Serving comfort food at a wedding is a hot trend right now, and nothing gets snapped up more off the dessert table than Oatmeal Creme Pies. This twist on these classic treats are perfect for Fall weddings as a midnight snack or at a bridal shower with milk shooters.

Pumpkin Creme Pies

3 cups All Purpose Flour
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 - 15 oz. can of pumpkin
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat together brown sugar, sugar, oil and pumpkin. Add eggs one at time, mixing well after each addition, followed by the vanilla. In a separate bowl, shift together the dry ingredients. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.

Using a pastry bag with a round tip, or a big zip top plastic bag with one corner snipped, squeeze out concentric circles of batter, starting from the middle and working outward until the circles are about 2 inches in diameter. Bake for 11 minutes and cool on a rack.

Cream Cheese Filling

1 - 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened
1 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature
1 - 16 oz. package of powdered sugar
about a capful of vanilla extract
a pinch of cinnamon (to taste)

Beat together cream cheese and butter. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Frost flat side of half the pies and top with another piece.

Enjoy right away or chill overnight. Makes 12-14.



{Photo and recipe via Dreamy Desserts}

For all of you in the New York area with time to spare on a Saturday, be sure to get to 125 West 21st, between 6th and 7th, tomorrow for a major bridal sale.

The lovely Anne Chertoff from Brides.com and From I Will to I Do (and creator of the super fab Russell + Hazel Wedding Organizer) will be there to help you find your wedding dress, along with the ever-fab wedding planner Marcy Blum (author of Wedding Planning for Dummies) as well as other bridal industry insiders.

The sale will take place from 11 am - 2 pm, but you have a better chance of finding your perfect dress if you show up early. A portion of the proceeds will go to charity.

You can find more details on the sale here.  Have fun and if you find your dream dress, let us know!

Name: Mary

Location: Phoenix, AZ

Website: myweddingfilm.com and darbyelizabethphotography.com

What do you do for a living?
Studio Manager for My Wedding Film and Darby Elizabeth Photography

What is your favorite way to spend a Sunday?
I love spending time with my husband and little bundle of joy, Makenna (she is actually not LITTLE at all!). We love to relax, eat fatty foods and watch a great movie or a baseball game. Sounds like heaven to me!

What is your dream vacation spot?
It is not so much a SPOT as I would like to tour all of the baseball stadiums in the MLB. There are 30 total and some are in random cities that I don't know are my dream cities to vacation - think Arlington, TX - but I think it would be incredible, nonetheless. While I do love a man in tight little baseball pants, I really am a fan of the game first!

What beauty item could you not live without?
I am obsessed with lip gloss and my favorite right now is Chanel's Glossimer in Spark.

What two people (past or present) would you have as guests at a dinner party and why?
Hmm, tough question. I probably would not be having a dinner party seeing as how I am incredibly intimidated by pots, pans, and pretty much everything to do with the kitchen. With that said, I would love to dine out with Sara Blakely (creator of Spanx, and no, I do not want to meet her because I worship her product. She is just an incredible entrepreneur who has had much success at a young age.) My second guest would be Eleanor Roosevelt because she was apparently a hoot!

What is the best piece of advice you've ever received?
When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. Not really sure why I like this saying so much . . . maybe it has something to do with the fact that it is 115 degrees outside and I am craving a nice cold glass!

What are your three favorite blogs besides blueorchidblog.com?
Hostess Blog, Elizabeth Anne Designs, and Bakerella.

While doing some stationery sourcing for a client recently, I came across a gallery of real invitations that a designer had produced.  They were beautiful, but a line at the bottom of a few of the reception information cards caught my eye: "Please Bring $10 for Valet".

Which caused me to choke on my coffee and then I died.

And then I came to, and still could not believe what I saw.  Now, I am all about creating a wedding that is fun and unique, and I realize that certain matters of etiquette are no longer necessary (the double envelope on an invitation, for example).  Choosing to be rude, however, is never an option.

