The Signature Drink

Shaken or stirred, blended or on the rocks, top shelf or virgin...a celebration just isn't a celebration without a few tantalizing libations.  I mean let's face it, next to the guest(s) of honor, it's often the bar that attracts the most attention at events, so it's worth putting a little thought and effort into what's going to be served.


While hosting a fully stocked bar may suit some, it's just not practical for everyone since it can add thousands to your budget.  So how do you show your guests a good time, without breaking the bank? Enter the signature drink!


I'm a huge fan of signature cocktails at weddings and events. By serving up one or two customized creations, along with a beer and white & red wine selection, you can avoid the sometimes exorbitant costs of the fully stocked bar.


Plus, beyond just the cost-savings appeal, these customized concoctions are an excellent way to add a personal touch to your event. Signature drinks typically mirror the theme and/or colors of the event and provide an excellent way engage your guests by carrying that theme into not only what they see, feel and hear, but what they taste and smell as well.


Here is one of my favorite summer recipes, the Strawberry Mojito.

Strawberry Mojito

Ingredients

• white sugar, for rimming
• 2 large limes, quartered
• 1/2 bunch mint leaves
• 7 strawberries, quartered
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup white rum
• 2 cups club soda
• 8 cups ice cubes
• 
  
• Directions

1. Pour 1/4 to 1/2 inch of sugar onto a small, shallow plate. Run one of the lime quarters around the rim of each cocktail glass, then dip the glasses into the sugar to rim; set aside.
2. Squeeze all of the lime quarters into a sturdy glass pitcher. Toss the juiced limes into the pitcher along with the mint, strawberries, and 1 cup of sugar. Crush the fruits together with a muddler to release the juices from the strawberries and the oil from the mint leaves. Stir in the rum and club soda until the sugar has dissolved. Pour into the sugared glasses over ice cubes to serve.

Will You Marry Me...With a Twist

I came across this proposal video on Green Wedding Shoes and thought it was just the cutest thing. Take a peak. The groom doesn't actually get down on one knee until around 3:50 into the video, but  the build up is delightfully entertaining. Enjoy!

Wedding Giveaway Winners!

We're excited to announce the winners of our wedding giveaway contest! 

Over the past month we received entries from amazing couples from all over Southern California and even the country. With such a great bunch to choose from, the decision was certainly not an easy one, but we're excited to announce our winners:

Blake & Lizzie

Kristen Simental Photography and I couldn't be more excited to help this lovely duo put on the wedding of their dreams come September.

Congratulations to the winning couple and thanks again to everyone who supported the contest!

Dressing For The Beachside Wedding

I'm excited to have a guest blog post from fashion designer Michael Ferrera, owner of Southern California based Michael Ferrera Custom Clothing. With a full line of custom-made menswear, including tuxedos, suits, dress shirts and ties, Michael is a great resource for grooms and all their wedding day styling needs. Today, he offers valuable tips on dressing for a beach side wedding.

Ah, the beach side wedding! You've been invited to this special, momentous occasion, to share with someone you know on a (hopefully) sunny, beautiful day on the beach. Yes, the idea of a beach side wedding sounds spectacular, but what do you wear? Some wedding guests have a hard enough time deciding what to wear to a traditional wedding, let alone a wedding that will be in the sand and the hot sun. Here are some tips  to keep cool and keep your "cool" at the beach side wedding.

The first thing to remember for both ladies & gents when attending a beach side wedding is that you're still attending a wedding! Which means, yes, you still need to dress up. Just because you're on the beach does not leave room for you to wear jeans, flip-flops, sun dresses or Bermuda shorts. The only time you can wear these items is if your wedding invitation specifically says this attire is appropriate. I understand, dressy attire is not the most comfortable to wear on the sand at the beach, but keep in mind that you may be having the reception at a nearby clubhouse, which is probably inside. Now that you're indoors all the beach stuff goes out the window and you're at a wedding, so you better have dressed like it! So, here we go...

