The Cutest Easter Cake

Oh, I'm so excited that Easter Sunday is coming up! Found this really lovely cake made by Pink Cake Box who also creates some gorgeous cakes for all special occasions. I love this Easter one:

Basketball Groomsmen Cakes

Since it is March Madness, I'd thought that some basketball-inspired groomsmen cakes would be a great idea especially for the groom who can't get enough of college hoops. As you'll see several of these cakes use the color orange for the ball (obviously), so the challenge is creating one that doesn't take away from the elegance of the wedding. And don't forget, you can even have the cake carry the name and mascot of your alma mater.

From Cakes By Yvonne -




From Carrie's Cakes




From Carolyn's Sweet Tooth

Easter Treats Wishing Board

Easter is coming soon, so I've gotten ever so inspired by the colorful ideas out there and made my own Easter "wishing board". Who's counting calories anyways!

1) Easter Chick Box with jelly morsels from See's Candies

2) Easter Basket with 17 sugar cookies in a gift box from Elenis

3) Easter Quartet from Fannie May

4) Harry and David Easter Cookies with sayings

Filene's Basement Bridal Gown Sale

On Friday, Filene's Basement will hold its annual wedding dress sale as we all know it is one of the most popular sales. There are actually 4 sales going on at their various branches falling on different dates:



Let the madness begin! Remember that the last sale is a the Tyson's Corner Branch in Virginia on April 4, 2008.

Black and White Wedding Theme

There's always something inspirational to find about weddings all over the web for a romantic black and white theme. When I think of this theme, I think patterns of damask, vintage lace, toile, tulle, posh pearls, polka dots and crisp white linens all over the decorations with accents of black. A little hunting on the web yielded some interesting stuff:

Dress for the bridesmaids - I love this one



Wedding cupcakes



For romantic guest favors, some rose sachets in white



Some more pretty ideas from Here Comes The Bride, Big Fat and Hey

Wedding Gloves To Wear

I've always believed that wedding gloves are the most romantic piece that completes the wedding gown. Whether it's a long pair (i.e., opera length) or short pair of gloves, it is the essential accessory that adds that elegant touch to the day. There is a wide array of gloves on the web from cheap ones to fancy lace, but looking for the right one isn't easy at all:

In leather



In satin, yes, I know this looks really cheap!



In lace



In every possible design..

Petit Fours - Yummy Bridal Desserts

Petit fours - those little cakes that you can just eat and eat. I've eaten 10 of them at any one time during a bridal shower tea party last winter. But, they can be downright expensive. You can try making them: try this recipe, or you can also buy them now at these places:

Dragonfly Petit Fours (4 dozen) at $74.99



Coffee Petits Fours at $16.99



Valentine Petits Fours at $46.75

Cool Tech Gifts for Groomsmen

When looking for groomsmen gifts, what comes into mind, or more like what do you find on the web first? Let's see now: flasks, beer mugs, and cigar cases? Those are a fine if you live in the era of Al Capone, but now there are more choices - in fact, it can be a lot of fun finding gifts for your groomsmen especially if they are one of your closest friends and just happen to be tech junkies. With that said, I've found a couple of nifty gadgets (note: money here is not an issue) that may just seal the deal:

Philipps VOIP 841 Skype - This puppy is so cool that you'd want one for yourself



Squeezebox with Pandora




Nokia E65 - a 3G phone with VoIP capability - super cool

Cufflinks Alert

Cool cufflinks alert! I found this really cool ones from Saks Fifth - just the right kind of gift for a fiance on Valentine's Day! It's got a watch on it - who would have thought? Made of stainless steel for durability! When you think of cufflinks, it isn't reall something that men wear everyday with their shirts, but it's just a very romantic gift.

Check it out:

Dieting and the Bridezilla Factor

I was reading this article about how more than 70% of brides-to-be lose weight before the big day. Even more disturbing is that more than one-third choose to take diet pills and even fast. While it is important to get that perfect wedding look, it's important to remember that part of preparing for the big is the experience and sheer joy of planning a wedding. So if you starving oneself in order to fit into size 4 gown, think hard about what you are doing unless you are doing it safely and within a healthy regimen. After all, you don't want to faint or feel like a waif even you look good in that gown because deep down inside, your body is starving. And since extreme dieting eventually comes back as a double whammy in weight, going to great extents to lose weight without a proper nutritional plan is simply dangerous. For anyone out there fasting yourself, do realize that it's about sensible. For the full article, go here.

