Consider the Spirit and Grace of the Bagpipe for Your Wedding

George Balderose, Executive Director of the Balmoral School of Piping, will be at this weekend's Bride Show to talk to brides about using the music of a bagpipe for her wedding. There are many times during your wedding day that a bagpipe could highlight a special moment. Examples to consider, outside in the parking lot as your guests arrive, the processional, a selection during the service, the recessional, outside as guests go through the receiving line, and when the bride and groom enter the reception. George will be on hand to discuss the options and provide you with a sample of his skills. Take in to account what the NY Times has to say about George, ”George is a virtuoso piper” Kudos George!

Bridal Bling at Brideshow... Ciao Bella Jewelery

Ciao Bella Jewelry custom designs tiaras and bridal jewelry to each brides specifications. They design to size, colors and also to the theme of your wedding.
They will have new hair pins and comb designs that will be featured at the Bride Show at the Pittsburgh Hilton this Saturday and Sunday.
They have a Bride Show Only special: a bridesmaid necklace and earring set with sterlng silver and swarovksi crystals or pearls for $25 per set. Brides can choose from a large selection of colors!

Wedding Cake Trends 2010

Wedding cakes are a beautiful centerpiece to the wedding reception and a wonderful finale to the dinner. It is important to make sure the cake tastes as good as it looks.

Lara, of Prantl's Bakery in Shadyside, shares some cake trends, as well as what she will have with her for you to taste at this Saturday and Sunday's Bride Show at the Pittsburgh Hilton.

The Trends at the moment:
1) chocolate - it's about time the chocoholics among us stood up for ourselves! - could be dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or white chocolate - Prantls will do a great cake with huge chocolate curls over it :)
2) tropical - it's nice in Pittsburgh in January to dream of far away places with warm breezes - they plan on bringing some samples of their pineapple, mango, and lemon fillings to the show
3) individual desserts - these have been around for awhile in the form of cupcakes, but they're seeing more customized desserts either for each guest or as centerpieces on the tables - they'll be bringing some of their jr. pastries to display, but really the sky's the limit with the flavor combinations they can do. And for folks that want more than one flavor on their menu or just can't decide, this is a great way to go.

Interestingly, some trends never die - Prantl's is famous for their "burnt almond torte", invented by Henry Prantl in the 1970's, their recipe of fluffy, scratch yellow cake and custard covered in their special white buttercream and secrect recipe toasted almonds has stood the test of time and will probably always be their best selling wedding cake.

It was my wedding cake and my guests loved it!

In the Know...Show Update Entertainment Unlimited

Entertainment Unlimited will be featuring the following DJ's and artists at their booth at the Cavanuagh's Bride Show Jan 30-31

DJ Carlton 11:30am - 1:30pm Saturday

DJ Scot Anderson 1:30pm - 3:30pm Saturday

PJ the DJ 11:30am - 1:30pm Sunday

DJ Spyderman 1:30pm - 3:30pm Sunday

Jeff Jimerson from "Jeff Jimerson & Airborne" Saturday 11:30am - 1:30pm

Mark Matteo from "No Bad JuJu" Sunday 11:30am - 1:30pm

Check out www.brideshow.com or www.entertainmentunlimited.com for more details.

Cavanaugh's Bride Show Commercial!

Hey Dj, or band, Play My Favorite Song!

Entertainment is a huge part of the wedding celebration. The music at the reception sets the tone for the party, so really give this some serious thought! If the entertainment is lame, well, the party is lame. A great DJ or band will know what types of music it takes to get people on the dance floor. Bands bring an energy level that surely gets people moving. Make sure if going with a band they play some great classic cover songs that appeal to all ages. (See if you can check them out live at a venue prior to booking them.) A dynamite DJ will have an array of songs in his collection that will get the masses moving, and arrange their playlist to keep your guests up and dancing. Once they're on the dance floor the party has started! Rock on!

Photo from Randi Voss Photography via JP Band Website

Why Go to a Bride Show?

January is approaching and along with freezing temperatures and department store white sales, bride show season begins.  If you are in the process of planning a wedding a bride show is an excellent resource.  Being a tech savvy gal, you may wonder why bother going to a show.  You have checked out the wedding websites, read the reviews and "tweets", what more do you need to do?  Think about it this way, the wedding professionals you select will be intimately with you throughout your entire day.  Do you really want to pick a person you have never interacted with.  How else will you find out if they are as dynamic as you hoped, and if they get you and your style, other than good old fashion conversation.  And that is why bride shows are so great!  You have the opportunity to make sure your DJ represents you and the groom with his style and music selections, and make sure the photographer is cool enough to hang with you and your family and your groom and his family for an entire day.  While the web tools are a great way to narrow your search, a bride show is the best place to have access to wedding professionals, allowing you to confidently finalize your decisions. Besides, it is a great excuse to hang out with your friends and family and check out some potentially new ideas.  Food, music, fashion, all under one roof, what more could a girl ask for!