Diane Warners Complete Book of Baby Showers: Hundreds of Ways to Host a Unique Celebration

As you will see when you check out the requirements for these two themes, very little expense is involved in either of them. Other at-home party themes include: Print the party invitations on the reverse side of these IDs. Ask the guests to come dressed as their parents at age The other suggested themes include their own unique food and drink, as described in each of the referenced chapters. A toast is a must, whether you serve champagne or sparkling cider; however, it has been suggested that only nonalcoholic beverages be served, because many of the guests will undoubtedly still be under age.

Birthday Parties L I n adult birthday party can be anything from a dessert and coffee get-together, to a casual dinner, to a formal sit-down dinner. Invitations See the specific theme chapters for suggestions or Chapter 1for all-purpose ideas, depending on the formality of the party. Other novelty themes included in this book, such as a Winter Beach Party Chapter Drink recipes are found in Chapter One solution is to have several candle lighters available, so each can light 15 or 20 candles.

What we need are affordable ideas that are just as much fun as the expensive kind! There is a brilliant solution to this problem, however: Invitations Enlarge and copy the month of December from your calendar. Make copies and roll the sheet into a scroll, tie with a ribbon and hand-deliver or mail. This can be computergenerated or designed by hand and duplicated on a copy machine. Roll the sheets into a scroll, tie with ribbons, and hand-deliver. Ask the guests to fill out the sheets and bring them to the party. Turn the lights down low, light the candles, and add strings of tiny white Christmas lights to lend a magical quality to the evening.

For an eye-catching table centerpiece, set a silvcr bucket filled with ice and full wine bottles so generously donated by your guests , arranged at angles to look like flowers blooming in a pot. Ask your guests to serve as wine judges as they rank each wine according to: Provide each guest with one party horn and one paper blowout the party toy that looks like a party horn, but shoots out a colorful paper tube when blown.

Before the party, blow up balloons and fill them with confetti. At the stroke of midnight, burst them and let the confetti fly! Party Fare During the wine tasting contest, most of the bottles will have been opened and can be served with the various cheeses provided by your guests, along with the crackers you have provided. If you would like and can afford it, you can also provide fresh strawberries and seedless grapes. As the midnight hour approaches, turn off all the lights, blast a little march music and enter the room carrying Baked Alaska see Chapter 44 , complete with lighted sparklers or long, tapered white candles.

Baked Alaska, although a relatively inexpensive dessert to make, has always been considered a glamorous dessert, even before the cruise ships began to feature their Baked Alaska Nights. Be sure to sewe each wine at its requlred temperature. For example, a Burgundy WlnS should be sewed at room temperature, while a white wine should be chilled but not icy. Red wines should be openedan hour or more before serving, allowing them to breathe.

Ask someone to drive him homs; call a cab3 or drive him home yourself. He can always retrian his car the next day. Print the invitation on the back of each Valentine; mail or hand-deliver. Decorations Decorate with large red, white, and pink hearts cut from construction paper, embellished with red ribbons and white paper lace. Invert a colander and fill with red heart-shaped lollipops inserted into the holes.

Tie each lollipop at its neck with a red ribbon. Set small red heart-shaped boxes of chocolates in the center of each place setting as party favors. Place clusters of non-helium red balloons around the room; on the serving table; or tied in groups of three to the backs of chairs. Turn off all the lights and give the room a romantic glow with strings of tiny white Christmas tree lights and as many red, pink, and white candles as you can afford. Fun Stuff Ask several couples to tell how they met and fell in love; ask any newly engaged or newly married couples the same questions, along with the juicy details of the marriage proposal!

Where were they when it happened? What was the immediate response? How long before they were married? Divide into two teams. See how many songs each team can sing correctly that have the word heart in them. Have the guests guess how many candy hearts are in a clear glass container.

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The winner is presented with the container of candy hearts as a prize. Serve decorated heart-shaped cookies or a heart-shaped cake. Fun Stuff Present Mom with gifts, cut flowers or a corsage, and mushy cards. Gather up all the heart-tugging photos you can find of Mom with you when you were a baby, or Mom with her arms around your brother when his team won the regional basketball finals, or Mom holding her new granddaughter in the hospital right after she was born. Of course, the tape will be given to her as a gift to enjoy over and over again.

www.newyorkethnicfood.com: Diane Warner: Books, Biography, Blogs, Audiobooks, Kindle

Another poignant activity is to have each child read a poem he or she has composed in advance, or tell about the one favorite memory of her as the child was growing up. If your children are young and you're trying to plan a party for Mommy on their behalf, what she'll appreciate most are a few cards or gifts the children have made themselves. Party Fare If you provide Mom with a home-cooked luncheon, cut down on the costs by sharing the cooking duties with your siblings.

Or, if you decide to take Mom out to lunch, you can split the bill, of course. Like mothers, fathers may not receive hugs and verbal expressions of love throughout the year, especially from their grown children who may live in other cities or states. See Chapter 21 Have each child relate his favorite memory of Dad as the child was growing up.

Place these lists in a notebook and give them to Dad as a special gift. The fact that you've given up your Sunday to spend it with him is what realty counts. If your children are young. It can be an affordable get-together, especially if the guests. Include a list of suggested food dishes in the invitations. If you provide the meat, such as fried chicken, hamburgers, or hot dogs, let the guests bring the salads, potato chips, baked beans, wa- , termelon, desserts, and so forth.

