True love in pink
The Meeting
The couple met online through a mutual friend while they were still teens. Their first date was a movie “lime” at Alydia’s house. Luckily, their parents knew each other and consented.
The Proposal
Brad planned a vacation in St. Lucia which included an all day catamaran cruise. The couple had a lovely trip to the sulphur springs, went snorkeling and had lunch at a plantation. When they got back to land Brad started talking about how lovely the sunset at the hotel was (he had been there before on a boys’ lime); he was worried they were going to miss it as the shuttle was dropping off at their locale last.
When they got back to the resort Alydia opted to refresh before going onto the beach. As soon as she was dressed, Brad literally dragged her out of the hotel room and onto the beach, got down on one knee, and asked her to marry him. Alydia responded, “Are you serious?”The look of sheer terror on Brad’s face told her that he was.
Alydia was totally surprised because Brad always rolled his eyes and shrugged off any mention of marriage. Brad gave her the ring his grandfather used to propose to his grandmother and his dad to his mom.
(The Wedding)
Theme
Alydia wanted her wedding to be soft, yet elegant, with a hint of romance. Pink, she says, is the colour of true, sweet, innocent love.
Decor
The reception venue was adorned with flowers in light pink and fuchsia gerberas, star-gazer lilies, white spider mums, white asters, light pink and fuchsia spray roses, purple chrysanthemums, leather leaf and rice fern.
Cake (and cake table decor)
The couple opted for an ivory and cream cake with decorative sugar flowers and a light dusting of iridescent glitter on the detail. The cake stood on an etched glass stand and was accented with flowers such as pink and fuchsia gerberas.
Bridal Gown
The bride wore an Alfred Angelo Piccione Bridal Gown in diamond white. The gown is silk taffeta with a ruched base, metallic embroidery, crystal beadings and a semi-cathedral train. The dress was originally a halter but was altered into a sweetheart neck. It was French bustled for the reception.
Accents included an Alfred Angelo ivory veil, pearl and diamante silver earrings, and a keepsake tri-string pearl wristlet with diamante detail.
Groom’s Attire
The groom wore a black pinstripe suit (locally purchased); his tie was handmade by a family friend, from a David’s Bridal watermelon satin sash.
Bridal Bouquet
The bride opted for variegated fuchsia pink roses with leather leaf base, lightly dusted with silver glitter and embellished with silver based crystal drops and crystal string beads, and hand tied with sheer fuchsia ribbon.
Boutonnieres
The groom wore a variegated fuchsia pink rose and ivory tuberose with leather leaf base wrapped with light pink satin ribbon and embellished with crystal. His groomsmen wore mini spray roses in light pink and fuchsia.
Flower Girl and Ring Bearer
The flower girls wore Alfred Angelo dresses; the ring bearer wore a Lords and Lads suit with ring pillow from A Wedding Showcase and More. Previous Page: (clockwise from left to right): couple with wedding cake; Relate Studios photobooth; photobooth with props; little girl with photobooth props; fuchsia pink roses bridal bouquet; ivory table napkin folded into a simple star with a pink gerbera.
Resources
Photography: Juma Bannister, Relate Studios, relatestudios.com
Decor and Flowers: The Flower Garden Limited, (868) 653-1789
Cake: June Peters, (868) 798-0162
Accessories (baskets, ring pillow, unity candle): A Wedding Showcase and More, www.aweddingshowcase.com
Hair: Hair by Giovanni, (868) 657-3666
Make-up: Amy Webster (868) 350-6003
- Published in Bright Ideas
Robyn and Jean-Marc – The Engagement
Meeting
Robyn and Jean-Marc met through a mutual friend at an Old Year’s Night party in 2003.
Proposal
The couple was on vacation in St. Maarten, sharing a glass of wine on the balcony of their hotel at sunset, when Jean-Marc asked Robyn to close her eyes, then went down on one knee and proposed.
Engagement
Robyn and Jean-Marc were blessed to be involved with jobs they loved since childhood, and their engagement photo-shoot was designed to reflect both Robyn’s passion for art, and Jean-Marc’s love for aviation.
Jean-Marc was always very interested in the BWIA L1011 airplane housed at the Chaguaramas Military History & Aviation Museum. Robyn’s Caribbean Airlines painting juxtaposed against the BWIA L1011 celebrates the sixtyfive year history of BWIA with its most recent iteration in the form of Caribbean Airlines, and serves as a link between the past and present.
The engagement allowed them to merge separate interests into something amazing. In the same way, they would merge their lives, to create something even more beautiful than their separate selves.
