Sugar High: The Search For The Perfect Wedding Cake

While the hunt to find the perfect supper for our laid-back wedding left our taste buds missing the "dating stages" of caterer-hunting, we thought that at least we have cake to taste.  Lots and lots of it.

That is until I started calling around for prices of wedding cake.

I still cannot believe that prices that some places can charge for just one piece!  There was complete sticker shot when you multiplied that by the number of guests we approximated that we would have.  And while I am sure that those cakes are absolutely delicious and unbelievably beautiful, our pockets aren't bottomless & we are pretty wise to know that money doesn't grow on trees.  

Our cake inspiration was pretty simple.  I mean, I am by no means a cake decorator, but little dots can't be that hard right?  We wanted something that was simple and... well instead of trying to paint a picture with words let me just, well, show you what I was sugary sweets had me drooling:

Image via All Pretty Little Things / Cake: The Cake Girls

Image via Ruffled / Cake: Brookshire Brothers / 

Photographers: Three Photographers & Jackie Ray Photography

Image via Love & Lavender / Cake: McArthur's Bakery

Photographer: Katie Day

I just love the swiss dot look of a wedding cake, especially with the idea of our vintage cake topper gracing the top layer. Oh so simple, yet oh so gorgeous.

So we decided to start by ordering cakes for family birthdays and get togethers from local bakeries that lie right in our own neighborhood.  

The cake that we ordered for my out-of-town Aunt's birthday when she and her family visited from Bakery X (that both our moms frequented after Sunday mass) left us a little disappointed I must say.  Bakery Y in our neighborhood was good.  But our tastebuds just didn't jump up and down when we ate the small cake we ordered just because it was Friday.

That's when I remembered that Grandmom Sweet Cream's sisters from upstate couldn't get enough of a certain-someone's German sticky buns when they came in to visit.  Super sweet, super cool Godmom Sweets made a super secret exit while they were chatting away and got them a dozen to take back home with them.  They all squealed with glee.

Now I've only had  devoured this famous bakery's infamous German sticky buns with the ridiculous cream cheese frosting that you just know heaven is made of....but what about their cakes???

 Just Look!!! Look at those buns!

Image via My Glamourology

Sure enough Fritz's Bakery has such fantastic cakes.  We should know.  We tried them all during the course of a strip of family birthdays that took place January well through April.

The San Francisco (a three-layer  cake with fresh strawberries, bananas, custard & whipped cream) is my personal favorite.  We actually tried it out on my very own birthday.  

Mr. Sweets' favorite?  I think it was the Chocolate Cheese Dream (a three-layer chocolate cake with a cheesecake center... and to top it off, a whipped cream cheese and chocolate fudge icing)... or was it the Peanut Butter Cake (a two-layer cake with a thick PB Mousse filling and a rich chocolate icing)? 

To tell you the truth, I don't even know if Mr. Sweets could pick a fave if he tried!

But I guess what I'm trying to say is... that we found our cake!  Well cakes I guess I should say.  

For our traditional wedding cake, we decided on Fritz's pound cake with their whipped butter creme filling and icing (except for the bottom layer, which will feature a raspberry filling too.  I'm talking serious yum).  

And since we loved all of their other cakes... we are ordering them too so that we can have as a valley of cakes for those chocoholics, those who fancy fruit or crazy-PB-lovers on our guest list.  

I have vintage cake stands to display the variety of confectionary sweets besides our wedding cake.  I was thinkin' a little something like this...

Image via Oh So Beautiful Paper / Photographer: Punam Bean

And the icing on the super delish cake?  The total bottom line for our 3-tier cake and 4 additional cakes is a whopping total of 290 dollars.  I think it winds up being a little over a buck a slice, which was sugary sweet music to my ears after said previous sticker shock.  Delicious AND cost-effective!

So there you have it.  We just hope that there's lots and lots left over!

So tell me: What does your cake look like? What flavors will be gracing the outside and in between?  Did you chose fondant? Buttercream? Chocolate?  How many cakes did you try until you found "the one?"

