Party like it's 1999

Happy Holidays Everyone!

I hope you are having a fantastic holiday season so far. With the end of the year fastly approaching I thought it appropriate to do a post on New Year's Eve parties! Personally, my family has a New Year's Eve tradition of getting together with some family friends of ours and having a rather low key affair. We all make some food and bring it to share. Football is on the TV. (mainly for the guys) A game of old fashion charades is always a possibility. And LOTS and LOTS of fireworks in the driveway and/or street. (We are talking at least an hour's worth.) But mainly, it's just about being together with good friends to start a new year.

But having an all out bash is a great way to start the new year off with a bang! The most obvious place to start is deciding how big you want your party to be and whom to invite. If you want to invite everyone you know (PLUS their guests) make sure you will have the space, food, and champagne to accommodate all of them. You might want to add an extra 15-20 people to your your guest count (for large parties) for last minute additions. You want to make sure your invitations are sent out far before the big night. The simple reason being that most of the partiers make their New Year's Eve plans well in advance. The invitations can stand apart on their own, but it would be well to relate them with your dominant party theme. (If you have one) Like, for a party with a clock-theme you can send out invitations shaped like clocks in round boxes bearing the name of the invitee and an image of a clock on top.

Next, I have the three D's. Decorations, Dancing, and Dinner.

Decorations

Fantastic decorations go a long way to create the right ambiance and make your party a memorable one. Good decor is a prime requirement for any party, and a New Year's Eve party is no different. For New Year's Eve parties, I like to encourage theming them. It's always great fun and gives your guests a chance to be creative.When decorating for your party, think of your theme and stick to it. While it is nice and completely appropriate to simply string up a few random balloons and throw out some confetti on the table, it is a little more festive to maintain a constant fun theme around the area you will be hosting the party in. It can also be adorned with New Year's greetings, banners, and streamers. Light up the outdoors and indoors of your house to add that extra sparkle to the celebrations.

                                      Dancing

Parties without music tend to be somewhat dull. Great music can set the tone of the evening and and keep the energy up! Never forget to arrange for a good sound system. Playing music will make no difference if no one can hear it. Make sure to choose an amazing playlist prior to the party. Remember that the musical selections should depend not only on your taste but the general taste and age of your guests. It is a good idea to try and get a friend to DJ for you, or you can always hire a professional if you are ready to spend the extra bucks to truly make it a "Rockin' New Year's Eve." If you are having you party at your house make sure you create a space as a designated dance floor. Having great dance music with nowhere for people to dance can really hinder the party atmosphere.

Dinner

While a sit-down dinner would be truly elegant, for a party like this when guests will be mingling all night long, whip up an array of finger foods and appetizers or get it catered.  Instead of putting all the food on one table, station them at different spots around the room and be sure they stay filled. For the midnight toast, do not forget to have chilled champagne and cider (for guests who do not drink alcohol) available. In addition, have different beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic available for your guests.
*A great host who is serving alcohol at a party will be sure that all guests have a way to get home that evening. Be sure to have room available at your home for any guests who may need to spend the night. Make sure that there are designated drivers for all guests, so that everybody can get home safely. Also, many taxi services offer free transportation in New Year's Eve, so be sure to call around.

This should give you a little guidance on how to make your New Year's Eve party a total success. In the mean time, I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy, and safe new year!

Having your wedding on holiday 101

Tis the season for holidays! Coincidental, it may be the day you want for your wedding. Having a wedding on a holiday, national or religious, is a bit tricky but not impossible or unheard of. But there is LOTS to consider. Here are some pluses and minuses to having your wedding be on a holiday. The first (and most obvious) plus is that you will never forget your anniversary! You could.... but you'd have to try REALLY hard. Next, the majority of your guests may already have the day off. So no time off requests needed. Lastly, you are essentially killing two birds with one stone. By having a reception there is no need for the 4th of July barbecue, New Years Eve bash, or whatever celebration you would typically have for what holiday you chose.

There can be, of course, some logistical complications. Going over details and planning ahead is crucial.  Although your guests may already have the day off they may already have plans as well. It may be hard for them to choose your wedding over Easter dinner with their entire family at their grandmother's house. There may also be increased costs in many areas. Florist prices are at some of their highest on Valentines Day. So those red roses you want are going to cost you. Vendors may have to pay their employees overtime or "holiday pay" to work on a holiday. Which translates into YOU paying them more than you normally would for their services. Hotel prices and airfare are always higher on or around holidays. So you will have to pay extra attention to your budget when planning a holiday wedding.

