Celebration Advisor - Wedding and Party Network Blog » Party Ideas

And The Winner Is: A Country Music Awards Party!

Leigh Morrisett — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:00:55 +0000

Planning a party for your tween or teen? Is a country music an everyday necessity for them? Well then it looks like you need a to throw a Country Music Awards party.

Setting The Party Stage

Set up the front walk way of your party event location with a red carpet. Do this by buying inexpensive red craft paper in rolls. This will help you create the "red carpet" for an awesome kid’s party.

Every awards event has a red carpet photo op including paparazzi. You can hire a photographer or play the part of the paparazzi yourself. As kids arrive at the party make sure they walk the red carpet. If you hire a professional photographer make sure the teens shot for the country music star interview and photo experience.

This country music bash doesn't end with the red carpet. Tweens and teens will need the whole country music award atmosphere. Party decorations must include glitter stars, balloons, fan banners and a glitzy food table with floral sheeting. Add a country music band or DJ emcee with country music karaoke and you have the makings of a fine country music hall. Take it to the next level by renting a dance floor. A the band plays or even during karaoke the kids will want to dance. So, checking into renting dance flooring.

Award Them With A Country Feast

This party is more about dressing up and walking the red carpet. A fun night partying requires a fair amount of fuel. Grab and run is the food of choice - chips and dips, granola bars, sodas and bottled water. To add a little WOW factor to the party get a country music theme cake and it the focal point of the food table.

Since the food and beverages are simple and relatively inexpensive, you'll have more money and time to invest in the party decorations. Be sure to make this party just as glitzy and great as the awards show.

And The Winner IS

All who attend this party! Give every person who attends an award – their own party favor or favors. Create a goody bag for each tween or teen with an inexpensive cowboy hat, sunglasses and tiny chocolate cowboy boots. To really make it memorable have some party glasses engraved with the date ad theme of the party.

With a little planning your tweens/teens next party will be a winner!

This party theme planning idea was brought to you by www.weddingandpartynetwork.com.

What You Need "Reel" In A Great Theme Party

Leigh Morrisett — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:54:58 +0000

In my post Reeling in a Great Bachelor Party, I suggest a fun-filled bachelor party can revolve around a fishing theme. A few suggestions may have been cast here and there, but a real "how to" was not offered. Here are implementable tips for decorating, food and entertainment to create a fishing theme party.

Decorations Are Like Bait

Fishing Lure

Just like a fisherman knows which lure will attract which fish, you need to know what will put your guests in a fishing mood. A tackle box is a good place to get ideas. Lures, bobbers, nets, and hooks are all things that dangle and so must your decorations.

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

Make a "live well" by painting fish stencils on new Styrofoam “minnow” buckets. Then place ice and beverages in these cleverly decorate buckets. Shazam! You now have a beverage "live well" for you fishermen. Don't forget to purchase fish themed drink koozies. You know the ones that look like bass, trout or catfish. These koozies are great as decorations, as well as drink holders and party favors.

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. ***

Reeling In A Great Bachelor Party

Leigh Morrisett — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:12:12 +0000

So the groom isn’t into the standard bachelor party of going to a bar with the guys. But, the groom is all about fishing. Make fishing your theme for your bachelor party.

Pick The Right "Fishing" Location

If you’re lucky enough to live in area where fishing is prevalent, rent a cabin and decorate it to the rafters with all types of fishing theme items. If you can't rent a cabin or a lodge, you can always use your home. Wherever you choose to hold this bachelor party, it can be transformed into a honey-hole.

Lure Them With Party Decorations

Colored bobblers found at any tackle store are the foundation for this bachelor party decor. With a little fishing line you can use the bobblers to make awesome streamers. To create the ultimate fishing atmosphere, beg, borrow and buy any type of fishing theme item you can find and deck the place out completely. Don't forget to buy a few inexpensive tackle boxes to decorate with or use as serving pieces. You can hang lures and lights from fishing nets to create a fantastic back-drop for the party. As a final decoration pick up some fishing theme napkins, maybe ones that have fishing lingo on them for fun.

