Cakes & Ale: where local ingredients make a great rehearsal dinner

Courtesy of Cakes & Ale

Decatur is home to dozens of fun casual restaurants, but sometimes what you want for a rehearsal dinner is something just a tad more... special. To the rescue is Cakes & Ale, a sprightly little boite on Ponce focusing on fabulous food made with local ingredients as well as on keeping an eco-friendly footprint.

Cakes & Ale (love that name to pieces!) is the handiwork of husband and wife team William and Maria Allin. The menu is small and changes daily, with all ingredients sourced from local farms in the area and from the restaurant's own vegetable garden. What else is green: they compost, recycle, and house-filter their water.

The restaurant seats 60 (including 13 bar seats), so it's perfect for a rehearsal dinner, with Fri/Sat rental of the restaurant at $4500. Chef Billy mixes his tutelage under Scott Peacock at Watershed with his West-Coast/Napa Valley posh eatery training, so you're in for a treat!

Cakes & Ale: 254 West Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur, 404-550-4196

Dress event quickie: Bel Fiore Bridal gowns, tax free!

Courtesy of Sonia Cholette

If you're rarin' to go shopping on a tax holiday weekend, here are some fun dress events this month at Bel Fiore Bridal.

At Bel Fiore Bridal in Marietta: Today through August 3rd, you'll get a sales tax holiday sale - that's 6% off! And all through August you get a gift with purchase for a Back To School Special. Yes, a student ID is required, so we're putting out an APB for academic types (or just very young brides).

Bel Fiore is also hosting a very special trunk show Aug 10, showing off the latest gowns by Sonia Cholette.I love the beading on this gown from the fall line.

Bel Fiore Bridal, 4400 Roswell Rd, Marietta, 770-509-7185

More fun ideas to involve your in-laws!

Courtesy of Bella-Sera

You knew we had more! Here, several more ideas on involving your respective families, especially your mother-in-law, on your big day.

Nicole Fantz of Peachtree Weddings and Events offers her tips: "I've had mothers-in-law host farewell brunches the day after the wedding, do toasts at the reception, be part of the processional (not just the seating of the parents), and do readings as part of the ceremony." Another great idea from Nicole that includes the groom's whole family: place family photos around the reception with little cards indicating the subject and the year the photos were taken.

From Susan Graham of Bella-Sera: "At a recent wedding, mom-in-law handled the favors and the send-off (rose petals in cones)." She also suggests that if your MIL has a special interest in baking, ask her to be involved in that area. And I love this idea: "A bride may want to save the bridal gown shopping as a special treat for her mother to share, but how about taking mom-in-law shopping for the maids' attire?"

For post-wedding fun, Susan also suggests scheduling a "premiere" of the wedding dvd with the groom's family, making it a real movie night with flavored popcorns and snacks. Don't forget to give them a copy of the dvd as their gift!

Great ideas to involve your MIL on your big day...

Courtesy of New Beginnings Weddings

Brides take center stage with their grooms. The Mother of the Bride (at least in all fairytales) helps with the dress and, well, everything else. Father of the Bride (at least in the eponymous movie and umpteen commercials played for yuks) pays for everything. What about the groom's family? Here are several ways to involve those who are about to become your nearest and dearest, from the mouths of those who know—Atlanta wedding planners.

Rhonda Allen of New Beginnings Weddings tries to involve mothers of the groom in creating the look of ceremony programs or menu cards if she's artsy, or in charge of assembling the wedding favors. Another important and fun idea: invite her to attend the cake tasting. Says Rhonda: "The cake is such a focal point of most weddings and being a part of the selection of it really makes the MIL feel special." And if your groom's mom doesn't have any girls of her own, she may want to come to your final gown fitting.

