Bridechilla™ Tip #53

Tip #53 – How to be a BRIDECHILLA™ by Off The Beaten Path Weddings – Get inspired with these earth-to-table cocktails, and bookmark this cocktail recipe for tonight!

Last week we introduced some really awesome ways to bring rosemary to your next tablescape. If you haven’t seen the post yet, check it out here and be ready for another way to pair nature’s elements with what’s going on your table tonight. Straight from some real Off The Beaten Path Weddings, here are some of our most favorite craft cocktails.

The perfect reason to have a welcome cocktail for your guests arriving to your wedding… keep note, summer Bridechilla’s!

Spiked or not spiked?

Keep an eye on those lovely little details! We’ve got plenty to go around 🙂

Embellish your next cocktail with what ever inspires you!

Whether it is adding a small flower, mint, sprigs of lavender or rosemary with your recipe, making an earth-to-table cocktail is easier than you think… you just need the right inspiration.

To make a single serving of BLACKBERRY MINT LEMONADE:

Ingredients

• 3 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 18 mint leaves, torn
• 2 cups frozen/fresh blackberries
• ice
• 3 mint sprigs
• 4 cups natural store-bought lemonade
• mint sprigs

Instructions

1. Bring the water and sugar to boil in a small pot. Stir the water/sugar mixture until the sugar is dissolved then turn off the heat. Add the torn mint leave and give the pot a stir. Allow the simple syrup to cool.
2. Add the blackberries to a blender. Place a strainer over the mouth of the blender and pour the mint simple syrup into the container. Discard the mint leaves. Blend the simple syrup and the blackberries on low speed for just a few seconds at a time, just enough to break the berries apart but not enough to puree them.
3. Fill a juice pitcher halfway with ice and add the mint sprigs. Pour the lemonade and the blackberry mixture over the ice. Stir the blackberry mint lemonade and add more ice if necessary before serving.
4. If not, serve, enjoy, and SAVOR THE EXPERIENCE!

CHEERS!

Photo Credits: onelove photography, Michelle Kim Photography, Matt Edge Photography // RECIPE BY SAVORYSWEETLIFE.COM

Bridechilla™ Tip #52

Tip #52 – How to be a BRIDECHILLA™ by Off The Beaten Path Weddings – Try something more chill and serve a selection of craft beer at your wedding!

Champagne is a great way to celebrate, sure, but let’s talk about something more savory to toast to the newlyweds with: CRAFT BEER. If you’ve been pondering the idea of serving craft beer at your reception, you might as well give up the fight now because below you will find 5 strong reasons to have it:

1. More options! And no, we definitely aren’t talking about Bud, Miller, or Coors. We’re talking CRAFT BEER. There are almost 1,600 craft breweries in the U.S. brewing beers with their own unique ingredients in their own unique way. This is why craft beer is different. Don’t settle for the same beer found at your local Circle K, go to your LOCAL Craft Brewery and do a tasting! Your guests will thank you later for showing them the goodness that is Pale Ale, Lager, or something stronger. Remember, you have tons of choices!
2. Brewed with perfection. Craft beer has been described as, “10 minutes of pleasure, pure happiness in a glass, authentic, archetypical, an intellectual beverage that is to be savored not swilled and much, much more. It is enjoyed for everyday celebrations and is viewed by many as one of the special things in life that makes the day taste and feel a little better.” by CraftBeer.com and we couldn’t of said it better! Serve your guests a highly respected beverage by beer enthusiasts all over the world.
3. Hello, fewer calories. Need we say more? You probably worked out for MONTHS to have that perfect bridal bod, why ruin it with a beverage packed with empty, flavorless caloriest? Have something that you can *savour* the entire night!
4. Less expensive! If you serve your guests “beer-water” A.K.A. the other beer (let’s not do any name calling), they will most likely consume more of it to catch a little buzz. So you will have to supply more. Here’s our question: Why serve guests multiple, flavorless beers when they can savor a couple IPA’s and catch the same buzz and enjoy something with better quality?
5. Life is short, drink better beer.  ‘Nuff said.

