Thursday, April 24, 2008

Check out Fabuless Bride’s blog, spotlighting Savanah Tea Room. Fabuless really liked the venue so I wanted to share with everyone.

I love it when other blogs do vendor/venue spotlights! I love reading them to gather information on possible locations and to get ideas! I had such a great experience at a location the other day, that I just have to do my own vendor spotlight!!

On Monday, my mom and I went to have lunch at the Savannah Tea Company to check it out for my bridal luncheon the week of my wedding! It’s still a few months away, but we wanted to confirm that we’d really want it so that we could hold the date! We’ll be taking over the whole place so we needed to make a decision soon. Almost as soon as we walked in and were greeted by Emily, the owner, our decision was already made! We absolutely adored EVERY second inside the tea house!!

It was the perfect time to go, as I’d been REALLY stressed out the day before and that morning, trying to get stuff done that just wasn’t very much fun! We had a wonderful relaxing time- probably spending more time than we should’ve, but we were the only customers there after awhile, and the waitress and owner were just so helpful and nice that it was the kind of place you didn’t want to leave!

When I was little, I used to make my mom have tea parties with me ALL the time! We’d have to dress up, put on make-up, and drink lots of the “finest” tea (really just plain old black tea!) from my cute little china cups. I often had a friend or two I could talk into doing it with me, but it was mostly my mom!

As soon as we walked in, we were greeted by the owner, Emily, who showed us around a bit (we told her we were there for lunch but also to check out the place for the bridal luncheon!). She went over the menu with us- which has an EXTENSIVE tea list! I was slightly overwhelmed by the list, but Emily gave some great suggestions! I chose Pomegranate Rose hips (been on a pomegranate kick lately so I thought, why not?!). It was wooooonnnnderful! My mom tried the Chocolate Mint tea (sounds odd for tea….but wow!!!), and of course, I stole quite a bit of it!

For just $3.25 you get your own little pot of tea and you get to choose a tea cup off of the shelf. This is the one I chose….It looked very cute and cozy and invited me to sip from it all day long! It reminded me of my childhood as well, since this light pink and green were my favorite colors to wear together for a long time!

It took us awhile to decide what to eat too, because of all the GREAT choices! They make all of their quiches, soups, muffins, scones, etc. fresh every day! Actually, they don’t make scones every day because they are usually part of the special requests for light or full tea reservations. However….we REALLY wanted to try them- it’s been ages since I’ve had a scone and the thought of that and clotted cream along with my tea was just irresistible! They whipped up a couple just for us, which was sooooo nice!

They were YUMMY! The scones are in the shape of a teapot, and they also do PB&J sandwiches for kids in the shape of teapots- how cute!! They have a great kids lunch (less fussy stuff!) and a great “kid’s” room as well.

This small room seats about 10 and is off of the main room (with seats for 20). It will be perfect for all the little flower girl’s and junior bridesmaids to play “tea” in with the fancy hats, gloves and boas. I LOVE the poster of Scarlett and Rett! :o)

And the cute main room, where the shelf of tea cups is located….

You can sort of see the gift shop- filled with tea pots and tea cups, of course, in the front, along with sample designs of the wedding cakes they also offer! I thought they looked familiar, then after talking with Emily realized I’d seen them at the bridal show at the Frist!

Our lunch order was fantastic as well! Every meal off the menu comes with fruit, muffins, and a frozen cranberry salad! YUM!!!! They have different soups, quiches, and sandwich specials, along with a few regulars. I tried the black forest ham and apricot preserve paninni- fantastic!! Along with a cup of chicken mushroom soup…again great! (you can see the muffin- ate one already- and cranberry salad on either side!)

Mom had the crustless asparagus and mushroom quiche along with vegetable tortellini soup. I, of course, snuck bites of both! Ok, so I asked, I didn’t steal!:o)

They also do tea tastings, for larger parties. So that you can each get a different pots of tea and share and try them all out! I didn’t think I would EVER run out of tea! That’s partially why we stayed for so long and partially because it was just so great! I kept thinking I’d be at the bottom of the pot and on my last cup….and nope, there was still another, and another, and another….they’ll give it to you to go if you have some left, but we wanted to stay and finish. And umm…..even though my mom got hers later than me (she waited until after we ate our main meal to order!), hers went faster, because I had to have some of hers too!!

