The Super Bowl is coming up on February 5, 2012. Have you already made plans to host a Super Bowl party at your house? What are you doing, just the traditional food, drinks and watching the big game on television? Why not switch it up a bit and do something a bit different? It's also fun and exciting to change things up a bit, even if it's minor. Change up your Super Bowl party with the help of Wedding and Party Network. We've got some fabulous tips that will make your party a huge hit!

Plan Accordingly – Of course, with every party, you also need to plan accordingly. How many guests are you inviting, what type of food are you serving, are you having party decorations and do you plan on having activities for everyone? The best thing to do is to sit down and write everything out. Make a list of everything. This truly makes planning easy.

Party Decor – This party doesn't need a ton of party decorations at all. Just keep it within the team's colors. Divide it half and half to be fair to all your guests, unless all of you are rooting for the same team to win. Use the colors within the table cloths, centerpieces and scatter some footballs around. Use beer mugs or football koozies for the floral arrangements, except place simple flowers. Just keep it simple.

For The Food – Since it's the beginning of the new year, a lot of people made new year's resolutions to eat healthier. So, keep this in mind when planning your party menu. Instead of doing a variety of food that really doesn't go well together, think about planning out a food theme. Go with a chili bar and serve different types of chili, even a healthier version, like turkey chili. You can include all the toppings and even some hot dogs, burgers or nacho chips.

However, you can take a different approach and host a taco night, soup night or a burger bar. This way, you don't have way too much food to satisfy everyone's appetite and your menu isn't all over the place. Focus on one or two appetizers to satisfy everyone while everything else is cooking. Don't forget, you can always find a local caterer to create your meal so you're not in the kitchen all day. They always have great ideas and it frees you up from the kitchen.

Sweets – Of course, go with the theme and have a football shaped cake or football cupcakes and cookies. Just keep in mind football and the teams that are playing. You can even set up a cute dessert table that replicates a football field and have cupcakes in the team's colors and place them on the field. Don't forget to always keep in mind how you display your food. It makes everything that much better.

Don't Forget The Drinks – Drinks are just as important as the food. Have a signature drink for the evening or even have one for each team. You can do punch, have beer tasting for the guys or margaritas if you go with the taco theme. Make sure you have drinks that pairs well with the food and display them in a fun way.

Game Day Activities – Of course, you can have games like washers, horse shoes, bean bag toss or ping-pong set up to play before the big game starts. Don't forget to have everyone pick who they think will win too, which makes a great game day activity.

The Super Bowl is a great time to get friends together and hang out all day to enjoy each other's company. It's a great time to host a party and to get creative.

When planning a birthday party or just wanting something unique that everyone will have fun with, a carnival themed party is the way to go. This party brings on the kid in everyone. Who doesn't enjoy attending a carnival? A carnival is filled with yummy foods, bright colors and games that everyone can enjoy. It's a great time to be had by all. So, this is the ideal party for anyone and Wedding and Party Network is here to give you some party tips to host this great carnival themed party.

Carnival Decor – First off, think bright and colorful for this party. Colorful balloons and banners are the key to the party decor, it's that simple. Just place them throughout the party to get the feel of a carnival. Also, if you're wanting a floral arrangement, stick with bright colors. Tell your florist the party theme and they'll know just where to start.

Party Set up -For this setup, it's great to have it outdoors. That way, you can have the big tent out back, which you may can find at a party rental store. Plus, this gives you more room to set up different areas for the kids. However, you can also do this indoors if the weather isn't fitting into your plans. Create booths from cardboard or set up different tables for face painting, games, ticket booths, rides, foods and prizes.

Party Games -Of course, this party wouldn't be complete without party activities! Bean bag toss, balloon popping, duck pond, balloon animals, prize booth, guess how many, face painting, bounce house are all great ideas for a carnival themed party. Just think about what you see when you go to a carnival. Have banners hanging up or signs displaying what each booth is for that particular game. You can find all your party supplies at your local party store, as well as the prizes.