NOTE: For anyone who lives near Bucks County or will be visiting near there in the future: go.... no! run to Fritz's Bakery and order one of their sticky buns...or any of their cakes for that matter.

Manly, Manly Things That Go With Clothes...Are Necessities!

So dear hive, I've shared with you about some accessories that are a must for me on the big day.  But what about my, sweet, sweet Mister?

I told you that we nailed down a general idea of just what he & his guys will show up in on the big day... but I forgot to mention one thing.  Well -  Mr. Sweets....he likes his accessories manly, manly things that go with clothes too!  

Mr. Sweets is a sucker for watches, cologne, sunglasses, (baseball) hats (that he collects like a kid collects baseball cards!), Nikes, Phillies t-shirts, retro sports jerseys... OK well maybe some of those aren't accessories, although they are manly, manly things -- but you get the idea.


So Mr. Sweets has yet to decide on his exact attire for the big day (except that it will be a charcoal grey suit of some kind).  But like me, he also loves accessorizing finding things to go with his clothes.


So he thought that these cuff links were pretty darn cool & just like that, we ordered them!

Image Via Etsy's Churoncalla

Mr. Sweets wanted to get them with his own initials & they look even better than the virtual display of them on his Etsy site.

Then, I sent Mr. Sweets a picture of these super cool spectator shoes I saw on Ebay.

Image via Ebay's CatsPajamasVintage

The downside is that they are $295 for the 1930s-ish solecandy & Mr. Sweets doubts he'd ever wear them again...or at least wear them that much.

But there are similar pairs (although not with a story to tell!) out there.  Mr. Sweets wants (for me) to keep looking, but at the moment, he's kinda feelin' these:

Image via Spectator Shoes For Men

And since we are on the subject of accessorizing (sorry, Mr. Sweets -- I do know that you despise the word...they aren't "accessories" I know... but just for the sake of this post I have to call them that.  OK?) perhaps Mr. Sweets would like the idea of some kind of hat?  These grooms seriously rock their caps, from Jeffs to Fedoras!

 

Photo Credits (starting top left corner, going clockwise): 

jose villa | unknown | tec petaja | jill thomas | tec petaja | apertura photo

 image via Postcards & Pretties

And I know that Mr. Sweets would just love a new watch to add to his ever growing time-keeping collection for the big day.  (He feels about watches, just as I do about shoes,  you really can never have enough!).

Audemars Piguet Watch / Image via Hello Rolex

Grooms, are you psyched for any new ermm... "accessories" for your big day?  What "accessories" are you rockin'?  A favorite pair of chucks?  A vintage pocket watch?  A stellar pair of sunglasses? 

 

Do tell!

Vested Interest in Incorporating the Vest (AKA My Bridal Epiphany!)

I scoured the internet looking for inspiration for the most-important-thing-I-will-ever-wear (AKA: The Wedding Dress), ordered it & crossed it off the list. (OK. Maybe it wasn't that simple. But it is crossed off!)

But what about the Mister?!

Let me start off by saying that Mr. Sweet Cream isn't the type of guy who needs help in the dressing-himself department.  He is not a guy that will show up all wrinkly in ripped clothing to a family party and he actually does get excited when we have a little cash to treat ourselves to some new digs.

So I was super excited that he was on the same page as me when it came down to wearing grey on our wedding day. (Mr. Sweet Cream can be very decisive about his wardrobe choices so I surely thought that he would insist on a all black look for whatever reason).  Specifically, Mr. Sweets wants to wear "charcoal grey."  (I told you that he's decisive!)

He also liked the idea of forgoing the tux road and having a very cool suit instead.  I mean do BBQ & fancy tuxedos go together?  Well, I guess it can if we wanted it to.  It's our day, right?

But Mr. Sweets likes the suit idea (phew!)... so here are some of the ones that he's been digging:

Lauren by Ralph Lauren Black & White Portly Suit 

via Men's Warehouse

Express Pinstripe Cotton Silk 2-Button Suit Jacket with

Pinstripe Cotton Silk Producer Suit Pant

Via Express

Suit, H&M / Shirt, Dolce & Gabanna / Tie, Penguin / Belt, Ralph Lauren & Shoes, Bostanian

via LookBook.nu

Suits -- at least the ones the Mr. Sweets is taking a liking too -- can be a lot to ask the gents to fork up some Benjamins for...So I started googling my little heart out looking for more inspiration.  And that's when it hit me.

