DIY: Thanksgiving/Fall Centerpieces

using jugs in fall colors and dried fall themed filler I bought at marshalls along with three types of fresh flowers i created these centerpieces for thanksgiving. silly me didn't get a picture of them in action but here's a picture of them with my cat, titus. on each table i also placed a burlap table runner. the look was cohesive with just a touch of country. how did you decorate your table?

Eco-friendly Parties- Part 2

attire: 
wedding dresses are not in general very eco-friendly at all.  they involve a lot of fabric, a lot of energy, and usually require quite a bit of shipping.  not to mention that you typically only wear it once.  if you want to reduce your impact on the environment while buying your dress consider these options:

1.  buy a used dress.  this way your dress has not been made solely for you and therefore you aren't requiring the energy to be expended a second time.  if you can find a used dress locally so it doesn't require the carbon emissions associated with shipping.

2.  buy a dress made from hemp, cotton, or other eco-friendly fabrics.  there are now several designers that are using these fabrics regularly.  double points for you if you find a used dress made from one of these materials.  check out www.thecottonbride.com  and or www.naturalbridals.com for some beautiful dresses.

From Natural Bridals (for just a little more than $1,000)

3. go vintage.  hit the thrift stores, vintage shops, and perhaps consignment shops to find a classic shape from another era.

4. rework your mother's dress.  this isn't always a possibility, but i've seen some really neat ones done!

bridesmaid dresses are also often worn only once.  i again suggest checking for natural fibers and try looking in typical department stores or off the rack stores so the dresses are made with wearability in mind.  you might just find a dress that your bridesmaids will be willing to wear again!

tuxedos/suits- renting tuxes is actually rather eco-friendly- nothing new is being made for each male in your wedding party.  another option is finding something that everyone can buy and wear again.  there are suits and tuxes made from natural fibers as well.

think about selling or donating your wedding dress and bridesmaids dresses after the wedding.  if someone else gets a use out of it it's one less new dress that needed to be ordered and made!

this post got a little long so stay tuned for eco-friendly parties part 3 where i'll discuss centerpieces, place cards, etc.

Inspiration Board: A Fall Wedding + A Giveaway!

many brides plan their wedding a year in advance.  those of you planning on getting married a year from now could have a gorgeous fall wedding.  in that spirit i put together a fall wedding inspiration board.  i wanted the feel to be elegant with rustic touches.  i focused on gold, deep burgandy, brown, orange and yellow for the colors.  i like the use of leaves for decor.

want a personalized inspiration board created for you?  send me a message with a few key words that describe the vibe you want for your party, a color scheme, and or any pictures of items you've already decided on and i'll make you one.  the first 3 people to take me up on this offer get it for free!

Charger:Bed Bath and Beyond Centerpiece: Kevin Monahan Photography Tablecloth: Norris Party Rentals  Favors:2 as 1 Wedding Favors Bridesmaid Dress: Dress For Wedding Tuxedo: Wedding By Color Wedding Dress: iOffer Bouquet: Weddingbee 

Tree Guestbook: Etsy  Cake: Perfect Wedding Day

Signed, Sealed, Delivered- Stamp Woes

just this week the united states postal service announced that in january of 2012 they plan on changing the price on stamps.  standard stamps will go from 44 cents to 45 cents.  postcard stamps will go from 29 cents to 32 cents.

why is this on my party planning site?  well, lots of parties, especially weddings require a lot of postage.  if you're sending 100 invitations with 100 stamped rsvp envelopes you'll be paying an additional 2 dollars.  then add in your thank you cards for the shower(s) thank you cards for the wedding and other essentials and you have another dollar or so.  it's not the biggest increase ever, but when it comes to the budget every penny counts.

it is also important to note that if you're using postcard stamps for your rsvps you need to consider when  your guests will be sending them back- if your wedding is in 2012 don't buy the cheaper stamps or you'll be stuck adding extra postage.

to get ahead of the game check out the forever stamps that are good for, well, forever at the lower cost!

My Baby Cousin Got Hitched

a little over a month ago i had the privledge of being my baby (she's 7 months younger) cousin's maid of honor.  and, by default her wedding planner.  my cousin and her fiance were a little clueless about weddings but i helped them out.  here are some of the projects i helped with and or details from the wedding that i just loved.

my mom, or the "aunt of honor" as she named herself, gave my cousin this ring that my aunt had given her years before.  i suggested tying it to her bouquet as a subtle reminder that even though she wasn't physically present she was there in spirit.

my cousin is a tall model-esque bride is she not?  at one point in our lives i was taller! i swear!

 my uncle, the father of the bride, has had multiple sclerosis for over 40 years.  i asked him to dance with us and he came out on the dance floor wheel chair and all to party with the best of us!  it was a great moment.

