St. Patrick's Day Themes for Parties

I graduated from the beautiful Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Many people think Miami in Florida is the Miami University in our country, but nope, the Redhawks, (previously the Redskins), of Oxford are a very proud bunch. Very proud of many things... Ben Roethlisberger played, (while my husband was also on Miami's football team!), for our school before going to the Pittsburgh Steelers... we are known for a lot besides Big Ben, but one tradition that comes to mind this time of year is Green Beer Day. Oh, the glorious Thursday before Spring Break when the bars open at 4am sharp to serve green beer and indulge partying students. (Many professors and coaches plan exams or important practices for this day).

If you're like me and enjoyed college but enjoy real life even more, here are some great ideas for an adult St. Patrick's Day party! Huge green four leaf clovers are always cute, but try decorating the tables and party area with green plants or integrate green candles. Instead of green food coloring in your beers, try cocktails with mint leaves.

Here are some fun appetizer and dessert options for keeping the green theme going that I found on thenest.com.

- toasted sesame asparagus in a balsamic glaze on asparagus

- spicy chicken lettuce wraps

- canapes colored with avocados and sweet green peas

- crostinis with avocado and green pea hummus

- grasshoper brownies

Crostini Ingredients:

-1 Ripe Avacado

-2 tablespoons lime juice

-1/2 clove garlic, minced

-2 4.9 oz. sweet green peas drained

-1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon table salt

-30 small pumpernickel rounds

-or 8 regular pumpernickel slices each cut into 4 little squares

Directions:

-Spoon out the avacado flesh & put in a food processor, add lime juice and garlic

-add the drained peas and salt, then process until you have puree

-spread the pumpernickel rounds with avocado and pea mixture

-arrange on platter for serving

Green Grasshopper Brownies: Bottom Layer: 1/2 cup hard margarine (or butter), softened 1 cup brown sugar, packed 2 large eggs 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup cocoa, sifted if lumpy 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/8 teaspoon salt Middle Layer: 2/3 cup hard margarine (or butter), softened 2 cups icing (confectioner's) sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons milk 1 teaspoon peppermint flavouring 5-6 drops of green food colouring Top Layer: 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 3 tablespoons hard margarine (or butter)

DIRECTIONS: Bottom Layer: Cream margarine and brown sugar together in medium bowl. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Mix. Add next 4 ingredients. Beat until moistened. Turn into greased 9 x 9 inch pan. Bake in 350°F oven for 15 minutes. Do not overcook. Cool thoroughly. Middle Layer: Beat all 5 ingredients together in separate medium bowl. Spread over bottom layer. Top Layer: Heat and stir chocolate chips and margarine in small heavy saucepan on low until melted and smooth. Spread over mint layer. Chill overnight until set. Cuts into 36 squares. Ingredients and Directions from Home for the Holidays © Company's Coming Publishing Limited. www.companyscoming.com

Now that the food is taken care of, check out these websites for the decor photos pictured above:

Candle lantern, $9, LunaBazaar.com

Hurricane vases, $3.50 and $4.50 (on clearance),Pier1.com

Kate Spade Sag Harbor Green Plates, $15- $60. At Macy’s, Colonie Center, Colonie, 459 – 1950

Green Everyware dinner plates $10

Green Platter: http://www.homedecorbylulu.com/home

DIY Ceremony programs, place cards, favors

Everyone loves a quick, fun project, especially one that embodies personalization... Well, here is one inexpensive and easy way to put all of those adjective into your Ceremony programs, (or place cards, or favors, etc)! First, go to www.Moo.com Click on the, "Mini Cards" option and start uploading your own photos which you would like on the cards. They cost $20 for a pack of 100 and the website offers bulk discounts, as well.

The fun part is that you can use these cards however you want. They can be your program which lays out whose who in your Ceremony, as well as showing love and appreciation for any Grandparents who have passed away and most importantly states the order of events so the guests know what is going on throughout the Ceremony. One bride I know wishes she would have used programs in her Ceremony because she had her step-brother walk her down the aisle. Many people on the Groom's side did not know who he was or why her father wasn't doing the honors. A Ceremony program could have quickly explained all of this.

