Wedding Sugar – Page 32 – St. Simons Wedding Planner

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Bless You!

Terrica Talk, Wedding Advice, Wedding Sugar

My anniversary is next week, so I was at the Hallmark website looking for a nice card to send to my husband. I thought I would peek into their gift section when I came across this Blessings Bowl and I thought “Wow! what a nice alternative to a guest book!”

Get a nice bowl that will fit the decor of your new home and have your guests write a sentiment on acid free paper. You can ask that they roll them into scrolls, have your wedding event staff do it, or do it after you have read them all. All in all, it’s a nice alternative to a book that you will probably put away and never look at again!

I love things like this– it reminds me of my “Dream Jar”; I put in little notes when I’m having a high day with work or life. Going back to read them when I am having a not-so-hot day makes me see things in perspective 🙂

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Now playing: Colbie Caillat – Bubbly
via FoxyTunes

“Fall” In Love

Wedding Advice, Wedding Sugar

m.jpg picture by lmorkel Fall is my favorite time of the year, hands down. The crisp air, the changing leaves, it is perfect. (plus Halloween!)

Fall weddings give you so many ways to add unique touches. Make sure if you are having a fall wedding to stay in season with your choices. You can do this through delicious flavors, rich autumn colors, and beautiful decor.

For your decor try using pumpkins with designs carved in them rather than scary faces. Use smaller pumpkins ( you can also find white pumpkins) and place them at each setting with a tea candle inside. Not only does is give you unique accent lighting, but it also stays within your theme (and budget). Guests can also take these home as favors.

Candy apples are also great favors, and flavors! Wrap them in clear bags and tie them with ribbons that match your colors.

When choosing your colors for you wedding, this years trends are not only rich but they are also bold. Try to use colors that are flattering to the surroundings, so they are complimenting and not competing. This years most popular colors are rich jewel tones and colors such as:

Ruby

Chocolate

Hot Pink

Bronze/ Gold

The flavors of your wedding should also reflect the autumn season. Try traditional flavors such as pumpkin pie, cinnamon and apples, but in a stylish way- through cocktails! Here are some good ones:

Apple Cinnamon Toast
Ingredients:
– 1 1/4 oz. Smirnoff Green Apple Twist vodka
– 1/2 oz. Goldschlager
– Dash of Green Apple Jell-O
– Sliced Apple on top
– Cinnamon Rim
– Garnish with Cinnamon stick, apple slice

Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass rimmed with cinnamon. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and apple slice.

Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients:
1 oz. Malibu Rum
3/4 oz. canned pumpkin pie filling
1/2 oz. Kahlua
2 oz. with cold milk
Garnish: sprinkle of cinnamon

Mix ingredients in blender with ice and blend thoroughly; Pour into graham cracker-rimmed highball glass and garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Southern Cider Pitcher
Ingredients:
– 750ml Southern Comfort (1 bottle)
– 1 gallon apple cider
– 5 cups ginger ale
– 3 cups brewed tea
– 4 cinnamon sticks
– 4 whole oranges, studded with cloves

Mix all ingredients in a large kettle. Heat until steaming, but not boiling. Pour into a heat-resistant pitcher or punch bowl. Serve warm or cold. Makes 45, 5oz. servings.

Drinkable Desserts

Terrica Talk, Wedding Sugar

I love good food and great drinks. One of the biggest trends in reception menu planning has been the signature drink. But it goes so much deeper– the trend in signature cocktails is “Drinkable Desserts”. From mixed and blended drinks to dessert shooters (yum!), your sweet tooth will be satisfied.

The Bailey’s Caramel Apple Pie-tini, featured left, has a delish recipe:

1 3/4 oz. Baileys with a Hint of Caramel
1/3 oz. Smirnoff Twist Green Apple Vodka
1/3oz. Applesauce
Dash of Caramel Syrup

Pour the applesauce into bottom of glass and float dash of caramel. Shake all other ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker, strain and float on top of the applesauce and caramel.

