Merrily Rocco Dishes the Inside Scoop to Catering Magazine | Merrily Wed® Lake Tahoe Weddings

I recently had the honor to dish the inside scoop to Catering Magazine on how to properly navigate ‘The Seating Game’ at an event or wedding. With many options today, which is the best for your next occasion?
In their Insider’s Insight feature, my discussion pulls from over a decade of experience in planning and designing Lake Tahoe weddings. From the formal evening dinner to the laid-back luncheon, the below article will be sure to give you many creative and effective ideas when the ‘dinner bell’ is rung!

Catering Magazine, Merrily Wed, Merrily Rocco, Lake Tahoe Weddings, Wedding Reception

Catering Magazine, Merrily Wed, Merrily Rocco, Lake Tahoe Weddings, Wedding Reception

Catering Magazine, Merrily Wed, Merrily Rocco, Lake Tahoe Weddings, Wedding Reception

Catering Magazine, Merrily Wed, Merrily Rocco, Lake Tahoe Weddings, Wedding Reception

 

Tahoe Signature of Style,

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Wedding Color 101 |Merrily Wed® Lake Tahoe Wedding Design

Skimming through the thousands and thousands of photos we have from our past Merrily Wed® Lake Tahoe weddings, it struck me the range of colors that presented itself.  Why not put together a handy dandy little guide to the secret meaning behind each color?

We never know what colors our next client may fancy and the opportunity to do something new is one of my favorite aspects of my job.  Even with the same basic color palette, little twists and adjustments to the primary colors make every wedding different and a true testimony to the couple.

This detailed guide below will show you what your favorite color means, what it may say about your personality and how the colors you select for your wedding color palette can influence the overall feel of your wedding day.  The psychology of color is real and it impacts you daily so why not keep this in mind for one of the most important days of your life as well!

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Red:
Red is the most intense color of the color wheel. Red stimulates energy as well as increases enthusiasm. Red symbolizes love, passion, courage and rage. Red also emits a sense of protection from anxiety and fears. If red is your favorite color you are passionate, maintain a busy lifestyle, desire strength and may be a risk taker.

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Pink:
Pink is fun and exciting, some shades of pink can have almost the same energy as red. Red is passionate without being an overly aggressive hue. Pink is the color of happiness. Pink stimulates energy, encourages action and confidence. If pink is your favorite color you tend to be calm, sensitive and sympathetic. You are also compassionate towards others and dislike controversy.

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Orange:
Orange, a close relative of red, radiates warmth and energy. Orange stimulates appetite, socialization, as well as activity. If your favorite color is orange you are friendly, confident and full of energy. You balance your life with business and pleasure and enjoy both!

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Yellow:
Yellow shines with optimism, enlightenment and happiness. Yellow is mentally stimulating and encourages communication. Yellow will increase optimism, energy, as well as spark creative thoughts. If yellow is your favorite color you are creative, intelligent and happiness comes naturally to you.

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Green:
Green occupies more space in the color wheel than any other color and is the second most popular favorite color. Green is a large contributor to the colors of nature. The color green is seen as tranquil and refreshing, with a balance of cool and warm hues. Most shades of green are known to be physically and mentally relaxing. If green is your favorite color you enjoy the nature that surrounds you and love spending time in the outdoors. You also enjoy calming your loved ones, as well as helping the less fortunate.

 

Teal:
Teal has the calming effect of both green and blue. Teal represents sophistication, generosity and creativity. Teal encourages communication as well as creativity. If your favorite color is teal you tend to be sensitive, intellectual, imaginative and charming. You also tend to be self-reliant and independent.

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Blue:
The color blue is the most common favorite color in the world. Blue is seen as trustworthy, dependable and committed. It invokes rest and can cause the body to produce chemicals that are calming. Not all blues are serene, bright blues can become dramatic and cause exhilaration. Blue is the least gender specific color, it appeals equally to both genders. If your favorite color is blue, friends find you to be very trustworthy and patient. You are also conservative and love to have stability in your life.

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Navy:
Navy symbolizes wisdom, self-mastery and spiritual realization. Navy, being a shade of blue, increases communication within yourself. Navy develops intuition, increases solitude and lets you focus on personal issues. If navy is your favorite color you are spiritual, intuitive and intelligent. You are also self-reliant and tend to take on responsibility.

