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Archives for May 2012

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Top Picks For Father's Day Gifts

This year, Father's Day is on June 17th. So, have you started planning on what to get your fathers? They can be pretty tricky to buy for because they simply buy everything they actually want or they have no interest in anything. However, you have to get them something to show them how much you truly are appreciative of them. Wedding and Party Network has a few tips and ideas on what you can get your father for Father's Day that he'll absolutely love.

Yummy Chocolate
Unique Chocolates – What father doesn't love getting delicious chocolates? Of course, you can never go wrong with just the regular box full of chocolates. However, why not switch it up a bit with some unique chocolate like sea salt chocolate, chilli infused chocolate or even bacon flavored chocolate. It will truly be something unique and different.

Become A Member – There are various clubs out there like chocolate of the month club or dinner of the month club where they send you something unique each month. So, find one that fits his own personal style. There are BBQ sauces of the month, beer of the month clubs, bacon club, cigar club, movie club, lobster club and even a hot sauce club. This will be something that your dad will look forward to each month.

Membership – Has your dad been wanting to join a health club or even a golf club? Why not get him a membership for a year or even just a 3 or 6 month trial basis to see if he'll enjoy it. Every time he goes he'll think of you and be truly appreciative. It's a wonderful gift that he can use every single day.

Plan A Trip – You probably don't get enough quality time with you father. So, plan a special trip for just you and him. It can be a fun roadtrip to your favorite place where you used to go as a child or try something new and different together. Wherever you go, it will definitely be a special and memorable trip.

These are four special Father's Day gifts that your dad will absolutely love. Honestly, any gift from you will be special. However, these will be extra special that he'll love and can truly enjoy.

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

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Top 5 Best Picnic Foods

The sun is shining brightly, the weather is warm and you are looking for something wonderful to do on a Saturday afternoon. However, what do you want to do in this beautiful weather? Well, only one thing comes to mind and it's a picnic with your family. This is a wonderful time to head out to the park and spend quality time with everyone. The main thing that comes to mind when planning a picnic is what do I pack. So, Wedding and Party Network has our top 5 best picnic foods to pack.

Delicious Sandwiches
First off, when packing for your picnic, remember that the foods needs to be easy to transport, the recipes should be simple to prepare and your picnic food needs to be fresh, simple and fun that's infused with seasonal flavors.

1. Drink it up. Create a unique drink to carry with you to your picnic. Of course, stick with the basics like water, lemonade or soda. However, mix it up a bit with a refreshing punch or sangria. Try a punch recipe with some refreshing fruits that will quench your thirst. This is definitely appealing since it can be made a day or so ahead of time and really the longer it sits the better so the flavors have time to combine.

2. A refreshing salad. No picnic is complete without a salad. There are so many salads that you can fix and all are simple to create. You can go with a potato salad, dill potato salad, German potato salad, Asian inspired salad, Caesar salad or even create little salad singles. For a no plate, eat with your hand salad, use a leaf of lettuce and wrap the toppings inside, like a lettuce wrap. Simple to make and easy to transport with various ways to prepare.

3. Finger sandwiches are a given. Sandwiches are so simple to create and can be prepared several ways. You can either bring a variety of bread, meats, cheeses and condiments so everyone can create their own sandwich or you can make one big sandwich to bring at home. There are so many sandwiches you can come up with like, egg salad, chicken salad, avocado and tomato sandwich, Italian sandwiches, mini grilled cheese sandwiches and even meatball subs. You can even let everyone pick out their favorite sandwiches and make sure to bring all the supplies so they can create it. Sandwiches are a definite must.

4. Fruit is a great snack. Of course, you're going to need snacks. Again, there is so much you can do with fruit. You can soak various fruit in wine, create fruit kabobs or just serve it on its own with a refreshing fruit dip. You can even do cut outs with fruits and stick it on a popsicle stick to create a unique fruit popsicle. Just slice off pieces of fruit and use cookie cutters to make different shapes. Fruit is just a great treat to snack on throughout the day.

Fruit Kabobs
5. Dessert in a jar. Right now, the trend is all about food in a jar. So, why not jump on the bandwagon? It's simple and creative. You can create cupcakes in a jar, brownie trifle in a jar, banana pudding in a jar or even cookies in a jar. This is just an easy dessert to transport and everyone gets their own personal serving.

These 5 picnic foods are all simple to transport and you have various ways in which you can prepare them. With so many options, everyone will be satisfied. However, if you're still unsure or have no idea or you just don't want to hassle with packing a picnic, you can always talk with your local caterer and they'll have plenty of food ideas. So, spend your Saturday with a delicious and eventful picnic.

