Erica & Matt's Wedding

Erica and Matt were married this past August at the First Baptist Church in Portland followed by a beautiful reception at the Heritage Ballroom at the Governor Hotel, one of the most beautiful rooms in the city.  Matt and Erica were such a fun couple, they knew just what they wanted and as you can see from the beautiful pictures by their photographer, Paul Rich, they did an amazing job!  My favorite memory of the day was a visit from Erica's dad while the florist and I were setting up the cake.  He looked nervous, but wanted to be sure that every detail was perfect and to take time to thank the vendors in person.  What a great dad!  Our congratulations to Erica and Matt, thanks for letting us be a part of your lovely wedding!
Paul Rich Studio; Erica and Matt's Wedding



The best of both worlds!

I met with Jennifer and Sandeep this past summer to come up with a design for their wedding cake.  Sandeep's family came from India and he and Jennifer were incorporating Indian traditions into their planning.  They would be having an Indian wedding ceremony on Friday with Jennifer dressed in a traditional Sari which for weddings are always red.  They then planned a traditional American ceremony and were to be married in the Old Laurelhurst Church on Saturday with their reception to follow at the World Trade Center.

They wanted a cake that would capture the best of both their traditions and this is what we came up with.  A five-tiered white fondant cake with each tier wrapped in it's own Sari style design.  The red fondant was embossed with a design, was applied to the cake, and each wrap was hand painted with edible gold.  After the tiers were painted gold beads were applied.  The cake was setup in the beautiful World Trade Center and served with platters of Indian sweets.

Congratulations Jennifer and Sandeep, what a lovely way to bring the best of both backgrounds to the start of your life together....and isn't that what weddings are all about!

Eat, Drink, and Marry!

For you couples working on planning the perfect wedding, there is going to be a fun new event held at Mahers in Lake Oswego on November 11th from 6-9pm.  Charming Mahers Pub will be the back drop for a fun "engagement party".  Local vendors will be bringing samples of their work and will be available to chat with you.  We will have lots of yummy food and fun wedding ideas, not to mention cake!  There will be amazing give aways and everyone will go home with a goody bag.

Here's just some of the local vendors who are participating:  Party Place, Event Team (MC & DJ), White Rose Bakery, Blum Floral Design, Cardgirl Invitations, Heidi K. Papers, KGK Floral Design, Brandon Perron Photography, Champagne Wedding & Event Coordination, Liu Liu Designs and Calligraphy by Jennifer.

It's going to be a great evening so be sure to pre-register at Eat, Drink, Marry and we'll see you there!

Nicole & James Wedding, Abigail's Garden, Abernethy Center

It's always lovely to start the week with something fun.  This week we received an email from Lauren Brooks Photography that the wedding of Nicole and James from last fall at Abernethy Center had been posted on Style Me Pretty.com.  Nicole did a wonderful job putting her wedding together, everything was exquisite.  The flowers and floral decoration were done by Jordan Gladow of Blum Floral Design and they were beautiful, lush and unique.  The photography was done by Lauren Brooks Photography and her photos are beautiful and so romantic.  Truly a magical wedding, congratulations Nicole and James, we wish you much happiness

Wedding Cake Trends 2010

I frequently get asked, "What are the new trends in wedding cakes?"  I don't think that I am the person to answer that question, the best answer comes from the wonderful, creative and fun couples who come in with their ideas for their wedding.  Here are some examples of some fun trends coming up this season:

Color!  Fun new colors, like Faith's vintage turquoise and coral cake at Lola's, Kirsten & Lucas' spring green and gray cake at the Aerie, Stephanie's yellow sunflower cake with purple accents and Teresa's cake with black geometric bands with orange, green and black flowers.

Pink!  I personally have missed pink, and not the bright scream at me pink, but the lovely, soft traditional pink.  Pink is going to be the featured color on cakes for Erica & Andrew at Weatherford's, as an accent on Katie & Michaels cake at St James, and used with raspberry for Ami & Matt's outdoor wedding.

Black & White!  Beautiful black and white, but done in a variety of ways and with new accents.  From Dawnelle & Blake's elegant mad hatter & rhinestones, Dana & Jason's ivory & black with bows & crystal accents to Melissa & Matt's black & white accented with a beautiful french blue ribbon.