Garnish with a slice of caramel apple.

Just like this awesome drink, the Indian Summer cocktails sent out by Food and Wine magazine are screaming to be headliners at a fall wedding:

Apfel Tart
1/2 small Honeycrisp apple, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/2 ounce maple syrup
Ice
2 ounces bourbon
1/4 ounces sweet vermouth, preferably Punt e Mes
2 dashes apple balsamic vinegar
In a rocks glass, gently muddle the apple and maple syrup (the apple should be smashed but not pureed). Fill the glass with ice and add the bourbon, vermouth and vinegar. Stir well.

Peach Cocktail No. 4
5 slices slightly underripe peach
5 mint leaves
1/4 ounce simple syrup
2 ounces bourbon
1/2 oz Cointreau or other triple sec
1/4 oz lemon juice
2 dashes peach bitters
In cocktail shaker muddle 4 of the peach slices and the mint with the syrup. Fill the shaker with ice and add the bourbon, Cointreau, lemon juice and bitters. Shake for 20 seconds and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the remaining peach slice.

Drinkable desserts are a great option for fall and winter weddings, because it allows you to introduce some of the more heavier tastes in your signature bar.

Baby, It’s Cold Outside!

Wedding Sugar

Moodboard by Once Upon Your Wedding // Click for larger picture

Winter is coming! Here is a modest moodboard that was part of a picture challenge over at iWED . The challenge was to use the middle picture to inspire the rest of the board. I liked the idea of two things for this winter board: varying shades of blue and ice. I chose the concept of going cool and warm for the cocktail hour (you can see the signature drink and hors d’oeuvres by the cake…), by choosing a “not-so-hot chocolate”– cool mocha enhanced by Kahlua and warmed by cinnamon sugar garnish, and a pumpkin soup shooter. At a glance, the cake looks rather simple, however, it’s frosting is an iridescent color and ornamented with snowflakes. The crystal tree brings the reminiscence of walking through an icy forest with icicles falling from its branches. To take the ice concept a bit further, the champagne chiller is exactly that: made of ice. The centerpieces again, use crystals to mimic ice reflective of the theme. I always love candlelight at winter weddings, but it plays so well with this theme because the light bounces of the crystals, subsequently doubling the effect.

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Now playing: Si*Se – More Shine
via FoxyTunes

What Does It Mean?

Wedding Sugar

You know what all the common wedding traditions are, but do you know where they came from or what they mean?

Groom’s Cake- A deeply-rooted Southern custom. According to superstition, any single woman at a wedding should go home with a slice of groom’s cake and sleep with it under her pillow. That night, she’ll dream of her future husband. Whether or not this holds true, it seems that the groom’s cake is making a comeback, and not just in the South.

Tying the Knot- This comes from the days of the Roman empire when the Bride wore a girdle that was tied in knots. The Groom untied the knots before they, well… you know.

Diamond Engagement Ring- Italians started this tradition, they beleived the diamond was created from the flames of love.

Garter- Brides originally tossed a garter, rather than a bouquet, at a wedding reception. In the 14th century, this custom changed after Brides became tired of fighting off the drunken men who tried to remove the garter themselves!

Ring Finger- Prior to the 5th century, the ring finger was actually the index finger. Later, it was believed that the third finger contained the vena amoris, “vein of love” that led directly to the heart.

Tossing the Bouquet- Guests used to try to rip pieces of the bride’s dress and flowers in order to keep some of her good luck. To escape, the bride would toss her bouquet and run away. Today the bouquet is tossed to single women with the idea that whoever catches it will be the next to marry.

The Best Man- “Marraige By Capture” this goes back to when men would kidnapp or capture the woman they wanted to make their bride. This obviously was not a one man job, and of course the future groom would only choose the “best man” he knew to come long for such an important task.