Food and Drinks: Serving The Catch Of The Day

“Fingerling” foods will make this a record book party. Catfish fillets, fries, hushpuppies and all the "fixins" make an tasty treat for this bachelor party. If the frying pan isn't your thing have a local caterer prepare the meal for you.

Want a more casual bachelor food atmosphere? Clean out those tackle boxes and fill them with chip and dip. Serve your own version of a jig-n-pigs (fishing lures) sandwich – a little fried bologna, ham, or other cold cuts with a variety of cheeses. Add in a little beer, wine, soda or mixed drinks and you won't need a lure to get them to the buffet table. For a fun twist to the evening, everytime someone gets a drink make them sing a song that uses the word "live well" (a fishing term).

A bachelor party should be all about having fun. Theme parties are all about creating fun around a theme. So playing up a theme based on the groom's fishing passion it will net you a great bachelor party.

This bachelor party planning idea was brought to you by weddingandpartynetwork.com.

Dads, You Can Build An Awesome Party For Kids

Leigh Morrisett — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:50:39 +0000

Dad's do you feel left out when it comes to planning a party for your child?

You are not alone. Many times, Dads feel left out when it comes to planning kids parties. What they don't realize is moms are tired of planning every party for their child. This year try reversing the roles. Dads let the moms sit back and watch as you do it all.

Dads don't panic you can plan it. Yes you can. For dads looking for children's party ideas, I've got four easy steps to building a great party. Use the following steps as the building blocks in constructing a great kids party.

STEP 1 – Party Theme

Start with a theme (a concept for the party – pirates, star wars etc.) which help focus the other basics steps and guide us in planning the party. For our example, the party will have a construction theme.

A construction party consists of the parents helping the party attendees to build an item. You can choose to build any number of things. For children ages 3-5, build a truck or a car with construction paper. Using pre-cut paper trucks and cars have the children color and draw in wheels or special features. You can cut cars and trucks from your old car magazines and let the kids glue them to old milk cartons as a way to build their own car. For kids 6-10, build bird houses out of Popsicle sticks. All you need are popsicle sticks, glue and some craft paint. You can buy bulk popsicle sticks at most craft stores. These are just a couple of theme suggestions. When choosing a theme draw from your own and your child's interest.

STEP 2 – Party Invitations

Invitations should include a minimum of four things: Who, What, Where, When.

Begin by setting the date and the place. Once you've got that you can decide about whom to invite. Most experts say for children 3-5 invite their age plus 1. So, if your child is 3 invite four, 4 invite 5, 5 invite 6. With children 6 and over you can use the rules given or invite the amount of kids you feel comfortable entertaining.

Invitations should be personally delivered or mailed at least 2 weeks prior to the event. I also suggest picking an invitation that displays the theme. For our example it needs to be something that represents a construction theme. Hanny Manny invitations would be a good example of a construction theme or even ones that have Tonka Toy backhoes or dirt movers on them. You should be able to find kids theme invitations at party or stationary supply stores.

STEP 3 Party Decorations:

When choosing decorations work from your theme. You'll notice that when you were choosing your invitations the party store carried theme decoration as well. You will find that items like napkins, posters, plates, cups and other theme party decorations will compliment the Hanny Manny or Bob the Builder invitations you have already selected. If you can't find character or decorations based on your theme, use colorful streamers or balloons to dress up your party area. Although not necessarily a decoration, party favors are a must. Now is the time you will want to pick up the party favors. The best kids party favor is a small gift bag containing candy, toys or fun items for each child.

Step 4 Party Food:

A little food goes a long way with kids since most kids 3 to 10 years old would rather play than eat. I recommend with younger kids in this age group you serve cake and ice cream only. But the cake should be specially designed around the theme. As for drinks, I suggest bottle of soda and water or juice boxes. Be sure to contact your bakery one week ahead, so they can create your party theme cake.

