The Celebration Advisor: Nope, you sure don’t. BUT–and it’s a pretty big But–it’s expected in many families. Wedding etiquette is pretty solid about this. It’s that pesky human element that makes discussing this with your groom so important.

If your groom has only one or two sisters, it may be a negative reflection on you to not include them. So before you get those “why can’t she spare just one spot for her new sister” glares, consider whether hurt feelings will affect your new in-laws before making your decision. Wedding etiquette is on your side, but these will be your in-laws forever.

Another idea that may spare you a lot of problems is to include his siblings in other roles. For instance, sisters of a young age can be flower girls, guest book attendants, candle lighters and other roles. These are significant enough for the girls to feel special but you will not have to sacrifice bridesmaids spots.

If his sisters are older, it gets a bit more complicated. You can still offer to have them serve as wedding attendants but not necessarily members of the immediate wedding party.

The most important thing is to discuss this with your groom. If he seems sympathetic, use that to your advantage by placing your new sisters in a lesser role. If he seems offended or stresses that they may be, you may have to compromise on this and use them in your wedding party. He knows his family the best and wants to make you happy. With both of those things weighing on his decision, it should be a very good one when he finally addresses the issue.

Oh, and remember that this particular wedding etiquette issue works both ways. The same should be considered if the groom is asked to include his fiancee’s siblings in the wedding party.

Deland Florida's Best Studio Photographers

It’s not the fabulous Florida sun that draws so many people to Moments Two Remember. It’s their ability to capture you—every moment, every occasion—in the best light possible. Moment to moment, moment one to wrap up, these photographers never let you forget that the focus is on you.

The events YOU want remembered. The people YOU want to cherish forever. The cheerful photographers at Moments Two Remember take the time to find out exactly what you want and go the extra mile to deliver it. They’re not happy until you’re happy, but even the most particular people fall in love with their photos.

Moments Two Remember photographers are fully equipped to shoot on location or in the studio. That means having a caring and talented photographer at your destination wedding is a breeze. Want to have family portraits taken at your home for a more personal touch? Moments Two Remember has you covered. They literally boast “anything that you can think of…we will be there!”.

Any of these sound familiar? Moments Two Remember also does location photography for these events:

• Engagements
• Weddings
• Family Reunions
• Baptisms
• Birthdays
• Sweet 16’s
• Anniversary Parties
• Corporate Events
• College Graduations
• …you name it, they’ll be there!

M2R Specializes In Wedding Photography

When you want professional family portraits, pet portraits, engagement photos, or photographs of any important occasion, you can count on Moments Two Remember to capture your favorite people and places.

Check out Moments Two Remember for these studio portraits:

• Daycares (Children’s Portraiture)
• Senior Photos
• Yearbook Photos
• Sports Photos
• Family Portraits
• …and more!

Wow! You can’t beat the variety and you sure can’t beat the world-class service from Moments Two Remember. Plus, they have a variety of packages to suit any budget. Go ahead. Step into the limelight. Moments Two Remember will be there to help you remember it forever.

Strawberry Punch

Now, don’t get me wrong, sherbet has its’ place. But if you go all out on a wedding reception, why not put a little research and creativity into finding a really great punch recipe. Search the internet, cookbooks, ask relatives and friends what they like and stay open to new ideas.

I was impressed recently when I tasted a coffee punch. It looked great in the bowl, the aroma was captivating, and the taste was like a frosty coffee milkshake—yum! A punch like that may not be the only one you serve. However, it will definitely pique your guests’ curiosity enough to try it.

If your wedding takes place in cooler weather, try a hot cider punch or a warm rum punch. Marrying in warm weather? A frosty mint julep punch or an Italian Limoncella punch would be a refreshing change. Try something out of the ordinary. Your guests will be refreshingly surprised and will appreciate your creativity.

This wedding reception planning idea was brought to you by weddingandpartynetwork.com, your number 1 source for wedding planning.

A special thanks to Catering Creations By CruLa Ro, an Athens Al caterer
who graciously let me use their strawberry punch photo.

