Deciphering the Dress Code

With all the parties during the holiday season our attention is always on that line of the invitation that supposedly tells us what everyone will be wearing.   Black Tie, Creative Black Tie, Costume, Casual, Business Cocktail, Cocktail, Blah Blah Blah…it’s endless. 

And Let me tell you I know the feeling of anxiety, that come when as a Guest you wonder what really the host means by their choice of dress code, and what everyone else will be wearing.  I can’t tell you how many times I have gone to an afternoon wedding only to see ladies in full-length black tie gowns. 

Why can’t we get this right?  Everyone has an different interpretation of the wording used on the bottom of those invitations, for example traditional in Connecticut may be a polo shirt and penny loafers, or a floral skirt with pearls, and yet in California it is flip flops and shorts.  Creative black tie could be a maroon Tux or a woman wearing a skirt made entirely of black ties, you tell me what’s correct???

Even worse it seems new explanations like LA Chic and southern casual creep up every day.    There is no dictionary for the dress code line, but here is our attempt to decipher the code for you.  We hope this makes your holiday festivities a little easier to plan for!

Black Tie:

A Black tie invitation is formal.  It calls for formal attire.  Men wear tuxedos, with either a bow tie and cummerbund or an overhand tie and vest depending on preferance.  Ladies wear cocktail gowns typically full length, although some shorter styles are acceptable.  Formal is just another word for black tie. 

Black Tie Optional:

Now…with that said, a Word about Black Tie Optional.   When an invitation reads Black tie optional or black tie invited, it is giving the Guest the option of wearing or not wearing a tux, and wearing or not wearing a long gown.  Black tie optional is meant to clue the Guest in on the level of formaility that the event has.  It in NO way gives a Guest permission to wear Jeans should they choose not to wear a tux.  Balck tie optional means that if you choose not to wear a tux men should be wearing a dark suit and tie, while woman may wear long or short cocktail dresses as well as dressy evening seperates. 

Creative Black Tie:

Creative Black Tie leaves room for trendy interpretations of formal wear. He can go more modern with a tux -- maybe a black shirt, no tie. She wears long or short dresses or evening separates.  Sometimes, themed parties call for dress codes like Texas Black Tie or other variations of Creative Black Tie. In that situation, you can have more fun with it, choosing a dressy look with a theme.   For him, it could be a tux with boots and for her it could be a long dress paired with Southwestern style silver belt and jewelry.

Semi-Formal:

Semi-Formal or After Five means that tuxes are not required, nor are long dresses, but still dictates a dark suits for him, and a cocktail dress for her. Daytime semi-formal events mean a suit for him and an appropriate short dress or dressy suit for her. 

Business Formal:

Business Formal is the same as Semi-Formal for him, but for women suggests a more tailored dressy suit or dress – it is not appropriate to wear anything too slinky or sexy.

Cocktail Attire:

Cocktail Attire means short, elegant dresses for her and dark suits for him.

Informal:

Informal is often interpreted as the same as Casual but it actually calls for the same dress as Semi-Formal -- dark suits for him, short dresses for her -- especially when associated with a wedding or special event.

Festive Attire:

Festive Attire is usually seen around the holidays, with the mood of the party being Informal or Semi-Formal. For her, it means to choose looks with a bit of sparkle like a beaded sweater with black pants, a red silk blouse with a black skirt.

Dressy Casual:

Dressy Casual calls for dressed-up versions of casual looks. For him, it could be trousers and a sport coat, for her a dressy pants look.  Jeans, shorts, T-shirts and other casual looks are not appropriate for Dressy Casual.

Casual:

Casual generally means anything goes.  However, it is our opinion that ripped, frayed or worn items, as well as athletic shoes are still not appropriate

Gingerbread treat bags... the perfect way to celebrate the Holidays!

We saw these great Gingerbread treat bags on one of our favorite blogs Rachel Hollis' My Chic Life (www.mychiclife.com) and we couldn't resist reposting them.  Let Us Entertain you with all the how to's so you can make them for your friends and neighbors.

Rachel filled them with cookies, candies and brownies, but they work with anything, even yesterdays recipe for Red Velvet Cupcakes.

You can find everything you need at Papersource (http://www.paper-source.com/), incidentally this website is a great place to buy all of your paper products as well as some fabulous gifts.

