Eco Friendly Out of Town Guest Bags

Love these great eco-friendly out of town{OOT} guest bags from Bliss Wedding Market! These bags are silk screened bags made onto 100% natural cotton! Bags can be purchased with your city of choice....I did not see Nashville, but I am sure with proper influence we can add Nashville to the list!! I mean we are Music City.

Gift of Gratitude - Pay it Forward

I had the pleasure of hanging out with Tara of Lavish Events on Saturday & had a fabulous time just chatting with another planner! Its always great to connect with other planners but also just wedding professionals in general because we tend to share a common bond!

I left so refreshed and ready to accomplish all the things on my to do list & work toward the items on my vision board that I have for Bridal Opulence for 2009! Not to mention my chocolate craving was totally satisified with the delish assortment from Schakolad Chocolate Factory in Cool Springs. I would be in big trouble if I owned a chocolate store!!

Tara of Lavish Events blog post from today, highlighted points of our chat. She had a wonderful idea of Paying it Forward with other Nashville professionals. We really have to focus on working together as a community and not so much apart! I really think that with the talent that is in the city, if we pooled our resources together we could create a powerful network!! We all share different strengths & weaknesses & my strength or your strength in turn could help out a fellow colleague, ya know?

So in an effort to Pay it forward I would like to extend my services/time to assist Hillary of Brocade Designs, Bekah {aka Bex of The Studio 5} , Tara of Lavish Events & Shannon at Chefs Market. I will be in contact with you all to see what you need an extra hand in at this point during wedding season. All that Tara ask is that you Pay it forward to another Nashville wedding professional & email her when you do pay it forward!!! What a way to show gratitude and support!!!

Please read more about this great effort in Tara's blog post!!!

Pay it Forward!!

Thank you Tara for a great idea & my wheels are also turning....!!!

************************************************************************

Etsy Spotlight of the Week - Wedding Dresses

The wedding dress is one of the first things that new brides purchase after their engagement. Honestly I know a few brides that have purchased their dress before being engaged! As a chic bride you want to make a statement with your gown, and when I discovered designers on etsy, I had to share!!

A few of my favorite Etsy wedding dress designers!!!

Joan Shum

Love June Boutique

Deconstructress Designs Isadora Designs

My favorite is definitely Joan Shum!! What about you?

The Winner is.....

In honor of our Blogiversary, we had a Freebie Friday giveaway!! The winner goes to comment #1 which was selected randomly via Random.org

The winner is..... SJB Weddings & Events!!

Her favorite wedding memory: "My favorite wedding memory would of course have to be my own! :) When I made it down the aisle I wiped my fiance's forehead with my hankie. He was sweating nervously. :) That gesture gave everyone a quick laugh before we got to the vows. Thanks for this great giveaway."

Congrats Shanika & please contact me via email to obtain your prize!!!

Friday Funny - Father/Daughter dance

Tending Bar

Depending on your reception venue many brides are choosing to purchase alcohol for their guest as a money saving tip. You can look to places like a Costco that sell wholesale beverages for additional savings. I am going to supply you with the rule of thumb when purchasing alcohol and just how much to purchase per 100 guest. Keep in mind, only you and your fiance truly know your guest and just how much they will consume.

Use this as a starter guide if you are stocking your own bar:

• Champagne Toast: 1.5 cases (18 bottles) per 100 guest assuming 6 glasses per bottle
• White Wine - 18 Bottles. People typically drink more white wines than red
• Red Wine - 10 bottles {If you are serving both, consider buying half red & half white}
• Scotch - 3 liters
• Beer - 2-3 cases
• Whiskey - 1 or 2 liters
• Bourbon - 1 or 2 liters
• Vodka - 6 liters
• Gin - 2 liters
• Tequila - 1 liter
• Club Soda - 1 case
• Cranberry Juice - 2 gallons
• Grapefruit juice - 1 gallon
• Orange juice - 1 gallon

If your caterer does not provide a bartender or have access to one, look to your local bartending schools to find new graduates that may be looking for pick up gigs. This makes it super affordable, but also a win/win because they are aware of all the new drink mixes, as well as all the classics!

STUart Jewelry Designs

I love jewelry of all shapes and sizes. I am a huge fan of the jewelry designs of STUart Jewelry Designs located in SoHo, New York. Their jewelry designs are very contemporary with a geometrical flair that exude simple elegance!! Their engagement & wedding designs are available in white gold, yellow gold & platinum.

