Cutting Back Your Guest List?

Budgets are tighter these days for weddings and all the things you grew up saying "when I get married I want..." have to be itemized and some things cut.

One way to help with costs are to cut 10 people off your list. By doing this you can save enough money to help with the costs of some of those items you want but can't afford.

Example:

Food and bar @ $60.00 per person = $600.00
Chair cover and sash @ $4.00 per person = $40.00
Centerpiece @ $60.00 per table = $60.00
Invitations @ $5.00 per invite = $50.00
Programs @ $2.00 per person = $20.00
Favors @ $4.00 per person = $40.00
Cake @ $5.00 per person = $50.00

Just what I have listed (and it still does not cover everything) can save you $860.00! The possibilities are endless when you take away just 10 guests (1 table).

Things to consider when you are deciding on who to cut....

When is the last time I spoke to or saw them?
Do I really need to invite all my friends?
Do all my co-workers really need to be invited?
They are just business acquaintances...

Some times you feel like you to have to invite everyone you come into contact with but you don't. It's your wedding and only people who you have constant contact with or you consider yourself to be close with need to come.

Happy Planning
{K}

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Planning tip!

When you start planning your wedding it is a great idea to start a free email with someone like gmail or hotmail that you use specifically for wedding information.

1. This way your contracts won't get intermixed with your personal email
2. You can have access and so can your fiance
3. After your wedding you can ignore the vendors who continue to email you
* we don't do that...but some do! Vista Print is the worse!!

You can also do a blog with information about your ceremony, reception, where you are registered, and post your engagement pics.

Happy Planning!
{K}

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Wedding Shower Games

I get asked quite a bit about games for showers. Although my favorites aren't all origional, there are some great classics!

Lucky Coin
This is another easy to organize bridal shower game.
First take a coin and tape it securely to the underside of a chair. At an appropriate moment during the party ask the guests to look underneath the seat of their chair. The guest who is sitting on the ‘lucky chair’ and finds the coin is the winner of the game and receives a small prize. This could be a prettily presented candle, some chocolates or candy, a bookmark, a small potted plant, potpourri or any other small gift of your choice.

Famous Couples
With this game write a list of one half of a famous couple, real life and fictitious, guests try to guess the other half of the couple
For instance the couples could be Michael Douglas and Katherine Zeta Jones, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Baucall, Popeye and Olive Oyl, George W Bush and Laura, Napoleon and Josephine, Nelson and Lady Hamilton, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, Prince Ranier and Grace Kelley, Homer and Marg Simpson, Al Gore and Tipper, Father Christmas and Mary Christmas; and so forth.
Guest fill out the answers in a note pad the guest with the most correct answers receives a small prize.

Two Truths and a Lie
Each guest introduces herself, and tells the group three things about herself; two are true, one is a lie. Guests then write down, or shout out which one they think is a lie. If a guest is shy, the host should whisper in her ear some ideas for the lie.

How Old Was She?
Ask the bride's mother for pictures of her at a variety of ages. Pin them to a board, and hand out sheets of paper to each guest. As they mingle and eat, they can guess what age she was in each picture. Give a prize to the person with the most correct answers.

My Favorite Memory
This one is good for showers where the bride has provided the entire guest list. Along with your invitation, include a printed card that says "please write your favorite memory of the bride or groom". While the bride is opening presents, each guest stands and reads the card she brought. Typically some are funny, some are sentimental and all are enjoyable to hear. Purchase a photo album to collect the memories and photos of the party.

Groom in his skivvies
Tell each guests that the object of the game is to draw a picture of the groom in his underwear, but the catch is that the drawing pad must remain on top of the artist's head the whole time she is drawing! The bride picks her favorite drawing to win a prize.

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Alternatives to Cake

1. Cupcakes - You don't have to have someone cut it all up and serve it, you can just have people serve themselves. If you still want to "cut the cake" have a small round (top layer) made to match your cupcakes for you and your husband to cut. See our gallery for pictures of these.

2. Doughnuts - Layer them up like a cake! Fun and non traditional.

3. Mini Angle Food Cakes - You can make them small enough for one serving with berries and whip or ice cream on the plate with them.

4. Individual Fondue - Place a small bowl of chocolate on a plate with different kinds of fruits and marshmallows. You could do this per person or at each table.

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Not Event Related At All!!

This is my dog Oakley! She is a little over a year old and I entered her and my boyfriends dog Thor into the competition. Please vote for her everyday!!

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Personalize Your Own Wedding Website!

Click on the picture below to start your personal wedding website! Personalize it to fit your style and wedding theme as well as upload your engagement photos and information for your quests about the big day!

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Check it out...

Featured on Perpetual Posies blog on her "bouquet of the day"! Rebecca did the bouquet for Brittany's wedding last August.

Check out her blog and her website. Rebecca is my exclusive florist and AMAZING at what she does.

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Incorporate Your Signature Into Your Event!

Everyone should have a personal signature. No, not what you sign on your checks or letters. A statement, something that stands out about you. Such as being known for your statement shoes, or oversized bags... something that you do all the time just intermixing a few other pieces with to change it up.

Think of what your signature is and incorporate it into your event! For example, I LOVE shoes! I like to have statement shoes that get attention. For me that is what I am starting to base the rest of my style around. So when I get married I want to have great shoes on my bridesmaids with tea-length dresses.

Some other signatures might be:
Floral Arrangements
Handmade Invitations
Food Presentation
Accessories

Whatever it is capitalize on it and make your events reflect you! Guests get more out it when they can pull something out about you from it!!

For more ideas or information contact us!

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A Few Tips For Picking a Pumpkin...

1.The very best place to purchase a pumpkin is at a pick-your-own pumpkin patch, as that way you're assured that the pumpkin is fresh from the field.

2.A farm stand would probably be the second best bet, as at least the pumpkins were picked nearby and did not have to endure the jostling that might occur during shipment to supermarkets.

3.It's important to look at the pumpkin from all sides before picking it. Look to make sure that the entire pumpkin is colored bright orange and that there are no bruises, soft spots, scars or signs of mold.

4.If it is possible, sit the pumpkin upright while it is still on the vine to make sure that it will sit level once you've brought it home to display.

5.It's important to make sure that the stem stays attached to the pumpkin. Pumpkins that are ready for picking should have dried, somewhat brittle stems that make them easy to pluck from the vine.

6.Carry the pumpkin by the bottom so as not to risk damage to the stem.
Pumpkins should be stored in a cool, dry place prior to carving/displaying them.

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October is here...ALREADY!

I honor the cold and offically feeling that summer is truely gone and fall is here I wanted to start this month off with one of my favorite recipies for your fall events!

TOASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS!! Oh yes so good and so easy!!

Preparing the pumpkin seeds for toasting was the slimiest activity we tried. Some kids loved it; others were totally grossed out. All, however, enjoyed munching on the freshly toasted seeds.

1 small pumpkin

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

Salt

Use an ice-cream scoop to remove the seeds from the pumpkin and transfer them to a large bowl. Now for the tough part: Separate the seeds from the pumpkin fiber (this is a messy job that you should do outside). To make the process a little easier, fill the bowl with water and let the pumpkin seeds soak. Have a bowl of clean water nearby and a colander, too. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Toss the rinsed pumpkin seeds into a smaller bowl, drizzle with the oil, and sprinkle with salt. Spread the seeds on a cookie sheet and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until slightly brown.

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