Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Five Easy 4th of July Entertaining Tips



We know how stressful it can be when your setting up a party in the middle of the summer.  We have put together some easy tips for entertaining for the upcoming 4th of July celebrations this weekend.  All of our tips are easy to do and cost close to nothing!  Use these tips to have your patriotic party sparkle!

Centerpieces

Create easy homemade centerpieces! Take mason jars and fill them up with red white and blue candies and stick your mini American flags in the candy.  The mason jars give off a nostalgic, country feel and the candy makes it cute!  Some candy the would work perfect for this would be red Fireballs, white mints and blue gumballs.  Another option for a homemade centerpiece is to use different size glass jars to create fun centerpiece without flowers.  Take out those old Christmas ornaments that you don’t use anymore and spray paint them red, white and blue.  Fill the jars with the balls and put the lid on the jar.  This is one of the easiest way to create a fun centerpiece without spending an arm and a leg on fresh flowers. 





Sweet Treats

Create a red, white and blue dessert buffet!  Frost an American birthday cake white and top it with a mixture of fresh blueberries and strawberries.  Instead of candles use sparklers, just be sure to not have anything flammable on your cake!


Burger Bar

Have a burger bar set-up for your barbeque.  You can cook different kinds of burgers like beef, chicken, turkey or salmon burgers and set-up all different sides.  This is perfect for summer entertaining because you can already have all the sides ready and wrapped in the refrigerator and take them out when the burgers are ready.  Be creative with this and have other toppings than your average lettuce, tomatoes and pickles!  Some toppings we would suggest are avocado, sautéed mushrooms, turkey bacon, cherry and banana peppers, pepperjack cheese, crumbled gorgonzola cheese, spinach, and chipotle mayo just to name a few.  Party go-ers always like being able to have their own input on their food.  This would be a huge hit and an easy change to the traditional hamburger and hotdog cookout.



Homemade Fruit Vodka

Make your own vodka!  A few days before the party cut up strawberries and blueberries.  Get one of the glass beverage dispensers and fill one with strawberries and one with blueberries.  Fill the containers with plain vodka or flavored vodka.  Soak the fruit for at least a full day before the party.  Serve your homemade fruit infused vodka with soda water and a fresh strawberry and blueberry garnish on an American flag toothpick!  All of your guests will love your patriotic cocktail!


Festive Buffet Table

Dress up your buffet table with wrapping paper!  Instead of just putting serving platters down on the table put them on festive risers!  Get red, white, blue or any patriotic wrapping paper you can find and wrap sturdy boxes.  Place them on the table and place your serving platters on top of the boxes.  It creates such a dramatic appeal to the table with costing close to nothing.  It will look like you had a professional party designer set-up your buffet table!



Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Keep Your Guests Entertained!

It is very common when people send out their invitations or greet their guests with a welcome bag to send along a "Things To Do" card.  If a good amount of your guests are not from the area and are traveling to your wedding destination for the weekend it is a nice touch to add in some local attractions you suggest to visit.  If your wedding is in Boston, Cape Cod or Newport, there are tons of hidden restaurants and pubs, guided tours, pristine golf courses, beautiful parks and gardens, museums and outdoor activities.  You can put a personal spin on it and let them know some of your favorite hott spots that you enjoy going to.  

Here are a few of our favorite attractions! Enjoy! 

Boston

Cape Cod
Steamship Authority Ferries to Martha's Vineyard & Nantucket
Whale Watching out of Hyannis
Fishing on the Cape Cod Canal
Explore Cape Cods Dunes with Art's Dune Tours
Taste Local Wines at the Cape Cod Winery

Newport
Drive The Historic Ten Mile Drive Through Newport

Check out a fun and feathery Engagement Party at Towne!

