Plan Wedding Showers Like a Pro...

Three great games to play at your wedding shower.

Planning a wedding shower and you need some great ideas for wedding shower games to play at the party? You're in luck! Patti the Perfect Party Planner is here with three great wedding shower games to play!

1. Pin the Veil on the Bride

Pin the Veil on the Bride is always a wedding shower games favorite. A spin-off of Pin the Tail on the Donkey, Pin the Veil on the Bride will bring back childhood memories for everyone.

Simply take a photo of the bride in her wedding dress and take it to the local film developer and get the photo enlarged to poster size. Cut the veil out of the picture and tape the picture of the bride up to the wall.

When the game starts, you'll probably want to use tape instead of pins. Blindfold the players and let them take turns trying to get the veil properly positioned on the bride without being able to see where they're going.

2. The Memory Game

Memory games make great wedding shower games. For this version of the memory game you'll need an apron and you'll need to pin a number of objects to the apron. Have the bride put on the apron and let everyone look at it for about one minute. After the minute is up, have the bride put the apron away.

After the apron is out of site, the guests have to try to remember what was on the apron and they write all of the items down on a piece of paper. The guest who remembers the most items wins the game.

3. Bridal Shower Bingo

When you're playing wedding shower games, you just can't leave out Bridal Shower Bingo. For this version of bridal shower bingo you'll need to create bingo cards with bridal shower-related words like the name of the bride, the date of the wedding, the name of the groom and words like wedding cake, rings, church, etc.

Once the bingo cards are created you'll need to create the bingo balls. The bingo balls will actually be small pieces of paper rather than actual balls (unless you want to write the words on ping-pong balls and put the balls in a big bag).

You play the game just like you would play regular bingo. The first person to get bingo wins a prize!

The three wedding shower games above are sure to be a hit and will keep everyone at the bridal shower entertained for hours.

Posted by Patti at 2:34 PM | Permalink

An overview of wedding invitations.

Shopping for wedding invitations can be quite an overwhelming experience. The wedding invitations set the tone for your wedding, so you want to make sure you get them right. Not just the content of them, but the look of them too.

The trick is getting the perfect wedding invitation and having it fit your budget. Wedding invitations range from economy to deluxe and you're going to want to look at prices when you're looking at the invitations.

I'm Patti the Perfect Party Planner and I'm going to go over some wedding invitation basics for you.

Design Reflects Style

As I said before, the design of your wedding invitations will reflect the tone of your wedding. For example, if you're going with a traditional wedding, you're going to want to go with the traditional ivory wedding invitation. On the other hand, if you're going with a casual wedding, colored invitations will be just fine.

Wedding invitations printed on linen will be more expensive than invitations printed on regular paper, but they do reflect a certain sense of formality and style which is desired for many wedding invitations.

Engraved vs. Thermographed

The printing on your wedding invitations will be either engraved or thermographed. This is one thing that is going to have a big impact on your budget.

Both engraved and thermographed invitations look the same, but engraving is a much longer process and therefore is much more expensive. The main difference between engraved and thermographed invitations is that thermographed printing does not leave an imprint on the back of the invitation paper like engraving does.

Wording of the Invitation

The invitation should always convey certain messages including who is getting married, the location, date and the time, who is hosting the affair and what the atmosphere will be (casual, white tie, themed).

Your wedding invitations accurately convey that information and everything else should fall into place.

Etiquette of the Wording

As far as punctuation goes, wedding invitations follow a traditional approach. There should be no punctuation except for commas after the day of the week and periods after abbreviations.

The spelling of the wedding invitations should be in British English, using words like favour instead of favor, etc.

While wedding invitations can be a confusing matter to approach, by following the above advice you should be able to navigate the wide world of wedding invitations.

Posted by Patti at 5:23 PM | Permalink

Lacking the creative gene? Even you can plan a great wedding with these creative wedding ideas.

