An intimate and personal wedding in Arizona that was natural and woodsy

Today's wedding of Jenn and Steve is absolutely gorgeous and filled with an abundant amount of LOVE. The couple found a house/castle in Flagstaff, Arizona that they were able to rent and have their festivities in. How awesome is that? Jenn and Steve wanted an intimate and personal wedding that was natural and woodsy with fall colors. They wanted every detail of the wedding to reflect who they are and what they like {including the homemade details, cheesecakes and Mexican food}. Steve actually made the trellis that they stood under for the ceremony as well as a few of the personal items throughout the decor. The spectacular photographs are by Studio Moirae Photography.

Vendors:
Photographer: Studio Moirae Photography
Venue: Private Residence, Flagstaff, AZ
Wedding Gown: Brides by Demetrios, Scottsdale, AZ
Rentals: Verve Events & Tents, Cottonwood, AZ
Flowers: Flagstaff Floral, Flagstaff, AZ
Food: Randall’s, Cottonwood, AZ
Cake: Cheesecakes by Cheescake Factory, Peoria, AZ
Bartender: Hey Bartender LLC, Phoenix, AZ

It's Fall . . . the season of pumpkins and delicious recipes

Article courtesy of Kristina Vanni, host of {BetterRecipes.com}

With the coming of fall our thoughts turn to pumpkins. Those lush, orange objects are more than just Jack O’ Lanterns for Halloween.  One pumpkin can create several meals making it not only a multipurpose ingredient but a cost-efficient and nutritional powerhouse. “Whether you purchase canned, make your own puree, there are so many ways to use this most versatile squash,” explains Chef Kristina Vanni. “Pumpkins can be turned into soups, casseroles, side dishes, breads, cakes, cookies, pies, and preserves. In addition to its wonderful flavor, pumpkin brings a host of nutrients to the table, particularly Vitamin C, beta-carotene, and potassium.” 

photo courtesy of Whole Foods Market

 

As a chef, Kristina Vanni is known for her "Easy, Elegant, and Everyday" approach to cooking. Her recipes are approachable but have "that certain something" that makes them unique and special.  She is the food writer and on-camera talent for BetterRecipes.com (part of the Meredith Corporation Food Sites). As we head into fall, Kristina shows home cooks how to take a single pumpkin and transform it into a fabulous, affordable fall meal.

 

“You won't believe how easy it is to make your own fresh pumpkin puree and use it in delicious recipes that everyone will love. The dishes I have created here offer a new way to enjoy the entire pumpkin, all the way down to the seeds! “ 

 

Once you buy your pumpkin, Kristina has these time-saving tips on how to get the most out of your pumpkin:

 

How to Cook a Fresh Pumpkin

Start with small pumpkins, about 2-3 pounds. The smaller pumpkins are not only easier to handle, they are sweeter in taste. First, wash the pumpkins over running water and pat dry with a clean dish towel or paper towel. Next, cut the pumpkin into large chunks and scoop out all the seeds (save them for roasting!) and stringy bits. Now you are ready! Here are some easy options on how to cook the pumpkins chunks. Use whatever method is best for you.   

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Interview with Colin Cowie : what to splurge on, what to save $ on + more

Very recently, Gilt.com partnered with arbiter of style and wedding event planner extraordinaire Colin Cowie. Their editorial director, Melissa Liebling-Goldberg (who married last year), picked Cowie's brain to identify the items we shouldn't feel bad about saving on or splurging on for the big day. Melissa also asked Colin for tips on pulling off a chic wedding in three months or less as well as what the best bridesmaid and guest favor recommendations are. Quite simply, Colin will answer questions to what every bride wants to know!

