Lazy Bride's Blog

Groom's Cake with Bite!

Those of you from the South will be more than familiar with the Groom's Cake, that lovely tradition where the man of the hour is honoured with a confection (usually chocolate) reflecting his favourite past time, hobby, sports team, what have you. Some folks will serve the groom's cake at the rehearsal dinner whilst others will have it alongside the wedding cake.

A wedding I planned a couple of weeks ago had this fun cake as the bride's surprise to her new hubby. The couple are alumnists of the University of Georgia (as were most of the family and friends at the wedding) so the tribute to the Bulldogs' mascot was met with rousing applause and an ear-to-ear grin from the groom. That's one fine looking Uga, for sure!

What fun ideas do you have planned for your groom's cake?

Photo by Comfort Studio, Cake by Sweet Constructions, Coordination Weddings Costa Rica

MIM(E) - Mendhi Cake

Mendhi is a beautiful tradition found in India, southwest Asia and northern Africa where brides are intricately decorated with henna before the wedding. As you can see from this photo, the patterns are incredibly complex and beautiful. Since henna stains the skin, these 'temporary tatoos' can last anywhere from days to months, a fact that may deter many North American-based brides from honouring this cultural tradition.

Solution...

A bride we worked with wove various touches of her beloved's Indian culture throughout the celebrations. But rather than having mendhi on her body, she opted for showcasing this lovely tradition on the wedding cake. I guess you could say that she had her cake and ate it too...

Photo by Dan Power Photography

Cake by Sweet Constructions

Tradition Overview - Cutting the Cake

Who doesn't love cake (well, truth be told, not a sweets fan myself). And the cutting of the cake is one of the highlights at the wedding reception. Traditionally, after dinner, the bride holds the cake knife and the groom places his hand over the bride's. Together, they slice a piece of cake and then feed a bit to each other, symbolizing how they will always provide for one another. The cutting of the cake also signifies when guests can begin to leave if they don't want to enjoy the full party.

Options? Wedding cakes aren't cheap (they take days of labour and many are architectural feats) and many couples are opting for something different, such as tiers of cupcakes, a dessert bar or even a croquenbouche the traditional French wedding cake. 

If you are opting for a different dessert, it's still nice to feed each other a morsel (please refrain from smashing it into your partner's face as it's just so...nasty). And don't worry about getting a bit of icing on each other's face - some believe that some wayward frosting signifies how sweet your lives together will be.

Double Duty Cake Topper

The ubiquitous cake topper, once a standard during your parent's era, is making a comeback. Maybe it's a throw back to simpler times or lovable due to the the kitsch factor but whatever the reasoning, cake toppers are 'in'. And I love this one which is handmade - the classic couple atop an Art Nouveau-ish pedestal. Best of all, the topper is a keepsake box where you can keep some wedding treasures for years to come. Form, function, fun - this one's a winner!

Find it at rockpaperscissors, at their store in Charlottesville, Virginia or on-line for $203.

Damask - It's All the Rage

It's not quite a trend but it's on the cusp. Damask, once relegated to your grandma's wallpaper in the parlor has suddenly become the decor de jour. Over on Junebug Weddings, today's blog was all about damask - wallpaper, fabric, drapes. It's all there and in a variety of funky colors. Love it.

 

Over on The Doctor Takes a Wife Anne did a lovely job of putting together a damask inspiration board for her black & white damask with blue wedding. Wonderful color scheme!

A couple of months ago, we did a black and white damask with fuschia wedding, inspired by a dress the bride had worn. We managed to find a beautiful handmade paper with velvet flocking which we used to make the bands for all the candles with. Event the cake had a damask theme. Brenda over at Best Wedding Sites was kind enough to feature our wedding.

So there you have it, folks. The cutting edge of wedding decor. Expect to see damask unmasked over the next wedding season or two. Have fun, be creative and, with a great pattern like this, it only looks like you spent a lot of time decorating.

