Wedding: Dusty Pink and Black New Years Wedding 2011

Mood boards are a great help to a bride to be, graphic designers and film makers. The board is used to enable a bride to illustrate visually her style direction or the point of view, which she is pursuing. A wedding is a story and the mood board sets the stage for an imaginary setting for the wedding storyline. They serve as a visual tool to quickly inform every one of the overall 'feel' and “flow” that a bride/designer is trying to achieve. Creating mood boards in a digital form may be easier and quicker, but the tactile feel of physical objects (fabric, paper stock) often tend to have a higher impact on people because of the more complete palette of a sensational physical mood boards offer, in contrast with the black & white or color-prints of a digital mood board.

For a New Years Wedding 2011 – still a work in progress - the beginnings of a blush pink and black 5:00PM cocktail wedding in the bride’s parent’s Laguna Beach home over looking the Pacific Ocean.

Wedding Champagne and French Cheese Buffet - First Things First - The Tasting.

We are happy to lend our wedding planning expertise to a most beautiful bride for 2010 Autumn Wedding. The bride and groom love great food and wine. So I set aside an entire evening last week and started the planning for the French Wine, Champagne and French Cheese tasting. Had lots of fun. All the while kept in mind the theme of the wedding “A Shimmering Champagne Wedding” .  The bride has chosen a monochromatic color palette of Blush Gold. The bride loves French Champagne and wants the wine and Champagne paired with French Cheeses.  French wine is similar to Champagne - it is processed the same way. However, the wine grapes are not grown in the Champagne region.


As a work in progress – The Shimmering Champagne Wedding Tasting Menu is taking shape. 

Au Votre Sante!

A Vineyard Tasting

• Cabernet Sauvignon from Bordeaux
• Chardonnay from Burgundy
• Pinot Noir from Burgundy
• Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley

A First-Class Tasting

• Bordeaux Grand Cru Classe
• Burgundy Grand Cru and 1er Cru
• Chateauneuf du Pape
• Champagne Grand Cru or Millesime

A Champagne Tasting

• Champagne Blanc de Blanc
• Champagne Rose
• Champagne Millesime

A Select Cheese Pairing

French Muenster (considered the Best and called Munster) is a farmhouse and cow’s milk cheese. Authentic Munster cheese is made only from the milk of cows that graze in a designated area in the Vosges Mountains in the east of France. It is a soft white cheese with a reddish-orange washed rind and is noted for its strong smell and pronounced taste

Double Crème French “La Brie” is a soft cows' cheese named after Brie, the French province in which it originated.

Epoisse a cheese from Burgundy, France. Epoisse is firm, moist and grainy with a fresh taste.

Come back often - next up the buffet layout and design.

Wedding: Happy Halloween Wedding - Skibo or Malibu?

Planning a Halloween Wedding. Take inspiration from Wedding Wire’s Opulent Mood Board. If not this weekend – why not plan next year's wedding in October - now the new June. Start early and start the Holiday Season 2010 off with your wedding either choreographed here at a luxe mansion on a hill in Malibu or Santa Barbara. - or, and this is my fantasy get going and dream up the ultimate Scottish Destination Wedding at Skibo Castle.  The dress – think rich, ornate, lots of layers, and - add a soft orange tartan cashmere wrap with lots of jewelry.

Credits:

Mood Board: Wedding Wire

Skibo Castle: Scotavia

Musique: Michael Bublé for Your Wedding Reception

Did you know that  Michael Buble http://www.michaelbuble.com/ is the only performer who can can touch audiences aged 8 through 80? That’s right – even the little ones know who he is. Michael's silky, lush voice and music is a must have at any Wedding Reception - his music is perfect for everyone's "dance moves". He has it all - handsome good looks, nostalgic music for grandparents (Stardust), oldies for Moms and Dads, and for Friends and Family.  

He'll be performing the week of November 1 (need to confirm the date) at Morongo Casino Resort Spa in Cabazon, CA in a swanky concert. I adore Michael – his music will make you wilt and swoon - believe me there is no one - well, perhaps the Beetles - who can touch your heart, your guest's heart on your day - a day made for memories and ceremony. Michael may be booked but please rush out and get his new CD "Crazy Love" (# 1 on Billboard) and listen to what I am talking about. Just a thought - Perhaps a "Michael Buble Looping Session" can be created - on your day especially for you and your guy! Just a thought!

