He popped the question on one knee, and you gleefully squeeled “YES!” and hugged the tightest you’ve ever hugged, twirling around and kissing while basking in the new excitement. You call everyone important to you to share the big news then set your sights on picking the perfect dress for your wedding day.

I’ve mentioned several times before that bridal portraits top my list of favorite shoots. I believe a finely crafted bridal portrait is like a Renaissance painting, meant to portray women at a pinnacle of their style and elegance. Until this time in your life, there has not been…nor will there ever be…a more important dress. And that’s where a fantastic dress boutique comes in.

I recently asked Mary Claire Weaver of Modern Trousseau Nashville three questions, and I’m excited to share that brief conversation here.

gb: Why do you do what you do?

mcw: My job is very rewarding for me in several ways, but most of all I just love bringing happiness to my brides. The dress is one of the most highly anticipated, not to mention most dreamed about details of a wedding. I have the privilege of witnessing the joy and excitement that a bride experiences when she has found the dress that makes her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. For me that experience is very gratifying.

How did you discover your talent?

I have a background in design and particularly enjoy the creation of a beautiful product. As I learned more and more about the different wedding dress designers out there it became obvious that Modern Trousseau was a perfect fit for me. By allowing endless customizable options, I am able to work with a bride to essentially create a gown that is all her own. In the end, it is a very exciting and creative experience for me, and the ladies I have the pleasure of working with never cease to be amazed at how gorgeous the end result is.

What one wish do you have for your clients?

My one wish would be that my brides leave here not only with the gown of their dreams, but with happy memories from the time that they spent with some of the most important people in their lives, choosing the most important dress they will ever [wear]. I wish for my brides to not only reflect back on the time they spent at Modern Trousseau with fondness, but to also look back at their wedding photos 20 years from now and fall in love with their gown all over again. When you become a Modern Trousseau bride you can expect to be treated like a member of our family. We want nothing more than for each woman who walks through our doors to receive a very personal and enjoyable experience in addition to a meticulously crafted, custom couture wedding gown.

Learn more about Modern Trousseau here and take a look at Wallis, my favorite Modern Trousseau design and how it stopped me in my tracks.

And, as a special bonus to my blog readers, I have a handful of cards offering 25% off at Modern Trousseau Nashville. One can be yours through these simple three steps:
(1) like Modern Trousseau Nashville’s Facebook page
(2) like  my own Facebook page
(3) complete this form by June 30, 2012 so I can send one your way.

You’ve said “YES!” to your fiancée; now it’s time to say “YES!” to your Modern Trousseau dress. Until next time…. cheers.

May is our anniversary month. This May brings our 14th…on the 16th. With wedding season in full swing, open May weekends are a rarity, except this past weekend when Meghann and I were given the opportunity for a date night from one of our favorite local businesses called Babysitting By Nina (a.k.a., grandma needed some Mollie time). Double win.

Our date night appetizer consisted of an outdoor tango lesson in Centennial Park, a first for both of us (and we’re hooked), before dinner reservations at 1808 Grille just down the street. Housed in the super cool Hutton Hotel, our first dining experience at 1808 Grille was a hit. An amazingly delicious hit.

“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop
whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.” 
~Luciano Pavarotti

Photo from www.1808grille.com; photographer unknown

Cue the adjective onslaught….

We were greeted at the door by two smiling hostesses bedecked in classic little black dresses then seated at a comfortable table to peruse a sophisticated wine list (1808 Grille has been the recipient of Wine Spectator Award of Excellence three years running) featuring select fine wines from around the world. We chose Centine…a youthful and intensely fruity blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot…from Castello Banfi in our favorite Tuscan village called Montalcino. Cheers to us!

The deliciousness started with a remarkable salad. “Salad” doesn’t even come close to describing this collection of artisanal greens sourced from a local farmer tossed in a house-made buttermilk dressing including mayo, buttermilk, garlic, oregano, basil, parsley, and cayenne pepper accompanied by salami bacon, dried corn, shaved red onion, golden raisins, and curry spiced cracker. Harmonious explosion of striking flavors.

The famed Classic Braised Short Rib. Photo provided by 1808 Grille.

The decadence continued with the main courses. Meghann furthered our love affair with Italy via Five Cheese Tortellini…Tuscan kale, shaved garlic, Roma tomato, crimini mushrooms, and Pinot Grigio. This dish didn’t disappoint, though it played supporting actor to the menu’s most favorite character…the famed Classic Braised Short Rib.

