Birchcraft Studios has recently added a larg selection of wedding accessories to our website at http://www.yourinvitationplace.com/bloomeryweddings.  These accessories include place cards, napkins, matchbooks and notepads.  All of these are available in a number of styles and ink choices to complement your wedding colors and invitations. 

Birchcraft recommends ordering your invitations first, and then adding accessories to your order.  If you have already ordered your invitations, no big deal--you can still easily order these accessories online.  And, whether you're ordering matchbooks or napkins or any other accessories, you'll receive a 20% discount when you order through our website at http://www.yourinvitationplace.com/bloomeryweddings.

The California Cut Flower Commission has added a new Seasonal Availability Database to their website.  You can check the availability of flowers by searching the flower's name, or you can select a month and see what's commercially available.  Clicking on the flower's name brings up a photo of that flower, the flower's meaning, and a chart of which months that flower is in season.

This database is for California grown flowers only.  The South American, African, Dutch or Anzac markets may have different availabilities, and flowers which are out of season in California may be in season from other areas.  It's good to work with a florist who is familiar with worldwide availability if you're looking for a very special flower.

A recent article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette talked about tacky behavior in public.  The lead-in talked about stolen wedding cookies:

Heather Vaill had 1,500 of her mother's most delectable homemade cookies set out at her wedding reception several years ago.

"Thumbprints, pizzelles, ladylocks -- all the good stuff," she recalls.

Even with more than 200 guests, the bride still was surprised the sweet treats went so quickly.

"I was disappointed when [a few hours into the reception] I went to get a cookie -- one stinking cookie -- and the trays held nothing but crumbs," says Ms. Vaill, 36, of Plum.

She later learned a cousin had brought Tupperware containers to the reception and absconded with a sizable amount of her wedding cookies.

"A few months later, this same tacky cousin served the cookies she stole at her mother's wedding reception!"

Oh my!  Read the full story at http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07121/782297-51.stm.  The expert interviewed founded a website full of more:

Jeanne Hamilton, who catalogs thousands of tacky tales spanning the depth and breadth of human rudeness on her Web site, www.etiquettehell.com, says America's self-centered, me, me, me culture is to blame for the erosion of class.

EtiquetteHell.com is both hilarious and depressing, with years of stories about weddings and everyday events.  Both ways, there's plenty to read.

If you're a cake lover, May is going to be a very sweet month for you!  Both Warren Brown, owner of CakeLove and host of Food Network's "Sugar Rush", and Duff Goldman, owner of Charm City Cakes and profiled in Food Network's "Ace of Cakes" series, are both coming to Pittsburgh.

[Warren Brown] will bring his cake-making prowess to Pittsburgh on May 5, appearing at Ross Park Mall as part of Simon SuperChefs Live!, a tour billed as a "daylong celebration of food."

Hosted by Marc Silverstein of the Food Network, the event from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. also will feature local chefs in a cooking competition, cooking demonstrations, food and beverage sampling, autographs and cookbook sales. Admission is free.

Mr. Brown will stir it up with demonstrations of how to make buttercream (around 1 p.m.) and vanilla cake batter (around 3 p.m.), extolling the crowd to extinguish any fear of baking from scratch.

Full story at http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07116/780978-34.stm.

Coming to the Pittsburgh area for public appearances in May is another maker of cakes -- actually, the "Ace of Cakes" from that Food Network show, Duff Goldman.

..

Check out Duff Goldman at one of his Giant Eagle Market District store appearances on May 19:

* 10 a.m. to noon at Shadyside (5550 Centre Ave.)
* 2 to 4 p.m. at Bethel Park (South Hills Village Square Mall).

Full story at http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07116/780948-34.stm.

We weren't part of this wedding, but it did happen practically in our back yard:

(KDKA) CHERRY TWP. A Butler County man is behind bars after becoming a real-life wedding crasher at his own daughter's wedding over the weekend.

Police say Thomas Gulish became intoxicated and irate after seeing underage drinking happening at his daughter's wedding reception Saturday in Cherry Township, Butler County.