- Published in Engagements
Recipes every bride should know
So you’re getting married or just got married. Congratulations! You are now responsible for at least half of the meals that you and your loved one will be eating. Of course, the same will hold true when the children come along, not to mention family and friends, and oh yes, how can I forget—the in-laws! But let’s focus on just the two of you right now.
Cooking, even for those of us adroit to the task, is not easy. I’ve often explained how intimidating cooking can be because it is the most sincere form of affection. It is about baring the soul, letting one’s guard down and leaving yourself open to be judged. Cooking for a newly wed couple brings all of these things to the fore and more as they adjust to being a unit, living together and sharing the same space. Feelings of inadequacy can quickly arise and it is for this reason alone that I firmly believe that the task of cooking should be a shared one, so that the couple can grow together and learn from each other. Know this—anyone can cook. Really.
Firstly, don’t approach cooking as a chore, think of it as creating something. Cooking is one of those things that can be instantly rewarding when you see the results and gratifying when you see the sheer joy and appreciation on the faces of your loved ones and their empty plates! I am going to share with you four master recipe-ideas that you can tweak, adjust to suit your tastes and vary in flavour. And each of these ideas can work for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Enjoy!
Eggs
Breakfast, brunch, lunch, tea or dinner—eggs are good. There are so many ways to cook eggs such as boiled, mashed, scrambled, fried, poached, curried, baked, nested etc.
To boil eggs—this is the way I do mine —bring the eggs up to room temperature. Add them to a saucepan large enough not to crowd them or have them jamming up against each other as they boil. Add two teaspoons of salt and cover with water. Set saucepan on medium high heat and bring to a boil. When the pot comes to a boil, let eggs cook for six minutes exactly. Meanwhile get a large bowl and fill it with a combination of ice water and ice cubes. Here you are creating an ice bath to cool down the eggs and stop the cooking process. This will help the eggs to remain tender—the whites will not be rubbery or the yolks overly dry and powdery. The cooling down process also prevents that gray sulphur ring from forming around the eggs.
Once the eggs are finished boiling immediately remove from the bubbling water. Plunge them into the ice-water bath and let them remain there for about six minutes before peeling. Now you’re ready to make your egg salad, potato salad, curried eggs or egg balls.
For soft-boiled eggs, cook for only 90 seconds (1 ½ minutes).
Scrambled eggs are easy and what is important is to know how you and your spouse like your eggs done. Some people like their scrambled eggs soft and tender while others like them hard and cooked firmly.
To scramble eggs:
- Always start with a cold pan; this way, the eggs get to cook through gently and can be cooked to varying stages of doneness.
- Cook eggs over low heat.
Season your eggs just as they are done to your likeness and not at the beginning of the cooking process. Adding salt at the onset of cooking can harden the eggs.
Scrambled Eggs
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted)
- Salt and freshly ground white or black pepper to taste
Directions
- Crack the eggs and add to a medium-sized bowl and beat lightly with a fork, do not let it get frothy.
- Add butter to a skillet and melt over low heat.
- Pour beaten eggs into melted butter.
- Stir gently and constantly. Be patient the eggs will take about 3 – 4 minutes to set.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste remove from heat and serve immediately.
- If you would like your eggs firmer, cook for another 2 minutes.
Variations
- Add thinly sliced green onions (green parts only) at step #5 if you like.
- Finely chop onions, hot peppers, cilantro or chandon beni or parsley and tomatoes and sauté gently in melted butter (at step 2). Be careful not to let the veggies get brown) then proceed to step #3.
Pancakes
Five ingredients are all you need to make pancakes—flour, eggs, baking powder, sugar and milk. With this as your foundation, you can make an endless variety of pancakes including chocolate-chip pancakes, pumpkin pancakes, berry pancakes, banana pancakes, guava pancakes and orange pancakes. Honestly, the variety is endless. You can even make savoury pancakes such as cheese, corn, spinach or mushroom.
Chocolate-chip Pancakes & Sautéed Bananas
Ingredients
Yield: 4 – 5
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- A pinch salt
- A pinch ground cinnamon
- 1 egg, room temperature, lightly beaten
- ¾ cup whole milk (substitute with water)
- 2 heaped tablespoons chocolate chips (semi-sweet or regular)
- Canola oil
Directions
- Add flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and cinnamon to a bowl and mix together.
- Add egg and milk to make a batter of dropping consistency (you may need more or less milk/water depending on your location). The batter should not be thin or watery.
- Cover batter and let rest for at least ½ hour. The longer it rests, the higher the pancakes will rise (it’s all about science; Alton Brown is better at explaining it).
- Fold in chocolate chips just before cooking pancakes.
