We Love Birthdays!!!

Happy Birthday to You! Happy Birthday to You! Happy Birthday to You!

I may be a little biased especially because my own birthday is just days away but thought I'd share just a few of the must haves for a fabulous birthday celebration for any age!

You must:

Surround yourself with friends and family and don't forget to take lots of pictures to capture all the memorable moments.

Have great food and drink!  By all means, don't forget a birthday celebration is not complete without birthday cake!

Most importantly...HAVE FUN!!!

Sometimes people get so overwhelmed with all the planning that they forget to enjoy themselves when their guests arrive.  Remember to take some time for yourself to celebrate you and your next adventure (no depression here about getting older, just excited about another year to get better:-)

Cheers,
Leslie

 Click here for more planning tips just in time for your next birthday celebration

Happy New Year from Sparkle! Parties & Events

2011 was quite a year and I can't thank you all enough for the opportunities either as a new client, vendor or a fantastic supporter.  Words can't express enough how grateful I am for your continued support and referrals it makes what I do little easier and I am so honored to have played a small part in your celebrations, THANK YOU!!!

Happy New Year!  I hope your Holidays were filled with great times with family and friends and you welcomed 2012 in big way.  I love new beginnings and this Holiday season I was not alone in the thought.  It appears that love was definitely in the air and I wish to extend my congratulations to all the newly engaged couples! (not to mention all of the celebrity engagements, from the Queen of Soul, Ms. Aretha Franklin, Stephen Tyler, John Legend to Lebron James and list continues to grow.) 

Photo Credit: Donald Darling

Honestly, I love to hear that so many people still believe in true love and it'll be great to see all that 2012 holds for celebrity weddings but we'd love to hear your story!  Your story is just as noteworthy.  What an amazing new journey for you in 2012!  So let's talk...How did he pop the question???

Cheers to your 2012 and I hope it is filled with lots of Sparkle!

Leslie

Are You Prepared For Disaster...Even On YOUR Special Day???

For those of us living on the East Coast we have experienced two natural disasters in less than 7 days and to say it's wrecked a little havoc would be an understatement.  We've been caught off guard by an earthquake with a 5.8 magnitude followed by Hurricane Irene which forced us all to immediately gather our families, emergency supplies and prepare our homes for the worst.  But what if your wedding or other special event is scheduled during such a time when Mother Nature is so unpredictable?  What are you supposed to do when you've spent months pouring over exquisite details for your treasured day? 

HAVE YOU CAN CONSIDERED WEDDING INSURANCE?

With more than 15 years of experience in special events, I'd like to think of myself as a seasoned professional.  However there may be times when even the best planner needs to have an even better contingency plan for life's unexpected challenges because as strange as it seems sometimes there are challenges that we just can't avoid.

  Imagine it...you've finally selected the most beautiful garden location ever or you're dreaming of a Winter Wonderland but within the week of your most special day the forecast suddenly calls for a downpour!  Or what do you do if the Winter Wonderland that you imagined is right outside your door buried under 4-ft of snow?  What are you going to do now?  Can you even handle any more stress?  Probably not if you've decided to DIY your entire event.  Make no mistake there is nothing wrong with wanting to take a hands on approach to your event planning but bear in mind that you may spend months, days and long hours to assure all goes smoothly for the "big" event, perhaps even referring to the infamous Farmer's Almanac for added weather security.  But let's be honest, do YOU really have the energy to create a back-up event plan so closely to your day? 

ISN'T YOUR EVENT WORTH THE EXTRA EFFORT???

LET'S TALK ABOUT FAMILY DRAMA...HOW TO AVOID IT BEFORE YOU GET TO THE ALTAR!

 Over the weekend I decided to head to the movies to check out Jumping the Broom (for research purposes, of course:-) but clearly so did a lot of others because it ranked No. 3 in the box office.  Not to give away too much about the movie details for those of you have not seen it yet, it's clearly a classic love story about a girl who meets the man of her dreams. Then the couple begins planning an elegant wedding in the exclusive backdrop of Martha's Vineyard.  Who doesn't love to see a beautiful love story unfold right?  However the movie presents a very common wedding stressor for couples no matter your family status, background, or budget...dealing with FAMILY!!!

HOW ARE YOU KEEPING THE PEACE WITH YOUR FUTURE IN-LAWS WHILE PLANNING YOUR WEDDING???

