Jan 25, 2020
Male-Friendly Wedding Favors and Gift Ideas
As you know or you may be finding out, it takes a lot to prepare for a wedding. It equally takes a lot of time and money for friends and family to come celebrate with you. This is why wedding favors are a nice expression that you truly appreciate and love having them there with you on your wedding day.
A key thing to note is that not everyone will love the same gift. To be precise, the guys might want something a bit different from what the girls might fancy.
So what do you get them? A truck-load full of beer? Well, not really…
There are a lot of ideas you can select from, even customize. If you’re looking for guy-friendly wedding favors and gift ideas read on for 8 fun suggestions that the men will actually use!
Personalized Drink Stirrer
ETSY.COM: While a truck-load full of beer will be overkill, a personalized drink stirrer sporting each guy’s name will be a gift that will last beyond the weekend. You can have this set at each guy’s place setting, with the gold finish complimenting your wedding style.
You can have party-inspired words form the writing or be a bit more personal and have each guy’s name engraved on it.
Ginger Ray Kraft Matchbox
AMAZON.COM: If you are having a rustic themed wedding, then this matchbox will be a great idea for a wedding favor to give your male guests. They are also budget friendly – but be sure to check with your venue regarding their policy on open flames.
The box comes with a nice thank-you note written on top, so the gentlemen will always feel appreciated anytime they pull out this beautiful matchbox.
Magnet Letters
NOTONTHEHIGHSTREET.COM: There are a lot of ideas and areas where these magnet letters will stick! A great start would be at your reception on a favor table or incorporated into the place setting. These magnet letters are very versatile wedding favors, thanks to their ability to stick on important surfaces where they are a friendly reminder.
Stick them on filing cabinets, fridge doors or anywhere a magnet calls home.
And since they’re designed to spell out words or names, you can get highly specific with this one for a more special touch.
Red Hot Chili Seeds
Since I grew up in the Land of Enchantment (aka New Mexico), this next suggestion is close to my heart and taste buds!
WEDDINGINATEACUP.CO.UK: You can spice up your men’s kitchen by giving them this special bag of chili seeds that they can plant later. The seeds in the bag are for Jalapeno chili, one of the easiest chilies to grow.
The best part is that you can customize the bag with your names and the date/location of your wedding reminding them of the incredible time at your wedding.
Silver Effect Photo Frame
WILKO.COM: This is a beautiful and useful idea! Where will the guys keep the gorgeous photo of himself and his date at your wedding? In this silver photo frame. The frame measures 6 inches by 4 inches and is designed to not only hold photos but you can also make these work double time as place cards at each guests’ place setting or a table number.
Thanks to the simplistic design, it will work well within many home decor styles and give their walls a personalized touch.
Hot Tabasco Sauce
TABASCO.COM: Before the jalapeno chili seeds grow, the boys will surely need something to keep their taste buds spiced up. A good helper for that would be hot sauce from Tabasco.
But isn’t this product already branded?
Well, technically not. Tabasco allows you to add your custom name, brand, and logo to their 1/8oz mini-bottles. This makes their hot sauce a perfect choice for spicy wedding favor and gift!
Flask and Pocket Knife Gift Set
GROOMSMENGIFTSOURCE.COM: Some outdoorsy men would love a wedding favor that they can use while camping or hiking. If that describes a lot of guys on your guest list, then this item is a natural choice!
This gift set comes with a pocket knife and flask, both of which have been made out of high-quality stainless steel. You can have these items personalized with initials or names of the recipient.
Mini Glass Bottle with Cork Stopper
CONFETTI.CO.UK: This is a great destination wedding favor! If your male guests have limited space but you still want them to depart with a gift, then this guy-friendly small glass bottle with a cork stopper might be the ticket. Yes, it can’t hold that much liquor or sand, but it can hold a lot more memories.
Customization Tip – tie a nice token at the neck of the bottle such as a mini rum drum just to spice things up. Even better, you can personalize this item to have your names, date or wedding location written on it.
Tahoe Signature of Style,
Jan 13, 2016
Yummm – everyone loves a warm, just-off-the-fire s’more! And the nostalgic, comfort feeling they instill… Nothing goes hand-in-hand better than Lake Tahoe, the mountains and s’mores but sometimes incorporating these into your Tahoe wedding might be difficult with open fire rules, the thought of dripping marshmallow on fine silk or maybe it just doesn’t go with your wedding style/look for the big day. The rehearsal dinner can be a good option OR how about a s’mores cake!?!
