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Hot Cocktails for Your Winter Reception

It’s cold outside, but that doesn’t mean your guests need to be. A fantastic wrap-up to a hearty and delicious reception meal is a nice hot drink from the bar with a touch of whipped cream, shaved chocolate or even a slice of apple as a garnish. Check out some of our favorite hot cocktails.

Hot Caramel Apple Cocktail

1 quart + 1 1/2 cups apple cider
1 1/2 cups Apple liqueur
1 cup spiced rum
1/2 cup caramel-flavored syrup
3 apples, chopped
4 cinnamon sticks

Place everything in the slow cooker. Cook on the low setting for 1-2 hours. Serve warm.

Tipsy Mochacchino

1 1/2 cups Milk
4 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon Instant Espresso or Coffee
4 ounces Irish Whiskey
Chocolate Sprinkles

Chocolate Whipped Cream

1 pint Heavy Cream
1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (or to taste)
1 tablespoon Instant Espresso or Coffee
Sweetner to taste

Whisk milk, sugar, cocoa powder, espresso in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil. Add whiskey last. Pour into mugs. Top with mocha whipped cream & sprinkles.

Chocolate Whipped Cream

Add cream, cocoa, coffee powder & sweetener to a stand mixer bowl. Whisk on low for a few minutes until the cream starts to thicken. As it thickens increase the speed slightly, and then to maximum speed. Whip until you have nice peaks. Sweeten more to taste if necessary.

Mulled Wine

4 cups apple cider
1 (750-ml) bottle red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
¼ cup honey
2 cinnamon sticks
Zest and juice of one orange
4 whole cloves
3 star anise
Peel of 4 oranges, for garnish

Combine the cider, wine, honey, cinnamon sticks, zest, juice, cloves and star anise in a large saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Pour into mugs, add an orange peel and serve.

Maple-Fig Bourbon Hot Toddy

2 oz Bourbon
1 oz Fig-Infused Maple Syrup
1 oz Lemon Juice
6 oz Hot Water

To infuse the syrup, combine a cup of chopped figs, with the stems removed, and a cup of maple syrup in a sauce pan and simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover. Let the syrup sit for about an hour, then strain out the figs and bottle the syrup. Combine the bourbon, maple, and lemon in a mug and add boiling water. Top with freshly grated nutmeg and garnish with a whole cinnamon stick.

Want your drinks to look even more beautiful? Check out the accessories at Best for Bride for something to add as a decoration to the bar, or even for the type of glass you’d like the drink served in!

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Choosing your Wedding Color Palette

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One of the most powerful ways to showcase the theme of your wedding is by selecting a special color palette. There are so many colors to choose from that finding the best options for your wedding may be difficult at times. However, if you rely on the following tips, you will easily be able to choose colors that are beautiful and that fit your personality and wedding theme.

Time of Year

Some colors work better depending on the time of year that your wedding is taking place. For example, you may want to choose fall colors when the leaves are changing colors, but pastels may be better when the flowers are blooming. Traditionally, spring is the best time for pastels, summer weddings typically use bright colors, earth tones are used in the fall and jewel tones are saved for the winter.

Venue

Another factor that can be important is the venue that you have chosen. Some venues may have décor that will not work well with certain colors. It is best if you avoid matching the colors of the venue too much, but you do want to choose colors that work well with your surroundings. If you don’t, the colors could wind up competing with each other and causing a distraction for you and your guests.

Your Favorite

Is there a color that you love or that will look great on your friends? Keep this in mind when you are planning your wedding colors. You should try to choose a color that will be flattering to everyone and that will work well with their complexions. You should also keep in mind the color that you look best in because you will be surrounded by the color that you choose on your wedding day. Choosing a color that is unflattering to you will make a difference in the way that you look.

Popular Colors

There are many different color options and you can find many options on popular sites like Pinterest and other wedding sites. Getting some ideas that others have used in the past can be helpful when you are planning your own wedding. This will help you to know which colors work well together and allow you to see them put into action in other weddings.

Conclusion

Choosing your wedding colors can be an exciting part of your wedding planning process. Be sure to take some extra time to decide which colors work best for you and will help you to create the theme that you are looking for with your wedding. Take into consideration the colors that work well together and complement each other nicely. When it is time to plan your wedding colors, be sure to keep these tips in mind so that your wedding is as beautiful as you imagined it would be.

Best for Bride

Best for Bride is a wedding specialty shop that offers a one stop shop for all of your wedding planning needs. Their experts will be able to help you select the perfect dresses and décor that will create the theme that you have chosen and the colors that will work best with it.

