Wedding Season is here... some helpful tips to save you money on that big day from Shades Within You, Event Planners

Choose a less popular day and time.

Most weddings take place on Saturdays which means it is the most expensive day to book a reception hall. Consider having an evening ceremony and reception on a Friday. If you really want a good price for a Saturday look into booking the ceremony in the morning and having an early afternoon reception. Brunch weddings are a popular new trend that are considerably less costly than evening dinner receptions. Other budget ideas for the ceremony and reception: consider a Sunday afternoon wedding or serving only a light meal instead of a full dinner.

Cut out unnecessary expenses.
One of the best ideas is to skip some extras you don’t really need. Do you really need a professional videographer? If you really want a video of the ceremony today’s high resolution handheld video cameras can do a great job and it’s likely you or someone you know has one. Ask someone in the front row to record the wedding for you. Other low cost wedding ideas include asking the photographer to deliver the negatives to you and arranging for your own prints and skipping rental cars or limousines and simply driving your own car to and from the wedding.

Do it yourself.
There are plenty of inexpensive things you can do yourself rather than hiring someone to do them. Make your own centerpieces and decorations even wedding favours! Low cost wedding ideas for the favours include things like small decorative pouches or boxes of candy or a candle that you have decorated yourself with ribbon. You can also print your own invitations place cards and thank you cards at home using affordable kits available at stationary stores. There are many do it yourself low cost wedding ideas that can save your budget while still making your wedding beautiful!

Look for experts among your friends.
There may be a wealth of inexpensive wedding ideas hidden among your friends and family. Find out if anyone is a good photographer and if they will do the honours at a good price for you. Do you have a friend who plays an instrument and can supply ceremony music? Or maybe you know someone who can officiate at your wedding. Not only are these great ideas but hiring friends also makes the day more special. Your friends may even have more ideas to share!

There are many wedding ideas to help you stay within your budget and still have a beautiful wedding. Doing a little work yourself and asking friends to help out are all wedding ideas that are easy to implement. Hopefully with these great low cost wedding ideas you will have some money left over for a great honeymoon

Let Shades help you make all your dreams come alive on that special day

Sample of our "Diaper Baskets and Center Pieces" for Mother to be...

Baby  Basket Center Pieces:  Shades Within You

Baby in a Wagon

Samples of our designs also will go on sale soon on  "Ebay"    One dollar will be donated to St. Jude

Rock-A-By-Baby



A Romantic Dinner for Two "Valentine's Day"

Everyone knows that I love to cook and host parties. I also love to take pictures of the dishes that I prepare and post them on my facebook, or blogsite.  Here is a meal that I made for my Husband and he loved it so I thought I would share this romantic dinner for two with you.   

Set a table for two, or for something a bit more intimate, cover the floor with blankets and pillows for a cozy picnic-style dinner.

Lower the lights and turn on some romantic music.

Light every candle you own and create a trail of rose petals leading from the front door your dinner locale.

Ingredients

Cantaloupe – cubed or balled

Fresh Basil Leaves

Bocacinni (mozzarella balls)

Prosciutto

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt

Wooden Skewers

Mixed Greens with Raspberries, Almonds and Vinaigrette

Ingredients

chopped romaine

herb goat cheese

raspberries

slivered almonds

a dash of olive and some balsamic

Mandarin Roast Chicken

5 lb whole chicken

Unsalted Butter

Salt and Pepper

Chef of the Future Cajun Seasoning

1/2 Yellow Onion (Cut into two pieces)

2 Mandarin Oranges cut into quarters

4 Sprigs of Fresh Rosemary

1 Orange Juice (Juiced)

2 Tbsp of Honey

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slather chicken with butter then generously cover the bird with Cajun Seasoning and salt and pepper (get under the skin, get under the wings, put it everywhere!).

2. Season onion, mandarine oranges and rosemary sprigs with salt and pepper and cajun seasoning and then stuff into chicken cavity.

3. Place chicken on roasting rack inside roasting pan and cook until meat thermometer reads 180 degrees (about an hour and a half). Baste occasionally with juices from pan.

4. After chicken comes out of the oven place on serving tray to rest. Pour pan drippings into sauté pan and heat to medium high.

5. Add honey, juice from orange, and season with salt and pepper. Stir continuously and allow to bubble and thicken. Pour over chicken and serve

Berry Martinis with Chantilly Cream

Ingredients

2 1/4 Cup(s) heavy cream

1 1/2 Tbsp sugar

1 Tsp vanilla

Pinch of salt

Fresh Whole berries

Directions

In a large bowl combine ingredients.

Mix on high speed of mixer until whipped cream holds its shape.

Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Fill your favorite martini glasses with fresh mixed berries and top with chantilly cream.

With Love (Shade Within Your) TM

One Dish Recipes

Versatile Vegies

Once a week I will add a new recipe for people on the go.

Pasta With Roasted Vegetable

1 (2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes1
(10-ounce) container fresh Brussels sprouts, each cut into halves
1 small bulb fennel (about 8 ounces), trimmed, halved and thinly slice
1/4 cup of olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, peeled and halved lengthwise
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leave
8 ounces penne or ziti pasta or pasta of your choice
1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons TABASCO brand Pepper Sauce
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450F. In roasting pan, combine squash, Brussels sprouts, fennel, olive oil, garlic, salt and oregano. Bake 20 Minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, prepare penne (or pasta of choice) according to package directions. During last 2 minutes of roasting vegetables, add pumpkin seeds to vegetables. Continue cooking until seeds are lightly toasted.

To serve, toss cooked, drained pasta with roasted vegetables, TABASCO sauce and Parmesan cheese to mix well.

Note:

Generally, fresh Brussels sprouts are removed from their stalks and sold by the pound or in cardboard containers covered with cellophane. At farmers' markets, they also may be found still attached to their stalks. These sprouts are fresher and have better flavor. Do not remove them from the stalk until just before cooking.