You will need:

• Cellophane Bags
• Treats for Filling
• Ribbon (we like the kind you curl with scissors)
• Red Ink Pad
• "Handmade by" Stamp
• White Ink Pen
• Red Ribbon
• Brown Paper, Cut into Gingerbread men
• Light Brown Paper, cut into small rectangles

Instructions:

 
• Cut out Gingerbread men 
• Use white pen to put icing on legs, arms and neck, as well as draw the face, hole punch each arm
• Cut out light brown rectangles 
• Stamp them with the "handmade by" stamp and hole punch each corner
• Use white pen to sign your name under the stamp
• Fill the treat bags and tie them shut with the balloon ribbon
• Tie the red Ribbon to the bag, thread it though the whole punches in the gingerbread man, as well as the light brown rectangle and tie a bow
• Deliver to friends and Family

The finished product is absolutely adorable, I am sure that they will be quite a hit with friends and family!

Finished Gingerbread Treat Bags

Tis' the Season for Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Let's face it, cupcakes are the IT thing at every party lately! They are easy to make, perfect size, & can be decorated every way possible. Wondering how to incorporate them into your holiday gathering?? Let us entertain you with this recipe for Red Velvet!

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 pound cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Chopped pecans and fresh raspberries or strawberries, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line (2) (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.
In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer.
Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.
Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled.
Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half
way through.
Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness.
Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth.
Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated.
Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.
Garnish with chopped pecans and a fresh raspberry or strawberry.

Cook's Note: Frost the cupcakes with a butter knife or pipe it on with a big star tip.

Your dessert will be so festive your guests will love them.

A Festive Centerpiece

Looking for a easy centerpieces that will WOW your guests this holiday season? Well look no further. This Candy Cane Centerpiece was designed by one of our previous Interns for her new job. It was so cute that we had to share it!


Material Required:


Cylinder Shaped Vase or a Clean Empty Can
Double-faced Tape
A Thick Rubber Band
Candy Canes (Approximately 30 per centerpiece, depending on how wide the vase/can is)
Ribbon (Wide enough to cover the rubber band you are using)
Flowers of your choice. Approximately 2 dozen for each centerpiece.(Carnations are shown, but Gerber Daises & Roses will also work)


Instructions


1. Wrap the two sided tape around the vase/can once approximately halfway down the vase/can. (The two sided tape will help keep the candy canes from sliding out from under the rubber band.)


2. Slide rubber band around the vase/can.
3. Take all the Candy Canes out of the plastic and begin inserting the candy cans behind the rubber band.
4. Tie the ribbon around the vase/can taking care to cover the rubber band with the ribbon.
5. Fill vase/can with water and arrange flowers. To continue with the Candy Cane pattern, arrange the flowers in red and white strips as shown in the picture.


There! Now you have a Holiday Centerpiece everyone will be talking about!

Perfect Productions Featured in Southern New England Weddings

Perfect Productions is Really excited to share their feature editorial with you.  As seen in the Newest Issue of Southern New England Weddings.  The Magazine is Beautiful and will be available on News stands soon, but we have a few copies if you live outside the New England Area we can always send you one!

The Candy Cane Cocktail

Every night is something during the holiday season.  With gatherings and parties in abundance we all strive to serve up something memorable for our guests.  In the Cocktails department this is a Perfect Productions favorite.  

There are several recipes for Peppermint Martinis, BUT have you ever seen one with Whipped Cream Vodka?

Let Us Entertain your Guests this holiday season with a Perfect Productions twist on the original peppermint Martini

Ingredients

 Makes 1 Cocktail

2 candy cane, 1 Whole and 1 crushed, for garnish

1 oz of Pinnacle Whipped Vodka


1/2 oz peppermint schnapps


½ oz white chocolate liquor


1 oz half and half 


1 Dash of Grenadine

Ice cubes

Directions

·      Place crushed candy canes on a small plate or saucer.

·      Wet the outside rim of a chilled martini glass with water.

·      Holding the glass by the stem, rotate the rim to coat with candy.

·      In a cocktail shaker, combine Whipped Cream Vodka, Peppermint Schnapps, White Chocolate Liquor, Half and Half, Grenadine and Ice

·      Shake until well combined

·      Strain into prepared glass

·      Garnish with a mini candy cane and serve immediately.

Beef Wellington - A Holiday Entertaining Staple Gets a New Look:

Beef Wellington has long been seen as the old standby of decadent foods.  It is used by hosts far and wide when they are looking to serve something special.  

This elegant staple of 1960s dinner parties derives its name from The Duke of Wellington, the nineteenth century English statesman and military officer. 

Beef Wellington traditionally is a 2 to 4 pound beef tenderloin topped with mushroom duxelles and foie gras pate, and then encased in puff pastry. 

