FCW Favorite Finds: April 2012

Keeping up with the wedding & event planning blogs feels like a full time job itself but the reward definitely is worth it.  I am so inspired daily by other event planners and real weddings that I have to share my favorite finds every now and again.  Enjoy!

How adorable are these handkerchief invitations!  Oh and the bride designed them herself.  Talk about a sweet keepsake. Frame this baby in a shadow box with other day of stationary and maybe a wedding photo- hello parent gifts!

New Industry Can Help You Plan Your Next Event

While most people think of event planning as orchestrating large scale events, event planning is a part of everyone's calendar throughout the year.  Birthdays and holidays, family vacations and even setting up a girls or guys nite out require some planning.  And we all know that there is usually one friend who is saddled with the task of heading up the whole event.  Not surprisingly, I have happily taken on that role for my family and friends- I planned a surprise bar crawl with matching t shirts & bar specials for my boyfriend's birthday a few years ago and last year a surprise weekend trip to Cooperstown, NY and for my sister, a surprise ghost tour outting for her last birthday.  But what happens if you want to plan something different but don't know what to do or where to go?

Enter the newest & fast growing industry which makes event planning easy.  Companies like LivingSocial & Groupon merge social media marketing with coupons/sales deals to offer a new level of convenience to consumers as well as a whole new marketing approach for businesses.  Yes it is convenient that the service is free and you can sign up for as many geographic areas as you want to receive daily deal emails for, but it is so much more than that.  I love that more & more diverse companies are offering deals and more importantly, getting their service out to the public.  There is even a family division for specific family friendly activities.  Planning a girls weekend- how about a winery tasting and spa treatments?  Have an adrenaline junkie brother- how about drag racing lessons for his birthday?  There really is no range for what type of services are being offered, today I received a deal for a glass blowing class in Baltimore.

I will admit that while I don't buy most deals, at least a couple times a week I file the daily deal email to save the activity & company info for later.  Skydiving, brewery tour, large inflatable outdoor movie screen company, a hot air balloon ride and a pirate cruise ship are just a few of the great activities I'm now keeping in my back pocket.  There is no minimum amount of deals that you are required to purchase and if you don't like the deal, just delete it from your inbox.  If you do like the deal but don't have an event coming up, saving the daily deal emails will save you from brainstorming later.  By looking into different cities, you can plan a trip around an event that you would not normally hear about in your hometown.  And last but not least, as an added bonus, if three of your friends buy your deal as referred by you, you get your deal for free on LivingSocial! 

Still, there will always be logistics for your designated friend/family planner to sort out, but this emerging market is a great solution to branch out of your typical activities and take the brainstorming out of small scale event planning.  Enjoy!

Source

Source

Source

Party Essentials: How to Stock Your Home Bar

One of the quickest ways to jumpstart any party or event is to have a great bar setup.  If it seems impossible to keep a stocked bar at home, you are in luck. If you have an upcoming party and just want the basics down, the geniuses at LifeHacker.com have simplified the task by creating an easy how to list for stocking your home bar for $100.  This article breaks the bar down for a small cocktail party, a 30 person soiree and a 'rager'.  If you are looking to furnish a complete bar, there are a few more guidelines.  Either way, you need to stock alcohol, mixers, glassware, and barware- its just a matter of how much.
   
Here is a list of the basic barware you need for a great cocktail station.  The basic list of alcohol is as follows; Bourbon, Brandy, Canadian Whiskey, Dark or Spiced Rum, Gin, Light Rum, Scotch, Tequila, Vodka, Rye Whiskey.  Obviously if you have a favorite drink or friends that fancy a particular flavored liquor, you might want to keep that in stock as well.  The basic list of liqeuers are as follows; Amaretto, Irish Cream, Creme de Caco, Coffee Liqueur, Dry Vermouth, Sweet Vermouth, Orange Liqeuer.  Mixers are a long list and depending on your preferences, you may need feel the need to stock each one although the most common are light and dark sodas, juices, tonic water, and of course ice.  And last but not least, the list of garnishes ranges from margarita salt to orange slices for a Blue Moon (a personal favorite!). 

Additionally, make sure that you avoid a serious party foul by having enough glasses for the party.  Whether you choose red cups or martini glasses, ideally each guest should keep the same glass for the same type of drink but it is always safe to have extra glasses available.  Wine charms are a great way to identify different people's drinks in a fun way.  If you are having a more formal party, like an engagement party or an upscale birthday dinner, a great idea is to hire a bartender for the event.  Think of your friends' younger-but-of-legal-age siblings who would be willing to learn a few cocktails for some cash.  It will take the stress off the host to know that the bar is in good hands.  Cheers! 

