OmniBride™ & TWC: New Beginnings & Fond Farewells
The Wedding Chat has been a labor of love and a launching pad to something new and exciting for the entire online wedding community. You see we discovered a black hole…
As bloggers in the wedding industry we adore the vast blogosphere but, for a while, have felt such a deep void when attempting to research and find great content. Oh, we know it’s out there. In fact we take pride in the topics we’ve covered. But think about it-when you try to find something it’s often a time-consuming, hit-or-miss experience. There is so much valuable information out there and searching is like drifting aimlessly out in space.
Well, our frustration turned into opportunity. We connected with some tech virtuosos to help us create OmniBride, the first search-find-share destination solely for the wedding industry.
Our mission was to bring the entire online wedding community together so none of us has to wander aimlessly through the Internet to find great ideas, inspirations and resources.
We are just beginning to officially launch OmniBride and say a fond farewell to The Wedding Chat. We are sad for TWC to end as it has been steadily growing in popularity but feel our mission to bring together the entire online wedding community is the best use of our energies. We felt it even more when blogger Kelly Gribben, Keg Design, landed on us while she was randomly checking her site meter…”I discovered OmniBride as a referring site and one that is solely devoted to wedding-related things. What a cool concept! It’s definitely something the online wedding community can use.” We hope you think so too!
For brides: You’ll find that OmniBride is the most comprehensive destination for researching and planning your wedding.
For bloggers: Your voices will be heard by an exponentially greater audience. If the community loves your content, your stats will grow—and so will your fan base.
For industry: You have the opportunity to find out what the online wedding community is saying (or not saying) about your goods and services. You can engage in the community dialogues.
For journalists: This is your tool for researching and uncovering the latest buzz and resources.
You have the power to rate the value of a search result by either “loving” or “trashing” it so, unlike a general search engine, the community determines what rises to the top. So participate often and let your voice be heard throughout the wedding universe!
But there’s more to OmniBride—check out our feeds for the daily news and the most current wedding-related contests and giveaways. And if it’s being talked about—we’ll find it!
You may have noticed that this is a BETA version of OmniBride. This means that Version 1 is ready for take-off. But our vision doesn’t end here—count on an explosion of features and functions in the near future. For now, enjoy your exploration…and let us know about your experiences of finding it in the wedding cosmos.
Get Buttercream Tips from Cake Coquette on Chow
Get great tips from one of my favorite wedding cake designers, Gabrielle Feurersinger of CAKE COQUETTE, on chow.com!
To learn more about Gabrielle Feurersinger of Cake Coquette and her delectable wedding cake artistry, visit www.cakecoquette.com
Making Fondue for a Crowd!
Traditionally, fondue is for smaller crowds…but I have had the chance to serve fondue for larger crowds on two occasions. The first time was fondue for 30. My client wanted to have an elegant, Valentine’s Day-themed, sit-down dinner. The second fondue party was just for fun and friends. This party was for 50! Below you can see some of the details of both of these fondue parties, and hopefully, you will be inspired to try fondue for a crowd! Perhaps, for an engagement party or bridal shower….
In this picture, you can see the dinner service setup. All the guests had their own bowls to hold 3 hot sauces and 4 cold sauces. I was able to use butter warmers that looked like mini fondue pots. The three hot sauces were Stilton Crème, Sauvignon Beurre Blanc, and Comte-White Truffle. The four cold sauces were Cabernet-Black Olive Reduction, Slow Roasted Garlic Aioli, Mirin-Chile-Peanut Sauce, Saffron-Meyer Lemon Sauce.
This was one of my all-time favorite menus! The salads and cold sauces were set for service and the fondues were preset, hot, and ready for service! The elegant faire prepped for dipping included:
Main Course Fondue Menu
Telicherry Pepper and Stolichnaya Marinated Kobe Beef Filet Mignon
& Matsutake Mushrooms en Roulade
Armagnac-Chive Marinated Maine Lobster Tails & White Asparagus en Roulade
Poached Wild King Salmon Cylinders & Diver Scallops in Champagne-Pear Essence
Bellwether Farms Baby Spinach & Chantrelle Mushroom Ravioli
Pavé of Caramelized Cippolini Onions & Yukon Gold Potatoes
Mélange of Chantenais Carrots & Baby Squash
Dinner was formal, so I thought that a whimsical fondue dessert station would be a fun way to conclude the evening. We made fresh heart-shaped marshmallows, macaroons, and pound cake, and served three sweet fondues: dark, milk, and white chocolate.
Above Pictures Courtesy of Lea McIntosh via a 2MP Sony Mavica. LOL!
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This gives you a view of the fondue meat station. When serving fondue for a large crowd, the best way to prepare the meat is fresh and à la minute. I enlisted two friends who love cooking to man the station. Thank you to Carl Mindling and Lak Tuigamala!
A good rule of thumb when planning any party or wedding detail is to SKETCH IT OUT! As you can see, the final meat station was very similar to the sketch. This also helped me make sure I had all of the service pieces, from platters, to sauce bowls, to utensils. Without the sketch, I might have easily forgotten something and could have been running around at the last minute. Instead, through planning ahead, I was able to enjoy my guests.
The meat selection was filet mignon, New York strip, chicken breast, prawns, and Italian sausage. We ended up using 20+ pounds of meat for 50 people. This is more than usual; however, the meat station was the highlight of the evening.
