Continue reading »]]> When planning the recent New York Junior League Bags & Bubbles fundraiser we had close to zero dollars for decor. Our goal when developing this and other fundraisers is to have the highest percentage possible of ticket sales and auction revenue go to the charity. I’d prefer to be creative, clever and cost-effective with decor when it means more can be done in the community.

So off we went with a couple hundred dollars and we needed to create signage and decorate four floors of an old New York City brownstone. Creative and talented are two words that sum up what the decor team came up with.

• Tissue paper was donated and tons of paper poms were created. They were hung from windows and placed on shelves and mantels.
• Empty bottles of bubbly (to coincide with the name of the event!) were used as decorations.
• Balloons were hung from the main staircase and were also used behind some of the bars and food areas.
• Wrapping paper in the theme colors of black and pink was used to cover artwork.
• A few donated floral arrangements were placed in high traffic areas.
• Hot pink fabric was draped on some tables to make them stand out.
• Foam core was reused from a previous event and printing was done in a committee member’s office.

These are cost-effective ideas that you can use at your next fundraiser.

Here are some photos from Amanda Creamer:

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Domaine Carneros

At the recent New York Junior League Bags & Bubbles event the premier sponsor of the evening, Domaine Carneros, held a Twitter/Facebook contest for attendees. Holding a contest is a terrific way to help further market leading donors at fundraising events. It engages guests with the brands that have donated their time and products.

At the event, stations were set up where guests could go and take photos with Domaine Carneros bottles of sparkling wine. They were encouraged to Tweet and Facebook about the stylish event.

Here is the poster that was used to overview the contest.

Domaine Carneros Twitter Contest

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You’ve got your invitations all set and you are ready to stuff and mail them….Stop! Don’t seal them just yet. Here is a very quick must do for your reply cards. Number them!

Without fail one, two, or more of your invitees might forget to put their name on the wedding reply card before sending it back to you. What you get in the mail is a “declines” or “accepts” and you have no idea who sent it. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s one more thing on a long list of to-dos that can be easily averted.

Before stuffing your reply cards, simply number them with a light pencil in an inconspicuous place. Many people opt for a corner in the back. Keep it light and small. Then, on your address list number which person is which number. If you have your invite list in Excel you can use the corresponding line number.

Now when you get the inevitable reply card back with no name, all you need to do is check it against your list and you are all set.

It’s an easy to do!

What other easy wedding tips and tricks do you have? Let us know and we’ll share your best practice with others.

Continue reading »]]> We’ve chatted in the past about varying ticket levels at fundraising events in order to increase charitable event revenue. And we’ve chatted about how the offering for higher priced tickets (such as having a VIP ticket) needs to be a value add for the guest.

One fantastic example of this is the New York Junior League’s Bags & Bubbles fundraiser. The event has a VIP only Beauty Bar. Not only do VIPs get into the event an hour early for the first opportunity to bid on the silent auction items, they can also “buy it now” at a set price. And, they have exclusive access to the Beauty Bar. It is a fashion and beauty lounge with free services from top-name stylists.

At this year’s event, the VIP Beauty Bar took over an entire floor of the event. VIPs had their own bar, complete with rose sparkling wine from Domaine Carneros, their own table of food and desserts – including a gorgeous cake with the logo of the event.

VIPs could spend time in the Beauty Bar getting services from the sponsors. Since mobile bidding was used, they didn’t miss out on any of the silent auction happenings. There were also door prizes every half hour. They were entertained, well taken care of, and left with a fabulous gift bag valued at over $300 and contained a necklace from JCrew, books, skincare products, hair care products, makeup, a makeup bag from Sephora, lots of coupons for services, Arizona Iced Tea, Dream Water, and a piece of jewelry from Karen Egren valued at $80!

VIP sponsors included:

• Equinox who provided chair massages
• Celebrity makeup artist Ramy Gafnishaped eyebrows
• Celebrity makeup artist Jenna Kyle along with associate provided makeovers, as did Sharon Becker and Jill Harth
• Hair stylists extraordinaire Jill Hammelman was on hand to create amazing  ’dos for the guests as was a team of ladies from Tina Pearson Salon and Hair Allure Studio
• Anna Akbari provided one-on-one fashion styling advice
• Hayat Gul of Henna Couture did amazing henna on the guests
• IOMA Skincare provided skincare analysis

It was a well attended event with many people commenting that they would do VIP again and bring their friends next year.

Here are some photos by Shannon Creamer:

Continue reading »]]> Are you ready for Mother’s Day this weekend? Here is a great site to pick up some gorgeous gifts for moms, mother-in-laws, step-moms and grandmas. Karen Egren Jewelry.

Karen Egren’s pieces are high-quality, beautiful and well priced. I recently picked up a pair of gorgeous orange earrings for only $20! Orange is the hot color this year!

For the month of May, Karen Egren is donating 20% of sales to the New York Junior League which will be used by the NYJL to support charitable activities in the city. Use NYJL20 as the promo code so 20% of your sale can be sent to a good cause.

Check out Karen Egren today for stunning jewelry! Here are a few of the many pieces available on her site:

Continue reading »]]> The New York Junior League Hosted the Ultimate Girls’ Night Out:  4^th Annual Bags & Bubbles Fundraiser

The New York Junior League hosted the 4^th annual Bag & Bubbles fundraising event benefiting women’s cancer prevention on Thursday, May 3.  500 fashionable guests attended the ultimate girls’ night out and sipped Domaine Carneros sparkling wine and enjoyed delectable foods and delicious sweets at the annual silent auction boasting over 150 new and vintage designer handbags.

Featured items included handbags, jewelry and accessories from designers C Wonder, Celine, Christian Dior, Coach, Cole Haan, DKNY, Givenchy, Gucci, Henri Bendel, Kooba, Lauren Merkin, Marc Jacobs, Missoni, 3.1 Philip Lim, Ralph Lauren, Rebecca Taylor, and many more. Designer Ruthie Davis attended the event.

VIP ticket-holders gained access an hour early for the first opportunity to bid on the auction items. VIPs also had exclusive access to the Beauty Bar, a beauty and party destination where guest received glamorous makeovers. Featured beauty experts at the VIP Beauty Bar included Equinox Fitness, Jill Harth, Ramy Cosmetics, Extensions by Jill, and Jenna Kyle. VIPs also take home a special gift-bag containing Karen Egren jewelry, JCrew jewelry, Dream Water, Arizona Iced Tea, Sephora, and more.

Proceeds benefited the charitable activities of the NYJL, including the Women’s Cancer Prevention program, which works with the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the Leukemia-Lymphoma Society (LLS) to educate the underserved and at-risk communities, particularly women, about cancer prevention.

Photos by: Shannon Creamer

Continue reading »]]> In our previous Cinco de Mayo post we looked at some of the fantastic ways you can cost-effectively decorate using paper. (Check out Cinco De Mayo Party Ideas: Decorate with Paper.)  Today, here are some fantastic Cinco de Mayo menu ideas that we found on Pinterest. For more Cinco de Mayo party ideas, see our entire board on Pinterest.

Individual Seven Layer Dips from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Individual Seven Layer Dips from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Key Lime Cupcakes from Real Mom Kitchen

Key Lime Cupcakes from Real Mom Kitchen

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