Blogs

Guest Blogger: Nathaniel Neubauer, owner of Contemporary Catering
Nathaniel’s mom says it best: “When Nathaniel was turning three, I asked him what he wanted for his third birthday. He said, ‘Quiche.’” Ever since, Nathaniel’s love for food has never been far from reach. With his presence, Contemporary Catering quickly became a major contender in the Los Angeles catering industry. From overseeing production to designing a nine-course tasting menu with five-star service, Nathaniel’s dedication to his clients and his company is unparalleled.

Crafting a cocktail that matches your wedding color palette — and tastes incredible — is easier than you might think! We start with fresh herbs and fruit before asking the bride for her inspiration boards and wedding colors. After narrowing down a list of the bride and groom’s favorite spirits, we begin the creation process.

At Contemporary Catering, mixing and matching colors and flavors is one of our specialties. We have found a way to match virtually any color and flavor that anyone could dream up! 

Finding your perfect drink definitely takes a little mixing and matching, but don’t be afraid to experiment. The only way to come up with a memorable cocktail that your guests won’t forget is to be creative (the sampling part doesn’t hurt, either!).

Here, we've come up with five great drinks that are sure to tickle your taste buds:

When groom-to-be Joe began shopping for Emily's engagement ring, he knew that a run-of-the-mill diamond ring just wouldn't cut it. The couple, who met while working together in a tattoo shop, bonded over their "nerdiness," and Joe set out on a quest to find someone to create a R2-D2-themed engagement ring to match his "fanatical Star Wars enthusiasm."

He soon discovered Paul Michael Designs through CustomMade, an online marketplace that connects shoppers with artisans who can turn their dreams into reality. 

After months of planning, sketching, and designing, the incredible final product arrived a day before Halloween. Joe decided to propose the following day at work, while they'd be decked out in their Peanuts-themed Halloween costumes — Joe as Charlie Brown and Emily as Lucy.

"I know it would have been better in Star Wars gear," said Joe. "[But] Charlie Brown proposing to Lucy is still kind of a fun thing, too." We agree! Watch their proposal:

Jennifer Doncsecz, an expert on planning destination weddings, has been President and Owner of VIP Vacations Inc. since 1992 and has over 25 years of travel agent experience. She regularly appears as a travel expert on Fox Philadelphia's "Good Day" and on PBS Tempo, and she has also appeared on The Travel Channel, CNN, and RCN. Jennifer is a passionate advocate for using a travel agent and has been a speaker at many national travel conventions, including The New York Times Travel Show, and Travel Weekly's conferences. 

Photo Credit: Meg Courtney Photography 

Ever hear the expression, "There are two kinds of luggage....carry-on and lost"? Unfortunately, putting your wedding dress in your checked suitcase and hoping for the best is like playing Russian Roulette. The smarter option is to carry it on with you in a garment bag (either use the one it came in or purchase a heavy-duty bag).

Once you get on the plane, gently fold your garment bag in half and place it in the overhead bin. Some people may tell you to hang it in the first class closet, but that's rarely done. Besides, the closet is only four feet high, so you'd have to stuff it in.

Confession: I hate being late. If I know I won't make it somewhere on time, I feel like the world will crumble. That usually doesn't happen, but with wedding plans, there could be some serious consequences if you don't stay on schedule.

Join us every Friday for our Q&A column, where editor-in-chief Diane Forden answers one reader's biggest etiquette question.

Q. Are there any particular guidelines for tipping wedding professionals? I am not sure whom to tip or how much I will need to give them.

A: Tipping depends somewhat on where you live and, in some cases, is included in your overall fee (especially when dealing with caterers or banquet halls). You should clarify this when you sign your contract. An additional tip of 15 to 20% is generally expected for your maitre d' or banquet manager. Limo drivers also expect to receive a 15% tip, as do many wedding consultants. It is not necessary to tip musicians, florists, bakers or photographers, however, unless they perform an extra-special service. Clergy members are generally given a small "gift" (ask what's typical for your congregation), while civil officiants charge only a flat fee. Other possible people you will need to tip: ceremony assistants (altar boys or girls), organists, powder and coat room attendants and parking valets. Again, many of these gratuities will be included in your overall fee, so be sure to ask.

—Diane Forden

Photo Credit: Susan Baker Photography

One groom discovered a way to watch his wedding day unfold from his bride's point of view!

San Diego photographer Ben Horne petitioned his now-wife Lyubov to hide a GoPro HD Hero 2 video camera (often used by skydivers to record footage) in her bridal bouquet for their June wedding.

It captured unscripted moments, both big and small. Watch the heartwarming video above to see guests react to the bride as she walks down the aisle and the couple taking in their reception space for the first time.

"It really is a very unique viewpoint and something we're going to enjoy looking back on 20 or 30 years from now," said Horne.

