Every Friday, Wedding and Party Network will be choosing a theme or color and give you inspirational photos. We want to help give you inspiration for your next event, wedding or party. So, take a look and we hope to give you a bit of inspiration when planning your wedding or party. Our inspirational board will give everyone inspiration on using balloons for party decorations! You can use balloons for so many reasons. Party decorations have never been so unique and fun!
When it comes to parties – you can't go wrong with BALLOONS! There is almost nothing you can't do with balloons. If you haven't seen already, the newest fad in fashion is balloon wedding dresses! Yes, you read that right, wedding and bridesmaid dresses made of mini inflated balloons. Practical? No, but unique and inspiring? YES! If you can't jump on the balloon-dress band wagon, you can still decorate any event with balloons to create unique and fun decor. No matter the occasion, the style, theme or time, balloons can be turned into anything your mind can imagine. So, have fun and get creative!
Are you planning a party? Do you think it's a lot of work? When planning do you follow the party etiquette rules that you've always heard people talk about? Well, you may have heard wrong. Wedding and Party Network is here to put all those party myths to rest.
Myth #1. Throwing a joint party is never successful
Wrong! You can combine birthday's, holidays, and special occasions without taking away the spotlight from the special guests. Whether it be two birthday parties at once or maybe combined baby showers, the two focal points will create a one-of-a-kind party!
Intertwine two mini themes or create one party theme that covers both occasions to celebrate with style. Depending on what you are celebrating, your menu, entertainment and activities will revolve around each special guest. Having two-party cakes is a great option or you can create a desert bar with several finger-food desserts so you will satisfy both guests of honor. Create a neutral menu to include both occasions. Say you're having a child's birthday party and an anniversary party together, the themes can be beach/mermaid theme. These two things create the same feel, yet are two separate themes.
Myth #2. If you want to throw a successful party, you have to spend a fortune!
Not so! If you are throwing a big bash, things can add up quickly leaving you with a big bill. However, with a little creativity and imagination your party can be a hit without breaking the bank.
Start by creating a budget and make sure you stick with it. It's best to leave a little elbow room in case you need any last-minute extras. Home made party decor is always the safest bet when trying to keep costs low. Dollar stores and craft stores have great inexpensive party decor that will mix well with anything home-made. Balloons are a great choice for decor when you are on a budget, they look great, take up a lot of room and don't cost much at all. Flowers are also a great way to bring class and elegance to any party. You can easily work with a florist to create simple centerpieces that will keep you in your budget. As far as your menu goes, think small finger foods or go for a potluck party where your guests will bring a dish to pass.
Myth #3. Every party has to have a theme.
A party is a party with or without a theme! Bringing friends and family together to celebrate for no reason at all is nothing short of FUN! Even if you are throwing a birthday party, it doesn't have to have a theme, just invite your friends and family over for some great bonding time. You can still have your cake, your party food and even decor, without having a theme or even a reason to party!
Myth #4. You have to invite everyone to your party, other wise you will offend people.
If you are throwing a big bash, it's easy to invite all of your friends and family to join in on the celebration. If your party is more intimate, it can be difficult to narrow down your guest list without offending certain people. Here is how to do it without offending anyone!
Start by making a list of all the people you would normally invite. Next, break down your list into three categories including,
Once you have sorted through, you will get a better estimate of how many people you are working with. Start by eliminating the last group – the people you MIGHT invite. Then, work your way up. If you get questions about why someone wasn't invited, you can mention that your party is very small and would love to invite them to the next one.
Myth #5. Creating a party menu is too much work.
We live in a time where the world is at our fingertips. Creating a party menu is as easy as 1. 2. 3. You just need to know where to begin!
If preparing your own food is out of the question, all you will need to do is a have a broad idea of the type of food you want, the date and time of your party and a list of local caterers. Party Caterers will build your menu for you without a fuss. Desserts? YES! Along with a themed cake, also incorporate delicious desserts into your menu. Professional bakers are trained with pioneering techniques and can create some mind-boggling desserts. All you need is an idea of what you want your cake or dessert to represent and your baker will do the rest.
With a little creativity and a touch of imagination your can bring your perfect party to life! Have fun and enjoy the ride as well as the destination!
This post is brought to you by Miami Party Planners.
Not in Miami, FL? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy party planning directory to help you find a party planner near you!
Quinceaneras date back to ancient times in the Aztec societies. It's an old Hispanic tradition that symbolizes the beginning of womanhood in the Latin community. Quinceaneras are an exciting moment that young girls often plan and dream about for years as they approach their 15th birthday.
Although there are several deeply rooted and meaningful traditions, there is still plenty of room for creative planning. Combine old traditions with new ones to add your own personal touch!
