Valentines Day Inspired Cake!

What a gorgeous “naked” cake and decor,  perfect for a Valentine’s day party!

Photo curtousy of: Kelly Braman Photography, florals by Hey Gorgeous Events, and cake by Piece O’Cake!

DIY Ice Cream In a Jar Party Favor

The summer is quickly coming to an end, but it is still hot out. This is an adorable favor to give to your guests as a fun treat to cool them off! Here is how to put together this sweet favor yourself:

You will need:

Glass Mason Jars, ribbon, small zip lock plastic bags, half&half individual packets, rock salt, and sugar & vanilla powder. Your guests will just need to add ice.

1. Pour 1 cup rock salt into the bottom of the jar

2. Pour 1 TBS sugar and 1tsp vanilla into zip lock bag and seal.

3. Put the bag of powder and 8 half & half packets into each jar.

Click here to get the cute tag and side labels for your jar. Print them out and you have a tasty favor for weddings, bridal showers, birthdays, etc.

Original DIY by Style Me Pretty

Photo Credit: Jackie Wonders

DIY Favor Bags

 

Here is an easy and adorable DIY gift bag project for party favor treats. All you will need is a printer, 5×7 white paper bags, scalloping scissors, and whatever treat you want to fill the bags with!

1. Download the graphic from here and type in the names and date in the space provided. Follow the instructions on the pdf.

2. You can add a little more detail to the bags by cutting the top with scalloping scissors

3. Fill the bags with the treat of your choice!

Original DIY found on Style Me Pretty by Twig & Thistle.

Creating Pretty Displays for Dessert and Food Tables

Dessert table by the amazing Amy Atlas

Before people taste food with their mouths, they devour it with their eyes. This is the driving force behind why chefs at top restaurants put so much effort into making dishes look elegant and well put together, and even explains why burger commercials make everything look so crisp, fresh and enticing. Your eyes will tell you whether it should taste good before you ever take that first bite. And this is precisely why a well styled dessert table, buffet table or appetizer table is so important – it will actually make the food more enjoyable for your guests (not to mention it makes for a really pretty picture).

Some of the things you’ll want to consider when styling a dessert or food table include the theme of the event (for colors, cute design and decor details), the type of food you’ll be serving, the ease of eating (best to use things that can be picked up and eaten in one or two bites, or put items in single serving size containers so guests can grab and go mingle), and varying heights of the dishes so you can see everything on the table clearly.

All of the beautiful dessert and food tables you see popping up on sites like Pinterest and Style Me Pretty are so visually enticing because of a consistent theme and great styling. And one of my favorite items to use for styling a dessert or food table are cones and stands  to create visual interest and height difference in the food on display (see left photo of a fabulous – and totally affordable – bamboo cone stand from Restaurantware.com (they also supply the pretty little cones that hold the food and fit neatly inside each slot).

What I love about cone stands and cones is that they are so incredibly versatile. You can use the stand again and again a million ways (for french fries, popcorn, cotton candy puffs, veggie spears, to hold ice cream cone cupcakes, to hold favors, the list goes on and on…), and they also come in different shapes to suit what you are looking for. A big square cone stand with a ton of slots (like this one) is perfect in the middle of a table with low platters around it and elevated boxes with platters on top behind it, while the smaller semi-circle cone holders might work best flanking the center item on the table (use two for this – one on each side).

Finally, don’t forget to dress up your cone stands and cones so they match the overall look and feel of your event! Why not spray paint the bamboo stand, and wrap your cones in a wallpaper or wrapping paper that coordinates with your event’s theme for a completely custom look? You can always paint over the stand again for another event later on – the customization options are endless, so get creative!

I hope I’ve given you some fun ideas on how to style up a pretty dessert or food table… how do you plan on styling your tables? Share your ideas below in the comment section!

Note: This post was sponsored by Restaurantware.com (an amazing resource for the cone holders and paper cones), although I would never share anything with our readers that I wouldn’t love and use myself. Happy Table Styling!

Summer Party Idea: Pink & Orange Ice Cream Tablescape

With this San Francisco heat wave, thoughts of summer parties and ice cream sandwiches have been weighing on my mind this week. Check out this girly inspiration for a summer party we found via Pinterest (if you know who the photo credit goes to, please let us know! we couldn’t track it down).

Are you planning any fun summer parties for 2013? We’d love to hear your ideas!

Valentine’s Day Dessert table: Love is Sweet

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone! Hope you are spending the day with those you love most, whether that be your special someone, family, friends, babies, or your fur babies. 🙂 Hugs & Kisses from all of us at The Stylish Soiree – XOXOXO

Valentine’s Day Dessert Table Styled Shoot via green wedding shoes

image by Gabriel Ryan Photographers

When in doubt, use food as a favor

Favor ideas can stump even the most inspired brides and grooms. When in doubt, I always steer my clients toward edible favors. Who could resist these delicious cake jar favors? Easy on the eyes and even easier on the stomach after a night of partying.

Um, hi there… sheepish blogger here.

It seems that as busy planning season has come upon me, I’ve neglected my bloggerly duties. I can’t be too apologetic, since I will always choose to devote my full attention to my clients over my inspiration blog, although I promise to make it up to the readers with a few good upcoming posts.

First off, I have the most LOVELY vintage courthouse wedding photographed by talented San Diego photographer Aaron Willcox. Aaron’s eye for those special moments is what makes him such a gem, and I highly recommend him to any San Diego brides out there. So keep your eyes peeled for a truly inspirational vintage affair on the blog later this week.

Secondly, while I haven’t posted much on this blog, I have written some fun wedding planning ideas for Bridology. So, if you’re looking to plan an Americana themed wedding fete, want to create a fabulous cookie favor bar for your guests, or are interested in some stylish wedding day clutches oozing with personality, click over to Bridology for a little advice courtesy of moi.

DIY Wedding Details – Dressing Up Your Drinks

Lovely DIY details can help turn a wedding from ho-hum to unforgettable.  One of the best ways to do this is by repeating a particular theme, color combination or monogram throughout the day in small ways. This helps create a cohesive look for your wedding day that turns it from ‘just another wedding’ into an event to remember.

On that note, I came across these fabulous lucite monogrammed trays from Dabney Lee At Home and wanted to share them with you. I think these would be a spectacular way to personalize your wedding decor, and the best part is they are pretty and versatile enough to use in married life entertaining as well.  Here are some ideas for utilizing these trays:

• Signature Drinks – set out your signature cocktails lined up in rows on a few of these monogrammed trays.  Create a layout with a champagne or wine bucket in the middle of a long table, and two of these trays with cocktails on either side of the bucket. Add a few ‘objets’ that highlight your wedding theme, or architectural single-stem vases with a bold flower and you have yourself a functional self-serve bar that follows your theme and looks impressive.

• Appetizer Trays – Purchase four or five of these trays and coordinate with your catering staff to have them serve appetizers off the trays during your cocktail reception.

• Dessert Table – Use the trays as part of a dessert table display – either stack napkins or baggies in the tray with a sign inviting guests to help themselves, or neatly line up small bite-sized desserts such as petit-fours, shot glasses of milk with a mini cookie on top, or mini cupcakes. Mmmm… there is nothing yummier than style paired with good food!

Dabney Lee also has a fabulous blog that I recommend checking out for beautiful stationary and style inspirations.

Cute Wedding Ring Shot

I stumbled upon this picture from Evoke Photography via JL Designs’ blog (a super talented florist), and fell in love. The rings propped atop the raspberries is such a cute, clever composition.  Pictures like this one make me want to sign up for photography classes to better wield my Nikon D80. 🙂