It is NEVER okay to ask your guests to shell out for any part of the wedding festivities you have planned.  Never ever.  This applies to a rehearsal dinner "cover charge", cash bar, the bon voyage brunch, mandatory valet, etc.  They are already paying for airfare, accommodations, rental cars, new outfits depending on the formality of your event, a gift, etc.  Asking them to help foot the bill for any portion of your party is out of the question. 

Wedding invitation designer Kelly Ashworth recently touched on similar etiquette topics, like the "dreaded registry card" and you can check them out on her blog under the category 'Be Nice'. 

Fancy weddings are fun and they pay my bills.  But having a fancy wedding is not the point.  Spending the rest of your life with the one person you don't want to go through life without is why you choose to get married.  Please don't get so caught up in throwing the party of the century that you lose sight of what they day is really about.

For all of you in the New Orleans area, Destination I Do Magazine and W Hotels are teaming up to bring you Operation Aisle Style! Here is your invitation and more details:


WHO You! Plus press, fashionistas, event planners, trendsetters, other brides-to-be,
local luminaries, hipsters and Page 6-ers.

WHAT W Hotels knows how to add WOW to your vows, and how to do it just a little bit differently. Operation Aisle Style is a party, a fashion show and an epicurean adventure inspired by intrepid travelers, libertines, alterna-wedding wunderkinds, Carolyn Gerin, creator of the best-selling Anti-Bride series by Chronicle Books, and Jennifer Stein, publisher of Destination I Do Magazine, the premiere international romance travel magazine in partnership with the uber-hip, chicly romantic, W New Orleans – French Quarter.

WHEN Thursday, October 30, 2008, 7 pm – 10 pm

WHERE W New Orleans - French Quarter, 316 Rue Chartres


WOW! Romance, mystery, and old world glamour await you at the W New Orleans – French Quarter.
Includes: Fashion show with signature styles by Project Runways Austin Scarlett, makeup tips and tricks area, professional photo session, libations and nibbles in the Courtyard, a raffle of coveted items for your trousseau and swag bags with booty for your beauty.

Let us take you behind the scenes to your picture perfect day:

• Sip signature cocktails created especially for the bride and groom featuring X-Rated Fusion Liqueur and divine wines with pairings by the wine makers of Somerston Winery, featuring Napa Valley’s notorious Bad Habit and High Flyer wines with the inspired cuisine of our W - New Orleans chefs.

• At the stroke of 7 pm, witness the “Operation Aisle Style” bridal fashion show bringing you the hippest bridal styles hot off the runway from our prince of aisle style, Project Runways Austin Scarlett and more, and then onto the most regal and rockin’ reception of the year in the W's wildly romantic French Quarter Courtyard.

• Event participants/Co-promoters: Chronicle Books (publisher of Anti-Bride series and Cooking Up a Storm), Avant Guides (creator of Avant Guides, New Orleans edition), Destination I Do Magazine, Anti-Bride Productions, Somerston Wines, X-Rated Fusion Liqueur, Celebrity Make-up Artist Brandy from bgdmakeupartistry.com, W New Orleans – French Quarter and more will make it the high profile event of the season.

• Help us donate dollars to Sweet Home New Orleans, an organization dedicated to rebuilding the homes of New Orleans’ beloved musical community, lost to hurricane Katrina.

• Fabulous Prizes furnished by: Avant Guides, Chronicle Books, Destination I Do Magazine, W New Orleans – French Quarter, and Somerston Wines.

• Prepare to be tagged by our roving photojournalists and noticed on all the social sites right after the party in a fabulous photo essay documenting the revelry.

Click here for more info on the event. Click here to RSVP via email.

You must be 21 to enter and tickets are $10 at the door.  Proceeds go to Sweet Home New Orleans.