From the glorious kitchen of Canadian baker and blogger Sweetapolita, this sinful 6-layer rich chocolate malted and toasted marshmallow cake will be a crowd pleaser and have your guests coming back for more. The marshmallow filling is full of marshmallows actually toasted in the oven – these little details are what really makes (and takes!) the cake.
6 layers of dark, moist chocolate cake sandwiching alternating rich and fluffy frosting: satiny Belgian chocolate malted frosting and creamy toasted-marshmallow vanilla frosting with bits of actual crispy marshmallow in every bite. Strangely, the finished cake is not really super sweet–it’s more rich, light, and creamy sweet…
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Okay, mouth-watering yet? No more teasing, here is the recipe for an 8″ round 6-layer cake courtesy of Sweetapolita:
Rich Chocolate Cake
This is for three 8″ pans, but the layers will be a bit more shallow if you use the recipe as it is written. If you double the recipe, you will be able to fill the pans 2/3 full, resulting in thicker layers. You will have some remaining batter, with which you can make cupcakes, etc. You can also increase by 50%.
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup Cacao Barry Extra Brute Cocoa Powder (or similar premium brand)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup strong black coffee
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespooon pure vanilla extract
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare 3 x 8″ cake pans with butter and flour or parchment paper. In bowl of electric mixer, sift all dry ingredients. Add all remaning ingredients to bowl with the dry ingredients and with paddle attachment on mixer, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed (you may need the plastic splashguard that comes with mixer) and pour into prepared pans. Batter will be liquidy.
Bake for 20 minutes and rotate pans in oven. Cakes are done when toothpick or skewer comes clean–approximately 35 minutes. Try not to overbake. Cool on wire racks for 20 minutes then gently invert onto racks until completely cool.
Malted Belgian Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients:
1 lb butter (4 sticks or 2 cups) at room temperature
4 cups icing sugar (confectioners’ or powdered)
3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup Ovaltine Classic (brown in colour)
8 oz Pure Bittersweet chocolate, premium brand – chopped and melted
1/2 cup whipping (35% fat) cream
Method:
In a bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine the icing sugar and butter and beat on low speed for about 1 minute. Add vanilla and malt powder, and beat on low until well combined. Add the melted chocolate and beat on medium speed until smooth (about 2 minutes). Add whipping cream and beat on med-high speed for another minute. Best used right away.
*Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Chocolate Frosting recipe
Toasted-Marshmallow Frosting
Ingredients:
16 large white marshmallows
1 cup icing sugar (confectioners’ or powdered)
1/2 lb butter (2 sticks, or 1 cup) at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 oz of Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Cream (or Marshmallow Fluff)
Method:
Place marshmallows on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Place on lower rack of oven, and broil marshmallows until nice and brown on top, between 30-60 seconds. Remove pan from oven and gently turn the marshmallows over, and broil until they are golden brown. Be sure to keep an eye on them–they burn very, very quickly. Combine butter and icing sugar in electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, on low until blended (about 1 minute). Add vanilla and mix on high for about 3 minutes. Add marshmallow cream and toasted marshmallows, and mix on lowest setting for about 1 minute.
This is a fresh, stylish way to introduce s’mores into your wedding reception with possibly a groom’s cake or cupcakes or even the showcase wedding cake!
Tahoe Signature of Style,
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Jan 26, 2015
Once the novelty of being engaged subsides (or even if doesn’t!), you can’t ignore the growing reality that you need to begin to plan your wedding. If your life is already scheduled to the max, how do you make the time for this?
How to plan your own wedding, much less where to begin, can seem very daunting. From glossy wedding magazines to e-newsletters, from blog-sites to wedding website collectives, from social media to bridal fairs….
You get the idea, the amount of available information is staggering. Besides not knowing exactly where to start, how do you know which available information is actually useful rather than a gimmick?
Most couples begin planning their wedding with little or no experience, yet have the pressure to get it ‘right’ from the first to last important decisions. Not much else in life comes with these expectations! When planning your own wedding, you cannot afford to waste time, money or your peace of mind.
So, if you are a newly engaged bride and wondering how to plan your own wedding, your options might look something like this:
1) Depend on your best friend, second cousin or a friend of a friend from work who was just married for her experience or advice that she received from the catering manager at the hotel where she was married. Maybe the printed info is still legible since she can’t seem to find the originals on her computer. Let’s hope your plans for the weddings are identical!
