The times, they are a changin'.

Tough economic times are leading to some major changes in wedding plans for young couples these days. While reading the Sunday newspaper, we stumbled upon an article that outlined the stories of a few couples that had to re-arrange their wedding plans due to economic forces beyond their control.

Plans are changing so much that elopements are up big time this year according to wedding officiant Ken Patterson of Baltimore. The Schulers of Towson, Maryland were planning a wedding for 170 guests at the Gramercy Mansion in Baltimore. When costs started soaring for miscellaneous pieces of the wedding puzzle, they opted for an elopement package at the mansion where they invited 12 guests, and the cost was $1,600 - the venue deposit for their initial wedding plans.

The article shares some tips for spending your money wisely during the months leading up to your wedding day;

- Call in the troops! Your friends and family are your biggest resource. What they can do, what they know, who they know - use it all to your advantage. If you have a friend who is an artist - have them work on decorations or invitations. Aunt Ellen loves flowers? Have her put together the arrangements. Your circle will love knowing that they helped make your day perfect for you - what a better gift than that?!?

- Shop around. Use your noggin and your consumer smarts when looking for vendors, venues, and services. Identify the areas where you want to splurge and save and make sure that you're not sacrificing your dream or vision because of the green stuff.

- Introduce yourself to your new best friend... The Internet. There are so many great websites out there were you can buy things inexpensively, get inspiration, research alternatives, and find tutorials on how to do certain projects. A great blog to look at is The DIY Bride. Right now, the blog authors are writing about DIY letter pressing...How awesome is that? Martha has a fantasic DIY center that is definitely worth a few clicks.

All in all, it is totally possible to have a fab wedding on a budget - just be creative and use what you have!

Do you have any tips for other brides on a budget?

Chelsea and Matt Get Hitched!

We met Chelsea and Matt about two years ago when they had just gotten engaged. We knew from the start that this wedding was going to be completely beautiful, and it certainly did not disappoint! The couple were married this fall at Harkness Park - the quintessential New

England waterfront mansion. Since we work there so often, it was refreshing to see their spin on the venue - Chelsea had a really unique aesthetic and incorporated long wooden tables, silver chargers, wild flowers and rustic food to make for a sweet, romantic evening that was

perfectly reflective of the bride and groom.

Chelsea had a lot of fun with specialty rentals from Party Rental Ltd. The wooden farm tables made such a difference in the space, and we painstakingly selected the china and glassware to be sure that it reflected her vision. Loved the idea of clear plates - it showed off the food and the table in perfect harmony and really stuck with the style of the night.

It's always nice when a couple thinks outside the box with their menu - Chelsea and Matt did a stations style reception featuring a Soup and Salad bar featuring Chef Jen's delish Corn and Crab Chowder, Rib Eyes straight from the grill and Roasted Split Chickens - super rustic and perfect for the laid back, familial vibe they were going for.

To read more about the details of Chelsea and Matt's Fall Nuptials - check out their feature in Style Me Pretty.

This is why we do what we do.

pictures really do speak louder than words...

wedding coordinator Victoria Mueller embracing with the mother of the bride

photograph by maggie conley

Unexpected Delicious Dessert

When perusing through Bon Appetit the other day, we were pleasantly surprised when we stumbled upon this unexpected, beautiful dessert...

Apple Cider and Rosemary Ice Pops! Not only are they rustic, season, and clever, they're easy to make! Most of the ingredients are things that you'll have in your pantry. Try them out...

Apple Cider and Rosemary Ice Pops

Ingredients

• 4 cups Apple Juice
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Rosemary
• 1 Cinnamon Stick, broken in half
• 2 whole Cloves
• 4 teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Preparation

Combine the first 6 ingredients in saucepan. Bring mixture to boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until mixture is reduced to 3 1/2 cups, 20 to 25 minutes. Strain into 4-cup measuring cup; cool to room temperature. Stir in vinegar and vanilla. Pour into twelve 1/3-cup ice pop molds (or paper cups). Insert pop covers and sticks; freeze overnight.

It's the simple sweet pleasures that make fall just a bit more magical. Love it.

Let us know how yours came out!

Well, this is Depressing.

Yes, with a capital D.

Food writer and Gourmet photographer Kevin Demaria has shared some photographs of the 'Last Days of Gourmet'. Morbid, yet fascinating... just had to share.

check out the thumbtacks under the clock... so sad!

see more carnage at www.lastdaysofgourmet.com

Fab Fall Wedding with Aja and Ben

We get calls from newly engaged brides every day. EVERY DAY. And, of course, we love it. Every now and again, though, the connection is instantaneous. So it was when Aja called in March to chat with us about her impending nuptials at Bartlett Farm in Guilford. The planning was a dream - her vision and ours could not be more similar, I mean we served cassoulet and swiss chard for heavens sake! This is our bridal dream come true! It was a perfect fall day - a little crisp but sunny, and the details details details were killer. See for yourselves!

Ben and Company executed the entire reception without letting Aja in on many of the details. The lights and lanterns alone must have taken hours to put up, but the ambiance they helped create was truly priceless.

Our favorite - Vintage China everywhere...

They used this vintage typewriter as their guest book, people were clicking away all night.

How fab is THAT?!

Dinner in the Barn... Don't you just want to be there?

How cute are these? Painstaking to make, no doubt, but totally worth it in the end.

The sweet, happy couple on their wedding day. How about Aja's wrap ladies?!

Aja and Ben, thank you so much for letting us be a part of your magical day.

The room was overflowing with love and laughter, it truly couldn't have been more perfect.

Food Stroll, Fall 2009

From TheDay.com:Chef Jen Miller, of Quaker Hill, an employee of Gourmet Galley Catering, offers shepherd's pie to patrons at the Crocker House, during the New London Main Street Fall Food Stroll 2009, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009.

Food Stroll was a great success this year - we were all so glad to see you there!