SPRINGTIME – THE RIGHT TIME TO START PLANNING A UNIQUE WEDDING SHOWER

Feeling love in the air? It’s no wonder: with more than two million people getting married each year in the United States alone – and most of the weddings taking place in June – Springtime is filled with wedding showers.

Are you looking for ideas to make your celebration shine? Choose a wedding shower theme to make it really stand out Spa Wedding Shower

To add some flair to your wedding shower, consider a spa theme. Guests can choose between manicures, pedicures, body treatments, facials and massages. Afterwards, guests can unwind with an elegant spa lunch.

Many spas offer special bridal shower or group packages. Before you book a venue, be sure to call and speak to the spa director first. Be sure to ask as many questions as possible so you know what to expect.

Another option is to have a spa wedding shower in the privacy of your own home. Treatment options will depend on the spa beauty consultants you choose. Many professionals can offer massages, facials and mani/pedis. Another option is to hire a Mary Kay or Avon consultant to trade services like cucumber eye patches, footbaths and makeovers in exchange for displaying their products.

Wine Wedding Shower

For the couple that has everything, consider hosting a wine shower. The theme is tasteful and gives the bride-to-be a start on a high-end wine cellar. Assign each guest a different grape or region to ensure variety.

If you’d like the shower to include a tasting, you can hire an expert to conduct it. Another option is to hire Traveling Vineyard, a direct selling company that specializes in home parties. A consultant works with you each step of the way to ensure an entertaining home wine tasting experience that is not at all intimidating. Of course, with a direct selling company, your guests will be encouraged to buy the wines represented by the company.

Tea Party Wedding Shower

Teatime is an honored tradition of refinement and elegance perfect for a wedding shower. Whether or full tea or light tea, this type of gathering is a good format for mingling and leaves time for activities.

There is an abundance of information available on the Internet, ranging from tea party etiquette to the difference between a Queen’s Tea and High Tea. The affair can be as formal as you like, but is usually slightly less involved then a dinner party.

Holiday Wedding Shower

A wonderful idea for the bride who already has all of the basics, a holiday shower is the icing on the cake. Assign each guest a holiday, and the resulting gifts will become family heirlooms. Suggestions include china serving pieces etched with holly, crystal ornaments, tasteful Hanukkah decorations and seasonal table centerpieces.

Linens Wedding Shower

A shower focusing on linens can be quite luxurious. High thread count sheets, monogrammed towels, feather beds and quality down comforters are just some of the many gift options.

Work with the bride to determine her favorite home décor colors, and the items she needs. Gifts range from luxurious to necessities.

The shower accents can be complimentary: a personalized tablecloth, high-end soap party favors and an elegant napkins/rings centerpiece.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT WINE FOR YOUR WEDDING

On one of the most important days of your life, attention is given to every detail. From the dress to the flowers, food to the centerpieces, guest list to the limo, every facet is researched, contemplated, double-checked and finalized. However, some may tend to overlook one very important aspect of the reception – the wine. Wine can help set the tone for the event.

Lunch or dinner, hors d'oeuvres or dessert

One of the first steps to selecting your wine is to consider the timing of the event. At afternoon weddings, guests tend to drink less and at evening weddings more. If you decide to have a dessert reception, a sweeter wine will stand up to the sugar.

Red or white?

You should consider serving one red and one white still wine if the reception includes a meal, hors d'oeuvres or dessert. The format, type of food and weather can all be used to help you determine the varietal.

Chardonnay continues to be the top-selling white wine in the U.S. Some like the buttery oak flavor, however unoaked wines are a better complement to food and are more refreshing in the spring and summer. An alternative, Sauvignon Blanc is a versatile white that can be served with seafood, chicken and salads.

Cabernet Sauvignon is the most popular red wine in America, a perfect companion to hearty meats. Pinot Noir is lighter, and may suit a wider variety of menu options.

Champagne

If you really want to make a statement, serve a traditional French champagne. There are good ones available starting at $30. If you would like to save and little, consider a Cava, a sparkling wine from Spain.

Wine Temperature and Decanting

Frequently, red wines are served to warm and whites to cold. To enhance the flavor of your wines, you or your caterer may want to consider temperature. It’s suggested that red wine be served at room temperature (a cool room temperature!): 60°F to 65°F. Reds often could use some time to decant before they are served, allowing the flavor profile and bouquet to come alive.

