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As we all know flowers add so much beauty to the wedding and brings a great statement to the overall look of your celebration. Look at that amazing floral arch Prince Harry and Meghan had at their wedding, a vision that will stay forever in our minds and so when determining your vision it is important to find the right creative floral designer for your needs.



1. When researching to find what floral designer is the right choice for you it would be advantageous to get referrals from your planner together with the creative team you have put together including your venue as they will all have wonderful recommendations.

2. Questions to ask your floral designer would be to ask how long he has been in business. How much experience have they had working on weddings? Ask to look at their portfolios and no doubt they can give you client referrals.

3. Your floral designer will take the time to get to know your tastes and will discuss how they will make your wedding design special from the moment your guests arrive.

4. It is important to establish a budget parameter based on your floral vision.

5. When selecting your florist, ask if he will be on site with the installation or who will some one else be representing the company for installation. Also ask how the breakdown of all the floral elements will be handled.

6. You can find your design inspiration from magazines, botanical gardens, interior design magazines, art work and of course your own inspiration. Gather all this when meeting your floral designer so he can begin to build your “own” design.

7. Make sure when choosing your guest table floral it is not too tall so guests cannot see people across the table. Make sure guest table floral are the right size for the table.

8. Think about your color palette and the general style you like rather than obsessing over a certain flower. Flowers are very seasonal so think about which will work best for the season.

9. Ask for a sample centerpiece for guest tables so if any changes need to be made they can be done at this time. Hence NO surprises on the day.

10. Make sure your florist visits your venue or at least has worked the location before he gives you the proposal so that all costs can be accounted for and that there are no restriction when installing and they are aware of breakdown policies of the venue.

Let's dive right in to the next recipe from Food, Fun & Love: Gazpacho!

Gazpacho

Ingredients:
1 pound yellow tomatoes, chopped
2 pounds yellow tomatoes for juicing
4 ounces English cucumber, chopped
2 ounces yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 ounce red onions, peeled and chopped
1 ounce celery, trimmed and chopped
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup butter garlic olive oil mixture
3 slices of white bread
1 bunch cilantro

Directions
To make the tomato juice, juice two pounds of yellow tomatoes.

Mix the chopped tomatoes, tomato juice, vegetables and garlic ina food processor and puree until smooth. You can do this in batches and mix in a bowl or container. This can be a little chunky if you like. Season with the olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Soup is best when prepared one day in advance and placed in the refrigerator to allow flavors to develop. Prior to serving, taste the soup and adjust the olive oil and vinegar if needed.

To prepare the croutons, cut the bread into spoon shapes with a cookie cutter. Meanwhile warm a half cup of the butter garlic olive oil mixture in a sauté pan. Dip one side of the bread shapes in the mixture to coat well and place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in a 300 degrees oven for 10–15minutes until golden brown.

To serve, pour soup into a glass or bowl (we used a tall shot glass) and garnish with the toasted bread spoon and fresh cilantro and serve.

Venue: Lombardi House | Planning + Details: Details Samantha - About Details Details | Florals: Bloombox Designs | Rentals/Furniture: Revelry Event Design | Signage: Cordially Couture | Linens: La Tavola Linen | Photobooth: River and Bridge Booth | Crystal Reading: Style Rituals | Photography: John and Joseph Photography Socco Media

We loved being part of the Casa Vertigo re-launch and providing our Asian inspired dishes such as ramen, deconstructed spicy tuna sushi and Sake tasting!

Couldn't make it? Thanks to Zelus Media and AI International Events, they captured it all on video! Click the link below to watch!

Venue/Hots/Florals: XO Bloom | Coordination/Design: Cindy Celis | Catering: Good Gracious! Events | Cocktails: Scarlette Bartending | Stationery: Soolip | Rentals: Edge Design and Decor | Tabletop & Chair Rentals: Party Pleasers | Photography: Sanaz Photography | Lighting & Sound Coastal Events | Napkin Calligraphy: Handwritten Everything

If you did not know, Pauline, or Good Gracious wrote a book of recipes many years ago. Over the next several months we will share those recipes, chapter by chapter. Today, we'll dive right in to Chapter 1: Drunken Tomatoes with Chili Salt and Zatar Spice!


I have always been interested in the idea that the power of ancient spirits exists and that it can give us the energy and ability to create positive change in our lives and the lives of those around us.

One day when wandering into a book store, a book of good spells caught my eye. I immediately thought it would be perfect to have a party based on this book and on the notion of good spells. After all, I believe that casting good spells is what we do over people when we bring them together for a meal.

