Rum Rum Rudolph

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer Cocktail Recipe Ingredients
1 1/4 oz light rum
1 cubes ice
1 1/2 oz lemon juice
Fill to Top with Cranberry Juice
1/2 oz grendadine
1 lemon wedge as garnish
Directions Mix the light rum, lemon juice, and grenadine. Add the ice cubes and fill to your own taste with Cranberry juice. Add a wedge of lemon on your glass and voila! Enjoy! Then you need fun reindeer napkins to go with it!

Check it out!

Do you need extra ribbon, paper lanterns, eco friendly confetti, grapevine Christmas trees or battery operated candles? How about some led lights for your mantle or brown wire Christmas lights to go on your grapevine reindeer?

Don't forget Save On Crafts

They have everything you could want for a wedding, shower or just to add some touches for your holiday decorating!

Falling Flakes

Snowflakes!
I saw this cute idea from Martha of course -

They are made with durable material to withstand the weather.
you can use templates or have the kids make their own!
Here are directions on how to make them from Marthastewart.com

Design Your Mantel

It's time to decorate your house! What are you doing for your mantel? Here are some inspiration pictures. Message me and let me know what you like or what you plan to do?










This was my mantel last year:

Christmas Time

It's my favorite time of the year!! Time to decorate, listen to Christmas songs, go shopping, bake cookies and did I mention decorate!

Stay tuned over the next few weeks for ideas on decorating, cookie exchange, tree toppers, shopping tips and maybe even some entertaining ideas.

:)

Autumn Kiss Cocktail

Autumn Kiss-Feel seduced by cider and spice.

Ingredients:

• 1 pouch Dry Mix for about 6 oz of Apple Cider
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 10 oz Ginger Ale
• 1 oz Spiced Rum-I like the Captain!
  

Pour Ginger Ale into a frosted mug. Add dry apple cider mix and rum and stir with the cinnamon stick. Leave the stick in the mug for more flavor.

(if you don't have dry mix use apple cider and reduce ginger ale)

Venue Coordinator vs Wedding Planners

A colleague of mine wrote this great blog post - really explains the difference between a Venue Coordinator and an Independent Coordinator like myself. I can't tell you how many potential brides end up saying - 'thanks but we are just going to use the venue coordinator.' Its not an apples to apples comparison: from Amber Events

Venue Coordinator vs. Independent Coordinator

Recently a potential bride with whom I felt that I clicked with emailed me to say basically: "thanks for your follow up, but we booked Venue X and they provide a wedding coordinator and so I don't need your services." I was sad for her because I really liked her and she has no way to know that the wedding coordinator promised to her is a venue coordinator, not a wedding coordinator. I'd like to explain the difference between the two.

A venue coordinator works for that venue. That is where their loyalties lie, and that is not a bad thing or a good thing, it just is. Their job is to sell the venue to brides, give out a list of preferred vendors, answer questions about the venue, assist with room layout and tasting, and make sure that your wedding follows the rules and regulations of the space. They may or may not help with the master Timeline of the wedding day and rarely do they help decorate or design for your reception. They do know what works and what doesn't in a space, so trust them if they say "that won't work!". Depending on how large the venue is, they may have four or more weddings they are juggling that weekend. On your wedding day, they may not even be the person you have been talking to all of these months, as it is a very challenging job and some venues tend to have high turnover.

Don't get me wrong, a venue coordinator's job is very, VERY important, but they are not your wedding coordinator. Neither is your DJ, a photographer, or florist. Yes, they all coordinate things that directly relate to them (a photographer will help with the Timeline as that affects pictures, etc), but they are not orchestrating every single detail of the event like an independent coordinator will.

As an independent wedding coordinator, our loyalty is to you, our client. Not your parents, photographer, videographer, DJ, florist or venue. An independent coordinator's job is to assess what level of service you need and to go above and beyond that. And to do it in a timely manner, with patience, and with a smile. Whether hired for "month of" coordination or full production, an independent coordinator will become the adviser and orchestrator of the entire production and how all of the vendors tie in together, as well as all of the millions of details that need to be dealt with. And this is just the logistical stuff. Then we have the emotions that come into play during the planning of a wedding. I'm not kidding when I say that half of what I do as a wedding coordinator is to act as a good old-fashioned shoulder to cry on! An independent coordinator will help you with wording of your invitations, encourage you to let your personality shine through, debate the pros and cons of the shades of Bashful vs. Blush roses, give you advice on sticky budget questions, advise you how to seat your divorced parents during the ceremony, remind you to hold your bouquet low as you walk down the aisle, and hug you goodnight at the end of the day.

