Here’s the thing about crystals: No matter how simply they’re used in wedding décor, once you get them next to a light source—whether fixture or flame—they just can’t help but sparkle. And that little flash and glow is what makes an occasion feel…special. There’s no occasion more special than your wedding. And no better way to make it shine than with twinkling crystal elements. Like these.
Behold the dessert pop. It’s cake—or pie, or cookies, or “toaster pastry,” or cheesecake, or cupcakes, or French macaroons—on a stick. The color and decoration options are pretty much endless. Ditto the presentation possibilities. It’s a bite Heaven (or two or three or FIVE, depending on how long you linger at the dessert display, and how many pops you pop into your pie hole). Everyone goes nuts when they see them. And you can even have yours in the shape of miniature tiered white wedding cakes, if that’s your thing. In a mouthful: It’s wedding dessert perfection. Behold!
Is it dessert? Is it decor? Is it…ART? Wherever you come down on the wedding cake debate, we can all agree that a cool cake topper adds a delightful personal touch to your wedding cake—and your entire wedding day. Love your pooch? There’s a topper for that. Wanna show a little Lone Star love? You’ve got your pick of Texas-theme toppers. Vintage porcelain, twisted twigs, Swarovski crystals—your topper options are endless. So please don’t leave that cake naked on its big night. Top it! Perhaps with one of these darling cake topper picks? Links @ photo credits!
Lace has always been a bridal staple. But we’ve never seen this delicate, intricate material more coveted by brides than it is in this very moment. Let’s step away from gowns for a moment, though, and take a look at how lace is making its mark on…CAKES! You may remember Houston bride Kaleigh’s gorgeous Who Made the Cake cake, inspired by the bride’s lovely lace bolero. Well, we’ve got a few more lace-inspired cakes that are so pretty, it’s hard to believe they’re confections, not couture!
We know a gal who swears that as a toddler she went through a phase where she’d only eat white food. Cottage cheese, rice, white bread. That sort of thing. Now that she’s all grown up, our formerly finicky friend has expanded her culinary tastes exponentially. Thank goodness, too. Because white food is blah food.
Except when it’s dessert. Wedding dessert, in particular. Picture a post-meal sweets spread, filled with exquisite goodies in different wedding-white shades from snow to cream, beckoning guests to dig in. Pretty, right? Especially when displayed on lovely, vintage-inspired tiered dessert trays and cake plates like these. Have your cake…and eat lots of other yummy desserts, too, we say!
We don’t mean to interrupt your well-deserved Labor Day lounging around, but you may want to take a sec to mark your calendar. This Thursday, Sept. 9, wedding-planning firm extraordinaire A Day To Remember –you know them for their glorious cakes, gorgeous flowers and impeccable event planning–celebrates its 10th anniversary in high style…and you’re invited!
Festivities start at 6 p.m. at the truly spectacular Villa Rinata, and last until the last guest leaves (now that’s OUR kinda party!). Houston brides and their entourages fortunate enough to attend will find themselves surrounded by fine food and drink, awesome entertainment, great door prizes and swag, swag, swag.
As you can imagine, space is limited. So if you’re a bride-to-be who’s looking for amazing wedding ideas, while simultaneously taking a break from the hard work of wedding planning, make sure to RSVP, PDQ!
Thursday, June 30, the Houston chapter of Wish Upon a Wedding had its official launch. I am one of the board members of this fabulous organization, and so proud to be involved.
If you’re not familiar with it, Wish Upon a Wedding is the nation’s very first nonprofit charitable organization set up to produce weddings, at destinations across the United States, for couples facing a life-threatening illness. Its unique mission makes Wish Upon a Wedding the world’s first nonprofit wedding-wish-granting organization. It’s also quickly becoming the wedding industry’s charity of choice.
Attended by more than 150 Houston wedding industry professionals and brides, the launch reception, generously underwritten by the Westin Galleria and overseen by catering director Adam Rineer took place in the hotel’s Monarch Ballroom, with its beautiful views of the city. The talented Rob Smith and staff of Events in Bloom decorated the space stunningly with stylish lounge furniture. Guests enjoyed the impressive buffet and desserts prepared by the Westin chefs, along with sinfully delicious miniature wedding-cake truffles from Cakes by Gina. Both, I personally and everyone on the board of Wish Upon A Wedding are so grateful to the wonderful Houston wedding professionals who donated their time and services to make the evening a success.
Houston chapter president Heather Hamilton-Sims of Simply Jubilee Events shared the vision and objective of Wish Upon a Wedding, and the accompanying video clips left not a dry eye in the room.