 

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Tips to consider when choosing a wedding invitation

Choosing to have a wedding invitation can cause fear similar to selecting the right wedding dress. This is because the first feeling will last a lifetime, and invitations tend to bring out the ideal theme and tone of the wedding. It will also become an unforgettable experience for your mother-in-law. Some of the tips to consider when making a wedding invitation include:

Determine your colors

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It is crucial to consider the colors for your wedding too. One might desire to incorporate a motif and colors in their wedding invitation and carry both of them to the remaining wedding paper which includes either ceremony programs, menu cards or escort cards. This forms a more unifying appearance. Contrary to choosing a formal white, cream or ivory card paired with gold or black font, you could consider having a brighter look comprising of metallic or colorful font, liners, envelopes and paper stock. However, it is essential to consider readability when selecting the colors.

Make invitations legible

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It is good to consider the text equally as the patterns and colors. This is because the information in the card is the reason for sending it to guests. You can choose to seek help from a stationer in your locality. However, avoid dark ink on dark backgrounds and light ink on light backgrounds. Pastels and yellow are usually difficult to read. Therefore, if you decide to go with them, it is crucial to ensure the background contrasts well for the letters to remain visible or incorporate the colors into the design instead of the text. Additionally, beware of text that is difficult to read such as an extreme scripted typeface.

Avoid overcrowding the wedding card

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Write down only the important points on your wedding invitation card. This includes the RSVP information, dress code (optional), and the names of the couple, the hosts, location and time of the event. The attempt to squeeze a lot of information onto the card can make it difficult to read hence not elegant. Leave out details concerning post-wedding activities for your website or have them printed on separate enclosed cards as well as directions to your wedding location. The place that you got registered should not belong anywhere on a person’s suite. The wedding website is the only acceptable place to write any information regarding registry.

Have your dates right

The RSVP information should be included on the bottom right corner of the card or a separate enclosure. It is also important to ensure that the deadline does not extend to more than three or four weeks after the invitations have been given to the guests.

It is advisable for an individual to purchase a sample of the invitation before deciding to make an order. This allows you to see the quality of the invitation card before making a large order. Viewing the product makes the whole difference.

Feel free to give us a visit at www.bestforbride.com

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Keeping your Wedding Memories Alive

Mori Lee Bridal SPRING 2015 Collection: 2716 - Tulle Ball Gown with Intricately Beaded Embroidery and Lace Bodice

 

After your wedding, when life has returned to normal, no one will really remember your wedding quite the way that you do. You’ve spent months and months planning your wedding and when it is over, you may feel a bit disappointed to let the excitement die.

There are many ways that you can make sure that you and your new spouse remember your special day well into the future. Some of the best ideas are listed below. Warning, most require planning before the wedding takes place.

Celebration Cake

Pink Callas

One of the most common traditions regarding remembering a wedding is eating a piece of the wedding cake on the first anniversary. This means that you will need to protect a piece of the cake for an entire year. While this may seem impossible, it can be done.

First, wrap the cake in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. This will provide it with an additional layer of protection so that the taste of the cake is preserved. Foil alone can make the cake taste strange, so this is an important step. You should also keep the cake in the back of your freezer because this is where the temperature stays the most constant.

Protect your Bouquet

You can also use your bouquet as a decorative item. If you used fresh flowers, there are many different ways that you can preserve it. To protect the bouquet itself, hang it upside down in a dark place for about two weeks. You can also remove the petals and put them in a bowl to dry. This will allow you to make potpourri from the bouquet, just make sure that you put the bowl in a dark place.

Fresh flowers and petals can also be pressed between the pages of a book to dry. This will allow them to dry flat so that you can add them to your wedding book. It usually takes a couple of weeks for this process to be completed as well.

Storing your Wedding Gown

If you have chosen to purchase your wedding gown, you should act quickly in order to preserve it. You should first take the gown to the dry cleaner immediately following your wedding; within one month.

When selecting the proper way to store your gown, make sure that you choose a box that is acid free and that you protect your gown with acid free tissue paper. If the box has a window, it should be made from acetate, rather than plastic because it is also acid free.

Make sure that your tiara or any accessories made with glue, metal and rubber are stored separately because they have the power to damage the dress and cause brown spots to appear. Storing the dress properly after it has been packaged is also important. You should always store your dress lying flat, in an area that maintains a constant temperature. It is also good to check on the dress every year so that you can make sure that it remains undamaged.

Final Tips

There are many ways that you can preserve your wedding day memories. One fun option is called Petal Wishes. This fun display item gives wedding guests the opportunity to write a special message to the bride and groom on their wedding day. It can then be displayed on the wall or on a shelf as a decorative item.

Remembering your wedding is a great way to connect with your spouse and to celebrate your union. By applying some of these ideas, you will be able to remember your special day for many years to come and will always look back on it with fondness.

Best for Bride

This wedding shop offers multiple locations that can help make your wedding memorable. Brides can shop in comfort while they find everything to plan their wedding and remember it. When you are planning your wedding, Best for Bride is there for you from beginning to the end.