There you have it. Five awesome reasons you can blame for the best wedding planning decision you’ve made yet. So you’re planning to serve craft beer, but what should you serve? You should keep in mind that although craft beers are made with a complexity of amazing ingredients and treasured by millions all over the world, including Off The Beaten Path Weddings Chief Inspiration Officer, Mary Ellen Murphy – not everyone has tried the versatile beverage that is craft beer so you want to be careful about choosing ones that are too strong.

Another tip – be sure to visit the local breweries in your area to find the right selection. And again, please keep your guests in mind! You will have the serious beer drinkers, the uninitiated beer-water drinkers (whose lives are about to be changed forever), and the people that are in between. A good selection of craft beer at your reception would include a Pale Ale and Lager for your guests new to craft beer, and then a few other special selections for the more passionate craft beer fanatics.

Also another thing to keep in mind when choosing your craft beer – the food. You definitely want to pair your craft beer with your chosen entree so be thinking of how the flavors will flirt with each other.

In conclusion, craft beer is something that is treasured by many and should be enjoyed in moderation, shared, and revered. As you can probably tell, we’re big craft beer fans here at Off The Beaten Path Weddings  + Bridechilla™, so of course we’re going to be a little bossy when trying to help you do it right. But now it’s your turn! Tell us your favorite craft beers, what selection will you be serving at YOUR wedding?

Enjoy responsibly!

Photos by: Kat Braman, and sasha photography (second from top) Planner/Designer: Desiree Dawn Events, Stationery: Make Merry!, Floral: Julia Rohde Designs, Bridal Gown: Bacio Bacio Bridal, Beer: Due South Brewing Co. via Grey Likes Weddings

Bridechilla™ Tip #51

Tip #51 – How to be a BRIDECHILLA™ by Off The Beaten Path Weddings – Use touches of rosemary for your earth-to-table look.

Off The Beaten Path Weddings is known for being able to combine elegance and nature all on one table scape. We love bringing nature in to our event design process, but only just enough to embellish the already beautiful location of the event. The key is to use just enough, so that the event has a balance of sophisticated decor and organic touches. One of our favorite elements to use is rosemary. And why is that? It works in SO many different ways; and it is so delicate, simple, and plus – it smells amazing! See for yourself below and prepare to be inspired.

2013 Bridechilla™ Julia and husband Tom had a little touch of rosemary slipped in with their menus. (Event Design by Off The Beaten Path Weddings, photo by onelove photography)

Ways to use rosemary in your wedding decor:

DID YOU KNOW:  During the middle ages, all elegant weddings utilized the herb rosemary, which is the symbol of remembrance and fidelity. Sprigs were dipped in gold, tied with a ribbon and given to the wedding guests.

All you need to do is type out names, print on cardstock, punch a hole, and stick a little rosemary in… or even tie it with a strand of twine… so easy and it looks beautiful!

This wedding was a stunner! The couple gave each guest baguettes as favors to take home. And to embellish those delicious favors? Rosemary.
(via SMP, Planning Soiree by Simone Lennon, Photo by Delbarr Moradi Photography)

Rosemary infused olive oil with escort cards… LOVE. Thanks for creating this, Live View Studios, and thanks for sharing this, Wedding Chicks!

Are you looking for an informal, yet stunningly beautiful escort card and favor idea for your big day? This rosemary infused olive oil is the perfect solution for adding a stunning (and tasty) wine country touch for your guests to enjoy.

The perfect winter cake! Embellished with rosemary AND cranberries… and a little frosting never hurt anyone 🙂 (via thenaturalweddingcompany.co)

Don’t these two cakes just capture what a natural wedding is? Something as simple as sprigs of rosemary can make something look so lovely and cheerful.

We love this rosemary wreathed cake, it’s even topped with more of elements of nature. What’s not to love? (via thenaturalweddingcompany.co)

If anything, a cake topped, wreathed, or surrounded by rosemary would be the perfect way to add just enough natural elements to your outdoor wedding. The best part about being set between earth and sky is all the beautiful and simple things to be found right where you stand. Now, go put this inspiration to work!

Bridechilla™ Tip #50

Tip #50 – How to be a BRIDECHILLA™ by Off The Beaten Path Weddings – Get to know your wedding VIBE with Off The Beaten Path Inspiration Boards.