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

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It's All About The Shoes

There are so many details that goes into planning your wedding. Really, brides have no idea until they actually start to plan one. Of course, there are the big details like finding the right wedding dress, dream wedding location, the food & wedding cake and your wedding flowers. However, there are also the little details that make your wedding come together like choosing the time, how you'll travel, wedding jewelry and yes, your wedding shoes. It's definitely all about your wedding shoes that shows off your wonderful and fun-loving personality. So, Wedding and Party Network has a few tips on choosing the right ones.

  1. Blue Wedding Shoes
    Choose the shoes after your dress.     Yes, you need your wedding shoes to get your bridal gown altered, however, first settle on a style of a dress. First, find your wedding dress. After that, you can start looking for your wedding shoes and find a style that compliments your bridal dress style.
  2. Find the right color of wedding shoes that compliments your dress.Your wedding dress maybe white, however, it may also be a unique color like pink or even red. Therefore, you must find a color that compliments it. You may want to go with a neutral show or jazz it up with a shoe that features your wedding color. However, if you do choose a unique color for your dress, don't forget to find a shoe that compliments it and that doesn't clash with the dress.
  3. Consider the length of your bridal dress. Don't forget that if your dress is a bit longer, your shoes more than likely won't be seen. Therefore, opt for some comfortable shoes. However, you can still use some fun shoes in your bridal portrait too.
  4. However, if it's a shorter length, always consider the shoes. If it's a shorter wedding dress, you definitely want to focus on your shoes. Your wedding shoes will definitely be seen, therefore, they should make a statement. Choose a bright pop of color or some shoes that will show off your wedding style with beautiful beading or crystals. Depending on your wedding style and theme, choose shoes that represent that. It's all part of your wedding day look.
  5. Think about your wedding venue. Are you having your wedding in a church, outdoors or at the beach? Any type of shoe is doable if it's an indoor wedding. However, if you plan on having an outdoor wedding, always consider the ground you will be walking on. If you're walking on soft ground or even sand, you may want to avoid the stiletto heels, they can sink into the ground and cause trouble walking. Therefore, you may want to stick with a wedge or a bit of a platform or thicker heel.
  6. Think about the time of day when you buy your shoes. This may sound odd, however, feet tend to swell at this time. Therefore, you can avoid your feet suddenly feeling cramped at your wedding ceremony.
  7. Don't forget to try your shoes before your wedding day. You definitely don't want to try your new shoes out on your wedding day. You need to break them in before the big day. Walk around in them at your house or outdoors. Don't forget to wear them for your rehearsal as well. Practice makes perfect and ensures no trips down the aisle.
  8. Be prepared on your wedding day. A girl needs options, therefore, having more than one pair of shoes ready on your wedding day can truly be beneficial.

Shoes are an important element on your wedding day, they complete your wedding day look. You want them to be comfortable, yet show off your wedding day style. Brides now are truly going unique with their shoes by adding a pop of color or even wearing cowboy boots. So, be sure to showcase your own personal style.

This post is brought to you by New York Wedding Dress Shops.
Not in New York, NY? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy wedding planning directory to help you find wedding dresses near you!

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Plan An Intimate Beach Wedding

It's summertime. That means the weather is beautiful, sun is shining and it's a great time to plan a wedding. A wonderful wedding theme to choose for a summer wedding is a beach one. There are lots of wonderful ideas for a beach wedding and a gorgeous location included. So, Wedding and Party Network has some wonderful ideas for a beach wedding that will definitely make yours truly stand out.

Beautiful Beach Wedding
Wedding Location – Of course, this is has a simple answer. If it's a beach wedding, it should definitely be on a beach. However, there are tons of different beaches, so which one do you choose? The answer is by researching. Maybe you have a favorite one, or found a beautiful beach resort that has various wedding packages of you have no idea where to begin, the main thing to keep in sight is finding a site that shows off your wedding style.

Wedding Details – There are so many beautiful items you can include in a beach wedding and so many directions you can go in. So, first thing is to figure out what style you want to show off.

What is your personality and what do you like? Take a look at different blogs, wedding magazines, Pinterest and other wedding websites to find a style that you like and inspiration. Whether you're a classical bride, simplistic bride or have a bit of a bohemian twist, the beach is a wonderful place to show off any style.

Once you find your personal wedding style, start planning out the details, which includes your wedding flowers, wedding colors, wedding cake, bridal bouquet and wedding decor. First off, choose your wedding colors, which is definitely in tradition with pastels or even brighter colors. Just stick with your style. Once you've chosen your colors, everything else can fall into place.