Invitations m Send a hand-crafted novelty invitation, such as a miniature basket, lined with a tiny piece of red checkered fabric, with the invitation tucked inside. Hand-print or computer-generate the invitation. Attach a tiny American flag to the invitation, tying it to one corner with a narrow red ribbon. Hand-deliver to save on postage. For a Labor Day Picnic, attach the invitation to the Help Wanted page from your newspaper and hand-deliver.

Ask your guests to wear decorated hats to the picnic. American flags, of course, plus crepe paper streamers and balloons. Cover the picnic tables with red-and-white checkered tablecloths or old quilts. Insert small American flags into a watermelon that has been cut in half lengthwise. Fun Stuff Play old-fashioned summer picnic games: The 4th of July calls for a few fireworks after dark, if they are legal in your city.

Party Fare Serve traditional picnic fare: Summer Holiday Picnics Memorial Day. Plastic plates tor the decorated buckets , cups, tablecloth, tableware. Paper towels and paper napkins. Barbecue grill and tools. Sewing spoons and forks. Pot holders or barbecue mittS. Plenty of trash bags. Citronella candles, to ward off the mOSqUitoes in the first place! For the 4th of July, decorate the desserts with American flags and sparklers; light the sparklers just before serving.

Not only do the costumes become highlight of the party, but they decorate your party venue as well, at no expense to you whatsoever! Be sure to ask the children to arrive in costume. For an adult party, send or hand-deliver to each guest an inexpensive black mask with an invitation attached. Ask your guests to wear costumes and the masks to the party. Costumes Everyone is in costume. Greet your guests at the door wearing an inexpensive mummy costume; wrap yourself up from head to toe with gauze bandages or strips of old white sheets.

Leave holes for your mouth, nose and eyes. String tiny white Christmas lights across your front porch or from tree to tree in a spider web design. Add big black spiders, available at party supply stores, or make your own from black construction paper. Arrange cattails, milkweed, and dried pods, along with any weeds you can find, in a wicker basket.

Add gourds, small pumpkins, and squashes around the base of the basket. Suspend an ordinary broom from the ceiling; place a stuffed animal on the broom, so he is riding it. Let your animal wear a Halloween mask, or a costume if you can find one for him. Give your room a spooky glow by replacing your standard white light bulbs with green bulbs. Suspend black bats and spiders cut from construction paper from the ceiling. Place the food dishes on the ghost: For the adults, take them on a hay ride around town.

Bobbing for Doughnuts or Apples: Hang sturdy doughnuts glazed or buttermilk work best from the ceiling with strings. Have the guests hold their hands behind their backs as they bob for the doughnuts, trying to tear one loose Halloween Parties from its string. Or, fill a large galvanized wash tub full of small Red Delicious apples and, using only their mouths, give the guests each one chance to grab an apple in their teeth no hands allowed.

Divide the guests up into pairs, two children per apple. Ask the children to place their hands behind their backs and at a given signal begin to bite their apples. The object is to bite the apple down to its core. The difficulty, of course, is to keep the apple from swinging around as they try to take bites. The pair who has chewed their apple closest to the core at the end of three minutes is declared the winner.

This is a deliciously scary activity for the older kids. If the children are brave enough, they are blindfolded and allowed to enter the cave, one child at a time. You, as gracious host, must lead the child from bowl to scary bowl, telling him to dip his hands into the bowl to feel the contents. The rest of the children sit quietly and listen intently to the screams and squeals of the child being led through the cave. Use the toothpick to dribble red food coloring down the sides of the cream cheese, to look like a bloodshot eye.

For an adult party Hollow out small pumpkins to use as serving bowls. Make pumpkin faces with: Button mushrooms, black olives, or cucumber slices. Jalapeno pepper or carrot piece. Red pepper ring or apple peel. Serve Caramel Apples for dessert: Remove the apple stems and insert skewers. Melt caramels with the water in microwave until smooth and creamy. Dip the apples in the caramel mixture, then roll in chopped peanuts, return to the cupcake liners and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Combine pineapple juice, scoops of orange sherbet, and cold ginger ale. Invitations Computer-generate your invitations and send via e-mail or fax, or tie them to the necks of Christmas candy canes and hand-deliver. Decorate your home with traditional Christmas symbols, such as evergreen garlands, red and white candles, pine cone wreaths, and a lighted Christmas tree.

Hang plenty of mistletoe, suspended from ceilings and doorways. Cover your serving tables with bright red or green felt or overlay several Christmas tablecloths. Create a table centerpiece by filling a wicker basket with pyracantha berries and six or eight white candles of various heights, or arrange gift-wrapped boxes around sprays of evergreen boughs dotted with tiny white Christmas tree lights.

Wrap Christmas napkins around the silverware and tie with gold metallic ribbon. Another family tradition is to attend a Christmas Eve or Christmas morning church service together, followed by opening of gifts. Of course, the small children believe their gifts are from Santa. Caravan together to see holiday lights or go caroling around the neighborhood, returning for dessert and one of the beverages mentioned in Party Fare page Have the guests open the gifts, one at a time.

Diane Warner's Great Parties on Small Budgets: Celebrations for Grownups and Kids of All Ages

Fill the house with fragrance by simmering cinnamon sticks in a potpourri pot. Pick up a turkey for free during November. Look for grocery stores offering a free turkey if you spend a certain amount at their store; freeze the turkey for your Christmas party. Party Fare There are three ways to keep the costs down: Serve a buffet-style meal. Provide only the meat and beverages: Serve lighter fare, such as snacks and appetizers only, a lighter buffet, or dessert only. Christmas Parties 3. Go together with several friends or family members to host a progressive dinner, which takes place in several homes with a different course being served in each home.

