Great 21st Birthday Party Ideas

Posted on by aidenjbarry

If you are looking for great 21st birthday party ideas one key component that you need to bear in mind is the personality of the individual celebrating their big day. While some individuals may be thrilled with the idea of a huge celebration, other more sedate individuals may not necessarily want a big blow out celebration. By keeping the guest of honor’s personality in mind, you can definitely come up with some creative ways of celebrating their milestone day.

photo: gavinzac

Having a beach party for a 21st birthday

If you are trying to think of surprise 21st birthday party ideas think about events and activities that mean a great deal to the guest of honor. Think about what their favorite activities are and then try to work those concepts into your planning. If they love an activity like rock climbing, then you can arrange a surprise get together at an indoor rock climbing facility. If they love surfing then a group bash at the ocean might be just the ticket (or why not have a luau themed party). By taking into account the things that they love to do, you stand a much better chance of planning a celebration that will truly mean a great deal to the guest of honor.

photo: ppacificvancouver

A spa day for a 21st birthday

If the person that is turning 21 is a female, there are all sorts of 21st birthday party ideas for her that you can consider. Some young women would absolutely love a spa day with their girlfriends. Other women would love nothing more than to spend the day shopping and lunching with their best gal pals. Still others might prefer an evening out with their girlfriends enjoying male exotic dancers. This is a prime example of when you really need to focus on what would mean the most to the person that is having the celebration so that the events are pertinent to their likes and wants. While watching hunky dancers might be your idea of a great 21st birthday not everyone has the same feelings towards male exotic dancers. Some ladies might prefer an evening out with friends taking in a live theater show.

photo: digitalpictures.atIf the guest of honor is a male then there are great 21st birthday party ideas for guys too. If he loves four wheeling then a day spent mud bogging with the boys might be his idea of paradise. Many fellows enjoy a hearty game of paint ball so a paint ball gathering is another idea to consider. If he loves racing then taking in a local race with his buddies might be a great way to celebrate his big day. Other ideas to consider are a gathering of the guys for a game of touch football or even taking in a pro baseball, basketball, or football game together.

As long as the person celebrating their big day is into being the center of attention, you cannot go too far rung if you focus on their personality and just treat them to a day that is completely focused on them. You want them to be able to completely enjoy their day and at the end of it to be able to look back and feel like they had a great 21st birthday celebrating with their best friends.

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Get In The Party Spirit With UV Paint For The Face, The Body, And The Party

Posted on by aidenjbarry

A UV paint party is a fun and unique idea for birthday parties, reunions and all sorts of celebrations.  Depending on how adventurous a couple is, it can even work for a uniquely themed wedding, or at the very least, the bridal shower or stag party. Also known as, black light, neon or glow-in-the-dark parties, UV-themed events are great for people of all ages from kids to teenagers, and adults alike.

A  UV party certainly offers unique options in decorations, activities and party favors. While not everybody will be brave enough to try out UV body paint, everybody will certainly enjoy glow necklaces, glow sticks and even glow-in-dark party food.  Here are a few tips on holding a fun UV-themed party.

Party Invitations and Party Favor Items

photo: Matt DinnerySending glow-in-the-dark or bright neon invitations is a good way to set the tone for a uniquely themed UV party.  It can also be a good way to encourage guests to dress appropriately with colors that are reactive to UV light and suggest ways to accessorize to get into the party spirit.  UV party invitations can be purchased from party supply shops and can be bought packaged with party favors such as glow sticks, bracelets, necklaces and sunglasses.  They are also really easy to do at home using neon highlighters or a variety of UV paint.

Black Lights and Party Décor

Since UV paint is best seen under black light, installing black light fixtures are a must. Most UV light bulbs fit standard light sockets so installing them simply require replacing existing bulbs.  They are widely are available in party supply stores and some home improvement shops so they should not be too hard to find either. To maximize the effect of black light, decorate with black-light posters, stickers, streamers and balloons, which are also available in party supply stores.  photo: Beo BeyondWhite items glow very brightly under black light so even draping lowly toilet paper around the room will make an interesting effect. Posters can also be made at home with neon paint or highlighter on a white background.  For a more interactive party, provide some blank poster boards and a variety of glow-in-the-dark paint, brushes and highlighters so early guests can have fun adding to the party decorations or simply writing messages for the host.