On one card you could list the order of events, on another card you could have lyrics to a special song, and on the other cards you could have photos of you and your groom plus things that are important to you. A photo of the puppy he got you last Christmas, a photo of your Nana who passed away, etc... Your wedding guests love to feel apart of your life, especially on this special day!

You can order x-amount of each photo or text card, enough for your guests and then some cushion for unexpected needs. Once they arrive, you can separate the cards into piles, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and so forth. Then take one of each pile and start assembling your programs. Once they are stacked together and everything is in order, take a hole punch to the bottom of each stack. Through that little hole you can lace a pretty ribbon & waa-lah, you've constructed some very fun Ceremony programs, (that can double as fans in case the Church is stuffy!)

If you wanted to double these programs as place card holders, you could make the first mini card say the guests names and table number. Have them all sitting on a table in alphabetical order outside the Church. Your guests can find their name, know where they're sitting at the Reception, know what is going on during the Ceremony, and have a fun little photo book memento to take home with them after the wedding... Best of all worlds!

"A Dream is a Wish your Heart makes"

I stumbled across this amazing organization today while updating my twitter page... "Wish Upon a Wedding"... and I just HAVE to share their amazing goals and activities with you!

WISH UPON A WEDDING

· Was founded in San Francisco, CA, in January of 2010,

by a group of wedding and business entrepreneurs.

· Is America’s FIRST nonprofit wedding wish granting organization,

producing weddings and civil union ceremonies at destinations across the United States

for individuals facing terminal illness, regardless of sexual orientation.

· Boasts twenty chapters nationwide,

headed by some of the industry’s most renowned leaders.

· Presidents:

· Sasha Souza, National

· Kevin Covey, LA/Orange County

· Stella Inserra, New York

· Ivy Robinson, The Carolinas

· Eliana Baucicault, Atlanta

· Mary Alice Sublett, Tennessee

· Heather Hamilton Sims, Houston

· Shelby Tuck Horton, DC

· Elisa Delgardio, Orlando

· Ali Phillips, Chicago

· Daniela Fageʹ́t, Seattle

· Other chapters opening soon: Colorado, Arizona,

Portland, Miami, St. Louis, Ohio and Nevada.

· To qualify for Wishes, applicants must be unmarried

legal citizens of the United States,

over the age of 18,

who have been diagnosed with less than three years to live.

· Simply apply online to request one of three wedding types:

URGENT (Up to 10 guests, in hospital or at bedside);

BOUTIQUE (up to 25 guests, in home town of applicant);

ROMANTIC (Up to 50 guests, at any WUW destination)

· Wish Granters needed in all locations.

Please apply online today to start helping us make Wedding Wishes come true.

Here is a sweet couple who has already enjoyed the fruits of Wish Upon a Wedding's hard work: http://wishuponawedding.org/florence-michael-wedding-wish/

http://wishuponawedding.org/the-story-behind-florence/

You got married HOW?

While watching the Olympics in my comfy, (albeit dog-infested), living room with my AMAZING husband, lovely twin sis and hilarious friends; an indoor sky-diving commercial for a Denver facility comes on the television...

"That is crazy, why would anyone want to throw themselves out of an airplane, to their death?!" one of my friends exclaimed in astonishment.

"They're not going to die! You have to take classes and become certified or go tandem with an instructor!" another one of our friends countered.

My husband Pete, (who knows that I am a long time fan of sky-diving and have always wanted to try it-but will probably chicken out when I finally get around to doing it), said "That is actually a really cool thing to do it indoors, I was thinking about doing that for Christy's Christmas gift last year."

