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We at Culinary Crafts love this bright and fun summer wedding!  (A perfect pick-me-up for the cold temperatures outside!) Piper, the blushing bride, is one of our first to embrace the newest retro fad for her wedding – PIES!  Gone are the chocolate fountains, cupcakes, macaroons, and whoopie pies – and say ‘hello’ to pie.  Piper selected to serve large full size pies that we cut into gorgeous (and big!) slices and finished with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.  Yum!  To further compliment the retro feel, we created a hot dog and french fry station and Culinary Crafts’s signature flavored lemonades.  A perfect summer wedding that was filled with joy!  We LOVE the handmade details, lovely food, and, see, – LDS weddings can dance!  Take a look!

Congrats to Piper and David!  Your wedding was STUNNING!  And a giant thank you to Heather Nan for sharing these photographs with us!  It was an amazing day and easily one of the favorites of 2011′s Culinary Crafts events!!!  And remember, pies are a great alternative dessert if you want to do something a little bit different for your wedding! Plus, they are DELICIOUS!  Happy planning everyone!

Check out our NEW website at www.culinarycrafts.com!

Photo credit:  Heather Nan Photography

Many of you out there are dreaming of the traditional fondant covered cake with 5 tiers and intricate details.  These beauty are eye catching treats that make a statement in any reception and elicit ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs’ galore.  But what if you are not one of these brides and you are looking something different?  Something even more different than even cupcakes?  Well, you are in luck!  I have rounded up my favorite alternatives for any bride.  Take a look!

These cakes are still in traditional fashion, but they focus on putting their own twist on things.  A strawberry shortcake offering, varieties of ‘cake shooters’ or an angel food comfort classic cake, these are perfect for the bride and groom who may not love fondant, but still wants to offer a cake at their reception.

Pies and tarts are the perfect casual dessert for a couple who definitely does not like cakes, but loves a more traditional dessert.  Perfect for casual backyard summer weddings, you can have fun by offering different flavors or offer the same but displaying it in different ways!

For those with a sweet tooth, this is definitely your type of wedding ‘cake’!  Oreos, doughnuts, truffles, and rice crispy treats are all whimsical and delicious ways to make your wedding dessert a little different.  My favorite are the mini doughnuts, so cute!

The health conscious bride is usually left adrift in a sea of refined sugars and super sweet options.  I love this play on a watermelon ‘cake’ and is perfect for a super healthy, yet sweet, dessert!  I love this idea!!!

So, what if you don’t like sweets?  What if savory is your ‘go-to’ treat?  Well check out this cake made of decadent cheeses or a pizza cake!  Or, if you like the look of a cake, but just don’t want the actual thing, I love the illusion of the ice sculpture cake!

The creative and delicious offerings that are out there are truly endless and really, you can make your ‘cake’ out of anything you want!  It can be you and your honey’s favorite food or treat whether it be sweet or savory.  Making your wedding truly a reflection of your personal tastes will always make the day more memorable in the end!  Happy planning!

Check out our NEW website at www.culinarycrafts.com!

Photo credits:  Board 1: Strawberry Shortcake from iloveswmag.com, cake shooters from Manolo Brides, Angel Food Cake from Green Wedding Shoes; Board 2: Tart from RitzyBee, Pie Buffet Table from Snippet & Ink; Board 3: Oreo Cake and Rice Crispy Cake from Wedding Window, Doughnut Cake from Lamb 411, Truffle Cake from Modern Wedding; Board 4: Healthy Cake from Green Wedding Shoes; Board 5:  Cheese Cake from Snippet & Ink, Pizza Cake and Ice Sculpture Cake from Wedding Window

It’s our last “Best of” Restaurant list for 2012 with Mary’s Top 10 Park City picks!  Take it away, Mary!

I always say if you can make it on Park City’s Main Street, you can make it anywhere.  People expect excellent service with a friendly Utah flare and while they also expect things to cost a bit more, the quality is always worth it!  Always a relaxing atmosphere, never stuffy, and cowboy boots are appropriate dress!  I love it! 

Mary’s Top 10 Park City Restaurants

Bill White‘s legendary restaurants still dominate Main Street and are still on my Top 10 list year after year. Starting with:

Best Italian – Grappa

Best Southwest – Chimayo

Best Asian – Wahso

There are several great Asian restaurants that I love, however.  Shabu, who you may have heard about (they get tons of press!) and Yuki Arashi, which is less known, but chock full of fabulous creative cuisine!

Best Steak On The Street – Riverhorse (A Park City Icon)

Best Casual Without Spending Your Cash Roll – Zoom

Best Chef in Park City – Jean Louis (Who is opening his own restaurant on Main Street!  So exciting!)