Quinceaneras Traditions
A Quinceanera Ceremony is preformed by the family priest during Mass. A candle is lit during the ceremony signifying reaffirmation of the baptismal vows made by her parents. By participating, the birthday girl is accepted by the Church, by God and the congregation (including her friends and family) as woman.
The First Dance Tradition is the sweetest of all. The father of the birthday girl changes her shoes from flats to high heels and then dances the first dance with his daughter. This represents him accepting the birthday girl becoming a woman.
The Quinceanera Court is a mixture of seven girls and seven boys that play a prominent role in the party. This equals 14, plus the birthday girl equals 15 which represents her age. Typically the court includes siblings, cousins and other family members. The Court will do a big dance after the father and daughter dance.
The Doll Tradition is where the birthday girl will give a porcelain doll to her younger sister, meaning that she is now leaving her childhood to her sister. It is the last toy she will have and will pass it on.
The Last Pinata is similar to the last doll tradition. Pinatas are often used at children's parties, and this being the birthday girl's last party as a child will get one last swing at a pinata.
Cutting of the cake is a fun tradition where the birthday girl will make the first cut and take the first bite of her special cake.
A toast is made by the guests at the party in honor of the special birthday girl.
Gifts will be given from family members that have symbolic meanings behind them such as,
A tiara is given to the birthday girl by her parents or god-parents.
The mother will often give a Bible, prayer-book, rosary and cross as a sign of faith to her daughter.
A ring and bracelet are given representing the circle of life.
Earings are also given to affirm that the birthday girl always listens to God.
Adding some flair!
So, now that we have gone over the traditions of the past, let's think of ways to incorporate a modern twist to show off your personality!
You party can have a distinct theme reflecting your personality without taking away from the traditional quinceanera feeling.
Here are some fun themes to consider
A Black Tie Event
A Retro Party
A Hollywood Party
A Garden Party
A Princess Party
A City Chic Party
A Beach Party
A Paris Themed Party
Between picking out your dress, cake, food and decor, this special party is a huge one and one to be excited about! Your community will have a wonderful time celebrating and experiencing a once in a life time event catered special just for you! So, remember to keep the traditions that are rooted deep in the Hispanic culture but add your own personal flair to make your party shine!
Special thank you to SariDennise and Justplainhope for the great pictures via Wikipedia and Flickr.
Every child is different and unique and wants their special day to be just as unique and special as them. Playing off your teenager's likes and characteristics will really help when planning their fabulous sweet 16 birthday party.
It takes a lot of time and organization when throwing a party. Communicate with your teen about what party theme will work best for them (and your budget!). Decide on colors, styles, music, party food and place. Working together (unless this is a surprise) will make things a lot easier!
Once you have decided on the party theme and the budget, choose a site and menu. Do you want to offer the food yourself or have the event catered? Do you want the party at your house, a local park or event hall? There are a lot of things to consider when hosting a party at your house, no matter what kind of event. Along with all the little details, focus on the party theme.
It is the most important detail and is the first step in planning a party. You choose the theme and then everything else falls into place after that.
Here are some ideas for your party!
16 Party Themes for A Super Sweet 16Birthday Party
Pool Party
Bonfire Party
Murder Mystery Party
Beach Party
Surprise Party
Bowling Party
Dance Party
Hollywood Theme Party
Spa Party
Slumber Party
Winter Wonderland
Glow In The Dark Party
Scavenger Hunt Party
Go Green Party
Totally 80's Party
Movie Night Party
What ever theme you decide on, the party will be a sure hit! You can use balloons, flowers, banners, pictures and ribbons to decorate any location to make your party stand out from the others. Just remember to have fun!
It's not an easy task to surprise your main man with a party. However, men like to be pampered too! We aren't talking spa pampered, we are talking about throwing him the great party! Featuring whatever it is he likes.
Is he a big BBQ guy? Why not throw the biggest back yard BBQ with him as the guest of honor instead of the cook!
Football fan? Decorate the place with his favorite team's memorabilia. Using the team colors as your party theme, you can create a football fantasy of a party!
Basketball? Same as with the football, find the team colors and run with it! (This works with any sport including Baseball, Hockey and Rugby)
If golf is his hobby of choice? Arrange for a miniature gold party in the backyard.
Vegas Baby! He loves to play poker – so arrange a Vegas night in your home!
Are electronics his passion? Throw a strobe light dance party with lots of fancy lights and smoke machines.
Does he love to go out and hang out with the guys? Rent a limousine to pick him and all the guys up for a night on the town!