So there you have it dads. A blueprint for building the perfect kids party. Go out and build one today!

These tips for planning a kids party were brought to you by the wonderful local party vendors in the United States and Canada.

Halloween Party Ideas For A Frightfully Fun Night

Brynn Jackson — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 12:00:15 +0000

Though it's more than a month away, now is the perfect time to plan your Halloween party. This is one time when it's ok to have cobwebs on the brain because you're going to throw a spooky, delightfully fun Halloween party. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Plan Your Halloween Party Invitations And Music With Theme In Mind

Lighthearted Halloween Party

You'll want to find Halloween party invitations with a unique design on them. Depending on the expectations of your Fright Night, your party may want a more subtle, fall oriented invitation or may require something more thematic and spooky. Choose the one that's right for you and being filling out the information necessary to send them to each guest.

Another thing to think about is the music at your party. Of course, there are bound to be classic hits like "Monster Mash" if you're throwing a jovial party, but consider going outside of the box a bit and selecting slightly more eerie music. Visit your local music store and ask for help selecting music for your Halloween party. Don't be surprised to find a range of creepy music and silly tunes to fit the theme of your party.

Planning Your Party Decorations

Scary Halloween Party Decorations

For a Halloween party to really go smoothly, you'll also want to make sure that you have unique decorations. Again, the level of intrigue in your party theme is very crucial to planning your party.

If you're going for a very scary evening, plan decorations that excite feelings of uneasiness, creepiness, dark and dreary evenings. If your Halloween party is just an excuse to hang out and have fun, go with more traditional Halloween party decorations.

Traditional Halloween party decorations usually include party supplies that feature pumpkins, cartoonish witches, ghosts, vampires and other creatures of the night. Think orange and brown with a spice of black when picking out your streamers, napkins, plates, cups, and even the color of your lightbulbs. Hey, ambiance is everything at a Halloween party.

Scare The Dickens Out Of Your Halloween Guests — Or Not

Halloween Party Eyeball Cheese Balls

More scary Halloween party decorations usually include a bit more planning. These are the same party supplies but with a more adult and dark theme. More blacks, blood reds, some whites, and a mix of other dark and light colors with a theme.

Black, red, white and silver go splendidly together though black and red would be the dominant colors at a scary Halloween party.

Use creativity when picking out these decorations. A fake eyeball in the punch is funny, but you're going to have to up your game here. Try ideas like these.

Any frightening creature that can be remote controlled to act robotic and sound scary is great. Think of fake spiders that actually move, creatures with motion sensors so that they make a scary sound when guests walk by, and other almost-alive decorations.
Keep the colors dark if you want a scary party. Though it doesn't have to be pitch black, a little fear of what looms in the darkness sets up the night perfectly.
Arrange a scary moment like the lights flickering or going off. Your guests will think it's normal or part of the prank if you do it once. The second time it happens–not so much. This is a wonderful time to play a game of "Mystery Killer" but make sure that guests are in on it by putting it on the invitation. If you skip this part, just let them know during the game that it's all for fun.
Have a scary movie playing in one room or sit guests down to watch the movie. For adults, this is a fun time to play a little creative drinking game. Have guests swig a drink of a bloody mary, a blood-red punch, or the beverage of their choice every time a character casually forgets to "see it coming". I'm sure your guests can think of other fun twists on the game.
The sound of chainsaws is instantly grating and frightening if you're in the dark. Work one in and watch a few guests shiver.

Scary Halloween Party Decorations

Your Halloween party is sure to be a thrilling evening. You know your guests well so tap into what drives them and what frightens them. If your aim is to thrill and chill them, tread lightly but be slightly terrifying. After all, it's expected of a Halloween party.

If your aim is to razzle and dazzle them but not to send anyone home scared to sleep, perk up your decorations and think of fall colors. Either way, your Halloween party will be a smash thanks to your clever party planning!

Need A Party Idea? Try A Charity Party!