Best Stray Off Main Street – Chez Betty

Best New Kid on the Block – J&G Grill at the St. Regis (The food is incredible, but the tram ride and view are amazing!)

Happy dining everyone!

Check out our NEW website at www.culinarycrafts.com!

Let’s face it, planning a wedding is expensive, and sometimes, picking the perfect venue is made that much harder when your budget just won’t stretch for that ‘Grand’ vision you have in mind.  Well, check out this deal!!!

All Culinary Crafts’s clients will receive $200 off their weekday rental of the GORGEOUS Grand Hall at the Gateway!  Seriously, who doesn’t want to save $200!?!?  So, if you are racking your brains for the perfect venue, you should definitely check out The Grand Hall!  Happy saving everyone!

Check out our NEW website at www.culinarycrafts.com!

Call The Grand Hall at 801.456.0008 for full details and restrictions.  Must present the coupon for the discount.  Expires 12/31/12.

Today, its my pleasure to bring to you Mary Crafts-Homer’s Top 5 Salt Lake City Restaurant Picks for Lunch!  As you know, there are plenty of FANTASTIC Salt Lake City restaurants to lunch at, but Mary’s picks are the creme de la creme!  Check it out!

TOP 5 SALT LAKE CITY LUNCH SPOTS:

1. Best Farm to to Table: Pago This restaurant boasts a fantastic location, delicious food and seasonal menus.  As part of the ‘slow food’ movement, they only serve foods that are in season and locally sourced – and what a delectable meal it makes!

2.  Best Chef: The Copper Onion Another restaurant who uses locally sourced farms (which we love), this restaurant has an ‘open kitchen’ concept so you can see your food being prepared.  We love the exquisite flavors of this restaurant’s menu – definitely a must for any person desiring a fabulous meal!

3. Best Casual Lunch: The Wild Grape Bistro This American Bistro is fantastic for a laid-back, yet scrumptious, lunch.  With casual dining and a gorgeous interior space, this is a great place to grab lunch while enjoying the views of downtown Salt Lake City!

4.  Best Pizza: Settebello Settebello’s wood fired pizza is the best in Salt Lake, and they have the credentials to prove it.  Utah’s first and only Vera Pizza Napoletana certified pizzeria, they are held to the highest degree of quality – and you can taste it in their superb pizza!

5.  Best Business Lunch: Bambara This chic and stylish restaurant calls the Hotel Monaco home and boasts fine dining and gourmet dishes.  A perfect downtown location for any business meeting, this locale is sure to impress and provide a gorgeously appointed dining room that will help any business meeting feel less like a chore – plus the food is divine!

Honorable Mentions: Trio and Faustina These iconic restaurants are staples in the Salt Lake Restaurant scene and consistently deliver delicious and delightful dishes!  Plus their patios are amazing in the warm summer months!

Special Note: One restaurant that I’d like to mention, but didn’t make the list is Forage.  I couldn’t list it as a lunch spot because, sadly, they currently only serve dinner.  The chefs at Forage are easily the most creative anywhere and if they served lunch, I would be there every day!

Thank you Mary!  All of these restaurants are to die for and I can’t wait to make some lunch plans in the near future so I can remind myself of all their delicious offerings!  Next Thursday, we’ll have Mary’s Park City Restaurant picks, so make sure to check it out!  Happy lunching everyone!

Check out our NEW website at www.culinarycrafts.com!

As you all know, the season of Valentine’s Day is upon us and with that many newly engaged couples are going to be popping up very soon!  Now, I know many of you out there have dreamed of your perfect ring for when your perfect person asks you to marry them, and I must note that I love the traditional and classic style of rings that are out there.  Clean lines, gorgeous gems, and sparkling shine – what’s not to love?  But, what if you are looking for something a little bit different?  Something a little more personal or out of the ordinary?  Luckily, the options are endless!  I’ve compiled some of my very favorites and love the different options and materials that are out there now!  Check it out!

Clockwise from the top left: Braille rings, Scattered Diamond Fingerprint ring, ‘I Do’ Laser Cut rings and Sterling Silver Fingerprint ring.

These rings are the most personalized I’ve ever seen.  From the braille ring, to the wedding rings that hold your honey’s fingerprint inside the band, to a laser cut ring that shows the wavelength of you and your spouse saying “I do.”  Seriously, these rings are amazingly personal and one of a kind, not to mention GORGEOUS!