Is he more of a kick back and relax kind of guy? Try throwing a lazy Sunday party where everyone can kick back and watch a game or movie.
Does he have the travel bug? Surprise him with a vacation, even if it is somewhere close, arrange for sight-seeing and exciting new adventures!
Create or buy a party cake designed to make him smile.
Create or hire caterers to WOW him with all of his favorite foods.
Make sure to invite his closest friends and family – even if they are not your favorites!
Trust us, if you can pull off a fun party theme for your special guy, he will be MORE than grateful!
This post is brought to you by Washington, D.C. Party Planners.
Not in Washington, D.C.? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy party planning directory to help you find a caterer near you!
Birthdays are a day to celebrate! So, you throw a birthday party, great! But, lets take it a bit farther. Lets make it a day full of surprises. Who doesn't love a little extra attention? Whether the birthday star is a child or an adult, here are some fun and exciting ways to make their birthday super special!
Fill the birthday star's room with balloons while they are sleeping! Using as many balloons as you want, create an exciting morning surprise. What a great beginning to a great birthday!
A Breakfast Fit For Royalty
Who says birthdays cakes are only for parties? You can create a cake out of breakfast foods to say good morning with style!
Create a stack of pancakes topped with whip cream and strawberries or a favorite fruit. Top it off with a candle to make their birthday sweet.
A fruit parfait makes a fun way to start the day.
Not a fan of sweets in the morning? Create an egg, sausage and cheese sandwich or muffin and top it with a candle for a finishing touch.
A fresh fruit smoothie will make a nice side with whip cream on top.
A Small Surprise
After breakfast, the birthday star will begin their daily routine. Whether it be getting ready for school, work or just preparing for the day ahead, you can plan a surprise for them before they leave. Write a special birthday poem and attach it to a small wrapped gift. Place it in their backpack, briefcase, purse or somewhere they wont be expecting it. This is sure to bring a smile and to let them know that you are thinking of them through out the day!
A Radio Dedication
Call your local radio station (one that your birthday star listens to) and ask to make a birthday shout out and dedicate their favorite song.
Send Flowers or a Birthday-Gram
Sending flowers is a great way to make your love for the birthday star known. They will love the beautiful colors and great aroma that a fresh bouquet of flowers bring. If you want to make an even bigger impression, hire someone to deliver a singing telegram! It is such a fun and unique way to surprise someone! It will get a huge reaction if it is at a place of work or school!
These are all fun and affordable ways to make someone's birthday extra special! This will be a day they will never forget!
This post is brought to you by Miami Party Decoration Suppliers.
Not in Miami, FL? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy party planning directory to help you find party decorations near you!
Whether your party is for a birthday, graduation or celebration you can turn your fantasy party into a reality with these helpful tips.
Set A Budget!
Make a list of what you will need for the party and then list realistic prices for each item. Create a limit for yourself and stick with it!
Great parties don't have to be expensive:
You can throw an impressive party without breaking the bank. Here are some tips for keeping your party affordable.
Limit your guest list: Only invite a few people – great friends make for a great party!
Make your own party invitations or call or email your guests ahead of time.
Use fresh flowers to decorate with, either from your garden or your local florist.
Make your own cake or cupcakes, or ask a creative friend to help.
Buy paper products at discount or dollar stores. Try not to use the character party decorations (Dora, Disney, Handy Manny), they are often priced higher. Go for a more creative and personalized theme.
Purchase party favors from discount, dollar stores or create your own.
Purchase a "party package": Check at your local roller skating rink, bowling alley, amusement park, zoo or community pool for party packages. These can sometimes cut costs by including, party favors, food, the cake and the entertainment!
Fabulously Creative Party Themes
For Kids
Ice Cream Sunday Party
Wild Animal Party
Circus Party
Pirate Party
Botanical Explosion - Garden Party
Butterfly Party
Super Mario Party
Lego World Party
Hello Kitty Party
Tie Dye Party
When throwing a party for kids, not having enough activities can be disastrous! Be creative and ready, planning at least five or six different games or activities will be enough entertainment for the party. Even if it is just hide and go seek with a twist of pirate style or hopscotch! Just be ready to entertain!
You want your party to be as stress free as possible. Make sure you have help; Ask other parents to help supervise the party, especially if you have several children attending.
For Adults
Cocktail Party
Fiesta Time!
Murder Mystery
Christmas in July
Tea Party
Wine Tasting Party – Yum!
Retro Party
Beach Party
Jacuzzi Party
Vintage Hawaiian Luau
Rolling 1920's
Parties are for having fun, don't forget that even though you are the host, you are still a guest at your fabulous party and you deserve to enjoy it too!
