Archive for April, 2008
Monday, April 28th, 2008
Pearl studded candles look and are expensive to buy but they really add a touch of elegance to any event. Fortunately, studded candles are very easy to make and require only a pair of good wire cutters and box a of boutonniere pins. I prefer the white pearl head pins but the pins are available in various colors and sizes and usually come 144 to a box.
You can create any pattern you like but if you’re not terribly artistic it’s probably best to stick with something simple. A diamond pattern for example is easy and has a very elegant look. For a unity candle using a pair of decorative edged scissors a photo of the pride and groom can be trimmed and placed on the candle using decorative pins or studs to frame and hold it in place.
The Diamond Pattern - Cut the pins ¼ inch to a ½ an inch long and you may even have to go shorter when cutting for a taper. Trying to insert a 2 inch pin into a candle is not easy and will usually result in a damaged candle and a bent pin.
Tapers can usually handle 4 pins in the 1st row and 3 in the second. A taper that is ¾ of an inch in diameter will measure 2 ¾ around. A standard 15 inch taper leaving 1 inch at the top and bottom will need 92 pins following the 4 - 3, inch between rows design.
The number of pins used is up to you but spacing too close in a taper (long skinny candles) can damage the integrity of the candle.
Pillar candles come in so many different sizes it’s hard to give an exact formula. I think the best way to determine the number of pins needed is to measure the distance (circumference) around the candle. On a pillar candle that is 3″ in diameter the distance around the candle is 10 ½ inches. Placing the pins ¾ of an inch apart, the first row will take 14 pins and to create a diamond the second row will take 13 pins. You will need approximately 122 pins to cover a candle 10 inches tall and 3 inches wide if you are leaving 1 inch between rows.
If you’re afraid your pins will be all over the place take a piece of tape and put a dot every ¾ inch and tape it just below where you want your 1st row to start and use it as a guide, do the same for the second row making sure the dots are between the pins in the first row.
Unity candles are expensive and quite frankly, after the wedding become dust catchers if left out and or they are tucked into a drawer never to be seen again.
Here are just a few ideas for a Unity Candle you can make for a fraction of the cost. All the designs were created in MS Word and printed using cling type of window decal sheet found at the computer store. The small circles used in the designs represent pearl head boutonniere pins.
Posted in Decorating | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008
Summer weddings are often outdoors and when a couple wants to include a unity candle to the ceremony they are often faced with how to keep the candle lit. Sometime ago I experimented with various candles and wicks and finally came up with a trick. I’ve used this little trick for many years, and it’s never failed.
The trick is a wick exchange. Replace the existing wick in your unity candle with the wick of a trick birthday candle, the kind you can’t blow out.
Take a very fine drill bit and bore out the the unity candle wick. Remove the wax from the trick candle wick by just breaking the candle in half and sliding the wax off of the wick. The wax on the trick candle has nothing to do with the candle reigniting; it’s a small thread of magnesium in the wick that burns at a low temperature that causes the wick to ignite even after it’s been blown out.
You don’t have to remove all of the existing wick, simply go down far enough, about an inch to 2 inches and insert the trick wick, leaving about an inch of wick at the top of the candle to light. This works very well in pillar size candles. If the hole you have bored in the unity candle is too large for the new wick, simply dip the trick wick in melted wax before inserting.
Changing out wicks can be done several months ahead of time and it is a very good idea to practice on an old candle first. The smaller in diameter the candle is the more difficult it will be to change out wicks. With a little practice you’ll have a unity candle that will stay lit no matter how windy. Have fun!
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Tuesday, April 8th, 2008
Years ago a full bar was the norm at most formal weddings but with rising costs and liability laws tightening, wine and beer, which have a lower alcohol content, have become the most popular choice for weddings.
White wine, which is requested more often by women, is more popular in warm weather months with an Oregon Pinot Gris and Italian Pinot Grigio the most refreshing followed by Sauvignon Blanc. Chardonnay, although extremely popular, is not quite as refreshing on those warm summer days.
Red wines are requested by men more often than women and are said to be more popular with beer drinkers and served more during the cooler months. It has been my experience however that red wine is being requested just as much during the summer as the cooler seasons.