A Christmas progressive dinner is a very affordable option, with dessert and holiday coffees served at the last house. A progressive dinner not only distributes the cost of the party, but it gives the guests a chance to enjoy the Christmas decorations in each home. This page intentionally left blank Part Small-Budget Special Occasion Parties Special life events, such as an engagement, a retirement, or a wedding anniversary, call for special celebrations.

Nurturing relationships with friends and family is another reason why you may want to host a special party from time to time, such as a luau, a wine tasting party, or a formal dinner party. There are ways, my friends, and this section is filled with creative ideas for hosting these parties on a small budget. This page intentionally left blank ost a party for the kids after the prom; keep it as formal as possible without breaking the bank.

R Invitations Create calligraphied invitations, printed on white parchment paper; computer-generate using a fancy, italicized font; or simply extend the invitations in person or over the telephone. Decorations This will be an after-dark party, so line your driveway or entryway with homemade luminaries see Chapter 2. Set an elegant table with your best linen, silver, china, and crystal, including long-stemmed glasses for toasting.

Decorate the rest of the party site with balloons tied with crinkle-tie ribbon, suspended from the chandelier, set in shallow bowls around the room, and attached to doorways and stairways. If you have cut flowers or flowering shrubs available for free from your garden, set a few arrangements around the room. Hang them over doorways and windows, wrap them around silk trees or plants, or trail them down the center of your serving table.

Don't sewe alcoholic beverages. Fun Stuff Take an instant photo of each couple; send the photo home in a frame you have constructed beforehand from poster board. Toast any graduates present with sparkling cider. Stay away from any foods that are drippy or messy. R graduation party theme can be based on the school colors or an interest, hobby, or goal of the graduate, and it can be hosted on an affordable budget in several ways.

One of the best ideas is to co-host the party with other parents. You can also decorate inexpensively and serve a delicious, yet affordable, menu. The important thing is for the graduate s to feel honored by your efforts. Make color copies of a photo of the school mascot or the honored guest as an elementary student. Write the invitation on the back. Decorations Decorate with over sized rolled-up diplomas and mortarboards, complete with dangling tassels. Decorate the serving table with memorabilia: Splash the school colors around the room with crepe paper and non-helium balloons.

Go around the room and complete this sentence relating ,, to the graduate: A decorated cake is a must, with the name s of the graduates written in icing. Toasts are in order; let the guests toast with sparkling cider or party punch. It can be a formal or informal get-together and hosted and attended by either friendsor family. Here are a few affordable engagement celebration themes to consider: See Chapter 44 for a formal, yet affordable, dinner menu. The ambience is created with candles, fresh or silk roses, swirling tulle netting, and delicate ribbons.

String tiny all-white Christmas lights along the tables, around plants or garlands and over doorways. This theme works best, of course, as an evening affair. Serve a congratulatory cake, plus one or more of your personal, yet affordable, dessert favorites. Or, see Chapter 44 for affordable dessert ideas, including Baked Alaska. Decorate with lariats, cowboy hats, saddles, branding irons, wagon wheels, singletrees, potted cactus plants, hay bales, and red-checkered tablecloths. Provide taped music for a little country-western dancing after you eat. See the Barbecue Bash menu described in Chapter This nostalgic corner will be a focal point throughout the party as relatives from both sides gather around to compare wedding fashions and talk about their own engagements and wedding ceremonies.

Slide or Video Show see later in this chapter will be appreciated by all. Engagement Celebration You can serve any of the informal menus in Chapter 44 or coffee and cake only. Copy the master onto parchment paper at a copy shop. Roll each piece of parchment into a scroll, tie with a narrow ribbon, and hand-deliver. Then run these sheets through a copier, printing the party invitation on the back of each photo. Cut each into about 15 irregular pieces to form a jigsaw puzzle. Enclose the pieces in an envelope addressed to each guest. Of course, the guest will have to put the puzzle together in order to figure it out.

Fun Stuff Remember When? Slide or Video Show Round up photos, slides, videos, and home movies of the bride and groom, from their babyhood to present day, and have them converted to slides or a single videotape. Arrange them in chronological order: Dress the Bride and Groom The men take the groom into one room and the women take the bride into another.

Everyone is furnished with plenty of crepe paper; Diane Warner5 Great Parties on Small Budgets tissue paper; black, white, and colored poster paper; fabric scraps; pieces of lace and braid and buttons; plus felt tip markers, staplers, tape, and safety pins. The Newlywed Game, desertbed in Chapter 4.

For engagement toasts, see my book Complete Book of Wedding Toasts. Who should be invited to a bachelor party? Here are some of the most popular and affordableways to celebrate: POker Party An informal night of poker, or any other card game, is a sure-fire choice for a successful bachelor party. Furnish affordable snacks and appetizers see Chapter 44 , along with drinks and plenty of ice. Bachelor parties need very little, if anything, in the way of decorations. You can also rent a movie or a live concert on videotape, or watch a pay-for-view boxing match in your own family room.