photo: Matt DinneryDressing for the Dark

Anything bright, white or neon will glow in the dark. UV body paint and UV face paint are the most interesting and arresting additions to a UV paint party wardrobe and guests should be encouraged to try them out.  UV reactive body and face paint come in a wide range of great colors that glow brightly under UV light.  These can be applied with a wet sponge or a brush and stay on the skin exceptionally well, but can easily be washed off with soap and water. However, for the less adventurous, fluorescent makeup, nail polish and hair accessories are great alternatives.  In addition, glow accessories such as necklaces, bracelets, ties and sunglasses are also widely available to complete the glow-in-the-dark look.

Party Activities

There are plenty of creative, fun activities that can be done at a UV-themed party.  These include a fashion show, and games utilizing glow sticks, glow balls and other glow equipment.  A game of catch, a relay in the dark, baseball, indoor golf and bowling are just some possibilities that involve using objects.  A painting contest using UV reactive paint would also be an interesting option. For additional challenge and fun, invisible UV paint or clear UV paint can be used for the painting contest under regular light and later judged under ultraviolet light.

photo: Beo Beyond

UV face paint

In addition, the host can invite a UV body paint and UV face paint professional to provide free face and body painting services for guest.  Somewhat less ambitious, but just as fun, girls can use glow nail polish on themselves and each other and boys can experiment with temporary glow tattoos.

Food and Drink Ideas

Any food available in white will make great party food for an ultraviolet party. Cheese, popcorn, marshmallows, vanilla ice cream and even white asparagus make for interesting-looking finger food. Neon food items and drinks also work very well.  Another great idea would be to use glow-in-the-dark ice cubes made from tonic water containing quinine in clear liquids such as sprite and club soda, vodka and gin.

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Crazy College Memories Caused By 12 College Party Themes

Posted on by aidenjbarry

Awesome college party themes that get the guys heart pumping and the girls dancing show some skin. Shexy! Here are three themes that allow maximum skin exposure: the toga party, ABC, and the beach luau party.

Toga Toga Toga!

The classic college party theme, the toga party. Mimicking partying like the Greek gods and goddesses everyone wears a white sheet. Add to the costume with fig crowns and brown sandals, and decorative belts (curtain tie backs work well). This is a party theme that is cheap for all students to get dressed up for.

Some easy snacks to have around are grapes and olives, moving to food: roast lamb or baklava are ideas to keep in line with the toga Greek theme. When it comes to decorations a color palette of gold and white works. White or gold table cloths, streamers and candles can be used to decorate the party area, mixed along with fake ivy vines.

photo: KrisFrickeABC – Anything But Clothes

When it comes to crazy college party themes, an ABC party is among the top of the list. The idea behind an ABC party is to get dressed up in Anything But Clothes. So people come dressed in anything from, garbage bags, to Christmas lights, aluminum foil, duct tape, newspaper, to more creative costumes such as beer cans, dollar bills, and strips of candy. This is defiantly one of the more creative college party themes, and will provide a lot of photos to post on facebook. You can even have a contest for the most creative costume.

Beach Luau Party

Bikinis and swimming trunks, nothing shouts sex appeal more, so why not have a beach luau party.

Grass straw skirts, coconut bras, sunglasses, flower leis, are all easy to get online at places such as Amazon.com. Luau party supplies for decorations are also easily available online and could include grass skirting around tables, blow up palm trees, blow up volcanoes, tiki torches if you are having an outdoors party.

Wet t-shirt contest!

If you want to incorporate the luau theme into the food and drinks then consider pineapples and meats grilled over a BBQ, or Hawaiian pizzas. Pina coladas and Mai Tais do well for luau drinks.

Bob Marley or some Jack Jackson will set the tone quickly.

Costume Parties: get in the mood for a festive event by dressing up in a costume. Here are three costume college party themes:

photo: pareeericaA Masquerade

A masquerade themed college party can range from a simple affair to a full on elegant ball. The essential piece to a masquerade party is a mask, the more you build on that (gowns, Champaign, etc.) the more elegant the party will be. Because everyone is hiding their face there is an aura of romance and mystery at these types of parties, a perfect choice among the unique college party themes.

