Sweet, Sweet Caroline.

I'm on a roll! I've just made a new inspiration board which I love, love, love! So sweet with a hint of country. I continue to be amazed by Sarah Seven's designs and this bridesmaid dress is no exception. The cut and detail is so gorgeous and and the blue is such a classic colour.

To learn more about the artists featured in this board, click here.

The Engagement Party.

At a party last week, one of my many beautiful friends named Katie said she loved to read my blog because she felt like she was learning through all of my experiences. Well, Katie, I’m now officially entering completely foreign territory: The Engagement Party. I wish I could find a really good resource for the how’s and what’s, but so far I’m only finding bits and pieces from different websites. So, it has been back to high school/college days of research and resisting the urge to gnaw on my pencil out of frustration! There's nothing like a little classic Lionel Richie and a pint of Strongbow to get one inspired to write.

As one might imagine, the ideal time to have engagement party is as soon after the engagement as possible, when the news is still at the peak of its excitement. Some opt to actually announce the engagement at the party, but finding the best excuse for why you’re gathering so many people together may not be easy. This is especially true since technology has really bent the rules of social formalities, so it has become more common (just as it was in our case) that the news is out before the bride-to-be even realizes the proposal is happening. I thought at first this meant that it shouldn’t be celebrated since everyone already knew, but I’ve come to realize that it doesn't mean our engagement can’t be formally announced or celebrated with a good time!

The traditional rules of etiquette say that guests invited to the engagement party will also be invited to the wedding, but the list of invitees will be shorter in order to make it a more intimate celebration. With small or destination weddings becoming so hip, it is also becoming more accepted to include those who will not be able to attend the wedding. Both families (or all three in our case!) should be invited along with close family friends as well as the bride and groom’s own close friends.

I’ve been reading that while gifts are not customary at an engagement party, some guests will likely arrive with some because it is a natural impulse to bring a gift when celebrating an event. Although I have been reading that the bride-to-be and groom-to-be should be registering fairly soon after the event just in case some guests to ask the hosts about where we are registered, I just feel really awkward about this. I don’t feel comfortable registering and passing the info of our registry to the family members organizing the celebration, when our guests will also be attending the wedding. I personally would prefer not to make our hosts feel that they need to pass this information on, or that they themselves need to bring a gift since they are already giving us the gift of throwing us a party.

Every family and situation will be different, especially for those mentioned above who will be having guests not be able to attend the wedding for whatever reason (tight guest list or destination wedding, previous commitments, etc.). For very informal parties, of family and a few close friends, it is unlikely a guest will present anything more than a bottle of wine or some appetizers, the same tokens they might bring to any event, but I can see why it might still be a good idea to inform the host about where the bride-to-be and groom-to-be have registered, however I am personally still torn on the idea and will be happy just to have everyone there!

Regardless of the degree of formality the party is having, every guest will want to have a chance to speak to the happy couple, so it’s best to be sure to make the rounds or to have someone discreetly jump in every now and then to politely excuse the couple so they can continue to mingle.

Toasts. These seem important! Whomever is hosting the event has dibs on the first toast. For example, if the engagement party is being given by the bride's parents, the bride's father proposes the first toast to the bride and her fiancé. Then, the fiancé rises and toasts his bride-to-be and her parents, and then his own parents. Once the hosts, parents and bride-to-be and groom-to-be have had the chance to toast, the floor is then open. One extremely important thing to remember: the engaged couple will want to toast the host for their hospitality and graciousness for gathering everyone together.

Since the engagement party is an act of generosity and affection on the part of the hosts, the bride-and groom-to-be should want to give a thank-you gift to the host. The gift doesn’t have to be anything fancy, and your best present will come from the heart. Be creative and select something that is as special as the party was.

Lastly, savour this celebration. There will be many memorable stops along the road to a wedding, but this is the first apart from the proposal, and will linger in memory with a special significance.

Hope this summary of what I've discovered so far will be helpful! I'll definitely share all the details about our event after it's happened!

Things I've Learned So Far...

Hi Lovelies! Since I'm doing so much of the wedding necessities myself, I've been compiling a list of things I am discovering as I go and thought I'd share my first few lessons with you :).

Listen to your gut and stick to your guns. You'll constantly have people telling you what you should do. Remember: It's YOUR day and it's all about you. You’ll get the feedback from both people who have and haven’t been married. Those married will give you what they wish they had done, and those not yet married will give you what they would want to do. Listen to what they have to say (some will be valuable resources and ideas), but stick to your guns and do what feels right to you.

Read lots of blogs. There are so many good ideas out there to modify to your own needs. These have been so valuable to me. See the blogs I follow regularly on the right hand side of this page.

