Company Picnic or Bust!

Imagine a picnic draped in crepe streamers and balloons, with festive checkered table clothes covering the tables, bright red and yellow pails brimming with ice cold chilled drinks, baskets heaping with muffin shaped peanut butter brownies, juicy flavorful burgers with all the fixings that taste as good as they smell, crispy potato chips and heaping veggie pizza irresistible to even the strictest of dieters,  and potato and fruit salads scooped into individual serving cups on a bed of ice just waiting to be eaten. 

The Party Planning Princess

It’s been said that I am the queen of party planning.  I’m not quite ready to take the crown but I will admit that over the years I’ve thrown some pretty awesome parties.  From that first kegger at Techie’s house (back when he was my new boyfriend), to our luau themed wedding, to my sister’s Christmas themed baby shower, I’ve managed to do big with little money.

After a much too long hiatus from party planning I’m back in the saddle with not one, not two, but three big parties in upcoming months!  Coming very soon to this blog: how to plan a Company Picnic, an unbelievable Spring Themed Surprise Birthday Party, and a Red Carpet Reception.  Of course, as I plan each party you can be sure to see many updates on my creative process as well as photos and maybe even video of the big events. 

Below are photos and party planning tips from the party that rocketed me to fame: Our Luau Themed Wedding (not held in Hawaii)

Our entire budget for the wedding including food was $3000. 

If you’re planning a wedding use the same facility for both the ceremony and the reception to save some dough.

To mask very ugly and carpeted walls we unrolled match stick blinds purchased for $3 each at a Big Lots, removed their hardware and tacked them to the walls.  It instantly gave the room the feeling of being inside Tiki hut. 

To mask a coat rack along the entrance wall we used a green grass table skirt, trimmed down and positioned to look like the edge of a roof.  Gift table and receiving line happened below.

Grass skirts gave an island feel and hid feet and ugly tables at our head table.

I made my own bouquet and cake toppers from artificial flowers.  The artificial flowers were not cheap but withstood July heat and looked beautiful. 

Fabric (purchased on clearance at Wal-Mart) hung across the windows helped set the mood, blocked late evening summer sun, and helped hide unattractive shades.

The best part of having a themed wedding is that it instantly relaxes your guests.   Our guests were asked to wear Hawaiian shirts and flip flops.   The Mr. & Mrs. High Heel wedding was one of kind and our families had a blast.  It was extremely DIY and I will be sure to post more about how I orchestrated, while wearing high heels of course, what people are still calling “the best wedding ever!”  

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have parties to plan and a crown to polish!