This Champagne Cocktail with Mint & Lemon Sorbet is perfect for an Easter brunch or a spring bridal shower. Enjoy the cocktail with or without vodka, for a light, sweet drink—perfect for sipping.

Champagne Cocktails with Mint & Lemon Sorbet
makes 1 cocktail

2 t fresh mint leaves, muddled or finely chopped
2 large scoops lemon sorbet
1/3 c vodka
3/4 c champagne or sparkling wine

In a tall glass, place a pinch of mint. Add one scoop lemon sorbet, another pinch mint and the other scoop sorbet. Pour in vodka, then top with champagne and the rest of the mint. Garnish with a mint sprig.

Unfortunately, there is no denying that planning a day so perfect, and so important, can stress you out.

It is important to keep stress levels as low as possible, and planning your wedding at Rock Barn Golf and Spa addresses this is two main ways:

• The tranquil spa, along with the amazingly relaxing services offered, will keep stress from soaking into your body.
• Rock Barn makes the process less stressful by being all-inclusive, and the helpful staff are happy to guide you toward excellent professionals that offer the few services they don’t.

• Zen Garden Massage-This heavenly massage begins with warm basalt stones placed strategically on the body, the stones become an extension of the therapist’s hands creating a deeper penetration into the muscle tissue inducing ultimate relaxation.
• Journey to Rejuvenation-This truly unique body facial begins with a Mineral Salt Scrub to exfoliate your skin, followed by an aromatherapy body masque along with heat packs to relieve stress and tension. A customized facial, compete with face, neck and shoulder massage, will conclude this signature treatment. During this journey, your hands and feet will experience a treatment that will moisturize and nourish.
• Revitalizing Mud Therapy-This full-body, cool, marine mud mask acts as a potent detoxifying treatment and is recommended for fatigue and restoration of systemic balance and remineralization.
• Mineral Salt Glow-The blending of ancient minerals and oils used to exfoliate and leave your skin healthy, smooth and glowing. A deep hydrating moisturizer will complete this pampering treatment.

In addition to these and many more relaxing treatments, the spa offers beauty services, like the following:

• Absolute Luminescence-For any special day, and weddings top that list, this treatment will deeply revitalize the skin while leaving a subtle shimmer and extraordinary softness.
• Eye Enhancement-These delicate areas are revitalized with collagen, firming anti-oxidant serum and rich moisturizer to plump lines, stimulate circulation and reduce dark circles.
• Milk and Honey Pedicure-Relax while soaking your feet in a warm, milk and honey bath. The lactic acid in the milk will soften the rough spots while the natural honey adds moisture and vital nutrients to the skin leaving it soft and hydrated. A gentle exfoliant is then applied to smooth the skin, followed by a milk and honey shea butter to complete this truly relaxing experience.
• Cut, color and hair styling services.
• Bridal Consultation for hair design, along with day-of service.
• Many other beauty services.

These services are wonderful, and the atmosphere can’t be beat. The Spa offers a warm mineral water pool, with sky lights above, and music playing beneath the surface of the water. A hot mineral waterfall cascades down on your shoulders for deep relaxation. An outdoor hot-tub next to a fire-place is a perfect place to sip mimosas, brought to you poolside. An indoor hot-tub with strong jets will melt stress away, and a cold lunge pool can rejuvenate your muscles. A sauna and a steam room complete the package for an all-around excellent experience.

Pamper yourself through-out the planning process, and keep yourself glowing in the days leading up to your wedding. You can also create custom packages to enjoy the day spa and beauty services with your Bridesmaids. Instead of a traditional bachelorette party, why not have a spa day with your ladies, with matching mani/pedis?

An All Inclusive Wedding Venue:

One of the main advantages of getting married at Rock Barn Golf and Spa is the All-Inclusive nature. Almost all of your planning can be done on-site, where you’ll be working with qualified people whose expertise will keep things moving smoothly. Those people are also adept at working together, a fact which will manifest itself in a smooth wedding day.

There are several locations on site for your ceremony and reception, depending on the size of your wedding. Rock Barn can accommodate large parties, and also smaller ones. The catering is top-notch. That’s because you’ll be working with chefs who are skilled, and take your requests and desires seriously. You can use the extensive catering menu to create a perfect meal, with appetizers your guests will remember.  You can view a chart here.

