An Echo Booming the Wedding Industry

Are you part of the echo boomer generation? You may want to read this article titled "Echo boomers driving wedding business" and understand how the rest of the pack is doing when it comes to weddings.

The Great Pumpkin Wedding

When you think of Halloween, it's almost inevitable that you'll be reminded of the cartoon: "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." So, being the day before Halloween, let's just go all out on pumpkins and hopefully, someone out there who's planning a pumpkin patch themed wedding will find these ideas a little helpful.

First, send an e-card to your bridesmaids, reminding them not to eat too much candy (hehe):



Second, get inspired with this whimsical Snoopy-inspired pumpkin patch wedding cake, (pretty cool idea for a cake):



Third, enjoy a cupcake or two with chocolately pumpkin icing:



Fourth, read my previous post on pumpkin desserts. Do you sense a pumpkin fetish?

Snowflake Glass Cake Topper

At White Crush Wedding, their snowflake glass cake topper pretty much sums up one word "simple", but sometimes something elegantly simple can say so much with very little effort.

Flat Flowers by Suseela Gorter

As with getting married, the subject of home decorating always comes into play. But not everyone has the moola to spend on new plates, accents for the home, etc. So, these inventive stickers by Dutch designer Suseela Gorter are simply pretty enough to put on a window. Whoever said that you have to use real flowers to bring color into the home! These are my favorites that I found through the online shop of Dutch By Design:

Dahlias - of course!



Roses



Chrysanthiums



Yes, these are all flat! Be sure to check out her website of Flat Flowers.

The Weddingsphere - October 27th Weekly Roundup

While news of Tom and Katie's Italian wedding date has been set for Nov. 18th, this week we saw the ugly side of getting married as the bitter divorce of Paul McCartney and Heather Mills is turning into one of the most nasty celebrity breakups. From allegations of abuse and extortion to suing newspapers over news leaks, this divorce is teaching us a lot about what can happen when you don't sign a prenup. In hindsight, anyone who is planning to tie the knot can definitely learn a lot from this divorce and consider the benefits of having a prenup especially if both of you have a lot to lose should things go sour. It's a personal issue, so this may or may not be for everyone. Nevertheless, if you know someone who seemingly appears to be rushing into marriage, a prenup may save them a lot of heartache and sorrow - to the wallet. Enough serious talk, though, let's get back to the week in the weddingsphere:

Kate Moss's Getting Married, Too.
It seems that wedding plans of Kate Moss seems to be somewhat of faint blip on the news scene, but let's not forget that she's pregnant, too.

What Happened to Wedding Venue?
If you have 300 guests coming to your wedding and your venue decides to ditch you, you may want to read this and find out what to do should this unfortunate event happen. Has this happened to you? What would you do?

July 7, 2007 - Guys Remember that Date if you plan to Propose!
The date is becoming hugely popular that some couples have set the wedding date even before getting engaged. Talk about planning ahead! Is this crazy?

A Vase that Made News for Nicole Kidman
When you're a celebrity, anything is fair game even when buying your ex-husband a wedding gift. She was seen shopping at Neiman Marcus for a $2800 Baccarat crystal vase. What a thoughtful gesture! Would you buy your ex a wedding gift? What if you got invited to their wedding, would you go?

The picture of the week is a cute little (ice cream) snowman made by White House Executive Pastry Chef Thaddeus DuBois. What a cutie! It'll make a great dessert for a winter wedding - so inspirational.

(via White House website - be sure to check out the snowflake cookies and petit fours decorated in white and red)

M&M'S New Candy Flavors

They're colorful, cute, and sweet, but did you know that they now come in 8 new flavors. If you're one of those people who plan to have a candy buffet table at your wedding with a display of wonderful M&M'S®, then you'd be pleasantly surprised to know that you can now get them in the following flavors:



- raspberry
- cherry
- peach
- orange
- almond
- mint
- peanut
- dark chocolate with mint

You'll be glad to know that there is a sampler tin available that you can get for $49.99, or you can create your unique mix by selecting individual flavors. Have fun and enjoy!

Wacky Wedding Shoes

There are many ways to make your wedding a truly unique one, so why not start at the bottom - with your shoes. Boots, clogs, and sneakers may sound a bit too unorthodox for the average bride, but for the kooky and unconventional bride who doesn't care about what other people think, then they're just right for her. Who says that you can't be a little wacky on your wedding day!

