Family activities expert Dana Christine shares tips for hosting a large event.
Wedding
- Coordinate wedding colors with the season in which the wedding is to take place. For instance, pastel colors are appropriate in spring and summer, and darker colors are appropriate in the fall and winter. Choose the flowers first, then coordinate from there. It is also a good idea to look at the decor of the reception location to make sure that none of the colors clash.
- Throw lavender on the bride and groom instead of rice or birdseed. Animals will not eat it, and it smells wonderful.
- A great idea for labeling tables, rather than giving them numbers, is to take photos of the couple, frame them and place them on the table. Then, on the seating cards, you can put a caption underneath the photo explaining who is in the picture, what they were doing and where they were.
- Have a friend or two take pictures at the wedding instead of hiring an expensive photographer. These will be more candid and personal.
Reunion
- The first thing to do when planning a reunion is to send out a questionnaire asking people what type of party they would like to have.
- Be sure to keep track of all of receipts from items purchased for the reunion. Keep them all in a special folder because family members will often want to split the cost of the reunion.
General
- Use inexpensive potted flowering plants for centerpieces at the event instead of expensive floral arrangements. These can be purchased ahead of time at a garden nursery.
- Make invitations with computer clip art and unique computer fonts instead of buying them. Professional, high-quality paper can be purchased at a stationery store for a fraction of the cost of what a printer would charge.
- When composing the text for the invitations, be sure to include attire, theme, food to be served, arrival time, and whether gifts are appropriate.
