Archive for Archive for May, 2008
Businesses That Complement a Party Planning Company
- It has to be low maintenance.
- It has to be in demand
- One must be able to excel on it too without sacrificing much of the time spent on party organization.
So, what business will satisfy all these criteria and efficiently bring in more cash to the party planner?
Catering? - Not if the party organizer has to be on the wheel all the time. This aspect of a party is the most tedious. It demands time for preparation, serving and feedback collecting. If someone in your immediate family or circle of friends wants to concentrate on this aspect, well and good, but if it has to be you, the party organizing side could suffer.
Starting a Party Supply Business
This is by far the best bet for a complementary business! Supplies aren’t perishable, and they won’t take up too much space. They can also be imported. Besides, if you’re the crafts and arts type, this business will be a breeze.
What to look out for:
1. Trends and Themes - One party theme could work now, but it may not in the future. Take note of what’s fashionable and hip in the current generation, particularly when planning for birthday parties and weddings. Remember that your job includes pointing your clients to the best and trendiest themes for their occasions, so your supplies must be up-to-par.
2. Price - Your usual supply broker can be as loyal to you as your friends, but it is not unethical to find cheaper sources for materials. Remember that the more costs you cut without sacrificing quality, the more profit you will reap.
3. Contingency Supply Source - Deliveries go awry, we all know that. Party supplies are not as sensitive to delivery mishaps as food, but taken to extremes, this could very well ruin a perfect party. Look for stores (even competitors) that sell the same supplies as you do and be friends with them. You never know when you might need a helping hand or someone to provide you with the supplies you direly need.
Open House Party Ideas: Dress Up the Floor!
I’m sure I am not the only one that attended a blast of a party in someone’s home. We all remember the endless drinks, the music, the corner nooks where we made friends with other people, the initial “I like your house” pleasantries which were quickly drowned out by the sound system.
Ok, so let’s deal with the more serious kind of house party. The kind that you throw when you invite some co-workers and their families. Or, your boss and his family. Wouldn’t you want to impress them with your hospitality, your house’s design and the impeccable taste that you have?
Let’s talk about focal points. Though your guests may not always take in everything that they see in your place, as they’d probably crane their neck around to look at all your wall decorations, there is one aspect that’s sometimes entirely overlooked: the floor.
Guests spend their time walking around admiring things, while waiting for dinner to be served or while chatting. Inadvertently, your floor is the focal point that they glue their eyes on when there is a feeling of awkwardness, or even boredom.
Don’t panic. Your floor can be the best source of conversation for those at a loss of topics to talk about. You can dress up your floor in Area Rugs, for the effect that you want to achieve. A bit of blending and good choice of materials for rugs , and your house is pretty fabulous with minimal decorations.
Contemporary Rugs are always in style, and you can design your whole living room around a particularly good design. If your aim is to dress the floor to impress, this is the best way to do it.
What is a Practical Wedding Gift?
I’ve attended and helped manage several events this year, including weddings. I often stay for feedback of the catering service, the food, the band, the venue and other wedding quirks.
Rarely does the couple complain, if the service is fair, and the guests are fed right; but the relatives do. There is one instance though that the couple directly ‘complains’ about something. As a meddling party planner who has to stay and wait for the check that will complete the whole transaction, I inadvertently witness the opening of gifts. Here’s a sample of what I hear from the couple:
“How nice! A rice cooker!”
“Oh my, another rice cooker. We have a spare just in case the first one breaks down!”
“Oh no. Yet another rice cooker!”
Do you see a pattern here? That people do not hear the couple complain doesn’t mean they don’t. It’s just tacky to say it in front of the guests, of course, but sometimes couples receive gifts that they don’t need, or they have too much of. A bridal registry could be a solution, but not everyone knows about bridal registries. More often than not, couples do avail of bridal registry services, but the guests are barely informed about it and/or are too lazy to learn how to use it.
For this post’s gift tip, I’m going Tempur-pedic! That, of course, needs explaining. Tempurpedic is a term to describe mattresses that are temperature sensitive; which indicates that the foam is softer in warmer conditions and firmer in cold conditions.
This is a practical gift for a newly wed couple because they can use this for a long time, maybe even forever. If more than one guest gives them a Tempurpedic Mattress, they will surely find another room in their new home to put that extra one in, and it won’t be a waste of space because a comfortable guest bed (or kids’ bed) is always welcome in a new home.
Go practical. The couple will remember you and your lasting gift. And please… not another rice cooker.
Bridal Shower Suggestion: Jacuzzi Spa
A bridal shower celebrates the crowning glory of a woman’s bachelorette-hood, it’s also the time when she says goodbye to her life as a single girl and her friends send her off to married life.
What is more feminine than a total body relaxation with your girlfriends in a jacuzzi with a glass of bubbly? A Jacuzzi Spa party will do wonders for the female mind, and I’m sure this party suggestion will make any bride to be drool.
Food Suggestion:
1. Strawberries and fruit salads - Since everyone is in pamper mode, a bowl of fruit for everyone will make this experience memorable.
2. Champagne - A celebratory drink perfect for lounging around in
3. Cannapes of liver or meat - Hassle-free and filling, these small sandwiches that can be eaten standing up, sitting down or in the tub
A professional masseuse may be invited to service the group.
Hot Tubs and Spas are a good investment for a married couple, so if you are planning ahead, you can buy these prior to the wedding for use in your bachelorette party. After all, you and your husband can use these again during your honeymoon.
Hot Tubs go well with fragrant essential oils, aromatic bath salts and moisturizing body lotion. Be sure to bring some for this party! Gift ideas would be, bathrobes for her and him, massage implements and sexy lingerie for her.
