- Freeze strawberries or raspberries, then pop them into glasses of white wine or champagne for a dash of "bling". The berries will kick it up a notch with a splash of color and class, and will inject an element of unexpected surprise.

- If the lavatory your guests will visit during the party has a bathtub, glam things up by filling the tub with water, then float the heads of oodles of large scented flowers in it. Roses, gerbera daisies, mums, and carnations are all good choices. The stunning visual impact of this will knock the socks of your guests - and the room will smell amazing.

- Pick up simple store-bought cakes at the local grocery, then give them the high-end, lavish look of expensive custom cakes by embellishing them with fresh, non-poisonous flowers such as roses, pansies, or naustrusium.

- To encourage mingling at a cocktail party, limit the number of seats so that guests don’t just plunk themselves down in one spot for the entire night. Some seating is, of course, necessary for those with weary feet, but there should be substantially fewer seats than guests if you want to keep things lively.

For more lots more terrific ideas for entertaining and party planning, visit http://www.CreativeHomeStyle.com OR head over to http://www.SuperWeddings.com for creative wedding planning ideas, inspiration and how-to advice.