Wedding Traditions: The Bride's Four "Somethings"

The traditional rhyme which details what a bride should wear at her wedding for good luck...

Something Old,

Something New,

Something Borrowed,

Something Blue,

...has been honored by brides since before anyone can remember. Do you know the meaning behind this tradition, or where it comes from?

It is often recited as the four "somethings", not including the sixpence part. The rhyme appears to originate in England, an 1898 compilation of English folklore that explains:

The 'something blue' usually takes the form of a garter or an article of dress which plays an important part in some wedding rites.

The 'something old' and 'something blue' are devices to baffle the Evil Eye. The usual effect on the bride of the Evil Eye is to render her barren and this is adds to the reason for 'something borrowed', which should properly be the undergarment of some woman who has been blessed with children: the clothes communicate fertility to the bride.

The 'something new' represents the new life of the bride.

Over the years the symbolism have changed to new meaning for the iconic phrases. 'Something old' represents continuity; 'something new' offers optimism for the future; something borrowed symbolized borrowed happiness; and something blue stands for purity, love, and fidelity.  Out of all the good luck charms the 'something blue' is the most fun, let's see how brides interpret something blue for their wedding day:

Have the groom don your something blue

                                                              photo courtesy of burnettsboards.com

Get a temporary tattoo in blue:

                                                      photo courtesy of brides.com

Have you brides made sign the bottom of your shoes with a sweet message in blue:

                                                                                                            photo courtesy of lovely bride.com

However you decide to wear your something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue, don't stress to much about where they have to be. Remember it's the brides day, and your somethings can be anything the bride wants them to be. 

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Catering Trends: Using Microgreens

Looking to give your catering options a new edge. Incorporating microgreens into your catering menu is a great way to support local farmers and provide super healthy - yet delicious - options.

What are microgreens?
A micro-green is a tiny vegetable green that is used both as a visual and flavor component. Smaller than “baby greens,” and harvested later than “sprouts,” microgreens can provide a variety of leaf flavors, such as sweet and spicy. They are known for their various colors and textures; the use of microgreens is endless.

How can I use microgreens?
Due to their size, microgreens are perfect to incorporate in appetizers and small dishes. Their color is great for spring and summer, they give any dish a special pop. Check out how some caterers have used microgreens:

Compressed watermelon with ahi tuna, citrus microgreens and wasabi caviar. Photo courtesy of tremecula-catering.com

Tender crab cakes served with cucumber tartar sauce and microgreen salad. Photo courtesy of diningchicago.com

Goat cheese mousse, microgreens, aged balsamic, and basil oil. Photo courtesy of vibranttable.com

Sandwich roll with black forest ham, calvados brie and microgreens. Photo courtesy of amazingsandwiches.com








Microgreens are so versatile. They provide great flavor or a beautiful garnish. They are perfect to add in any dish served in a shot glass by the way. Call up your local farmer and see if they grow microgreens or find out where they are available in your area. Have fun mixing these great greens in with your spring and summer menus. 

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Historic Venues For Weddings

Do you dream of an intimate wedding where it's just your closest family and friends coming together to see you walk down an isle covered in rose petals. You can imagine every detail of your perfect day: the flowers, the bridesmaid dresses, the shoes, even the lipstick you will be wearing - making sure it won't transfer on your veil or your groom. You have planned the perfect wedding, but finding a venue to compliment your intimate affair......hasn't even been considered yet.

To really put the finishing touch on any dream wedding, you need a historic venue. One with charm and craftsmanship that just isn't done anymore. A historic venue amazes guests when they hear about the past and it just provides that special something to any intimate wedding. Now, not all historic venues are small, some are grand and reflect the glamor of years past when people believed in over dressing for all occasions and there was a tradition for everything. Take a look at some of these charming and grandiose venues that have stood the test of time.

 Fonthill Castle - Doylestown, PA.

Built between 1908-1912, Fonthill was the home of Henry Chapman Mercer. Archaeologist, anthropologist, ceramist, scholar and antiquarian, Mercer built Fonthill both as a home and as a showplace for his collection of tiles and prints. Photo courtesy of mercermuseum.org.