Melissa: What are the five things that you should always splurge on for a wedding?
Colin: Beautiful Invitations, Stunning Flowers, Delicious Food, Tasty Cocktails and Fabulous Music

Melissa: What are the five things you shouldn't feel bad about saving on?
Colin:
1. Instead of expensive imported champagne, think of a sparkling wine or well-crafted cocktail.
2. Instead of a large orchestra or live band have a great DJ.  Todays DJ’s are tomorrow’s rock stars.
3. Instead of a cocktail hour…..have your pictures taken prior to the wedding and then proceed directly from the ceremony to the reception.
4. Forget the party favors or tchotchkes…..instead upgrade the chicken stuffed with a-la-something to a succulent rack of lamb.
5. Instead of serving dessert followed by wedding cake….make your wedding cake the dessert feature.

above: a sampling of items from the recent Gilt.com sale

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Inspiration Board : Burnt Orange and Brown w/ spice cake, roses + chiffon

This inspiration board is what I'd call a blast from the past. This was originally created for Brenda's Wedding Blog but the colors perfectly matched this months palette of the Best Wedding Sites Magazine so I wanted to share it again. You can see the original post here. One of my favorites from this board is the cake - while I love the outside of it - the inside is simply yummylicious - layers of spice cake, maple-caramelized apples, and maple buttercream.

Photo Credits: reception room from brides, wedding programs from the knot, chiffon dress (w/ optional spaghetti straps) from alfred angelo, wedding invitation from izzy and the bean design, boutonniere from the knot, wedding cake (w/ orange circus roses and hypericum berries) from the knot, wedding shoes from southern weddings, wedding bouquet (w/ dahlias, spray roses, coxcomb, and ranunculus) from the knot

Bouquet Trends To Make Every Wedding Special

article courtesy of 1-800-Registry

Now that wedding season is in full bloom, here are some bridal bouquet trends from wedding expert Linda Williams, Vice President Marketing, Wedding Services at 1-800-Registry {the first full-service wedding advisory for brides and grooms for weddings and honeymoons}.

Below is a list provided by Linda Williams on some of the latest bridal bouquet trends for the fall wedding season:

One Large Bloom – This season brides are walking down the aisle with bouquets that make a dramatic and elegant statement.  By using only one large bloom, such as peonies or dinner plate dahlias, and minimal green, brides succeed as well as being cost effective, since there’s minimal floral.

Left: Petal and Print {photo by Flutterglass Photography} | Right: Martha Stewart Weddings

One Flower En Masse – This season, as opposed to mixing and matching different floral pieces for bouquets, brides are using one flower grouped together. For example, a bouquet solely of pink roses is both gorgeous as well as being a great statement piece alongside a simple, white gown. In this case, brides are taking the “simple is more” approach.

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The Wedding Contests for November are here {October winners announced}

So happy to announce the giveaways for November are here. You can enter to win one of four GREAT prizes including . . .

• a set of 3 Jillian Rhinestone Flower Hair Pins with iridescent autumn leaves and copper Swarovski pearls from Tilley Jewels Bride
• a set of custom photo or personalized wedding cufflinks + a custom photo bridal bouquet memorial charm from PhotoJule
• a Mary Kay Satin Set (include Satin Hands + Satin Lips Set) from Mary Kay rep Renea
• a $40 Gift Certificate for Jewelry from Sheyna.com

Enter to win here

Giveaway Winners from October are . . .

• Robbie of Mundelein, Illinois
   wins the "Ritz" memory wire bracelet from Tilley Jewels Bride
• Melissa of Mooresville, North Carolina
   wins the 4 pairs of "Crystal" design flip flops for her bridal party from Weddings Are Fun
• Bethany of Denton, Texas
   wins the 3" French Silver Goddess beaded flower hair clip from Bead Flora Jewels

The November issue of The Best Wedding Sites Magazine is here . . .

So excited to share with you the cover of the November issue of The Best Wedding Sites Magazine. Congratulations to Michelle Savin's wedding vendor challenge team for gracing this month's magazine cover. Starting tomorrow, please join in for a fun month with the interactive online magazine as I feature amazing real weddings, shopping by color features and so much more. This month the color palette is all about red, orange and brown :) Please join in with the "mix & mingle" format and leave your comments. Plus, the giveaways for this month will launch tomorrow morning. Please check back to see the goodies you can enter to win.