YOUR picture on edibles????

This product is so adorable, I just had to share! They can print almost anything you want on sweets! I received samples last week and cannot get over how perfect the pictures look and not to mention that it is all edible!!!!! Custom Candy can print just about anything you want. Some of the samples I received included a vintage photo of a couple celebrating their 50th Anniversary, my logo and pictures taken from this very BLOG! I was very very satisfied with the product and would highly recommend it. Click here to go to their website and tell them Alice sent you!

Eros Ramazzotti

If you have absolutely no idea who this man is then you are missing out! Eros Ramazzotti is an amazing and talented Italian singer that has had a successful career for over 20 years. His voice is definitely unique but his lyrics will make you fall in love. He recently visited Miami and held his concert at the James L. Knight Center. I am pretty familiar with all his songs and even sang along with the ones he sang in Italian (Lord knows what in the world I was actually saying...), however, when I heard the lyrics of this song,I immediately made a note of it and said to myself this is a PERFECT song for a first dance (oddly enough my mom turned to me and said the EXACT same thing!!). The song is called I Belong to you .

For a list of his upcoming city tours (including Altos de Chavon in the Dominican Republic on May 22), log onto to his website.

Enjoy and Happy Planning!

A day in beautiful Key West

I am lucky to consider the Florida Keys part of my backyard. Over the weekend, my family and I took a drive to Key West. I have planned a lot of weddings in Key West and very familiar with the island. I created a photo album with the "must see/do" locations and the very popular wedding locations.

In order to view my photos and read my comments, you must log onto to my FACEBOOK Fan page (Groups - Affairs Remembered). Please feel free to leave comments and any any locations you also feel are a must in the keys!!

Enjoy!

Sees Candies Favor Boxes

I first heard about Sees Candies through my husband. He grew up in LA and woulld constantly tell me about his adventures to this store. During our trip to California in 2005, I couldnt help but stop at See's Candies and see what the buzz was all about. After buying 4 boxes of assorted chocolates and stopping twice before boarding the plane back to MIA, I was hooked. I introduced my kids to these yummy chocolates as well and although we do not have any local stores out here, i have continued the tradition of buying the decorated easter eggs for my husband (dont tell him I just told you that!!!)

This month I received their catalog and I saw these adorable favor boxes. They make a great wedding favor, after all who doesnt enjoy a deliciously rich piece of chocolate?

You too can start a tradition in your family by going on their website at http://www.seescandies.com/ or if you happen to be on the West coast stop by one of their quaint stores -make an experience out of it- decorated in all white and often has a checkerboard floor.

Photo by Michael Rosanes

Happy Planning!

Pantone Wedding Colors

Choosing a color theme for your wedding can sometimes be nerve wrecking not to mention very stressfull. The Dessy Group has come out with their 2010 Pantone Wedding guide which include 194 color swatches! You can order your color guide on The Dessy Group website for just $35 + shipping and handling. My order is already in... dont stay behind and order your today!

Happy Planning!

I DO Originals!

I DO Originals is a whimsical and unique company known to sell personalized creations. In the beginning stages of my business, I came across this company as they were known for selling customized aisle runners with the couples monograms. They have now expanded their product lines to include candles, beautiful parasols, table runners and much more. You can order online and have your item at your doorstep in just a few days! Check them out and tell them Affairs Remembered sent you!

Happy Customizing!!

Calling ALL Brides to be!!!!!!!

Add a little funk and uniqueness to your event by renting a photobooth! Color Me Photo Booth has just announced their first contest to win a FREE photobooth rental for your wedding! The rules are super simple...

1. You must register to become a fan on their FACEBOOK page

2. Your wedding must take place before 12/31/10 and in Miami Dade County

3. HOUND ALL of your friends to vote for you - but remember they can only vote 1 time, multiple votes may disqualify their entry!

Get ready...... set..... REGISTER!!!! Good Luck

New Beverage Trends

What's a party without drinks??? Still a PARTY!!!

The cost of having a premium full bar - meaning all types of name brand liquors- can be quite costly! Although having a signature or welcome drink is not a new trend, it continues to maintain its popularity! Signature drinks are a great way to diminish crowds at the cocktail bar and is a fun way of introducing your favorite spirits to your guests.

