Thursday, November 19, 2009
# 102 Hair Trial #1
Went to Tiffany's- she curled my hair into barrel curls which made my hair look a lot shorter, shorter than I liked! That meant I didn't grow my hair out long enough! Do I need weave? We're going to try a looser wave. Apparently my hair holds curls like crazy so a wave might be better for it! It was an AWESOME day!!!
# 101 Pretty Lists
I had a cup of coffee at 4pm at Wilson's the other day on my break. Couldn't sleep that night. Wedding planning, solution planning, ideas that were left undone were furling around in my head. I started devising lists- first it was the Helpers' outline. I posted an ad on craigslist.com and have been inundated with e-mails so I deleted my posting today because I had a good enough list of contacts. Fantastic! More lists. Last night was food prep. Wow, it was so easy once I threw it on the computer and just typing away! It probably helps a lot that I wanted a consistent and gorgeous feel to it, otherwise I hate looking and working on boring stuff. Siiiiick!
Buffet Menu:
Fly away. Fly away. Once I get the recipes, I have to do some math conversions to estimate the right amount.
-You Won't Be Single For Long Vodka Cream Pasta
-Oven Roasted Red Potatoes
-Green Bean Casserole
Buffet Menu:
Sunday, November 15, 2009
#100 My 100th Post! Overview
12" Trial
Back to what I was saying in my previous cake post, I baked the large 12" cheesecake for 3 hours on 325 degrees and left it in the oven with the heat off for another hour. The result- burnt cheeseacake that didn't taste burnt but it was a darker amber color as opposed to light yellow. The result was also more dense so that 3" height was lost by the overbaking. Massive fail!!
10" Trial
Scared from the first trial and the massive fear of wasting 2 pounds of cream cheese and a dozen eggs, I baked the second cheesecake the same time as the recipe called for. The problem this entire time is trying to figure out a formula and time frame to bake such a large cheesecake without under or overbaking it. So, basically, it was my head the entire time. I baked it at a lower temp at 300 degrees and baked it only 15 min over the recipe called for, 1.5 hours and left it in the oven with the heat turned off for another hour(a little bit less). This one turned out as perfect as can be! It was white, light, fluffy, and beauuuuutiful!! EPIC SUCCESS!!!!
Icing Trials: Bourbon Caramel Cream Cheese, Cream Cheese, White Chocolate Cream Cheese
Duong, India, and I tried 3 different recipes and were each in charge of making that particular one.
Bourbon Caramel Cream Cheese (Me): Tasted amazing, but didn't necessarily match the cheesecake. Plus, the icing was loose and really sticky. This was a test to me too. Nope, will not.
Cream Cheese (Duong): Just a simple recipe, but same texture as above.
White Chocolate Cream Cheese (India): I actually dislike white chocolate and was wary of this recipe but decided to give it a try because it was the only one that was suggested by an actual cake-pan making company, Wilton. This turned out the best because it turned out white and melted almost perfectly with the fluffly white cheesecake. Major winner! I know I found the best one! It had this nice solid shell but was still maleable enough to smooth over. It resembled a real wedding cake which was SWEET! Major Success!!
Back to what I was saying in my previous cake post, I baked the large 12" cheesecake for 3 hours on 325 degrees and left it in the oven with the heat off for another hour. The result- burnt cheeseacake that didn't taste burnt but it was a darker amber color as opposed to light yellow. The result was also more dense so that 3" height was lost by the overbaking. Massive fail!!
10" Trial
Scared from the first trial and the massive fear of wasting 2 pounds of cream cheese and a dozen eggs, I baked the second cheesecake the same time as the recipe called for. The problem this entire time is trying to figure out a formula and time frame to bake such a large cheesecake without under or overbaking it. So, basically, it was my head the entire time. I baked it at a lower temp at 300 degrees and baked it only 15 min over the recipe called for, 1.5 hours and left it in the oven with the heat turned off for another hour(a little bit less). This one turned out as perfect as can be! It was white, light, fluffy, and beauuuuutiful!! EPIC SUCCESS!!!!
Icing Trials: Bourbon Caramel Cream Cheese, Cream Cheese, White Chocolate Cream Cheese
Duong, India, and I tried 3 different recipes and were each in charge of making that particular one.
