Choosing Your Wedding Cake

What do people wait for in a wedding reception? There may be many other answers to this question but there is no doubt in my mind the wedding cake would be the foremost answer. Think back and you will probably notice that wedding guests would wait for at least the wedding cake to be cut before they leave. So in deciding about your wedding cake, you have to be sure that your cake will make the statement that you want it to.

If you want to follow tradition, you would probably go for the three tiered cake covered in icing. However, today, there are tons of choices to pick from. You can even let your creativity come into play and design your own cake! Here are some things to consider when thinking about your wedding cake.

Size. How big do you want your cake to be? How many guests are you going to invite? Aside from that, you should also consider if you are going to have friends who won’t be able to make it to the wedding – you may want to send them some cake afterwards.

Design. Once you have decided on the size, the design is vital to the “success” of your cake. As I mentioned earlier, you can follow the traditional design or you may opt for something else. Wedding magazines are a good venue to get some ideas. Visit different cake shops and look at their collection as well. If you have a specific idea of what you want your cake to look like, then it is easier for you. Just take your idea to the baker and see if he can make it.

Flavor. Of course, the wedding cake is meant for more than decoration. It is going to be eaten. As such, it has to taste good. There are really no restrictions anymore as to the flavor of wedding cakes. If you prefer a certain flavor then go for it. Though wedding cakes used to be white and thus vanilla flavored, there is no stopping you from having a chocolate cake. You can even have cheesecake, mousse, or any other flavor under the sun!

Just remember, decide on your wedding cake at least a month before the wedding. Many bakers require that orders be placed months in advance. Otherwise, you might have to settle for something ready made and not really to your taste.

Wedding Cakes: What To Ask The Baker

There is no doubt about it, the wedding cake is one of the centerpieces during a wedding. Many people look forward to seeing the cake and actually tasting it during the reception. Tradition has it that the cake be part of any wedding ceremony, whether it be a grand wedding or a simple gathering. Even civil weddings with a small party afterwards normally feature cakes. So when planning for your wedding, you must ensure that your cake is exactly what you want it to be – both in physical appearance and taste. Here are some questions you can ask the baker when canvassing for a wedding cake.

First and foremost, request for a tasting. This should not be a problem, especially if the baker specializes in wedding cakes. You should know what you will be buying and therefore should have a taste of what the baker has to offer. Many bakers will offer you a range of frostings and flavors to choose from – do not hesitate, taste all of them until you know which one you want for your own wedding cake.

If you have a specific design in mind, then inquire with the baker if they will accommodate your request. These days, one popular design for cakes is to put an image on the surface. Perhaps you want a picture of you and your partner imprinted on the cake – ask if that is possible. Better that you know if the baker is capable of carrying out your ideas on the outset than having to change your mind later on.

Also ask to see the portfolio of the baker. That is, see if he has pictures of the other wedding cakes that he has baked. This will give you a clear idea of his work and whether you like it or not.

Don’t forget practical matters such as cake preparation. When will he bake the cake? The best time frame is at the most 2 days before the wedding. Ask him if the offer delivery and set up services. This will lessen the load on you on your wedding day. Ask about extra charges, if any. These may apply for extra decorations on the cake such as cake tops and pillars. If so, make it clear whether they should be returned or not. If it is the former, inquire as to costs if the decorations somehow get damaged. Last, have your agreement in writing and signed.

Wedding Journals

Journals have always been a part of our lives. As a little child, you probably had a notebook wherein you kept an account of the important – and not so important – things that went on in your daily life. As a teenager, this habit may have continued. With the rise in popularity of blogs, the habit of writing down both the significant and the mundane has not waned a bit. Why not consider keeping a wedding journal for you and your partner?

A wedding journal is one way to make your memories even more tangible. Later on down the road, you would certainly appreciate going down memory lane and revisiting one of the most momentous occasions in your life. How do you go about making your own wedding journal?

Why not start at the moment you get engaged? Go to your local bookstore or crafts shop and pick out a blank journal. Of course, you may not be able to carry this with you at all times so it would be a good idea to have a scratch pad handy to take around with you. This way, you can write your thoughts and feelings any time you want to. Later on, you can transfer these into your journal. You can even turn it into a scrap book and add photos and other memorabilia. You will be sure to have tons of these as you plan your wedding.

