Wine… Cheese… Brioche and Baguettes…

It’s inspiration Friday and today we’re exploring the warm, inviting and casual elegance of a French country theme.  When I think of the French, what immediately comes to mind is passion.  To name a few of their passions~ fashion, family and certainly their food and wine!

If you’re contemplating a simple and romantic, French country style for your wedding, draw your inspiration from the natural world and go for the feel of old-world charm.  A variety of flowers, textures, colors, pottery, stone, wire, wood, and iron…

Use your grandmothers and your mothers antique silverware and linens on vibrantly set tables.  French motifs include grapes and roosters.   Think eclectic and lots of color.

Imagine your guests visiting at wooden tables laden with centerpieces of geraniums and lavender.  All around, family and friends are deep in conversation, sitting on wrought iron benches and rustic furniture sipping the finest wine and nibbling on scrumptious pastries.  Again, there are flowers everywhere.

A French country theme can be found indoors as well.  Is there an old chateau, inn, vineyard, country manor near you?  Look for that which lends the feel of old-world~ stone fireplaces and tile floors are a must.  Then, fill it with color and texture, marrying your style with a romantic French-country theme.

Let’s hear your ideas in the comments section…

Categories: Fashion, Style

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Food . . . we socialize around it, sometimes indulge in it, and of course receive our daily sustenance from it. As you plan and finalize what you’ll serve at your reception meal, here’s something to ponder.

Folks these days are developing food allergies and wheat and gluten sensitivities more than ever before. Recently I’ve discovered that I fall into this unfortunate category, and let me tell you, ridding my pantry of all things gluten has not been easy. However, the number of readily available, viable alternatives seems to be growing, so I’m not feeling as much like a screwball when it comes to my food needs. Since my husband refuses to give up such utterly frivolous indulgences like milk and bread, one day I found myself in the aisles of my old regular grocery store and ended up wandering over to the natural food section.

I’ll be honest. I didn’t really want to step foot in those granola aisles, and was grumbling under my breath about how unfair life is that I can’t ever have spaghetti again without getting sick.  Major pity party.  So imagine my incredible delight when I discovered a pasta made out of a grain called quinoa that is both wheat and gluten-free!  Products like this would be much more common fare in a whole foods market or co-op, but I found this and many other non-screwballish alternatives at my local grocer.

When planning your wedding reception, take a minute and consider the potential special needs of your guests.  How can you come up with a menu that everyone will be able to enjoy, and that won’t have you worrying about dear Uncle Frank’s lactose intolerance or little cousin Annie’s allergy to wheat?  Don’t worry, it can be done ~ it just takes a little planning, a few adjustments, and working closely with your caterer.  You may not need to change your menu all that much, and you definitely won’t have to sacrifice flavor or a beautiful, scrumptious cake.  Even just one or two options that take into account dietary restrictions will work very nicely.  By extending this very kind and considerate gesture, you’ll be one step closer to making your wedding truly memorable for all.

Individuals with these kinds of health concerns think a lot about it and try to plan ahead as much as possible, so your guests will appreciate knowing ahead of time the plans you’ve made.  Consider a simple sentence on your enclosure card like “Wheat, gluten and dairy-free options will be available.”  When serving buffet-style, place cards that identify these items will make everyone feel more at ease.

Now that my cupboards are stocked with good-for-you, life giving options, there’s still the little matter of actually wanting all that great, wholesome food instead of what I used to eat. But, slowly it’s coming together.  And, when it comes to your friends and family who are in the same row boat as me, a little extra planning means you’ll be supporting their new healthy habits. Essentially you’re giving them the gift of life and love.  How very appropriate.

Here’s a couple of informative links to help you think through this issue:

Entertaining Allergy Free

Vegetarian, Vegan and Allergy-Free Entertaining

Living Without

Thanks for reading,

Cheryl for Truly Engaging

“Isn’t she adorable?” “look how darling…” “aww…”  are some of the type comments heard as the flower girl walks (or adventures) down the aisle.  Most certainly, the flower girl is adorable and the epitome of sweetness and innocence.   Her dress.  Her hair.  Her twirling around.  Totally cute!

And, I so appreciate it when a flower girl is dressed age-appropriately, like the little girl she is and not a sexy, glamorous adult like some dress designers would have us believe.  (OK, this part of the post is inspired by the fact that I was at a middle school orientation the other night with more cleavage exposed than I would have even thought possible at these ages.  OY VEY).

Brides, when you’re browsing for your flower girl’s dress, by all means ask the mom of your soon-to-be flower girl, what she is comfortable wearing.  Mom can also give you an idea of how much the child or young girl will tolerate i.e. accessories, up-dos, slippers vs. shoes, gloves, headpieces, etc.  A lot of what they are tolerant of, is dependent upon their age.  Bring them both along when you do go shopping.  You’ll get a sense of her comfort style, the right dress length AND your flower girl can get her “twirl” down!

Now, for a hilarious, off the beaten path perspective on the role of “flower girl”, check out Offbeat Bride blog and Ariel’s interview with Dana, the male flower girl.  Yeah.  Funny.

Creative Commons Photo Courtesy of flower girl: eddidit

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Dimension, depth, clean, classic, sleek-chic distinction… are all words I would use to describe a black and white color palette.

Damask prints and modern elements only add to this scheme, making it interesting and fun.  What I really appreciate about this classic twosome, is that it is appropriate for a wedding any time of the year.

For instance, accent a black and white palette with your favorite shade of green, yellow, blue for a spring or summer wedding… burnt orange for fall and red for a winter wedding…

What do you think?  Let’s hear your ideas for venues, accent colors, centerpieces, table settings, and decorations for a formal affair~ that isn’t the least bit stuffy.

