DIY Bourbon Tasting Bar

A guest post by Calder Clark.

If you think Southern weddings are all about peonies, parasols, and pink bows, you just wait... 

Case in point: one of our clients let us have a little fun at their fall wedding down on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, recently. When tasked with conjuring up a cocktail activity that was Southern and sure to be a crowd pleaser, we jumped at the challenge. And that's exactly how our small batch bourbon bar (pictured below) was born.

My groom dutifully “researched” the barrel-aged sauce while we spent the summer haunting antique malls for a collection of old cut crystal decanters and vintage cocktail glassware. After selecting two beautiful charred oak barrels as a table base, we had our production team build and patinate a thick piece of copper for the bar top. A few leather-handled ice buckets and pewter ice scoops later, and voilà—the cocktail hour pièce de résistance was finally assembled.

Guests literally drank us out of house and home, which is the ultimate goal of course. I think I saw some elbow-throwing as folks bellied up to the bar to sample the various batches.

With or without a production team, all you really need for a party version of this idea is great bourbon and great friends. We provided the list of bourbon!

Here are some of our go-tos: 
Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select
Labrot & Graham
Versailles, Kentucky
Aged, Unknown
Proof 90.4

Ridgemont Reserve 1792
Barton Brands Distilling
Bardstown, Kentucky
Aged, Eight Years
Proof 93.7

Basil Hayden’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Jim Beam Distillery
Clermont, Kentucky
Aged, Eight Years
Proof 80

Jefferson’s Reserve
McClain & Kyne Distillery
Bardstown, Kentucky
Aged, Twelve to Fourteen Years
Proof 90.2

Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve
Old Rip Van Winkle’s Distillery
Louisville, Kentucky
Aged, Fifteen Years
Proof 107

Four Roses Small Batch
Four Roses Distillery
Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
Aged, Unknown
Proof 90

**One more takeaway tip: we had crushed ice, fresh mint, lemons, and limes available on the off chance that garnishes were needed . . . but almost all enjoyed it neat. 

Photo credits: A Bryan Photo

Polaroid Escort Cards

Cutest place cards i've seen in awhile...

(Special Thanks to The Wedding Chicks & Courtney & Aaron)

Steal Worthy Idea:

One of our favorite details was the place cards. We searched the internet for any pictures we could find of our guests. Using the beauty of facebook, we found snapshots, from safe to totally embarrassing, but if it was on the web, it was fair game! We turned them into Polaroids and with DIY magnets favorsincluding vintage pictures of Lake Tahoe. Guests were laughing hysterically when they saw their old prom photos and Halloween costumes from years past as their place card. We’re still hearing comments about them!

Princess for a Day...

With the Royal Wedding upon us, it's time to be wistful 

that we too can be a princess.  

Here are some beautiful tiara's from Etsy.com

Vintage Dream Golden Tiara

BeSomethingNew

Rhinestone Collage Ribbon Circlet

by Hippiebride

Lola Rhinestone Beaded Bridal Headband

by AmieNoelDesigns

Rhinestone Rose and Leaf Tiara

by MyraKim

Happy Earth Day!

Eco Friendly Wedding Dresses

I am loving the eco-friendly gowns from The Cotton Bride!  All of the dresses are hand-sewn and made of natural fabrics, including an array of cotton and linen, and designed to perfection with hints of beadwork, lace, and embroidery.  The concept is simple but the beauty of these dresses is anything but!  Happy Earth Day!

Brilliant Earth...Brilliant Rings

I love a non-traditional engagement or wedding band and when it happens to hold sentimental value and/or be created in a socially responsible manner...it's even better.

Brilliant Earth, founded in 2005 by Beth Gerstein and Eric Grossberg, has the most beautiful "responsibly sourced" jewelry.   Like this Oval Yellow Sapphire on White Gold $2,500.

Rustic Coral Winery Wedding

Photography: Jill Thomas Photography
Venue: David Hill Winery
Rentals: Barclay Event Rentals
Cake: Michelle’s Custom Cakery
Invitations: Cricket Printing
Hair + makeup: Chachi Hair and Skin

Garden Varietal

Spring is here and these lovely Escort "Cards", 
Centerpieces and Favors are just what the doctor ordered...

 {Photo credits: 1+2+4+5+6+7+8 Martha Stewart Weddings 

3 The Bride's Cafe}

Add a Little TOMS to your Wedding...

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed...


Something Blue :)

TOMS now has a Wedding Collection...

A New Twist on Lampshade Centerpieces

Floral Centerpieces are beautiful...but the addition of candle lit lamps add that warm glow for an evening event.


These Gorgeous Helen Lampshades turn your wine glasses into stunning centerpieces and mood setters. With the set, you get three shades that are made from parchment and they have the styles of pleats, pearls, and fringes that are shown through the light. All you have to do is place the shade over your wine glass, add a tea light and enjoy its illuminating presence.

