I hope you enjoyed last weeks money saving tips for planning an event. I have ten more great ideas for you this week. If you missed last week's money saving ideas you can check out Week #1 post for the first ten tips. With the average wedding cost up to around $27,000 who wouldn't want some cost cutting secrets? 11. Get Creative With Your Caterer. Opting for non-traditional options when it comes to event catering is a great way to save money. If you have a favorite restaurant or food truck that you love going to take to the owner as their pricing is normally lower than traditional catering services. Food trucks would add some originality to your reception if you are also looking for something outside the box for your event.
12. Have a Friend Be the Officiant. If you have a close friend or relative you can trust, having them get ordained to marry you can save you the cost from having to hire a minister. However, for those that live in Virginia (me!!) the law requires that the officiant be active in the ministry.
13. Find a Non-Standard Reception Venue. If you know of a good restaurant or outside location for your reception you might be surprised at the cost difference between those places and a standard banquet hall. Restaurants and outside locations don't need much decorating as they come with the surrounding decor which is another cost cutting bonus!
14. Be ruthless with the Head Count. When it comes to keeping a budget low and easy way to cut back on cost is keeping your guest list controlled. Yes you might want to invite your whole office or your 30 nieces and nephews but keeping the event list just to your closest friends and family will help keep your costs down.
15. Pick a Different City. If you live in a high cost area like New York City, D.C. or Miami switching your wedding or event to a smaller city can save you tons of money. Everything from venue cost, food, and outside vendors will have lower costs in smaller cities and towns.
16. Hire a Wedding Planner. This may not seem like it would make sense, but hiring a wedding planning who knows the industry can get you great deals with vendors. They are very knowledgeable about the industry and can get you great deals on things you might not know to ask for.
17. Free Downloads. There are tons of sites that offer free downloads that can help you in creating your wedding day. From place cards, programs, decorations and fonts you can find so many great downloads for free. Here are some adorable free printable summer gift tags from Vale Designs that you can download and print for free. 18. Choose an All-Inclusive. Some venues offer in-house wedding planners, vendors and ceremony site. Having everything the "extras" included in your venue cost are easy money savers and as a bonus the on-site planner knows how the venue operates, who to talk to and has seen what work and doesn't work at that location. 19. Program Free. Choosing to not create a program for your ceremony can help save you anywhere from $50-400+ depending on the size of your guest list. Most ceremonies these days are short and pretty standard when it comes to what happens when. With most program being thrown away right after the ceremony ends, not having programs can be an easy way to save a few hundred dollars. 20. Go Online. To save on paper and to keep everything organized putting all your information on your own website is a great way to save money (I swear I think the cost of a stamp goes up every time I go to the post office). The Knot and Wedding Wire are two sites that offer great DIY wedding websites. Have any of your own money saving ideas when it comes to event planning? Let me know!! Next Tuesday I will share with you ten more great money saving ideas. To keep up with everything you can follow me on Twitter @PreppyPlanner and by signing up for a daily email on the "Follow Me" page.
Happy Saving!!
xoxo
Megan
Happy Monday to all of you! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. When putting this post together I did realize that I forgot to take some pictures of what I did to share with you. (oops!) Anyways, it was a pretty fun week.
 Last Monday turned into a day of sports events for me. To start off my evening I participated in the first of three of the Cul-de-Sac 5K races sponsored by the Richmond Road Runners. The organization plans tons of races throughout the year with the majority being 5 & 10K races (that would be 3.1 and 6.2 miles for anyone not familiar with running). Following the race I then went and played some softball with friends for their work team as they were short some girls. I am in no way a softball player, but it was lots of fun! Here is a picture of the team hanging out while we were at bat.
If you are interested in signing up for races in your area you can look up your local running organization by going to the national Road Runners Club's website. You can also contact the county you live in or a local gym to find out about any league teams that you and your friends could sign-up to play in. I know where I live they have kickball, softball, ultimate, and basketball adult leagues to just name a few.
