Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Thomasina's Cashew Brittle

The one thing we love about blogging is to find something that is so amazing and tell everyone about it. Well I guess that is what blogging is suppose to be all about but sometimes when people blog they just ramble about random things or you get to a little TMI about the Blogger! Ooops I'm rambling!

Anyhow I have to tell you about an exhibitor who was at The Wedding Fair on January 18, 2009 in Minneapolis and who will again be at The Wedding Fair on March 15, 2009 in Minneapolis. It's Thomasina's Cashew Brittle! I have to say three words sum up the brittle! It's quite simple - OH MY GOD! It's a piece of heaven to say the least. And let me tell you once you have one piece you will want more and more and more and more and more! Since The Wedding Fair in January I have purchased the 1lb. box as gifts for friends and family from Kowalski Markets in Minneapolis and you can also for your own reference order online at www.thomasinascashewbrittle.com. I have to tell you it's funny to talk to people after you give the brittle as a gift because they all say the same thing. "OH MY GOD I could not stop eating it. Every time I would pass by the box I would have to open it and have another piece." And this is from people who workout at the health club all the time. OK so listen up brides! If you want to give favors for your wedding and you want your guests to talk about it for many years to come you better get in line and order your brittle now for your favors. Or better yet - if you are having a dessert table make sure you have it on your menu! Yummmmmmmmm!

413 On Wacouta - It's All the BUZZZ!

I had the pleasure of attending the open house of 413 on Wacouta in St. Paul, Minnesota on Monday, February 9th.  Although I had been there when Lynn the owner was first looking at venturing into the reception venue industry for weddings, I have to say it was wonderful to be there again.  For those who don't know Lynn who owns the space, she actually built out the space for her own wedding.  When she called I thought - oh a bride who loved planning her wedding now wants to be a wedding planner.  I get a few calls about that sort of thing from brides each month.  Well I have to admit Lynn one-upped me when she said she didn't want to be a planner she wanted to own a venue where she had her wedding and offer it to brides as an option.  I have to say and for those who know me I usually always have something to say.  I was speechless.  My first thought was - Does she know what's all involved?  Lynn I have to say you have done an amazing job and listen up all you brides who have the opportunity to look at the venue - you better hurry up because the your wedding date won't be open long!  Accommodates 200 ppl for a dinner reception and 250 ppl for a standing cocktail reception.

What a fantastic place.  The entrance off the street is so welcoming and the "Brides Suite" is beautifully decorated and detailed.  A perfect place for a bride and groom to have a bit of champagne and nourishment before the guests arrive!  Jules who is the event manager was graciously welcoming people and making sure everything was perfect!  Of course it all was!  The cocktail area just off the entrance is perfect!  So bright and intimate all at the same time.  Now before I tell you about going into the elevator to the reception area I have to tell you once you enter the building you feel like you have stepped into an amazing environment.  If you are looking for a space where you don't have to go over the top with decor this is the place!

As you exit the elevator you arrive into the reception space.  The golden colors are warm, inviting and beautiful.  The stonework is original and you feel as though you are taken back in time as if you are standing next to history in a contemporary way!  Hint - if you up light the stonework on the walls it will amaze you while giving you some high impact areas.

I had the fortune of meeting many of the amazing and talented vendors who support the venue which couples can select from to create their own wedding.  So let me run through who was there and what I saw:

Class A Valet: Westy was on hand with his valet service - they were spot on as soon as I drove up and I know this is such an easy thing but when the valet opened my door he said good evening and welcome to 413!  Flipping rock star!  What a great way to make your guests feel!

Relia Drive:  Have you heard about this.  He has been around for a couple years.  A very cool concept and perfect for your guests like to celebrate just a little too much. They actually will drive your overly joyful guest home and then have one of their staff follow in the guests car so when they awake the next morning they are not taking a taxi to get their car.  Think of it this way - a lot less than a DUI expense for your guest and a guilty feeling for you should something bad happen!

Violet's Flower:  Jean Cowles - your flowers were fresh amazing and stately all at the same time!  Can that possibly be!  Oh you know it!  The colors, textures and different styles - you rocked it girlfriend!

Studio 6: Jean Peine, always a fresh look and your signature style of greens and pinks.  PS: I know Don didn't change your linen! LOL

Linen Effects: Don it was fantastic to see you and the tables and centerpieces you displayed were so you - nique!  Great fabrics and textures and loving the black candelabra!

Macys' Design Cuisine displayed fun and fresh ideas for hors d' oeuvres!  They were creative and to say unique would be an understatement!  The taste and flavors were stunning!