If your significant other happens to love beer and you cannot live without a daily glass of wine yourself, then this is a perfect excuse to serve just that... Beer and Wine! You may want to make it a bit more upscale by exclusively serving bottles from your favorite vineyard or your favorite brewery! If your budget allows, consider hiring a Sommelier. He or she can go around answering any questions your guests may have on a particular grape or region. This will allow interaction within your guests and they may learn a thing or two! On a more casual note, you can have a wine/beer tasting session where your guests can enjoy products from different countries.

Serving beer and wine doesn't always mean you are trying to cut cost, most of the time it comes down to preference. So the next time you are planning an event,consider some of the fun suggestions above and remember to have fun trying to come up with a name for your chosen drink!

New Catering Trends

So.. the first thing that is most commonly heard lately is I want an elegant, stylish dinner menu for 300 guests under 10k!! Although its almost impossible to guarantee you can certainly work your way around it!

One of the things to think about is going green. You can be so creative and unique by going green. Disposables are a great option and I am not just referring to foam plates and cups. There are trendy disposables which are biodegradable and can be found at Sweet Flavor. Looking online is a great option and sometimes more economical however, always consult with your caterer prior to purchasing in order to make sure it goes well with your selected menus.

Another up and coming trend is to have a chef bar*. This simply means you come up to a bar (that has 4 or 5 attending chefs) and order your small plate from a list of menu options. It's almost like ordering a la carte! This is a wonderful option for a rehearsal dinner or casual reception. Your guest will get a kick out of watching their meal being prepared before their own eyes!

*Note: if this serving style is an option for your event, please make sure you have enough bars around for all the guests to enjoy their meal in a timely manner. I would really be annoyed if I had to wait 30 minutes in line for a small plate that only takes 30 seconds to devour!!

Another idea to having attended chef bars is to create a unique theme with it! For example, if you travel around the world and wish to incorporate your destinations into your event you may want to label your event Stops around the world. This would mean having 3 or 4 stations with different traditional plates from each country. Another label can be Continents. Having meals from each continent (think about the adventure and time you would be putting into creating this event! How fun, exciting and memorable this will be for yours guests!!)

Sushi Bars - I have to admit I love sushi and get excited whenever a client decides to include this in their menu, however, it can be a bit overrated. Sushi bars have been a hit for a while in the event scene but as a guest it can get pretty annoying having to wait for the chef to make the rolls, cut the rolls and adorn the rolls! A clever alternative to having a live sushi bar is to having small plates with assorted sushi rolls and perhaps even some nigiri preset for the guests to pick up, eat and place down.

One of my favorite details to include at my events is a "to go" container. This can be anything from mini donuts, churros (a Hispanic tradition often accompanied by hot chocolate) to your favorite cookies, even an extra piece of cake. If you welcome your guests with a drink, why not send them off with a treat? Besides, they can always use it to soothe their stomach after having that last drink.

My final thought for this post is to try and put more emphasis on your venue and or caterer to support your local grower. Many times the condiments and vegetables they use to prepare the meal you are serving can be purchased locally. This in turn, may eliminate unnecessary shipping costs and any fees incurred at customs. You may come across some caterers that stern in their ways and may not be willing to alter their recipes this way but at least its worth giving it a try!

Biz Bash Expo 2010

Celebrating their 10th year in the business, Biz Bash is the leading trade media for the event industry. They cover events in the hippest and chic cities in the world. Among these are
Miami, New York and Los Angeles to name a few!

Last week they held their first Expo in South Florida. I was among the fortunate to be invited to participate in such a lavish trade show.

The day started off with 2 educational sessions. The first one was focused on top female executives and how they got to be where they are at now. Among the panelists was Kelly Murphy, president of Panache, A Classic Party Rental. A prestigious and recognizable rental company which carries "out of the box" rentals. Maria Elena Rubio, general manager of the Mondrian Hotel , a Morgan's Group hotel, located on the West side of South Beach. It is the first hotel on South Beach that has an all female executive team. These professional females shared their experiences and how difficult it was to run a successful business in the corporate rat race.