Wedding Boots



Wedding Clogs



Bridal Sneakers

Delicious,Beautiful, and French Chocolates to Enjoy

Pictures can definitely say more than words especially when you're talking about chocolate. Virginie Duroc-Danner's works of chocolate art are a perfect example. While the whole website is in French, don't let the language barrier stop you from exploring her wonderful chocolate pieces. Take a virtual journey that feels like walking into a French chocolatier shop. As you explore the site, you will soon wonder, how does she make such beautiful and artistic pieces of chocolates?

Wedding Anniversary Cake



Colorful Chocolate Flowers



Abstract Artwork

Wedding Origami Art

If you've loved making origami art as a child, then you'd probably enjoy origami architecture as an adult. This three dimensional art form was created by Japanese architect Masahiro Chatani through a pop-up card he created for friends. The tools are basic and simple to find. You will need a good craft knife and a ruler (preferrably with a metallic edge) so that you slice paper against it. So, you won't ruin your table, you should also have a crafter's cutting mat, or a hard cardboard to cut on. If you can master this art, there are countless designs that you can create such as an invitation. Just look at these lovely wedding designs:

Heart with a bow



A wedding bell



A swan




If you're hooked now and want to see more, check out the Japanese website of "Handmade Papercraft Club":



Also, be sure to check out the craft work done by Selena Kim:

The Weddingsphere - October 20th Weekly Roundup

Halloween will be here as the news on the weddingsphere just keeps on spinning:

A Shotgun Wedding Marks a New Wedding Theme
Yes, it is what it sounds like literally. What do guns, beer, and wedding gowns have in common? This couple form Bangor, Main, proves it by tying the knot in a real shotgun wedding.



Spice is On the Way
She's Scary Spice and she's said to be four months pregnant with Eddie Murphy. Will part of her wedding plans include a Spice Girl reunion?

The Ongoing TomKat Wedding Plans
Initially, rumor had it that they were getting married at George Clooney's Italian villa by Lake Cuomo, but that has evidently changed. Yet, the Italian destination wedding still seems to be in their plans. Where it will be remains to be seen? Yet, revealing that might be altogether counterintuitive if you're trying to keep things hush-hush. One thing for sure, Katie won't be walking down the "Wang" aisle for it is reported that she will be wearing an Armani. Heck, she's jus trying to keep in line with the whole Italian wedding. Sorry, Vera.

Saying "I do" after 25 years
Love can wait, but just don't wait too long. But, if you do wait, stay healthy. Nevertheless, tying the knot later in life can also show how much love can stand the test of time. Okay, that sounds corny, but this story is different.

Friday - Hurley up, please!
Life can be so difficult when you've got everything. With Liz Hurley, planning her wedding to Indian businessman, Arun Nayar, has turned into a nightmare of a sort. She can't decide on a dress because she doesn't want to offend her fashion designer friends. But, they're your friends, right? Poor chum.

Picture of the Week
Since the debut of the new movie "Marie Antoinette", it's a great time to enjoy some French desserts. Tea and petit fours, anyone?

(via Epicurious) - check out the other tasty treats in this slideshow

Pumpkin all the Way

Pumpkin - you either love it or hate it. It's never a case of in-between. Some start out hating it, but eventually develop a liking for it especially after that first slice of pumpkin pie topped with a heaping dollop of whip cream. That's when it hits you that this stuff is good. When served as part of a wedding dinner menu, they put the word comfort in "comfort food." So, let see what else is made of pumpkin - that's waiting to be devoured this fall and soon this winter:

Pumpkin White Chocolate Chunk Cookies - recipe by Sara Foster from Foster's Market in North Carolina. Boy, these look so good!

(via Country Home Magazine) - check out their other desserts, too.



Pumpkin Muffins from BHG - they only take 20 minutes to make!



Pumpking Cheese - there's no recipe here. Just get them ready made at "Say it with Cheesecake."