Off The Beaten Path Weddings has recently begun creating inspiration boards for every future Bridechilla™ to help guide us and each couple through the wedding design process.  So, what is an inspiration board? An inspiration board is a collection of imagery chosen to evoke the style and essence of each wedding. Each board is designed based on the desires and vision each couple wants. Below you will find examples for each couple… which one would you choose for your wedding? Remember you can share it on Pinterest!

Kate and Patrick’s inspiration board for a May 2014 Off The Beaten Path Wedding.

The couple requested blues, yellows, greys with a mixture of succulents and flowers on the tables. Kate says, “I want it to look natural and blend with the environment.”

Ching and Robert’s inspiration board for a June 2014 Off The Beaten Path Wedding.

The couple requested shades of coral and greyish blue hues. They wanted their wedding to be a “rustic, romantic, foodie paradise, nature inspired and a big banging party!” and we plan for it to be just that!

Callie and Ralph’s inspiration for a June 2014 Off The Beaten Path Wedding.

This animal-loving (And saving! Did we mention they are soon-to-be veterinarians?) couple requested shades of pale/pastel yellow, charcoal grey and pink as an accent color. They want a pet-friendly, summer wedding with a casual + elegant vibe.

Courtney and Benjamin’s inspiration for a July 2014 Off The Beaten Path Wedding.

With shades of sage, olive, white with some peach accents and dark wood, linen and mercury glass… Courtney and Benjamin’s day will be the perfect outdoor wedding and we can’t wait to execute this look!

Carli and John’s inspiration for a July 2014 Off The Beaten Path Wedding.

We love the touches of succulents and the “anthropologie-esque” feel of this wedding! With shades of orange, beige, and succulent green, their day will easily be a beautiful day full of nature-inspired elegance.

Erin and Ross’ inspiration for a July 2015 Off The Beaten Path Wedding.

Erin and Ross were extremely helpful in helping us create this vibe board! Erin described their wedding vibe to be rustic, organic, casual yet sophisticated, simple, vintage, farm-to-table, with natural tones such as whites, greys, and taupes. They wanted to leverage the natural beauty of the surroundings and let “nature do the work”, could they be more chill?

We’re looking forward to creating more and more inspiration for our future couples and still have plenty more inspiration to share. Upcoming vibe boards for Lisa + Keary, Maggie + Brian, and Natalie + Michael are coming up so stay tuned!

Bridechilla™ Throwback Thursday

Photo by Michelle Kim Photography

Happy “Throwback Thursday” chill readers! Our BRIDECHILLA™ Mckenzie and her [now] husband Tim were one of our 2013 Off The Beaten Path couples.. today we are reminiscing with this beautiful video of their wedding day by Hit Maker Films. Their chill day was a prime example of the Off The Beaten Path Weddings team in action, as well as our signature look of elegance inspired by nature. With mercury glass and white hydrangea hanging from the trees and earth-to-table dishes, this day was an Off The Beaten Path Weddings beauty from start to end.

Cheers to McKenzie & Tim!

Bridechilla™ by OFF THE BEATEN PATH WEDDINGS Tip #49

Tip #49 – How to be a BRIDECHILLA™ by OFF THE BEATEN PATH WEDDINGS – Check out these Valentine’s Day gifts for that chill guy in your life!

We’re just full of the romance lately aren’t we! First we gave you date ideas for every month of the year, and now we’ve got some special ideas for Valentine’s Day to share. We love these stylish, useful, sweet gift ideas for your special guy. Let him know he’s appreciated this Valentine’s Day like a true Bridechilla™ would… with these gifts!

If the way to your man’s heart is through his stomach, try out this sinfully sweet recipe – vanilla cookie sandwiches with nutella cream cheese frosting… YUM!

A playful hanger for him to hang his favorite shirt on… cute idea from HandmadeAffair on Etsy!

Help him out with date ideas.. if you’ve already done all the ones on our list,try these new ones, or create your very own to add in to the envelopes. It’s the gift that gives to the both of you 🙂

We’ll bet he’s gotten mad about his earphones being tangled up in his pockets. Get personal by giving him this monogrammed Saddle Leather Earphone case! It will save him tons of frustration.