 In August my mother is hosting my friend's bridal luncheon for the wedding that my sister and I are in. Since my family goes to the beach for two weeks in the beginning of August we decided to get a lot of the planning done this past week. We started looking at flower arrangements, table decorations and desserts for the occasion. Let me just say, searching flower arrangements and cupcake centerpieces on Pinterest can get you in trouble. There are so many ideas to get inspiration from that it took us a while to decide. For the luncheon my mom wants to stick with a pink theme. Pearl's Cupcakes Shoppe in Richmond offers over 75 cupcakes to choose from on their menu. It took us a little while to narrow our list down of ones we wanted to try before we placed our order for the luncheon as they all sound so good. Luckily they don't offer all 75+ options in their store everyday. Here is the Strawberry Fields cupcake that they had available in the store on Friday. The strawberry buttercream frosting was to die for!
When it comes to planning an event and using a vendor for the first time it is always a good idea to set-up a meeting with them prior to any contracts being drawn up or orders being placed. If it involves food it is always a smart idea to schedule a tasting, or in our case sample a few cupcakes, before you order anything. Recipes vary from one cook to the next so a tasting is a great way to make sure that you will not get any surprises on the day of your event.
My mom and I are still working on the cupcake selection for the bridal luncheon, but we did enjoy all the cupcakes we brought home last week! Did you have an event coming up that you started planning for? Share about your event in the comments section below!
xoxo
Megan
Happy Friday everyone! When it comes to throwing a backyard bash having a fun dessert to end the evening is always a great way to end the evening. You can keep the grill going or set up a fire pit for your guests to make their own s'mores creation.
You can't go wrong with making the classic s'more using a Hershey bar, Kraft marshmallow and Nabisco graham. However, I have found some new recipes using the classic s'more ingredients, and they don't even require a grill. I always had trouble keeping my marshmallow from catching on fire so I am all in favor of trying some of these!
| | Marshmallow Cookie Sandwiches
These marshmallow sandwiches are between two delicious cinnamon-and-sugar cookies. They are easy enough to make ahead of time and don't require the use of a grill! You can find the recipe for this along with 16 other s'mores inspired creations at MarthaStewart.com. Gotta love a Martha recipe! | S'Mores Pops
These s'mores pops can serve as a festive centerpiece for your backyard cookout. You can serve them room temperature or frozen for a yummy treat that all ages can enjoy. For the step-by-step on these s'mores treats you can go to the Creating Couture Parties blog. You can hand these out to all the kids without worrying about the mess of a normal s'more! | | | | S'Mores Bites
If you don't want all the calories of a s'more but still want the treat these s'mores bites are the perfect solution! You toast the graham and marshmallow in the oven and then top with a kiss. If you want a favor for all your backyard cookout guests these are easy to wrap up and send home with each person to enjoy later. To make these s'mores bites you can find the instruction on the Cooking Classy blog. | S'Mores Cookie Bar
Last but not least, the s'more cookie bar. These bars are so chewy and delicious that you will forget that they weren't toasted over a fire. They take less than 30 minutes to make and can be stored at room temperature until they are ready to be served. For the recipe to make these s'more cookie bars you can check out the Lovin' From the Oven blog. | | With all these s'mores creations to choose from I don't know which one to try first! As with any great backyard BBQ party you can always have multiple desserts if you can't decide. Which s'mores creation will you try first? Let me know in the comments section below!For more great s'mores creations, and other yummy party ideas, follow me on Pinterest @PreppyPlanner. Have a great weekend!xoxoMeganp.s~ Need ideas for something fun to do in Richmond this weekend? You can check out Discover Henrico's Top Ten Weekend Picks of events taking place in the Richmond area this weekend.