Bourbon Caramel Cream Cheese (Me): Tasted amazing, but didn't necessarily match the cheesecake. Plus, the icing was loose and really sticky. This was a test to me too. Nope, will not.
Cream Cheese (Duong): Just a simple recipe, but same texture as above.
White Chocolate Cream Cheese (India): I actually dislike white chocolate and was wary of this recipe but decided to give it a try because it was the only one that was suggested by an actual cake-pan making company, Wilton. This turned out the best because it turned out white and melted almost perfectly with the fluffly white cheesecake. Major winner! I know I found the best one! It had this nice solid shell but was still maleable enough to smooth over. It resembled a real wedding cake which was SWEET! Major Success!!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
# 98 Cheesecake trial #4 the real deal
On Saturday I went ahead and baked my 12" chz cake which after baking 3 tiny cakes this was the real deal. Epic fail! 3 hours in the over, + 1 hour in the oven w/the heat turned off = a burnt waster of a dozen eggs, 2 pounds of cream cheese, and effort. However, the 10" turned out AMAZING! Perfect 3" of fluffiness, white, with the best icing ever.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
# 97 Self-Catering Links
Most stressful part of planning the wedding. Trying to self cater. I can handle presentation on a whim, but prepping it and making sure it heats up hot enough. Whew.
I need 3 people to help me with catering it.
http://hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Cater-A-Fabulous-Silver-Anniversary-Party
Cooking for a Crowd
About.com: Self Catering
I need 3 people to help me with catering it.
http://hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Cater-A-Fabulous-Silver-Anniversary-Party
Cooking for a Crowd
About.com: Self Catering
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
# 96 More Stick Centerpiece Ideas
I love the little yellow bobettes and the sticks, ahem, wishing tree. Cute rabbit.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
# 95 Halloween
I want to take a break and talk about my Halloween costume. Uh, HELLO?! My favorite fighter EVER!
Need to Do:
-Cut dress shorter & hem at knee
-Use excess fabric to make shoulder sleeves puffy
-Get white fabric and make bun wraps, ribbon, and sash
-Cut & glue together wrist cuffs
Sit back and be the badass she is.
# 93 Green Ties for the Men
# 92 Ethics... Green over Greed?
I am feeling really guilty about my purchases. Not because they cost anything but because I could have reduced my carbon footprint with them, yet I chose not to. I bought my dress overseas which was custom-made and I bought the flowers which are from Latin America. Now, buying imports doesn't necessarily make me a bad person but because they didn't advertise as "fair-trade" or "organic" and obviously they're not "local" I just feel bad all around. And for what... my "dream flowers." Boo. Too late now.
I don't know... Bad vs. Good + Maybe
Bad:
- dress imported
- flowers imported
- flowers are CUT
- food = conventionally prepared
- buying new products like tablecloths, plates, & silverware
- buying disposable little plates for apps and dessert
- buying disposable napkins
Good:
- drastically reduced # of cut flowers
- making vases out of red and stone white clay
- reusing branches in nature
- adding moss, leaves, and other natural greenery in decor
- buying thrift store finds of glassware, thus repurposing
- renting chairs and tables
- borrowing supplies & tables from Kay who will in turn reuse them for other parties
- decided not to hire an out of state musician
- will have recycle bins
- resell tablecloths, plates, and ware. If not, someone in my family of restauranteurs will use them for their own.
Maybe:
- see if local farmers' markets will sell local fruits to me in bulk to reduce traveling long distances
I don't know... Bad vs. Good + Maybe
Bad:
- dress imported
- flowers imported
- flowers are CUT
- food = conventionally prepared
- buying new products like tablecloths, plates, & silverware
- buying disposable little plates for apps and dessert
- buying disposable napkins
Good:
- drastically reduced # of cut flowers
- making vases out of red and stone white clay
- reusing branches in nature
- adding moss, leaves, and other natural greenery in decor
- buying thrift store finds of glassware, thus repurposing
- renting chairs and tables
- borrowing supplies & tables from Kay who will in turn reuse them for other parties
- decided not to hire an out of state musician
- will have recycle bins
- resell tablecloths, plates, and ware. If not, someone in my family of restauranteurs will use them for their own.
