Happy Hour Friday - Hot Apple Pie Shots

Hot Apple Pie Shots

Ingredients

3/4 c. apple cider

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 c. rum

cinnamon

Directions

Measure 3/4 c. of apple cider on a microwavable container. Heat in the microwave until very hot. Stir in 1/4 tsp. of vanilla extract, 1/4 c. of rum and a pinch of cinnamon. Pour into a shot glasses three-quarters of the way full. Top with whipped cream and dust with cinnamon. Serve immediately.

Makes 5-6 shots.

Happy Hour Friday - Pineapple Upside Down Cake Shot

Pineapple Upside Down Cake Shot
1/2 ounce SKYY Infusions Pineapple Vodka
1/4 ounce Godiva White Chocolate
1/2 ounce Pineapple Juice
Splash Licor 43
Maraschino Cherry

Drip several drops maraschino cherry juice in bottom of shot glass. Slit bottom of maraschino cherry and prop on rim of shot glass. Set aside. Combine liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to blend and chill. Strain into prepared shot glass.

Happy Hour Friday - Peach Bourbon Sours

Peach Bourbon Sours
Yield: Makes 6 servings

Ingredients
1/2 cup peach preserves*

1/2 cup hot water

1 cup plus

2 Tbsp. bourbon or whiskey

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Garnishes: lemon slices, fresh basil sprigs

Directions:
1. Whisk together peach preserves and hot water in a glass pitcher until preserves are dissolved. Whisk in bourbon and lemon juice.
2. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add one-third of bourbon mixture; cover with lid and shake until thoroughly chilled. Pour over ice into 2 (8-12 oz) glasses. Repeat procedure with remaining bourbon mixture. Garnish, if desired. Serve drinks immediately.

*Seedless blackberry, apricot, or ginger preserves may be substituted.

Quick Ideas: Add garnishes to match or complement the preserves flavor you choose. Fresh blackberries and mint sprigs look great on glasses of Blackberry-Bourbon Sours, while lemon and kiwifruit slices are fancy touches to Ginger-Bourbon Cocktails.

Source: Southern Living

Wordless Wednesday - Rice Krispy Cake

Happy Hour Friday - Frozen Screwdriver

Ingredients:
1/2 can Fuzzy Navel Frozen BACARDI® Mixers
8 oz Minute Maid® Orange Juice
1/2 cup Bacardi® Rum
5 cups ice
oranges for garnish

Directions:
1. Blend together Fuzzy Navel Frozen BACARDI® Mixers, orange juice, rum, and ice for 45 to 60 seconds or until uniform.

2. Garnish with orange slices.

Serves: 5

Source: Hostess with the Mostess

Floral Guest Dessert Display

I found this gorgeous Floral Guest Dessert Display on Amy Atlas' blog. The Floral Guest Dessert Display was done by Allyson and Sarah of Bobbette and Belle from Canada. The display was created for a fundraiser for the NICU and the Avery Goldman Fund at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. I love the fact that Allyson and Sarah pulled the colors of the display from the pillows on the counch. For more on this beautiful display, please check out Amy's blog.

Oprah's Former Chef Art Smith Gets Married

Oprah's former chef and James Beard award winning chef Art Smith went a different route for his wedding transportation: He kicked off the day with a four-mile run through Washington, D.C., alongside his Jesus Salgueiro and 485 guests.

"We had the runners, the joggers, the walkers," Smith tells PEOPLE. "We had sweat on our shirts but nobody cared because it was beautiful." The run, which began at Smith's D.C. restaurant Art and Soul, ended at the base of the Lincoln Memorial, where the grooms shared a marriage blessing last Saturday.

Why the sweaty start to the day? "I believe in the idea of wellness and health. We need to take better care of ourselves," says the chef, who famously dropped close to 100 lbs. over the past year thanks to a healthy diet and regular exercise. As for the location of the wedding blessing, the Lincoln Memorial was a special request of Salgueiro, 49, who has been in remission from cancer for several years. The couple secured a protest license in order to gather at the national monument. "We reflected on the fact that we live in a great nation, and that all people should have equality," says Smith.

