People like to dress appropriately for an event, be it a dinner out with friends or an important wedding. But host and hostesses should be clear when issuing invitations what the desired dress is. I’ve received many ambiguous related invitations over the years and wanted to help others dicipher the vague dress-requests they might receive.

-If you’re not sure how to dress, over dress for an event. Many people interrupt dressing for an event. You’ll feel less obvious if you over -dress.

-Formal. Black tie (tuxedo) for men, floor length gowns for women.

-Black tie preferred, optional or invited. Tuxedo is the preferred choice for men, if the man does wear a tux then the women should be in a formal floor length gown. However if the man does not wear a tux, he will wear a dark suit, white shirt and conservative tie. A women in this case will wear a short dinner gown or an evening suit, a skirt with matching jacket.

-Dressy casual. Dress pants with matching jackets but no tie for men and dresses or dark pantsuits for women.

-Business casual. Pressed dress pants or khaki twills with a collared shirt, but no tie. Never wear jeans to a business casual event. Socks and belts required for men. Women can wear pants or skirts with hose and a collared shirt. No flip-flops.

-Casual. Typically anything goes, but if you have never been with the host or hostess and it says casual, it’s better to over-dress until you have a better understanding of how they define casual.

To most people these two words, entertain and budget, are miles apart. But they dont have to be. Whether you are a young adult who wants to impress your friends, a new business owner looking to impress your clients, or a mom or dad who simply wants to take a break from the office to entertain a few friends you will find these tips useful.

No matter whom you are or what your background, we all enjoy getting together with family and/or friends. However, when money is a little tight you dont have to opt out of host or hostessing if you utilize some sensible alternatives.

Your first task should be to decide the theme for your event. This will help you to create your guest list as well as help you see what pre-party elements you can bypass and what areas you will want to make extra special.

If you are planning your wedding festivities you will want to focus on the comfort and enjoyment of your guests. For this type of event you could save a ton of cash that could be used for a more practical purchase like your honeymoon or your first home purchase by narrowing your guest list. After all is said and done only you and your immediate family and very best friend will remember your party. Most of your guests will remember the wedding. So have a larger wedding if you must, but limit the wedding party to save major dollars.

For most of us we simply want to entertain a few friends. Be sure to supply a comfortable amount of room for your guests. If yours is a dinner party you will want to ensure you have enough chairs for your entire guest list. If it is a cocktail party you can and should opt for “milling” room rather than so many chairs.

Another consideration is where you have your event. This can also either be costly or not. Here is a list of some inexpensive alternatives.

1. Your own home or backyard
   
2. Your local church Fellowship Hall
   
3. A local residential clubhouse
   
4. A local business or entertainment complex, i.e. skating rink, bowling alley
   
5. Park or picnic area
   
6. The beach or lakeside
   
7. Your family or friends home

The latter suggestion I offer with the thought of further spreading the expense by hosting a Progressive Dinner. These types of parties can be most memorable and fun.

Just what is a Progressive Dinner? Simply put, each course of a meal is prepared and presented by a different diner. My recommendation here is to plan carefully the route to minimize driving distance.

The next issue you need to decide is whether to give out invitations or not. Although a phone call is often less costly than a printed invitation you may want to consider sending them to at least some of your invitees. The more formal your event the more likely this should be done. Some ideas to consider that can help cut down on the expense here are:

1. Computer generated invitations
   
   
   
   1. Printed
      
   2. Emailed
      
   3. Online greeting cards

• Send Out Cards
  
• Online digital greeting cards
  
• Evite.com invitations

1. Hand crafted cards
   
   
   
   1. Quilled
      
   2. Stamped
      
   3. Embossed, or otherwise embellished
      
   4. Calligraphy

Hand crafting your invitations can be fun and will provide a unique invitation that may be cherished by the recipient for many years to come. You can even have a group of close friends or family members assist you with the invitations design and creation. Think about the laughs and memories you will be making at the same time.

Now that your venue is selected and your invitations are done next you will need to plan the menu. This is one area that can be easily controlled. If you want to really impress your guests but dont want to go over your budget I suggest you splurge on the dessert. This is the final thing your guests will consume and will therefore be the most remembered. If you are having a cocktail party you can do this with the hors doeuvres. Depending on your budget you can offer:

1. Homemade
   
2. Store bought
   
3. Catered
   
4. Shipped

Homemade can be time consuming and tedious. Store bought convenience items from your frozen food section will be far less so, but your deli or bakery may supply a fresher choice. Catered food, on the other hand, while expensive for an entire meal can be a nice alternative for those who want just one special course.

