FAVORITE Idea Friday...A SWEET Candy Buffet

photo via Michael Jurick

This bar mitzvah candy buffet is a FAVORITE!  Love the way thar the candy is displayed in the number 13 and that the candy is color coordinated with the party's color scheme.

If you are creating a candy buffet for your event, check out my go-to candy supplier CANDY.COM. They offer wholesale pricing and make it so easy to select candy by color to coordinate with your celebration.  Use the coupon code 10ALL to get 10% off of your order!

Enjoy!

Escort Card Table Inspiration

photo via  Tantawan Bloom

Love the sign on this escort card table.  Perfect for any seated occasion!

REAL BAR MITZVAH...Boston Strong in Bethesda

David's Bar Mitzvah celebration at THE BALLROOM in Bethesda, Maryland was a tribute to his family's Boston roots his love of sports.  To pull these two ideas together, we created 3 logos that event planner Dana Nestel of THE WRITE OCCASION masterfully mixed and matched throughout the party.  Two of the logos were inspired by David's favorite baseball team, the Boston Red Sox.  The third logo incorporated all of the sports that the bar mitzvah boy plays - basketball, tennis, golf and soccer.

Guests arrived at The Ballroom which was transformed into Bartley Stadium by FOX VENTURES. 

I absolutely love the lighting and the GOBO outside of The Ballroom.  It set the tone for this fabulously festive event.

The ticket escort cards that we created were one of my FAVORITE finishing touches at this event.

And Fox Ventures displayed them beautifully...

LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! the way Dana incorporated family photos in the event decor...

Each of the tables was named after one of David's favorites teams or tournaments.  The Boston Celtics, The Masters Golf Tournament, The U.S. Open, the Manchester United and of course, the New England Patriots were all represented.

 

SPILLED MILK served as Bartley Stadium's official caterer and David's guests were entertained on the dance floor by MC PURNELL and his crew from SO FRESH ENTERTAINMENT.  TAP SNAP, one of the area's newest phototainment experiences, provided all of the photo fun! 

At the end of the evening, David's guests left Bartley Stadium with sweet treats and custom Elite socks that we created for the favors. 

A very special thank you to AMANDA GILLEY who photographed this celebration and allowed me to share it with you!

Enjoy!

5 Things You Probably Forgot to Add to Your Event Budget

photo via Evantine Design

My biggest piece of advice to clients who are just beginning the event planning process is to set an event budget and stick to it.  The best way to do this is to come up with the total dollar amount that you are comfortable spending on your event and work backwards from there.  Many of my clients don't want to face that final number - some feel that number will be too low, while others feel they are being too extravagant.  Regardless of the reason that you may not want to face "the number", keep in mind that any special celebration, whether it is a Wedding, Mitzvah or Sweet 16, can be creatively planned within any budget. Trust me when I tell you that by knowing what you are working with in terms of budget from the beginning, you will eliminate a lot of stress and will be able to enjoy the planning process.

When creating a budget, everyone remembers to account for the larger expenses such as catering and entertainment costs, decor and photography, but here is a list of 5 things that your will most likely forget to add to your budget....

1.  Vendor Tips

2.  Postage

3.  Hair and Make-up

4.  Welcome Bags for Out of Town Guests

5.  Escort Cards, Menus and othe printed items

While these aren't huge expenses compared to something like your catering bill, they do add up quickly so be sure to keep them in mind. 

Enjoy!