Maybe:
- see if local farmers' markets will sell local fruits to me in bulk to reduce traveling long distances
Monday, October 26, 2009
# 91 Tablecloths...Bought
It's official, I just purchased them in Satin. Scott said that noone's really going to be looking at the chairs since we'll be sitting on them but we WILL be looking at the tables. Makes sense. I'm wondering if they'll be harder to resell but we'll see. Wow.. (2) $200 purchases in a day.
# 90 Wholesale Flowers
FlowerExchange - where I bought it!!! coupon code: thanks 5% discount on all orders over $200; cht365 3 percent discount on all the products.
Found this on DIYBride.com on where to buy bulk wedding flowers online. Here’s their 2009 resource guide. Happy shopping!
Found this on DIYBride.com on where to buy bulk wedding flowers online. Here’s their 2009 resource guide. Happy shopping!
# 89 Registry... ack!
We've gotton a lot of questions about our registry. WHAt registry, we ask. Uhm, you guys sort of need one?
Strange thing is, thomas and I have everything we need in terms of household items, and then some! We're already on our doubles in terms of small appliances and tools but desperately running out of space in our little house. Yet, the stuff we really need like bigger appliances are rather pricey. We went on Amazon.com to set up our list and we literally had 8 items there, all of which run from $50 to a couple hundred. I think our guestlist exceeds 8. I am trying to hard to be considerate and find items that will fit in everyone's budget ($50 or less? Mostly $20 items). It's a feat I suppose, especially if we don't have the space. BUt! We're trying! I really like the gift of time to be quite honest- the fact that Robin is officiating, Kat is helping, and Kay is going all out is a gift in it of itself.
Strange thing is, thomas and I have everything we need in terms of household items, and then some! We're already on our doubles in terms of small appliances and tools but desperately running out of space in our little house. Yet, the stuff we really need like bigger appliances are rather pricey. We went on Amazon.com to set up our list and we literally had 8 items there, all of which run from $50 to a couple hundred. I think our guestlist exceeds 8. I am trying to hard to be considerate and find items that will fit in everyone's budget ($50 or less? Mostly $20 items). It's a feat I suppose, especially if we don't have the space. BUt! We're trying! I really like the gift of time to be quite honest- the fact that Robin is officiating, Kat is helping, and Kay is going all out is a gift in it of itself.
# 88 How to Be a Good Officiant + vice versa
How to Be a Good Officiant
1.Generate a List of Planning Questions: Planning a wedding can be a stressful undertaking (is that an understatement?), and it can help if the officiant takes a proactive role in guiding the planning and execution of the ceremony. If I were officiating a friend's wedding, I would generate a list of questions such as: What is your vision for your wedding ceremony? Do you want to revise a pre-existing script or write an original one? What kind of tone do you want me to set as an officiant? What is your ideal deadline for finalizing the ceremony? How often and when should we meet to work on it? What kind of clothes do you want me to wear? Do you want me to coordinate the rehearsal? How else can I help? If you anticipate that your friend may be unsure or indecisive about any of these questions, it might be extremely helpful to come up with a few options to present to the couple.
2.Start Meeting with the Couple: Ceremony planning should be a priority. The earlier you can start meeting with the couple, the better. Bring your list of questions, but let the couple decide the ultimate direction of the meeting. Then, just listen and take notes!
3.Remember Your Role Is to Serve: As an officiant, it is your role to help the couple execute whatever wedding they feel represents them. Even though the traditional wedding ceremony places the officiant in the center, ultimately, the officiant is more of a facilitator.
My Advice for How to Pick a Good Officiant:
1.Pick Someone Who Knows You: The most meaningful and sincere wedding ceremonies I've seen usually have an officiant who truly knows the couple (or at least one partner).
2.Decide What Kind of Ceremony You Want: Start with a vision for what kind of wedding you want to have and then pick an officiant who can help you reach that vision. And don't be afraid to pick an officiant who truly embodies the kind of ceremony you want, regardless of what disapproving family members may say.
3.Start Early: It's easy to put off the planning of the wedding ceremony because it's hard. It's a lot easier to dwell on flowers or shoes. But don't let yourself procrastinate too much! The ceremony is the heart of your wedding. It's the proclamation and cementation of your marriage.
Kate said...