The Catering Division of Perfect Productions, serves this dish up regularly at dinners during the holidays.  We have put a twist on it this year by creating individual portions of the dish, we even have a mini version that is perfect to pass on a tray.   Let us Entertain you with the Recipe...  

You will need:

• 4 Thickly Cut 6oz Filet Mignons
• 1 1/4tsp Salt
• 1/2tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 4 1 Ounce Slices Goose or Duck Liver
• 8 oz Puff Pastry, Thawed
• 1 Large Egg, Beaten
• 1tbsp Usalted Butter
• 2tbsp Shallotts, Minced
• 1/2tsp Garlic, Minced
• 10 large Button Mushrooms, whiped, cleaned and freshley chopped
• 1/8tsp Freshly Ground White Pepper
• 2 1/2tbsp White Wine, Dry

Mushroom Duxelles

• Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
• Add the mushrooms, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp white pepper, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring, until all the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms begin to caramelize, about 12 minutes.
• Add the wine and cook, stirring to deglaze the pan, until all the liquid has evaporated.
• Remove from the heat and let cool before using.

Beef Wellington

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 
• Season both sides of each filet with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper. 
• Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the filets and sear for 1 minute on each side for medium-rare.
• Transfer to a plate to cool completely. 
• Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 14-inch square, and cut into 4 (7-inch) squares. 
• Spread one-quarter of the mushroom duxelles on top of each filet
• Top each filet with 1 slice of the pate, pressing to flatten.
• Place one filet, mushroom side down, in the center of a puff pastry square. Using a pastry brush or your finger, paint the inside edges of the pastry with egg wash. Fold the pastry over the filet as though wrapping a package and press the edges to seal.
• Place the packages seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
• Brush the egg wash over the tops and sides of each package and bake until the pastry is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 140 degrees F for medium-rare, about 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
• Place the Beef Wellingtons in the center of 4 large plates, and accompany with the sauce and vegetables of choice. 

Perfect Productions to Serve up Farm to Table Dinners at the Simmons Family Farm

Farmington, CT - August 12, 2010

Perfect Productions and the Simmons Family Farm to Host Wine Dinner benefiting the Connecticut Farm Land Trust

Enjoy an evening on one of Connecticut's Oldest Operating dairy farms.

Perfect Productions, an event and catering company located in Farmington, CT will be producing farm to table dinners at the Simmons Family Farm located at 199 Town Farm road in Farmington.

The First dinner will be held on Aug 27, 2010 at 6:00 PM.  The Dinner will focus on the importance of sustainability, the use of Farm Fresh Foods, and will benefit the CT Farmland Trust.

This unique, right on the farm, dining opportunity will include a cocktail hour, followed by 5 courses each prepared by a different chef and expertly paired with wine, some of which has been chosen from Connecticut's finest Vineyards. 

Host Chef, Leo C. Bushey, III. the Executive Chef at Perfect Productions has invited several area chefs committed to the cause of sustainability to work alongside him to create a beautiful evening.   Included are Chef John Turenne (Sustainable Food Systems) , Chef Tyler Anderson (Copper Beach Inn) Chef Bun Lai  (Maya Sushi) and Pastry Chef Anthony Florida (For Heaven's Cakes).

Tickets are $150.00 per person plus tax and can be can be obtained online at http://www.localwineevents.com/events/detail/326509/wine-dinner-to-benefit-the-ct-farmland-trust  or by contacting Perfect Productions directly at 860-677-1655 or via e-mail at elissa@perfectprod.com.

Tickets must be purchased in advance.

For more information please contact Elissa Fallo, President of Perfect Productions at 860-677-1655 or via e-mail at 860-677-1655

Aloha!!

We recently had two clients come to us for their honeymoon. They decided on Hawaii and were so excited to start planning a vacation they will never forget. After all the work we did and after presenting the final product to the soon-to-be husband & wife, it reminded me that Hawaii is a wondering location to celebrate a honeymoon, a family get away, & even a rest & relaxation trip.

Hawaii has so many great things to do, places to see, and resorts to relax or have fun at!

Hotels

One of the must see hotels when visiting Hawaii is the Royal Hawaiian in Oahu. It is a historic hotel built in 1927, it is known as the "Pink Palace of the Pacific," ushered in a new era of luxurious resort travel to Hawaii. Located on breathtaking Waikiki beachfront, the Royal Hawaiian is an exclusive enclave for luxury and romance. With its two pools, magnificent restaurants, hotel entertainment, and private beach this resort will make you want to stay forever!