Party Food -Ask yourself, what do you see and smell when you attend a carnival? You see candy apples, funnel cakes, corn dogs, popcorn, caramel corn and candy. Therefore, that's what your guests need to see at this party. However, display them in great ways. Get corn dog and popcorn sacks and add great touches to them, cellophane wrap with adorable ribbon for the candy apples and serve cotton candy on miniature sticks and mini funnel cakes. Don't forget about serving cupcakes or a party cake for the guests as well.

All these party ideas combined makes for a wonderful carnival themed party. The main key is to think about what you would find at a carnival. Think of the sights, smells and activities that you do. You can easily find these items at your local party store and even talk with your caterer to find some unique ways to display the food. This party is a great way to let the inner child come out of everyone.

This post is brought to you by Miami Party Stores.
Not in Miami, FL? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy party planning directory to help you find a party store near you!

With fall here, it's time to start planning all your fall parties. You have the perfect backdrop for beautiful outdoor parties now with the gorgeous colors and the amazing weather. So, what is the perfect pairing to your fall party? Of course, the delicious food you serve. Food during this time of year is simply tasteful. Wedding and Party Network has our top picks for yummy fall treats that will be a hit at your next party.

Cheese Board – The first thing you need is a great cutting board. Either choose a wooden one or they even make chalkboard cutting boards, which is  a fun way to display the cheese and tell what kind they are eating. Next, find the meat, cheese bread and cracker you would like to serve for your fall party. You can even dress up the cutting board by adding dollops of jelly and mustard around the board and garnishing it with basil leaves.

Pumpkin Cheeseball -An adorable way to display a cheeseball. Stick to your recipe and just shape it into a pumpkin and even add a stem and a basil leave on top with crackers scattered around it.

Soup – Of course, during the cooler months, the ideal food is soup. However, you may think it's difficult to eat at a party. It doesn't have to be. First off, serve it up in a pumpkin. How great is that? Next, to make it easier, serve it in mason jars where your guests can walk with it and sip on it.

Miniature Pies – Miniature pies are simply adorable and when you think of fall desserts, pies immediately come to your mind. It's the time for pecan and pumpkin pies! These are great desserts that are easy to pop in your mouth. No one wants to try and mingle while eating a piece of pie. Miniature pies can literally be popped in your mouth. You can even get more creative by putting them on a stick!

Candy Apples -Of course, when you think of fall, you think about the carnivals and festivals that you will be attending. Along with that, you'll also think about the candy apples that you get at them. Candy apples are great to have at your party and are so much fun. Create a candy apple bar that lets everyone dip it in chocolate or caramel and let them pick their toppings.

Cupcakes – These are also great to serve at any party. Create pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting or even a candy apple cupcake. Just pick your favorite fall flavors and turn it into a cupcake!

Fall is a great time for delicious appetizers and desserts. You can incorporate the fall flavors into each item. That way, your guests will get a feel of fall in each bite. Simply delicious!

This post is brought to you by Miami Party Caterers.
Not in Miami, FL? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy party planning directory to help you find a caterer near you!

A Halloween party is a great excuse for the inner-child in all of us that loves to dress up and act goofy or spooky to come out. It's way for us to escape reality for a few hours and pretend to be someone or something else. The typical Halloween party is decorated in black, orange and red, with blood splattered serving trays and black widow spiders hanging from above, and there is nothing wrong with that! However, this year we should take it up a notch and create an elegant upscale, but still fun and spooky Halloween extravaganza!

Think white, silver and a touch of bronze. Creating a fun and beautiful Halloween party is simple, especially if you have the creativity and patience to plan it out. Here are some party tips for White Halloween Decor.

• Put Ghost Peeps on lollipop sticks and display on a cake-pop tray.
• Display white jordan almonds, white dutch mints and white champagne bubble candies in white serving bowls.
• White pumpkins spread around the room look dazzling paired with silver sparkling skulls.
• White table clothes, sparkling white bat cut outs and spider webs are great for added party decor.
• Bones are white! Decorate with plastic bones,  mummies, ghosts and white chocolate covered fruit.
• White frosted cupcakes, white sparkling cookies, and sparkling white grape-juice are just right for your frightful night.
• Don't forget white spiders, white serving trays, and silver touches through out the party.

