Sweet treat from Daily Candy: An indie wedding playlist

Despite being Gaga for pop, it makes us want to “Shout” when wedding DJs play the same songs “Time After Time.” Make it more than a mindless “Celebration” with our favorite indie picks.

First Dance First
“Home,” Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros (Feel free to play this multiple times.)
“Can You Tell,” Ra Ra Riot (He’s still got butterflies.)
“No One’s Gonna Love You,” Band of Horses (Classic. To the point.)
“Love and Some Verses,” Iron & Wine (In it for the long haul.)
“You’ve Got the Love,” Florence + the Machine (Well, if you didn’t we’d be worried.)

Daddy’s Little Dancer
“Hello Halo,” Blair (Once a kid, always a kid.)
“On My Way Back Home,” Band of Horses (But only for this song.)

Get Everyone on the Dance Floor
“Ready to Start,” Arcade Fire (That’s “Ready to Start the Party” to you.)
“I Feel It All,” Feist (Feeling mighty fine.)
“A-Punk,” Vampire Weekend (Aren’t they all?)
“Tighten Up,” The Black Keys (And get down.)
“Say Aha,” Santigold (Less talk, more dance.)
“Je Veux Te Voir,” Yelle (It’s French for “good music.”)
“Deadbeat Summer,” Neon Indian (Children of the ’80s gotta love synth pop.)
“Whirring,” The Joy Formidable (It’s going by so fast; take a second to dance.)
“Drunk Girls,” LCD Soundsystem (Never tardy to the party.)
“Electric Feel,” Mgmt (Better than the electric slide.)
“Creator,” Santigold (No, that’s not M.I.A.)

Wrap It Up “Boyfriend,” Best Coast (For the single gals, perhaps during the bouquet toss.)
“Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever),” Muse (Please don’t judge us for the source.)
“Cameras,” Matt & Kim (The photographer’s got you covered.)
“Sleepyhead,” Passion Pit (You can sleep in the morning.)

Photo: Thinkstock

Escape to Palm Beach for a pre-wedding getaway or Babymoon!

The Brazilian Court Hotel & Beach Club - Members of the Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce can enjoy a fabulous staycation at The Brazilian Court Hotel & Beach Club now through September 30th. Take advantage of this special exclusive chamber members' rate of $149 a night for a luxurious studio & complimentary parking. Restrictions apply. The Brazilian Court & Beach Club was a 2008 & 2010 Conde Nast Traveler Gold List recipient, as well as one of Travel + Leisure’s 2010 “World’s Best Hotels” achieving a ranking of No. 1 in South Florida & No. 3 in the state. For information & reservations - 561.655.7740. Ask for the PB Chamber member rate. www.thebraziiancourt.com.

The Chesterfield Hotel - Into dinosaurs? The Prehistoric Getaway starts at $265 for a family of three & includes 2 days/1 night in a Luxurious King Junior or Executive Suite, Continental Breakfast for each guest, 3 tickets to the Norton Museum of Art's 'Dinotopia: The Fantastical Art of James Gurney', a picnic lunch & a copy of James Gurney's 'Journey to Chandra' from the Dinotopia series & other fun dinosaur memorabilia in your room upon arrival. Additional children $30 each. Call 561.659.5800 for reservations. Lunch in the Leopard available Monday - Friday 11am-2pm at $11.95. www.chesterfieldpb.com.

The Colony Palm Beach - 10th Anniversary Season at the Royal Room Cabaret. Guests will include: Ann Hampton Callaway, Peter Cincotti, Christine Ebersole & John Oddo, The Four Freshmen, Clint Holmes, Jack Jones, Andrea Marcovicci, Marilyn Maye, Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr., Will & Anthony Nunziata, Tony Sandler, Avery Sommers & Steve Tyrell. Tony DeSare performs August 13-14 & 20-21; Mary Foster Conklin August 27-28 & September 3-4. Friday nights are Motown nights with Memory Lane from 9pm to closing. Saturday nights are Rob Russell's Cast Parties. Call for details - 561.655.5430 or visit www.thecolonypalmbeach.com.

