What a Welcome

A couple of months ago I told you about a wedding I designed and produced in Spain.  It was an amazing weekend and each element was designed in a way to give guests a unique taste of the Rioja Wine Region.

While every aspect of this wedding was special, the welcome dinner that I produced at the Ysios Winery in Laguardia Spain was really spectacular yet touching in that it was the first gathering of a very special circle of family and friends who had made the long journey to celebrate this union.

Designed by Santiago Calatrava, the main building of the Ysios Winery is truly amazing.  It is hard to believe that in this remote region of Spain there are two awe inspiring structures by renown architects within eyeshot of each other.  The other is the Hotel Marques de Riscal designed by Frank Gehry.

Since wedding guests had just traveled a long distance to reach El Ciego, we arranged transportation for everyone to get from the host hotel, the Hotel Marques de Riscal, to Ysios.  This allowed everyone to have a carefree evening and really enjoy the amazing for a scenery.  The winery has a very dramatic entrance pathway through the vineyard that I thought would be great for guests to experience so we took advantage of this and dropped guests off at the end of the path so they could experience the walk to the main building.

When guests reached the winery they were invited for cocktails into the dramatic wine room.  Surrounded by countless barrels of wine in an amazing setting it was a truly wonderful way to begin the dinner.

  

Also upon entering, guests were treated to some tremendous food provided by Marisol Arriaga Catering of Logrono, Spain.  Marisol also has a restaurant in Logrono and, if you ever happen to be in the area, you have to stop for lunch or dinner.  The food is wonderful!

After cocktails guests were escorted upstairs to another beautiful room with massive windows overlooking the winery on one side and the barrel room on the other.  Due to the intimate nature of this gathering, all guests were seated at one long table.  Another benefit of the long table is that none of the guests had their back to the windows so everyone could take advantage of the view.

To decorate the room I wanted something very natural and simple.  I used white glass containers filled with olive branches to create a look that was perfect for the simple beauty of this room.  The best part is that the client had no idea what to expect and they loved it.

Overall it was a wonderful evening with the Grooms and their guests raving about the beautiful setting and amazing food.  It truly was the perfect way to begin this magical weekend.

Of course I have to thank all of the people in Spain who helped me make this happen.  Special thanks to Sylvia and the staff of Ysios Winery, Marisol Arriaga for the catering, everyone at Eventus in Logrono who put together all of the floral and decor and Ana Pedrero from the Hotel Marques de Riscal who was our communication expert in coordinating all elements of the weekend.  And I cannot forget Charles and Jennifer of Maring Visuals out of New York and their brilliant photography.

Until next time....

Cheers

Looking for some fun cocktail and appetizer recipes for Halloween?

Halloween is such a fun, festive holiday that is perfect for a great party.  Of course every party needs creative, tasty cocktails and fun food.  I have been busy testing some great new recipes that I will be sharing this week Thursday on Better TV and next Monday on VH1's Morning Buzz.  I am sure you will love some of the fun recipes that will give a kick to your Halloween Party.

As a prelude I would like to share a new Fall cocktail that I really love.  It is a Salted Caramel Apple Cocktail and is ghoulishly addictive!

Ingredients:

1/2 ounce Vanilla Vodka

1 ounce Salted Caramel Vodka

5 ounces Apple Cider

Directions:

- Fill a large glass with ice

- Add the Vanilla and Salted Carmel Vodka

- Top with Apple Cider

- Stir

- Enjoy!

This is such a simple and tasty Fall cocktail.  I know it has been a hit with my friends!

Be sure to check your local listings for the airtimes of Better TV and VH1 Morning Buzz for many more great cocktail and food recipes.

Happy Halloween and.......

Cheers

Shawn Rabideau Stationery - Design of the Week

I am so excited with the great response I have been getting to my new stationery line sold exclusively on FineStationery.com.  Everyone loves the unique designs and bright colors that are really the signature of my line.

Since there are so many different designs that have been released, and seeing there will be more to come in the near future, I thought it would be great for me to present my design of the week along with a little story of how that design came about.

Holiday entertaining is right around the corner and for me it is one of my favorite times of the year!  This weeks featured invitation is from the Holiday collection.  I always come up with a fabulous new martini for my holiday parties and I thought it would be appropriate to feature a bright, colorful martini glass that captures the essence of holiday entertaining.  The Christmas Tree olive pick is accented with a touch of glitter to give it a fun sparkle.  And, like the rest of my collection, there is a design on the back.  The back of this invitation features the same fun glass tipped over letting your guests know a good time will be had by all!

If you received this invitation wouldn't you want to go to the party?

Be sure to check out this invitation and many others from my collection and get your orders in now!  All orders of $100 or more on FineStationery.com receive free shipping.

I am really looking forward to sharing all of my designs with you in the coming weeks.  I hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I enjoyed creating them.

Cheers! 

Introducing Shawn Rabideau Stationery!

After over a year of hard work I am excited to be able to introduce you to my new line of stationery available on FineStationery.com!

Last Monday we launched my line of Holiday invitations and Notables.  Today I am excited to introduce my line of invitations for all parties and entertaining.  The line is distinguished by bold colors and exciting patterns not only on the front of the invitation but also on the back. Each pattern was inspired by a family member who has held a special place in my life. I have created patterns that can be used for everything from Weddings to Birthday Parties, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs and much more.  Another great feature of my stationery is that it allows you to keep a consistent look throughout your entire party.  In addition to invitations you can purchase coordinating menus, table numbers, escort cards and even thank you notes in the same pattern.

In my collection I strive to present unique, colorful designs that offer something for everyone.  I encourage you to take the time to browse through my entire collection, the link is listed below, and let me know your favorite!