At Art and Soul guests feasted on a wedding brunch prepared by all-star chefs. On the menu: a fingerling potato salad by Top Chef's Lee Anne Wong; buttermilk fried chicken by Rey Villalobos and John Vermiglio of Smith's Table Fifty-Two restaurant in Chicago; smoked brisket by Hill Country's Elizabeth Karmel; and barbecue pulled pork by fellow BBQ Pitmaster judge Myron Mixon.

For dessert, there was a nine layer wedding cake decked out in green fondant, which was baked by Duff Goldman (aka the Ace of Cakes). "I was thinking, I don't like wedding cake and this cake has to be the best wedding cake I've ever had in my mouth," says the chef. "It was incredible."

In lieu of wedding gifts, the grooms requested that donations be made to Common Threads, a charity Smith founded which teaches low-income kids to cook nutritious meals. "I love a party, and people had an amazing time," Smith says. But just as important? "They all ate a lot of food."

Source: People

Chelse Clinton's Wedding Poem

During Chelsea Clinton's wedding, Chelsea and Marc read a poem titled "The Life That I Have" by Leo Marks. The poem is as follows:

The life that

I haveIs all that I have

And the life that I have

Is yours

The love that I have

Of the life that I have

Is yours and yours and yours.

A sleep I shall have

A rest I shall have

Yet death will be but a pause

For the peace of my years

In the long green grass

Will be yours and yours

And yours

Chelsea Clinton Wedding

The big wedding of the weekend was Chelsea Clinton's. Chelsea married her longtime boyfriend Marc Mezvinsky on Saturday, July 31st at Astor Courts in Rhinebeck, NY, surrounded by 400 family and friends. She wore a strapless silk organza gown with a draped tulle bodice and an embellished belt that was designed by Vera Wang, a family friend. Wang also designed the bridesmaids dresses. Her mother, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, wore Oscar de la Renta. Burberry creative director Christopher Bailey, designed groom Marc Mezvinsky’s tuxedo as well as ties for the groomsmen and the father of the bride, former President Bill Clinton.

In a joint statement to the press her parents said, "Today, we watched with great pride and overwhelming emotion as Chelsea and Marc wed in a beautiful ceremony at Astor Courts, surrounded by family and their close friends. We could not have asked for a more perfect day to celebrate the beginning of their life together, and we are so happy to welcome Marc into our family." The New York Times reported that the ceremony was conducted by Rabbi James Ponet and the Rev. William Shillady. The couple read a poem by Leo Marks titled "The Life That I Have," according to the family.

Source: People

Alicia Keys Marries Swiss Beatz

Grammy award winner singer Alicia Keys married record producer Swizz Beatz (who was born Kasseem Dean) on Saturday, July 31st in Corsica, France. Keys, 29, and Beatz, 31, who are expecting their first child together later this year, swore their "I do" in an island paradise ceremony led by new age love guru Dr. Deepka Chopra.


The bride wore a white Grecian-inspired Vera Wang gown and a diamond encrusted headband. She carried a bouquet of purple calla lilies. Beatz wore a white Tom Ford tuxedo.


Close friends and family filled the private ceremony, a representative for the singer said. Among the celeb friends were U2's Bono and Queen Latifah.

Alicia and Beatz have been dating since 2008, when she threw him a surprise party at the Guggenheim Musuem. In May, Keys and Beatz announced they were engaged and expecting a child in November.

Source: Hollywood Life

Happy Hour Friday - Texas Twister

Texas Twister

Ingredients:
2-1/2 to 3 oz. high-quality tequila

1-1/2 oz. Grand Marnier

1-1/2 to 2 oz. fresh lime juice

1/4 pint frozen limeade

Splash of Corona (or your favorite Mexican beer)

Splash of your favorite red wine such as Zinfandel

2 cups crushed ice

Preparation:
Blend all ingredients with ice in blender until smooth. Pour into a chilled margarita glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Yield: Two drinks

Source: Fine Living

HappyHour Friday - Chocolate Martini

Chocolate Martini

1 1/2 shots Godiva® chocolate liqueur

1 1/2 shots creme de cacao

1/2 shot vodka

2 1/2 shots half-and-half

Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake and pour into a chilled cocktail glass.