I’m not much of a red meat devotee, but this entrée changed that. The beef short ribs are slow braised for about three hours in a moist cooking environment until tender (i.e. side-of-fork tender; no knife required) topped with a demi-glace of mirepoix (combination of chopped onion, carrot, and celery), tomato paste, red wine, and veal stock. The flavor so intensely indescribable must be experienced for yourself. These short ribs even had a sidekick popover, a puff pastry stuffed with a horseradish cream. Magical pairing.

Sides of the day included a trio of Mac & Cheese (made with cheddar, jack, parmesan, and roasted red peppers), Wine-braised Mushrooms (cooked with Cabernet, red onions, and red wine vinegar then finished with just a little rosemary), and Tomato & Cucumber Salad of very fresh local ingredients including lightly sautéed ramps, shaved breakfast radishes, and chimichurri (shallot, garlic, parsley, oregano, champagne vinegar).

Such a meal would be incomplete without dessert, right? Server recommendations included Banana Beignets with a Hazelnet Glaze and Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie, both of which tempted our tastebuds, which we treated to the super-sophisticated version of that magical combination brought mainstream by the legendary H.B. Reese himself. Plus cappuccino for good measure, of course.

Executive Chef Charles Phillips (recently invited to cook at the prestigious James Beard House in Manhattan) and Executive Sous Chef Jake Strang were in fine form for this dinner. Outstanding table service throughout the entire evening, plus a brief chat with Assistant General Manager John Baskett, rounded out a wonderful dining experience with my everbride.

This anniversary dinner was quite an outstanding experience, and I can highly recommend 1808 Grille for a cosmopolitan proposal evening, sophisticated rehearsal dinner, or decadent precursor to your bachelor/bachelorette party. And in the spirit of all delicious things Italian…Buon Appetito!

So you throw this amazing party, and you want to commemorate the event. Of course, you’d hire a professional photographer to capture it all, and you’d be happy to consider hiring a painter for the event too. Yes, a painter. Brushes, rainbow of colored paints (including the glittery, sparkly kind), big canvas…and a uber-cool painter to turn your event into a one-of-a-kind work of art. Enter Heidi Schwartz of Paint Your Event. I recently sat down with Heidi to learn a bit more about her approach to the Paint Your Event experience.

gb: Why do you do what you do?

hs: It’s creative, interesting and a challenge. I get to do something for people that they enjoy and I enjoy doing.

How did you discover this talent/gift?

By complete accident! I fell into live painting. I’m a singer/songwriter, and I made a record where every song had a painting that incorporated the lyrics (kind of like a word picture). I contacted the entertainment manager at Gaylord Opryland hotel about doing some singing gigs. He checked out my website to hear my music and saw my paintings and asked if I could paint a dinner. It built from there on…

What one wish do you have for your clients?

I want my clients to have a painting years from now still hanging in their house and it brings them back to that special moment in time. And at the same time, adds beauty to the present.

She does just that. You may recognize Heidi from the behind-the-scenes slideshow of the Betsey Johnson-inspired photo shoot from a few posts back. Check out this time lapse video of her in action at that photo shoot and see for yourself.

We delight in looking at the finished 48″ x 48″ painting on our wall everyday as we are still amazed she gathered so many different style elements from the shoot and put them all onto one canvas right before our eyes. So, so good. Check out more of Heidi’s live event paintings at www.paintyourevent.com and book her for your next event before someone else does.

P.S. Big thanks to my friends of Worldwide Groove Corporation for the cool chill tune in this time lapse video. Hear more of their music at the official Worldwide Groove Corporation MySpace page.

Last week we unveiled photos from a recent Betsey Johnson inspired photo shoot (see that post here). Here’s a vibrant behind-the-scenes video slideshow of how the scenes at the Betsey Johnson inspired style shoot in Nashville, TN on March 19, 2012 all came together. Tons of folks to thank for making this all happen, and you’ll see them in the closing credits.

Big thanks to my assistant Jessica McIntosh for not only rocking a Betsey dress in some of these scenes but also rocking the behind-the-scenes camera *in* that Betsey dress and heels. Lots of fun all day long. Cheers.

Download the soundtrack song “L.O.V.E.” by Sharon Whitson from iTunes here: http://bit.ly/I7rCw1