Celebrate your mom on Mother's Day: Bella Notte Style....

Every Year, Mother's Day approaches and often I'm so caught up with LIFE that I almost miss the opportunity to Celebrate my mom on this special day... Sometimes It's a little overwhelming being an event planner because everyone has such high expectations for my parties.. Can I always have an over the top party? ABSOLUTELY NOT!! I can't afford that.. (My husband says I am really good with other people's money.. so true, something my fellow planners and designers can agree with..) Seriously, neither can you, so here are some tips on how to give your mom a day she will never forget without breaking the bank.. (I've posted some pictures of a mother's day brunch I gave my mom...)

1) Host a brunch in her honor with 5-10 (max) of her very close friends and loved ones. Ask her friends (prior to the brunch) to write a few words about what their friendships means to them or a moment they shared they will never forget or I remember when we first met.... If they are friends that go way back, have them write about something they learned from her when they were raising their kids together etc... You of course write something as well. Have them put it on nice scrap-booking paper that matches the color of the party for ex, my mom's brunch was red and white...
2) Get a corsage made for all the other mom's attending the brunch (your mom too of course) .. And pin them when they arrive at the party, they will LOVE this small token immensely.. Just because you are honoring your own mother and she is the guest of honor does not mean you can't honor your guests too.. Take a polaroid of them with your mom as they are being pinned. This picture will go in a scrapbook you will quickly throw together (during the brunch) along with their written memoir of your mom. This will take 15 mintues to make and you can present it to her along with her charm bracelett..
3) recite a poem and say a prayer as all the ladies have gotten their food and have sat down to eat. Thank her for a specific event in your life where you can't imagine not having her their for you.
4) Get a charm bracelet and pick charms that have meaning to your mom, for ex, a pink ribbon for breast cancer or a gondola if she loves Italy. Their are a few people that do this on-line. Present this to her after brunch along with her scrapbook.



Menu:
Green salad mixed with cranberries, walnuts, goat cheese or Blu cheese, balsamic dressing
Crepes Buffet Bar (home-made or pre-made) Set out various spreads, like Nutella chocolate, fresh fruit and whipped cream, jams, or eggs/bacon saute with shredded cheese..
Scones, cookies, cream puffs
coffee, and a mango/orange juice or pineapple/orange (you can buy this is the frozen section of any grocery store and it is sooo yummy...
croissant sandwich's

Decor: Have a color scheme, carry it thrrough.. With linens, napkins, chairs , chinese lanterns or parasols add an elegant touch and are inexpensive. Pick flowers from your garden. Make mini bouquets and tie with theme color matching ribbon and lay at the top of a narrow glass cylinder filled with water. Calla lillies work really well for this.

Favor: make a cd with a cover (www.myweddinglabels.com) of your mom's favorite songs and tuck in the napkin for all the guests. Pick a CD cover that matches the color scheme.

This can be applied for any occassion... anniversary, birthday, retirement, just because..

Good luck and if you just can't seem to do it, hire a party planner!!!

THE TRUE MEANING OF "PARTY"

I started planning parties for friends and family while still in college. I was just about to get a degree in Psychology, when a friend of the family said "Viv" you have to help me plan my wedding!! You are a natural at it... "hmmm" I thought to myself, "yeah and I love doing it"... So, I planned my very first wedding and I never looked back. I launched Bella Notte Events shortly after and have been planning all sorts of events since then... I guess you can say I never pursued a career in psychology, unless you consider all the "counseling sessions" I have had with my clients as they plan and approach their "Big Day", or my corporate clients when they stress about their budget.. Do you agree, that "having" a party or "going" to a party or event has to mean much more to us than it seems at the surface. If you think about it, EVERYONE on earth at some point in time and of course in their own way have attended a party, or given one. Why do you suppose they are so meaningful? Because.... people WILL celebrate!! It is part of our nature to want to be joyful and share our joys with family and friends.. This is why I decided to be a party planner, what an awesome job, to be able to be part of someone's biggest joy, their wedding, their first child, the end of an era, or..... do we really need a reason to have a party..
No, Life is reason enough....

I see parties as "mini productions" and the star is "YOU"! The Audience is your guests and the purpose is for you to have one night to be the "star" the "celebrity" of the night!! WE ALL deserve to be the center of attention every now and then and to be celebrated by our friends and family..
So, C'mon what are you waiting for , start celebrating YOUR LIFE!!!

MY FIRST POST!

Well, Here I am with my family. This was New Year's Eve! We had a relaxing dinner at our friend's house.. I am so VERY new to this blog, so it will take some getting used to!

This was a great way to kick off 2009!

"Party Diva" Viviana Salvia, Bella Notte Events gets the Shining Star Award