Aarcee: Showing all their rental items and specialty linens.  Allison was great to talk with and creative in coming up with rental combinations to surprise your guests with.  Get that Chocolate Shot Machine!

The Saint Paul Hotel:  OK I have to say it was such a simple thing but what a great idea and concept.  It was a buffet where you can build your own soup!  I know can you believe that - it was flipping amazing and fun.  What a great intro for the dinner or even as an action station during the cold months in Minnesota for when you guests arrive before the cocktails start flowing!

D'Amico:  There famous Torte Milanese was a hit!  Their signature bistro style wait staff and servers were gracious and extremely professional engaging the guests answering many questions about the menu selection.

Fabulous Catering:  Their presentation was beautiful as seen in the picture on this blog.  The taste by so many guests were raving reviews!

Lowry Street Chocolat:  (No it's not a typo) They have great chocolates made from a grandmothers recipe box.  Their "Signature Truffle" is a 75 year old recipe!  It's heaven!

Dippin Chocolate: The famous chocolate fountain was fun as always!  So many creative things to dip.  I am always amazed that people will say oh no I am on a diet or watching my waistline and then before you know it - Dip - in it goes and right to the lips!  I know I do it myself!

Something Blue Stationery: Creative papers and ideas.  Invitations are so personal and I liked the creative ideas behind the invitations and save the dates that I saw on display.

OK, now what would a wedding event be with out...............CAKE!

Of course you have to have cake and there were two cake designers on hand!  

Buttercream: Greg was on hand to share their latest cake designs.  Their cake design was very contemporary and the smaller cake a more traditional tone on tone pictured in this blog.  Their famous chocolate and raspberry cake was on hand and you know I was right there to try a piece.

Queen of Cakes:  Terri, is always a joy to see and we talked about all the fun cakes and flavors available to brides today.  Very artistic and fun.  Of course Terri new of my love for everything CAKE so I tried a small selection of each - Vanilla Bavarian Cream, Marble Strawberry and Chocolate and Raspberry Mouse.

Now of course I want to thank Laurie Schneider of Laurie Schneider Photography for her amazing artistic eye in capturing  couple things I asked for to display on the blog!  Laurie continues to amaze people with her talented photography and editorial style.  Always fresh and captivating!  Thanks Laurie!

I give 413 on Wacouta a HUGE thumbs up!

No Bad Hair & Makeup Allowed!

For many of you who attend The Wedding Fair we always recieve so many comments about the models hair and makeup for the Fashion Runway Show.  I have to tell you that I work with the very talented Megan Garmers founder of MG Hair and Makeup who is originally from Minnesota and is now based in New York City and flys in for wach of the Wedding Fair.  I always reminder she is from Minnesota when I tell her it's -14 below zero in Minneapolis and it's 45 degrees in New York.  Don't I megan!  Megan's company does on-site hair and makeup for weddings.  She always does the hair and makeup for our annual Trend Wedding.  Megan and I have the best time planning the hair and makeup for the show.  Honestly I don't think she knows what to think sometimes when I call or email to discuss options.  I think she thinks I am crazy but that's ok that's how we come up wiht the great looks.  Right now we are working on the Love Is A Cure Breast Cancer Benefit that will be on February 22, 2009 at the Minneapolis Covention Center.  My first email to her was - I'm thinking beautiful eyes like Donna Mills.  For those of you who can remember to the 1980's she played a not so very nice woman on Knots Landing.  1980's whatever she has the most beautiful eyes!  Anyhow I know this just cracks her up when I do that or talk about the 1980's.

So the look we were going for in our hair and makeup was a warm look in makeup and a more relaxed formal yet sexy look with the hair.  Megan is a fountain of knowledge when it comes to just the right look.  I always have my own look I am tryng to accomplish and Megan helps me to bring it current with a twist.  Sometimes we even mix styles to achieve the right look.  The one thing I always try to have is the models all looking the same so your focus when you watch the show is on the gowns and flowers, hair and makeup second (sorry Megan but you know it's all about the dress on the runway).  A great idea for your wedding is to have all the bridesmaids in the same hairstyle if that can work with the different hair lengths your girls may have.  Yipee for hair extensions!

The makeup is always a bit bold up close on the models but in order for their eyes to look open when you are sitting 30-40 feet from the runway they need to be as seen in the top image.

No matter what your style or look is and if your dream is to someday work a runway, the most important part of your hair and makeup on your wedding day is to make sure it's you!  Don't come up with some crazy idea for your hair and makeup on your wedding day.  The last thng you want to happen is when your guests see you come down the aisle and they are wondering who the bride is or if they are at the wrong wedding because they don't recognize you!-)  And I just want to say there is a HUGE difference between hair for your wedding and Prom Hair!  Make sure your stylist understand.

