Howerton+Wooten Events Blog. The musings of a Maryland Wedding and Event Planner

We Have So Much to be Thankful For . . .

 
May your holiday be filled with sheer joy, the deepest of gratitude, and all of the love your heart can hold!

Love and Soul Always, Kay

Thanksgiving Tips and Tools

 
Over the last three years, I have had the privilege and pleasure of posting some great tips and tools for hosting a holiday dinner.

Since Thanksgiving is only two days away, I thought this would be the perfect time to recap of some of our reader favorites.

Party Beverage Calculator <-- An all time favorite for readers.

Dinner Table Place Setting Cheat Sheet <-- I just posted this yesterday, but I got a big response on Twitter and Facebook.

Thanksgiving Survival Tips for the First Time Hostess

Four Options for a Thanksgiving Turkey Carvey Greatness

And What To Do With All of Your Thanksgiving Turkey Leftovers

 

Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

Love and Soul Always, Kay

 

(Photo Credit: DIYLife)

Dinner Table Place Setting Cheat Sheet

 
I needed a place setting "cheat sheet" for my little guy a couple of years ago, so I downloaded this picture.

He still uses it when he needs to set the table, so I thought it would be a valuable reference for so many of you who have to set a formal table for Thanksgiving.

Believe me, this is great to know for the holiday dinners, rehearsal dinners and dinner parties!

How about you?  Do you have any etiquette or entertaining cheat sheets you can share?

BTW: I cannot locate the source of this cheat sheet.  Do you know?  If you do, please tell me.  I definitely want to give proper credit for this picture.  Thanks!

Love and Soul Always, Kay

Holiday Breakfast Recipes

 
I entertain.  A lot.  Because of that, my brothers and sisters typically place me in charge of holiday dinners.

This year, my brother Cornell (and his wife Sophia) are in charge of Thanksgiving dinner.

So, I am in charge of desserts (of course) and our Thanksgiving Day breakfast.  With so much to cook for a holiday dinner, your holiday breakfast (or brunch) shouldn't be hard.

Here are some great breakfast recipes that you can make with ease.  In fact, some of these can be prepared on the evening before the big day.

French Toast Casserole.  My family loves french toast, but I refuse to spend the entire morning making French Toast to order.  This French Toast Casserole recipe gives you the taste and texture of French Toast, without all of the work.  This casserole tastes fantastic with warm maple syrup and a couple of sausage links.

Egg and Sausage Casserole.  This is the #1 request from my nieces and nephews when I prepare the holiday breakfast.  This Egg and Sausage Casserole is pretty dense -- it contains eggs, sausage, cheese, mushrooms, tater tots, . . .you get the picture, right?  So, I typically serve it with fruit salad and some yogurt, and call it "a day."

Baked Garlic Cheese Grits.  I am not a fan of grits!  They are so "gritty!"  But, thanks to an episode of Paula Deen on Food Network, I discovered Baked Garlic Cheese Grits.  All I can say is "Yum!"

Steamed Asparagus with Poached Eggs.  I found this Steamed Asparagus with Poached Eggs recipe on Gina's Skinny Recipes blog.  I am happy to let all of my Weight Watchers buddies know that this recipe tastes good, and each serving is only two WW points!

I have a thing for spicy hot chocolate, and my son cannot have dairy.  So, we enjoy this vegan hot chocolate on chilly Sunday mornings.

Enjoy a fabulous holiday breakfast!

Love and Soul Always, Kay

 

(Photo: Apartment Therapy)

 

Emma Wedding Dress Collection by Punk Rock Bride

If you haven't seen the new line of affordable wedding dresses created by Punk Rock Bride, you should check them out!

Emma was formed in 2010 by the creators of Punk Rock Bride, who wanted to give brides an alternative to the traditional wedding dress for a reasonable price.

But, don't worry -- You won't sacrifice the luxury or drama of a wedding dress just because it cost less than $1,000.  All of the dresses in the Emma collection feature the same fun "edge" as the original Punk Rock Bride line.

I really like the length and the material used to create this A-line wedding dress, called Sophie.  The main layer is created with silk georgette, and the skirt includes two additional layers of silk chiffon.

 

 
If you know me, you probably know that I hated my wedding gown because of a big bow on the back.  Well, call me crazy, but I really like the bow on the back of this dress, called Jamie.

This is my second time professing my admiration for a Punk Rock Bride dress.  Punk Rock Bride takes a unique approach to traditional wedding gowns by incorporating non-traditional fabrics and mixing multiple layers to add texture and depth to every design.

Love and Soul Always, Kay

 

(Photos: Punk Rock Bride)

French Toast and Bacon Cupcakes for a Fabulous Team Brunch

This past weekend, I treated the Howerton+Wooten Events team to a brunch that was so good . . . um, um, um

One of the menu items was French Toast and Bacon cupcakes.

I have been itching to try a sweet/savory cupcake, and I am happy to report that this one didn't dissappoint us.