Houmas House - Darrow, LA

Known as the Crown Jewel of Louisiana's River Road, the Houmas House is a beautiful mansion that reflects the best parts of each period in its rich history. Construction of the Mansion was completed in 1828. It has all the charm of the sweetest southern belle combined with the beautiful Louisiana backdrop. Photo courtesy of houmashouse.com

The Little Chapel at Winthrop University - Rock Hill, SC

The Little Chapel was designed in the Federal style by architect Robert Mills - a South Carolinian famous for his design of the Washington Monument. In 1936 the chapel was given to Winthrop by the Columbia Theological Seminary, and the structure was moved to Rock Hill from Columbia, SC, where it was reconstructed brick by brick. Photos courtesy of Winthrop.edu.

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Spring 2014 Catering Trends

It won’t be officially spring until March 20th, but now is the perfect time to get a jump on the latest trends to inspire your seasonal menus. Your kitchen is now your lab, so let’s have some fun experimenting with color, flavor, and presentation that result in Spring’s best trends.

1. Organic and Local produce to make refreshing beverages (with or without alcohol)
A delicious beverage is hit at any event. Refreshing and colorful is the name of the game this spring with it comes to drinks. Head down to your local market and find organic ingredients to combine together and create beverage delights that not only taste great but look amazing. Oh, and don’t forget the garnish, drinks need their accessories too so they can entertain as well as be enjoyed. A great idea for garnishes is freeze them in ice, a simple idea that makes a cool effect.

The flavors of cucumber and mint are delightfully refreshing when combined together. Try this simple Spring Cucumber-Mint Tonic-the green color reflects the Spring season perfectly. *photo courtesy of missrenaissance.com

Freezing flowers in ice cubes create a beautiful presentation. They can easily add elegance to a glass of citrus infused water, tea, or a light effervescent beverage. You can show off all the colors of Spring with this trend, or coordinate the flowers to go with a certain color theme.*photo courtesy of chestnutherbs.com








2. Spice It Up
We are extremely excited about this trend. Couples want their menu to reflect themselves, and everyone has a spicy side to their personality. You can really have fun with adding a spicy flavor to hors d'oeuvres or entree selections. This trend goes great with a cool refreshing beverage made from local ingredients...wink wink.

Margarita shrimp with a jalapeno lime sorbet, the combination of hot and cold is a perfect hors d'oeuvre that is bright and packed with flavor. *photo courtesy of catering by seasons.com

Crab Cakes are a classic at wedding and special events, but they are even better with a spicy rémoulade. To keep them less messy and you guests hands clean, try serving them on a single portion spoon. *photo courtesy of pictureperfectmeals.com








3. Comfort Food
Comfort food is a classic dish that never lets down the taste buds, but it is not very event-friendly. There is a lot of room to reinvent and innovate comfort food and make it exciting for your guests to eat lasagna and not get it all over themselves Create a down-home feel to any elegant event with this fun spring trend.

Fish & Chips make a great Cocktail Hour appetizer before the main event begins. By serving it in newspaper wrapping, your guests can schmooze freely without having to bother with a plate and utensils, also the presentation is just darling. *photo courtesy of alowcountrywed.com

Lasagna can be messy but not when it is baked into mini pastry cups. This is a simple appetizer that will add color and rich flavor to any menu. You don't have to do just lasagna, mac n' cheese or a tuna melt version would be great for spring and add pops of color to the plate. *photo courtesy of alowcountrywed.com








And what catering trend update is complete without the Sweets!

4. Frozen Treats
Frozen desserts will be all over the menus this spring and summer. You won't have to worry about these frozen treats melting because they will not be on the serving tray long enough. Just keep portion size in mind when creating your cool delights, think of the guests moving around and how they will be holding the desserts - that will help you in the creation process.

Smaller portions are great for frozen treats. Try serving a cool and refreshing Kiwi Gelato in the Kiwi. *photo courtesy of  tastespotting.com

Appeal to your guest's inner child with these Frozen Poptart Pops. They are not actual poptarts that have been frozen but pastry with frozen filling, so basically miniaturized frozen poptarts with delicious frozen fruit filling. They are bright, colorful and portable. Convenience is key with desserts, your party guests can keep dancing the night away and not have to worry about plates and spoons. This dessert is completely customizable too, you can use any type of fruit and coordinate the colors to match the event theme. *photo courtesy of trendhunter.com



You can reflect the colors and tastes of spring with any of these great trends for 2014. Remember portions should stay small so guests can try many different options and make everything easy to handle. Having to hold onto a plate and utensils is inconvenient when mingling during cocktail hour or the reception. Have fun planning your Spring 2014 menu options

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