Sugar Icing Like No Other

Have you always wanted to create those cute little cupcakes and petit fours with a monogram? Let's get a step closer to that dream with SugarVeil® confectionery icing. You fill their dispenser with the icing and decorate away. For the truly brave, they also offer an entire kit filled with various decorating goodies and gadgets - it's a perfect wedding shower gift for the aspiring pastry chef. What exactly can you do with this icing? Look no further:

Decorate petit fours



Create your own veil - only for the daring




Make your own dessert tree

Paper craft projects from HP

It's finally the weekend, but your're stuck at home. The weather is miserable outside and finding something to do besides laundry is a must. You're also in charge of planning an intimate engagement party this autumn. Yet, you haven't gotten any invitations yet. Try visiting HP's DIY center featuring helpful projects using artwork available on their website. Some of the nice ones for fall include:

(via HP)

A Harvest Dinner Party - Menu


Thanksgiving Turkey Coasters


Autumn Dinner Party - Placecards

Gumps - Cool Wedding Gifts for the Holidays

When the temperatures start to drop, you know that in due time, the holidays will be here. And if you have been invited to a wedding, getting an extra special gift is even more challenging because you don't just want to give a wedding gift. You want to give a gift with that quality of rareness like a vase or bowl made of fine Murano glass or that coral-made picture frame. Head off to Gump's of San Francisco (also available online) - they have some pretty unique products with real personality. Pricey, yes, but you won't look like a cheapskate. It's quite exciting now that they have their holiday preview.

Most Expensive Wedding Cake Said to Debut

Want to see the most expensive wedding cake in the world? Mark your calendar because on October 22, 2006, this one of a kind cake is said to make its debut at the Beverly Hilton during a bridal show called "Weddings In The Grand Tradition." Why is it supposed to be expensive? Is $20 million enough? The cake is said to be decorated with diamonds through a collaboration between jewelrer Mimi So of Beverly Hills and cake designer Nahid of La Patisserie Artistique. Tickets to the show are $35.00 per person. The show runs on Sunday, October 22, 2006, 11:00 a.m - 4:00 p.m. And the Beverly Hilton is located at 9876 Wilshire Blvd. Beverly Hills, CA 90210. Be early if you want to find good parking.

Wedding Etiquette for Guests

We all hear about the proper way to handle oneself in a social setting. But when one is invited as a guest to a wedding, anything can go wrong. So, on behalf of all wedding couples, here is a tip sheet outlining some "wedding guest etiquette." Why the list? Well, since by the time, you have the wedding, it is a little bit too late to get upset over the one guest who decided that she'd bring an extra set of friends without a formal invitation (i.e., wedding crashers). Let's prevent such annoyances from happening. Here it is:

1) Please send your RSVPs by the deadline that is set on the invitation. Don't just wait until the bride or groom make a follow-up call. It's a complete waste of time to be calling guests.

2) Make every effort to arrive at the ceremony and reception on time.

3) Don't just come to reception without attending the church ceremony unless there is a valid reason.

4) Please turn off your cellphone during the ceremony and try to avoid talking on the cellphone during the event.

5) When choosing proper wedding attire, please don't come in a black dress unless you are in mourning.

6) As for drinking, weddings can get a little wild with guests having one drink too many. Please know when enough is enough.

7) Please don't steal the linens during the reception.

8) When choosing a wedding gift, please no toasters.

9) Do not hoard the wedding cake and not finish it.

10) Please don't switch tables at the reception, since every guest was given an assigned seat based on a seating chart that was carefully planned out.

The Weddingsphere - October 13th Weekly Roundup

It may be Friday the 13th today, but not much has changed in the world of weddings. As usual, you've got everything from the queer to the downright interesting stories. Let' see now:

A Suspicious Substance Holds off the Bridegroom
Short of calling Homeland Security and Interpol, a suspicious substance was found along a roadside somewhere in Germany. Who would have know that a common dessert can cause so much trouble.

Trim that Baby Fat
You may want to call it Fort TomKat instead of Fort Knox. Actor Tom Cruise is said to have hired an "army' of babysitters to look after their children as Katie Holmes gets back in shape, since getting pregnant. Why all that trouble?


A New Way to Raise Money for your Wedding?
A woman in Des Moines, Iowa who couldn't afford to pay for her entire wedding dress, offered her son as collateral. Perhaps she shouldn't have gotten married in the first place or maybe she should've gone to David's Bridal for a good deal on a dress.

If She's Good Enough to Marry, then She's Good Enough to Eat?
Valentyn Shtefano, a famous Ukranian pastry chef, decided to make his bride a dress that is good enough to eat. Using a whopping 1,500 cream puffs, he didn't leave any detail behind for her crown, bouquet and necklace were also made of caramelized sugar. All of this took two months - talk about love! Hmm. Wonder how'd you take this off? Let's not go there folks. We'll leave that detail.

via (AP Photo)



Plan a Reverse Wedding?
In this day and age, divorce seems to happen just as often as root canals. This humorous take by Peter Tannen on a very serious matter should enlighten anybody thinking of getting married right away. I'd share this article with any couple whom you think is rushing into marriage too soon.