Vests!! Yes.  Super-simple-totally-vintage vests.

I made the mistake of showing Mr. Sweets a picture like this:

Suit Vest in Italian Wool / via  J. Crew

How cool would it be to throw away the whole jacket idea and just do vests?  Look at the vested handsome grooms & their best buds charmingly existing in the blogosphere:

Image via Pam Cooley Photography

Ryan Wilcox of You Look Nice Today Photography Via Snippet & Ink

Photography by Christina Heaston & Angela M. Cox 

via Wedding Bee "Real Wedding" Brittany & Eric

Love it! 

And I can just picture Mr. Sweets looking oh-so-yummy in his vest & tie.  Mr. Sweets is totally down for the idea... but -- with a jacket too!! Well, that kinda defeats the purpose.  Sigh... the boy obviously isn't gellin' with my bridal brain... Perhaps I should create him a groomsmen inspiration board?  No... there are far too many other things to do.  I'm trying to let him know that a suit AND a vest would be only an added expense for the guys.

Instead of getting frustrated... I had an epiphany! 

Mr. Sweet Cream can do whatever his little heart desires! I guess he can.  It's his day too, right?  He is the groom after all!! Who says he has to match his guys?? I'm certainly not matchin' the ladies? 

And it turns out that I am not the only brilliant bride (or groom) to think of this idea!

I love who this cool-vested-groom stands out amongst his buds.

Image via Delightfully Engaged / Photographer: Cameron Ingalls

All Different Suits + Groom & His Party = Genius! 

Image via Aric and Casey Photography

I still think that this wedding looks like it is straight out of the pages of some cool, hipster glossy.  Vests for groomsmen? Check! Groom in suit? Double check!  Extra cool: The groom was super considerate of his buddy's wallets and those vest... they're from Forever 21.  Yes, you read that right.  Forever 21.  Cost efficient and super stylish.

Image via OnceWed / Photographer: Photography by Beulah

Me & the Mister can totally get our way and it is even better than I imagined!  Now we only have to figure out where to dress the guys for a decent price.  

Mr. Sweets, feel free to go all out on your wedding day suit & not feel all guilty.  It's a win, win for all involved.

So tell me...  What's the groom wearing for the big day?  Is he just as opinionated as Mr. Sweet Cream?  Grooms, are you showing your personality or doing something special to stand out from the rest of the guys?  Did you score any deals on the guys' attire?

Fair Game: The Oh-So-Uhmazing Locale of the Engage Sesh

I teased you with engagement sessions in meaningful, special places, like cooking classes, fishing holes and the garden plots.  And I mentioned that I almost threw our big idea into the can after seeing the super, super  amazing camping shots.

Your probably thinking: OK, Sweet Cream! What's this big idea anyway??

Well, hive... I might have mentioned me & the Mister's history that started in grade school, so we decided to take it back there... yes, way back there.

Ever since the beginning of time (OK. Maybe I am exaggerating just a little.  It was 1956 to be exact), our little Catholic Parish held the biggest fair in town.  People would get super excited to go ride the rides, eat cotton candy until they were ready to get sick & hang out with their pals.  The summers of the late 1990s, me & Mr. Sweets were no exception to this rule.  We just loved our town's fair.

Via Picable / Photographer: Lindsay Dean

So that is where we decided to have it: The Fair.

And apparently, many couples have oh-so-lovely shots from their town fairs.  Just look!!