Another wonderful hotel is the Hilton Waikoloa Village located on the Kohala side of the Big Island. This resort is perfect for all ages! Experience award-winning dining, world-class shopping, and an array of activities ranging from golf, tennis and the only interactive dolphin program on the island, I promise there is something for everyone! The Hilton also does an impressive Fourth of July celebration has guests booking a YEAR in advance!!!

Activities & Attractions

The Dole Pineapple Plantation is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Hawaii. You can go through the World's Largest Maze, take a tour of the plantation, learn how to grow your own pineapple, how to cut a pineapple and some new recipes! They even allow you to purchase pineapples and ship them home which is much better than a postcard to friends and family.

The Pearl Harbor Memorial is also a popular tourist attraction. The USS Arizona is a 184-foot-long Memorial structure spanning the mid-portion of the sunken battleship consists of three main sections: the entry and assembly rooms; a central area designed for ceremonies and general observation; and the shrine room, where the names of those killed on the Arizona are engraved on the marble wall. You will hear stories, visit the new visitor's center and much more when visiting Pearl Harbor.

One of the most magnificent experiences in Hawaii are the volcanoes. Hawaii still has a few active volcanoes. There are many ways to experience them such as helicopter rides, ATV Tours, and by visiting the Volcano National Park.

I want to hear from you! Have you visited Hawaii? Where did you stay? What did you see or do while you were there?

Are you Irish?

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Today, everybody is Irish! A holiday that originated to honor patron saints is now a day for festivities for one and all!

It is believed that St. Patrick's Day has been celebrated in Ireland earlier than the 1600's. This day is name after the Catholic St. Patrick who at the age of sixteen, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken captive to Ireland as a slave. It is believed he was held somewhere on the west coast of Ireland. According to his Confession, he was told by God in a dream to flee from captivity to the coast, where he would board a ship and return to Britain. Upon returning, he quickly joined the Church in Auxerre in Gaul and studied to be a priest. In 432, it is said that he was called back to Ireland, though as a bishop, to save the Irish. He was successful and focused on converting royalty, aristocracy and the poor. After nearly thirty years of teaching and spreading God's Word he died. Although there were other more successful missions to Ireland from Rome, Patrick endured as the principal champion of Irish Christianity and is held in esteem in the Irish Church.

Wearing the color green is a tradition on St. Patrick's day but, originally the color associated with Saint Patrick was blue. Over the years it has changed to the color green and its association with Saint Patrick's day grew. It is said that St. Patrick used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the pre-Christian Irish. Wearing and displaying the shamrocks and shamrock-inspired designs have become a ever-present feature of the day. Then in the 1798 rebellion in hopes of making a political statement Irish soldiers wore full green uniforms on 17 March in hopes of catching attention with their unusual fashion gimmick.

So as I said, it doesn't matter what your nationality is. Enjoy the Day! If you see a rainbow...make sure to find the end of it...there might be a Pot of Gold at the bottom!

Good Luck!

New Spin on Baby Showers!

The new trend in Baby Showers...Open House Style! With everyone's busy schedules, family events, kid's sports & activities, the weekend are far from relaxing. Open House events, such as Baby Showers makes it very convenient for your guests who have those jam-packed weekends.


Yesterday, I attended my first one and it was wonderful! You go at your leisure and leave when you feel fit. The Mom-to-Be opens her gifts when you arrive. This idea I feel it is much more personable because instead of your gift being one out of the mound, you actually get to hand it to her when she is not being overwhelmed! It is also nicer for the visitors because they do not have to spend an hour watching the guest of honor open one after the other. It is just a more relaxed down to earth event where your attendees can mingle and enjoy some appetizers.

For favors they gave a very practical yet personal gift. They made Paper Clip Bookmarks! Each one had the first initial of the guest on it which was a nice touch.

I think that an Open House Shower is one that Mom's-to-Be should consider. It will not be for everyone, but it will fit for some!

Save Green!!!

Trying to save money at your office or business? It seems like "Going Green" costs more "Green" if you know what I mean. It doesn't have to cost you money to save money!


Stop with Snail Mail

Not only does the cost of postage keep raising, it takes like a week! Look into sites like , you can send out mass emails to potential clients instead of large postal mailings. This also will save printing cost, because they can print what they want and it gets to them INSTANTLY!!

Stop the Useless Faxes from Printing

Look into programs that will stop those tele-faxes (Junk Faxes) from printing. These programs go to your computer and then you print them out as you need them. It is also great because you can save them as PDF's on your computer!