I wish that I could wave a magic wand and whisk away all drama  but alas I cannot (so much for wishful thinking).  Much to my dismay weddings and funerals tend to bring out the best and worst out of family.  So then how should one handle the pressures of wedding planning and dealing with all the extra drama that the family is beginning to throw your way in buckets???

Just a few suggestions to consider:

Yes, it's YOUR day but let's be mindful that a wedding is a celebration of the union of two people.  Those two people came from two different families who both are equally excited about such a wonderful moment in your lives. Think about coordinating a casual event that will allow both families to get to know one another before the wedding.

Your mom (or mother-in-law) is overly involved in your planning and you are losing your vision!  Wedding planning much like marriage is about making compromises.  Pick and choose your battles wisely, sometimes you can easily incorporate your mom's ideas in ways that make both of you happy.  

You have a relative or close friend that loves to share after a few cocktails.  Just the thought of this one makes me cringe for some couples but this is where you'll need to establish a "plan of action" for just such an occasion. From assigning a "wing man" to run interference in the event that inappropriate comments start to surface to cutting the drinks off to said offender. 

Every girl is entitled to her "perfect" wedding but more importantly a wedding is about joining two new families and what better gift to begin a happy marriage than the gift of a peace between the new families!

Tips to Planning Your Wedding With Ease



Photo Courtesy of OneWed



"Wedding season is just around the corner and we are ready to talk all about your wedding!"

Join us every Wednesday (aka "Wedding Wednesday") as we open our FaceBook discussion board to your wedding planning questions.  From addressing invitations to preparing for your honeymoon, let us help get you to the alter with ease.

Not sure where to start your planning?  Overwhelmed by your checklist? Have some last minute questions about your Spring/Summer wedding?

Make sure your special day is a fab wedding to-do and not a blah wedding don't.  Join our FB page for awesome tips on how to be a bride who can truly kick her heels up!

Talk to you soon xoxo!

Daddy's Sweetheart ~ A Celebration for Fathers and Daughters




"A daughter may outgrow your lap but she will never outgrow your heart." ~ Unknown

 

Make plans to join us as we celebrate the special bond between daddies and daughters on Sunday, February 13, 2011!

As a mom of twin girls I was tired of hearing all the negative stories about absent fathers so I decided that Valentine's Day would be the perfect time to celebrate all the dads who are actively guiding their daughter's footsteps everyday.  Enjoy an afternoon of dancing, sweet treats and more with your little sweetheart with time left to share with your special Valentine too!

Click Here to Get Your Tickets Now!

Be one of the first of the first 50 registrants to join our "Daddy Wall of Fame" and you'll be automatically entered into our drawing for the ultimate daddy and daughter "date" night.

A portion of the event's proceeds to benefit the Priceless Gown Project
http://www.pricelessgownproject.org/

BEFORE YOU SAVE YOUR DATE...

We heard that you said YES!!!

  PICK YOUR BRIDAL PARTY?  PURCHASE YOUR WEDDING FAVORS?

HEAD TO THE BRIDAL SALON TO FIND THE DRESS OF YOUR DREAMS?

Yes, there are lots of wonderful details that need to be taken care of as you begin to plan your most treasured day but are you unsure where you should start?

Before you do anything:

1. SET A BUDGET - One of the most difficult parts of wedding planning is developing a budget.  Plain and simple weddings are expensive and costs can easily spiral out of control faster than you think. So I can't express enough how significant it is to be honest about how much you can really afford to spend.  Keep in mind that you must begin your married life after your wedding day.  So set a realistic budget and a plan of action of how to meet the financial goals.

2. GUEST LIST - Now that you have set your budget, it's time to create your guest list. Make sure that you can really afford the number of people that you continue to add to your list.  Remember this is the fastest way to exceed your budget. 

Lengthy guest list = Greater food and beverage costs!

3. DEFINE YOUR OBJECTIVE - Seems a little odd but more couples should sit down to determine what's important for each other for their wedding day. Would you like a traditional ceremony? Intimate or elaborate reception? DJ or band?(yes, it's your groom's special day too so be sure to listen to his input to help create a wedding that's especially yours!) 

Trust me, I am in no way trying to throw a wrench in your newly engaged bliss but it would be a disadvantage to you and me if we don't discuss the difficult parts first.  After you've made some solid decisions then we can work on your Sparkle!