Invitations for the Stars

Need inspiration to create the perfect invitation for your party? Then check out the amazing designs from Lehr & Black. They have been designing invitations for high-profile and celebrity clients for over 25 years. Check out their gallery and view invitations for celebrities such as J-Lo, Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani and a bunch more! Even if you can’t afford to have Lehr & Black create an over-the-top invitation for your event, you can take away key design elements that are incorporated into all of their pieces….

• Experiment with a variety of fabrics & papers
• Embellish your design with luxury (lace, gems, fabric boxes, etc)
• Be bold, let your invitation make a statement and set the tone for your fabulous party
• Have fun with you invitation and let your imagination run wild

Favor the Kids at Your Next Event

Kids LOVE getting gifts, and these adorable favors from Brides.com are no exception. Find out what activity or interest the kids have who will be attending your event, and surprise them with an overflowing basket of goodies like you see below. If they’re into roller skating, purchase inexpensive skates and stuff them with candy and small toys. If they like soccer, purchase a soccer ball, cut off the top and stuff it with fun items like yo-yos, cards, etc. And I love the idea of having these all lined up on a welcome table for the kids when they arrive, this will really make them feel special.

Handmade Aisle Runners

I love the custom fabric isle runners from Event Bella Designs which can add a bold statement to your wedding. Choose the text, image or monogram you want and they’ll design a one-of-a-kind runner starting at $185.

Haute Couture for the Kitchen

Who wouldn’t LOVE getting one of these sexy, chic apron’s as a bridal shower or bachelorette gift. Elizabeth Scokin created these adorable Haute Hostess Aprons and offers them in a variety of styles, colors and prints starting at only $62.00 (sale price). Any of these aprons would add a bold pop to your little black dress when in the kitchen, and I guarantee all of the women at the party will be asking you where you got your apron!

Tropical Wedding Romance in the Desert

I’m excited to be working with a really fun-spirited couple and their families to plan a beautiful June wedding in Arizona. Our vision for the event is to create a sophisticated outdoor evening affair that embodies the lush colors of the tropics, paired with romance and lots of laughter. Their colors are: bright pinks, yellows and whites with the hint of orange. Check out some of the inspiration boards I created for them.

Modern Cakes & Treats

I’ve spent the past 3 hours of my night watching the cake challenge shows on Food Network (love those)…some of these people amaze me with their creativity and talent. I told my husband one of these days (in my spare time…lol) I’d love to take some pastry classes and see what a few techniques and tips can do for my baking skills (or lack thereof). I can barely frost a cupcake!

All of which inspired me to share with you an extremely talented cake designer in Long Beach, California, Erica O’Brein. Erica’s designs are modern and full of bold, beautiful colors. Here are some of my favorite cakes that she’s made.

Also, if you haven’t checked out the blog, Bakerella, then you’re missing out on the most amazing cupcake cake bites you’ve ever seen. Now I’m just waiting for the day when she starts selling these(and many of her other adorable products) online for us to buy! I know the orders will come pouring in.

A Modern Approach to the Photo Booth

Usnaps.com has come up with a truly modern & unqiue approach to the photo booth that’ll soon be available for rent in many cities across the U.S. Instead of the old-school mall photo booth that you have to climb inside and wait forever for your strip of photos to print…Usnaps created a small white (& tall) box that you’re able to pose in front of and with the click of your finger (on a really long cord) take your own photos.  You can then view your photos online (in digital quality) 24 hours later. Now that’s what I’m talking about!

Plus you get to see everyone else’s photos…which I’m sure will be good for some laughs!    

Also, check out Usnaps in action on Access Hollywood:
http://video.accesshollywood.com/player/?id=82421

Cupcake Flair for Your Next Party

One of my daily reads is Jenn Sbranti’s Hostess with the Mostess blog. Jenn is an amazingly talented graphic/web designer who has an eye for modern entertaining products and shares her finds on her blog.

She recently posted about these adorable cupcake wrappers from Estilo Weddings. Each design comes in either a pack of 12 wrappers for $12 or 50 wrappers for $46. I love the idea of purchasing a few designs and having them in the house for your next party to pull out and jazz up your desserts.

Thanks for the great find Jenn!

Casting Call: “Rock the Reception” on TLC

TLC recently contacted us in search of engaged couples who would be interested in participating on a new show called “Rock the Reception”. Selected couples will be teamed up with choreographers to turn their first wedding dance into an unforgettable production number.

Couples who are interested in being considered must be getting married anytime between now and the first week of September 2008.

To see an example of what they’re looking for (and what you’ll be expected to do), check out this incredibly hilarious first dance on You Tube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vqiw-Kqtlr0

If you want to surprise your guests with an awesome performance that will make your wedding truly memorable, contact Elements of Entertaining and we’ll help you set up an interview with TLC.

Colorful Containers…Perfect for Your Next Party

Looking for creative party decor that can be customized to match the colors/style of your event and will serve a functional purpose post the event? Then check out this adorable collection of vases, storage containers, placemats, frames, other really cool decor from The MacBeth Collection. What I love most is that they offer a ton of pattern options to choose from and you can add your own text to any of their products.

Flip Flop the Night Away

Weddings are often an all night affair which include lots of dancing and sore feet, which is why I love the idea of offering your guests some comfortable and colorful flips flops at the reception. Elements of Entertaining will soon be offering Kate Parker’s adorable flip flop baskets in the following colors: white, black, brown, pink, green, orange, red, aqua and navy blue.

Designs to Drool Over…

Rebecca Thuss is one of the amazing talents behind the pages of Martha Stewart Weddings. Her work is breathtaking, colorful, bold and so inspiring. You have to check out her portfolio of table settings, flowers, favors, parties and so much more!

Welcome Your Guests in Style!

I am in love with Kate Parker’s welcome baskets for out-of-town guests. Kate’s design team creates these custom baskets, packed full of locally made products, tailored to your event and location. And if you don’t see something that fits your needs, Kate will create a custom basket specifically for your event. How cool is that?

Elements of Entertaining, will also be partnering with Kate Parker and will carry her full line of welcome baskets on our e-commerce site, launching this month. And you’ll be able to work directly with us to easily create a custom order.

A Board of Pictures to Inspire Your Next Event

Style Me Pretty, a blog that features fun and unique ideas to help you plan a wedding, hosted an “inspiration board” contest. Readers had a chance to submit their collage of beautiful pictures, arranged to inspire and tell the story of the event they are envisioning. Very cool!

I love creating inspiration boards when working with clients to plan their next event, it’s a great kick-off tool and ensures we have a reference point to look back on, enabling us to keep the style and design on track.

I had a blast looking through all of the boards on Style Me Pretty, here’s one that I think is fun and sassy…check out more for yourself!