Have fun and get creative – thinking  outside the box will pay off when you see the final outcome of this fabulously frightening Halloween Treat!

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 a party decoration supplier near you!

Special thanks to Sweet.Eventide for her fantastic photo via Flickr.

Sad to say, the baseball season is almost over. Tentatively, Oct 19th is the beginning of the World Series. After that we'll begin 6 months of down time until the next season starts. So, come on all you baseball fans – let's end this season with a HOME RUN!

Here at Wedding and Party Network we have some MAJOR fans of baseball, and they just can't wait for the Series to begin – a big baseball bash is the only logical way to end the season, right!?!?

Hosting a World Series Party is as easy as 1 2 3. So, batter up!

Decorate your party space featuring the team of your choice. If you have fans of both teams, you'll have to divide the party decor to be fair. Use the colors of the preferred team. You can create an elaborate atmosphere or a simple, kick-back kind of party space with your party decorations. Choose what fits your party best!

• Memorabilia is always a great way to decorate for a sport's party, and don't forget the big foam hands! If you want to add  a touch of elegance to the decor, incorporate some fresh flower arrangements sporting the colors of choice with miniature team flags inside!

Hot Dogs – Get Your Hot Dogs Here!

As far as the party food goes, think concession stand. Hot dogs, nachos, chips and dip, over sized pretzels, candy and popcorn are all staple food for any baseball stadium. Therefore, this is your party menu. Drizzle melted chocolate or caramel over your popcorn for added flair. Sodas, punch, sports drinks and a signature drink (Yankee Doodle Spritzers) are perfect for this World Series party! Don't forget about the desert! You can special order cupcakes with your team's logo on it or a personalized team cake that will pull everything together!

Mixing and Mingling

Make sure to have adequate seating, since most of your party will take place in front of the television. You will want to set your food tables away from the seating area – as to give your guests a reason to get up and mingle a little. Snack bowls arranged close by seating will help when the munchies kick in! You can have fun activities for commercial breaks – something like baseball trivia is always fun.

Send guests home with a token to remember the party – anything from a key chain, flag, t-shirt or personalized candies with the team logos will hit the mark!

Who doesn't love a good party???

Between, great food, friends, family, entertainment, great music and lots of laughs, there isn't a better way to reconnect with the people you care about! Yes, parties can be stressful if you're the one planning them, but here at Wedding and Party Network we want to help relieve that stress by bringing you the best tips, trends, and inspiration for your top-notch party!

What's your party theme?

So, do you really need an occasion to throw a party? NO! Not really. If you can't think of a good enough excuse to throw a party, you should know that everyday of every month is actually a holiday! Somewhere in the world, someone is celebrating something fantastic! Do a little research for the day you're planning your party to get inspiration for your little shindig. (Sept. 12 is National Chocolate Milkshake Day – throw a 50's style ice cream parlor party)

Now that you have your theme or excuse to party – What do you think about decorations? Do you really need to spend the majority of your budget on party decorations? I wouldn't suggest it. Play off of the holiday or theme you have chosen and find a basic color scheme. Say your colors are coral and turquoise, use these colors in your balloons, streamers, table clothes and paper-ware. A few lanterns, banners and floral centerpieces will tie everything together. Simplicity is key! Don't go over board, your guests are there to mingle and have fun. Just keep your focus on the food and entertainment.

A good menu – equals a good party! So, once again, play off of your theme. You can reflect the color scheme in your food menu as well. Brightly colored fruits and veggies are always a hit – appetizers and finger-foods are a great choice too. It makes it easier for people to mingle and walk around with their plates and not be stuck at a table. When it comes to party food - variety is key! Not all of your guests have the same taste in food – so make sure you have different options for everyone to try. Cater to those of your guests who might be vegetarian or have food allergies by having the proper foods available.

