With the 4th of July right around the corner, it’s time to start planning all of the fun festivities! Whether you are hosting your own backyard BBQ, a pool party, or a more formal soiree, these tablescapes are sure to inspire your patriotic decor! Enjoy!
And of course…one of my absolute favorites! 😉
It’s all in the details. This is probably the most widely used phrase that comes out of my mouth when planning a party. No matter the size or formality of the event, it’s always the custom little touches that your guests leave talking about.
You can throw the simplest party that requires very little planning, but by including just a few personalized details, it looks like you have put way more effort and time into your event.
Napkins and cups are always the two most popular items to customize, but my absolute new favorite item to include in events is personalized drink stir sticks! These adorable stirrers from Two Funny Girls add an extra sophisticated and stylish flare and can be customized for any type of event! I love monogramming them, but you can also add a single initial or even a design of your choosing! I recently had a Bachelorette watching party and Two Funny Girls was able to design an adorable red rose on them for me! You could even have your team’s mascot or logo added to them for your tailgating parties this fall!
No matter the formality of your next party, these stir sticks are perfect! They always make a big statement and your guests will be incredibly impressed! Definitely check them out, as well as Two Funny Girl’s wide inventory of adorable party supplies!
This post has been sponsored by Two Funny Girls. All opinions and comments are my own.
Today is the very start of a new fabulous series that I am SO excited about! WEDDING WEDNESDAY!!!
Yes, it certainly is wedding season, so it’s fitting, but the real reason I am starting it this year is because…
Landon and I just got engaged!!!!
We are over the moon happy and so excited to be starting this next chapter of our lives. Thank you to all of you who have sent us such sweet words with your love and support. We are so grateful.
To start off Wedding Wednesday, I thought it would be most fun to start with our proposal story! So here goes!
Landon surprised me with a birthday trip to Nashville (my favorite city ever!) and while I, of course, wondered if this could be THE weekend, I naturally talked myself out of it. So I went thinking this would be an incredible weekend filled with fun tourist activities, hiking, and naturally lots of country bars with good cocktails and dancing. Little did I know it would be the most amazing and incredible weekend of my life.
We spent the first day walking around and exploring the city and all the hot tourist spots. Landon had never been to Nashville before, so it was fun showing him around this lively city.
The second day, we decided to take the scenic route down to Franklin (if you haven’t been, go! It’s just the cutest little town with a picturesque Main Street and some incredible art festivals!) via the Natchez Trace Parkway. Of course we stopped at Loveless Cafe, because how do you go all the way down there and not stop for their world famous biscuits?! We continued down the parkway checking out the beautiful views and stopping at all the overlooks.
We finally came upon a map, which led us to Jackson Falls. We planned on making a sort of “nature walk” part of our outdoorsy day, so this was the perfect spot! We strolled down the paved walkway to an absolutely gorgeous waterfall where kids were playing, sliding down the natural rocks, and enjoying their picnic lunch with their parents. Landon was looking for a quieter and more remote location (little did I know it was so he could propose!) so we walked back out and hiked to the other overlook at the top of the trailhead. We arrived at Duck Creek overlook and realized we had already stopped there during our drive so we headed back to the waterfall in hopes of a more solitary environment!
As luck would have it, literally all the families were gone! There were just a few scattered couples but they were all off on their own having their own romantic moments so we felt like we had the serene setting all to ourselves. We sat on a bench overlooking the waterfall and just talked about our relationship and life and how much we loved each other. It was just perfect.
I must have been in my own little world because as we were talking he was setting up a GoPro on the other side of him to capture the next few life changing moments, and I did not even realize it! He then started playing one of our favorite romantic country songs and asked me to dance. Well duhhh! I love to two step, especially with my favorite dance partner. We sang and danced and the moment was just beautiful. The song started to fade and Landon started telling me how much he loved me and got down on one knee and proposed.
It was absolutely perfect and so is he. This was the best moment of my life and of course I cried, said yes profusely, and jumped into his arms. We called our family and friends to share the news from Franklin and spent the rest of the evening celebrating!
To cap off the most incredible weekend EVER, Landon threw a surprise engagement party at our new apartment when we got home the next day. Even my family flew in from Colorado and California to surprise me! It was the absolute best way to top off an amazing weekend and celebrate with our loved ones.
Y’all, I am one heck of a lucky girl. We are so excited to be starting this chapter of our lives together and planning our wedding.
Over the next year, I will be sharing our favorite wedding tips and tricks as well as featuring my favorite vendors and companies that we are using for our Colorado destination wedding! I hope you enjoy following us on this adventure and get some good advice and tips for the next big wedding in your life whether it’s your own, your daughter’s, or your friend’s!
