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

Picture Perfect Paris Honeymoon.

Cozy picnics in the park. A visit to Paris is never complete without - a gaze upon the Eiffel Tower, and a trip to the market for a lunch picnic in the park or along the Seine. A great little pedestrian market street not terribly overrun with tourists is Rue Cler, just to the southeast of the Eiffel Tower at the Ecole Militaire metro stop. Fruit vendors, cheesemongers, bakeries and boulangeries sell sandwiches, baguettes, quiches, tarts, and of course, macarons, for the perfect afternoon Parisian picnic in the park. Get the royal treatment. A truly classy place to stay during your honeymoon, the Victoria Palace Hotel (6 Rue Blaise Desgoffe) can't be beat for luxury, comfort, and hospitality. Honoured as a Great Hotel of the World, its classically upholstered walls and tapestries bring you back to the 15th century France of Marie Antoinette. Feel like royalty with the hotel's impeccable attention to detail along with extras like bath salts, bathrobes, and dark chocolates on pillows at turndown. Best boutique hotel in Paris. For more modern or artsy romantics, Hotel des Academies et des Arts (15 Rue de la Grande Chaumiere) offers ultra-stylish rooms and luxury all at once. One of the best boutique hotels in Paris, Hotel des Academies et des Arts is located in a small Parisian neighbourhood littered with artists and studios. As if the unique artistic flair of this boutique wasn't enough, Pierre Herme macarons are offered to each guest upon arrival - absolute perfection. Fall in love with the streets of Paris. With both hotels conveniently located in the heart 6th Arrondissement, it makes for perfectly beautiful afternoons strolling through Jardin du Luxembourg and getting lost in picturesque Parisian streets. Hop the Metro for a few stops at a time to yourselves at the foot of Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre Museum, and Champs-Elysees. Perfect romantic dinners in Paris. Finally, when it comes to a perfect romantic dinner, there's no better world destination than Paris. For something classically-French and exquisitely prepared, visit Pierre Gagnaire's for the perfect French fine dining experience. If you want the best in modern French dishes, try Atelier de Joel Robuchon where one of the best items on the menu is mashed potatoes. Then again, for top-quality traditional French fare like steak frites, escargot baked in garlic, and moules at low-mid range prices, try La Rotonde - conveniently just steps away from Hotel des Academies et des Arts.

Credits: LeBeast

Trends - Bridal Bows and Color for 2010

I like to follow Bridal trends and where do they always start? - in Europe - -Paris! French fantasy is back and here is just a wee bit of the behind the scenes at the Paris Couture shows this week. Paris Haute Couture Week started at the beginning of July. Among its recession-defying flights of fancy were beautiful dresses, ravishing models, breathtaking locations, diamond presentations, dreamy hats, bejeweled clients and riotous parties ( I was not invited). It was a return to real glamour and rich handcrafts.
It was all about the bow, big and bold on the front of evening gowns; little ones on the heels of candy-colored shoes; and on wrist-to-elbow rhinestone bracelets. It was pure fashion fantasy

Color is big for 2010. Christian Dior was showing his collection of bright colors mixed with shifting chiffon and layered lace, in saucy Fifties corsetry. Like I said earlier the bows - a recurring trend - were on models' heads as hats. Chanel's jewellery salon is showing off expensive bows made of the whitest and purest diamonds in town. And Cartier is displaying a more colorful collection that included emeralds, rubies and pearls in its signature ethnic designs. The 2010 bride’s silhouette is sleek and if one marries in the winter of 2009 she can choose from impeccable tweed day suits to richly embroidered wedding dresses.