Event Gift-Opening Etiquette

The New York Institute of Art and Design offers an online event planning course and because we do, we like to provide free tips for event planners. Enjoy!

As a professional event planner, a large part of your responsibility comes in the form of planning the activity schedule of the party. Without prearranged activities for guests, you run the risk of invitees falling into uninterested conversational lulls and becoming bored. While it can sometimes be difficult to develop a sufficiently time consuming list of things for partygoers to do, don’t make the mistake of using gift-opening as a filler for parties at which it isn’t an appropriate activity.

With the exception of wedding or baby showers, gift openings are relatively inappropriate things to do at special events. Sitting or standing around as the guest of honor unwraps item after item is tedious and monotonous for most guests. The only other exception to this rule would apply if the honored guest was receiving one single group gift (like a retirement gift) given collectively by all attending guests.

If you are throwing a party that falls within the etiquette realm of gift-opening, always advise someone to stand nearby with a pen and paper or smartphone handy so that they can record what the gift is and who it came from.

Want to learn more? Learn how to become an event planner with NYIAD’s online event planning courses. Request your free course catalog today!

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Event Gift-Opening Etiquette

The New York Institute of Art and Design offers an online event planning course and because we do, we like to provide free tips for event planners. Enjoy!

As a professional event planner, a large part of your responsibility comes in the form of planning the activity schedule of the party. Without prearranged activities for guests, you run the risk of invitees falling into uninterested conversational lulls and becoming bored. While it can sometimes be difficult to develop a sufficiently time consuming list of things for partygoers to do, don’t make the mistake of using gift-opening as a filler for parties at which it isn’t an appropriate activity.

With the exception of wedding or baby showers, gift openings are relatively inappropriate things to do at special events. Sitting or standing around as the guest of honor unwraps item after item is tedious and monotonous for most guests. The only other exception to this rule would apply if the honored guest was receiving one single group gift (like a retirement gift) given collectively by all attending guests.

If you are throwing a party that falls within the etiquette realm of gift-opening, always advise someone to stand nearby with a pen and paper or smartphone handy so that they can record what the gift is and who it came from.

Want to learn more? Learn how to become an event planner with NYIAD’s online event planning courses. Request your free course catalog today!

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The Brides Rocked Unique Rose Gold Wedding Gowns!

If you ask me, Debby and Laura are two of the most stylish brides ever. On the eve of their 20th anniversary, they married in front of their nearest and dearest, all of whom dressed in black and white while the brides stunned in rose gold gowns from Rent the Runway. A vendor dream team including Holly Heider Chapple, Lauryn Prattes, and Lisa Ziesing for Abby Jiu worked hard behind the scenes and all those pretty shades of pink were the perfect nod to Laura’s mother, a breast cancer survivor.

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Debby and Laura met in Michigan (where they are both from) through a softball league. On April 18th, the eve of their 20th anniversary they decided to get married at DAR in Washington DC in front of 55 of their closest friends and family members. Each of their two sons walked them down the aisle and their dearest friend and neighbor officiated the wedding. Guests were requested to wear black and white, while the brides wore stunning Rose Gold gowns from Rent the Runway. Each held a delicate hand-tied bouquet created by Holly Chapple featuring blush garden roses, blush tulips, pink spray roses, ranunculus and pops of red sweet peas. 

The shades of pink were important to Laura and Debby as they were in honor of Laura’s mother, a recent Breast Cancer survivor. 

During cocktail hour guests sipped on Moscow Mules (Debby’s cocktail of choice) and Mint Juleps (Laura’s cocktail of choice). They were later given their copper mugs and mint julep cups as a keepsake from their friends’ wedding day. They listened to music and enjoyed the DC scenery of the nearby White House and Washington Monument. 

O’Byrne Gallery inside DAR served as the perfect space for an intimate dinner party. One dramatic, long table brought a sense of togetherness, as everyone dined at one table, instead of separately throughout the space. The table was covered in a white sequin linen, lucite Versaille chairs featured bold black and white stripe chair pads and place settings consisted of rose gold flatware. Against the black and white decor vibrant centerpieces in shades of pink with pops of red brought the room to life. Delicate butterflies balanced on the champagne flutes, serving as place cards for each guest to find their seat. 

After dinner, guests danced the night away on the Portico. The cake was Georgetown Cupcakes and late night snacks included hot pretzels and mustard served in mini-Nat’s hats…a nod to the couple’s love of Baseball.

Photography: Abby Jiu Photography | Event Planning: Lauryn Prattes Styling and Events | Floral Design: Holly Heider Chapple Flowers LTD | Wedding Dresses: Rent The Runway | Catering: Catering By Windows | Wedding Venue: DAR Continental Memorial Hall | Linens: Nuage Designs | Rentals: Capital Party Rentals | Rentals: Party Rental LTD | Rentals: DC Rental

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The Most Iconic Engagement Rings of All Time

Elizabeth Taylor. Grace Kelly. Kate Middleton. What do all these gorgeous women have in common? They’ve sported some of the most recognizable engagement rings ever. From dazzling diamonds to mesmerizing emeralds to stunning sapphires, these 10 engagement rings have definitely earned their place in history — and our hearts.

Iconic Engagement Rings

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Iconic Engagement Rings

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More Engagement Rings to Obsess Over

The Right Ring for Your Zodiac Sign | 65 Unique Rings You’ll Love | 100+ Years of E-Ring History

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Post tags: Celebrity Engagement, Celebrity Wedding, Celebrity Weddings, Engagement
Post categories: Jewelry, Round-Ups, Slideshows, SMPwedding101, The Blog, Wedding Fashion, Wedding Style

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The Sweetest Monogramed Bridesmaid Brunch

Hello, brides-to-be! It’s Ali from Love You, Mean It here to share one of the most fun days i’ve had with some of my very best friends! Besides the fact that I get to marry the man of my dreams, our wedding day is something I look forward to because it’s a day we get to spend with our closest friends and family. And there is one thing for sure, I couldn’t say “i do” without a few special ladies by my side!

