The Main Event by Memory Makers Event Planning, LLC

photo compliments of Idaho Botanical Gardens Its that time of year again, when the Idaho Botanical Gardens host their annual Winter Garden Aglow event. The entire garden is transformed into a wonderland with thousands of colorful lights. The event runs Thanksgiving day through Sunday, November 29, then December 4 through January 10, including Christmas and New Years Day, from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Admission is charged and hot beverages are available for purchase. New this year, the Garden has added a party tent where wedding ceremonies and family and corporate events can be held. Though it may be too late to schedule your special event this year, the Garden would be a unique venue for your company party or your organization's holiday get-together next winter.

The holiday season is rapidly approaching and, with it comes the annual company holiday party. Chances are you will be invited to at least one party and perhaps an additional one with your spouse or significant other. The economy has changed the way businesses hold their parties, but the etiquette issues remain the same, whether the party is a formal dinner or a potluck. You should plan to attend the party unless you have a valid reason not to; consider it a work obligation. Remember, your supervisors will be watching your behavior and that of your spouse or SO, so be careful. You want to impress, not depress. Some businesses hold their parties immediately after work or during a long lunch break. These parties are often attended only by employees, but be sure to find out. If your spouse or SO is invited, be certain to get all the details - date, time, location, and dress code. If the meal will be a potluck, find out what you are expected to bring. Don't bring your children unless t...

I just returned from looking at a home where a spring wedding will be held in the beautifully landscaped yard. Having an event at a private home may make it more personal and recall special memories, but it isn't necessarily the least expensive way to go and there can be numerous drawbacks. Before deciding to have an event at home, consider the following: Is there enough space to accommodate the anticipated number of guests? Is adequate parking available? Will the noise disturb neighbors? Will the homeowners need or want to make repairs or landscape? Some people use a special event as a catalyst to make home improvements; just don't start remodeling the kitchen 3 weeks before a major event. Do the homeowners or neighbors have pets that might be a problem, such as an excitable dog? Do any guests have allergies or asthma that might be triggered by plants or pets? Is the home or yard handicapped-accessible, if necessary. Could someone in a wheel chair or using a walk...

Do you enjoy smashing big things into tiny little pieces? If so, you would have enjoyed Canyon County Habitat for Humanity's annual Great Pumpkin Launch, held this afternoon at a farm near Nampa. Attendees could purchase tickets to launch a pumpkin from any of four cannons toward targets across a field. In addition to the launch, food was available, both to eat on site and to take home, such as potatoes, onions, and pumpkins. A raffle of several donated items also occurred. All proceeds benefit the work of Canyon County Habitat for Humanity. Mark your calendar for the last Sunday in October next year and plan to attend this fun event.

In late September Greg Marsh, the owner of Greg Marsh Designer Cakes in Eagle, was featured on the Learning Channel's program "The Ultimate Cake Off." Greg participated in a contest to design a cake to celebrate the Peterson Automotive Museum's anniversary. Greg's completed chocolate chip espresso cake was 7.5 feet tall and included motorized parts. The cake won the contest's taste test and was runner-up as best cake. Unfortunately, TLC does not allow photos of the cake to be shared, but you can see it at http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/ultimate-cake-off/slideshows/ultimate-cakes-episode-5.html You can also find the recipe on the same site. Congratulations to Greg and staff for a fine job!

Are your cupboards filled with vases, centerpieces, tulle, and other items left over from a recent event? Would you like to sell that bridesmaid's dress hanging in the closet, or even your wedding gown? If so, you might consider consigning the items. Be Twice Inspired Wedding Sale, LLC holds semi-annual consignment sales in Boise and Spokane. The two day sale is usually held at the Powerhouse Event Center in Boise. The next sale is scheduled for October 16 and 17. Friday the 16th the sale begins at 5 p.m. Admission is $2.00 per person and the Powerhouse will provide hors d’oeurves and champagne while you shop. On Saturday the hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission is free. If you have items to consign, visit www.betwiceinspired.com/ to register and to learn how the sale works. Consigning your items or purchasing gently used items is a great way to earn or save money and it helps the environment as well.

We have all received save the date cards and magnets alerting us to a future event so we can make plans to attend. Now, a recent trend is save the date videos. These short clips, usually about 60 seconds long, are similar to a TV commercial; they pack a brief story into a very limited time. The completed video can be uploaded to a personal web site, a blog, YouTube, Facebook or another social networking site, or it can be sent via e-mail or mail to family and friends, such as Grandma or Great Aunt Sally, who would never find a web posting. Creating a video isn't cheap. If a commercial videographer is hired, the price can range from a few hundred dollars to well over a thousand, depending on where you live, the complexity of the shoot, and the video's length. If you are planning to hire a videographer for your wedding, you might check into having him/her also create a save the date video. If you have a friend or relative who has a camcorder, you might ask them to help you cre...

