Tickled Pink Brides - Orlando, Florida's Premier Wedding Planner

What's Hot in Cake Design

Textile-Inspired Texture: Textile inspired cakes are huge right now! Buttercream ruffles and fondant frills that mimic wedding gown design seem to be the most popular right now, but we are also seeing a lot of bold, bright prints like this chevron design too.

Painted Flowers: Hand-painted flowers are a way to turn a typical wedding cake into a serious work of art. Designs like these are popping up all over the place!

Ombre Icing: First, it was ombre hair that was the hottest trend, but now its all about ombre wedding cakes. Check out these seriously cool cakes! Cakes really seem to be following fashion trends right now…

Charm City Cake's 2012 Summer Collection

Want to see the latest trends in wedding cake design?  Then look no further than Charm City Cake’s Summer 2012 collection. Charm City Cakes is located in Baltimore, MA and featured on Food Network's Ace of Cakes. I absolutely love the show because they're always pushing the envelope and trying new and exciting design techniques. Feast your eyes on their Summer 2012 wedding collection.  And no, we could not narrow down the pictures any more than this because they are all THAT amazing.

The Friday Five

This week we're showing off some various wedding trends that make us smile.  Across the board, we love for weddings to feel personal and intimate, even if your guest list seems to have gone sky high.  

Terrariums make beautiful centerpieces, and are even more exciting when guests get to take home mini versions that double as place cards.

Serve a family-style dinner where guests will interact more with those around them.  Place banquet tables end-to-end and dress them with festive runners and low centerpieces to encourage chatting across the table.

There's no rule that says bridesmaids must wear dresses.  Skirts and blouses are a modern alternative.

Use serving pieces and decor you already have.  Grandma's cake serving set and crystal toasting flutes...lace table runners your mom happens to have...the cake topper from your parents' wedding.  Even having one or two things that you or your family already owns will save you money and make your wedding feel a little more cozy.

 Flower girl fairies.  Need we say more?

 Have a lovely weekend!

Our Favorite Edible Wedding Favors

Each time I'm asked what a bride should give as wedding favors, I always advise something edible.  Guests leave trinkets like tiny picture frames and votive candles on the tables, but edible treats are rarely left behind!  Here are my current favorite wedding favors:

1.  Macarons to match your wedding colors.  These by Sparkles Kitchen come in tons of colors and can be purchased with adorable wrapping to fit the theme of your event.

2.  Salted caramel.  Popping up on menus all over (and the Cooking Channel!), this is a sweet, salty, gooey treat that guests will most likely bite into well before the reception is over.  I just ordered a sample from The Caramel Jar and they were to.die.for.  Definitely a crowd pleaser.

3.  Local honey.  It wards off coughs and allergies, can be drizzled on almost anything, and supports your local economy and the environment.  Sounds good to me!  We shop Winter Park Honey, but you can also search for honey favors near your own town.

4.  Cake pops.  I'm seeing a trend toward couples choosing not to have a wedding cake.  If having an elegant cake just isn't your thing, try a dessert bar filled with tarts, cookies, and other sweet treats, and send your guests home with an individually wrapped pop.  These "wedding cake pops" are by Bakerella.

5.  Southern sweets.  With all the down-home, rustic Southern style we're seeing in weddings, it only makes sense to offer up a favor that fits the theme.  How about Whoopie Pies, take-home s'mores kits, a burlap bag filled with pralines or pecan pie on a stick?  That's right...pie pops are in, and I can just about guarantee none will be left behind!

The New Candy Bar

Ever since candy bars hit the wedding scene a few years ago, they have been all the rage.  Dessert table extraordinaire Amy Atlas even created a booming business out of them!  What are we seeing for 2011?  Amped up dessert bars featuring more than Skittles and M&Ms-- today's dessert bar features delicious treats like Whoopie Pies, Rice Krispie Treats, warm chocolate chip cookies (and a tall shot glass of milk!), and cake pops.  We still like the apothecary jars and decorative glass bowls on display, but fill them up with chocolate-dipped pretzel rods, bon bons, and macaroons!  Try using different heights of cake and cupcake stands for displays, or unique finds like vintage china or serving platters. 

Whoopie Pies are a delicious treat at the end of the reception

Colorful macaroons can come in your wedding colors and an array of great flavors.  These are from Charleston's Macaroon Boutique

Our brides are loving cake pops!  They come in so many colors and flavors and are a fun and decorative display to accent your dessert bar.

How about a s'mores bar?  Photos above by Amy Atlas.  Orlando caterer Arthur's Catering does a fabulous and oh-so-delicious s'mores bar, torching a marshmallow then rolling it in chocolate shavings and graham cracker crumbs.  To. Die. For.

