Most people do not associate Chicago Illinois with horses of any kind, especially horse drawn carriage rides. However, Chicago is a very progressive city that is constantly looking for new forms of entertainment and new twists on old favorites. That's where horse drawn carriage rides come in. They're a new twist on a classic favorite that many will love and many more will envy.

Chicago Weddings Without Horse Drawn Carriages? Unthinkable!

Poppycock! Hooey! Who would ever think to put down the fine tradition of hiring a horse and buggy as their wedding transportation? Horse drawn carriage rides are part of most Chicago brides' romantic fantasies. When it comes time for the wedding, go all out with a horse and carriage!

Put Pep In The Party With Horse Drawn Carriage Rides!

Laugh it up about the thought of arriving at a club-type Chicago party in a horse drawn carriage, but that's not the type of party that needs pep. They have plenty! If you are attending a formal gala, a wedding, a private dinner party or some similar affair, consider Chicago's horse drawn carriage rentals. They may not be as "fancy" as limousines but they have all of the appeal plus the added perks of freshness, originality, and individuality.

You wouldn't want to wear the same outfit as someone else so why use the same party transportation or wedding transportation? Live it up for a night with a horse and carriage ride through Chicago!

Back in the day … I know everyone cringes when they hear those four words. But, back in the day block parties were big things.  Why did they fall to the waste side?  I suspect people got busy with kids and extra activities that drove us away from our neighborhoods.

It is time to bring the neighborhood party back.  First step to a great block party is to go met your neighbors. See if any are interested in helping you plan the party.  In most cases, we all have at least one neighbor we know well and can count on to help us out.  That neighbor probably knows some of the other neighbors who would be excited to join a block party.

The day of the block party you will need a designated party area. This could be your drive way, the end of a cul-d-sac or part of the street and a couple yards. You'll need a way to block-off or mark the designated neighborhood block party area. Use paper streamers and balloons to designate where the party is.

The best way to let everyone know about the block party is by sending invitations. Send out invites that read: Join us in a get to know your neighbor party. Bring your own drinks and chairs, food will be provided along with fun.  Don't for get to put the time and the address on the invitation. You'll need to have an alternate date in case of bad weather.

I suggest getting a few huge sub sandwiches, potato salad, chips, cookies and cupcakes.  You can make all these things or your can buy them from a deli, or bakery. If several neighbors are involved in the planning , you can make it a pot luck celebration.  Don't forget to buy some inexpensive party plates, napkins and utensils.

You know back in that day, they did have some good ideas. A block party is a great old-time get-together. We all need to block out a bit of time to get to know our neighbors, after all we might gain a few friends from this party … you can never have to many friends.

It's "The City of Brotherly Love". Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is well known for being a city that celebrates closeness. Because of this, horse drawn carriage rides are especially popular in Philly because they allow a very intimate, romantic evening for couples.

Prefer snuggling up under a blanket to sitting in a crowded movie theatre? Why not move the cuddle date to a horse drawn carriage where you can quietly ride through the town under the stars? It's an unforgettable date; quite the "dear diary" moment for sure.

Philadelphia is a city steeped in wonderful history. Horse and carriages were the only way to travel across Philadelphia during the early days. While Philly has come quite a long way between then and now, it's still a fun blast to the past to rent a horse drawn carriage.

Guys:  Need A Romantic Date Idea?

Need a way to impress a date? Whether the first or the fourtieth time you've taken your sweetie around Philadelphia, rent a horse drawn carriage! You cannot top this first impression. Imagine her face as you knock politely on the door, present her with a lightly scented bouquet, then give your arm and escort her to a horse drawn carriage. Wow! What a great way to start a romantic evening!

Girls:  Want To Make Your Wedding Extra Special?

Arrive to your wedding in a horse drawn carriage if you want to ensure dropped jaws on all of your guests. Some may see this as the perfect expression of your personality (fun and unique) while others will be jealous and flabbergasted at your unique idea. Carriage rides are fun for everyone, but renting a horse drawn carriage for a Philadelphia PA wedding is something that will make your wedding extra special.

