Thank You All So Much!!!!

Happy Friday Guys....I have been so busy with work...weddings....and TBC....that I totally missed TBC's 1,000th comment the other day....THANKS GUYS....YOU ALL ROCK!!  I really mean this...you all keep me coming back to start a new and exciting feature at the cafe each morning and I just couldn't do it without you....so let's have a "Celebration" with a wonderful giveaway!!!

I received a lovely email from Abigail at HarperCollins Publishing....she introduced me to the wonderful new book, Party Basics For New Nesters by the oh-so-fabulous Maria McBride.  I was so excited because I own a couple of Maria's publications....The Perfect Wedding Reception and The Perfect Wedding Details....great books by the way.  Maria's books are so inspirational and always filled with beautiful images.....and she has truly kept it going with New  Nesters!  Guys I love this book....there are so many wonderful and fun ideas for "Holiday" and  "Every Day" entertaining.  Maria gives step-by-step instructions on each of the "Party Planning Details" and she has included some "mouth-watering" recipes that you don't want to miss.....and you will love all of the beautiful images ....trust me...Party Basics For New Nesters is definitely a  "must have"!  Check out Maria's site....it is full of beautiful "eye candy" and loads of inspiration!

Well in true "cafe style"...I am giving a copy to one of TBC's wonderful readers.  All you have to do is......share a "tip" with us ...something that you have found that has helped you plan your wedding day, dinner party, bridal shower, birthday bash....etc.  Let's just have "fun".....it's a "Celebration"!  I will announce the "winner on Tuesday, May  27th...Thanks Guys and a HUGE thanks to Maria for sharing her wonderful book with us.....have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Comments

[Helen]

My tip would be to never serve anything out of a plastic or purchased packing/container and that includes milk, sugar, dips, crudites, cakes, anything. I've collected a rash of crockery, bowls, platters and jugs and teapots and it raises the temperature of ANY gathering in your house (spontaneous or planned) for limited money and even less fuss. That way, even if you get improptu guests you can break out whatever you have in the cupboard (olives...chips...breadsticks) and serve it in a cute container that belies the simplicity of the dish. Excellent blog and congrats on the 1,000 comments. I'm sure I'm about 50 of them so feeling proud of my contribution today!!

[Emma]

My tip comes from the many experiences I've had throwing dinner parties in a tiny apartment. It's way more fun to have your guests hang out in/near the kitchen while you're preparing the last-minute details, so you can have fun, relax, and chat while still taking care of everything. You never have to leave the party!

[ettiene]

My tip is to ask for help. If your mom makes great cole slaw and your having a BBQ ask her to make it. It will save you time and they probably would love to help out anyway.

[Carrie6780]

I'm a wedding photographer, and I'm getting married July 5. My fiancé and I are paying for everything, so our budget is 'fine-tuned'. As someone who attends almost 30 weddings a year, I've seen it all from the lavish to the laid-back.

My advice for those who are budget conscious would be to put your big money where it's most important. I picked photography! It was also important to throw a good party so we hired a great local band and found an awesome rustic pavilion in the mountains of Montana to throw our bash. The rest? I got ideas from websites and of course The Brides Cafe — I sent my wonderful florist, Jane, to TBC! So many wonderful ideas thanks to Janie. One of my ideas is to incorporate wooden wine boxes from my local wine gallery (Gourmet Cellar in Livingston, MT) into my centerpieces. They were free... and the elegant white peonies, willow, sage and soft yellow garden roses that will fill them will look great against the rustic wood grain. My other find?... It's true, after a ton of research, and finally finding the right seller, I got my gorgeous Pronovias gown online (brand new) and saved about $1,500.

My final advice would be to "LET IT GO!". Hire as many experts as you possibly can (even if they're friends and/or relatives!) and relax, relax, relax — take in the day that will pass so fast.

So we'll see, I have 43 days to go till the big day...

I've already shared a wedding with Janie (Cynthia and Andy's Real Wedding), and maybe she'll let me share mine?! Ha ha! Janie, I'll send you some shots in July.

[Liesal]

I'm thinking organization is the best tip that I can give. I'm trying to stay organized so I don't loose important items-like my head! :)

[Jenny]

When I planned my wedding 5 years ago we didn't hire someone to do everything for us. I wouldn't change it for the world; my family got to meet my husband's family and come to enjoy them as much as I do. One thing that really helped was to set-up a mock table of how each table was going to be set-up, then everyone ran with it and it took no time setting up enough tables for 700 people. Yes 700 and we had a blast!!! By the way I love your blog.

[Dani Ross]

maria's website is great--love it! thank you for sharing!

[Stewart]

My best advice (my wedding is in October) is to find at least one vendor (be it photographer- yay! Eleise Theuer!, or caterer yay! Complete Catering!) and find out who they've worked with in the past. Get recommendations from them because they've seen it all. I found Miss Janie of TBC fame through my photographer, the cake baker through the caterer, etc. and I couldn't be more psyched! When you are confident the team you've assembled will do their best to make your wedding spectacular, it's a true load off your mind. I did hire a coordinator for the weekend of so I don't have to sweat the small stuff. Now I hope to sit back and enjoy!

[Laura]

In order to handle the stress of wedding planning with a little bit of grace, I remind myself that I am planning the most fabulous party of our lives. . . it is a celebration!!

