The Main Event by Memory Makers Event Planning, LLC

In today's society nearly half of marriages end in divorce. Therefore, it is very common for a bride or groom to be making their second trip (or more) down the aisle. When the bride, groom, or both are marrying for the second time, etiquette dictates that some things be handled differently than for a first wedding. The following are general etiquette guidelines to consider when planning a second wedding. Bride’s first marriage, groom’s second:  If the bride is marrying for the first time, she may have as large a wedding as she likes. Depending on the groom’s age and circumstances, he should plan on paying for his share of the wedding expenses, rather than expecting his parents to pitch in a second time. The groom may also choose to pay for more of the total costs of the wedding if he can afford to do so, rather than expecting the bride and her family to pay for most of it.  He should also host and pay for the rehearsal dinner if his parents paid the first t...

It is not uncommon to ask the father of the groom to serve as best man or to ask a father or grandfather to perform a wedding ceremony. It is a little less common to ask the mother of the bride to serve as matron of honor, but how about asking Grandma to be the flower girl? That is what a Virginia couple did when the groom's grandmother jokingly asked to be their flower girl. After some thought, the couple asked both the groom's and the bride's grandmothers to serve as flower girls, preceding the bride down the aisle. Grandparents are largely overlooked at weddings, much like the groom's parents, so why not give them, both grandparents and groom's parents, a more visible role. More and more brides are honoring one of the most important women in their lives by asking Grandma to be the matron of honor, or in some cases, escort the bride down the aisle. If a grandparent or parent of the groom sings or plays an instrument, he/she might provide a portion of the ceremon...

Want to do something fun and just for the girls? Something feminine and a bit romantic with lace and flowers and yummy treats? If so, consider celebrating your mom, grandmother, aunts and the other special women in your life by planning a tea. If you are not the stiff, formal, tea and crumpets (yes, there is such a thing) type, create your own version of a tea. The only thing you definitely need is tea. Traditionally, tea is served in mid to late afternoon accompanied by tiny open faced sandwiches and mini desserts. The tea is usually poured from a teapot into delicate porcelain tea cups (no mugs, please) and accompanied by sugar, milk and lemon wedges. Tables are covered with linen or lace tablecloths and bedecked with floral centerpieces. A proper English tea is made using loose tea leaves placed in a diffuser ball. However, if you prefer to offer several varieties, your guests will surely not complain if you provide a variety of tea bags. If you prefer a morning tea, mini quiche...

Crowdfunding to raise small amounts of money from a large number of contributors to launch a new product or business, to fund micro loans to people in developing nations and to fund large public events has been around awhile. Now there is a crowdfunding website devoted to personal events - GoFundMe.

One thing of which we can be certain - change happens. As the scramble begins to find facilities to hold summer events, you will discover that some facilities are no longer available and new ones have popped up. The Sandstone Event Center in Nampa has been purchased by Community Christian Fellowship church. The church board is considering booking private events, but no decisions have been made. They may, however, sell much of the decor accumulated by the previous owners, much of which is out of date. Wood River Cellars Winery is no more. It was purchased by Crooked Fence micro brewery and renamed Crooked Flats. The new owners will honor the private events already booked this summer but will no longer book private events, focusing on concerts and other public events instead. Eagle Island Event Center opened recently near Eagle Island State Park along the Boise River in Eagle. The facility, a two story barn, accommodates 150. The 16 acre property includes a pond,  an outdoor cov...

Would you like to do something different for your wedding and save money as well? If so, consider combining the wedding and the honeymoon by getting married on a cruise ship. You can be married on the ship or you might have the ceremony on a beautiful beach at one of the cruise destinations - surf, sand, palm trees. Can you ask for anything more? If you choose to be married on the ship, ceremonies are usually held before the ship sails. You will secure your marriage license in the state from which the ship sets sail. The captain can usually perform the ceremony or you can provide your own officiant.

Is your closet overflowing with prom dresses, bridesmaids dresses or cocktail attire that no longer fits or you will never again wear? If so, you might donate them and make someone less fortunate very happy. You can even take a tax deduction for your generosity. In southwestern Idaho Dresstravaganza ( www.facebook.com/dresstravaganza ) accepts prom dress donations at the Van Heusen store at the Boise Outlet Mall. Call or text 208-297-3332 or email dresstravaganza@gmail.com for details.

