Pure Genius

You may be tempted to throw your dress in your closet, champagne stains and all, once the wedding’s over. Don’t. Make plans to have it professionally cleaned and pressed, and use a reputable source, like J. Scheer.  The company specializes in preserving wedding gowns so they look as beautiful 25 years from now as they did on your wedding day.  Planning a long honeymoon? Delegate someone take drop off your dress at the cleaner while you’re away; chances are better he’ll be able to remove more stains if he can work on it within a week rather than a month.

Image courtesy of www.jscheer.com

Bright Wedding

Also this morning on The Martha Stewart Show , I talked about couples experimenting with color for their weddings, a trend I’m really excited about. After years of white-on-white palettes, it’s great to see boldly hued table settings, cakes, accessories—even dresses. (I’ve said it here before: Wedding gowns don’t have to be white!) Here are some shots from the show:

Don’t our brides look amazing? Reem Acra, who designed the dress on the left (and the dress of our Today show bride!), was at the show today, as was Vane Becidyan, the bride-to-be behind Brooklyn Bride. The pink dress is by Peter Langer.

These cakes are all featured in the next issue of Weddings, which will be on stands on Monday.

I love how the hot-pink flowers pop against the black-and-white background. We made the runner by hemming a length a fabric; the same fabric was color-copied to make the place cards.

I know most brides aren’t making major investments in their wedding day jewelry, but I had to show you a close-up of these Stephen Russell earrings (and that ring!). We had Eva Scrivo pull back both brides’ hair, so the jewelry could really shine.

Cheers!

This morning on The Martha Stewart Show, I gave some suggestions for signature drinks, including a lavender champagne cocktail that was featured in our Spring issue. Here's a recipe for something to serve when there's a bit more nip in the air. P.S. Don't wait for your wedding to try this one out. It's a great after-dinner toddy to treat guests to at a fall dinner party!

    2 1/4 cups apple cider
    1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh ginger
    2 whole allspice
    3 ounces brandy
    Candied ginger chunks, cut into cubes, rolled in superfine sugar (optional)

1. Bring cider, fresh ginger, and allspice to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat, and cover. Let stand 10 minutes. Skim foam and strain, discarding solids.
2. Ladle 1/2 cup hot cider into each mug, and add 3/4 ounce brandy. Add ginger cube to each mug, if desired. (Makes 4)

The Perfect Party

A wedding wouldn't be complete without a proper rehearsal dinner, which can be put together by anyone but is usually thrown by the groom's parents. No matter who is in charge of organizing it, he or she can find tons of inpiration at hostesswiththemostest, one of my  go-to websites.  It's filled with great entertaining ideas, including a choice of themes to help you coordinate any party and infuse it with loads of fun.

Let the Countdown Begin!

The next time I write my Today show wrap-up, Jessica and Cody will be married! I can hardly believe it.

This morning we got to see the cake America picked for them—it’s gorgeous!

Here’s Jessica’s mom with Syliva, me, Jessica, and Cody. The outside of the cake was inspired by their wedding palette and turn-of-the-century Tiffany & Co. jewelry; the inside is chocolate cake with chocolate mousse and fresh raspberry cream. Yum!

Later in the show, Peter Callahan, who’s catering Jessica and Cody’s wedding, showcased signature drinks, which are a fun way to put your own stamp on your reception.

In the back, there’s white wine sangria; off to the right, bloody Marys are served in tomatoes (so sweet for a brunch reception!); glasses of pink Champagne are garnished with roses; a glass mug is filled with a Viennese coffee float; a pomegranate martini has a “Jessica and Cody” umbrella in it; and a Blushing Bride and Golden Groom (Weddings signature cocktails!) are served on a silver tray.

I raised a glass of Peter’s “MintTini” with Cody, Jessica, and Peter.

Peter was kind enough to share his recipe with us—he says “MintTinis” are hugely popular!— and I’m happy to share it with you:

For eight to ten drinks, mix 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar in a small pan. Heat until the sugar is dissolved; set aside. Puree 2 cups of mint leaves, 1/4 cup of sugar, and 1/4 cup of lime juice in a blender. Mix the puree and the syrup with 4 cups of fresh lime juice, and 3 cups of vodka. Strain and serve each drink over ice with a splash of sparkling water.

