By Stephanie Smith

Celebrating your best friend and her upcoming wedding is one of the most time honored traditions for you and the entire bridal party. And though the bridal shower will be picture perfect when you are done, there is a lot of work that goes into achieving that perfection. There are the invitations, (and don't forget the recipe or advice cards), the house cleaning, the decorating, and of course the menu. Throw a little fun and creativity into the party by making the bridal shower cake yourself. Home made, home designed and home decorated cakes are sure to be the talk of your party!

Bridal shower cake ideas should be carefully thought through before making any decision. Depending on the tastes of the lucky couple, you will either need an extraordinary cake that is highly decorated or a simple and smaller cake, if the couple is celebrating with an intimate group. Keep in mind that it's the couple that should be satisfied with your decision.

You'll then want to think about decorating your bridal shower, and the cake is a big part of that. Bridal shower cakes come in all kinds of different themes. Some are more romantic, featuring traditional symbols of marriage such as flowers and bells. Others feature unique themes - these can be almost anything you can think of. Often they can be personalized.

Once you know how you want the cake decorated, you'll want to decide on what flavor to choose. This largely depends on personal preference. Do you know if the bride prefers plain yellow cake, or chocolate? How about both, or perhaps a different flavor altogether? Rest assured that there are almost as many flavors of cake as there are cake decorations! Take a look through your favorite cookbook or the baking aisle in your grocery store.

Finally, you will want to choose what size your cake is. Bridal shower cakes, needless to say, come in all different sizes. How many people will attend your shower? Did you remember to tell guests to RSVP? The more people show up, the more cake you will need - after all, everybody has to eat! Use whatever information you have to decide what size cake to buy. If you're planning a large shower, you may want to consider having more than one cake, with different flavors to accommodate different preferences.

Since you're going through the effort of purchasing or making a beautiful cake, why not also use it as the bridal shower centerpiece? You can personalize it by having names of the bride and groom written on the cake, along with the date of their wedding. Guests always want to take pictures of the cake, so give them a cake to remember.

Whatever kind of cake you choose, remember that it is not the cake that counts; it's the sentiment behind it. Bridal shower cakes are a wonderful aspect of a celebration, but the celebration truly is the best part. Don't get too stressed out in trying to choose. Remember how special the occasion is, not just for you but for the bride, the groom, and all their friends and family. Your shower will truly be memorable that way.

About the Author: For more great bridal shower ideas, visit us at http://www.bridalshowerhq.com .

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Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=178922&ca=Marriage

By Madonna Jeffries

Do you remember going to weddings in the years gone by at the reception seeing the wedding cake being topped off by the traditional Bride and Groom figures. It seemed that at every wedding you went to the same old wedding cake toppers were being used. These figures were pretty basic with the Bride wearing a white flowing dress and the Groom wearing his traditional tuxedo. There was absolutely no variation to this theme and these figurines were the only feature included on the wedding cake, like it or not.

Dare To Be Different With A Modern Cake Topper

These days progress has been made and the range of wedding cake toppers has become big business. You will have no trouble whatsoever going out and finding a unique and perfect topper for a particular bride and groom. There are very many specialty wedding retailers that stock a wide range of distinctive wedding cake adornments. Because of the vast range available you will be able to find the perfect adornment to suit your particular circumstance and requirement.

Today, wedding cake toppers can be made out of literally any material. Some of the more expensive toppers are made out of crystal or precious metal like silver. Others are made with acrylic or other less expensive materials. It is always advisable to adorn the wedding cake with a figurine that is elegant but unobtrusive so as not to overshadow the cake itself, which should be the main visual highlight. Typically the traditional style toppers have been used at formal weddings where the cake is displayed at the reception for all the guests to admire.

These days many couples opt for a less formal occasion, such as a wedding on the beach, garden or a beautiful park. These more casual and relaxed occasions call for a less formal adornment. On these occasions it could be more appropriate to dispense with the typical figurine and instead take a more fun approach.

For example for those couples wanting to serve their wedding cake with a smile you could always use your sense of humor by opting for a comical figurine on your wedding cake. There are humorous styles available that feature the bride dragging her groom to the altar by one foot or others where the groom is trying to escape and the bride is dragging him back by the collar. Either of these suggestions are designed to provide a light hearted look at the seriousness of marriage and generally becomes a conversation piece amongst the guests.

It is quite easy to have wedding cake toppers custom made. In many instances the couple choose to order a custom topper, particularly when either the bride or Groom have peculiar interests or are totally dedicated to a particular sport or hobby. For example if the Bride enjoys fishing them the figurine could feature the Bride holding a fishing pole and reeling in the catch of her life with her groom hooked onto the fishing hook. Close friends and relatives will have no trouble working out the significance.