to help guests know they were in the right place my cousin and i bought chalkboard style poster boards and my brother used chalk markers to create personalized signs.

these place cards were the bane of my existence for a night or two.  in june my cousin graduated from veterinary school so she wanted to have tables named after animals instead of using numbers.  We put a sillhouette on each place card.  each animal started with a different letter and they were quasi alphabetical in the dining room to help people find their tables.

to identify the tables we printed the name of the animal and the silhouette on a piece of vellum, used doubled sided tape and created tubes.  each tube was then placed over an electronic votive.  i was obviously at the bear table.

we fed each other some delicious berries in chocolate sauce from the cheesecake bar. once the wedding really got going it was one of the only times we had just the two of us.  

i realized i almost finished the post with no pictures of the groom.  oops.  here is my new cousin in law and my cousin enjoying their first dance.

that was the wedding in a nutshell.  questions about anything i posted, just ask!

*all pictures personal*

DIY: Bridal Shower Favors

for my cousin's kitchen themed shower i wanted to have favors that were kitchen related but also useful.  i really hate getting things that i can't use at showers.  so i decided to make jar cookies!  after a few google searches i found these super cute cookies on Bakerella's website.  i'm allergic to tree nuts so i didn't add the pecans but other than that i followed her directions.

 on each jar i placed a square of white fabric and tied a white ribbon around to secure.  before tying the ribbon into a bow i added a small directions card i printed on my computer and a moo card with photo sharing instructions.  each of those paper elements was hole-punched with a heart shape for a small but cute detail.

i decided to be a little anal, and instead of having all the m&m colors i wanted them separated into two color combos.  so i hand separated two five pound bags of m&ms into colors and then made up several different combinations.  i invited guests to pick colors that spoke to them.  maybe brown and orange for a browns fan or what have you.

bakerella made hers with pink m&ms that were in support of breast cancer research.  around the holidays you can find other colors which might make great gifts/hostess presents!

overall i was very pleased with how this project came out!

sorry i don't have a cost break down- but we did buy a lot of the baking ingredients in bulk at costco.  i can say the jars were just over a dollar each.  if you can find the wide mouth jars use those, they're easier to fill with the ingredients.

what is the best or the worst favor you've ever been given?

What do STDs have to do with My Wedding!?

so you're engaged, and you start googling "wedding planning" and suddenly you see a post about DIY: STDs.  wait, what?  why is a website about venereal diseases popping up in your search?  fear not, it's not what you think.  not at all.

the world of wedding planning is filled with its own jargon and acronyms that can take awhile to get used to.  so here's a little cheat sheet for all of you newbies.

STD:  Save The Date
DIY:  Do It Yourself
MOH: Maid of Honor
BM: Bridesmaid or Best Man (use your context clues!)
GM: Groomsman
FG: Flower Girl
RB: Ring Bearer
FOB: Father of the Bride
MOB: Mother of the Bride
MIL: Mother In Law
FMIL: Future Mother In Law
DH: Dear Husband
FIL: Father in Law
FFIL: Future Father in Law
SIL: Sister in Law
FSIL: Future Sister in Law
BIL: Brother in Law
FBIL: Future Brother in Law

Edited to add: 
PWC:  Post Wedding Chop (When a woman cuts off a large chunk of her hair post-wedding)
TTD: Trash The Dress (A photo shoot after the wedding where you don't have to worry about messing your dress)
DOC: Day of Coordinator


some are probably more obvious than others, but hopefully this helps!  i will update as i think of and or discover more! are there any you notice are missing?

DIY- Bachelorette Paty Survival Kit

as maid of honor it was my responsibility to host a bachelorette party for my cousin.  always a generous hostess i wanted to create some sort of favor.  i saw this idea somewhere on the interwebs and decided to create my own version.

to start i went to target and found any little things i thought would be cute to include.  in the travel aisle i found tiny altoid tins and figured just in case any of the girls were single and wanted to play tonsil hockey they'd have a breath refresher.  (as i type this i realize that i definitely was the only single one- and i didn't make a kit for myself!)  i ventured towards the cosmetics section and bought two three packs of lip smackers (there were 5 girls attending the party).  next i went to find some emergen-c or other drink mix with electrolytes.   i found a target brand box of 10 individual mixes which meant i have 5 left over for myself!  i also bought a 24 count bottle of asprin.  when i assembled the boxes i made little paper pouches and put four (or two doses) of asprin in each.  at home i had some crest brush ups (those little things that slip on your fingers to freshen up your teeth by brushing?) and band-aids (i gave each girl 2) to help with any blisters after dancing in heels all night.

of course i needed something to put all these goodies in so i stopped by the local craft store and picked up a pack of five silver decorative chinese take out boxes. 