Recipe from Drinks Mixer Photo from My Recipes.

Happy Hour Friday

Almond Joy & Milky Way Martinis

Almond Joy Martini

1 oz. Three Olives chocolate vodka
1 oz. Frangelica
1 oz. coconut rum

Shake together while chilling and pour.

Milky Way Martini

1 1/2 oz. Starbucks Cream Liqueur
1 oz. Three Olives chocolate vodka
1/2 oz. cream

Shake together while chilling and pour.

Source: Fine Living

Thank You Cards

The biggest complaint that wedding guests have is that they did not receive a thank you card for their gift. We all love to receive gifts and weddings are a perfect occasion for gift giving. Your guests would like for you to acknowledge their gifts.

Approach your thank you cards with as much thought and organization as you did with the rest of your wedding planning.

For pre wedding events (engagement parties, bridal showers) thank you cards should be sent 2-3 weeks after the event.

Many brides think they have up to a year to send out thank you cards after the wedding. This is incorrect. Thank you cards should be sent no later than 2 months after the wedding, 3 months at the latest. If for some reason you are waiting on the proofs from your photographer then the thank you cards should be sent no later than 3 -4 months.

If you receive gifts after the wedding, follow up immediately and send cards within 3 weeks of receiving the gift.

Remember thank you cards should be handwritten and a separate card must be sent for each gift. I know that sending out cards for each event can be overwhelming but organization is the key. Microsoft Office has several gift tracker templates to help you keep organized. Click here to get your wedding gift tracker.

Celebrity Weddings - Carrie Underwood

Under a tent at theRitz Carlton Reynolds Plantation in Georgia, Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher tied the knot on Saturday, July 10, before 250 friends and family in a ceremony featuring classical music and the couple's favorite Bible readings.

“We could not feel more blessed to have found each other and to have shared this day with our friends and family that mean so much to us!” the newlyweds told PEOPLE in a statement, signing their names “Mike & Carrie Fisher.”

Underwood wore a Chantilly lace dress created for her by Monique Lhuillier, who also designed the bridesmaids’ dresses. Fisher, who plays for the Ottawa Senators, proposed to Underwood on Dec. 20, after quietly dating for about a year.

Source: People Magazine

Celebrity Weddings - Martin Lawrence

Martin Lawrence and his longtime girlfriend, Shamicka Gibbs, were married in an intimate wedding on Saturday, July 10, at the actor's home in Beverly Hills. Lawrence, 45, and Gibbs, 35, exchanged vows in front of 120 guests. Their daughters Amara, 9, and Iyana, 7, and Lawrence's daughter Jasmine, 14, from a previous marriage were flower girls.

After the ceremony, the newlyweds joined their guests under a tent for a reception. For the family-style celebration. The four-course sit-down dinner, catered by Tres LA, included salad, crab cakes and salmon, Lawrence's favorite dish. The four-tiered wedding cake was by Rosebud Cakes in Beverly Hills.

Congratulations Martin and Shamicka.

Celebrity Weddings - Lala Vazquez & Carmelo Anthony

This weekend was full of celebrity weddings. On Saturday, July 10 Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony married actress and former MTV VJ Lala Vazquez at Cipriani's in New York. Their 3 year old son, Kiyan, escorted them down the aisle and served as ring bearer.

Cipriani's was transformed into a red theme celebration featuring red table cloths, centerpieces of red Ecuadorian roses, hundreds of candles and thousands of red roses hangin from the ceiling. The bride wore a Vera Wang gown and carried red and pink flowers. Carmelo, 26, proposed five years ago with an 8-carat cushion-cut diamond. He added 2 1/2-more carats with two matching wedding bands, worth about $200,000.

The guests were invited with a red and gold wedding invitation decorated with Swarovski crystals, which was delivered in a black box featuring their first initials. The invitations were designed by Lehr & Black.

