Food, glorious food!

One of the hardest decisions to make when planning your event is "What shall we eat"? When it comes to menus, the sky is the limit with enough choice to make you go crazy!

With all your guests, it's hard to pick a menu that will please everyone- let alone the dieters, the Kosher, Hallaal, the various allergies and the down right fussy eaters. So how do you do it, how do you pick a delicious menu? Naturally there is no cookie cutter solution to this one, but there are some guidelines that will help.

1. First you need to decide if you want a buffet or plated meal. A nice compromise is to have a plated starter (a room temperature starter will ensure the starter will be yummy, even if the event is delayed), a nice summer salad (also caters for the vegetarians) or a mezze type platter. Buffet can end up more expensive as your guest will ultimately want some of everything and left overs are normally a lot more than plated. But a buffet is a good idea when you have a wide variety of like's and dislikes, as there is bound to be something suitable for each guest.

2. Try to stay clear of the food items that are most commonly not eaten like shellfish, pork (quiet a few religions do not eat pork), chilli (hot foods are not everyone's favourite, if you like hot food, make sure it is a dressing or an ingredient that can be served on the side or easily removed) and nuts (make sure in your dessert, even as a garnish).

3. Budget when it comes to the food is also a big factor, the cost of each meal can sky rocket quickly. If you are on a tight budget, don't stress- there are many delicious foods that don't cost the price of a small yacht. Don't be scared to tell your caterer that you want to bring down the price. Naturally every caterer loves to cook with beef fillet, lamb and all the nice cuts of meats. But the truth is, a good chef worth his weight, will be able to make the most delectable menu with the cheaper cuts of meat that also have a lot more flavour. A slow cooked beef brisket is delicious when done right- so is roast chicken, or stuffed chicken breasts.

4. Dessert- the last and (in my opinion) the best course! Plated again is a nice option to avoid having too much selection. Mini desserts are also a nice idea, but end up quiet pricey. A fun twist on your dessert and the latest twist to the candy buffet is a DIY station. It could be waffles, ice cream, mini donuts, cupcakes or cookies- have a fun interactive station with all the toppings, drizzles and sparkles to make your own creation.

Hope this helps- Bon Appetite!

It's Kid's party time!

There is no such thing as "just another birthday" when you're a kid! And kid's parties are the most fun to plan- you get to bring out the child in you with lots of colour, balooons, sprinkles and fun theme's.

With the string influence of latest cartoon and series characters, you can make your kid's party a wonderland of ninja turtles, Dora the explorer, Spongebob and Fairy Princesses.

There is so much available these days- go and have a look at your local party shop or even shop online for themed party plates, cups, streamers, balloons, party packs and so much more.

Just some advice when planning your kid's party:

1. Spend money on the most impact items- you don't need character everything. Focus on plates, cups, possibly a banner of some sorts and maybe a fun pinyada.

2. Choose the main colours of your character and stick to those (max 3 main colours). Don't go too over the top with the very bright colours, it might end up looking like a bright mess!

3. Have a character cake- its always nice to have a personalized cake with your child's name and age on.

4. Party packs are always good fun and you can put in some games/ bubbles, which will then add to the entertainment for the day. 

5. Plan something to keep the kid's entertained- cookie decorating or colouring in a big picture of your themed character. 

6. Get back up- with so many kid's under your supervision, maybe look at getting a child minder or someone who can just help keep and eye on everyone. This will take a bit of the load off you.

A Black Tie Event

Welcome to 2015! With the craziness of Christmas and New Year now behind us, I will be continuing with theme ideas for you to browse around and get the creative juices flowing.

The theme I will be looking at is a Black Tie event- now don't get scared at the thought of the over the top, super fancy event that will set you back a small housing loan. A black tie event is a nice theme to have as it is very "unique" and not used often. This means you wedding/ event will be truly memorable and one of a kind! And as for the budget- that depends on you. There are many ways to bring in that touch of class without breaking the bank.

Black tie colours: Black and White (naturally), but also add in some glitz with gold, silver, multicolour glitter or any additional colour in glitter or metallic

Materials: Smooth and glossy papers, printed table cloths, diamante's, crystal glass, white soft candles, silver cutlery/ crockery

Flowers: Roses are always very classical, but also look at adding in some baby's breath, lillies. Look at doing one big main centre piece with 2 or 4 smaller accents around the table

Little extras: helium balloons (and lots of them!), glitter on the table, satin ribbons in matching colours, very "curly" typography and mirrors to reflect the soft lights and glitz

Here are some pictures for inspiration:

A classic country affair

In my first blog I mentioned that one of the "must do's" of planning any event or celebration is to have a theme. So I thought I would give some ideas and inspiration on different themes that are popular or trending at the moment.

Today we look at a Country Classic look and feel. The best thing about a theme like this is the whimsical fun that you can have with it. It is also more cost effective as you get to use a lot of old bottles and lace and raffia to create an easy at-home feel. What I also love about the Country Classic theme is the free flowing and easy feeling that it portrays- elegant is great, but can be a bit stifling and structured. With a Country Classic theme, you get to let your hair down, use pastel colours and take the day easy.

Here are some guidelines...

Good country classic colours: Think vintage- dusty pink, any pastels, light gold and silver, browns and greens.

Materials: Lots of natural materials, glass, tin, silver and gold, lace, raffia, hessian and canvas.

Flowers: Think garden picked- carnations, sunflowers, daisies, lillies, sweet peas, hypericum, roses and pansies

Little extras: Bantings, cardboard name tags, wooden pegs, wooden logs, picnic signs, simple but striking topography and lots of candles.

Have a look at the pic's and get the creative juices flowing. Enjoy!!

Wedding favors, to be or not to be?

With all the stress that goes into a wedding, or any celebration/ event for that matter, comes the added stress that you now have to give your guests a thank you gift.

So here's my advice, or at least my take on the subject...

I have been to many weddings and received many thank you gifts- some edible, some personalized and some really expensive. The sad truth is that most of the time, the favor ends up in the dustbin.

How is one suppose to find a gift that suits all your friends and family's? It's near impossible!

I think the best and most special favors are those that are personal and show the character, almost ethos, of the couple getting married.

Give your gift the personal touch, let it be the last word on your celebration day as your guests take it home as a momento of an amazing day spent with family and friends.