here's a picture of the boxes all stuffed:

after i folded the tops closed i decided i wanted to seal the boxes to make sure they stayed closed so using a sheet of sticker paper and a punch i made these:

i was being a little lazy so i hand wrote in pink felt marker "bachelorette party survival kit."

and here's the final product:

the girls said they loved them and i think they came out quite well.

i figured out the cost for each one and they came out to approximately $3.10!  so for a little more than $15 i had five kits.  technically i spent a little more than that because of over buying on asprin, having extra drink mixes, and having one extra lipsmacker.  i also saved a little money because i had some items at home.  i firmly believe that anyone could make a kit like this for under $5.00.

here's what i included in list form and a few other ideas i saw around the internet but ultimately chose not to include.

in my boxes:
-mini altoid tin
-electrolyte infused individual drink packet
-band-aids (2)
-crest brush-up (could use crest-wisps but they are more expensive)
-a lipsmacker
-asprin (2 doses)

other suggestions:
-condoms
-hand sanitizer or wipes
-hair tie (wish i'd included that- i forgot)

would you appreciate something like this?  do you have any other great ideas as to what to include?

kitchen/foodie themed bridal shower

my cousin and her fiance love to cook and eat and are not afraid of trying new foods.  so when it came to planning a bridal shower for her i decided to do a kitchen/foodie themed shower.  I found an invitation set at target that i could print on via my home computer on clearance for less than $10 for 50 invitations.  coming up with the invitation wording was a bit more difficult, but i started with a line i saw somewhere on the internet and created a poem:

spatulas, mixers, toasters, and more
let's fill mel's kitchen with gadgets galore!
we know jared sure loves to eat
so help melinda make him a treat.
and if you're stuck on what to get her
just remember, the more exotic the better.

stay tuned for details from the shower!

DIY- Bachelorette Party Veil

this past weekend was my friend's bachelorette party.  her sister, and maid of honor, put me in charge of finding a veil.  since i had materials left over from making fascinators for the royal wedding i decided to diy a veil- in her wedding color- purple.

to start I gathered my materials:

a needle and thread, light purple tulle, a hair comb, a hot glue gun, and a purple ribbon

1.  cut a piece of tulle approximately 12 inches wide.

2.  scrunch up the tulle a little bit at a time and start stitching it to the comb.  the comb i had was wrapped in vinyl at the top, so some of my stitches went through the vinyl and some went all the way around the top of the comb.

3.  cut to desired length.  my particular friend is very petite so i figured i should cut off about 7 or 8 inches.

4.  take your ribbon and super glue it to the top of the comb and wrap to the back.  i had a piece of ribbon, tied in a bow, from a set of note cards i got at target for a dollar a while back.  so to keep the bow in tact i cut the back of the ribbon.

5.  let the glue dry and you're done! 

this was a very simple project and it came out very cute.  you could always make it a little more risque by gluing condoms or phallic shaped objects to it as well. wink.

Color Galore

whether it's a backyard birthday blowout, a wonderful whimsical wedding, or a random retro reunion, i love a party to have a color scheme.  with so many colors the options are limitless.  here are some of my favorites.

yellow-grey-white (i'd also throw in silver accents.... everything needs a metallic)

via bijouxbride.com

turquoise- red- white

via hostessblog.com

navy blue- white- yellow- light blue

via heavenlybloomsblog.com

pink-brown-white

via lyfeanexerciseinhypocrisy.blogspot.com

what are your favorites?  i'm always looking for new and more interesting color schemes!

Registries... What's the deal?

it is customary for couples who are getting married to create registries to show guests what items they would like for their homes.  according to my research marshall-field's came up with the idea of a store based registry in 1924 and then in 1993 target developed the electronic registry!  while it may seem greedy to go into a store and scan every item you want most guests appreciate some guidance.

when registering pick 2-3 stores to register at so that you can choose exactly the items you want and to give your guests options.   when choosing which stores to register at consider their rewards programs.  many places will give you perks for registering them, and not all perks are created equal.  make sure to register for plenty of items at different price points.  some people say to register for 2-3 times as many items as guests.

you can register for anything!  if you want camping gear get it!  if you want home goods, that's fine too! 

looking for alternatives to traditional registries?  try a honeymoon registry like www.honeyfund.com.

the website, www.idofoundation.org allows you to either create a charity registry where people donate to charities of your choice in your honor, or gives a charity of your choice up to 10% of what people buy off of your registries.  what is great about this site is that you register at normal stores like target and macy's and still help out a worthy cause!

also remember that it is considered to be in poor taste to include your registry information with your wedding invitation- it is seen as asking for presents.  instead your wedding party can spread the information informally.  traditionally even your family shouldn't be the ones advertising the information. hostesses of the shower may include the information with the invite. 

any questions? comments? thoughts? are you registering for a kitchen aid stand mixer or a really nice two person tent?