Thanks to two ol’ (anonymous) lady friends of mine, we served fresh, handmade, mini-braided challahs and an heirloom recipe of miniature honey rolls. Mmmmm, these are to die for!
When entertaining in a small space, you need to utilize the surfaces as much as possible. I have a coffee table with a glass top, so I used it to serve the vegetable fondue station. A variety of freshly blanched vegetables surrounded an elevated Gouda Cheese Fondue with traditional buttermilk ranch sauce for dipping.
Another example of maximizing my space and utilizing surfaces was the use of two round glass table tops from Pier One Imports placed on top of two side tables, turning them into surfaces suitable for food service. I used one to serve cheeses, truffle honey, and fresh mushroom pâté. The other was just cubes of bread and cheese fondue!
Dessert fondue was just lots of sweets perfect for dipping: Pound cake, Macaroons, Rice Krispy Treats, Marshmallows.
What is a dessert fondue without long-stem strawberries! Mandarin Slices, Grapes, Banana, & Pineapple are prefect for dipping into chocolate, too.
Above Pictures Courtesy of Mike Danen Photography
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Cake Coquette – Wedding Peep in the Press!
It looks as though Gabrielle Feuersinger doesn’t just make cake…This peep takes the cake! Over the past few months her cake design company, CAKE COQUETTE, has been featured in Today’s Bride, Bride & Bloom, and the Bay Area’s luxury Gentry Magazine and local television show The View From The Bay!! I am telling you…this is must-see TV!
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View CAKE COQUETTE – How to Decorate a Cupcake like a Pro on The View from the Bay
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CAKE COQUETTE featured in Today’s Bride, Winter 2009
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CAKE COQUETTE featured in Gentry Magazine, February 2009
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CAKE COQUETTE featured in Bride & Bloom, Winter 2009
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Keep a watch out for the Northern California Bride’s new issue hitting the stands on March 16th, because CAKE COQUETTE is being featured in this issue, too! I would say Gabrielle is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to her buttercream cakes. Recently, CAKE COQUETTE was featured on TWC Podchat. Listen to my interview with Gabrielle and learn about what gives her inspiration to make such cake masterpieces! Enjoy Listening!!!
To learn more about Gabrielle Feuersinger’s Cake Coquette, visit www.cakecoquette.com, or see her extensive cake portfolio and visit the Cake Coquette blog at www.cakecoquette.blogspot.com
TWC Podchat – Cake Coquette
Presenting another episode of TWC Podchat, an interview with Gabrielle Feuersinger, an incredible cake designer and owner of CAKE COQUETTE, a custom wedding cake and specialty cake design company in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Gabrielle has coined the term “Cake as Art”–and from what I have seen in person, it is really beautiful and absolutely an edible art. Listen to our chat and learn more Gabrielle’s art influence, her inspiration for creating cake masterpieces, her opinion about buttercream vs. fondant and which is her favorite to work with!
Photos Courtesy of Allure West Studios
Gabrielle is very passionate about cakes, and she prides herself in her perfection for details. Her cakes are truly an edible art! See for yourself and visit her cake gallery at www.cakecoquette.com. She also has a blog with details and more pictures of some of her favorite cakes. You can visit her blog at www.cakecoquette.blogspot.com
Truly Divine & Delicious…
What is a Petit Four?
For some of us, this means a small taste of a French dessert that can be eaten in one bite, such as a tartlet or éclair. For others, it means a miniature, multi-layered almond butter cake with a flavored filling, covered in icing and decorated with a rose bud, a ribbon bow, or monogram pattern. Mmmmmmm! Just where do you find these little pieces of heaven?
DIVINE DELIGHTS is a company whose specialty is making delicious, miniature cake petit fours. Their cakes and fillings are made from scratch using only the finest ingredients, such as real lemons, pure vanilla, the finest chocolates, and real fruits. These small bites are sure to delight any party crowd and can be delivered right to your door!
To see their full selection of traditional and seasonal petit fours, visit www.divinedelights.com
Not the same ol’ chocolates in a box…
Not the same ol’ chocolates in a box for your wedding favor…because they are now available on a stick, and they’re called TRUFFLE POPS!
Made by CHOCOLATES À LA CARTE, a California-based company that produces creations ranging from festive Valentine’s Day suckers to chocolate novelties topped with the logos of corporate clients, such as Print, Ford Motor Co, and IBM. They’ve made chocolate saxophones for a dinner for President Clinton and chocolate sunglasses for an event honoring actor Jack Nicholson.
You may have already read about CHOCOLATES À LA CARTE’s ability to customize chocolates for wedding favors in my previous posting “With these chocolates…the sky is the limit.” However, just in case, below is how to get your hands on these luscious lollipops.
The chocolatiers at CHOCOLATES À LA CARTE offer their creativity for custom chocolates through local caterers and event planners with resale licenses. You should be able to work with a professional to order chocolates and these TRUFFLE POPS for your wedding or event favors! As you can see in the picture below, CHOCOLATES À LA CARTE can customize the favor and apply an image to the wrapper.
To learn more about purchasing TRUFFLE POPS or custom chocolates for your upcoming wedding or event favors, or to request a copy of their catalog, then visit their site at www.chocolatesalacarte.com
