Bridesmaid's Gifts that are a Shore Thing!

More than just a thank you, try to personalize your bridesmaid gifts to convey your enduring admiration for their role in your wedding.

BeachMemories Photo Album wedding favor. Our photo album is decorated with textured paper and handcrafted shell and starfish charms for a natural, yet elegant look. Measures 6.5" tall, 5" wide and holds forty 4" x 6" pictures.

Personalized Charm Flip Flops. Show off perfectly pedicured toes with these fashionable flip-flops -- great for getting comfortable at the reception or a fun-in-the-sun accessory brides, bridesmaids and flower girls too. The removable charms slide on and off and you can even order extra charms for versatility. Each flip-flop sandal includes adjustable buckle straps for a comfortable fit.

Pearl and Crystal Earrings. Accessories with an aura of Old World romance. A pearl in a variety of color choices dangles carelessly from an antique-looking stud of pave crystals. Each pierced earring measures .5" long and is available in your choice of silver or gold findings. Not sure which pearl color will be best? Order our pearl sampler to get a perfect match.

Summer or Beach Wedding? Don't forget your feet! Bridal Flip Flops

You plan on getting your nails done for your wedding . . . right? So it stands to reason you will be getting a pedicure too. And, if you are having a Summer or Beach wedding (or reception.) You will more than likely be wearing either sandals or flip flops. Bridal flip flops can be hard to find especially dyeable wedding flip flops. You'll find an unbeatable selection of white flop flops for the whole party at the shops below. You want something that you can kick off, but something that protects you from the hot sand. Don't forget your feet. They need to look as pretty as your nails and your gown!

Love in the Mist Bridal Shoes

This really simple design is obviously great for beach and outdoor weddings, it also makes for a nice "reception shoe" after a long day on your feet. -Shelley George

Touch-Ups Robin Bridal Shoes

Delicate beading gives tons of sparkle to this playful and pretty satin thong. The 2" tapered heel finishes your look. Available in a wide selection of sizes and your choice of black, silver or dyeable white satin.

or you can go with Michelle's Foot Jewelry and where crystal and beads.

The Party Dress Cake ... Original

Wow is all I can say. Looking at wedding cake sites this weekend I came across The Party Dress Cake which was created by The Pink Cake Box for a cake contest sponsored by the Somerset Art Association. The “Let Them Eat Cake” contest. The theme was the celebration of spring. They created the “Bloom of the Ball” which was a nature inspired party dress adorned with sugar roses, vines, and leaves hanging on a dress form. The cake was a sour cream orange
zest cake filled with pistachio and white chocolate buttercream and 46″
tall.

The Pink Cake Box won the “Show Stopper” award.

P.S. They do wedding cakes too : )

Buying a Tuxedo

The tuxedo's history dates from 1860, when Henry Poole & Co. (Savile Row's founders), created a short smoking jacket for the then Prince of Wales (later Edward VII of the United Kingdom) to wear to informal dinner parties. Persartorial legend, in spring of 1886, because the Prince fancied Cora Potter, heinvited her husband, James Potter, a rich New Yorker, to Sandringham house, his Norfolk hunting estate. When Potter asked the Prince's dinner dress recommendation, he sent Potter to Henry Poole & Co., in London. On returning to New York in 1886, Potter's dinner suit proved popular at the Tuxedo Park Club; the club men copied him, soon making it their informal dining
uniform.

Buying a tuxedo is something that most average men get to do only once or twice in their lives. It can be exciting and intimidating. Visiting a tailor and requesting alterations is a throw back to yesterday with today's off-the-rack fashions.

Keep in mind that online tuxedo sellers can slash retail prices because they don’t have to maintain fancy stores or pay hefty commissions to sales people. If you’re willing to trade a little homework for a chance to buy a tuxedo for about the same price as renting one, online tuxedo sales could be right for you.

Start with good measurements. Finding a tuxedo that fits you well doesn’t have to be a science project. Any high quality dry cleaning shop that offers alterations will gladly take a professional set of measurements for you. Many shops will provide this service as a courtesy for regular customers,
while others charge a small fee. Either way, a realistic set of measurements can help you rule out tuxedos that don’t flatter your frame or don’t come in your size.