 

Via The Wedding Chicks / Photographer: Asian Bees Photography

Midsouth Delta Fair in Memphis, Tennessee

Source: Silly Baby Blogging Girl / Photographer: Christa Kimble

Ohio State Fair in Columbus, Ohio

Via Kim Le Photography Blog / Photographer: Kim Le Photography

Orange County Fair in Orange County, California

Via Shannon Nicole Smith Blog / Photographer: Shannon Nicole Smith

Orlando, Florida

Via Hanle Productions Blog / Photographer: Hanle Productions

Wisconsin State Fair, West Allis, Wisconsin

Via Love & Lavender / Photographer: Britney Smith Photography

What can beat balloons, slides, cotton candy, snow cones, and cuddly kisses on ferris wheels?

So I know that it's going to be crowded.  And perhaps a little hot.  But the pictures we could get with the excitement, bold colors, delish super sugary treats & our sweet little walk down memory lane is totally worth it.  And I just know our uhmazing photographer, Brett Martelli will deliver.

So hive, any tips for the engagement sesh for me?   

Props? No props? 1 outfit or 2?  Bold print? Solid color? A stop-bein-so-darn-nervous sip of a little somethin' somethin'? 

Help me, puuhhhlleeeze!!  I'm dying to know what you know.

Location! Location! Location!

I must say that I absolutely am infatuated with engagement photos.  Maybe even more so than snapshots of the couple on the big day.

Personalities stand out, individual styles shine and sometimes, you really can catch a glimpse of the energy, love & feelings that these two people have for one another.

After booking our oh-so-amazing photographer, Brett Martelli, we started to think where the heck we would have our engagement pics shot.  Brett suggested something that was "us" and to tell you the truth, a plethora of ideas came to mind.  With my mind blurry with remembrance from engagement picture settings from couples gone before us and posted in the blogosphere, I knew it should be a locale that meant something to us...

Like some of these crazy adorable couples...

Via Kristin Korpos' Blog /  Photographer: Kristin Korpos Photography

Setting: BCAE Kitchen, Boston

This darling duo talked to their photographer about their love for cooking classes they take together... and look at just one of the amazing shots for the shoot! (Click this link to see more).

Via Grey Likes Weddings / Photographer: Alexa's Photography

Oh. Me. Gee!!! This super cute couple hoofed it to the Mister's secret fishing spot to capture some amazing shots...& it is perfection!  (Find more pics from the shoot here).

Via 100 Layer Cake / Photographer: Jill Thomas Photography

Styled By: Amorology Weddings

What can be more romantic then a bonfire, a tent & your sweetie?!  These shots almost make me want to throw our settled upon location in the trash bin!! Me & Mr. Sweets love to camp!

Via Inspired By This / Photographer: Dave Richards Photography

There are sweet, earthy, perfectly simplistic shots at this future hubby's garden plot in Long Beach, where he and his bride-to-be love to plant herbs.  (More sweet, earthy, perfectly simplistic shots here!)

Via Pictage / Photographer: Melissa Jill Photography

This couple -- who loves doing home improvement projects together -- chose their home-away-from home, the one-and-only, Home Depot for their stage.  Super. Super. Cute!

Before I divulge the locale for our upcoming sesh, tell me:

Did you pick somewhere that was important to you as a couple?  Did you have fun just doing what you two like to do?  Or was a beautiful scenery much more important??  Where did you pose for your shots?

My Sweet Spot on Top of The Sweet Spot

Before I even given any thought about a dream wedding cake I knew one thing.

There just had to be a vintage wedding cake topper on top.

I envy those brides who use their grandmother's cake toppers and you can just imagine them, many, many years earlier in your very shoes: a fresh new bride with her one honey on their super special day -- your parents & you just a twinkle in her eye.

Well - I didn't necessarily have the luxury of using Grandmom Sweet Cream's cake topper ... I don't even think that she had one in her 1940s wedding... or maybe she did.  My super sweet seasoned grandmom (I have forever promised that I would never tell anyone her age) can't seem to remember. But she did let me know if she does have one - it's mine!

...But I do have access to adopting someone else's grandmom's topper...maybe not someone I know... just someone...out there... You may or may not remember that I'm a fool for "antiques."

Just look at the batch of exquisite, charming, bride & groom figures that could grace the top of one of the most special sweets that may ever hit your spot.