I especially like their square engagement rings, I wonder though just how comfortable they would be to wear every day?

Tell me what you think!!

Favor-ite Spotlight of the week

Every lady should have a manicure set in her purse in my opinion! This weeks favorite spotlight from Opulent Favors & Gifts is the perfect gift or favor for your bridal shower attendees. For these & other wedding favors and gifts, check out Opulent Favors!

Freebie Friday #2 - In honor of our Blogiversary

In honor of our 1 year Blogiversary, we are celebrating with Freebie Friday!!

Leave us a comment of your favorite moment in a wedding or reception and why it is a favorite! The winner will be selected & announced at random on Friday March 27, 2009!!

Freebie Friday is courtesy of Opulent Favors & Gifts, and its all about the bride, love & bling!! This would be a awesome bag of gooodies for brides, but also wedding professionals to surprise a lucky bridal client!!

Quilted monogram bag:

With this ring glass coaster: Little black purse manicure set: Love wine stopper: Monogram cosmetic bag:

With this ring bling keychain:

Looking forward to great wedding moment comments!!!

Don't forget to follow Opulent Planning with Latrice in the top right corner of our blog. Also follow us on Twitter!!!

Freebie Friday #1 with Studio Wed Atlanta

Thinking of having a destination wedding in Atlanta?? Be sure to register for this great giveaway courtesy of Studio Wed Atlanta, Atlanta Occasions & CBS Atlanta!!!

StudioWed Atlanta, along with CBS Atlanta and AtlantaOccasions.com,have come together to giveaway the wedding of a lifetime for onedeserving couple! Valued at over $70,000, the wedding will take placeat Atlanta Botanical Garden and includes catering, photography, andmore! Deadline to enter is April 1st.

For contest details and to register, please visit: CBS Atlanta

Paper Soiree - Reviving the Art of a Handwritten Note!

I love paper products of all kinds....thank you cards, invites, flat note cards, you name it; if its made out of great paper quality I love it!!

Join me Friday night at the Paper Soiree!! Reviving the Art of the Handwritten Note!!!

What is The Paper Soiree? Need to update your stationery wardrobe? Like to socialize? Want to learn more?

Special deal from paperKuts studio!!!

Invitations for your wedding, birthday, baby shower...you name it!

Take 20% off any custom stationery! Place your order during The Paper Soiree's Event and through March 31st.

The Paper Soiree...a Posh Paper Party - To RSVP!

Hope to see ya there!

The Power of the Purse

Opulent Favors had the pleasure of participating in The Womens Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee's The Power of the Purse Luncheon on March 9, 2009 at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Nashville. This luncheon was attended by the whose who of Nashville philanthropic women & they had the opportunity to bid on purses of all shapes, sizes & made by a variety of designers.

I was extremely honored to have been asked to provide a purse that represented my business! I chose a trendy bag that represented the modern bride & over 20+ favors, it was a huge hit & it went for $315 in the auction!! Exciting huh? Bag prep before the auction: Favors included in the bag! Auction table at the Nashville Downtown Hilton

Looking forward to next years event!

Wordless Wednesday - Unique Wedding Favors @ Opulent Favors & Gifts

Vendor Spotlight - Wedding Cake Design

Company Name: Wedding Cake Design by Rebecca

Years in business? 6 in the Nashville area

What is your cake design process?

Designing a cake with a bride is always exciting for me, each one is so unique. Since the possabilties for cake designs are endless, I encourage each bride to review my site as well as search the internet for pictures and ideas they might like. Color swatches are also encouraged to ensure a exact match. Once a few ideas are pulled together, her personal cake begins to emerge. Size, servings and flavors are a few of the details we will consider before deciding on a final cake design.

What is your favorite aspect of your job?

I love to see the interaction of the bride and groom while we eat and discuss cake. Designing a cake from thier combined ideas is always very special.

Cake Trends for 2009? The year 2009 has brought along a new trend, that of hexagonal or square-shaped tier cake. Also, 2009 is going to be dominated by shades of blue, like turquoise, along with greens, such as aquamarine. And I must not forget to mention, the chic 'black and white' style in wedding cakes has managed to maintain its position amongst the top trends in 2009 as well.

What specific information do you obtain from brides during a consultation?

Date, time, location and a contact for the day are of course very important details. We review all information carefully to ensure the bride and grooms expectations are met.

Describe your perfect day?

