Celebrate Love with a Sparkling Wine Cocktail + other recipes

I recently received samples to make the most delicious cocktail - think champagne, but with a colorful and flavorful twist. With all the engagements that happened over the holiday season, it's time to toast congrats as well as ring in the new year with something bubbly - a festive sparking wine.

[yellow tail] bubbles is the affordable go-to sparkling wine. You can enjoy the bubbly on its own or with Chambord Liqueur in this Chambord & Champagne cocktail recipe. The drink is divine and looks like the color of passion - this is definitely my choice going forward when toasting instead of the traditional champagne - which for me has always been a bit hard to swallow. Oh, and the bubbles bottles have a special resealable cork known as the “Zork”. How awesome is that? As Yellow Tail explains, you will have the classic experience of popping a cork but with the convenience of being able to save what hasn’t been consumed. By re-sealing the bottle you will maintain gas pressure.

Chambord & Champagne
1/2 oz Chambord
[yellow tail] bubbles

Add Chambord to bottom of flute glass and top with [yellow tail] bubbles. Garnish with a raspberry.

And, if you have any left over bubbly you can make the Blackberry Fizz, a nice, sparkling cocktail created by Jonathan Pogash of The Cocktail Guru. Like Chambord & Champagne, the Blackberry Fizz is a wonderful drink to serve at parties celebrating the newly engaged couple or any other special occasion. Spiked chocolate truffles are another nice touch for engagement parties. You can put the sweet treats out as small desserts, or beautifully package them for party favors. Use Chambord to make the Chocolate Truffles from The Joy of Cooking (recipe below).

Blackberry Fizz (served at Madison & Vine, NYC)
2 large fresh blackberries (or 1 oz. blackberry puree)
3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
3/4 oz. simple syrup
2 oz. Yellowtail sparkling wine
1 oz. Lillet Blanc
1 oz. Gin

Directions: In a mixing glass muddle the blackberries (or add the puree), along with the lemon, simple, Lillet, and Gin. Then add ice and shake well. Strain into a chilled champagne flute and top off with the sparkling wine. Garnish with a blackberry on the rim of glass.

Chocolate Truffles by The Joy of Baking

8 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons alcohol *Chambord, Tuaca, Four Roses or Conjure Cognac
Coatings for Truffles: Dutch-Processed Cocoa powder, sifted / Melted or tempered chocolate / Confectioners sugar, sifted / Toasted / Chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts) / Toasted coconut / Shaved chocolate 

For Chocolate Truffles: Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized heatproof bowl. Set aside. Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil.  Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for a minute or two. Stir with a rubber spatula until smooth. (If the chocolate doesn't melt completely, place in the microwave for about 20 seconds, or over a saucepan of simmering water, just until melted.) If desired, add the liqueur. Cover and place in the refrigerator until the truffle mixture is firm (this will take several hours or overnight).

Place your coatings for the truffles on a plate. Remove the truffle mixture from the refrigerator. With your hands, a small ice cream scoop, a melon baller, or with a small spoon form the chocolate into round or mis-shaped bite-sized balls. Immediately roll the truffle in the coating and place on a parchment lined baking sheet or tray. Cover and place in the refrigerator until firm. Truffles can be refrigerated for a couple of weeks or else frozen for a couple of months.

To Toast Nuts: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and bake nuts (pecans, walnuts or almonds) about 8 - 10 minutes or until brown and fragrant. For hazelnuts toast about 15 minutes or until the skins start to blister. Remove from oven and roll in a clean dish towel. Let the nuts 'steam' for about 5 minutes and then remove the skins. Once the nuts have cooled, chop coarsely.

