I'm Strawberry Cake

You're fresh, sassy, and romantic. You're a total flirt who would never turn down a sugary treat. Occasionally you are a bit moody - but you usually stay sweet.

I thought this was fun for a Friday. I'd have to say the description is pretty right on with me. : ) Take the quiz and leave me a comment of what kind of cake you are! Click HERE for the link for the quiz.

Cover Girls

Hey all my Bliss Brides!

I would LOVE to see one of you beautiful ladies on the cover of Modern Bride magazine! There are 2only weeks left in the contest so don't delay. All you have to do is click on the image below and complete the entry form.

Good Luck!

Pretty Little Maids

Distributing all the correct information to you bridesmaids can be a challenge for even the most organized bride. This is especially true if your special girls are spread out all over the country. These handy little cards from Martha Stewart are just the thing you need. They are so adorable and they have all the information you need. It has Dress style/color info, attach a fabric swatch, shoe details, jewelery and the bridal parties' contact information. If you use a rotary cutter with a perforating blade you can make the contact information section a card that you can tear off to keep in your purse or bag. Download the handy little template and customize just for your wedding!

Oh and the envelope can be found at Paper Source - another favorite site of mine.

Erin & Justin

I wanted to share a few of my non pro pictures from Erin & Justin's wedding last weekend. It was beautiful in every way. The rain held out and the decision to keep everything the way we originally planned worked - even though some people thought we were nuts!

Erin & Justin such a cute and stylish couple that they wanted their wedding to be simple but unique. I loved their color palette - white, khaki and soft pinks. Throughout the planning process Erin's favorite description was "I just want simple". I think we achieved that and then some!

The ceremony was at McFerson Common. After the ceremony the guests walked across the street to North Bank Park to enjoy cocktail and hors d'oeurves. Cocktail hour was supposed to be out on the patio near the dancing fountain but the wind was too strong and had to be moved indoors where it was warmer and safer! You might be able to tell in some of the pictures that we were all so wind-blown. There were so many little touches that made the event extra special. You'll see those in the pictures from Erlina. I was not able to take any quick pictures of those items b/c it was just too busy that day.

Erlina Kim was the photographer on site with her husband Young. I can't wait to share some of the amazing photos they took that day. Made From Scratch did the catering and bar tending. Jenis Ice Cream provided the yummy and very popular ice cream in lieu of wedding cake. Don and his band the Whiskey Saints are a great band that I hope to hear around Columbus again. We had the acoustic version of the band and they were SO GOOD the dance floor was packed all night! Amber Schacter did an awesome job with the lighting of the pavilion and tent. It looked so great and would not have been so beautiful without them.

Now showing on a computer screen near you...

I'm proud to announce the launch of the new and very much improved Bliss Weddings & Events website. I have to send a giant thank you to Jenny at Seedlings for helping me make my vision a reality.

The new website is a true representation of Bliss and my vision for Bliss and the weddings and events I help create. It's stylish, fun and a modern all rolled together. I hope you enjoy it!

Kasey

Twitter

So I have ventured out into the world of microblogging...scary I know. Twitter is the amazing little site that is so addicting.

Do you twitter? Find me: blissevents so I can follow you too!

PSA - Rental Items, DIY projects, etc.

Since we're at the start of the wedding season I thought I'd share a few insights, thoughts and tips with you that were inspired by a few experiences these past several weeks.

1. DO pay your florist to deliver your flowers. Having friends or family members pick them up and deliver them is not a good idea. They are 100% responsible if something happens in transit and the florist may or may not be willing/have time/have resources to fix any issues at that point. It is worth the $50 or $75 to know that a professional is handling your flowers the entire time and doesn't need Map Quest directions to get to and from the flower shop.

2. DO pay for your cake baker to come back and pick up the very pretty (and expensive to replace) cake pedestal and cake items (board, dowel rods, etc). At the end of the night you should not be asking for volunteers to return this item. If your planner offers this return service, you may want to take advantage of it. It will be worth the $50 or so for it to be taken care of.

3. DO allow your planner to arrange for your rental items (if they offer this service). Trust me - It is 100% worth it. You will not be running around picking up random rental items the day before the wedding and schlepping them from the car to the catering office at the hotel or venue. Also, generally included in this service is the return of the rental items. Again, looking/asking for volunteers at the end of the night is not recommended. This is a service that I offer and we handle the ordering, delivery/return and in some cases set up and tear down of these items at the venue. Why worry when you don't have to - that's why you hired a planner remember?!