Picture of the Week
This week's find is a modern take on a classic wedding element. Kudos to the photographer and stylist who took this shot using Water Wedgewood's Jasper Conran Collection. The interplay of colors using almond dragees is truly creative. The picture looks good enough to eat or one that you'd love to look during a gloomy day.

The Kansas Bridal Show

Got time this weekend for a bridal show? You're in luck then! I found this info via the Kansas City Star Online. At the Overland Park Convention Center, there's an upcoming bridal show on Sunday (October 15th) featuring 170 vendors, two fashion shows, prizes include 20 bridal gowns, and three $1,000 shopping sprees to name a few of the show's highlights.



Tickets cost $6-$10. For additional information on registering, you can visit "The Perfect Wedding Guide." If you're in the neighborhood for searching other bridal shows in your home state, this website offers state-by-state listings of various shows through 2007.



Just to let you know, you may want to read my previous post on Kansas weddings wherein I touched upon some interesting venues.

Dinnerware from Oneida

Have you ever spent hours preparing a meal (even if it's just a sandwich and a salad) only to get disappointing feedback? Maybe it's not the food - perhaps it's your dinnerware. Start off by using these sassy plates from Oneida that are worth a look:



They also have this tool for creating virtual table settings. It seems a bit limited right now, though. You can only play with a few examples, but the concept is great. Perhaps they might add to this in the future.

Sugar for your bridesmaid's tea party

Sugar is sweet. Duh, we all know that. But don't you get tired of plain sugar? How about flavored or colored sugar served up during an afternoon tea party for your bridesmaids? After searching for some unique finds, this is what I found:

India Tree
They offer a variety of sandng and decorating sugars in a multitude of colors. It's the site for the baking enthusiast.



Les Comptoirs Tisne Lavender Sugar
They also have other flavors including orange, coconut, and lemon. All presented in an 8 oz. bottle with a gift bag. These sugars don't just come from your regular sugar cane field - they are from Madagascar Island.



Mint Sugar from Spice Genie
Ever want to serve hot cocoa with mint to "wow" your friends? What more can I say.

Runaway Bride - Comes Back with a Lawsuit

Once upon a time, a young girl ran away from her wedding - days before the lavish event. Unbeknowst to the bride, her entire village and family set up a national search for the girl even setting a reward. Anxious for her return, her fiancee makes an appearance on television pleading for her safe return. Little does he know that his distraught fiance hitched a ride and ended up in New Mexico - admitting that she had been falsely kidnapped and sexually assaulted. After being found and safely returned to her village, the girl is charged with making up her story, but at her side all the time was her fiancee. And they lived happily ever after? Nope. Fast forward a year later - the young girl is suing her fiancee. Thus, this is the story of the "runaway with your money - bride."

A Cool Cocktail Wedding Engagement Party

If you're looking to have a swanky cocktail engagement party, where can you go to find cool barware that says "shaken, not stirred?"

For martini glasses, head off to:

Jillery Designs at $23/glass

These curved stem glasses are made with a decorative beaded stem using wire. All are custom made and you can even choose the colors of the beads that are intertwined with the wire. You may also want to check out their 9.5 oz. zigzag glasses sold in a set of 6 at $138.




28 oz. Bullet Martini Shaker by Metrokane through Amazon at $19.99

Made with polished 18/10 stainless steel, these martini shakers are inspired by a 1930s art-deco design. There's also a smaller guy availabe in 16 oz. With these shakers, you'll be the most stylish bartender or at least look like one. It also looks like a cool groomsmen gift compared with those flasks - so outdated.



Drink Sticks at $17.00 from Home Wet Bar

Shaped like mini golf clubs, these stirrers can be used for cocktail drinks like Tom Collins. How cool is that!

Ballerina Flower Girl Dresses

If you're looking to have flower girls instead of bridesmaids, then dressing them up in pretty dresses can be so much fun. Traditional flower girl dresses are just fine, but what if you want to use something a little bit more interesting like ballerina-inspired dresses.

At Bellerina Collection, these caught my attention:

Silk ball gown with puffed sleeves




Velvet dress with roses




You may also want to check out these other designs:

At Giggles N' Curles, this lovely silk dress has a pretty sash



While this pink taffeta dress has an elegant oversized pink bow and sash: