Entries from March 2008 ↓

Well almost.  Before you head out to the store to sort through hundreds of dresses it’s probably a good idea to start sifting through some styles to eliminate the ones you just don’t like and start ranking the styles that you do.  Obviously the most common way of doing this is sorting through a bunch of wedding magazines or if you want to use the internet you can check out my post “Just Wedding Gowns” to get links to all the top designers. 

Now that you narrowed down your selection it’s time to have a little fun.  Not sure how useful this is, I’d like to get your feedback.  Checkout the iVillage Build your Dream Dress website.  You enter your body type, then design your dress to your liking and theoretically you can get an idea of how you would look in your dress.  It might help you trim your list down a little more before you go shopping.    Give it a shot and let us know if you found it useful, at the minimum it might keep you occupied at work for about 20 minutes. 

I got a great Top-5 this week.  Found a couple of new sites to share and some great ideas!  So sit back relax and enjoy this week’s Top 5!

1. Need some inspiration for thos DIY projects?  Well there’s no better place for inspiration than Style Me Pretty!  Abby had a couple for great posts this week called Do-it-Yourself Projects by Matthew Mead.  Checkout part 1 and part 2.
2. Blue Orchid made it to the Top 5 two weeks in a row!  Liene had a great post about something that can be easily overlooked.  How you’re your vendors dressing for your event?  Might want to square this away ahead of time!   Checkout “vendor dress code.” 
3. Do you and your fiancé agree on this?  It’s actually more common than you would think.  Do you think this is something you can live with long term?  Do you think resentment might rear it’s ugly head a few years down the road?  What am I talking about?  Check out  Post Secret over at a new blog, Wed2010.  (How did I find this blog?  Sarah commented on one of my posts!  So make sure you leave some comments!
4. Breakfast at Tiffany’s is not only a popular movie it was also made a little more popular last summer with the Martha Stewart wedding aton the Today show.  The Pink Cake Box made a fabulous Tiffany’s themed cupcake tower to go with a Breakfast a Tiffany’s bidal shower.   Checkout the pictures here, “Bridal Shower Tiffany Cupcake Tower”
5. And finally another great wedding planning resource has made its debut!  The fantastic Jasmine Star, along with some of her friends have started a wedding planning blog.  Jasmine is one of the best wedding photographers in Southern California, has her own very popular and beautiful blog, and I was lucky enough to have her guest blog for me a few times last year.  Checkout her latest post “Choosing the Best Engagement Shooting Location.” 

That’s it for this week.  Remember to leave those comments if you have some other blogs I need to recognize!

Rhonda

Here’s an interesting trend in wedding dresses.  Evidently it’s the reinvention of a trend from the 1950’s!  I found an interesting post over at Gownella, they have more pictures over there.

They look pretty cute, but definitely not traditional.  You probably need to have some nice legs and a nice figure to go with them.  This cute dress is from Carmela Sutera.

What do you think of the short wedding dress?  Is it for you?

The New York Daily News had a great article a couple of weeks ago with some great information about how to pick out your wedding cake baker and some handy tips about how to handle your wedding cake at the reception. Here’s a link to the original article and here’s some great info from the article.

“Ask friends for references and look at pictures in magazine. Meet with the person, explain your theme and ask them for their ideas,” advises Bratten. “Look through their book to see what they’ve done before. You should get a sense of whether you’ll like working together and whether they can translate your vision. Make sure you talk contracts, deposits, and always have a tasting!”

BRIDES’ WEDDING CAKE KNOW-HOW

To keep costs down, order a small embellished cake for cutting and stash iced sheet cakes in the kitchen that can be easily sliced and served to guests.

For a summer wedding, go with fondant icing instead of buttercream if you plan to display your cake outdoors. It will hold up well without refrigeration.

If you’re planning to serve your cake on a special tray or pedestal, deliver it to your baker at least a week before the wedding.

Display the cake in a photo-ready spot well away from the dance floor and beware of any exit or rest room signs in the background.

Make a single ceremonial cut into the bottom layer of the cake and leave the rest of the slicing to the caterer in the kitchen.

Place each slice of cake with fruit, a sauce or a scoop of sorbet to complement the taste and make a pretty presentation.

To save the top tier, cover it tightly in plastic wrap, then layer with heavy-duty foil and freeze. (Cheat and eat it for your one-month anniversary - it’ll taste better!)

Thanks Pink Cake Box for the beatiful wedding cake picture!

Are you getting married in the Southeast US during hurricane season? In the Northeast US during the winter? Although the odds are fairly low that your wedding will be ruined by a weather disaster there still is that chance. Since you schedule your wedding around a year ahead of time it is pretty much impossible to avoid all of mother natures rages but you can help yourself out by avoiding the higher risk times of the year.

