Super Bowl Party Games

Super Bowl is on Sunday! Who's throwing a party?

My husband and I will be heading over to his parents house to watch the Super Bowl with family.  I'm not really into football, but I love a good party and Super Bowl festivities are always a lot of fun, so when I saw this cute party game on Facebook I immediately thought that I must make this for Sunday. Super Bowl party games involve both football enthusiasts, fans and party-goers!

Check-out these great Super Bowl games and downloads!

Rate the Commercials - Studio DIY
 









Super Bowl Bingo - Studio DIY












Commercial Bingo - Style Me Pretty

 

Game Day Bingo - She Know's



Venue - Olde Mecklenburg Brewery

As an event planner, one of my biggest jobs is building working relationships with event professionals and scouting venues for clients. Last week I was invited to a luncheon at The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery hosted by Roots.  Roots is a food truck company that focuses on "good local food". They use local ingredients sourced from farms in NC. Roots is expanding there special event catering business, so at the luncheon they showcased a seven course tasting menu. Yum! My faves were the last three courses: Porcini Truffle Mac and Cheese with Spanish Ibierco, Braised NC Bison with Rosemary and Sumac and Red Wine Reduction and Banana Hazelnut Bread Pudding.
 
The Olde Meckelenburg Brewery was the perfect backdrop for this earthy meal. Located in South Charlotte, Olde Mecklenburg Brewery produces premium all natural beers and guests can tour and view the brewery through large panoramic windows while enjoying great beer and food!   
 
They also have a warm and quaint event space and that also has views of the brewery and is adjacent to a Biergarten.
 
This venue is PERFECT for any beer loving groom or bride who are looking for a relaxing atmosphere for their rehearsal dinner or engagement party.    

For more information on hosting a private event, you can contact Laura Knox.

The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery
215 Southside Drive
Charlotte, NC 28217
704-525-5644

What to wear? - Engagement Party

Let the festivities begin! Weddings are a time to celebrate. Here are some great dresses for you to check-out for your engagement party this winter.

French Connection - $298

H&M - $129

Asos - $157.86

 

 

Asos - $70.16

 

 

Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

"Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. " - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Etiquette of Engagement Parties

The Engagement Party!

Who throws it? Who do you invite? When should we have it?

The Host
Traditionally the engagement party is hosted by the bride's parents, but can also be given by friends of the bride and groom, or other relatives. Yes, you can have two or more parties; one for relatives and family friends, for instance, and another for your own friends.

Type of Party
An engagement party is the start to building the bridge between families and friends, so the host should consider a setting that is comfortable and engaging. There are no hard fast rules for the style or theme, so have fun! A cocktail party, casual barbecue or formal dinner are all great options.

Guest List
The traditional rules of etiquette suggest that guests invited to the engagement party should also be invited to the wedding; however, many couples are having smaller weddings or holding their ceremonies far from friends and sometimes even from family, so the engagement party, in those instance includes people who may not be invited to the wedding. 

Both families should be invited to the engagement party. 

Timeline
The engagement party should take place 2-4 months after the engagement if you are planning a long engagement and for shorter engagements it can be held any time more than 6 months before the wedding. 

At the Party
Guests will want to congratulate the newly engaged couple, so greet guests at the beginning of the party and create a space where the bride and groom, and their respective parents, can comfortably welcome guests as they arrive.  

Toast to the marriage and wedding! At an engagement party hosted by the bride's parents, the bride's father proposes a toast to the bride and groom, followed by the groom toasting his bride-to-be and her parents and his own parents. At a more informal affair hosted by friends, anyone can make a toast at anytime. The engaged couple should toast the host.

Gift Giving
Gifts are not expected at an engagement party, but one rule of thumb is to always register before the first wedding event, like an engagement party or bridal shower, as gift giving is part of the celebratory nature of weddings and parties and you want to provide your guests with some guidance. Make sure the host and parents of bride and groom knows where the couple has registered. 

Charlotte Wedding - Van Landingham Estate

Design is our passion here at Style Perfect Events. We love creating pretty! Here is a little wedding inspiration for your Charlotte nuptials. These images were taken by photographer Holeigh Vincent at one of our July weddings at the Van Landingham Estate.

Happy Planning!

January Bridal Events in Charlotte

If you have plans to wed in the Charlotte area make sure to check-out these bridal events in January.

Sunday, January 13th
12pm-5pm
The Bridal Showcase
Charlotte Convention Center
501 S. College St.
Charlotte, NC 28202
Cost: $12 at the door and $10 online
www.thebridalshowcasenc.com

January 18th - January 19th
Accessories Trunk Show - Haute Bride
Nitsa's Apparel
4705 Ashley Park Lane #113 
Charlotte, NC 28210

January 24th - January 26th
Trunk Show - Jim Hjelm Fall 2012 Bridal Collection
Hayden Olivia
221 S. Tryon Street, Suite 200
Charlotte, NC 28202
Appointments are limited and book quickly.
Call to schedule your appointment at 704-333-0377.
www.haydenolivia.com

I'm Engaged! Now What...?