Personalized!  Cakes that capture the spirit and fun of the couples.  Like Kristle & Jame's elegant fall themed cake at the Governor Hotel....with their cat, Amber, peeking over the top.  Or, Hannah and her Coast Guard groom's ocean themed cake  in Newport complete with waves, anchors and the works.  Or, Samantha's gorgeous blue & white cake with orange accents and a top tier that is shaped like a cupcake because that's how her fiance proposed!

So the next time you wonder where the new trends are coming from, look at your own ideas, imagination and creativity because it's probably from you!

Simply Scrumptious Wedding Cake!

It makes me crazy when I sit down with a couple planning their wedding and they say, "we don't need a very big cake because nobody eats wedding cake" or "everyone knows wedding cake doesn't taste good".  WHAT!?!  The wedding cake you order for your wedding will most likely be the most expensive cake you ever purchase and it's not going to taste good!?!

It's time that couples stop accepting cakes that are not yummy and start demanding more.  Here are some questions you definitely want to ask any baker you interview:

Do you bake from scratch or do you use mixes?
As with any baked item, to get the best flavor you must bake from scratch.  Mixes can be convenient but because they frequently only need added water or oil you are not going to get that wonderful fresh made taste. 

What ingredients do you use?
For a cake to taste amazing the ingredients have to be amazing.  A quality baker should be using fresh, unsalted butter, real cream, fresh whole eggs, imported chocolates, fresh fruit and brand named liqueurs.  The better the ingredients the better the cake, there's just no way around it.

When will my cake be baked?  Do you use fresh baked cakes or frozen?
Some bakeries bake cake ahead of time, freeze it and defrost it in time to decorate your cake.  Cake that has been previously frozen is not going to be as good as fresh.  Freezers do bad things to cake, drying them out and diminishing the flavors.   So if your bakery is baking your cake fresh, when?  Is your cake baked the week before the wedding, five days before the wedding?  The closer to the ceremony your cake is baked the better it's going to be.

What goes into your buttercream?
Some bakeries will call their frosting "buttercream" when in fact it contains no butter at all!  This "buttercream" is made with shortening and powdered sugar and leaves that greasy feeling in the roof of your mouth.  Real buttercream is made with butter which makes it soft and creamy and lets it melt in your mouth.  If a bakery serves you white "buttercream" it is not buttercream, true buttercream is always a little bit ivory from the color of the butter. 

How do you handle your fondant?
See previous post, but don't believe any baker that tells you that fondant tastes bad.  If they tell you that they are not as experienced as you might want, keep looking.

Can I change, add or personalize flavors?
A bakery that is baking from scratch, using fresh ingredients and making the fillings and finishes for your cake fresh should have no problem accomodating changes in fillings and flavors.  I had a couple come in last summer and they were getting married on July 4th.  They wanted red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, but they wanted fresh blueberries in with the frosting.  They had six bakeries tell them no, no changes to the flavors!  If your bakery has a problem sprinkling some fresh berries or making other adjustments to your cake you need to find out why they cannot accomodate changes.

Finally, your cake baker is a professional and has lots of experience.  Ask them what flavors other couples like, what would they serve if it was their ceremony.  Be open to new flavors and ideas and you will end up with a cake that is not only yummy but unique and personalized for you.

Mock Wedding at the Hotel Monaco, Portland

I had a great time last week.  I was invited by Brandon Perron of Brandon Perron Photography to take part in a "mock wedding" he was staging as a photography workshop for local photographers.  The event was coordinated by Mandi Downs of Champagne Wedding & Event Coordination, flowers were provided by Jordan Gladow of Blum, Design in Flowers and the gorgeous setting at the beautiful Hotel Monaco downtown was overseen by Carole Lombardi.  Mandi did an amazing job, the room was done in magenta, plum and red and was sleek and sumptuous.  The cake was done to give a nod to the darling magenta shoes the bride wore.  I received copies of the first pictures today.  These were done by Laura Zander of Add to Heart Photography.  You should check out the rest of her photos, they are really beautiful!

Put Some Fun in Your Wedding Planning!

Spring is almost here, your date is set, your venue is reserved and you are in the process of choosing and confirming all your vendors. While you are working on that list, why not consider some of the vendors below and have a wedding that is not only wonderful but fun and unforgettable! These vendors are in the Portland area, but fun options are available wherever you are getting married!