Mail order is fairly new as a viable alternative. You can mail order anything from steak and fruit to dessert. One of my favorite desserts to provide that always gets rave reviews are the tasty treats created with love and attention to detail from My Little Taste of Italy. This bakery located in Whittier, California provides the most authentic Italian pastries I have ever found. From their homemade cookies and cakes to their to-die-for Cappuccino Brownies you cant go wrong.

If you cant make up your mind what to order I suggest you go for the brownies. They are so well known and loved all over American that they have been dubbed, by Jan Verhoeff, “Orgasmic”.

While considering what you will serve also think about how you will serve it. While paper plates may be convenient for clean-up and a wise selection for your picnic be sure to invest in a plate that is strong enough to stand up to the task. For reliability you will find the coated paper products and Chinette(TM) plates perform the best.

However, if your party is indoors real plates and glasses add a hint of sophistication to your event.

A word of advice on beverages, “Go light”. Alcohol, beside the effect it has on people, can be one of the most expensive items you provide. To avoid this expense you might consider offering non-alcoholic alternatives or mixers and suggest your guests bring their own liquor. Another idea is to limit over indulgence by carefully calculating the number of servings per guest that you can afford and stay within your budget.

One last comment, if presentation is important for your event, the use of linens both on the tables and for guests will add class and beauty. This seemingly insignificant touch will absolutely be noticed and appreciated.

Copyright 2007 Ginger Marks

Ginger Marks and Kim Emerson are co-owners of Nibroc Marketing Solutions http://www.nibrocmarketing.com Ginger is also the author of “Presentational Skills for the Next Generation”, available through her company website at http://www.DocUmeant.net. My Little Taste of Italy can be found at http://www.mylittletasteofitaly.com/.

Dinner party etiquette, and indeed the subject of etiquette in general is wrapped up and disguised in layer upon layer of old school tradition!

I intend to dispel some of the mystique of dinner party etiquette. Here you will find easy, commonsense advice and tips to help you through any modern day formal or semi-formal dinner occasion.

Whether you happen to be hosting a party or attending as a guest, this information is for you……………this is dinner party etiquette for the new millennium!

Dinner Party Etiquette - the Basics

• Even in today’s fast and ever changing lifestyle, there is one very simple skill which if we don’t already possess, can easily be learned that is guaranteed to get you through even the most trying social occasion - good manners! Yes, something as simple as politeness and good manners will make up ten fold for any lack of etiquette know-how.
  
  
  
  
  
• And if you are not sure if your manners are good enough, pick a role model and compare your behaviour with them. This could be someone well known on screen or television, or perhaps a friend, colleague or business associate. Pay attention to how they behave around other people. Learn from them!
  
  
  
  
  
• Learn to be confident in yourself. Unease and nervousness in social occasions will undoubtedly make you feel uncomfortable and thus more prone to unnatural behaviour. A good tip before any important occasion is to go somewhere quiet on your own and sit or preferably, lay down. Close you eyes - and relax by taking long, slow, deep breaths. Then in your imagination, see yourself at that social event looking calm and confident. Imagine yourself interacting comfortably with other guests - you are a total success! Feel the experience - really let it sink in. This type of mental programming will assist you tremendously.
  
  
  
  
  
• As host or dinner guest, never allow yourself to be persuaded into believing that the more you spend, the greater the impression you will make! That may be true in certain (frivolous!) circles of society, but it is generally not so, and it is certainly quite unnecessary. Spend only that which you can comfortably afford.

Dinner Party Etiquette - Myths and Unnecessary Trivia

What rules? There are no rules!!

• We hear a great deal about rules of etiquette, as though they were written in stone somewhere, or part of the Constitution! What is acceptable to one person or one society may be totally unacceptable to another. If you must live by rules, then develop your own list of rules! Rules of etiquette steeped in history and tradition have very little real relevance in today’s society.
  
  
  
  
  
• Some folk firmly believe that unless you come from a background of substantial wealth and a particular upbringing, then you are automatically excluded from certain social choices. This is completely, and utterly, ridiculous! In my profession, I have performed the role of Butler at numerous very grand and formal social occasions for the wealthy and upper classes. And I do not exaggerate when I say that on occasions, the behaviour of some of those attending was truly appalling. Social background, education and wealth are no guarantees of good manners and proper behaviour!
  