Cops and Robbers or Angels and Devils

Set your party up as a cops and robbers or angels and devils theme and see what people choose to wear to the party. One party game idea is to chain or tie two opposites together and hand them a drink (a large one) and they can’t be untied until they both finish it.

Arabian Nights  – “Rub my lamp…”

Persian carpets, floor cushions, hookah pipes, all accompanied with humus, pita bread and Middle Eastern belly dancing music (or Shakira). This theme allows the ladies to dress up in belly dancing outfits. Deep rich colors should be used to decorate the party, deep reds and blues.

photo: FotoCastorThe Playboy College Party Theme

The guys: Hugh Hefner style – overcoat, pipe etc.

The ladies: bunny wear.

One of the funny college party themes or a twist on this theme would be to turn it into a pajama party, kinky.

 

Miscellaneous Crazy and Fun College Party Themes

The Stoplight Party

One of the best college party themes for getting people to meet each other. For this theme you simply invite your guests by telling them to dress in either red, yellow or green. Or knowing how lazy college students can be an alternative is to have bracelets or stickers made into those colors. Each color displays a person’s relationship status, Facebook style! Red means no go, taken. Yellow = ‘its complicated’ and a person in green means…

photo: iloverhinestones

 

Jello Wrestling Party

Need an explanation? Have the balls to pull this one off?  Kiddie pool + Jello + Water + PARTY TIME!! Have plenty of jello shots on hand and cameras. The crazy of crazy college party themes.

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Unique And Adventurous Party Themes For Adults

Posted on by aidenjbarry

When considering party themes for adults, most people do not imagine bobbing for apples at a Halloween party or enjoying hot chocolate and hearing the night before Christmas at an adult Christmas party. However, some of the most unusual and fun themed adult parties are those that are adapted from a child’s version, for example, a typical costume party can become a one of a kind dinner party or a pool party can bring the kid out of any adult while they float on the pool while watching a movie outdoors. With a little creativity and planning, you can turn any adult party into an adventure.

Birthday Party Themes For Adults

Choosing a theme and planning for an adult birthday party is almost as fun as having the party. If you are looking for a unique and fun-filled idea, consider having a casino party. Send out invitations that resemble poker chips or playing cards. Provide your guests with a set amount of fake money or chips to use at the poker tables or crap tables. Serve food buffet style and decorate with red and black balloons, hanging dice and a lot of miniature white lights. Other birthday party themes for adults include a luau, wine tasting, or even a Western theme can work.

Dinner Party Themes For Adults

Hosting a dinner party is a way to show off your creative side when the dinner goes from simply eating a meal to throwing a themed dinner party. There are several great ideas for a themed dinner party ranging from casual get together to lavish sit down dinners. For a casual dinner theme, a Mexican fiesta complete with a sombrero and margaritas would be a hit or to put a unique spin on the traditional sit down dinner, consider having a murder mystery dinner party. Murder mysteries will add a touch of the unusual to your dinner. There are free downloadable plots available online that allow your guests to enjoy their meal as the story unfolds and you could assign character roles to a few guests when you send out the invitations.

photo: alpha du centaurePool Party Themes For Adults

Spending a day around the pool with friends is a relaxing way to spend a weekend day, but turning a day at the pool into a Hawaiian Luau suddenly makes you a popular host. A luau themed pool party is easy to plan. When you send out the invitations encourage your guests to bring their bathing suits and wear a Hawaiian shirt, grass skirt or sarong. As guests arrive greet them with a flower lei. Dinner could consist of ham, various tropical fruits, rice, salad and fruity cocktails. Another great idea for a themed pool party is to have movie night. Rent a movie projector and the guests can float in the pool while watching the big screen. A simple barbecue would be the perfect meal before lounging in the pool while watching a movie.

Dress Up Party Themes For Adults

Who says playing dress up is only for kids? Adults adore a reason to get dressed up especially when they can dress to a specific theme. A roaring 20’s theme can be a lot of fun when the guests arrived dressed in their best flapper dresses and gangster outfits. If you prefer a later era, consider a 50’s “rock n roll” bash where your guests could dress up in poodle skirts, blue jeans, t-shirts and slicked back hair. A masquerade costume ball is also a fun way to dress up. For a unique twist on the masquerade ball, encourage your guests to dress elegant gowns and classic black suits as well as wearing a classic and colorful eye mask.

