Exciting it is! Bumpercards is featured on The Montel Williams Show this Wednesday, March 5th in a segment on "Baby Must Haves" introduced by the infamous Silver Spoon Girls.

We are thrilled about the show and can't wait to see it and hope you can share in the excitement.

Gotta Love Montel and The Silver Spoon

Advice:

To the Parents:
  • Remember this is a right of passage and the passage is for a 12-13 year old young man or woman. They are dealing with issues like cliques, middle school and boyfriends and girlfriends and live in a world where the impossible is still possible and probable!
  • As you know it’s a tough age to see eye to eye, but if you can let your child make as many decisions as possible with your “guidance” or suggestions, the inevitable power struggle won’t rear it’s shiny head as much and you may even get closer when planning together.
  • Not all 12/13 yr. olds understand the concept of a budget, but this is a perfect time to clue them in. For example give them a budget and control of one aspect such as party favors or table decoration (for the kids table) and have them present their findings to you. This will help them feel more a part of their big day and will let you go ahead and get the other major event decisions moving forward.

  • Involve them as much as possible and keep them in the game. Make sure the theme is agreed upon by everyone in the beginning and everything we go a lot smoother.



To the Bar/Bat Mitzvah Young Man and Woman:

  • They’re your parents and they love you! Try to remember that and it’s your big day. You are now showing the world that you are growing up and can handle life’s challenges, responsibilities and compromises.
  • Did someone say, it’s a party?! If there is something you’re really passionate about, calmly let your parents know what it is and why it’s important. If it’s in the budget, they will respect that and try to make it happen.
  • Write a kick ass speech and don’t forget to thank your parents.
Other helpful information on Bar Mitzvah planning can be found in this article

How to deal with all the opinions and requests at YOUR wedding

Oh, the planning the perfect Wedding, but for whom?

First take a deep breath…Okay in theory it is the bride and groom’s day. However, honestly, an event is never about just one or 2 people. That’s not a good or bad thing, it just is the truth. People are getting together to celebrate the beautiful union between 2 people, but even at a wedding no one lives in a vacuum.

A wedding joins at least 2 families and often times more, so it is truly a balancing act.

WORDS of WISDOM:

  • To the Bride: Pick your battles. Decide what’s incredibly important to you and let it be known, but be sensitive to all the other issues even if this day is about you. And always send thank you notes (even to your mother).

  • To the Mother of the Bride: Agree with the bride when you can and only be honest if it’s needed! Just kidding, but it’s hard not want to live vicariously through your daughter and expect perfection, but remember it is her big day and it’s going to be amazing no matter what color the flowers are.

  • To the Mother-in-law: Let’s take another deep breathe. Okay, so you’re not as close to the bride as her mother and you don’t want to step on any toes, but it there is something you know is precious to your son or your family, be open and let the bride know as well as her mom. It's your son's moment to shine too.
  • To the Groom: It really is your wedding too. So be as involved as you want to be and as distant as your bride let you be! Take on a few tasks to show your interested and enjoy it too. Bridzilla isn't a myth, but she doesn't have to be a reality.

Life is a compromise, a wedding is no different. It’s a huge part of many lives. And a marriage is a mixing of all ideas, cultures, traditions and family.

Choosing a theme and/or a color scheme may be the easiest part for you or the biggest challenge. However, once you do this it is much easier to plan every detail from invitations to flowers and centerpieces to the dinner menu.
  • It may be helpful to start off by looking at invitations. Your invitations are the first impression of your wedding or Bar Mitzvah and you want it to have your personality whether that is formal and traditional or contemporary and playful.
  • If you decide on an invitation style then many other ancillary items can be matched; Response set, thank you notes or informals, menus, place cards, table numbers, programs, party favors, etc.
  • You may also want your invitation style to carry into your centerpieces, floral design, linens and napkins.
  • One other theme area is food. You may want to have food stations or cocktails and appetizers in a theme. For example for more retro theme you may want mini mac ‘n cheese or French fries with pesto dip or a sushi bar and dim sum table or a make your own smores bar. If your tastes are classic some traditional favorites may be stuffed mushrooms and puffed pastries. Whatever you decide try to keep it consistent and you will have a much smoother time planning.
If you are looking to create a custom invitation to match your theme Bumpercards offers a design service and would be happy to work with you create exactly what you are looking for. Please see the link to some of our original samples.

(This Blog is part of a series, please read posts below on Selecting a Date and Finding a Location)

Once the location and date are set, go ahead and spread the news. It’s time to let your “hope to be” guests in on the action and send out Save the Date announcements.

Especially for those traveling from out of town, sending Save the Date cards can help them make plans early and watch airfares for the best deals.

The Save the Date announcement does not have to match your theme or colors unless you would like it to. This is a chance to do something classic or flamboyant. Listed below are a few general options. Your choice depends on your personality and the formality of your event.

  • Postcard (small or large)
  • Postcard to introduce your event website (see below)
  • Folded Card (small or large)
  • Flat Layered Invitation
  • Custom Candy Bar Wrapper

The Save the Date is a great way to let your guests know if any hotels or special airfares have been reserved. This is also a good time to introduce your website, if you are going to one for your event.

  • A website is used to let you guests know about all your wedding plans (This can be as simple or as elaborate as you are comfortable with)
    • Standard information:
      • Hotel and airfare
      • Itinerary | weekend plans
      • Who you are paragraph
      • Contact Info
    • More personal information:
      • Wedding 'love' story (how you met) and Honeymoon Plans
      • Bar/Bat Mitzvahs: Personal interests, goals, world views
      • Pictures of yourself, family, friends, pets
      • Letter to your guests
      • Where your gift registry is
      • Activities in the area
      • Baby Sitter suggestions
      • Online RSVP
      • Comment box for guests

When the “Where” of Your Event Takes Top Priority

  • When a specific location is a must!
    • If where your event is going to be is most important, then the date becomes more flexible and your main focus is reserving the right venue. Some locations are reserved up to 2 years in advance, so in this case the sooner the better.
  • Date is set, now 'where oh where' will my party be?
    • If you have set your date, now it is time to find the right location. The main issues to consider with location is to know what is included with the location i.e. catering, seating, décor, floral, dance floor, lighting, etc. or if you will need to hire an event coordinator or if you are going to do all the planning yourself.
  • One more detail to consider when picking the location is the number of guests. The size of the venue may decide this for you or you may decide on a venue based on your number of guests.

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