your wedding. Remember, budget isn't a four letter word. Talking about your budget, and talking about it often, will lead to the wedding you want...without putting you in the poor house.

Elegant Weddings Gala

I went to Cary Magazine's Elegant Weddings Gala on Thursday, March 4th, and I have to say it was really a treat. The atmosphere was wonderful and relaxed. The Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary, where it was held, was beautiful and the hotel's staff were incredibly helpful and polite. I loved this bridal vendor event because the event's atmosphere made me feel like me and the brides I represent were the most important people at the event, as though the wedding I am currently working on was the only one that truly mattered. For all you brides-to-be out there, I really recommend going to this event next year. You'll be very pleased!

Mad About The Hatter

With the new Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland film hitting theaters on Friday, I can't help but get in the spirit. (To be honest, getting into the spirit isn't hard because I can't wait to see it!) Anyway, what better way to get in the spirit than to throw a party?

Here are a few ideas for a Mad Hatter Tea Party, based on a fundraiser I ran to raise money for a college scholarship fund. This committee-run event originally catered to 200 people, but the ideas can easily be used for an event of any size.

The best thing about a "Mad Hatter Tea Party" theme is that nothing has to match. It is a mad tea party after all! This is awesome because it's a money saver and makes preparing for the event so much fun. Because you don't have to be concerned with matching patterns, you can pick up your paper products and table coverings just about anywhere. Get them on sale when you can. We chose to use spotted tablecloths over top solid cloths. For paper products, we went shopping and grabbed just about everything we could find. Purple cups; yellow and pink plates; blue forks; green napkins - lots of mixing and very little matching. Now, I realize that this might sound like a big visual mess, but the hodge-podge actually made it more interesting. And we saved a ton because we bought in bulk and were able to pick things up anywhere, regardless of color or pattern.

For centerpieces, we made tea cups from old cardboard boxes that we painted in all the colors of the rainbow and accented with playing cards. If you don't have time to create your centerpieces by hand, over sized teacups can easily be purchased, most likely at a local garden center. We added color to the walls of our space by stringing up multicolored lights that we borrowed from our holiday decorations, along with garlands we made out of playing cards. These were incredibly inexpensive to make as we purchased the playing cards in bulk from the online distributor, Oriental Trading. For other decorations, we simply used poker themed items, as the Queen of Hearts is such an iconic figure from Alice in Wonderland. Bonus to this is that poker themed items are easy to find just about anywhere.

Food for a party like this is super easy. You could serve traditional tea party foods like cucumber sandwiches, scones, and shortbread. Or you could go "mad" and serve your favorite foods be they tacos and popcorn, or pizza and mac and cheese. The beauty of this party theme is that you can do whatever you want, and that goes for the food too. But, the Mad Hatter Tea Party is also an Un-Birthday Party, so don't forget the Un-Birthday cake.

Get everyone into the spirit by asking your guests to dress up as their favorite Alice in Wonderland character. Or offer them crazy hats or crowns when they arrive. We gave our staff multi-colored paper accordion hats, similar to the one worn by the Cat in the Hat. People loved them!

As party favors, we filled inexpensive mugs with a variety of individually wrapped tea bags. We bought our mugs in bulk because we needed so many, but you could easily go to local thrift stores and pick up teacups and saucers. Just like everything else with this theme, they don't have to match. Get creative! Decks of playing cards would also make great party favors.

Have fun with your own zany Mad Hatter Tea party. Throw this quick to plan, inexpensive party, then go have a blast watching Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland with your friends.

Skipping the Guest Book & Keeping the Love

Guest books are a staple of most weddings. Traditionally, they've been used as a way for guests to share their feelings of happiness and love with the bride and groom during their wedding day. The book is then kept as a keepsake for years to come.

While this is a great way for guests to wish the newlyweds well, guest books can be very expensive. Personalized ones can run more than $50.00 a piece! For a couple on a budget, this would be an easy way to save money. But, just because you don't have a guest book, doesn't mean your guests can't still share their love with you.

Try this idea, borrowed from my best friend's wedding in Holly Springs, North Carolina. She incorporated her version of a guest book directly into her place settings. Every place was set with silverware, a lined sheet of green paper, a wedding program, a pen, and a candy bar.

The candy bar and pen were favors, but the pen also allowed guests to fill in their green lined paper. The green sheet requested that each guest "please share your best wishes and advice for the couple as they start their life together". Guests used the sheet to wish the couple well, remember happy times spent together, and celebrate the couple's love.

Sheets were collected at the cake table throughout the reception. The bride's mother and aunt collected the sheets after the reception, and kept them safe for the couple during their honeymoon. After her honeymoon, the bride used the sheets and pictures from the wedding to create her own memory book. She matched the sheets with the pictures of the people who wrote them, then bound everything in a scrapbook. This way, when she and her husband look back at their wedding memories, they have more than just the words of love from their friends, but also a face to match with those words.