Halloween Party Themes For Adults

There are hundreds of themes for an adult Halloween party. Whatever themes you can think of for a child’s Halloween party can be converted to an adult party by adding a dash of creativity. A few fun suggestions include a couple’s costume party where the guest come dressed as things in pairs such as bacon and eggs or Bonnie & Clyde. Other fun Halloween party themes for adults include movie characters, disco or Disney characters. A pirate themed Halloween party is also fun, easy to plan and the perfect opportunity to act like kids. Encourage your guests to dress as pirates, serve meats, cheeses and ale. Have a scavenger hunt for your pirates to find a hidden treasure chest or play a few games of poker with foil covered coins.

Christmas Party Themes For Adults

With a themed Christmas party you can turn a boring party into one that your guests will talk about well into the next year. Fun Christmas themes include How the Grinch Stole Christmas, where you guests dress up as the who’s and/or the Grinch and they enjoy a dinner of “Roast Beast” with a side of “Who Hash”. Christmas party themes for adults can be child inspired, invite guests to wear their favorite Christmas pajamas, bring a new toy, exchange toys before inviting the guests to wrap the toys and donate them to a children’s hospital.

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Fun And Unique Sweet 16 Party Themes

Posted on by aidenjbarry

Your child’s sixteenth birthday is a special milestone in their life. It is the moment they can start to think about driving, start thinking about going to college – it is the moment they pass from adolescence to adulthood. Choosing from the sweet 16 party themes can be fun to plan. The party theme should be unique and pertain to something special to your teenager. These suggestions for party theme ideas are fun, unique and will be a blast for your teenager.

The first step when it comes to choosing from the unique sweet 16 party themes is to ask your 15 year old. See what sort of party they are interested in having. If they want to invite many friends the party will probably need to be of a different style and setting versus a close and intimate party with just a number of close friends.

The Beach/Pool Party

A beach party theme is suitable for a sixteen year old girl or boy and it is an easy, budget minded party to plan. If you do not have a pool, consider having the party at a public swimming pool, community recreation center, the ocean or a lake. Put up a few canopies, provide the guests with sunscreen, beach towels, have a volleyball game and have Frisbees on hand for the kids to toss around. There are many luau party supplies available to bring the beach party theme alive. There are inflatable palm trees and volcanoes, tiki torches for the outdoors, grass table skirting, plus many more to cover all the details of your beach party. The food will be easy to plan because a beach party is associated with a simple barbecue. Serve hot dogs, hamburgers , or any meat + pineapple grilled over a BBQ will do and see if you can have a campfire for roasting marshmallows.

photo: suesviews1950’s Sweet Sixteen Party

A 1950’s theme is also a good choice of theme for a boy or a girl who is turning sixteen. When planning a 50’s party theme, having the guests dress the role will add excitement to the party. Teenagers will have a blast wearing poodle skirts and leather jackets while dancing to top hits of the 1950’s. If the party is held later in the afternoon, consider renting a projector and by “premiering” the movie grease, your backyard can be turned into a sitting version of drive-in movie theater where you serve plenty of buttered popcorn and sodas.

Girls Sweet 16: Hollywood Fairytale Gala

When planning sweet 16 party themes for girls, the more elegant and unique it is, the more they will gush over their day. The majority of girls enjoy dressing up and so a fairytale theme would be perfect. Invite the guests to dress in their favorite princess style gowns, while the boys who attend wear a tuxedo or suit. Decorations should include a lot of sparkle and the food could include anything from finger sandwiches to a sit down dinner. To add a touch of elegance and glamor to the party, you could turn the party from fairytale to Hollywood fairytale by rolling out the red carpet and snap pictures as the guests arrive.

Boys Sweet 16: Sports Party

Choosing sweet 16 party themes for boys can sometimes be difficult; however, if you opt for a sports/action theme, your child and his guests will be overwhelmed with fun. There are a few different options to have a sports themed party such as planning the decorations around your son’s favorite sports team and having a backyard Barbecue or you could plan to spend the day at a paintball range. Local paintball fields often offer specials for birthdays that include the field being open only to birthday guests. You could serve a pizza lunch and take plenty of pictures for the group to have a reminder of their action packed day.

