Archives for September 2012

September 28, 2012 by Kelly Curtis

Inspirational Friday – Wedding Flowers

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 flowers.

Wedding flowers are just simply amazing. They are seen throughout your wedding and are such an important part of your big day. Your wedding bouquet, wedding ceremony arrangements, reception centerpieces, cake flowers, boutonnieres, bridesmaid bouquets and corsages all contain flowers. They display your wedding colors and your all around style and theme that you want your wedding to portray.

September 27, 2012 by Kelly Curtis

Ghostly Treats for Your Halloween Party

When planning your Halloween party, it's definitely all about the details. What party decorations you choose and the color scheme set the tone of your party. Focus on the details of your party, especially your Halloween treats. Wedding and Party Network has a few tips on what to serve at your Halloween party.

Witches' Hats

Ingredients
Fudge Cookies (Turned upside down)
Hershey Kisses
Orange Icing

Directions
Turn the fudge cookie upside down, put a little orange icing in the middle and place the kiss on top of it.
via Explore. Dream. Discover

Frankenstein Pops

Ingredients
Marshmallow
Green Chocolate Candies
Regular Chocolate
Wilton's Glittery Gel
Lollipop Sticks

Directions
Place the mashmallows on the popsicle stick, dip it in the green chocolate. Once that cools, dip just the top of the marshallows into the regular chocolate to imitate the hair. Use the glittery gel pen to make the nuts and bolts.
Via Craft-O-Maniac

Pretzel Skeletons

Ingredients
Lollipop Sticks
Marshamallows
White Chocolate Covered Pretzels
White Icing
Black Icing

Directions
Put some white icing on the lollipop stick so the pretzels won't slide off. Do this between each pretzel, which you can add 3-4 on each stick. Flatten out the marshmallow a little bit to create a round face and add the eyes and mouth to it. Once you've done that, place it on the lollipop stick. You can easily add these on top of cupcakes or even brownies for a fun topper.
Via Wants and Wishes

Finger Cookies

Ingredients
1 Cup Butter (Softened)
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 Egg
2 Tsp Almond Extract
2 Tsp Vanilla
2 2/3 Cups Flour
1Tsp Baking Powder
1/4 Tsp Salt
3/4 Cup Whole Blanched Almonds
Raspberry Jelly

Directions
Set oven for 375 degrees. Mix together the butter, sugar, egg, almond extract and vanilla. Stir dry ingredients together. Mix together the dry and wet ingredients, cover and let sit for 30 minutes.
Work with a quarter of the dough at a time and refrigerate the rest. Use about a tablespoon of the dough and roll into a log.
Next, use a small knife to create the details of a finger into the cookie dough. Place the almond up top to look like a nail. Bake for 20-30 minutes.
While the cookies are baking, melt the raspberry jelly. One the cookies are done baking, place a little of the jelly underneath the almond and at the end of the finger to give it that gore look.
Via Zandland

Mummy Pops

Ingredients
White Candy Melts
Boxed Rice Krispies
Candy Eyeballs
Popsicle Sticks
Plastic Baggie
Wax or Parchment Paper

Directions
Place the rice krispie treats on the popsicle sticks. Buying the boxed rice krispy treats makes for the ideal shape. However, if you're more adventurous, you can easily make home made rice krispy treats and shape them in a rectangle. Melt the white chocolate. Dip the rice krispy treats into the white chocolate, place on wax or parchment paper and set in freezer for 5 minutes. Use the white chocolate as glue to stick on your candy eyeballs. Place the melted white chocolate into your plastic baggie that has about 1/4" cut off the corner and "wrap your mummy". Stick them in the freezer and let them set for about 10-15 minutes.
Via eighteen25

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 party caterers near you!

September 26, 2012 by Kelly Curtis

Oh the Places You'll Go with Your Party

Planning a birthday party is a special event in everyone's life that happens yearly, especially for your children. Finding a party theme that fits their personality, style and your budget is important. Most importantly, finding the right theme. Have you ever looked for inspiration in the books that you read to your children? Do they have a favorite? One book that comes to mind is "Oh, the Places You'll Go!".

This party is absolutely adorable and is a childhood favorite for many. Take influences from the book for your party decorations, food and maybe even a few activities.

