Battle of the Betrothed......

As I was zipping through my favorite blog updates, one in particular caught my attention. Posted on "The Healthy Bride" blog was the most interesting contest. The urban adventure race portion sounded incredibly fun.

Good luck to all those who enter!!



You are cordially invited to enter the first annual Battle of the Betrothed.

Eight engaged couples will be chosen to compete in a series of fun events, ranging from cake decorating to an urban adventure race. You could win amazing prizes for your wedding, including a personal training package, a wedding dress, photography, flowers—and even a dream honeymoon.

So grab your beloved and get ready to do battle.

For details on preparing your entry, call (206) 755-9683 or just send us an email.

New Trend in Weddings ...Going Short!

For 2009, we are starting to see on the runways the hem length of wedding dresses are going short. There's a style that will appeal to most brides ranging from the lacy 50's with the full skirts, a slinky sexy slip dress to a more modern haute couture gown. The Bride looking for a unique style, the bubble hem will be just what you're looking for.

Ideally, the shorter wedding gowns have obvious appeal besides making a style statement. They will be easier to move around in allowing you to comfortably dance the night away. Brides opting for a destination wedding on the beach, the shorter wedding dress will be perfect for the warmer climates and the walk down a beach aisle. The benefits are endless!

Here are some of our favorites.....

Tis the Season of Blessings!

I have always been in love with everything Christmas. I'm one of those people who will listen to the Christmas music station starting Thanksgiving Day and be sad when they stop playing Christmas music Dec. 26th. I could drive around for hours in "auuh" looking at all of the Christmas decorations on homes. I don't even need to mention my love for the endless array of yummies that are only made at Christmas. Something about the Christmas season brings extra joy to your heart and giddiness to your step.

While Christmas shopping yesterday, I realized that what really makes Christmas so enjoyable is to see the outward show of charity by others during the holiday; Toys for Tots, Gift Wrapping for Komen Foundation, Santas volunteers collecting for the Salvation Army. Even with the economy in such woes, it's such a blessing to see that Americans still have the heart to help others. Even the smallest gesture of taking a second to wish the tired, over-worked cashier a "Merry Christmas" was as nice as it brought a smile to their face.

The heart of the season is truly what we find in our blessing and share with others. I feel so fortunate and blessed that my family is happy and healthy. That God has given me the ability to have two functioning legs to run marathons, the creative talent to plan weddings and the wealth of friends and family to love. My Christmas wish is for everyone to share in the same blessings this holiday season and throughout the New Year.

How to create a fabulous candy buffet...

Before you begin designing your candy buffet, an important aspect to remember is that the candy by itself is inexpensive, creating the buffet does add up to a significant added expense to be included in the planning of your wedding budget.

One of the item I stress to Brides is to buy enough candy!! It is suggested that candy buffets work best when they are planned through the eye and not the numbers. Some articles suggest buying a certain number of ounces per guest, but the more successful candy buffets seem to be those that are planned by the size of the table and the containers that will be on the table. To create a tantalizing buffet, I suggest to buy 5 to 10 types of candy that you want to display and purchase 15-20 pounds of each of these candies. This may seem like an over abundance of candy, but a large table overflowing with candy has a presence at your wedding and does not look like something you threw together at the last minute. You will also need enough to have the buffet refilled. This will ensure all the guests have an opportunity to enjoy your selections.

What kind of candy should you buy? Well it depends on the theme of your buffet. Do you want an all white buffet, or do you prefer that the candy buffet matches the color scheme of your wedding, or are you having a theme wedding? For example if you are having a beach theme wedding, you can serve candies from the boardwalk: saltwater taffy, caramel apples, fudge, peanut brittle. Another option is to have a retro candy buffet displaying such items as candy bracelets and necklaces on the elastic cords or the little waxed bottles filled by sugar water.

After you've decided on the types of candy that you want to display you will need to decide how you are going to display the candy. Interesting containers will change your candy buffet from ordinary to extraordinary. Use containers in different shapes and different heights. Clear containers are the best to show off your candy displays. Also use containers that are wide enough for a candy scoop to fit inside. A suggestion to make the whole look pop is to use displays to raise some of the containers, giving your buffet height. An old catering trick is to take a catering rack or a milk crate and turn it upside down on the table, and cover with a cloth. Glass blocks or square glass vases turned up-side-down are also creative alternatives for a more modern look. When designing the set-up of the buffet, remember that not all guests are the same height. You will need to ensure that the jars/containers are easily accessible even when raised up. A finishing touch would be some flowers, candles or framed phrases matching your theme on the table with your candy.

One last item to consider, you need to think about how your guests will take the candy away from the buffet. Some brides have suggested using small cellophane bags, or classic white bags, or even take out containers matching the color theme of the wedding. Nashville Wraps is a great source for ordering these items in bulk. Whatever type of container you use, make it fun and personalize with small labels through My Wedding Label.