Artistic Portraits & Photography

The thing that really gets you excited when you visit Duggan Studio is his oil painting. Darrell creates oil paintings based on portraits. That means that you can preserve your face or special moment in the same way that many of our famous ancestors did. Oil paintings last several lifetimes (when properly cared for) and are worth their weight in gold, though you’ll never pay that much with Duggan Studio. You get the same high quality oil paintings and fine art portraits from Darrell that the kings and queens of Europe used to pay top dollar for.

Unique Portraits

Duggan Studio has also mastered what few other Montgomery, Alabama photographers do. Darrell does photo restoration. This means that if you have an old photo of your great grandmother’s house or your great grandfather that you want restored to a higher quality photo, Darrell is the one to call. He will make the photos look as if they were taken yesterday instead of yesteryear.

Besides high quality fine art portraits and photo restoration, Duggan Studio also does standard studio and location photography but never in the standard fashion. Darrell goes above and beyond to make sure that your photos are exquisite representations of your memories and your moments. Once you get a taste of the high quality photos from Duggan Studio, you’ll keep Darrell’s number on speed dial for your next occasion.

In the south, we have a gift giving party called Dirty Santa. In other parts of the country it is called White Elephant party.  Whatever name you want call your party, it has the same rules and played basically the same. The only thing that changes is the name since Dirty Santa seems more appropriate during December and November than July and August. Dirty Santa is a popular party during Christmas because it gives everyone a chance to share a gift without having to take out a loan to pay for them. It is especially popular with large extended families who get together for the holidays.

Sound like something you want to do? Here’s how you do it.

Dirty Santa Party Rules

• Ask everyone to bring a gift, preferably one that either sex might like. The gifts should be wrapped without identification. Half the fun is not knowing who brought the gift.
• Set a price limit on the gift.  Most of the parties I have been to set a price of 30 bucks, but you can go as low as  5 or 10 dollars.  Include the rules and price limit with the party invitations.
• As guests arrive, pile all the gifts in a stack and have each guest pick a number out of a hat or box. (Make sure you have equal guest to presents – you might want to stash one or two extra presents in case someone forgets.)
• After everyone arrives and your ready to play, the person with the number 1 goes  first. They chooses a present from the pile and open it.
• Now the fun part, the number 2 person selects a present from the stack. After they open it, Dirty Santa can be declared and anyone who has open a gift can steal an opened gift and replace it with the gift they have in their possession. As the game goes on, any one can declare Dirty Santa and steal a present from any other guest and leave them with the gift they chose. Once you declare dirty Santa you can’t declare it again.  But someone can declare dirty Santa on you, and take the present you wanted. Each person has once chance to declare dirty Santa, after every present has be picked and each person has declared dirty Santa, the game is over.

Gag gifts are great for this Dirty Santa game.  I remember playing one year,  one of the male guest end up with tiger print teddy.  Novelty or gag gifts add some fun and laughs to this crazy party.  With Dirty Santa or a White Elephant party, you can add to the rules or mix them up and make the party idea yours. It’s a great idea for adult birthday parties, anniversary parties, family reunions, office parties and (of course) Christmas parties.

So – Merry Christmas!  Go out and plan a Dirty Santa party this year!

Banquet Catering

What is better than grandma’s apple pie on your family reunion buffet? Nothing! Except maybe an apple pie from Five Starr Catering made from grandma’s recipe. With their strong family background, they understand the importance of memories create by family recipes and the importance of adding personal touches when catering an event.  In fact, their name “Five Starr” is from the number in their family. They added the word “Services” because they know what a vital part service is in your catering experiences.

Five Starr will prepare any family recipe for your event. If you don’t have a family recipe you want to use, they have you covered. Five Starr has sample menus and ideas for you to choose from in easy to understand categories: holiday party buffets, sit-down banquets, wedding reception buffet, and company picnics. They also offer a range of rental services to spruce up the decor of your event like chair covers, china, and centerpieces. So whatever your vision is for your event, they will make it happen!

Five Starr Catering does a very wide variety of events. Anything from wedding receptions, formal banquets and corporate functions, to hog roasts and golf outings — they do it all! So if you want a catering service in Leechburg, PA where fine food, excellent service, and affordable prices all come together to make your catered event a delicious success, look no further than Five Starr Catering.