Shawn Rabideau Stationery

Happy Shopping and.....

Cheers,

Wonderful Westchester Wedding

This past Summer I had the privilege to plan and design some amazing weddings for great couples.  Each one of them was wonderful in their own unique way.  I want to share some photos of the weddings with you starting with the wedding of Jess and Rob at Lyndhurst Castle in Tarrytown, New York.

Located along the Hudson River, Lyndhurst was the perfect setting for Jess and Rob's outdoor ceremony.  Jess looked stunning as we strolled up the path from the Castle in preparation for the ceremony.

The Bride carried a beautiful white bouquet while the bridesmaids had beautiful bouquets with soft pink and coral flowers.

We were fortunate to have perfect weather so we were able to use the Gazebo in the Rose Garden which I think you will agree was stunning.

Guests were able to enjoy the entire estate as they proceeded from the ceremony to the outdoor terrace of the Castle for cocktails and hors d'oeuvres.  Sterling Affair Catering did an amazing job in creating a wonderful feast for all of the guests.

I give great kudos to Courtney from Craig Paulson Photography who took advantage of the setting to capture tremendous shots of the happy couple, the wedding party and their families.

Following the cocktail hour guests were guided down to the reception tent where they were greeted not by a traditional escort card table but by a large chalkboard I created listing all of the  guests names and table assignment.

For the table decor I used floral in white, soft green and coral to create a more natural garden feel and accented the arrangements with silver mercury glass pillars and silver julep cup votives.  As a final touch asian lanterns were hung from the ceiling to add festive feel to the tent.

Of course, no wedding is complete without great entertainment.  For their wedding Jess and Rob selected Hank Lane Orchestras who did an amazing job keeping the guests on the dance floor and putting the final touch on an amazing wedding.

It was truly an amazing wedding for a wonderful couple.  I certainly wish them the best for a long and happy future!

Until the next great event.....

Cheers!

The Knot Fall / Winter 2012

I am so excited to be noted in The Knot's newest edition as an "Editor's Pick" for Wedding Planners in New York.  

Check out the new issue with great information for brides in the Tri-state area.

Until next time,

Cheers

Fresh Tomato Tart Recipe

In the past I have talked about tomato season and how my family has a tradition of making their own Bloody Mary mix every year around Labor Day.  Well, it may be hard to believe, but there are other things you can make with tomatoes other than Bloody Mary's!  Who knew?

One of my favorite dishes to make with fresh tomatoes is a wonderful tomato tart that was introduced to me by our friends Shannon and Dave and that comes from the website www.cooksillustrated.com. Dave has perfected the recipe and showed me his method for making this  great summer treat.  The key is to make sure you thoroughly dry the tomatoes and, to save time, you can actually make the crust ahead of time and add the tomatoes later. 

I have found that this is not only a terrific appetizer to serve for a party, it can actually be a whole meal.  It really is an easy recipe that is perfect for any tomato lover!

SERVES 6 TO 8

Thawing the frozen puff pastry in the refrigerator overnight will help prevent cracking while unfolding it. Be sure to use a low-moisture supermarket mozzarella sold in block form, not fresh water-packed mozzarella. If you prefer to do some advanced preparation, the tart shell can be prebaked through step 1, cooled to room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap, and kept at room temperature for up to two days before being topped and baked with the mozzarella and tomatoes.

INGREDIENTS

• Flour , unbleached all-purpose, for work surface
• 1box frozen puff pastry (Pepperidge Farm, 1.1 pound), thawed in box in refrigerator overnight
• 1large egg, beaten
• 2ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)
• 1pound plum tomatoes (about 3 to 4 medium), cored and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• Salt
• 2medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
• 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Ground black pepper
• 8ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 cups)
• 2tablespoons chopped fresh basil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Dust work surface with flour and unfold both pieces puff pastry onto work surface. Following illustrations below, form 1 large sheet with border, using beaten egg as directed. Sprinkle Parmesan evenly over shell; using fork, uniformly and thoroughly poke holes in shell. Bake 13 to 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees; continue to bake until golden brown and crisp, 13 to 15 minutes longer. Transfer to wire rack; increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.
2. 2. While shell bakes, place tomato slices in single layer on double layer paper towels and sprinkle evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt; let stand 30 minutes. Place second double layer paper towels on top of tomatoes and press firmly to dry tomatoes. Combine garlic, olive oil, and pinch each salt and pepper in small bowl; set aside.
3. 3. Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over warm (or cool, if made ahead) baked shell. Shingle tomato slices widthwise on top of cheese (about 4 slices per row); brush tomatoes with garlic oil. Bake until shell is deep golden brown and cheese is melted, 15 to 17 minutes. Cool on wire rack 5 minutes, sprinkle with basil, slide onto cutting board or serving platter, cut into pieces, and serve.

STEP-BY-STEP

FORMING THE TART SHELL

• 
  1. Brush egg along one edge of one sheet of puff pastry. Overlap with second sheet of dough by 1 inch and press to seal pieces together.
• 
  2. With rolling pin, smooth out seam. Dough should measure about 18 by 9 inches. Use pizza wheel or knife to trim edges straight.
• 
  3. With pizza wheel or knife, cut 1-inch strip from long side of dough. Cut another 1-inch strip from same side.
• 
  4. Cut 1-inch strip from short side of dough. Cut another 1-inch strip from same side. Transfer pieces of dough to parchment-lined baking sheet and brush with egg.
• 
  5. Gently press long strips of dough onto each long edge of dough and brush with egg. Gently press short strips of dough onto each short edge and brush with egg.
• 
  6. With pizza wheel or knife, trim excess dough from corners
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I hope you enjoy the tart as much as I do
  
  
  Happy Labor Day and....
  
  
  Cheers!