4. DON'T overextend yourself with DIY projects. I know you see a lot of great DIY projects that other brides on the Knot have done and turned out great but there are a few things you need to consider before committing to DIYing every element of your wedding. Don't get me wrong - I am all for DIY projects - but you have to be realistic about the project's scope, your abilities to actually do the project and the amount of time you have to complete it in. A big reason why people want to DIY a project is to save on cost but what I don't think they actually factor in is their time and what that can cost them. Most DIY projects started as a way to recreate something a professional has done, so keep that in mind when picking your projects. One or two is good - but not seven of them.

5. DO consider your guest list when scheduling the timing of your reception. If your crowd is not the big party group scheduling your reception to end at midnight is probably not the best decision to make. You'll be wasting a lot of money on keeping the bar open, the amount of hours your DJ is there and catering staff. If most of your guests are realistically going to be gone by 10pm - then end the reception at 10pm. There is NOTHING wrong with that. There is no rule that your reception has to end at midnight. Even if this is what you really want, be realistic with yourself and save a little bit of money in doing so.

6. DO consider pictures before the ceremony with your fiance. This is one of the most special days of your lives and you are going to spend most of it apart. Forget that I can't see you before the wedding notion. The first time you see each other that day will still be SPECIAL and a moment you'll never forget. You'll actually get to hug and kiss and speak to each other. When you see each other for the first time at the ceremony - no kissing, no hugging, no talking. That's just NO fun! With pictures completed you can actually enjoy your cocktail hour and spend some more time with the special people you invited to share the day with you. This also eliminates the need for a receiving line and visiting tables at the reception.

Sneak Peak

I'm so excited to share this little sneak peak of the new look of Bliss Weddings & Events!


I've been working on this for months now and it's so great that it has all come together. I'm hoping that the new Bliss website will go live later this week. I'll of course keep everyone posted. For now, here's a peak...

Kathy & Cavett

I wanted to share a few non professional pictures from Kathy & Cavett's wedding last weekend. I can't wait to see the professional pictures from Clay at Red Gallery! I know they are going to be gorgeous! Their wedding officially kicked off the Spring wedding season for us here at Bliss!

Kathy & Cavett were so great to work with. They were very organized and open to my ideas and suggestions. I think the day came together beautifully and everyone enjoyed themselves. Thank you Kathy & Cavett for allowing me to be a part of your day! I wish you all the best!

Flowie Style

I love spring, summer and everything that goes with it. I'm also in love with Flowie Style. A company out of California who makes 100% cotton or linen scarves, bags and home accessories. Everything is hand sewn or screened in the Bay Area.

Wouldn't your bridesmaids love you if you gave them a really fashionable scarf instead of the usual pashmina as a gift? The tote bags make great gifts as well.

Everything is reasonable priced so fitting it in your budget isn't a problem!

Mix It Up!

So I was thinking about the potential to do something different with an outdoor spring or summer wedding. One thing that I kept coming back to was the amount of flexibility you have. So why not mix it up a little? What if you did things a little out of the ordinary just for fun?

I would love to do an outdoor garden wedding with a mini cocktail hour before the ceremony. Wouldn't that be so fun and unique? I'm not saying open the full bar with hors d'oeuvres, but doing one great signature cocktail and a simple non alcoholic offering is sufficient. This way people can mingle a little, enjoy a cocktail and then every is seated for the ceremony at one time. I think your guests would really enjoy it and extend the celebration just a little bit!

Here's a cocktail that's a favorite of mine:


Red Eyelet Cocktail















1 part passion fruit liqueur (recommended: Alize Red Passion)
1 part cranberry juice cocktail
1/4 part juice reserved from canned lychee fruit, optional
Champagne
Fresh cranberries, for garnish

Chill all ingredients. Pour Alize, cranberry and lychee juice into Champagne glass to fill halfway. Top with Champagne. Garnish with whole cranberries skewered on a toothpick. You could even get creative with the toothpick like the one in the photo above just to add a little something extra.


Recipe courtesy of Sandra Lee and FoodTV.com