Have Fun with a Groom's Cake!

The groom’s cake can either be chosen by the bride or groom, but some grooms like to make their choice without their bride’s knowledge. What fun! Adding their own personal flare to the design makes a groom’s cake even more special.

Offering a groom’s cake is a wonderful way to add variety for the guests during the reception, as the groom’s cake tends to be more informal and varied in flavor. Some wonderful choices might be a cheesecake or perhaps even a tiramisu dessert. Because it’s a “less serious” wedding cake, it’s not confined by wedding tradition protocol. Some couples choose to serve their grooms cake at the rehearsal dinner while others save it for the wedding reception as an alternative to the wedding cake. However you choose present your groom’s cake, make sure that it reflects Mr. Groom’s personality and taste ~ that’s the fun of it!

Love,

Victoria

Chef Extraordinnaire!

Pardon the diversion in this bridal blog, but it's not often that I get to blog about fabulous food, and I promised Chef Andrew that I would sing his praises on my blog today, and for good reason -- Bill and I were treated to an incredible dinner last night on this paradise island of Grand Cayman.  Chef Andrew's lasagna was non-pareil, but the coup de gras of the evening was his delectable creme brulee.  Chef Andrew has participated in cooking contests through the years, and his creme brulee has won over many professional chefs.  I quickly learned that there had been some backroom discussions about the fact (yes, it is a fact) that I am a creme brulee aficionado ... I've tested them from sea to shining sea, and now across the sea.  I do believe that poor Chef Andrew had been told of my purist desires when it comes to creme brulee and was ever so cautious not to offend my delicate balance in search of the creamiest and smoothest creme brulee.  Kudos, Chef Andrew ~ your creme brulee was a magnificent treat to my palate, and the perfect ending to a beautiful dinner.  Cheers to you, Heather and Drew for a wonderful evening of fun and friends.  You're the best!

xo, Victoria

Military Wedding Attire

The question often arises in the DC metro area as to the proper attire for the wedding party when certain members of the party are in the armed services.  The following guidelines (provided by militarywives.com) are offered for military and non-military weddings where service members are a part of the bridal party.

Probably the main distinction of a military wedding is that the bride and/or groom, as well as service members in the wedding party, usually wear their uniforms. The type of uniform depends on the style of the wedding, the time of day, and the season:

•     Evening dress uniform (blue in winter, white in summer) is worn for an ultra-formal wedding (i.e., a white-tie affair).
•     Dinner or "mess dress" uniform is appropriate at a formal or semiformal event (comparable to black-tie).
•     Dress blues or whites are worn for less formal weddings; they are equivalent to a nice suit or a cutaway coat.
•     Any non-military wedding-party members simply wear traditional wedding clothes of the same level of formality as those in uniform.

Some additional tips:

•     Bride and bridesmaids: The bride can wear her uniform (and so can any bridesmaids), but many military brides opt for a traditional white wedding dress. Bridesmaids might wear navy bridesmaids' gowns to complement the colors of the men's uniforms, or any other color dress the bride prefers.
•     Groom and groomsmen: If any ushers are members of a different service than the groom (Army instead of Navy, for example), they simply wear a uniform of comparable formality to his. The groom and best man do not wear gloves because they will be handling the rings, but the other ushers wear white gloves throughout the ceremony. Boutonnieres are never worn with uniforms; instead, officers wear their military decorations.
•     Parents: Should the fathers of the bride or groom be active or retired officers, they may wear uniforms. So may mothers, although they usually choose to wear traditional mother-of-the-bride attire.
•     Guests: Military guests (active or retired) may wear their uniforms or traditional formal attire. Put "Full dress uniform invited" on the invites to request that your guests come in uniform.

Happy Planning!
 Deb Merriner, Splash Consultant

Lilly Pulitzer Wedding Line

Here is a sneak peak at a few wedding dresses from Lilly Pulitzer's soon-to-be launched wedding dress collection. Lilly Pulitzer currently carries Bridesmaid, Groomsmen, Flower Girl, Ring Bearer and Mother of the Bride Dresses.

We love the collection!  What do you think?

Mother- Daughter Pre-Nuptial Agreement

According to Leslie Milk in her book, It’s Her Wedding but I’ll Cry If I Want To: A Survival Guide for the Mother of the Bride, the best way to achieve a true meeting of the minds and an alignment between bride and bank account is to put everything in writing.  Before you view the first hotel ballroom or taste the first chevres on endive, sit down together to draw up a mother-daughter prenuptial agreement.  Putting it in writing can prevent the “she said, she said” misunderstandings that ruin many a wedding long before the “I dos.”

It will force both the mother of the bride and the bride to come up with a workable schedule. It is also a diplomatic way of asking the questions that need to be asked, like, “is his family footing the bill for t any part of this extravaganza or should I tell your father what this is going to cost us and hope he doesn’t have a stroke?”

A mother-daughter agreement is a form of wedding insurance.  In the unlikely event that the bride becomes a bridezilla or the Mother of the Bride turns into the Mother of all M.O.B.s, there will be clearly outlined procedures for intervention.

You don’t need a lawyer to create a mother-daughter prenup. A sample agreement can be found in Milk’s book and modified to reflect you own specific situation.  You will be very glad you took the time to “put it in writing.”

Happy Planning,

Deb Merriner, Splash Consultant

Wedding Website Etiquette

In this digital age where everything is done online, most couples choose to have a wedding website and online registries.  What is the best way to let your guests know about these websites?

Online Registries
It is never appropriate to include your online registry information on your Save the Dates or on your actual information.  Remember, you are requesting your guests presence at your wedding, not their presents.  You can however include your registry information on your personal wedding website, that is what it is there for!  Leave it up to your guests to ask where you are registered. 

Wedding Websites
A personalized wedding website is a great tool for a couple to use to let guests know pertinent information about their wedding- directions, location, registry information, etc.  You can even give them the option to RSVP online.

So where can you advertise your wedding website?  The appropriate place would be on your save the date cards, not on your wedding invitation. 

Did you know that we can get you set up with your very own wedding website?  As part of The Luxe Wedding Package we can get you set up with a wedding website that can include an online RSVP feature.

By Julie Daniel, Splash Consultant

Wedding Insurance

You can never be too careful when it comes to your wedding day.  If it is in your budget, you may want to consider Wedding Insurance.  Policies can range from as little as a couple hundred dollars but can save you thousands and provide some peace of mind when the unexpected happens at your wedding.

You have a few options when it comes to wedding insurance: Event Insurance covers any damage to your wedding gown, etc, vendor no-shows, weather cancellations, illness cancellations.

Also available is Wedding Liability Insurance that protects you from any injuries or property damage that that takes place at your wedding.  For these two types of wedding insurance check out WedSafe and Travelers.

Not covered by WedSafe and Travelers is Change of Heart Insurance.  Heaven forbid you or your spouse gets cold feet and the wedding is cancelled.  If you forsee this being a possibility you may want to consider this type of insurance which you can buy through Fireman's Fund.

We sincerely hope that your wedding days goes off without a hitch and you will never have to submit a wedding insurance claim!

By Julie Daniel, Splash Consultant