The second session was geared towards catering and covered the current trends. Among the panelists were Warren Dietel, president of Puff n' Stuff catering company from Central Florida and Bonnie Fimiano president of Cafe a la Cart .

Mr. Dietel was kind enough to share some of his recent creations such ad the Deli Station. This may sound a bit odd at first but once I saw the pictures I immediately captured the concept. This type of approach goes well during a cocktail hour, casual rehearsal dinner and a bar/bat mitzvah. Different deli meats along with imported cheeses were presented in a refrigerated display case. Behind it was a chef serving the food as if you were at a NYC deli! There were condiments and sweet bread rolls so that each guest can create their sandwich to their liking. This is a very clever idea and economical at the same time.

Ms. Fimiano stated that it is much more cost effective for both the venue and the client to outsource their coffee. In the recent months, the price of coffee has increased tremendously. This in turn, has reduced the amount of coffee served nationwide. I have personally noticed that many venues are not setting a cup and saucer as part of the tablescapes unless specifically requested. Coffee is now being served upon request. I also learned that the corporate planners are paying up to $110 for a gallon of coffee for their meetings! For an average of $600 you can rent a gourmet coffee station that will serve approximately 100 guests -not bad huh!

After our morning sessions, we moved to the Biz Bash hall of fame ceremony and to hear the renowned planner, Colin Cowie. The stage, designed by Everlast Productions . It was absolutely amazing! It looked like a runway show! It had LED screens everywhere whcih projected sceneries and they were playing fantastic music (yes- I was dancing in my seat).

The ceremony began with an opening act which included a dancing tree (Designs by Sean) and absolutely amazing flute player and a dazzling singer which delighted us with the tune of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. They then moved on to introducing the award recipients. Adrienne Arsht Philanthropist and Business leader, Mona Meretsky from Comcor Events and Lee Schrager from Southern Wine and Spirits and founder of South Beach Wine and Food Festival. After much anticipation, Mr. Richard Aaron, president of Biz Bash Media introduced Mr. Colin Cowie.

Mr. Cowie owned the stage! His words of wisdom included his take on how the economy has affected the industry. He also shared 3 of his outstanding events and went into detail as to how he constructs every event and never duplicates one!

Our lunch session covered the topic of branding and how important it is to identify your product. This was conducted by Dr. Joanne Leoni and Dr. Maureen Lloyd James both from Johnson and Wales University. It's amazing how far a jingle or a logo can take you!

I then moved on to the trade floor. I must admit, it felt great to reconnect with colleagues I had not seen in a while! The Donut Divas were rocking their donuts and candy apples while the ladies at Passion for Pastry had the most unique display EVER! They decorated an antique iron tricycle in which they had buckets of mouth watering mini cupcakes (red velvet, chocolate, vanilla and carrot cake), bowls of delicious frostings- buttercream, fudge and cream cheese and hanging pots of assorted toppings, needless to say I hung out with them for a while!

The decorations around the room were superb! Petal Productions did a fantastic job throughout the floor with the florals . From amazing bar decorations to outstanding decor at the VIP luncheon!

Nuage Designs displayed their unique and lavish furniture throughout the registration and education lounge, while Room Service /AFR adorned the main display on the trade floor. Amazing lights, custom gobos and even rain was recreated by Uplyte (I'm very excited about using this at one of my upcoming events!!). There were several recognizable linen companies that displayed their latest trends and new local and upcoming venues that are sure to be the "hot spots" in the months to come.

I had an amazing day reconnecting with well known and respected individuals from the industry. Sometimes when you have business for a long time, like myself, you find that you need a bit of motivation to re-stimulate your creativity and this is exactly what I needed. At the end of the day, I was truly exhausted and had a splitting headache but it was so well worth it, after all it gave me another story for my BLOG right!

Thanks for allowing me to share and I hope you have an opportunity to visit the fabulous businesses I have listed above!

A special thanks to my friend and colleague, Irene Coroalles, for the pictures.. as usual I forgot to pack my camera!