Party On A Budget!!!

Do you have a special day coming up? Anniversary, baby shower, bachelor/ bachelorette or BIG Birthday? I am a strong believer in life memories, nothing like the ones that can be due to a special day. A day that means the world to one and a happy memories to others. These days are the ones to celebrate and surround yourself with friends and family.

The problem is that many times a wonderful party can be dimmed by a large financial headache. You don't want to suffer in the future for a decision you made for a 1 time event. Remember this is about you, not the party, so just give your guest something to remember this BIG day by. Don't waste money on things like an expensive venue or elaborate decor. Go simple but fun. Trust me... you'll thank me in the long run.

During this specific budget planning, you must have restraint. Find helpers, let them know exactly what your budget is and tell them to keep you on track with purchasing and reservations that don't increase that set figure. Keep in mind, a lot of the things you desire, can possibly be done on a much smaller scale to fit your budget. That way, you don't really have to play elimination on the things you want at your party.

If this day is truly a SPECIAL DAY, then you can start your planning and saving in advance. Don't wait until the last minute to figure out your budget.... remember by starting early with saving up, you can possibly increase your initial projected budget. Also, you may want to find out who is willing to help both financially and physically. Sometimes, having someone to coordinate, set up or run errands is just as helpful as a monetary donation/ gift. For example, if this event is for a birthday, tell your gift givers in advance that you'd like gift cards or money to add to you party budget, which of course they are invited to.

Different things you can do to keep to your budget are; use eVite for your invitations and RSVPS. This way you can invite as many people you'd like without having to spend a dime as well as confirm your total number of actual attendees. After knowing how many guests you will be expecting, you'll need to choose a location. Now, for a birthday, decide what activities will be going on and how much room you will need to accommodate everyone. When it comes to music, you can use an IPOD docking station and have a pre made party playlist or a cd changer with pre ready CDS with all the songs you like, instead of paying a ridiculous amount for a DJ. Try not to hire anyone to decorate, if you and some helpers do it yourself, it makes the party more personal, more YOU. Decide what you want the event to look like, is there a theme? Then use GOOGLE, its your best friend when planning a party. And always, always remember to stay within your budget. And if you do this right, you may actually have a little money left over to get yourself a gift.

For more on party budgeting tips or to schedule a consultation with one of our Special Events Coordinators, please contact us at the number/ email below.

- K.Zaid

k.zaid@lesoireeeventplanning.com

404.591.5669

Pre Wedding Ideas...

Planning and preparing for a wedding can be overwhelming. But there are some ways to wind down and have fun before that 'BIG DAY'. Many people these days plan pre- wedding activities, which is not very traditional but it's a new way to incorporate family and friends, especially the ones traveling a far.

Depending on what day your wedding is scheduled and taking into consideration when most of your guests will be arriving, you may want to have just a day before wedding activity or a week long.

Some ideas on fun things to do with your guest: (i.e. the wedding is on Sunday @ 4pm) so our plans will begin on Friday morning because most guest will be here on Thursday night.

Friday: Mid Morning Brunch (which includes all of the bride and grooms favorites)- french toast, scrambled eggs with cheese, bell peppers, onions and tomatoes, sauteed shrimp with butter sauce, a variety of fruit, pancakes, croissants, and much more. Enough to satisfy every ones taste buds. After brunch, gather everyone for a game of baseball (or some other form of semi physical sport)- ladies against gents. Who doesn't love to play baseball? And if your guest have children, they can play as well. Then you may want to top off the night with a cozy (bride and groom selection of all time favorites) movie & pizza back at the house.

Saturday: Today, a picnic in the park. Be sure and choose a large park to guarantee space as well as research that location to make sure there are no major functions going on that day. You can do this as a potluck, all the local guest bring 1 dish, blankets and drinks. Again, guests with children wont have a problem with trying to figure out, where will my kids go. You can play different games specifically for the kids and for the adults, such as a wedding themed scavenger hunt with a drawn map for hints. After a long day at the park, decide who will watch the children for just a few hours, provide them with snacks and activities. Then the woman can go off and enjoy relaxation at the spa (mani's and pedi's and maybe a quick massage)- be sure and work with a local spa or salon for a special group rate. Then the men can go to a sports bar to have some drinks and watch a little sports, possibly have a impromptu bachelor party.

The activities do not have to be single handedly coordinated by the bride and groom, encourage the wedding party to help out with as much as possible. Delegate small jobs to different people that want to help.

For more ideas on what to do for pre- wedding activities or if you need help planning and coordinating activities for your wedding, contact LeSoiree.