Decorations Are Like Bait

Fishing Lure

So this party must incorporate streamers into the decor.  Here is how to make fantastic party streamers using fishing line and bobbers:

Items you will need:

• 50-100 plastic fishing bobbers. These bobbers come in various colors — red and white are the most common.  Should you need a variety of colors, you can always spray paint them a different color to match your theme.
• 1 spool of fishing line (you can buy this at the same place as the bobbers)

To make the streamers, begin by determining how much line is needed to space the bobbers apart so they dangle but with enough extra line to attach to the walls or tables. To create a table streamer for a 6 foot table, you will need 7 feet of fishing line. If you want a swag effect with this streamer add another foot or two. Same principal applies if you are hanging these streamers from wall to wall or around a pole.

After you decide line length, take the bobbers and hook them to the line spacing them every 6-8” apart. When finished attach the streamer to the table using heavy duty tape or clear packing tape. Hint: Fishing lures come in many shapes, styles and colors making them a great items to decorate with. So you can do the same thing with fishing lures as the bobbers. However, you need to remove the hooks and barbs from the lures before using them in this fashion.

Party lights are another way to decorate. You can buy fishing theme lights at party supply stores. Attach these lights to some fishing nets and hang them on the walls. Use your imagination, don’t be afraid to jump right in and tackle the decorating with any and all fishing related items.

If your having the party outside or if room allows, you can always use a small boat as a table. Place a sheet of painted or decorated (use stencil to decorate) ply board over the boat.

Rig Up Some Great Food And Beverages

Use a “live well” to hold your beverages.  A live well is a tank they hold the bait or the fish after you catch them.

Fish Face Theme Cake

I suggest a menu of catfish, smoked salmon or trout which can be catered by a local company. For “fingerling” food serve shrimp dip and use oyster or goldfish crackers for the dippers. Shrimp cocktail or peel and eat shrimp are great appetizers for a fishing theme.  Your caterer may have some party platters in fish shapes. A party store is another fantastic place to find themed serving platters.

Don’t forget the sweets. Have a local bakery create a theme cake in the shape of a fish. This will give them a tasty treat and add to your decor at the same time.

Entertainment – GO Fish

Rent a Playstation or a Wii game console with the fishing game. This game is great for kids and adults. In fact, adults love this game – all the fun and no mess.

Don’t want to rent a console. Create your own fishing game. Grab some fishing rods and hook the bait (candy bars tied on with fishing line.) Now have players stand on the opposite side facing the people who are holding the rods. Cast out your bait – just far enough for your teammate to be able to eat the candy bar (no hands can be used). Whoever eats their candy bar first wins. Or can always play a rousing  game of go fish!

Using a bit of creativity along with some real fishing tackle will ensure you and your party will defiantly not be up a creek with out a paddle.

***A little side note for those in the Port Coquitlam, BC – Luscious Creations created the awesome fish face theme cake in the picture above. ***

Wedding Reception Decorations

Wedding Reception Decorations

Event designer Carol Carpentier knows how each flower can bring back a special memoryl. The smell of a rose can signal happy thoughts of times past. Maybe tiger lilies bring back the memories of ones grown in their grandmother’s garden. Carol understands the importance of these tiny details.  For these reasons, she gave up her flower shop (where she worked for some 20 years) and decided to redirect her creativity and expertise on a larger scale with event decor.

Listening to a customer’s vision of their wedding or event inspires Carol to create something uniquely personal — bringing those dreams to life beyond expectations. Extraordinary bridal bouquets, centerpieces and floral arrangements are what brides experience when they work with Carol at CC Floral Designs.

Exceptional event and wedding flowers are just one of the many essential services CC Floral Designs has to offer.  A specially tailored plan that coordinates the bride’s wedding vision with a range of styles to create the ultimate day is what wedding planning is all about. CC Floral Designs planning service does just this and more.  They are able to provide experienced event consultation services and the individual attention you need to really enhance your big day.

From coordinating a small aspect to planning the whole event, Carol and her team take the weight off your shoulders. With options like a set-up service, the stress of wedding decorations will be one less thing you need to worry about.  By using their wedding planning serivces chair covers and sash rentals are no longer a hassle. Whether a formal elegant indoor affair to a splendid outdoor garden ceremony, CC Floral Deisgns strive to make  your wedding and reception fit for the princess you are!

