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Rose Water Cookies Large, custom-decorated sugar cookies make lovely favors for weddings and showers. Fancy bakeries and mail order companies offer cookies that look like little works of art—and cost about as much. You can save money and add a personal touch if you make them yourself. Baking the cookies ahead of time and freezing them, well wrapped in plastic, then in zipper-lock bags, will save you some last minute preparation time. And if you want an impressive look without an exorbitant amount of effort, consider using chocolate transfer sheets. These are sheets of plastic that have been imprinted with a design made of colored cocoa powder. To use them, you melt chocolate and spread it thinly over the design; when the plastic is peeled away the design appears on the surface of the chocolate. You can wrap long strips of chocolate around a layer cake or, before the plastic has been peeled off, you can cut the chocolate into decorative shapes with a cookie cutter or a knife. The chocolate shapes can then be used to decorate cakes, cupcakes, or cookies. Chocolate transfer sheets are generally about 12 by 18 inches; they come in dozens of color combinations and designs and cost between three dollars and eight dollars per sheet. The technique for using them is fairly simple and quite fun—especially when you see the results. To decorate wedding cake cookies using chocolate transfer sheets: 1. Bake and cool the cookies (recipe below). 2. Make the rose water icing (recipe below) and tint if desired to coordinate with the transfer design. 3. Melt 12 ounces white chocolate in a bowl set over (not touching) gently simmering water. 4. Lay a transfer sheet on a clean cookie sheet, design-side up. Pour the warm, melted chocolate over the sheet and use an offset spatula to spread it into an even layer. (Note: The chocolate must be warm in order for the design to transfer properly.) Make sure to completely cover the design. 5. Let the chocolate set until firm, but still flexible. The surface of the chocolate will look dull rather than shiny. This should take about 30 minutes; to speed the process, you can place the cookie sheet in the refrigerator. 6. Using the wedding cake cookie cutter, press the cutter into the chocolate, making sure to press firmly and evenly so that the cutter will cut completely through the chocolate. Cut the shapes as close together as possible; you should be able to get eight wedding cake shapes from one sheet. 7. Let the chocolate cool completely. Carefully (using an inverted cookie sheet if necessary) flip the sheet of chocolate over and peel the plastic from the surface, then flip it back again onto a sheet of parchment paper so the design is down and the plain side is facing up. Carefully remove the excess chocolate from around the wedding cake shapes. (This chocolate can be re-melted and used again.) 8. One at a time frost the cookies see tips for frosting cookies with buttercream and place each frosted cookie onto a chocolate wedding cake shape. Use the palm of your hand to gently and evenly press the cookie onto the chocolate; when you lift the cookie, the chocolate layer should adhere. 9. If you like, you can use buttercream or royal icing to pipe a border or other designs onto the cookies. Cookies decorated with royal icing can be placed in cellophane bags, once the icing has hardened. Cookies with buttercream decoration should be stored in airtight containers in a single layer. Ann Ann Clark, Ltd.

Au Ciel Design Studio There are endless possibilities when creating that perfect table for your wedding. Nevertheless, it can truly be simple when you have the correct guidance to get you there.  Minoo Hersini, Creative Director at Au Ciel Design Studio shows you the right elements in order to create a masterpiece for your fall wedding. Make sure your table is asymmetrical to make it more interesting. Work with your market. Use various clay containers and fill them up individually with seasonal berries and weave tree barks throughout your clay containers. Don't forget your candles in between. Use a variety of fall colors in different sizes and shapes to keep it original. Include as many different flowers and plants as possible. Here, vanda orchids, cymbidium orchids, coral gloriosas, peonias, date branches, grand prix roses, fatsia leaves and feathers were used. Use this concept all along the table.  It is best to create this concept with a long rectangular table.  For a simpler table setting, intertwine berry and huckleberry branches throughout the table.  Also, you can add single blooms or petals of flowers in various fall tones and add your candle in between. Lastly and most importantly, have fun, be creative and enjoy your festivities! For more information about Minoo Hersini and Au Ciel Design Studio and if you would like to have Minoo as your design expert for your upcoming event please visit their website. www.Au-Ciel.com   About Minoo Hersini Event planner, interior designer and fashion designer MINOO HERSINI is the founder of Au Ciel Design Studio - an event and design studio that offers customized event planning on any scale. Ms. Hersini has created some of the most high profile events for corporations, celebrities and dignitaries. For more information please visit:  www.Au-Ciel.com

Weddings on a Budget: Cupcakes take the Cake Sprinkles Cupcakes Offers Affordable Alternative to Traditional Wedding Cakes  (SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.) – As wedding season approaches brides from across the Valley will seek new ways to cut costs while still hosting an event to remember. With that in mind Sprinkles Cupcakes offers a variety of unique ideas for blushing brides to utilize on their big day.  From individually wrapped cupcakes in pint-sized favor boxes to elegant cupcake displays, Sprinkles is the perfect solution for brides on a budget. With a variety of decorative toppings ranging from rings and hearts to Sprinkles trademark dot (available in an assortment of colors to match any theme) Sprinkles’ cupcakes can be tailored for any wedding. Couples can also use the letter decorations to create monogrammed cupcakes to add a personal touch for their wedding dessert.  While cakes initially seem to be the more conservative spending choice, hidden fees including added cost for multiple flavors and custom decorations as well as cutting fees can increase cake costs significantly. With this, the average price for a wedding cake is between $7 and $11 per slice. At $3.25 each and $5 for individually wrapped favor boxes, Sprinkles Cupcakes are the perfect replacement for traditional cakes.  With cupcakes, the sky is the limit and extra flavors do not cost extra. With 22 flavors ranging from the traditional vanilla, dark chocolate, red velvet and milk chocolate to more exotic flavors such as chocolate marshmallow, chai latte and peanut butter chip it is easy to please every wedding guest.  “The great thing about cupcakes is that they are like a personal cake for each guest, and couples can choose a variety of flavors” says Sprinkles Co-Founder and Executive Pastry Chef, Candace Nelson. “There are so many difficult choices to make when considering your wedding day. At Sprinkles, there’s no need to choose!”  Sprinkles offers advance orders online, by phone or in person, making ordering easy for any bride. Sprinkles also offers deliveries with a minimal pass-through cost for the courier that depends on delivery distance. For additional details or to place an order, visit www.sprinkles.com or call (480) 970-4321. Sprinkles is located at 4501 N. Scottsdale Road on the northeast corner of Scottsdale and Camelback roads, across from Scottsdale Fashion Square.

Booking Arrangements   CALL CONSTANCE AT 602-359-3300 TO ARRANGE A FREE CONSULTATION   Ceremony & Catering Get Married Today.... Click here for Proposal We specialize in happy brides. The reason our brides are so happy is that Constance handles all the details leaving the bride to concentrate on just getting married.  We do it all from the wedding cake to the decorations.  If you want it we can get it. The answer is "yes"," "what is the question"?