Via / Wedding Cake Pictures

Via Ian Johnson Photo

 Ashley Carter Bridal & Wedding Follies (via Kenzie Kate)

I love that they include bits of antique paper and passementerie, along with pieces of sheet music and feathery doves. 

Via Flickr (Cassidyraehay)

Via Orange Blossom

So while out on an antique trip where I scour flea markets & antique stores hunting like a hawk for good deals and all-things-retro, I stumbled across this:

To tell you the whole truth we weren't even engaged yet!! (I know!)  

I wasn't even creating inspiration boards or stalking bridal blogs oooing and ahhhing over the complete insanity that is out there with all you creative, thoughtful brides in the blogosphere.  I was just a "waiting bee" before I even knew that the term existed and here I was paying 5 dollars at a flea market for this little lovely.  But it just caught my eye & I knew that we were meant to be.  Mind  you... We knew that we'd eventually get married...we just didn't know when!).

I cannot wait for it to grace the top of our super special confection!! I know that there is fluffing still to done on the vintage netting after I took it out and bleached it...and some spiffing up here and there... but I think that it's perfection! If only cake topper could talk... I wonder the story it would tell!!

So it sat -- well hid -- in the top of my closet & I never mentioned a word about it to anyone.  Until now...to you -- the whole hive!! (I hope Mr. Sweets isn't reading this!).

Tell me - did you get something wedding related -- even though it can be brutally embarrassing -- when you were "waiting" for the ring? 

Are you a vintage cake topper bride too!?

Overturning The Home Improvement Store Registry Conundrum (or trying to anyway)

After we got engaged, but before we starting talking about registering, we just knew there was one place that we couldn't wait to go to with a scanning gun head on: Lowe's.  

Being a bad modern couple who bought their house prior to tying the knot,  the home improvement stores are a place we frequent on the weekends and get lost in -- and lost from each other -- as we gaze at paint, tools, planters, electrical boxes, sheet rock and gardening supplies.

We were giddy with the excitement of unwrapping things that we desperately needed as we hammer, revamp and refinish our way through our adorable 1950s dream house.  

Well... as many of you bees know Lowe's & Home Depot both discontinued their registries to the disappointment and outrage of brides & grooms-to-be across the country.  Trust me.  Just google "Lowe's" and "registry."

After digging and digging, I wound up finding this: 

Image Via Home Depot Online

So... In the year 2011, Home Depot conveniently allows lovers of home improvement to register in store.  Nothing will show up online, nothing anywhere, well except for in that brick & mortar building.  I checked with HD Headquarters and they told me that they do old school registries in store.

Well! That's better than nothing, and off to our local Depot we went. 

The service desk was more than friendly handing me their registry sheet & a pen -- no scanners guns here -- and we could run through the store gun pen in hand, registering for anything we wanted.  

Being a little obsessed with gift giving, I just knew that guests would want to log online to see the goods to know if it was worth the trip to the home improvement mecca because...what the heck did we really want there anyway?

Enter Blogger.com. 

We set up a Blogger account, took pics along the way through the big aisles and yards of lumber (including of our hand written registry to get the sku numbers) and made sure to include the link to our finished make-shift Home Depot online registry in the shower invites.

We wrote a little welcome letter & explained to visitors that Home Depot doesn't have an online registry, but we are registered at our local [insert town name] Home Depot.  And then we included pics & sku numbers.  The girl at the service desk suggested to do it this way since it is the same in all Depot stores.  If guests go to a different location, they just call the [insert town name] store & get it crossed off our registry.  I promise it's worded a lot more simpler (see above!).

Now I don't really know how this is going to work out. I'm not sure if we are going to get 4 mailboxes and 12 smokers (imagine all the waistline damage I could do with that!).  I guess its a roll of the dice.

We are also registered at Target & Kohl's... but we just had to give the Depot registry a try -- because there were some things that we just really, really wanted at our favorite home store!

Well, you may be thinking, what the heck did we really want there anyway??

We can picture this cooler on the deck we make after our wedding. 

Next summer will be hanging out, cold beers in hand, thinking how clever we were to

register this way! (fingers crossed).