  
  
  
  
• Often a dinner host or hostess believes that the more complex the menu, the more extravagant the occasion, the more elaborate the table setting ……the more he or she will impress the guests! That is far from the reality! A simple yet stylish, well executed dinner party delivered with thought, care and attention, will achieve a far greater result……..for a lot less stress!
  
  
  
  
  
• Dress code? Just as there are no rules in modern day entertaining, there is also…..no dress code! However, if it’s a formal affair and the host has clearly indicated a dress style (black tie, lounge suits, smart casual etc) then clearly, the dinner guest should respect that. As a host however, do consider carefully whether such a stipulation is really necessary. The trend these days is very much towards casual dining and generally speaking, most dinner guests will be more relaxed in that situation.

Dinner Party Etiquette - Social Behaviour

• If you are hosting a dinner party, use yourself as an example of what you consider to be acceptable social behaviour. Most dinner guests will take their lead from you - and if they don’t, they probably shouldn’t be there and are unlikely to be invited again!
  
  
  
  
  
• The art of conversation! The successful dinner party host should always encourage lively and varied conversation with honest opinions being expressed and shared. However, proper dinner party etiquette should encourage avoiding sensitive issues or subjects that some guests may find uncomfortable. As a considerate dinner host, if such a conversation is under way, discreetly interject and carefully change the subject. Or if that fails, interrupt by introducing the next course!
  
  
  
  
  
• For both the dinner host and guest, excessive behaviour of any sort is to be avoided. That should include excessive drinking, excessive talking (being overbearing!), excessive joke telling (particularly bad ones!!) and even excessive eating! A healthy appetite is to be enjoyed, over indulgence however, is not an endearing feature!
  
  
  
  
  
• To smoke, or not to smoke? Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the host or hostess to dictate on this. As smoking becomes less and less acceptable publicly, it is quite unacceptable to do so at a dinner table unless expressly invited to do so. It can be a sensitive issue. Personally, I would advise that the host makes another room available (perhaps where after dinner coffee will be served) for any guest wishing to smoke. Again, there are no strict rules on this subject - as dinner host, you must make this choice for your guests.

Dinner Party Etiquette - Place and Table Setting

• The days of making an impression by setting out enormous and extravagant place settings with numerous pieces of (sometimes confusing!) cutlery and glassware for an excessively long menu are thankfully, largely over. Keep the setting simple by putting in place only that which is required up to and including the main course. Cutlery for any following courses can acceptably be provided as the dinner progresses and concludes.
  
  
  
  
  
• Excessively large, elaborate table decorations and expensive, hall marked tableware are quite unnecessary (unless ofcourse they are family heirlooms!). A simple yet thoughtfully styled table using the best that you own and can afford can be very affective. Don’t be led into the trap of believing that your table must look like something off the front of a glossy home design magazine! I said earlier that there are no rules. Well infact there is one golden rule………..keep it simple!
  
  
  
  
  
• If you are hosting a large dinner party, then a table plan and place cards are essential. For a smaller party however, avoid such unnecessary protocol. Simply, casually direct dinner guests to sit where you would prefer them to.

This is dinner party etiquette for the 21st century. All of the above is no more than plain, common sense! And it is also about behaving responsibly and not offensively!

As a final word, please remember that the true art of entertaining has one prime goal………..that of pleasure! It should be enjoyed by host and guest alike. So at all costs, avoid being overly concerned about what is “right, and what is “wrong”. Do what you feel is right ……..and if you do happen to make the odd gaff - as long as you carry it off with grace, honesty and humility, you will happily survive the day! After all, it is only a dinner party!

Relax…………..and enjoy!

Joanie Williams has been giving small dinner parties for years. To get better at it she decided to gather tips and information from experts into www.thedinnerpartyplanningsite.com. She would love to hear your burning questions on hosting a dinner party.Ask
your burning question by clicking here while it?s still on your mind.

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What a great theme for a party with not a lot of expense. Don?t be deterred by the fact that Chinese New Year is not always on a weekend. I know it is hard to believe but people actually socialize Sunday through Thursday nights too. A party doesn?t have to be on a weekend. Just keep it light and inviting.