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Great Ideas for 1st Birthday Cakes

Posted on by aidenjbarry

There is probably no birthday that is quite as special as the 1st. The birthday boy or girl can’t yet appreciate this special benchmark but parents, siblings and family all cherish it as a once in a lifetime event. As you plan and search for ideas for 1st birthday cakes here are some great suggestions and ideas that you may want to use and pass on.

Small 1st Birthday Cakes For The Small Guests

Given the diminutive size of the honored guest and at least some of the attendees, consider cupcakes instead of the full size 1st birthday cakes. Cupcakes can be made in more than one flavor and even more than one frosting design for a bit of variety. If your birthday event coincides with a holiday such as Easter or Christmas, you can use several elements of each theme. Spring birthday cupcakes might be iced in pastel colors with small chocolate bunnies or eggs. Avoid jelly beans and coconut with babies this young. Bright yellow ducks, bunnies and lime green frogs all lend themselves well to springtime themes.

Going Healthy

Many Moms are opting for healthy recipes as well, using carrot cake or applesauce cake, both good choices. Icing can be creamy yogurt mixed with cream cheese to replace sugary butter cream. Fresh fruit, strawberry shortcake and banana cake all make wonderful and healthy 1st birthday cakes and garnishes. Use caution with such things as raisins or blueberries and opt instead for soft fruits. Baby food puddings and custards also make wonderful cupcake icing. They are healthy and easy to manage with  minimum mess.

photo: She Takes The Cake

A lovely girls 1st birthday cupcake birthday cake

The 1st Birthday Cakes For Girls

If you are pulling out all the stops for 1st birthday cakes for girls think angel food or sponge cake. Both delicious and healthy you can decorate with pink icing and add gingerbread cookies in animal shapes, animal crackers or confetti candy sprinkles. Of course, you must have the requisite single candle for dramatic effect and great pictures. Animal shaped cakes are always fun such as a purple Barney, a big green turtle or a red ladybug. Teddy bear cakes in any color are sure to please.

A Boys 1st Birthday

Perhaps what you need are 1st birthday cakes for boys and there are plenty of ideas for those too. Cakes shaped like horses, superhero themes such as Spiderman, Superman or a big red barn are delightful. Popular themes such as whales, boats, trains and helicopters are beloved by baby boys who seem to be able to recognize them early. Long snake cakes with bright colors and candy eyes paired with a favorite ice cream will make any party fun.

photo: the-icing-on-the-cake. (Jo)Other Ideas

Both boys and girls will love a koala bear cake, a cake made to look like their favorite dog or cat, or a monkey cake. Penguins, pigs and pirate ships are also recognizable and colorful for 1st birthday cakes. Cakes made to look like a favorite food are a hit even with babies.  If you have recently taken a family vacation or a trip to Disneyland, use a photograph to make a theme cake. Disney characters are instantly recognizable even by 1 year olds and you can always find party accessories to match. Monster trucks and hot air balloons also make great 1st birthday cakes for boys and do not forget a princess as 1st birthday cakes for girls.

All kids love dinosaurs and they make wonderful cakes big enough for a family party in any color or flavor. There is no limit to 1st birthday cakes ideas and they should be centered around your special baby’s preferences. Choose colors that you know attract your child with designs and themes he or she will find happy and familiar. Invite the whole family and all your friends and celebrate one of the most special days in your life and, oh yes, your baby’s life too.

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Creating A Magical Party With Pirate Party Supplies

Posted on by aidenjbarry

Whether you are planning a birthday party for a little boy or a little girl a popular theme is a pirate fantasy party. There are plenty of pirate party supplies for kids so no matter what look you are going for chances are good that you can find exactly what you need to thrill your child with your creative endeavors.

Inviting The Guests To Your Pirate Party!

One of the first things to organize is the invitations. This is a great way to get your guests into the festive mood. Infusing the pirate theme into the invitation will be a great teaser to the theme of the party, and they can dress accordingly. One idea is to make the pirate invitation with your kids. Soaking paper in tea and burning the edges will create that old pirate map look. You can draw a map to your house (X marks the spot). You can then find bottles to place the invitation in before giving them out.

Getting Dressed Up

There are a number of childrens pirate party supplies that can be used as costume pieces that you can give out to the guests when they arrive or as party favors when they leave. Popular pirate costume pieces are the black eye patches or stick on tattoos. There are pirate party masks available, fake beards, and pirate hats that can easily create a pirate costume.

photo: peasap

You can't have a pirate themed party without those eye patches

Infusing the pirate theme into all parts of the party is key to bringing the theme to life and creating a memorable event. From the invitations to the decorations, from the tableware to the food and activities, they all bring the pirate theme alive.