Some of us are born with a creative gene and some of us aren't. Wedding ideas just don't come easily to a number of people. If you're one of those people who is desperately trying to come up with some great wedding ideas but hasn't had any luck, worry not.

Patti the Perfect Party Planner is here to give you some great wedding ideas when it comes to planning your wedding. From champagne fountains to great desserts, I've got some wedding ideas up my sleeve that are sure to please.

Champaign Fountains

Whoever came up with champagne fountains had style and class. Out of all of the wedding ideas, I like this one the best. Bubbles of champagne cascading into glasses is more than any bride can ask for.

Chocolate Fountains

Okay, so champagne isn't your style. If wedding ideas like champagne fountains don't bring a light to your eyes, perhaps chocolate will do it. Almost everyone loves chocolate and a huge cascading chocolate fondue is a dream come true for many.

Chocolate fountains come in a number of sizes and you can usually pick the type of melted chocolate you want running through your fountain. For added appeal, try having both white and milk chocolate fountains running at your wedding.

Themed Weddings

Themed wedding showers are common and popular, but themed weddings make for great wedding ideas. Try a luau wedding and have hula dancers dance throughout the night or try a renaissance wedding and have everyone attending dress up in renaissance attire.

If you do opt for a themed wedding and you do want people to come in costume, make sure that you make note of it on the invitations so everyone is aware.

Professional Photographers

Remember at prom when a photographer would take pictures for everyone and then everyone could purchase a package? Some photographers are beginning to offer this service at weddings.

While it's not the most inexpensive of wedding ideas, photograph packages for your guests will make for great wedding favors.

Karaoke

Okay, this may be one of the cornier of wedding shower ideas, but it sure could be funny. Instead of hiring a professional DJ or band, why not let the wedding guests try their shot at it?

Set up a karaoke machine and let the guests decide which music will be heard and who will be singing!

While wedding ideas may not be easy to come by, they sure can be fun once you get warmed up. Try some of these wedding ideas when planning your wedding and add some of your own as you get going!

Posted by Patti at 10:12 AM | Permalink

How to keep your shower invitations affordable.

If you're planning a wedding shower, shower invitations are probably somewhere in your to-do list. If you're on a tight budget, you're probably wondering how you're going to afford them.

Patti the Perfect Party Planner is here to tell you that your shower invitations can be attractive as well as affordable. It's just a matter of a little planning and a bit of effort.

Discount Shower Invitations

The first rule when doing your shower invitations on a budget is to shop around. Not all invitation printers charge the same and you should be able to find a deal on the invitations you want if you look hard enough.

Do-It-Yourself Shower Invitations

If even the most affordable of quality shower invitations seem out of your price range, think about making the shower invitations yourself. There's nothing wrong with a hand-made shower invitation.

If you do make your own shower invitations, make sure you really throw your creativity into it. Below are some ideas to use when it comes to making shower invitations.

Heart-Shaped Shower Invitations

Heart-shaped shower invitations are romantic and fun to make. Remember when you used to cut out heart shapes in grade school? Making these invitations will be like taking a trip back to the good ole' days.

To make heart-shaped shower invitations, you'll want to buy some quality red paper (construction paper is too elementary). Go to your local craft store to see what kinds of paper they have to offer. Your local office supply store can be a good resource too.

Cut out hearts from the red paper. Then take white doilies and cut out hearts from the doilies, making the doily hearts a bit smaller than the red paper hearts. In calligraphy, write the shower information onto the doilies and then glue the doilies into the red hearts. Your shower invitations are complete!

Candy Bar Shower Invitations

To create your candy bar shower invitations, you'll need to start on the Internet. Search the web for free candy bar wrapper invitation templates and search through the results to find what you're looking for.

Once you have your wrapper template picked out, download it from the web and customize it to fit your shower. Once the wrapper has been customized, you will need to print the wrappers out on quality paper.

Now that the wrappers for your shower invitations are printed out, cut them down to size using the wrapper from an actual Hershey bar as a template. Then take a hot glue gun and glue each wrapper around a candy bar.