As for desserts, you can stick with mini desserts by having small pastries, cupcakes, a candy buffet or ice cream bar. However, the party cake is what ties everything together! Your cake should incorporate the atmosphere and theme of your party all in one. After all, who doesn't love to cut into one of those big tasty, over-the-top cakes?!? Be ready for some "oooing and aaahing'!

Entertainment – Don't stress, it might seem impossible to find the PERFECT entertainment to keep everyone happy. It's really not as hard as it seems. Fun activities and games are always a good idea – it keeps people mingling and moving which keeps things entertaining. The key to good entertainment is good music! Finding the perfect music will set the tone for the entire event. A great jazz band or steel-drum band will get  people on their feet. Go over the list of guests in your head and think about what the majority of your guest list enjoys to do – then mix it with your theme and Voila!

The keys to a good PARTY are:

P. Is for Plan. Planning your party ahead of time is Key. With a good plan – you can't go wrong!

A. Is for Action. Put your party plans into action – send invitations, send reservations and shop for supplies.

R. Is for Rest. Make sure you don't over do yourself – ask for help.

T. Is for Telling. Tell everyone about your party! Your friends and family might have creative ideas perfect for your event.

Y. Is for YOU! Remember that the party is planned by you, decorated by you, and hosted by YOU. So, you need to enjoy it too!

Relax and have fun – YOU deserve it!

This post is brought to you by Miami Party Caterers.
Not in Miami, FL? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy party planning directory to help you find party caterers near you!

Yes, it's time for football! Light up those BBQ grills and get out the old pigskin because it can only mean one thing during this time of year, tailgating! This even is a great time to get together with friends and celebrate the love of football. So, Wedding and Party Network has some great tailgating tips to get everyone ready for this great season ahead!

Location & Supplies – First off, are you tailgating from home or at the game? You need to know this to know what supplies you need. If you're tailgating at home, make sure you have adequate space and a table for all the delicious food.

However, if you're tailgating at the game, you need more supplies. Tent, tables, cooking equipment, utensils, napkins, blankets and games are the essentials.The main idea is to stay organized. That makes everything easier, from setting up to cleaning up.

Tailgating Menu – This is your main focus. When people think of tailgating, they always think about the food. Therefore, blow everyone away with your delicious menu. Of course, everything needs to be easy to keep cold or warm and easy to eat. Also, stick with basics, however, display them in a creative way. Here are a few ideas for your party food to get you started.

•  Burgers – Create sliders, which are miniature burgers, and serve them on top of waffle fries with all the fixings. This is a great item to pop in your mouth that's easy to make and eat.
• Sandwich platters – Sandwiches are great items that are served hot and cold, easy to eat and satisfy everyone. You can also display them in fun ways too. Create a sandwich bar or use various breads and crackers for the sandwiches or cut the sandwich into football shapes. Straying away from what you normally use is always eye-catching.
• Dips - Dips are always a must for your tailgate. Hot or cold dips are great to serve. Serve different kinds, just whatever you like the best. Think about serving guacamole. Spread it on in a long, short dish, place sour cream in a piping bag and pipe yard lines on top of it with the yard numbers. To top it off, place crackers at the end of each side. It looks like a football field! Also, when making a cheeseball, form it into the shape of a football.
• Desserts – Get creative with your desserts. Create chocolate dipped strawberries that look like footballs, cupcakes that represent footballs or the two teams playing against each other, football cake pops, chocolate rice krispy treats shaped into footballs. The ideas are endless! Just keep in mind the team colors, who's playing and footballs!
  

  Tailgating

Clean up -Having an organized system when attending a tailgate is a must. If you can, label where everything is and have a separate bag packed for all the clean up supplies. Also, for your food, have to-go containers ready for the leftovers so you can easily pack it up and store it in your cooler. Don't forget the trash bags to pick up all your trash too!

So, get ready for football season with these easy tailgating tips that will have you ready for this season. If you are organized and get creative with your tailgate, it is sure to be a success!

This post is brought to you by Philadelphia Caterers.
Not in Philadelphia, PA? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy party planning directory to help you find a party caterer near you!

Tailgating and snack stadium photo provided by MHorama, RenoTahoe via flickr.

