Parties by Paris Has a New Home on the Web

We are so excited to launch our first website for our company, Paris Productions.  Please visit our site and check out our upcoming events!

Mailbox Monday - August 22

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs.  It was created by Marcia and is now on tour. The current host is Life in the Thumb.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share books that came to their house last week. It can result in humongous TBR piles and envy.

I have been inspired by A Library of My Own to join this tradition!

Here is what I found in my mailbox this week:

InStyle Parties - The Complete Guide to Easy, Elegant Entertaining - I received this as a gift from a girlfriend and am using it as my inspiration for a new series of blogs (see InStyle InSpired).

The Help by Kathryn Stockett - I picked this up at Sam's Club for a new book club I joined hosted by A Library of My Own.

Ilse Witch (The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara, Book 1) and Antrax (The Voyage of The Jerle Shannara, Book 2) by Terry Brooks - My husband will be reading these and described it as a Harry Potter fantasy type book.

  

Join Mailbox Monday too!  What are you reading?

InStyle InSpired Series - Pick the Right Invite for the Party

Welcome to the first installment of my series of blogs inspired by the book, “InStyle Parties - the Complete Guide to Easy, Elegant Entertaining.”

Invitations - Your First Impression

The options are limitless when it comes to picking an invitation for any event including in-person, phone, printed, engraved, e-cards and many other ideas.  One of the most creative idea I have seen recently was an invite a friend of mine received to attend her neighbors Super Bowl party.  It was a Corona that had a new, home printed label placed on the front of the bottle and was left at her door step.  When we got back to the house, it was such a wonderful surprise!  And set the perfect tone for the event…

Here are some guidelines from InStyle when it comes to picking the right invite.

• Invitations should share the same feel and level of formality as the event.  
• For casual occasions, a phone call is a great idea.  This also gives you a chance to spend a minute catching up with people outside of texting or facebook!
• If you are putting together a last minute event or large group casual event, email is a good choice.  I use evites.com but there are a lot of great online options.
• For organized and/or formal events, use a written/printed invite (weddings, anniversaries, holiday galas).

Some great invitation companies include:

• Evite
• Alligator Soup
• Fellow blogger Style Me Pretty recommends Hayden Avery
• ISES Las Vegas just recently recommended New and Blue

What to include?

Hugh Hefner and Crystal Harris
Wedding Invitation

The invitations main purpose is to state the reason for the event as well as the date and time.  But just as important to mention is the food and drink.  For example, if it is just cocktails and hor d'oeuvres, set that expectation.  Also, list the location, the RSVP line and any other special information such as if the event is a surprise, registry information, etc.  The invite itself should not need to state the dress code but should convey the dress expected by the invite itself.  If it is a black-tie event, the invite should not be in e-vite format or on a beer bottle!

Timing is everything.

Make sure you send your invitations well in advance.  When possible, start compiling your guest list six weeks in advance.  Invitations should be mailed so they are received two weeks in advance for small events and four weeks in advance for formal or large events.  Got a major holiday event?  Call in advance to mailing the invite to let your guests know to save the date.

Have a unique invite?  Share pictures and vendors information.  We are always looking for something special.

InStyle InSpired - A Series of Posts on A-List Party Must Haves on a Budget

Over the next few weeks I will be writing on some topics inspired by a book I recently read, InStyle Parties - the Complete Guide to Easy, Elegant Entertaining.  I received it as a gift and never found the time to crack it open.  Well, I have been missing out.  This book references the work of renowned part planners and the content really gets the creative juices flowing.  Jennifer Tung and the folks at InStyle have really created a go to book highlighting events by the best while making sure to include a section called "Even Easier".  Even Easier helps you create the A-List party but within a budget or time limit or both. 



More to follow soon on these great InStyle InSpired topics!

• The Invitations
• The Bar (my favorite)
• The Food (my other favorite)
• The Table
• The Decor
• The Hostess
• The Parties

Other kudos and links for this book:

• Hostess with the Mostess
• goodreads
• Amazon

Unique Venues - You Can Find Unique in Las Vegas

So, today I am still at the security convention in San Diego.  We had the customary networking event last night and another vendor (Andrew) and I starting discussing unique venues for weddings and special events.  He happened to be from San Francisco by way of New York City (so any of you from SF, NYC or LV, please feel free to chime in!).  I started gushing about how much I LOVE San Francisco and how I really wanted to find that SF or NYC feel when I was looking for my wedding venue a few years ago.  You know what I mean - the culture of a museum or uniqueness of a large library full of old books or even the vast expansion of a lush, green park that has been there longer than I have. 

Andrew got married in NYC and SF, having two ceremonies so everyone could attend and because they both had families on other sides of the country.  One was at a yacht club in NYC and the other was in a church in SF.  Talk about a wedding!  Even more interesting, I started to name some of my favorite venues in SF and a funny thing happened.  Andrew explained to me that those places really aren't unique if you are from SF.  They are unique to me because I live in Las Vegas and so they are new and different.  This really opened my eyes to the thought of what unique really means.