Source: US Magazine, People Magazine

Calligraphy is a style of visual art and adds a personal touch that reflects the style and tone of your event.

Laura Hooper of Laura Hooper’s Calligraphy brings style and elegance to each piece that she designs. Laura provides hand drawn maps, save the dates, letterpress invitations and reception items such as table numbers and menu cards.

Check out Laura’s website and all that she offers here. You can also check out her blog here.

Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend

Blackwell Necklace

Blackwell Earrings

I know what you are thinking I can’t afford diamonds right now and my budget is already tight. Last week I was introduced to Adorn Brides. Adorn Brides rents gorgeous diamond jewelry for weddings and other special occasions. Adorn Brides allows you to have the red carpet look and feel like a million bucks without the red carpet price tags. Adorn Brides has been featured on The View, CBS News, New York Times and other media outlets.

Beckford Necklace: Sapphires & Diamonds

Valentine Earrings: Sapphire & Diamonds

In case you need something blue and want something that stands out, the sapphire and diamond Beckford Necklace is gorgeous and can be worn with the Valentine Earrings.

Lloyd Bangle

Hartley Earrings

Stevenson Earrings

Spencer Necklace

The Lloyd Bangle and Hartley Earrings are perfect if you are going for a classic look on your wedding day. The Spencer Necklace is fabulous and reminds me of the Fred Leighton necklace that Taraji P. Henson was wearing on Oscar night.

Questions To Ask Your Photographer

For most couples, their wedding day is one of the most memorable days in their lives. Capturing their special day through photography is of high priority to most couples and arranging for wedding photographers is one of the most important decisions that needs to be made. Your wedding photographer will be responsible for supplying the treasured photos that will be reviewed by the you, your family and friends. Your wedding photographer will be responsible for recording some of the small but important details of the your wedding which are often overlooked. In order to help you select a photographer that will capture those special moments and your style, I have listed important questions to ask your photographer.

1. What’s your primary style? Posed and formal, relaxed, photojournalistic, creative, artistic, candid, traditional?

2. Do you shoot in color or black and white? Or both? Do you shoot in a digital format that can create both color and black and white versions of the same picture?

3. What kind of input can we have on the direction of the shots? Can we give you a shot list to work from?

4. Are you the wedding photographer who will actually take our pictures? If not, can we meet the person who will be?

5. Can we meet any assistants who will also be our taking pictures?

6. How many times have you worked specifically as a wedding photographer? How many were similar to the size and formality of our wedding?

7. How many other events will you photograph that weekend?

8. What type of cameras do you use? Will you have a backup in case something breaks or doesn’t work? How intrusive will lighting, tripods, other equipment or assistants be?

9. Do you develop your own film?

10. Can we buy the negatives from you?

11. Do you have photos of an entire wedding that I can see?

12. Do you have references I can call?

13. Do you post the proofs online or will I receive negatives?

14. When will my proofs, prints & wedding albums be available?

15. How many pictures will you take?

16. Are you apart of any professional associations?

17. How many years have you been photographing weddings?

18. How much do you charge for overtime?

After you have met with your potential photographer, ask yourself Do I like this person?, Do I get a good feeling from him/her, Do I like his/her style? Do I like their work? Does he/she capture the details? Is their work in focus and well framed?

Be sure to call their references before making a final decision. You may feel awkward to call a stranger but remember that you are spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on your photographer and you want to make a well informed decision. Your photographs will be one of the lasting aspects of your wedding day and you want to make sure that you pick the best photographer for you.

Welcome to J. Marie Events

 

At the beginning of the year I was fighting to keep my original business name due to the fact that another wedding planner had taken my business name and made it her own.  After many months of going through a ton of paperwork and research, I have finally decided on a new business name…….J. Marie Events.   J. Marie Events is a boutique event planning firm serving the Southern California Area.   I am excited about the future for J. Marie Events.    Welcome to J. Marie Events.  I look forward to working with you on your upcoming wedding and special events.