Warwick Valley Winery Wedding Venue!

Warwick Valley Winery in Warwick, NY is a quaint, cozy winery. It's the perfect setting for an intimate wedding.

The grounds, tasting room, and attached cafe are all available for your ceremony, reception, or both.

If you are just looking for something to do during the weekend, head to Warwick Valley for a wine tasting and lunch. The Pane Cafe has some of the most unbelievably delicious sandwiches and pizza you'll ever eat. My personal recco? I can't give just one. Don't leave without trying the Riesling, Black Dirt Blush, and Harvest Moon Wines with the Roasted Turkey Breast Sandwich which has fresh compote, cheddar cheese and bacon. And if you're lucky, you'll be there on a day when they are serving up their breakfast pizza!

Real Wedding: Shannon & Matt

Back in May, I got the pleasure of working with Shannon & Matt during their wedding at the Forsgate Country Club. During her entire planning process, Shannon was in law school and preparing to take the bar exam (as if a bride doesn't have ENOUGH on her plate already!). I got to know her parents during the planning process but it wasn't until close to the wedding that I got to know Shannon. She is such a sweetheart and I am so happy that she got the wedding of her dreams!

At the end of the night, I went into our holding room as I started to prepare for pack-up. As I approached the bridal suite, I heard some very loud giggling. I opened the door and found a group of superheroes looking back at me. Some of the guests planned a special surprise for the bride and groom. Thank goodness they thought it was funny!

It was such a pleasure working with Shannon, Matt, and Shannon's family. I wish you guys a lifetime of happiness!

A huge THANK YOU to Chris and Suzanne at CLB Photography. This was my first time working with CLB but will most definitely not be my last. I had such a great time with them. They are such a talented duo. If you haven't booked a photographer yet, they are a team you MUST consider!

Specialty Cake: Christian Louboutin Shoes!

I love specialty cakes. Many people overlook the wedding cake and choose something plain and simple. It's one of the last details they think about so it often gets overlooked. When people come to a wedding they love to see those little details that make your wedding stand out, and your cake is one of the first places they will look. Take the time to make it stand out. Get creative. If a specialty cake is more your style, have a unique cake made in addition to your wedding cake. Or, have a groom's cake at your rehearsal dinner. For my friend Jannet's wedding, I had an amazing shower cake made in the shape of one of her favorite things: Christian Louboutin shoes!


Not only did it look incredible, but the cake tasted great too. We chose vanilla cake with chocolate icing. It was SO delicious, it completely exceeded my expectations.

I had the cake made by Wendy's Cake Art in NJ. I can't say enough about them. The customer service was great, the prices were great, and there is no denying that it looked just like a shoe and shoebox!

Lantern Wedding Centerpieces

The image above was taken at Michelle & Dan's wedding last weekend at the Stone House at Stirling Ridge. Their flowers were done by the incredible, sweet, lovely Laura Clare. I loved that Michelle incorporated lanterns into her centerpieces. I had been checking out these gorgeous Moroccan Lanterns from Wedding Table Decor and Michelle's centerpieces are the perfect inspiration and time to share them!


Mid White Moroccan Lantern

Moroccan Design Amber Glass Lantern

Moroccan Lantern with Blue Glass

White Fancy Lantern with Stand

Yellow Glass Moroccan Lantern


Don't be afraid to incorporate non-floral items and splashes of color into your centerpieces! I love the amber and blue glass in these!

Head over to check out more photo's of Michelle & Dan's wedding by the fabulous Kella MacPhee. I love the sparkler pictures!

Lemonade Bar

One of my upcoming weddings is featuring a Lemonade Bar during their cocktail hour. It's something that your guests will love to drink and it looks beautiful too! Here are some lemonade variations that you could include in a lemonade bar or as your signature drink:

Purple Basil Lemonade

In this recipe, basil is crushed with sugar to release the oils. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, process the basil, sugar, and about 1/4 cup of the water in a food processor or blender.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

4 cups water - 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice - 1/2 cup loosely packed purple basil leaves (about 1/4 ounce) - 6 tablespoons sugar - 4 cups ice - 4 purple basil sprigs

Preparation:

Combine 4 cups water and juice in a large bowl. Place 1/2 cup basil and sugar in a mortar; pound with pestle until a paste forms. Add sugar mixture to juice mixture; stir until sugar dissolves. Strain mixture through a sieve over a bowl; discard solids. Place 1 cup ice in each of 4 glasses. Pour about 1 cup lemonade into each glass; garnish each serving with 1 basil sprig.

(recipe courtesy of Cooking Light)

Vodka Thyme Lemonade

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar - 12 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more for garnish -4 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 24 lemons -2 cups vodka

Preparation:

1. In a small saucepan, combine 2 cups water with the sugar and thyme; bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat; let cool to room temperature.
2. Pour mixture through a fine sieve into a large glass measuring cup; discard thyme. You should have 2 cups syrup. Cover with plastic; chill.
3. In a large serving pitcher, stir together lemon juice, vodka, and chilled syrup; garnish with thyme. Divide evenly among eight tumblers filled with ice; serve immediately.

(recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart)

This is a simple and relatively inexpensive way to make your event look elegant. Slice lemons, limes, and oranges into your lemonade and be sure to include large sprigs of the herbs you are incorporating to give it a punch of color.

Whichever recipe you choose, always make sure that the alcoholic versions are clearly marked and that there are non-alcoholic versions available.

Best Bridesmaids Dresses!

This past year has been the first year of my friends getting married in full force. I have personally come into contact with many bridesmaids dresses - the good, the bad, and the ugly. I won't get into which is which, but I have to gush about the dress I wore last week. It was comfortable, beautiful, and we got SO many compliments on it. Two Birds Bridesmaids dresses are a bridesmaid's dream. It's one dress, but convertible. You can tie it ten different ways (although we came across way more than ten if you get a little creative!) and it's one size fits all. I had a tough time believing that one size fits all, but it really is true.

I love this dress so that much that I already have my eye on this gorgeous champagne color!

There are so many colors available. They also offer two lengths: long and short. A pregnancy size is now available as well as a bandeau top to make bigger busted girls more comfortable.

This is the "Caroline" style - the way I chose to wear my dress for the wedding.

I love the bow tied around the neck in this photo. Next time I wear the dress, I am going to tie it that way!

We purchased our dresses from Bella Bridesmaid in Madison NJ. They were great to work with and we got the dresses earlier than expected.

If you like that idea but not this specific dress or price tag, you can find similar alternatives at Butter by Nadia and Victoria's Secret!

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!

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,