----This is totally a digression, but I have to tell you: two of my dear friends have great sky-diving stories... One sky-dove/sky-dived/? out of a helicopter while studying-abroad in Europe. The video footage literally shows her being pulled under the helicopter when she jumps out because of gravity and everything else going on, how awesome does that sound!! Another one of my friends did it naked... I had to share! Back to the point----

Everyone went back to discussing commercials and Olympic athletes, but this little discussion got me thinking... are people crazy to do these types of things? I mean, we only live once, right? Why not have a little fun and get our blood pumping every now and again? Because we could die, that is a good reason not to do exhilarating risky behavior... But wasn't it Ferris Bueller who said, "Don't take life so seriously, no one gets out alive."

Now, this got me thinking even further... many people are afraid of marriage because their parents may have gotten divorced, or they're afraid of commitment, or whatever the reason may be. Even the people who are most against marriage have a hard time refusing to exchange vows if they find the "right person"... So, isn't this essentially the same thing as sky-diving? We are doing something we're afraid of because life is going to end at some point, we might as well be happy while we're still here... Is this too deep? Alright, well I'll quit being so philosophical and get to the fun wedding talk! I did a little research, and here are some awesome local Colorado places for thrill-seekers and scardy-pants alike to exchange their vows:

1) Sky-diving wedding in Longmont Colorado

~http://www.mile-hi-skydiving.com/

~http://www.skydivetherockies.com/

2) Hot Air Balloon weddings Colorado

~http://www.adventuresoutwest.com/colorado/balloon/co_wedding.html

~http://www.greatamericandays.com/

3) Rock Climbing Nuptials - Garden of the Gods

~www.gardenofgods.com/

4) Roller Coaster Nuptials Denver CO

~http://www.elitchgardens.com/

~http://www.lakesideamusementpark.com/

~http://attractions.uptake.com/theme_parks/colorado.html

5) Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Colorado Springs, CO

~Not as dangerous, but still pretty unique and fun!

~http://www.cmzoo.org/

Destination vs Hometown Weddings

One of the first established aspects of a wedding is the, "Where". Travel to a beautiful beach? A snowy mountain resort? Or maybe plan a sentimental wedding in the bride or groom's hometown... There are many amazing places in our country and all over the world to have a destination wedding. Whether your guest list numbers in the hundreds or is a small group of five people, destination weddings are a very fun route.

Many brides and grooms hesitate to even consider the destination option due to budget restrictions. This is a simple case of glass half-empty vs glass half-full mentality! Destination weddings are actually an amazing way to cut your budget in half. Oftentimes, people are less likely to be able to attend your wedding if it is not convenient for them. Your guests have to consider travel plans, time off of work, hotel accommodations, etc. Not only will your guest list be cut in half, but this will also make your wallet happy as your florist and caterer bill will be directly affected! Other parts of your budget will be decreased as well when you decrease your guest list. Sometimes, a bride and groom will block off hotel rooms for their guests, this is totally optional and usually comes with a group discount rate. Nowadays, all the bride and groom have to do is suggest great places to stay and let their guests do the deciding and paying of the tab.

It is very fun to make a long weekend out of a destination wedding. Whether you're planning a dogsledding tour for your guests in the Colorado Rockies, or a Surfing Instructor for the kids in Hawaii; planned activities encourages your guests to make their own mini-vacation out of your wedding weekend-a truly memorable and generous gift.

Speaking of vacations, honeymoons can be an easy transition after a destination wedding. It is a great idea for the couple when they wed in an area they want to honeymoon in as well, the travel plans are cut in half.

Now, if you're more of a hometown kinda gal, can you imagine your wedding being anywhere other than your backyard or the church you grew up in? The plus side to being married at home is that everyone important to you can generally attend without having to stretch their wallet to travel around the world. You're in a place of comfortability and familiarity at home, this means your wedding day will be less nerve-racking. When you're able to let all of the little worries and everything else fall away from your mind, you can truly enjoy your wedding day.

Hometown weddings can be just an expensive, or inexpensive, as destination weddings. Whether the wedding is in Aruba or Dayton, Ohio... in the end, it comes down to the couple's ability to stick to their budget. If there are important aspects of the wedding, the couple should definitely focus their energy and wallet in that area. But if the couple doesn't mind if something is left out of their special day, by all means, they should leave it out. It is about two people who love each other, committing to spending the rest of their lives together. Weddings shouldn't have to be a circus of events put on for their guests amusement. Think about what you want to spend money on, what location/venue is important to you, and get married there-in whatever style your little heart desires!