Wine Glass Lampshades courtesy of Moma Museum Store

White by Vera Wang

Budget brides rejoice: Vera Wang has brought her new collection to David's Bridal! The collection,White by Vera Wang, features gowns affordably priced between $600-$1100, as well as bridesmaids dresses, headpieces and veils.

Here is a sneak peek of the collection:

Happy Valentine's Day to Everyone...Mwah!

Behold Beholden by Anthropologie...

If you haven’t heard yet, Anthropologie’s wedding and event line is launching on Valentines Day (Monday, 2/14/2011). All images below were spotted on Aisle Dash. BHLDN or Beholden, collection of heirloom-style wedding gowns, bridesmaid and party dresses, and accessories including jewelry, headpieces, footwear and lingerie. Eventually, BHLDN will carry everything you need to plan a wedding -- like cake pedestals, place cards, table decorations, candelabras and glassware. And next year, brides will even be able to purchase designer letterpressed invitations produced in limited-edition collections.

To Smash or Not to Smash (the Cake)...

Sometime before making your way to your wedding cake and picking up the serving pieces, the question should arise: To smash or not to smash? For some, it seems integral to starting off the marriage on the right foot. They believe that whoever smashes the greatest quantity of cake in their partner’s face will have more control in the marriage. We wish them well…

For others, the grooms in particular, smashing the cake in their beloved’s face can be the quickest route to honeymooning on the couch, a lonely place. The grooms are frequently the most hesitant on whether or not they should smear the cake on their new spouse. Somehow, they have not been able to deduce whether the blushing bride will appreciate the joke.

 

Often, however, to smash or not to smash is a completely spontaneous decision—making it all the more eventful. Either scenario brings out immediate responses. Daniel Min, a WPJA member based in Virginia, USA, says, “I want the couple to express their true emotions. The best pictures are when I’m capturing the real feelings.” That happens when the couple allows their inhibitions to go away.

You can see this in Min’s award winning photograph of a bride and groom who have just smashed one another with a bit of cake. Min did not see this spontaneous display of emotions coming. He explains that it was a very small wedding and that during the entire event both bride and groom were reserved. Then the cake-cutting time came and something clicked—or snapped. Handfuls of cake went through the air and onto one another’s faces. The laughter roared and Min got this wonderful, action-filled photograph.

Photo by Srinivasa Regeti

Srinivasa Regeti, a Virginia, USA-based wedding photographer, knows this dynamic well, and his award-winning photograph is testament to that. Regeti says the guests held the groom while the bride got her shot at him—a scenario which can wreak havoc on the couple’s clothes, hair and make-up. In under a minute, all the time, energy and finances that the bride and groom may have invested in their appearance can go down the drain, so to speak. Know when to draw the line during the cake cutting; but if you aren’t sure what that line is, be sure to find out. Regeti says, “Usually, when prospective clients see that picture, the bride tells the groom not to even think about it.”

If getting smeared with cake is not what you anticipated when you said your “I dos,” then there are other ways to keep the cake cutting from getting out of hand. Regeti has noticed that usually when the cake is brought out earlier in the evening, the entire event remains well organized and in control. Conversely, when it happens late in the evening (when libations may have been freely flowing for a longer time), things can get a little crazy.

—by Lauren Ragland for the Wedding Photojournalist Association

Forget the China...Register for A Honeymoon

Traveler’s Joy has made it super easy to set up your honeymoon registry. Using one of their pre-made theme-based (think beach or safari) or location specific (think Bali or Ireland) registries, you can instantly add items and experiences with a single click. And because Traveler’s Joy allows you to register for any portion of your honeymoon, 
you’re not limited to flights or hotel stays. Register for luggage, a video camera, 
even surf boards or snorkeling gear!


Not only has Traveler’s Joy streamlined the registry set-up process, their system also makes it really easy to divide the cost of expensive items into manageable gift portions. Dying to take a $400 helicopter tour of Kauai? You can split it into 4 gifts of $100, making it possible for friends and family to contribute to big ticket items and experiences. think one of the coolest things about Traveler’s Joy is the way that it involves your loved ones in your honeymoon adventure. When you’re sending Aunt Judy that thank you note, you can include a photo from the gondola trip (maybe a photo taken with that snazzy new camera you registered for…). So if you already have a house full of kitchen appliances and bath linens (or even if you don’t), Traveler’s Joy is the perfect way for wedding guests to give you something really, really special.


**This post sponsored by Traveler’s Joy.

Manzanita Centerpieces

Image Courtesy of The French Bouquet

Scarlet Petal: Fragola Productions

Paul Johnson Photography

 I am so sorry but I do not know who to give credit for the above two images...