Weddings needn't be complicated. It’s stressful enough bringing family together and keeping emotions in check. Here are ideas that are easily adaptable and that you can use to add that special custom touch without going crazy.

Purchase candy flowers from a cake decorating store or craft store. Tie 6 inches of silk wired ribbon around a rolled napkin in a bow. Hot glue a candy flower to the center of the ribbon.

This drink is easy to make and can be infused with alcohol or left as a colorful, “nada” cocktail. Make by combining equal parts of orange juice, cranberry juice, and ice. For some added fizz, pour in a splash of ginger ale, or champagne. Stir well and serve. To really fancy it up, spike with vodka.

Tropical Splash
1/2 shot of lemon liqueur
3 shots of cranberry juice
1/2 shot of peach vodka
1 shot of Absinthe Original
1/3 shot of orange juice

Pour carefully into a cocktail glass half filled with ice. Garnish with a fresh pansy.

Instead of a heavy cake and butter cream right after a meal, it’s nice to provide something smaller but still sweet. We made these cookies using the packaged Anna's Ginger Thins from the Ikea Pantry, topped with chocolate ganache and a few white nonpareils. They are equally delicious at showers and rehearsal parties.

Chocolate Ganache
8 oz/250 g Heavy cream or whipping cream
8 oz/250 g Couverture or the best quality, semi-sweet chocolate you can find

Place cream in a saucepan over high heat and bring just to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat.

Meanwhile, chop chocolate into small pieces. Place a damp towel on your counter, place a pan of hot cream on the towel. Add chopped chocolate to the cream. Beat chocolate and cream vigorously until thoroughly mixed. The mixture will solidify as it cools. The time it takes to cool will vary depending on the room temperature and temperature of your pan. You may place the pan in a larger pan of ice water to cool the mixture just until it comes to spreading consistency. Remove from the ice bath at this point to make sure it doesn't harden too much. Use this mixture as a filling between cake or cookies.

These little morsels are made of muffins ordered at the grocery store, topped with white icing, and rolled in anisette dragees (candy-coated anise seeds). They make amazing little finales for the end of the meal and can be placed at each table as a centerpiece stacked atop cake stands. (We found these at HOME GOODS for under $20.00 a piece.) Add small glasses of champagne and m&ms in your color pallet (www.m&m.com) and you have a mini dessert buffet for each table.

We made a trip to the container store to find this great acrylic box that we used to create a take-away snack for the bride and groom as they leave the reception---brides and grooms often forget to eat on their big day.

We included:
• A split of Moet champagne
• Goat cheese
• Olives
• Bread sticks
• Ripe apricots
• Olive pate
• Chocolate bar
• Anna's Orange Thins (cookies)
• An antique silver butter knife
• Two champagne glasses (Isaac Mizrahi for Target)

Leave chilled in their hotel fridge or pack a thermal bag with freeze packs and stow in the trunk of their car.