The bride was able to print all the guest sheets on her own computer, using paper that matched her wedding colors. Using sheets allowed her guests more room to express themselves while helping her stay in budget. Matching pens with the sheets added function to her favors, ensuring that all her guests could take part in the fun. This pocketbook-friendly idea creates a keepsake you'll treasure for years to come.

Stress Free is the Way to Be

Tips for Dress Shopping without Losing Your Sanity

Hey all you Brides-To-Be out there! We all know your dress is one of the focal points of your wedding. You want it to make you feel like a princess, and it'll be one of the most memorable elements of your big day. However, it can also be one of the most stressful parts of your wedding prep.

But - it doesn't have to be! I haven't been in the wedding business long, but I've picked up a few tips to de-stress your dress:

1. Do your research: I know, I know - that word "research" doesn't sound appealing at all. Actually, it sounds down right boring. But this research will be fun! I mean, you're looking at wedding gowns - how can that be boring? Purchase some wedding fashion magazines. This time of year, I recommend "The Knot" Fashion Issue. And don't let the price tag of this publication discourage you - the headaches you'll save yourself are well worth it. You can find it at most bookstores, and as well as at the link above. Flip through your new wedding fashion magazine with a pen and sticky notes handy. Mark all the dresses that catch your eye with a sticky, and write down what made it stick out. Write down all your initial thoughts: "like this bodice, hate the skirt"; "like the layers, maybe less frilly?"; etc. All these notes will help you narrow down your choices when you go shopping.


2. Find stores in your area: Everyone knows about the big chain and boutique bridal stores; I'm sure you can think of at least two or three right now. It's possible you pass them every day on your way to work. But, if you're a bride on a budget these may not be the best options for you. Look for local wedding consignment and bargain stores in your area. There are tons around; they just take a little hunting to find. These stores often take in dresses that have only been used once, and some that have never been worn at all. These stores often pride themselves on staying up to date with current fashions, so don't worry about only finding dresses that your great-grandmother would have worn.


3. Go hunting: Go to both the big chain stores and the consignment/bargain stores. Be sure to take your sticky-noted magazine along with you. Use it to remind yourself of things you do and don't like, and to narrow down your choices.


4. Take things slow: It's really unlikely that you'll find you're prefect dress on your first shopping adventure. If you do, CONGRATS - that's awesome!!! If not, that's ok. Don't go into your trip expecting to find a dress the first time you look. It'll only drive you crazy, and that's stress that could easily be avoided.


5. Remember that it's YOUR dress: Lots of people are going to want to help you buy your dress. After all, it's a centerpiece of the wedding. While I encourage you take people along who's opinions matter to you, remember that it's still your dress. Don't try to please the people you're shopping with, letting their ideas mean more than yours. If you don't love it, don't buy it because someone else does. It's your day - make yourself happy.

These are just a few tips I've picked up so far. Shopping for your dress should be an adventure, not a chore. Have fun and don't stress!

Fortune Cookies

I believe in getting the best value for your dollar when planning events, which oftentimes means doing things yourself. Now, I have to admit, I'm not a terribly crafty person. But I did find a really easy way to make cool favors with stuff I already had in my house. Inexpensive, fun, and cute - a perfect combination for any event!

I found this Fortune Cookie recipe on AllRecipes.com, and decided to try it out for a dinner party I was throwing. The first thing I did was to write the fortunes. Actually, my friend and I wrote them, putting silly messages like "You're jeans look very sassy today" and "You're AWESOME" on them. After finishing the fortunes (which took about 20 minutes because we were so amused with ourselves that half that time we spent laughing hysterically), we followed the recipe as posted. Everything came together pretty easily, though we did find out a few things that might be helpful.


The fortunes went into the cookies easily, but we found that the paper fortunes ended up sticking to the cookies when they dried. To avoid this, we used a spoon handle to create a center in the cookie. While the dough was still hot, we folded the dough in half around the spoon, then in half around the spoon in the opposite direction. This created enough space for us to slip the folded fortune into after the cookie had cooled. We also didn't have a muffin tin to put our cookies in while they cooled. Instead we used a tea cup. It worked just as well, and allowed us to stack the cookies on top of one another.

This Fortune Cookie recipe can easily be used to create simple, fun favors for a wedding. If you want your favors to match your wedding decor, simply drop a little food coloring to your dough to change the color of the cookies. It's safe to eat and will add that extra touch to your special day. For the fortunes inside, print slips of paper with your wedding date and a small thank you to your guests. Everyone will appreciate that you thought of them in such a unique way. Coating one side in chocolate is another interesting addition to your favors. Add some sprinkles to your chocolate coating to add extra color. Any of these ideas will give you an amazing favor with a personal touch, while helping you save some dough for other things.