Tag! Again?

I'm not kidding. It really happened again! This time I've been tag teamed by Bridal Bliss and Fete Fanatic . Here are the rules...1) Choose a minimum of 7 blogs that you find brilliant in content or design 2) Show the 7 winners names and links on your blog, and leave a comment informing them that they were prized with "Honest Scrap." Well, there's no prize, but they can keep the nifty icon :) 3) List at least 10 honest things about yourself.
So here it is, 10 things about me.....

1. I have actually been down in the catacombs in Lima, Peru.
2. It has been 10 years since my last.... hair cut. You thought I was going to say confession. Didn't you?
3. I love, love, love shrimp. Unfortunately, sometimes they make my lips swell.
4. My deepest fear is going blind. There is so much to see!
5. I tried to "man up" and go deep sea fishing with my husband. I have never been so sick in all my life. It was worse than childbirth!
6. I am a chocoholic. I need rehab.
7. Speaking of chocolate, I can not even eat popcorn anymore unless it has M&Ms sprinkled on top.
8. Calla lilies are my favorite flower. Simply beautiful!
9. Survivor is my favorite reality television show. So don't expect me to answer the phone between 8-9 on Thursday nights.
10. I found out that eating dinner by candlelight on the beach is as romantic as it looks in photos!
All this playing tag and honesty is exhausting. Please forgive me for breaking the rules and not tagging anyone. But I love, love, love everyone that follows my blog and the blogs that I follow! Now I have to stop playing tag and get back to making more wishes come true!

Blog Luv Award

Wow! It appears that I have been double team tagged. L M Event Planner and For Your Event both showed me some "LUV". Thanks! So it is my turn to spread some LUV. Honorees please follow these instructions and share the LUV.

1. Put the logo on your blog or post. (You can highlight the photo and text of this post and copy/paste wherever you need to...start your highlight from the bottom up to get the photo)
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show GREAT ATTITUDE and/or GRATITUDE
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received the award.

I selected the following because I love their blogs:

Elegant Events by Tiffany
A-ward Winning Events
The Pink Tea Room
Always Fabulous Events
DeVine Choices
Spicy Wifey
E-vents
Affairs With Elegance
Faire La Fete
Totally Tabletops

Something Blue

Do you love chocolate as much as I do? Want to wow your guests with something new and blue? This colored chocolate fountains will do the trick.
The fountain on the left is the original milk chocolate fountain. Who doesn't love dipping fresh fruit, marshmallows, pretzels, and other delicious treats in a chocolate fountain? But why stop there? Why not have the chocolate match one of your wedding colors or why not let it be your something blue?
This is also a great idea for a birthday party or baby shower. You can choose from several different colors to get the look that you want.
Simply delicious!

Photo courtesy of sirchocolate

At Last

Earlier tonight our new president and first lady danced their "first dance" to one of the most popular wedding first dance songs of all times. Beyonce blew the crowd away at the Inaugural Neighborhood Ball when she sang her version of Etta James' At Last. President Obama wore a black tuxedo with a white shirt and bow tie to match Michelle's beautiful white gown with one shoulder strap designed by Jason Wu.

The Obamas danced the night away to At Last at many balls that were put on in their honor in our nation's capital. Everyone around the world could see how much the two love each other as they looked into each other's eyes and giggled like they were teenagers.

Photo by Alex Brandon

Southern Weddings Launch Party

Last night I had a wonderful time at dogwood restaurant. We were all there to help the ladies of Southern Weddings Magazine celebrate their premiere issue.

There was a full house of Atlanta's wedding industry professionals as well as quite a few out-of-towners who wanted to be a part of the launch celebration.

Everyone was delighted to see Chelsea and Tec, the adorable newlyweds from the cover of the magazine in attendance. I've got my issue. Go and get your!

Kiwi Sapphire

If one of your wedding colors is green or you just want to make everyone green with envy at your next celebration, I have a fantastic signature drink for you. Let me introduce you to the kiwi sapphire.

