Event Advice

What To Do When Your Party Is Outside…And It Rains!

Posted in Event Advice on June 24th, 2011 by Michele – Be the first to comment

There are plenty of ways that a party can continue to go on and still be enjoyable even though it has started to rain.

If you were planning on having a pool party, a little rain wont hurt anyone. As long as there is no thunder or lightening, you would still be getting wet no matter what. Just make sure any food or music is kept somewhere where it can not get wet.  If it has began to rain, but your party has not started, you can be prepared with a tent and set it up.  To brighten it up a little bit, use outdoor lights or Christmas lights to hang up throughout the tent. 

If you are able to, move the party inside if needed.  Turn your event into a wine party or make fun beverages like margaritas, martinis, or smoothies.  Bring people back to the good ol’ days of board games and card games or invite a crowd to participate in a Rock Band Competition.  Another idea is to turn to food.  As long as the food and drinks are flowing, people will stay.  Turn your party into a baking or cooking party where everyone is involved in the process.

You could even turn your event into your own karaoke night.  Move the furniture around, create a dance floor and rock out to some of your favorite tunes, old and new.  Mix in a little alcohol and it is a good chance that people will be inspired to sing and dance in the rain.  

Some people would simply cancel because of a little rain, but as long as you are prepared and think quickly, there are so many ways to still have a great time with your friends whether it is inside or outside. 

-Summer 2001 Intern, Jackie

Creative Summer Centerpiece Ideas

Posted in Event Advice on June 8th, 2011 by Michele – Be the first to comment

Whenever you’re hosting a dinner or cocktail party, a centerpiece should be the focal point and correspond with the theme of the night. Be creative this summer and choose ideas that will leave your guests a visual to remember!

Girls Cocktail Night– Take a large margarita glass (can be bought for under $15 at Michael’s Craft Store and fill it with pink and white marbles. For a more intimate effect, add water and a few floating tea light candles that will float around as the night lingers.

BBQ Dinner- Fill a pail with sand and make it look like you just came from the beach! Stick a tiny shovel in with seashells for an additional beach-effect. It’ll make your guests feel like they are at the beach while they chow down on hamburgers and hotdogs!  A second idea is to create an interactive centerpiece.  Fill a beach pail with a bouquet of sunscreen, bug spray, hand sanitizer and more.  It will be a great colorful centerpiece and your guests will thank you!

Dinner for Two– Take additional wine glasses (preferably alternating in size) and turn them upside down. On the flat base (which is now the top of the class), place think, tall candles and throw flower petals around each glass. The combination of candle and flower aromas will enhance the mood.  If you desire a little more color to go with your theme, cut the stems off your preferred flowers and place them under the glasses.  This offers a unique look and shows off your creativity.

Dinner al’ fresco– A bucket filled with bright lollipops is the perfect burst of color and special treat for your guests after the meal has concluded! To keep the lollipops in place, fill the bottom of the container with jellybeans or a similar colorful candy.

Book Club – If it’s your turn to host book club this month, dive into the characters and setting of that the book and use it as inspiration.  Allow your guests to transport to the scene of the novel and allow their imagination flourish.  Just finished Secret Life of Bee’s?  Rather than a bucket of beers, present a bucket of classic glass Coca Cola bottles with peanuts on the side with fun straws to drink from.  (If you haven’t read this book, you should!)

Happy Dining!

-Lisa Glover, Summer 2011 Intern

CALLING ALL SUMMER BRIDES!

Posted in Event Advice on June 2nd, 2011 by Michele – Be the first to comment

Budgeting a wedding could come close to paying off a mortgage on a house. RentTheRunway is one of the most fabulous and innovative ideas for special occasions I’ve ever heard of. RentTheRunway is the ideal company for sophomores in highschool who attend weekly sweet sixteens, the girl looking for a fabulous designer prom dress but can’t afford it, and now… BRIDES! RentTheRunway is essentially summed up in the title. What it is, is a company that allows you to rent designer dresses for a fraction of the cost. What’s even better is that the company will send you 2 sizes, just in case the one you ordered does not fit. It’s the ideal solution to the ‘party-girl-on-a-budget’ lifestyle. As shown in the movie, 27 Dresses (you can watch the preview here), the typical bridesmaid dress is usually worn once and then shoved to the back of the closet. Instead of wasting all of that money on a dress you’ll never wear again, why not rent the dress of your dreams! RentTheRunway combines style and luxury with value driven customers. Now with the explosion of bridal parties and lavish weekend-getaway baccalaureate celebrations, RentTheRunway has launched a bridal line, customizing the dreams of every bride. Not only can your bridal party look stunning in designer dresses, the flexibility of this company allows women to choose the make & fit of a dress that will suit their individual bodies while still looking classy.

