Going Away Gift

Another popular honeymoon location I have heard from my brides lately is the oh-so-romantic Italy.  

How cute is this gift basket from Olive and Cocoa for your best friend who has just announced their Italian honeymoon plans? This basket retails for a very reasonable $138. I promise you'll be remembered as one of the best wedding-gift-givers!

Where are you headed on your honeymoon? Would love to hear from you!

Arms Up! Enjoy the Ride!

Many of our brides are opting for a Fairytale Honeymoon-- Mickey Mouse Style.  They're headed to Disney. When I came across this article on Newsweek's BudgetTravel page, I immediately thought of them. Take a look at this article.  Where are you headed on your honeymoon?

How many rides do you ride on a day at Disney?

Posted by: Brad Tuttle, Wednesday, Dec 29, 2010, 3:36 PM

The number of rides enjoyed by the average Disney park visitor may seem surprisingly low.

So what's the average? Nine rides. In a whole day. Considering that a one-day adult ticket costs $87 and change, and entrance for a child age 3 to 9 is $78.81, this means typical visitors are paying roughly $9 or $10 per ride.

[+] Enlarge photo

Cinderella's Castle at Disney World(Courtesy jcronier/myBudgetTravel)

A recent New York Times storyhighlights Disney's secret strategies for shortening the lines at park rides, and these efforts -- which include starting parades to draw park goers into less crowded areas, and sending out a Jack Sparrow actor to amuse folks in line at Pirates of the Caribbean—have sometimes been able to inch the average number of rides to 10 per person per day.

Though some Disney enthusiasts enjoy shopping, parades, and other aspects of the experience just as much as the rides, the cost-per-ride ratio still strikes us as pretty excessive. What do you think? Is a three-minute Disney ride worth the equivalent of $9 or $10 a pop?

For that matter, if you're an avid Disney visitor, do you tend to hit more or less than 10 rides in a typical day? If so, would you care to offer tips for newbies who are trying to get the most ride-age for their dollars? 

Original article found here: http://current.newsweek.com/budgettravel/2010/12/how_many_rides_do_you_ride_on.html

Headed to a Non-English Speaking Country for Your Honeymoon?

Have you and your fiance, discussed who will be the Driver and who will be the Map Reader on your honeymoon travels overseas? 

image from Google Images

Look like a SuperStar on your honeymoon with this app: http://questvisual.com/. 

Instant translations of street signs with your cell phone camera

What if you could point your cell phone video camera at a foreign-language sign and see an instant translation of the words on it? Word Lens allows just that. The iPhone/iPod Touch-only app, released mid-December, uses your camera to perform Spanish-to-English translations, without making a single keystroke on your phone.

Want to know what "las salchichas a la parrilla" means on a restaurant sign in front of you? Just point your camera and Word Lens pulls up the relevant English translation ("grilled sausages") immediately and displays itwithin the image, replacing the Spanish words. So you don't have to go to another screen or wait for more than a half-second.

Another huge plus for travelers: Word Lens works with a built-in dictionary. It does not need to connect to the Internet, and your phone is not hit with data charges while roaming in a foreign country.

Being offline makes it different to Google Goggles, a straightforward translation app for Android and iPhone devices that provides more accurate translations because it pulls results from the Web.

Downsides: Word Lens translations are far from perfect so far, and the tool doesn't recognize handwriting yet. Translations for other languages are in the works, and the focus on Apple products is just the beginning.

Word Lens is "free" to download but you have to pay about $5 for each language you want to translated. The tool is available via iTunes. Find more info about the tool at questvisual.com.

Posted by: Sean O'Neill, Thursday, Dec 30, 2010, 10:03 AM on Budget Traveler: http://current.newsweek.com/budgettravel/2010/12/instant_translations_of_street.html

Signature Drink from Blackberry Farm

One of the most popular questions I get from Brides is "What's a good Signature Drink for my reception? You know...One that you haven't seen anywhere before...?"  

My answer: Try this:

Vanilla Poached Pear

The Vanilla Poached Pear, one of our most popular drinks, is a take on classic dessert flavors translated into drinkable form, and for adult enjoyment no less! Now don't go thinking this is a super-sweet, make your teeth hurt kind of "dessert" drink. We prefer real cocktails, but more importantly, we prefer balance, and that means a perfect marriage between the sweetness of the vanilla syrup and the slight heat of the Hangar One Spiced Pear Vodka. Contrasting elements brought together by the warm, mouth-filling flavor of pure vanilla bean and the richness of ripe pear. Winter is here and red fruit flavors take over so it makes sense to add a splash of Pinot Noir for color and body.
Not too sweet, not too sharp, just a perfectly balanced cocktail that happens to conjure memories of a classic red wine poached pear, and since we're moving out of pear season this is the only chance to taste it!