When the economy is booming people think nothing of spending several hundred dollars for party favors, little gifts for their guests. In the current economy when every dollar counts, omitting favors has become one way to save money without impacting the quality of an event. If you want to provide a favor, there are several creative and cost-effective ways to do so. Generally, guests enjoy a consumable favor rather than something that will sit on a shelf and collect dust. Guests love candy, cookies and similar items, such as small jams, jellies, or honey. Thanks to Martha Stewart, candy tables are a popular trend. The party hosts set up a table containing several large clear glass containers, each holding a different type of candy, usually in the wedding or event colors. The candy can be purchased in the bulk foods section of most grocery stores. Small scoops, which can be purchased at a dollar store, are placed in each container. The hosts also provide clear cellophane bags...

I recently coordinated an event for lawyers from San Francisco who chose the ballroom of a local hotel for their event. Most hotel ballrooms look somewhat alike - same nondescript beige or light brown walls, airwall tracks in the ceiling and air walls pushed against the end walls. Some of the better hotels try to improve the look by installing decorative light fixtures, which help to lessen the "conference room" feel, but can't disguise it entirely. For this event, the clients chose to use decorative lighting to totally change the look of the room, as seen in the photo (compliments of Tana Photography ). Columns of purple light shined upward, against the walls, creating a deep purple glow close to the floor and suffusing the room with a soft lavender glow. The room looked elegant and inviting. You can use lighting in various ways to add to the ambiance of your event, wherever it is held. Though lighting an entire room can be expensive, there are ways to minimize c...

Many quinceaneras are held in southern Idaho each year. Like a Bat Mitzva in the Jewish culture, the party celebrates the transition from childhood to adulthood for Hispanic young women. The party is held on or near the young woman's 15th (quince) birthday. The event often includes a celebratory Mass followed by a reception for several hundred guests. The size and elaborateness of the party depends on the honoree's preferences and her family's budget. It is often larger and more complex than her future wedding. Planning usually begins a year in advance and will include the honoree's personal preparation for the religious Mass, choosing a location for the party, selecting sponsors and members of the court of honor, as well as choosing and booking vendors. Sponsors are adults who are close to the honoree and who are willing to help finance the festivities. They may include aunts and uncles, godparents, and close family friends. Sponsors should be invited to participate ...

I just read an article about a couple in Tennessee who hosted their own bridal shower. In the invitations the couple included a "wish list" of gifts, the first of which was money. The party was a co-ed potluck, so guests were expected to bring both food and a gift of the couple's choosing. I wonder if guests were also told what dish to bring? If the couple wanted to have a party, that is great, but to turn it into a host-your-own shower is not only rude, but greedy as well. Surely someone in their circle of friends and family would have been happy to host a shower if given the opportunity. Or, oh no! (gasp), they could have not had a shower at all and it would have been okay. What's next - a host-your-own baby shower, asking guests to provide everything from bibs to the crib? Let's hope this tacky idea dies a quick death.

Gentlemen, does it seem as if all your friends are getting married? Are you receiving a wedding invitation nearly every week? Joe is getting married on the beach; Susie is having a formal wedding in a cathedral. What is expected when you attend these weddings? How should you dress? What should you not do? These questions and more have been answered in an article, How to Behave at Weddings , published by AskMen.com and found at http://www.askmen.com/money/how_to_150/195_how_to.html The article provides recommendations for responding to a wedding invitation, choosing a gift, and goes into ceremony and reception etiquette. The author does a good job of covering the issues with one exception. He states that gifts be chosen as follows: "The rule of thumb is to give the equivalent of the cost of your meal, so if you're attending as a couple, double the amount." That information is inaccurate. Gifts are chosen on the basis of your budget and how well you know the brid...

You have been asked to give a toast, perhaps at a wedding reception, anniversary party, rehearsal dinner, or another event. If the idea of speaking in public makes you very uncomfortable, feel free to decline. You don't need to ruin your day by stressing over what to say or how to say it. If you agree to give a toast, the following tips will be helpful in creating a meaningful one. *Be certain all guests have a drink of some type with which to toast. The DJ or person making announcements can ask guests to fill their glasses a few minutes before toasts begin. It is not necessary to toast with champagne or alcohol; any beverage will do. It is the thought that counts, not the contents of your glass. *Keep it short, but sincere. Plan to speak no more than 5 minutes. You don't need to recount the entire hsitory of your relationship with the guest of honor. Don't mention that you are nervous or you hate to speak in public, or didn't really want to give the toast. To do ...

If you are planning an outdoor concert or festival, a back country family reunion or wedding, you may need generators, lights, tents for sleeping, sound equipment and other items. Evergreen Resource, located in Idaho City, Idaho, can provide those items and more. The company also offers shuttle bus service and IT and internet support for large events. They will also help with publicity for your event, if needed. If you need items the company does not provide, such as tables, chairs, party tents, and linens, they can help you find vendors. The company also networks with caterers and other vendors whose services you might need. Check the company's web site at http://www.evergreenresource.com/ or give them a call toll-free at 866-270-1749.