Filene’s Basement also has jumped on the bride-frenzy bandwagon. Running of the Brides is a one day sale, beginning at 8am. Coincidently, Running of the Brides is having a sale tomorrow at the Union Square location in New York City. Depending on the store, gowns can range from $1,400 to $3,000, being sold anywhere from $249 to $699. Original costs can skyrocket to a considerable $9,000 and racks are filled with designer dresses from designers all over the world. Brides and their teams have been known to camp-out outside the doors and make a mad dash for the racks the moment the door opens. Some brides are very intense and make it a whole day outing, trying on multiple gowns and making “trades” with other brides until they find their dream dress. For more budget friendly wedding ideas or information on how to plan a beautiful, yet cost effective wedding, please contact me at lglover@pentaevents.com.

Lisa Glover, Summer 2011 Intern

WEEKEND PACKING 101

Posted in Event Advice on May 25th, 2011 by Michele – Be the first to comment
As a compulsive over-packer, my weekend packing strategies needed a reshaping once I was faced with the challenge of fitting four months into two suitcases. Studying abroad really showed me how to pack the “essentials” and what items should be left behind. The best rule of thumb: plan ahead. Try to know what activities you’ll be participating in so that you know which key items to pack. If you’re going hiking for the weekend, stilettos are not ideal nor necessary. However if you’re attending an out-of-town gala, an appropriate dress should be a staple in your suitcase. Bring clothing that can be layered and items that are versatile: a black tank worn during the day can be paired with a coral cardigan at night for dinner.
For this Memorial Day, keep it simple. Check out what the weather forecast will be like and pack accordingly. For all of you Long Islanders who will be spending the long weekend in the Hamptons… flip flops, a bikini, a sarong and a big straw hat are really all you need to get you through. Keep makeup to a minimal (hey, the “just-out-of-ocean” look is the best part of summer anyway!) Instead of necklaces that are bound to get tangled while traveling anyway, pack a few funky earrings that will create a statement to go with your casual yet trendy Memorial Day attire.
When in doubt, always go with black. Black allows versatility to your wardrobe because ladies have the advantage of dressing up a simple black dress with a gorgeous necklace or a patterned scarf. Black isn’t boring, it’s daring.
For more packing tips – follow up with Daily Candy’s How to Pack for Vacation Made Easy.
-Lisa Glover

Simple Cocktail Party Checklist

Posted in Event Advice on April 11th, 2011 by Michele – Be the first to comment

Hey it’s Alyssa! Today I’m going help list out what you will need to keep in mind when planning a simple, yet fun, event.
o The first thing to do is to establish your budget for the party and then make a guest list based on this budget. You will need to know how many people you feel you can accommodate relative to the amount of money you can spend.
o You can also establish a theme for your event but this is completely optional. A cocktail hour rarely needs a theme because they are fun in themselves.
o The next step is to select a date and time. Make sure the time fits the type of event you’re planning. Since you are planning a cocktail hour, then your event will begin around 5:00pm or 6:00pm in order to not conflict with dinner time.
o Next, you must locate a venue and caterer you would like to use. A great way to save money is to create your own dishes but be sure to make dishes you have made before and take a look at the recipe. If you are going to serve anything that is frozen, you should start to defrost it at least one day in advance.
o Think about all of the party supplies and decorations you are going to need and decipher how much of each. Also, think about where you will display everything so that you do not run out of space.
o Don’t forget the music. Without it, your event will seem dull. Make sure the volume is at an appropriate level and genre so guests can speak to each other.
o Any beverages that have to be kept cold, make sure you have enough ice or places to store these beverages. Coolers are a great way to keep items cold and available for your guests. You should also determine how much alcohol by the amount you know that your guests drink. Typically, you can assume 2 drinks per person for a 2 hour cocktail event.
o Event Day: There is still much to do even with just a couple hours left until your guests arrive. First, you should set up your bar area and tables that will be holding the food. Set this up where they are easily available but out of the way. About 30 minutes before the event, put on the music and prepare to have fun. There will always be one or two people who arrive earlier than the rest.
o Don’t be afraid to ask your guests for help. They will most likely offer to perform simple tasks, take this opportunity. You have worked hard to get where you are now, so you should enjoy the event too!