Gender Revealing Parties are a growing trend amidst expecting parents. Let's face it, half  the excitement of pregnancy is finding out if it is a boy or girl. So, it makes sense to celebrate the surprising news with friends and family and this party theme is a great way to let them know.

Here's how to do it:

Expecting parents typically have their gender revealing ultrasound around 20 weeks gestation. However, instead of  finding out the gender during the ultrasound, ask the technician or doctor to keep it a secret, and write it down in a sealed envelope.

The second step is to have a family member or close friend take the envelope to your local baker. The cake is dyed on the inside either pink or blue (depending on the sex of the baby).  A neutral icing is used to hide the secret inside. No one will know the surprise until the parents-to-be slice into the baby shower cake!

Party Decor

• Decorate your party space with pinks and blues, greens and yellows. Rubber ducks, diapers, pacifiers and bottles work great scattered around the food tables. Don't forget about the diaper cake!

The Food

• Serve all the expecting mom's favorite cravings – pizza, ice cream, popcorn, chips, whatever it is, include it in the menu. It's a fun way to mesh everything together. Have your party menu represent the mom-to-be.

Party Activities

• Ask your guests ahead of time to wear pink if they think you are having a girl or blue if they feel it's a boy. Those who get it right will win a door prize. Blue and pink cigars are always a hit!
• Have your guests write down their names suggestions on a poster board – each guest will rate the other names as well.
• Baby shower games will work at this party too – anything from "Guess Mommy's Cravings" to "Guess the Baby" where each guests brings their own baby picture. During the party, each guest will try to guess who each baby picture belongs to. This is always one of the funnest games at a baby shower!

The Big Moment

• When it comes time to unveil the cake – the surprise will be out and you can all celebrate together! It will be a nail-biting moment for everyone there…

Popping of champagne and clapping of hands will surely arise when the color of the cake is revealed! Door prizes and games will begin once the sex of the baby is revealed.  Your party gives friends and family great opportunity to celebrate and share in your happiness. Now that you know what you're having – it's off to the nearest shopping mall!

 

Special thank you to treyevan for the beautiful picture via Flickr.

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,

• People you NEED to invite.
• People you would LIKE to invite.
• People who you MIGHT invite.

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!

Food is such an important part of any event. Guests remember what the food tastes like at your party. Therefore, spectacular is expected. Not only is food such a staple piece, but it conveys the theme of your event, as well as a special treat to guests. So, if you're in the Madison, Wisconsin area, Upstairs Downstairs Catering is the only choice.

Passion For Food

Why is this skilled caterer the one for you? You'll find they offer catering services for all types of audiences and events, including weddings, birthday parties, picnics, anniversaries, corporate meetings and other celebrations. Their team consists of highly qualified professionals that make your event pleasurable.

You'll be blown away with their attention to detail, experience and reliability. It will all show through in their delicious event food. All meals are prepared with a passion for perfection, so you know you're receiving the best.

Traditional, Elegant Fare With A Twist

Upstairs Downstairs Catering offers absolutely divine food for any occasion. Whether you are planning a wedding, birthday or event; they give quality service with amazing event food. Of course planning a wedding is your main priority, and they make it theirs too. Their staff wants to work with you to make sure that your wedding day is picture perfect and tasteful.

Choose from Greek salad, capresi salad, bacon wrapped filet mignon, chicken marsala, cherry pork tenderloin, grilled mahi mahi, portabella ravioli and lava cakes for your sit down dinner.

However, if you want to take a different approach; you can choose from standard buffet, traditional, deluxe or executive.

If you want to keep it light and simple, pick several of their mouth-watering hors d'oeuvres. You'll find such a variety in their menu. So, if you have someone who loves beef, chicken, pork or is a vegetarian, their menu provides those options and more. Your guests will be so thankful that you chose this caterer and treated them to a divine meal.

You've found the perfect location and perfected all the details for your event, now leave the food up to Upstairs Downstairs Catering. Their close attention to detail and striving to produce appetizing food makes them a great choice for your caterer at your next event.