Celebration Advisor Reply: Some Edmonton ministers will perform marriage ceremonies in a non-church location.  I assume that you do not have a home church in Edmonton. So I would begin by checking with the local churches that are the same affiliation as your father.  If that isn’t possible, look for churches with a non-denominational classification or community church classification.  This website Relocate Canada; has a list of local churches along with links to their websites. Another option is to find a marriage commissioner who will perform a religious ceremony.

Although the commissioner does not have religious credentials, he/she can incorporate religious aspects into the ceremony.  The Alberta government has a list of marriage commissioners with contact information.

Hopefully I have given you the resources needed to find the right person to perform your wedding ceremony.  Good Luck and keep us posted on the events of your wedding.

The Celebration Advisor: Sure! Here are a few tips for a bachelor’s party that will make “The Hangover” look like a chick flick.

10.  Keep beverages on tap at all times.
Alcoholic or not, men drink and men drink a lot so keep the beverages flowing.

9. Think outside the box for entertainment.
Of course you have your scantily-clad standards, but try to provide other forms of entertainment too. Think party bands and awesome games. We’re not talking Pin The Tail On The Donkey here. Think of games that require a certain machismo to pull off. Make sure it’s macho. Make sure it’s easy to do while drinking.

8. Amp up your drinking games.
If you’re going to have alcohol at your bachelor party,  you have to play a drinking game. It’s like bachelor party etiquette: 101. Keep in mind, though, that you have to make your bachelor party the best. Amp up your games. Go frat boy on their butts with Beer Pong. You could also gather the guys in front of a chick flick and have everyone take a certain number of drinks per “girly” word like “love”, “trust,” or “relationship.” Let’s face it. That may be the only way some of the guys make it through a romantic chick movie.

7. Food, food, food!
Oh yeah. And FOOD!!! Guys only drink so much because they’re washing down all of the food that they eat. It’s simple science really. *grins* Flush out the pork rinds, pizza, and greasy finger foods with a little fluid. Always keep the food coming and the drinks flowing if you want a bachelor party that NO ONE will whine about. A simple party credo for men – “If it’s green, it’s trouble. If it’s fried, get double.”

6. No girls allowed!
Yeah, some of the more *cough* attached men will want to bring their partners, wives, girlfriends, et al. to your bachelor party. No! While it’s not as unheard of as before to have the feminine of the species running around, it’s a party pooper if you want a raucous night with the guys. Even if you don’t want it to be too outlandish, the last meeting of the “he-man woman haters club” is officially YOUR bachelor party.

5. If it can be delivered, it’s golden.
Don’t worry about having the food picked up or making a last minute beer run. If you plan on making this an all-nighter, you’re not going to want to wake up and clean up the ruins of a guys’ night out. Keep it simple by hiring a caterer to bring over the food, that is unless you have a chef among you that wants to spend his time in the kitchen instead of with the guys. If you hire a caterer (a smart move), let them what kind of spread you would like and stick to that. It’s really THAT simple.

4. Have a designated drive (if alcohol will be present).
If you plan to drink, plan on having a driver or a bunch of overnight guests. No one wants to get hurt or have a friend hurt, especially that close to the groom’s big day.

3. Keep it simple.
Guys don’t require a whole lot. Shocking, I know, but true. Most men do not want a lavish spread and a fancy party that lasts three days and requires the most expensive ball room in the city. Some guys like that (which is great—go for it!) but most just want a fun night with their Y chromosome having friends.  Work with your vendors to keep the night flowing smoothly. Don’t overthink it.

2. Keep the entertainment coming.
Don’t stick to one activity the whole night. Plan a few activities that are relatively short but entertaining at the same time. If you don’t get to all of them, fine. It’s far better than having a bunch of bored men lounging about, staring somewhat enviously at the fly on the wall’s level of entertainment.

1. Have fun!
I think this one speaks for itself.

You may also be interested in these cool ideas for bachelor parties:

Asian Inspired Bachelor Party
Fishing Themed Bachelor Party
3 Tips for Bachelor or Bachelorette Parties