An active sports-oriented get-together is one of the popular trends in bachelor parties. One reason is that they provide a way to blow off a Bachelor Parties little steam. After all, planning a wedding has become more hectic than ever and the physical activity is a good stress-reliever for all the guys, but especially for the groom. In fact, the more physical, the better the men seem to like it. For this idea to fit into your budget, however, the men must pay their own way.

Here are choices to consider: Each man pays for his own meal. Take Me Out to the Ball Game a. You provide the tailgate eats. Bring your gloves to a professional baseball game or, depending on the season, round up tickets to watch your favorite football, basketball, or hockey team play a home game. See Chapter 37 for Tailgate Party food ideas. The party is often hosted, in fact, by one of her attendants.

Here are popular bridal showers that are fun, yet affordable: Enclose blank recipe cards for the women to fill out and bring to the party, along with an apron; suggest a half-apron, floorlength party apron, barbecue apron, apron with humorous saying, or sewing or gardening smock. Place a freestanding coat rack, decorated with nibons and balloons, next to the bride; hang a displayof aprons,with cooking utensils and recipe cards protruding from their pockets.

Add a colander hat, scouring pad eyes, a small sponge nose, and a nail brush for the mouth. Be sure to add the names of the stores where the bride has registered. Suspend an ordinary clothesline across the room to display anything that will attach easily to the line with clothespins. Use colorful dish towels as place mats and napkins. In addition to other games you may play, ask each guest to tell about her worst cooking disaster. Decorate the room by stringing a clothesline from one end to the other. As the bride opens her gifts, use clothespins to hang them on the clothesline, with cards attached.

Decorate the cake with a miniature clothesline with tiny towels, pillow cases, and sheets attached with toy clothespins. Special Times Shower Computer-generate the invitations. Scan a picture of a clock or watch on the front of the invitation. On the inside of the invitations assign a specific day, month, time of day, or season to each guest, requesting a suitable gift. Request that each guest wear something appropriate as well.

Encourage the guests to be as creative as possible. Create a centerpiece from a decorated cuckoo clock. Provide a free Hallmark pocket calendar for each guest as a favor. If it is a salad luncheon, each guest brings her favorite salad; for a co-ed dinner party, the guests will be asked to bring designated dinner dishes, such as meatballs or scalloped potatoes, or green bean casserole; or for a dessert party, ask your guests to bring their favorite desserts.

Be sure the guests understand that, in addition to the food dishes, the serving containers are gifts, along with recipe cards for each dish. This is one of the most economical showers you can host because the guests bring the eats. Christmas in July Although this party has a Christmas theme, it can be a lot of fun in July, or any other time of year. The object is to give the couple a healthy start toward their supply of Christmas decorations for their home, yard, and Christmas tree. As the guests arrive, their gifts can be placed under the tree and then, as they are opened, any ornaments or tree trimmings can be displayed on the branches.

Serve Christmas goodies, of course-candy canes, Christmas cookies, or nut bread. Set the timer for four minutes and see how many of these items each woman can find in her handbag. The guest with the most points wins. Have her fiance arrive during the party as a surprise, presenting her with a long-stemmed rose or a floral bouquet.

Not only will the bride be touched by this romantic gesturs, but the guests will enjoy seeing the groom-to-be in person. See my book, Complete Book of Wedding Showers. Pass the spices around the room, one at a time. The guests must identify the spices by sight and smell they may not touch or taste them. The guest with the most correct answers wins.

This page intentionally left blank Y F L L. Fortunately, this dinner is no longer expected to be an elegant, expensive sit-down dinner, but can be an affordable, informal af- 4 fair. Here is a list of the people who should be invited to the rehearsal dinner, in addition to the couple and their parents, of course: Members of the wedding party and their spouses or fiancees. The wedding coordinator and his or her spouse. Parents of any children participating in the wedding. The children themselves, especially if very young, should be left with a babysitter during the dinner. Member of the clergy and his or her spouse.

Special out-of-town relatives, including grandparents. The most important thing when planning the TeheaTSal dinner Is to have a comfortable setting where everyone can relar, Visit, and enjoy each other before the big day. Rehearsal dinner activities The host sees that introductions are made all around; this is a wonderful opportunity for the extended families of the bride and groom to meet and get to know each other. Various family members may want to tell little stories about the bride and groom when they were young.

Home videos or slide shows showing the couple as they were growing up are fun. If the get-together is quite informal, you may include swimming, mixer games, volleyball or horseshoesanything to loosen everyone up after the stress of p? Toasts are the only essential element of a rehearsal dinner, in this order: See my book, Complete Book of Wedding Toasts. So, what are some ways to cut down on the cost of the reception?

Here are several of the most popular choices. A venue owned by your city, county, or state, such as a park, senior center, natural history museum, rose garden, or a marina. These sites are usually bargain-priced, but they go fast, so the trick is to book them early. The backyard of the bride's family home, or that of another friend or family member.

A room or hall on the grounds of the church or synagogue where your ceremony is taking place, often available for free or at little cost. A venue available through your local historical society. An alfresco venue, such as one within a national park, on the beach, or alongside a mountain stream.

A venue available through your local Chamber of Commerce, such as a private mansion, ranch, or retirement community clubhouse.

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Many commercial Oiane WarnerS Great Parties on Small Budyets sites require that you order from their food and beverage menu and order the wedding cake from their pastry chef. Affordable day and time Avoid getting married on a Saturday; try for a Friday evening instead.