Decorating A Pirate Themed Party

A simple option when it comes to decorating your party is to buy a pirate party pack. They come with a range of kids pirate party supplies from tableware, decorations and even invitations all printed with pirate images. Skull balloons and pirate flags are simple decorating items that can be placed around the house. There are inflatable palm trees that can be easily bought for a pirate themed party. For tableware, simple paper plates with pirates printed on them will do and you can find plastic gold candle holders to place candles in for table decorations. And don’t forget the kids favorite pirate party supplies, fake gold coins – made out of chocolate! These can be used to decorate any area of the party and eaten by the kids during and after the party.

Pirate Party Activities!

To keep the kids entertained, there are a number of activities that you can plan for the party. Pirates of The Caribbean or the classic Peter Pan are great movies that will keep the kids entertained and keep them in the pirate spirit. Another great activity is Treasure Hunting. This can be done in a number of ways, by hiding prizes or gold chocolate coins around the house for kids to find and win prizes. Another way is if you have a sandbox in the garden, you can hide prizes in it and have the kids dig them up.

Planning A Pirate Party For Girls

If you are looking for girl pirate party supplies there are lots of options for you to pick from. Pink pirate party supplies are all the rage for little girls’ birthday parties. One of the top favorites is the selection of bright fuchsia plates, napkins and accessories. You can find really cute cups, tablecloths, and even matching goodies bags to give out after the party. Most of these are hot pink and black which make for a very striking combination that many young girls really like. Add a few brightly colored helium balloons to your decor and black and fuchsia streamers from end to end of your room and your look is complete.

Planning A Pirate Party For Boys

If you are planning a happy gathering for little boys there are tons of terrific pirate options to thrill and inspire their imaginations too. One popular color grouping is the red and blue combination package of pirate party supplies. These feature a skull and crossbones design that is sure to inspire plenty of “arrgh matey” from the young attendees. Plates, napkins, table runners and cups are all available in this well coordinated grouping. There are matching little goodie boxes to coordinate with this look. You can even find tiny toy telescopes to place in the goodie boxes for the boys to enjoy. Add in pretend jewelry or candy rings and some gold covered chocolate coins as hidden treasure and your loot bags are sure to be a hit.

Argghh Food!

photo: spaceninja

A pirate food display

Make sure you have lots of easy to eat finger food for the children to enjoy. Try to keep it simple and choose foods that the children will enjoy without making a huge mess or unnecessary work for yourself. Themed pirate food items that can be prepared are: fish sticks, chicken nuggets with root beer. If you plan on baking cupcakes, they can be decorated with skull and crossbones. Other tasty treats that you might consider are fruit snacks, veggie sticks or Hawaiian pizza, a bbq with grilled meats and pineapple, which everyone will enjoy.

Adding A Magical Special Touch

If you want to add a special touch that will really create a magical party then consider adding music to your party plans. The Pirates Of The Caribbean soundtrack is available on Amazon and contains the popular and pirate inspiring song ‘He’s A Pirate’ a great song to play when your guests arrive. Peter Pan also has a soundtrack that can be used to play during your party.

From the music to the costumes, from the decorations to the food, by infusing the pirate theme into as much of the party as possible will ensure a lively and unforgettable party for the kids. Their imaginations will run wild when they hear the pirate music or are chowing down on fish sticks while wearing eye patches. Don’t forget to have a camera handy or even hand out disposable cameras to the kids so they can take their own photos to remember the unforgettable pirate themed party you throw.

 

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Baby Shower Centerpieces For A Memorable Day

Posted on by aidenjbarry

A great way to add an extra special touch to your upcoming shower is to find or create a few baby shower centerpieces. You can find many baby shower centerpieces ideas to go along with your planned theme or even use them to help complete your motif. For instance, you may want to find baby shower centerpieces for boys if you need to be gender specific or go with more neutral symbols such as strollers or bottles.

If you like to make your special occasions even more special by creating your own decorations, you can find instructions for homemade baby shower centerpieces. For instance, centerpieces such as flowers are fairly easy to make and you can go with the appropriate color scheme. You can use either blue or pink and even mix them if you please. You can turn making your centerpieces into an activity if you plan to make flowers from paper or other materials.

