Create My Event - Event & Party Ideas Blog

Poster Programs and Invitations

For your next soiree why not design an invitation poster style?

photo by David Willems

Inspired by a Martha Stewart Weddings feature on unique wedding essentials, I asked a close designer friend to throw together a hip program for my wedding. I requested a jpg of a motif from my wedding invitation suite (it's a cute taxi cab image perfect for my NYC theme wedding) and together with a personalized monogram a hip poster program was created for a unique way to give my guests details about my wedding ceremony.

For your next event or for your wedding, create a gorgeous and one-of-a-kind look by thinking big - step out of your ordinary stock-card frame of mind and think 11X17!

photo by David Willems

Finish the look by folding your poster into thirds the long way and again in thirds until you have a small rectangle. Wrap it up with a ribbon and monogram sticker or use a colorful strip of paper featuring a personalized monogram like I did.

photo by David Willems

For more ideas please check out Modern Vintage and enjoy my latest Wedding special week-long feature.

Is that Edible?

Last week, I attended New York Magazine's Wedding event and the slew of participating caterers like Crave Catering + Events, R Cano Events and Sterling Affair put together fabulously inspiring presentations of treats and food so beautiful you wonder if they're edible!

For your next event, follow suit and forgo the normal cake and tea stand display. Instead,  "landscape" your buffet setup by blending your floral arrangement with hors d'oeuvres and sweets.  Use "natural resources" like banana leaves, a planter with some cut grass and nature-mimicking food items, like large sugar crystals that Crave Catering used to display their sugar-apples on.

For more on other inspirational wedding and party ideas I gathered from this event, please check out Modern Vintage Designs.

Blackboard Tags

Run, don't walk, to your local Pottery Barn! On sale now for $12.99, these mini chalkboard tags come in a set of six, chalk included. Available only in stores, grab a bunch of these sets and use them at your next dinner party. Hang them of wine bottles to let your guests know something about the wine your serving. Tie them around silverware and put your guests' names on the tag for a chic way to assign seats.

Go the extra mile and add more chalkboard details with chalkboard paint. For a shower, play a game of Jeopardy! Paint small 5X7 heavy paper boards (frame them in something pretty if you want - sans glass cover of course) and let guests use them to write out their answers.

For more chalkboard chic ideas, check out Modern Vintage.

Holiday Teacher Gifts

Gifts during the holidays are tricky, especially if you are on a budget.  Yet, we inevitably try to please everyone and everyone includes your children's teachers (co-workers, the mailman, etc.).  You, as the giver, want to say an extra special thanks for all that the teacher does during the school year with your child.  Or, if it happens to be the school bus driver, the baby-sitter, your secretary or co-workers, it's always nice to give a "Thanks for doing a great job" or simply, "Have a safe and Happy Holiday!" gift that displays this gesture but is not over the top or inappropriate.

I thought of this post after talking with my sister, a middle-school teacher herself, about the types of gifts she gets from her students at Christmastime.  Do not misunderstand - teachers love getting gifts and the gesture is welcomed and appreciated!  Sometimes, though, there are items that provoke a few laughs or a quizzical look/thought. 

Some guidelines:

Chocolate - This is a universal theme enjoyed by everyone.  During the holidays there are always many boxes of chocolates and treats floating around and although a few are a sweet indulgence, too many are a stomach ache.  My sister once received 15 boxes of chocolates from the kids in her class and so the rest of our family got, you guessed it, boxes of chocolate on Christmas morning!  If you would like to give chocolate, pick 3 or four handmade truffles and package them in an ornamental box or create an assortment of single serving gourmet hot chocolates.  Small gestures with big taste!

Candles - Candles are pretty and very seasonal with all of the cozy nights people spend relaxing with family.  If you have found a wonderful, eco-friendly and naturally scented column candle that is in a neutral color and could go with almost any decor (or something along those lines), please give.  But be careful when you are tempted to buy candles in bulk or candles with very strong scents or colors or in odd shapes and figures. If you would not use it as a center piece at a family dinner or as part of your seasonal decor, then chances are the teacher would not either ;)

Christmas themed decorations/goodies - In general this seems like a good idea, because it's the Holiday Season!  But, as a caution, if you wouldn't use the Rudolph the Reindeer themed napkins or the Disney Christmas tree ornament, it's likely your child's teacher might just pack it away, or give it to their Great Aunt Mabel.

Wine and Spirits - My sister thinks getting a bottle of wine or a little assortment of liquors is wonderful.  She says that after long days with the kids, and sometimes long nights with parents at Parent-Teacher interviews, she NEEDS a glass or two.  You do not have to choose an expensive bottle of wine to make a generous gesture and many stores do carry half bottles that are also good gifts for those on a budget.  Also, attaching a recipe for Mulled Wine or Hot Buttered Rum to the bottle you are giving adds a personal and seasonal touch.

Other ideas - Homemade cookies (made by the children themselves so Mom gets a little break), muffins, granola, goodie bags of old fashioned Holiday candies, or even gift certificates for a spa service, a favorite music or movie store or a gourmet food shop.

