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Your wedding day is fast approaching, and you're in the midst of wedding planning and ironing out all of the details. The guest list is set, you've chosen the venue, picked a color scheme, set a menu and selected a five-tiered buttercream-frosted cake. Now what? It's time to get down to the nitty-gritty details. You'll have the ceremony first, and then you have an entire reception to plan. If your reception includes kids, then you have some specialized prep work to do. What do you need to consider when planning a wedding that children are invited to? Take a look at some of the most common questions that the bride and groom need to think about when inviting guests with children to their nuptials.
Now that you have settled on a ring and date, you have lots of planning to do. The lovely golden foliage outside creates the perfect backdrop for an autumn wedding, which will be made fairly simple thanks to customizable tent options. Once you've decided to host your event outside, you have many options to choose from, ranging from the practical to the ornamental. This guide will help you focus on turning your outdoor fall wedding into a night everybody will remember.

Long gone are the days when a two-tiered cake and inviting a few friends for dinner were acceptable ways to celebrate a Sweet 16. Today's teens expect much, much more. With flashy parties splashed all over reality shows, your soon-to-be 16-year-old may expect something that looks more like a celebrity fete than a simple backyard bash. No one is saying that you need to rent a helicopter and fly your sweet 16-year-old in for a grand entrance or that you need to invite the entire high school and serve them all a five-course gourmet meal. But, you might need to step up your party game and throw an event that includes more than a homemade meal and a few colorful candles. Before making any major decision, take a look at a few simple steps that can help you to plan the perfect party.

Spring is the time to host a great backyard gathering that starts the outdoor season off with a bang. Whether you're hosting a party to celebrate love, new babies, or just the ability to be outside after a long winter, a spring garden party is the perfect way to do it. After all, if it's good enough for the Queen of England , it'll be fantastic for your friends! So, how do you throw a garden party, and how can you make it a memorable time for all? Here are five steps. Plan Ahead Spring is a particularly unpredictable time of year, especially in Texas. While you want to enjoy the great outdoors, you never know whether you'll end up with too much sun, overbearing humidity, or wild winds. Prepare for all possible outcomes by renting some equipment to protect your guests. A party tent is a must-have for any backyard event. If it's hot, it can shield your guests from the sun. If things turn stormy, it keeps them dry. At the very least, it can help protect your food display from bugs and heat. If you worry that things might become chilly--especially if you plan an evening event--add outdoor heaters to your list. Decorate With Colors Spring is the time to celebrate the return of flowers, sunshine, and color to the landscape. So use these elements to decorate. Large tissue paper flowers and pom-poms create an immediate and colorful impact on any surface. Party flags, bright plates, and colorful rented linens on the tables are other easy ways to brighten things up. Don't forget to use lots of spring flowers. The flowers can be simple--such as daisies, carnations, or peonies--and still be charming. Look for flowers that are local and in-season for the best deals. Light It Up If the party will run into the evening hours, be sure to add some fun lighting options. String lights hung in the trees, wrapped around posts, and hung along the perimeter fencing will make things safer and add ambiance. You could also look for small lights in a fun design, such as ladybugs, dragonflies, or rosebuds. Simple solar lighting along pathways helps keep everyone on their feet without the need for extra cords. For lighting on and around the tables and chairs, you could add candles on the tables, rustic hanging lanterns on shepherd's hooks, or paper luminaries. Dress Up Traditional British garden parties are an opportunity to dress up and show off your finest. While you may not have actual royalty on your guest list, why not act like it? Request on the invitations that guests don spring day dresses, seasonal colors, or suits and ties. Encourage fine hats, fascinators, and formal gloves. You can make it fun to dress up by offering prizes for the best hat or the best couple's attire. Create a photo op area for everyone to take pictures of their fun day. Add formality of your own by recruiting some wait staff among friends and dressing them in black slacks and white shirts to serve your guests. Keep Food Light The food at a garden party is typically light finger foods. Afternoon parties work perfectly with tea served in china teapots and delicate mugs. Combine that with quarter sandwiches, veggie appetizers, and fresh fruit or a cheese plate. If your party is later in the day, you may want to add some bubbly champagne, fruity wine, coffee, or summer sangria. Top things off with finger-sized desserts like tarts, macarons, and cupcakes. With these touches, your first garden party will undoubtedly be a hit with everyone who attends. You might even create your own backyard, spring tradition.