From Jennifer Lackey of Storybook Weddings: "I always suggest including the MIL's on something that isn't top priority like welcome bags, favors, or other tasks that can become overwhelming." One MIL was in charge of all of the paper items, from invitations to the programs. Jennifer also suggests letting your MIL attend planning meetings so she knows what is going on. "Most mom just want to be a part of the process, not make all the decisions (of course there are exceptions to this rule). So invite her to join you for the tasting or floral meetings, and she will appreciate it for years to come."

The Mansion on Peachtree

Courtesy of The Mansion on Peachtree

The Mansion on Peachtree is so gorgeous and fun that it's setting a new standard in luxury service and attention to detail. I'm really hoping the other high-end hotels in Atlanta take a look and follow in its stride. What you'll find: glamorous event spaces both indoors and out for ceremonies and receptions, a great restaurant perfect for an old-Hollywood-style rehearsal dinner, and of course spa and hotel space for guests and the wedding party.

The Mansion is a Rosewood Hotel property, and as such is devoted to lavish decor and impeccable service. The Presidential Suite runs about $4,000 a night, with most rooms, all of them with gorgeous views and butler service, at around $500-600. (There's a half-off special this summer, so check the website for more details.) Weddings could take place in various venues, with the English Garden outside as a really romantic evening setting; the Rosewood Room, with a large balcony overlooking the garden, would fit about 120 guests for a seated reception with a dance floor.

29 Spa offers various wedding packages for you and your wedding party in an amazing setting. I've never seen anything so pristine and lush in Atlanta, and with a soothing blue-and-brown palette, silky linens, and skin and beauty products by Lydia Mondavi, it really functions as a sanctuary.

The chic hotel restaurant, NEO, is a luxe vision of champagne leather and cool marble. It's a perfect rehearsal dinner setting, but I'd take my bridesmaids here in a heartbeat for a fun luncheon. In the fall, expect to see Craft join NEO and the plush hotel bar (shown) as a go-to hotspot (and perfect place for your groom and his men to gather before the wedding).

Local gifts (& favors) to welcome your guests

Courtesy of Peachtree Road Farmers Market

So I'm always on the lookout for fun things to put in welcome baskets. And when I was at the Peachtree Road Farmer's Market recently, I came across some great stuff, all from local vendors, that would perk up your welcome for out of town guests.

First, let me say that you need to get to the market early. It opens at 8:30, and parking is much better if you get there first thing. But once you're there, it's easy to grab a coffee and check out the wares. If you want fun things for welcome baskets, grab some jam from Fairywood Thicket.

I'm partial to the incredibly delectable Strawberry-Lavender version, but they have great jams and jellies in attractive jars that range from rare stuff like elderberry and the usual sweet suspects (peach, raspberry) to concoctions that are tart or even hot, like pepper jelly. Local edibles are always a hit, so I'd also purchase a pile of fresh croissants, danishes and breads from H&F Bread for my welcome hotel suite or whatever you're using as home base.

The market focuses of course on local organic produce, but I can see some of the herbal soaps or Fairywood Thicket's jellies tied up with ribbon into quaint favors—perfect for a wedding in a natural setting!

Dress as art: Stephanie London's gown portraits

Courtesy of Stephanie London

Is the fee to preserve and box up your dress worth it? It's a nice idea to save our dresses to pass down to a sister or a daughter. But there are more ways than one to preserve a memory. I like what artist Stephanie London does: paint portraits of the dress itself. Who needs a box in a closet when you can have art on the wall?

Stephanie attended FIT in New York to study design, but began to paint dresses as a way to beautify her world after surviving a 5-story fall from a fire escape. Her lengthy recovery period produced these gorgeous tonal portraits. What's cool is that the dresses are painted alone, but they suggest the wearer still in them. This can come across as cheerful or eerie or both, depending on the hues she incorporates.

I love this idea—because it's a way to put your dress (a highly individual choice) back on, so to speak. And it's always more fun to pass art on down to your kids than a dress, don't you think?

Contact the artist at stephanie@stephanielondon.com.