What do you need? Friends, Food & Drink, Chinese Dishes & Chopsticks, Laterns or Luminaries, Party Favors

How to execute? (Remember our basic entertaining rule ? always plan and have a list):

Guests: Make your guest list. We recommend that you keep the gathering small. 10 close friends who aren?t intimidated by a Wed night social event work well. However, when you have a small gathering it is important that every person attend so it doesn?t look like you have no shows. Make sure you get rsvps. If your friends are reliable email users, use www.evite.com and select the Chinese New Year themed invitation. If not, send out paper invitations 3 weeks in advance and follow up with a phone call.

Food: Find a local dim sum restaurant. Do not attempt this cooking yourself. If there isn?t one, use your local Chinese restaurant and order appetizers. Call ahead and ask them to fax you a menu or drop by and get one. While you are chatting, find out how far in advance they need the order and inquire about pickup vs delivery. Allow extra time if you are having it delivered.

Small Group (10-12 people): Choose 4-5 items and make sure you order enough pieces for each guest. Large Group: Choose 6-8 items and order ? the number of pieces as you have guests.

Order one or two sweet pastries using the same rule for number of pieces.

Beverage: If you are concerned about it being a ?school night? even though we told you to get over that, serve Chinese tea. If not, serve Chinese beer or select one Asian influenced mixed drink. This is not the occasion to stock the full bar.

Supplies and Decorations: Take a trip to Chinatown and pick up chopsticks, dishes, cups, lanterns or luminaries and little party gifts for your guests. Don?t want to go to Chinatown, shop from the comfort of your computer (or call us of course). Pearl River Mart in NYC has everything you will need and you can shop via internet if you aren’t in NYC. HOWEVER, make a list first. It is easy to get carried away and buy things you don?t need.

Lanterns range in price from $3 each up to $20. Make sure you have a place to hang them without starting a construction project. An alternative is a string of lights that have paper lantern globes on them. Luminaries are also great. Whatever you decide, you want candle or mood lighting for your party. Be creative but use Asian influences.

Chopsticks: Again, don?t get carried away. If you are not a regular chopstick user then don?t buy $5/pair sticks. You can get them in packs of 10 for $2.50 and they come in all different colors and shapes.

Tableware: If you are picking up the dim sum or appetizers right before the party, then you can serve them on platters/dishes or if the restaurant provided nice containers serve from the containers with chopsticks although we don?t recommend this method. If you are purchasing earlier in the day, you might want to invest in one or two tiered bamboo steamers. They run about $7 each. Otherwise, get some nice Chinese/Asian serving plates (square or oval).

Then you need dishes for your guests. This is very basic. Plates, tea cups if serving tea and dishes for sauces. Pearl River Mart has several different designs that come in melamine (approx $4/person for a whole set), which looks nice, doesn?t break and is dishwasher safe. It is less expensive than buying china or ceramic. However, if you eat a lot of Chinese food in a structured setting (take out on Sat night does not count) then you might want to invest in the real thing.

Favors for your Guests: This is Chinese New Year and not a regular dinner party so party favors are appropriate. Again, check out your local Asian stores for inexpensive trinkets. Again, it is CNY so ticky tacky gifts are OK. This is fun, not a gift to the visiting Ambassador from China. Put them in Asian style mini-gift bags or take away containers. Pearl River Mart has a whole section of CNY paraphernalia. I found a ton of Asian themed items for $1 each at Target a few months ago. You just never know where your party favors will be. Keep your eyes open.

The budget (112-195 if starting from scratch):
Decorations: $10-30
Tableware: $30-50
Beverage: $2-20
Food: $50-75
Gifts: $20

If you don?t want to spend that much on a party, here are some ways to cut the budget:

• Find a paper store that sells square small plates in paper. Select a pattern that is plain red or black or select something in an Asian style.
  
• Use Christmas lights instead of buying lanterns and luminaries
  
• Make Origami paper gifts
  
• Non-alcoholic beverages are always cheaper than alcohol

Visit www.homeorganizationhelp.com for more ways to decorate your home quickly and easily, and www.freequickrecipes.com for delicious meal ideas.

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You can also find more information at best vegas wedding hotel and best las vegas wedding reception. LasVegasWeddingDream.com is a comprehensive resource to you plan for your wedding day in Las Vegas with information on wedding packages, chapels, and hotels.