I have a lot of family near Chicago, Illinois. It's always fun to visit them because they know how to throw a rock solid party. The last time I visited was actually for a wedding of a distant cousin. Her wedding, much to my surprise, was held outdoors in a tent. Little did I know that tent rentals are kind of the thing for Chi-town!

Now I grant you that she lives in a suburb of Chicago so it was much easier to imagine a wedding held under a tent. The air was breezy and beautiful which is common in Chicago during the summer and spring. We stood out under this tent that she had rented and had a fabulous time! We danced during the reception and enjoyed some of the finest food I'd ever eaten. Her entire wedding was like a huge party only held under a tent!

She knows how involved I am with Wedding and Party Network so it seemed only natural that our conversation turned to where she got her wedding rentals (the chairs, tables, and chair covers were rented also). I was amazed by how beautiful her wedding was. When asked what her secret was, she listed off the name of a local Chicago wedding rental store. She then said that the clerks at that store, on top of hours and hours of planning, helped tremendously with her wedding planning.

"I'd never considered wedding rentals," she told me. "I'd always thought that you just bought everything but we found out that renting is much more economical and worked perfectly for us. We rented the chairs, their covers, all of the dinnerware and stuff on the table, and even the tables! As far as wedding rentals go, it may not have been the first thing on my mind but it'll be what I recommend for my friends. So when is your wedding again?"

After the laughter subsided, I knew she was right. Wedding rentals in Chicago, especially tent rentals, are GOLD. Renting is the way to go and comes highly recommended by other Chicago area brides.

For many years, the standard for a charity fundraiser has been a grand ball, but not every charity has to have a grand ball to make it a successful fundraiser.  The main key to any charity is to raise funds and/or make people aware of a need or movement.  This can be done by holding an auction for the fundraiser and having a bar-b-que or other type of food catered. Combing food, fun and an auction allows you to have a party that is not a the standard affair but one that is enjoyed by many.

Fundraising Auctions Options

There are several ways you can hold an auction.  One way is the normal bid styles auction where one bids money for an item and an auctioneer calls out bids.  The other is a silent auction; items are placed on tables and a sheet of paper with the item description is placed beside it on which the charity party goers write down their bid/price.

Standard Auction For Charity

If you choose to hold an standard auction you will need to secure items for the party goers to bid on.  You can ask businesses and individuals to donate items for the charity fundraising auction.  You will also need to rent tables to display the auction items, a podium for the auctioneer, and a sound system (microphone and speakers).

Silent Auction For Charity

As with the standard auction you'll need items to auction off.  You'll also need tables to display the items, as well as paper that has the description of the item, and pens so the party goers can write down their bids.  You can buy nice stationary paper and pens at gift/stationary stores.

Combing The Two Auctions

The best of both worlds can be had by combing both styles of auctions.  Add in a some food and make it a banquet as well as a charity auction and you have a party that is gonna appeal to many. You can hire party caterers for the food. If you'd like you can also hire bartenders if you plan on serving cocktails.

Whichever style of auction you choose, you'll be able to have a great party and make money for your charity. I recommend selling tickets to the event that includes the price of dinner as well as drinks. But have a cash bar if you plan on serving cocktails.

When someone retires, it is a great time for an office party.  However as with all parties, it requires organization and planning. Of course, the focus of the party should be on the life and work of the retiree which can be tricky. So how do you throw a great retirement party for some one you only know as a co-worker?

Simple get their family involved.  Ask their family to share the hobbies, favorite color, food, and drink of the retiree. Get those questions answered then run with it. If you’re having the parties at work, decorate the party area with balloons, streamers and table cloths in their favorite color or colors.  It also a nice touches to have a "Happy Retirement" banner made.  If you’re having a quick retirement party, you can serve cake and ice cream with water, soda, and juice for the drinks and food. If you found out the retiree's hobby is golfing then purchase napkins with a golf theme.

To do a more formal dinner party, you can book a room at restaurant. For larger parties with entertainment,  rent a party hall and hire caterers. as for decorations, skip the streamers and balloons instead use candles and flower arrangements. Keep table cloths in basic black or white and use flowers in the favorite color of the retiree. If this party is for multiple retirees, go with company colors in the table flower arrangements. That way you'll offend no one by leaving out their favorite color.