Now here are some tips that will help you have successful holiday wedding: First, give your guests as much notice as you can. Send out Save The Date cards ASAP. Family vacations and out of town trips are typically planned far in advance so you should too! Be prepared for for a higher 
Decline than RSVP count. For any given wedding one should expect a 10%-15% Decline rate. For holidays expect this to be higher. One thing you can do is keep the guest list small. Invite the people who are closest to you and that you know will come. Forget your half cousin in Minnesota. Next, You should acknowledge the holiday you are having your wedding on with out going overboard. A few examples: You can use great spring colors and flowers in your fashion and decor without having to bring in the Easter Bunny. Or have a desert bar with candied apples and candy corn instead of having a carved Jack-o-lantern on every table. Use holiday colors strategically. You don't want it to look like the American flag threw up all over your reception space. Use white table cloths with blue napkins and accents of red in your centerpieces. 
Next, be sure to check with the venue you are using to see if they are having a holiday party of their own during the time of the wedding or reception. Some venues, such as country clubs, open there doors to their members for holidays like New Year's Eve. You don't want anyone crashing your party. 

And remember, just because you don't typically celebrate it doesn't mean it's not a holiday. A few good examples are: Cinco de Mayo, Chinese New Year, Columbus Day, President's Day, St. Patrick's Day, and Earth Day. And even though things don't necessarily close on those days. If you are planning to have your wedding in New Orleans on or around Mardi Gras you are going to have transportation and accommodation issues. But you will probably have a great time too! 
So, I hope this was helpful and gave you a good idea of what to expect if you are planning a holiday wedding. But if you are on the fence about the idea consider this: Shouldn't your wedding be a holiday all to itself? It is the celebration of love and commitment you have with your partner. After all, everyone keeps telling you it's your day. So why not make it your own? 

Make "Green" One Of Your Colors

Just because your wedding will have a significant impact on your wallet doesn't mean it has to have a significant impact on the environment. Here are just a few ways the environmentally conscious brides and grooms can incorporate "Green" in their wedding.

In the center of attention
The best way to get the most out of your centerpieces is to allocate them for a variety of uses. Reuse your flowers by transforming ceremony flowers into table decorations at the reception. After the party, donate them to a local hospital or senior citizen center or send them home with your guests. If you do choose to donate them, delegate that responsibility to a groomsmen or friend of the family to take care of the following day.

If you are looking for a vessel for the center of your table to hold flowers, sea shells or colorful rocks, consider vases made from recycled glass or a bamboo bowl, due to renewable tendencies. Recycled Glassworks has some beautiful original bowls created from recycled glass. The colors and patterns are fantastic and will allow you plenty of creativity and color options when it comes to filling the center of the table. For an even more dramatic table, set it off with a reclaimed wood with votive candle holders. All of these can be special ordered in large quantities.
   

If you prefer to leave the centerpieces up to the professionals that ok too. Ask your florist about what earth friendly options they may already have!

Can you do me a Favor?
There is no better way to make a green statement and to encourage others to do the same than to give eco-friendly wedding favors to your wedding guests. Made of earth friendly, natural materials, eco-friendly wedding favors are kind to the planet and safe for the environment.

Now this is one great wedding favor that serves double duty! Not only is it a place card for your guests its a wedding favor they can take home and plant to watch the wildflowers grow.


It has been said that bamboo is luckiest when it is received as a gift, which makes these beautiful Natural Bamboo Coasters a delightful and thoughtful way to thank your guests for sharing in your wedding day.



100% pure beeswax candles are unlike any other candles. They create beautiful ambiance with their warm glow, soft honey scent and air purifying effects that don’t release toxins.



You're invited!
Your wedding announcement or invitation can set the tone for your environmentally friendly wedding. There are many options today for 100% recycled, partially recycled or completely tree free papers from wedding invitation suppliers. Consider all these places for paper on your wedding day:

•engagement announcements
•save the date cards
•wedding invitations
•ceremony programs
•place cards
•menu cards
•thank you notes

A great way to significantly cut down on paper and waste is by creating a personalized wedding website.  Many wedding planning websites such as WeddingWire.com and TheKnot.com offer free wedding website templates for you to use once you register on their site. Along with the environmental benefits, a wedding website is also a great way to keep all your guest informed. You can post hotel recommendations, directions, and entertainment options for out of town guests. You can also have links to your registries.

So, having a little green in your wedding really isn't that hard. All it takes is a bit of extra thought, reasearch, and a few great reasorces!

