Centerpieces Archives

Making the best Memories

After all the planning, the food is eaten and guests say their good byes. At this point, all that is left are the memories. Those moments that you will never forget, the stories that you will share time and time again those moments are the memories that make our lives richer and keep the festivities living on.

So how do you create the best memories? How do you get people to talk well about the parties you host? It’s simple to make them feel welcome, special and have something unique.

Do your best to plan ahead. Create a party friendly menu or hire help so that you can have time to greet guests, make a few introductions and thank them for attending. As a host you will most likely know most of the guests attending so it is easy to be pulled in many directions. Make a point to have the focus on just your guests at the beginning and end of the event. All the food and beverages should be set just before they arrive so that you can welcome guests and then slip away for simple refills throughout the party.

Choose one thing to create a “wow factor”. Think about your guests and the experience you want to create for them. As they leave your event, what is it that you want them to say of their experience? What is it you want to be remembered for? What are those best memories you want to leave them with? Whatever that is, create a “wow factor” around it. Not everything has to be over-the-top and perfect. To be honest, some of the best memories usually come from things that go wrong.

Pick one thing to completely excel at. No one will remember if they drank out of plastic cups or normal glassware, but they will remember if you had custom crystal glasses. They may not remember the food but they will remember the perfect popovers or a unique sushi-making party. Simple candles are great decorations, but you could make a grand impression with beautiful, fresh flowers and stunning centerpieces. Or send them home with unique personal favors.

Pick one thing and do it very well, normal is normal, so think outside the box and do something uniquely you. It will long be remembered.

I truly hope you enjoyed the Summer Entertaining series with all the tips and entertaining secrets to get your next summer bash off to the great start. May every party you host, simple, grand and everything in between, be one that adds love, laughter and lasting memories to your life.

Summer Entertaining Series

The things you need to know to ensure summer fun for all:

#1 Food: easy, delicious and safe, read this before dishing up
#2 Relaxing Refreshments, don’t break a sweat keeping hydrated
#3 Easy Breezy, decorate with casual summer style for less
#4 Keep Your Cool, comfort is everything
#5 Party in an Instant, have these on hand to welcome guests at any time

One last tip: Keep a camera close by and use it often, ask a friend, or hire a photographer to capture the moments. Smiling faces make it easy to remember why we get together. I never regret taking too many photos and capturing the best memories of a lifetime.

Leave a comment! What’s your favorite party memory?

Pick up your copy of The Pretty Plate for more simple techniques and recipes, and learn about the five elements to make your everyday meals magnificent.

Easy Breezy, decorate with casual summer style for less

After you invite guests and plan the meal, it is all about creating a mood. The mood is the underlying tone of a party that ties everything together. It is the little elements of decoration, colors, centerpieces, flowers, lighting and sound that all play into the overall feel of the party. Here is how to pull off a unique and elegant look without breaking the bank.

Serving Items: When it comes to outdoor events I like to use high quality disposable products. There are nice ones on the market now that are durable and made of recyclable and compostable products so you don’t have to feel so bad about tossing them away. Don’t go the inexpensive rout here: higher quality dishes means more durable, so less chance of spills, cracking and guests dropping a plate of food. Acrylic dishes are also nice as they are strong, reusable and you don’t have to worry about them breaking but you do need to wash them.

Napkins: Add color with napkins: use paper, assorted cloth or craft bandanas that you can usually find for $1. When purchasing napkins look for ones with solid colors or non-decrepit designs that can be easily mixed and matched and used for multiple events, avoid ones with writing like “Happy Birthday” or “Welcome Baby”.

Centerpieces: Use your recycling for vases, glass bottles or jars from things such as wine, juice, and salsa to make perfect vases or candle-holders with the labels removed. Cans from soup or vegetables can be painted or covered with cloth and filled with flowers or potted plants. Think outside the box for centerpieces, flowers are great but also fruit, candy, rocks, even branches put in a vase can be an interesting decorative centerpiece.

Speaking of flowers: look around your garden; pick wild flowers even some weeds can be quite lovely in a garden setting. Split a grocery store bouquet of daisies into multiple small vases – you will be surprised how far one bunch of flowers can get you! Or try the “less is more” approach of just floating one larger bud like a mum, sunflower, Gerber daisy or a rose.

Table Coverings: don’t all have to match. Use what you have, pick up plastic ones if you want particular colors, shop thrift stores and get creative with multiple fabrics, burlap is really popular lately and inexpensive lace from a fabric store can add a simple upscale look. You can also let colored napkins to sit under centerpieces for an extra splash of color or incorporate a few mixed table runners made of cut fabric for interest.

Outdoor lighting can often do double duty to help keep the bugs away as well. Citronella candles and garden torches lining the premise of your party add a nice glow and keep away the bugs; be cautious of using citronella around food as the sent can be strong and overpower food. Break out the Christmas lights and string a few strands on a nearby tree or bushes. As the sun goes down these will keep the mood fun.

Finish it up by streaming in or creating a mixed playlist of some soft music that fits the theme or mood of the event and you are ready to party in style! What is your favorite way to add interest to your party space?

Pick up your copy of The Pretty Plate for more simple techniques and recipes, and learn about the five elements to make your everyday meals magnificent.