local trends shared by local experts...

Western New England has many wonderfully talented wedding professionals and we thought we would share a few with you!

Eutopia Events is very creative and thinks outside the box to achieve a bride and groom's desired wedding,whether it is a wedding cake, decor, or to add that extra touch to the day.

The team of Lauren Mace and Ruthie McDonald want to share these trends for local weddings:
• Welcoming reception at the ceremony – light Hor’Deourves and non-alcoholic beverages, especially at an outdoor wedding where it may be hot and guests might arrive early
• Doing a wedding cake and dessert buffet with something non-traditional such as pies or a favorite dessert.
• Buttercream wedding cakes. Many couples are going back to the traditional buttercream cakes rather than fondant, for both taste and looks.
• Choosing different colors for the bridesmaids dresses rather than sticking with one hue.
• Mixing table shapes and sizes – Couples aren’t sticking with the traditional round table these days, they are opting to mix it up to create variety and customize their reception to better fit their style.
• Outdoor weddings – couples are opting to do this because it provides a more personal touch to their day
• Vintage styles – from wedding dresses to the ornate details of the décor, weddings are taking on old style charm with a modern twist.
• Eco-weddings continue to be popular. From recycled paper for invitations to using food from local farmers and providers, couples are more aware of their wedding carbon footprint.

Located in Massachusetts, Eutopia Events has a passion for throwing amazing parties.
Email eutopiaevents@gmail.com
Phone 508.735.1701 or 413.475.2282

a taste of Chicago

We love creative people, groups, talented and artistic individuals who share their passion for what they do. Personally, I love to work with and promote those unique talents when the opportunity arises.

Giving a boost to the West Springfield High School Drama Club, they were invited to highlight a few numbers from their upcoming production of Chicago. This is a highly talented group of kids who stepped out and added their stamp to the recent Western New England Spring Bridal Show. Singing, dancing, costumes and more! Thanks goes out to director, Michael Pandolfi and the Drama Club for making this a unique and unexpected addition to the bridal show.

Support the drama club by attending their production of Chicago on Thursday, March 24th through Saturday, March 26th. 7pm. Tickets available at the door. The West Springfield High School is located on Piper Road, West Springfield, MA.

let them eat cake...

It can be sweet, delicate, colorful, flavorful, and definately unique...it's wedding cake! Brides and grooms have more choices than ever when it comes to designing a wedding cake. Expression of the couples' lives, likes, a theme...it's all open to whatever they decide.

Recently, wedding cake designs were showcased at the Western New England Spring Bridal Show. Some of the area's finest wedding cake designers showed off hot designs, unique styles and designs that any couple could make their own. Voted most popular design and winner of the Brides' Choice Award was Eutopia Events.

Whatever you do...make it your own!

a wedding professionals own wedding...

You're a wedding professional...serving brides and grooms, helping them make their day special and all it can possibly be. So what happens when it comes time to plan your own wedding? What do you pick? Which wedding professionals do you work with? Well, Tommy Plante from Hard at Play DJ Service and his wife, Laura, are featured on the cover and in the Real New England section of the March issue of The Wedding Day Sourcebook. You'll find some wonderful images taken by Seth Kaye Photography that celebrate Tommy and Laura's wedding day.

So...what are you doing for your wedding?

it's bridal show time...

This Sunday marks the 5th year for the Western New England Fall Bridal Show at the MassMutual Center, Springfield, MA, from 11-4pm.

The area's finest wedding professionals will be on hand as well as an amazing New York style runway fashion show with the latest styles in bridal gowns, bridesmaids, special occasion and even fashions for the little ones in your wedding! Taste cake and food samples, sign up for giveaways including a honeymoon from Magical Escapes.

Come early for the $199 bridal gown sample sale. Yes, you heard it...just $199 for a bridal gowns...these gowns were originally priced $800-2000...talk about a savings! Plus if you arrive early you'll also be awarded free wedding bands! Value of $600. Bridal shows are a wonderful way to see everything and find exactly what you want for your wedding...talk about even more savings with free wedding bands!!!

So bring your groom, your attendants, your mom...wear comfy shoes, and just make a day of it! Check the website at www.cjcevents.com.

the really BIG sale

Bridal Heirlooms does it again! Not only do they have an amazing sample bridal gown sale, they give back to the community...with your help! This Saturday, October 23rd, Bridal Heirlooms offers up their annual Sample Sale! A terrific deal for any bride searching for their dream gown...bring in 5 non-perishable food items and receive 50% your sample sale gown! That's HUGE SAVINGS on 100’s of Beautiful Gowns. Great designers such as Maggie Sottero, Pronovias, Casablanca, Watters and many more!
Also...Special Occasion dresses, Mothers dresses and FlowerGirl styles and Accessories
$39 - $79** with your donation. You can't go wrong!!

Plan to be at Bridal Heirlooms, Saturday, October 23rd, 9am-4pm, located at 17 College Street, South Hadley, MA in the Village Commons Shop. 413-532-4848 www.bridalheirlooms.net

don't you just love...cupcakes...?

There are few things in life that are so perfect...a cupcake is one. Just a few bites, this moist tasty mini cake is usually decorated with a complimenting frosting and can fit right in as a delicate dessert, party treat, or even a midnight snack. They are still very popular for weddings, used instead of a wedding cake or to anchor a sweets table. Available in so many flavors, it's simple, portable and can hit the spot when you're looking for a quick personal treat.

I recently read an article about the downfall of the cupcake, the pending end of the cupcake trend. How could that be? With the popularity of new television programs like DC Cupcakes and Cupcake Wars, how could it be coming to an end so soon? I've always loved a good cupcake and when I was a small child, my Mom use to take me over to Liberty Bakery and we always bought cupcakes. The white box so neatly tied with white string and packed with our special treats, sometimes that box never made it home unopened. At the time it was just the two of us and picking up a half dozen cupcakes with my Mom was special.



Now I'm planning adventures with my own daughter. We're having fun with the cupcake craze, reading a cupcake cookbook and trying out a few from scratch recipes. We also enjoy stopping at some of our favorite bakeries when we can, to pick up a few cupcakes to top off our day. We've even gone out of our way to make sure we stopped at Cupcake Charlies in Mashpee when we were at the Cape. Businesses like Cupcake Charlies are booming, so I'm not sure where the writer for that article ever got their information. Obviously, they are not hanging out in the right bakeries!