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Birthday parties with fun party games are events that we all look forward to. There are many different fun party games that you can use in your birthday bash. These games can be the usual but traditional birthday games that we all know. There are many games that are suited for people of varying ages.

Some of the usual fun party games that we recognize are games like Pass the Parcel. In this game the host wraps a surprise object in a number of layers of brown paper. Once the object has been fully wrapped, it is passed around among the guests who are seated in a circle. This parcel is passed during a session of music. Once the music stops the person who is holding the parcel unwraps one layer of the parcel.

In this manner a layer of wrapping comes off during the times that the music is stopped. At the end when the parcel is revealed the guest who is holding the parcel gets a special prize. You will also find lots of other fun party games that many other people play during their birthday parties.

Another variation of Pass the Parcel would be a game called Pass the Bubbles. This fun party game entails a bubble being passed among guests instead of a parcel. Since the bubble is lightweight and it tends to float off in any direction you have to be careful not to accidentally pop it when you are trying to catch the bubble.

There are other fun party games that we have all played at parties and these ones continue to be favorites even though many changes can be found in the way that these are played. One of the timeless party games that are used at birthday parties is that of musical chairs. For this party game a certain number of chairs are lined up in a row or a circle. The chairs are placed in a back to front formation so that the people have to sit on the chair that is facing them.

To make this game even more exciting there is one chair less than the players. Finally at the end of the game there will only be one chair left to sit on and the various remaining people must rush to see who will get there first. The winner of musical chairs and the other players are all given prizes of some sort for their participation in the games.

With birthday parties the games that are played can be either the old favorites or new ones. The choice of fun party games is only dictated by the tastes of the people. To cater for these wide tastes you will find many of the new fun party games that are a twist on the old time favorites. So pick a few and watch the enjoyment of your guests grow as they have loads of fun.

Regards,

Phil Wilson,

http://www.oreviewit.com

http://www.oreviewit.com/birthday/index.php

I decided to begin writing articles this year. I choose topics that interest me or that have peeked my curiosity.

Birthday Invitation Ideas

There are plenty of opportunities for a little fun at the birthday honouree’s expense when sending out birthday invitations. First you have to offer to do the invitations on behalf of the honouree. Then the fun can begin. A photo of the honouree at school, or dressed in suspect fashion for a night out, or posing on the beach. They can all form the basis for great birthday invitations. And of course, if you have the computer know-how, photographs can be touched up and altered using programs like Photoshop. Ask around to see if you know anyone who might be able to help with the high tech stuff. Otherwise, there is always the teacher’s favourite, cut and paste!

Memories

A good idea for surprise parties is to compile a photo album of old photographs which can be presented as a special birthday present at the party. This will take a bit of organisation in advance. A nice idea is to have guests write some comments under the photographs, the more humorous the better. Or you can go one further and have each guest design a page of the book. In this way, each page will be different, which makes for a vibrant and fun gift. Some people put in photos, others write poems, others songs, and some attach bits of memorabilia. These are just a few ideas that you can give the guests in advance if they are unsure what to do with their page.

Milestone Years: 40, 50, 60, 70 etc

Milestone Birthdays can be great fun. An idea that works well as a semi surprise party is to offer to prepare the birthday invitation on behalf of the birthday honouree, and then to send out invitations made up like an obituary. Use a black and white picture of the birthday boy or girl in their younger years. Make the obituary as funny and warm as you can, but take great liberties with factual information, and have the deceased die in as ridiculous a manner as possible, but have the death in some way fitting with the person’s interests. A golfer dies on the golf course, attacked by squirrels on the 18th green. You get the idea. Then you can have each guest write their own obituary for the deceased, which can be read out at dinner. You can have pall bearers for the cake, a 21 cap gun salute, guests could be primed to wear black arm bands or black party hats, and any other funny idea you can think of. The key is that the surprises keep coming all through the party.

A Themed Party

Themed parties are not just for kids. Adults love them too, so you could arrange one based around a special interest. As with all themed parties, every aspect of the party from the birthday invitations, the decor, the guests’ mode of dress, should reflect the theme. You can give prizes for costumes, and have all sorts of associated games. The old favourites like musical chairs can work as well for adults as for kids.

So get in touch with the big kid in you and hold a great birthday party!

Copyright 2004
Donna Monday
Got a brownie craving? Satisfy it here
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