I found the recipe on the Life With Cake blog -- Check it out here.

If you bake them, make sure that you use PORK bacon.  Turkey bacon is definitely not the best option for this recipe. (Ask me how I know that!)

Love and Soul  Always, Kay

 

Wedding Day Love for Meredith and Ben

We had the privilege of taking care of Meredith and Ben's wedding in May of this year.

Meredith and I first met when we worked together in the Cable TV industry.  I was "beyond thrilled" when she asked me to take care of her wedding.

 

Meredith started off her wedding day with a make-up application from Nyke at Divine Cre8ions.  She opted for an "Old Hollywood" look.

 

This picture gives you a great view of Meredith's make-up and her vintage earrings.  (so lovely)

 

The wedding bouquets (created by Petals Edge Floral Design) were absolutely luscious!  Gerry incorporated Magnolia leaves into the bouquet to represent Meredith and Ben's Kentucky background.

 

This is one of my favorite pictures.  It shows off the ladies' attire and their gorgeous bouquets.

 

The wedding cake (made by Amphora Bakery) was simple, elegant and so tasty!  But, the darling of the night was the chocolate groom's cake in the shape of a UK football!

 
 

The wedding ceremony was supposed to take place in the outdoor courtyard of the Sheraton Suites in Old Town Alexandria.  But, one minute (yes, I said one minute) after the ceremony was supposed to begin, the wind started blowing, and the rain came down.
 
Luckily, our team was able to change and re-set a new ceremony location within 14 minutes.  Yes, I said we did it in 14 minutes.  My team rocks!!

Fortunately, Meredith, Ben and their families had THE BEST demeanor and a fantastic sense of humor.  Here is the bride and groom in their new ceremony location.

 

In fact, the rest of the evening was filled with dancing . . .

 

 

And, joyful, loving emotions.

 

Thank you so much to Meredith and Ben for allowing Howerton+Wooten Events to be a part of your special day!

Love and Soul Always, Kay

PS. Please tell your awesome mom, Bonnie, that we said hi!  She was so wonderful to work with on your wedding preparations.  We couldn't have asked for a better Mother of the Bride.

(Photos: JA Laub Photography)

Grooms Appreciate Wedding Planners

Very often, we are blessed with kindness and thank you notes from brides, mothers of the bride and mothers of the groom.

But, it really does speak to our heart when the grooms take a moment to tell us how much they appreciate us.  Here are some of our favorite 2010 comments/notes.

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At the end of one of our May weddings, the groom said to his bride, "Sheesh, Kay made sure this day was one of the best days of my life!"

The week before our July 17th wedding, John said, "I don't want to sound like Kelly Clarkson, but my life would suck without you."

Right after another July wedding, Cecil said the following to my husband (he's a part of the tear down crew) -- "Chris, you have an amazing wife!"

And, shortly after our final wedding of the season, Amy wrote, " . . . In the beginning, Sean didn't see why we needed a planner.  But, after we left our wedding, he told me that our planner was the best money we spent!"

 

Wow.  I just got goosebumps.  Thanks so much for your kindness guys!

Love and Soul Always, Kay

Would You Wear a Blue Wedding Gown?

 
This silk strapless ballgown by Amsale is so lovely.

And, I must admit that the ice blue color would look great on just about any skin hue.  And, in any season -- especially summer and winter.

Would you wear a blue wedding gown?

Love and Soul Always, Kay

 

 

(Photo: Amsale)

Warning! Wedding Blogs Can Make You Crazy!

 
Wedding blogs are great. (even if I say so myself).

But, wedding blogs can make you crazy if you let them.

Wedding blogs can be a great source of information.  But you should not let them cripple your decisions.  Do your wedding research, then get "out of your head."  Decide what feels right for you, your wedding day, and your wedding day budget.  Then, make your decision.

Wedding blogs showcase the latest trends.  But you should not worry that your ideas are "outdated."  We are wedding vendors.  We see wedding color combos, candy buffets, and first dances a ton of times each year.  So, some of these things are going to feel "dated" to us.  But, that should not stop you from selecting colors or dances that make you happy.  Your wedding should be a reflection of you -- not the latest trends.

Wedding Blogs are a great source of information.  But, you should not let a blog post make you feel like an idiot.  I know how it feels.  I remember reading a post that made me think, "I cannot do ANYTHING right!"  It's okay.  No one is perfect, and no one is expecting a perfect wedding.  More than likely, this is your first wedding -- so, no one is really expecting you to be an expert.

Wedding Blogs feature some of the MOST gorgeous weddings.  But, you should not feel like you need to spend all of your savings on your wedding day.  Blogs are meant to  inspire you.  So, take the beautiful pictures and the fantastic ideas from the blogs, and do your best to figure out a way to carry out the idea without breaking your bank.

Enjoy your wedding planning, check out your favorite blogs, but don't make the blog your wedding day voice.

Love and Soul Always, Kay