Guest Book Alternatives

A recurring theme I am starting to pick up on among my blogs and within the wedding world---> how to follow tradition while somehow spicing it up at the same time?? Well, the Guest Book is no exception to this conundrum. Many guests jot down their name and that is it in the Guest Book, how is that fun? The bride and groom already have a copy of their guest-list, why do they want to see it in the guest's actual handwriting? How about a Guest Book you will actually want to look at again after the wedding weekend has concluded? Nay, how about a Guest Book that might actually be functional and multi-purpose? Now that's what I'm talkin' about... let's explore your options:

1) Photo Album Guest Book:

This is an awesome idea, because everyone loves a picture book! I know my husband generally doesn't like to read books unless they have pictures in them... But I digress. There are a couple fun ways to accomplish the Photo Album Guest Book idea. Many people incorporate a Photo Booth into their Receptions now, a fun way for guests to pass the time during cocktail hour while you're taking your professional photos with the Photographer. Photo Booths for weddings are available everywhere, and if you have a great Wedding Planner, you should be able to rent a Photo Booth without breaking your budget.

So, the guests hop in the Photo Booth, take some cute, fun, wacky, silly faced pictures and when they're done, out pops TWO copies of their photos. Now you're killing two birds with one stone, (you've taken care of a "wedding favor" for your guest as well as their guest book entry): guests get to keep one copy of their photo booth slideshow and one copy easily is slid into your Guest Book with an area for them to write a fun note. How much better can a Guest Book be? You've got documentation of what your friends were wearing and what they said on your wedding day, something you will look at with your grandchildren years from now and say, "That was Tommy's grandma back in the day, goodness look at her hair!"

2) Signature Platters:

This Guest Book option is functional and can be displayed anywhere. Very easy to do, go to your local ceramics and firing store and pick what platter you like best. You can even customize them with your monogram or picture. Have the platter on display where your traditional Guest Book would be at the Ceremony, (many couples take it to the Reception as well so their guests aren't in a rush and can take their time writing a meaningful message). After the wedding, insert the platter into your oven and wah-lah, the signatures and messages are baked in time, never to be erased! (Careful not to drop the platter!) I know of couples who have put their platter on permanent display in their china cabinet while other couples have used it as a serving tray for many meals. If you don't have a local ceramics store to pick out platters and fire them, then check out these websites for ideas and products: www.celebrationplates.com (the platter Images above copyright (c) 2000-2009 Just Wright Designs, LLC) and www.ForeverandAlways.com

3) Signature Photo Frames:

Similar to the Signature Platter idea, a signature photo frame is very easy as well. These frames and mattes can be purchased at Target, Michael's, Hobby Lobby, and many other retailers for very decent prices. Have a photo of you and your fiance blown up to whatever size you like, then get a frame with enough matte around the photo for your guests to sign during the wedding. This can act as your Guest Book, but many brides still have a traditional Guest Book when they do this option. Sometimes, couples will put an engagement photo in their frame for during the wedding signing session, then afterwards they change the picture to one from the actual wedding. Whatever picture you choose for this frame, it is a great way to be reminded daily of everyone who loves and supports your new marriage. After the wedding you can hang this memory anywhere in your house for your house guests to appreciate and even remember fun times from your wedding.

4) Artistic doodlers Guest Book:

This option allows your guests to have a relaxed but fun way of recording more than just their names. The Guest Book page is set up like an Elementary School project. There are questions such as, "How far did you travel to come to this wedding?" and space for your guest's answers. There are other fun questions for your guests to answer and you can even put pictures of your guests or yourselves in this Guest Book as well!

Check out: www.guestbookstore.com

Another way to customize your ceremony:

-Monogrammed Runners, check out www.FairytaleRunners.com