It's October, which means that winter is officially around the corner! Visions of cozy sweaters and cute coats are dancing through my head, and of course, hot cocoa! For those of you domestic diva types, you'll love this recipe for homemade marshmallows. You can mix and match flavorings to add some variety and set up your own signature hot chocolate bar at your next holiday soiree!

Homemade Marshmallows

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 cup cold water, divided
3 1/4-ounce envelopes unflavored gelatin
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup potato starch (also known as potato flour)
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Line 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan with foil.

Coat foil lightly with nonstick spray. Pour 1/2 cup cold water into bowl of heavy-duty mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Sprinkle gelatin over water. Let stand until gelatin softens and absorbs water, at least 15 minutes.

Combine 2 cups sugar, corn syrup, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup cold water in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over mediumlow heat until sugar dissolves, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush. Attach candy thermometer to side of pan. Increase heat and bring syrup to boil. Boil, without stirring, until syrup reaches 240°F, about 8 minutes.

With mixer running at low speed, slowly pour hot syrup into gelatin mixture in thin stream down side of bowl (avoid pouring syrup onto whisk, as it may splash). Gradually increase speed to high and beat until mixture is very thick and stiff, about 15 minutes. Add vanilla and beat to blend, about 30 seconds longer.

Scrape marshmallow mixture into prepared pan. Smooth top with wet spatula. Let stand uncovered at room temperature until firm, about 4 hours.

Stir potato starch and powdered sugar in small bowl to blend. Sift generous dusting of starch-sugar mixture onto work surface, forming rectangle slightly larger than 13x9 inches. Turn marshmallow slab out onto starch-sugar mixture; peel off foil. Sift more starch-sugar mixture over marshmallow slab. Coat large sharp knife (or cookie cutters) with nonstick spray. Cut marshmallows into squares or other shapes. Toss each in remaining starch-sugar mixture to coat. Transfer marshmallows to rack, shaking off excess mixture.

Yum!



{photo and recipe from Bon Appetit via Epicurious}

Name: Amber

Location: Brooklyn, New York. We just moved from the suburbs of Connecticut, and I'm having a lot of fun!

Blog or Website: TheAmberShow.net

What do you do for a living?
I'm primarily a housewife, but I've just accepted some freelance online PR work, where I will be marketing self-published writers to online media venues. I also will be helping my husband with his new media production business.

My ultimate dream is to be a professional art photographer and a mom at the same time.

What is your favorite way to spend a Sunday?
Hanging out with my husband, Rob. We'd shlub around in jammas until eleven, go to brunch locally with friends, take Matty, Leeloo and Tino to the dog park for the afternoon, and then come home and make supper. Then we would veg out in front of the TV with our food and laptops.

What is your dream vacation spot?
If I could go anywhere, it would be to Puerto Rico to meet the workers of Manos por Patas (Hands for Paws). When I was there last year, Rob and I came across a stray that was lame in the back legs and had been laying helplessly under a truck for days, abandoned without food or water. A Google search lead me to Manos for Patas, and I called. They found him, took him to the vet to get fixed up, and then helped us adopt him! He is now my Tino, the littlest guy of the bunch at 17 pounds.

Since this is my "dream vacation", I would present them with a huge check that I got from winning the lotto, and then I would hang out down there for a few months helping to build an awesome dog shelter.

What beauty item could you not live without?
A toothbrush. I'm on a mission to use less products on my body, so this is an unexciting answer. Some sort of simple, unfragranced lotion is a close second. I have pretty bad dry skin.

What two people (past or present) would you have as guests at a dinner party and why?

1) Barack Obama; I want to get a good look at him and ask him important questions. I plan on voting for him, and I'd love the chance to talk to him in depth, one-on-one, about the issues that are important to me.

2) Heather Armstong, the writer of Dooce. She's so cool!

I would invite their children and spouses, too, of course, and make it a barbeque.

What is the best piece of advice you've ever received?
"Live your life the way it makes sense to you." I came up with that when I was twelve, and I've been sticking to it more or less ever since! Also, similarly, "Focus only on what is important."

