My colleague, Josey Miller, Sr. Editor of Love and Weddings at iVillage, learned about a unique product she thought brides should know about. So I asked her to write a post on it:

Blue Hawaiian! Red Fizz! Purple Monster! Isn’t there a more subtle—and elegant—way to incorporate your color scheme into your cocktail menu?

There is now.

I recently attended a press event for Cointreau at Daniel, one of the top restaurants in New York City, where head bartender Xavier walked me and Maggie through the complicated process of creating Cointreau Caviar, also known as Cointreau Pearls. Between the magnetic stirrers and the beakers, the method—known as Spherification—looked like seventh-grade science class, but the project was much more sophisticated and fun. Not only was the final product—Cointreau Pearls infused with strawberry, dancing around a glass of Champagne—delicious; it was also absolutely beautiful.

Their more “traditional” version of Cointreau Pearls involve flecks of 24K gold (yes, really). But bartenders could also potentially use practically any fruit, or even food coloring, for an unforgettable thematic effect. Drinks with Cointreau Caviar are currently only being served at the highest-end restaurant bars and lounges in London, Paris and NYC. But expect to see them at weddings—most likely starting at those where money is no object! —in the years to come.

--Josey Miller iVillage Love and Weddings Senior Editor and Author of Sex on My Desk

Whether you're getting married in a ballroom, on an estate or in a private home you need to think about what items will need to rent. Your florist and caterer will tell you what you need - linens, china, silver serving pieces, glassware, flatware, tables, chairs, tents, floors, generators, heaters, lighting and floors - are some of the items you may need.

Don't assume that all of these items will be included with your wedding location. In most cases they will be, but if you are getting married in a loft space or a private home you may have to bring everything in to accommodate your guests.

Enter the rental company. A rental company can offer you numerous options to customize and create the feeling and tone you’ve always imagined.

Take your florist to your wedding location to decide which linen color will work best with the flowers and the room, and ask the caterer what plates, serving pieces, flatware and glassware you'll need.  Then visit a local (and recommended) company to determine which pieces to rent.  

Here is a list of few rental companies from across the country:

Be Our Guest, based in Boston and serving New England

Party Rental, serving the New York tri-state area and Washington, DC areas

Snyder Event Rentals and Staffing, Charleston

La Bella Party Rental, San Francisco

I got a press release featuring some delicious looking cocktails by VeeV vodka and I thought they would make great signature drinks for a summer wedding.  (You can change the names to reflect the drink or your theme.)   Remember if you make one, please let us know if you liked it!

 

Joie De VeeV

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Veev
• 3 mint sprigs
• 2 strawberry slices
• 2 lime wedges
• Club soda

Directions:  Muddle 2 lime wedges, 2 strawberry slices and 3 mint sprigs in a mixing glass.  Add VeeV and ice in a cocktail shaker and shake.  Pour into a glass and top with club soda.

 

 

VeeV Eco Mojito

Ingredients:

• 2 oz VeeV
• 2 fresh lime wedges
• 3 fresh mint sprigs
• Club soda

 

Directions:  Muddle 2 lime wedges and 3 fresh mint sprigs in a mixing glass.  Add Veev and ice in a cocktail shaker and shake.  Pour into a glass and top with club soda and garnish with a fresh sprig of mint.

 

 

VeeV Global Cooler

Ingredients:

• 2 oz VeeV
• 3 pieces of basil
• 2 slices of cucumber
• .75 oz lemon juice
• 1 barspoon Agave Nectar

Directions:  Muddle 2 slices of cucumber and 3 basil leaves in a mixing glass.  Add VeeV, lemon juice, a barspoon of Agave Nectar and ice in a cocktail shaker and shake.  Pour into a chilled martini glass or a collins glass and top with soda and garnish with a floating cucumber.

 

For more recipes, visit VeeVLife.com.

 

 

 

My dad is a huge baseball fan.  More specifically, he’s a Yankee fan.  So when I received an invitation to attend the press party for the launch of Charity Wines for several Yankee and Mets players a few weeks ago I had to take my dad. 

 

While we enjoyed tasting the different wines – Jorge Posada’s Jorge Cabernet, Bobby Areu’s Abreu's Finest and Brian Schneider’s Schneider Schardonnay were three of the wines there – and the hors d’oeurves – they had pigs-in-a-blanket with a great deli mustard – we got to see and hear from the players affiliated with each wine.  The proceeds from each wine go to the respective player’s charity/foundation.

