Baking for Good is an “online bake sale that supports great causes.”  They offer a variety of treats, ranging from cookies to bars to granola and they all look delicious. Their margarita shortbread, for example, is calling my name.

margarita shortbread from Baking for Good

They even offer gift packs and suites of themed iced sugar cookies. The cookies would be fabulous for a party, a baby or wedding shower, or an engagement party.

iced wedding-themed cookies

How fabulous would it be to share with guests that each bite they take of their sweet treat goes to an even sweeter cause like First Book (one of my favorite non-profits) or The American Cancer Society.

Here’s to all the charitable sweet tooths out there!

But the process of purging and sorting has really made me think about what the essential tools of the kitchen really are. What are the things that I could not do without? Here’s a list of my essentials — which I’d highly recommend adding to any registry!

All Clad Measuring cups and spoons — I am in love with these measuring cups and spoons and am still grateful to the friends who gave them to us as a wedding present! I love that the 1 cup measuring cup has marks for smaller quantities like 1/4 cup and 3/4 cups, that way I don’t have to dirty multiple measuring cups. They are also very sturdy and feel substantial in the hand.

All Clad measuring cups and spoons

Kitchen Aid Mixer — Makes the perfect batch of chocolate chip cookie dough. Need I say more?

Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer

Heat-resistant silicone spatula — I use this when I cook, when I bake… it is my go-to mixing spoon and I love that I never have to worry about it melting.

OXO heatproof silicone spatula

Nesting bowls — I use these every day. Ev-er-y-day! I keep them in the cupboard in two sets so that they are easier to lift out.

glass nesting bowls

Colander — I prefer this type of colander to the large mesh colanders as the latter are very hard to clean — especially after draining pasta.

Footed Colander

Creamer — My Apilco Creamer comes in handy for not only serving up cream with coffee, but also when making small batches of vinaigrettes or for serving sauces.

Apilco Porcelain Creamer

Zester — We use this microplane zester way more than I ever would have imagined. It is easy to use and washes fairly easily, too.

Microplane Rasp Grater

Whirly Pop — OK, this may not be an essential, but I really can’t live without it! My husband and I love homemade popcorn and the Whirly Pop makes the best popcorn we’ve ever had.

Whirley-Pop Stovetop Popcorn Popper

There is one app I am sure every bride-to-be is feverishly downloading these days: the Tiffany & Co. Engagement Ring Finder. The app allows you to browse Tiffany’s settings, view carat weights, and find the perfect ring size. The ring sizer is so easy to use — just hold up one of your rings to the screen and adjust until it matches. And, of course, for those whom subtlety eludes, one’s favorite customized ring can be e-mailed. Hint. Hint.

Tiffany & Co Engagement Ring Finder app

customize your own ring

ring sizer

I also loved the way they made their wedding personal to them — right down to a Mets groom’s cake and processional music that the bride had been dreaming of for years and years.

The parents and grandparents entered to “Like A Prayer” and the processional, including the bride, walked in to “Don’t Stop Believin’” — both played beautifully by the Cherry Blossom String Quartet. The bride wanted to enter at a certain point in the song and we were able to time it perfectly so that the doors opened and the beautiful bride processed down the aisle. Later at the reception, one of the bride’s closest friends sang a toast to the tune of “Don’t Stop Believin’” — a fitting tribute!

The groom chronicled the wedding preparations in the Washingtonian’s Tales From the Groom blog. Be sure to check out his witty posts!

The fabulous photos below were taken by Merkle Photography and tell the story of perfect wedding day!

Congratulations, Kristin & Carl!

pinning a groomsman (with some antics in the background!)

adding the finishing touches

A stunning bride

A sweet "First Look"

The wedding party at the Jefferson Memorial

The couple at the Jefferson

Gorgeous!

Preparing for the walk down the aisle

The ceremony took place in the Chinese Room at the Mayflower

Introducing... Mr & Mrs Carl and Kristin Monaco!

The Grand Ballroom was a beautiful backdrop for the reception

Ready for guests to enter

Encore had the crowd on the floor all night

The couple enjoys toasts from their dear friends

The ceremonial cutting of the cake

In honor of the groom: A Mets cake

a monumental kiss

Venue: The Mayflower
Photography: Merkle Photography
Florals: The Mayflower
Makeup: Aisha Alves, Picture Perfect Makeup
Hair: Sarah Bombard, Premiere Makeup
Ceremony music: Cherry Blossom String Quartet
Reception music: Encore
Groom’s cake: Furin’s

I find personalized bags to be particularly helpful on the wedding day so the bridesmaids can put all of their personal belongings in their bag and not mix up items in the frenzy of pre-ceremony preparations.

