5 Fun Party Favor Ideas For Your Next Event

Making something special for guests to take home is a great way to help guests remember the good times they had during parties and gatherings. At ABCey, we’re always on the lookout for new ideas for fun and affordable favors to give away at your next event. We hope one of them could become part of the unique memory you share with your guests!

1. Stamped Party Favors: When you have a numbered theme for your party, like birthdays and anniversaries it could be fun to have candy and invitations stamped with it. Boys love for it to show everywhere what a big boy he has turned to!

2. Pinwheel Party Favors: No matter how old you get, you can always enjoy the beautiful pinwheels. These easy to make party favors can also be used as decorations for your next party!

3. DIY Caramel Apple Kit: Many have a particular fondness for the sweets that are specific to fall and winter. Caramel apples are classic, and this little kit is a fun way to give them new life. You can give them out at your own parties or bring the kits to a get-together!

4. Mini Masterpiece Favors: This could be a great little favor idea for a wedding(or shower!). They are really affordable if you have access to someone with art skills.

5. Prepackaged Candy Favors: Some prepackaged candy favors could turn out to be very cute, also they are easy to make and need just a few materials!

Would you try some of these ideas at your next party? Let us know what you think in the comments below or on T witter & Facebook!

Thumbtack To The Rescue!

How many hours have you spent online, researching a local service? What if, instead of finding a few possible places, looking up their numbers, calling and leaving a few messages and hopefully hearing back from them in a few days, you could get up to 5 quotes from interested, qualified professionals within 24 hours?! Cue Thumbtack.

Thumbtack is a San Francisco based company (yay!) that offers a free program that allows you to find professionals in your area – and quickly! Thumbtack verifies all of it’s professionals to ensure you are getting the quality of service you deserve AND they receive no advertising money from service professionals, so there is no room for bias. Each provider is qualified through a rigorous checkpoint system, guaranteeing your selection of a safe and qualified professional. All you have to do is send out a request with your needs and within 24 hours you will have interested experts ready to review and choose from!

This website is great for personal use as well as for businesses! Event planning is all about bringing together so many different services and putting on a seamless event that incorporates them all. This group is great, because they do the background work for you and you are guaranteed experienced professionals that will get the job done – well! It takes the guesswork out of hiring someone which can make the difference between a good event and a great event!

How cool is that?! At ABCey, we love almost anything that saves us time! We’d love to hear some of your experiences with Thumbtack or similar groups! Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or on Twitter & Facebook!

ABCey’s Weekend Line-Up 9.12.13-9.15.13

As the weekend approaches, ABCey would like to share our top 5 (Free) events that we’re most excited about this upcoming weekend! From food truck’s to boat races, we’ve got you covered! Every Thursday, check in with ABCey for the inside scoop on cool events happening in our beloved Bay Area

1. San Francisco Scavenger Hunt | Saturday, September 14th | 2:00 p.m. | San Francisco Public Library and surrounding area | Here’s your chance to explore San Francisco in a fun and interactive way! This event gives you the opportunity to explore the city while adding a competitive aspect. Bring your problem solving skills and let the games begin!

2. America’s Cup Superyacht Regatta: Final Race Day | Friday, September 13th | 12:30 p.m. | Marina Blvd. & Fillmore St. | Spend a day in the lovely fresh air down by the Marina and watch the finals races of America’s Cup! Some of the largest boats will be displayed and raced this day, so don’t miss out!

3. “Off The Grid” Friday Night Food Truck Party | Friday, September 13th | 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. | Fort Mason Center | If you not only love food, but love GREAT food, this is the place to go. There’s over 32 food trucks that offer options for the whole family to eat at, so everyone’s happy! It’s a great atmosphere and you are guaranteed to leave happy and full!

4. Sea Music Festival | Saturday, September 14th | 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Hyde Street Pier | What’s better than a day by the ocean filled with good music? Not much. This festival offers tons of live performances of traditional songs of the sea as well as a larger performance that evening for a mere $5.

5. International Dragon Boat Festival | Saturday, September 14th | 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. | California Ave. & D Ave. | So many boat events this weekend! This one is worth checking out because of the exciting and fast paced boat races involving beautifully decorated boats. There will also be crafts, martial arts and live music among other things!

What are your plans for the weekend? Let us know which of these you’ll be attending in a comment or a tweet. Thanks to FunCheap SF for the cool ideas and stayed tuned each week for ABCey’s favorite picks for the weekend!