Choose your wedding flowers, which if you're having your wedding at a beach, the flowers are very simple, yet make a statement. Even having a gorgeous arch for your wedding ceremony with flowers draping down and petals scattered around for the aisle will definitely make a statement. Just sit down with your florist and tell them your wedding location and the vision you have for your wedding.

Beach Centerpiece
Besides flowers, you also want to incorporate other wedding decor into it. You can use elements of the beach like seashells, starfish and even coral. You can incorporate these elements into your reception centerpieces or even use them as pew decor. The coral will definitely make a statement in a centerpiece or even your wedding bouquet. Don't forget to incorporate a bit of sand into your centerpieces as well and place a candle in the center that is surrounded by seashells. You can also add these detail into your wedding cake to complete the look.

However, don't forget about the little details that will truly make your wedding unique. For example, set a bucket at the beginning of the aisle for your guests to switch out of their wedges and heels and slip on a pair of flip-flops, which will definitely be beneficial when walking in the sand. You can even use unique textiles to drape around beach totem poles, use starfish to accent the pews with, paper lanterns scattered along the beach for a night wedding, you can offer fans and sunglasses for your guests as favors to add unique features to your beach wedding. However, you can also go with a nautical theme as well by using stripes. Don't forget to take inspiration from the sea for your wedding food too.

The main key is to find inspiration from the beach, sea and ocean. You can truly find inspiration through the colors, serene setting and items found within each one.

This post is brought to you by Atlanta Wedding Planners.
Not in Atlanta, GA? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy wedding planning directory to help you find a caterer near you!

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Inspirational Friday – Wedding Venues

Here at Wedding and Party Network we want to give you inspiration for your wedding and party details. The details are what sets your wedding and party apart from anyone else. The colors, theme, detailing and style all creates your wedding day style and conveys your party theme. So, today's Inspirational Friday will focus on wedding locations.

Your wedding venue says a lot about your wedding day. It sets the tone of your wedding and displays the style of it. Whether you choose an indoor location, outdoor wedding venue, beach setting or even a unique wedding location like a train station, it tells your wedding day story. Also, keep in mind the wedding decorations you can use to help accentuate the location more, like the wedding flowers, wedding decor and even the wedding food. Just remember that your location is the first thing your guests see.

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5 Delicious Wedding Favors

Within planning a wedding, you want everything to represent you and to make sure it stands out to your guests. It's important that you feature a unique wedding unlike anything else, yet still represents your personal style. This goes for every little detail including your wedding flowers, wedding cake, colors and even your wedding favors. So, Wedding and Party Network has our top 5 picks for delicious wedding favors.

Limoncello Wedding Favor – Of course, this doesn't have to be limoncello, you can settle with just about any favorite drink of yours. This wedding favor is also a simple one to do yourself. Just create your favorite drink, find small glasses like a mason jar or even a small jar with a cork and don't forget about creating custom stickers to place on each one. You can display these in ice buckets, which definitely adds a unique characteristic to your wedding. Your guests will love this.

Tasty Wedding Favors
Homemade Nutella/Jam – Your guests will love bringing your wedding favor home with them. Nutella and jam may just be a staple in their morning breakfast. You can easily find a recipe online or even recruit one of your family members to make this if they have a secret, homemade recipe. Use a small jar, pick out some unique fabric that represents your wedding and again, create a custom sticker for your wedding.

Pie Pops/Cake Pops – Homemade pie pop or even cake pops are so much fun and a truly stand out wedding favor. Plus, they are really easy to make and it can even be a fun project for you and your bridesmaids. Again, all you really need is a great pie crust recipe, popsicle sticks, pie filling,food coloring if you want to make your pie pops unique and a little creativity. The same goes with creating cake pops.

Homemade Cookie Favors – All that's required for this is a tasty recipe and a glass of milk. Create the cookies, place them in a special cookie bag that has a sticker or even a custom look to it that represents your wedding. You can either create several mini ones or one giant cookie, in whatever flavor you choose or even multiple ones. Don't forget the carton of milk, this just maybe the pick me up your guests need as they dance the night away.

S'mores Kit –This wedding favor will definitely be a favorite among your guests. First off, you will need a dessert box to hold all the supplies, which you can easily find at your local party store or even your bakery. Don't forget to have a custom sticker created with your wedding's monogram or logo to represent your wedding. So, what should be included in your s'mores kit? You'll need a tealight candle, graham crackers, marshmallows, popsicle stick, chocolate and maybe a few accents like coconut or sprinkles to jazz up their smores. Don't forget to include a cute little directional page in the box as well that expresses your gratitude.