DIY- Paper Flowers

in my post about flower alternatives i showed you paper flowers and linked to a tutorial.  tonight, as i was watching tv i decided to try out the tutorial.  i cut some paper into circles and then, without even tracing a spiral cut the paper in a spiral pattern.  i then rolled it up and presto change-o i had really cute paper flowers... what do you think?

keeping the budget in check: flowers

when it comes to weddings flowers can be a real budget buster.  luckily for you there are many flower alternatives!

one trend i've seen, and love, is brooch bouquets. 

via weddingbee

you can buy these, but they'd be more expensive than natural flowers.  however if you have brooches at home and or can find them cheaply at thrift stores or at stores with costume jewelery you can make this without too much expense.  there are tons of tutorials out there, but i like the one ms. sloth did on wedding bee.

bridesmaids can also carry clutches or lanterns in lieu of flowers as pictured below.

via bluestyle

via hoffer photography

i've also seen bridesmaids carrying pinwheels, parasols, fans, and or potted plants.

besides bouquets, reception decor often involves flowers.  one popular option i've seen around the blogs is paper flowers. 

via talk crafty to me

again there are tons of tutorials available for paper flowers. some people choose to make theirs from old books, magazines, or other recycled materials.  or you can use the scraps of paper left over from invitations, programs, and any other paper materials used in your wedding.  centerpieces comprised solely of candles can be very beautiful.  using fresh fruit is also an option.  some couples use books or other unusual objects that fit with their lifestyle.

what are some options you've found to replace fresh flowers?

Cheers! To Toasting Flutes!

recently i've seen a lot of cute toasting flutes available so i thought i'd give you all a run down of some of my favorites.

His/Her Flutes:

via Macy's

kate spade "darling point" flutes feature sterling silver stems and are engraved with "mr" and "mrs."  available for $60 at macy's. 

via Amazon

mikasa's "cheers bridal party" set of four toasting flutes features four unique designs that are engraved with "best man," "maid of honor," "bride," and "groom."  available for $34.99 from amazon.com.

i like how this set of four would provide a keepsake for each person.  target also has several options but i was having a hard time finding images to post here.


Traditional/Formal Flutes:

kate spade's "grace avenue" flutes feature sterling silver plated stems and "small pewter ribbons."  available for $60 at macy's.

there are many many options out there, but these were my top three choices.  you can also look for toasting flutes that match the cake cutting/serving sets- though i don't see that being necessary at all.  do you have a different set that you like?  show me!

eco-friendly parties... part 1

parties have a tendency to create a lot of waste, but there are some ways to lessen your impact on the environment without sacrificing style and or luxury.  here are some suggestions that i have come across.  even if you do only one or two of these things, you will have changed your impact for the better.

invitations:

go paperless, for a less formal affair such as a birthday party you can consider doing an e-vite.  which also happens to be free so it would help your budget stretch further as an added bonus!  a slightly fancier version of the e-vite is greenvelope.  with greenvelope you create an invitation that looks very traditional.  when your guest visits the site they see an envelope, and an invitation.  the site also maintains your rsvp list.  they have several packages available with the most expensive being $139 for up to 300 invitations!  and they also donate 10% of all profits to a non-profit that works to preserve nature.

if you feel like your guests aren't tech savvy enough to figure out an on-line option there are also eco-friendly paper options!  first there are the "all in one" or "seal and send" options.  these invitations have everything on one piece of paper and often feature a tear off rsvp response card.  the invitations fold up, are sealed, and then mailed eliminating the need for an outer, and inner envelope.  the other option is plantable invitations.  with these, just as the name suggests, your guests can plant the invitations and flowers will grow.  foreverfiances actually has both of these options and even has plantable "all in one" invitations which makes them super eco friendly! 

favors:
at weddings favors are very common.  one thing that couples often do is give a charitable donation in honor of their guests.  this is green because you're not creating waste and it can be green because you can give to a green charity or help off-set the carbon emissions that your guests required because of their travel to and from your celebration.

if you feel the need to give something more tangible you can give a planted plant or herb- these can double as decor on the table which would be helpful to your budget!  here's a great example:

via intimate weddings

the above picture shows the potted plants not just as a favor but also as the place cards.  you could always paint the date or your names on the pots as well to personalize them just a bit!  i've also seen bamboo done.

another popular option is packets of seeds that your guests can plant after the wedding.  

in eco-friendly parties.... part 2 you can expect to see information about eco-friendly choices for attire, centerpieces, and anything else i can think of!

Hello!

i'm sara and i love to plan parties.  weddings, birthdays, anniversaries- if there's a party for it i'm in.  i'm starting this blog to keep track of some of the best ideas i've seen and to put together my own ideas.  eventually i hope to post about parties i've planned.  i hope you enjoy!