When choosing a time and date, it is helpful to consult your guest list. Summertime is usually perfect because of favorable weather and because children are not in school. Poll your reunion participants to discuss ideas on what would be best for everyone.

It is important when choosing a location to keep a few things in mind. First off all, for outdoor reunions, such as the fabulous grounds of La Paloma, make sure to choose a place with just the right amount of shade and accommodations for elderly family members, kids, grandkid and great grandkids! You also need to ensure that when you choose a venue that is near adequate overnight accommodations, such as trailer parks, hotels or bed and breakfasts.

Now assuming someone in your extended family has not yet won the lottery or stumbled upon a rare fortune, your reunion will require a budget. Consider costs like invitations, a venue, overnight accommodations, travel expenses (some may choose not to include this, but take care of it on a family by family basis) food, drinks, activities, entertainment, etc. You may choose to hold fundraisers, car washes, bake sales or garage sales to help pay for your expenses.

Any reunion I have ever been to allows the perfect opportunity for family members to share some of their favorite dishes. Everyone has a Great Aunt who makes the best apple pie, or a Grandmother who has perfected chocolate chip cookies, or even a distant cousin who is a master on the barbeque grill. To save money on catering in food, it may be a wonderful idea to ask each family member to bring a dish. Ensure that not everyone brings desserts, and not everyone brings a casserole. Give each family a general food assignment. As an added bonus, you can all sit around, eat your comfort food and talk about the time you caught the kitchen on fire when you first started learning how to cook. I mean, I can’t be the only one who’s done that!

As for activities, this is one of my favorites, and I have done it at Christmas parties. Each person should bring a recipe card with one of their favorite recipes on it. They need to write out 1 for each family represented at the reunion. Then everyone exchanges cards, and leaves with their very own heritage recipe box! You can also bring baby/childhood pictures to show- it’s always interesting to see who resembled who as they grew up.

Family tee-shirts are an excellent idea! This way, if you choose to go on outings or get lost in a crowd, you can easily find other members of your party. Personally, I would choose a bright color and cover it in glitter, but you can come up with your own idea.

Make sure to bring games and activities for kids, all-natural sun block and cameras. Make your reunion special and ask everyone to submit their photos to a “designated person” who can incorporate them all into a digital scrapbook to share. Make lots of memories and enjoy your family!

Don’t we all have some sort of silly superstition we hang on to? You know- like kissing the air at 11:11, staying away from ladders on Friday the 13th, looking out for werewolves during full moons, keeping your feet from hanging over the side of the bed at night so the bed monsters don’t attack? Maybe that’s just me.

Weddings come with their own list of superstitions, and I compiled a few. Some of these you may have heard of and even adhere to. Some may seem a little wacky, but I got a kick out of finding all of these!

-If a bride wears her entire wedding ensemble before her big day, she is doomed to heartache and tragedy. So make sure to only try on your dress and accessories one at a time.

-According to English tradition, it is considered lucky for a bride to find a spider in her wedding gown on her big day. Personally, I would find that ominous.

-According to Greeks, if the bride wears a sugar cube inside her glove, it will sweeten the union. Nevermind how that may look in pictures…

-In Rome, a bride was encouraged to wear a veil to hide her face from evil spirits who were jealous of happy people. I would be more worried about jealous ex-girlfriends showing up. But that’s why I would hire security. Moving along…

-If a bride chooses to make her own gown watch out! Every stitch represents a tear she will cry. Yikes.

-Oh, here’s a good one- if you can persuade a cat to eat out of your wedding shoe one week before the wedding, then you will have good luck in your marriage (as long as you didn’t sew your own gown).

-You should never shop for rings on a Friday because of the association with Friday the 13th.

- If a ring falls off your finger, it is considered a bad omen unless your spouse places it back on.

- Any combination of red and white flowers should be avoided because they represent blood and bandages. That’s too bad. I actually like these colors together.

-If you light candles on your wedding day, but they blow out, then evil spirits are nearby waiting to cause mischief. Unless, of course, it’s just windy outside.