Chamber Guide - View the 2010 Guide & Phone Book in its entirety or sign up for membership at www.palmbeachchamber.com

Palm Beach party destination: Omphoy Ocean Resort

When we're looking for a quick getaway with gorgeous water views, sexy latin cuisine and amazing cocktails, we head to the Michelle Bernstein Terrace at the Omphoy Ocean Resort around sunset for ceviche and a strawberry-jalapeno mojito.
Enjoy a warm ocean breeze on Sunday nights with 2 for 1 house drinks and wines and a 10% discount on the Tapas menu. Stay for dinner at Michelle Bernstein Restaurant and receive 10% off your entrée selections.
Call ahead for outdoor reservation seating 561.540.6450 www.omphoy.com.

xo
Aime

Blair & Stuart, Gulf Stream, FL

Seaside weddings are all about casual elegance. At this oceanfront soiree, held in tony Gulf Stream, Fla., on April 10, the bride and groom invited guests to kick off their shoes and get barefoot on the beach with a glass of bubbly during the ceremony. Afterward, everyone mingled, noshing on melt-in-your mouth conch fritters and other ocean-inspired bites before heading up to the club for dinner and dancing into the night.

Water Babies: A Festive February Birthday Dinner at Cafe Boulud Palm Beach

For those who're a little shy about celebrating their birthday, sharing the soiree can get everyone in the spirit. We recently hosted a birthday bash at one of our favorite culinary playgrounds, Cafe Boulud, for four fabulous gals (yours truly included. Clearly I'm not the shy one!) born in February.

The birthday girls invited mutual friends as well as a few others to join in the fun, keeping the night interesting and light hearted.

After mingling over cocktails, we sat for a four-course dinner by chef de cuisine Zach Bell with wine pairings from sommeliere Mariya Kovacheva. Patissier Matthew Petersen created a birthday cake with chocolate ganache filling and buttercream icing to round out the evening in anything-but-typical birthday fashion!

On the menu:

Torchon de Foie Gras
trilogy of apples: spiced compote, fresh salad, green apple mustard

Maine Peekytoe Crab Salad
crushed avocado, pink grapefruit, orange blossom aïoli, crispy plantains

Fresh Black Truffles from Périgord
served over parmesan risotto

Seared Cleanseas® Hiramasa
edamame purée, swank baby pac choi, crispy – aromatic salad, miso vinaigette

Sautéed Veal Rib Chop
mushroom stuffed artichoke with bacon, balsamic glazed onions, gremolata pan sauce

Chocolate and Vanilla Cake

Following the feast, cocktails continued in the moonlit courtyard at the Brazilian Court hotel, and a great time was had by all! Can't wait to do it all again next February...

Photos by Rich Graulich, LILA Photo/www.lilaphotos.com

Chaired by Aime Dunstan, the Red Cross Designers' Show House Preview Party kicks off the Palm Beach new year in style

W. PALM BEACH, Fla. (January 25, 2010) — Nearly 300 highly acclaimed interior and landscape designers, philanthropists and community and social leaders attended the private Preview Party for the 2010 Red Cross Designers' Show House on January 20 at CityPlace South Tower. Opening night was the first opportunity for design aficionados to preview nearly 20 inspired interior and exterior spaces in the luxury residential tower, artfully transformed by the 15 participating designers of this year's Show House that runs through
Feb. 20.


After touring the inspired rooms in four models on the middle penthouse level, guests were welcomed to the ninth-floor pool deck for canapés prepared by two-time James Beard Foundation Award nominee Chef Zach Bell and music by DJ Nick Flash. Guests enjoyed signature cocktails courtesy of Blue Martini and Bacardi USA, Inc., which showcased its GREY GOOSE La Poire vodka paired with fresh fruit juices. Preview Party chairman Aime Dunstan added some sultry sizzle to the poolside event with a live fashion presentation featuring Spring 2010 swimwear by tibi and Palm Beach's own Jordann Jewelry, as well as a trunk show from which 15 percent of Jordann Jewelry sales was donated to the Red Cross. Sponsors included Lamborghini Palm Beach and Miami-based Bacardi USA, Inc., which has supported the preview event for the past five years.


"The preview event is always high energy and sets a glamorous stage for the rest of the four-week duration of the Show House," said Bill Kopp, general chairman of the 2010 Red Cross Designers' Show House. "The caliber of this year�s designers, coupled with the high-profile location, positions the 2010 Show House to break all previous attendance records."