These tasty wedding favors are a definite must at your wedding. Guests will absolutely love having a delicious snack for late in the night as they dance their night away at your wedding. Make your wedding unique with these appetizing wedding favors.

This post is brought to you by St. Louis Bakeries.
Not in Saint Louis, MO? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy wedding planning directory to help you find a caterer near you!

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Tips On Writing Your Own Wedding Vows

When it comes to planning your wedding, you want it to be special, memorable and personable. It's important that your wedding represents you as a couple. Therefore, writing your own wedding vows will definitely make your wedding more special. However, how do you even begin to write them. Well, Wedding and Party Network has a few tips when you write your wedding vows. Having personalized wedding vows makes your wedding that much more personable and special.

Wedding Ceremony
Is everyone on the same page? First off, discuss writing your own wedding vows with your future spouse and your officiant. You want to make sure everyone is okay with writing your own wedding vows. Some religions require certain vows to be said, while your spouse may not feel completely comfortable with this. If everyone is on the same page, also decide if you want to write your wedding vows together that you both say or if you want to do it individually.

Ask yourself these simple questions. Before you start to write your wedding vows, sit down with a piece of paper in quiet. Ask yourself, why do you love the person you're going to marry, what is their greatest quality, what does marriage mean to you, when did you know you wanted to marry, what is your favorite memory and what will this marriage mean to you. These are several questions that you want to ask yourself and this will give you a great start to writing your own vows. You don't have to include all these answers in your vows, however, it will give you a great starting point.

Get some suggestions from the experts. Research tips and ideas on writing your own wedding vows. Research books and blogs to give you a few ideas. However, also consult the experts who were the authors behind beautiful poetry. There are so many poetry books out there that have some of the greatest love poems in them. Therefore, take some inspiration from them. It can help you with different words and how you can put your feelings together.

Put it all down on paper. Start putting your vows on paper. This will definitely be a write and rewrite sort of situation. Highlight all the special passages in the poetry books and take a look at your answers to those questions. Choose your favorites and see how you can incorporate them into your vows. Start with I promise or I vow. Think about everything that you've read and your answers and you'll definitely find inspiration for your own wedding vows.

Don't forget to practice. It's all about practicing your wedding vows. You want to perfect them for your wedding day, especially if this is the first time your significant other will be hearing them. Read them to yourself in the mirror and even practice with someone else. An outside opinion is always helpful.

Writing your own wedding vows can truly help personalize your wedding. It adds a special touch to the wedding. So, if you plan on writing your own wedding vows, just make it special and say the words that come to heart.

This post is brought to you by San Diego Wedding Officiants.
Not in San Diego, CA? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy wedding planning directory to help you find a wedding officiant near you!

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Lets Have A Picnic

The weather is beautiful and it's time to get outdoors and have a celebration. You want to get your family outdoors and especially host parties outdoors as well. There are many great ideas and activities that you can do outdoors. A great activity that serves as wonderful time for the family and even makes a fun party is a picnic. You'll find many ideas that you can do when creating a fun, outdoor picnic. So, Wedding and Party Network has a few tips to make your picnic a hit.

  1. Beautiful Picnic Area
    Make you picnic interesting. Picnics are meant to be fun and a great time to spend outdoors. The essential idea for having a great picnic is creating unique food. Come up with creative finger foods, salads, sandwiches and dips. You can create an assorted cheese and fruit platter, create a sandwich and salad bar and research fun finger foods. It's all about the food at your picnic.
  2. Don't forget about the things you need to avoid at a picnic. Avoid bringing anything that may melt, unless you have plenty of ice to keep it cool. However, try to avoid ice cream and anything that is fragile when transporting, like layered cakes.
  3. Simplicity is key. Of course, you want to feature some unique dishes. However, keep most of the food pretty simple. You want simple prep, easy to transport, easy to eat and simple to clean up. Also, don't forget to use plastic or paper plates and disposable utensils.
  4. It's best to create a few good food items. Remember, you have to transport these items. Even if you are having a backyard picnic, you still have to transport the food outside and the more items you have, the more trips you have to make. So, make a few items well that are a favorite among everyone.
  5. Sometimes when you're hosting a party, food is ready at different times. However, it's best to stick with items that are ready to serve almost anytime and at the same time. Sandwiches, chips, dips, chilled appetizers and pasta salad.
  6. Plan ahead for your picnic. It's always good to plan ahead for any party you're planning. Plan how much food and for how many guests you are making it for. You don't want to make too little or even too much.
  7. Keep everything chilled. Get your cooler ready with ice, ice packs and food containers. You don't want anything to spoil or any condiments. So, make sure you have a cooler with plenty of ice. You may even want to pack two coolers, one for drinks and one for the food.
  8. Plan out what you must and mustn't take with you to your picnic. Make sure and remember the items other than food, like hand wipes, bug spray, sunblock, sunglasses and bags to take stuff home in. However, it may be a smart idea to leave the radio, fire hazards and your family pet, especially if they aren't trained on a leash.

