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Wedding Cakes to Inspire All

YumSugar — Tue, 13 May 2008 11:00:24 -0700

Every time I check out the Yum Market, I always end up looking at serenityspeaks' bookmarks. She has lovingly hunted down tons of wedding cakes, and even grouped them by color.

I'm rather fond of this incredibly unique tiered cake with citrus accompaniments, but if it doesn't suit you scroll through her impressive list below. There's plenty to be inspired by.

And if this selection isn't enough, serenityspeaks actually found three more pages of wedding cake ideas for you.

Head to IDoSugar for more wedding coverage.

Come Party With Me: Wedding — The Look

partysugar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 07:28:31 -0700

The decor of your wedding is what sets the mood for the entire evening, so pay special attention to pretty details and eye catching accents. The color and theme — already seen in the invitation — should be reflected in everything from the tabletop to the ceiling. Elena's wedding will be decorated with an orange, pink, and wood color palette.

Start by covering the table with textured orange tablecloths. Slide pink napkins into wooden rings and place on top of wood chargers. Use the tines of a fork to neatly hold the placecards. Serve everything from beer to water in sleek wine glasses. Hang pink and orange lanterns in various sizes at different lengths from the ceiling. Multiple bloom pink and orange floral arrangements are chic and festive. Romantic lighting is essential to enhance the atmosphere, so light hundreds of white candles.

For more wedding ideas check out check out IDoSugar.

Source

15 Horribly Tacky Cake Toppers

YumSugar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 05:27:19 -0700

First of all, let me start by saying I'm really sorry if you used any of these cake toppers at your wedding. Maybe I just don't get your humor. Secondly, let me add to that by saying these are some truly tacky cake toppers. From mermice — yes mermaid + mice = mermice! — to fighting couples, I think I can guarantee that you won't find these cake toppers on any 2008 trends list.

Come Party With Me: Wedding — Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:31:19 -0700

One of the biggest expenses at a wedding reception is the drinks. Hosting a full open bar is a costly option, and if you don't have an unlimited budget, I would not recommend doing it. Instead offer guests one signature cocktail and an assortment of beer and wine. Another option is to host a day reception, because people don't drink as much when the sun's out. Be sure to ask the wait staff not to pre-open wine bottles. If they do, you may be left with a bunch of open, full bottles.

Along with the signature cocktail at Elena and Sean's wedding, guests will have a choice of Champagne, red or white wine, or a selection of local beers. The cocktail is a refreshing, delish blend of rum, cointreau, and sparkling pomegranate. It has a glorious hue that matches the wedding's color scheme.

For more wonderful wedding ideas, check out IDoSugar. To take a look at the recipe,

Wedding Food Trends for 2008

YumSugar — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 01:01:27 -0700

We've discussed a lot of the current wedding trends from centerpieces, to wedding cakes, but now it's time to address the actual meal. Do you serve a fully catered sit-down meal? Or do you opt for something more trendy? To find out what's in for wedding food 2008, click the "Start" button.

Come Party With Me: Wedding — Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:08:33 -0700

Once you've decided which cake trend suits your wedding style, it's time to think about the flavor of the cake. Although many couples have differing tastes, you can compromise on a flavor that suits both of you. Each layer can be different, or you can offer a variety of smaller cakes.

Since Sean likes vanilla and Elena loves chocolate, they've decided to serve a marble cake at their reception. A marble cake is made with both chocolate and vanilla batters. The final cake is topped with with a swiss meringue buttercream.

For more wedding ideas, check out IDoSugar. To take a look at the recipe — it's a little complicated! —

Wedding Centerpiece Trends

partysugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:13:38 -0700

One of the many decisions you have to make when planning your wedding is how to style the tables. A spectacular centerpiece on the table is like the icing on the cake. It's an eye catching piece of decor that stimulates conversation and sets the atmosphere for the reception. This year centerpieces have moved beyond the traditional: fruits and vegetables abound, nature adds down-to-earth glamor, and the glowing cast of candles shadow the arrangements. To see some of the most popular centerpiece trends, click the "Start" button.