If you are planning on buying your own wine for the wedding your best price will be a case price. And if at all possible buy directly from the vineyard. I live in Oregon’s Willamette Valley where some of the finest wines in the world are produced and the selection is incredible. The idea of going to the supermarket to buy a case of wine is almost sacrilegious. Most vineyards have case prices but be sure to ask before you place your order if you can delay pick-up or delivery until shortly before your wedding date.
I recently spoke with Tim Pickett, Marketing Director for Viridian Wines at Olsen Family Vineyards. This particular vineyard produces an exceptional Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. I asked Tim about Viridian case ordering with delayed delivery. “Here is how it would work with us. We would be willing to do an advance order and would usually want a 10% deposit. We would issue a contract and then set up a system reminder in order to ensure that the wine was delivered on time. In case of cancellation, they would lose their deposit to restocking, but other than that, we’d be completely willing to work on that basis.”
Most red wines taste best at 60 to 65 degrees. The phrase you hear most often is “serve at room temperature”. That does not mean if you’re in the middle of a heat wave with no air conditioning your wine should still be served at room temperature. Common sense people, you gotta use common sense.
White wines, rosés and sparkling wines taste best when they have been chilled to about 52 degrees. Please, do not serve these wines ice-cold, or heaven forbid poured over ice. An hour or two in the refrigerator is plenty of time to chill a bottle of white wine. If a bottle has been refrigerated for several hours, you might want to take it out and let it set for 15 or 20 minutes before serving.
An alternative cooling solution is a Wine Sleeve. These little gems are available for about $5 - $10 and work beautifully and are great when traveling. The sleeve is put in the freezer, I store mine there and it’s always ready to use. All you do is slip the sleeve over the bottle and in 5 to 10 minutes your wine is chilled and ready to serve.
Wine is a wonderful experience-the bouquet, the sensation of the liquid in your mouth… Storing or serving wine too cold or too warm can change the taste causing it to be too heavy or out-of-balance and can kill the flavors completely.
If you think I’m making a big to-do about nothing let me ask you this. When you pour a cup of coffee do you drink it lukewarm? No, because it doesn’t taste as good, the taste has diminished. Have you ever heard someone ordering a warm bottle of beer or soda pop? I haven’t. Give your wine the respect it deserves and it will serve you well, after all it’s only purpose is your enjoyment.
TIP 1: If you store wine in the kitchen and don’t have a wine cooler avoid storing in the cabinet above or on top of the refrigerator or putting your wine rack near the stove or heating vents.
TIP 2: Placing a fresh strawberry in the champagne glass before filling will keep the champagne from going flat. You will also use less wine, be able to fill the glasses in advance and serving will go smoothly!
© 2008 Mary Spies All rights reserved.
Posted in Reception | 1 Comment »
Monday, April 7th, 2008
Let me say right off, “GET A CATERER!”
Being your own caterer or letting a relative or friend do it can cost you in dollars and piece of mind. It takes a whole lot more than going to Costco or Sam’s Club and buying prepared food to set out. If you haven’t thrown a party for as many people as you’re inviting to your wedding in the past, then your wedding is not the place to start. Here are some basic questions to answer before you decide to do it yourself. If you’re going to be your own caterer, get informed and be prepared.
What am I serving?
How much will I need?
How much time will buying and preparation take?
Where will the food be stored before the wedding?
Where will the food be prepared?
How will the food be transported to the reception?
How will it be presented?
Who will serve the food?
Who will set up, clear and clean up?
How much food can I put on a table? How many tables will I need?
How many warming trays are needed?
How will the cold food be kept cold on the buffet table?
How many plates, napkins, utensils and glasses are needed?
There are so many things that can influence the quantities you’ll need; things like the age of your guests, time of day, weather, location and yes, even occupation. Sounds crazy doesn’t it but I swear it’s true!
Elderly guests will eat far less and want less spicey foods than younger guests; Guests who don’t attend a lot of parties or formal events will consume more food such as seafood, pastries and hors d’oeuvres and take larger portions overall than those who attend formal events regularly; Men eat more than women; Teens and young children will waste more food and drink than adults; People will eat more when it’s cold and will want lighter foods when it hot and 4 ounces of wine will look like more in an oversized wine glass than a regular 6 ounce wine glass.
Are you getting a headache? Look, having 20 people over for a BBQ or a throwing a party and having the whole gang over, is a far cry from serving 100 - 200 people at a wedding reception. Hiring a caterer is truely the smart thing to do. However, if knowing all this you still want to do it yourself, this brave soul, is for you.