A venue coordinator and an independent wedding coordinator are both extremely important as they each have a specific job that they are good at doing. A wedding with strong coordinators working hand in hand usually provides a seamless and stress free wedding day for all involved!

Pumpkin Carving Tips

I thought this was worth a repost:

Once cut, a pumpkin lasts about four to five days, then starts to rot.
You can rub Vaseline on the cut parts to help with deterioration.

And a tip I read from Real Simple:

Think about cutting out the bottom of the pumpkin instead of around the stem - place your candle on the porch or walkway then place the pumpkin on top. This will prevent the cut out stem section from falling in when rotted.

Pumpkins are a great way to show some creativity - will you make a scary face, write your initials, a jack o lanturn or maybe turn it on its side and make a candy container?

What will you do?

Wedding Trends!

I was recently quoted in the Oct/Nov issue of Giftware News!

"Overall, the trend is to be eclectic and make your wedding paper goods your own, says Meredith S Tomasulo, founder of Elegant Engagements. "Monograms are still in, but couples are also adding slogan, poem verse or quotation to elements of their wedding," she says. "This can be seen on the invitation, program, favor containers and cocktail napkins. I have seen Dave Matthews song lyrics on cake boxes ('Life is short but sweet for certain') and Shakespeare verses on invitations ('Journeys end in lovers meeting'). I also have some clients that are putting 'Did you know...' information on cocktail napkins - they're great conversation starters and really get the guests to know about both the bride and groom."

A NY Wedding

I went to my husband's cousin's wedding on Saturday in NY. Although it was a great time they did things a little differently so I thought I would share what it was like. Ceremony and reception were all at the Hilton Hotel.
We checked in and received a great box of goodies; animal crackers and water bottles were some of the items inside.
The invitation said 6:30 so we walked down to meet family. From 6:30 -7 we all met in the hotel lobby for champagne, We were all standing around not sure what to do. Then they moved all 300 of us into a ballroom for the ceremony at 7. The grooms family and groomsmen stood on the left side and brides on the right, I haven't seen this before. Even the bride was confused, when she walked down the aisle she stepped right to the left side and her MOH had to move her!
Cocktails which included so much food we could have considered this dinner were from 7:30-8:45. There was a raw bar, Asian station, lamb chop and turkey carver, pasta bar with calamari, mini hotdogs and hamburgers with french fries! I had to keep reminding myself there was dinner later.
Then we went into the ballroom, beautifully decorated with brown pin tuck linens, tall centerpieces with hydrangeas and lillies and lots of candles and uplighting.
The staff was just wonderful, took our order (Seabass, filet or stuffed chicken) and brought salads out around 9:45. There was a lot of dancing then eating then dancing and we didn't get served our entree until 11pm!!! The DJ rocked until 1am!
Now this DJ was different then any other DJ I have seen as well - part of the set up included a drummer who played along with the songs!

So are you seeing a lot of late night weddings? Is the trend to switch brides and grooms sides for the ceremony? Do you like the idea of a drummer with the DJ?

How much Liquor?

Wedding Wine and Liquor Calculator - Great tool for figuring out how much wine or beer and alcohol to have at your next party. Use it for your next holiday party, backyard bash or if you can bring your own alcohol to your wedding.

Find out how much alcohol you should stock for your party. Click here Real Simple

It's an Airplane!

For my son's first birthday I decided to do an airplane themed party. Invitations were boarding passes for GJT Airlines.
I made tons of mini airplanes out of fun foam, they hung from the light fixtures and ceiling fan. Even on his own cake.
The adults devoured pumpkin or chocolate cupcakes with airplane / 1 toppers. I had airplane sugar cookies and along with a platter of Philly pretzel bites, a custom G pretzel.