This post is brought to you by Washington, D.C. Party Planners.
Not in Washington, D.C.? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy party planning directory to help you find a caterer near you!
Day 2 of cake week is upon us and we'll be featuring delicious outdoor treats! The summer heat will be upon us soon and that means outdoor parties! When planning your summer party, keep in mind all the ideas that are out there for this time of year. Colorful and bold colors for party decorations and cool, refreshing treats are always a must for any summer themed party. However, have you fun out of great ideas for summer treats that will appease both the little ones and adults? Well, Wedding And Party Network has just the thing for you. We've picked our top 5 favorite summer desserts that will wow your guests each time!
A Pail Of Sand – Yes, a pail of sand is one of our favorite picks for summers sweet treats! If you're planning a beach themed party or just an outdoor party in general, this would be a fun idea for any age group! Plus, it not only serves as a yummy treat, but also a fun centerpiece or even party favors.
All you need is cake, pudding, crushed up graham crackers, candied shells and a sand bucket. You layer the cake with the pudding with the pudding being your last layer and then sprinkled the crushed up graham crackers on top for the sand effect. That simple, yet too cute!
Beach Cupcakes & Cake – No party is complete without the beach themed cupcakes and cake. Another simple, yet fun dessert to have at your outdoor party. Bake cupcakes in fun blue liners like your normally would and then let the icing work it's magic.
Use blue icing for the water and then ice the rest of the cupcake a tan color and then sprinkle crushed up graham crackers on top of that. You can also find candied seashells or plastic palm trees at your party store and place those on top as cupcake toppers. If you're doing a cake, you'll have more room to place other fun beach related items on top.
Summer Themed Cupcakes – Of course, you can do hamburger cupcakes, which are super fun and easy to make! However, start thinking outside the box and what fits your party theme. If you're grilling, then do cupcakes that look like real grills. Take brownie batter, bake it in black cupcake liners. Add 2 drops of black food coloring to white icing to get the color gray and pipe lines on the top of the brownie cupcakes. This will give it a grill like effect.
After the icing is dry, place candy fruit on toothpicks to make it look like a shish kabob or place the candy hot tamales on top to look like you're grilling hot dogs. You can do baseball cupcakes, ladybug or butterfly cupcakes or even corn cupcakes. A lawn mower cupcake would be great for a guy's party. Just bake the cupcake like normal, dye coconut green and sprinkle it on top. For the lawn mower, make it out of a miniature Hershey bar, brown m&m's for the tires and black licorice for the handle bar.
We All Scream For Ice Cream -This would be a great treat for the little ones, we are even featuring a how-to video as part as our cake week. You'll need ice cream cones, cake mix, icing and sprinkles to make this fun creation. Make the cake mix and pour it into the ice cream cone and bake it like your normally would in the oven.
While they're baking, prepare the icing. Use food coloring to dye it whatever colors you would like or keep it classic with white to make it look like an actual ice cream cone. Once they have cooled, begin to ice and top them off with fun sprinkles. Your guests will think they're getting an actual ice cream cone, minus the melting of the ice cream in the heat.
Flip Flop Cookies -Now these would be great for everyone! Not just the kids, but the adults will love them as well. Again, easy and fun to make! You'll need some oval-shaped cookies, visit your bakery for some recommendations, frosting, gummy candy and rope licorice.
Frost 2 cookies to make a pair of flip-flops. Cut the licorice to make the straps on the flip-flops and place them on with some icing. You can mix and match colors to match the theme of your party! These will make wonderful treats or even a great party favor or a perfect accent to a beach wedding.
These 5 summer treats will make wonderful additions to any party. When you're enjoying the outdoors, make sure you have these desserts that everyone will love. They not only will satisfy your guest's taste buds, but they'll also make great accents to the party! So, add some color and blow your guests away with these 5 summer desserts!
This post is brought to you by Richardson Party Cupcake Providers
Not in Richardson, TX? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy party planning directory to help you find party caterers near you!
This week, Wedding And Party Network is kicking off the start of cupcake week! We have tons of unique ideas that we will be talking about and showing you through our videos! Cakes and cupcakes are such a great accessory to any party of wedding. You can truly make them your own and show off your personality and theme through cakes. So, for our first day of cake week, we are going to talk all about the fun things you can do with cupcakes!
Cupcakes are such a great treat for your guests to enjoy! They're simple and easy enough to pop in your mouth as you go. Plus, you can feature them in different flavors to appease all sorts of taste buds. You can feature them in vanilla, white cake, chocolate, strawberry, banana, cherry, butter pecan and pair them with delectable icing to go along perfectly with the flavor of the cake.