If you plan to attend the March 15th Wedding Fair, I invite you to stop by and visit with Megan in the Weddings Couture area.  Tell her The Wedding Guys sent you!  Or you can visit her on www.mghairandmakeup.com.  So Cheers to fabulouso hair and makeup on your wedding day and don't let the snarles get you down!

The Yellow Dress! Could it be the New Black Dress?

You just never know who, where or when you will run into someone.  For years every morning I have been going religiously to the Caribou Coffee in Edina, MN on my way to work for my morning wake-up call of Java!  OK Sometimes I freak them out and trade it up a bit and get Green Tea.  But none the same like many other faces that come in and out you wonder if people know much about you.  Well this morning was the tell all.  The manager there asked me if I would like my usual small light roast and I said yes.  Then she said so since your one of The Wedding Guys, is it OK if I ask you a question and not ask it on your web site.  I said sure - what's up.

Well you see my best friend is getting married in the spring of '09 and she called me with weekend and said - Hey we need to look for bridesmaid dresses.  As she sighed and a frightened look came over her eyes!  Well she wants to wear YELLOW because it's her favorite color.  Immediately I said to myself - Ugh!  She doesn't like yellow and doesn't look good in yellow and was wondering what my opinion would be.  So here it goes and this can be used for many colors not just yellow.

Even if the bride LOVES yellow and has to have yellow or she may just die there are ways of making everyone happy.  First I agree, very few people can pull off yellow.  Blonde fair skin and red hair, fair skin generally do not look good in yellow.  So what to do, what to do.  I told her first to come to the Engagement Party we are having at the Minneapolis Convention Center omn Sunday November 16th form 1-4pm and learn all you want about planning the wedding and we will discuss fashion.  I told her she may want to select a more neutral colot that would lend itself as a base and then accent with yellow be it in flowers, linens, lighting etc.

So to all you brides who are trying to make everyone happy in selecting a bridesmaid dress in a color that will work for everyone - if there is such a thing - I hope this helps!

The Wedding Directory 2009 Photo Shoot

Did I just pull my head off the keyboard of my computer?  OMG - Matthew and I are both exhausted today!  We worked with Bjorn Meisner last night from 10:00PM to 3:00AM this morning conducting our photo shoot for the cover of The Wedding Directory for 2009.  What a thrill it was to watch the master in action getting just the right angle and tweaking the lighting.  Oh and did I say we did the photo shoot at the W  Minneapolis - The Foshay.  So before I forget, here is the info on the coolest place to have a wedding, rehearsal dinner or just a celebration and a great photographer who is flawless in getting every detail.  Thank you Nikolai for your assistance at the "W" to make it all happen and Bjorn for your perfect eye!  So impressed with both of you!

W Minneapolis - The Foshay 612-215-3700

Bjorn Meisner Photography 763-221-3650

The gowns supplied for the cover of the 2009 issue of The Wedding Directory  were hot off the runway in New York for Monique Lhuillier from her salon in Edina, MN and Pronovias gowns from Mestad's Bridal Salon in Rochester, MN.  The women at the "W" were loving the shoot and were Ooohing and Ahhhhing over the gowns.  Watch for the new cover of The Wedding Directory as it realeases January 1, 2009.  It's going to be stunning.

Picture Coming Soon - check back often!

With Love From New York City! Kleinfeld of Manhattan Releases Bridal Fashion Line at The Wedding Shoppe on Grand Avenue in St. Paul, MN

It was a really Huge moment on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 as Lois and Jim Fritz along with their awesome staff at The Wedding Shoppe on Grand Avenue in St. Paul - as well as The Wedding Guys - welcomed the biggest name in bridal salon history to St. Paul, Minnesota. Kleinfeld of Manhattan known to brides around the world as "THE" bridal salon to go to and also known to millions of brides from the popular show "Say Yes To The Dress" on TLC is now part of the Twin Cities bridal scene. How you may ask well keep reading and I will give the 411 scoop!

Kleinfeld of Manhattan has release their exclusive bridal line called Alitia Graham Designed by Kleinfeld of Manhattan. Mara Urshela and Ronald Rothstein owners of the famous bridal salon along with fashion director Randy Fenoli and creative visual Jacques Vigneaulg who does the most amazing windows at Kleinfeld in New York City. I will be back to talk about the Window Shopping toward the end of the blog.

