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About Georgia Blair
Expertise
Are you planning a child's birthday party at home? Want to make it more exciting than exhausting? A little expert advice can help make it a more memorable event. The Party Fairy's strategies for successful parties can help parents turn down the chaos level and turn up the fun. We specialize in fantasy tea parties - but whether you're planning a sweet and nostalgic tea party or a rough-and-rowdy treasure hunt for boisterous little pirates, we have plenty of tips, tools and techniques to share. Need an idea for a centerpiece? A party game? Wondering whether the activities you have selected are age-appropriate for your guests? Not sure what to do with the two little boy cousins invited to a very girlie-girlie tea party? We can answer a variety of questions on many topics. Chances are good that we've heard your question before - but if not, we've created an entire business from the ability to create and imagine workable programs for children!

Experience
As the owner of The Party Fairy, I have personally conducted more than 600 birthday parties for children on a paid basis - and did this free of charge for years before I decided to trun it into a business. All told, I have probably conducted more than 750 parties.

Organizations
None are relevant.:) And don't worry; nothing odd. Just church and school organizations.

Publications
New York Times regional newspapers chain (I was an employee for several years and worked at various newspapers during my 20-year journalism career) I also worked at many smaller newspapers throughout Alabama

Education/Credentials
I was a journalism major many, many years ago - shortly after the world was created. :) Although a journalistic background is not particularly relevant to the business of children's party planning, a communications background could prove useful in answering questions from the public.

Awards and Honors
Hmmm.... The only ones possibly relevant here are several Associated Press newswriting awards

Past/Present Clients
No one of national note or significance (yet!) because my clients are all pretty much under 9 years old! But to their parents, of course, my little clients are all shining stars! :)

You are here: Experts > Style > Entertaining > Party Planning > adoption dedication ceremony and reception

Party Planning - adoption dedication ceremony and reception

Expert: Georgia Blair - 11/11/2009

Question
Dear Georgia,
My husband and I are preparing to adopt two children (7yo girl, 4 yo boy) from the foster care system. They came into our care 2 years ago and the finalization of the adoption will probably be another 6 months. While the official paperwork will be done at the courthouse with a judge, we would like to host something that shares our joy at expanding our family that is akin to a wedding ceremony and reception at our neighborhood clubhouse. We have 2 older children (24yo and 18yo) who should be included. While I would want parts of the event to be intimate and formal I also want our newly adopted children (and their young guests) to have fun as well. So far my brainstorming just involves a dedication ceremony in which we exchange our promises/vows to be a "forever growing up family". Maybe an exchange of promise rings? (what would we do for the 4 year old boy?) Followed by a reception, that should be fun for everyone! Any ideas will be appreciated. (Of course a "honeymoon" at Disneyworld would also be perfect!)

Answer
   Bless you for being foster parents, sharing your home and your hearts with children -- and how exciting that now this little girl and boy will be officially and permanently welcomed into your family with legal adoption and a ceremony.
   I thought about your question this afternoon, and I just keep thinking of Celtic knots for your event. Although the exact meaning of the synbols we have come to recognized as Celtic knots has never been established, many people consider them symbolic of eternity because the knots have no discernible beginnings or endings. They are often used in weddings as symbols of forever love.
   Certainly an adoption is a wonderful opportunity to incoporate this "forever" symbol -- and I particularly like the way it relates to the comprehension level of young children. At ages 4 and 7, they are familiar with knots. They've either learned or are learning to tie their shoelaces and in the case of the little girl, their hair ribbons! :) It's very easy to take this concept a step further and explain to them that the visit to the judge is a way to tie your family together forever. :)
   I think an absolutely beautiful speech could be made at your reception about the ties that bind us, and how love is the strongest tie of all, far harder to untangle than the toughest knot, because it is tied from heartstrings, the most durable of all substances! Heartstrings can be tugged and stretched, but no matter how often they are pulled, they never snap.
   Even the perfect setting forthis program occurred to me; I'd love for you to be able to stage the reception in a traditional English knot garden, but realize that you have to work with your clubhouse!:)
   I don't know what kind of yard you have, but I do encourage you, if possible, to devote a small plot of it to planting an English knot garden this spring along with the help of your children. If your family works together to create a small knot garden that can be cultivated over the years, it will be an enduring memory of this very special day and a constant reminder of that forever love. A little bench in a knot garden can be a wonderful and inviting spot for a bit of contemplation, when life gets tough and presents us with challenges. What a wonderful gift to give these children: a place to go when middle school angst sets in where they can sit and contemplate in a setting that reminds them of their family's enduring, unbreakable and unending love and support.
    Here is an idea for your reception, should you be able to do the knot garden. I think it would be a lovely gesture to provide garden stones kits and let each family decorate a stone. I have seen these kits for something like $10.99 at Michael's and other craft centers. You mix the cement, and pour it into the mold. It sets up overnight or maybe in 48 hrs and then you have a wonderful stepping stone for your garden. You could lay these stones in your English knot garden, along a gravel path. Then you would have the garden representing your commitment, a lovely little bench for hours of peaceful contemplation, and a path literally strewn with the well wishes of friends.
    Too much?
    Even if you are unable to plant a knot garden, or don't like the garden stone idea, you can still make great use of the Celtic knot symbols and the "tying" metaphor at your reception. You mentioned giving rings, and I believe it is possible to find Celtic rings online. I like that idea a great deal.
     Perhaps the clubhouse could be decorated with Celtic knots? Many of the designs are truly beautiful, and are easy to find online. They could be transferred to large rolls of butcher paper, which could in turn be cut out and turned into "posters" for hanging and creating visual reinforcement of your theme.
     If you have time get a family coat of arms made bearing a Celtic Knot as the central design, I think an "unveiling" would be a wonderful thing for your reception and a very nice followup to the ceremony. :)And it's a nice thing to hang somewhere in your home.
     To make use of the tying and knots theme in children's activities, simply stage some very simple and age appropriate activities such races to see who can tie their shoelaces the fastest. Tangle some strings and let the children work together to untangle them. A strong family theme would also be very appropriate for this event, so if your clubhouse has room outdoors, you might want to consider some fun and traditional competivie family games from horseshoes to sack races. Or tie people's legs together and have them race while tied. It's fun and frivolity to tie into the theme! :)
      Certainly the food at the event could also make use of this theme...Monkey bread is simply strips of bread twisted or braided together and baked, and would fit in very well with this theme. Most children really like pretzels, which are nothing more than knots! Young children ages 4 to 7 would greatly enjoy something as simple as a pretzel stacking competition. Who can build the tallest tower of knot-shaped pretzels?
      Be sure to offer fun prizes for the winners -- and it's important to offer fun consolation prizes to all the children. Young children enjoy receiving something, even the smallest of trinkets.
       One last idea... On your invitations, you might consider using an image of a Celtic knot, and a small paragraph describing what it is and why it is appropriate for this particular celebration.

       I hope some of these ideas are helpful to you and that you have a truly wonderful celebration of such a special time! :)

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