Avoid the month of June. Plan a morning wedding, which will tend to cost less in every way than an afternoon or evening wedding. Affordable decorations Borrow white lace tablecloths for the serving tables. Decorate with affordable balloons, acetate ribbons, and inexpensive tulle netting. Let the ceremony flowers serve double-duty for the reception. For example, any free-standing arrangements can be brought from the ceremony site to the reception site and placed on the serving tables or beside the cake table. If you find a venue that is affordable, but leaves a little to be desired in its ambience, have the reception at night with only tiny white Christmas lights and tall white candles to give it a romantic glow.

If you have an outdoor reception venue, you may not need much in the way of decorations. Rent or borrow decorations, furniture, or accessories, according to your wedding reception theme. For example, potted silk ficus trees and plants, white picket fence, portable gazebo, tiki torches, strings of tiny white Christmas lights, wrought iron or wooden benches, patio tables and umbrellas, wreaths, trellises, wicker lawn furniture, and so forth. Certain times of day require less expensive food service. For example, a morning wedding before 11 a. A midday wedding 11 a. Provide your own choice of food dishes, purchased from a deli or discount food supplier, along with home-cooked side dishes donated by friends and family members.

Dress up your table with borrowed china, silver, and crystal. In lieu of on-demand champagne service or an open bar, opt instead for a couple bowls of inexpensive fruit-flavored wedding punch, one spiked with champagne and one not. Affordable reception music Enlist the services of an amateur or professional DJ, instead of hiring a six-piece band. Take advantage of your talented friends and family members: Ask them if they would provide free recitals as their wedding gifts to you.

Search out reasonably priced musicians to play at your reception. For example, there are university music majors who relish the chance to perform. Call the chairman of your local university music department or ask recent brides and grooms for suggestions. Create a series of one-hour cassette tapes with music of your own choice. Number the tapes so that someone you trust can begin each tape on cue. For example, Tape Number One may contain music to be played during the food service. Tape Number Two may contain the dance music, beginning with your first dance, and so forth.

The nice thing about any modern baby shower is that there are no strict rules to follow, and it may be hosted by anyone-friend, relative, or co-worker. Here is a selection of affordable baby shower themes. This is a party attended by the female family members: The theme of the party is t o pass down family heirlooms or antiques in honor of the new baby. The type of heirlooms often passed down from generation to generation include: Transfer old family photos and home movies onto a videotape that can be shown as entertainment.

Try to find photos and movies of family members when they were young, including those of the expectant parents. Choo-Choo Train Party Cut construction paper or poster board into caboose shapes to use as invitations, name tags, or place cards. An electric train can serve as the table centerpiece, or it can run on tracks that have been creatively placed around the platters of food on a buffet table. Using yarn, connect boxes of animal crackers together to form trains; set them at each place setting as party f avor s. TimemofiDay Shower Ask each guest to bring a gift to be used a certain time of day.

Bath thermometer Bath time 9 a. Lunch time Noon Tipper cup Sleepers Nap time 2 p. Stuffed animals Play time 4 p. Decorate it with ribbons and baby-related items. Make her feel beautiful with a free makeover, complements of your favorite cosmetics representative; a fresh Babv Showers new hair style, complements of a professional hair stylist; and to-die-for nails, complements of a professional manicurist. The gifts for this party are for Mommy: So, what could be better than to furnish her with frozen homemade casseroles, desserts, breads, and so forth? In addition to the frozen dishes, the guests furnish corresponding recipe cards that are placed in a recipe box to be given to the expectant mother.

Suggest that the guests wear big shirts or borrowed maternity clothes over their puffy-pillow tummies. Here are a few affordable ideas: After the gifts have been opened, display them on a clothesline that has been suspended across the room. Use colorful plastic clothespins to attach gifts to the clothesline. Baby Shower Invitations Baby Diapers Cut triangular pieces from stationery, construction paper, or fabric.

Fold into a tri-fold diaper, fastening with a safety pin or diaper pin. Cut white poster board into strips. Print the party invitation on both sides of each strip, cover with clear Contact paper, and form into a bracelet by stapling or taping ends together. Plastic Baby Bib Bibs can be used as invitations by writing the information across the front with marking pens.

Fold and enclose in envelopes. Congratulations and good luck, my friends! The most extravagant toast ever recorded was that offered to Marc Antony by Cleopatra when she dropped two perfect pearls into her wine and drank them down. The extravagance of her toast outweighed the cost of all the other banquet expenses combined. May you have the strength to change those things that can be changed; may you have the patience to live with those things that cannot; and may you have the wisdom to know one from the other.

My prayers and best wishes go with you both! What a perfect day—your wedding day! My wish for you is that as you look back on this day, and as you face your future together, your love will continue to glow for all the years to come. To a blessed life as husband and wife. The peace of God came into my life when I wedded her. First of all, this is the day you embark on your new life together as husband and wife.

This is also the day you establish a new home together, filled with laughter, joy, sharing, and compromise. Take a pound of tenderness. Mix it together with a tablespoon of joy and a cup of laughter. Add a pinch of patience and a sprinkling of kindness. Simmer slowly, watching carefully so that it never comes to a boil. Please raise your glasses. I toast you and your marriage: May your love be modern enough to survive the times, and old-fashioned enough to last forever.

A rice cake is placed on the heads of the Tibetan bridal couple, thus conveying life, health, and wealth. We are so honored to be here with you today, to share your joy and to bask in your love. And to think that this is only the beginning— just imagine that! I wish you a lifetime of love, a happy home, and great success in all you do. Congratulations to our newlyweds! May all your tomorrows be promises come true. First, there was the chance introduction at the Miami conference, then those long walks around Castlewood Bay, the countless candlelight dinners, and finally, the proposal just three months ago today.