Recently I have been helping my friend plan a backyard BBQ for her son's rehearsal dinner coming up in August. She wanted something laid back and easy to put together but would provide for a fun atmosphere as this group loves to party! With that in mind I found some great ideas, that don't cost a lot, that will create the perfect backyard BBQ celebration. As with any party, a coordinating invitation is a must! For a backyard BBQ theme using red, blue and gingham prints give you tons of options when it comes the the invitations. These are from Invitation Consultants but can also be a DIY craft. When it comes to backyard events lighting is key. For the rehearsal dinner my friend has tons of Christmas lights sitting around so we thought that this would be the perfect way to light up the event space and allow for the guests to party into the evening. As a simple centerpiece idea you can use tin buckets and put potted plants into them. This allows for easy set-up and you can either add the plants to your garden after the event or give them as thank-you gifts to any guests. | | These are two ideas that I could not wait to share! I found this silverware idea and cannot wait to use it. Your guests can use the mason jar as their glass and the bandanna as their napkin for the evening. The baskets above are also easy to put together and can serve as the plates for your guests. The parchment paper can be found at most cooking stores and I have seen the baskets at dollar stores. Both of these allow for easy clean up and give your backyard event something unique. I found the mason jar idea from A to Z Celebrations and the basket idea from Hostess with the Mostess. | You can't forget the food when it comes to hosting a backyard BBQ. The lucky thing with a casual event like a backyard BBQ is that you can do just about anything. Skewers lend an easy hand to your food spread as they allow for easy grilling, display and in helping your guests pick up their food. To prevent and skewers from catching on fire while on the grill soak them in water for at least 30 minutes prior to use. You can also use gingham paper to wrap all your bowls, drinks and condiments to add some festive color to your table. The food display on the left is from the Hostess with the Mostess.  To provide some entertainment to a backyard party yard games are a great idea and can be played by all the guests in attendance. Some of my favorite games to play are cornhole and bocce ball. You can set up playing areas for each of these games and let your guest enjoy a little competition.What are your must haves when it comes to throwing a backyard BBQ party? Let me know in the comments section below!Want more ideas for a backyard event? You can find all of these plus more on my Pinterest page @PreppyPlanner. Follow my page to keep up with all my event planning ideas!
xoxoMegan
I will be the first to tell you that I loved themed events. Picking a theme allows for so much creativity, which usually includes crafting (my favorite!). Weddings have evolved from being a traditional event to something where almost anything goes these days. If you have ever watched Four Weddings on TLC having an extreme theme usually helps the couple win them a fantasy honeymoon.
This week I found tee time worth golf themed wedding inspiration. This theme could be for the PGA lovers at heart or for those that just love going out and hitting the ball. No matter the reason, golf lovers will grab their clubs and race to the course for this wedding tee time.
When it comes to hosting a golf themed "par-tee" the venue for the ceremony and reception could not be an easier choice to make. Most clubs will work with you on being able to host your ceremony on the course with the reception to follow in one of the country club's banquet halls. Just remember if you are getting married on the green that your bridesmaids should probably not wear heels as that would damage the course. When it comes to the reception, setting up the 19th hole party has endless options for you to intertwine your theme. From the invitations, to the table centerpieces, food, and favors your 19th hole celebration can be one you will remember "Fore-ever!" | | Start incorporating your theme with the save-the-dates and invitations. The save-the-date is by Yellowbrick Graphics. The shower invitation on the bottom left is one is by Storkie. And the "Fore-ever" invitation above is by Woodberry Designs. | When it comes to reception decor the green and white colors with the use of golf balls and tees makes decorating your golf themed event an easy shot. (starting with the top left and moving clockwise) Golf ball cuff links from Asgard Designs. Use golf pencils for your guests to sign your guest book. Find your custom cake topper for any themed event by Stress Away Bridal Shop. Dessert table table created using golf balls and cake pops. Your groom will love this boutonniere from Forever Bouquet. Table centerpiece created using a fishbowl, golf balls and a candle. Decorate the bride and groom's golf cart with a "just married" banner.  And don't forget, with this 19th hole par-tee you must have a course approved cake to celebrate with.Would you swing for this golf themed wedding idea on your big day? For more great wedding inspirations you can follow me on Pinterest @PreppyPlanner.
xoxo
Megan
I must admit that I love getting a bargain. Whether it is at a restaurant, on tickets or when I am shopping. So when I found an article with great money saving tips when it comes to planning an event I just had to share them with you! Over the next four weeks I will be sharing with you 40 great money saving ideas for your wedding, or any event, you are planning. If you know of any other great money saving tips when it comes to planning your event feel free to share in the comments section below. 1. Host your ceremony and reception at the same place. Having your entire event at one venue can usually get you a better deal with the venue. It will also save you on transportation and time spent going from one location to another as well as decorations and flowers for multiple venues.
2. Call in favors. Don't be afraid to ask friends and family members to lend a hand when planning your big day. For things like invitations, photography, flowers, cake and food it is always a great idea to ask around and to keep your friends in mind. If you ask a friend to help you in celebrating your big day they would probably be more than happy to donate their time as a wedding present to the happy couple.