H&M's wedding gown Swedish retailer H & M, a favorite of teen girls and college students, recently announced the first gown in what is expected to be a collection of budget wedding dresses. The modest ivory gown with ruching at the waist flatters most figures. Priced at $99 and made from recycled material, the dress is perfect for a casual wedding, including a beach wedding. The versatile style can also be worn as a cocktail dress by shortening the skirt. H & M is not the first budget retailer to offer a wedding dress. Target has offered two styles for several years, both for less than $100. Target's most popular gown, a sleeveless bias cut gown available in both white and dark ivory (closer to pale Target's gown  peach, actually), is best worn by a slender bride, as the style reveals every curve. Target's other style is a simple straight-lined gown with cap sleeves. If you are planning a casual wedding and don't want to spend hundreds on a ...

ETC International Exchange Student Program is one of our clients. We work with them to help secure host families for students from many parts of the world. We also plan monthly events for the students and their host families. Last week about 40 ETC managers and staff gathered in San Diego for training and socializing, including a day at Disneyland and a day of sightseeing in San Diego. We look forward to a year of getting to know students from around the world and their host families and building into their lives. If you or someone you know may be interested in hosting a student, contact ETC through the link above to find a local coordinator who will be happy to answer your questions.

Last month we talked about the hidden costs associated with planning an event. In addition to costs, there are also hidden safety risks that may affect your guests' well being. Safety risks take many forms, from location issues to food and drink problems and more. The following are some of the most common. Location risks: Locations, particularly outdoor ones, may contain several safety risks.   The water feature that initially attracted you to the venue may prove to be an attractive hazard. Be very careful when a large group gathers near a pond, river, lake, pool or even a large fountain, particularly when children or alcohol is involved. Before allowing guests to operate canoes, row boats, jet skis and other water craft, be sure they wear life jackets and have had instruction, if necessary. If you are planning a pool party, ask a friend to serve as life guard.

For seven years Memory Makers Event Planning has sponsored a child in Honduras with Compassion International . I recently had the opportunity to make my second trip to spend time with the adorable Nelson. Twenty-two of us first flew into San Pedro Sula in northern Honduras where we spent time at two projects, including one with a Child Survival Center, where pregnant women and those with children up to age three can receive prenatal care, medical care for the delivery, nutrition and child rearing counseling and support. (Nearly 50 percent of children under 5 in Honduras die, most from birth-related complications. Pneumonia is the second leading cause of death.) We then drove to the capital, Tegucigalpa, to visit another project and spend a day with sponsored children at a jump park filled with large inflatable jumps. (My elbow still hurts from a burn received on the big slide.) Nelson came with his mother and his new baby sister, 40 days old. What a delight it was to see how Nelson h...

You contacted the caterer, the florist, the photographer; the invitations are ordered. You are proud of yourself for staying within your budget, but are you sure you are within budget?  Most events include numerous "hidden" costs that can add another 20% to 25% to the budget if you aren't careful. Here are some of the most common costs you may encounter. Catering: Though the per-person cost may seem reasonable, you will also pay a service fee (this offsets labor costs), gratuity, and sales tax if your state collects it. In Idaho, plan to add 24% to the per-person cost (this assumes 6% sales tax and 18% service fee/gratuity). Be certain to check your invoice to find out if a gratuity was included (usually) or if you need to add it in addition to the service charge and sales tax. Cake cutting fee: Many caterers charge a cake cutting fee for the use of their plates and their servers' time to cut and serve your cake if the caterer did not provide it. This can sometime...

This is the season for trade shows - business expos, health fairs, wedding shows, technology expos, home and remodeling shows, home and garden shows and more. Some shows occur only one day while others occur several days, often over a weekend. Business owners pay big bucks for a booth space, hoping to attract new customers and raise awareness of their products or services. The strategy can backfire, however, if the people working in the booth do not represent the business well.

Each shelf contains over 1,300 roses I have just returned from Pasadena, California where I had the opportunity to help decorate floats for the 125th annual Rose Parade and attend the parade. Seventeen of us worked with Petal Pushers, an organization that recruits over 5,000 volunteers each year to work on nearly a dozen floats. My job was helping prep several thousand roses that were used on eight floats. We stripped leaves, cut stems, and placed the roses in vials of water that were then inserted on the floats. Some in our group cut the individual blossoms from dried flowers then processed the blossoms in a blender to create "paint" to be glued to large "flowers" and used for stained glass windows. Others glued rice crushed in a blender to signs, pillars, columns and any surface needing to look as if it had a smooth white finish. Yet others worked on their stomachs on scaffolding over 10 feet in the air to finish attaching coconut bark to a football. Vol...