I would like to propose a toast to our lovely couple—may the joy of your love grow deeper with each hour, may your friendship grow closer each day, and may your marriage grow richer each and every year. I love you both. May the unbridled joy you feel today be but a pale shadow of that which is to come. Congratulations to you and God bless your marriage. The heart that loves is forever young. Hold them up for everyone to see. Their rings are circles, shining symbols of the deep, enduring happiness that comes from a lasting love and the fulfillment of a dream.

Release their hands and pick up your toasting glass. May the endless circles of your wedding bands always be the symbols of your endless love. I wish you joy of heart, peace of mind, and the beautiful blessing of love. May you always be there for each other, partners in marriage as husband and wife; may the sun shine brightly on your lives; and may you always be as happy as you are today.

Hence, our present-day custom of hosting a shower for the bride. Thank you for letting us share in the joy of this special day and for allowing us to bask in the warmth of your love. We wish you a hundred years of sunshine and laughter; good fortune and good health; and, most of all, eternal devotion to each other. May your marriage have every season of happiness: May this day always live in your hearts, and may it be just the beginning of your beautiful forever together.

Go with our love and Godspeed! What is important is that one is capable of love. It is perhaps the only glimpse we are permitted of eternity. May your married life be full of the same joy and happiness you feel at this moment. May your love grow even stronger every day, filling your future until it is overflowing with immeasurable joy. May your marriage be bright and happy because of the very special joys that come with living… giving…caring.

Is this an incredible day, or what? The symbolism of the orange blossom is said to be that of virginity and the promise of fertility. To a long, beautiful married life together, filled with peace, purpose, and prosperity. Imagine what would happen if we could bottle it and pass it out to everyone we meet. May the power of your love bring you lasting happiness.

A wedding consists of many things: As a matter of fact, all the little nooks and crannies of their lives seem to fit together perfectly. To two lucky people who found each other in time! Ladies and gentlemen, it is a pleasure to propose a toast to the newlyweds. Cheers to the bride and groom!

Your love was—from the very beginning a marriagetype love. Those of us who know you well recognized that from the start—perhaps even before you realized it yourselves. You see, when love is that special kind of love, the kind of love Ginny and I have had for each other for more than 30 years, we identify with it—we recognize it. Most European countries follow the Roman tradition of celebrating weddings in the spring when homage was paid to the three divinities: Cres, Maia, and Flora. Remember the moment you two fell in love? Those of us who know you well watched as the transformation took place.

Every day was a new beginning for you. We noticed how you reached out to each other, took care to please each other, to fill every day with little surprises: Not that we were eavesdropping, mind you, but your mutual love was impossible to ignore—turning our hearts to the memories of our own courtship days. And today, we were all touched deeply as we witnessed your vows, and we will always remember the love, the joy, and the wonder of this special day. Cherish all these memories and hold them close to your hearts as you face a promising future together as husband and wife.

One of the most unforgettable movie toasts of all time was proposed to Ingrid Bergman by Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca: Join me as we toast our newlyweds. May your love continue to grow and overflow, touching the lives of everyone you meet and all of us who know you. Bryan the groom must have been eight or nine, I think. Finally, I found him behind one of the buildings watching some men laying cement. He was fascinated with the way they were troweling back and forth, giving the cement a smooth finish. Do you remember that, Bryan?

Anyway, Bryan always knew what he wanted and he hung in there until he got it, and he knew what he wanted in a wife, too, and he held out until he finally found the one who met his qualifications. Congratulations to both of you. To the happy couple! May your tomorrows be filled with special memory-making times yet to be shared—times of gentle warmth and loving care.

French newlyweds drink a reception toast from an engraved two-handled cup that is then passed along to their children and grandchildren in the years to come. May your love be eternal. Today your lives were joined as one. From this day forward, may your burdens be lighter, may your joys multiply tenfold, and may your lives be doubly rich because of the commitment you made today. It is customary for the best man to reminisce a little about his friendship with the groom, relating interesting little stories and bits of humor, but always ending on a serious note.

This toast should be delivered with as much poignancy and heartfelt sincerity as possible. An example of such a toast can be found on page You know, it has been said that success in marriage is much more than finding the right person; it is a matter of being the right person, and I can say without reservation that you are so right for each other. You were the one! And as you set out together as partners on this journey called marriage, my prayers go with you that every day will be as joyous as this.

All mankind loves a lover. But looking back on it all, the sacrifices were worth it. We survived those years and so did our friendship, a friendship forged in laughter and maintained by trust. Who else could have been such a wise counselor? Who else could have been such a reassuring voice in his ear as I stood beside him during the ceremony?

And who else could have done such an awesome job of arranging the honeymoon, and keeping their honeymoon destination such a fine secret, I might add? What an awesome couple! And may the loveliness of your marriage increase with each year. I can remember the first day I met you, when you were hired on as a programmer, and my first impression was that you seemed to be a pretty quiet 53 Complete Book of Wedding Toasts guy—very quiet, in fact.

Remember that first company Christmas party? Man, was I impressed! What a classic move! It reminded me of a Chinese proverb I picked up during my college days: The chanting of the Seven Wedding Blessings takes place at the end of a Jewish wedding ceremony while the groom, and then the bride, sip from a cup of wine. Addressing the wedding guests: I love you both, and I lift this toast to you: May your lives be filled with the same joy and happiness you feel today.