But even if you do your best, there is still that chance of a spring ice storm, tornado, or flood causing havoc. Then again if you manage to avoid the direct impact of one of these disasters there is also that possibility that your wedding reception hall winds up being uses as an evacuee shelter! Okay, you may be thinking I’m off my rocker by now! But these things have happened and now it’s your chance to benefit by the misfortune of others. (Isn’t that nice!) The Farmer’s Almanac website is running a Worst Wedding Weather Contest.” All you have to do is go to their website and read through the 10 accounts of real life wedding weather disasters and vote for your favorite and get a chance to win a cruise or a $500 LL Bean gift card!

UPDATE:  The couple that gets the most votes will actually win the cruise and 2nd place will be $500 LL Bean gift card. (thanks Robyn for pointing that out!)

If these articles got you thinking, you might want to check out my article on Wedding Insurance!

Good luck in the contest and on the weather for your wedding!

Today I have another great guest blogger!  Jonathan Pogash is a New York based cocktail developer and mixologist.  He is also a consultant to fine dining and cocktail establishments across the US.  He creates signature drinks for liquor companies and private and corporate events.  Jonathan has been mentioned in such publications as Sante Magazine, The New York Times, Entrée Magazine, Trump Magazine, Bartender Magazine, The Wine Enthusiast, Plate Magazine, Northshore Magazine, Connecticut Cottages & Gardens and others.  Now, Jonathan is appearing on the Our Wedding Plus blog!  Checkout Jonathan’s website and blog if you want to know more…

As someone who was just betrothed this past spring, I know the importance of having a smooth and stress-free wedding day.  My wife was the epitome of calmness, and the day couldn’t have gone better.  A highlight of the evening (I was told), were the specialty cocktails that yours truly created for this special occasion.  But why did creating these cocktails seem to hold more weight than others?  ‘Cause I knew everybody there!     I am a cocktail developer.  “What the heck does that mean?” you say.  Well, I’ve created a niche for myself as one who dreams up signature drinks for bars, lounges, restaurants, liquor brands, and special events.  And the epitome of special events: weddings.  This, we all agree upon.   There are several things to consider when brainstorming a specialty cocktail for your big day.  I’ve come up with a checklist that I use, which I hope will ease your minds - just one more thing you don’t have to think about on that day.  You’ll also see some photos down below, which hopefully will give you some fun ideas. 

1.  The theme of your day – Whether it’s ‘Hamptons beach party’ or ‘70’s retro-disco’, align your specialty libation with what your day will hold forth.
2. Color – If this is a large part of your theme, consider it for your cocktails: Purple, pink, yellow, green, silver – all colors can be recreated in the liquid form.
3. What liquor do I use? – Ask yourselves what your favorite spirits are, and decide from there.  The possibilities are endless.  A trend nowadays is back towards classic cocktails, so if you’re lovers of Gin, Rum, and Rye or Bourbon, think about using those as your base spirits.
4. Garnish – Maybe it’s your favorite fruit or flower (make sure it’s edible!), or just simply maraschino cherries (because on your first date you impressed your partner by tying a knot with the stem using only your tongue), make it meaningful and always keep in mind what flavor your garnish will add to your cocktail.  A garnish serves dual purposes – to look pretty and to add flavor to a drink.  Remember – we taste with our eyes first.
5. Save $$$ - By offering one or two specialty cocktails, you can limit your guests’ drinking habits.  Even better, offer only your specialty cocktails during cocktail hour, and beer and wine during dinner.
6. Ease of preparation – If you’re fortunate enough to have caterers who are experienced in fine dining, you may not have an issue with this.  But for the most part, catering bartenders don’t have much experience with specialty cocktails, let alone custom-made specialty cocktails.  Think about using simple, ready-made and easily accessible ingredients.  Even submitting a recipe for a batched or pitcher version of your drink would ease the bartender’s nerves, and ensure a perfect, consistent cocktail every time.
7. What about Uncle Frank who doesn’t drink, or Cousin Susie who just graduated 5th grade? – Always have non-alcoholic versions of your alcoholic cocktails readily available for your guests.  It usually just entails eliminating the alcoholic portion of the drink, and adding in a bit more of the mixers.
8. If you’re too stressed and can’t even think about adding this to your long list of to-do’s  - Hire a professional!  Nowadays, specialty wedding cocktails are almost the norm, and there is a slew of catering companies that offer this service.  Independent and special event ‘mixologists’ are also another good option (yours truly, wink, wink).  The service is personal and special, and you can be assured that nobody else in the world will have the same cocktail that’s being served at your wedding (unless, of course, you choose to serve a classic).  Here are some cocktails that I’ve created for weddings that may spark an idea or two:

The Fiance Cocktail

2 oz. Hendrick’s Gin

1/2 oz. Elderflower Syrup

Splash of Moet et Chandon Champagne

Directions: Stir the above ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.  Strain into a chilled champagne flute.

Garnish: rose petal

Blushing Bride

1 oz. 10 Cane Rum

1 oz. Pama Pomegranate Liqueur

1/2 oz. Fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 oz. Mint-infused simple syrup

Directions:  Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass.

Garnish: mint sprig and lemon twist

For more information on signature wedding cocktail packages, photos, and recipes, please visit www.thecocktailguru.com