First dance – goodness, we need a makeover!

Your first dance as bride and groom is always fraught with “awkward” – “can we dance?” “are they looking at us?” “is the band keeping time?” “what if no one joins in?”

To us at DP, the first dance as husband and wife should be celebratory and not just some half-hearted shuffle for a photo op.  And no, we are not jaded – we are HUGE romantics and think the moment should reflect the couple and not necessarily go to “At Last” land.  Oh, dear.

So, without further pomp, we present our top ten favorite first dances:

10) “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls

9) “Fly Me To the Moon” – Frank Sinatra

8) “I Wanna Know What Love Is” – Foreigner

7) “I Wanna Marry You” – Bruce Springsteen

6) ” Again” – Lenny Kravitz – this is quickly becoming #2!

5) “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now” – McFadden and Whitehead

4) “All I Want is You” – U2

3) “Best of My Love” – Emotions

2) “Caught up in You” – .38 Special

and the number one greatest wedding first dance right now is this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acvIVA9-FMQ

All songs available on iTunes.

We love Scott Conant here at F4! So, some news…

If you’ve never eaten at Scarpetta in New York (or Miami or Toronto) and you live in L.A., I am going to take time out of my obsession with Bottega Louie to help Chef Conant announce his fall arrival of Scarpetta in Beverly Hills on Canon Drive (oooh, click on “menu”!).

Seriously, you’ve never eaten real spaghetti al pomodoro until you’ve eaten it here.  Scott’s a love.  A wonderful human being.  Cheers to you, Scott, and may our Los Angeles readers reap the benefits of your cooking!  And he ain’t hard to look at, either!

Did you go to the Farmer’s Market? Don’t know what to make?

Well, it’s time for Corn and Tomato Salad!

In the dog days of summer, I rely on the farmer’s market to feed us simply because I sort of cannot be bothered turning on the oven, especially the last month or so. I’ve been making this recipe for years, but recently added in the cheese twist as an homage to one of my fave restaurants, Frankie’s Spuntino, in Brooklyn.

Hint: getting the corn off the cob is way easier with a corn stripper – you can find them at Sur La Table.

Corn and Tomato Salad, Frankie’s Style:

5 cups sweet white corn kernels, from 7 to 8 medium cobs
juice of one large fresh lemon (preferably Meyer)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 pinch red pepper flakes for extra heat (optional)
1 10-ounce container cherry or pear tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup red onion, small dice
1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
1/2 cup your choice: ricotta salata, boconcini, burrata, goat cheese, feta – crumbled, diced, whatever!

Prepare an ice water bath by filling a large bowl halfway with ice and water; set aside. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Add corn kernels and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and place in the ice water bath until cool, about 4 minutes.

Combine lemon juice,red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper in a large nonreactive bowl. While continuously whisking, add oil in a steady stream until completely incorporated. Add remaining ingredients (except cheese) and cooled corn and toss until well coated. Top with cheese of your choice. Serve.

This dish tastes best at room temperature – you can also make a day ahead and add the cheese while you are serving. Just remember to take it out of the fridge and let it come to room temp!

Stop that Bandit!

Here at DP, we are green wherever we can be – papery, sustainable food, locations that use LED lighting, LED lights instead of candles, even sustainable wedding gowns!  So, it comes as no surprise that when we do wine tastings, we veer towards organic and/or local.

Here comes the Bandit! Not only is the packaging genius and chic, but, if you are buying liquor for your own party (a huge money saver if your venue will allow it), note that each package contains 33% more than a bottle and each one runs about $10.  There’s a sangria, a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Riesling, a Merlot, a Chardonnay,  and our favorite in summer, a crisp Pinot Grigio!

It’s 96% wine, 4% packaging – no glass to break or recycle.  Made largely of renewable resources, lower shipping weight (which equals less fuel emissions), no corked wine due to the biodegradable packaging, 1 truckload of empty Bandit cartons equals 26 truckloads of empty wine bottles.  And you can crush it on your forehead when you are done!

Don’t let anyone rob you of your Bandit!

