The movie got it all wrong; blue was definitely the coolest color, especially at the bridal shower of the gorgeous Rocio Olbes, who’s getting married to her fiancé Antonio Garcia. Recently, the blushing bride-to-be was thrown an outdoor bash hosted by Maggie Wilson-Consunji and Stephanie Zubiri-Crespi. From the venue’s color palette down to the luxurious table setting, (possibly) 50 shades of blue colored this poolside party to make it the blast it was.

If you’re thinking of holding one for a friend soon, here are some tips you can pick up from last week’s revelry.

Try a resort theme

Try refreshing concepts, and take cues from themes like resort or the Mediterranean outdoors. Rocio’s bridal shower made good use of our sunny weather, making it a perfect, tropical daytime affair for everyone involved. It’s also a good excuse to bring out breezy fashion, which I have to talk about later!

Plan out a color palette

Since the party revolves around its resort theme, colors reminiscent of the water, sand and other warm memories of beach vacations were used here. If you want to make your bash memorable, decide on a unifying scheme that’s easy to remember, and even easier to love!

Add touches of gold

Trust gold to add dimension to a setting and make everything look fancy. The dining spread flaunts golden dinnerware that really pops out in the otherwise monotonous blue-and-white scheme. Contrast it with some wooden utensils, and you add variety to the details.

Dress appropriately but stylishly

The great thing about resort wear is, you can wear less and it won’t be a problem. Rocio, of course, was perfectly dressed in her short beaded and printed kaftan from Australian designer Kamilee, and her one-piece halter swimsuit from BeMyWanderlust.

But what’s the best way for a bride to prepare? “Beauty starts from within, and I have been on a strict workout and diet regime to get stronger and healthier, and as a result my skin and hair have never been better! Natural is always best!” she tells me.

Have fun throwing a bridal shower for your good friends!

Nolisoli.ph launches with a cooking class

Are zucchini fritters the new hash browns? Hinge Inquirer’s group publisher Bea Ledesma seems to think so.

At the launch of the new  Nolisoli.ph site held at the Bulthaup showroom last Jan. 26,  Bea prepared the low-carb dish for guests, which included Cat Arambulo, Nicole Ortega, Tippi Tambunting, Tweetie de Leon-Gonzalez, Kai Lim, Hindy Weber-Tantoco, Nadine Howell, Sara Black, Ces Drilon, Steph Zubiri-Crespi and Juana Manahan Yupangco.

“More and more people care about healthy food, where to get it, and how to make it,” Bea says.

The new site, the web mothership of Northern and Southern Living, features a mix of food stories, from recipes to restaurant features. In the restaurant index, a tab contains all the info a reader desires: costs, social media handles, addresses and branches, which can be clicked through to Google Maps, operating hours, and even its menu.

Aside from food, topics on health, wellness and beauty are also covered alongside curated lists of the team’s newest or most interesting finds. Nolisoli.ph also carries the voice of the magazines, as it continues to look for and tell the most compelling narratives through profiles and features on of the community.

If you’ve ever wished there was an easier way to look for all the stories, restaurants, shops and places of interest in your city, Nolisoli.ph does it for you with the city guide.

Events from all over Manila are also listed on the site if you’re looking for something to do today, this week, or even later this month. You can simply select the period you’re looking at, so you don’t have to sift through everything to find the event on the day you’re planning for.

A variety of recipes are also now up on the site. Dinner table favorites like the ultimate classic adobo, easy-to-make desserts like crema Catalana, and even other healthy, meat-free or low-carb treats like flourless bread can easily be searched, read and printed straight from your browser. You can also find the recipe for the zucchini fritters on Bea’s blog, a special section of Nolisoli.ph.

This event is presented by Bulthaup. Special thanks to Garden Barn, Manny O and Holy Carabao.

Follow @nolisoli.ph on Facebook and Instagram and @nolisoliph on Twitter.