On a side note...

As I was giving my blog a face lift today, I noticed I've had over 12,000 views according to my counter! Wow! Either my counter is broken or people are very shy. I can count my comments all on my 2 little hands. So to verify on whether my counter is broken or you really like what I do I ask...please stop, say "hi", introduce yourself, tell me what you'd like to see, any questions you have, if your currently planning a wedding, etc. I like to know my stalkers!!

Simply Stunning Weddings and Patio at the Barn Team Up

I'm so excited for the 2010 wedding season as I team up to take over all the weddings for The Barn Golf Course in North Ogden. Okay, more specifically Pleasant View.

My head wants to explode with all the ideas and possibilities that this opportunity brings to me. Starting small with big ideas developing over the next couple years. But I don't want to give away all my secrets at one time. ;)

My main focus for The Barn's weddings right now is flexibilty. So many couples want a beautiful outdoor reception but don't have a large yard to hold it in or simply don't want to spend all Summer wasting away trying to make their yard look "wedding perfect". Most couples know someone who can help with the flowers or the catering but run into the problem of having to use the venue's preferred vendors. That's why I want flexibilty to be our main key. Whether you only need a place to celebrate or a few more things, we're happy to help you with those things that you need.

For all those eager vendors....yes, we are still excepting bids for our 2010 packages. Contact me for further details.

For all those eager brides...yes, we are only excepting a limited number of weddings for 2010. Give me a call for your own personal tour and to reserve your wedding day.

Custom Invitations

I have found that I can save my brides quite a bit of money by designing and printing their invitations myself. I've negotiated great printing pricing through a local printing company and of course pass on the savings to my clients. Here are a few of my designs so far...

Purple Dynasty

(Outside)

(inside)

(ceremony card)

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*

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Vintage Sage

(Inside)

(Outside)

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Fall Love

(Outside - Fold)

(ceremony card insert)

(Inside)

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*

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The Amie

(single sided - back may be added)

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The Holly

(inside)

(outside fold)

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The K'Dee
(inside)

(outside fold)

I can custom make a design for you or you can use a pre-printed design. Contact me for more information and a custom quote. I'd love to help out!

The end result.....

Months of hard work and neglecting my blog paid off! Yea!!

Bryce and Amie's wedding turned out absolutely perfect! What a fun wedding that will be remembered forever! I absolutely LOVED Amie and the fact that she was willing to step outside the box, try and do anything which made her wedding one that WILL NOT be forgotten!

They started their perfect unforgettable night right at the beginning with the wedding entrance. Check out this video!

To View Bryce and Amie's Wedding Entrance Click HERE

Now for some Bridals...

(I've been waiting very not so patiently to post these!!) :)

Again, Amie's goal was unique, memorable, something nobody else

has done. So right down to all her pictures we selected our locations

carefully with

LOTS AND LOTS of thought!

I think we achieved our goal! What do you think??

The Cake

Vintage Rock Style

I'll post more pics from the engagements and wedding day soon!!!

Special Thanks to all of my awesome vendors!!!

Photography by: Clique Photography www.clique-photography.com

Venue Location: The Barn Golf Course in North Ogden

Flowers by: Skyline Floral

Cake by: Cathies Kitchen www.cathieskitchen.com

Dress by: Gallery by Lynette www.lynettes.com

Linens and Rental by: Blissful Events www.yourblissfulevents.com

Let them eat cake!

6 Steps to the Perfect Wedding Cake

Step 1. Finding Your Cake Mate

Which baker is for you? You want someone who is open to your ideas and capable of delivering what you're looking for within your budget. Your caterer will most likely have relationships with a few bakers, and it's a great idea to meet several (every baker has a unique style) in order to make the best decision.

Before setting up appointments, do a little research on each baker by checking out his or her website. At the meeting, discuss time and place of the wedding; degree of formality; colors; what your gown is like; and any other important details. Feel free to bring pictures of cakes or swatches of fabric you like. If you like a particular photograph from the baker's portfolio, make sure it represents work done by current staff. When you think you've met your match, book the baker to secure her services (often a deposit is required at this time). Locking in your cake maker should be done as soon as you can before your wedding -- some top bakers book up to a year in advance.