Vanilla Poached Pear 

Add to shaker:
1.5oz Hangar One Spiced Pear Vodka
.5oz Pinot Noir
.25oz vanilla syrup
Squeeze of lemon wedge
Hard shake 10 count and pour into chilled cocktail glass
Garnish with lemon peel

Vanilla Syrup
4 Vanilla beans, split and scraped
3 cups sugar
1.5 cups boiling water
.5oz vodka
Combine all ingredients except vodka and stir until dissolved.
Add splash of vodka when slightly cooled, stir again, strain and store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks.

Jesse Ratliff, Mixologist
January 1, 2011

http://www.friendsofblackberryfarm.com/tasting-notes/vanilla-poached-pear.html

I Feel A Block Party Coming On!

Alright, let's be honest, there's only so much Inside Time one can take. Cabin Fever has officially set in for many of us.  


Take this opportunity to get to know your neighbors.  Invite them over for an impromptu cocktail party. Here's Food & Wine Magazine's Cocktails Building Blocks Guideline.  



Food & Wine Magazine Cocktail Building Block Guideline


Source: http://www.foodandwine.com/images/sys/201002-a-cocktail_chart.pdf

For those of your guests that would like a non-alcoholic nightcap, try this: 

Mulled Cranberry Cider

Ingredients

• 8  black peppercorns
• 6  whole allspice
• 6  whole cloves
• 2  (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
• 1  gallon apple cider
• 2  quarts cranberry juice drink

Preparation

Place first 4 ingredients on a 5-inch-square piece of cheesecloth; tie with string.

Bring cider and juice drink to a boil with spice bag in a Dutch oven. Partially cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Remove and discard spice bag before serving. Serve hot or cold.

From Southern Living: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000000257386

Baby It's Cold Outside

Many of us haven't left our couches for the past three days.  Many haven't gotten out of pajamas.  If you're a bride, you've used this snow time to do lots of research and blog stalking.  Hopefully our blog has been one of the ones you've checked out regularly.

It's really important to us that you have all of the checklists and planning tools you need to make your wedding planning process easy and fun.

One of our brides is using this snowed in time to address her invitations.  If that's you, here's a great guideline for how to address your invites correctly.


Guidelines for Addressing Invitations -

Starting 2011 with a ROCK?

According to the Association of Wedding Ministers, the average wedding engagement is seven to 12 months.  If you were one of the lucky ladies who got engaged on Christmas Day or will be getting your ring on New Year's Eve, odds are you will share wedding vows during the months of July to December. This makes sense seeing as the most popular wedding month in Atlanta is October. There’s a lot to do between now and October!

So what do you do first?

My very first recommendation is to find a venue. A couple of questions to ask yourself before trekking all across the Metro Atlanta area:

1. What will my wedding date be?
   This is a question that you might not be able to dictate. Especially if you are looking at a September or October wedding, venues may have a limited number of Saturday’s available. That’s when you might consider a Friday or Sunday celebration. Many venues will discount their food and beverage minimum or site rental fee on those “off” days.
2. What is my general style?
   Do I enjoy the historic feel of one of Roswell’s Antebellum mansions? Or is it more important to me that the guests can just take the elevator to their room after the reception? 
3. Where do I want to have my wedding? One of the biggest trends is to have a mini-destination wedding.  Choose a venue that is about an hour and a half from your home – someplace like Serenbe or a winery in North Georgia. Having your celebration there cuts down on the number of guests – generally just getting rid of the ones who are just coming for free food.

Your second task is for you and your fiancé to ask your maid of honor and best man to share your special day with them. Make this proposal memorable by taking them out for a really nice dinner and popping the question over their favorite meal. They will remember it forever.

Thirdly, discuss with your fiancé what each of your Most Important elements of your wedding will be. Do you have your heart set on a band instead of a dj; is his most important element the food? By bringing him into this conversation early on, both of you will enjoy the planning process more because each of you knows what’s a key ingredient for your partner.

Above all, remember, you are not planning a wedding. You are planning the first day of your married lives together. The two of you are planning a marriage celebration. That’s what is Most Important.

Byline: Erica Prewett is a wedding expert and owns A Big To Do Event, planning weddings all over the country. You may contact Erica at 404.547.5712 or Erica@ABigToDoEvent.com.

Bridesmaid Gift That Keeps On Giving

Breast Cancer affects all of us. I don't know one person that has not been affected by breast cancer. One of my favorite local embroidery vendors (Faye Tarshes with Red Vine Creations) has designed this gorgeous scarf. Each scarf sells for $18.00 and $3.00 from each sale is donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

In talking with Faye about this fabulous gift, she reminded me that "the $18.00 price tag is symbolic as the number 18 in Hebrew is a chai and a chai means 'to life'."

The daughter of a mutual acquaintance of Faye and me being diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 27, Faye felt the need to do more than prepare a meal or make a one time donation. "By doing this, I feel that with each scarf I embroider, I am helping long term," says Faye.  

What a fantastic gift for your bridesmaids as well as the moms and grandmothers of the wedding!

To order these, call Faye at 770-241-6775 or email her at Info@RedVineCreations.com.  Tell her we sent you!