Bad Steph

I'm sorry. I've been a bad blogger this week. My series on Traditions & Superstitions will return next week. I have been busy getting ready for my 1st Bridal Show and I have become the coach of my son's soccer team. It's his first team experience and we are so excited about this. So I promise next week I will get back into the swing of things. Thank you for your patience.

A Hilarious Save-the-Date

I saw this on Wedding Bee, from Ms. Sea Breeze and she found it on Xanga. I think it is hysterical. I hope they did this with eye liner & not with a Sharpie!!!! Can you imagine?

What are you doing for your save-the date's? Something traditional, non traditional or not sending them at all?

Happy Reading,

Beverage Monday. Rum.

Today's beverage is Rum. There are so many different varieties on the market but, Bacardi® is the classic. So today I will feature a new rum drink and a classic. Both refreshing for Summer.

Bacardi® Peach Red Mojito

1 1/2 oz of Bacardi Peach Red Rum

Club Soda

12 Mint Leaves

1/2 peach

Peach Slice

1 Tablespoon Sugar

Place the mint leaves, sugar & peach into a tall glass. Crush them well with a pestle. Add Bacardi Peach Red Rum. Top off with club soda. Stir. Garnish with a peach slice and a sprig of mint.

Nice and peachy.

Mai Tai

1 oz light rum

1/2 oz dark rum

1/2 oz triple sec

6 oz orange juice

6 oz pineapple juice

freshly squeezed lime juice

1 dash grenadine syrup

Place light rum and triple sec in hurricane or tall glass. Add ice and pour over the orange, pineapple and lime juice. Add the grenadine. Then float the dark rum on top, and serve. Garnish with a pineapple and a cherry.

If it's done right it should look like a sunset!!

Photos courtesy of Bacardi, Chronicle Books, Bars.com.au.

Happy Reading,

My signature

When I started blogging in March I signed off with Happy Reading, Steph. I stopped doing it when I didn't have a 'real' signature. Well I have now found a way to sign my posts. So starting today I will end each post with my 'signature'. Thank you Rebecca from Weddex for letting us know about this. And to Live Signature for making this tool available for all of us.

Happy Reading,

Wedding Mapper

I have seen Wedding Mapper during my blog stalking, so I decided to give it a try. It is a cool site that lets you map your Wedding sites, Airport, Hotel and place icons on those places. Anything that an out of town guest might need to learn about the city that you're getting married in. It's a Google map so it works in the same way. You can zoom it, and move it around on the page.

I decided to try it with my ceremony and reception site. I also included where we lived at time we were married and the hotel we got ready in and spent our honeymoon night. This is a fun tool to put on your wedding website for your guests.

Venues of the Southland~Hornblower Cruises & Events

This weekend, I am starting a feature about unique venues around Southern California. My starting point is the waterfront in Long Beach.

So starting on the water, I am featuring Hornblower Cruises & Events and their sister company Adventures at Sea. Hornblower is near and dear to my heart since I met my husband while working for them and he still works for the company. Hornblower has yachts that can hold from 25 guests to over 1000. You can get married on the yachts by the captain or bring on your own officiant. Many of the yachts have Bride’s rooms {staterooms}. You can have a sit-down meal or a buffet. The catering is all on-site; the food is even cooked on the boat. They usually don't allow outside caterers and there is a corkage on wine & champagne. The whole yacht is yours for the event. There are different styles of yachts to suit just about everyone’s taste. From modern and sleek yachts to quaint historic ones built in the 1920’s. You can also have a custom ring buoy made with your names and wedding date for you and your guests to take photos with.

In Los Angeles and Orange counties, Adventures at Sea takes care of the weddings and in San Diego, Hornblower does. They are an unique and fun way to say I do.

This is Endless Dreams. She is based in Long Beach. About 300 max. for a wedding.

Traditions & Superstitions-Proposing & Setting the Date

Traditions-there are so many that make up a wedding. From the Yes of the engagement to walking down the aisle and saying I Do.

So today, I'm starting a weekly series about all the traditions & superstitions that are a part of the wedding and the events surrounding it. Starting with Proposing & Setting the Date.

Proposing-
The guy getting down on one knee is believed to be from English knight's. They dropped to their knees when gaining the king's favor or asking for a lady's.

The act of proposing started only after betrothals {arranged marriages} were no longer a binding contract. Proposing has only been around for a couple of centuries.

Asking the Bride's father for her hand in marriage-
It started off as time to negotiate over the dowry and marriage contract. Now it has become more of a tradition & proper etiquette.

Engagement- Means "to bind by a pledge". Engagements started off being a time for both families to come up with a price for the bride.

Setting the Date-
Here's an old English poem about the months.
Married when the year is new, he'll be loving, kind and true.
When February birds do mate, You wed nor dread your fate.
If you wed when March winds blow, joy and sorrow both you'll know.
Marry in April when you can Joy for the Maiden and for Man.
Marry in the month of May, and you'll surely rue the day.
Marry when June roses grow, over land and sea you'll go.
Those who in July do wed, must labour for the daily bread.
Whoever wed in August be, many a change is sure to see.
Marry in September's shrine, your living will be rich and fine.
If in October you do marry, love will come but riches tarry.
If you wed in bleak November, only joys will come, remember.
When December snow fall fast, marry and true love will last.

The reason June has traditionally been the most popular month is because Juno is the Roman goddess of marriage, hearth & childbirth, so why not get married during her month!!! May was when the Feast of the Dead was observed that's why you will surely rue the day. January is Hera's month. The defender of women and the wife of Zeus. This was a time for fertility rites. September is the month of the full harvest moon, fertility time, too. Then there is April, Venus' month and she of course, is the goddess of LOVE!!!

Here's a poem about the days of the week.
Monday for health, Tuesday for wealth, Wednesday best of all, Thursday for losses, Friday for crosses, Saturday for no luck at all.

Sunday is not mentioned since most Christian weddings normally took place on the Sabbath and the work week was six days. Then the Puritans decided that couples should stop getting married on Sunday. It is after all the day of rest, not fun. Of course, Saturday is now the most popular day to get married on. Superstition or not?

The time of the wedding- It is thought that you should get married between the half-hour and the hour since the second hand is rising. That way you get started on the upswing, which can lead to good fortune.

Then there's the Victorian tradition that the luckiest time to get married is on the same day of the week that the Groom was born, better yet, on the Groom's birthday.

Of course, some of this is superstition & some of this is tradition. Do what makes sense to you. As along as you're happy & in love what does it matter!!!

Next time will be about the Engagement & Engagement Rings.