Mother’s Day Party Ideas
Monday, April 29th, 2013Mother’s Day is just around the corner. How about showing Mom how much you care about her by hosting a Mother’s Day party. Consider the following ideas on how to host a memorable and inexpensive Mother’s Day party this year.
Begin by choosing a simple Mother’s Day party theme. Once you have chosen one the rest of the planning starts to take place.
How about hosting a Mother’s Day brunch party with the whole family? You can have the brunch at your home or at a nearby restaurant. Make sure to have a little of everything, such as scrambled, fried, poached, or hardboiled eggs. Some bacon, sausage, ham, pancakes, waffles, and french toast. And for dessert donuts, fruit, and cookies are always great. If you choose to have a brunch at a restaurant make sure to make reservations in advance, since restaurants get very busy on this day.
Hosting a tea party is a classy way to say thanks to Mom. It is an occasion for multiple types of teas such as black, green, English, acai, and lemon to name just a few, and do not forget the milk, sugar, and honey to go with the tea. You can also serve some finger sandwiches such as cucumber, salmon, turkey and brie along with scones, muffins, and cheesecake for dessert. Again you can host it at your home or at a restaurant. Often times, a Mother’s Day tea party is a nice time for mothers, daughters and granddaughters to spend time together.
If the weather is going to be a comfortable one invite the whole family over to celebrate Mother’s Day with a barbeque. You can serve some grilled asparagus, corn on the cob, pasta salad and fruit salad, even some ribs, chicken, cheeseburgers, and hotdogs are always a hit.
When it comes to giving Mom the perfect Mother’s Day gift remember that anything from the heart is always appreciated. After all it’s the thought that counts.
Tips On Planning A Halloween Party
Friday, October 5th, 2012Halloween is always fun. It is the one time of year that everyone can dress up in silly, crazy or scary costumes. Throwing a Halloween party is also a great way to spend time with your friends and family.
Here are a few tips to help you as you prepare for an amazing Halloween party:
Halloween Party Invitations
You can choose an invitation that goes with your theme. If you are just hosting a basic costume party, then you can use a spooky Halloween invitation.
Make sure the invitation contains the following information for your Halloween party.
-Date and time of the party.
-The theme of the party.
-The location and directions to the party.
Halloween Party Theme
You can choose from various themes for your Halloween party. Some great theme ideas are medieval, cartoon characters, or animals. You could also choose a decade and have everyone dress in clothes from that time period. In addition, you may also decide not to do a themed Halloween party, where everyone can choose their own costumes.
Halloween Party Games
You can entertain your guest by playing different Halloween themed games. For example, you can have a ghost story contest where each of the guests has an opportunity to tell a ghost story. Have small pieces of paper and pens or pencils available and let everyone cast their vote for the best story. Make sure to have a prize for the winner.
Halloween Party Recipes
You can serve your guests some spooky hors d’oeuvres, like eerie eyeballs, witches brew, or freaky witches fingers that your guest will enjoy.
Halloween Party Decorations
You can purchase Halloween decorations in most department stores or you can make your own if you do not want to spend a lot of money. Buy some black, orange, and white construction paper, google eyes, Halloween stencils, glue, thin string, and some markers. You can make bats, jack o’ lanterns, ghosts, skeletons, and tombstones to hang from the ceiling. Also nix in a few cobwebs made from stretching poly fill and add some black and orange balloons.
Halloween Party Music
It’s not Halloween without some creepy music. Hide a boom box on the front porch and have some scary music playing as the guests arrive. The music from horror movies like Friday the 13th and Halloween are always a good choice.
Decorating For a Fall Wedding
Thursday, September 6th, 2012Fall is a beautiful time for having an indoor or outdoor wedding and reception. You can make elegant and romantic decorations with items that can be found outdoors such as leaves, flowers, branches etc.
Here are some fall wedding ideas and tips to get you started.
-If you are planning for a fall wedding, try to choose the color scheme that focuses towards the colors that you see outside. The color scheme chosen should reflect the beauty of the season. You can select colors like golden yellow, burgundy, brown and leaf green with shades of orange, purple, ivory. Some of the classic color combinations that look rich and fantastic are purple and silver, gold and ivory, rich brown paired with pale blue, pink paired with dark brown or rich yellow.
-Use candle holders, table clothes and table accents that complement the color scheme you decided on. In your wedding flowers, try to put the boughs of fall leaves along with greenery. For your bouquet, consider using greenery with dried leaves and ivory blossoms.
-To create a romantic look, try to decorate the aisles, the tables and around the area of the ceremony with the raking leaves or with garlands having clusters of ornamental grapes combined with grapevine leaves or garlands of silk autumn leaves.