Vendor follow – @nakedblu

Amber Renee is one of the MOST amazing papery experts out there.  She works from DC and ATL (hush – she did Usher’s wedding invite, oh, and, never mind – I won’t tell). Her company, Naked Eye, is so amazing.  But you gots to have the cash.  Seriously.

After the Cocodot giveaway, I am going to do a giveaway of a suite of notecards from @nakedblu.  She is gorgeous, talented and the closest you can get to celeb stuff!  Hmmm..she even does Tyrese’s stuff!

F4 and DP lurrrrve Cocodot!

Friends, the evite is so over.  I then fell in love (and remain) with Paperless Post as a new, chic, green alternative to sending announcements, invites, etc.  But then I saw Cocodot!

With Cocodot, for a modest fee, you join and can create and send all manner of invitations, social stationery, wedding “papery”, birth announcements.  Our clients ADORE this service.  Why is it different?  You can send the invites via Facebook!  You can add music!  The designs are beyond gorgeous!  It’s genius.  No wonder Gwyneth Paltrow loves Cocodot!  Here is my new personal stationery (aw, heck, you cannot see it):

Join Cocodot today!  Next week, we’ll be giving away a subscription to Cocodot as our giveaway, so tell your friends to follow the blog!  Now, that’s a giveaway!!!!

Carpe Donut!

As a party planner, I’ve seen all manner of food trends over the last 20 years as cupcakes gave way to candy to candy apples to hot cocoa to organic wines to artisanal sea salts to cotton candy.  The donut had a big moment about 8 years ago when couples were doing towers of Krispy Kremes as wedding (grooms’) cakes.

Well, take a look at Carpe Donut, embracing so many trends: a) sustainable, local and organic foods, b) the mobile food truck and c) real donuts.  They are based in Charlottesville, but available to travel and serve the most delectable, sparkling jewels of donuts.  (Doughnut?  Donut?)

Matt and Jen really know their stuff and have quite a history between them doing all sorts of immensely cool jobs.  I hope this is the thing that catapults them into the stratosphere.  Carpe Donut!  Here’s the wonderful truck:

House envy…

Yes, we are looking at real estate in the Albemarle County area as our work takes us there quite a bit.  A satellite office may be just the ticket in a town where all is charming, the restaurant and music scene is great and the kids can enjoy weekends of nature and adventures.  My love of Charlottesville is epic.

When looking at homes, what appeals most to you?  The view?  The kitchen?  That quite nook for reading or sipping tea?  A playroom for your children?  A nice office to work stylishly?  The finishes?  The memories to be made?  The price?  Well, this party planner has two hot buttons:

The perfect kitchen where I can, on days off, toy with all things culinary – I love nothing more than cooking and hosting friends.  And look – space for the kids to paint and eat and tumble around.  A real family kitchen.

Oh, and this:

Now THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is a closet.  I would install a wine cooler and sip Sauvignon Blanc while getting ready – I don’t care if I’m going nowhere and in jeans and espadrilles.  But, I’m a bit of a magpie, so I’ll need that center island for all of the knuckle-dusters.

Sigh.  What gorgeous rooms.  Dream on!

Photo credits: Loring Woodriff

Does it get any better?

As an event planner, I am exposed to the most luxurious and wonderful flowers the world has to offer.  My favorites are ranunculus, all manner of orchids, Juliet roses, anemones and chocolate cosmos.  I also love to decorate parties with grasses, fruits, branches and vegetables.  But at the end of the day…..

Aaaaahhhhh.  There, now that’s better!  Peonies cure all that ails one!

Reader ideas welcome! Martha Stewart Living XM/Sirius Radio Show!

I am lucky enough to have been invited by my dear friend Jayne, a completely gorgeous force of nature and fashion,  to be a guest on the Martha Stewart Living Radio’s satellite morning show on XM/Sirius at 8 am on September 2.  Mark your calendars!

I’ll be talking about throwing the last great party of the summer – whether big or small, a clambake or a luau, a simple farmer’s market feast or a beach party.  I’ve outlined my ideas, but it came to me that YOU should have some input as to what ideas you want to hear about hosting an end of summer party.

So comment here with food, decor, invitation, favor, playlist and detail suggestions.  We’d love to hear them.  I will be sharing all the recipes that I discuss on the show here and on the martha blog.

Cheers!