A Message To All Brides

Congratulations on getting engaged! Now comes the fun (but complex) task of planning your dream wedding. The best and most important piece of advice I can give you is this: Don't wait to start planning your wedding. There is much more to a wedding than the cake, flowers, and the dress. Those are things that people remember from your wedding. But, How will the cake get from the baker's to the venue? How much will it cost to have the flowers delivered and who's going to meet the florist when they get there? Where is the best place to get your dress fitted and altered if necessary? All of these logistical questions any many many more MUST be addressed and answered before your dream wedding can take place. One of the worst things you could possibly do is procrastinate

What concerns me is when brides start comparing their wedding planning process to other brides that they know. "Well, my cousin Jill planned her wedding in 7 months and it turned out fine. So, I'm going to wait to start planning my wedding till about that time." No. No, No, No,....and NO.
Everyone's wedding is different. Everyone's wedding plans will face different challenges. The more time you have to address these inevitable challenges the easier and LESS STRESSFUL the whole planning process will be. And this is very important to understand especially if you are planning the wedding yourself. Twelve months out is a must!

A large part of the necessity of having a longer planning period has to do with the vendors. I've said it before that you should start looking for venues for your wedding ASAP. Wedding and Reception venues get booked up over a year in advance. I know a woman that booked her wedding venue BEFORE she had a groom. There was a 2 year waiting list for the chapel she wanted to have her dream wedding in. So she picked a date and booked it. Luckily for her the most amazing man entered her life at just the right time.
Even some florists get booked over a year in advance. I was at A Floral Affair yesterday when a bride entered inquiring about prices for bouquets. The showroom hostess asked what the date of the wedding was. The bride said it was next November. The hostess said "Let me check if that date is available." Yes you read that right, NEXT NOVEMBER.
And sometimes, things just go wrong that are out of your control. For example, the wedding I planned for Shawn and Robert Jordan. We booked the caterer in plenty of time. They had the menu picked out and everything. Then a few months before the wedding, the caterer went out of business. We had to scramble to find a new one who was available for their wedding date. But, we had time to do that. You know why??? Because we were on schedule with everything else. Because we started early.

So, please please please for the sake of your sanity and the sanity of those who are helping you in this process.... Don't put this off. The last thing I want to see is a bride stressing 3 weeks before her wedding about something that could have been taken care of 3 months ago.

My excuse.....Disney.

Hello Everyone,
I apologize for neglecting my blog for a month. Everything has gotten a bit crazy with trying to get Andrea and Jason starting on their wedding preparations, traveling to and from Columbia, SC, and a great week long trip to Disney World! Visiting Disney is like visiting a second home for me. There are so many amazing people that I met while I lived and worked there. Going to the parks, staying with the friends I traveled down with, and visiting all my Florida people was a balancing act of epic proportions. I needed two days just to recover!

 
But besides this trip being jam packed, it was also extra special. My friends that I traveled with, Shawn and Robert Jordan, got engaged during the fireworks at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party on October 15th 2010. This was their first trip back to Disney since then so it was a two year anniversary of sorts. In preparation for this trip Athene Jordan, whom is an excellent seamstress and a very good friend, did the costumes for the group. They were fantastic! And I tried some great new additions to the Food and Wine Festival in EPCOT. Overall, I couldn't have asked for a better trip.

Every time I visit Disney my favorite part is the same: I love discovering the things I never noticed before. And believe it or not.... it always happens! Now, I know what you are thinking..... "What about Splash Mountain?!, Space Mountain?!, and Pirates of the Caribbean?!" Of course, there are some fantastic rides and attractions but I think that there is more magic in the details. Disney in general, has always amazed me with their creativity and meticulous attention to detail. I think that because of my background at Disney I look for and enjoy the small details more than the average guest.  For example: Did you know that the iconic fountain in front of the big EPCOT ball actually dances to music every fifteen minutes? It's like a choreographed fireworks show but with water. Most people breeze right by it on their way to Sorin' or Test Track but it is one of my favorite things. In EPCOT I also enjoy sitting outside the little bakery in France eating a cream brulee just watching the people go by. And going through all the parks looking for "Hidden Mickey's" is always fun.
Side note: Part of the new Fantasyland expansion just opened. In one word: Incredible
 
 Well, there is my excuse. It's a lot better than "My dog ate my laptop." I will be returning to my regular blog posts starting..... NOW. So you have some event planning insights, new recommendations, and updates on the Maroun/Spiskey wedding to look forward to!
~Rachael

It's that time again....

No... not football season. There is a time in every engaged persons life when they have to get down to business when it comes to planning their wedding. And for Andrea Maroun, that time is now. It's 13 months 'til the big day. Up until now we've done some brainstorming, swapped some ideas on Pinterest, and  set up accounts on both The Knot.com and Wedding Wire.com. But after booking the venue at The Yacht Club in Sea Pines Andrea wanted a bit of a break. Which is a understandable. It can be a bit overwhelming for the first few months. Everyone wanting to know EVERYTHING. The where, the when, the dress, the ring, the wedding party, and all the little details about the proposal. Take all those questions and times them by how many friends and family members you both have and you can be sick of your wedding in no time. Especially when you don't have the answers to half of the questions you are being asked. SO I made a deal with Andrea. No more major planning til September. Well, September is here!