I absolutely cannot wait to go back for my bridal luncheon- I might have to go back sooner! I can’t say enough good things about the food, the place, and the people! We must’ve asked Emily AND Casey dozens of questions each and they were both willing to answer them all plus some! They were fantastic! If you live near Nashville, and haven’t been- you should!!! I will be going again soon! Anyone want to come?!!

(Hey everyone - Fabuless Bride sent me these cute, spring-colored M&Ms. She saw them and immediately thought of my website colors. Thanks for thinking of me Fabuless!)

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Whether you are planning a bridal shower or a bridal luncheon, here are some neat party ideas that should give you a start.

Here is a bridal shower article I found on Weddings with Reese’s blog. Corinne provides some party planning tips and I’ve added additional comments throughout so hopefully the post won’t seem too schizophrenic.

From Weddings with Reese…

As a bride, I thought one of the greatest parts of the wedding process was the showers! They were a great break from the planning process, and were a chance to see the people you cared about but hadn’t had time to see in the past months!

I am willing to bet that if you are getting married, probably some of your friends are heading in the same I direction, and you may be planning a shower for one of them! Here are some fun ideas for different types of showers.

1. Color themed shower - Let’s go with black and white for an example.

Invites~ On the invitations you can make up a little poem to let everyone know that they should wear black and white.

“Jenny and Chris are tying the knot, Come join us for a shower at 6 on the dot. The theme of the party is black and white, So come dressed in those colors to shower her that night!”

Decor~ Wrap silverware in black napkins and tie them with a white ribbon. Print black and white pictures of the bride and groom and place them around in black and white frames. Wrap gifts in the colors. Provide favors that also reflect the theme.

A “color” themed shower makes for some great pictures!

Ashley adds: Save time by hiring a Nashville wedding planner to pull together the details then save money/time by buying a “party in a box” (see above) from Social Couture. These boxed decorations are great for the “creatively challenged but fab-seeking bride” like me. While pricey, they serve as great inspiration. Buy one set and then just add additional components from places like Target, Walmart, etc.. I just love this black and white boxed set.

Ashley adds…Designs in Paper created these great invitations for bridal clients. Notice the black and white theme plus a hint of a third color. They can create a custom design for any color / theme you choose.

2. Couples’ Cookout shower- Admit it, most grooms do not want to go to any sort of shower that involves tea sandwiches, petit fours, and giggling women! But they do like to see all of the gifts that come along with all of that. So, make a guy friendly shower.
Invites- Make it clear on the invitation that it is a shower for both the bride and the groom.

Decor- Casual! Red and white checked tablecloths, wildflower bouquet for centerpieces.

Food/Drink- Hamburgers and hot dogs, pasta salad, typical cook-out food. If the group is one that drinks alcohol, provide beer and wine, and maybe a mixed cocktail or punch.

Ashley adds…I also found these great etch-it cups. I like them because it makes it easy to identify cup owners and have fun while doing it:).

There really is a lot of room for creativity for showers. Some brides may want the traditional, girls only, tea party type shower, and that is wonderful. But some may want to do something outside of the box! Be sure to ask the bride her opinion, in a subtle way, about the type of shin-dig she imagines, and then go from there. It’s all about showering your friends with love and good wishes, and not to mention fun!

Ashley Adds More Party Ideas:

Hostess with the Mostess is my absolute favorite site for party planning!!!! You can get tons of ideas from the Jennifer (the author) and she also includes where you can buy the items and drink suggestions to accompany each look. Feel free to DIY or hire a Nashville wedding planner for your event. Here are my favorite party ideas from her site. Visit her site for more ideas.

While Jennifer used the bed theme for a kid’s party, I recently attended an event at Nashville’s Events 1418 where they used the bed theme too. Unfortunately, I lost the picture:) but the point is, you can use the whole bed thingy for any party and it’s guaranteed to add a “wow factor”.

Pink loves brown and I love them both! This is a great color combo that’s feminine and modern without being too princess like.

Lime and plum are hot, hot, hot! Gotta love how these color contrasts pop.

I love this orange and chocolate bridal party theme. Perhaps it’s because I love orange (fave color) or maybe it’s because the chocolate reminds me of…chocolate brownies…yum. Anyway, this table decor includes the blumeboxes that Weddings With Reese featured several months ago.