 

Anyway, I thought that these wines would make a great gift for your dad, groomsmen or even your groom if they're baseball fans.  They retail for $13.99 at local wine stores and there are 19 different wines, representing players from 6 teams:  Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets and New York Yankees.  If the men in your life aren’t baseball fans, there are wines supporting charities of players from the New Orleans Saints, Boston Bruins and the Miami Dolphins.

 

 

Are you familiar with the online wedding shop, Estilo Weddings?

 

They carry a variety of wedding accessories, including: favors, paper accessories, fashion accessories, ceremony accessories and a great line of products for showers.  One of my favorite features is their Get Inspired section, featuring ideas for four different wedding styles: Classic, Modern, Global and Organic.

 

 

I came across the site because I was looking for a store that sold fancy cupcake liners and they have a variety of styles.  Some even coordinate with themes – beach, garden or butterfly, stars and palm trees.

 

I just loved these liners and thought they would be great for a shower, or a wedding if you were serving cupcakes instead of a wedding cake.  The liners are sold in packs of 12 for $12 or packs of 50 for $46.

As I mentioned yesterday, I went to a Scotland Tourism event last month.  They served two signature drinks at the event – both made with Hendrick’s Gin.  Here are images of the two cocktails and the recipes to help you find the perfect signature drink(s) for your wedding:

 

Rosie Lee

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz Hendrick’s Gin
• 1 1/2 oz Lychee Juice
• 1/2 oz Rose Infused Simple Syrup
• 1/2 oz Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Directions:

Shake well and strain up into a cocktail glass over ice.

 

 

 

Cucumber Collins

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz Hendrick’s Gin
• 4 oz Cucumber Puree*

 Directions:  Shake and strain over ice in a tall glass

 

*To make cucumber puree, blend 1 cucumber with 3 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice and 4 oz simple syrup.

 

 

 

 

Both cocktails were created by Charlotte Voisey of Hendricks Gin Brand Champion

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Whenever I go to a wedding I go as both a guest and a weddings editor.  It’s hard not to look at everything and think how I can turn the details of this particular wedding into a blog post.  And that’s where this post came from - the wedding I went to in California last October.

 

Dave and I got there a little early to take some photos with friends, and some how we ended up in the room the bridal party was getting ready/hanging out in.  It was a rather large room with couches and tables and chairs, and scattered throughout were bottles of beer and water, as well as bags of pretzels and chips.

 

I don’t know if the bride and groom, the location or the members of the bridal party brought in the drinks and snacks.  The point is that it’s a great idea to have both snacks and drinks for your bridal party because they will be waiting around all day, helping you get ready, taking pictures, setting up the favors, etc.

 

I came across a company that specializes in creating food baskets just for this purpose and wanted to share their information with you.  It’ll save you time and energy by just ordering what you want instead of having to add “buy food and snacks” to your wedding checklist.

 

 

 

Marrylicious creates gourmet gift baskets specifically for wedding parties.  They have three packages – Tulip, Rose and Orchid – and each comes with a selection of gourmet treats as well as a wedding day emergency kit.  You can also create a custom package if you want to have a themed basket or need to fit certain dietary restrictions.  Prices start at $100.  The company is based in Seattle but ships nationwide. 

 

And brides, remember to drink clear liquids (water, seltzer, vodka) through a straw so you don’t spill anything on your dress or smudge your lipstick before you walk down the aisle.

 

While I write a lot about wedding cakes, you are not limited to serving just a tiered cake for dessert at your wedding.  Many couples choose one or two desserts to serve their guests, or they create a buffet where their guests can choose from a selection of decadent desserts.

 

I’m a chocoholic, but I realize that not everyone is.  I also know that some people don’t love cake, so at our wedding, in addition to serving Ron Ben-Israel’s delicious chocolate cake, I also served two desserts.  Guests received either a chocolate lava cake (too much chocolate?) or a warm apple crumble.  The dessert was served in a medley so one guest got the chocolate one and the guest to the left received the apple one.  This way couples could share the two of them.

 

At my sister’s wedding, her caterer set up a dessert buffet (known in the ‘80s as a Venetian Table).  There was everything from chocolate fondue with fruit and pretzels for dipping, cookies, bars, brownies, pies, an assortment of cakes and a selection of fruit.

