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November 3, 2009 by Leigh Morrisett

Reeling In A Great Bachelor Party

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.

October 23, 2009 by Leigh Morrisett

Dads, You Can Build An Awesome Party For Kids

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.

September 13, 2009 by Celebration Advisor

Halloween Party Ideas For A Frightfully Fun Night

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

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

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

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.

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!

August 14, 2009 by Leigh Morrisett

Need A Party Idea? Try A Charity Party!

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.

August 13, 2009 by Leigh Morrisett

Asian Inspired Bachelor Party

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.

July 20, 2009 by Leigh Morrisett

Get to Know Your Neighbors Party – Host A BLOCK PARTY

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.

June 1, 2009 by Celebration Advisor

Summer Pool Party Ideas!

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!

May 18, 2009 by Celebration Advisor

Graduation Party Time Hawaiian Style

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.

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!

May 8, 2009 by Leigh Morrisett

Successful Parties All Begin With A Strategic Plan Of Attack

You’ve decided to throw a party, but not sure how to make it a success. All you need for a fabulous party is a strategic plan of attack. My eight step party guide is the foundation for a can’t miss strategic party plan. Below you will find a quick check list with hints that will help you in quest for the perfect party.

______1. Decide what type or style of party you’re going to have. Are you going to have an elaborate or simple party, adult or kids party, birthday party, anniversary party or a just for fun party. Although all party types follow the same party planning principles, some parties will require a little more involved planning. Depending on how elaborate or special your party is going to be you may need to hire people or arrange for special services as well as rent space or equipment. When deciding the type of party keep in mind how much you want to spend. The more elaborate or larger the guest list is the more your party will cost. The answer to these questions will help you to determine your budget in the next step.

______2. Decide on a Budget. Budget is the key to all parties. You do not want buyers regret the night of the party. Fun should be the only thing on your mind, not what you spent on the party. Set a realistic budget and add about 20% more. Inevitably, you will decided something is must have. Make a list of all the things you will need for the party and assign a budget amount to each one. Be sure to include these items in your budget: party facility, food, drinks (caterers, bar staff), entertainment, rentals (chairs, tables, linens), invitations, decorations, party favors, flowers, photographer and any other items you may have to buy or make for your party.

______3. Set a date and pick a place. When considering a date keep in mind any other events that might coincide with your date. Remember nothing is worse than planning a party and setting a date, only to later find out it is the same date as some other important function. Choose a location that is easy for guests to find or provide a map. If guests can find the party it can’t be a success.

_____4. Food- Drink-Rentals-Entertainment. Decided how much time you want to invest in food, drink, and entertainment. You don’t want to spend all of your party time preparing the food and serving it to your guests. Make sure to give yourself plenty of time to mingle. This means you may need to hire a caterer to prepare the food and you serve it. However, you might want to hire a caterer and their bar & wait staff so you don’t have to do anything but mingle. If your going to hire a cater and bar service, you will need advanced planning to interview the caterer and discuss the food and drinks you’ll want. It is crucial that you make sure to allow enough time for you to get all this done well before the party date. You will also want to book entertainment and arrange for all your rental needs.

_____5. Send out invitations. You can phone friends or email invites for informal parties and get-togethers that will be held within a two weeks or less. For more formal or in the case of children’s parties it is recommend to send printed invitations. Allow plenty of time between mailing the invitation and the date of the party.

_____6. Gather your party supplies. Go shopping for you decorations and party favors, as well as any other items that you may have missed several days before the party. Depending on your party date and the type of food and drinks you will serve, you may want shop for these items as well.

_____7. Check your list. It is easy to forget an item. Do you have food, drinks, tableware, music, or other entertainment, party favors, ect.? Make follow up calls to those you’ve hired, check on rentals, and follow up on the location make sure everything is set.

_____8. Party Day. Put up your decorations and set up table and chairs. Pick up last minute items that you may need. Prepare or pick up the food, cake, and beverages. pick and secure any items that need to be fresh and are ready prepared on the day your party (flowers). Make sure any one you’ve hired is aware of where they are to set up and how you want things done.

_____9. Enjoy your party! Mingle, laugh and have a good time. Your strategic plan has taken care of everything.

May 2, 2009 by Celebration Advisor

Cinco De Mayo- Fiesta Ideas!

Everyone looks for a good reason to celebrate. Cinco De Mayo is just such a reason. After all, commemorating independence is a wonderful reason to celebrate. Although Cinco De Mayo is the celebration of Mexico’s Independence from Spain, it has great significance to those in the United States as well. Mexico and the United States have fought shoulder to shoulder to protect the freedom and liberty of their citizens. This wonderful celebration can be enjoyed by anyone from anywhere. It all begins with an authentic Mexican fiesta!

Planning Your Cinco De Mayo Fiesta

Invitations – Make them festive. You can buy invitations or create your own. Creating your own invitations can be fun and inexpensive. Whether you buy party invitations or create your own, make sure they are colorful and festive. Get creative with your designs. Use maracas, Mexican flags and the colors red, green and white as your part of your invitation theme since these are the national colors of Mexico.
Decorations – Make them come alive. If you want to make this fiesta memorable, go over-the-top with your decorations! Include sombreros, Mexican colors (red, white, and green), colorful streamers and a lot of party balloons in your decoration scheme. The more bright and festive colors used the better.
Food – Make it tasty & spicy. Food is the main attraction and the one thing everyone looks forward to at a party. Don’t limit yourself. Any type of Mexican food will be a star at this festive party. Think spicy, think flavorful when you plan the food selections. Chicken molé, tamales, tacos along with chips and salsas are pretty standard fare for a Cinco De Mayo celebration. Don’t forget the sweets. Cream cheese flan or sopapillas dipped in honey are great items for the dessert table.
Entertainment – Make it active. Every celebration needs entertainment. Add excitement to the fiesta by incorporating activities as part of the entertainment. Teach your guests to do the macarena or have a piñata for the children. At any fiesta music is a MUST! Add a little musical spice by playing cumbia, salsa, or any latin music that you would enjoy.
The Finale – Light up the Sky. In many countries, fireworks are a traditional way to end the celebration. Plan a firework demonstration for the end of the party.

Regardless of the decorations you choose, the food you cook, or music you play, a well planned fiesta is sure to be a great success!