Apricot/Ginger Jam

By Serena Norr

I few months ago I wrote about my adventures in the world of jam-making in the post ” DIY: How to Make Your Own Jam.” The purpose of the jam was to create a takeaway wedding gift that myself and my fiancee would make together. Now that my wedding is nearly seven weeks away (eek!) it’s time to return to jam-making and figure out which flavor I want for my big day. I’m a big fan of apricots, so that seemed like a good way to start. I also decided to include some fresh basil and add some candied ginger, which made the jam POP. I dulled down some of the ginger flavors (I’d probably use less next time) with some salt and lemon and the jam was absolutely amazing, unexpected and perhaps the very flavor I may end up using.

Apricot and Ginger Jam Recipe, inspired from Cooking Light magazine

Have a healthy snack on your wedding day. (Photo Credit: Elizabeth Anne Designs)

By Serena Norr

It’s your wedding day and you are starving! Do you A) Wait until the dreaded three plus hours before the reception (there will be a lot of congratulating going on diverting you from food) or B) Have a healthy and nutritious snack to fuel your brain and provide you with energy. I think you know the answer to this one, but many brides-to-be forgo food on their wedding day, making them feel sluggish, drained, and irritable – not to mention cause major gorging when they finally sit down to eat. Luckily, there are many nutritious snacks that will provide you with a boost of energy to stay alert and sustain your body – enjoy one (or two) of these powerhouse snacks to keep you on your toes for your big day.

1. Nut and Fruit Mix – The night before the wedding load up a sandwich bag of almonds, cashews, walnuts, raisins and dried cranberries. This mixture will easily fit in your purse and be with you through your wedding day. The yummy combination will also supply you a hearty dose of three forms of energy source (carbohydrate, protein and fat) to satisfy and sustain your hunger.
2. Fruit Smoothie – Fruit smoothies are a great way to have a variety of fruits and vegetables while enjoying a refreshing snack. Add some non-fat yogurt for a power-packed snack that is not only nutritious but tastes pretty good. I love this Berry Smoothie from Dude and Sweetie that is packed with blueberries (high in antioxidants), strawberries, cherries, yogurt and spinach!
3. Yogurt – A highly nutritious food with a good dose of protein. I love the FAGE line of nonfat Greek yogurt that I often top with muesli (oats and raisins), honey and some berries. However, you like it, you will be sure to get a hearty dose of carbohydrates, calcium and protein to keep you alert on your wedding day.
4. Protein Bar — Be careful of the super high sugar bars, but many commercial bars like Luna and Cliff Bars don’t taste like cardboard and they provide you with carbohydrates, fat and protein for energy.
5. Apple Slices and Peanut Butter – This is a combo that I will never part with and why would I? Apples are a great source of fiber and Vitamin C while peanut butter is packed, soluble fiber and helps to control blood glucose. Peanut butter is also pretty amazing with celery, carrots and crackers or just as is on a spoon – yum! 
6. Cheese – Some people get scared of fat but this essential nutrient is a great source of protein and energy for your big day. Try some low-fat Swiss or cheddar on an apple for an added dose of fiber.
7. Mini sandwich – This may be something that your bridesmaid helps you with, but good carbohydrates and protein are the ultimate snack that can keep you on your toes. Try a mini peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat bread or a tomato and tofu sandwich with lettuce for dose of fiber.
8. Melons – Delicious and refreshing- watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe are a great source of water, as well as fatigue fighters to get you through this long (and exciting day). Make a small fruit salad topped with silvered almonds for an added protein boost.
9. Water (and some Champagne) – Don’t forget to hydrate! Not drinking enough water will also make you sluggish and tired on your big day. Drink water throughout the day and stay away from energy zappers like soda. Hopefully, one of these healthy snacks calmed your nerves a bit and once you have something in your tummy, it might be time for a glass of Champagne – to salute the exciting day that awaits you and the energy that you will now have to celebrate it!

Serena Norr is a NYC-based writer/editor and soup-maker. You can read more soup recipes on her blog: seriouslysoupy.blogspot.com

I have to admit something here…

I’m not a wedding expert.

Crickets heard chirping in the distance. No one who knows Erin finds this shocking.