- Add a few drops of oil to a non-stick pan and swirl. Heat on medium heat. If using a tawah or griddle, heat up pan first then brush with oil.
- Pour or ladle 1/3 cup of batter in/on to pan and swirl with the back of a spoon. Spread batter to about 4 inches in circle. Let cook until bubbles or holes start to form. Flip pancakes (do not slam down) and continue cooking until it comes away easily from the pan. Do not press down on pancakes while cooking.
- Remove cooked pancake and place on wire rack or paper towel. Repeat until all the batter is used up. Insert a piece of wax paper between each pancake when it is done cooking to avoiding steaming and sticking.
- Pancakes can be kept warm in a 200 degrees F oven while you continue making the others.
Sautéed Bananas
Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas (average 1 per person), sliced into ½ inch rounds
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons canola or any neutral tasting oil
Directions
- Add butter and oil to a pan and place on medium heat to melt. When the butter starts to froth, add the bananas to the pan (spread them into a single layer as you want each piece to make contact with the pan). Let cook for 1 minute. Flip and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Spoon over pancakes, drizzle with syrup or honey and serve.
- These sautéed bananas can be served topped on many desserts.
Rice
All rice is not created equal. And there are various ways of cooking rice. For the uninitiated, I would suggest using the absorption method; this is where the water and rice are measured and then set to cook for a specific time. This way, you don’t have to constantly be checking or guessing as to when the rice is done.
Follow the rice guide (available at caribbeanbelleweddings.com). Once rice is cooked, you can serve with vegetables, stews, curries or beans. You can also opt to do a quick sauté of some finely chopped onions and herbs before adding your rice and water to the pot; or, add some whole spices such as cumin (geera), cinnamon, cloves or cardamom, to perfume and flavour the rice in an enticing way. If you’re cooking your rice plain, try adding some butter or ghee to flavour the rice. The possibilities are endless!
Lemon Rice
Yield: Serves 3
Ingredients
- 4 cups of just-cooked Basmati Rice (you want the rice to be hot)
- 3 tablespoons Canola oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons black mustard seeds
- Minced hot pepper to taste
- ¾ teaspoon ground turmeric
- A pinch of asafoetida (hing) optional
- 10 – 12 curry leaves (if you have)
- ¾ cup chopped onions
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- ½ cup chopped cilantro/coriander leaves (or chandon
- beni)
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (1/3 cup if using lemons)
Directions
- Heat oil in large pan or karahi on medium heat.
- Add mustard seeds and fry; as soon as it begins to pop, add pepper, turmeric, hing and curry leaves (if using) and sauté for 1 minute. Then add onions and ginger and sauté until onions are soft but not coloured.
- Add the hot rice along with the cilantro/coriander or chandon beni and toss to mix well. Remove from heat, pour lime/lemon juice over rice and mix to incorporate. Cover and let rest for at least 30 minutes before serving (to give the rice enough time to absorb the lemon juice and flavours).
Baked Chicken
Again, this is about seasoning cut-up chicken with flavourings of your choice—herbs, spices, aromatics or a combination. You can use wet marinades or dry rubs. Seasoning your meat overnight for a well-seasoned soak and then cooking it the next day is easy work.
To bake chicken:
- Season chicken, if possible, in the same dish you are planning to bake it in (oven proof, of course). Otherwise, an airtight container or secure zip bag would do.
- Bring chicken up to room temperature before cooking.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F before adding pan/dish with seasoned chicken to the oven.
- Cook for forty-five minutes or until a knife, when inserted into the thigh or drumstick, runs clear.
- Chicken breasts cook faster than the thighs, drumsticks or wings, so remove those pieces and set aside until the red meat parts of the chicken (thighs, drumsticks and wings) are done and then add back to the pan to keep warm.
- Let the baked chicken rest, covered for twenty minutes, before serving.
- Serve the pan juice as a sauce or pour into a small saucepan and let reduce until thick and serve as gravy with the chicken. (In both cases, remove as much fat/oil as possible) .
Baked Chicken Seasoning Combinations
Seasoning | Ingredients |
---|---|
Green Seasoning | A combination of herbs along with onions, garlic and hot peppers – blended together with saltto taste. |
Garlic-Thyme | Thyme and garlic pureed or ground to a paste with salt and pepper to taste. |
Ginger-Garlic | Root ginger and fresh garlic ground to a paste and seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. |
Ginger-Garlic-Soy Sauce | Root ginger, fresh garlic and hot peppers ground to a paste and mixed with soy sauce to create a marinade. Add salt to taste. |
Roasted Garlic-Thyme-Mustard | Roasted garlic and fresh thyme are made into a puree along with whole grain mustard and seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. |
Rosemary-Garlic | Fresh rosemary and garlic are made into a paste and seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. |
Yogurt Marinade | Whole milk yogurt seasoned with salt, pepper and chopped cilantro. |
Cilantro-Lime Marinade | Cilantro or chandon beni along with the zest of limes or lemons, pureed with oil and salt and pepper to taste. |
Boozy Marinade | Soy sauce, dark rum, worcestershire sauce and Angostura bitters mixed together and seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. |
Cynthia Nelson is the award winning author of Tastes Like Home (IRP 2010), and the blog Tastes Like Home. www.tasteslikehome.org. Photography ©Cynthia Nelson.
