How to Plan a Last-Minute Super Bowl Party

February 5th is Super Bowl Sunday (yes, this weekend)! If you've just now decided to have a little something for friends and family, here are a few tips to help you have a great party in a short amount of time:

Figure out your viewing space. Your TV will be the main focal point of your party. So, you first need to figure out how many people can comfortably sit in the room where the game will be viewed. You might need to move some furniture around to accommodate all your guests. Also, be realistic; if it's too crowded, your guests probably won't have fun. 

Create your menu. Aside from the actual game, a great Super Bowl party is about the food. With that said, create a menu with lots of traditional Super Bowl favorites like chips, cheesy dips, beer and soda. You can also consider making some food in your crock-pot like chili or barbecue; these foods can be made early and kept warm, ready for guests to help themselves when hunger strikes. 

Keep the drinks nearby. After all the salty snacks, your guests will be ready for something cold to drink; be sure to have several beverage options available for quick refills.

Get the help of your guests. When you've figured out your main dish, let your friends/family help you with other items on the menu. And to make sure you don't have too many of certain items, tell them exactly what you want them to bring.

Set up and Timing. Plan to have people arrive about an hour before the game starts. That way, they'll have the chance to enjoy some appetizers and some time to socialize before kick-off. Additionally, if you have the space, have one room for TV viewing and another room with the food. This creates a place for those who may not be as interested in watching the game to continue hanging out without disturbing those who are into it.

Whether you're rooting for the Giants or the Patriots, have an awesome Super Bowl Sunday!

[Photo Credit]

A Whimsical Vineyard Wedding: Janelle & Nick

Janelle and Nick are the stuff fairy tales are made of. They are one of those couples that have known each other since they were young and although geography and circumstances carried them away from each other for a long while, fate eventually brought them back together again and they never looked back.

The fairy tale continued with the engagement when Nick proposed on bended knee at sunset and flew in all of Janelle's family (they were hiding at an apartment) so they could celebrate the engagement with them. This is a thoughtful couple, so you can imagine the details that were found in their wedding. From the food; representing both French and Italian cultures, to the venue; a Niagara vineyard echoing their love of wine, to the midnight snack; a decadent Dairy Queen bar- a common & favourite treat for the couple. But despite all that, Janelle & Nick will tell you that their favourite part was simply having all their loved ones there, basking in their love, and basking in the warm afternoon sun that filled their tent overlooking the vineyard. A breathtaking day for everyone involved.

The always luxurious Wedluxe Magazine featured Janelle and Nick's entire Niagara nuptials in their 'Editor's Blog', take a peek here

Much love to Janelle & Nick- thanks for letting us share in your 'fairy tale' xo

Wedding Stationery Collections - Zinnia Bloom

Zinnia Bloom Stationery Collection

Our Wedding Stationery Collections have been designed with the Bride in mind. We watch the trends to determine what styles are missing from the market and how we might be able to create wedding stationery that will delight and inspire.

The wedding stationery collections were put together with the intention of providing stationery that will cover all aspects of a wedding. From your invitations all the way down to the little stickers you might put on wedding favors, we will have it! Not all of the collections will contain every possible format of wedding stationery, however we have tried to keep it as all-encompassing as possible. Formats such as the wedding invitations and favor tags are incredibly common and will be in nearly all the designs. However the custom die-cut stickers will only be in the designs that particularly suited them.

Some of our most popular items include the wine labels and water bottle labels. A custom wine label can add the perfect finishing touch to your table setting. It really shows that you have put thought into every little detail. Additionally, if you use custom wine labels you don't have to worry that your wine bottles will stick out like a sore thumb!

It can be difficult to find the personalized stationery that is right for you, so we recommend that you view as many designs as possible before making your decision. From that very first moment that your guests open up your invitation until the day they receive the thank you card – the wedding stationery will set the tone and theme. The last thing you would want would be for your stationery to be at odds with the style of your wedding.

Stationery like the Invitations, Save the Date Cards and RSVP's can give your guests a clue as to what kind of wedding they can expect. Obviously if they receive beach theme wedding invitations, the wedding isn't going to have snowflakes as the primary focus! Sending themed wedding invitations is a great way to get your guests even more excited about your wedding.