 

Don’t feel that you are limited to only serving wedding cake or cupcakes at your reception.  If you love pies, serve a variety of your favorite pies.  Are cookies more your thing?  Create a cookie bar.  I’m sure you’ve seen a candy bar at weddings you've attended.  I’ve been to a dozen weddings with a candy bar.

 

Now after reading this post on desserts you’re probably asking yourself why there’s a picture of a hamburger above.  Well, that’s not a hamburger.  It’s actually a chocolate and vanilla cupcake decorated with marmalade and marzipan to look like a cupcake.

 

I don’t know how appropriate it is for a wedding reception.  I guess that would depend on your type of party.  But if you’re having a fun and festive rehearsal dinner – like a backyard BBQ – it might be the perfect dessert.

 

Here’s the recipe:

 

To make hamburgers:

1. Take vanilla cupcakes and sprinkle the top with sesame seeds.
2. Cut them in 1/2 to create the bun.
3. Cut chocolate cake in circles and lay on top of the bottom cup cake to create the meat layer.
4. The mustard is an apricot marmalade with yellow food color.
5. Use raspberry marmalade for the ketchup.
6. The mayonnaise is a dollop of butter cream.
7. The lettuce and tomatoes are made from marzipan with green and red food color.
8. To assemble, follow the same process as creating a real hamburger: bottom bun, chocolate cake, mustard, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mayonnaise, and the top bun.

Basic Marzipan

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
• 4 cups ground almonds (or almond meal)
• 2 egg whites
• Powdered sugar

 

1. Sprinkle powdered sugar over a  wooden cutting board.
2. Fill your sink or a large bowl with cold water.
3. Place the sugar and 2/3 cup water in a saucepan and heat gently, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.
4. Add cream of tartar and turn up the heat. Bring to a boil and cover, boiling, for 3 minutes.
5. Uncover and boil until the temperature reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer.
6. Place the saucepan in the cold water, stirring the sugar mixture constantly until it becomes thick and creamy.
7. Stir in the ground almonds and the egg whites, the place back over low heat and stir for 2 minutes more until the mixture is thick.
8. Separate marzipan into separate containers and mix in food coloring.
9. Spoon the marzipan onto your cutting board, and turn it with a spatula until it cools down enough to touch.
10. Coat your hands in powdered sugar and begin to knead the marzipan, working it until it is smooth and pliant.
11. Your marzipan can now be cut or molded into shapes.
    

 

This dessert was created by Ned Archibald, the award-winning Executive Pastry Chef for Keystone Resort in Colorado.

 

Photo Credit:  Ric Stovall

So now that you’ve decided on a signature drink for your wedding, you have to name it.

 

At the wedding we went to in LA last October, the couple was inspired by their last name: Motia.  And they served Motia Mojitos.  But if you can’t think of a custom name that fits nicely with your name – last or first – create something fun or flirty. 

 

Last week I received a number of wedding named cocktails from SKYY Vodka.  I haven’t made the drinks at home so I can’t tell you which one’s my favorite, but I do like the names:

 

 

SKYY Wedding Bliss
-2 oz SKYY vodka
-3/4 oz Cinzano vermouth
-Lavender simple syrup
-Vanilla bean
-Chop a half vanilla bean in small pieces width wise and place in a cocktail shaker.  Add lavender syrup and muddle the vanilla bean; crushing the vanilla bean.  Fill the cocktail shaker with ice, add SKYY vodka and Cinzano.  Shake vigorously.  Strain into a martini glass and garnish with fresh flower and vanilla bean.
 
SKYY Father of the Bride
-2 oz SKYY vodka
-Fresh Mint
-Splash of Simple Syrup
-Muddle with simple syrup and ice in a highball glass.  
 
SKYY Blushing Bride
-2 oz SKYY vodka
-1 oz peach Schnapps
-Splash of cranberry juice
-Pour all ingredients into a shaker. Shake or strain into a martini glass.
 
SKYY Made With Honor
-1 3/4 oz SKYY vodka
-1/2 oz lime juice
-Ginger beer
-Lime/Lemon wedge for garnish
-Pour SKYY vodka and lime juice in highball glass with ice.  Top with ginger beer and garnish with lime or lemon wedge.
 
