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Archive for April, 2011

Celebrate Cinco De Mayo at Branches with Oro Azul Tequila Mexico’s Treasure

Friday, April 29th, 2011

Celebrate Cinco De Mayo at Branches

with Oro Azul Tequila

Mexico’s Treasure

Thursday

May 5th, 20117:00pm

Begin with Tapas and Samplers in our beautiful Waterfall Garden (weather permitting) & the Classic Margarita and Bloody Marias. Then come inside for a three course dinner paired with heart warming tequila cocktails.

Call (732) 542-7790

to make your reservations!

$45.00 (plus tax & 18% service charge)

Click here to view full menu

HOW TO: Follow the Royal Wedding Online

Tuesday, April 26th, 2011

The Royal Wedding is in less than 4 days and in case you hadn’t heard these royal nuptials will not only be broadcast through your television screen but there will also be quite a few ways to watch (and listen) online! Since we already know where the ceremony and reception will be taking place, the only details that have been left to our imaginations are what the future princess will wear down the aisle!

Source: mashable.com

If you haven’t heard, the UK’s Prince William and Catherine (better known as Kate) Middleton are getting married at Westminster Abbey in London on Friday, April 29.

(We assume you have.)

It will be easy enough to follow along on TV with nearly every major news network running hours of coverage ahead of the wedding which takes place at 10 a.m. BST (9 a.m. GMT, 2 a.m. PT, 5 a.m. ET). There are, however, plenty of options for getting your Royal Wedding fix online.

Live Video

Livestream: AP Live, CBS News, ET TheInsider.com and the UK Press Association are all hosting live coverage and commentary on Livestream beginning at 5 a.m. ET (9 a.m. GMT). Viewers can RSVP to various channels to receive reminders about the event.

YouTube: Beginning at 5 a.m. ET (9 a.m. GMT), YouTube, in conjunction with Clarence House and St. James’s Palace, will host the official Royal Wedding livestream. A multimedia live blog will accompany the stream — a YouTube first — with commentary, historical information, additional footage and an integrated Twitter feed.

BBC: The BBC is hosting its own livestream from 5:30 a.m. ET (9:30 a.m. GMT) to 8:30 a.m. ET. A live blog will also be running on the BBC’s site, featuring input from Brides editor Millie Bratten, on-the-ground correspondent Fraser McAlpine and MacKenzie Wilson, who’ll be gathering reactions from fans and observers. Royal correspondent Peter Hunt will join in with commentary later in the day.

Facebook, Twitter & Tumblr

Those who prefer to receive Royal Wedding updates via their social networks can get updates via the British Monarchy’s Facebook Page and Clarence House’s Twitter feed. St. James’s Palace has put together an official Royal Wedding hub at officialroyalwedding2011.org, which pulls in updates from Facebook, Twitter and Flickr.

Facebook users will be able to host their own Royal Wedding livestream on their Walls courtesy of E!, which plans to release an embeddable stream, a Facebook spokesperson tells us.

On Twitter, we recommend you follow the BBC’s diplomatic and royal correspondent Peter Hunt, who will be answering questions on and leading up to the big day. (The BBC will also be tweeting and retweeting others from @bbcroyalwedding.) CNN will be tweeting live updates from @royalweddingCNN, as well as from the accounts of individual presenters Anderson Cooper, Piers Morgan, Richard Quest, Kiran Chetry and Cat Deeley. The Today Show will be tweeting from @royalwedding.

The Royal Wedding also has an official hashtag: #rw2011.

Those who prefer to follow the Royal Wedding on Tumblr can do so on a curated #Royal Wedding page.

Photos

The British Monarchy will upload photos from the big day on its Flickr account. In addition, Flickr is crowdsourcing photos in The People’s Royal Wedding Album, designed to capture “the people’s view of the Royal Wedding” in London and around the world.

Get Involved

If you want to do more than just follow the Royal Wedding, you’re invited to send your congratulations to William and Catherine via a video guest book on YouTube, donate to the charitable gift registry, and submit to Flickr’s Royal Wedding Album and contest.

How do you plan to follow the Royal Wedding? Let us know in the comments below.

Disclosure: CNN is a Mashable content partner.

For the full article click here.

8 Facebook Wedding Etiquette Tips

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011

In this new age of sharing and technology it’s easy to forget what should be posted on the internet and what’s best to keep to ourselves. On your wedding day whether you’re at your ceremony or reception you should not be worried about updating your status every minute. It’s your special day, take a break from technology and live in the moment!

Source: allfacebook.com

Wedding season fast approaches, and with it we can expect to see a surge in postings related to nuptials. A poll currently running on Facebook, shows that engagement announcements figure in people’s minds as among the most memorable status updates.