Bottles of Champagne and pitchers of “MintTini” rest in an ice bar sculpted by Shintaro Okamoto. Shintaro is a longtime friend of Weddings and has turned out some truly amazing things for the magazine.

Don't forget to vote for Jessica and Cody’s honeymoon destination by Wednesday!  Until then, I’ll be hard at work. (I’m off to Jessica’s dress fitting right now!)

Letter Perfect

If you need a design element to unify your wedding, you can’t go wrong with a classic monogram. I adore these letterpress monogram stickers by Lucky Star Press, which I found over the summer at the National Stationery Show. You pick any letter in one of two fonts, and three colors, then peel and stick to your heart’s content. Here are five places I think they’d look great:

• Favor bags or boxes
• Thank you card envelopes
• Bellybands around invites and enclosures
• Place cards
• Matchbooks

Undercover Agents

Straps that fall down, gapping, overflowing cups—if these woes sound familiar, the bra-fitting specialists at Intimacy can help. The company has stores nationwide, and a network of approved lingerie retailers in every state. Don’t underestimate your undergarments: you won’t believe how much taller and thinner you can look—not to mention how much more comfortable you’ll feel—with a bra that’s tailored to your shape!  Before the bridal party segment for the Today show, we were fitting our bride Jessica's bridesmaids and realized we had forgotten to think about undergarments!  Intimacy sent over bras in different shapes and sizes, and the bridesmaids all looked gorgeous, as you saw on the show.  Take my advice and don't leave this task until the last minute.  You'll need to wear the right lingerie to your fittings to ensure your gown is tailored to a t.

The Shoe Must Go On

After yesterday’s Today show segment, our bride Jessica tried on some potential shoes for her big day (in two weeks!). She’ll need to bring the ones she chooses when we go for her dress fittings—a good idea for any bride. The height of your heels will affect the length and fit of your dress, so don’t take a chance! Shop early for shoes, and once you’ve bought the perfect pair, wear them around the house for a few hours. You’ll spend most of your wedding day on your feet, so having comfortable footwear is an absolute must.

Weddings special projects editor Anthony Luscia helped Jessica with her shoes. That’s a Kate Spade peep-toe on her left foot, and a jewel-topped Giuseppe Zanotti on her right. I send New York City brides to Vanessa Noel’s boutique. If you’re outside the city (I’m trying to be less city-centric! I swear!), My Glass Slipper has a great online selection.

America won’t get to choose Jessica’s shoes, but I’d love to hear your opinions. (And I’m sure Jessica would, too!) So let us know which pair you like, and tell us what you plan to wear for your wedding, too.

Fantasy Island

Imagine the kind of wedding you'd be able to throw if your father was the owner of the famed Sandals Resorts and top celebrity florist-slash-event-planner Preston Bailey was on his payroll. (Preston was the guru behind Donald Trump's lavish wedding to Melania Trump). That dream was a reality for lucky bride Jaime Stewart, whose nuptials are featured in the current issue of MS Weddings--it was a flower-filled fairytale come to life. Check out these gorgeous photos! But you don't have to have her connections to marry at Sandals with Bailey's signature style. The resort chain, with 18 Caribbean properties from Antigua to St. Lucia, offers four exclusive wedding packages designed by the famous fete-thrower. The price, from $1,700 to $5,000 depending on the package you choose, includes everything from bouquets to cakes to ceremony decor.  And the ocean view is on the house!

Blogging Around

On Tuesday, one of my favorite fellow bloggers, Abby Larson of Style Me Pretty, attended a taping of the Martha Stewart Show, which featured her and four more bloggers Martha loves to read.  Abby then proceeded to write the nicest post about her experience and about Martha Stewart Weddings, sharing some images from and thoughts about our 10-year anniversary issue. It was so flattering I’m almost embarrassed to share the link!  If you haven't checked out Abby's blog, do so right this very minute. It's a must-read for any bride-to-be, packed with super-stylish and fun ideas (read Tuesday's inspiration board post and you'll see what I mean).