Your local bakery can come up with lots of variations of cupcakes, you just need to visit them and see! Now that we've covered the basics on the fact that you can feature cupcakes in a ton of flavors paired with different icing and are a delectable bite to pop in your mouth, what can you do with them to make them your own?
Get Creative
Are you wanting to use cupcakes for your wedding? Great idea! Again, you'll have guests at your wedding that don't share the same taste buds. Therefore, you can feature many flavors for your guests to try and you'll satisfy each and every one of them. However, get creative when showing off your cupcakes. Use fun cupcake liners or toppers.
You can feature cupcake liners that have your wedding colors or party colors in it. Also, another way to incorporate the theme of your party or wedding is with cupcake toppers. You can create fun little shapes out of fondant to place on top of your wedding cupcakes, come up with cupcake toppers that feature your name and wedding date or feature beautiful edible pearls or flowers.
If you're wedding colors are pink and green, feature a strawberry cupcake with green icing and a pink cupcake topper. Maybe you're throwing a nautical themed party, so, feature a vanilla cupcake with white or blue icing and place a fun lifesaver or anchor on top! Maybe you're throwing a kid's birthday party, guy's birthday party or an outdoor BBQ, well serve up hamburger cupcakes (You can see Wedding And Party Network's how to video on hamburger cupcakes below)! A cupcake with a brownie in the middle and some red icing will make a wonderful addition to any party! There are so many ways that you will be able to incorporate the theme of your event with cupcakes!
You've got delicious tasting and creative cupcakes that represents you, now all you need to do is display them. Use a cupcake tower, set them out in a unique pattern or send them home with guests as part as a wedding or party favor. Use a round, square or a unique shaped cupcake tower to display your cupcakes on. You can decorate each tier with paper or paint to fit the theme of your event. Create a unique shape for your cupcakes.
Create a tree out of wood and place your cupcakes on that if you're having a all-natural wedding. Are you throwing a princess birthday party? Well create a large princess wand and have side tiers going up it to place princess themed cupcakes on! Again, there are so many unique ideas out there, you just have to think outside the box and get a little creative.
Cupcakes are great accents to have at any party and all you have to do is get a little creative with them, or have your local bakery. They are fun little bites that can be placed in the mouth to appease all taste buds. Come up with unique taste combination, as well as coming up with a creative design that fits your event.
April showers bring May flowers is the saying, and that definitely holds true during this month. The 4th month out of the year and one of the 4 months that has 30 days in it. April starts the season of spring weddings and parties. You can start to enjoy the outdoors more and start entertaining in your own backyard. So, are you planning a party for the month of April? Let Wedding And Party Network help give you some tips and ideas for a themed party!
The month was originally the second month of the year, before King Numa Pompilius added January and February. Therefore, it was moved back to the 4th month. Just a few tidbits that are interesting for the month of April.
Birthstone & Flowers
April's birthstone is a gorgeous diamond. Diamonds are a girl's best friend, right? A transparent crystal is a great birthstone to have! For the flower, April's is either a daisy or sweet pea. A gorgeous white daisy or pink sweet pea are great for April! Either incorporate fun diamonds into your party decorations or create centerpieces out of daisies or sweet peas to represent April.
April's Astrology
Aries, Taurus and now Pisces all represent April's horoscope signs. If you were born March 21 – April 20, your sign is an Aries. They are adventurous, energetic, courageous, enthusiastic, confident and quick-witted. However, they can also be selfish, quick-tempered and a daredevil. Taurus share birthdays from April 21 – May 21st. They are patient, reliable, warmhearted, loving and determined yet can be jealous, possessive and greedy. Lets not forget about Pisces. If you are born March 11th – April 18th in recent years, you are now a Pisces. So, what to do with information when throwing an April party? Host an astrology party!
April 2 – International Children's Book Day – Throw A Story Book Party
April 3 – Find A Rainbow Day
April 5 – National Read A Road Map Day – Take A Road Trip!
April 15 – Income Tax Day, Leonnardo Da Vinci's Birthday – Host An Art Party
April 17 – Sherlock Holme's Birthday – Throw A Murder Mystery Dinner
April 18 – Passover Begins
April 22 – Earth Day – Host A "Green" Party
April 24 – Easter
April 26 – National Pretzel Day – Make Pretzels Apart Of Your Dinner
April 29 – Arbor Day
Wow, with so many unique days in April, you're bound to find the perfect party theme! Make it a rainbow themed party, serve pretzels as part of your party food or host a gardening party! If you have a little one, host a story book party! They can dress up as their favorite characters and you can read their favorite stories to them! There are so many unique ideas for the month of April, so choose one!