So if you are about to get married and would like to have a wedding cake topper that has significance to you both then get your thinking caps on and come up with a theme that truly reflects who you both are, while at the same time signifying your love and ongoing commitment to each other.

About the Author: For tips on sourcing stunning wedding cake toppers and advice on wedding planning, etiquette, customs & traditions visit Wedding Celebration Ideas.

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Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=246356&ca=Marriage

Author: Dani Griffin

The groom’s cake is one of those southern traditions that, like zydeco bands and sweet tea, should be adopted by everyone, everywhere, immediately.

Most people are only familiar with groom’s cakes – if they’ve heard of them at all – from the movie Steel Magnolias, in which the groom’s cake is a red velvet cake in the shape of an armadillo. Please don’t let that put you off. I’m still mad at that movie for giving both groom’s cakes and red velvet cakes a bad name. In the name of justice, I’ll just say that a properly made red velvet cake is the closest you can get to eating unicorn dreams for dessert and press on.

Anyway, the groom’s cake is your wedding cake’s hilarious but equally tasty best friend. Some say that it’s traditionally a fruit cake, but I’ve much more often just seen it as a way to get a different flavor of regular cake in – sometimes a chocolate companion to the traditional white wedding cake, sometimes a bolder or weirder flavor, or sometimes just what the couple felt like having.

And that “just what the couple felt like” spirit is why groom’s cakes are such a treat. While your main cake does traditional upstanding duty, the groom’s cake gets to play. Groom’s cakes are often baked in fun shapes to reflect an interest or hobby of the groom or of the couple. I like the idea of making it about your groom – so much of the ceremony is bride-focused that it’s nice to remind everyone that he’s a part of this too. And a crafty bride can even keep the groom’s cake as a secret surprise for the reception – a literally sweet tribute to your new husband.

It’s fine to either serve the groom’s cake as a part of your reception dessert (away from the wedding cake, which gets top billing and prime placement) or to serve it on its own as the main dessert for the rehearsal dinner. Either way: cake!

If there are single-and-looking women at your wedding, they should each take a bit of the groom’s cake home. Tradition says that sleeping with a slice under your pillow will give you dreams of your future husband’s face, which seems like fun, if a trifle unsportsmanlike. Tradition does not address whether it’s acceptable to wrap the cake slice in something, or what to do about pillow ants, but that’s your friends’ problem, not yours.

If you do decide to have a groom’s cake, don’t be afraid to be playful or even get a little outrageous with it. Talk to your bakers – you’ll be surprised at the creative effects that they can achieve when they put their ingenious floury minds to it.

Above all, take the chance to celebrate that great, tasty guy of yours. And don’t let anyone talk you out of an armadillo if that’s what he really loves.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/weddings-articles/choosing-a-grooms-cake-616903.html

About the Author:

Dani Griffin is a contributing writer for OneWed.com. She is a registered chocoholic, and writes about wedding planning from start to finish including her favorite topic - wedding cakes.

By Adam Walters

In the United States, wedding cakes are the traditional dessert served at many weddings and receptions. Comprised of multi-layered cakes covered in white frosting, wedding cakes are the norm for many couples; however, outside of the United States, there many other options for wedding desserts. As couples search for more ways to make every aspect of their wedding celebration meaningful, some are turning to their families' cultures and customs to find a wedding cake that's from another world.

In Great Britain, for instance, wedding guests are treated to an elaborate fruitcake. The cake is filled with items such as dates, raisins, and prunes and soaked with brandy or cognac. Then, it is covered with marzipan, iced and decorated. On the outside, a traditional British wedding cake may not look unlike a wedding cake from the United States, but it has a totally different taste.

The traditional wedding cake from the Caribbean isles is also a fruitcake. Often soaked with rum or wine and stuffed with dried fruits, the cakes from these exotic islands are kept hidden at the reception. A white tablecloth is laid over the cake; guests, then, give the happy couple money to buy a chance to get a glimpse of the cake. Even family members who aren't in attendance at the wedding get to share in this dessert as pieces of the cake are mailed to family members and friends.

Japanese wedding cakes, on the other hand, are actually an elaborate show rather than a dessert. Since multi-layered cakes are too expensive for many Japanese families to purchase, large plastic or wax cakes are created prior to the wedding reception. These "faux" cakes stand in for a traditional cake during the bride and groom's cake-cutting ceremony. They even feature a special slot for the happy couple to pretend to cut into when the "cut" the cake. More affordable sheet cakes are kept out of sight for cutting and serving to the guests.