I made a 'wall of Gavin' which included pictures from every month of his first year. I also made a Happy Birthday Gavin sign using scrapbook paper and grosgrain ribbon. Inspiration from Etsy.

When guests arrived they had to check in to get airplane stickers and when they left they picked up their favors at baggage claim. Favors were bubbles with labels that said 'Thank you for flying GJT Airlines' and personalized luggage tags.

I think I love planning kids birthday parties as much as weddings!!

1 Years Young

My son turns ONE Today! What an amazing year its been - everyone says time flies by but wow it sure does!

Thank you to Caitlin Domanico Photography for taking the pictures - to see more check out her blog here!

Candy Apples 101

Everything you've always wanted to know about candy apples―including how to make them.

from Real Simple

To toss or Not to Toss

What are you planning to do with your bouquet (or a smaller version)?

Will you stick with tradition and toss your bouquet to a group of your single ladies?
or
Will you have an anniversary dance and see who the last couple dancing(longest married) is?
or
Will you present your bouquet to someone special?
or
What else are you thinking?

Please post your ideas or what you are seeing this year?

Can't afford a full service planner?

I got an email the other day from a couple that said they didn't really need a full service planner and they didn't think they could afford it but were wondering what options I had to offer them.

Glad you asked!

Wedding planners can offer suggestions for reputable wedding professionals; people or businesses that fit your style and budget and they even know some of the out of ordinary locations. A planner can work on your budget, create a timeline and suggest ways to get you started. 3-4 hours of planning in the beginning can get you on the right track and save you valuable time and potentially money.

Say you already have your dream venue in mind and you are certain you can decide on the other aspects of your wedding but you aren't sure how to pull the event together. IE: the guest list seating, the day of timeline and last minute logistics- consider a day of planner!



"Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets with planning." - Edison

Bye Bye Wedding Magazines

Released today: Gourmet, Elegant Bride, Modern Bride, and Cookie to close its doors!
This is due to an advertising slump.

As Modern Bride and Elegant Bride close, a third Conde Nast magazine, Brides, will increase its frequency to monthly instead of coming out every two months.

So if you subscribe to these magazines I am not sure you will see a difference- you will just get Brides every month!

Spiced

When I think of October I of course think pumpkins, halloween, turning leaves and my sons birthday but I also think of everything with 'spice'.
So I searched Spiced Cocktails!
Check these out:
Since iced tea vodka is so popular right now and I have some Appleton's Rum in my cabinet I love this!


Appleton Spiced Iced Tea

• 2 oz. Rum, Jamaican (Appleton Estates)
• 1 can (Lipton Brisk®) Iced Tea
• 1 pinch (optional) Cinnamon
• 1 pinch (optional) Nutmeg
  

  Fill glass with ice, pour 2 oz. Appleton Estates Jamaican Rum into a large glass or mug. Add Spices then add Lipton Brisk Ice Tea.

Perfect for after pumpkin picking:

Captain's Spiced Cider Drink

• 2 oz. Rum, spiced (Captain Morgan's)
• Fill with Cider, apple

Pour over ice

and lastly Spiced Pomegranate Sipper from a previous post.

Real Wedding Alert

I finally updated my gallery to include this amazing wedding I did this year - Touch of Western style and lots of Korean details - enjoy this image from Love NT Photography
and check out www.elegantengagements.com for more images.

Contact Info Update

I have updated some of my contact info:
Please note that my phone number is 215-704-8811.

Thanks!

Party Ideas

Pottery Barn is now offering PARTY PLANNER
Party ideas, recipes, tips and products for throwing a casual party.

Check out this Tequila Tasting Party
Margarita recipe:
1 1/2 parts tequila
1 part fresh squeezed lime juice
1 part blue curacao
simple syrup

Shake with ice in cocktail shaker, pour over ice into a chilled, salt rimmed margarita glass and then add a lime wedge.

They also have movie night, cocktail party, dinner party and bridal shower themes.
They have great recipes and ways to set up your table.

Welcome Fall

I can't believe today is the first day of Fall.

