(Wedding Recap) Details, Details

There are a couple things I need to point out, to validate my/our hard work and document the end results.

For the ceremony, my mom purchased a kit from Michael's craft stores and then made the layout with her fine Microsoft Office skills.  My dad then helped her print, arrange, and tie the bows. (Thanks Mom & Dad!)  We placed them on chairs for guests, prior to the ceremony.

I found some reserved seating cards on TheKnot.com. (Which reminds me, I need to sell them... anyone want them?)  These were perfect for the ceremony!

The kepot were passed out at the door, thanks to our dear friend, Eric.  We decided to go with a contrasting color to the bridesmaids dresses to change things up a bit.

Post ceremony, the guests were lead to the Board Room where one bar was located, or to the Portico, outside, where there were cabaret (high-top) tables and another bar.  And I have no picture of this. But it existed.

Before entering the cocktail hour area you came across a table with escort cards, decorated with floating candles, similar to some of the table arrangements.  I stupidly printed out all the cards myself, a few days before the wedding (with the help from amazing Lara!).  Turns out, when you do this task after midnight and when your husband is already away on his bachelor party, you will make mistakes... like forgetting a whole table.  whoops!

I found this gift box at Target, days prior to the wedding. I used the same ribbon as I did for my niece's flower girl basket and the escort card (to differentiate entree choices), for flair.

Each escort card led guests to their assigned table, named after a different zoo animals (a nod to Mike's proposal!)

At each seat lay menu cards and benchers (Jewish prayer books - which we forgot to use!) flanked each table. Sidenote: I also printed these menu cards out in the wee-hours of the morning.  Not advised.

As mentioned before, I made the cake topper (with that same ribbon).

The bridesmaid's flowers surrounded the cake table. 

And my bouquet graced our sweetheart table, along with my special clutch from Etsy!

These little elements all came together so nicely!

{all photos by the awesome Studio Juno}

Peacock Cake Topper Tutorial

My crafty side is really showing lately.  I love putting personal touches on special moments.  That being said, I tried something, full-well knowing it could fail.
I looked around for months for a cake topper. I wanted something with peacock feathers, obvi. The only thingsI found that I liked were on Etsy and upwards of $200.  Then I found something more reasonably priced, but the first thought that came to mind was, "I can totally make that."

So I set out to do just that.

I started with a square base of Styrofoam.

I traced a circular shape onto the surface and cut it into a circle.  This was somewhat of a challenge.

I then picked out peacock feathers of various heights.  You can easily trim down the feathers' stalks with scissors.

I love that this one has a heart in the center!

I poked/jammed the feathers into the Styrofoam base.  Sometimes I needed to create holes for the feathers' stalks to slide more easily into the base.  I used a pencil to create holes in the foam.  Be careful not to put the feathers out too often, because it loosens the integrity of the Styrofoam.

Once I was happy with where the feathers were situated, I hot glued ribbon together to cover the base.  (This is the same ribbon I used for my niece's flower girl basket)

Once the ribbons were aligned I then hot glued that onto the Styrofoam base.

As you can see I added feathers (which I promise in real life they show up purple, not red) to prevent the white Styrofoam from showing.

And voila! Cake topper at the wedding!

And in these professional pictures you can tell the feathers are purple!


{all images personal, aside from the last one from Studio Juno}

Final Catering Tasting!

It's hard to believe we're only 3.5 months out.  My personal trainer asked me how many weeks that was, and I shocked myself with the number 14.  She asked if I knew how many days that was - and I respectfully declined to do the math.

Regardless, we must taste the food we want to put in front of everyone! Our hors d'oeuvres, vegetarian entree, and cake were chosen!

After 4 catering tastings with separate companies, we decided on Windows. But after tasting so many hors d'oeuvres once we decided on Windows we wanted to go back and revamp a few details.

First up: tasting the Vanilla Salmon & the Salmon and Coconut Skewer (in order of appearance):

 

I  know they look oh so similar, but trust me, the flavor difference is there.  We chose the Salmon and Coconut Skewer because of the flavor brilliance.  The coconut jelly on the bottom is made from gelatin and coconut milk.  The Sirasha sauce on top is amazing. Together with the salmon = flavor brilliance. yeeeum!

We settled on our vegetarian entree choice:  Giant Spring Roll.  

And yes, it's exactly what it sounds like: a huge, vegetarian egg roll. 

Or as they put it "wok fired Napa cabbage, tofu, firecracker peppers and snow pea shoots with a chili-lime vinaigrette."

In short. amazing yumminess:

nom nom nom.

