How to Throw a Holiday Bash without Breaking the Bank

As the holiday season approaches, songs, food, and good cheer are our primary source of enjoyment during this time. Some people, who have annual Holiday gatherings with friends, family, and co-workers, are feeling the crunch in today’s economic times. They are tasked with how to continue the tradition of throwing a Holiday Bash, without breaking the bank. In just a few short steps, we’re going to outline how to create the greatest shindig, without emptying your pockets to do so.

1. Decrease your Guest List
We have been known to throw the best party in the city for the last 10 years. However, this year, our finances just aren’t allowing us to have 100 guests at our home to entertain and feed them all. The first way to cut back is to decrease the number of invitees. It may be hard, but sometimes you have to just include those who are closest to you to share in this special occasion. It will be a more intimate setting and allow everyone to mix and mingle with each other.

2. Simplify your Menu

Instead of having a full course dinner to serve to your guests, try picking a few passed hors’devoures and a dessert selection. I am a fan of signature drinks, so try working with your fave bartender and create one just for your holiday party. This will save on the amount of alcohol you have to buy as well as the other additives that make mixed drinks so very appetizing! Make sure you have some juice and sodas for your non-alcoholic guests.

3. Illuminate!
I absolutely love decorating! It’s something that is a bit therapeutic for me. However, it can become costly to decorate your home or event space to create the ambiance you are looking for. One of my favorite cheating tips is to illuminate! Dim the overhead lights and increase the number of candles you have. Votives in the window seals, votives as your centerpieces on a mirrored glass, it creates a space that looks expensive to make, but really costs little to nothing.

4. Utilize Electronic Invitations!
The last point is to save a few dollars on your invitations by utilizing an electronic invitation system. Whether you decide to create a document in Microsoft Word, PDF it and email it to your list and wait for the email responses, or use an automated invitation system like Evite, which can real-time your guest list as well as let you know who has received, opened, and/or responded to your request. Either way it saves money on printing and postage.

Use these four handy tips to create the holiday bash that you and your guests will enjoy, without breaking the bank to do so.

Congrats you're engaged! Now, Plan Your Engagement Soiree!

Engagement parties are now becoming a more prevalent occasion for contemporary couples. As we are embarking upon the Fall wedding season, there will be more and more soirees with the benefit of celebrating your upcoming nuptials.


The first, is starting with the Engagement Party. While I consult tons of clients on how to relax during their engagement period, allowing Envi to coordinate their events, and have the time of their life, there are some parties that couples enjoy planning together for their friends, their friend and family throw for them in celebration.


As with anything, there are always trends. Engagement Parties are not a new fad, they are actually an old concept that are becoming more prevalent, as with clothing styles. The original concept of engagement parties were that they were thrown in honor of the couple to announce their engagement. It was usually thrown by the bride's parents either as a dinner party, cocktail reception, or something for close friends and immediate family to offer congratulations. Fast-forward to now, since weddings on average take about a year to plan, engagement parties are becoming a more formal way to immediately congratulate the couple on their new found journey together.

As with any party, you will determine your budget, your guest list for your invitations, venue, decor, food and drink, and nice parting gifts thanking your guests for attending. All of these components set the tone of your event. You can also determine the formality that you would like your affair to be, depending upon the personalities of the couple. Some may want an intimate, at home dinner, with close friends and family that could be impromptu, where you can play games such as Who knows the couple? , or other couples may want something more formal, such as a cocktail reception, exquisite decor, and mix and mingling, toasts for well-wishes and lots of music, dancing, and fun.

Keeping in line with etiquette, whoever is invited to your engagment party, must also be invited to the wedding. Typically, the engagement party will be hosted shortly after the proposal, anywhere from 1 to 3 months after. However, if you are having a relatively short engagement (meaning 6 months or less), then an engagement party is not necessary or appropriate. Also, an engagement party is simply an event that congratulates the couple, not one that is seen as a gift-bearing affair. Guests will want to provide a little token, but registry information is not appropriate for this affair.

Whatever your personality, Engagement Soirees are fun to plan and even more fun to attend. Remember, that this event is in honor of the couple, so happy planning!

Timing is Everything!

In keeping in line with your information on Wedding Invitations, here is a small video on the importance of the invitation. Timing is everything when dealing with your vendors, especially caterers, and having a definite head count. Make sure that you send your invitations out in enough time to receive RSVPs from your guests and so that they will have enough time to plan to travel if necessary.

Enjoy!

Setting the tone....Sending the invite!

As the host or hostess for any event, your main goal is to make sure that the time your guests have with you is well-spent. You chose the perfect venue, the catering, and the decor. You've finalized your guest list. Now....all you have to do is send out the invitation.

Well, that is almost easier said than done. As premier Event Planning Specialists, we know that first things first, what is your budget? How extravagant are you expecting your invitations to be? What is the overall vision for your event? Gala or cookout? Fashion show or wedding? These questions must be answered prior to thinking about what you want your invitations to look like, the wording included, and the intricasies that encompass the total package.

For a wedding for example, when your guests receive their invitation with the proper etiquette in mind (hint hint....hire a Calligrapher) they will automatically think "A Luxury Affair." Now, as they open the invitation, do you have lined envelopes? Invitations included with velum and ribbons? How about a significantly detailed and streamlined invite that screams Lavish or Simply Elegant? All of the words that you want your guests to think when step foot in your event should be portrayed through the first impression, your Save the Date Cards and your Invitiation!

We have put together a few of our Envi Picks for invitations. From casually chic to simply sophisticated to lavish luxury there are bound to be an idea that you will fall in love with, just like we have!

Vendor of the Week: In the Mix Consulting

In keeping with our weekly theme of cocktails and parties, Envi Consulting & Associates would like to highlight a personal vendor favorite of ours!

In the Mix Consulting is owned and operated by Angela Mangham - Hose, a native Atlantan who has not only a flair for creating outstanding drinks that will be the highlight of your party, but she is also a graphic designer who can custom design your invites! Angela, better known to the Envi team as Angie, is a dynamic person to work with. Her enthusiasm for making your dreams come to reality, her professionalism, and her ability to make sure that both you and your guests are satisfied with her Award-Winning Service is none other than impeccable!

Currently, In the Mix is offering some DYNAMIC specials that Envi Consulting & Associates could not wait to share with our readers. Make sure that you let her know that Envi sent you....you won't be disappointed!

You can contact Angela Mangham - Hose at In the Mix via telephone and e-mail. Her contact information is listed below.