Step 2. Getting Personal

Now for the fun part -- devising a style. Ask yourself these questions: What is your reception space like? What are your wedding colors? Do you want something extravagant? Or do you want something playful, whimsical? Are you classic types? Or is your couple motto The simpler the better? How do you want to personalize your cake? Your baker will take this information and come up with a sketch of the proposed design, and you just might find her zeroing in on a piece of lace or the beading on your wedding gown to use as a key element.

Cakes featuring sugar or buttercream interpretations of feathers, draping, monograms, and embroidery are popular, as are more modern, squared-off cakes with different shapes on different tiers. Have a sculpted cake constructed in the shape of your home, dog, or even your car! When you're working with a talented pastry chef, the sky's the limit.

Step 3. A Matter of Taste

The biggest misconception about wedding cakes is that they are designed to look good but taste less than fabulous. We've taken the taste test from several top bakers (lucky us) and beg to differ. Far from the cake being just a showpiece, it's what's inside that counts. You'll taste lots of samples along the way (forget the diet -- this is "research"), and you might be surprised to find this isn't average chocolate cake because of the...fillings! Yes, interspersed between layers of moist cake, you could find fresh fruit, custard, or ganache (a fancy word for a concoction of chocolate and heavy cream). And once cut, each piece -- with horizontal layers of different-hued flavors and fillings -- makes a dramatic statement on the plate.

Don't be confused by insider cake talk. Learn the basics, so you'll be sure to ask for exactly what you want. When it comes to icing your cake, you'll have a number of delicious and gorgeous choices. Buttercream, made from butter and sugar is smooth and creamy, and it stays soft so it's easy to cut, color, and flavor. It's also easily shaped into swags, borders, and flowers. Fondant, another popular option is made of sugar, corn syrup, water, and gelatin, and is rolled out with a rolling pin before it's draped over the cake. It makes a smooth firm base for decorative details, and it has a porcelain finish. Other icing choices include marzipan, a paste made from ground almonds, used in sheets like fondant; whipped cream, a sweetened whipped heavy cream (great with fruit fillings); and ganache, a rich mix of chocolate and cream.

When it comes to the details of your sweet tower, the options are numerous too. Here are a few ornamentation techniques you're likely to encounter: Gumpaste, made of sugar, cornstarch, and gelatin and used to craft lifelike fruits and flowers; cornelli is an elaborate piping technique that yields a lacelike pattern; pulled sugar is a technique in which boiled sugar is manipulated and pulled to produce flowers and bows; and dragees are edible sugar balls coated with silver or gold.

Step 4. So Happy Together

Top designers are seeing a trend for more complex flavorings such as coconut-key lime, blood orange-mango, and chocolate hazelnut-mocha. (Are you drooling yet?) Your selection of flavors may be based on the season, with heavier combinations like chocolate cake with mocha praline filling perfect for winter weddings and lighter sponge cakes with fruits, curds, and preserves more ideal for a summer affair. Some flavorful combinations we especially like: chocolate-banana cake layered with custard and brushed with banana liqueur, white cake with raspberries and cream, and almond cake with apricot preserves brushed with rum.

Step 5. The Price Of A Slice

Be prepared to pay anywhere from $1.50 all the way up to $20 a slice. If this gives you a bit of sticker shock, realize the more complicated the cake, the more you'll pay. Fondant icing is generally more expensive than buttercream, and if you want elaborately molded shapes, vibrant colors, or handmade sugar-flower detailing, you'll pay for the cake designer's time and labor. A good cost-cutting option is to order a cake for half of the head count -- guests are served "half-servings," which you can supplement with ice cream or fruit. Or have the cake of your dreams made on a small scale for a price you can comfortably afford, and then order sheet cakes of the same flavor to be cut in the kitchen (some but not all designers will do this). Though it sounds like a classic "bait and switch," no one will know the difference because the taste will be the same as the original -- delectable.

Step 6. It's Showtime

Just as you would with a fine painting, once your masterpiece is a reality, you must make certain that great care is taken transporting it in one piece to the reception site. Most cake designers prefer to deliver the precious cargo themselves, and we think paying the extra delivery fee is worth the peace of mind that the cake will arrive in top form. Make certain that the baker has a contact person at the reception site so he or she can give the catering manager or event planner any pertinent information on handling it -- it might have to be refrigerated or stationed in a cool, out-of-the-way location in the reception room. Most importantly, don't forget to marvel at the culinary tour de force before taking a cut -- those delicious details will surely be your reception's icing on the cake.