Being in charge of the office retirement parties isn’t really a difficult task when you ask the right questions and follow key party principles.

Your primary goal when planning for a children's birthday party is to make sure the birthday child feels special. Your secondary goal is to ensure that everyone has a good time at the party. The entertainment part of a children's birthday party is a very important part! You want to be sure that the entertainment you have planned is well thought out.

Let's start off with a little entertainment that doesn't take a lot of work to get planned. Children usually have a large imagination and just about anything will get their attention. The number one thing to add festivity to the air of a birthday party is music. Play kid-friendly songs, or have a musical DVD playing on a TV in the main party room. Besides the music , children's party activities always make a party a lot more fun for every child.

Here's a simple idea that doesn't cost much to do. You could set up a game room inside your home, or even outdoors. This game room could be arranged with a variety of homemade games that cost very little to do. You could then provide each child that completed or won the game with a "prize". This could be anything from candy bars to glow sticks, whatever you think would be fun for any child. A couple of homemade games you could set up are soda bottle bowling, or even mining for jewels. Sounds fun!

Need bigger entertainment ideas? One major hit at most children's parties is to book an entertainer. This could be a standard clown or magician. To change things up a bit, you could even book "character entertainers" who come as popular TV, movie, or story book characters. But before making your decision to hire an entertainer, you need to be sure of a couple of things. Try to see them in action performing before the party to determine if they are the right entertainer for your child's party. Another thing is to be sure and let your entertainer know ahead of time if your child is shy. This would prevent the entertainer from asking your child to participate in the show, if you know that's not what your child would have in mind.

Another entertainment idea that any child is for sure to enjoy is to rent out a "bounce gym" or also known as a bouncer. Kids love them! These bouncers usually tend to cost $150+ per day including delivery and setup. They also come in lots of fun themes. Not only do kids love them but these bounce gyms are even actually good for their bodies. They have fun while doing a little exercise. Talk about two for the price of one!

Regardless of which of these entertaintment ideas you use, your birthday party is sure to be well entertained. Just make sure to have back up plans in case one of your entertainment ideas ends up not being possible. Which is why planning ahead of time is always a good first choice!

Most of the time it's easy for the person throwing a baby shower or wedding shower to run around like a chicken with their head cut off. After all, there's tons to do in preparation! Truth be told, that's probably why you're reading this blog in the first place. That's awesome because this checklist will make your life a little easier.

If you're like me, you could double check or check 50 times and you'd still forget something. It doesn't matter if it's a hotel stay or planning a party, I'm going to forget something. That's why these checklists help me and this one will help you! When planning a baby shower or a wedding shower, don't forget this essential checklist!

Things To Remember When Planning A Baby or Wedding Shower

• The party food is essential!!! Who doesn't want to at least snack at a shower? Hor d'ouevres are great. Finger foods are fine. Don't feel like taking on the hassle of food preparation for a large group? Hire a party caterer. They have to be good at it. It's what they do! Plus it saves you a lot of time. Party caterers are a win-win here.
• Don't forget the photographer or videographer! Whether it's Suzie Q with a digital camera or you hire an actual party photographer, don't forget the person that will preserve these memories forever. Besides, "toilet paper bridal gown" just isn't as funny in stories.
• Remember the party decorations! I know. It seems silly that the host would forget something as huge as decorations but you never know. Do you have the streamers? Are the tablecloths ready? How about napkins, drinking and eating utensils, balloons, trash bags a plenty? Trust me, it's too easy to forget at least one of these things. If you go to a party supply store, let the clerk know exactly what you're planning. They'll make sure you get everything you need!
• Remember to get rid of the guys! Or the girls. The same rules apply for bachelor parties and bachelorette parties. While there are exceptions to the rule, many of these parties are typically not mixed-company events. Some are. Just remember to give them plenty of time to plan an alternate location if you want it to be a girls-only party.
• Remember the music! Throwing a bridal shower? Get the couples' favorite music on a mixed cd and have a ball. Throwing a baby shower? Classical music in the background is a great addition. Whatever your tastes, whatever suits the occasion–don't forget the musical entertainment!!!
• Remember the party invitations! By now the invitations are probably already in the mail or on the guests' doorsteps. If you're still early on in the planning stages, don't forget the party invitations! Be as kitschy or as elegant as you want. Just make sure to have fun!