Of course, start by creating party invitations that represent the Dr. Seuss style that the books are well-known for. It holds the time, location and the details of the party. Draw inspiration from the books, especially "Oh The Places You'll Go". It's all about the swirls and colors for this book.

It's all about whimsy with this party, so incorporate that style with your party decorations. Make balloon bouquets in pink, turquoise, yellow, pink and green. Place balloons throughout your venue. You can even make cute little hot air balloons for a whimsy feeling. Just find a basket, which you can then fill with some of your party food or party favors, and tie the balloons to resemble a hot air balloon.

Find vintage suitcases, which again you can use to display party food or favors in. Use maps in your party decor as well. Hang them up on the walls, use them as your wrapping paper or use them as a table-cloth for the party. They can be fun and colorful or have a vintage appeal. Use globes and signs that point in all sorts of directions. The party decorations should definitely tell the whimsical story of this book.

For your food, make it all about the birthday girl or boy. You can go with finger foods or color coordinate the food to match the party. Make cookies with swirls, colored & flavored popcorn, candy bar, cotton candy cupcakes and an adorable birthday cake. The birthday cake should definitely be the center of attention. Talk with your local bakery and they can come up with a show stopping cake for your party.

This party is absolutely adorable for all ages and great for graduation parties too. Just have fun with it and make sure to make it bring whimsical.

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

September 25, 2012 by Kelly Curtis

Let Krystal Kleer Ice Sculptures, LLC Create An Amazing Focal Point for Your Event

When planning your event, you truly want to add elements that will make your party pop. Elements that will make your event truly unforgettable can be found within the flowers you use, food you serve, your location, the lighting or you can add a great ice sculpture to your event.

Ice Hearts

Krystal Kleer Ice Sculptures, LLC creates elegant, one-of-a-kind ice sculptures that will be just the party or wedding accent you are looking for. Their ice art will definitely be the most talked about at your event. You'll find custom ice sculptures, hand carved to your unique design. They are great for weddings, corporate events, parties, fundraisers and more. Just imagine the possibilities.

Ice Sculptures for Your Wedding

Your wedding should be just as you imagined since you began dreaming about it. Gorgeous accents of wedding flowers, decor, lighting and ice sculptures are all a must to create your wedding day story.

These elements are combined to truly bring your wedding day to life. Wedding ice sculptures do just this at your wedding reception or even your ceremony. They can be designed in so many ways to depict your story and style.

This ice designer can create a beautiful heart sculpture with your initials and wedding date, horse carriage, bride & groom, snowflake, swans or even a vase. You imagine it and they will create it in ice. How neat is that?

Ice sculptures are such beautiful pieces to have at your wedding. They serve as great centerpieces, even vases for your wedding flowers or to keep your food chilled. There are so many uses for them. Most importantly, they are eye-catching.

Column Ice Sculpture

Wonderful Ice Sculptures for Your Next Event

They not only provide amazing ice sculptures for weddings, but also special events. Do you have a corporate event, party or fundraiser coming up? Make sure you have an ice sculpture to create a great focal point. They'll create beautiful ice sculptures that feature your logo, vases or just about any design that you would like to feature.

Don't miss out on having an ice sculpture at your event. If you're in the Appleton, Wisconsin area, choose Krystal Kleer Ice Sculptures, LLC. They're amazing designs will definitely help make your event and be a beautiful attraction.

September 24, 2012 by Kelly Curtis

Spooky Halloween Party Ideas

Halloween, the holiday that's full of candy, black & orange and ghostly decor. It's a wonderful time for all, which calls for a celebration. There can be various party themes for Halloween. Go with elegant, spooky or just all out scary. The choice is yours. Wedding and Party Network has a few spooky Halloween party ideas that are sure to be a hit.

Glam Halloween Party

Black Cat Ball – If you want to put a glamorous spin on your Halloween party, think about hosting a ball. Halloween isn't all about gore and spooky spectacles. You can add a bit of glam to it as well. It can certainly be a masquerade ball or a more upscale dress code.

Party decorations should contain the colors, purple and black or even black and white. Think about adding glitter, feathers, black balloons, unique vases and lighting to create a glam but ghoulish Halloween setting. Also, serve elegant finger foods and desserts with a Halloween twist.

