HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

To my Parents - they are celebrating their 37 wedding anniversary today!!

I am so proud of them - what a milestone these days.  I love to still see them hold hands and kiss each other after all these years.

Best Wishes for  37 more - I love you!

Wedding Guests

I usually post things that are more for the bride or groom but this is more for the wedding guest.  Its full fledge wedding season so if you have some summer weddings to attend here is some advice.

1-Get a gift off their registry and shower the happy couple with gifts they’ll love (and picked out!)  They might really need that new set of dishes or the entertaining server set.  When in doubt money is always good.

2-Don't bring the gift to the wedding.  You should have it sent directly to their home.  Nowadays it is so much easier with online registries and why would you want to lug that gift to the reception?

3-Please think about what you will wear to the wedding.  Women please don't wear white, save that for the bride.  Men please don't wear kaki pants and a golf shirt(unless its a backyard bbq).  Try to dress up a little.  9 times out of 10 a nice dark suit and tie works just fine.

4-There is no need for you to tip the bartenders at this wedding.  The couple has already taken care of this and I promise you the staff is well taken care of.  Put the $5 bill back in your pocket.

5-and last but not least please let the bride and groom eat their dinner.  I know I know you want to see them, hug them and tell the bride how great she looks but can you give them 20 minutes to eat some of the meal they painstakingly picked out for their wedding?

NOW GO AND HAVE FUN!

Another Beautiful Wedding

Erin and Cory got married Saturday and danced the night away at their reception at Dumbarton House in Washington, DC. Thanks to Christina at PaperZest.com & Debbie B at Windows Catering for helping to make their wedding awesome.

Enjoy some pictures of some special elements:

Escort cards had a surprise on the back - a Sangria recipe!

drink stirrers from foryourparty.com
Signature drink in special glasses

Spring is for Showers

Bridal Showers that is.

It is a time to bring the ladies in your life together for a celebration of your upcoming nuptials. All your bridesmaids should plan this event together and split the costs. It doesn't have to be expensive, just relaxing and fun.

If your planning a brunch for your favorite bride think of having a fun make your own champagne bar with orange juice, mango juice and pomegranate juice. This will get the guests mingling before the gift opening begins.

The weather is so great, serve lunch in your back yard.  One of my favorite sites Hostess with the Mostess has some great ideas.

Maybe you want a Stock the Bar party. Offer different cocktails like sangria, chocolate martinis and vodka cranberry on the rocks. Use different glasses for every drink. Hopefully the lucky bride will get highball glasses, margarita glasses and other bar accessories.


Desserts Only. Offer cupcakes or a candy bar. Have a table over flowing with brownies, cookies and sweets.


Coed Showers are also very popular - this is a way to cater to both the bride and groom and not just the bride. This is a way to get items for the house (because they may not need towels and dishes). Think tools, garden accessories or entertaining items. How about throw a wine tasting, hire a sommelier and help to stock the wine cellar.

brides.com

Mini Cakes Wins

I am glued to the Today Show on Wednesday mornings - I love when they throw a wedding. This time its a Race to the Alter. The couples had to sell cupcakes today and the person that raised the most money got to choose the wedding cake for the big wedding.

The WINNER is the Mini Cupcakes!

I can see it now white gloved waiters bringing every guest their very own mini wedding cake.
Stunning and certainly a way to wow those guests some more.

Contest with Mirassou Wines

Mirassou, America's oldest winemaking family, wants to make your celebration shine. Enter the "I Do with Mirassou" contest for a chance to win $10,000, plus an "I Do with Mirassou Dream Wedding Planning Day" with Brides.com Senior Editor Anna Pezik.

The prize includes hotel and roundtrip airfare to New York City for two days and one night, during which time the winner will meet with Senior Editor Anna Pezik for a one-day consultation about the winner's wedding. Ms. Pezik will showcase the very latest bridal trends and offer personalized suggestions for the winner's wedding. What a way to begin planning your big day!

Simply answer the questions in the link, tell us in 250 words or less how you envision your Dream Wedding and submit a digital photograph of you and your fiancè.

Contest Ends May 30th.
Good Luck

Best Philly Picture Spots

Spring is a great time to get Engagement Pictures taken!

If you are looking for a place to get your engagement pictures done or for a place to go between the ceremony and reception try these Great Philly Picture Perfect locals. Of course talk to your photographer about the best options for lighting and what you should wear.

Philadelphia Museum of Art, east terrace ($50 permit needed)

30th Street Station, regional rail area

Cross the street at Broad and Market with City Hall in the background

Rittenhouse Square Park

and of course the all favorite - Love Park

Anyone else have a favorite picture spot?

They Deserve Love To

That is Carnations! So many brides say 'I definitely don't want carnations at my wedding.'

Well they are missing out - if you cluster carnations together they are just beautiful and resemble peony's or hydrangeas. They are inexpensive, versatile and long lasting; great options for centerpiece or hanging pomanders. I encourage you to think outside the box and give carnations some love! Look at some of these beautiful examples:









brides.com, marthastewart.com, classiccreationsphotography.com

Happy Mothers Day

I just wanted to wish everyone that is a mom or mom to be - HAPPY MOTHERS DAY.

Enjoy your weekend and make sure someone makes you breakfast in bed and serves mimosas!

Cocktails and After diner drinks

Most, ok all of my clients offer a cocktail hour for their guests between ceremony and reception. I love adding a signature drink, fun cocktail napkins and maybe personalized stirrers.
But
what about doing something fun for after dinner drinks?
Spruce up the coffee station by offering Sambucca, Baileys or Peppermint schnapps with coffee.
What about setting up a signature drink station at this time -

Espresso Martini's
1 oz cold espresso

1 1/2 oz vodka
1 1/2 oz Kahlua
1 oz white creme de cacao

Pour ingredients into shaker filled with ice, shake vigorously, and strain into chilled martini glass.

Add a chocolate rim to the glasses first:
-Melt semisweet or white chocolate in microwave to get thin.
-Hold glass at angle and rotate rim of glass in chocolate. Repeat around glass and make sure its even.
-Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cinco de Mayo!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

I wanted to pass on a great idea I read on the Hostess with the Mostess Blog.
Margarita Ice Pops - she has a great recipe on there.

Enjoy today or save for a Hot July evening!

Linens and Things

FYI: If you have a registry at Linens N Things, I would highly suggest canceling it!
They have filed Chapter 11 and will be closing 120 of its 589 stores.

Think Bed, Bath and Beyond or Macys.