Want to add an extra special ceremony to your wedding reception? Try spicing up the wedding cake with a cake charm ceremony! The charm cake is an old Victorian tradition which is very charming, indeed! During the wedding (or bridal shower, etc), each guest pulls one ribbon from the center of a cake (traditionally bundt cake) to find a good-luck charm and sweet message dangling from the other end. Charms can be purchased in various themes/styles and can be customized with additional notes and colored ribbons. The old tale states that each charm fortells the recipient's future! Various popular charms include a coin (for luck), an airplane (for travel), and a telephone (for a special phone call). To assemble, bake your favorite cake, put the charms in the center, and drape the ribbons over the cake; fresh flowers provide decoration while hiding the charms.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Catering a Corporate Event with Signature Grand
A corporate event meeting can be productive and entertaining at the same time. Here are a few helpful hints to creating a great, non confrontational business meeting.
First you must select a theme for your event or decide on how formal it will be. Let guests know in advance how the dress code will be used. This way guests will arrive as necessary.
Invite the correct people to this event. If you have too many people or not enough, the meeting might not work the way it is supposed to. Invite the right mix of employees, employers and other staff.
Create a list of things to discuss as well as a list of possible fun activities. Prepare a meeting agenda in advance and circulate this to your attendees - remember that meetings can come in all different durations, so get people’s attention by having weird duration meetings.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Baby Shower Planning and Catering with Bellacroft
There are a few aspects of planning a baby shower that most women look forward to: The games, the decor and the FOOD! Food can take up a huge portion of your budget, so you'll have to take a few of the below steps into consideration:
If you have thrown parties or baby shower’s before, then you already know the types of food to serve. This is the first step. The main thing to remember is that the food at a baby shower needs to be easy for the guests to snack on while ‘mingling’. This means small finger foods, snacks such as nuts and potato chips.
A good event incorporates several types of snacks and foods. Remember – not everybody eats meat or fatty items. It’s smart to have a few light, veggie snacks as well. This way everybody is happy!
Although all you really need to get is normal every day party snacks, it is also fun to have a few unique, baby shower foods as well!
As far as drinks and beverages go, you just need to make sure you have a small selection of different drinks. You can either go down the route of providing individual drinks or providing something like a punch for the entire party.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Complete the Cake with a Serving Set
While the cake cutting ceremony may seem to revolve around dessert and photos, it also includes a very important part of your wedding: the cake serving set!
This set is available in many varieties and most can be personalized. Why would you want a personalized cake cutting set? For keepsake, of course!
The cake serving set often ties into the decor of the cake of the actual wedding theme itself.
This Love Cake Server Set is sure to add romance and whimsy to your wedding day celebration. While cutting the cake with this timeless duo, your love is sure to shine bright. Finished in a silver-plated setting, this cake knife and serving set features a three-dimensional handle with a 1 1/4" heart detail on each serving piece. Truly, a unique wedding day find!
Monday, December 13, 2010
Bellacroft's History of the Wedding Garter
Some brides prefer their garters blue, some like them lacy and some like to wear more than one, but most brides couldn't tell you the history behind the bridal garter. After reading this, they surely can!
The garter tradition is believed to have originated during the medieval times, when a witness would bring back a piece of the bride's clothing to show proof that the marriage had been consummated.
The tradition most similar to the garter toss however, was based on the European wedding tradition called "flinging the stocking." This was a tradition traced back to the 14th and 15th century where the bride would throw her garter to eager groomsmen. The man that caught the garter was said to have good luck following the "flinging".
Having a bunch of men compete for one garter led to a bit of a drama. Groomsmen, generally intoxicated from the reception, would race to catch the garter, and would sometimes attempt to retrieve the garter before the bride threw it, etc.
Depending on the tradition, once a groomsman had possession of the garter, he would present it to another woman.
In addition to good luck, another theory surrounding the garter was that the groomsman who caught it would be the next to get married. In this case, many men actually AVOID the garter!
Wedding Garters
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Black Chocolate Truffle Recipe - Holiday Special!
