colin cowie

Editor's note: The following is a guest post written by Colin Cowie, wedding planner and lifestyle guru. This week Colin discusses the rehearsal dinner.

Your wedding reception is certainly the more formal of your celebratory events taking place around the wedding itself. The evening before, welcome friends from out of town, close family members, and your bridal party with a dinner that’s out of the ordinary and fun. Pick a theme and go with it: Italian, Moroccan, Greek, or even a down-home Texas BBQ. A relaxed and casual environment creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere that helps break the ice. In fact, it will make the wedding itself that much better.

For Cowie's tips on how to create a Moroccan paradise and to see his photos for inspiration, keep reading.

Editor's note: The following is a guest post written by Colin Cowie, wedding planner and lifestyle guru. This week, Colin shares his dos and don'ts when it comes to wedding food.

Food is like theater, and I try to catch every show in town. What happens in the first few minutes sets the tone for what's to come, and I know right away if I’m staying past intermission. It's easy to get caught up in an elaborate production that in the end quite possibly goes nowhere rather than a simple production that leaves you wanting more.

To get the Colin's tips, keep reading.

Readers, get excited. We have a special treat to announce: for the next couple of weeks, Colin Cowie, event planner to the stars and entertaining guru, is going to be guest blogging on YumSugar! He'll be providing us with tons of tips and inspiring ideas for the best wedding ever.

He's sharing his thoughts on all things wedding from the ultimate menu to the signature cocktails to the proper toast. We're thrilled about the partnership and can't wait to read what Colin has to say. Be sure to check back tomorrow for his first post.

Colin Cowie opened his New York apartment (actually, make that penthouse) to a dozen or so food writers on a recent evening. The goal was to showcase the space, which he designed himself over a two-year period, as well as some of his favorite holiday recipes.

Following a few words of welcome, Colin took us on a tour of his three-level apartment. He took care to point out space-saving devices that work wonders when he's entertaining guests, including a smart set of rolling doors that hid both his serving area and kitchen.

He had a small team on hand to help move appetizers from his Electrolux-outfitted kitchen into his modern dining room, which contained enough nooks and crannies to hide his vast collection of glassware. In his words, he's "the Imelda Marcos of dishes." He prepared a spread of sausage rolls, toasted nuts, brandy cake, and pear cocktails.

To see how Colin does it and check out his recipes, read more