What are your three favorite blogs besides blueorchidblog.com?

1) Oh Happy Day written by Jordan Ferny. She has wonderful taste!

2) PostSecret. It takes my breath away weekly. There never seem to be enough secrets posted to keep me happy. I get to the end and say, "Oh man. That's it?" Frank Warren, I'm looking at you. More secrets, please!

3) Lolcats. I don't know why I think they're so funny! There are mornings that I read them while drinking coffee, and those darn cats make me laugh so hard it squirts out of my nose! Ouch!

Finding and maintaining balance during wedding planning can be a difficult task for many brides. Earlier this year, I wrote about this topic for a series at the Elizabeth Anne Designs blog.

This subject has come up a few times recently in my personal conversations with people, so I am reposting the link to that article. You can read the original article here.

Planning a wedding doesn't have to throw your life into a spiral, there is no such thing as perfection, and it is possible to enjoy this season and your fiance.

I shared this video last year, but it is still funny and I thought some of you may need a mental break from all of the stress of wedding planning. Enjoy!

The arrival of autumn means wedding season here in Arizona, which means lots of bridal showers as well. For those of you planning a brunch shower for the brides in your life, here is a great Bloody Mary recipe to serve your guests.

Pitcher of Bloody Marys

6 limes, juiced
1 tablespoon celery seeds
3 tablespoons grated fresh or prepared horseradish
2 quarts tomato juice, chilled
2 tablespoons hot sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups pepper vodka, chilled in the freezer
Celery stalk, for serving
Cucumber spears, for serving
Handful fresh cilantro, for garnish

Combine the lime juice, celery seed, and horseradish in a pitcher. Muddle the mixture with the end of a wooden spoon to blend and break up the celery seeds. Pour in the tomato juice, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce; season with salt and pepper. Stir everything together to combine.

Divide the vodka among 6 tall, chilled glasses filled with ice. Fill the glasses with the bloody mary mix, stick in the celery and cucumber and garnish with the cilantro. Give the bloody mary a good stir and serve.

Enjoy!



{Stock photo, recipe from Food Network}

Name: Erin

Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

Blog or Website: Lucky Me, the official blog of Lucky Designs

What do you do for a living?
Building my design business, with experiences in both teaching and computer programming.

What is your favorite way to spend a Sunday?
Watching Food Network, eating homemade pancakes (made by my husband), and singing Raffe songs with my daughter.

What is your dream vacation spot?
Italy (but only if I could go with my husband. I think it would be so romantic!)

What beauty item could you not live without?
An everyday essential - chapstick, a beauty item - eyelash curler

What two people (past or present) would you have as guests at a dinner party and why?
My grandmother - I miss her dearly, and would love to sit down and enjoy her spaghetti and meatballs with her. Jacques Cousteau - I always have been and always will be a marine biologist at heart.

What is the best piece of advice you've ever received?
Never Give Up - Thank you mom!

What are your three favorite blogs besides blueorchidblog.com?
In addition to Blue Orchid and The Smart Planner...

Southern Weddings - I greatly enjoy the real weddings they choose to feature.

Creature Comforts - Ez's blog is so eclectic and full of unique things.

Let's Eat Cake - I am so proud to be a part of such a fantastic cause!

As a wedding planner, I receive phone calls from journalists from time to time asking for me to weigh in on some wedding-related issue so that they can beef up their articles with quotes from industry experts. And since I'm running a business and not running for the second most powerful spot in the world, I usually see no problem with taking their interviews and answering any questions they may have.

Earlier this year I received one of these calls from a prestigious news source and this is part of the exchange:

Me: Hi, this is Liene at Blue Orchid Designs, I'm returning your call.

Reporter: So, your husband is the sexiest man in the world. That must be nice.

Me: Um. What?

Reporter: People Magazine voted him one of the world's sexiest men.

Me: Um.

Reporter: You wrote about your husband . . .