-You can also choose to have helium balloons blown in all fall colors floating around the area of ceremony.
-Consider using the beautiful fall blooms like sunflowers, daisies, calla lilies, hydrangeas, roses, hibiscus, dahlias, chrysanthemums, wheat stalks etc.
-You can also hollow out pumpkins and turn them into a holder for bouquets and floral arrangements.
-As a center piece take a wooden bowl or rustic basket and fill the basket with decorative gourds, fall blossoms like sunflowers, mums, silk autumn leaves and different varieties of miniature pumpkins, and then place the raking leaves or wheat springs around it.
-Take a crystal bowl and fill it with water and fruits such as crab apples, hypericum berries, lemons etc. Place the floating candles in the bowl along with fall flowers and raking leaves.
-For an elegant look, stringed lights can be hung from the trees for an outdoor wedding, and for an indoor wedding, the stringed lights can be hung on the ceiling and near the aisle.
-Decorate your wedding cake with frosted fall fruits or faux fall leaves in shades of orange, red or yellow.
-Wrap your wedding favors with a ribbon which inspires the autumn feeling.
Steps for Planning a Graduation Party
Monday, June 18th, 2012The days of pep rallies, class trips, team practices, and school shows are coming to an end for your child. It’s time for graduation an exciting time, but also one filled with some sadness about saying goodbye to the past, while looking ahead to the future. Involve your graduate in all of the graduation party decisions, and be sure to make it an event he or she has a great time making new memories to take with her into the next stage of her life.
What You Will Need to Decide
When will you hold the party? You could host the party directly after the graduation ceremony or you could plan it for a different day. If you are hosting a party for an older child, your party will probably compete with other classmates’ parties. So it is a good idea to do a little research by talking to other parents. That way you will know if you’re hosting the only party in town or one stop among many.
Where will the party be held? If you decide on an outdoor party you should be prepared with a tent or alternative backup plan in case of bad weather. If you chose a location other than your home for the party, then you should reserve the location for the event and book the caterer.
Pick Your Style and Theme
The style and theme you select will help you as you plan the other elements of your party. Some possible themes include:
-A formal dress-up party: Ask the kids and adults to come in formal attire and create formal place settings with linens, china, and elegant floral arrangements.
-A casual, flip-flop shoes party: Let everyone be themselves in their most casual attire. Use paper goods, plastic serving ware and invite everyone to hang out for as long as they wish.
-Host an open-house luncheon
-A Hawaiian Luau party theme is very popular for graduation parties. Invite your guests to come dressed in fun, tropical clothing.
Build a theme around the graduate’s future plans. For example, if your child will be attending college in New England, you could serve a New England Clam Bake to your guests. Be creative and have fun as you prepare for a memorable day.
10 Ways To Throw A Unique Wedding
Thursday, May 31st, 2012The day you tie the knot should be as unique as your individual personalities. Everyone has a different idea of the perfect wedding, so before you even begin to get into the details of the special day, you need to sit down with your partner and determine what is important to both of you. Create a list of priorities that will be used to determine how much money to spend. Although you are limiting your expenses, allow your creativity to spill into the details you are sharing on your wedding day. Keep the following points in mind as you plan your wedding day.
.Craft A Story: Think of every element of your wedding, from the invites to the wedding favors -as a chance to craft a story from beginning to happily ever after. You can also incorporate religious or ethnic touches that are special to you.
.Pick A Theme: A well planned theme can add lots of personality to your wedding day without looking cheesy. Pick a theme that is a hobby or interest, since you’re likely to already own a lot of materials you can incorporate into the decor.
.Pick A Repeating Element. If a theme is a bit much for your taste, focus on one element you can repeat throughout the printed materials, decor and attire for big impact.
.Go Handmade: Creating your own decor by hand ensures that the look of your wedding is one in a million.
.Shop Vintage: Shopping for vintage or thrift items for your wedding and reception can save you time and headache over everything being handmade. A vintage wedding dress customized with modern accessories could be the thing that makes your wedding stand out and memorable.
.Register For Gift Cards: Create a wedding registry online and register for the stores you most like to shop instead of just one or two generic ones that offer wedding registries.
.Mix And Match: Stick closely to your theme, but provide variations to create a unique look and feel. For example, select non-matching bridesmaids’ dresses and vintage vases of different sizes of the same type as centerpieces.
.Re-Imagine The Guest Book: Set up an electronic device to record or photograph guests as they enter, or have your guests sign a board that you can incorporate into your home decor later.
.Select Festive Food. If you marry at a non-traditional time or place and you can pull off a unique reception for cheap. Consider coffee bars and pastries for a mid-morning wedding or a Memorial Day wedding on the lake for a laid-back barbecue dinner.