Leigh Morrisett — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 19:00:25 +0000

Sometimes you want to throw a party, but you also want to do something to help out a good cause. So by all means do both!. Throw a Charity Party! It will be a fun event for friends and a big help for a good cause.

How does a charity party work? Choose your charity and go from there. For example, my pet charities are PAWS (our local animal rescue group) and The Children's Home (a home for neglected & troubled children). Once you decide which charity, comply a guest list, a party theme and what you want to contribute to the charity. Your contribution could be items from a food or clothing drive or to raise money.

The Children's home is in constant need of clothes, toys and household supplies. The goal of the Children's Home party would be to collect these items. At this charity party, everything would revolve around the party theme kids. All the decorations would reflect children. For decorations, I would choose bright primary colors for my streamers and tableware. The focal point of the party would be a kid's theme cake like Sesame Street™. On the invitations, I would ask that guests to bring a donation of clothing, toys or household supply for The Children's Home.

The same basic principles will apply to a charity party for PAWS. An animal rescue charity party can easily be decorated using dog biscuits that are strung together on fish line. Serve the food like dips for vegetables and chips in new clean dog and cat bowls. Serve dog bone theme cookies made by a local bakery as the sweets for the party. Send out invitations that tell why and what the name of charity is and ask guests to contribute by bringing items the charity needs: dog food, cat food, cat liter, ect. The bowls used for the dips can be given to the animal rescue as well.

Charity parties can be extravagant or causal, for large groups or small. They can help celebrate birthdays or just for the fun of it. But, one thing to keep in mind is to have a good time while you help a good cause.

Asian Inspired Bachelor Party

Leigh Morrisett — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:10:05 +0000

Some bachelors do not want a typical bachelor party; they want a more subdued party. My suggestion is something along the line of an Asian inspired party.

Food: All Asian and all yummy. I suggest going with Chinese food because most people are familiar with this type of Asian food as opposed to Thai, or Korean. But by all means if you want to go full Asian, select a few dishes from each style of Asian cuisine. Chinese food ideas are: pot stickers, fired rice, Mongolian beef, and so forth.

Decorations: Decorate with red: red balloons, red table cloths, red plates. Everything in red. Add in a few dragon symbols and posters and if you can find some swords. (All men love weaponry right? These can be for play (kids swords) if things get a bit wild, or they can be real swords (just for decoration.)

Entertainment: Rent some kung fu fight movies or even some Godzilla movies.

Drinks: Buy some Asian beer and sake and set up a drink sampling area where the bachelor party goers can sample the different beers and wines of Asian countries. You'll also need some non-alcoholic drinks as well such as green tea (oolong teas will do just fine) plus some sodas and water.

Dessert: Fortune cookies of course. I suggest making your own or employing a bakery shop do make some but insert your own fortunes. Typing up the little fortunes makes them more personal. Suggestions for fortunes: "You will have a wedding in your future", "Happiness is love", and anything you can think of that will add a personal touch will be great.

And to end this great bachelor party, give the bachelor a matching set of kimonos, one for him and one for his bride to be. This is a fun but non-traditional more subdued party that all can enjoy.

Get to Know Your Neighbors Party – Host A BLOCK PARTY

Leigh Morrisett — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:32:43 +0000

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.

Summer Pool Party Ideas!

Crystal Perez — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:15:11 +0000

Summer is finally here! School's out and it's time for a vacation! You probably wont get to see your friends much, so what better way to catch up on things and have a good time than by throwing a summer pool party! It's time to do some planning and make a few phone calls.

When it comes to summer, the main thing most teens focus on is going to shop for that perfect swimsuit. With that in mind, what better reason to throw the ultimate summer pool party? Who doesn't think about going to the tropics for a summer vacation getaway? How about creating your own tropical paradise at home!

