Ask an Event Planner: Making Your Fourth of July a Celebration - Part II

In the last article, we talked about the Simple, Yet Patriotic theme idea. In this one we will go over the "Fighters of Freedom" theme idea. During a time when we currently have soldiers off fighting a war, it is the perfect time to use this Independence Day celebration as a celebration for the very people who made this day possible; the people in the military. If you have someone who is oversees right now, or just come back or you just want to commemorate our brave heroes, this is the perfect theme for you.

The Strong, the Proud - Fighters of Freedom

This theme was developed for the sentimentalists who are proud of our country and of the people who protect it. Sometimes, in the midst of the barbeque and the fireworks, we forget why we celebrate this particular holiday. This theme will allow you to keep in the spirit of the day.

Invitations

For invitations for this theme we are going to get a little more sophisticated. You can still use an email or online sources for electronic invites. Remember, you can use other means such as email and internet sites such as Evite.com. They are free and simple. But, remember, you want to stick with the theme. Decorate your electronic invite with camouflage or any type of military stationary and design.

For paper invitations, your local party store or printer can help you with any type of decorations that stays with the 'Soldier' them. Find anything that has anything to do with any of the four branches of military. There is also another, less expensive way to make really cool paper invitations; and that is what I am going to show you in the next paragraph.

Find yourself some olive green, regular green, brown or tan cardstock paper. Then get some camouflage fabric from the fabric store. Cut the card stock into 4x6 inch pieces. Also, cut the camouflage in the same size pieces. Now cut out a medium-sized "V" at the top of the fabric. Glue the fabric on top of the camouflage. Take another scrap of fabric and cut two triangular pieces. Glue the triangles to the top of the other piece, one on either side of the "V" you cut out of the original fabric, making it look like a collar. Now, cut out a square piece of fabric and glue it as a pocket.

Find some plain white or parchment paper and cut it into little scrolls; but not so little that you can't write on them legibly. Write the details of your party on the pieces of paper (time, place, RSVP, etc.) and roll them up like scrolls. Now, stick the rolled up scrolls into the pockets of the camouflage cards. Voila! You now have invitations that look like little soldiers delivering a set of orders to your guests. You can even write "Your Set of Orders" or "You have been briefed" on the front of envelops used to mail the invites.

Decorations

A common item among any patriotic them is the American Flag. Get a couple of them to hang in the back yard. You can also set up one table, preferably the table with the food, and dress it up with red, white and blue decorations with a white tablecloth and flag banners. Try to find some flag glassware and arrange some type of flowers into them to also put on the food table.

For the other tables, find olive green, tan, green, and brown plastic tablecloths. Also try and find paper napkins, plates, cups and plasticware. If you haven't guessed yet, the common color scheme for this party is the colors of Army camouflage. I know there are other branches of military and they have other colors of uniform, but the camouflage is more recognizable.

At your local party or dollar store, find some of those plastic military dog tags. Also find fake medals of Honor or any type of medal that the military honor their soldiers. Instead of having big centerpieces, just simply place the honors and dog tags in the center of the table. Also, if you don't mind the added expense, you can get little silver picture frames. If you are celebrating a particular person in the military, place photos of them, in their uniform, in the frames and put them on the table with the other two items. If you just want to celebrate soldiers and no one in particular, Google for photos of soldiers and put different ones in each of the frame.

Remember, you don't want to place toy guns or canons or anything really related to that side of war. We are celebrating soldiers, and not the war. There is a theme for the Revolutionary War, and if you are more interested in that then this one, email me.

Food

Once again, stick with the basics for food; hamburgers, ribs, hot dogs, chicken, baked beans, potato salad, Cole slaw and fruit salad. For dessert, I recommend a nice Hero Chocolate Cake. Also, you can serve the All-American Apple Pie (see end of article for information on how getting the recipe for either of theses).

Activities

I am going to recite the same daytime activities that I used in the last article. Here is what I said in that one:

"The best thing about the Fourth of July is that it is in July. Summertime parties are the best and most entertaining because there is never a shortage in activities. If you have a big back yard, put up volleyball net or play a little softball. Nothing says All-American and patriotic like football. You will be surprised at how many of you female guests that would be interested in a little touch football.

If you are working with limited room, you can also go a more traditional route. Supply music and provide dancing as an activity for your guest. 'Pin the Hat on Uncle Sam' is always a crowd favorite for children. If you can find a Statue of Liberty or Uncle Sam piñata, it can provide a great source of entertainment for your guests and still keep in tune with the theme."

If you have soldiers at your party here is a nice little activity you can use to wind down your party after or before the fireworks. Start a little campfire and invite them to tell you stories of their life in the military. Not all military stories are horror stories of war; some are quite heartwarming about brotherhood and pride. Invite your guests to sit around and share in the love of this country.

The thought of this theme is to remember and honor the people who have made this holiday possible. There are other brave people who protect and serve this country; the fire and police department, just to name a few. If you want, you can set your theme around them. And remember, HAVE FUN!

**For the recipes for the Hero Chocolate Cake or the All-American Apple Pie, email me at Tiesha.Whatley@gmail.com. Also, if you have any questions about an upcoming event or would like some advice from the Ask an Event Planner article, send me an email.