SKYY Proposal
-2 oz SKYY vodka
-1 oz triple sec
-Squeeze of fresh lime juice
-Splash of cranberry juice
-Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a martini glass.  Garnish with a lime. 

 

 

Have you come up with anything creative for your wedding's signature drink?  We called the martinis at our wedding by their traditional names, though if we only chose one we might have used a custom name like,  Tavelin-tini.  Or maybe not.

 

 

  I went to a press event the other day and they served two non-alcoholic drinks.  One was a cranberry something and the other was a mojito-type drink.  Now, I don’t drink so I never had a mojito before.  I thought this drink (without alcohol because it was the middle of the workday) was amazing.

 

While there were other great things I can’t wait to share with you from the event, I wanted to revisit the topic of signature drinks.

 

When planning your cocktail party, think about the fun things you would want there:

• An ethnic/regional band – klezmer, Dixieland
• Fun food – pigs-in-a-blanket, mini-egg rolls, popcorn shrimp
• Creative décor – bright colors, cocktail napkins with a phrase instead of just your names
• Activities – photo booth, crafting station for guest book

 

And for cocktails, you can have an open bar and still highlight a selection of drinks or a drink that you and your fiance want to have as your signature drink.  How do you pick a drink or group of drinks for your wedding?  Here are some tips:

 

1. If your wedding has a theme, look for drinks that fit the theme.  For example, my wedding was 1930s retro inspired so we had a martini bar.
2. Color.  Can you find drinks that fit your wedding palette?  The colors of our wedding were pink, pale green, white/ivory and lavender so I only served martinis that fit that color scheme – Cosmopolitans, Green Apple Martinis, Classic Martini, etc… I ended up buying about 6 bar/martini recipe books and visited a few bars to make sure the colors worked, but I do realize I was an insanely detail oriented bride.
3. Location.  Let your locale help pick your signature drink.  Getting hitched in Puerto Rico?  Find a cocktail with rum in it.  Mexico? Tequila.  California?  Choose a variety of wines made in Napa Valley.
4. Culture.  Where are you and your fiance from?  Is there a special drink that fits?  Are your French?  Maybe you want to only serve a selection of French wine or champagne. 
5. Or just choose your favorite cocktail.  It doesn’t have to match anything.  You can just have it because you like it.

The drink pictured above, Hibiscus Highball, is made with Tequila don Julio, so if you’re looking for a great party drink try this recipe at home first and then give it to your location or catering manager so the bartenders learn how to make it.

Ingredients:

9 ounces Tequila Don Julio Blanco

4 1/2 ounces Grand Marnier®

6 ounces hibiscus punch (*see below for recipe)

4 1/2 ounces pineapple juice

4 1/2 ounces orange juice

Citrus wheel for garnish

Pineapple fronds for garnish

Ice

Preparation:

1. Add Tequila Don Julio Blanco, Grand Marnier, hibiscus punch, pineapple juice and orange juice to pitcher.  Stir 30 times.
2. Add ice and stir 30 times.
3. Garnish with citrus wheels and pineapple fronds.
4. Pour contents evenly into 6 rocks glasses.

Ideal Serving Glass:

Rocks glass

 

 

Recipe for Hibiscus Punch

 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dried hibiscus flowers
1/2 cup fine sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
2 cloves
1/2 cup all-spice

Preparation:
1. Steep dried hibiscus flowers, fine sugar, cinnamon sticks, cloves and all-spice in six cups warm
    water for a minimum of three hours.
2. Stir thoroughly. Then strain to serve.

Note: Can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated.

Click here for more wedding planning tips.

 

 

Dave and I treated ourselves to soup dumplings for dinner the other night.  If you've never seen or had a soup dumpling they are little dough pouches with meat and a hot, and yummy, broth.  You have to eat them very carefully because they are very hot, and if you just bite into them the broth will squirt out at you or others at the table.

The reason I'm telling you about soup dumplings is that eating them reminded me of an important food-related tip. 

Some foods can be messy - ribs, lobster from the shell, spaghetti - and when you're eating in your finest gown or tux you want to minimize the chances of something spilling, squirting or splattering all of your dress.  When we were finalizing our wedding menu, we decided that we would serve pasta with vodka sauce for our vegetarian guests.  The catering manager said we should use penne pasta instead of spaghetti, fettuccini or linguini because when twirling long noodles on a fork, the sauce can splatter on you.  And he was right.  How many times have you found small flecks of spaghetti sauce on your clothes?