Ladies:

Lets deal with the most important first, shoes! Heels or no heels? No heels! Besides the fact that walking in heels on the beach doesn't make sense, you ladies have some very dressy alternatives that can work for a beach wedding. Opt for the a dressy pair of flats or some white leather or crystal slippers. They're dressy and appropriate for walking on sand while matching with your outfit. Shh, one Ferrera Fresh Tip for you ladies is to take a second pair of mid-size heels you can grab from your car & slip on for the reception. Most guys won't notice you've changed but they will notice...you!

Second, your outfit must be strategic. Since the casual sun dress will not work for the evening reception, go for a dressier short dress with no sleeves to accommodate for the warm weather. Then when the evening reception hits reach into your purse for your fancy shawl or pashmina that you can wrap around your shoulders to dress up your outfit. Very simple but yet appropriate to keep your class and cool on the beach and at dinner.

Finally, accessories! This is probably the least of your concern. This part of your attire doesn't really change much. Bracelet, rings, necklaces, earrings and all the trimmings work in on the beach or dinner. Just avoid the extreme elegant jewelry you would wear to formal events, you don't want to chance losing them in the sand. One accessory you may want to add for a beach side wedding is a large sun hat. Not only will it control your hair in the beach breeze, but it shades you from the sun and is appropriate for beach side attire. You can ditch the hat for the dinner.

Gents (or you ladies who dress your man):

Shoes for the gents? We may have to suck it up because, yes, the dress shoes will get a little dusty. The trick is to use that handkerchief you should have in your back pocket (or maybe the extra one you bring along specifically for this purpose). Once the beach part of the wedding is over, slide into the men's room and give your shoes a quick wipe down. You can even carry a pocket-size shoe shiner that you can use for a nice shine before dinner. Besides keeping your shoes clean, aim for leather shoes you can wear without socks such as boat shoes or dress sandals.  You can wear both of these with a suit or blazer, which we will talk about now.

--more after the jump--

Our Fabulous Wedding Giveaway

It’s been an exciting month for Fabulously Ever After! Since announcing our wedding giveaway contest for a chance to win free wedding planning and photography, the entries have been rolling in. 

We’ve been getting such great support that we decided to extend the contest entry deadline one more week.

Don’t miss your final chance to win over $4,000 of free wedding services, including:

Fierce wedding planning package from Fabulously Ever After

Basic wedding photography package from Kristen Simental Photography

Head over to the original post for details on how to enter.


The winners will now be announced on Monday, May 31.

Thank you to everyone who has entered, spread the word, offered wedding services and supported the contest thus far.

We look forward to closing May out with a bang when we announce the winners next Monday!

Entertaining Sex and the City Style

The movie event of the year is only two weeks away...well, at least according to Sex and the City fanatics like me. As Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha fans across the country get ready for opening weekend of Sex and the City 2 the movie, you can bet that plenty of SATC themed parties are bound to follow. And what kind of Sex and the City fan party planner would I be if I didn't offer a couple ideas for putting on such a fabulous affair.

• Play up the color pink in your decor with fuchsia lighting, table cloths, balloons, flowers or votive candle holders. Black, silver and zebra print are great accent colors, and don't forget to throw around a couple faux diamonds to play up the fab factor.
• Encourage your girls to let out their inner Carrie by asking your guests to come in their fiercest stilettos. You can even add a little competitive fun to the mix by having all the girls vote on their favorite pair.

• What would a SATC party be without Cosmopolitans. Have a Make Your Own Martini station with plenty of vodka and mixers for drinks like Cosmos, Appletinis and Manhattans. Have items like sugar, strawberries, raspberries and lime slices on hand as well to garnish the glasses. If you're mixing drinks up before the movie though, just make sure to cab it over to the theater.
• Hostess With the Mostess has some great templates for Sex and the City embelishments, which make for the perfect napkin holders, cupcake toppers or even place cards. You can print out the templates for free here.
• Send your guests off with a cute little party favor. Perhaps the Sex and the City book, and I <3 NY shirt, pink nail polish, a mini stiletto keychain...

Getting Fit For Your Big Day

Ahh, summer is upon us...my favorite time of year. Not only does it mean beach season, but as the warm California sun begins to make regular appearances, it also means wedding season is in full swing.