Makes: 48 pieces
Ingredients
(1/2 cup) Heavy cream
(1 tbsp) Light corn syrup
(2 cups) White chocolate, pistoles or chopped in 1/2-inch pieces
(1 tbsp) Butter, unsalted, soft
(2 tbsp) Kirsch
(3 tbsp) Dried cherries, finely chopped
(1 2⁄3 cups) Dark chocolate or dark compound coating, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces, for dipping
(1⁄3 cup) Dark chocolate shavings
Preparation Instructions
1. Line a 9 × 13–inch baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Combine the cream and corn syrup in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil.
3. Remove from the heat. Add the chopped white chocolate or pistoles and butter to the cream and stir until smooth and homogeneous.
4. Stir in the kirsch and the cherries.
5. Pour the finished ganache into the baking pan to make a thin layer and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour or more until the ganache is firm.
6. Put the ganache in a mixer bowl and mix on medium speed using a paddle attachment for 30 seconds. Or stir vigorously in a mixing bowl by hand, using a spatula.
7. Allow the ganache to rest at room temperature for 5 minutes. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
8. Using a #100 scoop or a teaspoon, scoop out balls of ganache and place on the sheet pan at room temperature.
9. When all of the ganache has been scooped, roll each portion by hand into a round ball.
10. Melt and temper the chocolate for dipping using the procedure shown below. If using compound coating, follow the heating instructions on the package.
11. Dip the ganache centers in the tempered chocolate or compound coating using one of the techniques listed below.
12. After dipping, but before the chocolate sets, roll the truffles in the chocolate shavings.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Finding a Colored Wedding Dress
Gone are the days when brides opt for a white wedding gown. More and more brides are adding a splash of color to their dresses to express their unique personalities and to keep the wedding look modern.
Color can be added to a wedding dress through various methods: with embroidery, a band at the top of the neckline or bottom of the hem, within an open train, or a sash around the waist. Modern brides are incorporating their favorite colors be it purple, green, or black or just adding color to match with their bridal party. You may opt for a wedding gown that isn't white at all. It may be shocking to your guests, but it will also be memorable.
Perhaps you have a vintage gown that has been in your family for years. If the dress has some stains, but the fabric is in decent condition, speak with a professional and find out if the dress will withstand being dyed a slightly darker color. It is a great way to preserve a piece of your family history as well as save your budget from an expensive new gown.
You don't have pick a bold, vibrant down. Some brides opt for a colored dress for practical reasons. It could be that pure white doesn’t flatter your skin tone or it won’t go well with the color scheme that you have selected.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Bellacroft's Budget Planning
Friday, December 3, 2010
Eco-Friendly Wedding Bouquet
If you have decided to have an eco-friendly wedding, your main goal is to "green up" as much of the wedding as you can, from wearing a hemp wedding gown to serving Organic food. The same holds true for the bridal bouquet. How can a bride green up her wedding while still having something beautiful to carry down the aisle? Easy, by using one of these great eco-friendly wedding bouquet ideas.
Fresh flowers are unquestionably beautiful, and no bride should be deprived of the pleasure of carrying a lovely floral bouquet if she wants to. If you want to opt for fresh flowers, which most brides do, opt for organic flowers, which were grown without the use of harmful pesticides. By selecting for locally grown flowers which are in season at the time of your wedding, you will both reduce the carbon footprint involved in transporting your wedding flowers and ensure that the blossoms you have are the freshest and most beautiful. If you plan well in advance, you can even grown your own organic flowers, something that the kids can help do as well!
If you want to be unique and not use fresh flowers, a many brides are learning to make their own bouquet from vintage brooches or pins. Recycling materials is always an eco-friendly option, and brooch bouquet also happen to be stunning. The neat thing about a do-it-yourself bouquet is that you have total control over the colors. For a winter wedding, a bouquet comprised of all clear crystal vintage pins would be truly fabulous. These hand-crafted non-fresh bouquets make for excellent keepsakes!
Tussy Mussy