Using Food

You can also go with many other fun themes such as food. This is ideal whether you want to keep your decorations gender neutral or get them in the color respective of the child’s gender. Cakes, candy, cookies and cupcakes are very popular food themes. However, you may also go with other colorful choices such as lollipops and even truffles. Of course, a tiered cake stand can be an interesting challenge but memorable centerpiece.

Candles as Centerpieces

If you are planning a more elegant affair, there are plenty of other ideas that will accommodate your theme. Candles are not only great to use for centerpieces, but they can also make good party favors for your guests. Furthermore, they do not have to be expensive, especially if you use tea lights, which fit into a variety of interesting candle holders and are versatile as far as theme and motif are concerned.

Toys and More Toys

photo: hedgeman

Using plush toys for baby shower centerpieces

Toys can also make cute and fun baby shower centerpieces for tables. Small plush animals such as teddy bears are great ideas for centerpieces. Wooden trucks or small soccer balls are good ideas for baby shower centerpieces for boys. While pink pacifiers and flowers arranged elegantly on the table would suit a baby girls shower. Rubber ducks are also easy to come by and go great with a duck or bath time theme. Like candles, toys can also double as party favors, so you can save a little money by using the decorations you will use as centerpieces as parting gifts for your guests.

There are also other items that you can re-use after the baby shower for special occasions or as permanent decorations in your home. Other baby shower centerpieces ideas could include using a nice vase to accent flowers or other kinds of ornaments. You can also use a fish bowl or a glass bowl with flat glass marbles to create an elegant centerpiece. You can also consider little wicker baskets to create a lovely table display. With any of these items, you can use flowers, floating candles, ribbons and other ornaments to make them unique.

Centerpieces Using Balloons

Perhaps the simplest and easiest ideas for centerpieces for tables are balloons. Balloons are practically a must have for any occasion and there are many suited especially for a baby shower. To create even more unique baby shower centerpieces there is also the option of creating balloon animals or even balloon babies. There are other less conventional choices such as foliage or other natural elements such as honeycombs that can lend a unique flair to your decorations. Whether you buy your centerpieces or make them yourself, you should be able to find something that goes with your theme or motif.

Need an idea for a baby shower theme? Take a look at the popular ladybug theme: Themed Parties With Ladybug Party Supplies

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Traditional and Creative Modern Engagement Photo Ideas

Posted on by aidenjbarry

After the wonderful proposal has been made and you’ve told everyone of the good news the next step is to go out and take photos to commemorate the moment. With just a tiny little planning ahead, you can capture some elegant and striking images. By listing out some engagement photo ideas ahead of time will make taking the photos a breeze.

Some location based, cute engagement photo ideas include: a photo together where you got engaged. If you share a home, have a photograph taken together at the front door of your home. Or together inside the home: in the kitchen, bedroom, or on the sofa. You can light candles to provide a romantic ambiance at night

Traditional photo ideas include: a close up shot of the man putting the ring on the lady. A low shot of the couple hugging so only the sky is visible in the background. Having the couple lying in the grass with flowers surrounding them is a simple and elegant idea. Another idea is to just photograph the bottom half of the couple walking closely together in a garden, beach, on a street. A creative spin on this bottom half concept is to get the couple to make a heart shape with one hand each.

photo: catbagan

Black and white works well. A photo of a couple using a Holga toy film camera with black and white film

Some creative and unique engagement photo ideas would be if you have any pets to include them in the photo. Night time shots with soft lighting can be quite stunning when done with a DSLR camera, as well as photographs done through a reflection. A lake or even a puddle on a street can provide a creative and elegant photograph of a happy couple together.

All the ideas above are great even for winter or spring photographs. When it comes to winter engagement photo ideas remember to wear something dark, to contrast the snow. White clothing can work, but only when the photographer knows what they are doing, otherwise a couple can get lost in the background. For winter or even for engagement photos ideas for spring, peering through trees to catch a glimpse of the couple can provide many photo opportunities. Try and have the trees frame the couple in the photograph.