Destination and Holiday Weddings' Save The Date Cards - Have You Sent Yours?

Remember to send out today your Save-The-Date Cards for your destination or holiday wedding. These notes should be sent out one year in advance of your wedding.  As these to-do items come up -  just keep adding them to your "Ongoing To-Do List.  Try and keep the list in one place- a small binder moleskinus.com -  and in your purse at all times.

Happy Autumn Holiday!

Summer Anniversay High Tea

Nothing could stop a Wedding Anniversary High Tea – not even105 degrees in Orange County this past week. Joanna Hendrie Events and Fêtes set the stage for an iconic High Tea complete with Silver Samovar, linens and tea cups, dessert plates, tea pots and porcelain from Rent A Tea Party. The 75 guests supped on tea sandwiches – a smoked salmon and dill, a sundried tomato and crème fraiche, a sweet onion and mascarpone cheese on raisin brioche and a Madeira and red current chicken. Also, high tea is not complete without the the savories: Mini chive biscuits and country ham, cherry bread and hazelnut port butter, fig chicken pate and cornichons on baguette, and mini croque monsieur. Sweet petite cookies – macaroons, blueberry shortbread, French crème brownies, and bite size lemon squares shared each of the guest tables with Joanna’s trademark organic farm fresh strawberries and Chantilly Crème – the strawberries crowned dessert plates and trays and were scattered among two tiered serveware of savories, sweets and sandwiches. (Thank You Vintage Tea Leaf http://vintagetealeaf.com/) - Tea for the day was a green tea called Casablanca and an Oolong from Ceylon called Peaches & Cream served with fresh apricot scones.

The anniversary gateau was a two tiered chocolate ganache cake with chocolate fudge filling, piping and served with a sparking wine from the South of France.

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Wedding Etiquette 101 – Handwritten Thank You Notes

Writing hundreds of thank you notes takes time. But it is a very important activity. Your guests spent a great deal of time and money searching out the perfect gift. You in return must express your gratitude and the sooner the better.

Here are some tips – to get you started:

Get organized
Start immediately
Write one note at a time
Divide the job up
Set goals – five to eight cards a day
Create a space
– clean off a table in the den or set up a portion of your home office desk or dining table as staging area for note writing
Use dead time
- after dinner or early morning
Delay gratification
– do not use the wedding gift until after you’ve written and mailed the note
Divide list in to categories: family, his and hers, mutual friends
Write difficult notes first

Then – I like to reward myself after a meeting a goal – for me finishing a job is reward enough! Pick your strategy - whatever works. Whatever you crave - have at it!

Christian Lacroix Forever...

My favorite designer - Christian Lacroix - has always been one of the Paris season’s most anticipated shows on the Paris calendar.

Does anyone know if this is his last show? His new collection featured 24 pieces and are said to be dramatic, chic and elegant.

Now, take a look at pieces from his Wedding Collection - Rosa Clara for 2010 courtesy of http://fashionbride.wordpress.com.

Lacroix’s bride looks like a doll - sweet, modern and with the look of a silver screen dream - lots of muslin, organza, crepeline, lace and embroidery, fine stones and mother-of-pearl pailletes.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT Rent A Tea Party

My new pet rental firm in Orange County and Los Angeles – a service I now can’t live without – is Tricia Van Doren’s Rent- A -Tea Party. In addition to being extremely nice Tricia is accommodating, friendly and particularly responsive when working within deadlines. She has a first-class collection of Tea Cups and Saucers, Tea Pots and magnificent accoutrements you can’t wait to lay your eyes on – She has it all for your next tea party. Her tea pots are beautiful, big and colorful, with a mix and max attitude of flowers, vines, gold and pastels. Once grouped together these pieces look heavenly on a perfectly set tea table. From a “Tea for Two or for a party of 75 or more (Thanks Tricia - for everything I needed for last weekend’s High Tea), she has what you’re looking for. If she doesn’t have the piece you need I am confident she will find it.

I can’t wait to work with Rent a Tea Party again. Please stroll on over to Tricia’s website at http://www.rentateaparty.com, and give her a call and rent a tea party and create your own tea celebration this month