Memories on the Go

It's a new generation for the Poloroid camera. Set up your own photo booth and capture memories that can be taken anywhere, any time. You may be on your honeymoon or guests may want to take some crazy, fun pictures at your wedding to show the great time they are having. The GL10 Instant Mobile Printer ($97.95) allows you to take pictures and print them immediately. It's convenient size of 3"x4" allows you to carry it with you wherever you are. From the beach to the reception, this on-the-go item will capture your memories in a flash.  

Wrap it in Style

Every bride wants her wedding day bouquet to stand out and be personal. What better way to accomplish this than have a monogramed ribbon hold your bouquet together? Nicholas Kniel Fine Ribbons and Embellishments stocks over 4,500 spools of ribbon for your perfect match and then have your initials monogramed on the ribbon for a look that will set your bouquet apart from all others.

Perfect for Entertaining

 

I am just in love with this Flame Pedestal Tray from Serena and Lily. Carved by hand from wood, it's finished with a high gloss, spill proof surface that's friendly to cocktails and candles. Love this color and also available in teal.

24" diameter and 8" high $ 178

Make it Shine

No table is complete without the proper silver flatware, right? Country Living Magazine surveyed flatware companies across the country to find the top six patterns that will make your table shine. This silver can dress up any table and will last for generations. Which is your favorite pattern?

Queen Elizabeth I Towle Silversmiths

Audubon Tiffany & Co.

Francis I Reed & Barton

Old Maryland Engraved Kirk Stieff

(which happens to be my pattern)

Eloquence Lunt Silversmiths

Chantilly Gorham 

Oh So Fresh

Looking for great gift ideas your guests will love? Look no further.  Saipua has a variety of soaps and candles that will leave your guest's hands feeling silky smooth and their homes smelling nice too! There is no need to spend time wrapping them in gift wrap, for their packaging is just as beautiful as the gifts themselves. Each bar of soap ($10) and candle ($34) is different from the next, to make for a unique display.

Happy 2013 !

May all your dreams come true.

Champagne

Of course New Year's Eve is a popular time for a little bubbly, but so is a wedding and I'll just bet there is one in your future. In order to make the very best choice for the type of champagne to be served at your wedding, I recommend the website Henri's Reserve. Not only does the site include very comprehensive information regarding champagne, but it also sells champagne tasting gifts. What fun!

Click on the "Education" tab on their site to get a plethora of information on champagne including

this easy to follow guide:

Classifications are used to refer to sweetness (or its absence, called dry). Producers can regulate the sweetness by controlling fermentation. For example, stopping fermentation early leaves some natural grape sugar in the finished wine. Below is a listing for your reference (and yes, Sec usually means dry - but not in Champagne!)

1. Brut: dry, less than 1.5% sugar
2. Extra Sec: extra dry, 1.2 to 2% sugar
3. Sec: medium sweet, 1.7 to 3.5% sugar
4. Demi-Sec: sweet, 3.3 to 5% sugar (dessert Champagne)
5. Doux: very sweet, over 5% sugar (dessert Champagne)

Many of the weddings we have planned in the last couple of years have served Prosecco as the "champagne" Prosecco is actually an Italian sparkling wine. In Italy, Prosecco is enjoyed as a wine for every occasion.

Outside Italy, it is most often drunk as an aperitif, much like Champagne.

 

Like other sparkling wines, Prosecco is served chilled. Unlike Champagne, Prosecco does not ferment in the bottle and grows stale with time. It should be drunk as young as possible and preferably within three years of its vintage, although high quality Prosecco can be aged for up to seven years. Compared to other sparkling wines, Prosecco is low in alcohol, about 11 to 12 percent by volume. The flavor of Prosecco has been described as intensely aromatic and crisp, with flavors such as yellow apple, pear, white peach and apricot. Unlike Champagne, appreciated for its rich taste and complex secondary aromas, most Prosecco variants have intense primary aromas and are meant to taste fresh, light and comparatively simple.

Another popular drink at weddings is pink champagne. Normally when they make a Champagne, even though they use "red grapes", they take the skin away immediately so that none of the red color from the skin affects the overall color of the Champagne liquid. In order to make a Champagne a pink Champagne, all they have to do is let the skins sit with the liquid for a short while. The longer it sits together, the more pink the liquid becomes. Pink Champagnes tend to taste a little fruity, but they can be sweet or non-sweet depending on the maker. You'll want to look up the website for a given maker of pink Champagne to know exactly what flavors are in a specific Pink Champagne you want to try.

Pink Champagnes certainly make pretty Champagne cocktails too.