The Wedding Belle Featured on Boston Hearts Wedding

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Emily on Trends in 2010

Something purple?

This year’s biggest trend in weddings is the color purple. No, I’m not talking about Oprah Winfrey’s 1985 big screen debut! I’m talking purple linens, purple flowers, purple save-the-dates, purple, purple, purple!

Historically the color purple symbolizes royalty and who doesn’t want to feel like royalty on their wedding day? From lilac to plum, couples this year are crazy about purple! If you’re looking for a way to incorporate this color “pop” into your wedding day, here are some of my favorite ideas:

If you are looking to tie a purple accent into your décor, these paper star lanterns from Luna Bazaar could do the job beautifully at your reception or even at an outdoor ceremony. You can even have them light up to add a little sparkle to an evening wedding.

Flowers like allium, tulips, calla lilies, lilac and orchids all come in shades of purple and make fabulously simple and classic centerpieces and bouquets.

For a far more subtle pop and just a hint of purple consider smaller touches. For example, plum glassware from Be Our Guest could be paired with a deep chocolate linen for subtle contrast. Another popular color combination this year is purple with a bright, vibrant green.

For a more traditional wedding, simple white linens with a classic antique delft bread plate would compliment purple lilac wonderfully.

How about a purple signature drink? A simple idea for the champagne toast is to add a splash of grape juice to each flute. Drop a few blueberries at the bottom for some added flair!

Bottom line: If you plan to use purple in your wedding decor there are many creative ways to do so, and no matter what, you're sure to do so in style!

The Perfect Pair: Choose the Best Wine for Your Reception

The world of wine is extremely intricate and diverse. Many people spend a lifetime devoted to learning about different wines from around the world, pairing wines, how to properly taste and critique a wine, and even how to know what makes a good wine good. At the majority of weddings, wine is a staple. However, the majority of couples are not wine experts, nor do most have the time to devote years to deciding which wine they ought to serve on their wedding day. That is where our wine expert, or “sommelier,” comes in. He’s provided The Wedding Belle with a list of wines to serve at your wedding that are sure to please and won’t break the bank!

According to our wine consultant Scott Carter, “the perfect wine paired with the perfect food is the ‘icing on the cake.’ The first component of the wedding day that comes to mind is the champagne toast.” Carter recommends an extra dry Prosecco. “They tend to have a touch, almost unnoticeably, of sugar, so they’re able to be enjoyed without the accompaniment of food. Mionetto and Tosca are reasonably priced producers with above average quality.” For those who are looking to go above and beyond with their toast, he recommends Piper-Heidsieck Extra Dry. The great thing about these sparkling wines, Carter explained, is that they’re extremely versatile and can pair with many appetizers as well as lobster or crab, if either were your entrée.

If you are interested in switching things up after the champagne toast, and you are serving lobster, Carter would pair it with Columbia Crest H3 Chardonnay from the Horse Heaven Hills appellation in Washington. “The subtle tropical fruit and buttery-caramel combination exploit the lobster and drawn butter combination,” he says. “For the more adventurous, I would serve Simmern Riesling QBA from the Rheingau in Germany. If I were to choose a red wine to accompany my lobster it would be Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais. This wine is soft enough not to overpower the lobster, yet it’s acidic enough to refresh the palate for another bite.”

If your entree is crab, Carter says, “My choice of white wine would be Muscadet-Sevre et Maine by any producer, with an alcohol content under 12%. The pairing is a match made in heaven, especially with stone crab claws.”

According to Carter, “Filet mignon is one of the easiest to pair. Almost all Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot will go well with the meat. I would choose Villa Mt. Eden Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The tannins are soft, the body is full, and the oak adds a bit of spice to the wine, which would reflect off of a fresh ground pepper seasoning of the filet.”