A Cupcakes and Champagne Photo Shoot with sparkles, glitter and glam

Happy New Year!!!! So excited to share with you a New Years Eve inspired Wedding Celebration. Today's photo shoot was created by Miriam of Miriam Corona Events and Cristina of Unforgettable Events and photographed by PS Photo Media and Clifton Photography. Cristina writes . . . "I wanted to create a design the evoked the feeling of not only a marriage, but also a celebration of marriage in the New Year. The overall "celebration" theme is embedded in all the sparkling details and fun ideas such as the champagne & dessert bar. The concept is filled with a perfect mixture of romance and fun and captures many DIY opportunities for couples to incorporate their personalities and theme concepts. Such projects include the jewel bouquet and boutonniere, champagne bubble streamers, and the custom m&m cupcakes. This was truly a fun experience to put together and I had the pleasure to work with so many creative professionals."

Please read on as Cristina shares with us all the inspirational elements that made up this amazingly glitzy photo shoot . . .

Inspiration Element #1: Breathtaking Location
It was important to have a venue that boasted a breathtaking view. I chose the Castaway Restaurant in San Bernardino for its jaw dropping views across the skyline. Each room is surrounded by windows that offer incredible views from every angle. The balcony areas are perfect for catching the cool breeze and city lights. At night, the view is simply magical!

Inspiration Element #2: Color Palette
I used black, white, gold, silver as the main palette for all the elements included in this design. The black and white added elegance by keeping the colors crisp and clean along the textures and shapes used. Gold and silver was used mainly to add sparkle to the overall design such as the gold chargers and chiavari chairs. These colors meshed very well with the solid lighting we did in blue, hot pink, and gold. It brought out the sparkle in all the details.

Inspiration Element #3: Textures and Prints
To add contrast I decided that I wanted texture in all the linens used. The main table had chiffon rosettes lined with black sequins. This paired very nicely with the solid satin napkins and textured glittered ornaments hanging above. The champagne bar had a black sequin table drape that added contrast and sparkle to the gold and silver accents on the table. The crisp white menu cards had bold stripes to add texture and contrast to the patterned linen. The groom wore a charcoal gray suit with a striped tie and vest to add texture. The bride had on two beautiful taffeta gowns with rhinestone accents and feathers.

Inspiration Element #4: Sparkle, glitter, glam!
I really wanted this shoot to encompass the overall feel of a New Years Eve and wedding celebration with lots of sparkle. Almost every detail in this shoot had bling of some sort; from the glitter ornaments, to the jewel bouquet, to the glitter in the bridal shoes. The centerpiece had multi-sized glitter and sequin ornaments in gold, black, and silver and jeweled goblets that sparkled with the reflection of the uplighting. The linens incorporated were black chiffon sequin rosettes and a sequin table drape and runner. The menu cards had tiny rhinestones to add some jazz to the simplicity of the design and the napkins where tied together with mini disco balls. The bridal bouquet and boutonniere were custom created using pearls, jewels, and beads that were wired and bound together with satin ribbon. The champagne bar was adorned with sparkling bubbles, confetti, and jeweled goblets. To complete the look and feel of "celebration", I had a bride and groom in wardrobe with lots of rhinestone and glitter detail throughout the dress, hair, and makeup.

Inspiration Element #5: Couture Fashion
To incorporate the element of high fashion or couture, I incorporated linens that had embellished details such as chiffon rosettes and sequins. I wanted the menu cards to have an elegant simplicity so we decided to add contrast to to the textured linens by using stripes and different fonts and sizes. The bride also wore two high couture gowns that featured rhinestone, feather, and bustle details paired nicely with glitter heels. Her hair was also beautifully arranged and adorned with a jeweled veil comb. The cake table was also adorned with a sequin runner and the cake was designed with a black and white palette with gold beaded details around the black rosettes.

Inspiration Element #6: Celebration
To encompass the overall theme of one HUGE celebration, we decided to do a champagne bar with a few sweets. Miriam created champagne bubble streamers that read "2012" when lined along the crystal curtain. She incorporated gold and silver champagne flutes and filled them with peppermint cotton candy to add a "bubbly" look. The cupcakes were adorned with black and white m&m's to spell out "2012". To add some sparkle, black and white rock candy lined a beautiful tray. The lighting really made these designs stand out!