The Groom’s Boutonniere- This goes back to medieval times when a knight wore his lady’s “colors,” proudly displayed for all to see.

It’s the Little Things…

Wedding Advice, Wedding Sugar

I’m all about maximizing my time and my money. Even if you’re on a strict budget, your wedding doesn’t have to look like it.

I think it’s safe to say that every couple wants their wedding to be memorable, fun and classy. However, it can be extremely easy to journey into the world of McWeddings if you aren’t careful. One road sign on that journey says “You’re trying to do too much with too little money: McWedding…5 miles”. I thought I would give some ideas on little things you can do to make a big impact.

Add color. Even in the tiniest of introductions, color can really pop against blah bland white linens. I don’t mean color in the obvious places such as flowers. Let’s forget those for a minute. Think instead of colored votive holders– as the night draws on, soft hued light saturates your room. But it also adds dimension and depth to the table in the light. When placed strategically, they can look very chic. Cudge is an awesome resource for great votives and holders.
White Out. Go white– ALL white. I recently blogged about P. Diddy’s White Party. These parties are all the rage in celebrity events– especially those taking place on the sea or in a coastal region. It looks very upscale and is SO easy to do. This would include bridesmaids’ dresses as well. Silver accents naturally found at your venue (i.e., the silverware, candelabras, etc.)
Attention to Detail— Little things can really set you apart and look upscale: elegantly designed menu cards, colored napkins and/or designer napkin treatments, wall and floor decals, etc. The idea is to create an experience for your guests; you want something out of the ordinary.
Play Dress Up— While you do want to have a cohesive and fluid look, if your budget does not allow for you to completely design your event dress up part of venue. Go for an uber decked out sweetheart table that is the focal point of the room: use different colored liners and overlays, elaborate centerpieces, etc. and tie in the rest of your tables with a coordinating liner or napkin (a less expensive option). You could also just splurge on chair covers or chair decor, cake table decorations, props, etc.
Bottoms Up! Nothing says a great party like great drinks and food. Introduce a signature drink during your cocktail hour. Dress it up with rented ornate glasses and get creative with your presentation. Have servers pass them on clear acrylic trays. When your guests are coming into the cocktail hour you need to be prepared to wow them. Even though it is only an hour (or so) long, it is the introduction into the night and were you need to set the tone. Splurge on dressed up cocktail tables and centerpieces (these can moved later to an area in the reception if necessary). Get creative with your hors d’oeuvres as well. Stuffed mushrooms are delicious, but they are downright ugly when piled up on a platter and shuffled around between 100 people. Talk with your caterer about great presentation ideas. You may find stations may allow you more creative license and could prove to be less expensive. Passed hors d’oeuvres can be beautiful too– check out a nice shrimp or gazpacho shooter!
Go interactive. Invite your guests to the fun by having a photobooth or hand drawn caricatures. A little too expensive? No problem! Rent a popcorn or cotton candy machine for some late night fun.

Whether you use one or all, these are ideas that you can incorporate into your plans that will make your event feel and look like a million bucks!
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Now playing: Fergie – Glamorous (Feat. Ludacris)
via FoxyTunes

Think Inside the Box

Wedding Advice, Wedding Sugar

I was searching the internet for some cute ideas for seating cards, favors, decor, etc. And I came across these great little boxes from blumebox . They have sets called blumebuds that come in packs of six and include the pattern bases, tubes and place cards. All of the bases are reversible so it gives you more than one option.

Along with the blumebuds they also have other blumebox products such as the actual blumebox (tall or short), boas, belly bands (for contrasting color), and gift tags. The blumebox is an actual box that you can put flowers into, they come in two sizes and fifteen different colors.

You can also take a look at their photo gallery for ideas. If you see any designs you like you can contact them and they will provide you with the simple instructions.

They make it so easy to “think inside the box”.

Running Scared

Wedding Sugar

Last week I had the following conversation with Joe, my husband-to-be:Joe: What’s left to do for the wedding?