.Unique Goodbye: Forget the bubbles, offer wrapped candy for tossing, release balloons or have your guests create a human arch for you to run through. For a nighttime wedding, fireworks or glow sticks create a fun and colorful goodbye.
Tips For Planning A First Communion Party
Sunday, April 29th, 2012The First Communion is a milestone in any child’s life that you will want to plan a special party for. After all, it only happens once. For this important day you will need personalized invitations, banners, flowers, decorations, balloons, and other items.
Here are some steps you can take to ensure your child’s First Communion is a success:
Location and Theme
First, decide where you would like the First Communion party to be held. Some options include the local church, an elegant hotel, restaurant, hall, or even your own backyard. By choosing the location first, it makes the various elements of the party planning process much easier. Next, decide a rough schedule of events for the First Communion party. For example, begin by drafting an itinerary including guest speeches, refreshments, snack times, picture times, and other ceremonial agenda items. Also, select a theme for your party. You can highlight the religious aspect of the celebration or you can emphasize the child’s personality and characteristics. You can also use banners and balloons with colors that your child enjoys to decorate.
Invitations and Gifts
Consider putting together some type of small gift bag or item to memorialize the event. This can be a picture of your child, religious tokens, or food items. Also, utilize various flower arrangements at the First Communion party to add a joyful element to this important celebration. Designing your own invitations will add a personal touch and generate more interest in the child’s First Communion party. You can purchase some hard card stock, or go online to find and create a design.
Catering
You may also want to consider putting a special menu together for the First Communion party. Any meal or dish you would serve at an Easter gathering would be appropriate for a First Communion party. For the main course, consider a hearty leg of lamb, baked ham, turkey platter, and chicken served with a choice of salad and a bread roll. For dessert, the cake or other treats should have a design in the form of a cross to complete the theme of your First Communion party.
Summer Wedding at Richmond Hall
Tuesday, April 10th, 2012The sound of wedding bells are in the distance, and those warm wedding season nights will soon be upon us. Experiencing festive celebrations under 40-foot cathedral ceilings and crystal chandeliers will surely illuminate the smiles of many newlywed couples. We can’t think of a better way to celebrate than at our favorite and very own location, Richmond Hall. You can be there every step of the way during planning, or simply have our experienced wedding planners take your worries away.
We will assist you with a full list of services to choose from. The choices are endless, with feasts prepared in our gourmet kitchen, cocktail hour hors d’oeuvres, dessert, bridal suite, etc., this is your day to shine so don’t worry about anything else!
With weddings being a historic event in your life, choosing a venue will be a significant reminder of this memorable day. Richmond Hall will be able to create the ultimate experience you and your guests will never forget. With many of the same features as other grand ballrooms such as floor plan and capacity, Richmond Hall is ideal for weddings and cocktail parties. With the overlooking balcony on the crystal room and crystal chandeliers, it is sure to offer a highly elegant setting for you and your guests. The atmosphere of your reception should reflect your personality and style.
Aside from the eloquent banquet facility that can accommodate up to 500 guests, it adds perfect charm to making your big day a huge success. Whether you were going for a modern or traditional wedding, Richmond Hall simply compliments both themes.
Spring Wedding Ideas
Monday, March 26th, 2012Spring is one of the most popular wedding seasons. There are many spring wedding themes, colors, dresses, decorations, menu items, flowers, and favors to choose from. Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you prepare for your spring wedding.
Wedding Invitations
One of the first steps in setting the mood for a spring wedding is sending out spring themed wedding invitations. Typically, the invitations have spring flowers or spring scenery on them.
Wedding Attire
Since temperatures are typically not too hot and not too cold, there are many options for the wedding dress. It is important to choose a versatile dress that can suite you in both warm and cold weather.
Some good fabrics to choose from are:
•Batiste (an opaque fabric that is very light)
•Crepe (a thin fabric available in a wide variety of fibers and finishes)
•Damask (made of various fabrics and has patterns/designs woven into it)
•Duchesse Satin (a lightweight hybrid of rayon/polyester and silk)
You may also choose to add a sash or embroidery of a different color on your dress.
Today’s weddings are becoming more and more colorful. Some two-color combinations that many couples use are:
•Light blue along with chocolate, ivory, pastel green, or white
•Pastel green and ivory
•Pink with any green
•Lavender and yellow
Spring Flowers
You can save a lot of money on your wedding by purchasing in season flowers. Some in season spring flowers include:
.Allium .Magnolia
.Bells of Ireland .Snapdragon
.Boronia .Lilac
.Cherry Blossom .Lilies
.Daffodil .Violet
.Hydrangea .Pansy
Spring Wedding Decorations
Purchase decorations that are pastel blue, pink or lavender. You can also choose to place seasonal flowers up as centerpieces on the reception tables.