And the cake! YES! The cake!

Chocolate Raspberry:  Chocolate cake with Old-Fashioned Dark Chocolate Mouse and Fresh Raspberries with Chocolate Buttercream. (yes, please)

Vanilla Blackberry: Almond Sponge Cake filled with Vanilla Cream and Fresh Blackberries with Light Amaretto Whipped Cream.
(no need to ask twice)

Strawberry and Lime Shortcake:  Lime-flavored sponge cake, Strawberry Syrup, Vanilla Mousseline and Fresh Strawberries with Vanilla Buttercream
(HELLOsummerwedding yes!)

Carrot Spiced Cake: classic Carrot Cake filled and frosted with Cream Cheese Frosting
(can't go wrong)

Deliciously amazing & fantastically scrumptious.
Then we took two of the rounds home and my wedding dress diet was blown to pieces, as was the cake.

So we're ordering them all.  Seriously.
The bottom tier of the cake will have the Strawberry-Lime, followed by the Vanilla Blackberry, topped with the chocolate (my all time favorite cake evah).  And the Carrot Cake? Mike gets a special groom's cake, since he loves it and I do not share the same sentiment. perfection.

Oh that?
Our point of contact at Windows set that aside for us to see.  She knows our colors and decoration scheme and shared it with us, leftover from their holiday party! I love me some good customer service (and cake)!


Happy Weekend! Giveaway winners will be posted tomorrow!

Wedding Cake Inspiration

In about two weeks we meet with our caterer again to finalize our menu! To be determined are hors d' oeuvres, our vegetarian entree, and most importantly THE CAKE!

I scoured the internet for cakes I love.
And boy, are there a LOT of pretty cakes out there. Here are some of my favs:

Credit due: (from left to right)
Top row:  The Cake List, Wedding Cakes by Jim Smeal,  Cake Central
Middle: The Icing on the Cake, Unknown Artist, Pastry Girl Cakes
Bottom: Unknown Artist, Wedding Cake Pictures, My Friend's Wedding!

If you can't tell, I'm in love with the clean lines of square cakes with simple horizontal lines.   I also enjoy the disproportionate sizes, when one layer is much larger than another.
Cakes are so pretty, and yummy!

What did your cake look and taste like? Or what do you envision it to look like?!

7 Months away!

Here's what we've been up to this month:
-Not one, but two catering tastings and a cake tasting!
-a phone planning session with premiere wedding consultant, Steve Kemble (in which I finally pick my color scheme)
-chose a day-of wedding planner
-rented a photo booth as our favors!
-thought we won a photography package, but then lost it -- update: the previous photog we were working with before the fail went down, is back in the picture.  We will be paying full price, but love her and her work. Plus? We trust her 110%.

We're working on:
-choosing a caterer (We set a personal deadline of Thanksgiving)
-bridesmaids dresses (no really, for real this time)
-florist arrangements (meeting on the 29th!)
-our engagement party (a bit delayed, but still a party!)
-joining our finances (we got life insurance, we're legit)
-my hair and makeup (I have someone's card - this is a step)
-my figure (keeping the weight off)

We're kinda-sorta thinking about:
-invitations
-meeting with the rabbi soon

{image source}

Festive Foods Catering Tasting -- Part 2!

Didn't know this was a two part post? Well it is, thanks to CAKE and Buddah.

Cake Tasting (aka the third most awesome reason to eat cake --first being the actual wedding cake, 2nd your birthday)

From the list of 32 flavor options, we chose 8, and then of those the pastry chef lead us towards 5:
White Velvet
Hazelnut Rocher
Salted Caramel
Chocolate Raspberry
24 Karat Carrot Cake

Those names alone? Oh please, don't get me started.
Hopefully there's a cupcake somewhere around here to appease me.
Because that might be the best cake I've wrapped my tongue around.

Now begins the gratuitous cake picture post:

Don't you LOVE how they decorated each mini-cake? 

Also? I LOVE how they used the label-maker to mark each flavor.

That is a pastry chef after my own heart!

 Who needs cupcakes - we need to get on this mini-cake trend!

worth. every. stomach. cramp.

I honestly thought we took more pictures than that, but my hands were busy lifting the fork and shoveling cake into my mouth.

nom nom nom

And because the grounds were oh-so-amazing, (and we needed to walk off the 15 pounds we gained) I then took may fall photos:

by far, my fav.

Oh, and then on our jaunt home we stumbled upon a Buddhist temple and receiving blessings (yarn bracelets?) from the abbot monk.

Ya know, a typical Saturday.

Go have your cake, and eat it too!