If these ideas don't work for you, remember, there's nothing wrong with giving an elegant card with a heartfelt Holiday greeting and your child's signature.

Happy Holiday Gift Giving!

Recipes courtesy of the LCBO, pictures courtesy of Martha Stewart and The Wine Enthusiast

The Local Hive

Always buy honey locally.  Honey carries bits and pieces of pollen from the surrounding area and can be very effective as an immune system builder.  With allergy season in full swing- take a teaspoon in your tea everyday. Plus it's sweet to support local farmers and native bees.

Image courtesy of lLOccitane.  By Kate Sinclair of Life in Style.

Wee Itsy-Bitsy Halloween

Participating or throwing a Halloween party that include the wee ones? If you want everyone to have fun – you will need to think about your littlest members of your family. Though kids as young as 2 can enjoy dressing up, many a child gets freaked out at Halloween. Grasping what is “pretend” is a much older developmental skill. Here are a few ideas to get ready for the party, see more ideas at my blog-memorablegatherings.blogspot.com

Halloween Prep:
** Take some night-time walks in your neighborhood.
** Light a few candles the week before Halloween.
** Play games with turning lights on and off.
** Try costumes on and play in them.
** Try dressing up Fiddo in a fun costume- these always reveal the pet's face and can help kids start to understand fantasy and costumes... kids so identify with their beloved pets in powerful ways!
** Dress up a teddy bear for the holiday together, so that they can see a costume coming on and off beloved teddy.
** Read some books...non-scary books include:
- Dappled Apples, Froggy’s Halloween, Halloween Cats, Halloween Hats, It’s Pumpkin Time, Plumply, Dumply Pumpkin

Watch some non-scary holiday movies together:
- Monsters Inc., Incredibles, Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, Monster Squad, House of Mouse Halloween, Veggie Tales

Throwing the party?
Learn from the experts! You can attend or borrow ideas from hosted kid-friendly Halloween activities. They are good role models about what works well. These can be found at:
** Public Libraries
** Zoos
** Nature Centers
** Botanical Gardens
** Nature Hiking areas
** Pumpkin Patches
** Farms

Other ways to get in the “spirit”? Choose for the first couple years to Trick-or-Treat only at friends and family's houses or attend Harvest Festivals at local churches, where they will know you and adjust for your wee ones.

Party image from: Carolyne Roehm

Music For Public Events

Picture - String Planet. They are a great concert band to work with and professional for any event or festival. Check them out at www.stringplanet.com! Photo credit - Jeanie Cunningham. The following story DOES NOT relate to String Planet, this is just a plug for these great musicians...

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I had an interesting situation arise the other day involving a non-profit fund raiser. There were plans for music at this event, both live performance and CD sales – by one of the non-profit's members - with CD sales as a part of fund-raising.

I am only marginally involved in project, so it was very late in the game when I finally became aware of the plans for music. I noticed that there were three kinds of music involved with the event - self-composed, public domain and copyrighted music.

I was fairly certain that the musician did not have a performance license and/or recording rights for the copyrighted music, because they are merely a well-meaning member of this organization and a hobbyist musician, not a professional musician. There were several indications that the copyrighted music was not covered legally.

Music gets used a lot in events both as signature moments and background. Music sets the mood and emphasizes a vibe at events. But event planners need to understand that music at events is, legally, considered a public performance of the work. Don't let the word performance throw you- here the word performance can be either live performance or played on transistor radio – it is the aural reception of music.

If it is music in public domain or self-authored, there is no issue. If it is copyrighted music- which most music nowadays is... then you are at risk for lawsuits and fines. The most famous case of this is the “Happy Birthday” song. A quick trip to Google will tell the tale: “The version as we know it was copyrighted in 1935...The company holding the copyright was purchased by Warner Chappell in 1990 for $15 million, with the value of "Happy Birthday" estimated at $5 million...Warner claims that unauthorized public performances of the song are technically illegal unless royalties are paid to them.”

ASCAP and BMI are initiating lawsuits in record numbers. People in the industry must be aware of this, and plan accordingly.

The definition of performing copyrighted music that is at issue includes playing music "any place where people gather," with the exception of small private groups. As long as it's played outside a direct circle of friends and family, it is considered a public performance. Music may be played through radio, television, CD or cassette player, computer, etc. or performed live. Party planners should also be asking their DJs about their performance license - because they absolutely should have one. It can put your organization at risk if they do not.

Back to my little non-profit's saga. Unfortunately, people associated with this fund raiser were not even aware of the potential concern. When it was brought to their attention, they mistakenly thought that the musician should be solely liable in the event that someone reported the infringement. This is not so. In the case of fines – which can be several grand per infringement- they will go after the organization that was planning the event. Whether you agree with this or it makes sense- it does not matter. And it does not matter that it is a fund raiser to help a little itsy-bitsy nonprofit. It would be a public embarrassment. Organizations like this need to be “above the letter of the law” and highly professional in order to keep credibility when they solicit support. Donors expect that.

