Lia Sophia and Anita Ko gems for the bride and her party.

Between the guest list, the invites, the dress and the shoes, the last thing the bride has time to worry about are the jewels! Luxury jewelry lines Anita Ko & Neil Lane for ARCADEBoutique.com and lia sophia are just right for adding that perfect bit of sparkle to a beautiful bride. Easy and effortless, Anita Ko, Neil Lane, and lia sophia are the epitome of wedding elegance.

From top:

lia sophia “Estate Stretch Bracelet” $700, lia sophia “Runway Button Post Earrings” $130, lia sophia “Runway Hop Earrings” $65, lia sophia “Estate Chandelier Earrings” $300, lia sophia “Crystal Necklace” $220,
lia sophia “Crystal Earrings” $78
Available at: www.liasophia.com

Anita Ko “Double Wing Ring” $6510, Anita Ko “Yellow gold Pyramid Studs” $305,
Anita Ko “Rose Gold Pyramid Studs” $305, Anita Ko “White Gold Spike Bracelet” $5220, Neil Lane for ARCADE “$2,660
Available at: www.ARCADEboutique.com  

The Knot and Pantene are looking for a bride...is it you?

TheKnot.com and Pantene are looking for brides-to-be who are looking for expert help when it comes to their head-to-toe bridal style. We’re on the search for Knotties who have not selected their wedding gown or determined their bridal style. Four lucky winners will score a dream dress and a bride-beautiful transformation.

What do you receive?

• A private consultation with The Knot fashion editor to find the perfect gown
• A hair and beauty makeover from the experts at Pantene.
• A special discount off a gorgeous gown of your choice from a top NYC bridal salon!
• A starring role in a The Knot TV segment.
• AND, best of all, a complete makeover featured in the Summer 2011 issue of The Knot magazine!

In order to qualify you must:

• Live in the New York Metro area.
• Have not yet selected your wedding gown.
• Be available for a full-day shoot in NYC sometime between January 21 and 31, 2011.

To Enter Email:  castingcall@theknot.com

• A current photo
• Engagement and wedding date
• City and State
• Total wedding budget (approximately)
•  Wedding style in 10 words or less (romantic, modern, eco, vintage)
• AND MOST IMPORTANT, why you deserve this dream opportunity.

Added bonus: If you already chose your dress, but are looking for the ultimate bridal look, we’re choosing two Knotties to receive an ultimate Pantene hair and makeup consultation! Send the above information to moderators@theknot.com.

Good Luck!

2010 Gift 'Give' Guide

How about giving a gift, that will really help others?  Here are some recommendations of organizations that you may not know of....

I am a fan of Lauren Bush and her participation in Feed. This year, they have created a Guatemala 3 Large Ikat Tote, $39, available at Lord and Taylor.  For every bag that is purchased, they Feed will donate $10.50 to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF to support UNICEF'S nutrition programs in Guatemala. 

This is in honor of designer and friend Tory Burch and the Tory Burch Foundation, which helps provide economic opportunities to women and their families in the U.S. Tory has created a Charm Bracelet and all profits from the bracelet will benefit the Tory Burch Foundation.  This is one of the very few – if not only…anything I’ve ever seen of this quality product, where the entire purchase price will go to charity.   She has other products as well on the site, so check them out.

While in Montreal last week I remembered a great shop my mom took me to in North Carolina. Ten Thousand Villages has an incredible collection of absolutely unique fair-trade gifts from around the world, and work to create opportunities for artisans in developing countries to earn income by bringing their products and compelling stories to market. You get to be a star with the perfect gift while knowing you did something, to help someone in need.   I’m sure there is a shop near you and remember…it does take a village. If you must give a take-a-way at your wedding, one of the great items they have will surely be perfect.

Wine Wednesday: Chambord anyone?

This past weekend, I was in Montreal attending the Bridal Boudoir conference, which is the wedding industry premiere bridal event in Montreal.  There is so much to share.  Lots of interesting trends that I’d love to see make their way to the US and while I get those articles ready, I’m feeling like my Wine Wednesday should reflect an elegant French inspired cocktail.

Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur is an all-natural raspberry liqueur produced in the Loire Valley of France. This lush, rich and very sweet cognac is often misunderstood, but I do believe will offer an elegant addition to your wedding events.  Known as the bottle with the gold crown, it is surely fit for a king and queen.  I hope you enjoy some of these cocktails, the yummy brownies and especially during this holiday season, please drink responsibly.

French Martini

1 1/2 oz Finlandia Vodka

1/2 oz Chambord Liqueur

3 oz Pineapple Juice

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into martini glass. Garnish with raspberries.

Chambord® Cosmopolitan

1 oz Finlandia Vodka

1/2 oz Chambord Liqueur

1/2 oz Orange Liqueur

1 1/4 oz Cranberry Juice

1/4 oz Fresh Lime Juice

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into martini glass. Garnish with a raspberry.

Chambord® Velvet Jack

1 1/2 oz Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey

1/2 oz Chambord Liqueur 

3 oz Sour Mix

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into rocks glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Chambord® Margarita Royale

1 1/2 oz Herradura Silver Tequila

3/4 oz Chambord Liqueur 

3/4 oz Pomegranate Juice

1/2 oz Fresh Lime Juice

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into margarita or martini glass. Garnish with raspberries.

The Sweet Taste of Victory

2 oz Bourbon Whiskey

3/4 oz Chambord Liqueur

3/4 oz Vanilla Syrup

2 dashes Peychaud’s® Bitters

Shake all ingredients and serve in a Coupe glass. Garnish with any three of brandied blackberries, brandied raspberries or regular blackberries.

Café Royale

1/2 oz Chambord Liqueur

1/2 oz Irish Cream

1/2 oz Hazelnut Liqueur

1/2 oz Orange Liqueur

Layer all ingredients except Chambord in a port glass and top with Chambord-laced heavy whipping cream.

Chambord® Black Raspberry Brownies

1 box Devil’s Food Cake Mix

2 Eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup Oil

1/4 cup Water

1/4 cup Chambord Liqueur

1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1/4 cup Confectioners Sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9” by 13" baking pan with nonstick foil. Combine cake mix, eggs, oil, water, and Chambord Liqueur. Fold in semi-sweet chocolate chips. Pour into prepared baking pan and smooth. Bake 35-40 minutes. Cool to room temperature before cutting. Dust with confectioners sugar (optional) and slice brownies into 3" squares. Top with ice cream and 3-4 ounces of Chambord.

Yield: Approximately 12 servings.

Holiday gift ideas for the bride or her bridal party

Ok, so you may have had a blast (or avoided) Black Friday, or taken to your keyboard (or decided it was time to hand-write all day) for Cyber Monday.  No matter what you did, the holidays and growing number of newly engaged couples are just around the corner. Here are some of my holiday gift ideas for the bride, bridal party and even the mom’s. Tomorrow there will be more. I hope you enjoy them. 

Joya perfume

Joya’s first foray into artisanal fine fragrance worked out wonderfully with ceramic artist Sarah Cihat to create two beautiful bottles filled with equally beautiful fragrances.  These so beautiful and a wonderful gift to the bride – is the handcrafted porcelain (Black is Comp #6 and White is Comp #5) bottle and 22k gold dipped wand.  Luxury by any other name wouldn’t be as sweet. 

Peggy Li Holiday Collection

Utilizing chains with shimmer and stones with saturated color, these pieces convey a sense of luxury and richness found during this festive time of year. I think some of these would be lovely gifts for the bridal party as well as perhaps something special for your future mother (and sister) in law.  Prices range from $39 to $220. The Holiday Collection is currently available on her web site.

Azuri Luxury

Azuri is my new favorite line of wraps, shawls and scarves created from the finest natural fabrics including silk, chiffon, wool, pashmina, cashmere, charmeuse, organic cotton, linen and bamboo. The Azuri range is perfect anytime but especially for brides and bridal parties as the wraps and shawls provide warmth, and add a touch of elegance to any outfit.  Remember just because you’re having an island destination wedding, it does get chilly.  Honestly, these are just perfect anytime for anyone.  They have over 110 color options, so there is a color for everyone.

Mar Y Sol

Speaking of destination weddings, these cute and colorful clutches are a great accent for the bridal party and ideal for a tropical island setting!  Mar Y Sol has tons on their website including some that are more ‘beachy’ if that’s the look you’re going for.

 There will be more tomorrow, so see you then...