Stop Using Un-Needed Energy

Have employees turn there computers off at night and program them to hibernate after 15 minutes. This could cut on energy costs for large offices. Next, invest in Energy Efficient Light Bulbs. They are more expensive upfront, but they last a lot longer and will save on energy usage. Also, turn the temperature of the Heat/AC down after a certain time. This is save on running Heating/AC units all night.

Think Green...Your Wallet will Appreciate it!

Did You Recently Get ENGAGED?!?!

Did your significant other recently POP the Question over the holidays or even Valentine's Day??? Let me guess...you want to tell the world, celebrate, and now get your families acquainted with one another. So pretty much...an ENGAGEMENT PARTY is in order!!

Keep a few of these ideas while planning this party.

1. It isn't your wedding. NO need to go over the top. Keep in low key and simple. You can go all out for your wedding.

2. Keep it fun. Remember that this is a way to celebrate your love for each other and your lives come together as one. Make sure that the stress of introducing families doesn't take away from that.

3. Again, it is about you and your love, make it fun! Do something that the two of you enjoy, theme it around how you met or a hobby that you share.

A few great ideas for an Engagement party are...

College Themed Party




If you and your future spouse met in college, what would be more perfect than to have a college themed engagement party! Have everyone dress in your universities colors and have easy appetizers and possibly a game...Who knows the most about the Bride/Groom?


Activity Based Event



A few more ideas would depend on the interest of the Bride and Groom as well as the family. Laser Tag, Bowling, & a Wine Vineyard Tour & Tasting are few ideas that would work for some families, but not all. Follow up the Bowling and Laser Tag with a dinner before or after and that could be a fun way to get to know the other family. A visit to a locate Winery would be a great way to taste a few wines for the wedding as well announcing your recent nuptial!

And please do not forget to enjoy! Congratulations!

Ten Reasons to say YES to a Planner...

Number 10 - Save Time - Planning a wedding takes an enormous amount of time.  In fact, the average couple spends well over 200 hours planning their special day.  A good Wedding Planner will save you time and energy by researching vendors, taking care of the many details and coming up with various creative ideas to make your wedding dreams come true.

Number 9 - Save Money - With the ever increasing cost of a wedding, couples are of course looking for a way to stay within a budget and still fulfill their dreams.  Hiring a Wedding Planner can save a great deal of money because of the relationships they have with vendors.  Planners provide these companies with so much business they are often able to negotiate discounts that their clients would not receive it they booked themselves.  In addition, a great planner is well versed at setting budgets and sticking to them.

Number 8 - Save Relationships - Weddings are very stressful, and this stress often results in arguments both between the couple as well as the with family members and friends.  With the planner as a mediator, disagreements can be quickly settled or avoided entirely.  Wedding Planners have been there time and time again.  They know how to avoid conflicts and problems before they begin an can act as a buffer when conflicts do arise.  They often takes on responsibilities that would be assigned to family members or loved ones - so that everyone can enjoy the wedding.

Number 7 - Make Every Dream a Reality - Most brides have been dreaming of thier wedding day for their entire life. Wedding planners work for the couple to ensure that all desires are met (and often surpassed)!

Number 6 - Offer Advice - Wedding Planners have planned countless weddings, they know exactly what works and what doesn't and why.  They are also knowledgeable on wedding etiquette, and can help the couple through situations they don't know how to handle.  Furthermore, wedding planners are able to recommend competent vendors, based on personal experience.

Number 5 - Act as the "go to person" - The average wedding has at least Twenty different vendors.  Combine that with the wedding party, parents of the Bride and Groom as well as all of the guests and it equals a lot of people with questions and concerns!  By hiring a wedding planner, couples can simply tell others “talk to the wedding planner!”


Number 4 - Create Schedules - There are so many events leading up to the big day!  Add that to what needs to happen during the wedding and who can keep track?  The wedding planner can!  Wedding planners are well-versed at making detailed itineraries for all involved (including other vendors). It will be their job to make sure that everything happens on time!


Number 3 - Handle a Crisis - Whether we like it or not, most big events involve some sort of crisis.  No Bride or Groom really wants to deal with the bakery not delivering the cake on time or the flower girl throwing a tantrum on their wedding day?  Wedding planners know how to handle all unforeseen circumstances and have a wealth of resources at their fingertips to fix the issues. 


Number 2 - Orchestrate - From rehearsal through the end of reception – the wedding planner will ensure that everyone is lines up properly, and that the guest who had a little too much to drink departs safely?  Start to finish, Wedding Planners ensure everything goes off without a hitch!