Ready to have a great time? Just print out this shower checklist and have fun at your party!! Don't forget to return to the Celebration Advisor and let us know how everything went.

Sometimes we just can't afford to have a dog and pony show party for our children. Yet, we still want them to have a special party.  Throwing a party for your child can be done frugally and still filled with with fun. Inexpensive treats such as popcorn and movie rentals are just the ticket.

Your thinking popcorn is not a party theme. A party revolving around popcorn is boring. Not so! Popcorn can be a fun party activity, a great party theme and a hectic of a good time.  You can pop your own and make popcorn balls or pop up a big batch of plain popcorn and set up a table with "fixings" for the popcorn. You can even rent a popcorn machine that looks like an old popcorn cart.

How To Make A Popcorn Party Exciting

Create a special popcorn table with all the "fixings". Your "fixings" table should have some sweet items, sour items, flavored salt and cheese toppings. Sweet popcorn fixings are items like raisins, M&M's, peanut butter chips, gummy bears, anything sweet and chewy.  Sour items such as mustard, sour patch candies and pickles will add interest to popcorn.  Flavored salts or cheese need to be shakable. Black pepper, garlic salt, shakable cheese and special popcorn salts that come in a variety of flavors will satisfy and intrigue many palates. All of these toppings will create a Yummy treat!

You can put the popcorn in paper coffee filters and allow each child to mix up his/her own popcorn. Now you have both a treat and a great party activity (you get a twofer with this one). Kids will mix all kinds of things like mustard and gummy bears and dare each other to eat their creations. What could be more entertaining. Kids will love it because they get to make decisions. Kids like to feel important.

What goes better with popcorn than a movie. Movie rentals are inexpensive and a convenient way to take the party up a notch. Need a bigger screen? One thing you might look at is renting a projection screen. One day projection screen rentals can be very inexpensive and it certainly gives the kids the feeling of a movie theater with out the cost of the movie tickets.

Ask The Celebration Advisor: I am looking for a recreation center or facility/room to have a 50th birthday party for my mother. I am having a hard time finding a room that we can rent and bring in cake and dessert buffet. I am open to any suggestions that aren't restuarants (since it is just a dessert party) unless they only serve dessert and that are inside (not a pavilion). We are expecting 40-50 people and hope the facility has tables and chairs. I was able to find this at White Rock Lake; however my date was already booked. We are needing June 20th. Thank you in advance for your help! ~~TN

The Celebration Advisor: Good question, TN! Before I name off places you've probably already tried, I have a few ideas for the types of reception locations and party venues that fit your needs. You've said the party location that you will select needs to provide tables and chairs, seat 40-50 people, and let you bring in your own desserts. Based on that information, here are a few types of reception locations that I recommend.

• Churches often have a fellowship hall that will seat many people and are already equipped with chairs and tables. Large churches tend to rent these places for a small fee while smaller churches often opt to provide their fellowship halls for church members only. It never hurts to ask local Dallas churches if they would be willing to allow you to host your mother's 50th birthday party there!
• Community centers usually have rooms that members of the community can rent for their occasions. Depending on the size of the center and their policies, most provide chairs and tables or charge a very small additional fee for their use.
• Libraries may seem a bit off the wall but libraries in large towns often have small rooms where receptions and parties can be hosted. For the size of your guest list, I recommend a very large library!
• Banquet halls are an obvious choice and fill up quickly. Banquet halls in Dallas Texas often book a few months in advance. However, ask if you can be put on the cancellation list or find out if there have been any cancellations. Though finding an available banquet hall during wedding season may be a bit of a stretch, it never hurts to ask. Plus, the person you speak with may be able to recommend another venue for your party if they are not able to provide a reception location.

I hope these ideas help! I'm sure your mother's 50th birthday party will be a huge success! All of the places mentioned above allow food and beverages to be brought in which means your dessert buffet is right on track. Your mother will love being surrounded by 40-50 of her best friends, great party foods, and the best party planner in Dallas — you! Thanks again for your question, TN! Don't forget to return to Wedding And Party Network with some of your party pictures. We look forward to seeing the fun in progress!