So I was looking around the New York Times today and came across an article about Whoopie pies! And I thought, what a great idea for the new "wedding cupcake." The whole cupcake tree is a trend of the past. If you are looking for a different option instead of a wedding cake, why not consider having a variety of whoopie pies. It is fun and something different! There are a variety of flavors and fillings to choose from: Red Velvet cake with Cream filling, Golden Cake with Raspberry Cream filling, Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Cream filling, (who doesn't want one of those!) and for a fall wedding, they make Pumpkin and Cinnamon cake with a rich fluffy Cream filling!
1. Whoopie Tier 2. Whoppie Flavors
Another option is to package them nicely in a box with ribbon and your personalized monogram that matches your theme and decor and make them your wedding favors. 
1. Blue Box with Black Ribbon 2. Eco Friendly Box
3. Blue Box with Monogram 4. Brown with Pink Dots
The whoopie pies are an excellent idea for brides looking to have an Eco-chic wedding, as these pies can be made organic and vegan! To package them as a favor, the brown box is an Eco friendly option as it comes from recycled goods.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
The New Wedding Cupcake!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Black Pink White
Here is a little inspiration board for you. As I said before, black is back!! Black and white mixed with one color that truly pops off the black is great for a wedding! I personally love the damask design and of course pink! Other colors that look great are a lime green, a lemony yellow, crimson red, and many more. The options really are endless! Let me know what you think!
1. Pink Gerbers, 2. pink*shoes, 3. Picture from Patricia Lyons Photography, 4. Bogo From Wedding Over Dose, 5. black damask with hot pink , 6. Damask piping close-up, 7. Picture from Weddingbycolor, 8. Picture from Jasmine Star Blog, 9. Source Unknown, 10. Rhonda Patton Designs, 11. Damask Ring Pillow for the Wedding Ceremony12. Not available 13. Jessica Claire Photography, 14. Not available 15. Not available 16. Not available
- Erinne
Monday, February 16, 2009
Your Wedding in This Economy
We are all feeling the effects of today’s economy as it slowly starts to trickle down. Planning a wedding during this economic down turn can be tough, but it can be done!
First things first, as with any wedding, you need to set a budget, and stick to it! Sit down with your fiancé and talk about what is important to the two of you on your big day. Make sure you allot more money towards these items and cut back on others. Talk with your parents, discuss with them if they will be giving any money towards the wedding. Make sure the amount is clear to all, so you don’t plan for a larger figure and have to make up that money in the end.
Here are just a few ways to save:
Hire a Wedding Planner:
I say this, not because I am one, but because Wedding Planners can save you money! A trained and experienced Wedding Planner is going to have a lot of contacts with the vendors in the area. They know what vendors fall into which price range. This alone will save you a lot of leg work, and after all, time is money. Wedding Planners also receive discounts from vendors for their clients due to repeat business. This discount is one you are not likely to get if you call up a vendor and book them on your own. Negotiating contracts is another big benefit a Wedding Planner can offer you. They have the knowledge of where different types of vendors may be able to shave off a few dollars here and there without the vendor losing money.
Your Date:
Consider having your wedding in the “off-peak” season, which for most vendors would be November – April, excluding December. Also consider having your wedding on a Friday night, Saturday mid morning or Sunday. Your venue is going to be more flexible on these days compared to a Saturday night because of the high demand. Plus, for a Friday night wedding, it leaves you the rest of the weekend to enjoy with your new hubby and friends and family from out of town!
Food & Beverage:
Your Reception is going to take up about 50% of your budget, so this is where you can look to cut back a little. One option is to scale back on the guest list. This will allow for a more intimate reception between your closest friends and family. When it comes to the dinner portion, you can scale back on the number of courses served to save costs. Most importantly, be flexible! Sometimes buffets are not cheaper, so talk to your caterer, discuss all your options and see what they can come up with for you.
When it comes to the bar, consider cutting back the number of hours you offer open bar, or think of offering your guests the option of beer and wine and cash bar for liquor. You can really save on the price per person if you cut back on the liquor options.
Your Dress:
Something that is becoming more and more popular is brides buying their wedding gown used! There are a lot of stores that offer second hand, or shall we say “vintage” wedding gowns for half the cost of a brand new gown! If you can get the same dress at half the cost, and have it be just as beautiful and no one would know the difference, then why not?!?