Other ideas:

1.  Pay homage to the past with classic, old fashioned sweets.  Display candies like Cracker Jacks, licorice, taffy, peanut brittle, and Charleston Chews.  Find nostalgic candies at CandyWarehouse.com

2.  Using your family's favorite recipes, offer grandma's cookies, mom's apple pie, and your sister's famous rum cake

3.  Think "desserts" rather than "candy".  Try mini cheesecake bites, tartlets, squares of tiramisu, and cake pops or mini cupcakes

Event Planning App for iPhone

Brides and planners alike will love this new iPhone app for event planners called Super Planner, released this past week by industry expert Howard Givner.  I've downloaded it already and am impressed by the easy-to-use format and the detailed information that will make logistics planning a breeze.  

Imagine visiting a wedding venue you're interested in and being told that the per person pricing is $150++.  The first plus (+) is for service fees, and the second is for tax.  Most venues tax the service fee.  In order to help you budget accordingly, you'll need to find out how much you are really paying per person after service fees and tax.  Plug your headcount, the $150 per person charge, your tax rate and service fee percentage into the Super Planner app, and instantly you'll find the real charge per person.  

 Wondering how much alcohol to buy or how many hors d'ouevres to plan on during cocktail hour?  The app does that, too.

 Trying to determine how many guests you can fit into the ballroom?  Choose your table size and enter the room's square footage and you'll have an answer instantly.

 What size linens should you order for the dinner reception?  You'll get those answers, too!

 Finally, set the perfect table with Super Planner's place setting diagram.

 I have a feeling that I'll be using this App so frequently, it's worth the $9.99 charge.  If you're ready to try it, download the app in the iTunes store either online or on your iPhone.  Already tried Super Planner?  We'd love to hear what you think of it!

Free Tickets to The Wedding Salon, Miami Beach

 

Cash Bars...Just Say No

    Every once in awhile we are asked whether a cash bar is appropriate for a wedding, and my answer is always "Sorry, but no."  Some brides still choose (for budget reasons) to pay for a few hours of hosted bar package, then change the last hour of the reception to a cash bar for those who are still drinking.  Here is my advice: Cut back where you need to in order to cover the bar tab.  You are hosting this event and inviting guests to a beautiful ceremony and party.  Please don't invite them then hand them a bill.  

    Southern Weddings Blog just did a great post on this very topic, in which they quoted the ultimate in etiquette, Emily Post.  She says:

    "Just imagine being invited to a dinner party at which the host or hostess handed guests a bill.  You'd be shocked.  A wedding is no different; the couple and their families are hosts, not restaurateurs.  You might cut costs by serving simple hors d'oeuvres, wedding cake, and nonalcoholic punch at an afternoon reception; planning a home reception to eliminate the expense of a rented hall or hotel; or limiting the number of guests you invite. You don't have to have a bar; if you want champagne, you could limit it to one or two glasses per guest for toasting.  There are many ways to stage a beautiful wedding on a tight budget, but charging guests isn't one of them."

    Other ways to be creative include offering beer and wine only, holding the wedding at a venue that will allow you to bring in your own alcohol, or offering guests one or two types of signature cocktails rather than a full open bar.  

Planning the Wedding Menu

   What will your wedding dinner menu consist of?  Most likely the answer is "chicken", the universally accepted entree for weddings that we see (and eat) time and again.  Most couples choose entrees from a catering menu and look for something that fits the budget and will be liked by all or most of the guests--both of which are important constraints.  But why not add some of your own flair to the menu, whether it be from your culture and heritage or simply your favorite foods?

Asking your caterer for a special food request is not unheard of, and you won't know if it's possible if you don't ask.  Are ropa vieja and platanos your favorite foods?  Do you prefer carrot cake to yellow, white, or chocolate?  Ask your caterer if it's possible to come up with a price for your custom menu and you may be surprised at the possibilities.  Many caterers I work with, both private and at big hotels, are happy to create something special as long as they have ample time to perfect the dish and order ingredients.  Original touches included in your dinner menu add pizzaz and something unique to your wedding celebration that guests will appreciate and enjoy!

A signature appetizer (ex: Pierogies, Swedish meatballs, mini cheeseburger sliders, coconut shrimp) and complimentary cocktail are a perfect way to incorporate your favorites into the wedding.  On a budget? (who isn't, really?)  Create a laid back atmosphere by serving "heavy" hors d'ouevres that can be eaten while standing and mingling, like a loaded potato bar, macadamia encrusted mahi fingers, and grilled veggies on a skewer.  This way you may not need all the courses required for a sit down dinner, and you save big on fewer tables, chairs, linens and centerpieces.

Real Simple's Wedding Reception Menu Ideas article is a great place to inspire your palette, and see ideas for menus at sit-downs, buffets, cocktail parties, and casual barbecue-style weddings.

Summer Time Cakes

    Summer has arrived (at least in hot and humid Florida), and summertime brides are putting the final touches on their wedding details.  One of my favorite parts of planning my own wedding was deciding on--and tasting--the cake!  We chose cupcakes in three flavors with three different colors of icing that was decorated like peonies atop each little cake. 
    For summer weddings, colorful, floral cakes work well to bring the outside in.  Here are some of my (and America's) favorite cakes, as featured on Brides.com.