Little ghost meringues, cupcakes with edible glitter, orange mousse with chocolate shavings served in a cocktail glass, individual servings of crackers & hummus or bite sized morsels with plastic spiders on top all are great examples. Don't forget about clearing out a space for the dance floor and great lighting.

Cast Off to Neverland – Of course, your Halloween party doesn't have to be all about black and orange. You can pick a theme where your guests have to dress up and go with that theme. One that comes to mind is Peter Pan. Let your guests dress up as pirates, Peter Pan, Wendy, the lost boys or as Tinkerbell.

Create a starry night out since Peter Pan flies through the night. Do this by stringing lights and hanging glow in the dark stars around the ceiling. Include pirate flags, white flags, a hook, seashells and maps as part of your party decorations too. For your food, just take inspiration from the ocean.

All Hallow's Eve Dinner Party – This Halloween party can be a bit glamorous with an eerie feel to it. If you and your friends aren't much for a big party, go for a low-key dinner party. However, don't let there be anything low-key about it. Use black candelabras, skulls for place cards, spider webs along the center of the table, crooked Halloween photos and dreadful pumpkins for your party decorations.

Spooky Halloween Decorations

Since this is a dinner party, you'll definitely need to plan out a menu. Serve what you would like to cook or talk with your local caterer about coming up with a unique party menu for this event. Don't forget to add the details of spiders or a red cocktail to go with your dinner menu as well.

All Out Costume Party – Stick with tradition and host an all out costume party complete with Halloween costumes, Go with the spooky ghosts hanging from trees, rats, the headless horseman, popcorn balls and all the spooky things you think of on Halloween. Create a Halloween costume contests as well. You can give our prizes to the best, scariest and most creative costumes.

Start planning your Halloween party now. The more you plan, the spookier your Halloween party will be!

This post is brought to you by Richardson Halloween Decorations
Not in Richardson, TX? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy party planning directory to help you find party caterers near you!

Glam Halloween Photo provided by Kinser Event Company

September 21, 2012 by Kelly Curtis

Inspirational Friday – The Color Orange

Fall is such a great time to have a wedding. So, have you incorporated the color orange into your wedding? This is a great color and definitely screams fall. You can find orange in the changing colors outside. Therefore, incorporate this color into your wedding bouquet, wedding reception flowers and even wedding cake. There are so many great options, just find the right color combination and style that best fits your wedding.

September 19, 2012 by Kelly Curtis

Unique Save the Dates

Save the dates are an important step in the wedding planning process. They give your guests a tiny glimpse into what to expect on your wedding day. So, Wedding and Party Network has some unique save the dates that will get your guests truly excited for your wedding.

Teal & Orange Wedding Invitation

Tell your story – Depending on whether you have a small or large wedding, there maybe some guests on there that you haven't been in contact with recently. However, they are a must on the invite list. Therefore, it might be fun to tell your story. They have cute timelines where you can tell how you met, major milestones of your relationship and how he proposed. It lets your guests get to know you better.

Calendar style – Find a cute calendar template and include your wedding photo on it. This is extremely convenient for your guests to hang on their refrigeration and know when your wedding day is according to their calendar. You can come up with some cute designs that match your wedding style as well.

Watch sparks fly – This is n extremely cute save the date to send. Send a box of matches with a beautiful design on the front that says, "Watch sparks fly on your wedding date". However, having sparklers for your wedding send off will be a must if you do this.

Peel and stick – Guests will most definitely remember your wedding date if you send out stickers for your save the date. Of course, they are smaller sticks that fit appropriately in their date book.

Map it out – Send a map of your wedding location. This is great if it's a destination wedding. Your guests can start preparing for their trip to your wedding. You can also do another take on it and circle where you're from, where the groom's from and where you're currently located or where you will be having the wedding. It's up to you, but the map idea is absolutely adorable.

Sending a telegram – Of course, you don't have to send a real telegram, however, it would be super fun if you did. If you are having a vintage inspired wedding, this save the date will be the way to go. Just include some vintage typography and you're set.

Tell it through video – To really get your guests ready for your wedding, send out a video. It can be scripted, photos of you guys throughout the year or go all out and hire a videographer to help you develop a concept. Your guests will love getting their video in the mail and will be more excited than you know for your wedding.

This post is brought to you by Houston Wedding Invitation Suppliers
Not in Houston, TX? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy wedding planning directory to help you find wedding invitations near you!