2) Quit your job so you will have time to surf through the millions of posts on wedding advice online and determine which posts are the best and most useful (hopefully). Load the advice to your phone, tablet and whatever else you may have so you can have it whenever you need it (if you remember). But which blog advice post do you start with? Then don’t forget the time to interview and hire the vendors for your wedding and, finally, decide upon all the fun details of the wedding! But who has the energy or time now for these?!? Whew!
3) Or you can enroll in the Merrily Wed® Academy and be coached on how to plan your wedding! This one-of-a-kind wedding planning coaching program takes a modern approach to DIY wedding planning consisting of daily lessons, a wedding coach and useful wedding tools and strategies.
Whichever option is ultimately best for you, make sure it is one that sets you up for success from the start, is convenient for your schedule, taps into professional planning experience and can deliver the results you desire!
Happy Wedding Planning!
Tahoe Signature of Style,
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Jul 30, 2014
As the summer has sailed, surrender to the oh-so cherished tradition and let the bachelorette parties begin! Whether your bridal party wants to relax in the sun or dance all night long, we just swooned over these hottest bachelorette party destinations. And we think you will too…
1. Las Vegas Not surprised here at all! This is definitely the number one destination for your ‘maids to soak up some sun from daytime swanky pool parties to fabulous dining and outrageous entertainment.
2. Miami Think sun-soaked pool parties or white sandy beaches…a perfect place to sip a cocktail or two with your besties.
3. New York City The Big Apple offers such a variety of sightseeing to incredible cuisine and nightlife. Your luxurious ladies will definitely love this bach weekend.
4. New Orleans
Have a bit of a rowdier experience in mind? Then Bourbon Street is the place to be! Jazz music, creole cuisine, and truly a party bar scene…this place will not disappoint!
5. Napa Valley
Okay, so relaxing at world-class spas or drinking wine in style is more your idea of celebrating your upcoming nuptials, then Napa Valley it is. Gorgeous wine country views coupled with some special girl time…priceless!
6. Austin
Ahhh, the live music capital of the world, Austin is the perfect destination for the music loving ladies. Party house boating on Lake Travis is sure to heat up the day!
7. Nashville
Get your dancin’ boots on and get ready for some of the most iconic bar hopping you will ever experience. And saddle up for all things country!
8. Scottsdale
Beautiful desert weather and transcendent spas provide an ideal setting for a relaxing girls’ getaway. Lively bars and restaurants in Old Town Scottsdale make place this city on the top ten for sure.
9. Atlantic City For all our East Coast brides…bask on the beach during the day then try out your lady luck while gambling and dancing at the casino clubs.
10. Chicago
This cosmopolitan city has a fantastic restaurant and bar scene. Lots of alternative activities for your celebration including cooking and art classes, comedy and cabaret shows, burlesque classes and more.
Thanks to Glamour for the inspiration!
Tahoe Signature of Style,
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Dec 6, 2013
Nah, not really! A beautiful, sun-kissed and fun-filled wedding at Martis Camp was exactly what transpired last June for Katie and Steve on their wedding day. They traded vows (and shared a symbolic margarita!) on an overlook above a pine tree filled valley, then danced the night away in front of the red Family Barn. Their 200 plus guests happily gave their blessings as this playful couple begin their new life together.
With whites, creams and ivories, the pale and deep mustard yellow made appearances throughout the summer day. Navy blue Donna Morgan bridesmaid dresses provided the perfect backdrop to the sunny yellow burlap wrapped bouquets.
With a nod to the Tahoe surroundings, the dining tables sported texturally interesting elements such as birch logettes, twine balls, submerged vines and soft, full florals in wooden boxes. The stationery suite consisted of kraft paper stamped with a tasteful tree or bear…
A beautiful three tiered ruffled cake reminiscent of her Judd Waddell gown tempted the guests as they danced nearby in the amphitheatre to the beats of the 11 piece band Hip Service. The beautiful pale yellow floral linen overlay added the right bit of charm to the area.
Dusk descended quickly but with just enough time for them to share a laugh and ‘ham it up’ one more time…
Love these guys!
Thanks to an all star crew such as Damion Hamilton Photography who captured every moment of their big day and the stunning florals created by Bellissima Floral.
Congratulations to Katie and Steve!
Tahoe Signature of Style,
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