Conceptual creative engagement photo ideas – photographs that will take a little more time to plan and coordinate, but are certainly more unique and memorable:

photo: Chaval Brasil

An example of light painting

Some fun engagement photo ideas could be to do light painting. For this you will need a camera where you can adjust the shutter speed. To take the photo the couple needs to stay absolutely still while someone with an LED light or torch runs around: drawing a heart, writing a message, writing their names, the date, the choice is endless.

You can take a car and have the couple sitting in the back seat kissing. The photo will then be taken from the back of the car looking into through window, framing the couple in the shot. Another idea is to get a bed into a meadow or on the beach and have the couple pose around on it. Or find a small row boat and take it out on a lake and have shots of the couple alone together.

One other conceptual idea is to have the couple lying on a bed or a floor and have a message written between them. The message could be made out of paper cutouts, chalk written on the floor or even red yarn.

An Alternative: Disposable Cameras With Style

photo: sandstep

A stylized photograph taken with a Lomo toy film camera

If you don’t have much time on your hands or don’t want to spend time looking for someone with a DSLR or a fancy camera take a look into a disposable (Fuji) or lomography style camera. Film cameras provide much richer colors than digital cameras common these days. Fuji is much better than a Kodak disposable camera. Lomo cameras (or Holgas) can come with film that provides unique colors (even black and white) and effects that will add a sophisticated style to your engagement photographs. You can find Lomo cameras that are fish eyed, panoramic, or pinhole. All these different styles are becoming highly mainstream as the effects are being replicated (digitally, still not as good as film) on iPhone apps such as Instagram. The film photographs can be easily burned onto a disked and uploaded online.

The ideas of what to do for enjoyment photos can be endless. Just remember to list down a few ideas before going out as this will help the flow of taking the photographs on the day.

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17 Ideas For Beach Wedding Centerpieces

Posted on by aidenjbarry

There is nothing more beautiful than an elegant beach wedding. The blue sky turning orange into a sunset, the calming sounds of the waves, the feeling of soft sand beneath the feet of your guest. The key to ensuring a festive and memorable event is to infuse the theme into all parts of the wedding, and this includes picking out the right centerpiece for your beach wedding.

There are many beach wedding centerpieces ideas to choose from. The popular choices revolve around candles and flowers, but there are also some unique centerpiece ideas to choose from. There are even DIY ideas, which will really add a personal touch.

Popular Beach Wedding Centerpieces Ideas

photo: amycgx

A candle lit beach wedding centerpiece with flowers

Candle lit tables are highly popular especially with sunset or night time beach weddings. This is a versatile option not just because there are many different styles and colors of candles to choose from, but candles can be accompanied with other items such as flowers or elegant pebbles. A white/cream table cloth with a Black wooden tray (for contrast) holding a pink flower, a cream candle with white rocks surrounding it will make for an elegant wedding centerpiece

Black can be a sophisticated choice for a centerpiece color. This is because it contrasts the pastel colors associated with a beach wedding, making it a focal point on the table. Choices for centerpieces based on this idea include wrought iron table lanterns or a fire bowl. Other light based unique beach wedding centerpieces include a paper table lantern or even a mini table tiki torch.

A wrought iron styled table lantern

A tabletop fire bowl

A table top tiki torch

 

 

 

 

 

DIY Beach Wedding Centerpieces

Some of the more unique centerpieces can be done DIY (or if you lack the time, as it is your wedding, they can easily be crafted by helpers). A beach wedding is all about nature and the outdoors, the sea, wind, trees, sand, sun and moon lit skies. So a natural centerpiece will blend in well with the beach theme. Things that can be found along the beach can be crafted into personalized, unique DIY beach wedding centerpieces.

Washed up sea logs can be crafted into a bold candle holder or even into a statue or have a written message on it. Small shells can be elegantly laid out in the center of the table, accompanied by flowers. Larger shells or unique rocks can be a central piece to the table’s décor. Another simple idea could be to gather exotic fruits and arrange them into a table display.

A floating candle centerpiece

3 Other Beach Wedding Centerpiece Ideas

Creating a display with colored glass bottles

A flower bowl: Submerged flowers in a bowl with colored water

Floating candles: a glass vase (or even a small fishbowl) filled with water can hold floating candles. The choices for what to display in the water includes: beach rocks, flowers, even a message – possibly made out of wood or engraved on metal. A wooden bowl would be an ideal choice with floating candles and floating flowers.

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