Notable guests included Honorary Chairman Michael Smith, who recently added the First Family to his long list of celebrity clients; Mario Nievera; Cristina and Desmond Keogh; Palm Beach County Commissioner Jeff Koons; Mark Foley; Dr. Layne Nisenbaum; Steven Stolman; Ann Beha; Wally and Betsy Turner; Annie Falk; Ross Meltzer; Terri Mersentes; Chad Renfro; Chip and M.A. Quinn; Brandie and Todd Herbst; Nancy and Jeff Smith; Tom and Carol Kirchhoff; and Melanie and Chris Hill.


Students of The Dreyfoos School of the Arts played music upstairs, while Show House designers welcomed guests into their own spaces and had fun describing their design approach. These included Bill Kopp, Design Chairman Stephen Mooney, Boutique Chairman Frank J. Maguire, Jennifer Garrigues, Joseph Pubillones, Lon Morris, Joseph Cortes and Kevin Marnell of HomeLife Interiors, Virginia Courtenay, Christopher Dunstan, Scotty Rawley and Melissa Ziober of RZ Design Group, Keith Williams, Veronica Volani Inza, Rachel Sawyer Clements, Michael Powers, and Mimi Masri.


Now in its 34th season, the 2010 Red Cross Designers' Show House features more than 15 interior and exterior spaces on the middle penthouse level of CityPlace South Tower, the 20-story luxury residential tower on Okeechobee Boulevard in Downtown West Palm Beach. The Show House is open to the public through February 20 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon-4 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $30 per person. For more information, please contact Maura Nelson at 561.650.9131, nelsonm@redcross-pbc.org or visit www.redcrossshowhouse.org.


All proceeds from the design event will benefit the array of programs and services offered by the Greater Palm Beach Area Chapter of the American Red Cross, including providing relief to victims of disasters and helping residents prevent and prepare for emergencies. For more than 90 years, the chapter has been serving residents in Glades, Hendry, Okeechobee and Palm Beach counties.



About the American Red Cross
For more than 90 years, the American Red Cross Greater Palm Beach Area Chapter, which includes Glades, Hendry, Okeechobee and Palm Beach counties, has provided relief to victims of disasters at home and abroad, taught life-saving skills, and supported military members and their families. The American Red Cross, a charity and not a government agency, depends on voluntary contributions of time and money to perform its humanitarian mission. To learn more about the work of the Red Cross or to make a donation, please call 561-833-7711 or visit
www.redcross-pbc.org.

Shore Chic!

Throwing a beach wedding? Trying to finalize those perfect beach touches? Have we found the perfect website for you! www.ShoreChic.com features unique nautilus gifts and accessories, touching on every inch of your ceremony and reception.

The chocolate seashells are perfect to adorn your wedding cake or custom create take away gifts for each of your wedding guests. Don’t forget to personalize your gift tags!

Place cards are a place where a bride and groom can get extremely creative. Why not try incorporating natural sand dollars. You may have a calligrapher hand write your guests names directly on the shell or the Florida keyhole sand dollar is ideal for threading and trying ribbon through. If you really want to be original, customize your ribbon with a clever expression!

Martha Stewart Weddings Editorial Director Darcy Miller dishes on wedding survival

Celebrating its 15th anniversary this month — now that's an office party we wouldn't miss! — Martha Stewart Weddings is one of the most celebrated magazines among wedding and event aficionados. On Jan. 17, Editorial Director Darcy Miller was on hand at The Palm Beach Wedding Party, hosted by New York's Wedding Library and The Breakers hotel.

Here, Darcy's tips for a sublime soiree:

"Try to personalize it as much as you can. A lot of venues come with an ice sculpture, but instead of a swan, get it in the shape of a wedding cake."

Focus on details that are personal for you.

"The greatest compliment is when guests leave your wedding and say that it felt like you, not your planner or your mother." Set up a folding screen with childhood photos, or have your photos printed on confetti for your guests to toss. Write personalized notes on paper chargers.

"It is important that all the vendors are nice," Miller says, "but there are some where chemistry is more important, such as with your planner or photographer. If they're kind of annoying and you're a little bit stressed, it's not a good combination."

Photographer Donna Newman echoed Miller's sentiment, touting quality over quantity. "I would rather have a photographer stay for fewer hours and capture beautiful moments."

Another tip: Never ask a photographer to emulate the style of another photographer, Newman says. It won't work out in the end.

"At the end of the day, it's a party. It's who you're spending your life with that matters," says Miller. "The most important thing is to find the right person to marry."