After that, check out this gorgeous wedding posted on Southern Weddings for additional ideas.  The mini cakes are just too cute.

Don’t forget to vote at the polls and leave your mark in the comments.  I LOVE comments!

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Gearing up for a nice long weekend?  Let’s get our inspiration on a little early…  Enjoy these gorgeous photographs from the oh-so talented Heidi Munson from Chocolate Sushi Photography.

Thanks Heidi!

I get it now.  After a couple of conversations with a colleague who enjoys smoking cigars every now and again (my own husband too), I understand the allure that a professional cigar roller might have at a wedding reception.  If I could do it over again, I would completely consider this.

Honestly, I wouldn’t know a fine cigar if it bit me in Cuba but how fun would it be to see the entire hand-rolling process from start to finish…  They say hand-rolling a cigar is an art and not being particularly dexterous myself, I would appreciate this.

One suggestion~ if you’re thinking about hiring a professional cigar roller to entertain your wedding guests, be sure to have a place for the cigar lover to enjoy their newly rolled cigar that is away from the rest of the wedding guests.

Some companies will even customize the cigar label for a cool keepsake.  Here’s one.

What do you think?  Have you ever seen a professional cigar roller at a wedding celebration?  How did it go?

photo credit: in a jeep

Another THANK YOU to Something Blue Blog for featuring our Christmas inspiration board.  Our Go Green inspiration board was featured last week.  Be sure to check out both all three posts.  Thanks again you guys… we love your blog!

Update 8/28/08: We shout out ANOTHER Thank You to Something Blue Blog.  This week they are posting ideas for a Christmas or winter-themed wedding.  Today they are featuring our Wedding Wonderland, save the date magnet.  I love this design.  It’s simple and clean, has great fonts with a cool, modern look.

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There were quite a few people who came from out of town to attend our wedding. I put together welcoming gifts for my parents and grandmother and other family members but I still wish I would have put additional energy into preparing welcome baskets for all of my traveling guests… You can really have a lot of fun filling your baskets and not break the bank. Your guests will love and appreciate the gifts and your thoughtfulness will make them feel right at home!

Ideas For Your Welcome Baskets

(which btw, do not have to be baskets but anything in the spirit of the season or theme of your wedding)

1. Write a welcoming note.
2. Include a specialty item from the town you’re getting married in: food, drink, etc.
3. The latest best seller or a fun, trendy magazine.
4. Tickets or coupons to local attractions
5. Is your guest traveling with a baby? Maybe an item or two for the wee one: wipes, juice boxes, sunscreen, diapers, etc.
6. Toiletries and items that your guests might not be able to get at the hotel i.e. cotton swabs, cotton balls, sunscreen, travel sewing kit, mini manicure set, clear nail polish
7. Fresh flowers are always nice!
8. Fun dollar store “stuff”
9. Items that fit the style of your wedding i.e. eco-friendly items for a “green” wedding
10. Mug with tea packets or gourmet coffee
11. Don’t forget the guys: shavers, shaving lotion, shoe polish
12. Mini wine or champagne bottles (include plastic glasses)
13. Travel games
14. Hand lotion
15. Bottle water
16. Update 8/30/08: Itinerary of wedding related events (Thanks Michelle)

Additional thoughts? Share your ideas in the comments section!

It’s Inspiration Friday!

While I certainly don’t want to rush summer along, fall is right around the corner and is absolutely splendid here in Minnesota. Brimming with the colors of autumn foliage, the fall is a wonderful time of year for a wedding. Go ahead, marry the rustic with the chic for a combination of casual elegance that is so familiar this time of year.

Infuse the warm, rich tones of deep browns, golds, and reds throughout your entire wedding.

Celebrate the beauty of the season in your area. Barns and apple orchards make lovely venues with the potential for stunning backdrops to show off the fall colors.

Corn stalks, mums, pumpkins and the sweet aromas of hot apple cider and spices to fill the air…

Don’t forget your wraps, it could be chilly. I love fall weddings! Endless possibilities…

Enjoy the weekend everyone.

As a bride someday…thinketh

On getting married… according to a 13 year-old. Meet Anna.

“Yes. I think about my dress and my husband and being married. My dress will be white with a tank top or spaghetti straps. Lace. And, all the way to the floor. I’ll wear my hair in a bun with a veil… Can you have a veil under your bun? (I nod yes) My husband… he will be funny, nice, loving, smart and want a family.”

And when I asked her if she thought more about her wedding day or the marriage itself, Anna replied “Marriage. My wedding is only one day but I get to be married for my whole life.”

It is said that every little girl dreams about her wedding day and for many of us, this statement rings true. Anna’s responses reminded me that our hopes and dreams for our future begins early. It also reminded me of the bygone tradition involving the hope chest.

My mom had one but that is the extent of my experience with them. I don’t hear anyone referring to them and I’ve never seen one on a gift registry.

Hope chests seemed practical enough back then when they were the keepers of the dowry and intended to store what a young woman might need to bring into her marriage: linens, household items, money… As far as I know, dowries are fairly rare nowadays and it almost seems silly to store things that can be easily purchased.

But, what about hopes and dreams and that which cannot be easily purchased? Anna is already dreaming about her wedding day, her future husband and what type of man she is looking for. A hope chest might contain journals or even love letters written to a future husband. Also, a hope chest might contain precious family heirlooms, passed down from generation to generation. A chest of hope for the future. That seems practical to me.

Maybe this tradition could be modernized and resurrected after all (and let’s include the boys this time).

What do you think? Are hope chests just an old-fashion idea or should the idea just be re-fashioned?

Photo Courtesy: PW Baker

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