Fred Flintstone

With weather in the 20s and 30s all week, it seemed like a good time for beef stew. I made My Go-to Beef Daube from the December menu choices of French Fridays with Dorie. It was fantastic! Here's the chunk of chuck I started with. The boy at the check out commented, "Look at that Fred Flintstone piece of meat!" And indeed it was.


I think this is the first time I've made a stew with no broth or water for the meat to braise in. This was all wine and a splash of brandy to deglaze the pan. I have to say that the richness and flavor of this dish made me a fan. The only problem? I was so impatient to eat it that I didn't let my potatoes boil for long enough and they were very difficult to mash. Patience is something I need to practice.
One change I might make next time: Add half the carrots and parsnips at stirring time. They were very well cooked and some that had a little more body would have been welcome.

Cooking (not wedding) related

I have just joined the group French Fridays with Dorie, the web project dedicated to cooking through Dorie Greenspan's newest book Around My French Table. It's not wedding-related at all, but I thought it might be fun to post about anyway. So, that explains any future posts about food and cooking rather than weddings. And, I think the cooking fits right in with Warm Receptions.

On to 2011!

With the 2010 wedding season winding down, I am looking forward to new adventures for 2011. Already I am working with a great couple, Ed and Chad, from New York to plan their wedding on an island off the coast of Woods Hole next September.

Looking back, I am hoping to get some photos soon from this summer's weddings and show you some of the wonderful details couples incorporated into their weddings. I had a wide range of weddings from intimate 25 person weekend retreat at the Wequassett Resort in Chatham, to a large backyard wedding in Milton. Both were wonderful and expressed the couple's unique style.

Finding that perfect gown

Every bride envisions herself radiant and gorgeous in that perfect gown. Of course, what that means varies from person to person, sometimes dramatically. The trick is finding what you're looking for. And, as many past brides can tell you, what you think you want at the beginning of your search doesn't always end up being what you fall in love with on your body.

A few years ago, one of my roles with a client was to go gown shopping with her. I think part of the reason was to get an objective opinion from someone she trusted but who wasn't emotionally invested in the wedding. But also to run interference with those who were emotionally invested in the decision who might also be along for an expedition. We visited at least six bridal salons together and I saw her try on more than a hundred gowns without ever finding "The One." This was proving to be harder than finding "The One" to marry!

Finally, on a second visit to a shop in Arlington to revisit the narrowed down choices with her mother and sister and niece in tow, she asked to try on a gown that had just been added to the window display. It was a stunning strapless A-line gown in diamond white with tiny crystals scattered across the bodice and skirt. This was a bride who was going to wear a simple gown, no crystals allowed, pure white, with a mermaid skirt. But she tried it on on a whim and loved it. None of us could believe it, least of all the bride. She was absolutely stunning and you could see then and on the wedding day how that gown made her feel like the most gorgeous woman in the world.

My good friend Polly Koczalka recently wrote this article that appeared in New England Bride Magazine. It has some wonderful tips on how to avoid common pitfalls when searching for your perfect gown. Check it out before you set off on your next gown finding adventure!

To the Mothers

I want to say thank you to all the mothers out there planning weddings for their daughters. Often when I am contacted by a new client, it is the mother of the bride who calls me. She is the one I meet with throughout the planning process and she is the one making decision on all the details that can make planning a wedding a chore rather than a joy. There have been times when I've met the bride and groom for the first time at the rehearsal because mothers have taken on the bulk of the planning. So, thank you, mothers, for all your hard work and for making my job so gratifying!

On another note, I'd like to congratulate the new mothers. A Warm Reception clients have had a bit of a baby boom this year. Congratulations go out to Jack and Erin on the birth of baby John in March. Well wishes go to Lynette and John who are expecting in July. It always fun to hear news from past clients, so if you have any, please send it along.

And of course, I need to thank my own wonderful family: my beautiful children, fantastic husband, and last but not least my own mother. Without you I wouldn't be the person I am today.

Happy Mother's Day!

Wedding venue in Duxbury

I recently had the pleasure of visiting the new Duxbury Bay Maritime School building with Linda Herrick, the events and volunteer coordinator. It is a gorgeous, brand new facility right on Duxbury Bay and, best of all, it can be rented for events! It is so great to have a place to host larger events here in town and to have it be such a fantastic building is icing on the cake.

There is a large room on the second floor, open to the rafters with huge windows looking out in all directions and gorgeous blond hardwood flooring. There is also a large deck overlooking the bay The space and accommodate 160 for dinner and 100 for dinner and dancing with a DJ. There are tables and white garden chairs available to rent for a reasonable fee.

In addition to this room, the boathouse can be rented if you have a larger group. Then cocktails can spill out onto the lawn. I know of one wedding happening in this space over the summer, and I can't wait to see how they transform it from functional to fabulous!

Thank you, Linda, for showing Marianne and me around the building!

The DBMS also has their annual Opening of the Bay coming up on Memorial Day weekend. And A Warm Reception will be making a donation to the silent auction on Friday night. We are excited to support this valuable community asset and hope that the event is a great success. I know they have a gorgeous location for it!

Your registry is a garden

I was browsing through a Crate & Barrel catalog this afternoon and thinking about wedding registries. I always encourage brides to register for a wide range of gifts in various prices and to check back frequently to make sure that there are still plenty of items for guests to choose from. And maybe eliminate things you have decided you don't want or need. You don't want to get a bunch of gifts which are not to your taste and (worse!) that you can't return. If you don't maintain your registry, that is exactly what you'll end up with.

On another note, when I got married years ago, I made some mistakes in my own registry, and I wanted all of you to benefit from my missteps.

First, I don't think I have ever used the martini glasses I received. It sounded great at the time, but I just don't sit around my house sipping a delicious, icy cold Cosmo. I love to indulge in one when I'm out on the town, but at home? Seriously? It just doesn't happen.

Second, my margarita glasses and fondue pot are neck in neck for second place in the least-used-registry-items race. I've had a couple of fun parties where margaritas have been served, but four glasses isn't enough for everyone and we're usually on the beach or wandering around the yard. Not exactly conducive to long-stemmed glassware. And the fondue pot. Again, seriously?

In place of all of this glassware, I should have gotten 12 or 16 wine glasses. Those would be well used at a cocktail or dinner party. And some champagne glasses, too. I only registered for crystal flutes and at $85 each I usually don't want those out for an evening heavy on the cocktails. And Prosecco is a frequent visitor to my house for book group and other ladies' nights.

My other major registry mistake was with linens. I got some really cute stuff, which I still love. Several sets of matching place mats and napkins in both spring/summer and winter/fall colors. The problem is that I only got 4 of each. So, there's me, my husband and now our three kids. That's not even enough for our family, let alone any guests. So, my advice: go ahead and get 8-12 of any linen you like.

I was thinking about this all at a dinner party I had a week or so ago with my godmother and her husband and we were talking about bridal showers. Looking around my own dinner table, many of the dishes, serving pieces and glassware were registry items that we still love and use. Some on a daily basis. So, plan your registry carefully, tend to it like a garden throughout your engagement, and it will bring you many wonderful things you can treasure for years to come.