Clockwise from the top left: Purr Wooden ring, Diamond and Wood ring, Offset Turquoise Inlay rings, Recycled Gold Inlay ring,  Turquoise and Koa Wood ring, Dinosaur Bone ring, Blue Box Elder and Water Buffalo Horn rings, and Gold Stars (Glitter) ring

These rings are filled with alternative materials.  Wood, stone, recycled metal shavings, dinosaur bones, and even glitter (it actually makes a very gorgeous inlay, and not at all hokey)!  These natural materials are also one of a kind and BEAUTIFUL.

Images courtesy of ZumaPhoto

These last rings are more traditional, yes, and you may even recognize them – they are Mary and her honey, Rick’s, wedding rings!   I really want to highlight the gorgeous pictures you can get of your rings at your wedding.  Not only do you want pictures of you, your loved ones, and all the details you’ve worked so hard on, but aren’t these pictures of the rings GORGEOUS?  And how fun is it to have some really cool set ups of you and your honey’s ring?  I love it!

Whether you are planning to propose on Valentine’s Day or sometime after, hoping to be proposed to, or if you are already engaged but still trying to find that perfect ring – you should definitely check out something that would be one of a kind and the perfect expression of you and your honey, not to mention your personal style!  Happy planning everyone!

Check out our NEW website at www.culinarycrafts.com!

We at Culinary Crafts are so fortunate to help create some of the most beautiful weddings in Utah!  Over the years, we see trends come and go, but our favorite trend that seems to be prevalent in all of the most special weddings is the personal touches a bride and groom add to make the event truly ‘them’!  From signage, to decor, to guest books (or a alternative), and more – all of these are details we love seeing and really take an event up a notch.  This wedding, which was DEFINITELY a favorite of ours, is chock full with personal touches – and we are in LOVE!  Take a look!

These hand painted rustic signs are beautiful and informative!  This adds to the style of the wedding which had vintage touches throughout.  We also love the whimsical signage above the bench, complete with pictures of the happy couple!  And the boats (which you may recognize for Utah Bride and Groom Magazine) were hand made by the talented bride!  So cute!

We love the typewriter – and using it to have the guests lend a loving wish or great advice is an amazing way to have your guests leave a personal note that the couple can cherish for many years to come!

We have been seeing a lot of alternative ideas to the traditional ‘guest book’ where the guests just sign their names – not a very personal reminder of all the most important people you’ve invited to share this day!  This wedding’s idea is definitely a favorite!  The couple wanted to create a “family tree” and had each guest lend their thumbprint to the tree and sign their name.  What a fantastic way to show your new family coming together!  We love it!

I hope this give you some ideas to personalize your special day!  Happy planning!

Check out our NEW website at www.culinarycrafts.com!

We at Culinary Crafts LOVE the Salt Lake Hardware Building!  This gem, located just north of the Gateway in downtown Salt Lake City, boasts the original 1920s architecture of the Salt Lake Hardware Company’s building with exposed brick walls, mile high ceilings with huge skylights, rustic wooden rafters, and vintage light fixtures.  It is a gorgeous setting for any event, but our favorites are the exquisite weddings!  This wedding was a favorite of 2011 and here Mary has shared some of her favorite highlights of the event along with beautiful pictures!

“Talk about a romantic wedding! This gorgeous wedding was hosted at the Salt Lake Hardware building with elegant linens, chair sashes, ceiling draping, and pastel florals.”

“I love the linens on the cake table and the special table just for the bride and groom.”

“We served chef stations for the freshest food with maple salmon, sweet potato ramekins, and our homemade breads, just to name a few selections.”

“Guests were treated to over the top desserts of fire…flaming donuts with gelato and flaming bananas foster with bread pudding!”

How amazing is the Flaming Bananas Foster station?!  We love incorporating a bit of drama into any event and this station is sure to please your guests and delight the taste buds!!!  Also, if you are looking for venue with a lot of character, the Salt Lake Hardware Building is tough to beat.  It is definitely one of the most gorgeous event spaces in Salt Lake!  Happy planning everyone!

Check out our NEW website at www.culinarycrafts.com!

Today, I’d like to share one of the most interesting venues in Salt Lake City, the 15th Street Gallery!  It is gorgeous and perfect for an event that demands something a little different.  Located in the trendy 15th & 15th neighborhood of Sugarhouse, this fine art gallery features only the creme de la creme of local Utah artists.  The all white space hosts a crisp, clean, and contemporary design that offers chic styling and a “blank canvas” to suit a wide array of events.  This space can host a small, intimate gathering, or larger parties of up to 150 guests!  Take a look!

Gorgeous!  Definitely a space to keep in mind!  Happy weekend everyone!

Check out our NEW website at www.culinarycrafts.com!