In addition to providing the venue and food, Rock Barn Golf and Spa also offers transportation. The Rock Barn Golf and Spa Sedan and Transportation Service specializes in weddings and parties. The service will gladly drive you:

• Away from your wedding.
• A night on the town-either in Hickory, Charlotte, or other destinations.
• From the airport to Rock Barn.

Rock Barn also offers several “Stay and Play” options. There are four luxury Townhomes available to rent with four bedrooms, and The Lodge. The Lodge is a five bedroom house with stunning views. It is beautiful and has many spaces for entertaining. Staying here also includes access to two clubhouses and the spa complex.

An ideal situation would have the bridal party spending the day at the spa, then staying in The Lodge on the eve of the wedding. The gentlemen could spend the day on the golf course, then use Rock Barn’s transportation service to drive them the Charlotte for a Bachelor’s Night on the Town. They could be driven safely back to their Townhome and be well-rested for the nuptials. The suites also provide a great solution for couples with out-of-town family members.

Rock Barn Golf and Spa has several locations that are perfect for bridesmaids luncheons, rehearsal dinners and even bachelorette parties. Bridal Showers at The Spa are luxurious and tranquil. There are three restaurants, not to mention a world-class golf course.

While Rock Barn doesn’t provide the florist, bakery, or photographer, they will provide you with a list of people they like to work with. They’ll be happy to give you suggestions or input.

At Rock Barn, the goal is for you to feel luxurious. We feel that goal matches up nicely with the needs of a bride. You should feel like the most beautiful woman in the world on your wedding day.  Rock Barn Golf and Spa is a great setting for your storybook wedding.

Rock Barn Golf and Spa is a semi-private club, which means that you don’t have to be a member to take advantage of their top-notch services. The more services you book with them, the more discounts you will receive, and the prices are much more reasonable than you probably expect.

The Belfast Boys are Alyn Mearns (guitar & vocals) and Adrian Rice (mandolin, bodhran & vocals). Classically trained, Mearns is well-known as a consummate guitarist and inspired singer-songwriter, whose work with his ex-band, Airspace, won many plaudits from those in the know. A new solo album of his own music is forthcoming. Rice is a musician and Irish poet of distinction. With book-cover recommendations from Nobel Prize-winning poet Seamus Heaney, his published poetry has found its way into the collections of London’s Tate Gallery, The Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and The Lamont Library at Harvard, amongst others. Rice’s new chapbook of poems – ‘Hickory Haiku’ – was published by Finishing Line Press (Kentucky) in August 2010. Mearns and Rice both hail from the Troubled streets of Belfast, Northern Ireland. Mearns has lived in the States since his late teens, but Rice only settled in Hickory (NC) in 2005, having come to Lenoir-Rhyne College as their Visiting Writer-in-Residence. Both men have been happily ‘captured’ by lovely American brides.

• Danny Boy
• Ride On

The men met in a local Hickory bookstore and quickly formed a strong bond based on their shared Ulster heritage and ‘Belfast-speak’. They co-wrote a serious and heartfelt tribute song for one of Ireland’s national soccer legends, the late, great, George Best. The song, entitled ‘The Conjuror’ – composed largely in their local haunt, The Olde Hickory Tap Room – reached No. 1 in the Belfast music charts. As their friendship grew, the two men discovered their shared love of Irish traditional music. Back in Belfast, Rice had played in an Irish band in his college and post-college years; while Mearns has written and produced a successful Irish CD, entitled ‘The Tree’. So it was only a matter of time before the idea of an Irish duo would surface: thus – The Belfast Boys.