Save a lot of pictures (and clearly label where you found them).  I like pictures from the web better than what's in magazines because:

a) these magazines cost a fortune and  there are so many amazing ideas on blogs that are clearly sorted by category, and;

b) you can make fantastic inspiration boards [see next point] out of them. Pictures are so important because they are direct reflections of what has inspired you. 

Save anything you like the idea of and save them in folders labelled by category (ie. Dress, Flowers, Cakes) etc. This way you can always go back later and easily weed out what you don't like a second or third time round.

  

Make Inspiration Boards. These are very important when it comes to helping you 'listen to your gut and stick to your guns’. If you don't have access to an inspiration board application via the web, you can make some awesome ones if you're crafty in Word/Pages.

Be creative. Think outside of the box for ways to use your artsy skills do things yourself. Where ever you can cut costs you can either splurge on your must-haves or even save yourself a few dollars in the end!

Use your neighbour's husband's sister's best friend. Now's the time to be resourceful and keep your ear to the ground.  You really never know who might come out of the woodwork with advice or great deals!

Keep it Classic. Who wants to look back on their wedding day pictures and think ‘What was I thinking?’ When I look back on my parents and grandparents weddings, they were so classically beautiful. No ridiculously trendy colours or fashions, just simple and elegant and so incredibly gorgeous.

The Dress!

How did I not feature this before? My dress! I am so incredibly obsessed with this dress (Acapulco 4046B by Watters) and after trying it on, haven't been able to stop thinking about it. 

I wanted something with a low back, clean neckline and vintage inspired. I hadn't thought I would like the cross straps in the back, but soon realized it was perfect! The vintage look of the lace but modern twist to the pieced pattern makes this dress completely unique. LOVE it!

Next thing is to figure out how I'm going to work a birdcage veil with this dress since it is such a detailed piece...I WILL prevail!

Chocolate Caramel Candy Apples

I had never been a real fan of candy apples until I visited this little cafe called Golden Mint Coffee and Tea at Yonge and College here in Toronto and had the most fantastic chocolate caramel treat! Sweet Granny Smith apple covered in a layer caramel, then dipped in chocolate and wrapped with chocolate shavings, nuts, gummy bears or sprinkles!

How adorable would these be as guest treats or takeaways? Or even seating cards with labels attached to the stick? Sadly, I haven't been given the Golden Mint recipe...but I did find a fantastic substitution on the Style Me Pretty site that was provided by Jess Country Flowers.  What a great way to say thank you to your guests for coming for the evening!

Check out the SMP recipe below or take a look at a Martha Stewart recipe for mini candy apples, too! Great for a cocktail reception like mine ;).

Ingredients
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 can sweet condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

24 granny smith apples (bought from Costco wholesale $7 dozen)
3 lbs. butter at Costco $7
pointed wooden round sticks at local craft store or candy making supply company online
ribbon from Costco ($8 for 50 yard roll at Costco)

Instructions

Melt the butter in a sauce pan, add the brown sugar and corn syrup. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon over medium heat. Add the sweet condensed milk, continuing to stir. Bring the mixture to 245 degrees F. Once off the stove, add the vanilla and stir. Cool down to about 210 degrees and dip your apples or pears.

Twist off the stems on your apples and put in the wooden sticks.

Place your dipped fruit on a sheet pan which is lined with parchment paper. Let dry and then dip in melted chocolate. While the chocolate is still wet, dip in toasted coconut, chopped nuts or add pieces of candy. Place back on the parchment paper to thoroughly dry. Melt some white chocolate and place into a zip lock bag, cut the very corner off and drizzle over the apples for detailing.

Package up in clear cellophane and tie up with a pretty ribbon. These make for incredible gifts from the heart. Store in a cool place or refrigerate. To enjoy, let them sit in room temperature for 1/2 hour. Place on a cutting board and slice.

Bon appetit!

To-Do!

Hello Lovelies! Already 2010 is off to a much better start than the ridiculousness called 2009 and I can't believe it's almost mid-February! Things have been a bit hectic this past week, so I'm trying to catch up on what's going down and where my head is at. 

It's been a very expensive start to the year - I'm finally working to fix the back-pain I've been suffering from for years. Massage Therapy, Hot Yoga and Acupuncture sure aren't cheap, but at least two of the free are covered by insurance! I've been sticking to my blogging, letting things roll off my back (pun intended!) and most importantly - breathing! That's right - retraining my body to breathe deep. Lord knows I will need to breathe through the next 18 months so I'd better start practicing now.

In keeping with getting things completed that I've been putting off for quite some time, I've started a wedding to-do list. Most to-do lists I have come across so far just seem to be lacking things for me, so I'll add them to my list along with things that keep popping up in my head.  So, to keep things organized and in one place, I've got one list to work from.

The scary bit? I know I'm missing 1000 things so far and every time I cross something off, I'm sure to add five more!! Oh well, one item at a time!