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Mar 19

Rockin’ Sweet Sixteen Party Ideas

By Uncategorized

It’s the birthday many little girls dream about….sweet sixteen!  Here are some of our favorite ideas to help inspire you to create a truly rockin’ sweet sixteen celebration for your daughter.

Sweet Sixteen Party Themes

The party theme sets the stage for the entire event.  Theme options are truly limitless and you can really go big or small, depending on your budget and party location, with any theme.

Here are some of our favorite themes:

  • Color Theme (use your child’s favorite color or traditional pink)
  • Club Dance Party
  • Red Carpet
  • Shopping
  • Paris
  • Masquerade
  • Music

 

Now that you have your theme, it’s time to create your invitations.  Today’s invitations can be almost anything from a traditional paper invite to a passport, a decorated mask, or even something as simple and modern as a digital invitation.

Whichever way you opt to go, just remember to have some fun, be sure to include all the basic details for the party, and make sure it supports your theme because your invitation is your guest’s introduction to the celebration ahead.

 

Centerpieces are amazing additions to your overall decor and really help to tie everything all together.  They can be lavish or simple and small.

Not only are they a beautiful addition to the party, they can also be used as raffle prizes for your guests to take home at the end of the event.

Centerpieces can including lighting, candy, and treats, statues, stuffed animals, large Oscar trophies, photo frames, flowers….you name it!

 

Sweet 16 Party Stations, Food, and Activities

Typically a sweet sixteen celebration won’t’ have assigned seating so there is no need for a seating chart, but establishing reserved tables for the adults is always a good idea.

Setting up a gift table at the entrance next to the seating information station is another must do idea.  This way, the bulky items are out of the way for the celebration and everything will be collected in one location.

To keep cards from getting lost in the shuffle, set up a collection box on the gift table that is decorated to support the theme.

 

Photo booths and photos stations are amazingly popular at parties and events these days.  They are a fun way for guests to get to express themselves, cut loose, and get a one-of-a-kind party souvenir.

If you opt to go with a traditional booth or photo area, make sure there are tons of accessories guests can use when taking pictures.  Everything from silly mustaches on sticks to hats and boas.  If you can tie it into the party’s theme, even better!

 

Having your party guests leave a message in celebration is a tradition…but who says that it has to be done in a book?

Today’s sweet sixteens allow for true creativity when it comes to the party ‘guestbook.’  You can do something that supports your theme or that will just make a unique and creative keepsake for your daughter.

Ideally, you’ll want to set this up close to the entrance where guests can stop as they come in.

Here are a few of our favorite ideas:

    • A large mirror where guests can sign with a paint pen or permanent marker
    • A photo frame where guests can sign the photo mat
    • A photo station with a lifesize cut out of your daughter (collage all the photos into a shadow box after the event)
    • A video station where guests can leave your daughter a personal video message
    • A memory jar where guests can fill out a card with their favorite memory of your daughter and then drop it into the keepsake jar

While cakes are the tradition, today’s sweet sixteens are open to modern interpretations.  You can set up a cupcake tower or cake pop display or even a combination of a cake surrounded by cupcakes. You can also pre-cut your cake instead of having guests wait in line allowing guests to grab and go with the perfect serving.

When it comes to the type of cake, every flavor is on the table as an option, but just make sure that the decorations match your theme.

If you have any guests with food allergies, then you can offer a separate gluten-free or vegan option.

 

Gifts and favors are a great way to tell your guests how much you appreciate them coming out and celebrating with your daughter.  When it comes to deciding what to give your guests there are two things to consider: your theme and your budget.

You want your gift to be something nice, but you don’t want to break the bank.  Come up with something that also supports your party theme, that way they have a memento that will remind them of the day and that will be fun…something for them to enjoy later.  This can be anything from a goody bag filled with treats and trinkets to a photo frame signed by your daughter.

Need a little more inspiration for your daughter’s sweet sixteen celebration?  Check out our EBE Sweet Sixteen Ideas board on Pinterest and then contact our EBE Event Planning Team and let them help you create a truly one-of-a-kind event your daughter.

Dec 14
DIY - Wedding Invitations

Wedding Invitations

By Uncategorized

Some people are moving away from the bulky wedding invitation that includes multiple reply envelopes, embossed wedding cards, and save the date magnets. While it is fun to get a mini-package in the mail and open it up to find a list of wedding weekend activities while glitter or tiny shiny palm tress fall out on to the floor, it’s really expensive! A movement towards simpler, more affordable invitations is happening, and it really cuts down the cost of your wedding. Yes, it is the first announcement of you and yours to the world, but it’s not going to be what people remember, unless it’s a really poorly done invitation. Paperless Post is a very popular online tool for sending out wedding announcements, and it’s so easy to keep track of all of the responses since it is all calculated online for you! No more cards slipping in after the RSVP date.

Paperless Post has all of the timeless, classic themes for your online wedding invitation. It truly delivers a beautiful design complete with a virtual envelope that opens up with a reply card, announcements, and all that you get in a regular snail-mail invitation. When you create an online invitation, whether or not it is through Paperless Post, you have endless choices right in front of you and the leisure, pressure-free approach to just browse. Online databases are absolutely endless and you can find the exact style and design you want. The paper can have a textured look, rough edges, shiny trim, and silk bows, whatever you want. With the high-resolution screens on computers now, you can really get a realistic effect. With the added animation of the invitation floating out of the envelope and unfolding, it’s a fun email to receive.

Not only is it convenient for you, it is convenient for your recipient. People operate much more efficiently with online communication. Instead of mailing back the invitation, it is just a simple click. You also see it whenever you open your email so it won’t fall to the bottom of the mail pile. It’s also nice not to have 6 pieces of an invitation getting spread out all over the place. Those little Save the Date cards always seem to go missing unless it’s a magnet.

People argue that getting a tangible invitation in the mail is a special, old-fashioned means of communication that should not be lost to the conveniences of online communication. This is a completely valid argument and I agree that getting something in the mail is special. What isn’t important is having ribbons woven into every piece of the invitation, having scented cards, or having thick, heavy cardstock invitations. Keep it simple. A simple sticker for the calendar, or a magnet for the fridge, is a great way for your friends to keep your wedding in mind during their hectic schedule. Also, people like to look at you and your husband, but not sitting back-to-back sipping wine on the beach and gazing out at the sunset. Keep it real, and keep it simple. Your invitation should represent you, but it doesn’t have to look like an invitation to a royal ball.

When creating your invitations, like all else, think of the time and money you want to invest. If invitations are something you just want to get done on the cheap, go the online route. If you want beautiful invitations that people might want to save, decide just how formal and traditional you are going to go. Invitations can be anything you want them to be, and don’t be afraid to do what you want with it. Fun colors are taking over white and cream, and a simple font is taking over cursive. Do what looks like you and your partner.

Sometimes combining the Save the Date and the invitation, and sending out the wedding schedule all in one envelope, leaves more attention for bigger things… like seating your feuding relatives or deciding whether to hire an EBE band or an EBE DJ/MC Combination for the reception. Maybe a string quartet for the ceremony? But I digress. Wedding invitations can cause headaches and when compared to seating guests, music choices, and lodging requirements and requests, it should be the first and easiest step to introducing Mr. and Mrs. Right to everyone. Sign it, seal it, and deliver it… so you can enjoy the rest of the adventure. Once it’s in the mail, you won’t see it, or think about it again. Your job is to send, and wait, and enjoy what is about to come.

Find out more about Paperless Post at their website: www.paperlesspost.com

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