The rise in Facebook’s general popularity has brought with it an entirely new etiquette for brides and grooms to follow as they plan the nuptials. Here are a few tips for using the social network effectively when planning your wedding day.

Announce The Engagement On Facebook

Because Facebook is such a visual medium, the social networking site is ideal for sharing the news with friends and family who are far away. Post a picture of the ring (without boasting about the size of the rock!) and write about your beau and some of the details of the engagement on Facebook — better yet, link to a longer post about the happy occasion on your blog. Of course, notify your Facebook friends after you’ve personally informed your close family and friends.

Share The Wedding Date

Sharing the date on Facebook is perfectly fine since most of your friends, colleagues and acquaintances will likely ask you about the big day. But keep any status updates short and to the point to be sensitive to the broader audience — that is, those who won’t be participating in the wedding.

Don’t Use Facebook For Invitations

Most people’s Facebook friend lists contain more people than they can afford to invite to their wedding reception and ceremony, so avoid including details about location and place of the event ahead of time so as not to make anyone feel left out. A more effective tool is Facebook’s groups or pages functionality, which can be used to create a pre-party area for before and after the event. These are also great places to post travel and lodging information and help guests coordinate travel with each other.

Don’t Post Registry Data On Your Profile

Because most people have more Facebook friends than they can afford to invite to a wedding, so posting any kind of registry or gift request might come off the wrong way.

Stay In Touch With Vendors

Using Facebook as a portal for managing the vendors is one of the most practical ways that Facebook can help with the big day. Business pages on the social network allow for brides and planners to do research on, and stay in touch with, their team of vendors.

Stay Offline During the Nuptials

A bride or groom’s status should not be changed during the ceremony. In fact, the happy couple should unplug for the whole day and focus on the friends and family. However, planners could consider appointing a chief social networking point person for the entire affair to handle all facets of Facebook, as well as Flickr or Twitter.

Share Your Memories Of The Big Day

Specifically, post photos or have the wedding photographer post photos of the big day on Facebook.  Friends, work colleagues and acquaintances alike will be curious and want to see the pictures.

Don’t Complain On Facebook

Keep a happy tone about the day in all your posts to the site, since the content will become part of your memories. No matter what, don’t complain about guests, vendors or your mother-in-law-from-hell as part of your updates on Facebook. Be mindful of what constitutes too much information.

Readers, what do you think about our suggestions in this post? Have you seen any examples of less-than-perfect social etiquette on Facebook surrounding a wedding — share your observations, experiences and advice in the comments section.

For the full article click here.

Tips and Tricks on Finding the Perfect Wedding Dress for You

Friday, April 15th, 2011

Finding the perfect wedding dress can be overwhelming for any bride. We found these tips and tricks to be very helpful while on the search. Once you’re not worried about the dress more time can be focused on finding the perfect wedding venue!

Source: weddings.about.com

One of the biggest decisions you will face as the big day approaches is choosing the perfect wedding dress. The process of shopping for a wedding dress can be a fabulous adventure, but it can also be stressful and overwhelming–particularly because a bride-to-be often starts shopping for her gown before many other details are determined.

You might have had a clear mental picture of the perfect wedding dress ever since you were five years old. On the other hand, you may have no idea what you are going to wear or feel strange about the idea of wearing white. The important thing is to relax, and remember that there are as many different kinds of dresses out there as there are different kinds of brides.

When to Start Shopping for Your Wedding Dress

Give yourself ample time to plan- generally the rule of thumb is that you need to order your gown at least six months before your wedding. So you should ideally start shopping for your gown nine months or more before your wedding. (If you don’t have this much time, it’s okay, just budget for some rush charges).

Plan Ahead

Take a few minutes to think about what you want. It will be helpful when you enter the maze of wedding dresses out there to know what your budget is, any details that are essential (i.e. I must have a full skirt, or my arms must be covered), and an idea of how traditional you want your dress to be. After all, if really a teal pantsuit would work best for you, it’s probably not worth your time to sort through racks of flouncy white gowns.

Be Comfortable!

On your wedding day, you’ll want to look great, but you’ll also want to be comfortable- it will be hard to dance and laugh (not to mention posing for all those pictures) if you’re tugging your dress up or have boning jutting into your ribs.

First- consider which wedding dress is most appropriate to your day – for example, consider a shorter tea-length or cocktail length dress for a beach wedding. If you’re the type who likes to dance with her hands in the air, and anticipates doing the limbo, perhaps a strapless dress is not the one for you. Look for wedding dresses with removable sleeves or straps to give you the widest range of options.