10 Fun Party Bar Ideas

Themed “party bars” are all the rage at events these days. They are both fun, and offer guests the opportunity to customize and be creative. Check out these awesome, (and tasty!) party bar ideas that are sure to add some excitement to your next event.

1. Fruit and Veggie Bar: A variety of fresh fruits and veggies, all paired with their respective dipping sauces. A healthy, and classic medley.

2. Baked Potatoes: Bacon bites, chives, cheddar cheese, everyone loves a good baked potato! This is perfect for a backyard BBQ.

3. Nachos: Chips, salsa, guacamole, cheese, sour cream, olives, you name it! Nothing tastes bad on nachos, so make sure to provide lots of topping options.

4. Chili Bar: Fresh homemade chili, all the accessories, and a nice bread bowl to put it all in. Perfect for crisp fall nights or a backyard picnic.

5. Meat Bar: Cook up your favorite meats and pair with your favorite sauces. Or, you could even try making homemade BBQ sauce! Check out a recipe here.

6. Sandwich: Pick up some fresh meat from your local deli and some fresh bread from the local bakery to create the ultimate sandwich party bar. Provide veggies and sauces for customization.

7. Waffles: Perfect for a breakfast or brunch get together! Pre-make lots of delicious Belgian waffles and offer a variety of seasonal berries. Of course, whipped cream and maple syrup are always a must as well. You could also pair this with a mimosa bar.

8. Mimosas: Orange juice, grapefruit juice, pineapple juice, and your favorite champagne all complimented with fresh berries and peaches.

9. Donuts: Offer plain donuts, and provide a variety of different dips and toppings to put on top. Compliment the donuts with either hot coffee of milk at the end of the bar.

10. Smores: Who doesn’t love this childhood classic? Put out all the essentials: graham crackers, chocolate, and lots of gooey marshmallows. If possible, provide sticks and fire at the end of the row to roast.

What’s the absolute best part about party bars? They are completely customizable with thousands of different themes to choose from! Can you think of any different ideas? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter! And, be sure to keep checking back for more innovative party ideas!

DIY Photobooth Ideas

A photobooth is a great way for guests to take their own pictures at your event. It’s really fun to do and it also lets your guests express their creativity. Instead of hiring a company to bring their photobooth, why not do it yourself? Here are a few awesome ideas you can use to create your own!

1. Instead of using a plain white background, spruce it up with different colors and shapes. An example of this could be wallpaper. It is really easy and inexpensive to use. Also creating paper flowers and hanging them from the ceiling can add some dimension to the backdrop.

2. Add your own props. Props definitely add another element to the pictures. It’s also an awesome way for guests to make wacky faces or take on different a persona.

3. Use a theme. Adding a focal point to the background and having everyone gather around it can result in a great picture!

4. Adding picture frames. Cut out different shapes on the back wall. Then add different picture frames on top. Instead of standing in the center, this allows guests to change up their placement in pictures.

5. Use a life-size Polaroid. The cool part is you can include the name of the event at the bottom of the picture. Also after the pictures are printed out, the Polaroid pictures look really awesome!

6. Don’t be afraid to use the outdoors. What better backdrop to use, than what’s just outside your door? A lot of times, the trees and leaves themselves can help add great color to the pictures.

Using a photobooth is a great way for guests to have their own remembrance of the event. Like they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. So why not have your pictures speak for themselves. Have you created your own photobooth before? Tell us about it on the comments below or on our Facebook and Twitter. Check back on ABCey Events for more fun ideas for your next event!

5 Easy Ways To Go Eco-Friendly For Your Next Big Event!

There is so much emphasis on being environmentally conscious nowadays, so ABCey has come up with a few tips on how to plan your next event while keeping the environment in mind. Here are a few of our favorite ideas to make your event that much more environmentally friendly! We challenge you to try at least one of these next time you have an event. We sure will!

1. Use plants as favors! It’s the gift that keeps on giving!

2. Design the menu according to the season and focus on locally grown food. (It usually tastes better anyway!)

3. Decorate with eco-friendly items. Try some dried flowers for a beautiful display! Check out Etsy for some beautiful, handmade options!

4. Shop your local antique store for vintage finds. Mismatched cups make for a fun atmosphere!

5. Collect pictures electronically by giving guests a hash tag for any pictures they post! You’ll collect so many funny pictures from everyone’s point of view!

What’s your next event and how are you going to incorporate eco-conscious planning? Let us know with a comment or a tweet! Make sure to follow us on Pinterest and stay updated with ABCey for more fun party planning tips!