By the end of the evening attendees could not wait to volunteer their services and time as wish grantors for this most worthy cause, which provides weddings for couples in need regardless of sexual orientation. Houston brides, here is an opportunity to share your good fortune with someone a lot less fortunate who wants nothing more than to be married….just like you. As President Hamilton-Sims put it, most of us are planning weddings and events one, or maybe two or three years from now, but for these couples facing a life-threatening illness that time line does not exist.
So how can you help?
Watch this short video clip to see just what Wish Upon a Wedding has done and visit Wish Upon a Wedding. To donate your services, please sign on as a Wish Grantor. Blog about it. Talk about it. Become a Facebook fan and follow Wish Upon a Wedding on Twitter. In lieu of favors at your wedding, please consider making a donation to Wish Upon a Wedding and spread the joy. But most of all, just GIVE.
Boy, does Janice Jucker have an amazing attitude. The president of Houston’s venerable Three Brothers Bakery and 2009 winner of the NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners) Houston Woman Business Owner of the Year award says that had she not battled incredible adversity—being battered by hurricanes AND diagnosed with breast cancer—she might not have won the award, “So everything happens for a reason!”
In addition to her heroic work saving Three Brothers after the onslaught of Ike, NAWBO honored Jucker for leading a group of vendors to provide IT services to Reliant Park, where Katrina evacuees were being housed. Those services allowed evacuees to connect with family, friends and loved ones during a time of unprecedented crisis.
So isn’t it just fitting that Jucker’s 60-year-old family bakery creates certified Kosher, certified delicious desserts and other sweet indulgences for many of life’s most important family reunions? And isn’t it lucky for us that she specializes in gorgeous, too-divine-to-decline-a-slice wedding cakes??
Speaking of cakes, Jucker, who got her start at New York’s famed Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, has been tracking wedding cake trends, and she’s got the inside scoop, plus great suggestions for the cake-shopping bride.
Here’s what she says…
About flavors: “Flavors seem to be moving back to comfort flavors. The top flavors chosen by our brides are a white genoise with amaretto buttercream or caramel buttercream (caramel is dairy, but it can sit out because it is cooked already), and a yellow cake with a fudge filling and buttercream icing. When we do a fondant I always try to steer our brides toward a filling with buttercream, so they get the best of both worlds.”
About colors: “We’re seeing gold again, which I love, for I feel it is so very elegant.
Coral and deep purple (eggplant) are definitely colors to highlight at weddings. Black and white are also still quite prominent, and bling is always in.”
About decoration: “Toppers are moving out. Spirals of sugar flowers are gorgeous. Nothing is more beautiful than handmade roses. I’m also developing a new affinity for magnolias–they are big and bold. I love them. Technology has allowed us to be able to take a pattern and cut it with great precision to create great patterns on cakes. We can work with some of the most intricate patterns now.”
About groom’s cakes: “My husband loves grooms cakes because he gets to design something fun. He is a master builder and can create mechanical accents as well. Two years ago he designed an 8 ½-foot oil derrick that shot 3 ½ feet of fire and chocolate oil!”
Jucker, who is healthy, happy and looking forward to many more years of baking, says her favorite part of working with wedding couples is hearing their stories. “I like to ask the brides how they met their fiancé. I love looking at their dresses to gain inspiration. You really get to know them.” She sighs, “I just love weddings.”
We couldn’t agree more. Congratulations, Janice. You’re our hero!
If you’re a thoroughly modern Houston bride, who, nevertheless, has a soft spot for flowers, take comfort—there are cakes that mix your dueling tastes. We’ve found plenty of them, and we’re serving up a few of our favorites here, for your inspiration.
What’s not to love about this lovely peony-theme, three-tier stacked cake? We are crazy about that dreamy watercolor effect, and the romantic topping of multi-hued pink blooms. Perfection!
Weddingbee.com
Smooth stacked tiers, slick grosgrain ribbon, a stylized gumpaste flower and an oh-so-au-courant purple-and-green color scheme make this cake from Austin-based Must Eat Cake, a chic choice for a stylish spring or autumn bride.
Musteatcake.com
Cake artist Simon Lee, turned out this stacked square cake, which has a crisp, formal feel that’s softened by accents of black-centered poppies. Picture a cake like this at a simple, elegant outdoor reception or in an intimate, black-tie ballroom setting—beautiful, no?
Stellaalesi.com/wordpress/
And speaking of white cakes, how about these fresh-as-springtime beauties from Chicago’s famed Cake Girls? We love how sisters Mary and Brenda Maher manage to make cakes that are both classic and cutting-edge. No wonder their clients have included Bono, Ashley Simpson and, none other than renowned wedding guru, Colin Cowie. Wowie!
Thecakegirls.com
If any of these cakes catch your fancy, feel free to forward a link to your Houston cake-maker. There’s nothing a cake pro craves more than a bride who comes with ideas!