Traditional wedding cakes from Iceland share the same layered shape of the wedding cakes from the United States, but their appearance is very different. Kransekake, or ring cake, is made up of a series of ring-shaped cakes stacked on top of each other. These almond-flavored rings are often decorated with marzipan. The hollow center of the stack is sometimes filled with candies, chocolates, or even a bottle of wine.

Finally, some wedding cakes aren't cakes at all. In the Ukraine region of the world, weddings are celebrated with a bread-like dessert known as Korovai. This traditional bread, decorated with symbols representing the joining together of two families, is considered a sacred part of the Ukrainian wedding ceremony.

Whatever type of culture there is in a family's history, the decision to honor that culture can add a great deal of meaning to a wedding celebration. Brides and grooms who select a traditional wedding cake from their family's culture pay homage to their pasts while the get read to embark on their futures.

Adam Walters searches the world over for Unusual Wedding Cakes and brings them to you. His personal favorite? Square Wedding Cakes!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adam_Walters
http://EzineArticles.com/?Wedding-Cake-Traditions-Around-the-World&id=2157111

Wedding Cupcake Garden

This seven tiered stand was perfect for this wedding - taking place on 7.7.07 at the Ritz Carlton in Battery Park. The two tier top cake featured a Swavorski crystal monogram, flowers and butterflies, all by Very Different Cakes - as well as a whole ‘garden’ of hand-made sugar roses and orchids. Each cupcake was adorned with a sugar rosebud.

We built the stand to resemble a tiered wedding cake - rather than our regular cupcake stands whose tiers are proportionally sloped. The bottom of the stand was finished with an Ivory satin bow and crystal flower center. The cupcakes were an assortment of vanilla and chocolate with vanilla and chocolate buttercream icing.

For those interested in cupcake decorating you can check out my appearance on Satellite TV demonstrating some cupcake decorating techniques.

By Cakes Wedding

Which Bride are you? Choosing a wedding cake depends on much more than the flavours you like. It comes down to personality and who you really are.

The CLASSIC Bride

The classic bride is all about traditional bridal style. She is all about simple elegance. If this is you, then you can emulate that classic bridal style on your classic wedding cake.

Flower Petals on the Cake

Consider a beautiful white on white cake with frothy white icing and piles of beautiful rosebuds and petals. Create a romantic look around the cake by scattering white and pink rose petals over an organza tablecloth. A beautiful silver plated cake stand to add to the elegance of your cake’s display.
Crown this beautiful cake with an elegant tower of ivory and white garden roses.

Classic Colours

The classic bride typically combines a monochromatic pallet of classic and elegant. Colours of champagnes, blushes, creams, light pinks and whites will be beautiful when accented with light greens from the stems of these flowers. These colours are timeless and you will feel like a classic celebrity on your special day.

This is a bridal style that endures all trends and will always be popular. Your wedding cake design will also be a style that endures all trends and the cake will be one that is remembered for years to come.

The DIVA Bride

You are the Diva Bride. Un-shy, bold and colourful, you will not go unnoticed.

On the day of your wedding you want your wedding cake to say, “Look at me” just as you want every one to look at you. Your wedding cake will incorporate these aspects of you - these aspects that everybody loves you for.

A Cake that Stands Out

Imagine this – a white fondant cake that is bursting with a strawberry fruit filling and strawberry red roses. Or perhaps, a decadent chocolate icing cake with amazing red sugar roses that are leafed in gold. You want a tall cake with six tiers. One that the vendor is going to need a ladder to cut. You want a cake that stands out as much as you. From the top you will have a beautiful topper with red ribbons cascading to the table, all edible of course.

Diva Colours

Don’t be afraid to use the red roses, or other bright contrasting colours. As you are the ultimate diva bride, you are going to have a lot of options when it comes to wedding cake colours. Anything that is glam will go for you. If there is any colour in your dress, you should definitely use from that the colour pallet for your wedding cake. These colours are sure to be noticed at your reception.

Cake in the Spotlight

If you really want your cake to get as much attention as you, consider giving the cake its own grand entrance. Have a rolling cart decorated with organza and thousands of petals. Have your serving set elegantly decorated with ribbons and you may possibly want to have tiny tea candles surround the cake, your serving set and your champagne glasses to add drama to the moment. Have the lights dimmed and allow the candles to show the elegant and dramatic beauty of you and your wedding cake.

Follow your imagination and you will have a spectacular diva wedding cake design. Never forget – this is your day! Do what you want!

About the Author: Cakes Wedding is a wedding cake guide offering ideas and practical advice for Brides and Grooms.