Bikinis and brides have more in common than just this shared season. As summer approaches, women all across the country are stepping up their fitness regime to make sure they look flawless, whether they're planning a walk down the boardwalk or a walk down the aisle.

If it's the gown and the garter you'll be donning this summer, why not add a little fun to your calorie burning quest by getting fit with other brides in your area? Last week, I came across BWell Fit's Bridal Fitness Bootcamp and have been pinching myself ever since for not coming up with this great idea first. Just think about it, not only are you guaranteed a great workout, but the benefits of getting fit with other ladies with wedding bells on the brain is a reason to join on it's own. Chances are the woman holding your knees as you do your crunches will have a photographer to recommend, ideas for that DIY centerpiece you've been racking your brain over, or other wedding tidbits to share to make this hour-long workout a lot more bearable.

BWell Fit's Briadal Bootcamp is currently being offered at Mother's Beach in Marina Del Ray, CA. For more information about how to sign up, head on over to their website.

Cake, Cake, and more CAKE!

Fabulous cakes by some of my favorite Southern California cake designers.

I Believe It's Cake

A Pinch of Spirit

Hansen Cakes

Fantasy Frostings

Rossmoor Pastries

Torrance Bakery

Wednesday's Wanderings

My has it been a busy week! As part of my "bill paying" job as PR professional, I'm working to produce an exciting event for a group of mommy bloggers next week in Laguna Beach -- which means some long hours in the office over the next few days. As I write this post I'm sitting in bed with my eyes getting heavier by the second, so here's a lil something to hold you over until we meet again:

I have to give a big thank you to Life Purpose Coach and Bride-To-Be Nailah Blades of Polka Dot Coaching for featuring me and Fabulously Ever After in her new "Rock Star Squad" blog series. Polka Dot is a great resource for all you 20-something ladies out there working towards living life on your own terms. Check out the feature here. 

How could I forget to mention. Last week my first guest blog post went live on Marriage.com, where I offered a few pointers on planning the perfect destination wedding.

And, don't forget to enter for your chance to win more than $2000 worth of free wedding planning services from Fabulously Ever After!

"The real act of marriage takes place in the heart, not in the ballroom or church or synagogue. It's a choice you make - not just on your wedding day, but over and over again -- and that choice is reflected in the way you treat your husband or wife." - Barbara De Angelis

Your Fabulous Affair...On Us!

"Tis better to give than receive." Well, this month I'm in a giving mood! And you, my wonderful readers, are on the receiving end. Fabulously Ever After is offering FREE wedding planning services to a lucky reader in the Southern California area! Yes, you heard right..FREE!

Valued at more than $2000, the Fierce wedding package is perfect for the couple that has taken care of some of the preliminary details on their own, but still needs assistance planning in the months leading up to the wedding, as well as full coordination on the actual wedding date so you can relax and enjoy your special day.

Sound too good to be true, well it's not. There's no catch. We simply want the pleasure of being involved in your big day and the challenge of helping you make your wedding dreams a reality.

Want to be considered? It's easy. Send an email to contest{at}fabulouslyeverafter{dot}com with the following information by Friday, May 28:

1. Couple's Name
2. Wedding Date & Location
3. Wedding Budget
4. In 50 words or less, tell me why you need my help. You can be creative, funny, frank...as long as tell me why you need me.
5. A picture of the lovely couple

The Fabulously Ever After team will review the entries and announce the winner on Monday, May 31.

If you're not getting married, surely you know someone who is, so spread the word!

***UPDATE***

Fabulously Ever After is now teaming up with professional photographer Kristen Simental to offer free wedding planning services AND wedding photography to a lucky couple in the Southern California area. That’s more than $4000 worth of free wedding day services!

So, in addition to the Fierce wedding planning package from Fabulously Ever After, the winner will also get the following photography services generously donated by Kristen:

• Up to 6 hours of photography coverage
• All high-resolution digital images delivered on a disc at 300 DPI, ready for printing
• Online viewing of selected images provided for you, family and friends in a private, password protected gallery
• A separate engagement shoot
• All high-resolution image files on DVD

It doesn’t get much better than this folks. We’ve extended the entry deadline through Friday, May 21st, so get those entries in now!