In performance, the boys work hard to deliver a serious traditional Irish set of jigs, reels, polkas and songs. They pay their own particular homage to folk classics from the likes of Planxty, The Bothy Band, and Christy Moore, mixed in with some tastefully popular pub numbers like ‘Molly Malone’ and ‘Tell Me Ma’. They even manage to breathe memorable new life into folk favourites like ‘Danny Boy’ and ‘The Wild Mountain Thyme’. The duo also incorporate some of Rice’s own poetry, and create plenty of good wholesome ‘craic’ (fun!) from the stage. They also encourage audience participation and love to share the stage with any local musicians who may want to get up there and do their little bit to make the evening hum. For bookings, please email: adrianrice@embarqmail.com OR mearnsa@yahoo.com, and mention that you read about them here. The two enjoy performing at weddings, and we are sure they will make your special day better.

Listen to their songs here:

• Danny Boy
• Ride On

They were recently guests on The Mesh’s “I’m With The Band”, where they discussed their latest work. Listen here.

The Belfast Boys

Your wedding day will be wonderful. There may, however, be a few small set backs. Make sure you’re prepared by having these items with you:

1. BAND-AIDS: Fix the ring bearer’s boo boo or a bridesmaid’s blister.
2. BREATH MINTS: Chewing gum doesn’t look good on anybody.
3. CLEAR NAIL POLISH: Stop that run in your stockings…or the MOB’s stockings, anyway.
4. BOBBY PINS: Dancing messes up your up-do.
5. TISSUES: Daddy’s little girl is getting married!
6. DEODORANT: Someone’s gonna need it.
7. WHITE NAIL POLISH: *If the bride has a french manicure. If not, pack their color.
8. LOTION: No ashy elbows or knees in those pictures, ladies!
9. ASPIRIN: It’s gonna be a looooong day.
10. COMPACT MIRROR: For quick touch-ups.
11. HAIR SPRAY: Can someone say, “Flyaways?”
12. ANTACID: See #9.
13. DRINKING STRAWS: Sip drinks without messing up your lipstick.
14. LINT ROLLER: The boys will probably need this…and not a single one of them will bring one.
15. SNACKS: For Heaven’s sake please don’t forget to eat!
16. EYE DROPS: See #12.
17. SAFETY PINS: Last-minute fix to any misbehaving outfits or boutonnieres!
18. STAIN REMOVER: If the worst should happen, BE READY.
19. WATER: Make sure everyone stays hydrated. It’s best for pics AND the next morning
20. STATIC GUARD: Especially with light fabrics like chiffon, this is a must!
21. SEWING KIT: Emergency button repair.

• Miles and Miles of Texas
• Fine and Mellow
• Gentle on My Mind

Strictly Clean and Decent is an acoustic trio which features Patrick Crouch, Ron Shuffler, and Kay Crouch whose blend of stellar vocal harmonies tops a solid instrumental foundation. They love to  perform a variety of musical styles in an acoustic setting, of course, always keeping it Clean and Decent. Their eclectic repertoire includes “Modern folk songs by American, Canadian, and Irish songwriters, the fiery breakdowns and songs of family and home found in both traditional and contemporary bluegrass settings, and centuries-old Celtic airs and dance tunes”. Add to this swing, jazz, and a handful of classic country songs, and the listener is never bored. The band is happy to perform at weddings and receptions.

Strictly Clean and Decent has been included in the Directory of Traditional Artists for the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area. This is an honor that only a few artists in each county are privilege to.  The trio is on the Touring Artists Roster of the North Carolina Arts Council as well.

Ron Shuffler plays the upright bass with Strictly Clean and Decent. He is a veteran of the early Top 40 and beach music scene but also is well known in country and bluegrass circles. His solid bass playing and impeccable harmony vocals are without equal. Ron was raised in a musical family and his eldest brother, George, virtually created the cross-picking style of guitar playing while working with The Stanley Brothers, a first-generation bluegrass band, in the 1950s and 60s.

Kay Crouch performs on the guitar, flute, piano, and tin whistle with Strictly Clean and Decent. Kay has a widely varied musical background that includes symphonic and solo percussion work and musical theatre as well as county and bluegrass music. Her interpretive vocals have been an asset to the trio since she joined in 1991. She is married to Patrick, and the two have been performing together for decades. Her smile lights up the stage, and her easy report with Patrick makes for an enjoyable show.