Minaturizing Big Impressions

Want your wedding to make an impression that will last a lifetime? One of the hottest new trends are making Big Impressions in their miniature sized forms.

"Just for You" pies...mix up the fillings to match your colors or give variety to the liking of all your guests!

The comforts of home always sit well with any guest.

Warm chocolate chip cookes with a shot of ice cold milk.

Summerize those tarts!

With delicious seasonal fruit.

Don't forget...mini is just the right size for all!

Miniture cake to keep the "cutting of the cake" tradition surrounded

by miniture cupcakes are sure to make a unique and lasting impression.

And my personal favorite...mini creme de la creme cups!

Top with fresh fruit the perfect amount of the rich creamy dessert everyone loves.

Just a quick note...

Wow, it really has been a long time! What can I say...February hits and Wedding Season begins. The planning of several weddings are coming along amazingly and I can't wait until their wedding days to be able to show off all of our hard work!

Along with my venture of wedding planning any spare time has been kept managing my husbands photography business. That too has just taken off! I'm so exited at how blessed we have been in the first 6 months to a year of launching our businesses.

I feel so guilty for abandoning my fans and followers...I'm here to help so I'll be more diligent about keeping this blog updated with the latest trends and ideas!!

The Smell of Weddings in the Air!

The smell of Spring means the smell of weddings!  Sorry my posts get far and few in between durring the peak of "wedding season".  But I'm loving it!!  Make sure to become a follower to my blog to keep up with the latest trends and of course to see pics of this summers amazing weddings coming up!  Everything from Storybook weddings to a Vintage Rock wedding. 

I want to be able to help out these lucky brides to be with my Monthly give aways!  If you would like to become a "featured" vendor, leave me a message on my blog.  

Without Further Delay....

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Our March Give-away will make your heads spin!

~ FREE Bridals from {C}lique Photography~

{C}lique Photography offers everything from Wedding to Newborns.  Check out their website @ www.cliquephotos.blogspot.com

How to enter this awesome gift you ask?   

Chance #1 ~ Become a follower and you are automatically entered.  Love the giveaway and want more chances?  We want you to win!  

Chance #2 ~ I'm not against those who want to STALK my blog!  Leave a comment (when you were engaged, when your getting married, any questions on vendors, etc.  whatever you'd like)!

Chance #3 ~ Add my link to your blog, facebook or myspace account. 

Chance #4 ~ Become a Fan on my Facebook account!

Good Luck to All!! 

Bridal Shows

Congrats on those Holiday Engagements! I want to send out a special Congrats to my friend Amanda! She was one of those lucky soon to be brides that got engaged on New Years. It's now time to set the date and start planning that Spring/Summer wedding. Need help with the latest wedding trends, fashion and ideas? Here is a list of upcoming Bridal Shows in the Salt Lake Valley.

03-JAN-09		Bridal Extravaganza - Salt Lake City
		Everything for Your Dream Wedding!
		11 am to 7 pm
09-JAN-09		The Original Bridal Showcase
		Don't get married until you've visited the The Original Bridal Showcase.
		SAVE $2.00 WITH THIS PAGE*
16-JAN-09		Thanksgiving Point Wedding Expo
		Plan your Wedding in one DAY!
17-JAN-09		Salt Lake's Premier Wedding Show
		Join us for Utah's most prestigious and elegant wedding show at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building
		Saturday, January 17, 2009 - 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.| Free Event
23-JAN-09		Bridal Gathering
		Your Complete Stop for Planning Your Wedding
		Friday- 4pm to 9pm - Saturday - 10am to 6pm| FREE Admission and Parking
24-JAN-09		The Bold & Beautiful Wedding Show
		It's Amore!
		12-4 pm - FREE EVENT!
24-JAN-09		La Caille Bridal Show
		Don't miss the Wedding Event of the Year!
		11 am - 5 pm
24-JAN-09		BRIDALFAIRE at USU
		Ideas from the ring to the honeymoon!
		10:00 am to 5:00 pm| Free event
30-JAN-09		Wedding Festival
		Wedding Festival is the only shopping you'll have to do when it comes to your wedding.
		CLICK HERE FOR A FREE TICKET As always, Simply Stunning Weddings is here for your every need! The best investment for the best day of your life is having a professional in your corner watching out for every detail of your wishes and desires to come together and make the most perfect and stunning wedding of your dreams. Keep watching for Spring Specials for spectacular savings and drawings!