I am a professional meeting planner, a certified one with 10 years experience. I plan conferences for 200-500 physicians to attend and get credit to stay licensed. My focus isn't social, it is more audio visual, stage design, shuttle buses, hotel contracts, etc. But, once a year, I get to plan more of a party and I love it!
Remember this dress that I was sales stalking and almost lost? It was for the garden party! I loved it and had the sweetest young girl, maybe 8 years old, tell me how pretty it was. The dress had pockets and they came in really handy! I took this picture after being outdoor in the heat for about 6 hours- pardon the hair and makeup!
The garden party was an outdoor summer dinner at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens for 175 people. We had the most beautiful Texas wildflower arrangements. Plus, we got to keep the vases.... you might see an orange one and a green one in future posts!
We selected tablecloths, table runners and napkins in the bright colors of Texas wildflowers. It added great color to the green of the gardens. Tying napkins with contrasting ribbons allowed us to bring in even more color! If you ever need to rent linens, use chair ties for table runners. You'll save about $10 per table!
The menus were designed by our communications team and we loved them on the tables. Since we had fans running through the courtyard, we used clear marbles to hold them down in the breezes. I had 400 of them in my pockets during set-up.
The botanical gardens were lovely. I love a potted garden and these just did it for me. This picture is my new screen saver- I just love the combinations.
I can't talk about the party without talking about food, especially when this party food was so good. We had beef tenderloin, spinach salad, green beans, homemade dinner rolls and this amazing dish of cheese heaven- corn pudding! So very good! Dessert ended the evening with peach cobbler and fudge brownies.
It was a great party on a pretty summer evening. Next year we are planning a high roller/casino/poker tournament! I can't wait!