8 Ways to Greenify Your Wedding

YumSugar — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:30:00 -0700

We're right in the middle of wedding season here at the Sugar Network, and being that today is Earth Day, both CasaSugar, geeksugar and I are hoping to help you green your wedding. Casa's got great tips regarding flowers and travel and Geek's got a list of ways to eco-fy your ceremony. Me? Well I've got tips regarding food, decor and favors. To see what we've got up our sleeve, click the "Start" button. Source

Come Party With Me: Wedding — Invite

partysugar — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:28:33 -0700

A couple of weeks ago I planned an engagement party for my friend Elena, and this week, the saga continues with her wedding. During the process, I'll feature my tips and ideas on how to host a fabulous wedding, so interpret them to your own liking. Elena and her fiancé are hosting a destination wedding in Lake Tahoe. Both the ceremony and reception will take place at a friend's house that overlooks the lake. The wedding isn't until October '09, so we have plenty of time to make and send the invitations. Elena's colors are orange and fuchsia with wood and khaki accents. To see how I made these earthy, elegant invites,

Top 10 Wedding Cake Trends of 2008

YumSugar — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:18:39 -0700

The wedding cake is the unspoken centerpiece of the wedding reception. Whether it's a chocolate sensation or a demure statement, everyone's bound to remark on what the cake looks like. This year there are more metallics, colors, and, of course, small cakes. To see all the wedding cake trends for 2008, click the "Start" button.

10 Kitchen-Themed Favors

YumSugar — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:01:33 -0700

If you're looking for food-related wedding favors but want something that will last longer than an edible favor, then check out our list of kitchen-themed gifts for guests. My favorite part is the horribly cheesy puns they use to sell you on them. From the "gratest" love to stuff that "a-peels," you'll find kitchen-themed wedding favors when you click the Start button.

Gorgeous and Glamourous Wedding Invitations

partysugar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:12:58 -0700

After selecting the location and date of your wedding, the next most important decision is the design of your invitation. The invite should clearly illustrate the mood, atmosphere, and overall theme of your wedding. Before deciding on a look for your wedding's invitation, be sure to browse plenty of invites to figure out what kind is right for you and your fiancé. To inspire you, I've rounded up a bunch of my favorite invites. To check them out please click on the "Start" button.

10 Ways to Turn Your Wedding Into a Foodie Fantasy

YumSugar — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:18:33 -0700

Are you a pair of foodies who are getting hitched? If so then check out these tips we've come up with to make sure that your wedding shows off your food personality. From kitchen bouquets to dessert bars, we've thought of 10 things that will turn your wedding into a foodie fantasy. Source

Top 10 Edible Wedding Favors

YumSugar — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:13:31 -0700

Edible wedding favors are definitely in vogue at the moment. They're a nice way to celebrate the day, and they won't clutter up your guest's homes in the future. From cocoa to olive oil, there's something for every couple's taste buds. I've rounded up several fun options, to see them all click the "Start" button.

Come Party With Me: Wedding - Music

partysugar — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 06:55:33 -0700

Although I'm no BuzzSugar I do know that the music at a wedding can make or break the party. You have to walk a fine line at a wedding and choose music that will have everyone dancing, both the young and the old. Generally it's best to start with oldies but goodies to get the guests out on the dance floor and moving. As the night wears on and people are drinking more and their inhibitions are slipping away the music can switch to more current hits. The older family members usually get a kick out of trying to dance to songs like Fergie's Glamorous or Beyonce's Crazy In Love-or at least this is what has happened at all of the weddings I've ever attended. All this week I have been giving Julie my ideas and suggestions for the most fabulous wedding. I made a template for her invitations and came up with a delicious menu that reflected the location of their wedding (Philadelphia) and their specific dietary needs (Julie is a vegetarian and Scott is not). Next I came up with a few signature cocktails for them to serve their guests during the cocktail hour and provided ideas for beautiful floral centerpieces and the look of the reception. Today I'm offering my tips on the music and taking some help from Buzz so