A picnic is a great time to get outdoors and share this time with your family and friends. If you follow these few steps, your picnic will be a breeze and everyone will enjoy the quality time that you all spend together.

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

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Inspirational Friday – Outdoor Accents

Here at Wedding and Party Network we want to give you inspiration for your wedding and party details. The details are what sets your wedding and party apart from anyone else. The colors, theme, detailing and style all creates your wedding day style and conveys your party theme. So, today's Inspirational Friday will focus on outdoor accents to make your outdoor party or even a wedding a big hit.

There are so many accents that you can add to any outdoor party or wedding to convey your theme. Event flowers are a wonderful way to create your wedding or party theme. You can do so much with them. Flowers can be made into extravagent arrangements or centerpieces to simple and elegant ones. They also convey the colors of your event and look lovely outside displayed on tables, by chairs, hanging from tents or arches and as pew markers. You can also use textiles in various colors and patterns, beautiful lighting, dinnerware, glassware, balloons and even the furniture you use outdoors can help create the style you are wanting for your occasion.

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Always Receiving Wonderful Transportation From Classic Coach & Carriage

When it comes to planning your wedding or special event, there are many details that come along with planning. Catering, flowers, the dress, venue and the decor are all truly important. However, do you ever think about how you're going to get to an event? Transportation is truly important when planning your wedding, prom or other special event. It's part of the details as well. You want quality transportation and a variety to choose from that best suits your style and needs. So, if you're in the Tyler, Texas area, Classic Coach & Carriage is the choice for all your transportation needs.

White Stretch Limousine
This limousine service is there for all your transportation needs. Their professional service will get you exactly where you're needing to go and always on time. Of course, that is one of your main concerns. You want to have trust and faith in your driver. Getting to where you need to go entails them in knowing the directions and the best possible way to go to your location. They also need to understand that you need to get there at the time you specify. Classic Coach & Carriage understands all of this and goes above and beyond at providing their customers the best possible service.

So, what type of transportation do you have to choose from? They offer a variety and understand that everyone has different needs and styles. Therefore, they offer many options for you to choose from. You'll find a gorgeous white stretch limousine that can hold 8-10 people, shuttle buses that hold 17-24 people and they also have a Lincoln town car and SUV. Their speciality transportation are great for any occasion. Whether you are planning a wedding, prom, night out on the town, bachelorette party or just need transportation to and from the airport, they offer it. You'll find that their skilled drivers and wonderful transportation will definitely add to your joyous occasion.

A beautiful stretch limousine for your prom or wedding will be great for all your friends and the entire wedding party, while their shuttle buses are great for a wedding as well and even a bachelorette party. Also, their town cars and SUV's are wonderful for transportation to and from the airport for important business clients or even family members from out-of-town.

When wanting to find wonderful transportation and limousines for your special event, choose Classic Coach & Carriage. They offer wonderful transportation for all events and are always ready to get you where you need to go.

10 Questions to Ask Your Wedding Florist

Planning a wedding calls for making decision after decision! A crucial decision that can truly elevate your big day is your choice of florist. Flowers have a unique ability to transform a space and reflect your personal style. To ensure you find the perfect florist who understands your vision and can bring it to life, here are ten essential questions to ask during your consultation:

Unveiling the Latest Bridal Jewelry Trends

As you embark on the journey towards forever, let's talk about one of the most exciting and symbolic aspects of your wedding journey—the engagement ring! We've curated a list of engagement ring trends we’re loving for all the lovebirds out there.

2024 Ins & Outs: Wedding Edition

2024 is here, and that means it’s time for everyone’s favorite blog: wedding trends for the year! If you’re planning a wedding for this year, or hope to plan one soon, we’ve got you covered. Keep reading to learn what’s …

10 Picture-Perfect Questions to Ask Your Wedding Photographer

A wedding photographer is one of the most essential vendors of your big day! You're choosing someone to capture the feeling of the day through the lens of a camera and provide you with photos to cherish—it's a big deal! You'll want to meet with your potential wedding photographer to discuss what you want, find out more about their work, and decide whether you vibe with them. Here are some questions to ask to help you both shoot your shot!