What can you write in your wedding journal? Starting from your engagement, you can write about the proposal and your feelings about that. Later on, you can write about events and happenings related to your wedding planning. From the choosing of the venue, the theme, the people involved, and more, you can jot all these down and document your activities.

So what is the point in keeping a wedding journal? After all, you may be thinking, the wedding ceremony itself will be well documented with videos and pictures. Still, a wedding is not a stand alone event. As you probably already know, a wedding is the result of months of planning. You would probably go through a lot – both good and bad – in the months prior to your wedding. Documenting these times may even be more precious as time passes by. More so, writing things down can help alleviate some of the stress that you will surely be undergoing. Much like other journals, let your wedding journal be your outlet in times of pressure.

More Hot Wedding Trends This Year

We’ve talked about destination weddings being a trend this year. To be more specific, though, the premier destination this year is Italy. Care to give a guess as to why this is the case? Yup, give it to Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. The publicity surrounding their relationship – though the wedding was not really seen a lot – has contributed to the allure of Italy as a destination wedding location. Many know that Italy is a beautiful place but not until this celebrity wedding has it gotten this much attention. Then again, Italy is quite a long way to go for a destination wedding plus the costs are not that cheap. Still, there will always be people who can afford an intimate wedding in this wonderful European country.

Another trend with weddings has something to do with giving back to the environment or humanity in general. We talked about organic weddings a few posts back – these fall under this trend. Awareness of social and environmental issues has grown over the years. Weddings have not escaped this trend. As such, we are seeing more of environmental weddings, weddings wherein favors and gifts are given to charitable causes and the like. If you are the type to lean towards good causes, then this trend is definitely the one for you.

Going back to clothes and decorations, one of the most popular themes includes the use of embellishments such as embroidery and lace. The more intricate and delicate the décor, the better it is. However, these decorations are not only limited to the bride’s and bridesmaids’ gowns but can also be applied to table cloths, runners, and even to invitations and other decorations used in the wedding. Along these lines, dresses used for weddings tend towards having sleeves. This is because sleeves can be made from lace and other similar materials.

What about entertainment? This is the trend for this year as well. Usually, the cocktail hour is spent for photography sessions and guests milling around. Now, it is made more enjoyable by having live music and other forms of entertainment. Some of the more interesting forms of entertainment that have been used for this purpose are flamenco dancers and other traditional or exotic performances, impersonators, fortune tellers, and even fire eaters.

A note before we end, these are only trends. It does not mean that you have to follow what other people are doing. If you have your own ideas in mind, then put them into reality by all means!

Hottest Wedding Trends for This Year

We talked about some wedding trends early this year. Now that we are in the middle of the year, with the traditional wedding month coming up, let us take another look at some more hot trends for 2007 weddings. If you can’t make it this June, then there are still 6 months to go before the year ends!

First trend: glam. Yes indeed, glamorous weddings are in this year. Say goodbye to the simple and quiet wedding. The trend this year is to shout it out to the rest of the world and let everyone know about your wedding. Elegance and sophistication are the themes for this year’s weddings. Then again, this is just a trend and it does not mean that you should follow it. Good for those who have a taste for the glamorous, though!

Second trend: pay particular attention to the back of the wedding dress. Common sense will tell us that most of the time, the wedding guests will be seeing the back of the bride as she will be facing the minister. As such, the trend is for embellished backs. No matter which style you choose for your dress, try to add a little more detail and flair to the back of your gown.

Third trend: go for something that will make a statement. This is in regard to the color theme for the wedding ceremony. From the bride’s gown and the groom’s suit to the flowers and decorations, the trend is to use rich and bold colors such as purple, gold, orange, and the like. Gone are the days of cute and sweet pastels. Of course, you have to choose something that you actually like. More than that, make sure the color of your gown will suit your skin tone as well. Making a statement does not mean that you should not take your aesthetics into consideration as well.

Fourth trend: be square! Being square is a good thing, when it comes to tables that is. Round and rectangular tables for the reception are not the in thing this year, mainly because square tables facilitate interaction among the guests better. More than that, it is easier to plan the layout of the reception area when using square tables. Adding decorations are also better with square tables.

Let us take a look at some more trends in the next post.

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