Number 1 - Minimize Stress, Maximize Fun! - Hiring a wedding planner ensures that you will have a worry-free and stress-free day, it is your Dream after all, why should you enjoy the day just as much as your Guests? 
 

So Your Engaged, Now What?

Congratulations - you've gotten engaged! You have gotten the ring and had the fun of showing it off to all your friends, and then all of a sudden like a big slap in the face you realize and maybe even say out loud, “oh my, now I have to plan the wedding and I have no idea where to begin”
As if the engagement isn’t overwhelming enough now you have to pick a date, find a church and a reception location. There are the invitations, the flowers and THE DRESS. You have suddenly come to the conclusion that getting engaged means planning a wedding and weddings are work.

Before you start to pull your hair out, keep reading and take some hints from the experts.

Set a Date:

First things first, you have to set a date. Everything else in the wedding planning world depends on this. Many brides have a though in their minds about when they want to get married, but lets suppose you have no idea. Start with the basics, What season do you prefer to get married in? Are you picturing a beach wedding, or a winter wonderland?? Do you want a large wedding, or something small and simple. Remember in the process of picking a date – the larger the scale the longer the wait time.

Location, Location, Location:

Once you have a date the next step is location. You need to find the church and reception hall that will work with that date. Sometimes brides do this step first. If you are flexable with the date you are getting married- a good option is to go to the church and the hall and work around their calendars. A wedding without a church or venue is not much of a wedding. Sometimes you may have to go back and forth between the reception venue and the church to get a perfect day / time combination.
Make sure that you find out if your church requires any “marriage training”, Some churches require special classes and you need to make sure you will be available to spend some time with your clergy prior to the wedding day.

Phew, that wasn’t all that hard was it?

Unfortunately, That's just the tip of the iceburg! Now you must set about finding a dress, bridesmaid gowns, invitations, cake, photographer, planning the meals, choosing the guest list and assigning seating.

Working With Parents and In-laws:


Some Couples decide to do this on their own, and then of course there are those who will work very closely with their parents and future in-laws. This is where the real headaches can begin.
If parents are paying for the wedding, they may feel like they are entitled to have some control over the event. What you want and what they want may be totally different things.

Remember this is your big day and you should have everything you want, however if your gigantic wedding is only possible due to funding by your parents than you may need to strike up a compromise. Take parents aside at the beginning and discuss in detail what you want - let them know what is important to you. Listen to what they think is important and work out a happy medium. If you do this up front you will be able to avoid any conflicts during the planning process.

Every Detail Counts:

Keep detailed records of the planning process – log the phone call you make and the people that you talk to – in the end this will help you to avoid any mis-communications. Read contracts thoroughly to make sure you know exactly what the fees are and what you will get in return for those charges.
Almost every bride (and Groom) gets frustrated at times with the wedding planning, you want your day to be perfect and every little thing can seem a lot more important and stressful than it actually is.

When you feel things start to get out of control, remember what is really important – You. The meaning behind the day is to share you happiness, health and love with the important people in your life. With that in mind your day is bound to be perfect no matter what planning you do!

Fundraising Event Ideas!! Raising Money Can Be Fun!!!

Has fundraising become a chore this past year? If people get something out of an event they are more willing to spend the money. Well here are some fun events that will get people out and willing to spend some money for a good cause


Casino Night

Events like these often include live entertainment, a catered dinner, live and silent auctions, sponsorships, ticket & drink sales. This is a great excuse for adults to get all dressed up and have a fun time, so turnouts are impressive. There are lots of charitable groups who need to raise large amounts of operating funds and these events really deliver if done well.

Silent or Live Auctions- Have everyone call or better yet, visit their contacts to ask for their help with donated products or services. Seek out things with a true "Wow" factor to generate a strong buzz of excitement around your auctions. Live auctions can generate a tremendous amount of revenue for the event, if done correctly. There are several key ingredients to a successful live auction. Maintain a captive audience – shut down all other activity during this time Shorter is better – your live auction should run no more than 30-40 minutes
Less is more – have only a few; generally less than 10 – high ticket items for auction. Use a dynamic auctioneer.

