Refined Retro

Like the classic Santa on holiday Coke bottles, there’s something fitting about blending holiday style with retro charm. Give your holiday party a vintage twist for a festive fete that’s sure to be fabulous.

Creative Displays

Giving your holiday party a lift can be as easy as freshening up your presentation. I love the idea of serving cupcakes on upside-down cupcake pans, or adding lollipops to cocktails for a burst of fun color.

Alternative Entertainment

Who says you have to play charades? Transform your nutcracker party into a trip to see the ballet performed nearby, with cocktails after the curtain goes down. You could also have a casual showing of your favorite holiday movies or attend a local choir performance.

Foodie Fun

Make your event easier (and more fun for guests!) but organizing a potluck. You can also consider hosting a brunch, afternoon cocoa & cocktails party or evening wine & dessert party to have a little fun with your food choices for the festivities.

Invitations to Match

• Retro Chic: Seasonal Splash Holiday Party Invitations

• Creative Displays: Patterned Cheers Holiday Party Invitations

• Unique Entertainment: Sparkling Snowflakes Holiday Party Invitations

• Fresh Food Ideas:  Dotty Dazzle Holiday Party Invitations

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Zinger Martini from BlissTree

Zinger Martini

• ½ part Bärenjäger honey liqueur
• 2 parts lemon flavored vodka
• Splash of orange juice
• Squeeze of fresh lemon

Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a lemon.

Maple Cocktails from Coombs Family Farms

Hot Buttered Maple Rum

• 1 tsp 100% pure organic maple syrup
• 1 tsp butter
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 2 cloves
• Dark rum

Combine ingredients in a mug. Pour in dark rum and stir. Add boiling water and stir again; top with nutmeg and serve.

Pumpkin Pie Martini from BlissTree

Pumpkin Pie-tini

• 1 oz. milk
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
• 1 ½ oz. Three-O Vanilla vodka
• 1 ½ oz. crème de cacao

Using a small amount of honey, rim martini glass with graham cracker crumbs.

Shake milk and pumpkin puree over ice to combine. Pour in remaining ingredients and shake well. Strain into the martini glass.

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From L to R: Halloween Party Invitation from Tiny Prints; Candelabra; Lace Tablecloth; Black Goblets; Metallic Spider; Black and White Votive Candles; Black Moon; Halloween Candle; Feather Garland; Spooky Ghosts Recipe; Skull Napkins; Petit Fours

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I love how whimsical and fresh the whole theme feels. If you look closely, you can even see little crystal raindrops hanging from fishing line. These invites would be the perfect finishing touch for a fun After the Rain-themed bridal shower, anniversary party or friendly garden get-together.

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Many brides take their bachelorette party as a fun excuse to get out of town, but some fail to realize that this means their bridesmaids and close friends all feel obligated to dip into their savings to come along for the ride.

As this bachelorette party planning checklist from The Knot attests, it’s important to give the bride the bachelorette experience she wants, but when do you draw the line? Would you sign up for a trip to Palm Springs? New York? Mexico? Europe? Would you be excited or annoyed?

Do out of town bachelorette parties make you want to rant or rave?

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She didn’t let me down today—I found these beautiful table settings that would be perfect for a sweet Valentine’s Day soirée with all of your friends (or even a lovely night in for you and your fiancé!). Pair it with a Wedding Paper Divas Valentine’s Day party invitation (or anti-Valentine’s Day party invitation!) for an extra splash of fun this February.

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Have you and your fiancé discussed what you are comfortable with during your bachelor and bachelorette parties? At what point does a bachelor party cross the line into inappropriateness? Rant or rave about it!

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For the ceremony combine modern elegance and formal style to get simply gorgeous. (Photos from left: Amsale ball gown, the Knot, St. Pucchi Silk Charmeuse dress from Elegant Bride and Reverie by Melissa Sweet from the Knot.)

Perfect party dresses: from left (White kava blouson dress by Kate Spade and Romona Keveza dress both from Modern Bride. BCBG Maxazaria Strapless Applique dress from Nordstrom.)

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Normally, eating at restaurants and social events is a huge hassle: Do you cook with corn oil? Does that sauce have corn syrup in it? Can you check and see if your powdered sugar is made with cornstarch or flour? The list of questions becomes so tedious after a while that you inevitably settle for a salad, sans dressing, and call it a day. It’s great for a diet, sure, but a wedding is supposed to be a chance to splurge! So when planning your menu, think about those of us who haven’t tasted a gummy bear, tortilla chip or sip of soda in a decade. With adept catering or just a little extra elbow grease on your part, you can host a fabulous allergy-free event that everyone can enjoy.

I ran across this BrideFu post on the topic and, although it fails to mention my particular allergy, I think it has a lot of great insight into allergy-free weddings in general. You might think it’s impossible to cook without the items on the site’s Big Eight list–eggs, milk, wheat and fish in particular–but it’s actually really easy to do with a flexible caterer. You don’t even have to change your entire menu. Just add a few delicious dishes without these ingredients and advertise them to your guests, as The Lovely Scones blogger did for her nuptials.

Creating your own allergy-free wedding is a great way to make sure that no one is fretting over the fritters on your big day. Just don’t be surprised if you find someone like me hungrily hunkered down over a heaping plate of your corn-free culinary creations!

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