Patrick Crouch handles the mandolin, banjo, dobro, fiddle, and guitar for the trio. Patrick has been performing acoustic music since 1977 when he founded New River Reign, a staple at Blowing Rock’s P.B. Scott’s Music Hall. He turned to country music with Long Time Gone and, with Ron Shuffler and Reggie Harris, created Strictly Clean and Decent in 1989. Patrick’s intense, often pyrotechnic but always tasteful, instrumental skills are the highlight of every Strictly Clean and Decent show. He also tells funny stories that keep the mood light, and relates to the audience on a very personal level.

Area reviewers have been unanimous in their acclaim for the trio. The Hickory News claims that “what really sets this trio apart is the bluegrass/swing/pop/country influence of three musicians whose talents take them to virtually every style of music ever conceived!” The Morganton News-Herald states that “the music is quite lively and, while there are many intense selections, the band maintains a jovial rapport with the audience.” Of the trio, Focus says their “on-stage patter is refreshingly self-effacing and laid-back, and the band comes off as extremely likable… Don’t miss this band, because they are a truly unique listening experience.”

Since 1989, Strictly Clean and Decent has performed in Ireland eight times. They have appeared five times on the Cobh International Folk Music and Dance Festival, the Bluegrass and Olde Tyme Music Festival in Cork, and twice at the Irish Bluegrass Music Association’s festival in Athy as well as at the Sirius Arts Centre in Cobh and other venues throughout the country. However, the trio performs primarily in North Carolina in places as varied as the Biltmore House, Duke Gardens, the NC Museum of Natural History, the NC Arboretum in Asheville, at the Sanford Pottery Festival, and for Winterfest in Blowing Rock. They are regular presenters on the Mountainhome Music Concert series in Boone. Additionally, they have opened for noted performers such as Doc Watson, Ralph Stanley, J.D. Crowe, Vassar Clements, Tim O’Brien, Tony Rice, Lee Greenwood, John Cowan, Ricky Skaggs, and Jerry Clower.

Strictly Clean and Decent first recorded in 1989, a recording entitled Long Time Gone. The trio later received an Emerging Artist Grant from the Unifour area Arts Councils to produce a second recording, Boomer Breakdown. Of this project, Bluegrass Unlimited says the group is “precise and well-rehearsed, with a full sound for a trio.” Other CDs include, Crazy Quilt, released in 2003 and How High the Moon, released in 2008. These CDs can be purchased on their site.

We hope you’ll take the time to listen to some of their tracks. 3 are shared below, with permission from the band. If you’d like to book the band, you can contact them here. Their touring schedule can be found here.

To book this band, please contact us.

• Miles and Miles of Texas
• Fine and Mellow
• Gentle on My Mind

 Use your guest’s fingerprints! There are all sorts of designs out there for capturing your guest list artistically, using thumbprints. This example is a couple holding balloons. You provide the poster, some ink pads, and some pens. Your guests put their fingerprint on the end of a string, and then sign it. Afterwards, it is a lovely piece of art to adorn the walls of your first home together.

This is a thumbprint tree, and it makes a lovely effect. You can use different shades of green for the prints, and have people sign it in green pens. If you are getting married in the fall, you can use red, orange, yellow and brown inks.

This is a Guest Book Puzzle. It is custom created for you from one of your images. You tell the artist how many guests you expect. They cut the pieces of the puzzle by hand, and then each guest receives one puzzle piece to sign and return to the pile.

This is a lovely, custom-created Guest Book. It’s for those who love the natural, and have an artistic flair. It fills the traditional niche of “book for your guests to sign”, while still packing a visual punch your guests will remember.It offers a little “something old” and a little “something new”.

This is another custom-created book. Your details are artistically engraved on metal. There are many kinds of books that you can have designed for you, so think of your preferences, and you can have something made that really captures the story of you and your fiance.

This book uses Polaroid images. As guests enter, their pictures are taken. These pictures are put into the book, and the guests sign beside it. This album does a wonderful job of capturing your guests’ enthusiasm…you will always remember just who was there, and what they looked like.

Lastly, a book of images from your Engagement Portraits works beautifully. Guests love to pour over these. To order one of these, you must get permission from your photographer, who might already be working with a company.