Come Party With Me: Wedding - The Look

partysugar — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 07:55:19 -0700

So I know I already said that the food and drinks at a wedding are extremely important but the look (like invite) is what sets the entire mood and atmosphere of the event. How can you have magic or love in the air without a beautiful look? Bright colors are an excellent way to add an element of surprise as guests typically expect pastels and when paired with plain white linens the colors can really pop. Remember centerpieces don't always have to be floral: experiment with unconventional centerpieces such as shallow bowls filled with live fish, hollowed out tree trunks filled with fruit, or nests/wreaths overflowing with berries. Integrate elements of nature into the decor by using coral branches for a sunset beach or green moss to blanket bare soil of a potted centerpiece. Instead of having floral centerpieces wrap wedding favors in pretty paper and stack decoratively in the middle of the table. For the look of Julie's wedding (in black, white, and light blue with art deco accents),

Come Party With Me: Wedding - Drinks

partysugar — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 11:53:39 -0700

Equally as important as the food at a wedding reception are the drinks. People love to be invited to weddings because usually a large amount of alcohol is consumed and offered for free. This is great for the guests but not so great for the bride and groom. To cut back on the tremendous costs of alcohol serve a signature drink, beer, wine, and champagne. Hosting your wedding earlier in the day rather than at night is another way to cut the costs of the drinks because people tend to drink less during the day. Buy the wine by the case wholesale (instead of through the caterer) as most merchants provide discounts that may increase if you purchase multiple cases. Wine purchased through the caterer can cost twice as much and although he will charge you a corkage fee to pour in the long run you will be able to spend more money on other areas of the wedding (like the invitations!). Instead of buying regular sized bottles of wine get magnums (bottles double the size of a regular 350 ml bottle) as it costs less per ounce and you'll cut the cost of corkage in half. Don't offer champagne all night long but splurge on an extravagant bottle and make sure each guest gets a glass during a special toast to the happy newlyweds. To see the signature cocktails I've mixed up for Julie and Scott's wedding and the wine pairings to go with the menu please,

Come Party With Me: Wedding - Menu (Dessert)

partysugar — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 14:26:31 -0700

The best thing about a wedding cake is the multiple flavors. Julie worriedly told me that she hates chocolate and loves marzipan but her fiance, Scott, loves chocolate and hates marzipan! Looks like this is a predicament that shows how newlyweds can learn to compromise. Luckily this dilemma has an end result in which both can have their cake and eat it too (sorry guys I had to make that horrible pun...) by alternating layers of marzipan and chocolate cake. Or choose one cake, julieulie suggested she was interested in a chocolate chip pound cake with layers alternating in chocolate and marzipan frosting. Fill small bowls with black, white, and blue candies and arrange on the table next to the cake. If you are having a wedding that will most likely last until the wee hours of the morning offer a late night snack a la Truman Capote's Black and White Ball and serve a snack at 2 am. Keep the snack simple and serve a breakfast style hash, mini peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with milk, or miniature grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup. For the chocolate chip pound cake recipe-it's light and fluffy thanks to sour cream-

Wedding Placecards

partysugar — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 11:57:31 -0700

The seating arrangements at weddings can be a daunting task. Deciding how to place your divorced grandparents far away from each other and your single girlfriend with the single friend of your cousin can be a challenging and overwhelming chore, luckily with DearSugar's helpful advice you can get the job done. However once you have decided where to seat each of your guests the fun begins...creating the perfect placecards! Placecards are beautifully written little notes with the name of the guests on the front and a table number on the back. Use your imagination to come up with inventive ways of numbering your tables. At a wedding I attended last September the couple is known for their crazy love for candy. Instead of giving the tables a number they named each one for a different candy (gummi bears, m&m's, skittles, etc). At the tables guests were met by small goodie bags with the candy of their table. If you are having a destination wedding you can name each table after a neighborhood of the city or take pictures of you and your fiance at each of the locations and use these pictures to identify the tables. There are endless ways to decoratively and festively arrange placecards so that your guests are pleasantly surprised upon their arrival to the reception. Attach to a bulletin board decorated in beautiful ribbon, place each card in a stick in potter's soil, write the names on a keepsake seashell, slide a flower into each card. Placecards serve as a nice reminder of your wedding celebration and guests can take theirs home with them so make them special. If you can afford it hire a professional calligrapher to write out all of the names. Got a placecard idea, please do tell it below!