3. Make a List of Your Must-Haves. Every bride and groom imagines their big day differently. Not having a cookie-cutter wedding and just focusing on what the two of you care about can save you tons of money. If you want to have a big dance party putting your money towards a great DJ is more important than spending thousands on flowers. The bride and groom-to-be should sit down early in their planning process and decide on their must-haves so that during the wedding planning they are not wasting time or money on things they don't really care about.
4. Find a Low Cost Resort. If you have your heart on a destination wedding booking at a smaller resort and booking the whole venue for your entire event can score you great deals and make the entire trip enjoyable for you and your guests. Many venues will offer great packages if you book far enough in advance and guarantee a sizable group.
5. Have a Separate Wedding and Reception. If you just want close friends and family at the ceremony but still want to celebrate your marriage with all your friends having two different dates can be an easy way to save. This allows for more focus to be on the reception when it comes to your budget. And for all those girls who hate to just wear something once, this option lets you wear your wedding dress twice!
6. Host an Off-Season wedding. Having your wedding in the late fall through winter provides for great decoration and theme ideas while also getting you multiple discounts. Most venues don't host as many weddings during this time so they are usually flexible when it comes to pricing. Another perk of hosting a wedding during this time is that out-of-town guests will not be able to attend if there is a potential for bad weather.
7. Go Vintage or Second-Hand. When it comes to the wedding day apparel a dress and tux can cost thousands of dollars. If you know a great tailor and are willing to shop around you can get a great deal on your wedding dress and tux by looking in local consignment stores, browsing online sites like Once Wed or wearing your mother's or other family member's dress.
8. Create a Relaxed Feel. If you keep the celebration relaxed you can be amazed at how far you can stretch your budget. The last wedding I was in was at an all-in-one venue, the ceremony in the garden (no needed decorations there), brought in their own food and drinks and the flowers were put together by a family member. If you keep the celebration low-key you can do things your own way and save tons!
9. Use a Free Venue. If you are looking to host your wedding at a church that you have been a member at for a while, more than likely you will be able to book the venue for free. This is a great way to save money by having the ceremony and reception at a venue like this. Just as a reminder, if you do get a venue for free it is always a nice gesture to make a donation to the church as a thank-you. 10. Serve Buffet Style. When it comes to the food at a wedding you can get great deals if you serve buffet style. Most people will only take what they want to eat having food not be wasted if each person's plate was pre-plated. You can also work with your caterer on buying the food at places like Costco or Sam's Club getting you great deals on buying in bulk. You can find tons of creative ways to serve simple food like veggies, dips and meats that you buy wholesale or in bulk.
What money saving techniques did you use on your big day? Don't forget to come back next Tuesday to get the next 10 money saving ideas for your event!
xoxo
Megan
Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend. Last week I celebrated the 4th of July by going to the Richmond Squirrels game with the family. The Squirrels won (yea!) and we got to view an amazing fireworks show after the game. When it comes to minor league games, like this one, it is very important that the event staff provides entertainment and guest interaction throughout the game. One of the funniest games that I witnessed at the game was Whack-An-Intern (set up much like whack-a-mole except with interns). | Here is the fam before the game started enjoying the hot weather. To the left you can see some of the fireworks from after the game. Just a little tip: If you attend a Squirrels game with fireworks, the best seats are the ones on the 3rd base side as the fireworks will be directly in front of you. | | On Friday I worked a Wedding with Events by Elizabeth Palmer. This wedding reception was held down at the Jefferson Hotel as that is where the bride's parents had their own reception many years ago. The bride and groom included adorable customized details into the wedding that I just had to share with you. Each of these customizations are easy additions that any bride and groom can add to their special day. The bride and groom had this tree for everyone to sign. They had a sign near the post that asked all guests to sign their name to "leaf" their mark on their wedding tree. This is an adorable idea that give the bride and groom something they can hang up in their new home together from their wedding. Along with their wedding tree the bride and groom created a mad lib that they asked their guests to fill out and leave behind for the couple to read.
The bride and groom had a signature drink at their wedding called Southern Sweetie that all the guests loved! And you can't a a southern preppy drink without adorable stripped straws in the wedding colors.