Xoxoxo
Kate
PS. Did I mention how lucky I am?! Landon made this amazing video to capture the whole weekend! 😍
This Strawberry Moscato Lemonade is one of my all time favorite cocktails to serve at summer bashes of all types! It’s refreshing, it’s bright, and oh so tasty! What more could you want in a summery sip?!
This festive beverage is simple to make and only requires mixing 3 ingredients, which means it’s super easy to make in bulk! For larger parties, I always love having at least one pitcher cocktail like this one, so I can spend more time enjoying my guests rather than spending time at the bar crafting custom cocktails….don’t get me wrong, I do LOVE a good craft cocktail, but they are definitely easier for smaller and more intimate events!
Whip up a batch of this little delight, and your guests will be in heaven! It’s always a crowd pleaser and an absolute summer favorite!
Note – For the kiddos, just leave out the moscato and vodka. Garnish the lemonade with the same frozen strawberries and lemon slices, and they will still feel like part of the party!
Styled by: The Everyday Hostess |
Photography: Lindsay Davenport Photography |
Florals: The T Shop|
As originally seen in IBB at Home.
Summer is officially here, so it’s time to dust off the patio furniture, bring out the lawn games, and prepare for your summer soirée! Whether you’re looking to host a formal seasonal dinner or casual pool party, these tips and tricks will help to ensure your summer gathering goes off without a hitch!
Choose a Theme – The theme will dictate every step of the party prep process, so it’s important to determine it early on. Do you want a laid back family pool party, formal summer dinner party, or even a backyard luau? The possibilities are endless! For my summer bash, I opted for a more casual picnic gathering with some close family and friends!
Guest List and Invitations – A well-done invitation gives your guests a glimpse of just how classy your summer soirée will be. It’s the first chance to sweep them off their feet, so make sure your invitations help portray the theme and experience you want to create. If your event is more casual and you want to send electronic invitations, I always love Paperless Post or Evite. To create a more formal atmosphere, send some good ol’ fashioned snail mail! Swoozies is one of my favorite custom invitation shops. I also love Etsy for predesigned printable invitations! Check out my friend Tara with PrintSmitten who designed this beautiful and festive invite for our summer soirée!
Decor – Decorations turn a simple gathering into its own little world for your guests and set the ambiance and formality for the entire evening. Select a simple and bright color palette and incorporate it into all aspects of the decor. I am a firm believer that it’s all in the details, so be sure to add a few extra special touches to completely transform the party. For my backyard summer picnic, I went with a yellow, coral and aqua color palette, which helped create a light and airy atmosphere. The yellow picnic blanket with the decorative pillows, paper straws, gorgeous floral arrangements, and table settings all helped create a casual yet sophisticated summer soirée.
Menu – No gathering is complete without the perfect menu! Summer is all about highlighting fresh foods, so try and incorporate some seasonal ingredients. I always like to provide easy, servable and bite-sized dishes such as watermelon, my favorite Bacon Cheeseburger with Onion Ring Sliders, and chips and guacamole.
Serve up some ice cold refreshing beverages. In addition to beer and wine, it’s nice to serve a signature cocktail such as a fruit sangria or margarita. Also be sure to provide a non-alcoholic drink such as a fresh lemonade. This Strawberry Moscato Lemonade is the perfect addition to your next gathering and the alcohol can easily be removed for all the kiddos!
Entertainment – It’s always fun to have an interactive element to a party to encourage mingling, especially if your guests don’t know each other that well. For a casual backyard party, I love the idea of lawn games like croquet or bocce ball. For those inspired by graphic design, cute scorecards could be added here! You could also set up a fire pit so people can make s’mores! Make sure to have a fun playlist going in the background to help set the mood for your party as well!
Finally, relax and enjoy your party! Don’t worry about cleaning while your guests are still there. That can wait until they leave! Have a cocktail or two and enjoy! You’ve worked hard!
Share your summer party ideas by tagging @the_everyday_hostess on Instagram.
Styled by: The Everyday Hostess | Invitations: PrintSmitten |
Florals: The T Shop | Photography: Lindsay Davenport Photography
These Bacon Cheeseburger with Crispy Onion Ring Sliders are one of my all time favorite summertime recipes! They are so incredibly juicy and delicious and are just perfect for an outdoor BBQ party with your friends or a tasty family dinner at home.
We have taken a classic cheeseburger and topped it with our favorite Sweet Baby Ray’s Brown Sugar Sauce to give the perfect saucy sweetness to the dish and topped it with our crunchy thin onion rings and bacon! Could this get any better? I am craving it just thinking about it, so it may need to make another appearance on our dinner table tonight!