Check out some of the pictures from a recent engagement party at Towne Stove and Spirits. The restaurant has a spectacular private event room with floor to ceiling windows looking over Boylston Street.  It was perfect for the client's guests that were coming from all over!  We loved working with the space at Towne seeing as the room already has such a funky vibe.  The red leather chairs, sparkling window treatments and out-of-the-ordinary scientific beaker water glasses all played a big roll in the decor of the party.  We glamorized the typical traditional rose centerpieces by adding sexy black feathers!  When guests first entered the room they were greeted with lollipop escort cards.  The table was topped with a lavish ostrich feather centerpiece that was sure to catch everyone's attention!  Last but not least, what would a fun engagement party be without a fun candy bar?  To fit the black and red theme we had wax lips and wax mustaches which created quite the photo opportunity!  Our clients were so excited and cannot wait to see what we have in store for their upcoming wedding!

        
Florist: Lotus Designs
Treats: Brian Smilie Candy Co.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Hot Summer Wedding Trends For 2011

Summer is here and we've seen a lot of fun and fabulous trends starting to emerge!

Trend 1: Color Theme
                When people think of summer they think of bright colors, such as orange, pink, teal, and purple. Make sure you aren’t doing too many colors because then your wedding day may look like a carnival. You want to stick with no more than two primary colors. For example you can do a natural color with a bright pink which will make the pink pop.  



Trend 2: Personalized Theme
                Is there a special memory you'd like to incorporate into the wedding?  For example, maybe on your first date you went apple picking.  To incorporate the special memory, give apple seeds as favors or have your actual wedding at an apple orchard.


Trend 3: Beyond Wedding Cakes
                Why do that boring old white wedding cake?  Instead of a cake do a tower of cupcakes or petite desserts.  Dessert bars are all the rage - cookie bar, ice cream sundae bar or pie bar - your guests will love the variety.  Add a candy bar and you've got all areas covered.  Don't forget the goody bags so guests can take some home!
 

 Trend 4: Bright Colors = Bright Wedding Accessories
                It's all about color, so why not the shoes?  Add a little color and sparkle that gives a fun, unexpected element. 


Trend 5: Eco-Friendly Favors
                We are all thinking about the environment these days, so why not use your wedding to give back.  Some fun favors are local herb in a tint can or a jar of honey. Something guests will use rather than tossing into that “everything” drawer.  Selecting a charity you feel passionate about is also a great way to give back.


Wednesday, June 8, 2011

SNEAK PEEK! Popponesset Wedding

With our first wedding under our belt as of last weekend, we are officially in wedding season!  We had amazing weather for our beachside wedding at the Popponesset on Saturday.  They were great to work with and have a great team that knows just how to perfect all the details for a fun wedding.  Here are just a few sneak peak pictures! Stay tuned for the professional pictures from Click Imagery!  














Thank you to all of the people who helped make this such a great event!

Florist: Helen Harrison Designs
Photography: Click Imagery
Hair & Make-up: Lisa George
Band: Flipside
Rentals: Be Our Guest
Lighting: Boston Uplights
Transportation: Cape Destinations

Throw a "Somethin' Bruin" Party for the Bruins Playoff Games!


We have put together some great ideas to use for a "Somethin' Bruin" Playoff Party!
Check out Cafe Press for these adorable party invitations.  

Accessorize your buffett table with fun Black, Yellow and White party accessories and make some easy snacks and appetizers to fill up your friends while watching the game.  Keep in mind with all of your food you want it to be quick buffet style so you can fill up your plate in between commercials and get back to your seat fast before the game is back on!  Check out all of our hockey inspired finger foods.



Start off the pregame party with some Bruins and Stanley Cup triva!
Appetizers











Send everyone home with this fun hockey puck chocolate favor or be sure to dress up all of your guests beer bottles

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Before Wedded Bliss, Battle Over the Guest List

Check out the May 31st edition of the Wall Street Journal to see some of Tasha Bracken's helpful tips on dealing with unwanted wedding guests in the article Before Wedded Bliss, Battle Over the Guest List!
Article on The Wall Street Journal Website