Be sure to check back often as we are always expanding our wedding stationery line in order to keep up with the ever evolving demands of Brides and the current wedding trends.

Visit us at http://www.supergiftplace.com for more wedding favor ideas.

Extra Extra Read all About it !

It's that time of year again, the beginning of a new year which brings about new trends in any industry; fashion, home decor and our favourite: weddings. Stacey Price and Jasmine Craig (owner of The White Dress), were featured in the Life & Style section of the Ottawa Citizen today talking about upcoming trends you'll find at modern weddings this year. Take a peek at the entire article here.

And don't forget to join Stacey and Jasmine online from 12pm to 1pm on Tuesday January 31 for a live chat (hosted by The Ottawa Citizen) for all things weddings !

Plantable Wedding Favors

Plantable Dragonfly Favor: Free Personalization

The plantable seed Dragonfly Favor is a whimsical plantable wedding favor made with seeded paper. These plantable wedding favors grow wildflowers when planted and are also available as a Plantable Dove Favor and Plantable Butterfly Favor. This plantable favor comes with a personalized tag affixed with your choice of satin ribbon. Planting instructions included. Favor size: 5 x 3 1/2 inches

Visit us at http://www.supergiftplace.com for more green wedding favor ideas.

How to Create a Successful Networking Event

If you're looking to expand your business network an an entrepreneur, organizing a networking event can help you do just that. Although planning an event can be challenging and time consuming, it is possible. Here are some tips to help:

Think about your audience when scheduling it. 
When the event will be and where are essential considerations to boost attendance. You should also have two goals: what you want to achieve and what you hope your attendees will achieve. All of these things will help you focus your efforts, communicate successfully and provide a great experience for everyone involved.


Make the invitation personal. 
More than likely, the first impression that potential attendees will get about your event will come from your email invitation. Therefore, it has to be engaging. The invitation should look professional and should give the invitee basic information about your event. A few tips include:

• Invite people who you feel would be most interested in the event.
• Personalize the invitation by including people's names. 
• Make sure it is branded with your business logo and colors.
• Let the invitee know the purpose for and the benefits of coming to the event. 
• Give clear details about the date, location, costs associated with the event and contact information. 
• Provide a map (if possible) and driving directions. 

Promote. 
Since sending invitations might not be enough to ensure a "packed house," here are a few suggestions to increase awareness, promote attendance and ultimately fill seats:

• Create a website about the event. This is a wonderful place to include all the details about the event.
• Be sure all promotions include your brand, colors and logo. 
• Is the event open to the public? If so, think about promoting it on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. 
• Send reminders leading up to the event (just don't go overboard). 
• Include an events calendar to publicize upcoming events.
• Obtain a little more information from invitees to use in future marketing efforts.
• If there are fees involved, collect during registration. By doing so electronically, you avoid the security risks of handling and storing credit card numbers. Additionally, if people pay when they register, you're getting a solid commitment from those people that they'll be in attendance. 
• If you're collecting fees, include a refund policy.

Consider post-event activities.
After the event, you'll have the opportunity to make improvements. Post-event activities can disclose useful information about what worked and how you can make the next event better. Some tips:

• Keep track of those who attended and those who didn't.
• Send out timely follow-up communication with highlights of the event, photos and overall summary.
• Do a post-event survey of the attendees to learn about their experiences at the event. 
• Ask them for ways you can improve your next event. 

With these tips, not only will you look professional, you'll also provide a rewarding experience for yourself and your attendees!


[Photo Credit; Source]

Real Wedding ~ Lauren & Dave: Featured on Style Me Pretty Blog

We're so proud to be featured on Style Me Pretty's blog once again. And we're happy to share the most adorable couple to Style Me Pretty's readers. Lauren and Dave are so in love and so adventurous- they have traveled to many places all over the world and have recently taken the greatest journey of all marriage ! (mawwwwww)

We loved the rich colours that were involved in this wedding- all chosen to reflect the couple's vibrant personalities- right down to the bride's royal blue Manolos. Mr Big wasn't holding them for her but they were still breathtaking.

To see Lauren's and Dave's colourful love story, read Style Me Pretty's Blog entry here

Your journey is just beginning Lauren and Dave- enjoy every minute of it
xo