According to 2beasnob.com:

General Temperature Guidelines

• Simple, fruity red wines should be consumed at the coolest temperature of the other reds.
• Complex, heavier wines should be consumed at the warmest temperature (but still cool) of the other reds.
• More expensive, higher quality wines should generally be served at the warmer temperatures.
• Less expensive wines generally need to be served at lower temperatures.

The important thing to know is that a red wine needs to be warm enough to experience all of the flavors, but cool enough to be refreshing. Never drink a red wine above 68°F (20°C) if you can help it.

While red wines are often served too warm, white wines are sometimes served too cold. If a white wine is allowed to warm up a bit, you can often taste more of its flavors. If possible, serve white wines cool but not cold.

How much is enough

When determining how much wine to buy, keep in mind that – per bottle of wine – there are five five-ounce servings. Are you serving mixed drinks and beer? Do your guests tend to drink more or less? The decision regarding how much to purchase is up to you but it’s a good rule of thumb to estimate one glass of wine per person per hour. For a four-hour reception, you may want to have one bottle of wine per person. It sounds like a lot but people may sample wine, leaving left over in the glass. Also, it’s better to have too much then to run out.

A PERFECT WINE WEDDING GIFT

Give as a wedding gift or host a party... Just add the wine and appetizers. Use the new wine glass toppers for hors d'oeuvres - the newest rage!

SAMPLE WEDDING MENUS

A Formal Dinner

Creamy Cucumber Soup

Riesling Sorbet

Pecan Crusted Chicken with Salsa

Roasted Herbed Potatoes

Asparagus with Thyme

Petite Butter Rolls

Champagne and Chocolate Truffles

Wedding cake

Champagne for Toast

Summer Barbeque Wedding

Citrus Punch

Chile Cheese Pie

Watermelon Salsa

Coconut/beer Shrimp

Spicy Wings

Potato Salad

Grilled corn

Barecued Ribs

Corn Bread

Wedding Cake

Brunch Menu

Coffee Frappe

Honeydew Mimosas

Tropical Fruit with Mango Cream

Ham and Cheese Strata

Goat Cheese and Tomato Tart

Strawberry Streusel Muffins

Poppyseed Bread

Wedding Cake

Italian Wedding Menu

Tuscan Bread

Chick-Pea and Cucumber Salad

Lasagne

Bistro Pasta

Orecchiette with Broccoli and Sausage

Provolone and Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Bread

Tomato Focaccia with Basil and Rosemary

Apple Cinnamon Cannoli

Simple Elegance

• Spicy Grilled Shrimp
• Beef Tenderloin with Spicy Rub and Barbecue Sauce
• Grilled Potatoes and Onions
• Green Beans
• Marinated Tomoatoes
• Cappuccino Brownies

WEDDING FAVORS

Planning the perfect wedding? Visit our unforgettable favors section for your memorable day. Hundreds of designs to choose from. Simply click the link above!

THIS MOTHER’S DAY, TRY A FAMILY TEA PARTY

Ladies will be raising their little pinkie while sipping tea at this lovely party fit for a queen. Each guest will receive their very own rose-painted porcelain teacup and saucer. This party box also includes a fine selection of teas.

ENTERTAINING AT HOME TO SAVE MONEY

With the state of the economy, it’s realistic to consider hosting some of your parties at home. For children, this means limitless options to be creative! Frequently, adults opt to book birthday parties at other venues. Options range from bowling and rock climbing to inflatables and gymnasiums. This year, try something new. Hosting a birthday party at home gives you an opportunity to make the party more creative and personalized. Posh Party Box offers its original parties – ranging from princess to pirate parties, magic to sports parties – and, to meet demand, we have added new parties too. Below are just a few.

"008" Secret Agent

One of our new parties, the 008 Secret Agent Party sets the stage for scavenger hunts and make believe. Not only will your guests look like secret agents, they’ll have spy ears for sending secret messages.

Tee for Me

Another of our new parties, the Tee for Me party will bring out the designer in each of your guests. In this one-of-a-kind "design a tee shirt party", each guest will have everything they need to create the perfect tee shirt

Itza My Pizza

A popular party for most any age, the Itza My Pizza party engages children in the kitchen. Best supervised by adults, kids have the opportunity to dress up like a pizza chef and assemble pizzas from the dough right down to the toppings. Complete with cookbook, the only question is what kind of pizzas will your guests make?