Decorations- Here comes the most fun part to throwing any party. Being a tropical paradise theme you want to think outside of the box to make this a very memorable summer party. Let's begin with the back yard, since it is a major part of this party. Putting up a couple of inflatable palm trees around the pool area would definitely give the party a more tropical feel. Setting up 2 or 3 picnic tables around the yard could be used for eating, or even to set some exotic tropical centerpieces on top. This party is more than likely to last through the night. A creative, inexpensive idea would be to buy a few mini beach bucket tea light holders. Setting these throughout the pool area or the backyard would definitely lighten up the place. Now for the pool, just throwing in a few beach balls and a few pool rings would do the trick.

Entertainment- To help your guests work up an appetite for delicious tropical party foods, the right party games and activities are necessary. Here are some ideas that might interest you and be fun for your friends too.

Music- Playing reggae music, beach songs, or the songs you know your friends like would be perfect for this tropical party.
Limbo Contest- Who doesn't love to limbo? Having a limbo contest would keep the fun times going.
Beach Games- Some beach games to include could be volleyball or even water fights.

These are all activities your friends are sure to enjoy.

Food- Of course, no party is complete with out a delicious food menu. This being a tropical paradise party, exotic foods is what comes to mind.You could start off by giving an appetizer, some sizzling chicken skewers, this would only get them ready for whats coming next. A very exotic main dish idea would be to cook a pan-grilled salmon with pineapple salsa. How much more exotic can it get! Finally, for dessert cooking up a key lime pie will leave your friends full, but satisfied.

Voila! You have thrown an unforgettable pool party. Your friends had a blast and are sure to be waiting for another one. Be thinking on how to throw your next summer party, and by the looks of it, it's sure to come soon!

Graduation Party Time Hawaiian Style

Crystal Perez — Mon, 18 May 2009 13:04:08 +0000

Graduation Party

It's finally your senior year of high school, the year every student waits for. Of course its obvious to know why, after 12 years of being in school, this is finally the last year! How exiting! Preparing for graduation can be a long yet exciting process. What better way to top of this moment, than by throwing your graduating friend a graduation party. It's time for party planning!

Theme- Having a themed party always makes the atmosphere a lot more fun. A very popular theme used for many parties is a Hawaiian theme! Hawaiian colors are bright and tend to make people think of either the beach or a Hawaiian shirt. It's your decision whether you want the party indoors or outdoors. Personally, I d prefer an outdoors party. Having a party outdoors gives you a lot more space. Meaning more room to PARTY!

Decorations- Decorating is one of the best parts when it comes to planning and throwing a party. The decorations are one of the first things your guests will notice. Think about making them really stand out! Try using different outstanding bright colors (neon orange, baby blue, lime green, etc.). One idea that is easy and fun to set-up up would be some colorful beach chairs and even a few lit-up tiki torches. Another decorative idea would be to go to your local party store and shop for a few party supplies. You could include Hawaiian-colored plates, cups, napkins, etc.

Hawaiian Style Food

Food- Yummy, here comes the best part! An easy cooking idea that everyone is sure to enjoy would be to have a grill-out. Grilling out some buttered shrimp, Hawaiian flank stake, or Hawaiian grilled chicken and having a fresh Hawaiian salad as a side dish would be a delicious idea. To drink making a homemade Hawaiian fruit punch would be very fruity and delicious. A tasty suggestion for dessert would be to have a large platter of mixed mouthwatering fruits like strawberries, cantaloupe, pineapple, etc. After all, the pineapple is one of the most common fruits found on the island. But if you really want to sweeten things up a bit, a coconut cake would definitely be the icing on the cake for your overall meal.

Music- Since this is a graduation party, you're more likely to have many people there with different tastes in music. What better way to please everyone than to get a DJ to entertain the party. A DJ is definitely a great choice, since they usually have a wide variety of music choices to play. This way everyone gets to dance out to their favorite music thought the party. The fun will never stop.

This graduation party is to celebrate for a couple of reasons. One, to throw them a party and congratulate them for getting this far. And two, to celebrate for this chapter they have completed in their life, and the start of a new chapter that's about to begin. Not only will they appreciate the party you threw for them, but this is sure to be a memory they will never forget!