Horne's video only had about 18,800 views at the time of publication, but we have a feeling this could be one of the hottest new tech trends for brides.

Interested in giving your own bouquet cam a shot? Horne says he made his bride's bouquet about two weeks before the wedding using "Real Touch Flowers," which are artificial. His wife picked out orchids, roses and greenery.

They took the camera out of its housing and wrapped it in white gaffer tape so that it would be protected. Then, they super-glued a stick onto the back of it. He also glued on petals to disguise the power and record buttons, as well as the camera display.  Check out this video tutorial for more info!

Catherine Scrivo and Andrew Baker, from Astoria in Queens, NY, planned on having a simple City Hall wedding on November 2, followed by dinner at a nice restaurant with their immediate families. Then Hurricane Sandy hit the area, and their seemingly-simple wedding suddenly became a lot more complicated.

At first, the couple considered rescheduling, but travel arrangements had already been made and paid for by their families, both traveling from Buffalo, NY, and finding another time for everyone to come into town seemed nearly impossible. 

A day before their scheduled flight, Andrew's parents found out it had been cancelled. Instead, they packed up the car and made the seven hour drive. Catherine's parents also drove.

The couple and their families had made arrangements to stay at the Conrad Battery Park Hotel, but once Sandy hit, they had to evacuate. They were able to get reservations at the Hilton 57th Street but later had to evacuate that hotel as well, due to a dangerous dangling crane across the street. Luckily, the Conrad hotel reopened shortly after, thanks to a large generator powering the hotel.

The day before the wedding, City Hall was still without power. Unsure whether the marriage bureau would reopen in time for their wedding, they scrambled to find a new officiant and luckily secured Judie L. Guild with 24-hours notice. 

Did you vote for a different presidential candidate than your spouse or fiancé at the polls today? If so, you’re not alone—researchers estimate that roughly 25 percent of married couples vote a different way. The most heated arguments in marriage often revolve around money, family, or sex, but in a bipartisan relationship, a casual discussion about the merits of team Barack or Mitt has the potential to turn into an ugly shouting match that can be just as damaging.

Right now, you might be thinking, "Well, so what’s the point if I call my husband a $&*% buffoon for backing someone else?" But in this year’s tight race, undecided voters can be just as persuaded by their partner as they are by all of those political ads and shows that we watch on TV. The New York Times reports that the political orientation of a undecided voter's spouse is so important, that it actually influences how Obama and Romney’s campaign organizers court voters. A new poll by The Times and CBS News this week reveals that the majority of Romney supporters are male (51 percent) while Obama backers are primarily female (52 percent).

Today, we face one of the most polarizing elections in recent history. While President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney may not agree on much, one thing these candidates have in common is their devotion to their families. 

Let's take a look back at how these couples met and fell in love.

Michelle and Barack Obama

Photo via Michelle Obama/Pinterest

How they met: The President first met Michelle working at the Sidley & Austin law firm in 1989. The pair spent their first date at the Art Institute of Chicago and walking down Michigan Avenue, followed by a Spike Lee movie and drinks on the 99th floor of the John Hancock Center. "We clicked right away... by the end of the date, it was over... I was sold," Michelle told CNN. 

How he proposed: While out to dinner to celebrate Barack passing the bar exam, he secretly coordinated with the maitre'd for an engagement ring to be served along with Michelle's dessert. 

Wedding date: October 3, 1992. In their vows, "Barack didn't pledge riches, only a life that would be interesting. On that promise, he delivered." Michelle told ABC. Michelle wore an off-the-shoulder duchess satin gown with a sweetheart neckline. 

My fiancé Edwin is quiet, loves intimate gatherings, and thinks less is more. I am loud, have absolutely no filter, and believe more is more. After getting engaged in 2007, we decided to meet somewhere in the middle by throwing a sophisticated dinner party in Italy for our wedding. Contracts were signed, money was converted into euros and our wedding was set for Sept. 25, 2009 in San Gimignano, a small town in the heart of Tuscany, whose name I've always mispronounced (much to the dismay of our Italian wedding planner). 

San Gimignano Villa
Photo Credit: Exclusive Italy Weddings

We were beyond ecstatic with our choice, but we didn't tell anyone about our brilliant plan until a few weeks later, which is when reality set in. Try telling your aerophobic parents that they'll need to travel a few thousand miles in order to attend their youngest daughter's nuptials in a foreign country. After a few glasses of cabernet, it was clear to me that this wasn't exactly a bright idea anymore. Breaking the news to my in-laws proved to be just as challenging. They had a hard time accepting the idea of an intimate soirée; we truly did not wish to invite our entire neighborhood to the celebration. Besides, we'd much prefer to wed in the land of amore, rather than our hometown of Jacksonville, FL.