Me: So much, I need an aisle runner for one thing.

Joe: What do we need him for?

Me: Him who?

Joe: A runner, why do we need him?

Me: You have no idea what a runner is do you?

Joe: Yeah like the kids you have that like go and run down the aisle in front of you and like throw down flowers or whatever.

Me: Geez, no, it’s the material that you walk on down the aisle.

Joe: Oh well, can’t you get that at your dress shop?

Me: No, why would the dress shop have it, they sell dresses.

Joe: And you have to buy your own runner from somewhere else? Doesn’t it attach to the dress?!

Me: That would be a train.

Needless to say, he was not going to be any help in aisle runner department, so I turned to a pro, Terrica Wedding Diva, for her opinion about where I should start my aisle runner search. She recommended a number of websites (http://www.originalaislerunner.com/, http://www.fairytalerunners.com/, http://www.signatureweddingaislerunners.com/) all of which I pored over while I should have been accomplishing something at my day job. The runners at these sites are definitely of a very high quality. Most of them even come with the option of sticky bottoms for ease when laying down your runner so you/your wedding ushers aren’t forced to do battle with double sided tape on the day of. Of course, the overall fabulousness of the runners on these sites comes with a price. One that I decided I could not afford.

So I started looking into cheaper runners, and found various options ranging from runners that were basically made from notebook paper to some combination of a fabric and paper material. Much more affordable, but are they worth it?…I took to the streets to find out…okay that’s not true at all but I’ve always wanted to say that. Actually, I took to searching various bridal chat sites and reading, with great fear, about the many horror stories that all more or less began with some variation of “I wanted to save money on an aisle runner…” and more or less ended with some variation of trips, falls, minor injuries, embarrassments or general disappointment in their aisle runner decisions.

After replaying a scenario in my mind where the heel of my shoe pokes a hole through the butcher paper I’ve purchased in lieu of a decent runner, and I trip and fall before all of my guests, I decided to forego the idea altogether. I’m sure there’s some old cliché that would be appropriate here about not using some poor substitute when you should have used the real thing, or something to that effect, but I can’t recall it at the moment. Oh the rambling…

…the point is I decided that if I couldn’t go big, I’d go alternative, and chose to have flower petals lining the aisle instead. To cut costs even further I realized that there are really great flower selections at Cosco and Sam’s Club, so I plan to hit up both those places a day or two before the wedding and stock up on roses for the aisle and probably as table decorations as well. Two birds, one stone, and STILL so much left to do….and I always wondered why people needed planners?!

One Way Ticket to Wifeville

Wedding Sugar

Wifeville rocks.

I know for some brides, it’s hard to give up the cute tanks and cami’s that say “bride” or the soft terry hoodie that reads “Future Mrs. So and So”. Enter: Wifeville. And even its birth story is cute: It evolved from the very excitement every new wife experiences when she is introduced as Mrs. So and So or her hubby’s wife.

Featured in the Style Lounge at the MTV Movie Awards, Wifeville marries sassy design with a little tongue in chic. Who can resist these “The Wife Wears Prada” hoodies? And tell me how you can resist this “The Wife is Right” tee shirt. These are perfect honeymoon wear or a gift for your favorite bride.

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Now playing: Accademia Strumentale Italiana – Stefano Lando – Madrigale Io Vivea Come Aquila
via FoxyTunes

G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S

Wedding Sugar

Okay, I really love the very chic old Hollywood look. So, when I went to my favorite site SHOPINTUITION I was so excited to see that their featured must haves were Mixing Old and New Hollywood Glam. They really have some great stuff. If you have a special occasion coming up or just feel like splurging, you should definitely check them out.

You can find everything from stylish accessories and gifts, to retro tees, and glitzy clutches. Their vintage inspired finds are still my favorites, but they have something for whatever your style is. So, whatever look your going for you will definitely be G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S.