I turned the conversation to Las Vegas.  Many of us married here were looking for that unique, cultural feel for a large wedding or event.  Keep in mind, these are unique to me, a Las Vegan for 15 years.  Those traveling from out of town just might be looking for their unique (perhaps a casino or the Las Vegas sign).  So to each there own but here are my top pics that I shared with Andrew.

1) Springs Preserve:  You can check out this WEDDING video shot by Memory Lane Video.  This is my absolute favorite place to be on a beautiful Las Vegas day.  It is what we call our diamond in the desert.  If you haven't been there, make sure you make a visit.  Unique only begins to describe it.  Currently it is catered by Wolfgang Puck Catering.  The word is that starting January 1, the Preserve will bring on the Culinary Academy. 

2) Mount Charleston:  One of my fellow bloggers, STYLEMEPRETTY, just posted a beautiful wedding at Mount Charleston.  A winter wedding on the mountain is an unexpected surprise for people who visit Las Vegas for a wedding or event.  No casinos and lots of nature.  Who knew?  Click HERE to check out some amazing views and the decor of this beautiful event.

3)  Valley of Fire: If you love the outdoors, this is a great spot to look at.  The rock formations are stunning and colors are brilliant.  I don't have a specific vendor that I can recommend for this location but would love to hear from any brides out there who experienced this spectacular venue and get their thoughts.  You can google "valley of fire weddings" and see some really breathe-taking photos.

4)  Lou Ruvo Center:  Great on the outside and the inside!  This new location is catered by Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining and boasts some beautiful spaces for small and large events alike.  I have not seen any reviews of weddings here yet.  Who knows, this might be a new hideaway for the bride looking to be super unique!

If you have a Las Vegas venue that you love for any kind of event, please share it with us.  I love discovering new places in our city and sharing it with others.  We do have beauty and culture, it just is a little hidden.  Contact me here if you are looking for a liaison to work with a venue for your upcoming event!

Convention Anyone?

This week I am at the Information Technology and Security Summit in San Diego hosting the booth for Link Technologies, a Vegas based IT company.  The content is all about IT security and the cloud which is fascinating but let's face it, a bit over my head.  Although I am enjoying the speakers, I love running my booth and meeting all the attendees.  I especially like taking a table and turning it into something that people gravitate towards.  How?  I like to say that someone dropped a box of crayons on a table and that is how we decided on a color scheme.  Color is such an attention grabber!  Why go for the common black or white mug?!?  Stand out by choosing the power color - RED.  Match that with a purple backdrop and you have something pretty snazzy to look at.  It also helps that the boss gave us the best giveaways in the room. 
Not so secret TIP: Have the best giveaway.  Everyone will visit your booth and they will send their friends!  Yes you have valuable things to say so keep your giveaways towards the back of the table so people can't just walk by and swipe.  They HAVE to talk to you and then offer them the gift.

Looking to have a booth in the Southwest area?  Send me a request and I can give you some ideas on how to booth on a budget and give you options to staff your booth (that would be me!) so you don't have to make the trip!

This Just In --- Weddings on World of Warcraft?!?!?

Well who knew you could get married on WOW?  Check out the info on how it is done at the Offbeat Bride. Kellia and David share their unique wedding and the hoops they had to jump through to tie the knot.  I gotta say, this is one of the most unique weddings I have reviewed in a while!

Have a wedding idea that tops this one?  Share your story here!

Baby Showers - What About the Dads?

Baby showers are so much fun.  What better way to celebrate a new addition to the family?  There are so many themes and color schemes and party ideas out there for the perfect baby shower for mom, but what about dad?  Well, you could go with the traditional co-ed baby shower, but try this idea on for size.

We recently celebrated our friends new addition to the family with two baby showers, one for mom and one for dad.  In their community, there is a community house available for little to no cost and was the perfect setting for mommy and only two blocks from the house.  Why waste that space?  Instead, have the guys drop the ladies at the community house and hit the house to celebrate with dad!

Our theme for the guys was a "diaper party".  Each guy brought a box of diapers to the house where we set up a stellar BBQ including meat, beer and a golf net for golfing in the back yard.  You can get one of these golfing nets on ebay or at Target or Walmart.  Set up is a cinch and really adds a manly activity to what could easily be a "girly" themed party.  Don't forget the bloody mary bar!  TIP: There are so many types of olives out there why not try olives stuffed with cheese, almonds or jalapeno?  Another great idea: Cigar rollers are a hit at any man party!


The best part?  When the girls were done, we joined the party.  This is my favorite way to get the whole crew involved in the celebration! The only thing better was welcoming Robbie into the world.

For more great ideas, visit us on facebook at www.facebook.com/partiesbyparis.