Not only are these wedding shower invitations unique and creative, they're tasty too!

Posted by Patti at 2:31 PM | Permalink

The best bridal shower gifts being given.

Bridal showers and bridal shower gifts go hand-in-hand, but what exactly do you get the bride to be? If you're one of those people who always wants to be the one giving the perfect gift, you've come to the right place.

I'm Patti the Perfect Party Planner and I'm going to give you the low-down on the best bridal shower gifts being given.

The Bride Knows Best

Many brides sign up for a gift registry for their bridal shower. If they haven't signed up for a gift registry for their bridal shower gifts, they likely have for their wedding gifts.

If the bride is registered at a gift registry, find out where and do your gift shopping there. Since the bride knows best what she wants, you can't go wrong by buying from the gift registry list.

If for some reason the bride isn't registered anywhere, try some of these great bridal shower gift ideas.

Keepsake Impression Kit

Keepsake impression kits are available at most local craft stores. The bride and groom place their hands (holding hands) in the mold and the material hardens into a ceramic-like casting of their hands being held together.

Cake Platter

Every woman needs a cake platter at some point in her life and they make great bridal shower gifts. Crystal is best but milk glass can work just as well.

Bottle Opener w/ Champaign

A bottle opener and a bottle of nice Champaign make great bridal shower gifts. When it comes to bridal shower gifts, try making sure the bottle opener is made of sterling silver.

If you can manage to swing the budget, Tiffany & Co. offers some beautiful pieces that make perfect bridal shower gifts and the blue box is sure to get your gift noticed.

Heart-Shaped Measuring Cups and Spoons

The bride is going to be cooking a lot of meals for her husband in the future so heart-shaped measuring cups and spoons are sure to be appreciated bridal shower gifts. You can find them at many bridal shower supply stores and on the Internet.

Cookbooks

If the bride wants to learn to cook but hasn't had a lot of experience, cookbooks will make the ultimate bridal shower gift. Buy her a variety of cookbooks so she can expand her culinary experience.

No matter what you decide to get the bride, bridal shower gifts given with thought and care are always treasured and appreciated.

Posted by Patti at 9:18 AM | Permalink

Wedding favors that can be eaten as well as visually enjoyed.

If you're having a wedding, you're probably wondering what wedding favors you should hand out to your guests. It's not an uncommon question and luckily it's one I can help you with.

I'm Patti the Perfect Party Planner and I'm here to tell you that the party favors you give can be tasty in addition to being attractive. There are a number of delectable wedding favors available to give. I'll review some of the top hits for you.

Customized Lollipops

Everyone loves a lollipop. It started out when we were kids and we never really outgrew it, did we? Lollipops are great party favors -- always have been, always will be. Customized lollipops are perfect to give out as wedding favors.

You can have your lollipops customized with the name of the bride and the groom and the date of their wedding. Since lollipops come in a variety of flavors it's easy to make colorful lollipop bouquets for your wedding favors. Lollipop bouquets are attractive in addition to being addicting.

Mint Sachets

Little pastel mints wrapped up in sachets are perfect wedding favors for your guests. Not only will everyone have fresh breath, their mouths will be treated to a tasty delight. Simply buy pastel mints in bulk, wrap them in sheer cloth and tie a ribbon at the top.

Customized Candy Bar Wrappers

Customized candy bar wrappers are the latest trend in wedding favors. The can have the name of the bride and groom and the date of the wedding in addition to other information that you choose. If you make them yourself, they're relatively inexpensive. If you don't have the time, there are a number of businesses offering the service online.

If you do go with the online service, make sure they just mail you the wrappers. It doesn't take a long time to affix the wrappers to a candy bar yourself and you don't want to run the risk of chocolate melting during transit if they were to mail the candy too.

Wedding Cake Cookies

Cookies shaped and decorated like wedding cakes are also great wedding favors. Simply buy some cookie cutters that are shaped like wedding cakes and decorate the cookies after they have been baked and cooled off.