Come Party With Me: Wedding - Menu (Main)

partysugar — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 09:58:31 -0700

Planning the dinner for a wedding can be a very tedious task. Work with your event planner and caterer to determine the best, local and seasonal dishes to round out the menu. Offer a variety of choices with at least two entrees one meat and one vegetarian. Steer clear of choosing a dish that may not please the majority of guests like lamb, duck, or a fishy tasting fish. If you serve a cocktail hour with lots of heavier appetizers, dinner can be a light meal consisting of crab cakes or grilled marinated steak placed on salad greens. Likewise, if you are serving very light appetizers, do not skimp on the main course. Instead of serving dinner in buffet style with several long tables where a slow moving line is inevitable, create several buffet stations and place them around the locale. To see my main course serving suggestions for Julie and Scott's wedding,

Come Party With Me: Wedding - Menu (Appetizers)

partysugar — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 05:58:34 -0700

It's wedding time here at the Sugar Network and I'm pulling out all of the stops to create and inspire the perfect reception for julieulie and her fiancé Scott. We kicked things off yesterday with a beautiful baby blue, black, and white invitation and today we are moving right along to the food - where the majority of your reception budget will be spent. At Julie and Scott's more formal wedding, cocktails will be served with passed tray appetizers and an antipasto bar in a small room overlooking all of Philadelphia. Then for dinner the entire party will move into a lavishly decorated ballroom where the sit down meal will be served. Julie is a vegetarian, but Scott is not, so the menu should be both veggie and meat eater friendly. I have a variety of six appetizer suggestions that reflect the location and the religion of the wedding. For these savory tasty bites,

Come Party With Me: Wedding - Invites

partysugar — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 06:58:45 -0700

I'm taking on a pretty difficult task this week: planning a wedding. A few weeks ago I threw an engagement party for lucky reader julieulie and this week the wedding talk continues with my inspirational ideas and helpful tips for her wedding. Julie will have a traditional Jewish wedding in Philadelphia on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend in 2008. Following DearSugar's wedding time line, the bride to be should start thinking about invitations at least six months before the date of the wedding. Wedding invitations are incredibly important to setting the tone, feel, and look of your event and when your guests receive a thick beautiful envelope in the mail, they should know that their presence is requested at a very special moment - think of the invite as a keepsake memento. If the wedding is a black tie formal event, it should be reflected in a sleek, elegant invitation with classic lettering. If the wedding is a low key beach party, the invitations can be more playful with seaside motifs. An invitation is about making a grand opening statement, so get artistically creative with your fiance(e) and let your style as a couple shine. Use the colors of your wedding in the paper, font, and detailing and choose a motif or symbol (a flower, your initials, a pattern, etc.) to give each aspect of the invitation a uniform look.

I spoke with my buddy Jake over at Paper Source, a wonderful resource for wedding invitations, and the colors that are hot this year are chocolate brown, bluebell blue, and vibrant red. Currently their best selling motif is a birds and leaf design. Remember that there is more than just an invitation that must be considered. A complete set of wedding invitations include (choose what you want to include inside the envelope with the invite):

save-the-date cards
the invitation
response cards (this is how guests rsvp)

programs
seating cards
place cards
menu cards
thank you notes
directions to the location
hotel information (if it's a destination wedding)

With wedding stationery, the options are limitless from the paper that you choose to the method of printing. The paper can come in many shapes, sizes, and textures with various glosses, finishes, and weights. Generally the heavier the cardstock, the more expensive the paper. The shape of a traditional invitation is a 4 1/2 by 6 1/4 inch flat card although Jake said that this year the A7 (roughly 7 by 5 inches) and A10 (about 4 by 9 inches) are popular.

The most formal and expensive printing method is engraving when the information about the party is etched into metal plates that are then impressed on the paper. Engraved invitations will have small indentations on the back of the paper along with raised type on the front. Engraving makes a powerful statement with a light colored text on a dark background. Letterpress is an old technique where the type is created by impression resulting with indented words that have a handmade feel. Offset lithography is flat printing that you'll find on standard greeting cards and invitations. This is the least expensive printing technique and can create very modern invitations. Thermography is another affordable option that uses a heat based process and a resin powder to create raised lettering that looks similar to engraving.

Now that we've covered the basics it's invitation making time! To see what I've created for Julie in her light blue, black, and white color scheme,