Shower Favors!

I am out of the office today because my best friend in the world is GETTING MARRIED! In her honor, I want to show you a few fun items that I used to throw her shower.

For the favors, we put together a candy buffet. I ordered the chinese food take out containers from Nashville Wraps. Then, I got these cute custom labels from Beau-Coup Party favors - which I love! They have a ton of different shapes, sizes, and designs.




One of my biggest concerns was having a great table scape. In order to make it not only look great, but also be personal, I chose these votive wraps from Wedding Things. From the moment I saw them, I knew I had to have them. They were a simple DIY project that made a huge impact. At the end of the event, everyone got to take a candle as well.



I lined up the candles along the floral centerpiece - which blew my mind when I saw it. Laurie from Laurelwood Designs designed it and it left me speechless! It was the perfect simple, clean, but stunning look I was going for.




This is just the tip of the iceberg. I can't wait to share more details from the shower and now, Jannet & Rob's wedding!

Vodka Cream Pasta

Happy Wellness Wednesday!

One of my favorite things to do when I'm not working is to cook. I'm not a huge meat eater, so most of the recipes I will share with you will be meat-free. One of my favorite comfort foods is Vodka Cream Pasta! I love that this recipe makes a ton of sauce, which is perfect to dip a flaky piece of bread in.

Vodka Cream Pasta

Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yields: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

-2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
-1 tablespoon of butter
-3 cloves of garlic, minced
-3 shallots, minced
-1 cup of vodka
-1 cup of chicken stock
-1 can of crushed tomatoes (28 ounces)
-1 small can of tomato paste
-16 ounces of penne rigate
-1/2 cup of heavy cream
-15 leaves of basil
-Course salt and pepper
-grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
-One baguette (optional)

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic, and shallots. Gently saute shallots for 5 minutes. Add vodka to the pan. Reduce vodka by half, for about 3 minutes. Add 3/4 of a cup of chicken stock, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Bring sauce to a light boil and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.If you like a thinner sauce, add the remaining 1/4 cup of chicken stock. If you like a thicker sauce, discard the remaining chicken stock.

While sauce simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water until cooked to al dente.

Stir cream and basil into sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from heat. Drain pasta. Place a serving of pasta and a serving of sauce into a frying pan over medium-low heat. Toss the pasta and sauce together and continuously mix until the sauce gets thick, about 3 minutes. This will cause the sauce to stick to the pasta. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and crusty bread.

Enjoy!

Very Truly Yours,

Welcome Back!

Welcome back to the new and improved As You Wish WEDding blog! I have made some changes to the look of the blog as well as the content. I thought long and hard, talked to many people, and I think you'll really enjoy what I have to deliver.

One of the traits of being a successful wedding planner is the ability to plan out every last detail but also to be incredibly spontaneous and flexible. This new blog will be a physical representation of that. There will be some structure and things you can count on, but there will also be a ton of spontaneous items thrown in. Here is what you can count on:

Money Saving Mondays - Especially in these economic times, funds are tight. I am going to share with you some tips and tricks to save you money throughout your planning process. There are ways you can - and SHOULD - save money with budgets big and small.

Wellness Wednesdays - Whether you are a wedding pro, a busy bride, or anything in between, we all need to take a step back from the planning and just relax. As a business owner this is something I have struggled with. There is always another contract to review or an email to answer. As a bride, there is always another invitation to send or favor to assemble. Each Wednesday I will share a non-wedding related item that helps me relax. From great wines, to the newest handbags, to travel recommendations, I'll provide a ton of excuses to break away from the stress and indulge in something incredible.

Fun Find Fridays - I am exposed to fantastic new ideas and items in the wedding industry every day. Some don't fit into the themes of anything I am working on, but it may fit into what you are planning and they are just TOO GOOD to keep to myself.

In between all of this, I will answer reader questions and always keep you up to date on everything that is going on at As You Wish!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading. Please subscribe to my blog so that you can be notified when exciting, new things are posted. As always, any feedback you have is always welcome!

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Very Truly Yours,