A Dress that Fits Your Body Well

Think about your body type and what kinds of dresses generally look good on you. Take a look at what you regularly wear that makes you feel confident and beautiful, and then look for a wedding dress with similar lines. If a friend is making your wedding dress, ensure that you have agreed on a fitting schedule and chances to make adjustments. If you’re looking for a bargain at a sample sale, or discount outlet, you should budget money for taking the dress to a good tailor. Many designers will ask for three fittings, and will closely tailor your wedding dress to fit you.

Saving Money on Your Wedding Dress

If money is an issue, remember that the most expensive kind of dress is not necessarily the best kind. Many brides find a bridesmaids dress in white or off-white that works perfectly, and is hundreds of dollars cheaper. There are thousands of dresses to be had at sample sales, thrift stores, and ebay. Consider taking pictures from magazines to a friend who sews or seamstress and getting a price quote. If you choose to make your own dress, don’t delay. The sooner you finish it, the sooner you’ll be able to attend to the many other details of your wedding.

Most of all, remember this is your wedding day. Wear whatever makes you comfortable and feels like you. And have fun shopping for your wedding dress. It should be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Source: weddings.about.com

10 Registry Must-Dos

Thursday, April 14th, 2011

Some couples may get so swept up in the planning of the wedding ceremony and reception that they forget how important it is to register early and often. These tips from Weddingchannel.com have been very handy for many of our brides who are having Jersey Shore weddings.

Source: weddingchannel.com

1. Start early and keep adding

Once you announce your engagement, someone in your circle of family and friends will want to say congratulations with a gift — more specifically, a gift you actually want. Set up your registry by the time the engagement party invitations go out. It certainly won’t be the complete wish list, but it’s a start for guests to check out. Keep updating and adding items as you think of things you need or want.

2. Do it together

While there are plenty of aspects of wedding planning you and your groom may decide to divide and conquer, registering should not be one of them. Prevent any heated discussions over the registry gun, stress-induced of course, by talking about items you really want to include on the wish list. Ask him about formal china patterns. If he’s totally against floral, don’t make him choose between two garden-inspired styles in the store.

3. Register at multiple stores

You don’t have to commit to one sole retailer when registering. While many national retailers such as Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s and Target have great selections, there’s no need to mull over picking the one which best fits your needs. Make life easier by registering at all three. Doing so will also appeal to guests, who naturally shop at different stores. While one aunt may be a regular at Bloomie’s, the other might hit up Target every weekend.

4. Create one master registry list online

There’s a new site called GiftRegistry360.com that lets you link and sync multiple registry lists from different stores into one easy-to-navigate list. Even better, you can register at any online store — even one without built-in registry components. (Think: new camping gear from your favorite local business or a vintage-inspired lamp from Etsy.com.) Here’s the best part: There’s also an iPhone app for it that lets you walk around the store and scan any item you want.

5. Register for your honeymoon

These days, registering isn’t just about stocking your kitchen with gadgets you didn’t know you needed. Taking honeymoon registries to the next level, you can ask for individual excursions or perks to enjoy during your honeymoon. Picture uncorking a bottle of great wine to pair with a romantic dinner, courtesy of your best friends, or a jet-ski tour sponsored by his parents. Try out a honeymoon registry website like Traveler’s Joy (TravelersJoy.com).

6. Go to free registry events

Look into going to parties at the stores where you plan to register. For example, Macy’s throws events called Sip & Scans. Walk around the store picking items, registry gun in one hand and a glass of vino in the other. Torn between two sets of flutes you love? Consult one of the registry experts on hand to help you decide.

7. Register for all seasons

Sure, chances are you’ll remember to include standards such as dinnerware for the everyday, a set of formal china and that mixer you’ve been coveting, but don’t forget entertaining extras you may not need until the holiday season rolls around. We’re talking big serving platters and serving utensils. You may wonder why you need them now, but you’ll kick yourself for not having them when you’re cooking for 10.

8. Hit all the price points

Imagine opening a friend’s registry list only to find there’s not a single item within your price range. Don’t do that to your guests. When registering, consider the guests who will be buying you all of these gifts. Your guests — family, friends and plus-ones — will, naturally, want to spend varying amounts of money on your wedding gift. Registering for a variety of gifts that hit multiple price points ($20–$50, $50–$75, $75–$100, $100-plus) is helpful.

9. Promote your registry on your wedding website

Skip stuffing those little cards in your invitations, and instead, direct people to your wedding website. There, link to your universal gift registry or each individual registry listing you set up. Guests can order gifts online right from there. It’s also smart to fill in bridal party members and your parents on all the details, so they can inform any guests who ask them.