He replies that they are the same weight, signifying that, from then on, the bride and groom will be loved and treated equally by the parents. As I stand here to honor our newlyweds, I think of these words written many years ago by an unknown author: Let time go by. Love is forever over all. To your forever-type love. In Mexico the bride and groom kneel before the altar as they each hold a lighted candle and the priest wraps a single silver cord around their necks. For some crazy reason he was convinced that the joys of married life would far outweigh the pleasures of bachelorhood.

Can you imagine that? He resembles the odd half of a pair of scissors. Korean couples make their vows silently as they bow to each other. They think the single life is more glitzy, more glamorous, and a lot more fun than being married. But let me tell you, having been converted from a bachelor to a married man myself, that so-called glitz and glamour is all flash—no substance. To the joys of married life! Is this a great occasion, or what? Actually, you can thank me for that. In fact, I feel like a real matchmaker. Well, after a year of nagging at him, I finally pulled him away from his computer one night and dragged him over to the club.

But was he impressed? So, admitting defeat, I gave up on him. Then, 60 Toasts by the Best Man the strangest thing happened. Suddenly he decided he liked working out after all and, not only did he join the club, but he was over there four or five nights a week.

And, of course, we all know what that led to—wedding bells! So, you have me to thank for this fantastic day! Be sure your toast always includes the bride. A toast from the best man to the bridesmaids on behalf of the bride and groom Ladies and gentlemen, it is now my pleasure to propose a toast of thanks and good wishes to the bridesmaids, not only on my behalf but on behalf of the bride and groom, as well.

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Your beauty brightened the ceremony; your smiles graced the platform; and your flawless performance enhanced the service with a lovely dignity. Please join me in a toast to our beautiful ladies! On their behalf, I thank you. The father of the bride, as host, may also wish to propose a toast to the members of the wedding party, the guests, and his new in-laws, welcoming them into the family. Marriage by capture was still legal in England until the 13th century. Go with our blessing, and may all your dreams come true.

Let there be spaces in your togetherness. Every age and every stage of your growing-up years brought us special joy. I have never been more sure of anything in my life than I am of your marriage. At the end of the ceremony, when you turned to face us and were introduced as Mr. To a long and happy married life. You always loved the fairy tales about princesses and knights in shining armor. He has all the attributes we could have hoped for, and more. I know you all agree, so please stand with me as we wish them a happily married life together. I was filled with joy and wonder as I looked down into your precious little face.

It was the first day of our new life 67 Complete Book of Wedding Toasts together—you, your mother, and I—full of hopes, dreams, and possibilities for your future. May your future be as bright with hope as the day you came into our lives. But go with my blessing, be happy, and God bless you both.

The concept of romantic love is a fairly recent idea; in early history marriages were arranged by the parents. Oh, man—did she worry us sometimes. Just look at her—wow! To my beautiful daughter on her wedding day. Thanks for the memories! I would like to propose a toast to our new son-in-law.

I might mention that, in our case, not only have we gained a son, but a telephone! Her phone bills will be coming to your house now—praise God!

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You know, there is an expression: I would also like to propose a toast to all our guests—thank you for coming. Your presence has graced this celebration. We feel blessed to have you as part of our family, and our hope is that our friendship will grow even stronger as the years go by. What a splendid day this has turned out to be— everything has gone so well, even the weather cooperated— such a happy day for all of us.

We have known quite a number of you for many years, and others we have met for the first time today, but we thank you all for coming. I toast you all! Love is of all passions the strongest, for it attacks simultaneously the head, the heart, and the senses. A toast to the bride and groom Our family has always been a circle of strength and love, and with every birth and every union, the circle grows.

Every joy shared adds even more love and makes our circle stronger. We are so happy for both of you. Someone suggested that I should give you newlyweds a word or two of advice. A good marriage is like a good fire—to provide maximum warmth, the two logs should be kept close together, but to keep the fire burning, the logs need to be kept just a little bit apart so there will be breathing room. No displays of affection are allowed at a Buddhist wedding. But last December when you casually asked if we might know of a good jeweler, we began to suspect that maybe you had finally found her.

When children marry, parents feel a blend of joy and sorrow—the door that closed yesterday reopens tomorrow with fresh dreams and memories to fill our hearts. God bless you both as you begin your new lives together as husband and wife. By the time a girl in rural America had handstitched her 11th quilt, which usually took many years of work, she was declared ready for a suitor. Your love and commitment to each other have touched us all.

May your love, which is so rich and sweet, fill your home. In fact, may your love overflow your hearts and spill out to others. To our son and his new wife. How could we have been so blessed as to have a 76 Toasts by the Father of the Groom son like this? Some husbands are living proof that a woman can take a joke.

Thank you for the joy you have brought us by the joining of your hearts and lives together this day. He about wore us out! If ever we resisted one of his adventurous new ideas, he always pushed, pulled, and prodded until we finally gave in to his plan. In fact, if ever there was a marriage made in heaven, this is it. Unable are the Loved to die For Love is immortality. I hope our friendship continues to grow through the years, and I know it will. In , Queen Victoria started a fad by wearing an all-white wedding gown.