[Autumn]

Whether it's a wedding or dinner party, I think it's best to start out by deciding what the three most important aspects are and then focus on really pulling those together! While planning our wedding, my fiance and I decided that being able to invite all those near and dear to us while having great food and great pictures was the most important. So, when planning, we chose a venue that would accommodate our guest list and serve great food, and we hired a great photographer! Since everything else is "icing on the cake", we're not getting stressed out about the little details but allowing our families to have more input on other aspects that weren't as important to us, like invitations.

Also, I think "less is more" is a great tip to keep in mind. Choosing a simple color palette and sticking to it when you're throwing a party for 10 or 200 will really pull everything and give a coordinated design feel.

Lastly, "think big picture." When something starts to stress me out, my fiance and I like to take a moment and remember the purpose of our big day and what's most important so that we don't sweat the small stuff!

[Erin]

Having a patient fiance! Every year we throw a Holiday Dessert Party (it is one of my family traditions). I make 10 different family recipes - and 4 dozen of each. No matter how much planning, I'm always frantic in the 30 minutes before the party - and my patient fiance is what makes everything okay. He suggested what has been the number 1 stress reliever - have the house professionally cleaned the morning of the party - it saves me so much time and I can spend the pre-party time primping instead of tidying after 4 straight days of baking!

[Alethia]

One tip I have learned for planning the wedding is listen to people's opinions but do what you want. I have a tendency to get upset when I think people are trying to take over. So this has been very valuable to me. The one thing I think is important when throwing a dinner party, is to prepare as much as you can in advance. That way on the day of you will be ahead and can enjoy your guest.

[Kate]

My tip is always ALWAYS have help. If you're throwing a party at home and you can afford it, get your house professionally cleaned. It's a HUGE weight off your shoulders and you can spend that time doing other things for the party. Also, invite a good, hopefully handy, friend over about 30-45 minutes early to finish up all the little things that are going on while you get dressed, etc. It's a lifesaver!

[Stacey]

My tip is to talk to as many people and vendors as possible and only use the vendors that you absolutely LOVE! I met with 9 florists and 12 photographers before I commited and I am so glad that I did. Any fears that I had about the day melted away when I met the people that I truely wanted to work with. I trust that every part of that day will be taken care of with these wonderful people in the wings!

[Nelle]

The best tip I can offer when planning any type of event is to always stay positive and focused—A negative attitude will always lead to disaster. If you’re an event planner I would suggest always remember when your in a sticky situation always maintain your cool. You may be rattled /concerned on the inside but give off the appearance that everything is fine. If the planner appears as if she is in control, everyone else will follow suite.

[Valerie]

My tip is to enjoy the planning process leading up to any event you host. I'm getting married in October and have loved every minute of the planning process. Enjoying the process and the months leading up the wedding is important because the actual wedding day goes by so quickly. I've chronicled all my planning during the last few months with photographs and I plan on creating a scrapbook about the months leading up to the wedding after the weddings is done.

[Tiffany]

My advice is to have fun and smile! :o) Whether you are planning a wedding (mine is in September) or planning a dinner party remember to smile. Little things may go wrong or not quite as perfectly as you would like, but if you’re having fun and smiling you’ll feel better and so will your guests!

[Brandi]

Instead of stressing when something doesn't go as planned- ask yourself, "Will I laugh about this tomorrow... or next week? Life is short, enjoy the occasion!

[Maegan]

I love hosting parties!; at the last minute I always chop up a lemon and put it through the garbage disposal, right before the guests arrive. It provides a very subtle hint of lemon and helps the house smell fresh.

[Rose]

When planning our wedding, my husband and I decided with our busy work lives that it was best to contain discussions about the wedding to a dedicated block of time such as Saturdays from 1-3. This was "Wedding Talk". Having this set appt. helped us quickly check things off the list, make firm decisions and have great discussions. My husband actually really enjoyed our planning times.

And for the fun...Following the ceremony guests were greeted on a patio with tray passed Rose and regular Vuvee Champagne. The two colors of champagne presented at sunset was a beautiful site and guests really relaxed and enjoyed each other, not noticing as we quickly took the post wedding bridal party photos.

Rose @ www.BonjourEvents.com

[GorgesViola]

I received this advice last night and am now passing it on - take a step back, and take it easy. My friends told me about a friend of theirs who planned their whole beach wedding to the last detail... and were then told the day before the wedding that there was a 40,000 jet ski extravaganza on THAT beach at the same time as their wedding! They spent the whole rehearsal dinner calmly (!) calling vendors, venues, guests, etc., ended up having their ceremony in a great blackbox theater space and their reception somewhere beautiful and unique, and having one of the most fun and memorable weddings my friends said they've ever attended. So as much as I'm going to obsess over details for my October wedding, I'm going to try to remember that things can always change at the last second... and it'll STILL be our wedding, and STILL be great! (Not that I want to see 40,000 jet skis, but...)

[Lillindy]

My biggest tip is to not be afraid to ask for help. I was helping my FMIL yesterday with a party and she was overwhelmed because of everything to do and not enough hands to help and it's because she didn't ask for help, and just assumed that people would offer. Also, if something doesn't happen how you want it to, usually you are the only one who really knows, so sometimes you have have to learn and let go.

[Lillindy]

My biggest tip is to not be afraid to ask for help. I was helping my FMIL yesterday with a party and she was overwhelmed because of everything to do and not enough hands to help and it's because she didn't ask for help, and just assumed that people would offer.

Also, if something doesn't happen how you want it to, usually you are the only one who really knows, so sometimes you have have to learn and let go.

Oh, and one more. A cousin reminded me yesterday that the wedding day goes so fast, so every now and then stop what you are doing and soak as much as you can in.