Event planners need to protect the institutions and individuals that they work for. You should be reasonably aware of liability concerns for your client, because they probably have no idea. ALWAYS ask if the musician or DJ has performance license and/or recording rights for the music that they are presenting or selling. Always advise your client of the letter-of-the-law. If they chose to ignore you, you have given them fair indication of any risks they incur.

If you are a constant provider of musical entertainment, you should know of ASCAP and BMI and if you are an organization that requires a contract.

My suggestion for my little non- profit, which was well received, is that the music performed and sold at this fund raiser be limited to the musician's self-composed music.

Perhaps one of the byproducts of this litigation happy music industry will be that local grassroots musicians will have more opportunities for their original works to be performed as opposed to being begged to perform only covers of popular songs.

Color Me Beautiful, Mr. Moore

If you're in the market for a little home improvement this weekend and have been agonizing over paint chips and color schemes...get excited.  House Beautiful Magazine and Benjamin Moore Paints have come together to make the "what color should we do the bathroom" decision process a little easier, and a lot more fun.  Go on line to play with their new Paint Brush tool and experiment with the thousands of gorgeous shades that could bring new life to that old wall.  You can choose from a variety of decor styles and rooms in a kaleidescope of colors- sure to keep you mixing and matching for hours on end.  It's Nintendo for the decorating set...outstanding.

Visit the HB PaintBrush and let the fun begin.  by Kate Sinclair of Life In Style.

Here They Come - Those Notorious Office Parties!

Office and company parties seem to start with Halloween and roll all the way through the New Year. Some of us have to assist with planning early when it is a gala or complex event.

Here are a few often-missed planning questions for those organizing office parties to ensure a smooth, enjoyable event.

Is a daytime or evening party more convenient for attendees?

Are you trying to schedule the party to make sure everyone can attend?

Are you providing lots of non-alcoholic alternatives that are attractive and inticing?

Are you suggesting a level of dress or dress code to assist people in making tasteful choices?

Are you including ways for people to mingle with people from other departments and meet the president, CEO or VPs?

Are you trying to include spouses and significant others and children?

Are you trying to make it comfortable for those who arrive a bit early or on-the-dot?

Do you have an organized time in the schedule to thank those hosting the party?

Are you envisioning an event that reflects well on the company? Included here are issues of appropriate location, alcohol flow and taking your employees' interests seriously.  

Can you provide a babysitting service or kid's activities for the event?

Is there a need to give guidence related to gifts? What's been done in previous years? What kinds of gifts were given, and to whom? How about suggesting a shift in the corporate culture toward making charitable donations?

Here's to the office party season!

Unusual People Have Events Too

Not everyone is traditional. When a non-traditional person starts musing over hosting an event, and when they are not pressured to conform to societal mandates - often something new, insired and exciting can evolve. As an event planner, this can be the most challenging, yet rewarding work there is out there.

Pressure them to conform to the pre-programmed expectations of traditionalists... and you have eliminated the possibility to get something new out into the world.

There are few resources to help non-traditionalists, partly because of the infinate complexity of the subject - and the fact that there is little opportunity for profitability for niche markets. I have located a few resources, and anyone is invited to add to the arsenal. Just send in your comments, and I will be sure to review and post them here.

www.uniquevenues.com hosts basic searchable info on non-traditional venues such as colleges, universities, conference centers, theaters, mansions, dining and entertainment venues, museums and castles among others.

At ethicalweddings.com they boast: ”Local, fair trade, organic, eco-friendly, recycled… these are a few of our favourite things at ethicalweddings.com, a searchable database of ethical wedding services and products which give you the chance to celebrate your wedding the way you want while giving others something to celebrate too.”

Offbeat Bride offers inspiration for the “aisles less traveled.” Author Ariel Meadow Stallings shares her own experiences that of dozens of nontraditional brides. Offbeatbride.com is the companion website for the book, with such unconventional categories as “Wedding Porn”... and it does not hold back. Reoccurring themes are: tattooed brides, red wedding gowns, groomsmen as bandmembers and veil alternatives. Warning: she drops the “f-bomb” on her site a few times.

To quote Ariel … " For me, the scariest part of getting engaged was feeling as if I were suddenly buying into an identity that wasn’t my own. I was having a bridentity crisis. Suddenly I was supposed to care about floral arrangements and classical quartets. Suddenly I was supposed to like poufy white dresses and showing off jewelry. Suddenly I was supposed to buy five-hundred-page glossy magazines and take a strong interest in decorative bows for the backs of rented chairs. I was a bride, but I wasn’t that kind of bride. I didn’t care about any of these things. I just loved my partner, Andreas, and I wanted to have a big party to share that love with our family and friends."

As planners, we can reduce pressure and try to buffer the stress for our client when resistance from family, society and traditional vendors arises. It is rewarding to assist people in realizing something new, something not experienced before, and somehing that truly reflects the wonderful person hosting the event.