The Main Event by Memory Makers Event Planning, LLC

The article below is from Money magazine's most recent issue. Much of the information seems fairly accurate for an Idaho wedding except the cost of clothing. Most brides don't pay over $1,200 just for a gown; the gown, veil, shoes and jewelry maybe. The cost to rent a tux is a bit high as well. I was also surprised to see the percentage of bride's parents who pay for the wedding. In this area, the costs are more often covered by both sets of parents and the bride and groom, though not usually equally.  Enjoy.

You found the perfect outdoor venue for your wedding, graduation or birthday party or another event. But the property manager says your event must end at 10 p.m. What a killjoy! No, not really. She/he is complying with local noise ordinances. Every city and many counties have a noise ordinance requiring loud music and other noisy activities, such as shouting, clapping or engine noise, to end at a particular time. The ordinance is for the benefit of neighbors who want to sleep or enjoy their own yards and homes without interference from your event.

Tis the season for graduation parties, weddings, family reunions, company picnics and more. Perhaps when choosing a venue you discovered that some have "preferred" vendors they expect you to use. But is it really a preferred vendor or is it a required vendor? Though the meanings are different, some people use them interchangeably in an attempt to soften the fact that your choices have been limited.

When you think of naked, do you think of cake? Not usually, but some bakers do. A naked cake is one devoid of icing so the filling/fillings show through.  Christina Tosi, chef and owner of  Milk Bar , a bakery with locations in New York and Toronto, is credited with starting the trend. The idea is to let the elements of the cake shine through rather than covering them with a layer of icing.

Do you love crepes in all their goodness? If so, you will love the crepe cakes made by Petite Reve Chocolates of Ventura, CA. The cake pictured contains 300 very thin crepes (its bigger than it looks) filled with vanilla cream and dusted with powdered sugar. If you prefer another filling flavor, such as chocolate, lemon, coffee or raspberry perhaps, any would be delicious. The next time you want to wow your guests, whether it be a wedding, anniversary party or another event, get out the mixing bowls and try your hand at making your own crepe cake.

The bride and groom were on a tight budget so she agreed to let a friend who works in a restaurant handle the food preparation and service for the reception. That evening the bride met a number of her guests at the emergency room, all, including her, suffering from food poisoning. The culprit was determined to be improperly stored Ranch dressing, which had been made in advance and left at room temperature for several hours.

Wedding season is fast approaching. Each year brides seek to do something different, something their friends have not yet done, something to set their wedding apart without bending tradition too much. A current trend is mismatched bridesmaids' bouquets. Some brides choose to give each attendant a bouquet containing one of the flowers in the bride's bouquet - roses for one lady; calla lilies for another and freesia for yet another. Other brides bestow their bridesmaids with brightly colored bouquets of unrelated flowers, making all the bouquets totally different. Done carefully, the look can be most pleasing. Done poorly, it looks chaotic. To pull off the look, colorful flowers should be used. The differences will be lost if all bouquets are white or pale pink.

Are you looking for an interesting place to hold team building activities or a trade show? Perhaps a unique venue for a graduation party or even a casual wedding reception? If so, look no further than Idaho Ice World. Their 5,000 square foot private events room can seat over 300 people and comes with overhead projector, screen, microphones and podium and a catering kitchen. You can also rent private time on the ice for skating, private lessons or team building activities.

It's that time of year - time for wedding mania to begin. It's that time when couples suddenly realize "We're getting married this year! There is so much to do! Where do we start?" Never fear; with January comes wedding show season. The biggest and oldest is the Wedding Party Show. It has been wowing brides for over 35 years with more than 100 merchants, fashion shows, fabulous decor, and everything you need for your perfect day. This year's show is January 9 and 10, 2016 at Boise Centre on the Grove, downtown Boise. Cost is $8 at the door (cash only). One thousand dollars in gift certificates will be given away to a lucky bride after each fashion show.

If you love everything French, the new Chateau des Fleurs in Eagle may be just your cup of tea. The French Provencal center is located at the Camille Beckman complex off State Street on the west side of Eagle. It includes indoor and outdoor space for weddings, corporate and private events.

Leave it to the practical British to include more than flowers in wedding bouquets. Some of my brides have used ornamental artichokes and miniature lemons and limes for several years. Now, brides are taking it to a new level, using broccoli, ornamental kale and cabbage, even tomatoes, in their bouquets. The bouquet on the left contains several tomatoes, as well as artichokes and kale. (Just be careful about crushing the tomatoes and ruining your gown.) This arrangement is best used at a casual outdoor wedding, perhaps one occurring on a farm. The bouquet on the right contains broccoli and dried lime slices. The addition of white roses balances the arrangement and prevents the edibles from overpowering it. Again, a bouquet like this is better suited for an outdoor, casual wedding.   If including vegetables in your bouquet suits your style, be sure your florist agrees. Not all florists are adept at inserting an item such as tomatoes, which are delicate and can be messy, into a...

I was approached by a funeral home seeking someone to team with them to assist families dealing with some of the issues surrounding a death. When a loved one passes, many decisions have to be made quickly - notifying family and friends, choosing the location for the service and a burial site, music, flowers, officiant and much more. If the death was unexpected, the family may be in shock and overwhelmed by all the decisions. Even a death after a lingering illness can be stressful. So many details, so little time.

I was recently interviewed by Cater.com, a website dedicated to helping catering businesses improve their service and professionalism.  The published interview follows.

Re-gifting - we have all done it at one time or another. Perhaps the sweater you received for your birthday was a terrible color on you but looks lovely on your red headed friend. Or you received too many blenders for your wedding, so why not pass one on to the next couple getting married? Whether re-gifting is a good idea or not depends on several things.

Most event planners agree that anyone planning an event needs to create a realistic budget and, unless they have unlimited funds, stick to it. Nothing is worse than waking up the morning after your party, wedding, conference or other event and realizing that you overspent and now must face the consequences, which might be as drastic as losing your job when your boss sees the bill.

Your event is over. You had a wonderful time; your guests loved the food, decor and music. Now the credit card bills are arriving and you realize you spent way beyond your budget. What to do? Unfortunately, you may need to tighten your belt and eat beans for the next few months until the bills are paid. But you can prevent this from happening in the future.

We in America are blessed with homes, food, clothing, cars, access to education and many other things we take for granted. Much of the world's population lives in dire poverty and filth, wondering where the next meal will come from or who might break into the dirt-floored hut they call home. To help us privileged Americans begin to grasp the reality of poverty in developing nations, Compassion International ( www.compassion.com ) developed the Compassion Experience, two large trailers containing the stories of children, now adults, whose lives were changed because they were sponsored children. As you walk through the Experience, you can see and hear what is real life for many of the world's children.

Shabby chic - a decorating style that uses old items in a new way to create a romantic setting. If you have not encountered this style yet, chances are before long you will attend a social event where "shabby chic" is everywhere. The style combines fabrics such as lace, burlap or vintage linens with old window frames, chairs, ladders, vintage dishware and more to create a rustic, yet romantic ambiance. The style is most often found at weddings, receptions, luncheons and other women's events. Rarely will it be seen at a predominately male party.

A bride called to say her photographer had asked her for immediate payment to be made through an app though the wedding was several weeks away. She wanted to know if it was okay to make payment as requested. No, it was not. Here's why.

This is the height of wedding season. As the big day approaches, couples begin thinking about the rehearsal dinner and how to handle the logistics. The dinner may be one of the first events at which members of the bride and groom's families meet, so it should be planned with care so as not to offend.