Basically, when I got engaged, I had been to approximately 5 weddings in my life and only 3 were as an adult and for friends of mine. I’m the first of my group of friends from college to get married and only a couple close friends from High School are married. So the idea of planning a wedding was a little daunting to me.

I mean, I knew the basics. I knew we had to pick a city to have it in and a location for the ceremony. I knew we had to decide on DJs and photographers and flowers and invites and dresses and colors and wedding party. But I just didn’t know how much I’d truly have to think about.

I like to think I’m pretty resourceful, tho. And I am certainly organized. (I’m that annoying person who in High School had a color-coded day planner for all of her activities and homework assignments, etc.) So the first thing I did after getting engaged was purchase a binder, dividers and a teeny dayplanner. (Keep in mind I got engaged on New Year’s Eve so I promptly dragged my new fiance to Staples on the morning of January 1st. I was going to be prepared.

We did the normal stuff of starting to research places, figure out how long we realistically needed to plan the thing, etc. By January 9th we had a date and location set and by the beginning of February, Save-the-dates had been sent, we booked a photographer, I bought a dress and had gone bridesmaid dress shopping with the maid of honor. (It didn’t hurt that I was unemployed at the time and had a lot of time to obsess and plan).

Another big thing I did was just kind of research weddings. As nerdy as that sounds. I finally let myself check out all the Etsy Wedding blog posting that I had previously not let myself get attached to. (Like this wedding: http://www.etsy.com/storque/handmade-life/handmade-weddings-southern-intimacy-8802/)

Etsy helped me out a TON. I got ideas from the blog postings and pointed out to awesome shops.

Our boutonnieres were ordered from Etsy (from Pixel and Hank), as was our adorable 2 animal headed cake topper (from Melabo) and our custom-ordered buttons favors (from RepChi). We’re having a photobooth (duhhhh) and got custom moustaches from Whisker Works and even pots for our centerpieces from the vintage shop Ugly Santa.

I totally didn’t plan on plugging all my great Etsy contacts (and reveal some secrets!) but I’m happy to do it because I loved working with each of them.

The point is, inspiration comes from everywhere and there are a lot of great resources in NYC but also, on “the internets.” Sometimes we came up with ideas for our wedding just from watching The Simpsons together (but I can’t give away EVERYTHING here).

I also love the NYMag Shop-a-matic for wedding stuff that is just drool-worthy and fits into any budget. (check out this wedding dress one: http://nymag.com/shopamatic/products/weddingdressess09/) Amazing.

Now we’re almost 3 months away and everything is starting to fall into place. I’m still searching for new ideas and I’m still learning about weddings. But that’s okay. I don’t need to be a wedding expert to plan my perfect wedding. And neither do you.

Popcorn Place Cards Via PARCEL POST

By Serena Norr

What would a wedding be like without place cards? Your guests would be all over the place — unsure of where to go and even worse, they would end up sitting with people that they may not get along with. Our mantra is certainly for the “no drama on wedding day” and organizing where everyone sits will save you a lot of heartache (and headaches) come dinnertime. Similar to the concept of DIY invitations, place cards can be made your own with a simple cutout, some paper, a little artistic know-how and a whole lotta cutting. They don’t have too be all that intricate but just a simple and functional tool Here are some inspirational place cards options to keep your day organized and oh, so pretty.

1. DIY Custom Place Cards: Style Me Pretty is known for their style and feminine aesthetic, which doesn’t fall short in their free (yes, free!) place card designs. You can choose from a yellow floral design ( or one with mushrooms, a chicken, a fish or one with beef). Place cards come in sheets of 10. So print these babies out and get to work. You can either hand script your guests names or find a fancy font from your computer.

2. Popcorn Place Cards: A popcorn place card? Sounds too yummy to be true. I love how the design infuses a snack (popcorn) with a function (wedding place cards). Also super cute is the double-sided concept: one side for a guests name and the other for pictures of the bride and groom. Popcorn not your thing? Mix it up by using candy, nuts or any other treat that tickles your fancy.