Source

Source

Source

Source

Inspiration Station: Oscar Is On His Way

I.am.obsessed.with.award.shows.  That is a basic fact about me.  My top three favorites are the Emmys, The Golden Globes, and best award show ever is of course, the Oscars.  Luckily there are more than a few likeminded people in the event planning world and I found a complete Oscar party set up already!  As if that was not enough excitement for me, this post also includes FREE printables to create your own party!  Hello, free is always awesome.

This being said, I have not held a full-on Oscar party yet.  I usually get together with a few girlfriends to enjoy some wine and give our opinions/yell at the tv during the red carpet- and this year is no different.  Seeing this set up makes me really excited for possibly planning a party next year.  I would love to incorporate a pool to see who guesses the winners and maybe add in some delicious desserts in a nod to the nominees- this year I'm making Black Swan brownies and I believe there was mention of True Grits being served.  Since variety is the spice of life, I was really excited to see this post  with some great ideas on creating your own affordable (key word!) Oscars party.  Creating a movie snack area with popcorn, sno-cones, and milk duds will definitely be a hit.  And this post offers more great ideas plus an Oscars themed cake!  It really is up to you on how elaborate you want to be- from Oscar invitations to prizes to framing past winners as decor, there are so many options.  Whatever you decide to do, I hope you enjoy Hollywood's biggest night as much as I know I will!

 

(Source for all 3)

Delicious cocktails are a must! (Source)

Wedding or Party: Dining

If you did not catch the first edition, this is a game that I created after seeing so much amazing decor that is incredibly versatile.  The kind of decor that could be for a bridal shower, baby shower, fabulous birthday, dinner party, corporate event, or even a wedding.  Test yourself and let me know how you did on Felicity C Weddings Facebook page!  Good luck & enjoy!

Wedding or party?  Here is the answer

 

Wedding or party?  Here is the answer

Wedding or party? Here is the answer

Fra-gee-lay. That Must Be Italian*

Now that it is November and Thanksgiving is on its way, Christmas and Hanukkah are not far behind.  I have already seen Christmas decor in stores and it seems like it is out earlier every year.  Putting aside the commercialism of the holiday season, it is really a great time of the year to see family and celebrate another year together.  The best way to celebrate is with a holiday party!  I know a lot of companies are cutting out holiday parties last year and probably this year but there are fun and inexpensive ways to get your jingle bell on without going bankrupt.  Or having a holiday party for your friends at your house.  One of the best and most fun ideas is to have a "secret Santa" or "white elephant" where each participant secretly chooses another person's name out of a hat and then the only person getting a gift for the name chosen.  It is never too early to plan, so I am posting some tips and inspiration.

Tip #1-  Definitely send out invitations and send them out as early as you can.  Facebook invites or text messages are nice to give people a heads up but having something to remind your guests of the date every time they head for the fridge is ideal.  Plus, the holidays are a busy time and people's availability often books up pretty quickly.  You can purchase invites online this the one posted below OR you can get creative and make your own.  I have used Microsoft Publisher the past couple of years for invites and holiday cards.  The only cost is printing that you can do at home or go to local printing shop.  Color printing is usually priced according to amount of pages, so make sure to ask that your invites are printed 4 to a page.

Source

Wedding or Party: 1st Edition

As a wedding planner, it is part of my job to stay up to date with current industry trends and ideas.  So, I routinely scan through dozens of blog posts a day (a couple hundred weekly) to get inspired by other planners, real brides, and anyone with creativity.  Not all the blogs that I follow are wedding-based and especially with Halloween recently, there have been a lot of fabulous decor photos floating around online. 

The great thing about modern weddings today is that there are very few rules left and this is so clear is all the different variations I see on these posts.  I have started to see a lot of inventive event decor that I realized could be great for a wedding or a casual party.  Since I could not easily distinguish what type of event it was, I thought I'd make a game out of it.  So look through the following photos and decide if they are from a wedding or just another party.  Be sure to let me know on the Felicity C Weddings Facebook page how well you did!  Enjoy!

 

Wedding or Party?  Here is the answer 

Inspiration Station: Halloween Done Right

As much as I love all things wedding related, event planning is a year round love for me.  From birthdays to holidays, being creative and infusing tons of details for people to enjoy is key.  With Halloween coming up this weekend, I wanted to show some great ideas for entertaining of the spooky variety.  Although some of these set ups are pretty elaborate, I want to point out that you do not need to spend a lot of money to have a great presentation.  It is always better to have a few items with spectacular details than have a bunch of items that were thrown together.  So whether you are holding a Halloween party or going to one, I found a few posts on the interweb for some inspiration.  Enjoy!

 

Check out this post for the full sweets table photos