These easy references are for those who just want the facts. I will have food charts up next week but until then I hope this helps. Keep in mind that while the figures given are based on industry standards, they are only guidelines. How Much Do I Need
© 2008 Mary Spies All rights reserved
Posted in Reception | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008
Now that you are engaged and you are ready to set the date. The planning begins, but how do you begin planning when you are not sure just what kind of wedding you want. I think this is the hardest part of a wedding; knowing what you want.
The key to planning is actually knowing what you want. Find out what is important to you. You would be amazed how much money can be thrown away on things that will never be used, not to mention the time and gas wasted going from one place to another. The first thing I tell brides is to get a scrapbook, rubber cement, a pile of magazines a pair of scissors and take an afternoon off and away from everyone.
Creating a scrapbook is an easy way of finding out what your tastes are, not your friends or your mother’s but yours. Telling your mother or a friend “I know what I want, I just need to find it…” is like waving a red flag at a bull. What mother or best friend doesn’t think she knows what you like or want or even worse what’s best for you? I can tell you from experience I nearly drove my daughter crazy trying to be helpful, and was woefully disappointed when she was not thrilled with my ideas and suggestions. And so like many mothers of my generation, I resorted to guilt to try and persuade her to my way of thinking and to my tastes. Little comments like “I’m just trying to be helpful but you obviously know so much more than I do…” Well, duh! Of course she knew more than me it was her dream! What she didn’t know was how to communicate what she really wanted.
Creating a scrapbook gives you a visual map of your tastes. I think the real trick is to keep your logical brain out of the process. The idea is not to create but to define and again it’s all about you. Do you lean toward a classic or a simple sophisticated look? A country casual or metropolitan flair; traditional, contemporary or off the wall, there is no right or wrong, no budget, no one else to please.
I think it’s important to use a variety of magazines and catalogs. Pick up a couple of each bridal, home and garden and fashion magazines and a catalog like Spiegel, Sears, JC Penny’s, or Ikea. Go through and cut everything you like out and don’t think about it, if you think your logical brain will kick in and take over. Forget you live in a tiny apartment or with roommates, forget you can’t afford to even step foot in the store that carries the item you like, forget you’re to fat, to thin, to tall, short it doesn’t matter. If you like it, cut it out. That means everything, dresses, hair styles, bridesmaids dresses, furniture, bedding, tuxedos, rings, locations, linens, tents, chairs, tables, flowers, cakes, food, favors, musicians, DJ’s, dancing, dining, limos, carriages, The only rule is you like it, you cut it!
Now that you are buried in a mountain of cutouts, get your scrapbook and glue and start sorting. Sort by category, grouping wedding gowns together, bridesmaid dresses together, furniture etc. You get the idea. When you have finished your scrapbook put it aside for a day or so. This may sound silly after all that work but try not to look at it right away. Why? Your logical brain is screaming “Enough already, I gotta’ take over! Keep going and you’ll start second guessing your choices. The whole point is not to be practical. It doesn’t matter whether you can afford it, wear it or even find it where you live; the point is you like it.
Now it’s time. Get your scrapbook, a pen and a piece of paper, get comfortable and get ready to look for the common denominator. What you have done by putting this seemingly mish mash of cutout pictures together, is to begin to define your personal taste and style. Each group of pictures will have a common factor. Your style will pop out. There will be something similar in every grouping of pictures. It may be a color, a design, an attitude, a time of day, or a place, I guarantee there you will find your style.
For example, if you find that evening seems to dominate your wedding pictures perhaps it’s an evening wedding you want. What is similar in the gowns you’ve chosen? Are the styles similar or is each different in style but all have intricate detailing such as beading or lace work; maybe it’s the way the neckline is cut or the look of the back or bustle of the dress. If you can’t find it, set it aside there is something else that drew you to that picture. Maybe it’s the hair or the makeup, maybe it’s just the attitude or how the picture makes you feel. Once you start to see a pattern, you’re on your way to the wedding you really want.
This is the condensed version of the scrapbook method of defining your style, to get the whole enchilada you’ll have to buy the book!
© 2008 Mary Spies All rights Reserved
Posted in planning | 1 Comment »
