The Registry
Some Things New, Some Things Blue, Some Things Special, all for you
Glow
Pamper yourself before your big day! Plus: a glamorous addition to your purse, grooming products for the groom, and waterproof mascaras that really work.
Celebrate
What are the hot trends in
receptions and registries? Look what we found.
Taste
Fabulous food ideas: a very
special wedding cake and a
surprising way to serve soup.
Bands of love
We shopped for the most
beautiful and unusual wedding rings in
HIP TO BE SQUARE
This three-tier wedding-cake creation makes news in three categories: the shape (square), the colors (aqua and burnt orange), and the decorations (branches…in this case edible bittersweet branches made with jelly beans). The cake itself? A sour cream vanilla cake layered with white chocolate ganache freckled with candied orange. Prices start at ➤ $8 per serving. Made by Lulu Cake Boutique,
Glow
everything for the look of love
Say Ahhh…
Feeling stressed? Make time to pamper yourself in the hectic days leading up to your wedding. Inspired by Japanese bathing rituals, Rice Sake Bath from Fresh detoxifies, purifies, and makes your skin glow from head to toe. Available at Neiman Marcus and Sephora,
Pucker Up
You’ll be doing a lot of kissing on your special day. Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 from Fresh prepares your pout by softening, nourishing, and plumping lips. It makes a perfect primer under any lipstick and, with its sun-protection factor, a terrific honeymoon companion. Available at Neiman Marcus and Sephora,
Tuck This in Your Purse
Something sparkly for your
wedding-day handbag: This silver-plated compact features two mirrors (one a magnifier) and is accented with crystals and a
single initial. From the Beauchamp Collection, it¡¯s just right for checking your lipstick during the reception! Available gift-boxed with a bow at Pink on Palmer, Larchmont, (914) 833-8955, pinkonpalmer.com ➤ $26
The Perfect Shave
For grooms who want to look well-groomed: Surprise him with a luxur-
ious shaving set from the Art of Shaving. In four steps, he¡¯ll have the soft skin you¡¯ll want to feel when you dance cheek to cheek. First, he¡¯ll apply Pre-Shave Oil to prepare his skin for the razor. Next, he¡¯ll use the Shaving Brush
to lather his face with Shaving Cream form-ulated with glycerin and essential oils. After that, he¡¯ll shave, reapply cream, and shave again. And finally, he¡¯ll rinse his face and moisturize with After-Shave Balm. Smooth! Available at Pink on Palmer, Larchmont ➤ $110
The Eyes Have It
Few brides make it through their wedding day without shedding a few tears, so waterproof mascara is a must. Spread the word to the moms and bridesmaids too! Four we love.
T. LeClerc Waterproof Mascara has a velvety texture that conditions lashes with B5 pro-vitamin. Available at Pink on Palmer, Larchmont, (914) 833-8955, pinkonpalmer.com ➤ $26.
Sephora Waterproof Triple Action Mascara pumps up the volume ➤ $12.
Bare Escentuals i.d. Weather Everything Waterproof Mascara lengthens and thickens ➤ $15.