September 18, 2012 by Kelly Curtis

House of Blooms – Your Expert Wedding Florist

Flowers are truly important on your special day. They tell your wedding day story. Flowers capture the colors and style to help transform your wedding day into the vision you always imagined. Therefore, you want a skilled and professional florist who listens to your every word to do just that when creating your wedding day flowers. House of Blooms

Green & Ivory Wedding Bouquet

House of Blooms' policy is your wedding, your way. They are experts at really listening, wowing, creating atmosphere, sticking to budgets and they absolutely love weddings. This makes them an amazing wedding florist.

When planning your wedding, they really want to sit down and listen. Completely hearing what your wedding vision is for your big day makes them the ideal florist to work with for any occasion.

They understand all of your needs. Do you have a budget that you need to stay within? This florist has lots of great ideas for stream lining costs.

They even have a unique program that helps you do this, which is called their vase program. The idea behind this program is you can borrow their in stock vases for your centerpieces and arrangements. Such a wonderful idea for a florist and a bride.

They also know how to create an atmosphere that will really wow your guests. Always making sure the wedding bouquet takes your breath away and just hearing your reaction to your flowers are both extremely important to them. However, most of all, they absolutely love weddings. Honestly, they just can't wait to be a part of your big day.

You will be blown away by their past bridal creations. Just take a look at their portfolio. It features stunning wedding ceremony arrangements made of pink & white peonies for the pews, tall & short wedding arrangements and lovely corsages and boutonnieres for the wedding party.

Ball Jar Centerpiece

If you are wanting a beautiful, elegant wedding that features roses in ivory and pink, they can create your vision. However, if you are learning towards something a bit more rustic, this florist will create stunning arrangements that feature sunflowers, chalkboard table number all in a mason jar.

Everything from your wedding bouquet, wedding arrangements, reception centerpieces, bridesmaid bouquets, wedding corsages, boutonnieres to flowers for your cake will exude your wedding style. It's important that they capture the colors you are wanting as well as the style. Whatever vision you have dreaming about since you can remember; House of Blooms can't wait to create the wedding of your dreams.

When you are wanting a florist in the Helotes, Texas area; House of Blooms can't wait to work with you. Their love for weddings and their clients make them a premiere choice for your wedding florist.

September 17, 2012 by Celebration Advisor

Hosting a Party in a Small Space

When hosting a party, your home is often where you feel most comfortable entertaining and if you live in an apartment or small house, you may feel like you don’t have the space. This doesn’t have to be the case! Wedding and Party Network has a few suggestions for making your intimate gathering a success.

Who to Invite — If you are entertaining guests with a movie or sporting event, only invite as many guests as you can seat comfortably since they will stay seated in a central location for several hours. If you plan to have guests ‘mix and mingle’, you can expand your guest list. When hosting a small party, introduce new acquaintances to old friends. This intimate setting will put everyone at ease.

Party Layout — For a ‘mix and mingle’ event, create areas for guests to gather by clustering your living room furniture around the edges of the room. Also allow guests to sit in several adjoining rooms. For a movie-watching crowd, aim your furniture at the TV for optimal viewing!

Party Food— Create a buffet on your kitchen counter and a drink station nearby. Guests won’t all have table space, so provide finger foods or something that isn’t messy. Crowd-pleasers include slider sandwiches, cocktail weenies, a cheese ball and crackers, fruit and vegetable trays, and creative desserts. Search Pinterest for yummy treats like yogurt dipped strawberries or Coke float flavored cupcakes. With a small crowd, you can try out new recipes without going over budget.

When hosting a party in your small space, remember that guests feel comfortable in a cozy and inviting atmosphere. Light candles with homey scents such as vanilla or pumpkin spice and greet guests with a smile. This will put visitors at ease and ensure for a smooth and successful event!

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

Cherry coke float cupcakes photo via Pass the Sushi

September 14, 2012 by Kelly Curtis

Inspirational Friday – Fall

Fall is a fabulous time of year. The beautiful colors, wonderful weather and amazing elements from nature. You can use wheat, pumpkins, gourds, leaves hay and acorns from nature to create a stunning wedding. Your wedding bouquet and floral arrangements can even have fall elements in it. Just find inspiration from fall.

Archives for September 2012

Inspirational Friday – Wedding Flowers