Friday Find - Cupcake Cups

I love these adorable cupcake wrappers from Fancy Flours .

These sweet wraps would make a great addition to a cupcake or sweets display at a casual wedding.

The web-site features several other options, great for baby showers, kid's birthdays or holiday entertaining. But my personal favorites are the spider web wrappers.
~ So fun!

If you like to bake or if you are looking for something to make the presentation of your store bought goodies unique and fun check out this site. They have lots of neat packaging products, pretty cake stands, unusual baking pans and tons more. It's definitely worth a look.

Tuesday Tip - Affordable Adornments

I can think of no better addition to a carefully selected wedding day ensemble than authentic jewelry.

Unfortunately, a gorgeous diamond necklace and earrings is not in the wedding budget for most of us... until now!

Check out Adorn Brides. They offer authentic necklaces, bracelets and earrings ranging in value from a few thousand dollars to over $60,000.00. What makes the pieces even more special? They are available to rent! What a concept!!

Tuesday Tip - Bathroom Baskets

Even though the scale of entertaining guests at a wedding is different than entertaining at home, you should take every opportunity to extend the same hospitality and concern for your guests' comfort as you do at home. But how do you do that when you have not a couple of dinner guests but a couple of hundred??

One way is to anticipate your guests' needs. Consider placing a basket of essentials your guests may need in the bathrooms of your reception venue.

Here are some examples of what to include.

WOMEN'S BASKET

Single Dose Pain Reliever Packets

Antacids

Emery Boards

Feminine Hygiene Products

Small First Aid Kit with Bandages

Sewing Kit

Hair Spray

Hand Lotion

Bobby Pins

Safety Pins

Clear Nail Polish

Lint Roller

Contact Lens Solution

Dental Floss

Mouthwash with Small Cups

Breath Mints or Gum

MEN'S BASKET

Single Dose Pain Reliever Packets

Antacids

First Aid Kit With Bandages

Hair Gel

Lint Roller

Safety Pins

Contact Lens Solution

Dental Floss

Mouthwash with Small Cups

Breath Mints or Gum

Entertaining at Home - Serving Pieces

A couple of weeks ago I posted about the importance of having a stock of basic items at your disposal to make entertaining at home easy and fun. A great place to start in building your stash of "entertaining essentials" is with serving pieces. It is so frustrating to not have the "right" bowl or platter, to have nothing that matches, or worse yet, to have to go out and buy something just so you can have company over for dinner.

Take a lesson from the pros. All of the caterers I work with have a huge selection of well designed, basic white, platters, bowls and stands. Working with a basic white palette unifies all styles and blends as well with your grandmother's china as it does with those ultra modern square black appetizer plates you got as a wedding
gift.

The internet is full of sources for good basic serving pieces. Here are some great examples.

All from Williams Sonoma.

From Ballard Designs.

From Horchow.

Friday Find - Raj Tents

I discovered Raj Tents several months ago and have dreamed ever since of an event where I could use one. They are soo gorgeous!! These are just a couple of examples. Their website is full of photos of beautiful designs. Take a minute and check out the exotic eye candy!

Viridian Event - Sentimental Gathering

My friend Rachel Fitch of Fitch Estate Sales and her family live in this precious 1920's storybook cottage. It is filled with beautiful antiques and all the wonderful and unique pieces that a gifted collector with a trained eye and a flair for design comes across in her line of work.

So... It was no surprise when Rachel called to say that she would be hosting a friend's intimate, casual wedding for about 30 guests in her back yard. What better place?

We quickly decided on a laid back design scheme incorporating tons of vintage elements. Rather than seating guests at one long table or tables, we decided to create informal conversation areas with a few family style tables spread out over the lawn. We called on Chefs at Large to design a creative and casual summer hors d'oeuvres menu and Sophie's Choice Bakery for the perfect dessert.

Rachel and I had a blast combining vintage and unusual containers, textiles, architectural elements, furnishings and other what nots from our respective collections to create a design that was unique, eclectic, and fun. Estate sale pieces are so perfect for entertaining. They're plentiful, often inexpensive and a "green" alternative ~ What a combo!

It was a wonderful event with guests lingering well into the evening ~ a sure sign of a great party!

What a joy to be a part!

Tuesday Tip - Linen Sizes

Knowing what size linens to order for your event can be tricky, but it doesn't have to be. Many rental companies have great on-line charts that tell you exactly what size linens you need to order. You just have to have the right information.

Start by measuring your tables. If you are working with a venue, they should be able to tell you the measurements of their tables. You need to know the diameter of round tables and the length and width of rectangular tables. Then use an online chart (click to see a great one from bbjlinen) to determine what size linens you need to order.

See. That isn't so hard!

Friday Find - Swanky Sorbet

I love these adorable treats from St. Claire Ice Cream. The mini fruits come in a variety of flavors of either sorbet or ice cream. I think they would be precious for a shower or bridal lunch.

Because they have a "stem" they would also make a really fun passed dessert or refresher during a reception.




Because I have two kids who would love them, and because, of course, I am already thinking about holiday entertaining, I couldn't resist adding the ice cream pumpkin and turkey to the post just for fun!