Callaway Gardens Food and Wine weekend

Courtesy of Callaway Gardens

Callaway Gardens is a great setting for an outdoor wedding. Think about it: you'll have a gorgeous garden backdrop (that you don't have to water or weed). Your guests have a range of villas and resort hotel rooms to stay in, a golf course and beach to play on, and miles of garden paths to explore.

Scout the grounds and gardens for your own wedding: on August 15-17, Callaway is hosting a Food and Wine weekend gala, using the bounty of the resort's exhibition garden to create a fab meal. Chocolate tastings and wine pairings round out the party - perfect for couples planning a wedding and needing some expert help with the menu. New executive chef William Justus is the star of the show. It's a perfect way to test the waters for your own wedding and see all the different chapels and garden spots that might suit your style.

The Chocolate and Wine Tasting is on Friday evening from 5-7, so blow off work a little early and head on down. Saturday offers a breakfast, Wine and Lunch Tasting, and Wine and Dinner Tasting. Sunday ends with a bang-up brunch. Gardens admission is included in the rates, which are based on your choice of accommodation. (Personally, I'd stay at the Lodge and Spa, because I am a glutton for spa treatments and I can work all the food off in the Pilates/Yoga studio, but the Villas look lovely, too.)

Registration is limited, so give them a shout: visit www.callawaygardens.com or call 1-800-CALLAWAY (225-5292).

Historic elegance at the Garrett-Bullock House in Columbus

Courtesy of JE Hedges Photography

Every city, town and village in Georgia has its own special homes. You know the ones I mean: once the mansions (or just big houses) of the town's rich and famous, they're now hosting happy weddings each weekend. One gorgeous option for Columbus brides is the Garrett Bullock House, an 1881 Queen Anne Victorian with all-inclusive packages for a variety of weddings.

Check the site for a rundown of prices and inclusions: you can run from a 100-person reception with all the trimmings at $15k on down to a small morning wedding for under $3,000. They have a list of preferred vendors, as is usual in historic structures like these, and a list of extra touches that you can add on to your contract to make the day really special. (I love that add-ons include "minister" in addition to stuff like chivari chairs and linen upgrades.) Sunday and Friday weddings fall in between those ranges, great for brides who want smaller weddings or who just want to save a little money for their honeymoon. (I had a Labor Day weekend Sunday wedding and it rocked, so don't dismiss an untraditional day out of hand!)

The G-B House is also holding an open house on July 27, 2008, where you can sample food, check out the vendors, and scope out everything you need. Call to RSVP: 706-536-4054.

The Garrett- Bullock House: 1402 2nd Avenue, Columbus, GA 31901 and www.garrettbullockhouse.com

Something new: handmade guestbooks and photo albums by Kristin Saegaert

Courtesy of Kristin Saegaert

White satin is lovely for a dress, but a bit bland for a guest book. So take a look at these handcrafted, hardbound albums by Kristin Saegaert.

Kristin uses highest-quality, acid-free materials to preserve your memories in style. Each album is covered with designer fabric of the bride's choosing, and the attention to detail is what make these books special: silver metal beads sewing into the spine, wide ribbon to tie the book closed, and waxed Irish linen thread for sewing the binding in coordinating colors (she uses a combination of stitches for interest). Heavy, high-quality paper is chosen especially for either writing or for holding photos, with spacers in the photo albums to protect the integrity of the pictures.

For custom orders, Kristin works with you to create a one-of-a-kind blank book or album just for you, with special beads and charms on the spine, specific colors to match your wedding colors, and your choice of fabric or style.

These albums are perfect for you to give as gifts to your parents after the wedding, to your bridesmaids, or even to your photographer. Or you could craft books to hold recipes for a new bride or journals for your honeymoon. Remember - your photos aren't just good pics. One day they'll be a historical record passed down in your family, with stories to match every snapshot and pose. So give them the perfect showcase!

Contact Kristin via her shop and blog; or just email her at saegaert@bellsouth.net.