Throw Your Best Halloween Party Yet!

Halloween is a time where the vampires, zombies and other “un-dead” come out in full force.  It’s also a reason for people to dress up, have a drink and enjoy the tricks & treats!

It’s  a fun time of year and why not make the most of your decorating! Here’s some of our suggestions for making your Halloween party celebrations one for the record books:

• It’s a party after all! Make sure there’s enough alcohol/non-alcoholic beverages (especially if your hosting for young children/party.) Fun Halloween theme cocktails always help start the party!
• Keep within a fall color theme – oranges, greens, white, black and for good measure, throw in some red for “bloody” slashes on the bathroom mirrors and shower (Psycho style!) Add some holiday light for an extra eerie touch when you dim the room lights later on.
• Good props to keep at your house to emphasize the holiday – cotton spider webs with fake spiders, pumpkins (carves or drawn on), skeleton heads/bones, headless figures, rubber eyeballs and/or toilet paper streams to throw around the house/apartment.
• Nothing helps a good party more than a good music playlist. Find your favorite movie/TV theme songs (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Twilight Zone, True Blood). It will help get guests in the Halloween mood!
• Be creative! You don’t need to break the bank making the most festive party. Simple things you can do are buy construction paper and yarn – cut out pictures of ghosts, bats and other Halloween figures and hang them from the ceiling or tape to the walls. Also, buying large packs of candy (chocolate, worms, etc.) at discount will ease everyone of their hunger and keep their sweet tooth satisfied. In addition, guests won’t come empty handed – expect people to bring over some drinks & sweets of their own to be gracious to your hosting duties!

Good luck and have fun! RT us on Twitter (@tanaRievents) with your pictures and let us know how we can help plan your next party! Contact us here for more info.

Image via Martha Stewart, Decodir, A Blissful Nest, Fun Costume, Martha Stewart

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WEDDING FOOD – To Serve or Not To Serve

[Clockwise – Image via Maharani Weddings, WeddingOMania & Belle The Magazine]

Yes, that is the question. When you’re at a wedding, most of your guests are going to be eyeing the food and waiting for their chance to get right to the shrimp cocktail or tequila shots waiting for them. Being at our fair share of weddings, we notice these details and what makes or breaks good food options being served. Below we highlight some of our best tips to keep you & your guests happy to avoid major food debacles!

Pre-ceremony

• To get everyone in a celebratory mood, it’s nice to have some glasses of champagne passed around shortly before the guests go to sit for the ceremony. We suggest this for guests who may arrive early and recommend a limit of 1-2 glasses maximum.

Cocktail Hour

• It’s always helpful to have food that can be eaten quickly and mess-free. For example, serve chinese noodles in a box with chop sticks, serve food on sticks (ie. chicken skewers) or put french fries and other snacks into creative wrapping (ie. a shot glass, cones, etc.)
• A variety of foods is always a good approach while being mindful of food sensitivities (vegetarian, kosher, nut allergies). Some popular options are a sushi bar, sliders, mac & cheese section, etc.

Reception

• Serving an appetizer first (salad/soup) helps to break up the evening to allow time for family speeches & first dances.
• There should be at least two options for the main course (preferably one meat dish and one vegetarian option – fish, pasta, etc.)

Dessert

• A dessert bar outside the main ballroom is an easy way to put out all of the food options in one place. Typically, we’d suggest avoiding the dance floor since guests love the dance and don’t want to be stopped because the dessert is ready.
• There’s no limit with desserts – go with what your heart desires. Chocolate covered fruit, ice cream, array of cookies are some options to explore.
• For a wedding with a lot of young guests, a candy bar is a creative way to get them engaged (and will bring out the child in all of the older guests!)

We also love when the evening ends with a snack so you’re not empty handed. We’ve seen some great pretzel bars, homemade chocolate chip cookies, popcorn given to guests on their way out. What a perfect way to end a beautiful evening!

Keep in mind that these can add up, so there are ways to keep costs at a reasonable place. You may want to limit the cocktail hour options or stick to foods that are easier to make at the venue VS shipping in (ie. skip the sushi bar at cocktail hour) or avoid the after-hours party with pre-made goodie bags with chocolate or candies you can buy at your local grocery store. Also, for smaller weddings, feel free to DIY with cooking your favorite treats for the guests – I’m sure they’d enjoy and appreciate the effort!

For some visual inspiration be sure to click here for our wedding foodie Pinterest page delights!

SPRING 2014 GUIDE – Bridal Fashion Week Favorites

The bridal fashion runways are back at it and giving us some gorgeous Spring 2014 looks. Check out below for some of our favorite trends for the upcoming season:

HIGH NECKLINES

[Left to Right – Claire Pettibone, Naeem Khan, Nicole Miller]

SATIN WEDDING GOWNS

[Left to Right – Jenny Packham, Johanna Johnson, Maggie Sottero]

EMBELLISHED WEDDING GOWN DESIGNS

[Left to Right – Elizabeth Fillmore, Naeem Khan, Reem Acra]

VENDOR SPOTLIGHT: 3 Bees Paperie & Rupa and Sreedhar Wedding Invitations

3 Bees Paperie, a favorite of ours & experts in South Asian-infused wedding/special events stationery, worked with one of our beautiful wedding couples Rupa & Sreedhar to create special and one of a kind wedding stationery for their special day.

They created a soft, pastel invitation suite that embraced the couple’s South Asian cultural roots. By incorporating Indian traditional yellow flowers displayed prominently on each piece, the finished suite also included a soft lavender gatefold invite with touches of burgundy and green, a romantic touch with a yellow-gold ribbon, RSVP card, and a directions and accommodations insert. The bride & groom also printed matching thank you cards with lavender envelopes to thank their guests after the big day. To represent the couple’s Hindu backgrounds, a Ganesha was placed on the interior of the gatefold and an Om symbol was placed on the outer envelope. The entire suite was printed on felt paper using digital offset flat printing.

Encompassing a multitude of colors and religious symbols helped the special couple keep a traditional perspective with some unique and creative touches. By including the the lavender and yellow flowers consistently on each piece, it gave the suite a set of uniformity that can be enjoyed by the happy couple and their guests!

We’re thankful to the 3 Bees Paperie team for their amazing work! They’re just one of many vendors that made the Rupa & Sreedhar wedding such a beautiful occasion. More to come for this wedding..!

Celebrating Navratri!

Friday marked the first day of Navratri! For those who celebrate in the Hindu religion, it is a nine night/ten day rejuvenation period which marks the beginning of the autumn season. This “fresh-start” mentality is exactly how people celebrate during this time. They may fast (from daily physical & emotional needs) , sit in prayer, meditate and do other relaxing activities until the dancing begins (known as “Garba”). Different regions in India may celebrate the holiday differently, but all have the same intentions of renewal and purpose.

The Garba is a celebratory dance and is performed during Navratri. It is usually women who wear elaborate sarees and other decorative clothing and dance in a circular motion. In modern times, men also participate dancing at the Garba!

What we love about Garbas is that they can be incorporated into other important life events as well. Gujarati wedding tradition usually involves a Garba night before the wedding – decadent and colorful decor combined with celebratory music to celebrate the wedding couple. Here’s some wedding Garba inspiration for you: http://bit.ly/15ciWiD

For those in NYC, be sure to celebrate Garba in The City at Chelsea Piers today! It’s a great way to meet others celebrating and learn more about the Navratri holiday & traditions.

Image 1: festivals.iloveindia.com

Image 2: theguardian.com

Image 3: idiva.com

Image 4: dhiendra.wordpress.com