TIPS ON HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR PARTY, EVENT OR WEDDING

A good rule of thumb to follow when setting a budget for your party is to estimate what you think you’re going to spend, double that number and you’ll have a more realistic figure.

Parties always cost more than you think they will. As you begin to budget, decide what you can’t live without—your “must-have” items. Put those items at the top of your budget knowing you may have to compromise on other things. You need a party plan and a shopping list to keep you from going over budget. You know how it goes—you head to the store and think to yourself--- “I think I have the right tablecloth, but I should get this one just in case. I can always take it back later.” Then you don’t use it or take it back. In fact, I’ll bet it is in the closet with the price tag still on it. So the best tip for saving money on your next party is to stick to a list when shopping for your party. Don’t pick up any “I might need this” items that aren’t on your list and you’ll keep your budget intact. You can also shave a little off the top with these tips.  

1. GET SOME HELP

Many people don’t hire planners because they think it adds to the bottom line. In fact, a planner can make suggestions and recommendations that will actually save money, time, and mistakes so they are well worth the cost. My good friend Lori Stephenson at LOLA Event Productions in Chicago always comes up with clever, unique ideas that are extremely cost effective. It’s her job. If it’s not your job, get someone like her (or me) to help you and you’ll save yourself money and headaches.

2, PLAN AHEAD

The more time you have to plan, the more time you can take to source the items you need. If you allow time to compare prices and quality, you’ll be less likely to make impulsive decisions which could add to the bottom line.

3. CUT DOWN ON THE NUMBERS

Think about it this way, for every guest you have to eliminate, you save money. Suddenly, the chore of cutting down the guests list just got easier. Cut ten guests at $25 per person and you’ve saved $250.  

4. THE RIGHT PLACE

No matter if you are renting a venue or have the party at home, you need to think about what you’ll need to pull off the party in terms of space, kitchen, and cooking facilities. If you have to bring in tents, ovens, refrigeration units, etc., the costs can explode and kill your budget. Check with the caterer before booking a venue to determine the additional rental supplies required.  

5. TAKE THE DAY OFF

Book your party on an “off day” for caterers, venues, florists, etc. You’ll be able to negotiate better if you book your party on any day other than Saturday. 

6. BAR NONE

Serving a signature cocktail rather than having an open bar looks festive and will save some dollars. You can squeeze 20+ drinks (depending on recipe and serving size) from one large bottle of premium vodka. This is also a an easy way to monitor and control the amount of alcohol served.

7, START THINGS OFF RIGHT

Guests are always hungry when they arrive at a party or event. By serving several inexpensive appetizers as guests arrive, you’ll curb their appetite and can lighten up on the main menu.

8. DON'T DO ME ANY FAVORS

Every magazine shows pictures of celebrity parties with loads of swag. Your guests don’t expect to go home with favors. It’s a nice touch, but certainly something you can eliminate if your budget is already strained.

9. MAKE SOME MUSIC

If you have a good selection of tunes on your MP3, make a mix to last the length of your party and pass on hiring a DJ or band. You’ll never get the impact you would have with live entertainment, but if your budget is tight it is a viable alternative.

10. USE WHAT YOU HAVE

If you look at my various party profiles, you’ll see that I often use both food and beverages as décor. Brightly colored and filled glasses stacked on trays are not only welcoming to a party guest, they are pretty, too. Use lemons, limes, apples, or other food items like tiers of cupcakes as decorations. Just about any type of food or beverage can be creatively presented using unique vessels and lighting so that your food doubles as your décor. All of the top caterers use food to make a statement. You can easily accomplish the same thing by thinking creatively about presentation and display of your food and beverages.

WEDDINGS: PLANNING A PERSONALIZED BRIDAL SHOWER

It’s wedding season! Many of us have friends getting married right now and we’re faced with the impossible task of planning a fun, unique, and appropriate shower to celebrate the occasion. What kind of party you ultimately decide to throw for your bride-to-be should depend on her personality, your budget, and what type of gifts the couple really wants or needs.

Gather the girls to host a bridal shower completely customized to your bride-to-be!

Since our friends already had what they needed to set up their home, we decided to host a Honeymoon Travel Shower for them with food and decorations evocative of the Mexican beach honeymoon they were in the process of planning. A beach theme, Mexican cuisine, and margaritas made for a perfect pre-wedding fiesta.  

