Vote for your Favorite Party Theme on Facebook!

You love throwing the ultimate themed birthday party. You scour blogs for the best ideas and delight in crafting adorable favors by hand. You're the expert, and your opinion is wanted! Vote for your favorite party theme and get entered in the Beau-coup Facebook giveaway for a chance to win a $100 gift voucher! Beau-coup is giving away three $100 gift vouchers to three lucky fans who will be chosen at random. Get your vote in order to qualify, and be sure to SHARE with friends! Voting is open till Monday, August 6th. Vote now! 

Beau-coup believes in “celebrating life, one event at a time” and is a recognized leader in the party favor and party supplies industry. Since 2002 they have helped brides and grooms, family, friends and every type of event planner find the perfect party favors, supplies and decorations to create memorable and extraordinary celebrations. Visit their site and while you are there, check out their wide selection of wedding favors, birthday party favors and baby shower favors & gifts. And don't forget to enter the contest - good luck!

Themed Wedding: The Simpsons

Its no secret I LOVE the little town of Springfield and all of the animated personalities that live there. So, I can totally understand why someone would want to incorporate The Simpsons into their wedding... HOWEVER...

Don't make your wedding cartoonish.

You can add a few themed touches to your wedding to show your love for the show without going over the top.

Name your tables after characters or places from the show.

• Springfield
• Shelbyville
• Moe's Tavern
• Kwik-E-Mart
• Krusty Burger

Serve "Duff" beer

Serve sliders during the cocktail hour but call them Krusty Burgers.

Create blue floral centerprieces that resemble Marge's hair.

Sweet 16 Masquerade Party

>Photo from Control Your Destiny

If done right, a masquerade party can be mysterious and exciting.


Carry your party theme through to your invitation.

Clearly state the dress code on the invitation to make sure everyone understands the formality of the event. Let the guests show off their creativity with their costumes or simply provide a variety of masks for the guests to choose from when they arrive. (Note: Decorating masks may be a fun DIY project for the guest-of-honor and her besties a day or 2 before the party.)


Keep the decorations under control so it doesn't end up looking too much like a Halloween party. A black and silver color palette works well for the masquerade theme. Add a splash of color with a jewel-toned accent like amethyst (purple), garnet (red), or emerald (green). A little glitter helps to create a less childish ambience without being too adult.

Centerpieces can be made with masks, feathers, and/or candles.

Venues to consider include banquet halls, hotel ballrooms, country clubs, or historical mansions.

Serve finger foods so you don't take any time away from the fun. Serve a variety of non-alcoholic beverages like soda, punch, and "mocktails".

The birthday cake can also mimic the masquerade theme either by topping the cake with a mask and feathers or by sculpting the cake into the shape of a mask. And... you can never go wrong with a chocolate fountain.

What's Up... Today?

Hey... I am usually writing about stuff that is going on in the fabulous world of weddings and parties, but I wanted to make this one a little more personal.

What's up with Always Fabulous Events today?

I am working on a Sweet 16 party that is scheduled for mid-May. We are planning a nightclub theme. Currently, we are looking for a venue. We have looked at 3 very different places so far and we have 2 more to see before we make a decision.

I am also helping friends plan a baby shower for a young lady I watched grow up (security blankie and all). I still can't believe she is all grown up and ready to raise a family.

My brother is also expecting his first child this month. This will be my first time being an aunt. I'm so excited!

Winter seems to be a popular time for spa parties. We have had done 3 this season and have 2 scheduled in January. A little "girl time" never hurts. A couples' spa retreat would be cool to do in February.

Speaking of February... we have a multicultural wedding celebration at the end of the month. The bride's family is Caribbean and the groom's family is from London, but the couple is as American as anyone born here. They are having a big party on Saturday night and an elegant ceremony and brunch on Sunday.

In between events, I am back at the Bridal Event to help brides-to-be with their DIY projects and answers to their planning questions.

I am very confident that 2010 will be FABULOUS! I'm looking forward to it.

Bachelor Party Idea: Casino Night

Whether you choose to go to Las Vegas, Atlantic City, New Orleans, or Monaco, a casino night is a great time for the bachelor and his boys. Try your luck at roulette and craps or a hand of blackjack. (Note to the groom: Only bet what you can afford to lose.) Take in some drinks and have a few laughs during a comedy show. Most have nice restaurants but, if you prefer something a little less stuffy, find the nearest Hooters.

Don't expect to drive home the same night. Check in to a hotel for at least one night.

(Girls, you can do this for your bachelorette party too.)

Bachelorette Party Idea: Spa Retreat

A spa retreat for a day or a weekend is a relaxing alternative to the traditionally wild girls night out. Take a trip to a spa resort in Arizona for the weekend, relax at a local full-service day spa, or turn your home into a spa for a few hours.

If you are hosting an in-home spa day, then consider hiring a professional massage therapist to treat each guest like a VIP. The rest of your pampering treatments can be DIY. If you need help with this type of party, then seek the assistance of a company that can provide a consultant to guide you through the treatments and supply you with all of the essential products.

Bachelorette Party Idea: Boudoir Photo Shoot

Boudoir Photography is not new but it is a hot trend for bachelorette parties. In most cases, a party for you and about 5 friends is less expensive than doing it alone. Each party attendee will get a personal photo session and then you can do one big group shot at the end of the party.

The cost usually includes hair & makeup plus a few retouched prints for each guest.

Studios that specialize in boudoir parties have a variety of backgrounds and lots of cool props for you to play around with during your session. Some photographers will even come to you.

Fall Wedding Ideas

As with any theme, your invitation sets the tone for the upcoming event. Decide on your color scheme and/or theme early so you can find all of the elements you want to incorporate before the invitations go out.