Paper Ensemble:
Get creative! Make your own paper ensemble. There are a lot of invitation sets that you can buy and print on your own that can look just as good as some of the designer invitations. You can also design your own menu and seating cards. Now if you are not the crafty type, put your bridesmaids or family to work, using their talents to help in the assembly of your paper ensemble.
Flowers:
Choosing flowers that are in season will help to keep your flower cost down. Talk to your florist about your color scheme. They should be able to give you different types of flowers that will fit into your budget and color scheme. Also, if you are using floral arrangements at your ceremony, reuse these arrangements at your reception.
Borrow:
See if there are any heirloom pieces that can be, or that are passed down from generation to generation. Some common items are cake knife and server, champagne flutes, unity candle holders, garter etc. There are other certain items that you will probably use for your wedding day that you will never pull out of the box again, or have no interest in saving as a “keepsake.” If there are friends or family who have recently been married, see what you can borrow from them. For example, ring pillow, flower girl basket and a card box.
Cake:
Who doesn’t love wedding cake?! However, at your wedding, how many of your guests are actually going to eat that expensive wedding cake? A way to save here is to have a smaller decorated cake to display and cut, then ask your baker for sheet cake to serve to your guests. They will never know the difference! A lot of the expense for the cake comes from the time and creative talent in decorating the cake, adding those gum paste flowers and the rolled fondant.
These are just a few quick ways that you can save on your upcoming wedding. I could go on, but then this blog would get even longer than it already is! Hopefully these tips can help you stick within your tight budget, and help inspire you to build off these ideas and make them your own!
-Erinne
Monday, January 26, 2009
Wedding Trends for 2009
Ok all you recently engaged ladies!...I know there are a lot of you out there, after all they don't call the holidays engagement season for nothing! Let me be one of many to congratulate you all. I hope you are not becoming overwhelmed with your planning just yet. If you are, you know how to contact me. Hopfeully this blog will give you some ideas and inspiration of your own.
2009 brings a very cool trend to the wedding scene, one I actually am quite fond of, Vintage! We are talking about 1920's/1930's weddings coming back with all of its glamour. There are many special touches you can add to your wedding to incorporate this theme, bringing a little bit of the old Hollywood glamour to your special day.
As you begin to plan your wedding, most importantly, remember that it is about you and your fiance! Even though I am going to be talking about the latest trends in weddings this year, it does not mean that it is for everyone. Your wedding style should be about the two of you and what you both enjoy.
Wedding Dress
Most of you have probably had your dream dress in mind well, since you were 5, or maybe that's just me. As you flip through the many bridal magazines you begin to collect, you will see a couple of common trends in the dresses this year: sleek dresses with plunging backs and/or necklines, halter necklines, one shoulder dresses, antique lace, rhinestone/diamond brocade, COLOR, and even short dresses. This year is not all about the "princess" poof style dress, but more the form fitting, flowy, silk charmeuse that is elusive and glamorous. This style is elegant and will make you feel like you are a star walking on the "red" or should we say white carpet.
Now, you may be thinking to yourself, sleek, form fitting?! Yikes! Don't worry, if your dream dress is more of the strapless Cinderella style dress, that's ok. Get what you feel glamorous in, no matter what the trend maybe. There is a different style dress for everyone. Another great option if you want true vintage is to wear your mother or grandmother's gown, not to mention the sentimental value!
COLOR, yes I said color. This trend is big for 2009 and there are many ways you can incorporate color into your dress: a sash in the color that matches your bridesmaids' dresses, a brocade with colored rhinestones, a dress with colored embroidery, or for the more bold bride, a dress in a color, not white! The runway showed many wedding dresses in soft pastels, and for the really adventurous bride deep crimsons with gold accents. Here are a few dresses I found, courtesy of http://www.brides.com/ that fit two different vintage styles:
Keep it simple! To keep with the vintage theme, you are going to see a lot of chandelier style earrings, pearl and crystal bracelets and crystal barrettes for the hair. Now, I wouldn't recommend combining all three of these together, but find a combination that accents you and your dress. You do not want your accessories to be the first thing noticed.
A great way to incorporate vintage into your accessories is to wear a vintage or heirloom piece of jewelry that was your grandmother's, or maybe even your great grandmother's! Not only will this save you money on buying accessories, but you are carrying something meaningful with you on your big day.
Decor
A couple of trends are hitting the scene here. To start, Black is BACK. Don't be afraid of black this year. Black is elegant and when combined with certain colors, stunning! Grey is another great color for this year, and when you combine it with deep plums, soft pinks, or crystaly blues, it pops!
