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I spent two summers while in college working as a waitress at a dude ranch in Colorado. The experience was nothing less than incredible. Years later, I have wonderful friends that I still keep in touch with as well as an amazing husband. I still think back to those summers because I learned how hard work really pays off and how much I enjoyed putting together all the food events for the guests. The ranch always hired staff from the South because the owners said they always received compliments on their friendly service from guests...My boss' response was "It's just Southern Hospitality." It was not until I began planning my wedding that I realized how I had missed my calling. I wish I could say I am a successful event planner living my dream, but I am not just yet and hope that collecting my ideas and sharing them will be a start (thanks Molly). Enjoy!

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Registering & Showers

Smart Registry Strategies:
  • Register for enough stuff.  Many couples do not.  It’s a good idea to register for two to three times as many gifts as you have guests.
  • Make sure your gifts span a variety of prices.  Your registry should start at twenty-five dollars (less is fine, but don’t start it higher), and you should have choices in twenty-five dollar increments.  When looking over the registry, check that you have a variety of prices not just across the board but also within each category. 
  • Don’t get pressured into registering for things just because they’re somebody else’s idea of what you need.  If you don’t think you’ll ever use fine china, you don’t have to register for it.  Instead, you might want to register for two sets of everyday dishes (one patterned and one solid).
  • Even if you’re combining two well-stocked households, ask yourself if you want to register for better versions of things you already own.  In the registry business, this practice is called “trading up.”
  • Register for more place settings than you think you need.  Many store registries suggest eight, but I think you should ask for twelve.
  • You can’t go wrong registering for a great set of pots and pans.
  • Register for more serving pieces than you think you need.  Come Thanksgiving, no one ever seems to have enough.
  • Keep your registry open as long as possible.  Since guests have a year to purchase a wedding gift, ask the store how long it remains active.  (Also ask if it can be converted to a “special occasion” registry after a year, so you can keep filing in pieces on your anniversary and at holidays.)
  • Set up a new joint bank account at least six months before the wedding.  Deposit monetary gifts in this separate account so they don’t get mixed up with household funds and frittered away.
Here is a great checklist to use while you register:
 http://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/weddings/registry-gifts/wedding-registry-checklist-00000000000227/index.html

Here is a link for more helpful tips:
http://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/weddings/registry-gifts/wedding-gifts-registry-tips-00000000027636/index.html
http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/registry-marketplace

Favorite Shower Themes:

  • Alphabet Shower: Every guest is assigned a letter of the alphabet and asked to bring a gift that starts with that letter.
  • Around-the-Clock Shower: Guests are assigned a time of the day and asked to bring a corresponding gift.  Eight in the morning might elicit egg cups or juice glasses.
  • Around-the-House Shower: Each guest is assigned a room and brings a gift for it.  The living room might prompt a throw for a couch, while the bathroom might get you his-and-hers bathrobes.
  • Holiday Shower: Not a good shower for basics, but a festive option if you’re having multiple showers.  Everyone is given a holiday and chooses a gift in keeping with the day.
  • Kitchen shower: Guests are asked to bring a gift to help outfit the kitchen.  That could mean simple gifts like a set of dishtowels or a lemon zester, or a more elaborate pick like a mixer.
  • Lingerie Shower: Another perennial favorite, the lingerie shower is ideal as a second shower.  Let the host know key sizes in case guests ask for guidance.
  • Recipe Shower: Guests are asked to bring a favorite recipe and the key kitchen tools needed to make it.  Bridesmaids/hosts can collect all these recipes as guests arrive.  This works as a great gift to couple and is much more personable than a cook book!  *Buy a recipe box/organizer for all the recipes to go in with extra cards/pages so the couple will be able to add more 
  • Stock-the-Bar Shower: A popular option at couples’ shower.  Guests help fully outfit a bar.
  • Home Improvement Shower: Also popular for couples’ showers, this theme allows the couple to get all the screwdrivers, drills, flashlights, ladders, and other gear they’ll need around the house.
  • Gadget Shower: Guests are asked to bring a gadget that changed their lives for the better.
Cute Shower Games:
  • The Newlywed Game- This would be for a couples party.  Choose a few couples to play, alongside the bride and groom.  The hosts will have prepared a set of questions for the women.  After each questions, the male partner has to guess how his other half answered and prove how well he knows her.  The couple with the most correct answers wins a prize.
  • Recipes for Marriage- Include a blank card in the invitation asking guests to write down their recipe for a great marriage.  It can be a recipe, a joke, an anecdote, or a piece of advice.  A bridesmaid can turn the cards into a keepsake album or scrapbook for the bride.  
*Reminder: Make sure you always show your appreciation to the host/hosts of your shower by buying a personal gift.  Custom stationery, a monogrammed bathrobe or guest towels, luxury soaps, or a soft throw for the sofa are great ideas.  A last minute idea could be a bouquet of flowers with a sweet note. 
Here is a link that has some helpful tips for writing thank you notes: http://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/weddings/etiquette/fill-in-the-blank-wedding-thank-you-notes-00000000027418/index.html
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