Some Things Borrowed

A handful of wicked cool ideas provide inspiration for your own party planning.

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Midnight Munchies
By the time the party’s over, it seems as if it’s been hours since the cake was served. Don’t let your guests leave hungry: Send them home with a snack. Geoff & Drew’s will deliver warm chocolate chip or oatmeal cookies to your reception site at any hour. Or arrange for the host hotel to leave the sweets—with individual bottles of cold milk, of course—in your guests’ rooms. 866-437-3928, gdcookies.com.

 

Pictures Perfect: Before you preserve your dress, schedule one more session with your photographer for the day or week after your wedding, when a few hours without interruption make for even more creative shots (and a more relaxed bride and groom).

 

 

Dancing Shoes: Keep the dance floor full by placing plastic tubs of brightly colored flip-flops around the reception hall. Guests with sore feet will thank you (and so will the band). Target, 550 Arsenal St., Watertown, 617-924-6574, target.com.

 

 

Glass Act: Instead of one signature drink, have your bartender create four. Event planner Susan Verge at Longwood Events suggests Something Old (a glass of Pimm’s No. 1), Something New (a rose martini, garnished with fresh petals), Something Borrowed (the Glenn Miller–inspired String of Pearls: melon vodka and lychee liqueur served in a glass garnished with lychee and pearl dust), and Something Blue (a mix of blueberry vodka, fresh lemonade, and blueberry purée). longwoodevents.com.

 

 

Slide Rule: Instead of traditional invites, send A-list guests a 3-D Viewmaster (we like the classic red, though they also come in formal black and bridal white) with a slideshow of custom text and photos. Then send out a second reel after the party as a thank-you note. Starting at $566 for 10, Image3D, 503-632-2470, image3D.com.

 

Works in Progress: Capture the action as it happens: Enlist a local artist to paint on-site during your cocktail hour or dinner for a Renoirlike canvas to display in your home (think Luncheon of the Boating Party). Gail Fitzpatrick, Live Event Paintings, 218 Bedford Rd., Carlisle, 978-369-6292, liveeventpaintings.com.