This is only the beginning of the options that are available to you. Look around! I’m sure you’ll find something that perfectly matches the feel and theme for your wedding. You will want to remember who was at your wedding forever.   An excellent guest book that you’ll want to display will help you, and serve as a stylish reminder of your special day.

First-e-mail. I’m sure you have an e-mail address. I think you should add another, strictly for use during your wedding planning. Give this address to any wedding vendors you talk to. G-mail is free and very wonderful e-mail service. As you would expect from Google, the software has amazing search capabilities, and so much room that you’ll never have to delete an e-mail. Can’t remember what time you’re meeting with the photographer? Just type “photographer” in the search box, and it will pull up all e-mails that mention it. You can also easily set your account so that e-mails will forward to your regular e-mail address. This will keep all wedding e-mails nice and separated, and will probably save you some stress down the road. And trust me, anything you can do to save some stress down the road, do. It’s a stressful road we’re heading down here.

If you sign up for the e-mail, you have a Google Log-in, which will now work with a host of other services.

Google Docs. I love this service. You can write and save word documents and spreadsheets right on the Internet. You can upload your own documents so that you can access them anywhere. You can make folders galore. When you’re browsing theInternet, and you want to check on something, it’s so easy to copy and paste the link, make a little note, and save it in your to-do folder. I love the portability…any file you’ll need…you can get it anywhere you have Internet. Handy.

Picasa Web Albums. It’s like Flickr, but I like it a little more. This is a photo organizing/sharing/hosting site. As an added bonus, you can download Picasa, which is Google’s free photo editor. Once that is on your computer, you just grab your photos, edit them very easily, then hit “upload”. It will upload your photo to theInternet, into albums that you assign. This may not help you organize your wedding, but it may be a great way to share pictures along the way. You’ll do lots of fun things, and Picasa and the web albums are the easiest way I know to share your photos with the world. Also, you can privatize albums that are more personal, and send links to anyone that you want to share them with. Also, as you surf the Internet and run across cakes and dresses and invitations you like, you can save the pictures in albums to make your choices a little easier.

Google Calendar. This is such a great calendar service. I won’t go into a lot of detail, but again, the ease of organization is key. Also, it works great with Palms and Blackberries. And, you can set great reminders when you start to feel scatterbrained.

Google Reader. I read a lot of blogs. I really like the personal voice of the medium. There are thousands of brides out there with blogs. If you’re interested in hearing about their lives and planning processes, Google Reader can help. It gathers all of the blogs you want to read into one place. You make a list of blogs you like, and it will even help you with that part. Then, every time someone on your list posts, it shows up, all in one neat little page.

Google Voice. This one is new and oh so so very cool. Google gives you a telephone number. You can then set up any number of phones to work with it. If someone calls that number, it will ring whatever phone you’ve chosen. It will ask the person calling for their name, but only the first time someone calls from that number. Your phone rings and then you’re given several options. It tells you who is calling, then asks if you want to answer, send to voicemail, listen in on the voicemail in case you want to answer, answer normally, or answer and record the call. Any voice mails or recorded calls are transcribed into type, and sent to you as an e-mail. The homepage looks much like an e-mail inbox, but instead of e-mails, it is full of recordings you can listen to, or read the transcription. Also, if you’re web savvy, you can make different widgets for different sites that say “Call Me.” You can record different messages for each of the widgets. Very cool. The beauty in this is simply that you can have all of your planning phone calls recorded. This way, you don’t forget important things.

Lastly, Blogger. I heart Blogger.  If you want to share pictures, stories, and random ideas with the world, or only your friends, while you’re creating your wedding day, a blog is a great way to do it. Blogger will let you create a free website that is so easy. As an added bonus, it easily interacts with most of the other features I’ve told you about. You can post a blog by sending an e-mail. You can post Docs if you want, and it is easy as pie to put Picasa pictures and slide shows up. You can even post voice mails people leave you on Google Voice if the mood hits you.

Now, I said “lastly” but you should know that there are many more Google services, and many could probably help you. So, this is a link to a more complete list of services.

Also, I should remind you that this a new site and it is still under construction. It will get more lovely as time goes on. If you know of something I should add, leave it in comments or e-mail me at Carmeneckard@gmail.com. Happy Planning!