Mara, Ronnie, Randy and Jacques are such wonderful people and the line they are bringing to The Wedding Shoppe is truly as wonderful. You see Kleinfeld of Manhattan is very fortunate to see amazing gowns from all over the world and their line truly reflects the needs, desires and wants of brides from all over the world. So introducing the beautiful fabrics and embroidered lace. As many brides found out during their appointment that day the cut and fit of the gowns were truly amazing. So here are some of our greatest sound bites about the line...some from us and some from brides. I will say if you have not made an appointment to see them you should!

We heard a lot of WOW's all around. The fabrics so beautiful and light. Large ballgowns which you would think look to be heavy are actually light in weight. The silhouettes are stunning, perfect and flattering. Simple and Elegant, just the right touches in just the right spots. Not overly dramatic yet stated perfectly. The fun thing about these gowns is they are new on the scene and the designers are interested in knowing your likes and dislikes.

So there was so much fun in meeting with Brides, having the brides get their pictures taken with the stars of "Say Yes To The Dress". But the most fun I thought was not just the buzz in the air about the new line, but the fun the brides truly had playing "dress-up" so to speak with Mara and of course Randy. Randy was a delight. And yes Randy I am going to take your idea and match my socks with my tie. Randy had a fuchsia tie and matching socks. It was totally cool that's all I can say. But watching Randy help the brides in selecting accessories and how they might look walking down that aisle was like watching little girls play dress-up. It was magical, fun and exhilarating all in all a perfect match for the Kleinfeld Kollection! Speaking of the perfect match Lois from The Wedding Shoppe and Mara said the wedding gown for Trend Wedding 2009 will be a donation from the Kleinfeld Kollection.

If you are interested in having an appointment at The Wedding Shoppe to see first hand the amazing dresses, contact them at 651-298-1144. And YES you will be saying Yes To The Dress!

OK so you want some really cool visuals and decor ideas? OK, Shhhhh. Remember when I mentioned Jacques who designs the windows at Kleinfeld...here is the web address so you can see the windows.

They are Flipp'n Amazing! Bravo!

www.kleinfeldbridal.com/index.cfm?pid=kleinfeld-windows

We would like to thank Coppersmith Photography for covering the event. You can see their work at www.coppersmithphotography.com or schedule a meeting by calling 612-644-8024.

Ground Breaking - Open Arms of Minnesota

Matthew and I were very honored to be invited to the Saturday, September 27th ground breaking of the new Open Arms of Minnesota kitchens at 25th and Bloomington Avenue South in Minneapolis.  Over 400 friends of the Open Arms community gathered for this wonderful occassion.  Minneapolis Mayor Rybak, Councilman Gary Schiff long time client/volunteer Bill Kimker were among just a few of the speakers who moved the audience with passionate comments.  There were many times when you could just see the tears welling up in people's eyes.  I know there were times when speakers would have to stop speaking because it became so emotional for them and then you would just think to yourself, "Oh God don't let me start crying."

As you may or may not know funds from  our Love Is A Cure - Breast Cancer benefit are given to Open Arms of Minnesota who provide home meal delivery to women who are living with or battling their war against breast cancer.  The new kitchen facility will position Open Arms to enhance the services they currently offer their clients who suffer from AIDS, Breast Cancer, ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), and multiple sclerosis.  Twin City Bridal Association and The Wedding Guys were key initiators in funding the beginning phase of home meal delivery through Open Arms of Minnesota for women living with Breast Cancer.

The Love Is A Cure event which will take place on February 22, 2009 will be our 4th Annual Love Is A Cure event.  Money is raised by our clients/members giving of their time and talent to donate auction items for the silent auction.  The items are those a bride will need to complete and plan her wedding....so as we say in the office, "If you are already going to pay for the service how about buying it from the auction and having the money go to a great cause.  In the three years we have raised just shy of $100,000.  We could not thank our clients and the brides who shop the auction enough.  For more info go to www.openarmsmn.org/loveisacure or www.twincitybridal.com/LoveIsACure/main.htm

So as we left the event we said good by and gave hugs to our friends at Open Arms of MN - Kevin Winge, Jennifer Van Wyk and Nancy Benedict.  As we were leaving Nancy told us about a new event coming up called DUSK 2 DAWN which will take place on the weekend of September 26, 2009.  It's so cool and and about raising HIV awareness and funding for the Twin Cities and South Africa.  It's a 12 mile walk starting at DUSK 6:00PM and Ending at 12:01AM DAWN of a new day.  With our creative heads we asked Nancy id they could get South Africa to walk the same time we walk - how cool would that be!  So I guess Matthew and I are volunteering to help out for the event.  If you want to walk with us contact us at 763-529-1900.

Way to go Open Arms of MN!  You all have your heart and head in the right place!  Everyone loves and appreciate what you do for so many!  Thank you!