Vendors:
Linens, Floral, Decor, Rentals, Bridal Jewel Bouquet, Styling: Unforgettable Events
Champagne Bar, Desserts, Styling: Miriam Corona Events
Photography: PS Photo Media and Clifton Photography
Hair and Make up: Diona Rhynard
Wardrobe: UEA Couture Bridal
Chiavari Chair Rental: Imagine That Events
Venue: Castaway Restaurant
Models: Vanessa Ramirez and Dylan Carbone
Lighting: Amaze Productions Entertainment
Paper Design: Papermints
Cotton Candy: Tasty Clouds
Cake: Cucamonga Cakery

Happy New Year - here's to an amazing 2012

Wishing every single one of my brides, vendors, readers, followers on twitter, facebook and pinterest the most spectacular New Year. Here's to an amazing 2012 and thank you all so much for making 2011 such a fantastic year. So much has happened this past year and now, most recently, the moving of my blog, Brenda's Wedding Blog, to be right here on Best Wedding Sites. I cannot wait to share with you all the inspiration I have in store for you next year along with the weekly giveaways and so much more. Happy New Year - have a sparkly and festive time celebrating this weekend - see you back here on Monday.

above photos courtesy of bhg.com {more New Year's Eve ideas}

Sparkle, glitter, glam - it's a New Year's Eve inspired photo shoot preview

Just had to share this sneak peek of the most amazing photo shoot with you. Stay tuned on Monday as I will be sharing the entire shoot with you along with all the inspiring details. Miriam of Miriam Corona Events and Cristina of Unforgettable Events joined a team of amazing vendors for this shoot. I just ADORE all the DIY elements that were included in this shoot including the jewel bouquet and boutonniere, champagne bubble streamers and there were even custom m&m cupcakes - you are going to LOVE these sweets!!!!

photography by: psphotomedia.com + cliftonphotographyblog.com

Great DIY for New Year's : Silver Glitter Ornaments

I just love this diy ornament from Aleah of Valley & Co. It's perfect for the holiday season - including New Year's Eve and New Year's Day festivities. It's a silver glitter ornament - but of course you can use glitter in any color to match your event's decor. The full diy can be found here. The only supplies needed are glass ornament balls {but if you're making these will children, you can always use the shatterproof ornaments as well}, glue, large grade silver glitter, a brush and ribbon. PS: Don't you just love Aleah pearl cluster ring and bracelet?

Photos by Elle G. Photography

Happy Holidays . . .

May your holiday weekend be filled with all things merry and yummy - wishing all my readers a wonderful holiday weekend. Join us again on Tuesday when we'll be back and featuring all new inspiration including a few weddings and even a New Year's Eve styled photo shoot.

Above photo © Stephanie H of Raspberri Cupcakes - shown: Christmas Red Velvet Snow Cake

Inspiration Board : a Vintage Holiday Glamour Party

It's been quite some time since I've put together an inspiration board and with the holidays approaching faster than I care to admit, I decided it's time to start putting some new holiday themed ones together. Today's inspiration is all about a glamorous vintage holiday party. It all started when I saw the amazing black vintage dress from Sui Numeris Bride. I fell in love and immediately started putting this inspiration together. And, of course I couldn't resist adding in that amazing bedroom and the pretty lace slip-on dress with the pop of red for when the party is over :)

Image and Shopping Links:
Dress from Sui Numeris Bride, Bouquet from Aileen Tran, Ornaments from Flea Market Style Mag, Chandelier from Plastic Land {this one is only $69 and when I wrote this post there were only 2 left}, Invitation from B Studio Wedding Invitations, Bedroom from Dwelling Gawker, Black Flower Necklace from Jacaranda Designs Jewelry, Rhinestone Earrngs from Plumb Crazy, Black Feather Fascinator from Ms Formaldehyde Couture, Bohemian Black Lace Red Silk Holiday Dress from Izzy Roo