Dior Diorshow Waterproof Mascara curls lashes for an ultra-glamorous look ➤ $23. Last three mascaras available at Sephora,
Celebrate
Savvy ideas for starting your new life together
The Mix & Match Registry
The latest trend in wedding registries: combining china patterns and glassware. ¡°We are really encouraging couples not to feel limited but to mix and match as many patterns as they like and essentially create their own pattern,¡± says Wendy Hare, director of the registry at Bloomingdale¡¯s. Couples are having a great time with this, she reports: ¡°It¡¯s a sophisticated and fashion-forward idea, and they are stepping outside the usual boundaries.¡± In the photo shown here, for example, the yellow and green color scheme pulls everything together, but several different patterns are combined (Faberge and Baccarat crystal with Marc Jacobs, Haviland, and Villeroy & Boch china). Hare suggests starting with the charger plate and building from there, selecting 12 or 18 of each component (dinner plate, salad plate, and so forth) in the same pattern. In the end, you¡¯ll have a beautiful place setting that is all your own. Her guiding principle: ¡°Just have fun with it.¡± (Patterns in photo are available at Bloomingdale¡¯s,
Dance with Me
Your first-dance song has to be charming, romantic, fun, and meaningful to you both. Too much pressure? We thought so. To help, we surveyed local bands and DJs to find out the most popular choices of
1. ¡°At Last¡± by Etta James
2. ¡°The Way You Look Tonight¡± by Frank Sinatra
3. ¡°Can¡¯t Help Falling in Love¡± by Elvis Presley
4. ¡°Come Away with Me¡± by Norah Jones
5. ¡°Bless the Broken Road¡± by Rascal Flatts
–
Pick This Pocket
The event planners at A Most Creative Affair in
Timing Is Everything
Who says the ceremony has to be followed by cocktails, dinner, and dancing? For a
Welcome to
When putting together welcome gifts for your out-of-town guests, Elyssa Feldman Most and Andrea Most Gottschall of A Most Creative Affair in
Taste
festive foods delight the eye as well as the palate
From the Bar to the Table
Forget bowls and plates. Barware is the new choice for serving food at wedding receptions. Melisa Imberman, owner and president of Event of a Lifetime in Millwood, presents soup in shot glasses and mashed potatoes in martini glasses. Any type of pur¨¦ed soup works (shown here: ginger butternut squash soup with maple cr¨¦me fraiche, accompanied by a tricolor salad), and mashed potatoes get the gourmet treatment with garlic, wasabi, or cheese added. The glasses can be passed on trays as hors d¡¯ouevres during the cocktail hour, set out at stations, or served as the first course during dinner. ¡°It¡¯s fun,¡± Imberman says. ¡°Everyone is always looking for something that¡¯s a little different, and many times guests haven¡¯t seen food served like this before. It gets them talking.¡±
She Baked Her Own Wedding Cake
If you think it¡¯s difficult to select the shape, color, and flavor of your wedding cake, imagine how tough it must be for a wedding-cake baker. So many options! But Susan Gambelli of Susan Gambelli Custom Cakes rose to the challenge when she married her husband, Christopher; the couple live in Briarcliff Manor. For their five-tier masterpiece, she chose a sage green, chocolate, and gold color scheme, which coordinated with her reception colors. Gift-box cakes are among her favorites to make, and she decorated each tier differently, using the quilting technique on her bottom layer. Underneath the vanilla buttercream icing? Banana cake with milk chocolate mousse and hazelnut crunch. ¡°It had an unexpected flavor for a wedding cake,¡± Gambelli says. ¡°Our guests loved it.¡± For favors at the reception, Susan gave out boxes of peanut butter fudge she¡¯d made from her grandmother¡¯s recipe. ¡°My passion for baking began when I baked with my grandmother. And if it hadn¡¯t been for that, I never would have met Christopher.¡± He works in the food industry also, as a captain at Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills. ¡°He works the front of the house at the restaurant,¡± she says, ¡°but is an excellent chef at home.¡±
BANDS OF LOVE
spectacular wedding rings for the groom
double the color
➀ Both the traditional and the contemporary groom will appreciate this two-tone ring by Wright & Leo featuring a hammered center and smooth ridge, both in 14-karat gold. Available at Jaymark Jewelry II, Katonah (914) 232-4143 ➤ $470
a true original
➁ Looking for something no one else has? Anat Schechter will make house calls to collaborate with the bride or groom on a one-of-a-kind ring. All rings are available in men¡¯s and women¡¯s sizes and a variety of metals (platinum and 14-karat or 18-karat white or yellow gold). This 14-karat white-gold ring, designed by Millan, features custom detailing and a matte finish. Available by appointment through Jewelry by Anat,
(914) 262-5434 ➤ $450 and up
coming up rose-gold
➂ Perfect for the ultra-modern man: this palladium and 18-karat rose-gold ring by Christian Bauer with diamond chips. Available at Fortunoff,
(914) 287-8700 ➤ $1,995
young love
➃ The sleek look of this satin-finish band in 14-karat white gold appeals to the younger groom. Available by appointment through Jewelry by Anat,
diamonds are a guy’s best friend
➄ Got a guy who likes bling? This platinum
wedding band by Jeff Cooper features princess-cut diamonds totaling 1.5 carats. Available at Fortunoff,
simply perfect
➅ Understated and elegant, this platinum band by Michael Beaudry is hand-engraved with a detailed edge. Available at Wilson & Son,
produced by Sandy Hapoienu ✦ Photography