My Favorite Things - Bride's Cafe

I love reading the Bride's Cafe blog. It's filled with beautiful images, great ideas and fun little snippets. You must stop by for peak if you haven't already!

I Love My MTV

Engaged and Underage is casting for season 3 of the show. If you are currently engaged, between the ages of 18-22, and getting married in late 2008 or January 2009 you may be eligible to appear on the show. Click the link above to download the casting questionnaire.

Good Luck!

Tear Drop Weddings

My friend Holly at Tear Drop Weddings has just launched her new website and new invitation/stationery collection. I just adore Holly's work. She's so talented and creative. Her medium of choice is the ever dreamy letterpress. You must check her site and collection out I promise you won't be disappointed!

My Favorite Things - black.white.bliss

black.white.bliss is a blog I visit frequently. It's a little of everything in black and white. Check it and and definitely read through some of the older posts, there's lots of good stuff in there!

My Favorite Things - Diamonds!

I am so excited to share this post with you today! I just LOVE my diamonds and was so happy when I found this lovely little company called Adorn Brides. They rent diamond jewelery for wedding day or special occasion. All of the jewelery is real and very affordable to rent for the day. For example this stunning pair of earrings is only $180 to rent. I only wish Adorn Brides was around when I got married. I tried to do this and no one would even consider something like this.

Drink Up - The White Comso

Nothing says "wedding" like a white cocktail.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz vodka

1/2 oz Cointreau

1/4 oz white cranberry juice

Garnish: lime or edible orchid

Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass.

Post contributor Kelsey Reckless, Bliss Weddings & Events

Image courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings

Favorite Things - Minimus

Minimus is a great source for all things mini. This can be especially handy when you are creating welcome bags for your hotel guests. In addition to the local favorites you'd add to the we always recommend some of the basics - aspirin, gum, mints and tissues. Your guests appreciate these things so much the day of and after the wedding.

Happy Shopping!

My Favorite Things - Pistacia Vera

Pistacia Vera is this great little bakery in German Village. They make the most beautiful and tasty little pastries. Each piece is almost like it's own little piece of edible art. The macaroons are great as favors (my personal favorite), or even use them as dessert at the reception. Yes, your guests will be more than happy to eat these in addition to wedding cake. I speak from experience! I believe they will ship if you happen to be out of the immediate area.

What's the Number?

Table numbers can be tricky. I find that most clients don't think about them until the very end and either a) end up creating a simple custom piece or b) using the generic table numbers the facility owns. Most times than not, we end up creating a custom piece.

This week the new Martha Stewart Weddings arrived in my mail box and I saw the cutest template for table numbers. I had to share this with you because I think these are so useful and add just a little bit of flair for not a lot of money. They are easy to use - find the style you like (there are two options) and print the numbers on the appropriate paper, trim and place in table number stand. So easy!

Drink Up - The Black Velvet

Black Velvet Cocktail is one of the most unique cocktails I've ever seen. It's very simple and easy to make. You'll need - Guinness Stout and champagne, and a champagne flute.

The classic recipe for a Black Velvet is to half fill the glass with Guinness or another stout beer, and tilt the glass to the side to add the champagne. You'll want to pour the champagne in gently, trying to create as little foaming as possible. If the 50/50 blend is a more beer than you'd like, feel free to do more of a 40/60 split with the Guinness and champagne. Also, depending on who you ask, it's also okay to pour the champagne first then add the stout.

I was surprised when I learned of this drink that it has such a history. The Black Velvet is nearly 150 years old. It was ‘invented’ at the Brook's Club, London in 1861 and was served as the nation mourned the death of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's Prince Consort.

Interesting stuff! I personall have not tried this drink but would love to hear if you have.

Bottoms up!

My Favorite Things - Jone's Soda

Jones Soda is a great way to spruce up the bar without breaking the bank. The sodas come in a variety of flavors and to accompany the fun flavors are the fun colors they come in. Serve them on a platter with white bendy straws and you've got a great non alcoholic drink for your guests!

Photo by Erlina Kim Photography

Trendspotting: Spring 2009

They're here for the world to see! Bright, fresh, fun are what I would describe the just released Spring/Summer 2009 color palette.

I love this time of year where we get a sneak peak into what to look for in the spring. The Spring 2009 fashions hit the runways in New York earlier in September. I can't wait to see what awaits us after the winter. Planning a Spring or Summer wedding? Maybe keep these colors in mind when selecting your color scheme.

Drink Up!

Creating a signature drink for your wedding day can add a personal touch to your perfect event. Providing a signature drink may seem like an extravagance but it can be very affordable depending on the ingredients you choose – not to mention when you offer a signature drink you can limit the choices your guests have resulting in saving you money! Try to have a non-alcoholic version of your drink on hand as well for your non-alcoholic drinking guests. Still having trouble coming up with that perfect drink? Professional Mixologists are available to help you along the way.

According to self-acclaimed “Cocktail Guru”, Jonathan Pogash, there are a few things to keep in mind when concocting your creation:

Theme – The theme of your wedding plays an important role when choosing your drink. A complementary drink for a “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” theme would be the classic Mimosa. The hardier James Bond Martini works well with a debonair hors‘d oeuvres reception.
Color – matching or complementing your drink color with your wedding color scheme makes every detail feel balanced.
Liquor – Deciding which liquor to use can be a daunting task with all of the different options available. Start with your favorites as basics (vodka, gin, rum, scotch, etc) and add from there.
Garnish – When planning your wedding day, you leave no detail to chance. Your signature drink should be no different. The garnish should enhance the flavors in the drink, not clash with them. An assortment of fruits and edible flowers make perfect garnishes; but don’t be afraid to think outside the box too. Add flower petals or tea leaves to your ice cubes for a fun detail. Custom swizzle sticks are also on the market to add another personal touch. Save money by having these unique swizzle sticks do double duty as your favors for guests to take with them.
Season – choosing ingredients that are in season can enhance the ambiance of your party through your cocktails. For fall these include: pomegranates, apples, pears, cranberries and maple syrup – yum!

Here's one of our favorites to start - The Golden Groom & Blushing Bride

Golden Groom
2 oz tequila
¼ cup pineapple juice
½ cup orange juice
Splash pomegranate juice
Garnish with an orange peel

Blushing Bride
2 oz vodka
½ cup pulp-free pink lemonade
Garnish glass with a sugar rim for extra sparkle

Post contributor Kelsey Reckless, Bliss Weddings & Events

Cocktail recipe from Martha Stewart

My Favorite Things

I'm happy to introduce - My Favorite Things Series. I'm hoping to share 2-3 favorite items per week. My favorite things are a mix of vendors, products, web sites and blogs. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

First up is Fancy Flours. This is a great site for unique cake toppers and fun cupcake wraps. Why not make the cupcake display a little more interesting? The vintage toppers are also so fun. I love seeing a clients personality in their cake topper.

Enjoy!