Wedding Menu
Serve fresh young vegetables such as sugar snap peas, baby carrots, baby asparagus, or potatoes. You could even serve fresh carrot cake along with fresh fruits. Also consider serving strawberries, mangos, apricots or pomegranates.
Catering Ideas for Different Events
Sunday, February 26th, 2012One of the first things you must do before you host an event or hire a caterer is to decide on a good catering menu that your guest will enjoy. Keep in mind that food selections should be appropriate for the type of event taking place. The type of food that is served during a shower will not be the same to what is served during a corporate party or wedding reception. Therefore, you want to choose your foods selections with careful consideration to the event. Putting some thought into the food you serve ahead of time will help ensure that your event is a big hit!
A Formal Reception
If you are hosting a formal reception like a wedding or anniversary, you will want to include appetizers as well as some sort of sit-down meal. Appetizers can range from cheese and crackers, to bacon wrapped scallops depending on how formal the event is, and how much money is in your budget.
You can have the meal served or buffet style. Make sure you have a choice of beef and chicken as well as plenty for the vegetarians attending. Don’t forget the salad, dinner rolls, and desert.
Barbecue Catering
Catering a barbecue involves a whole different selection of catering ideas. Barbecues are meant to be relaxing and fun, so a buffet style catering is perfect. All you will need to do is line up some tables and place the food on platters and warming trays. Some foods to include are: BBQ Ribs, burgers, chicken wings, hot dogs, corn on the cob, potato salad, coleslaw, macaroni salad and fruit salad.
Backyard Party
A backyard party can range from small to large. The same foods served at a barbeque can also be served at a backyard party, along with tables for buffet style dining. If you don’t want the standard barbecue menu, you may include things such as: chili, ham, or a roast setup at a carving station, pasta, and more!
Cocktail Party
Cocktail parties are not sit-down affairs. They are generally pretty mobile with the guests standing and moving around. For this event, you want to choose foods that aren’t too messy and are easy to carry around. The foods to consider are those that can be speared on a toothpick and won’t drip sauce all over the place. The standard cheese, crackers, and grapes are always a hit, but also add other appetizers so your guests don’t get bored.
A Shower
Most of the time, a shower does not call for a sit down meal. Shower foods should be light foods like finger sandwiches along with potato and macaroni salad, and of course dessert.
Choosing Your Wedding Cake
Monday, January 23rd, 2012Your wedding cake is one of the most essential elements of your wedding day. It will appear in your wedding pictures, and will be a focal point for your guest as they arrive into the reception area. As you decide on your cake type remember that it is what will pull together the colors and theme of your wedding. Your wedding cake should be as individual as you. Take time to shop around and decide on a bakery, the cake, style, and decorations. Here are a few factors to keep in mind while you cake shop:
.Create a checklist:
.What is your cake budget
.How many guests
.How many tiers/designs
.What colors/decorations
.What is your cake top?
.When is Your Wedding?
.When is Your Wedding?
The date and location of your wedding will affect the type of cake you choose. If your wedding will be taking place in the summer, mousse or ice cream cake will not be a good choice. Discuss with your baker the types of cake that will be in season.
.Choose a Reliable Bakery
You can begin your research online. This will allow you to obtain customer feedback, and view images of the bakery’s work. Make sure to select a bakery that provides a wide range of cake styles. Once you have chosen a bakery, visit the location and meet with the staff. This is your opportunity to provide sketches, ideas, and samples of your colors to leave with the pastry chef. Make sure to get everything in writing.
.Give Yourself Time to Pick Your Wedding Cake
If you have already chosen a color scheme and the wedding venue, then it’s a good time to get the cake designed and ordered. Your cake should be ordered 6-8 weeks in advance.
.Go Cake Tasting
This is one of the most important steps before finalizing your cake. If the cake will consist of multiple flavors, taste all of them. Flavors like chocolate, strawberry and vanilla will vary depending on how the cake is made, its formulation, its frosting, and more.
.Cake Size, Icing, Decorations
Wedding cakes come in all shapes and sizes—the options are limitless. When deciding on the size of your cake, keep in mind the number of guests attending. The type of icing you choose can be a simple sugar and flour recipe, or even a rich cream cheese icing. Today, many couples are choosing to match their icing color with the overall theme of the wedding. You can decorate your cake based on the décor and theme of your wedding, go with crazy and outrageous decorations or decide on lace, embroidery appliqué or elegant drapes or swag. The decision is all up to you so have fun with it!