Sponsorship- Find at least one table sponsor for each casino table being used and the sponsored amount should generally be at least $100. Encourage your sponsors to provide “gag” gifts that promote their business to be distributed at “their” table. For example – a blackjack table sponsored by a dentist could give away a free toothbrush (with the sponsor’s name imprinted) for each blackjack that is dealt. Or, the dealer could be dressed in the sponsor uniform. Make your sponsors feel as though they are getting value for their donation and not only are they more likely to attend the event, getting a similar sponsorship the next year
will be much easier. Keep in mind table sponsorship should cover at least the entire rental cost of the casino equipment and staff. Solicit prizes for guests who win at a game. If the event is for charity, many local businesses may be willing to provide prizes or gift certificates in return for being listed as a sponsor. If the event is just for fun, choose inexpensive "theme" gifts from local gift stores. Purchase one or more grand prizes for the big winners of the night.

Games-Make sure you have all permits well ahead of time. Some jurisdictions have special restrictions on gambling-related activities even when they are for charity and don't involve cash winnings, so research this carefully. For your games, contact party supply and equipment rental firms. In major metropolitan areas, there are also companies that specialize in supplying this equipment and many even supply staff to run the games, deal the cards, etc. Solicit prizes for guests who win at a game. For charity, many local businesses may be willing to provide prizes or gift certificates in return for being listed as a sponsor.

Ticket Sales- You can price tickets differently for those who might not want a dinner or gambling chips included. Some people won't and you do want as many people as possible attending and bidding on your auction items.To boost ticket sales make it a black-tie affair. Press coverage and celebrity attendees will also help sell out your fundraiser.

Media- Put together a press release summarizing the highlights of the evening and emphasize why you are raising funds. Include details on the entertainment, the sponsors, prominent attendees, your best auction items, etc. Include full contact information as well as the obvious information such as place, date, and time. Send it to all the major media outlets in your marketplace well ahead of your fundraiser. Include a group photo such as the organizing committee or your group's board of directors.


Golf Tournament

A great warm-weather fundraising event is a golf fundraiser. This is a great way to get sponsorship from large corporations as well as participants. Golf is a huge hobby and it is a great way to get out of the office for the day.

Location-A good golf course and the service their tournament staff provides your event is a huge factor in your tournament’s success. Talk to local golf courses and see if they would offer discounted green fees for a certain amount of people. The ticket prices should include the green fee plus little extra.

When- Charity golf tournaments are traditionally on Mondays because most tournaments used to be held on private country club courses only available on Mondays. Mondays are still the first days that are booked, but you’ll get lower prices on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Some advice about Fridays: Fridays are the best day to get golfers to take a day off from work, but they are the worst days to get them to stick around for an awards dinner banquet. Here’s the trick. Have a Friday morning tournament with a luncheon (rather than dinner). Your golfers get to play hooky from work and still be home with his family by dinnertime. Some golf courses begin their higher weekend rates on Friday, but again, you’ll get a price break if you don’t lock up their whole day. I do not recommend weekend tournaments if you’re price sensitive -- you have much less leverage in negotiating with the golf course on their busiest days. In regards to what time of day, the best suggestion is to do a shot gun start. This way everyone is starting at once and end at the same time. This allows to hold a awards event at the end for a little more revenue.

Hole sponsors-Contact local businesses and ask them to sponsor a hole. To attract eighteen sponsors, make it affordable, say $100 or so. Show them a mockup of the signs that will be placed for each sponsor and your event program where you'll list all your sponsors.

Corporate sponsors-For the biggest financial impact, approach large corporations and ask them to sponsor your event. Companies with headquarters or substantial operations in your area are your best bets. Put together Sponsor Packages and be specific as to what's in it for the corporation, i.e. prominent signage at the event, corporate logo golf balls for all golfers, newspaper coverage, golfing slots for top executives, etc.

Silent auction-Solicit items from local businesses and even offer to pay for some popular items that will attract serious bidding such as golf lessons from the club pro or a set of new irons. On the day of your golf fundraiser, setup a couple of tables full of donated goods and services. Tape bidding sheets and descriptions of each item to the tables so that golfers can place bids one-handed.

Hold a raffle-You can sell raffle tickets for quality prizes in conjunction with your event. They don't even have to be golf related, but it does help to have at least some prizes such as a new golf bag, free round, season pass to top course, etc. To increase sales, sell tickets to the general public and not just to your group of supporters. You can even set up a sales table at high-traffic locations like shopping centers. obviously, follow all local regulations concerning raffle ticket sales.

Cash bar cart-Load up the back of a golf cart with ice and cold drinks, then drive the course and sell your golfers what they want. Cold beer and sodas are the best sellers, but don't forget to include snack foods like pretzels and chips.

