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

Sweet Potato-Praline/Vanilla, Bourbon-Butterscotch Layered Cake

That was the wedding cake flavor of the Biggest Loser couple, Nicole Brewer and Damien Gurganious.

I don't get excited about many cake flavors, but this one did it for me.  Everything about this cake makes my sweet tooth ache.  Oh!!!

There are no pictures available of their wedding cake yet, but I found a similar recipe worth sharing on the Serial Cooking blog.

Congrats Nicole and Damien!  I wish you a lifetime of happiness, good health and plenty of good lovin'

Love & Soul Always, Kay

(Photo: NBC)

The Bachelor Ed Is My Kind of Guy

Okay, I have a guilty pleasure admission.

I watch the Bachelorette.

I am not a fan of the Bachelor (too many mean girls), but I love any story where guys fight for the heart of a single girl.

And I really enjoyed this year's season.  Jillian was so cute, but my favorite this year was the last man standing, Ed.

His personality, goofy smile, and "puppy dog" eyes remind me of my own guy.  Plus, I thought his proposal was very sweet -- especially the part when he tells her that he looks forward to her giving him a hard time when they are 80.  How sweet!

Best wishes on a happy engagement Jillian and Ed!

Love & Soul Always, Kay

Wedding Day Love for Marisa and Patrick, part 3 (A doggie in the wedding party)

 

The "Grooms Dog" Einstein was a very active participant in Marisa and Patrick's wedding day.  I was truly impressed by his participation -- Which is huge because I am not really a "dog person."

But I think Marisa and Patrick got it right.

Noted below are some steps that Marisa and Patrick took to ensure that their dog, Einstein, was a good wedding guest.  And I believe these steps made a difference for everyone at the wedding reception.

1.     Like babies, dogs are not aware that they should be quiet during the wedding ceremony, so only allow your dog to participate if s/he is relaxed in front of a large group of people.  It will be difficult for guests to hear the ceremony over a barking dog.

2.     Give your dog a bath shortly before your wedding day.  This will help minimize dander reaction for your wedding guests (or wedding planners!) with allergies.

3.     If you decide to dress the dog in a “Tux” like Einstein's, try it on him or her for an afternoon to ensure that s/he is comfortable in it.  Again, a comfortable dog is much more relaxed.

4.     Make sure that your dog is fed and walked prior to the ceremony.

5.     Assign someone to take care of your dog throughout your wedding day

 

6.  Check with the venue beforehand to ensure that you are permitted to bring your dog on-site.

 

7. Consider using a leash during parts of the wedding ceremony or reception.

 

Marisa and Patrick (and Einstein), thank you so much for allowing us to be a part of your special day!  When we come to NYC, we are on for lunch!

Love & Soul Always, Kay

(Photo: Jason Knauer Photography)

Wedding Day Love for Marisa and Patrick, part 2 (so much love)

When I met with Marisa and Patrick in November 2007, I remember thinking, "Gosh, I really like this couple!"  They are the type of couple that makes people feel good when they are around them, and I really wanted to be a part of their wedding day.

  

In fact, it wasn't the wedding day details that pulled me in, it was the story that Marisa shared about the first time she saw Patrick.  And the way that Patrick touched Marisa during our discussion.  I was even touched by their affection for their little dog, Einstein.

Yup, I was hooked.

  

You gotta love a woman that knows the value of a comfortable shoe!

 

Marisa took some time before getting dressed to write a special "wedding day" note to Patrick.

 

They chose to see each other before the wedding ceremony.  Even amidst all of the pre-wedding "fun," Marisa and Patrick were able to share a private moment alone.

 

One of Marisa's wishes was the ability to enjoy a walk with Patrick from the hotel to the Science Center. (so NYC!)  It actually rained on the day of the wedding, but this couple definitely didn't let that damper their joy.

 

No matter what I was doing that day, I always found Marisa and Patrick kissing.  It truly was romantic.  The photographer, Jason Knauer, managed to catch them stealing a kiss a few minutes prior to the cake cutting.  BTW: Don't you just love their toy cake toppers?  It reminds me of Clark Kent and Wonder Woman.

 

Doesn't this picture look like Marisa and Patrick were receiving a great big bear hug?

  

Here is a picture of Marisa and her incredibly sweet mother.  Check out Marisa's bouquet.  Patrick made it!  In fact, Patrick made all of the bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, and centerpieces out of origami paper.  And he did an excellent job too.  What a guy.

Check back for more tomorrow!

Love & Soul Always, Kay

(Wedding Picture: Jason Knauer Photography)

Wedding Day Love for Marisa and Patrick, part 1 (the fun details)

As promised last week, here is a little wedding day love for Marisa and Patrick.  I thought I would share the details first because they were truly fun.  Everyone had a blast at this wedding.

In honor of Marisa and Patrick's professions, their wedding had this really fun Comics/toy theme going, along with a science feel that made you yearn for high school again.  In fact, their wedding took place on March 14 (which happens to be 3/14 aka π AND it was Albert Einstein's birthday)! 

 

The wedding ceremony took place in the Davis Planetarium of the Maryland Science Center.  Marisa and Patrick didn't want to add a lot of decor to the room.  They truly wanted to feel as if they were getting married under the stars.

 

This is the front cover of their wedding program.  So awesome.  This cartoon even includes a picture of Einstein.