- K.Zaid

k.zaid@lesoireeeventplanning.com

404.591.5669

The Unique Language of Flowers...

Knowing the meaning and inspiration behind the various flower types can add an emotional or sentimental element to your choice in floral arrangements for your wedding. As the bride and groom, you my choose to express your true feelings and intimacy in your flower selection; shared just between you two.

Flowers as a gift can symbolize many different things, Such as; love, gratefulness/ thankfulness, grief, death, friendship, happiness, and much, much more.

One creative idea you can use in a wedding with flowers is, to create a bridal bouquet made specifically with the bride and grooms birth flower. This is one unique way to add a personal touch to your shared ‘BIG DAY’.

Or if you decide to go with a specific theme for your wedding, make sure the flowers you choose (centerpieces, bridal/ brides maids bouquets, boutenierres and other floral decor) matches the theme as well as your personalities. Incorporating signature flowers in your wedding not only enhances the ambiance but it also allows the many family and friends to really get to know who you are as a couple.

To Find the different meanings for flowers, check out- Wed Themes online. This site will not only provide you with the name and meaning but photos as well.

Photo info- Pink bouquet: Martha Stewart Weddings, White centerpiece: Stone Blossom Florals and Red centerpiece: Project Wedding

For more wedding ideas, continue to read our weekly blog or contact us below.

- K.Zaid

k.zaid@lesoireeeventplanning.com

404.591.5669 X 1

Kids Parties!!!

Do you plan to be the "worlds best Mom/ Dad", by throwing the best party for your child? Then you have come to the right place. LeSoiree Event Planning, not only plans weddings, bachelor/ bachelorettes, corporate functions but we also do KIDS parties of all ages and sizes.

One of our largest birthday parties was for a 7yr old boy, in Lithonia, GA. With kids parties, there are so many games and activities you can incorporate. When doing a young childs party you want it to be interactive as much a s possible. Choose an exciting theme with the birthday boy/ girl; its important to let them be involved. If it's a surprise, then while doing the initial planning, find out what the child would like, what would be "cool" or "fun" for his/ her birthday this year.

This particular party theme was, Kamerons BIG Circus and it was located in his backyard. We have been planning parties for Kameron since he was 2yrs old. So, as you can see we love to continue to work with our clients on different events as well as new clients.

Circus invites and supplies can be found at Party City. They carry a theme called "Big Top", which includes; invitations, tableware, party favors, decorations, plates, napkins and party kits, which can only be ordered online. Now for the fun stuff, there are local vendors who specialize in a circus themed party that you can rent from. Some places here in GA are; Carnival Ride Rentals, Atlanta Concessions and Catering, and Copy Cats For Kids. These 3 vendors provide many services that can be included in your party. From concession stands such as popcorn & cotton candy machines, mini rides including trains, clowns, and much, much more. Having a personalized circus birthday party can be really cool and creative. Use your imagination when planning for your childs party as they would.

For more on parties and events with LeSoiree contact us below.

- K. Zaid

k.zaid@lesoireeeventplanning.com

404.591.5996

New Wedding/ Event Planners!!!

Hey all!!! LeSoiree is a full serviced event planning company. Although, we have been coordinating and planning for various events for more than 8 years, our business was officially launched to the public in January 2010.

For those of you are are in the same place as we, or maybe just beginning after realizing this is your dream, there are a lot of things you can take advantage of without having to break the bank. As a new business, there are many free resources online you can take advantage of to get your name out there as well as meet other vendors and prospective clients.

Particularly in the wedding industry. You can create your very own website at sites such as www.wix.com, www.yola.com and www.webs.com. All of these sites offer free hosting and templates. Creating a full site can be a lot of work, but it does pay off. Your also going to want to join some meetups for new businesses, entreprenuers and event specialist. That way you can meet others who are doing the same thing as you. Create free business cards at www.vistaprint.com; where you can also create your own, free "starter" logo. Also, you can create free vendor listings which include your picture/ logo, brief description, phone #, address and web address on a multitude of wedding sites such as; www.bridaltweet.com, www.atlantabridal.com, www.weddingwire.com and many others.

And there is so much more, the list of array of online possibilities is never ending. Mke sure to try them all and see which ones work best for you and your business. Yes, this takes a lot of time, energy and determination, but who said dreams were easy?

For more tips or to schedule a "FREE" event consultation, contact us below.

- K.Zaid

k.zaid@lesoireeeventplanning.com

www.lesoireeeventplanning.com

404.591.5669