Aqua blue and sea green along with coral and shells inspire this Mexican Riviera theme for our bride's honeymoon shower.

If your friends are into cooking, a “Top Chef” style kitchen shower could be fun. Ask each guest to bring a favorite dish with the recipe and a utensil necessary to complete the dish. Every bride (and groom) loves a lingerie shower so how about hosting a “Sex in the City” themed party complete with Cosmopolitans and plenty of girl talk? With the popularity of couples’ showers, consider a tool and gadget shower. The guys won’t complain when they can test drive the latest gadget innovations. If the couple is renovating their home, a do-it-yourself (DIY) shower for their home or patio could help them prepare for future entertaining. Guests come armed with everything necessary to paint a room or make-over the outdoor space. You do the work, they reap the benefits!

No matter what kind of shower you host for the happy couple, here’s a guide to help you plan.        

Setting the Scene

Decorations and music are two essential elements in setting the tone for any event. You don’t have to go over the top with your decorations, but do put some thought into them. Many hostesses will stop by the party supply store and pick up uninspired decorations which can be expensive. A better idea? Use items you have or can borrow and add a few key decorative objects like we did for this party. Start by selecting a color scheme. For a chic seaside tone, I used aqua and soft blue as my color palette. Adding shells to a row of candles on a hammered silver tray anchored the beach theme. Two brightly colored glass fish seemed to swim over variegated blue sea glass in a round vase filled with water, making a whimsical yet elegant centerpiece. Travel posters, luggage tags, and suitcases with travel stickers borrowed from a travel agent completed the décor. Throw on a compilation CD of “margarita” music and you’ve set the mood for a perfect party. If you prefer a traditional Mexican color palette, there are hundreds of fiesta supplies readily available.

This couple likes to dive so we wanted to create a water element that was affordable. We filled glass fish bowls with sea glass in party colors and found glass fish to replicate the ocean.

Planning the Menu

Creating the menu for a party is often the most difficult task—especially when you’re inexperienced in the kitchen or don’t have a lot of parties under your belt. Nothing creates a party mood like good food and a refreshing cold beverage. Since we were working with a Mexican beach theme, this menu was easy to create---there are tons of easy Mexican recipes or good Mexican take-out if you’re not up to cooking. I decided on sure-fire party favorites like fresh guacamole, warm tortilla chips, and a variety of salsas as starters. Easy fiery grilled shrimp skewers over rice with store bought pineapple mango salsa looked festive presented on a Mariposa shell platter. Build your bar around a selection of margaritas. Add salt, limes, mint iced tea, and sparkling water and you’re all set. A large frozen margarita maker comes in handy for a big crowd. Serve drinks in any pretty glassware that coordinates with your décor or a margarita pitcher and glass set.

Games and Entertainment

I admit it. I am not a big fan of shower games. (Is hate too strong a word?) While a wedding tradition, they can be soooo boring! Smart hostesses incorporate creative activities into their party plans instead of stale games. The wedding gown game---using toilet paper, tissue paper, newspaper or paper towels to design a wedding dress is always fun and it gives guests a chance to mingle and chat. Another fun activity is to create a memory album. Guests bring copies of their favorite photos of the bride or couple and make a scrapbook or photo album together. You can even have a printed and bound copy sent to the bride using an online service. Have guests send images via email or scan them into your computer at the party.

Don’t stress out trying to come up with the perfect shower plan—just stick to the recipe for any good party. Good food, plenty of drinks, a good cake, a fun theme, and good mix of people make any party successful. The fact that presents are involved is icing on the party cake!

Photos by Arden Ward, Arden Photography

PARTY THEME: HOST A BACHELORETTE BEACH SPA PARTY

They bought the dress, pitched in on the shower, purchased a wedding gift, and some even had to spring for an airline ticket to the wedding city. And now there’s the bachelorette party to plan. A trendy bachelorette trip to Vegas or Miami would be memorable, but if you can’t justify the expense, how about planning a spa getaway at home for the bachelorette party fling? A “what happens in the ‘backyard stays in the backyard” bachelorette party is a lot of fun and you won’t have to hassle with airport delays, long security lines, and taking even more days off from work for wedding festivities! After a day in the ‘spa’ head out to a night on the town complete a limousine—now that’s a bachelorette party any bride will love! This party theme is great for so many occasions: a birthday party, a baby shower for that new mom, girls night in party, or a farewell party for a friend who is leaving town.