3. Butterfly Place Cards: For my wedding, I am going to attempt to create this butterfly place card from Etsy. And that has gotten a whole lot easier thanks to the step-by-step instructions I found on the blog,  Mushy. Not only with instructions, the site provides a free butterfly template and full pictures of every step of the process. Stay tuned…

One of my favorite wedding keepsakes are the bride and grooms’ champagne flutes. There are so many beautiful sets out there and they are a great keepsake for anniversaries etc. A nice touch that I love is to get them engraved with the Bride & Grooms’ names and the wedding date! Makes the gift even more special! Here are a few of my favorite sets!

Swarovski Crystaline Toasting Flutes

This pair from Swarovski is just so simple and elegant.

Anastasia Flute Set from Things Remembered

This one is great for those who prefer a little bling!

Vera Wang With Love Toasting Flute

I love how this pair has a modern touch with a more triangular shape in the body.

Cheers!

Get Crafty Before Your Wedding Day (Photo Credit: http://www.mainstreetartandglass.com)

By Serena Norr

Some of us are naturally crafty — possessing amazing artistic skills to create a wine glass into or vase or to make jewelry from a tattered, broken down magazine (along with many other equally amazing crafty feats). While the rest of us (myself included) love  crafts and the Do-It-Yourself concept, but require an ever-so-gentle nudge to direct and guide our crafty ideas. Luckily for us we live in NYC — where we can take just about any course (including crafty ones) to channel our ideas for our wedding day. I am personally really excited about DIY place cards (next weeks post) and seeking collage classes to help me out with this. Here are some more local offerings to inspire and teach.

1. Make: Ever wanted to learn how to knit, decoupage, embroider or make your own soap for your wedding? Well, you can do all of that and so much more at Make. They even offer workshop-style classes, so you can hone your skills and apply them to your projects. Perfect fit for the busy bride-to-be.

2. Etsy: You can’t utter the words DIY without relating it to the mothership that is Etsy. Of course, you can buy amazing hand-made crafts from around the world (even wedding dresses!), but for those of us who are learning, Etsy also offers crafty classes at 3rd Ward, a public art space. Through Etsy you can learn all about dyeing, screen printing, printing making, etching on metal and jewelry making. I see beautiful handmade invitations in your future.

3. 92nd Street Y: I have taken a few classes at this location and have always had an amazing experience (and learned quite a lot). They offer workshop-style classes and traditional courses (usually over six weeks), ranging from drawing, collage, mixed media, ceramics and photography. I a hoping to hone some of my mixed media lessons into my DIY place cards. Stay tuned…

Other Art Schools to Get Crafty:

Art School of Educational Alliance

The Art Students League

Parsons

The term Bridezilla makes me cringe. It’s indicative of someone who has lost sight of the real meaning of a wedding, and puts all their stress and worry onto their closest friends and family. Most of the time, bridesmaids just put up with the insane shenanigans that may occur on behalf of a bridezilla, but there are a few things you can do to assert yourself in a polite manner, so you don’t lose your mind as well! Remember, for many women, their wedding is a day they have dreamed of since childhood. Your best friend may temporarily become slightly insane, but they will eventually return to their former selves, and then you all can laugh about it afterwards. Regardless of their actions, they still love you.

1. The most important thing, is to realize when it is too much. I recently read a story on a blog about a bride who made her bridesmaids sign a contract stating that they would all adhere to a strict diet and lose 10 pounds by the wedding, except one girl who was too skinny who was to gain 10 pounds. In addition, the contract stated that none of the bridesmaids may become pregnant or engaged until after the wedding. Obviously, this is a ridiculously silly story, but if this happened to me, I would tell the bride “Thanks, but no thanks!”

2. Also remember, there is some responsibility associated with being a bridesmaid! It is your job to help! Be prepared to help the bride tie tiny ribbons around wedding favors, among other menial tasks. However, you should set appropriate boundaries. If you continuously get calls at 2am begging for help, let her know you would be glad to help the next day or at a more convenient time.

From Timeless Photography

3. Reassure the bride that her choices are good. Your true opinion of the hideous color of the bridesmaid dresses, the disgusting food choices or the tacky favors is only going to exacerbate an easily aggravated bride. These are what the bride has chosen! Especially on the day of, tell the bride how beautiful she looks and how wonderful everything is.