No matter which tasty treat you choose to serve your guests, when your wedding favors are tasty in addition to being attractive, they're sure to be remembered.

Posted by Patti at 8:01 AM | Permalink

Six unique bridal shower favors that are sure to be a hit.

So you're throwing the ultimate bridal shower and you're just not sure what bridal shower favors to pass out to your guests? Worry not!

Once again, Patti the Perfect Party Planner is here to the rescue with some unique bridal shower favors that are sure to please even the pickiest of partygoers.

When you're in a bind and you just don't know what to do for bridal shower favors, try some of these ideas below:

Personalized Candy Bars

Personalized candy bars are always a hit when it comes to bridal shower favors. Not only are pretty, but they're tasty too!

You can have a professional prepare your personalized candy bars for you or you can make them yourself. Simply download one of the many available candy bar wrapper templates from the Internet and you're ready to go.

Individually Wrapped Mints

Individually wrapped mints are yummy, cost-effective treats that are great to give as bridal shower favors when you're planning your bridal shower on a budget. You can get the mint wrappers personalized or you can just purchase pre-packaged mints with hearts on the wrappers.

Hand Lotion

Everyone can use hand lotion, especially during the winter months. Little bottles of hand lotion personalized with a cute saying and the date of the bridal shower make great bridal shower favors. Cute and practical!

Potpourri Sachets

Let's face it, it doesn't get more girly than potpourri sachets and what a better time to hand them out than at a bridal shower? Not only do they smell good, but they make great bridal shower favors too!

Personalized Lollipops

Many bridal shower supply stores have personalized lollipops available. Simply search the web for ''personalized bridal shower lollipops'' and see what options are available. Lollipops that have the name of the bride and the date of the bridal shower are sure to be a hit.

Bridal Shower Cookies

If you're on a budget and you want to give a tasty treat, bridal shower cookies are sure to be appreciated. Simply find cookie cutters shaped like hearts, bells and wedding cakes. After baking the bridal shower favors, allow them to cool and decorate them with icing.

Presentation is Everything

When you do pass out your bridal shower favors, make sure it's done with style. Whether they are sequence or lace, there are a number of beautiful bridal shower favor bags to choose from.

No matter what you've decided to give as bridal shower favors, they'll be even more appreciated when they're given with style.

Posted by Patti at 1:16 PM | Permalink

How to overcome your fear of public speaking when you have to give a wedding speech.

So you're giving a wedding speech and you're a nervous wreck. Somehow the advice that you were given to imagine the guests in their underwear just isn't doing it for you and you're at your wits end. After all, if you're too terrified to even speak, how good is your speech going to be?

Weddings are an important day and you have to get the wedding speech right. After all, there's a bride who's counting on you to make this part of her day perfect. No pressure, right?

Just Breathe

First of all, take a deep breath. Patti the Perfect Party Planner is here to tell you what you need to know in order to make giving that wedding speech as easy as pie (or wedding cake).

Focus on One Person

When giving the wedding speech, sometimes it's easier to focus on one person and tune out the rest of the room. Pretend that you're just speaking to the bride and groom and that the other people aren't in the room.

While professional speech makers will tell you to give the wedding speech while looking at various people throughout the speech, your goal here is to get through the speech, not to make a career in public speaking.

Practice, Practice, Practice

If your wedding speech is well-rehearsed you'll feel more comfortable and confident giving it. Practice giving the wedding speech every day in front of the mirror and on the day of the speech you'll be surprised how much more confident you feel.

Get Support

Join a public speaking group like Toastmasters. They've been helping people get over their public speaking fears for quite a few years and they're sure to be able to help you get over your fear of giving a wedding speech. You can visit their public speaking website to find a chapter near you.

By following the above advice, you're sure to give the speech of your life and the next wedding speech you're invited to give won't be a problem at all.

Posted by Patti at 9:04 AM | Permalink