Source: www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=229514&ca=Marriage

Tags: wedding, wedding cake, bride

This multi-tiered topsy turvy cake is themed after Tim Burton’s The Corpse Bride. It has alternating tiers of white cake with hazelnut and chocolate ganache and red velvet with raspberry chambord and white chocolate ganache.

 by Jerry Leung

As we all know, the wedding cake is very important in a way that it should be the focus of the wedding. You will certainly want to make your wedding cake unique and special. In order to make your wedding cake even more special, you will need a unique cake topper.

In fact, people will start about your cake topper when they arrive, provided it is a really unique one. Nowadays, there are various choices when it comes to the notion of unique cake topper. These various options are produced to meet your special need and taste. Of course they are also designed to meet your budget! You may even try to order a custom made topper if you wish.

In the past, the cake toppers are usually standing figures of bride and groom with very formal wedding dresses on. This is very traditional and a lot of couple will not be satisfied with such old fashioned products. Couples today are catering for something more special and interesting.

So what do couples choose nowadays? You will probably ask this question if you are also planning for a wedding now. As mentioned, couples nowadays will choose more unique cake toppers. For example, if you are having a beach wedding and you will be wearing casual wears in the event, the cake topper can be design in a way that it matches this. Figures sitting on sand with their casual wears on can be perfect.

If you do not want to use the figures as your cake toppers, there are also other options for you. Taking the example of beach wedding again, it can be things such as seashells. No matter what kind of design you are going to choose, the rule of thumb is that it will be perfect and excellent if it can match the theme of your wedding. You are trying to make everything follow your theme right? So you should not forget your wedding cake topper.

As mentioned above, the wedding cake is the focus of the wedding. And the topper is indeed the focus of the cake. A really unique cake topper can attract the attention of your guests. They may start talking with you about it.

It will become something that triggers your conversations with your guests. If you are trying to escape from all the old fashioned and traditional options, such a unique wedding cake topper is certainly for you!

Jerry Leung designs Modern Chinese Wedding Invitations. He runs a website on Lucky Wedding Tips. Be sure to check Asian Wedding Favors - Lucky Bamboo Wedding Favor.

Article Source: www.tips.com.my

Tags: cake, weddings

By Vernon Z. Cole

Your wedding cake is the “crown” and crowning touch of your wedding and in essence the culmination of all your wedding and wedding reception plans and planning. No longer are you limited in your choices in your choices of wedding cakes. It used to seem that there were only a few available choices for wedding cakes with all being topped by a plastic bride and groom figurine.

Sure wedding cakes have traditions. But that does not mean that your cake does not have to be special as well as unique. The tradition of wedding cakes goes all the way back to medieval times when wedding guests would each bring a small cake to the wedding. These smaller cakes would be stacked on a table in layers. It was considered good luck if the bride and groom could kiss on top of this stack. Even the ancient Romans had a tradition of handing out sweets at weddings.

It can be said that today wedding cake specialists have become artists, indeed culinary artists in their own rights. The most imaginative palettes of colors, textures and cake flavors are available. The world’s your oyster now when it comes to choices for these cakes. Your cake might be a sleek, elegant confection sheathed in rolled fondant or an asymmetrical tiered whimsy reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland. Other ideas are to use cupcakes or other individual cakes – all put together in one building block to appear as a traditional wedding cake. Indeed your wedding cake can be almost anything you wish desire or imagine.

Like anything else in the wedding and wedding reception catering industry the very best bakers book up well in advance of your special day in the sun – your “wedding date”. It is best to search out and choose a baker who you can work and communicate with, one who is willing to spend the time with you to create a unique most memorable wedding cake that reflects the theme and style of your wedding. Thus first plan your attire, décor and menu of the wedding. After that the cake can be chosen to be the towering crown of the event. One point of note is to verify any lettering, words and names both with the people involved, in order to get the absolute correct spelling. Verify and recheck all spelling with the baker. Or their assistant.

When it comes to personalizing your cake the variations and possibilities are almost endless and limitless. For example you can take the pattern on your tablecloth design and use that same pattern in the icing all over the cake. Or you can use as a model a flower or another feature of the bride’s wedding dress. It’s only left to the imagination of yourself, your wedding consultant and your baker of the cake what the end result could and can be.

Lastly plan ahead who will cut the first cut and slices of the cake. As well ensure that an adequately sized knife is available on hand. It is generally the norm, but not always that the first cut of the wedding cake be performed as a couple together by the bride and groom. A ceremonial knife or even more imaginative props can be used to make this event most special and memorable. After all it is your “day in the sun”.

About the Author: Winnipeg Catering Tex Mex Cooking Plan Your Winnipeg Wedding Blog

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Tags: wedding cake

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