Perfect days for me include singing with the radio while baking cake!

Can't go one day without?

A kiss good morning from my husband and 3 bites of chocolate cake!

Its no secret we are in a "recession" how do you work with the "Recessionista Bride & Groom" and still create your fabulous cake?

Since we charge by serving and not design, the couple has alot more room to work thier ideal cake into thier budget. We are moderately priced, with cakes starting at $4.00/serving. Also, we are currently offering 10% off any cake order placed by March 14th.

The Skinny on Cake

Source

I had the pleasure of having a tasting with Rebecca of Cakes by Rebecca a few weeks ago, and her cakes are wonderful. It challenged me to dig deeper into the life of a cake designer after our tasting!

Are you a new bride wondering about all the different types of cakes, cake design, flavors & fillings? Here is the skinny on all things wedding cake!

Flavors

• Chocolate
• Vanilla
• German Chocolate
• Lemon Spice
• Red Velvet
• Carrot Cake
• French Vanilla Marble
• Coconut
• Passion fruit
• Strawberry

Fillings

• Orange
• Chocolate Hazelnut
• Ameretto
• Vanilla Butternut
• Strawberry
• Cream Cheese
• Lemon cream cheese
• Chocolate butter cream
• Raspberry
• Butter Rum
• Cherry

Common Cake Terminology

• Buttercream-Mixture of sugar, butter and eggs that create a wonderful filling and icing. Caution butter cream will melt if not kept at a cool temperature.
• Ganache - a delicious filling or icing make by stirring & heating semisweet chocolate and whipping cream
• Fondant - A sweet sugar dough that is rolled out and wrapped around the cake, that creates a sleek finish. Fondant is perfect for outdoor events because it does not have to refrigerated.
• Piping - a decorative technique that uses a pastry bag & different metal tips to create borders, flowers and basket weave designs.
• Royal Icing - the blending of sugar and egg whites that can be used for lace & latticework.
• Latticework - creates design when strips of icing are crisscrossed over each other to form patterns.

Happy Blogiversary

It's hard to believe that I celebrated my 1 year Blogiversary on March 3, 2009!  Now with 240 post behind me, I can't wait for many more to come!

{In my best I am accepting my Grammy speech voice} I would like to thank my parents, God,  brides near & far & all the little people....LOL, just kidding!  

Honestly guys thanks so much for checking out my blog daily, weekly, or whenever you happen to see little ol me pop up in your blog reader!  

I really appreciate all the comments and emails.

Stay tuned for a freebie this week in honor of our 1 year Blogiversary!!!

Be sure to follow Opulent Planning w/Latrice in the top right corner of our blog.  Follow my updates on Twitter as well, sure to bring you a few laughs!

Pampering your Pooch for the wedding at LePooch & Co. Pet Spa & Boutique

LePooch & Co is Nashville's preferred upscale, luxurious pampering pet spa and boutique. LePooch offers pet pampering which includes but not limited too: Professional Grooming, spa services, gourmet treats, pet couture fashions & a pet chauffeur service. {pick-up & drop off}

I become intrigued by the luxury pet boutique because a few of my bridal clients love their pooch & I like to share my finds with them! I think its a great idea to have your pooch pampered just in time for the wedding!!! {This will help ease their transition before a major move after the wedding} I personally don't have a Pooch of my own, but I fell in love with the Pooch Couture boutique! Stay tuned there may be a new addition to the Opulent Family.....!

Description of Spa Packages & Services:

• LePooch Spa Bath Treatment
• LePooch Signature Spa Treatment
• Ultimate Pampered Spa Treatment
• Quick Freshen Up
• LePooch Shed-Reducing Spa Treatment
• LePooch Signature Pawdicure
• Blueberry Facial
• Jetted Whirlpool Bubble Bath
• Medicated Soak
• Sparkle & Shine Treatment
• And so much more.

I was pretty impressed with the Pet Chauffeur Service which transports your Pooch to & from their spa/grooming appointment. It also includes a complete report of their visit once your relaxed pooch is returned home from one of their Master Pet Stylists. How cool is that?

Pooch couture boutique:

For more information or to book an appointment for your Pooch:

LePooch & Co. is located in Lenox Village

6901 Lenox Village Drive, Suite 10

Nashville, Tennessee 37211

Spa Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 8:30am - 5:30pm

Telephone: (615) 837-6765

Be sure to tell them Latrice of Bridal Opulence referred ya!!