I posted this article back in 2010, but it's a good one as we enter engagement season, so I wanted to bring it back...

"5 things you must do before you start planning your wedding".

Tip 1:
Set your Wedding Date and Guest List -
Your date and guest list will determine a lot when deciding on a venue and the cost of your wedding. You don't want to waste your time looking at venues that are not available on your date (or plan B and C wedding dates) or can not accommodate your guest list.

Tip 2:
Do your Research -
This is most brides first time being immersed in the finite details of a wedding, so get on the internet, read wedding magazines, figure out what you and your fiancee like and what aspects of the wedding are the most important to you both.

Now you don’t have to do a huge search, just simply get an idea of what you like and what things "COST".

Tip 3:
Set a Budget -
Yes, you MUST have a budget and YES you need to track your spending.

If you have not hired a full-service wedding planner that is managing your budget for you, then you need to stay on top of it. Money is one of the many sources for wedding drama, so once you've set your budget, please embrace it...big or small. This will make your wedding planning process go a lot smoother and your bank account a lot happier.

Tip 4:
Prioritize -
This is a BIG one. In a perfect world we would have everything we want, but many times we have to make compromises. Make a list of 8-10 wedding related items (photographer, cake, flowers, venue, etc.) and rank them, one being the most important. This will help you make easier budget decisions if money is starting to get tight, as you have already outlined what’s most important in the beginning.

Tip 5:
Have Fun! -
Enjoy this chapter of your life. Enjoy your engagement. If you can, have an engagement party and wait a few months before you get bogged down in wedding planning details.

Enjoy your wedding. Be a bride that day and let your family and friends be a guest. If you've already decided that you don't want or need a wedding planner, it's a must that you have a day-of-coordinator so you and your groom are not the point of contact for any questions or mishaps that will come up on your wedding day.

I hope this gets you started in the right direction. If you have any additional questions or want to know how a wedding planner can help you, please give us a call, 704-975-9921. We would love to hear more about your wedding!

Recipes! - Pot Roast

You may know, from previous posts, that I'm a self-proclaimed foodie and "Semi-homemade by Sandra Lee" chef! Many of my best ideas for recipes come from eating out...so "yes", there is hope for those who prefer to order take-out or make reservations.

Eating out actually educates you on flavors and helps you understand what tastes good when paired together, so in 2013 I would like to share with you a few fun recipes that are either classics in the Eustache household or new, as I've been experimenting a lot lately in the kitchen.

The first recipe is a classic, it's my mom's pot roast and a staple at every holiday dinner! This recipe will allow you to have mouth watering pot roast every time and the steps are very simple.

What you need:
Chuck Roast (1 package - 2.5-3lbs, serves 4-6 people)
Lipton's Onion Soup Mix (1 packet)
Campbell's Golden Mushroom Soup (1 - 10 3/4 oz can)
Baby Carrots (1 small bag, use about 20 carrots)
New Potatoes (1 small bag, use 12 potatoes)
Green Bell Pepper (1 large pepper)
Yellow Onion (1 medium onion)
Black pepper
Season Salt
Hot Sauce (I added hot sauce to the recipe. ;-) My husband loves hot sauce, so I now add a few drops of hot sauce in almost everything I cook, it adds so much flavor!)

Time to cook!:
1. Rinse and cut bell pepper and onion into strips.
2. Rinse new potatoes and carrots.
3. Season chuck roast with Lipton's Onion Soup Mix, black pepper (2-3 pinches) and hot sauce (5 drops).
4. Add the strips of bell pepper and onion, carrots and potatoes to the dish and let sit overnight in the fridge.
5. The next day, pre-heat the oven to 375.
6. Sprinkle 2-3 pinches of season salt on the roast and vegetables.
7. Add can of Campbell's Golden Mushroom Soup to the dish and make sure it coats the roast and vegetables.
8. Add water to the empty soup can and pour 1/2 can of water to the dish to make sure the dish does not burn, while cooking.
9. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and let the roast cook for 4 hours on 375 and check it at the 3 hour mark to make sure that there is till enough liquid in the dish, so it does not burn.

Bon appetit! What is your favorite dish from your mom?

Inspiring Design - Purple

                                                        

Image: Please do not repost or publish

Photography credit: Various sources

 

View more inspiration for a Purple Wedding on our Pinterest board, "Plum Perfect"!