Your wedding day is fast approaching, and you're in the midst of wedding planning and ironing out all of the details. The guest list is set, you've chosen the venue, picked a color scheme, set a menu and selected a five-tiered buttercream-frosted cake. Now what? It's time to get down to the nitty-gritty details. You'll have the ceremony first, and then you have an entire reception to plan. If your reception includes kids, then you have some specialized prep work to do. What do you need to consider when planning a wedding that children are invited to? Take a look at some of the most common questions that the bride and groom need to think about when inviting guests with children to their nuptials.
Now that you have settled on a ring and date, you have lots of planning to do. The lovely golden foliage outside creates the perfect backdrop for an autumn wedding, which will be made fairly simple thanks to customizable tent options. Once you've decided to host your event outside, you have many options to choose from, ranging from the practical to the ornamental. This guide will help you focus on turning your outdoor fall wedding into a night everybody will remember.

Long gone are the days when a two-tiered cake and inviting a few friends for dinner were acceptable ways to celebrate a Sweet 16. Today's teens expect much, much more. With flashy parties splashed all over reality shows, your soon-to-be 16-year-old may expect something that looks more like a celebrity fete than a simple backyard bash. No one is saying that you need to rent a helicopter and fly your sweet 16-year-old in for a grand entrance or that you need to invite the entire high school and serve them all a five-course gourmet meal. But, you might need to step up your party game and throw an event that includes more than a homemade meal and a few colorful candles. Before making any major decision, take a look at a few simple steps that can help you to plan the perfect party.

Spring is the time to host a great backyard gathering that starts the outdoor season off with a bang. Whether you're hosting a party to celebrate love, new babies, or just the ability to be outside after a long winter, a spring garden party is the perfect way to do it. After all, if it's good enough for the Queen of England , it'll be fantastic for your friends! So, how do you throw a garden party, and how can you make it a memorable time for all? Here are five steps. Plan Ahead Spring is a particularly unpredictable time of year, especially in Texas. While you want to enjoy the great outdoors, you never know whether you'll end up with too much sun, overbearing humidity, or wild winds. Prepare for all possible outcomes by renting some equipment to protect your guests. A party tent is a must-have for any backyard event. If it's hot, it can shield your guests from the sun. If things turn stormy, it keeps them dry. At the very least, it can help protect your food display from bugs and heat. If you worry that things might become chilly--especially if you plan an evening event--add outdoor heaters to your list. Decorate With Colors Spring is the time to celebrate the return of flowers, sunshine, and color to the landscape. So use these elements to decorate. Large tissue paper flowers and pom-poms create an immediate and colorful impact on any surface. Party flags, bright plates, and colorful rented linens on the tables are other easy ways to brighten things up. Don't forget to use lots of spring flowers. The flowers can be simple--such as daisies, carnations, or peonies--and still be charming. Look for flowers that are local and in-season for the best deals. Light It Up If the party will run into the evening hours, be sure to add some fun lighting options. String lights hung in the trees, wrapped around posts, and hung along the perimeter fencing will make things safer and add ambiance. You could also look for small lights in a fun design, such as ladybugs, dragonflies, or rosebuds. Simple solar lighting along pathways helps keep everyone on their feet without the need for extra cords. For lighting on and around the tables and chairs, you could add candles on the tables, rustic hanging lanterns on shepherd's hooks, or paper luminaries. Dress Up Traditional British garden parties are an opportunity to dress up and show off your finest. While you may not have actual royalty on your guest list, why not act like it? Request on the invitations that guests don spring day dresses, seasonal colors, or suits and ties. Encourage fine hats, fascinators, and formal gloves. You can make it fun to dress up by offering prizes for the best hat or the best couple's attire. Create a photo op area for everyone to take pictures of their fun day. Add formality of your own by recruiting some wait staff among friends and dressing them in black slacks and white shirts to serve your guests. Keep Food Light The food at a garden party is typically light finger foods. Afternoon parties work perfectly with tea served in china teapots and delicate mugs. Combine that with quarter sandwiches, veggie appetizers, and fresh fruit or a cheese plate. If your party is later in the day, you may want to add some bubbly champagne, fruity wine, coffee, or summer sangria. Top things off with finger-sized desserts like tarts, macarons, and cupcakes. With these touches, your first garden party will undoubtedly be a hit with everyone who attends. You might even create your own backyard, spring tradition.