International Institute of Business Analysis holding an event August 23rd

For any of you out there in the world of Information Technology, the IIBA is having an event August 23rd at the Sierra Gold on S. Jones and the 215.  Sue Beyer will be presenting " Connecting Powerful Relationships to Business Success."  Check out the details at http://lasvegas.theiiba.org/index.php/chapter-events.

I have been fortunate to be a part of this great group which has given me insight into growing an organization and membership from scratch and getting the best return on investment without a lot of bucks.  If you are looking for a great learning experience and a way to give back, volunteer at a local organization that will help you grow too.

Any of you readying, feel free to let us know if you are currently looking for volunteers and how we can get in touch with you.

Happy Friday!

Warren Miller Film Coming to Vegas!

Paris Productions will be hosting the Warren Miller film this year in November.  If you are a snowboarding or ski fan, you will want to keep an eye out for this amazing event.  Warren Miller films are amazing and include footage from his travels around the world.  For more information on Warren Miller, visit http://www.warrenmiller.com/.  And keep an eye out for our event.  Free swag, beer and a movie - great way to start out the season!

Raising Money in a Down Economy - It Can Be Done!

Congratulations to the Summer Class at UNLV in TCA 490 taught by Professor Todd Uglow.  They put on a great event to raise money for the Nathan Adelson Hospice Foundation, the largest non-profit hospice in Las Vegas (and only 1 out of 2 that are actually non-profit).  On August 4, these students hosted a piano concert benefit featuring Steve Siu, a wonderful pianist who is the resident pianist at the Montage in Laguna Beach, California.  The event was unique in that the second half of the event was music requested by the audience through Steve's facebook page.  He played songs from Eminem to Journey, all without sheet music!

It was a pleasure to be a part of this class and watch a group come together so well.  Who knew a group of 40 students and a dedicated teacher could raise $5800 in just 4 weeks!?!?  The community also helped.  We had great sponsors like Lee's Liquor, Rio, Cosmopolitan, and many more.  Our silent auction boasted tickets to Celine Dion and Barry Manilow, artwork from local artisans, golf packages, etc.  And free drinks!  If you missed it, you will definitely want to keep an eye out for next semesters program.

TIP:  Get your volunteers motivated!  Getting sponsors and donors is hard.  Give your team the tools they need to make it as easy as possible.  In this case, a good grade was a great benefit but we also had Stephanie Forbes from Nathan Adelson come in and speak to the class about the foundation and how the money would be going to youth hospice and what that means.  Bringing the group closer to the cause really helps.  For more ideas on fundraising, I go to The Chronicle of Philanthropy on LinkedIn.

You can learn more about Steve Siu at http://www.facebook.com/SteveSiuPiano.
You can learn more about Nathan Adelson at http://www.nah.org/.

Please comment or email me if you want information on putting on your own event.  Be sure to stay tuned for more non-profit event ideas.

Bridal Spectacular August 19 and 20

August 19 and 20, 2011
Cashman Center
850 N. Las Vegas Blvd.
http://www.bridalspectacular.com/

If you haven't been to a Bridal Spectacular, you definitely want to check it out.  I have been as a bride and as a vendor and had a great time as both.  I also almost always see my favorite vendors there, many of which I would recommend in a heartbeat.

Brides: You should definitely plan to spend some time there.  There are so many booths and great ideas that you want to be able to take it all in.  In addition, you could win some free goodies and check out a fashion show or maybe a dance demonstration.  I recommend you check out Springs Preserve, Memory Lane Video and Elegant Wedding Dance.  These are some great vendors that I have seen work their magic first hand.  You won't be disappointed.  QUICK TIP: Bring preprinted stickers with you with your name, address, phone and email printed that you can peel and stick to all the drawing cards you will be filling out.  This will save you time and a hand cramp.

Vendors:  Definitely invest in this opportunity to showcase your services and products.  The best are here and you should be too.  Not only do you get in front of the brides, but also in front of other vendors who can refer clients to you.  QUICK TIP: Contact UNLV for free or low-cost Meeting and Events Planning students to help work your booth.

See you at the Bridal Spectacular!

Nautical Themes for Weddings

I recently worked a wedding with a nautical theme (yes, you can do this even in the desert).  What a great idea!  To make this successful, you just need to find the right venue and you can have your own nautical theme in any city.  If you are interested in having a similar event, here are some great ideas:

•  Navy linens are inexpensive in the world of rentals and white is even cheaper!  You won't have to stress the linen budget with this theme.
• White flowers are abundant.  From white roses, to lilies, to hydrangea, you can find white flowers to easily accent your event.  These three specific flowers will also allow you to use three different heights of glass vases to add dimension to your centerpieces (lilies - tall, roses - medium, hydrandea - small).
• If indoors, find a location with exposed wood architecture or furniture.  If the ceiling has exposed wood, it will help the feeling of being on a boat.
• Serving seafood is another great way to keep with the theme.  Shrimp cocktail is a favorite (especially in Vegas)!

Want to throw your own nautical themed event here in Las Vegas?  Let me know what you are looking for and I will be glad to share!