With this toast, I pass all my love from my heart to yours. Love gives us in a moment what we can hardly attain by effort after years of toil. To all our tomorrows. From this moment forward I will share my life with you as your husband, and my love for you will never change except to become deeper still as each day passes. A shivaree is a tradition that began during the Middle Ages in which the friends of the couple made a racket to embarrass the newlyweds on their wedding night. This is still a custom in many parts of our country today. You are a priceless treasure.

I will admire you, protect you, love you, and hold you tenderly. Thank you for choosing me to be your husband. To our glorious future together as husband and wife. May our lives always be filled with joy even when our glasses are only half-full. In Morocco, marriages are usually celebrated at the end of harvest, in the autumn.

Thank you for a chance to love and to be loved. You are my bride and joy. May our shared lives multiply our joy. When we arrived here today, we were two separate people, but now we are united as husband and wife. To one heart, one love, one life. Many Japanese couples fly to the United States to have an American wedding, which, for them, is preferable to the formal, ornate, scripted Japanese ceremony. You carried the entire load yourself—the kids, the finances, your job.

And you never complained. To my sunshine—the light of my life. It was like a soft voice whispering to me, over and over: May our marriage draw us closer and closer together, but may it never supersede our individuality. May our marriage bloom through every season—not only seasons of sunshine when everything seems to be going our way, but those seasons of darkness when our love and commitment must be strong enough to wait out the darkness until the sun breaks through again.

With this toast I pledge my love through every season. I am humbled and grateful to have you for my wife. My heart is full. Thank you for marrying me. The kiss became part of the marriage ceremony as far back as early Roman times when it signified a legal bond that sealed contracts. I would like to toast my lovely wife. To our beautiful tomorrows. How will I bear it? To my life, my future, my wife. The tradition of flower girls began in the Middle Ages. They preceded the bride down the aisle carrying tiny stalks of wheat—symbols of a fruitful and happy marriage.

May our future be filled with laughter, sunshine, and our sweet, eternal love. I love you more than yesterday and less than all our tomorrows. May our lives be beautiful together; may all our dreams come true, and may I give back to you the gifts of love you give me every day. Navajo Indian brides traditionally marry while facing east, in the direction of the rising sun. The greatest happiness—the greatest gift possible—is to be able to share my life with you.

Thank you for giving me this gift. These toasts, if you choose to compose them, will be the most precious of all as you speak from the intimacies of your hearts. Please join me in a toast to the bridesmaids. The age-old tradition of the father giving away his daughter in marriage has survived from the times when a bride was actually sold to the groom, and her father handed her over to her husband in return for compensation.

You have raised quite a daughter here smiles at his wife. Thank you for entrusting her to me—I will do my best not to disappoint you. Thank you for accepting me into your family as your son and for providing us with such a memorable wedding day. A toast by the groom to his parents I would like to propose a toast to my parents.

Thank you for helping make our wedding day so special. To my Mom and Dad. She may also toast her bridesmaids, whether or not they have already been toasted by the groom or the best man. With this toast I offer you all my love for all my life. In fact, I searched for you all my life.

Thank God, I finally found you. May our marriage always be a safe haven from the world and a place of love and peace. Today is our beautiful beginning of a hundred years of happy tomorrows, and it is a celebration of the very best we have to offer each other. You know, this wedding has been in the planning stages for more than a year. In fact, everything seemed to revolve around the plans. There were countless meetings with the photographer, the caterers, the florist, and the musicians, and there were hundreds of hours spent shopping and choosing, striving for the perfect gown or that perfect shade of lace.

Thank you for making me your wife. I will always trust in your love and you can always trust in mine. And this is just the beginning. To my husband and to our eternal love. All these memories, and others too, are timeless treasures stored within my heart, to be relished and savored at will. But of all the memories, none can compare with those made here today—the expression on your face as my father walked me down the aisle, the sound of your voice as you recited your vows, your touch, your kiss, your smile.

I will remember them until the day I die. Thank you for the memories. My dream was to find a man who would understand me without me uttering a single word, a man whose values and spirit matched my own—a soul mate. I finally found him. During a Greek Orthodox wedding ceremony, the best man, known as the koumbaros, places crowns, joined by a ribbon, on the heads of the couple. Then he switches the crowns three times, signifying the Holy Trinity; afterward, the bride and groom circle the wedding table, known as the analogion, three times. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them publicly for making me feel so loved and such a welcome member of their family.

I would also like to toast my parents and to thank them for their love, their support, and their prayers. Thank you for raising him to be a loving man of high morals and compassion for others. I know you sacrificed to put him through college, and I thank you for that, too. He has become the man he is because of you. I toast you with my love. A toast by the bride to her mother I would like to propose a toast to my mother. Thank you for your unselfish love, your understanding, your loyalty. But, of all your gifts, none are greater than your gift of love. Thank you, Mom and Dad.

Your love has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, and I know it will always be. Because of you, today seems even more beautiful. To my Nana and Pop-Pop. A Jewish couple usually signs an elaborately embellished ketubah, or marriage contract, which is then hung in a prominent place in their home. Nana, when I look at you, I see such a beautiful face. Do you know how many lives have been brightened by your smile, how many hearts have been warmed by your love? You have been a very special person in my life, and you always will be.

I love you, Nana. Copy to clipboard Close. Cite Data - Experimental. Data Citation of the Item Diane Warner's complete book of baby showers: Structured data from the Bibframe namespace is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4. Additional terms may apply to data associated with third party namespaces. Resource Description Namespaces http: Network Analysis Inbound Links 1 1 Total.