faith, family, and the (back up plan).
Hi y'all! I'm Terie (or some may know me as Mama K - Lauren's mother). I'm a wanna be flower-farmer, part-time English Professor, full-time wife, mama, and Little Cal's Cheerleader (and occasional event planner). I will be sharing posts occasionally on Three Little Housewives - welcome to my housewife life.
It’s not everyday that you get to baptize your grandchild, so you want everything to be Perfect- beyond Perfect, if possible.
Well, Perfect doesn’t exist. So, I’m sharing with y’all some tips on event planning and avoiding my mistakes!!!
INVITATIONS: Regarding invitations, only ONE person should invite and collect responses. Trust me on this one! Invitations should be extended a minimum of four weeks in advance- (formal) the earlier the better (for all events).
RSVP (RESPONSES): All invitations should include an RSVP date – even informal ones. Something as simple as “could you please let me know by next Friday?” goes a LONG way in planning.
As a guest, ALWAYS, (pretty please) respond -even for missed RSVP deadlines, or if plans or number of guests change, at the last minute. There is nothing worse than hosting a get-together and being stuck with leftover food for weeks or scrambling to pull together enough seating and hoping to S-T-R-E-T-C-H your food for guests. You are unlikely to pull off a “Fishes and Loaves” kind of miracle.
VENUE: Hosting the reception in the church hall was a nice way to share with our church family and easier for family and friends travelling long distances.
Even for casual get-togethers, there are many “no cost-low cost” options. Many churches and local organizations open their facilities to small groups. We used our hall, provided reception food (for two services) and decorations for an upcoming funeral lunch all for the very low cost of me washing a few table linens and some dishes. Sometimes, those little used venues are much better than your home being overrun or trying to host an event in a very noisy restaurant with a 15% gratuity.
DECORATIONS: Well, readers, you know my daughter Lauren, (the queen of EXTRA.) Sometimes- LIFE HAPPENS – like ordering decorations “online” that show up late. (Cue the Back Up Plan).
Without the decorations and my outside flowers covered in snow- grocery store flowers to the rescue. When decorating with flowers, select a color scheme (3 colors at most) and stick to it! That way you can mix and match flowers, linens and it all “goes together “. We decorated 8 tables for under $20.00. We also used a family bible and special rosary, instilling a sense of family tradition to the celebration.
WHEN THINGS GO WRONG: Online ordering is WONDERFUL, except when it isn’t. Order items well in ADVANCE. That way, (1) you get them in time (2) problems – can be fixed and (3) if you don’t like the items- you have time for Plan B.
If ordering food online, ALWAYS follow up in person or by phone. That way you avoid paying for a sheet cake for 100 that looks nothing like what you ordered. (Thankfully, it tasted good)!
PHOTOGRAPHY: Make arrangements for one photographer, Lauren scheduled a sorority sister who attended and later used the session for her portfolio. It is nice working with someone who knows you well. Even at informal get-togethers, put one person in charge of photography and make sure they take photos of everyone present. Your future self will thank you!
DAY OF THE EVENT: No matter what, take a deep breath and realize that everything will not go Perfectly. At the end of the day, it is ALWAYS about Family, Fellowship and Fun. That’s what matters, the wrong cake and Aunt Sally’s constant complaining, Not So Much!!!
Happy Memory Making, y’all!
xoxoterie