Use a pop up tent to create a quiet spa area with drapes and tropical plants.

CREATE AN OASIS

A day at a spa doesn’t really allow for much quality time together. Hosting the party at someone’s home is a better way to hang out with best friends before the big day. Select a place with a lot of space. A pool, tranquil fountain area, or large patio is the perfect place. Whether you go DIY and take turns giving manicures and facials using a prepackaged spa kit or hire a mobile massage therapist like we did, start by dedicating a space for treatments. We used a pop-up tent as our treatment room complete with flowing white outdoor curtains, candles, and soft music. We didn’t buy anything— we used items we had to make our spa area feel special including some potted plants and plush robes. The massage therapist supplied the oils, lotions, linens and massage table. Bridesmaids should cover the cost of the bride’s treatments. The service provider will often give the bride a complimentary treatment with the purchase of a certain number of treatments. Make sure to hire someone licensed with appropriate insurance. It is always best to hire a vendor you know and trust.  

Order retro cool pool party decor from Oriental Trading Company. Add an oversized striped beach towel as a tablecloth to make decorating easy.

DECORATIONS AND PARTY SWAG BAGS

If you don’t have the luxury of a lot of space, clear out some furniture for the party and dedicate a room for your ‘spa’ area. Create a kitschy cool vibe with lots of cheap decorations.  We wanted a Hawaiian theme for our party— and wanted to do something completely campy since it was a bachelorette party. We found inflatable palm trees, colorful leis and vibrant beach towels to anchor the decorating theme. Oriental Trading has everything you’ll need. Be resourceful with your decorations and use what you have on  hand when possible. I forgot a tablecloth for our snack table so I used two striped beach towels for a tablecloth and they worked perfectly.  Quirky melamine serving platters were inexpensive and worked perfectly for the outdoor setting and can be used again later. Add string lights, lanterns or candles for a festive glow if your party is in the evening. Each bridesmaid received a gift bag filled with inexpensive treats from the dollar store. Flip flops, scented spa body butter, sunscreen, and lip balm for the day’s festivities and really cheesy light-up necklaces for the evening’s festivities were placed in reusable tote bags in party colors.

Hit up the dollar store for swag bag items your guests can use during the party and afterwards. Sunscreen, lotion, sunglasses, flip flops and more make great favors.

MENU

Since this spa party was a “pre-party” to our night on the town bachelorette party, we opted for “spa cuisine” like wraps, veggies, and fresh fruit. Have beverages ready to pour when guests arrive. Provide an assortment of drinks so guests have plenty of options and stay hydrated. Serve iced tea or perhaps fruit flavored water called agua fresca along with your cocktails.  So that nobody gets stuck with bartending duties, pre-mixed a signature cocktail in pitchers or a dispenser. Serve in plastic margarita glasses with a candy ring pop for garnish, perfect for the theme. We found these adorable Rice Krispy treats in the shape of a flip-flop at a shop but you could easily make these yourself.

ENTERTAINMENT

These days, couples are reconsidering some of the traditional activities that go along with a “last fling” bachelor or bachelorette party in favor of respectful rites of passage from single to married life. That doesn’t mean there still can’t be fun and games! After our spa treatments and a cocktail hour, we hired a limo to pick up our group for a night on the town at a favorite restaurant followed by dancing until dawn. A limousine not only alleviates the issue of driving, you feel like a rock star when  you arrive. Some limo companies have bachelorette VIP packages available with your limo rental that may include special club admissions, etc. We adorned our bride-to-be with some of the traditional bachelorette party finery including a furry pink light up “I’m the Bride” tiara and layers of paper leis. How far do you go with decorations and debauchery? Only you know the limits for embarrassing your best friend. Just make sure whatever entertainment you plan, it won’t cause relationship issues in the light of day.

This party was a breeze to pull together because we divvied up the work load. Most of the food is available pre-made at the grocery if you don’t have time to make it yourself. To save time and gas, simply go online to shop and you can get everything you need for this party in just a few clicks! What could be easier?  You are all set for your bachelorette getaway without leaving town.

Photography: Arden Ward/Arden Photography