And unless you're planning a lobster bake wedding reception, your guests will not be happy putting a plastic bib on themselves.

 

PS - That's not Dave in the photo above.

What do you think of this classy take on a pig-in-a-blanket? Newport Weddings blogger and wedding planner, Nancy Swiezy, came across this fancy version created by catering genius Peter Callahan of Callahan Catering.

I like it because it’s different, and even though it’s not the traditional PIB, smoked salmon is a popular hors d’oeuvre. And just because you serve this pigs-in-a-blanket recipe doesn’t mean you can’t serve the classic version, right?

Click here to find out how to make this fancy PIB for your cocktail hour.

So back to that holiday party I went to last week.

I was at a cocktail party with passed hors d’oeurves and a buffet. Now there’s nothing wrong with a buffet, but if you decide to have one at your wedding – for the cocktail hour or dinner – there are a few things to keep in mind:

1. If you are having a lot of people – more than 50 – have more than one line of access to the buffet table. You can allow people to reach the buffet from both the front and back of the table, or from the right and left, ending in the center.
2. Try to control the line so it doesn’t snake across the room, and around the reception tables.
3. I’ve been to weddings where several tables are called up to the buffet at one time, and those not called have to wait their turn. Make sure you have entertainment - music for dancing – while people are waiting to get their food so they aren’t just sitting around the table for 20-30 minutes or more. Have the band/DJ keep the party going.
4. Similar to rule number 3. Once the last table is called to get their meal, the first few to get theirs are finishing up. Make sure the band/DJ keep the party going – you want to make sure your guests are entertained, and don’t get bored. (I'll tell you another story where this happened, and lets just say that the bride and certain guests don't speak much anymore.)

The buffet line at the holiday party was so long that it snaked across the room, and was so deep that you had to wait 30 minutes on the line to get your food. They should have set up a second buffet in another area of the restaurant, or allowed partygoers to access it from 2 ends.

A bride recently posted a question on the Ask the Bridal Expert Message Board about the pros and cons of a buffet and sit-down meal. Click here to find out what I thought, and post your own opinions!

So I went to a holiday party last night and got a few great tips from it – I’ll go into those next week, but I had to first write about the pigs-in-a-blanket situation – I’m so sorry to go on and on about this, but I just can’t help myself. I feel very passionate about it.

Anyway, I spoke with a friend as soon as I got there and she told me that there were waiters with trays of pigs-in-a-blanket. She had read my initial post.

I asked a few waiters to bring them over – and they never did. I finally went over to the kitchen – the party started at 6 and this was about 7:30 – and was told they were out of them. There were none left in the building. The party – it was only hors d’oeurves and drinks – was from 6-10pm! How do you run out of anything after a little more than an hour?

One guy told me he tried to bring them over to me, but other guests ate them as he was making his way across the room. Unbelievable. And I don’t know what mustard they served, so I can’t tell you if they followed the rule of deli – not fancy – mustard.

Moral of the story: Make sure you have enough pigs-in-a-blanket to go around.

And by the way, they couldn’t even give those mini crab cakes away. They would have been better off just passing around tray after tray of , that’s right… pigs-in-a-blanket!

We went to a belated Thanksgiving celebration on Saturday, which was lovely, and one of the hors d’oeurves was – that’s right – pigs-in-a-blanket. I mentioned to the host that I just wrote a blog post about pigs-in-a-blanket and how everyone loves them and that the key ingredient is the mustard.

Well, poor guy looked like a deer in headlights. We opened the fridge and they only had fancy mustard.

It was fine – I had one and didn’t dip it. The moral of the story: If you’re serving pigs-in-a-blanket get some deli mustard.

Click here to read the Pigs-in-a-Blanket Update: Part 2

Whether you’re having a black tie affair in a ballroom, or something more casual, if you are having a cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres you should – I want to say must – but you should consider serving pigs-in-a-blanket. It’s the one cocktail food that kids and adults enjoy.

Pigs-in-a-blanket may not sound so stylish – or even look elegant – but many caterers are doing variations of this favorite mini-food and you should find out what your options are – size of the “pigs”, type of dough and most importantly the type of mustard used for dipping.

You CANNOT serve pigs-in-a-blanket with a mayo-based fancy mustard. You need a real mustard – like what you would put on a hot dog at a barbeque.