Ingredients:
1.25 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin
1.25 oz Sour Apple Pucker Schnapps
Splash of Sprite
1 kiwi
Ice



Directions: Peel and slice kiwi, then muddle with ice. Add gin and schnapps. Shake and pour into a glass. Then add a splash of Sprite. Garnish with a kiwi slice. Enjoy!

Photo by concierge.com

Southern Weddings Magazine

January is an exciting month for Southern Weddings Magazine! On January 6, 2009 the premiere issue hit newsstands. If features 52 pages of real weddings, as well as celebrity wedding and event professionals Preston Bailey and Mindy Weiss.
On Sunday January 18Th they are celebrating their launch with a party right here in Atlanta! How lucky are we? Go to their blog and RSVP today so you won't miss the fun.

Congratulations Jenelle & Cecil!

Your Champagne Wishes Events, LLC brought in the new year with a bang. We spent the first weekend of the year with a lovely couple and their families as they became one. I was able to snap a couple pictures of them by the lake before the rain started falling again.




Jenelle and Cecil were witnessed being married by nearly 200 guest in front of a cozy fireplace. During the ceremony, the groom's brother was accompanied by a violinist as he sang To God Be The Glory.

The groom looked distinguished in his military dress blue uniform. While the bride wore a beautiful white and champagne strapless dress with embellishments as they jumped the broom.

Guests enjoyed a view of the surrounding woods as they ate dinner, drank wine, listened to wonderful toasts, and danced. The bride and groom had a great time dancing with all of their family and friends. Look at how happy they are!

Blog It Forward Please!

Masterpiece Weddings, an event coordination agency founded by Melissa Margarita-DiStefano in Gainsville, Forida, is working really hard to put on an amazing fundraiser in February called Let’s Eat Cake! - which will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital - an incredible organization that’s dedicated to treating children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases.

Let’s Eat Cake! is a wedding cake competition, featuring Wedding Cake confections from all over the United States. Bakers will feature their cakes to be judged by local and national culinary celebrities. In addition bakers will be asked to make enough cake to feed the general public, so that they may judge the cakes as well!

The goal is to raise $50,000 for this extremely worthy cause, we know times are tough for everyone out there. But that doesn't mean that kids still aren't getting sick. Please help spread the word about our goal, and our mission. If you can help financially, that would be great, and if you blogging about this right now....your spreading the word - and that's all we can ask for!

Masterpiece Weddings will donate $1 for every site that mentions Let's Eat Cake! before January 12, 2009.

Bride Wars

This Friday the new movie Bride Wars is being released. It stars Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway as two newly engaged best friends. The problems begin because of a feud over their perfect venue on the same date.
This leads me to remind brides-to-be about the importance of starting your wedding planning early with a wedding planner. Selecting a date and the best venue for you are some of the first decisions that you will make. So you have to choose wisely. While a venue making a clerical error in a movie might be hilarious, in real life it wouldn't be so funny. Hiring a professional wedding planner to help you negotiate and make very important choices is the best decision you can make for your wedding.
Candice Bergen plays "the queen of all wedding planners" in this movie. We will just have to go see the movie to find out if she lives up to her reputation or not.

photo courtesy of bridewars.com

Makeover Monday

Your Champagne Wishes Events, LLC has spent the last couple of weeks updating our website. You could say we gave it a makeover! Please take a moment to visit our new and improved website.

Setting Your Wedding Goals

Congratulations on your engagement! Now what? You have some big decisions ahead of you. Here are a few tips to help you stay on track.

#1 Hire a professional wedding planner to assist you in this process. A wedding planner can help you find the best venues and vendors to fit your needs. She can assist you with creating a timeline and budget, selecting invitations, photographer, flowers, cakes, linen, transportation, lodging, and much more.

#2 The earlier you get started, the better. So don't procrastinate.

#3 Set a realistic budget and stick to it. Be honest with yourself about what you and your family's financial comfort zone is.

#4 Include the groom in decisions. It is his day too.

#5 Once you have decided on your wedding gown, flowers or cake, stop looking in wedding magazines for more ideas.

#6 Remember that it is really about what happens after "I do." Don't loose sight of that.

#7 On your wedding day, relax and enjoy your day!