Does he like to cook? This magnetic meat seasoning set is a great gift for a guy who likes to cook, grill, and help out in the kitchen.

Or cover his manly needs with a manly-spa set. This gift includes everything from a grooming products to a gourmet treat chocolate bar. Definitely can’t go wrong with this one!

Happy Valentine’s Day to you and your chill guy!

Bridechilla™ Tip #47

Tip #47 – How to be a BRIDECHILLA™ – Keep us in your social media radar!

With a new year comes new changes. Whether you’re taking us up on date ideas with your beau or vowing to put down your iPhone more, sometimes change is all anyone needs. So, what’s new with us? Bridechilla™ has decided to begin updating our Facebook followers via Off The Beaten Path Weddings. All that means is we are taking our chill to a new Facebook platform, so that we can be more efficient and bring more chill inspiration to all of our Bridechillas. Bridechilla™ actually started with the makers behind Off The Beaten Path Weddings out of Napa Valley – so now we are simply going back to our “home” to stay. All we ask of our readers in this week’s chill tip is that you make sure you have “liked” Off The Beaten Path Weddings on Facebook. If you haven’t, you can do so here. This will help us keep in touch with you as our fans and following, and help you be in touch with us and all the inspiration we plan to bring you in 2014!

Bridechilla™ Tip #46

Tip #46 – How to be a BRIDECHILLA™ – New year’s resolution: Go on more dates!

Remember those? Dates. Those wonderful outings where you go on a nice bike ride together, dinner, or maybe it’s one of those nights you want to spend on the couch watching the latest episode of Breaking Bad.. or Modern Family, if you’re like some of the us at Bridechilla™ and Off The Beaten Path Weddings. Being a chill bride and wife means keeping the chill alive, or romance alive, by making sure you take the time to go out on dates or at least create some free time to spend with each other, without the distractions. So let us help you out with some pre-planned date ideas, and please feel free to share your own!

January
Go ice skating, enjoy the winter wonders while they are still here.

February
Surprise each other. It wouldn’t hurt to make the date Feb. 14th either… 🙂

March
Each pick a movie on Netflix or at your local Blockbuster… get a carton of your favorite ice cream and make a night of it!

April
Use a Friday night to get some friends together and have a game night, OR go on a double date with another couple.

May
Spring is here so use the season to your advantage. Got a backyard? Plant a garden together… if you don’t have that much space, go on a wildflower trip.

June
Be active together! Going on a bike tour in the beautiful Napa Valley is always a great idea.

July
Go on a camping trip together.  Spending some time outdoors and out of cell range would be a great way to bring you and your beau closer.

August
Cook a meal together. Choose a theme like “breakfast for dinner”
or “Mediterranean Twist” to make it fun.

September
Plan a vacation or getaway for you both to look forward to the following year

November
Keep it simple! Go out to a local sports bar and watch a game together.

December
Go Christmas Tree shopping together, decorate the house together, and make it something you do together every year.

AND REMEMBER TO HAVE FUN!

Bridechilla™ Tip #45

Tip #45 – How to be a BRIDECHILLA™ – Add some chill, delicious, goodness to your holiday dinner with seasonal desserts.

Just in case you haven’t seen our last Bridechilla™ Tip or our other blog posts, you must know that we are all about the seasonal touches that can be added to any event. Whether it be your wedding or a dinner party, we are here so that you can let us help you gather ideas for any function lacking that pumpkin centerpiece, apple garland, or fruit thank you favor. Because we are always watching out for ideas for our hostess bridechillas. As much as we love embellishing holiday decor with nature, we are going to talk about the FOOD today. The best part, in that case… the DESSERT.

recipes via clarY pfeiffer and ruche

As promised, each and every one of these has a small seasonal touch that we cannot help but find irresistible. If you find yourself drooling over any of them, here is where you can find the recipes so that your holiday grocery shopping lists can be ready for the holidays.

Recipe links: Blackberry + Blueberry Tart / Apple Crisp / Bourbon Pumpkin Cake / Persimmon Walnut Cake / Vegan and Gluten Free Espresso Banana Donuts