Organizing a block party can be a great way to get to know your neighbors and enjoy a little summer fun. But since you'll be catering to wide range of ages, interests, and personalities, it's important to plan carefully. Here are some tips to ensure your block party is a real hit for all attendees. Tip #1: Send Out Invitations Well In Advance Planning a block party is a major endeavor, and it would be a shame to do so and only have a few families show up. Summer can get busy, so be sure to send out invitations to the party well in advance. Give people a full month's notice, if possible! Request that attendees RSVP and tell you how many are attending about a week before the party so you can plan accordingly when purchasing plates, napkins, and the like. Sending out virtual invitations via Facebook and other apps has become increasingly common, but since not everyone uses these apps or checks them regularly, you really are best off sending out paper invitations. If you're trying to save cash, find a template online and print your own. Tip #2: Have Guests Sign Up In Advance For Potluck Dishes Purchasing food for such a large crowd can get expensive. So, if you're trying to keep costs down, plan on serving the food potluck-style. This means every family that attends should bring a dish to pass. Serving the meal potluck also ensures there's something for everyone to enjoy. Guests with dietary restrictions can bring something along that they feel comfortable eating. To make sure there are no duplicate dishes, set up a spreadsheet in an application like Google Docs. List needed items, like salads, main dishes, and beverages. Include a link to the spreadsheet on your invitations, so guests can visit the page and put their names next to the items they plan to bring. Tip #3: Include Some Organized, Central Activities While getting together and chatting all afternoon may be appealing to some, others will want to be entertained throughout the party. So, it's important to plan a few central activities. Possibilities are truly endless, but here are a few ideas to get you started: Rent a stage and a karaoke machine, and have an American Idol-inspired contest to see which neighbor has the best voice. Plan a game of football. You can pit the kids against the adults for some real fun! Set up some lawn games like croquette, bocce ball, and ladder golf. Try to choose activities, like those listed above, that cater to all ages rather than to a specific age group. You can also set up a few activities for younger kids, such as a sandbox or table with coloring books. Tip #4: Delegate Tasks To Willing Helpers Planning an entire block party yourself is a huge burden. Why do it all on your own when you have plenty of neighbors to help? Planning together will help you bond as much as actually attending the party. When you send out the invitations, include a line that states "Anyone willing to help, please contact me." Have a list of tasks ready to delegate when people do call to offer their assistance. For instance, you could put one neighbor in charge of planning the lawn games, another in charge of renting chairs, and another in charge of monitoring the potluck signup sheet. Tip #5: Don't Be Afraid to Ask For Contributions Even if you make frugal choices along the way, block party-related costs will add up quickly. If you don't feel comfortable covering all of the costs on your own, it is okay to ask that attendees each contribute $5 or $10 to the party fund. Collect these fees when people arrive at the party. Do make guests aware that they're expected to contribute by including this information on the invitation. With the tips above, your block party is sure to be a success. If you need to rent any chairs, tables, tents, or even a stage for your event, contact B&T Rents today.