Portland Wedding Pedicabs - http://www.portlandweddingpedicabs.com/ If you've planned the ultimate eco-friendly wedding or have lots of guests to transport downtown, this is the only way to travel. You can imagine the fun as your guests wind their way through downtown to the reception site! Check out their website for the parade video..too much fun!

Top Hat Productions - http://www.tophatproductions.com/ Having a Christmas wedding? Santa Clause can come, how about Irish Dancers for that March wedding or Polynesian dancers? Top Hat can offer you multiple, unique entertainment and theme ideas, guaranteed to surprise and delight your guests.

Paparazzi Tonight - http://www.pdxphotobooth.com/ You can't have too many pictures of a wedding and reception and many couples put disposable cameras on tables so that they get those spontaneous pics. With the help of Paparazzi Tonight you can do it better and rent a photo booth! Imagine all the fun your guests will have cramming in and smiling for the camera. Not only will everyone have a ball, but they will leave with a wonderful momento.

The Case For Fondant

Over the years I've met with so many couples who come in for their tasting with a picture they've pulled from the latest wedding magazine of a cake they want recreated for their wedding. Almost always the cake is done in fondant and almost always they want to know if it can be done in buttercream. Why? Because they have either heard horror stories about fondant or they have tasted horrible fondant and they don't want to inflict it upon their guests. So why does fondant, which is so universally used have such a horrible reputation and what can you do if the cake of your dreams is fondant?

First, some common misconceptions; a fondant cake and a butter cream cake are exactly the same, the fondant cake just has one additional layer, but both cakes have a generous layer of butter cream. Fondant does not taste "bad" and in fact can be quite delicious.

So why does Fondant have a bad reputation. It helps to know what Fondant is made of; Fondant is very similar to marshmallow's although Fondant is not cooked and therefor remains soft and pliable enabling it to cover cakes. Handling of Fondant makes all the difference in the final outcome. Most fondant in commercial use comes in 5lb blocks and it is my experience that this fondant does not taste that great when fresh. In most commercial bakeries your wedding cake is decorated on Thursday or Friday and must sit out until the wedding on Saturday as fondant cakes are usually not refrigerated. Go back to that marshmallow and imagine putting a fresh, soft one on a plate on Thursday and coming back to eat it on Saturday...it would be dry, chewy and stiff. The same is true of fondant.

So is it impossible to get a yummy fondant cake? Absolutely not! Fondant made from scratch is so much better than what is available commercially. It tastes good, has a lovely scent, is much easier to work with and stays soft and lovely much longer than that produced commercially. Fondant made fresh can also be flavored depending on the flavor of the cake itself, vanilla, lemon, almond, champagne are just a few of the flavorings that can be added. This fondant starts out much fresher and so stays that way longer. It is also important that the fondant be applied to the cake as close to the delivery time as possible. Every day that the cake sets out with the fondant applied it becomes less appealing.

So, what do you look for when you go to meet with your cake designer? Ask what type of fondant they use, is it freshly made or purchased. Ask for a sample to try. Ask how many days before the wedding the fondant will be applied to your cake.

A bakery that cares about the taste of your cake will make sure that the fondant is as luscious and lovely as the cake itself.

photo by: Joni Schrantz, StudioESS

http://www.studioessphoto.com

Getting Your Perfect Cake

With the flood of media surrounding weddings these days it's hard to sort out what you want from what everyone else is telling you you should want! So how do you pick out the perfect cake for your wedding?

First, rather than bring a picture in to be copied, print out lots of pictures. Make notes about cakes you see and what specifically you like about them. Look at other aspects of your wedding, is their a design theme or color that is running through everything. It will help your cake designer if you can come in and say, "I tend to look round over square, I like cakes with a floral theme, but not fresh flowers, appliques."

Second, think about how you would describe your wedding to others. What will be the feeling, atmosphere? What is special about your venue, is it fun, elegant, sophisticated, a garden, out in the country? What makes your wedding different from others you have attended, what do you look forward to the most?

Lastly, how would your friends describe the two of you, is there some feature or aspect of your relationship? What would your friends expect you to do?

Answering these questions will give your cake designer not only a direction, but some specific features that you like. Having this information will help the designer come up with a design that will be unique, fit with your wedding and will have your friends admiring the cake and commenting on how perfectly it suits you!