 On the 13th Andrea, Jason, and I got together for a little meeting at their house. Andrea was a little worried that I was going to show up with a list of things to do ten miles long with dates ranging from now until next October. But to Andra's relief, that's not how I do things. I plan out a "To Do List" for 3 months at a time. I put it in 2 formats. The first is more of an outline for those who are more checklist oriented. The second format is an actual calendar with tasks and due dates for those who are more visually oriented. Andrea and Jason seemed to like both of them.

I was rather impressed with how prepared they were. They already have their guest list put together. They had decided what stores they wanted to register at. And Andrea knew when and where she wanted to start shopping for her wedding dress. Not too shabby for a first planning meeting. Now, their next decision will be whether to sent out the Save The Date cards in October (to give friends and family a years notice because it will be a destination wedding for just about everyone) or in December as Christmas cards. If they want to send them out in October they have to make a decision on a style and order them by next week. I'll keep y'all posted on that.

Other than that I just have to keep this momentum going and keep them on task. In general, I made September a very light month when it came to items on on Andrea and Jason's checklist. In October we are going to pick up the pace and start to finalize the reception menu, meeting with the Yacht Club catering team, and doing research and visiting rental places. For some background on Andrea and Jason's story please see Maroun/Spiskey Wedding under Current Projects.

Break out your flapper dress and cloche hat. We're going to a party!

I have one word for you: Themes

Themed events are tons of fun and really exciting to plan. To take an idea, expand it, and create an interactive version of it takes vision and creativity.  I personally love themed parties. Almost every party I've gone to from age 14 to 25 had a theme. Now, this is in part due to the creative nature of my family and secondly because of the residence hall I lived in while I was in college. (Shout out to all my former Prestonites!)  When my parents would get their friends together at our house it could be just a casual get together or one of my father's grand ideas. My dad came up with some of the most clever themes. I think the most memorable being the "Come As You Were" party. Basically, who do you think you were in a past life and come to the party as that person. We had a variety or characters show up. Everyone from Cleopatra and The Grand Duchess Anastasia to a Samurai warrior and an Amazon Princess. And my dad.... decided to take a more literal approach and show up in a gorilla suit. Bless him.

Now some people may shy away from theming their event because they fear it might make it feel cheesy and they don't want to exclude someone who can't participate. Both of which are valid concerns. But just because your event has a theme doesn't mean you have to show up in a gorilla suit. You can have a Luau family reunion, a little cowboy baby shower, or a sweet and salty desert party. Each of these would be easily executed without having the guests do too much work or feel too intimidated.

On the other hand....
Going all out from top to bottom can be a lot of fun. If you have some good friends who you know will enjoy a great themed party... go for it! I have a friend in Florida who use to have about 10 themed parties a year at the house she shared with a few friends.  Some of their themes were:

~New Years 

~Masquerade

~Choose Your Own Adventure (come as whatever you want basically, choose your adventure and live it!)

~Spirit Animal          

~Blacklight Party

~Red Party (She raised money for a friend that was in a car accident)

~Rubix Cube (wear all the colors of the rubix cube and trade items [hats, shoes, accessories, t-shirts, etc.] and solve yourself)

~Doppelganger (come as your evil twin)

  There was always a good turn out and people were always anxious to hear what the next theme would be.

                                                                                                              Nicki's spirit animal is an owl

Themed parties can also make good traditions. You can have an annual themed event like a Casino Night on New Years Eve. Or every year on your birthday throw a themed birthday party but change the theme every year. To this day my favorite themed event was the annual "Gatsby Banquet" that Preston Residential College held every Spring. As the name suggests, the banquet was modeled after the parties that the character Jay Gatsby would throw at his house in the book The Great Gatsby. It was held outdoors. Starting on our expansive front porch then moved into the garden behind Preston for dinner and Jazz music. 1920's attire was encouraged though not required but many rose to the challenge. But as long as you made an effort to look formal you were good to go. It was also a good excuse for some of the girls to break out their old prom dresses.

The Gatsby Banquet has been a tradition at Preston since its founding in 1995. And it is something that the residence look forward to every year.

Now that I've given you some ideas and told you about a few of my favorite themed party memories tell me about some of yours! And if you haven't been to a themed party, what theme would you give a party if you threw one yourself?