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Purple:
Purple balances red’s stimulation and blue’s calming effect. With a sense of royalty, purple is a color often well liked by very creative personalities. Purple is uplifting, calms nerves, as well as encourages creativity. If purple is your favorite color, you desire respect, power and often tend to be sentimental.

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White:
White projects purity, neutrality and cleanliness. The color white encourages clarity and enables fresh beginnings. White also encourages clearing clutter and purifying thoughts and actions. If white is your favorite color, you prefer a peaceful surrounding and like to be surrounded by truth and innocence.

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Grey:
Grey is the color of knowledge, wisdom and intellect.  Grey is also known as the color of compromise because it is a mixture of powerful black and pure white.  Grey can sometimes be unsettling because of this compromise, but can also create expectations. If grey is your favorite color you constantly look for peace and composure.  You have good business abilities and tend to work hard, sometimes without reward.

 

Black:
Black is authoritative, powerful, formal and evokes strong emotions.  The color black can create a sense of potential and possibility.  If black is your favorite color you are classy and others perceive you as a powerful individual. You are very in tune with your emotions and can be spontaneous.

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Brown:
Brown symbolizes stability, reliability and approachability.  Brown is the color of earth and is affiliated with being natural and organic.  Brown creates a feeling of wholesomeness, stability and orderliness.  If your favorite color is brown you are dependable, patient and reliable.  You tend not to be impulsive, because you are organized and everything is well planned.

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Champagne:
Champagne represents the basics, the essentials.  This color incorporates the warmth of brown with the crispness of white.  It creates a feeling that is calm, relaxing and imparts a sensation of simplicity.  If your favorite color is champagne, you are conservative, dependable and friendly.  You also tend to be a perfectionist and like everything to be precise.

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Colors influence and reveal more than just adding some visual interest or depth to an area or object.  Keep in mind that a single description may not fit you perfectly and it may be a combination of colors that describe you best.

You may consider these meanings when selecting the color palette for your wedding to convey the feeling that you desire.  More importantly though, just have fun with it!  You can never go wrong with your favorites and your wedding will be a true reflection of yourself!

 

Tahoe Signature of Style,

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Table-‘E’scape Wedding Design | Merrily Wed Lake Tahoe Weddings

With so much wedding inspiration on the world wide web these days, it is very easy for a bride to become overwhelmed with all the design choices and styles.  And I am just talking about the dining tables!  Having a beautifully set table at your wedding can be something to look forward to or a daunting task.  The great joy of designing a stylish table-scape is to have fun with it.  Start small in your own home with your own dining table and engage in a little table-‘E’scape.

A few simple tips can make your own cupboards a bin of inspiration.  An organized pantry will allow you to access items easily and you will be more likely to remember these settings and use them.  Stack collections of similar colors on open shelves.  Baskets can store table linens, napkins, napkin rings and candles.

 

 

First rule is there are no rules but just a few simple guidelines to observe…

  1. Begin with stocking your pantry with basic white dishes.  More the better with oversize bowls and platters…  Food pops off white plates but don’t be afraid to accessorize with colorful accents.
  2. Silverware can vary from your grandmother’s antiques to flea market finds.  Mix and match is a ‘do’ as well if you don’t have complete sets.
  3. Collect place mats and napkins in different colors to compliment your china.  Napkins can match or contrast.  They can be folded a million ways, be placed on top, next to or under the plate.  Napkin rings are further embellishment and come in a variety of styles and materials.
  4. Runners are great on a bare wooden table top or placed on a linen tablecloth.  A tablecloth creates a sense of formality and helps define the mood.
  5. Candles.  Lots and lots of candles – votives and pillars – create a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
  6. Use color as your organizing principle.  A single color can have a terrific impact too.

 

 

Add your own personal style to your table by looking around your home for inspiration.  After a few nights of reenacting Top Chef with your favorite friends and breaking in different place settings, your own dining table will be a breeding ground of ideas.  Start to play with china shapes, complimentary color families, different textures – the sky is your limit!

Now it is time to tackle the table-scape for your wedding reception!