The look of the book, with its deep red fabric cover,was my inspiration for the colorscheme of the table. And because my home is Spanish in style, I chose a menu influenced by the cuisine of Spain.
A book was placed at each setting. I added my guests’ names to each book, very easily, with a gold label and a label maker. That little detail was so effective in creating the first good spell – breaking the ice!



Before the party, I had chosen three spells from the book – one for love, one for health and one for wealth – and provided all the elements those spells took to perform (according to the book, a candle, a penny and a key) and placed them in a decorative bag for each guest. During the evening, we performed each spell as directed by the book. I’m sure you can see where this is going – dinner was a riot, with interesting conversation brought on by the spells...and the Rioja wine helped too!

It made me think about the nature of dinner parties. Really, we – the host and the guests – are the entertainment for the evening. But, because people have somewhat forgotten the fine art of conversation, The Good Spell Book gave this group a structure for their conversation, for the entertainment really. It enabled us to share time with one another in a completely different way. Now that is what I call a powerful energy!

To me, this is the essence of great entertaining – bringing out the best in people with food, fun and love to create a moment in time that is remembered forever. In the“spirit” of this evening of giving, each guest was given a copy of the book and their bag of goodies so they could continue to practice some good spells on their own.

Below, is the recipe!

Our next creative in our “creatives that inspire” series, is Claudette of Scarlette Bartending! If you haven’t had the pleasure of tasting one of her custom cocktails do what you can to end that drought. Read below to learn more about her favorite cocktail and how she got started in mixology!

Be realistic with your vision when creating a budget! In this edition of Pauline's Points, we are delving into the most important part of your event; Budget.


As they say, money makes the world go round. One would argue that on a wedding day, love makes the world go round. As long as a strong balanced budget has been prepared, and followed, then on the big day, it will be all love.

1. Here is basic list of principal elements that you will want to consider; as every wedding is individual, yours may need other additional considerations.

∙ Invitations and Signage
∙ Officiant and Ceremony site
∙ Venue
∙ Wedding Attire
∙ Transportation
∙ Flowers
∙ Photography/Videography
∙ Wedding Planner
∙ Food and Beverage
∙ Wedding Cake
∙ Music
∙ Favors
∙ Lighting
∙ Decor
∙ Rentals/Linens
∙ Honeymoon


2. No time like the present to start the family off on a healthy communication about finances. All those who are participating in the expenditures, finance, family, generous friends (hey some of us have those) should feel comfortable talking about who will be responsible for what part of the costs of the celebration. A ballpark figure must be established or the whole process will be more trying that it needs to be.

2. Take the time to discuss with your fiancé and if your family are going to help with the expenses, as to who will be responsible for what. Come up with a ballpark figure that everyone feels comfortable spending for your celebration.

3 For most, this is the most expensive party they have ever thrown. Many people have no idea of what it will cost to create their dream wedding. Try to be realistic about what you dollars will bring you.

4. Be realistic with your vision for your wedding day that it matches your budget.

5. Your highest cost items are generally venue, food, beverages and equipment rentals.

6. To get more bang out of your dollar amounts, consider having the ceremony and reception at the same location as this will be more cost effective.

7. Choosing a venue such as a hotel or country club can also help the budget as they usually have linen, flatware, glasses, chairs, tables, and usually staff built in to the cost of the venue.

8. When booking a venue that is a blank canvas remember that you have to pay for everything to be brought in. These costs can be as much as 45% higher than choosing a venue with all equipment mentioned above.

9. Really determine what elements of a celebration are important to you. It is so much better to do five things really well than 10 things poorly. You may want to indulge your guest on a more elaborate culinary experience, and entertainment or photography may not be as important to you. Choosing an open bar over elaborate decorations may suit your style. Having this conversation early in the process will also save you time and money.

10. Your guest list can make or break the budget when it comes to the cost of food and beverage, rentals and floral costs for centerpieces. The more guests and the more tables, the higher this cost goes. Most other items will remain nearly the same whether you have 50 or 200 guests i.e. entertainment, dance floor….

11. Work closely with your event professionals, as they are experts and quite often can find creative solutions that you never considered to bring prices more in line with your budget. Giving your professional team a ballpark budget to start makes their life easier, and more likely to give you added value. Making them play the guessing game eats into their time, and can be frustrating.

The budget process in many ways is a quick view into how your future as a couple and budgeting finances will run. Keep the communication open, and know there will have to be compromises. Remember this is a celebration of the love you all have more than anything!



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