10. Say thank you

This one is key: Keep thank-you notes personal (mention the gift or what you plan to purchase with the money) and brief. You’ll have lots of them to write, after all. Try to send out thank-yous for any pre-wedding gifts you receive within two weeks of getting them. It may seem like a quick turnaround, but you’ll be happy to have gotten those out of the way. Get thank-yous out for the rest of the presents within a month of when you return from your honeymoon.

Get more registry tips from Weddingchannel.com

TLC to Throw Royal Wedding Viewing Party in Times Square

Friday, April 8th, 2011

The royal wedding is only a few weeks away and to celebrate the biggest nuptials of the year TLC is hosting a viewing party in Times Square. There will be live coverage of the most anticipated wedding of the decade as well as a live performance by Colbie Calliat.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

william-and-kate

Colbie Caillat will perform, “What Not to Wear’s” Clinton Kelly and “Say Yes to the Dress’” Randy Fenoli and Monte Durham will host.

TLC is taking over New York City’s Times Square on April 29 to celebrate Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding.

After airing 89 hours of coverage, the network will send Say Yes to the Dress’ Randy Fenoli to host a live broadcast of the nuptials and pre-show, which will be broadcast on two giant digital billboards.

Grammy-winner Colbie Caillat will perform her new song “I Do.”

What Not to Wear’s Clinton Kelly, Say Yes to the Dress’ Monte Durham will broadcast live from London.

The live televised portion will be produced by ITV Studios America.

“Since so many of us in the US are caught up in the excitement of William and Kate’s wedding, we thought we would bring some of the festivities and live coverage across the pond to the hometown of TLC’s hit wedding series Say Yes to the Dress,” says Tom Carr, the net’s SVP of marketing in a statement. “And if you’re going to celebrate the biggest wedding of the decade in NY, there is no better place to do it than in Times Square.”

“This is without question the most widely anticipated wedding in a generation,” adds ITV Studios America president and CEO Paul Buccieri.  “We couldn’t be happier continuing our relationship with TLC on this exciting live event”.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Michael Bublé’s Wife Wears Two Wedding Dresses

Friday, April 8th, 2011

We love Michael Bublé and his wife looked gorgeous this past weekend at their wedding in Buenos Aires. She donned three dresses over the course of the weekend wedding festivities (we loved the Marchesa creation the best!) and Christian Louboutin heels. Her picks would be great for any beach wedding or even at an outdoor waterfall garden.

Source: People StyleWatch

Michael Buble and his new bride.

Michael Bublé, his new bride and two of her three dresses.

They say good things come in threes, which mus really be the case for Michael Bublé’s new wife, Luisana Loreley Lopilato de la Torre, who donned a trio of dresses for the couple’s two weekend wedding ceremonies! For their civil ceremony in Buenos Aires on Thursday, the 23-year-old Argentine TV star wore a flowing violet dress with crystal details. Then on Saturday, the festivities continued with a religious ceremony and reception in the capital city, where 300 guests gathered to celebrate at private mansion Villa Maria Paz, a source tells PEOPLE. Lopilato’s father Eduardo, visibly moved, accompanied his daughter down the aisle as she glowed in a dress created by Argentinean designer Sylvie Burstin. The gown featured a satin bodice with a plunging neckline, plus a feminine, tiered skirt, made up of layers of tulle and ribbons with silk thread embroidery. She topped the look off with Christian Louboutin heels. Following the ceremony, the couple joined revelers in a spacious tent for the reception, where the newlyweds danced to Dean Martin’s “Everybody Loves Somebody.” South American singer Ricardo Montaner got the crowd moving with his hit, “Soy Feliz,” and not to be outdone, Bublé performed “Haven’t Met You Yet,” which he dedicated to his bride. Halfway through the party, Lopilato changed into a silk chiffon v-neck Marchesa creation (sketch above), with a delicate embroidered waist and detailing at the shoulders. “The wedding was unbelievably joyous,” the source tells PEOPLE. “Crazy dancing until six o’clock in the morning. [The] bride and groom and families and friends had a phenomenal time.” And it hasn’t ended yet: having finally found each other, the couple wants to keep the celebration going. The newlyweds are expected to have another reception in Vancouver, Canada — not far from Bublé’s hometown of Burnaby — in May.

michael-buble-wedding

Source: People StyleWatch

Spring Wedding Reception Table Styles

Friday, April 1st, 2011

When choosing the perfect reception hall, brides have many spring & summer wedding styles they would like their reception hall to look like.  At Branches Catering, we will accommodate any of your reception ideas and help your dream beach wedding come to life.  This article offers great ideas for designing the reception tables and styles of the banquet hall; and will leave you dreaming about that perfect wedding reception that everyone will be in awe over.