This bridal party theme is perfect for every diamond diva. So, why not celebrate getting the ring with a bridal party focused on bling!

Here’s more chocolate and orange, this time from Social Couture.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Today’s post will be short and sweet since tomorrow is my hubby’s birthday. Plus, I just ordered the ESPN College Basketball channel as his gift, so I will be watching basketball all weekend so we can “bond”. Anyway, I only have a few minutes to chat before he returns from his errands.

Remember Sparkle Josh? Well, for those of you who aren’t completely obsessed with all things reality tv, Sparkle Josh was on HGTV’s Design Star. (Sidebar - If you don’t know Sparkle Josh, you missed a treat. Sparkle Josh was on the show last season and he is from Hendersonville. He’s superduper talented and so funny.

Cut to the chase…My sister works for Sparkle Josh’s brother. For Christmas, Sparkle Josh actually ordered gifts for his brother’s staff. So, my sister (being a big Sparkle Josh fan) and her co-workers were excited to see what was on Sparkle Josh’s oh-so-Hollywood gift list. The gift ended up being on backorder but what arrived this week was the most sparklin’ travel mug ever! It is decked with rhinestones and a watch.

Wouldn’t these make the most sparkly gifts for your wedding attendants? Plus, they come in a myriad of colors sure to match your wedding theme.

I am ordering a hot pink mug for me and want one lucky ABG bride to receive one too. Simply post ”I’m registered and I want it!” on this blog and wait to see if you are the winner.

Want to order your own? They are $29.95. Visit timemug.com.

(You must be a registered ABG bride but that’s easy, just click here to register then post your comment to this blog and you’ll be entered into my drawing. The mug will be ordered in one of your wedding colors.)

Looking for a neat way to ask your friends to be in your wedding? Here’s a great place to start. This adorable gift box contains an even cuter bridesmaid tee and a custom “Will you be my bridesmaid” notecard.

With this gift, who could tell you no? Available at Chicas & Brides.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Are your bridesmaids throwing you a bachelorette party? If so, why not have a have a kickin’ time on someone else’s dime - in VEGAS!

Cocktails by Jenn is sending one lucky bride and her 7 maids to an ”Ultimate Bachelorette Party” in Las Vegas.

Check out the details here. Also, these cocktails are adorable and look tasty. They would be cute gifts for your bridesmaids, if they enjoy a good drink. While they aren’t available for purchase in the Nashville area (come on Jenn) they can be purchased online.

Please take me if you win:) Fat chance huh. Hey - it could happen.

UPDATE! I just received an email from the Jessica at Cocktails by Jenn. (Wow - they saw my blog!) They informed me that the cocktails are available at wine/spirit stores in the Nashville area. In fact, she mentioned they can be purchased at:Midtown Beverage Ctr - 615-327-3874 • 1610 Church St, Nashville, TN

Friday, October 19, 2007

Coupon Alert! White House Black Market

Still searching for your bridal gown or bridesmaid dresses? I found a great White House Black Market coupon for $25 off a purchase of $125 or more. The coupon can be used online, in stores or via phone. The coupon expires 12.1.07. You can find the coupon in the latest Oprah magazine, the one with the gold glitter on the cover. I was so excited when I saw it that I ripped it out and cant remember which pages it was between. But I am sure you can find it in no time. Snatch up a few from the newstand (magazines that is - wouldnt condone taking the coupon out of the magazine and leaving it in the store:) If you plan to use the coupon online or for a phone order - you’ll need to provide two codes.

The two dresses in today’s blog are currently available at WHBM. Cute right? Personally, I have not found WHBM to offer the best customer service. I have visited their Cool Springs and Green Hills locations. But, to save a few bucks, I’d give them another try:) Better yet - just shop online where there is never a line or a nasty salesperson.

Here’s what you need for phone or web purchases - free shipping code: 8474 & $25 off $125 code: 8458. Coupon expires 12/07.

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Modern Bride’s “Always a Bridesmaid” contest is the perfect opportunity to share the good, bad and ugly and win a fun filled trip to NYC! The contest is open to anyone who has ever been a bridesmaid (including current brides) and only requires 100 words or less. So, recall all of those awesome stories and prepare to share them with thousands of your closest friends.

It would be great if a Nashville bride won so get those entries to MB asap! Contest ends Oct 15.

Off to write my 100 words or less!