Proposing on Valentine's?

Hey, guys listen up! Thinking of proposing at Valentine's? 1-800-Flowers at You Tube is having a contest! Here are the details:

"Enter the WILL YOU MARRY ME? contest where we are giving one lucky person a once in a lifetime opportunity. Surprise your significant other with one of the Biggest Marriage Proposals ever. Just submit a video "popping" the question for a chance to have it played in front of millions of YouTube users on February 11th but more importantly that special someone!"

Laura M. Collin's Designer Invitations

There are invitations made of paper, but how about one crafted in lucite, silk, or some gorgeous material? I stumbled upon the website of Laura M. Collin's Designs whose invitation designs include a box made of silk dupioni that houses a beautiful invitation presented in a scroll. This is by far my favorite:

27 Dresses

Boy meets girl. Girl has sister. Girl falls in love with boy whom sister is engaged to. Ah, a classic story just waiting for a good ending. I'm really curious to see how "27 Dresses" the movie fares? Who knows perhaps this has happened to YOU? You know what I'm talking about. You like him, he likes you, but somehow your circumstances in life are different and the timing just sucks.

Comfort Food for the Wedding Party

It's cold out there and if you are having a late-night dessert for your wedding party - what do you serve? Brownies! They are the quintessential comfort food and when paired with a nice hot cup of cocoa - it's absolutely heavenly. Looking beyond this concept, you can even create a chocolate dessert table filled with brownies, chocolate cupcakes, and chocolate chip cookies for that all-chocolate theme! Here are some of my favorite recipes, if you plan to make them yourself:

From The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Devil’s Food Cupcakes With Fluffy White Filling and Chocolate Icing

Chocolate chip cookies

The Sunday Bridal Event at Gump's

I love shopping at Gump's, so when I heard of the upcoming bridal event on the 27th of January, I couldn't be happier. There's also brunch and wine tasting! Tickets are $30/person - and a tote bag filled with goodies.

If you're in San Francisco, check it out:

Valentine's Gifts for The Bride

This weekend, Dahlia went searching the Amazon (i.e., Amazon.com) for Valentine's gifts that should make any bride happy:


A Movado Watch - Who doesn't want one?




A Pretty Star Pendant Necklace



A Simple Tennis Bracelet, Babe!

Lifesize Wedding Cake

A really original and cool idea for a wedding cake - a lifesize version of the bride. I think one for the groom would have been nice, too! Think it's tacky or way overboard?

Ann Taylor Wedding Gowns

Already a big fan of Ann Taylor dresses, I was quite excited to find out that they now offer wedding gowns. If you are looking for something elegant and simple, then perhaps you might like their gowns. Some find might them to be a bit too basic, but for the bride who doesn't want much frills, lace, or fancy embroidery, then you might find the gown for you. Each gown comes shipped in a garment bag together with a satin hanger. For added protection, each is stylishly presented in a pretty white box lined with acid-free paper.

Rent your Wedding Jewelry

Ah, jewelry. It is one of those things that is a must-have for every bride. But, what if you don't want to buy that expensive diamond necklace costing way over $2000? Try renting! With Bag Borrow or Steal at http://www.bagborroworsteal.com/ - you can pretty much have your cake and eat it, too. In this case, it would be that expensive Charriol necklace you've been wanting for the longest time - renting it, at least.. Think of it as a club for renting high fashion pieces from the likes of Gucci, Hermes, and more.

A Beautiful Wedding Gift You'd Definitely Keep

If you've been searching for a truly special wedding gift that really doesn't pinch your pocket, then maybe you should try a Lladro, which features one of the world's most beautiful porcelain figurines. Where can you find these? Just check out the Macy's website and you will find some very elegant pieces.

Here are my favorites:

Lladró "Wedding Bells" Cake Topper $235.00



Lladró The Happiest Day $570.00 - *** A Dahlia Favorite



Lladró "Everlasting Love" $450.00