-For all you ladies who like to write out your new married name before the wedding day with little hearts and glitter, beware! This can jinx your wedding day and stop the nuptials before they even happen!

-If you run into a nun or clergyman on your way to your ceremony, you are doomed to be dependent on charity for the rest of your lives. Simple solution- keep your head down.

-It is considered bad luck to marry in the first half hour of an hour, when the minute hand is going down. It is better to marry in the second half hour so that your marriage will always be going up!

-It is unlucky for the future of a marriage if a new bride trips on her way out of her new home, so she must step out carefully with her right foot first. Unless she really married a keeper, in which case, he would carry her over the threshold. As for me, I prefer to be carried over walking any day, so I don’t think I have to worry about this one.

Next month we will give you some superstitious folk songs and rhymes in keeping with tradition and superstitions. “Have your heard? Did you know? Blue was the dress color long, long ago?” That was mine- to give you something to look forward to.

It’s May in Texas, and we are all sitting around in sweatpants, drinking hot chocolate?! When does that happen? Due to the unusually cool weather, I have been sitting around watching movies, while wrapped in blankets, and I started thinking about all the inspirational wedding movies out there. So I compiled a list- go watch a few and get some wedding inspiration for yourself!

The Princess Bride (Maiwwage… is what bwings us too-gavah today…)

Father of the Bride (Tear jerker for daddies and daughters!)

27 Dresses (Fun themes! Great ending!)

Meet the Parents (Raise your hand if Greg is your favorite male nurse!)

Bride Wars (Ladies! Make sure your best friend doesn’t book La Paloma the same day as you!)

Sweet Home Alabama (Jealous of the ring, I’ll admit. Ok, and Patrick Dempsey. Ok and Josh Lucas…)

The Wedding Singer (Julia Guglia still makes me chuckle)

The Proposal (Avoiding deportation was never so comical or romantic.)

My Best Friend’s Wedding (I can relate. I sing just as well!)

Steel Magnolias (The small-town wedding is lovely. The movie is a top favorite!)

SHREK! (Ogres need lovin’ too!)

Sex and the City (The dresses in Carrie’s photoshoot are to die for.)

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (just don’t find your bridesmaid dress inspiration here!)

Monster in Law (Some argue that the Mother in Law is accurately depicted, no?)

Runaway Bride (She ran right into our list again!)

The Wedding Planner (Teal looks good if done right, I say.)

Mamma Mia (The dress! The style! My, my- how can I resist you?)

When Harry Met Sally (I love all the elderly couples who talk about how they met. I love Billy Crystal. I love Meg Ryan. I love their conversations and one-liners. And I love that we order food the same.)

What movies would you add to the list?

We teamed up with event specialists, DNA Events to host this event on La Paloma property. DNA Events provided the event coordination, vendor management and staffing, and we think they did a fabulous job! We all chatted and mingled in our beautiful pavilion, which was designed and built by Southstar Homes. And all of our gorgeous table linens were delicately set up and provided by Premier Party Central.

While listening to music provided by Complete Music, we enjoyed delicious food samples of breads, pork loin, crab dip, Pita bread and hummus from Dagar’s Catering. We enjoyed cake tastings from Michelle’s Patisserie, and custom decorated cupcakes from The Cupcake Bar. If you stopped by for one of each, I’m sure you were tempted to go back for seconds. Not only was I tempted, but I’ll admit, I did go back for more! I’ll have to amp up my work out routine this week, but their desserts were so deliciously worth it!

We weren’t the only ones swarming around Flora Fetish’s and Wild Bunches’ floral arrangements- the butterflies were just as enthralled with them as we were! Their vibrant flower color combinations and the fullness of their bouquets were exquisite. We hope you stopped by to see them.

Your Wedding Your Way was another featured event coordinator; they have done events in a backyard, a bowling alley, a cave (my favorite!), an art studio, a mansion a hotel and in a museum! Be sure to check out their photos- they are beautifully inspiring!