It is tradition to serve cake or another special dessert at weddings, anniversary parties, birthday parties, and similar events. The cake or special dessert appears in numerous photos, both by itself and when the bride and groom or guest of honor cuts it. Therefore, it is important to carefully choose an experienced baker to provide your special dessert. Unfortunately, that didn't happen at a wedding last week. The bride allowed a friend's mother to make her cake. Apparently, the mother makes nice sheet cakes and figural cakes, but a multi-tiered wedding cake was another issue. The cake was delivered in separate layers, which is usual. When it was assembled, it was immediately obvious there was a problem. The cake looked like the Leaning Tower of Pisa and was in imminent danger of totally collapsing. The icing was beginning to melt and bare places could be seen. It had to be disassembled, then placed in a refrigerator until time to be served. Refrigeration helped a little....

This week a group of business owners from Arizona are enjoying a challenging and rigorous team-building retreat in the mountains near Garden Valley. Each year the group travels to a different state to experience team building combined with different outdoor activities. Last year it was Hawaii. We have worked on this retreat for the last 11 months to create a unique and totally "Idaho" experience. Today the goup is enjoying ZipIdaho, the zip line at Horseshoe Bend. Tomorrow they will go whitewater rafting on the north fork of the Payette River. In addition to paddling their rafts, they will have to portage them in some areas. After they return to the starting point thoroughly exhausted, the rafting company will host a riverside barbeque. The highlight activity occurs the day after tomorrow when the group, divided into teams and equipped with GPS instruments and riding ATVs, will have to find five geocaches hidden in the forest surrounding Garden Valley. Lunch will be ...

I received a unique card from a bride thanking me for being her wedding planner. The card was personalized and drawn with cartoon-style characters. The bride ordered it from http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/ . This site contains a wealth of specialized cards for many different occasions, including a variety of styles designed for inviting friends to be a bridesmaid, maid of honor, groomsman, flower girl; even a card to ask someone to walk you down the aisle. In addition to the wedding coordinator, there are thank you cards for the DJ, photographer, and other vendors. In addition to weddings, special cards are available for business events, birthdays, graduations, announcing a pregnancy, and much more. Best of all, the prices are very reasonable, in most cases less than the cost of a generic card from a store. The site employs artists from around the world to design cards to the purchaser's specifications. Another unique item I recently discovered is a book for your flower girl. ...

Saturday I coordinated a wedding for a radiologist from San Francisco. I met her 2 1/2 years ago when she was a bridesmaid in a friend's wedding. I didn't see her again until the rehearsal the day before the wedding. The bride's mother and I planned the wedding with in-put from the bride via phone and e-mail. The groom is finishing a post-doctoral program in astrophysics on the east coast, so they will have a bi-coastal marriage for awhile. The bride's tastes are traditional except for her gown. She wanted something she can wear again, so she chose a black Vera Wang retro-style cocktail dress. The wedding was held at her parent's home with guests standing for the brief ceremony. The couple had no attendants. The reception was cocktail-party style with heavy hors d'oeuvres provided by the Basque Market , which were wonderful. The flowers, from Boise at its Best, were beautiful. The bride carried a bouquet of white hydrangeas and all other flowers were ...

Yesterday I was "attacked" in an on-line forum when I questioned a post by someone who suggested doing something that may violate consumer protection laws and certainly violates basic business ethics. The person, who posted the comment in a business-to-business forum, suggested doing something that would benefit the businesses, but result in increased costs being passed on to the customer without the customer's knowledge. Consumer protection laws require disclosure of all costs; there are to be no hidden fees, and customers are to receive value for their money. The person's suggestion also violates the Better Business Bureau's standards of conduct. When I mentioned the ethics of the person's suggestion and reminded him of the law, he said the law was stupid and people should just look the other way. To me, that seems to be a naive and self-serving attitude. If we are in business to fleece the customer, we won't be in business long. I was disappointed ...

Brides Against Breast Cancer is a unique organization dedicated to granting wishes for women suffering from late stage breast cancer. The wishes are funded through the sale of new and gently used wedding gowns. Wedding gown designers, manufacturers, and bridal shops donate their excess stock to the program and individuals can donate their gowns after their wedding. The gowns are sold at special sales held all over the U.S. in cities such as Cleveland, Seattle, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Boston, Ft. Lauderdale, Washington DC and other locations. Most gowns sell for $99 to $799 and may originally have cost as much as $8,000 or more. This is the 32nd year for the sales. Pre-registration is required to attend a sale and attendance is limited. To register, visit http://bridesagainstbreastcancer.org/ Through the years, the program has received over 50,000 donated gowns with a value of more than $4 million. Currently, the program is in need of donations of newer gowns (2000 or newer), slips...