Source: The Knot

Spring wedding in pink and green

Classic Spring Wedding Style

Colors: Peony pink and leaf green

Table Settings:

Make these classic colors stand out by incorporating them in unexpected ways. Instead of a table runner, use pink and green ribbons in varying shades, widths, and textures to create a colorful statement on white linens. Give some tables green napkins and others pink napkins. White chiavari chairs will play up the garden feel. Add sashes or cushions in pink and green hues.

Centerpieces:

Don’t feel obligated to stick to two shades. Instead, go for lush centerpieces that incorporate a range of pinks, from deep pink peonies to pale pink freesias, and rich greenery pieces like hanging amaranthus.

Finishing Touch:

Place a single fresh flower in each guest’s napkin. If you’re going with colorful napkins, choose a contrasting bloom or try using white, which will stand out against the fabric.

Rustic Spring Wedding Style

Colors: Chocolate brown and robin’s egg blue

Table Settings:

Use the main chocolate-brown tone for your linens; then pick up the blue subtly — think ivory-colored napkins with a blue edge. Opting for family-style banquet seating will add to the sophisticated ambience, as will candles in Mason jars. To keep with the color scheme, use coffee beans to anchor the candles inside the jars.

Centerpieces:

Place trios of centerpieces on each table arranged in unique containers — think branch baskets, Mason jars, or, if you’re up for hitting some yard sales, antique ceramic pitchers. Go with the main brown hue for the largest centerpiece using curly willow, dried seedpods, and dried herbs. For the middle size one, blue hydrangeas will beautifully tie in the accent color. In the smallest, use white blooms. We love the idea of displaying one or two super-sized blooms, like peonies or gardenias.

Finishing Touch:

Place a mini bird’s nest with three blue Jordan almonds inside next to each guest’s charger.

Modern Spring Wedding Style

Colors: Poppy orange and celadon green

Table Settings:

Choosing spring colors with a dramatic contrastone bolder, one more pastel — makes this combo modern. Use the same philosophy with your decor. Mix and match square and round tables. Set round dinner plates atop square chargers in celadon. Bring in the poppy orange with napkins in neatly folded triangles. Keep your linens white or ivory so the colors and shapes really pop.

Centerpieces:

Alternate between high and low centerpieces. For a low centerpiece, bright green wheatgrass studded with anemones or gerbera daisies in orange hues are simple but make a statement. For tall centerpieces, go with a few stems of brilliant orange Mokara orchids springing from a celadon vase, or consider green cymbidiums and a deep orange vase.

Finishing Touch:

Create place cards in the wedding colors, but instead of having them alternate back and forth, do them in pairs — two orange cards followed by two green so couples will have the same colored place card.

Vintage Spring Wedding Style

Colors: Pansy purple and butter yellow

Table Settings:

To keep things modern rather than kitschy, stay somewhat subtle. Instead of opting for patterned linens, get a similar effect by placing a vintage-inspired, lacy white overlay over butter yellow linens. Then bring in antique-y patterns for other details, like using toile or chintz seat cushions that incorporate the wedding colors.

Centerpieces:

Go with classic spring blooms, like grape hyacinths, daffodils, and tulips, growing from pots. You can leave the pots terra cotta or seek out ones glazed in seasonal colors. Alternate between full-size plants and the mini versions; set out trios of the minis. In addition to purple and yellow, feel free to mix in a little bit of pink and orange to keep things from getting too match-y. A bonus: Guests get to take the flowers home.

Finishing Touch:

Use vintage images from seed packets or old decor and gardening magazines (try eBay or antique stores to find them) on your stationery, like your place cards or table numbers.

Formal Spring Wedding Style

Colors: Warm ivory and candlelight white

Table Settings:

Choose rich and contrasting textures to keep things from being too washed out or wintry — think candlelight pintucked linens and ivory satin napkins. You might also choose to bring in a subtle metallic hue with pale silver or platinum chargers, or even chiavari chairs in one of those hues adorned with rich ivory cushions.

Centerpieces:

All shades of warm white, obviously! Make the most of the season with springtime blooms like French tulips, lilies of the valley, and hyacinths. Flowers that have a hint of green in them, like lady’s slipper orchids and cabbage roses, will add depth and bring in a bit of seasonal color. Another option is to highlight the flecks of yellow, pink, and brown on white irises or alstroemerias.

Finishing Touch:

Candles in frosted white glass votives will provide a rich glow for your tabletops, or choose tealights in clear or frosted glass holders. Keeping your whites warm will banish any idea of winter and announce that spring is here!

For the full article, click here.