Tahoe Signature of Style,

 

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Father of the Bride | Merrily Wed Tahoe Weddings

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Mention Father of the Bride and images of Steve Martin come to mind, but not everyone can deal with stress and pressure by making us laugh… 

The Father of the Bride is a role that can be left out during the wedding planning process (except to keep up with all the payments).  He is expected to be experienced enough to cope with his nerves and expected to be strong enough to cope with his emotions.  Giving your daughter away can be a very difficult and bittersweet moment.  We thought we would help.

Take a moment and if you know someone in this role, pass on our advice!

1. Getting Over The Nerves
Nerves about the ceremony, speeches and toasts can be overwhelming.  Don’t worry all of these nervous can be settled with a little preparation.  Make sure and make it to the rehearsal that way the only thing to worry about during the ceremony is giving away “Daddy’s little girl”.  Also make sure to write and practice your speech well before your daughter’s big day.  A little preparation can go a long way when it comes to easing nerves.

2. Prepare for Your Speeches
Preparing your speeches in full before hand is the best thing you can do to ease your nerves, don’t wing it!  For more tips on how to write a great speech take a look at MW’s “Cheers Worthy Toast” post.  The Father of the Bride sets the tempo, welcomes his guests, new members of the family and speaks about his daughter while trying to not embarrass her!  Remember…Practice makes perfect!

3. Plan Your Advice
One of the most important tasks of the Father of the Bride is to pass on advice to the couple.  This advice can be in a toast, in passing, or in a letter.  Make sure to prepare what advice you would like to give the couple, many couples will remember what advice you gave them for years to come.  Remember what you’ve learned throughout your years and share it with them!

4. Be Ready for the Emotions
Men sometimes try and hide their emotions from the rest of the world.  Make sure and take some time with your daughter before the wedding to talk about what she means to you.  Many Father of the Brides believe that they will come up with the perfect thing to say when the time comes but never do.  By doing this you can remorse for never getting the chance to tell your daughter how you feel or be overwhelmed by emotions during the ceremony.

Toasty Warm Libations | Lake Tahoe Weddings

With the endless snow in Tahoe lately, we have been smitten with warm cocktails and couldn’t resist sampling quite a few.  You now get to benefit from our cabin fever and hours of taste testing… yum!  Someone must do it right? 

Not only are these toasty libations ideal as showcase drinks at your winter wedding but they could also be the just-right warm night cap at the end of your summer wedding – along with a late night snack.  Served as part of a chocolate bar or a coffee bar at your reception would work fabulously as well.  Or as we have found, enjoyable just to cuddle up with on a cold winter night!

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Photo: Chef Mom

The Snuggler

3/4 oz Peppermint Schnapps
1 tsp Sugar
1 tbsp Whipping Cream
5 oz (hot) Cocoa

Pour peppermint schnapps and cocoa into an Irish coffee cup, and sweeten to taste. Gently float cream on top, sprinkle with grated chocolate, and serve.

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Photo: Chow

Red Rudolph

1/2 oz Orange Curacao Liqueur
1/2 oz Cinnamon Schnapps
3/4 oz Vodka
6 oz Cranberry Juice

Heat and pour into an Irish coffee cup. Top with whipped cream, garnish with a tall cinnamon stick, and serve.
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Photo: Glamour Cliche

Hot Apple Pie
6 oz Apple Cider, heated
1 oz Tuaca Liqueur (an orange-vanilla flavored liqueur)
Whipped Cream
Pinch Cinnamon and Nutmeg
1 Cinnamon Stick

In a glass mug, combine cider and Tuaca. Garnish with whipped cream, and sprinkle on cinnamon and nutmeg. Add a stick of cinnamon.

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Photo: Martha Stewart

The Tahoe Blizzard

1 1/2 oz Irish Whiskey or Rum
1/2 oz Hazelnut Liqueur, such as Frangelico
1/2 oz Irish Cream Liqueur, such as Bailey’s
Hot Coffee
Splash of Grand Marnier
Dollop of Whipped Cream

In a coffee mug, stir whiskey, hazelnut liqueur, and Irish cream; top with coffee. Add a splash of Grand Marnier. Top with whipped cream and serve immediately.
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