4. Lastly, if a bridezilla’s behavior is REALLY destructive (ie. may cause irreparable damage to relationships with family and friends) take her aside, and calmly explain to her that her behavior is making her wedding difficult for everyone, most of all her. You will most likely find that the true root of a bridezilla’s zilla-ness comes from insecurities about her relationship or herself. Letting her vent these worries to you may help relieve some stress that causes  her to act out, and make things easier for everyone.

Although this wasn’t originally on the menu, Gotham Bride Guide is getting another spin – beauty posts!

I’ve been a whole-hearted makeup and skincare junkie since I was 13. (Which feels like ages ago…) What’s most gorgeous to me is a natural, fresh look. In this series, I’ll be introducing amazing products and deals in New York.

Today, let’s focus on skincare…

Let’s face it, no matter how great the makeup artist, you don’t get gorgeous, lusciously glowing skin without a little skin prep in advance. This isn’t just advice for the big day, but for always!

The most important thing is SPF – ALL.OVER. EVERY.DAY.

Why the fuss? Because what actually happens to unprepped skin is that UVA rays penetrate the cells right down to your DNA, to actually altering its replicating patterns. Over time, your RNA/DNA literally replicates with different codes so your skin ages faster. Yikes!

So even if you don’t burn, my guess is that you want to avoid future dry patches, dark spots, sagging/tired skin, and wrinkles. Your work and your wisdom should sing through your properly-poised actions, NOT your skin.

To make your skin feel amazing…

Try a facial at one of the fresh boutiques across the city. I just tried one of the mimosa/mini-facial/massage/makeup packages this morning in SoHo and felt like a million bucks. What’s great about this deal is that they use fresh products throughout, and if you’ve made advance appointments, will pamper you with local pastries, berries, and champagne. (I hear the Upper East Side location offers full body massages, too….) This an especially amazing deal, given that the super friendly staff will open up the store just for you and your appointment (like your amazing bridesmaids, perhaps?) – so no other customers are around. You get the full on-attention of an amazing staff, who are trained in both skincare and makeup.

On a tight budget? Almost all of the locations also have routine complimentary facial treatments, too!

Locations in NYC:

-57 Spring Street (off Lafayette)

-388 Bleeker st.(west 11th)

-1367 Third Ave. (78th st.)

-872 Broadway (18th st.)

-159 Columbus ave (67th st.)

Enjoy!

Proud to be New Yorkers? Well I can’t imagine why not.

Is your man a huge baseball fan? Well, these have got to be the coolest cufflinks ever:

YES! They are cufflinks made of out of salvaged wood, taken from various baseball stadium seats around the country.

Each set is a unique, one-of-a-kind pair, crafted and painted with the original stadium colors. The backing is sterling silver, and each has been inscribed with the stadium name. They’re even officially licensed by the MLB!

Available at redenvelope.com

Everyone loves to see the cute little cousins, nieces or nephews walk down the aisle with the rings and flowers. In fact. My first wedding experience was as the flower girl at my aunt’s wedding at 6 years old, and I was so concerned about doing it right that I picked out one flower petal at a time and dropped it delicately on the ground. However, the actual basket and pillow are fun accessories that you can get creative with!

The Pillow

Of course you can go for a traditional satin pillow that matches your wedding colors like this one from Target Online:

But how cute would it be to have something like this Love Pillow from MyPillowHead:

Just attach some ribbon to secure the rings, and you will have a fun and creative ring pillow!

Another fun idea is to have a furry friend be the ring bearer, like this ring carrier from kninecouture.etsy.com:

The Basket

The type of basket will all depend on the style and colors of your wedding. There really are so many out there. I love a wicker basket for a more simple or outdoor affair:

This is a vintage basket found at an estate sale. It’s available for purchase at 2hens.etsy.com.

This is a traditional white wicker basket from weddingaccessories.net that looks just beautiful with pink or red rose petals!

Many flower girl baskets these days come covered in satin, and in all sorts of shapes & colors. Here is just a smattering of what is available. All are from wherebridesgo.com.

This one is somewhat kettle shaped, and is available in all sorts of colors.

I love the oblong shape of this basket.

The bird design really makes this basket quite unique!