I've never been an officiant, but we asked a good friend to officiate our wedding and out of that experience here are some tips:
1. Be clear on who is expected to research & write the ceremony - you or the couple. In our case, we wrote most of it but have several sections where we specifically wanted him to write in his own voice. But we still gave him a direction of what we wanted(welcome speech, meditation, announcement of husband & wife).
2. Stay organized. Whatever works best for you - but have one place where you compile your readings, example ceremonies, contact info for people involved, paperwork, etc.
3. If you are not a JP or minister, be clear about what the state and local guidelines are. Our officiant has been awesome about his application to the state to officiate. He handled everything in a very timely way.
4. One reason to start planning early - find out very early on if there's something about what the couple wants that you don't feel comfortable with. Like getting practice to be comfortable speaking in front of people. In our case, it was important to pick somebody who knew us well but also is pretty outgoing and happy in front of a crowd. Additionally we're having a non-traditional ceremony and we didn't want somebody who would feel wierd about something a little more touchy-feeley.
One wedding I went to had a great component which might help you. The officiant had each partner write a letter to her about why they wanted to marry the other, but the other couldn't read it ahead of time. That helped guide her in planning the ceremony and she directly quoted from the letters at certain points. It was really touching.
1.Generate a List of Planning Questions: Planning a wedding can be a stressful undertaking (is that an understatement?), and it can help if the officiant takes a proactive role in guiding the planning and execution of the ceremony. If I were officiating a friend's wedding, I would generate a list of questions such as: What is your vision for your wedding ceremony? Do you want to revise a pre-existing script or write an original one? What kind of tone do you want me to set as an officiant? What is your ideal deadline for finalizing the ceremony? How often and when should we meet to work on it? What kind of clothes do you want me to wear? Do you want me to coordinate the rehearsal? How else can I help? If you anticipate that your friend may be unsure or indecisive about any of these questions, it might be extremely helpful to come up with a few options to present to the couple.
2.Start Meeting with the Couple: Ceremony planning should be a priority. The earlier you can start meeting with the couple, the better. Bring your list of questions, but let the couple decide the ultimate direction of the meeting. Then, just listen and take notes!
3.Remember Your Role Is to Serve: As an officiant, it is your role to help the couple execute whatever wedding they feel represents them. Even though the traditional wedding ceremony places the officiant in the center, ultimately, the officiant is more of a facilitator.
My Advice for How to Pick a Good Officiant:
1.Pick Someone Who Knows You: The most meaningful and sincere wedding ceremonies I've seen usually have an officiant who truly knows the couple (or at least one partner).
2.Decide What Kind of Ceremony You Want: Start with a vision for what kind of wedding you want to have and then pick an officiant who can help you reach that vision. And don't be afraid to pick an officiant who truly embodies the kind of ceremony you want, regardless of what disapproving family members may say.
3.Start Early: It's easy to put off the planning of the wedding ceremony because it's hard. It's a lot easier to dwell on flowers or shoes. But don't let yourself procrastinate too much! The ceremony is the heart of your wedding. It's the proclamation and cementation of your marriage.
Kate said...
I've never been an officiant, but we asked a good friend to officiate our wedding and out of that experience here are some tips:
1. Be clear on who is expected to research & write the ceremony - you or the couple. In our case, we wrote most of it but have several sections where we specifically wanted him to write in his own voice. But we still gave him a direction of what we wanted(welcome speech, meditation, announcement of husband & wife).
2. Stay organized. Whatever works best for you - but have one place where you compile your readings, example ceremonies, contact info for people involved, paperwork, etc.
3. If you are not a JP or minister, be clear about what the state and local guidelines are. Our officiant has been awesome about his application to the state to officiate. He handled everything in a very timely way.
4. One reason to start planning early - find out very early on if there's something about what the couple wants that you don't feel comfortable with. Like getting practice to be comfortable speaking in front of people. In our case, it was important to pick somebody who knew us well but also is pretty outgoing and happy in front of a crowd. Additionally we're having a non-traditional ceremony and we didn't want somebody who would feel wierd about something a little more touchy-feeley.
One wedding I went to had a great component which might help you. The officiant had each partner write a letter to her about why they wanted to marry the other, but the other couldn't read it ahead of time. That helped guide her in planning the ceremony and she directly quoted from the letters at certain points. It was really touching.
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