Since their introduction in 1924 by Chicago department store Marshall Field's, gift registries have become an accepted part of weddings and baby events. They have also become a major source of controversy and etiquette faux pas. When is a registry acceptable and when is it not? Will it be used? When do you register? For what should you register? How do you notify guests of a registry without coming across as greedy? Creating a registry is acceptable when an event at which gifts are usually given will occur, such as a wedding, a bridal or baby shower or a birth. Today, with the internet and access to national retail registries, most anyone living anywhere can register for gifts. That doesn't mean, however, that the registry will be used. People living in small rural communities where retail outlets are scarce and internet access is not readily available may need to drive a great distance to reach a major retailer with a registry and they don...

Planning a wedding involves lists and more lists, checking them twice, three times and more. Flowers ordered - check. Menu chosen - check. Dress altered - check. Physical scheduled - what? Why? Many brides tend to forget about scheduling medical and dental appointments until the last minute, if at all. However, you shouldn't wait, particularly if you are planning to start birth control. Today, a bride or groom can be covered by a parent's insurance until age 26 or you may have coverage through your work. At 26, you need to either purchase your own insurance, be added to a spouse's policy, or add your spouse to your policy, all of which may incur a waiting period before becoming effective. Therefore, take advantage of existing insurance while you can. If you plan to start birth control, you need to visit a doctor for a physical and a prescription at least three months before the wedding. Doing so allows time for the medication to become fully effective. It also allows ti...

What happens when your business or association holds a conference or training meeting? Is it the same old, same old? Do you gather together, sit at tables and listen to speakers or view a satellite presentation for hours on end? Are people bored, jet lagged, or simply uninterested in the topic at hand and attending only because they must? If so, think creatively, liven up your meetings and give your attendees a reason to be there. One way to gain momentum is to begin the day with a special activity such as a golf lesson or time at a driving range or another interactive activity. Follow the activity with lunch and a work session. Depending on the nature of your business, attendees might start the day by participating in a volunteer activity followed by lunch and the meeting. Such activities increase networking, build team spirit and creativity, making the following work session more productive.

With literally thousands of color and style combinations to choose from, a bride-to-be can easily become overwhelmed when deciding what her bridesmaids should wear. One of the best ways to begin narrowing down the choices is to consider the wedding plans already made. The time of day of the wedding, the time of year, the location and the figures of the bridesmaids all play into the final decision, as does cost. Time of day - If a formal evening ceremony is planned, the bridesmaids might wear either long dresses or shorter ones falling just below the knee to mid-calf (tea length). If the wedding will be held in the afternoon, then only shorter dresses are worn by both the bridesmaids and the mothers. (Mothers tend to make more mistakes than bridesmaids when choosing their dresses, often overdressing rather than considering the formality of the wedding.) Time of year - Unless the wedding will occur in...

Are you planning to get the extended family together for a reunion? Want to plan a family camp or retreat for your church or organization? If so, one of Idaho's many state parks may be just the place. Several offer cabins, RV hook-ups and camp sites for multi-day events in summer. Others are available for day use only or offer overnight accommodations in summer and early fall. Each state park provides opportunites for differing activities and accommodations. If you are planning a summer event and boating, water skiing, fishing or hiking are in the plans, you might choose Dworshak State Park near Orofino or Priest Lake State Park, both in north Idaho. If you prefer a winter outing with snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, or snowshoeing, several parks will fit your needs, including Harriman State Park in eastern Idaho near Yellowstone. Want to camp in yurts rather than tents? Several state parks offer that option. Should you or a family member decide to have a...

You chose a hotel for your reception and they have an event coordinator on staff, so why do I need to pay to hire someone? We hear that question frequently. Many larger venues and churches have on-site event coordinators, sometimes called event sales managers. People planning a special event are frequently confused about the duties of the on-site coordinator and the difference between that person and a personal event or wedding coordinator or planner. The differences are many.