I went to a wedding a few weeks ago and was so excited to see the waiter with the pigs-in-a-blanket tray, but when I dipped it in the light yellow sauce, I knew it wasn’t going to be good – in fact I think I spit it out. My father went to a wedding last weekend and of all the things he remembered to tell me about it, he mentioned the weird mustard for the pigs-in-a-blanket.

Now I know I’m getting carried away, but I feel very passionate about this issue. So tell me what do you think?



Pigs-in-a-Blanket: Update Part I

Pigs-in-a-Blanket: Update Part II

When finding different and creative ways to personalize your wedding, many couples come up with great favor ideas or a logo or icon for the wedding, but a simple idea that won’t give you any additional work is to serve a signature drink.

Signature drinks can range from an original concoction to just changing the name of your favorite drink to fit in with your wedding.

You can select a drink that you and your groom love to drink, one that fits with the feel of your wedding – margaritas for a beach wedding – or find a drink that matches the colors of your wedding.

The drink above is called the UV Pink Lemonade. The recipe is below. You could serve it if your wedding palette has pink in it, or if you’re getting married over the summer and want to serve lemonade with an alcoholic twist. The UV Vodka website has a lot of great recipes that may fit in with your wedding theme and palette, as well as your tastes.

Finding a signature drink for your wedding is something your fiance may be willing to help you with. Or something you can put him in charge of. What guy is going to turn down visiting bars and restaurants to taste test dozens of cocktails?!

UV Pink Flamingo
2 parts UV Lemonade (vodka)
1 part cranberry juice
Splash of triple sec
Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass

We had a martini bar at our wedding to fit in with the retro 1930s-'40s theme. But I only served martinis that fit into the color palette, pastels: clear, pink, green and lavender. I flipped through cocktail recipe books and went to a number of restaurants and bars to find 8 great martinis that wouldn't clash with the wedding. I know I'm crazy.

A friend of mine received an invitation to a wedding yesterday. The wedding is at the end of November. In addition to asking her if she will accept or send her regrets, she was also asked whether she would like filet mignon, chicken or salmon at the wedding.

I’ve seen these RSVP cards before and though I do understand why couples will ask what a guest wants to eat in advance, I always ask myself, “How do I know what I’m going to want to eat in 8 weeks?”

Caterers (and some wedding books) will tell you that you can save money because by ordering the exact amount of food needed you won't over spend on food. But another idea is to not to offer multiple choice mains. Only serve one dish and serve the same thing to everyone. (Always have a few vegetarian dinners made for guests who will not eat meat or fish.)

What do you think? Is it important to get everyone’s menu choice in advance? Do you think you have to give guests three dinner options?

OK, this isn't a wedding item for your big day, but it's a great idea if you'll be a guest at an informal engagement party, or any other dinner party for that matter.

If you bring a bottle of wine, or champagne, there's no place to easily attach a card, right? Well, with Wine-O Cards you can easily slip your greeting over the neck of the bottle. The cards comes in a variety of patterns, and leave you enough room to write well wishes or a quick thank you.

Each card is less than $3 and available at shops across the country, or you can order them online at Red Stamp, a fabulous stationery company where you’ll find great paper items for your wedding - save-the-date cards, shower, bachelorette and rehearsal dinner invites and fabulous wedding themed cards you can give when you're a guest.

If you have guests coming in from out of town it's customary to leave a guest room gift for them at their hotel.

A guest room gift can be a simple or elaborate package depending on how much you want to spend and how many items you want to include. Your guests will appreciate anything you have waiting for them so don't think you need to spend a fortune.

In addition to information on weekend events - the rehearsal dinner, golf outings, post-wedding brunch - you should also include a welcome note from the bride and groom and a small token gift.

When trying to decide what the gift the should be, remember that food is always a favorite. You can choose something you and your fiance enjoy, a local treat or a food or beverage that compliments the wedding location. Here are a few ideas:

Atlanta - Peaches
Arizona - Arizona Ice Tea
Atlantic City - Taffy
New York City - "Big Apple" Cookies
San Francisco - Ghirardelli Chocolates
Ski Resort - Hot Cocoa Mix and Marshmallows

The caramels pictured above are from Route 29 Napa, and at $5 a box they are not only delicious but affordable too.

What are you planning for your guest room gift? We gave guests chocolates in the shape of stars to go with our moon and stars theme.