Luck of the Irish!

Want a little luck for your wedding? Here a few of my favorite Irish traditions that will bring you luck on your wedding day!

Five/Six Pence:
Traditionally a silver sixpence was placed in the bride’s left shoe as a symbol of happiness, joy, finances, etc.

Wishing Stones:
When traditional Irish weddings were held by the water, guests would each make a wish for happiness on a stone and toss them into the water. If you aren’t near a lake or ocean try this twist of Irish by having guests sign a stone and drop it in a vase of water. (They will make great decor after your wedding)

Horse Shoe Bouquet
A horseshoe, when held up right represents luck, don’t tip it upside or its believed your luck will run out! Today most brides will use a charm or pendant since a horseshoe is quite heavy to be carrying around all day.

Symbolic Flowers in The bouquet
Bells of Ireland – Luck for the new couple!
Daisy – Innocence and Beauty of the bride.
Forget-Me-Not – True love…
Gardenia – Secret Love…
Ivy – Fidelity in the marriage.
Laurel – Success in the couple’s new life together!
Lavender – Devotion…
Lilly – Passion and purity in love.
Lilly of the Valley – Sweetness of love.
Peony – Honor one another.
Primrose – Eternal love in the new marriage
Rose – Passion and joy for the new couple.
Shamrocks – A sprig of Shamrock in the bride’s bouquet brings good luck.

Flower Wreath
That’s the next choice facing the bride. Traditionally Irish bride’s would have favored a garland of wild flowers typically Lavender to be worn in their hair. Whichever the bride’s choice she must never put her own veil or head-dress on as this is considered very unlucky.

Oatmeal and Salt
According to legend if the couple eats oatmeal and salt on the wedding morning they will be protected from evil spirits.  However, an oatmeal cookie is always a more delightful treat.

Meade Toast In Place of Champagne
Made from honey, mead is the beverage that coined the term ‘honeymoon.’  A Meade toast is a way to wish the couple well on their future together.

A Blue Dress!
The traditional Irish bride wore a blue wedding dress rather than white. This color was a symbol of purity in ancient times before white became the universal symbol for virginity.

Vendor Love!

We cannot say enough amazing things about Super Cool Creamery!

They’re a fun ice cream vendor that uses liquid nitrogen to create fresh, creamy ice cream in front of your eyes. Let's just start with the simple fact that it tastes amazing!

They have an incredible selection of flavors with everything from, cookies and cream to fresh mango and keylime with dark rum. They also deliver amazing flavor with a show, the freezing process creates a fun smoke effect that adds that extra experience we love.  

At Elle A Events there is nothing we like more than to see our clients happy; but a close second is getting to see smiles on our vendor’s faces! The amazing team at Super Cool Creamery is such a sweet treat
to work with!

They make every event better! 

P.S.: For those 21 and over, they offer amazing cocktail options that will spice up any event! 

Call me Old Fashioned

Call me Old Fashioned, or maybe just call me fashionable. These trailer bars with vintage flaire are my new favorite must have at any event. Whether it's a wedding, holiday party, birthday celebration, or even a corporate event, we know the BAR is a crucial part of the event. If you know most of your guests will be spending a good amount of time visiting the bar, why not give it some good Old Fashioned flaire.  

These vintage trailers also make a great timeless Photo Booth your guests will be talking about until the end of time.

Party For Two!

Love is in the air! A last minute crunch shouldn’t stop you from throwing a perfect night! Taking advice from Shania Twain and having a “Party for Two” at home is never a bad idea.

Everything can be catered to making the one you love feel special. From personalized music, printed out photo décor, cocktail attire, or even a pajama style valentine.  The ideas are limitless.

Pair any of these cute meal ideas with your favorite champagne and you’re set to impress your love. 

Appetizers:
“Tomato Soup with Cupid Croutons”

Directions:
- In 5- to 6-quart saucepot, heat oil on medium. Add onion and garlic; cook 10 minutes, stirring. Add broth, tomatoes, bay leaves and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Heat to boiling on high. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

- Meanwhile, trim crusts from bread. With heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut 4 hearts from bread slices; toast hearts. Stir bread scraps into soup.

- Remove and discard bay leaves. Stir in butter and sugar. In batches in blender or with immersion blender, blend soup until smooth. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Serve topped with heart croutons.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 c. lower-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 28 oz. whole peeled tomatoes
2 bay leaves
4 slices white bread
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. sugar

“Beer Cheddar Fondue”

Ingredients:
12 oz. light beer
½ tsp. Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic
¼ tsp. Hot sauce
4 c. shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
2 tbsp. cornstarch
Cooked sausage
New potatoes
Bread cubes
Apple slices

Directions:
- Heat beer, Dijon mustard, garlic, and hot sauce in 4-quart saucepan on low; whisk in Cheddar cheese tossed with cornstarch until melted and smooth.

- Serve with sliced cooked sausage, cooked new potatoes, bread cubes, and apple slices for dipping.

Entree:
“Filet Mignon with Shallot Butter”

Directions:
- In 10-inch skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil on medium. Add shallot and rosemary; cook 2 minutes or until shallot is golden, stirring. Add wine. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until most of wine has evaporated, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly. In small bowl, combine butter and shallot mixture. Stir in parsley. Refrigerate.

- Wipe out skillet; add remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Heat on medium-high until very hot. Season steaks with 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Place steaks in skillet. Cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn over; cook 3 minutes or until desired doneness (145 degrees F for medium-rare). Transfer to plate; let stand 5 minutes.

- To serve, top steaks with red wine–shallot butter.

Ingredients:
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 small shallot
.13 tsp. dried rosemary
¼ tsp. dry red wine
2 tbsp. butter (no substitutions)
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 beef tenderloin (filet mignon) steaks

“Caramelized Fig and Ravioli with Rosemary Brown Butter & Crispy Prosciutto”

Ingredients:
4 thin slices prosciutto
2 (9-ounce) packages fresh cheese ravioli
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 fresh figs, quartered through the stem
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the prosciutto in a single layer and cook until curling and lightly browned underneath, about 2 minutes. Flip and let cook until browned on the other side, about 2 minutes more. Transfer the prosciutto to paper towels to drain. Do not wash the pan.

- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the cheese ravioli according to package instructions.

- Meanwhile, using the same frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the figs and rosemary. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter browns and the figs have softened and caramelized a bit, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

- Use a spider or slotted spoon to transfer the ravioli to the frying pan. Add 1/4 cup of pasta water and simmer, tossing gently, until the sauce has thickened a bit and evenly coats the pasta, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to serving bowls and crumble the crispy prosciutto over each portion.

Dessert:
Chocolate covered strawberries, who can say no to such a timeless classic.