Use a rich shade of brown instead of black. Add rich shades of red, orange, and golden yellow. If you want to use a metallic accent, then go for gold, bronze, or copper.

Include natural signs of autumn like fallen leaves, berries, and acorns. Scatter leaves instead of flower petals.

Serve freshly harvested fruits and vegetables like apples, pumpkins, and squash. For a sweet treat, add caramel corn and candy apples. For some great menu ideas, visit event jubilee.

Autumn is the perfect time of year to get married at a winery (or to have a wine-themed wedding).





All photos from FavorIdeas.com

Host a Honeymoon Shower

Instead of having a ladies-only bridal shower where you get cute little nighties, ask for a co-ed honeymoon shower. Your guests will come bearing gifts to make your honeymoon FABULOUS!

The theme can be based on your honeymoon destination or have everyone select gifts from your Honeymoon Registry. Your guests may purchase matching monogrammed robes or a set of luggage.

Photo Source

NEW Cocktail Party Products

Are you planning a simple summertime cocktail party by the pool?
Are you looking for some jazzy cocktail-themed paper products for your Girls Night In?

Check out the new cocktail party products now available at http://alwaysfab.makesparties.com.

Once Upon A Time...

... there lived a beautiful young princess named (insert your name here).

If your Sweet 16 or Wedding theme involves castles, horse-drawn carriages, and tiaras, take a look at these fabulous ideas to bring your vision to life.

Petite Castle Cake Topper

A romantic style castle in just-right proportions. At 3.5" tall and 2.5" wide this fits nicely on a small cake top or on larger cakes as a sparkling accent among flowers or decorative icing. Set on a mirrored base, this topper is made from handblown crystal with gold accents for maximum sparkle and heirloom quality.

Fairytale Placecard Holder

Step back in time with a silver plated, detailed placecard holder perfect for your fairytale event. Each silver plated crown placecard holder measures 5.25" high and makes a cute memo or photo holder after the wedding. (Note: This can double as your favors or can be used to hold the table numbers.)

Happily Ever After Candle Wedding Favor

A fairytale favor to celebrate your "Happily Ever After", this carriage shaped candle arrives beautifully packaged in a clear gift box topped with a white bow. Each pearlized wax candle measures 1.5" tall, 2" wide and 1.25" deep and will burn for two hours. Box measures 4.5" tall, 2.25" wide and 1.25" deep.

Kids Party: Hawaiian Luau

{photo from MakesParties.com}

My friend has had a luau-themed pool party for her daughter's birthday for the past several years. When she heard that I was planning a Polynesian-themed wedding reception, she asked what she can do to make her party a little different from last year or the years before.

Here are a few ideas anyone can use:

1. Greet each guest with a lei and a kiss... just like they do in Hawaii.
2. Most kids like to do an arts & crafts project that they can take home. This doubles as a party favor. Let the kids make a "tiki statue" by decorating an empty toilet paper or paper towel roll.
3. Buy some hula skirts for a hula dance contest. Be sure to give prizes to the top winners. OR
4. Hire someone to give your guests a hula lesson.
5. Limbo (my friend already does this one)
6. Bake palm tree-shaped cookies.

Decorations:

1. Tiki torches
2. Hang an "Aloha" sign at the entrance
3. Floating flowers in the pool or in a big glass bowl
4. Pineapples and coconuts all around the dining areas
5. Tealights or votive candles surrounded by seashells and flowers
6. Hang paper lanterns
7. Every child's birthday party should have balloons!

Since my friend throws this type of party every year, she could invest in some items that she can use over and over, like plastic coconut cups.

Visit our Party Planning page for links to our favorite online supply stores.

Pre-Mother's Day Pamper Party

Tranquil Massage hosted a Pre-Mother's Day Pamper Party and asked Always Fabulous Events to be a part of the festivities. Vendors included Warm Spirit, jewelry, handbags, eyelash makeovers, books, and adult pleasure products. The entertainment of the day was brought to us by a spoken word poetess named Ebony.

The photo above shows the AFE display table. The photo below shows one of the tables we decorated where guests could relax, eat, drink, and be merry.

I love what I do!

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Party

I promised to post the pictures from this party. You've seen the towel monkeys in a recent post, but these photos show the entire table setting. We have the "So Long and Thanks for All the Fish" boxes filled with sweet Swedish fish. There are also decoratable (is that a word?) digital watches and colored markers.

The cake is a replica of the cover of the book. The white mice are amazing creations of fondant and sugar paste. They look so realistic. (My compliments to Truli Confectionary Arts)

I was impressed by the number of people I encountered who were familiar with the book. Even one of the guys working at the party venue knew the book and seemed to be a fan.

80's Inspired Sweet 16

Always Fabulous Events created the concept and design for this 16th birthday party for twin girls, Samie & Patrice. They wanted a nightclub feel with a cool gimmick. We went back to the 80s... an interesting theme considering these girls weren't even born until 1992.

They loved the DayGlo night club idea which we carried from the invitations thru the decorations and dress code. Even the cupcakes were frosted with neon colors. The tables also held glow-in-the-dark centerpieces. Oh... I can't forget all of the glow sticks, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings.

The kids really impressed me with their 80s style interpretations... well, at least the girls.

Daisy Baby Shower

Pictures from MarthaStewart.com and PopularFavors.com

Halloween Weddings

I mentioned to a group of friends that my mom's best friend got married on Halloween and it made me think about all the fun and creative things I could do with such an occasion.

While this is not what I have in mind, it's your wedding so do what you like.

Photo by Michael Sjulstad, St. Olaf College

I'm thinking something more creative and less creepy, but with some bewitching elements.

Have a safe and FABULOUS Halloween!

Red Carpet Sweet 16