Kombucha Signature Drink Mocktails

{Photo: itsavegworldafterall.com}

I was late to the kombucha craze, and on purpose too.  If there is a trend that everyone is on I generally run in the other direction but when I started to eat cleaner and cut way back on alchohol consumption I started mixing my own mocktails in the evenings using seltzer, lemons, ginger juice, cayenne and herbs.  My mocktails looked as pretty as those a proper mixologist would make.  One busy week I was looking for a short-cut and decided to give into kombucha.  It's replaced my cocktails 90% of the time and it's way healthier.  The movement toward drinking less across generations is real and companies like Curious Elixirs make is easy and stylish.   With all of these options this wedding season's signature drinks should include at least one mocktail!

Afternoon Tea Party & Etiquette

Looking forward to next weekend's Afternoon Tea and Etiquette at The Inn at Fernbrook Farms.  My love of tea parties goes way back, well before I started in the events industry.  I happily inherited my great-grandmother's tea service and china before I had a house to put it in.  I dutifully polished her monogrammed silver and pressed the linens.  I love the formality and the simplicity of an afternoon tea party.  Scones, cucumber sandwiches, sweets and some pretty flowers are an easy way to entertain guests.  Add some sparkling wine and it's even better.  Registration link for tickets https://www.fernbrookfarms.com/event/gatherdinner-copy/

Summer Houseguest Etiquette

{Photo of Redcraft via designer Steven Gambrel}

As the summer winds down and we juggle schedules trying to fit in one more precious weekend away don't forget and leave your house guest manners behind.  1.  Host/Hostess Gift: Unless you come every weekend bring a small gift for your hosts.  Candles and scents are my favorite.  2.  Make Your Bed: You're not in a hotel to remember to make your bed before you leave your room for the day.  3.  Be Decisive: If your hosts ask what you 'd like to eat for lunch don't just say whatever, narrowing it down to your tastes is a real help to someone hosting multiple people over the weekend.  4. Make a Meal: Especially if it's a low-key weekend with not a lot scheduled, offer to make a meal one evening.  Barefoot Contessa has some of my favorite quick summer meals.  5. Don't Complain:  If your host asks you if you slept well just say yes!  Don't remark on a lumpy sofa or drafty room.  6.  Don't Overstay: Even if your gracious hosts say stay as long as you'd like just stay for a couple of nights at most, especially if it's a first visit.  7. Say Thank You:  Don't forget to follow up with a thank you note in the mail or I like to bring a couple of sets of my personal stationery and leave a note behind on the dresser or desk of the guest room.

The Charms of a City Hall Wedding

{Photo: Heidi Roland Photography}

Over the years I've had the pleasure of being involved in the planning a few City Hall weddings.  For couples getting married overseas and having a smaller ceremony in the US or for couples that just want a more intimate experience overall, City Hall weddings are on the rise.  Up almost 23% just in New York City couples are seeing the financial and practical benefits of a simpler ceremony.  I've been in the wedding industry for decades and I remember fondly my brother and sister in law's New York wedding as one of the most special events I've ever been to.  Her family was from Sweden so there were only a few of our family members in attendance.  Me, my mother and my aunt and uncle who were wearing shorts as they just happened to be passing through town on their way to the US Open.  I made the bouquet and after we all went Tavern on the Green, one of my mom's favorite spots.  The couple spent the weekend in the city and then went on their honeymoon.  Still all the fun of pretty clothes, attendants, champagne toasts, a photographer, delicious food and cake.  It was a really memorable.

A Personal Wedding Assistant for Your Leading Man

{Photo: Muhammad Siddiqu}

I enjoyed watching the Oscars last night.  All the clothes, mostly good this year, are always the highlight of the night for me.  I was especially looking forward to seeing the men's formalwear this year since we're so excited to announce that we are launching the Groom's Experience as an addition to our traditional wedding services.  

We work with our clients to assist them on all levels of the wedding and there are a lot of moving parts.  Design and decor, invitations, vendor selection, tastings, and deadline tracking just to list a few.  While we incorporate the groom in all of our meetings and correspondence some of the services that are typically offered to our brides the groom does't always get to benefit from. 

Our grooms can now have the option of having our personal shopper assist with curating a look for them and their groomsmen including suiting, custom ties, and accessories.  We can take the stress out of shopping for groomsmen’s gifts and handle the shopping, wrapping and delivery of meaningful presents for his closest friends and have an on-site attendant on wedding day to assist with getting ready, styling, pressing, tying bow ties, running errands and keeping everyone on schedule. 

Why a Consultant Hired a Consultant

{Photo of the Met Gala from Vogue}

I'm always so excited when we take on a new client.  Meeting them for the first time, hearing all about their plans, pouring through ideas and inspiration.  Hearing them breathe a literal sigh of relief after handing over the organization, the tracking of details, the coordination of all of the vendors, permits and timing so they can enjoy the fun parts like cocktail and food tastings.  It's been a pleasure all these years to be a part of our client's successes and to see what a difference we make in planning a wedding or designing a fundraising event.  

This year I had a chance to experience it from the other side and I'm so happy to let a professional take the reigns!  I hired a college consultant for my high school senior to help us through the process.  I'm obviously organized, love a spreadsheet as much as any planner and am at my happiest when checking off my to do boxes but the idea of sifting through some 5,300 colleges and universities in the middle of a busy event season started to seem like not so much fun.  During our initial conversation she shed more light on college admissions in five minutes than I could have sussed out in probably two months of constant research on my own.

A few reasons why consultants are the best:

1.  Expertise - a consultant has a specialized skill set and the experience of years of projects like yours under their belt to give guidance every step of the way.

2.  Support - in addition to organization and design skills one of the biggest things our social clients appreciate is having a support structure in place when planning such an important event in their lives.  Having a friend, confidant, tie-breaker, sounding board, and general back-up is just as valuable.

3.  Time Saver - a consultant can accomplish in a very short time what may take others hours or days to finish.  Delegating some of all project aspects to a consultant saves you time to focus on other work and life responsibilities. 

4.  Problem Solvers - we've kind of seen it all, if we haven't we're accustomed to thinking on our feet and quickly.  There hasn't been a problem yet that we haven't found a solution to.

5.  Fresh Set of Eyes - someone looking in from the outside can often see what others have missed or look at processes in an organization from another perspective.