- Published in Newlywed Kitchen
Underwater at Riviera Maya
Cenotes or “sacred water”—a deep natural pit, or sinkhole, characteristic of Mexico—provides the ideal backdrop for theatrical romance. Photographer Ivan Luckie is fascinated by the possibilities and captures many trash-the-dress moments in one of various locations along the Riviera Maya.
Riviera Maya, a favourite for destination brides, runs south of Cancun in the Mexican Caribbean and comprises: Tulum, the only archaeological site located by the sea; Xel-Ha, the largest natural aquarium in the world; and silky beaches and Mayan caves and villages.
You can take a leisurely stroll along “La Quinta Avenida” of Playa del Carmen and enjoy the wide variety of bars, restaurants and shops.
- Published in Trash the Dress
Where’s the Bride?
Bride running late? Photoshoot in overdrive before the reception? Here’s a cocktail blueprint for keeping your guests happy.
The cocktail hour is that time, right before the reception, that guests spend mingling, sipping and munching, and an important opportunity to set the tone and style of your wedding.
The cocktail hour was originally created to give guests something to do while the wedding party and new bride and groom took pictures or were otherwise occupied before the reception.
COCKTAIL SUCCESS?
Keep an open floor plan. Walking out of a lovely ceremony to find yourself crowded by guests en route to the party room can be a quick mood killer. The trick is to make the cocktail venue as open and spacious as possible to facilitate fun and mingling.
Eliminate food bottlenecks. Supplement your main bar or snack station with one or two smaller bars at opposite corners of the room to prevent crowding.
It’s better to rely mainly on servers to get food to guests, and serve only “finger foods” so that plates are not required. Be sure to assign at least one server to every fifty guests.
Some tables and seats are needed. Be sure to have a few cocktail tables, some high, some low, so that guests can have a place to rest their drinks and sit down. A good strategy would be to place low tables with chairs along the wall, and high-tops without chairs toward the middle of the room.
Cater to all guests. Have seating for older guests and for those who may need seating (for example, those with medical conditions).
Be sure to have kid-appropriate munchies if children are invited; and include non-alcoholic drinks and perhaps a vegetable or non-meat item to satisfy various dietary requirements.
Time it. The cocktail hour should only last one hour. Guests standing on their feet, balancing food and drinks, can get tired and bored if the cocktail hour lingers.
COST-CUTTING TIPS?
Minimize the décor. During cocktails, guests are busy socializing, not focusing on decor. So don’t spend a fortune on large arrangements.
Keep it simple. A cocktail hour needn’t involve fancy cocktail tables, a bar, or even alcoholic drinks. To include a cocktail hour without breaking the bank consider serving drinks that you can make in bulk.
Leave out the alcohol. Consider leaving out the alcohol and just serving cheese and crackers, veggies or fruit, with smoothies, or an assortment of teas, and/or lemonade or another array of drinks that go with your theme.
That way, you not only save cost, but also get all the formal wedding items such as toasts, speeches and special dances out of the way before bringing out the booze.
MAKING IT SPECIAL?
Consider a photo booth. This is a fun, breezy way to get guests involved and entertained, prior to the reception. It’s also a good way to ensure that you get additional photos of your guests.
Musical inspiration. Single musicians such as guitarists, violinists, pianists and harpists are perfect. Adding more musicians to the combination is also a nice touch and these can include violin, guitar or a small string ensemble. Better yet, have the musicians stroll amongst your guests. (Note that you don’t have to bust the bank for good talent. Musicians can include a talented kid you know. Music teachers would be happy to facilitate exposure for students.)
Caricature artists. Hire local talent to draw/paint caricatures of your guests. The art becomes a fun filled favor that your guests can take home. Take inspiration from Bohemian Paris, and have artists available even whilst guests enjoy dinner and dessert.
Change of scenery. Depending on your location, cocktail hours can allow for guests to spend some time outdoors and enjoy the wonderful weather. Think outdoor patio or verandah, a picturesque garden, or the beach.
- Published in Tips and Tools
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