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4 Apr |
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8:59 pm Posted by Kristy |
Rehearsal dinner rules vary so much by family, region, community and custom that it’s difficult to declare exact rules of etiquette to follow. An engaged couple’s best guiding principle is to balance the host’s wishes with thoughtful decisions regarding guests.
Who Hosts
The most steadfast “rule” about rehearsal dinners is that typically the groom’s parents host. If a groom’s parents cannot host for any reason, it falls to the groom’s extended family, the groom himself, or the engaged couple. Since it is the bride’s family who traditionally hosts the wedding reception, this intentionally gives the groom’s family the opportunity to play host and thank their side of the guest list for attending.
Who Attends
Both groom and bride should include immediate family members, their wedding party and wedding party’s spouses or partners, and other key family members (grandparents, for example). There is no rule about including friends and extended family members (cousins, aunts, uncles). Consider the need to entertain out-of-town friends and family, but know the decision belongs ultimately the host (presumably the groom’s parents or family). In some regions and communities, it may in fact be etiquette to include out-of-town guest in festivities that precede the wedding, such as a morning brunch, or another less formally planned gathering.
Who Toasts
Since the bride’s father has the opportunity to offer a toast during the wedding reception, it naturally follows for the groom’s father to toast the couple and guests at the rehearsal dinner. In addition, the couple themselves may choose to toast their Maid of Honor, Best Man, and wedding party. Wedding party members may also toast the bride or groom. The rehearsal dinner is a great forum to open up the floor to anyone who feels moved to share wishes on behalf of the soon-to-betrothed couple. It is an especially fitting place for the bride and groom to toast one another!
You can coordinate your rehearsal dinner invitations with your wedding invitation suite by choosing a similar design style. Find a wide array of beautiful wedding invitation designs in all kinds of styles at LookLoveSend.com. You can easily customize a wedding invitation or save the date card to create your rehearsal dinner invitation in any design style you choose. You will enjoy free ground shipping when you order 50 or more!
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3 Apr |
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1:38 pm Posted by Kristy |
The cupcake is quite possibly the singular best baking invention before or since the brownie. Perfectly round, beautiful, and self-contained, cupcakes are glorified for both their individuality as much as for their teamwork in packs. Think about it–what other baking invention looks as lovely alone as it does arranged with others on the platter?
For birthday party planning, cupcakes can be the go-to solution for the birthday cake. Like ordering birthday invitations online, making or ordering cupcakes is the way to go if cake-baking isn’t among your talents.
Here are four ways you can use cupcakes for your next birthday party event:
Decorate-their-own Cupcakes
This is a timesaver for you and also a great party activity. It’s best for kids over six years old who can wield frosting spreader or squeeze an icing tube. Still, be ready for mess! Set out bowls of sprinkles, candies, and find cute cupcake boxes and other decorating accessories from PoshBoxCouture on Etsy.com to make taking cupcakes home easier (if they last that long!)
Use a Cupcake Stand
Infuse some drama into your cupcake presention with a cupcake tower. You’ll find all kinds of styles and sizes of stands in stores and online. Local thrift stores might also carry more interesting, vintage-era stands to lend extra style to your display.
Copy Designer Cupcakes
Sesame Street characters, Disney princesses, cute critters, zoo animals, sports….you can try your artistic hand by copying easy ideas found online, like the cupcake design gallery at parenting.com. But if you get stuck, and you don’t have a local gourmet cupcake boutique near you, check out Philly-based CupcakesGourmet.com or Boston-based Wicked Good Cupcakes –both ship nationwide!
Create a Cupcake Collage
Whether you bake and decorate your own or order them, cupcakes can be arranged into a design on a large platter or sheet. Most bakers, from Walmart to your local bakery offer cupcake collages as an alternative to cakes. It makes cake cutting time easier, and everyone gets the same portion.
Once you’ve decided on your cupcake arrangements, find original birthday invitations online at LookLoveSend.com. All invitations are unique designs created by a team of talented artists and come in many styles. Customize your invitations online with your own text and a photo, as well as choose what kind and color of paper. Your order will ship the next business day!
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1 Apr |
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7:27 am Posted by Nicola |
The elementary school years are prime time for birthday party invitations, and lots of them. Browsing the toy store aisles with my son recently, we had the usual dilemma. The birthday boy enjoys Legos – but it’s slim pickings for sets within our gift budget amount. He likes Wii – but I have a no video game policy for friends’ gifts. He loves Nerf – but how many foam weapons and darts can a boy really have?
It took a little convincing, but 15 (long) minutes later we ended up buying a board game. And the birthday boy really liked it! Granted, a board game isn’t nearly as exciting to unwrap as a Nerf-anything, but its durability and benefits far outweigh those foam bullets that are always scattered around my house.
Board Games help with ‘Number Sense’
‘Number sense’ refers to a child’s understanding of numbers, the sense of what numbers mean, and the ability to perform mental math calculations and comparisons in the real world. Indeed, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics has made number sense a focus area of pre-K through 2nd grade education. I guess my kids’ teachers must be onboard because ‘family game night’ is on regular rotation in their homework packets (play a board or card game with family members – NOT a video game – then write about it).
Board games are an easy way to reinforce number sense in children and to give them a strong foundation of basic math skills. Dice games such as Yahtzee, Dominoes and Shut the Box have simple rules and offer rich learning opportunities. Other board games that utilize counting and reinforce grade-school math logic are Connect Four, Monopoly, Chutes and Ladders and Uno.
So consider buying a board game next time you need to buy a gift for your child’s friend, your nieces and nephews , or your own child. Most games provide guidelines right on the box about age recommendations, number of players, and the length of a typical game. The games we’ve listed here are traditional ‘must-haves’ for every household, but we’ll blog soon to share some of our newer board game favorites.
If you’re planning a kids birthday party soon, checkout the selection of online birthday party invitations at LookLoveSend.com. Cards can be easily customized online and orders ship the next business day.