We also featured North America’s original blow dry bar, Blo, where wash, blo and go is their motto and pink abounds! After a chic blow-dry, we visited with Robin Bassinger, a representative for Rodan Fields for smooth fresh skin.

What event could be complete without a photographer? Lisa Shepard with Aimage joined our open house event and photographed the whole afternoon!

With our preferred vendors, you could plan an entire wedding! Thanks for all who came and we look forward to seeing you again. Thanks to the vendors who we recommend to all of our brides- you are all fabulous!

To see event photos, click here. Enjoy!

When you work Monday through Friday, day in and day out, month after month, year after year, sometimes you forget that the people you work with are your partners, your colleagues, your business associates and in a way, a sort of extension of your family. Admit it- we all get a little burnt out seeing the same office scenery, coping with each others quirks and learning how to relate to people who are different from ourselves. A great way to get out of this rut is to host FUN corporate events. Why is La Paloma is the best place for it? Because the great open space and the energy here is enough to turn around Moandays (I mean Mondays) for weeks to come! Here are some great reasons to have an event for your company.

To promote team building exercises
To celebrate holidays or birthdays
To celebrate company milestones
To celebrate the company’s anniversary
To remind bosses and employees that you are all part of the team and you are all important
To lighten up the mood in a work space
To encourage employees and team members to find more commonality
To give incentive to work well together
To offer prizes and recognition where it is due

Here are some fun ideas for events that we would love to host for you! Maybe these ideas spark a little inspiration for your own theme or idea!

Picnics
Holiday Parties
Casino Nights
Awards ceremonies
Mask parties
Circus parties
Tropical BBQs
Crawfish boils
Inflatable fun days
Scavenger hunts
…and more!

Be sure to call us if you would like to discuss an event for your company!

Creating and managing a fundraising event can be challenging and exciting! It takes a lot of careful planning and marketing strategies and even more creativity and dedication. But being loyal to a cause means meeting the challenge with enthusiasm and excellence. Before a big event, it is important that you write out a detailed plan and stick to it! Let’s explore some ways to ensure that your fundraising event will be a success!

The first and most important step is to decide what your purpose and goals are for your fundraising event. Is your goal strictly monetary? Do you want to gain publicity or reach out to other networks? Do you want to bring like-minded people together or branch out to people with different interests? Always know who you plan to target when you begin your marketing strategy, and create as many options as you can to meet your monetary goal for the event. Also keep in mind that the money you hope to raise should be the net amount after all of your expenses from the actual event are paid.

This ties in with your budget. Make a list of all of your costs and expenses you will incur leading up to and during the event. Things to be mindful of include staff compensation, invitations, venue rental, catering, entertainment, security, equipment rental fees, table settings and any other cost required to host a successful event. Always leave a 10-15% cushion for unforeseen expenses, and remember that when you create your fundraising goal, these expenses must be accounted for.

When putting together a team for your fundraising event, take care to delegate responsibility wisely and frugally. You don’t want to have to allot a large sum of money to cover the cost of team and staff members. You will most likely have a “host committee” and a “host committee chairperson”. These individuals are usually responsible for contributing funds to the event, while encouraging others to do the same. This committee is often composed of business owners or local celebrities. You will also need to designate someone for marketing, welcoming and hospitality and a host or hostess to make sure the event progresses smoothly.

Like anything new that needs to be recognized, your fundraising event must be aggressively marketed to your target audience. You have to creatively find ways to convince potential donors that your cause and event are worthy of their investment of time and money. You may also come up with products to offer at your event, such as autographs by local celebrities, items in a silent auction, raffles, contests or any product relative to your cause. For example, some non-profits sell jewelry that is handmade  by children, and of course, the money collected is dedicated to helping those children. Also be sure to utilize your non-profit’s network, send emails to your email subscription list, send community-wide invitations, etc.