My favorite customized detail that they had at their wedding was the bride and groom cake pops they had as favors for all the guests. They placed them at each guest's spot to also serve as a table decoration. To include their wedding colors they tied all the grooms pops with blue ribbon and all the brides pops with green. The little customized details like these are always my favorite at weddings. It just shows how the bride and groom incorporated their personalities into their big day of celebration. For more event personalization ideas you can check out my earlier post on Wedding Presonalization that I posted a while back.
Over all I had a fun filled weekend! What did you do this past weekend? Did anyone try to make the ice cream cupcakes? I would love to hear what flavors you tried!Don't forget you can stay connect with all things from The Preppy Planner by signing up for the daily email list. You can sign up by going to the "Follow Me" page or by clicking on the link to sign up on the right hand side.xoxoMegan
Happy Friday everyone! Hopefully you enjoyed the ice cream themed party yesterday. Today I have put together an amazing recipe for ice cream cupcakes. I got the inspiration for this post when I found the ice cream cupcakes post by A Pumpkin and A Princess. The great thing about these is that you can make them ahead of time, store them in the freezer, and pull a few out when you want a cool treat. To make these you will need:
- A brownie, cookie or cake mix for the base
- A carton of your favorite ice cream
- A can of whipped topping or frosting
- and Sprinkles!
To start mix together your brownie, cookie or cake mix that you picked out. This will make the base of the ice cream cupcakes. Once you have the batter mixed put your cupcake liners into the cupcake pan. The batter will be used to establish a base for your ice cream cupcake. For brownie and cake mixes you will only want to put approximately 1 tablespoon into each cupcake liner. If you are using cookie dough flatten the dough until it is about 1/3-1/2 inch thick. These will then go into the oven to bake for no more than 10-12 minutes depending on the batter. Once the batter has cooked remove the pan from the oven and let it cool all the way. If they are still warm when you add the ice cream it will cause it to melt and make a huge mess. To add the ice cream you can take an ice cream scoop or just spread it to fill the cups evenly (it all just depends on how you would like your cupcakes to look). Personally, I am a fan of the scooped look for my ice cream. Once you scoop the ice cream you will want to stick them in the freezer until they are completely frozen. Once they have frozen, you can take them out to decorate if you are planning on serving them right away. If not, the best way to store them in the freezer is without the icing or whipped topping.
When you are ready to serve you can pull out the cupcakes, display them on a platter, add your icing and sprinkles, and enjoy!
A great thing about these cupcakes is that you can mix-and-match the mixes and ice cream flavors to make your favorite combinations or to coordinate with your party's theme. The mint chocolate chip ones made by A Pumpkin and A Princess were made for St.Patrick's Day.
What ice cream cupcake combination would you want to try? I think I would do a peanut butter and chocolate themed ice cream cupcake. If you make these let me know! For more great ice cream and food ideas, follow me on Pinterest @PreppyPlanner. Have a wonderful weekend!
xoxo
Megan
This past week (and still to come) we have been having crazy weather in Richmond and the temperature has stayed at a lovely 99-100 degrees the past week. With it being so hot I thought it would be fun to find some party ideas that would be perfect on a hot day.
What could be better than hosting an ice cream party?!? Here are some great ideas to help you throw your own ice cream bash, whether it be for a birthday, neighborhood social or just a fun family night. Just make sure that if you are having a really hot day it would be best to serve the food indoors so that nothing melts. Enjoy a scoop for me! To get you in the party mood here is a great invitation idea from One Charming Party. Also, what is a party without some decorations? You can make hats and headbands for the guests to wear, create your own ice cream balloons to hang up and display an ice cream banner. Each of these decoration ideas are easy DIY crafts.
And you can't have an ice cream party without any ice cream or other sweet treats! Here is an adorable ice cream themed cake and also for those that are lactose intolerant some ice cream themed cookies.
This ice cream themed party has really made me want to go get some now! Did you know that July is National Ice Cream month? What better time could there be to throw this party then! What is your favorite type of ice cream?
Happy National Ice Cream Month!
xoxo
Megan
Happy Fourth of July everyone! I hope you are all having a wonderful day celebrating America's Birthday. Last week after I shared some 4th of July Party Ideas my grandmother found this adorable picture of my sister and I at a 4th of July parade from when we were young. As you can tell we took our decoration very seriously!
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