Ideas for Cheap Favors..

For those of you planning a party and are on a very tight budget, money conscious or just looking to create your own inexpensive favors, there are many things you can do. Favors are just a way of saying "Thank You" to the guest who showed up at your event. Whether its a birthday party, wedding, cocktail hour or corporate function.

LeSoiree planned an Engagement party this month and favors were not required, per the budget. However, "WE" believe in some form of "thank you's", so we decided to incorporate some favors into the budget.

There are stores such as; The Dollar Tree, Walmart, Hobby Lobby, and many other online sources that provide adequate products for little to nothing. For this particular favor we decided to give out candy. At The Dollar Tree, we purchased little white boxes with handles. They come in a 12 pack for only $1, 2oz pack of Natural Shreds for $1, bags of candy (chocolates from Walmart for $1.99/bag) and Monograms for initials, 1 sheet for $.50. Now some ideas of how to put this together. If it's in your budget, you can spray paint the boxes, if desired for added attraction. Next fill the boxes more than half way with the paper shreds, add a few pieces of candy to the top and place the monograms on the front of the box. Also, as a added decoration to the box, you can tie a bow or ribbon, keeping the handles closed. Ribbon is always a cute idea because you can use their favorite colors as well as have them personalized with the party information.

With favors, you can't really go wrong. just make sure to choose something people will actually use or keep to remember this special day. You don't want your money to just go to waist because you selected a poor favor idea. And no matter what the ocassion, most favors can be designed to fit any event type.

For more ideas and tips contact LeSoiree..

K.Zaid

k.zaid@lesoireeeventplanning.com

404.591.5669

Sit Down Dinner VS Buffet?

What's the best way to feed a room full of hungry wedding guests? Is the traditional sit down dinner the best option for you or should you go with a buffet? Are you looking for a way to stay within your wedding budget? Brainstorming the plans for your dinner reception will provide significant opportunities for savings. Sometimes, depending on size, location and your expected guest, you can consider a buffet instead of a formal sit-down meal. A multi-course sit down meal is generally more expensive:

Advantages of a sit down dinner:

• If you’re going for Elegance, then choosing a formal sit down will probably be a smarter selection and plus, your more persnickety guests are more likely to be left in awe.

• Think about how many elderly guest/ children (if any) will be in attendance. Having a sit down may accommodate those individuals better.

• How many of your guests are from out of town? A formal dinner just may be the break they need.

• For a sit down, with a wait staff, you more than likely will not run out of food for your hungry guests.

• Less mess for guest and the after party cleaners (which you have to budget for as well).

Advantages of a buffet dinner:

• Thinking of the comfort of your guest, a buffet could be a better choice. They can sit eat exactly what they desire, sit back and relax.

• A buffet is generally cheaper because there is no staff to pay for, which may also make the food a little cheaper.

• You can offer your guests a variety of food options and people enjoy having a variety of food to choose from.

• Buffets encourage mingling. They force people to get up from their table and interact with other guests at your wedding, even if briefly.

So, whether you desire a steak/ seafood feast or an array of mixture buffet, you'll likely spend a large chunk of your wedding budget on food for your guests. Caterers have options to fit every theme, taste and budget so have an idea of what you want before you schedule a tasting consultation.

For more tips and ideas or to schedule a consultation contact LeSoiree.

K. Zaid

k.zaid@lesoireeeventplanning.com

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