Enjoy some fall centerpiece decor ideas:

The classic pumpkin vase - its easy to do and will last- just buy a mum and put in pumpkin then adorn with fresh flowers. pic from MarthaStewart


or something more simple- just fill a vase with acorns. from Pottery Barn

















Here is a large vases filled with apples with a large chunky candle. from BHG

Drinking Wine from the Barrel

I just found this great option for serving wine at your party - perfect for upcoming Halloween parties or the holidays!
Here is a min barrel of Red truck wine - equal to 4 bottles of wine and it lasts 6 weeks after opening. So if you don't drink it all don't worry! and only $30!


an added plus - its eco friendly!

Door Decor

I know how much thought goes into planning a party - the invitations, the food, the decor. You think about the drinks, the guests and of course the setup and breakdown. Lets take it one step further - think first impressions.
As your guests walk towards the door how are you greeting them? I came across Door Decor and they have some great examples to pretty up that front door. Its a way to bring the theme one step further. This is good for your home, a restaurant, country club etc.

For a bridal shower:

First Day of School:

Are you hosting the next book club, your childs first birthday celebration or how about to surprise your neighbor for her birthday. Think layering of your theme. Why not start at the beginning!

Bridesmaids luncheon

I helped my grandmother put together a ladies luncheon for my cousin and her bridesmaids the day before her wedding.
My cousin is very simple but I wanted to incorporate some personal touches.
I did pictures of her growing up along with pictures with her bridesmaids - I added them to the centerpieces. I also did her monogram on stirrers in every water glass.


We had lunch at Season's 52 in Orlando.
I ordered the shrimp salad-it was served like this:

then voila like this:

yummy

Art of Marriage

I just love this about marriage:

It rings close to my heart since I just celebrated my anniversary. Thought other to be wed or anyone in love would enjoy.

Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens.
A good marriage must be created.
In the art of marriage the little things are the big things...

It is never being too old to hold hands. It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once a day.

It is never going to sleep angry. It is at no time taking the other for granted;
the courtship should not end with the honeymoon,
it should continue through all the years.

It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.
It is standing together facing the world. It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family. It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude
of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.

It is speaking words of appreciation
and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways. It is not looking for perfection in each other.
It is cultivating flexibility, patience,
understanding and a sense of humour. It is having the capacity to forgive and forget. It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.

It is finding room for the things of the spirit.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful. It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal,
dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.

It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner. It is discovering what marriage can be, at its best. - by Wilferd Arlan Peterson

Happy Anniversary to Us!

Married to my wonderful husband for 3 years!
Here are some pics from my wedding-enjoy!

Back from Orlando

I am back...sorry I haven't posted in awhile. I went to Orlando for my cousins wedding and to take my son to see Shamu (ok for me to see Shamu and the penguins)


more pics to come later of the wedding festivities!

Lilly Pulitzer Inspired Bridal Shower

I love everything Lilly! I sure wish they had these cute stationary products when I was getting married because I love the Lilly Themed Bridal Shower. Encourage all the guests to wear their favorite Lilly!

When guests arrive they are greeted with a tray of Pomegranate lemonade spiked with a little iced tea vodka and a galvanized bucket full of colorful IZZE sparkling bottles


Table Decor: cute yellow linens from Party Rental Ltd. with glass vases of gerbera daisies.


The Menu -cucumber-avocado soup with cilantro then grilled shrimp and pineapple skewers and a spring mix salad with pear and blue cheese crumbles.
and for dessert - cute cupcakes with pink floral wrappers from Paper Orchid

Family Reunion Fun!

Labor Day is next weekend and many families use this long weekend for a family reunion. Tie in Labor Day and Families for great decorations.

Think simple - Does your family have a crest? Make photo copies, laminate and use that as place mats.
Definitely do name tags and under the name list the next of kin. Make a large family tree, color code the different branches and then use those same colors on the name tags.

Get Conversation Starters from plumparty.com (pic)

How about a little recipe sharing. Encourage a pot luck of sorts for the menu. Aunt Sally's potato salad, Uncle Nicks BBQ marinade, Grandmas deviled eggs, Great Great Aunt Bea's lemon meringe pie, etc. Print out copies of all the recipes and have available for everyone to take.

Here are some more tips from ehow on to have the most successful reunion!