These totes from Ballard Designs are not only stylish, but they are reasonably priced, too.

Monogrammed totes from Ballard Designs

a variety of styles all with free monogramming

The totes aren’t only perfect for weddings, though. They would make a great gift for a girlfriend, sister, mom…. You can even get creative with the monogramming: “Beach” for a friend with a beach house; “Yoga” for your sister who is mastering downward dog; and so on!

Caren & Ed’s wedding was not only fun and joyous, but reflective of their personalities and passions, as well. They are the proud parents of two adorable cats, Bago and Goon, who, while not present at the wedding, were amply honored. They are also passionate about cars and their Alfa Romeo Spider provided a sporty backdrop for some of their photos.

The wedding was captured beautifully by Anne & Bill Holland of Holland Photo Arts and came to life courtesy of some amazing vendors, named below.

Congratulations, Caren & Ed!

Caren & Ed

aisle runner flanked by hurricane candles nestled in wheatgrass

vine-wrapped chuppah with white floral accents

the ceremony under the chuppah

wheatgrass and tulip floral centerpiece as guests entered

escort cards were later nestled in the wheatgrass arrangement

special roasted coffee beans with Bago & Goon's photos were set in the wheatgrass at the end of the evening for guests to take home

the centerpieces reflected the wedding's light green and cream color palette

children's meals were marked in a whimsical way on the escort card

the cupcake tower was topped with a custom small cake for the bride & groom to cut

a kiss during the cutting of the cake

a stunning bridal bouquet

the mothers carried small, hand-tied posies

a surprise musical number performed by the bride's friends

enjoying the toasts and roasts

The beautiful bride

descending the marble staircase at Hotel Monaco

The Alfa Romeo

A sweet ride

Bago and Goon send their best wishes

Photography: Holland Photo Arts
Floral: Petal’s Edge
Baker: Fluffy Thoughts Cakes
Music: Ray, with Chris Laich Music Services
Venue: Hotel Monaco, Washington, DC
Makeup & Hair: Victoria Stiles

Just in case, I often bring a practice bouquet for the bride in case she is not using the traditional ribbon bouquet compiled from her bridal showers.

The bouquets can be a thoughtful gesture for the bride to bring to the rehearsal as one more way to show her bridesmaids how thankful she is to have them as a part of her wedding.

Recently, I was inspired to create practice bouquets made from herbs in my garden.

ornamental sage bouquet

lavender practice bouquet

The bouquets are simple, but practice bouquets do not need to be elaborate. Creating an herb bouquet for your bridesmaids can be cost-effective, too. Snip some herbs from your garden or a family member’s garden and voila! They also smell wonderful. Just remember not to cut them too far in advance of the wedding rehearsal as many herbs wilt quickly and do keep them in water until they are ready to be used.

Other ideas for practice bouquets include small bouquets of inexpensive flowers (think the ones you see for 3 bunches for $9 at your local grocery store) or tootsie pops tied together with a ribbon.

Practice makes perfect!

I covered Victoria’s essential tips for brides in this earlier post. Today, we are featuring some Skin Care 101 tips for grooms as they prepare for their wedding day. Brides, be sure to share this with your groom!

makeup by Victoria Stiles; image via Victoria Stiles

What are your top tips for grooms with respect to skin care preparation for his wedding day?

There are several things a groom can do to ensure he looks good on his wedding day, particularly for photos.

1) There are places in the DC area where a groom can go for a pre-ceremony prep. For example, there is The Grooming Lounge that has services specially geared toward a groom’s skin, which is very different from a bride’s skin.

Grooms should make sure they have the best skin care possible so that there is less chance of razor burn or other skin problems before the wedding day.

Make a facial appointment about a month out at a place like The Grooming Lounge to begin to prepare your skin for your wedding.

2) If you any type of breakout on the wedding day, you can use a small amount of concealer on the blemish itself. A concealer I like to use is called Keromask concealer which comes in a variety of shades to match skin tone. Take a little dab on your finger and just press it on the blemish itself. It sets to a matte finish so you don’t need to put any type of powder on top.

With respect to blemishes days before the wedding, never ever pop them! Use astringent to dry up the skin and oil-free moisturizer to make sure the area does not dry out.

3) Comb through your brows. It sounds foreign to most gentlemen, but the brows can get out of place and in the pictures it will be noticeable. So just comb through them so that they are all in place.

4) Do something simple on your lips, like ChapStick. Your lips will be moist but, don’t worry, they won’t look glossy. By applying a little ChapStick you will help prevent your lips from looking dry, cracked, or chapped in photos.

So, grooms, consider these simple, easy skin care tips as you gear up for your wedding. Your bride will thank you for it!