Among the many other details that go into a fundraising event, thanking supporters, contributors and volunteers is sometimes overlooked. Keep in mind that without a strong team, no fundraiser event can be successful, so showing appreciation to individuals who make your event successful is vital. Taking care thank all involved shows that there is integrity and excellence behind your cause and it also encourages people to be a part of your next event or fundraiser.

Have you ever hosted or been a part of a fundraising event? We would love to hear your stories!

You can see our map and directions HERE.

You must RSVP to info@lapalomaevents.com.

See you there!

Choosing the bridal bouquet is one of the most exciting parts of planning a wedding! A bride gets to choose and create her very own way of expressing herself and carry it down the aisle, adding to the beauty of her stunning dress and in the company of all her friends and family. However, this tradition has ancient roots, and believe it or not, back then, beauty was not a consideration in the wedding bouquet. Garlic was a popular item to carry down the aisle, and I have a feeling that gave an entirely different effect (and smell!) during the wedding procession.

The custom of carrying bouquets originated in ancient times, when it was believed that carrying or wearing strong-smelling herbs and spices would ward off evil spirits, ill health and bad luck. Later, Romans extended this tradition, when the bride and groom both wore garland made of herbs and spices that were expected to bring good luck and fertility. An actual bouquet came to symbolize a bride in bloom.

Traditional Celtic bouquets included ivy, thistle and heather. If a bride carried sage, the flower of wisdom, she was to become wise. If she carried dill, the flower of lust, well, she became lusty (if that’s a word). Flower girls would carry sheaves of wheat, which symbolized growth and fertility.

It is believed that “the flower language” originated in Turkey, where flowers and flower scents were often used by lovers to exchange messages to each other. Each flower came to have its own meaning, and flowers important to a couple during their courtship were incorporated into the bridal bouquet.

During the Victorian Era, these associations were adapted into the wedding ceremony, but edible flowers remained a part of the bouquet. Dill was consumed by both the bride and groom to increase desire and fertility (yet again!). Different-colored flowers also had specific meanings; for example, white flowers symbolized purity, ivy meant fidelity and orange meant happiness and fertility. Lots of fertility talk in those days!

In modern days, though, it is generally accepted that a bride chooses flowers that she likes or that match her wedding theme. Now that you know a little more about the bouquet’s history, maybe you can incorporate a bit of ancient tradition into yours! We would like to hear about your traditional or modern day bouquet! What flowers or herbs and spices did you choose?

Also, visit our Pinterest Page to see our board “Ode to the Ancient.”

Typically, if you have a wedding event of over 50 people, you will have a more formal table arrangement. You may choose to number tables, adorn them with beautiful centerpieces and assign seating arrangements.

The bridal table is usually a long rectangular or round table at the focal point of the reception room. Some couples may choose to opt out of a large table, preferring a small “sweethearts” table. Still others may choose to just leave extra spaces at their guest tables so they can walk around and mingle. Traditionally though, if a couple chooses to have a bridal table, the groom sits to the right of the bride, the best man sits to her left and the maid of honor sits to the groom’s right. Depending on the size of the table, other attendants and their partners or spouses may be able to sit at the bridal table as well.

Family tables are headed by the bride and groom’s parents- one for the bride’s parents and one for the groom’s. In the case of divorced parents, extra tables are often provided to avoid any awkwardness or uncomfortable situations. For friends of the parents, it may be a good idea to allow the mother and mother-in-law arrange these tables and placements.

As for the rest of your wedding guests, mix it up a bit! It is courteous to have friends and companions sit together at tables, but keep in mind that you want your guests to mingle and get to know each other, so include new faces at each table. It would be a good idea to seat people who have similar interests together. Be sure to also mix up guests with different marital statuses- singles, couples, newlyweds, etc. Also if you have children attending the wedding, it might be fun to put them at a shorter table with fun little activities to keep them occupied. Crayons and bubbles do wonders!

Have fun arranging your wedding party and guest reception. Instead of worrying about table arrangements being “something else to do”, treat it like another creative element to add to your wedding. Then enjoy watching your guests have a great time on your special day!