Catered lunch-Work with the club to offer a catered lunch to all your golfers or at least a boxed lunch of sandwich, chips, and a cookie. Depending on what you're offering, markup your costs by $2 to $4 per person and you'll do well. overcharging will actually cut into your total profits.

Award Dinner/Ceremony-At the end of the tournament it will be nice to thank everyone & award the winning team with a prize. Work with the golf club to arrange something that could be large to small. This will be the time of the day when you announce the auction and raffle winners. Depending the charity, it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a speaker or someone from the charitable organization there to say a few words.


Bachelor & Bachelorette Auction

Setting up a bachelor/bachelorette auction fundraiser is a way to not only raise awareness and money for your cause, it may turn out to be helpful to those who take part. At the very least, it can be fun for everyone who participates.

While the focus should remain on the fundraising aspect of the auction, the nature of it does require some special considerations. You’ll be sending two people out on a date, and while it may start out as something done for charity, who knows? By the end of the evening, your group may be responsible for bringing two people together who might not have otherwise met.

Location-The best place is one that has a stage. Bachelors and bachelorettes will need to be present on stage while the bidding is taking place so bidders can see who they’re bidding on. It’s also optimal for the location to have a PA system with a microphone so the auctioneer can keep things running smoothly and tell the bidders about the bachelors and bachelorettes taking part. Make sure that is place a a trendy spot that the auctionee's friends won't mind coming to support their friend. Every city or town has hotspots like popular restaurants, bars, clubs, etc. Talk to the establishments’ managers to see if they’re willing to donate gift certificates, or better yet, date packages to go along with the bachelor/bachelorette won in the auction. For a really nice touch, see if a local limo company is willing to donate a few hours with a limo and driver to take the couple out in style. Have the bachelors and bachelorettes choose the package they want so the person bidding on them has an idea of that person’s interests, and will know whether that’s how they want to spend an evening.Make sure that is place a a trendy spot that the auctionee's friends won't mind coming to support their friend.

Who will be Auctioned?-The first place to look is within your organization’s ranks. Are there any single members who would like to participate? Think about members of your community, your neighbors, members of your church. Do you know any singles who might want to help out a cause and have a fun evening out in return? One way to really ramp up community involvement is to include single local celebrities like news anchors or radio hosts. Ask them if they’re willing to participate to help out a good cause. The worst they can do is say no, and who hasn’t been turned down at least once when asking someone for a date? Make sure that you are specific with age and I suggest having people fill out applications so that you can keep it even with bachelors & bachelorettes.

Bidders- Inform your bidders before the auction begins. Hand out lists of the available bachelors and bachelorettes with short bios and descriptions of the date they’ll be taking the bidder on. Try to include fun facts about each person, or maybe a funny quote from them. Photos are also helpful to get people interested in bidding. As for the date, this is best left to the bachelor or bachelorette, and the person with the winning bid. After the auction, they can discuss a time and day that work for both of them so there’s no immediate obligation. If they like, this also gives them a little time to talk before the date actually takes place so it’s not as awkward as blind dates can often be.

Perfect Productions is actually hosting a Bachelor/Bachelorette Auction to raise money for the Petit Family Foundation. Contact Kate, Margie or Nicole for details: Kate@perfectprod.com, Margie@perfectprod.com, Nicole@perfectprod.com.

3 Ways to Start Your New Year Off Right!!!

Ding Dong Ding Dong! Hello, 2010!!!! It's here! Want to make difference in 2010? I know that I am tired of 2009 and with the new year, if you are like me, I am making a fresh start! Here are three ways to start your 20-10 off right!

Step One:Make Goals!

What do you want to accomplish this year? What would do like to do differently from 2009? Is it a promotion? Is it more revenue in your business? Is it to buy and house or start a new family...go to Europe??? Whatever it is, write it down. Make the goals attainable. If you put something like win the lotto, chances are that isn't going to happen and also, you have no control over that. Pick goals that you have control over! You will be more eager to achieve them by 2011.

Step Two:Get Organized!

If you have been putting off cleaning out or closet, or getting a new filing system at work now is your chance! With the new year clean that clutter and start off with a clean slate! You will be more willing to tackle those goals if you feel like your life is in order.


Step Three: Think of Yourself!

De-stress!!! Pamper yourself! Now I know you are saying, "The holidays just pasted, I can't pamper myself??" Well you don't need to spend money doing it. Take a day to relax, enjoy something that you like to do, maybe I day enjoying your favorite hobby. Don't start the New Year off worn down. Take some time, even if it is just a day to yourself, you will be amazed how you feel after!

Wish you a Safe & Happy 2010!! Until next time...