Check out your favorite designers. Brand names are brand names, so grab a note pad and head to a mall or a boutique where you can look at fabrics and fashions in person. Your bride will love the chance to go shopping with her groom, so make it a date. If you live near a mall or an outlet village where you can check out a designer’s own factory store, you’ll more likely connect with non-commissioned sales people who won’t mind the fact that you’re planning on cutting out the middleman by shopping online.

Keep time on your side. If the tuxedo you want for your wedding is coming direct from the factory, make sure you’ve got at least ten to twelve weeks to spare before your wedding day. Your pants will be delivered
unfinished, which means that you’ll have to take them in for alterations at a nearby tailor (very likely the professional that helped take your measurementsearlier in the process).

You’ll also probably need minor alterations to the jacket and to the vest, if you selected one. If it takes six to eight weeks for delivery and another two weeks for the alterations, you should still plan on
picking up your suit at least two weeks before your wedding date. That way, your biggest hassle is out of the way and you can help your bride with last-minute emergencies.

For more history and ways to wear the tuxedo visit: The Black Tie Guide

Exboyfriend Jewelry - It's Brilliant!

Someone was really thinking when they created the ExboyfriendJewelry.com site! Their tag line..."We don't want it, he can't have it back!" It's brilliant.

Now ladies, be real : ) one girls cast off is another girls treasure. It's worth the look-see to check out the diamond engagement rings, wedding bands and pearls to catch a great deal for yourself.

The idea came from a woman's broken relationship and she didn't know what to do with the loot. She did know she did not want to give it back. She concluded, "Pawn shops are icky. And, according to every bad 70’s cop show we’ve ever seen, they never give you what something is really worth. Consignment shops are even worse. You have to give up a percentage of the total cost AND they always smell like your great-aunt’s house. Eeew. So, what’s a girl like you to do? You have all that jewelry sitting around that you loved so hard to get (that sounded dirty, but you know what we mean) and will never wear again... "

Edible Flowers As Wedding Cake Decorations

"Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary, How does your garden grow?" Hopefully she has violets, roses and a nice assortment of edible flowers.

If you are looking for a fabulous conversation starter at your wedding and a unique approach to decorating your food; try using edible flowers as decor for your desserts or wedding cake.

After somewhat disappearing for many years, cooking and garnishing with flowers is back in vogue. You can decorate cupcakes, petit-fours, cookies; even the wedding cake with a large variety of edible flowers. Just make sure you research the flowers you choose because not all flowers are edible. Some edible blooms include: violets, naturtiums, scented geraniums and violets.

Using flowers as decorations and eating them is not new. The art of flower cooking can be traced back to Roman times, and to the Chinese, Middle Eastern, and Indian cultures. Edible flowers are known to have been popular during Queen Victoria's reign in the Victorian era . Today, many restaurant chefs and innovative home cooks garnish their entrees with flower blossoms for a touch of elegance.

The secret to success when using edible flowers is to use flowers sparingly in your recipes. You don't want digestive complications that can occur with a large consumption rate; and you do not want to add to many other flavors that will over power the delicate taste of the flower.

Although the concept of using fresh edible flowers in cooking is not new it is still awe inspiring to see. It is a nearly lost art that is enjoying a revival.

TIPS:

One very important thing that you need to remember is that not every flower is edible.

• Sampling some flowers can make you very, very sick.

• Make sure your flowers have never been introduced to pesticides

• Identify the flower exactly and eat only edible flowers, and edible parts of those flowers; or

• You can be like me and buy the edible flowers : ) If you are not sure how or what to do with flowers it's easier to let someone else to the work for you. One company is Sweetfeilds with offerings such as Edible Candied Pansies or the Sweetfields Silver Mixed Tray

• If you want to grow your own flowers and find recipes to candy them, try the book Edible
  Flowers by Kathy Brown, which has a wealth of information

• For more information and recipes, check out: What's Cooking America; Osage Gardens and the Hub Pages for a great Candied Violet recipe, or even Wikipedia.

Guess it's safe to say that when you are cooking with flowers, every time you scrape that bowl you are putting the "petal to the metal!" Sorry, couldn't resist the pun.

Absolutely the World's Best Wedding Dance ... Ever!