“Pairing chicken may seem like the easiest pairing to make. However, it may sometimes be the most difficult as the pairing generally comes down to the sauce. If the sauce is white, I would serve a Tres Palacios Sauvignon Blanc or Chateau de Maligny Chablis. Both have higher acid structures either to match the highly acidic citrus-based sauces, or to cut through cream-based sauces. If the sauce is red or brown, I would serve an American Riesling for a white wine, as the sugar levels tend to be lower than German. If you are looking for red wine, Steel Creek Pinot Noir or Layer Cake Primitivo are the best, although the Pinot Noir would be the lighter of the two.”

Salmon can be a challenge to pair, but Carter recommends “either a wine from Chablis or Sancerre. Both wines have body and earthiness to stand up to the full flavor of Salmon.”

“Italian themed weddings could be the most fun when it comes to pairing wines,” Carter says. “Some of the best Italian wines are Chianti Classico, Barberra, and Valpolicella, but you can get away with almost any Italian wine if this is the theme you’ve chosen. Most Italian wines pair perfectly with Italian foods.”

We can’t stop drinking before we get to the cake! Carter explains, “When it comes to the cake the rule of thumb is to make sure that the wine is sweeter than the dessert, or else the wine will have a metallic taste. Most Auslese level Rieslings from Germany will fit the bill.”

All of these wines can be purchased either online or at your state liquor store, and range in price from $10 to $25 a bottle, with the exception of the Piper-Heidsieck Extra Dry Sparkling Wine which ranges from $30-$45, and the German Riesling which can range anywhere from $11 all the way up to $150. Happy wine selecting!

Special thanks to our wine consultant Scott Carter!!

Scott Carter

Wine Consultant

ABC Fine Wine and Spirits

Co-Founder

Unveiling Wine

www.UnveilingWine.com

The Perfect Favor

(Image from Beau Coup)

When we sit down with new clients, our goal is to get a grasp of who they are: how they met, professions, hobbies, life-altering moments, favorite foods, favorite flowers, favorite shapes, what makes them... them! These details, and many others, help us to design a wedding that is not just beautiful but a true reflection of the couple down to the smallest details. One of these details, for example, is the wedding favor. The decision of what to give as a favor to guests can be a daunting one. You might worry, “This one little gift is what my guests will be physically left with as a token of being a part of my wedding day, and I want it to express all the right things.” Don’t stress. Your guests will remember the wedding day for far more than the trinket they took home at the end of the night! Just relax and know that no matter what you choose, it will be appreciated and will remind them of your big day. So now that you (should) have a worry-free approach to your decision-making process, it’s time to shop!

What are you shopping for? There are so many options! Your favors could reflect an overall wedding theme. They could be a symbol of something you and your partner enjoy or something about your personalities. You could dedicate your favors to a cause such as your favorite charity or special interest. Your favors might represent your ethnicity or an important life experience. Here are just a few of our favorite ideas to help get your creative juices flowing:

1) For an Italian-themed Wedding or for those of Italian descent, why not send your guests home with a little personalized taste of Italy? These Mini Oil & Vinegar Bottles from Beau Coup come with your names and wedding date printed on the label. We personally love the “Balsoli:” rosemary infused olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar in-one, perfect for dipping! This is the kind of gift that will never go to waste.

2) Who doesn’t love chocolate? A super cute and incredibly delicious favor idea comes from L.A. Burdick out of NYC and Walpole, NH. They create small mice in white chocolate with cinnamon, milk chocolate with mocha and dark chocolate with orange, and package each mouse in a personalized box with ribbon. You get to pick the color of the mouse’s silk tail! Guests will find these favors adorable, not to mention irresistibly delectable.

3) A romantic and feminine approach to a wedding might entail these beautiful blown glass pens as favors. Lovely and practical these pens will look just as pretty as wedding décor as they will in your guests’ hands. There are two styles to choose from and they come in sets of four from Beau Coup.

4) Having a green wedding? Do you love the outdoors or flowers? This 2-in-1 favor also serves as a place card. Each place card has a small item attached at the top in the form of a butterfly, flower, snowflake, heart, starfish or leaf. These images have been printed on seed paper, which, when planted in the ground, grow wildflowers. Your guests will be left with a long lasting memory of your wedding while, at the same time enhancing the outdoors with these environmentally friendly gifts from Dream Green Weddings!