Fab Pic Friday

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Two of my closest friends (Hi S&J!) just got the most adorable little frenchie, Eloise.  Let me tell you, she is probably one of the top 5 cutest things I have ever seen in my life (right up their with baby seal lions in the Galapagos!)  I can totally imagine my girl S doing some pre-wedding shots with her, as she is such a big part of their lives already!  Although as a french bulldog, the pictures might look more like this:

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What do you think- into incorporating pets in wedding pictures?

And how could I talk about little Weezy girl without showing you her?

^^Your welcome.^^

Have a great weekend!  And don't forget to say "rabbit, rabbit" tomorrow when you wake up!

xo, Elissa

Throwback Thursday: Alana & Adiel's Engraduation Party!

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to work on an engagement party for one of my couples.  Alana and Adiel wanted to celebrate their engagement and also her graduation (JD/MBA--so impressive!) so a party was in order.  We originally started with a red/pink theme (see the invitation/cake!) but wanted to incorporate the bride's favorite purple for a colorful palette.  The bride's mother is an amazing cook and prepared 90% (wow!) of the delicious food herself for the guests, which people are still raving about.  The bride also framed pictures of the couple throughout their 8 years and displayed around the house to give guests a peak into their lives together and something pretty to view while eating and mingling.  With such great families on both sides, I'm so excited for the rest of the planning process with these two!

^^The beautiful and happy couple!^^

^^The invitation was the inspiration for the cake!^^

 

^^The gorgeous flower arrangements made by a family friend (a dentist!) with flowers from Whole Foods^^

^^An easel displaying the bride's latest accomplishment (along with mimosas!) greeted the guests as they arrived.^^

^^We created special favor tags to accent the custom M&Ms with the couple's picture and names.^^

^^Cocktail napkins are a great way to add a personal touch and can also be used post-event in your home!^^

^^The groom loves his Arnold Palmers, so a specialty bar for this drink was in order.^^

^^Some of the delicious spread-- can never go wrong with brunch!  You can also see the various pictures of the couple framed in the window-- the bride is a photo fanatic so lots of pictures were a must!!^^

^^Desserts and that beautiful cake!^^

^^Getting some practice for the wedding!^^

^^Of course some custom pool floats were in order-- and we had to distinguish the bride's initial with a graduation cap!^^

With amazing weather, a jovial time was had by all.  Congratulations Alana & Adiel- I can't wait for your wedding!

xo, Elissa

Hats off to the Graduates!

I told you I had some more graduation fun brewing!  About a day or 2 prior to my cousin's graduation (Congrats Lex!) I decided I needed to create something for it, as I did my brother's.  Good thing I work well under pressure!  While the process is a bit lengthy, the results are definitely worth it-- I mean, how cute are they!!  Based on Bakerella's tutorial, I made my own adaptations to fit my needs (not enough time to order that chocolate mold--oops!) and I love how they turned out.  Cute and festive, just how I like it!  Follow the steps below to make some for your graduate:

^^Bakerella claims this helps the peanut butter cups from sticking to the wrapper-- I took her word for it!^^

^^Slam the tray down as you pour the chocolate in to get an even surface and get rid of air bubbles^^

;)

^^This looks a bit odd, but since I used a silicone pan, I just pushed the bottoms out to remove the squares^^

^^Using the leftover chocolate melts, I used a toothpick to attach the chip and draw a line for the sour belt to attach to^^

 ^^Abra-cadabra!^^

I was lucky that her school (and my alma mater!) had white hats, since making my own peanut butter cups with melting chocolate would have added more time.  Everybody loved them--I would deem them a GREAT SUCCESS (said in a Borat voice)-- just like my cousin is!

xo, Elissa

Tuesday Blues-Day: Military Blues

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I'm still in a Memorial Day state of mind, so what better way to honor our soldiers on Tuesday Blues-day?  I've been involved in a few military weddings I love the pomp and circumstance that comes with a military wedding: The arch of sabers!  The cake cutting sword!  and of course, those perfect blue uniforms.  With medals and regalia galore, it's like prince charming stepped out of the fairytale and into their modern day celebration!  Her knight in shining armor uniform is the perfect "something blue".

  

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^^The famous arch! I especially love the butt tap that follows the ceremonial practice-- welcome to the military family!^^

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^^Her very own prince charming!^^

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^^Jumping the broom in blue!^^

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^^The way the cake is cut at military weddings- with a sword!^^

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^^happy wife, happy life!^^

What really makes these uniforms so special is the service put in to have the honor of wearing them-- it's something that money nor connections can get you without having served!  A great way for men (and women) to display their passion and hard work on their most special day!  Whether it be in their dress blues, whites or reds (like our favorite Prince Willy!), these service personnel deserve to be distinguished in these decorative garments-- doesn't hurt that they have to be perfectly pressed too!

xo, Elissa

PS- I searched the depths of the internet to find a bride in her dress uniform too with no luck. I'd love to share it if anyone knows of one!

Happy Memorial Day!

Thank you to all who serve and have served that allow us to live in freedom!  Hooray for the USA!

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While a great day off for most, I hope everyone has remembered and honored the brave people who this holiday is all about.

Be back tomorrow--  enjoy your Memorial Day!

xo, Elissa

Birthday Week! Day 5: Fab Pic Friday

What better way to end Birthday Week (2k13!) than a bride + a birthday cake?

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My grandparents got married on my grandpa's birthday (an apparent common practice when they were  espoused) and I thought it was always a generous move on behalf of the man (who would want to share their birthday?).  On the other hand- he probably never forgot their anniversary!

I hope you liked celebrating with me this week as much as I loved it!  Can't wait for many, MANY more birthdays to revel on Partyliss!

Happy HAPPY weekend (and birthday to my fellow Geminis!)

xo, Elissa

Birthday Week!: Day 4- It's a bird! It's a plane! It's BUNTING, CHAINS and THINGS THAT HANG!

Decor for birthday gatherings, especially adult ones, can be tough without looking too kitschy.  I love to use paper chains for easy an easy, festive way to spruce up casual events. but even those can look too juvenile at times.  Pinterest has helped bunting, banners and other garlands get more acclaim and I get so excited seeing all the creative materials utilized to create them and the unique ways people are using them to decorate.   I have had this post brewing in my head for awhile and knew that my birthday week would be the perfect time to share it!

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and on a very grand scale... (you know I love me some royal wedding!)

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Inspired to add some bunting, chains or garland to your next party?  Check out my Pinterest Board for even more ways to get hanging!

xo, Elissa