Let Them Eat (a Giant Version of Me) Cake

Righty-o, here we go with big a 'what were they thinking'??? Although it's not really a tip (other than DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS ONE), I saw this over at Cake Wrecks and had to share. Take a look at this...

A wedding cake that is a lifesized lookalike of the bride - every detail lovingly captured in fondant, right down to her earrings and hairclip. The detail work is really quite something (kudos for the artistry) but, as my father was wont to say, this gal's got all her taste in her mouth. Obviously, the cake was REALLY important to her and one can only begin to imagine how much that...thing cost. Wow. It's mindnumbing in its complexity and incredibility that someone would a) come up with this idea b) find someone to pull it off and c) nobody tried to stop this trainwreck (MOB, bridesmaid, anyone?). 

This catapults egomania to astonishing new levels. "It's my day and it's all about ME ME ME" takes on a whole new meaning. It looks like Ms. Bride is rethinking her choice, however, since she seems to be giving herself (well, the cake version) the old evil eye, like "girlfriend, you're looking prettier 'n a whole lot sweeter than me". Yes, what WERE you thinking?!

Lindsay & AJ's Wedding

Just got the photos from Lindsay and AJ's wedding at the Zephyr Palace in Villa Caletas last weekend - WOW (if I do say so myself). Lindsay was great to work with as she had a clear idea of what she wanted yet gave me lots of creative freedom. The result as a chic mix of modern elegance with a touch of over the top spectacularness (is that a word?). What a fun fun bunch of people! Check out the goods courtesy of Mark and Joi at Pennington Photography

Congratulations again, Linday and AJ, and thanks for letting us be party of your wonderful day!

Kooky Cookies

Nowhere is it written 'thou shall serve cake' for your wedding. Decent wedding cakes are works of art and require days to make, which means they ain't cheap. Wether you forego the cake for economic reasons or simply because it doesn't appeal to you, it is nice to have something sweet to send guests off with.

One option is to have cookies. They're sweet, they're easy to eat and they open the door to creative possibilities. Take this couple - the fish cookies were exact replicas of the groom's tattoos, which were inspired by a painting made for him by a friend. Needless to say, these cookies were the hit of the evening as guests were reduced to squealing school kids when the confectionaries were unveiled.

Cookies, in the hands of a cake artist, can transcend an after-school snack to be mini works of art. Have fun and make them personal. Include the logo of your college, have them reflect your favourite sports or maybe the landmark from where he proposed. Get creative, have fun and don't be afraid to break the (cake) mold.

Fish cookies by Sweet Constructions, wedding car, martini, wedding couple cookies by Polka Dot, wedding dress, megaphone, wedding cake by Wedding Cookie.com

Fuchsia & Orange Colour Palette

Here's a colour board featuring the sunny, chic combo of fuchsia and orange, courtesy of Brenda from Best Weddings Site. I love this colour combo as it allows for so many possibilities - like the invitations below, it can be very depeche mode (no, not the band - it's French for 'fashion forward'). Highlight with gold and you have instant elegance. And eye-popping cocktails are a fab way to kick the party into fifth gear.

Many orange and fuchsia flowers are tropical, so this combo has built-in tropical flair. Great for breezy summer or beachside weddings.

Reception photo is from one of our beach weddings Weddings Costa Rica, rum and pomegranate cocktail from Brides.com, Orange bouquet from Brides.com, Jeweled party shoe from Dikuza.com, Love Today Tomorrow Always Wedding Invitation Collection from SandyPhotoArt's etsy shop.

Let Them Eat Cake!

Today I thought I'd share some fabbo ideas for cakes, courtesy of The Cake Girls, a sister-team of creative bakers in the Chicago area. Cakes no longer need be the stodgy white buttercream affairs, topped with the requisite plastic bride and groom, of your parents' era. No, today's confectionaries can be whimsical, outrageous, elegant, fun - whatever you want. It's always nice to have the cake reflect the rest of your wedding decor choices, as it helps tie everything in (but need not be 'matchy-matchy').

Hope this helps inspire!