Me: Oh, yeah, that (see number two).   I was kidding. Just being sarcastic. I am not married nor engaged.

Reporter: Oh, well I took it literally. Good thing I cleared that up!

Needless to say, it was pretty difficult for me to get through the wedding-related portion of the interview without bursting into laughter.  The reporter was very smart and astute, and I came to the conclusion that they had just skimmed through really quickly.

Last month we did a giveaway with Kelly Ashworth Design for some designer notecards.  To enter, you had to share your favorite character from The Office, since Kelly is also a big fan of my husband's show.  It has been a few weeks now, and we haven't heard from the winner, so we are selecting a new one.

Congratulations to Laura, our new winner, who said:
"Who doesn't love Jim & Pam? However, I have to say Kelly always cracks me up . . . from wearing a white dress to Phyllis's wedding to giving Jim all of the latest celeb gossip when she was telling him how she's been, I love her character!"

 Laura, please email us at info{at}blueorchidweddings.com to claim your prize!

And to everyone else, support my not-husband and watch the season premiere of his show tonight!

The uber chic bridal shop, Mariee Gallery, is kicking off a series of trunk shows in October. It's the perfect opportunity to preview the lines of some fab designers and find your dream wedding dress. Here's a schedule of upcoming trunk shows:

Vineyard :: October 17-19, 2008

Jenny Packham :: November 1-2, 2008

Adele Wechsler :: December 5-7, 2008

Rosa Clara :: March 20-22, 2009

You may call their boutique, nestled in the Shops at Gainey Village in Scottsdale, to make an appointment.




{photo by Jane Zarzynski Photography for Mariee Gallery}

If there is one wedding tradition I would like to see die off, it would be tossing the bridal bouquet.  Trust me, unless you are one of the first of your sorority girlfriends to tie the knot, tossing the bouquet simply serves to make all the single ladies at your wedding uncomfortable and heading to the bar for a refill. 

A fun and more discreet alternative stems from Turkish wedding culture.  There it is a tradition to have all your single girlfriends sign the soles of your wedding shoes.  It is said that the person whose name fades the most after the shoes have made their way down the aisle and seen their time on the dance floor will be the next to get married.

You can do this with just your bridesmaids or you can include it as an activity at your bridal showers.  Either way, it is a fun, personal and affordable element to add to your big day. 

What traditions are you incorporating in your wedding?



{Photo by Anne Ruthmann}

Today is officially the first day of Autumn (though you can't tell here in Scottsdale!) and time to start thinking ahead to all of your Fall parties.  This season heading into the holidays is always busy, no matter if you're single or married, and options for easy entertaining are always welcome.

This recipe for Fall Fruit Compote is delicious, and can be ladled onto cheesecake or alongside spice cake purchased from Trader Joe's or Costco (come on, you know you do this, too!). Because the compote can be covered and chilled for up to a week, you can make it ahead of time and not stress on the day of your event. Your guests will be super impressed with your laid-back hostessing style (and the dessert of course) and while we don't have a crystal ball, we predict lots of requests for seconds!

Fall Fruit Compote

2 cups apple juice
1/2 cup sugar
4 (2 1/2- by 1/2-inch) strips fresh lemon zest
1 cinnamon stick, halved
3 whole cloves
10 black peppercorns, cracked
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 firm pears, peeled and each cut into 8 wedges with core removed
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup dried tart cherries
4 dried Calimyrna figs, quartered
2 tablespoons Calvados (Liene's note: you can substitute Grand Marnier for this)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Bring apple juice, sugar, zest, and spices to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved, and simmer 5 minutes. Add butter, pears, and dried fruit and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until pears are tender, about 25 minutes. Pour liquid through a sieve into another saucepan and boil until reduced to 1 cup. Pour liquid back over fruit and stir in Calvados and lemon juice.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 8-10 servings or about 2 cups.

Enjoy!




{Photo by Anna Williams for Gourmet, recipe via Epicurious}