 

The photo booth had a "Batman Signal" shining on it.  Along with props from the Super Mario Brothers games.  Here is a picture of their dog, Einstein, in the photo booth next to the "Bat Signal."

  

We placed the wedding cake and the sweetheart table under the T-Rex.

 

  

Finally, I can't stop sharing without showing you their Seating Chart and Escort Cards.  As you can see the seating chart was a Periodic Table.  It was so well done that everyone easily found their seats.

Each escort card was a beaker with an LED light.  Once all of the lights were placed on the tables, the room sparkled like the planetarium.

Okay, more of Marisa and Patrick's wedding tomorrow.  Take care!

Love & Soul Always, Kay

(Photos: Jason Knauer Photography -- Well, the pictures of the periodic table and the escort cards were my pitiful attempts at photography!

A Little Peek into a Science Museum Wedding

If you follow me on Twitter, then you know that I had the pleasure of working on an awesome wedding at the Maryland Science Center.  It was so cool.

The ceremony took place "under the stars" in the Science Center's planetarium.  I thought this photo (taken by Jason Knauer) was worth sharing with you now.

More to come next week.

Love & Soul Always, Kay

(Ceremony Photo: Jason Knauer Photography)

Wedding Day Love for Yudith and Gregory (Part II)

 

 

 

Yudith and Gregory's wedding reception was a blast!  Their family and friends started dancing the minute the music started and they didn't stop until the last song.  Whew!  I got tired just watching them.

 

 

Prior to the dinner reception, Yudith changed into a separate wedding gown.  Unfortunately, I don’t have a full photo of the dress, but take my word for it – it was so incredibly sweet.

They topped off the evening by giving their guests little blue boxes filled with both Pralines and Ethiopian cookies.

 

At the end of the night, the bride and groom bid a farewell to family and friends.  This family and cultural tradition represented the end of their journey from one immediate family into another.  It was extremely moving for everyone (including me)!

Yudith and Gregory, thanks for allowing us to be a part of your special day.  We enjoyed getting to know you guys, and we learned so much in the process.  Love ya!

Love & Soul Always, Kay

(Photos: Precious Moment Wedding Photography)

Wedding Day Love for Yudith and Gregory (Part I)

Yudith and Gregory’s wedding was definitely one of our most memorable (I mean that in a good way) weddings of 2008.  Our mission was to blend the long-standing customs that come with an Ethiopian wedding with the vibrancy of a New Orleans groom.  It was a fun challenge, but we had a blast planning it!

 

 

 

This picture was taken of Yudith right before the floral (corsage and boutonnière) ceremony at her mom's house.  She was absolutely stunning!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yudith and Greg were married at the St. George Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church in Washington, DC.

 

 

 

 

I love family pictures at weddings.  This picture captures four generations in one shot.

 

 

 

I guess that you can tell from my banner that I love this photo.  These three little girls were precious the entire day, and they took their flower girl responsibility quite serious.  I was in love!

 

Check back tomorrow for Yudith and Gregory's reception pics.

 

Love & Soul Always, Kay

 

 

(Photos: Precious Moment Wedding Photography)

Wedding Day Love For Alicia and Ben (Part II)

 

 

Alicia wanted a wedding that was vibrant, fun and hip.  She also wanted to make sure that each wedding guest felt like a VIP.  As a result, their wedding day had so many special touches.

 

 

 

To say that it was hot on their wedding day would be a huge understatement.  It was smoking!

 

When the guests arrived for the wedding, they were greeted with ice cold water bottles and fuchsia Pandan fans.  As you can imagine, the water and the fans were very much appreciated by many!

 

The guests were served orange, lemon and berry sorbet during the cocktail hour.   I hate that I don't have a picture of that to share with you!  They were cute little balls served in martini glasses!  I guess everyone was enjoying it so much that no one remembered to take a picture!

 

 

To add to the wedding's beach feel, the guests were encouraged to sign the Adirondack chair guestbook (a fun idea that we found on Kelly McWilliams' Wedding Tidbits blog).  We used some of the local sand to surround the chair and the escort cards.

 

I loved their wedding colors!  When I heard about the orange, fuchsia and lemon color palette, I knew that we were going to have a blast planning this wedding.

And I was right.  Alicia and Ben were always so positive and upbeat, and they were always open to every idea that we offered.

It was definitely a fun day for everyone involved.

 

Love & Soul Always, Kay

(Photos: James Roy Fine Art Photography)

The photo of the chair was taken by my summer intern Tatiyana Howerton!

Wedding Day Love for Alicia and Ben (Part I)

 

Alicia and Ben were such a fun couple to work with -- They had a soulful, genuine quality that made them seem incredibly authentic in all of their wedding planning.

 

 

 

Alicia's gown was a sexy Winnie Couture.  It definitely had the "wow" factor!

The entire time that I helped Alicia plan her wedding, I kept thinking, "this young lady is definitely going to be a gorgeous bride."  I was right.

 

It wasn't just her looks that struck me.  It was her beautiful spirit.

The groomsmen wore linen blazers, hot pink polos and jeans – very "Kanye West."  It was a look that was just right for their unique style and fun personalities.  Not everyone could have pulled that look off, but they did it with ease.

 

The weather was extremely warm, so I am sure that the bridesmaids appreciated their halter dresses.  The color was hot, but the material was light and airy.

 

The detail shots are coming tomorrow!

 

Love & Soul Always, Kay

 

 

 

(Photos: James Roy Fine Art Photography)