After throwing a chair at his wife and striking her daughter, he then jumped into his pickup truck and drove the vehicle directly into the wedding tent.

Fortunately, no one was injured.  Full story at http://kdka.com/topstories/local_story_114232702.html.

Dear Polly,

Thank you for the wonderful job you did on our wedding flowers.  Everything looked beautiful!  It was such a pleasure to just tell you what we wanted--then have everything show up & be perfect.  Your work enhanced the beauty of our day!

Thanks!

L. & T. N.

We were in the Oakmont Bakery the other day, and we noticed something new in their case--gourmet cupcakes!  The gourmet cupcake trend has hit Pittsburgh full force, with the opening of Dozen Cupcakes in Shadyside, and now Oakmont's creations (shown below).  Oakmont has long been one of Pittsburgh's favorite wedding cake bakers, and it looks like now they'll be part of the cupcake wedding cake trend as well.

Of course, we had to bring some home.  Starting at high noon and going clockwise, we had an Orange Creamsicle, a Pretty Woman (white cake with strawberry filling, complete with chocolate covered strawberry), Double Trouble (chocolate frosting and chocolate cake), Parrot Head (lime filling and white cake), and Elvis (peanut butter icing with banana filling in yellow cake).  Yum!  Now, off to the treadmill...

Kirstie Kelly for Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings Collection Is Inspired by the Unique Spirit and Personality of Each Disney Princess

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Gown. The Slipper. The Kiss. The Prince. Under it all, every girl believes in the dream. As a tribute to fairy tale wishes and finding true love, Disney today will unveil a new collection of wedding gowns inspired by the spirit and style of each Disney Princess. Kirstie Kelly For Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings inaugural collection will be showcased on the runways this evening as part of the New York Bridal Fashion Week. Bridal gowns priced between $1,100 and $3,500 US dollars and a "Maidens" for bridesmaids collection will be available at specialty boutiques in North America, Japan and Europe beginning in June. The collection will soon expand to include "Jewels" that accessorize even the fairest of them all.

The collection combines a fashion-forward look with timeless elements inspired by the Disney Princesses themselves, including Ariel, Aurora/Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine and Snow White. Fabrics like organza, chantilly, chiffon, satins and tulle are accented with stunning embellishments, including lace, ribbons, crystals, pearls and gorgeous embroidered beading.

"Every look takes its inspiration from the silhouette, palette and icons of each Disney Princess story and interprets the spirit of each young woman," said Kelly. "Each of them has a unique, charming and very individual style that many brides can identify with - and now truly emulate - on their wedding day."

The Ariel dresses are sultry and alluring - ideal for the bride who feels comfortable with a more form-fitted look. Fabrics consist of gorgeous silks and chiffons, beads, leaf applique and pearls, with a mermaid-like "wave effect" at the bottom. The Aurora/Sleeping Beauty collection is lovely and romantic, with a mix of georgette, chantilly, high-shine satin, pearl and crystal embellishments, with pleated hems and beaded organza inlays. The Belle collection exudes stylish sophistication, with lace and ribbon, bands of satin, taffeta and gorgeous tulle flowers at the neckline. The Cinderella gowns radiate classic glamour and elegance, with silk tulle, duchesse satin, scattered crystals and embroidered beading. The Jasmine gowns convey a Bohemian chic look, featuring appliqued lace, embroidery and draping, with chiffon and satin mixed in with clustered beadwork. The Snow White dresses are sweet and demure, with rouched chiffon, tulle inlays with beading and pleated satins.

"When brides shop for wedding gowns and see Kirstie Kelly's Disney Princess-inspired collection, they will stop in their tracks," said Jim Calhoun, executive VP, global apparel, Disney Consumer Products. "Every bride wants to be a Princess on their wedding day, and they want the magical feeling that goes along with it. This collection captures that magic extremely well."

For consumer information on the Kirstie Kelly For Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings collection, consumers may visit www.disneybridal.com.

(source: http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/070415/20070415005036.html?.v=1)