I love giving gifts! I often find that giving a gift is far better than receiving one, so I wanted to find a memorable way to ask my friends to be bridesmaids! For those girls living in Dallas, I thought it would be fun to host a brunch to create an experience to show how much I appreciate them, beyond just the gift they would receive.

I wanted to create an intimate setting that would make my friends feel extra special! Our wedding colors will be white, green and gold, so i wanted to incorporate this color scheme as much as possible throughout the tablescape to really set the tone for what’s to come! Each place setting had the most gorgeous pretty little plates, accompanied by green and gold accents. I wrote each girl a special note and used the calligraphy by Alli K Designs on the envelope as their place cards! And no table is complete without a beautiful centerpiece of fresh flowers. R love floral created the most stunning white and green bouquet that made the entire look come together!

For bites, I wanted to recreate some of my favorite brunch items, this time only smaller! Silver-dollar pancakes, mini pastries and petite parfaits were on the menu. And of course, no party is complete without bubbly! For the actual gift, I wanted the girls to receive something that they could not only wear during the wedding, but also have as a reminder of this special time. Inside a monogrammed jewelry box from parker thatch, they would find matching crystal earrings that would be perfect for the big day! A little something for now, and a little something for the wedding day!

I am so grateful to have such wonderful women in my life and I couldn’t have asked for a better day to celebrate them. This is just the beginning of an exciting journey ahead and luckily for me, I have some of the most kind, caring, and intelligent women by my side! To see more of our day, check out this fun video by when it clicks! Thank you so much for following along on this exciting adventure! I hope you are enjoying it just as much as I am!

Follow Ali’s Journey Down the Aisle!

Meet the Bride!

Photography: Tarin Frantz | Cinematography: When It Clicks | Floral Design: R Love Floral | Calligraphy: Alli K Design | Ali's Skirt: Topshop | Ali's Top: Pleione | Bridesmaid's Earrings: J.Crew Factory | Jewelry Box: Parker Thatch | Rentals: Pretty Little Plates

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Post tags: bridal party, Bridal Party Gifts, Bridal Shower, Bridesmaid Party, Brunch, Brunch Party, favor, Inspiration
Post categories: Real Parties, The Blog

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The Ridiculously Cool Wedding We’ve All Been Waiting For

I can’t even tell you how excited we are to share this decidedly “cool girl” wedding. It’s one of those celebrations that completely breaks the mold with rich, moody colors, unique design moments (they were married under a teepee!) and a modern boho vibe that’s a TOTAL breath of fresh air. Bravo, Amorology for designing the desert wedding of our dreams and Ashley Keleman for photographing these gems in The Vault.

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From Amorology…When Jen and Brian came to us, they had just cancelled their Dominican Republic destination wedding due to the Zika outbreak and had to move the celebration state-side. The couple wanted a place where they could surround themselves with the family and friends they would have been traveling with and luckily for us they turned to one of our favorite locations, Colony 29, where they could all gather together and stay nearby.

The desert oasis set the perfect backdrop for their modern boho palette of dusty nudes and dark moody jewel tones of raspberry, muted turquoise, emerald, and magenta. As a nod to how their relationship developed – the couple met as neighbors in an apartment complex sharing a wall – Jen and Brian were married under a teepee to symbolize their two homes now becoming one.

The dainty lion brought us wild and free blooms to adorn a ceremony and reception already surrounded by rose gardens, orchard trees, and flower vines. To lend a cocktail vibe, we brought in an eclectic mix of modern bohemian elements through folklore and added candlelight and ambiance to the atmosphere with black taper candles and brass candlesticks.

Guests dined at low tables with moroccan poufs or smaller clusters of tulip tables set with geode slabs and brass chargers. As we further got to know Jen and Brian, we learned that they while opposite in character they truly are each other’s better half – and as such we decided to pay homage to this by hanging fringed hemispheres on a marble backdrop to represent two halves of the same moon. Guests also gathered their seating assignments here from calligraphed crystal moon rocks. Throughout the night, guests sipped on the Girl Next Door and the Neighbor Boy (a reference to the nickname for Brian coined lovingly by Jen’s friends during their early courting days) and danced the night away.

Guests were treated to a family style meal by Miho Catering, and in lieu of a traditional cake the couple opted for tray-passed mini-churros and hand pies. The night was truly one of those perfect palm springs evenings, where guests gathered under the stars surrounded by painted hills to celebrate a love as bright as the desert moon.

Photography: Ashley Keleman | Event Design: Amorology | Event Planning: Amorology | Floral Design: Kimberly Anderson, The Dainty Lion | Catering: Miho Catering | Hair + Makeup: Sparkle Tafao | Calligraphy: Betlem Calligraphy | DJ: Dart DJ | Venue: colony 29 | Backdrop: Backup Backdrops | Beverage Services: RoomForty | Day of Paper Design: Peanut Press Creative | Lounge Area: Folklore Vintage Rentals | Rentals: Classic Party Rentals | Rentals: Witty Rentals | Tabletop: Hostess Haven

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Post tags: Boho, Desert Wedding, Geode, Modern, moroccan, nontraditional, Palm Springs, real weddings
Post categories: Modern, Real Weddings, The Blog

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