Specialty sweets tables are a big deal for weddings right now. Color-coordinated candy extravaganzas, vintage candy-store displays, gourmet chocolate spreads—sweets are not just delish, they invoke childhood memories and symbolize a sweet union.
Candy not your bag? Here’s an alternative: cookies! They’re small, they’re simple, they’re darling to look at and comforting to eat. Really, who can say no to a cookie? Especially when it’s your grandmother’s chocolate-chip-pecan recipe, or crisp, buttery shortbread, or colorful dipped fortune cookies bearing messages of love, or sugar-dusted Mexican wedding cookies lookin’ like perfect little snowballs of yummy. We like cookies stacked on tiered stands or passed with shots of ice-cold milk. Heck, we like cookies pretty much any way, any time.
It’s only one hour north of downtown Houston, but with those pristine Lake Conroe views and that marina sparkling like a 1.5-carat, brilliant-cut engagement diamond, La Toretta Lake Resort & Spa feels like a million miles away. Which is why this resort is pretty much perfect for the bride who loves the idea of a destination wedding, but without the hassles and costs of destination travel.
Here’s an idea: Book your long-weekend wedding at La Toretta. Have your rehearsal dinner at Chez Roux, the first-ever American restaurant from internationally renowned, Michelin-starred French chef Albert Roux. Schedule a couple of hours of bridal-party indulgence at Spa Terre, and, say, a round of golf, for the sporting types, at the resort’s 18-hole, par-72 course. On the big day, say your vows (beachside, sunset, perhaps?), and then celebrate in style in the spectacular Versailles Ballroom, with panoramic views of the aforementioned marina, and room for all your nearest and dearest to eat, drink and kick up their heels. After the festivities, retreat with your new hubby to a sumptuous suite, while your guests nestle down in their own comfy rooms or lavish lakeside villas. On Sunday morning, give guests the option of heading out on the water for a refreshing sail on a professionally captained boat, then let revelers gather at their own sleepy pace for mimosas and brunch, before heading back from whence they came.
See? Destination wedding at a destination oh so very close to home. Call 936.448.4400 and talk to Christine O’Hagan or Alana Padgett—they’re your La Toretta go-to gals.
Thursday, June 30, the Houston chapter of Wish Upon a Wedding had its official launch. I am one of the board members of this fabulous organization, and so proud to be involved.
If you’re not familiar with it, Wish Upon a Wedding is the nation’s very first nonprofit charitable organization set up to produce weddings, at destinations across the United States, for couples facing a life-threatening illness. Its unique mission makes Wish Upon a Wedding the world’s first nonprofit wedding-wish-granting organization. It’s also quickly becoming the wedding industry’s charity of choice.
Attended by more than 150 Houston wedding industry professionals and brides, the launch reception, generously underwritten by the Westin Galleria and overseen by catering director Adam Rineer took place in the hotel’s Monarch Ballroom, with its beautiful views of the city. The talented Rob Smith and staff of Events in Bloom decorated the space stunningly with stylish lounge furniture. Guests enjoyed the impressive buffet and desserts prepared by the Westin chefs, along with sinfully delicious miniature wedding-cake truffles from Cakes by Gina. Both, I personally and everyone on the board of Wish Upon A Wedding are so grateful to the wonderful Houston wedding professionals who donated their time and services to make the evening a success.
Houston chapter president Heather Hamilton-Sims of Simply Jubilee Events shared the vision and objective of Wish Upon a Wedding, and the accompanying video clips left not a dry eye in the room.
By the end of the evening attendees could not wait to volunteer their services and time as wish grantors for this most worthy cause, which provides weddings for couples in need regardless of sexual orientation. Houston brides, here is an opportunity to share your good fortune with someone a lot less fortunate who wants nothing more than to be married….just like you. As President Hamilton-Sims put it, most of us are planning weddings and events one, or maybe two or three years from now, but for these couples facing a life-threatening illness that time line does not exist.
So how can you help?
Watch this short video clip to see just what Wish Upon a Wedding has done and visit Wish Upon a Wedding. To donate your services, please sign on as a Wish Grantor. Blog about it. Talk about it. Become a Facebook fan and follow Wish Upon a Wedding on Twitter. In lieu of favors at your wedding, please consider making a donation to Wish Upon a Wedding and spread the joy. But most of all, just GIVE.
With her social schedule and style sense (not to mention her gig forwarding messages from Sing-Sing resident Sally Tomato), we’re pretty sure that if Holly Golightly were around in 2010, she’d be packing an iPhone in her designer clutch. Just imagine her joy at discovering that her beloved Tiffany’s had launched an app of its very own! That’s right, the famed jewelry retailer has introduced the Tiffany & Co. Engagement Ring Finder iPhone app. Browse Tiffany engagement ring styles (rings shown are true to size), view diamond carat weights (you can customize styles with six different carat sizes), zoom in on details, save choices and share favorites via e-mail, Facebook and Twitter, all from your iPhone or iPad (though not all features are compatible with the latter).
The best part? Though your genuine Tiffany diamond engagement ring might cost more than a new car (you’re MORE than worth it, of course), the Tiffany engagement ring iPhone app is FREE!
If you’re reading this post, you’re familiar with the Houston Wedding Blog. And if you’re familiar with the HWB, then you know that we are one of the best wedding blogs around. And if you know that we’re such a fabulous wedding blog, don’t you want the world to know that you know so that they know too?
Nominate us for AisleDash.com’s Wedding Blog Awards and at least a good chunk of the world WILL. Judges include celebrity lifestyle guru Colin Cowie and renowned wedding planner and “eventiste” Marcy Blum (who just happens to be profiled in the July issue of Weddings in Houston, on newsstands now!), so the stakes are pretty high. But we’ve got confidence that our signature Houston blend of tradition, cosmopolitan sophistication, international flair and down-home hospitality is a winner in the making.
To nominate the Houston Wedding Blog, just choose a category (we suggest Best Local Area Blog or Best Magazine or Wedding Website Blog), take 5.2 seconds to fill out the nomination form, hit submit, and help HWB achieve worldwide (web) fame!
Nominations close July 22, so vote now, and please, please, please spread the word (linking to this post via Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, etc., is a great way to tell your friends)!