 I've wanted a smoker for as long as I could remember, but never bought one.

Now is the perfect opportunity to get one!

 We desperately need a fan once we redo the kitchen.  Mr. Sweet Cream

hates the way the kitchen heats up with all the baking & cooking I do!

A shower head? Trellises that I will use to plant climbing roses?

We need these things!

We also did a bird feeder, wood chips (for the to-die-for-smoker), a tree trimmer, a bedroom ceiling fan, a mailbox & a pressure washer, to name a few.  Keep your fingers crossed that this runs as smoothly as I first imagined when I jumped for joy in front of Mr. Sweet Cream, telling him my devious master plan to overturn the home improvement store registry conundrum.  

I can't wait to share with you how it goes down.

Is there somewhere that you are dying to register for that just doesn't have registries? If you could take a magical little gun to any store with you to register, which one would it be?

*All pics are from our Blogger.com registry unless otherwise noted.

Counting On Things in the Craft Closet: A DIY Table Number Tutorial

So hive...I know that I teased you with some of the wedding projects upon our introduction.  And I thought now is as good as a time as any to show you my table numbers, which I must admit that I am in lust with.  

But first: Here was some ideas that ran through my bridal brain prior to our current digits...

Wine table numbers would be perfect for a winery wedding.

Amazing? Yes! Cost-effective? No!

Image via ethereal bride

Kinda obsessed with Miss Crepe's hand embroidered numbers!

Image via Miss Crepe

I know that a LOT of bees are digging the succulent craze. 

How cute are these?

Image via Firefly Group Events

I love seeing all the seating charts on the bridal blogs nowadays...

like this one using an old window.  Totally vintage & clever...but not what we decided.

Image via bella destinee

Well, I knew that I wanted to use my inspiration fabric.  And I had an idea about using definitions for words that emulate marriage using an old dictionary.

I just love vintage fonts in books!  Look at this french love bird confetti 

Image via ddeforest / etsy

Well mixing my wants to get something I desired, I came up with this!

I swapped out vintage dictionary paper for something else. I love Ballpark Weiner font oh-so-much that I had to incorporate it.  The numbers stand out in their yellow and grey dreamy fabric glory.  

The cost for these pretty little pieces?  Since I had almost everything on hand -- with the exception of the frames -- almost pennies!  (Well 99 of them to be exact... per piece ladies & gents, per piece!).

And I promised to show you the ropes of my DIY table numbers... so are you ready?

Things You Will Need:

• Numbers printed out to use as templates (I used Ballpark Wiener via Da Font)
• Picture frame (Mine is Ikea's Tolsby (99 cents a piece & double sided(!))
• Fabric (I used my inspiration fabric)
• Heat'n Bond Ultra Hold Iron-On Adhesive (I got it at my local fabric shop & had it laying around) OR duct tape
• Glue gun
• Hot glue
• thin sharpie / marker / pen
• Background print outs (I typed out definitions of words I loved in size adjusted to desired frame)

I looked up words like love, sweetheart, friendship, marriage, wife, husband, spouse, partner, kiss, embrace, hold, cherish, heart, adore, honor, etc. in the good old dictionary & got to work transcribing

Numbers all cut out to use as templates 

First you iron on the adhesive to the back of the fabric.  This will make it stiff & give you something to trace your numbers.  If you cannot find the iron-on adhesive you can just put single layers of duct tape on the back.  The point isn't to use it as an adhesive, but to get it stiff so that you can trace & cut & that it holds up on the frame.

Once this is finished, you can trace numbers using your templates -- but be sure to do it backwards...so that it reads right to your guests. Also make sure to measure up the template numbers in your frame to be sure that they fit.  I had to make double digits a smaller font so that they would work.

Numbers all traced and ready be cut 

This number three getting cut out & ready to be mounted on the frame.

Both practical & beautiful.

Peel the paper off the back.

Then you will have your number.

Here's the definitions all typed up in their Ballpark Wiener glory & cut to size.

This is one of my favorite fonts of the moment.  I chose to do grey & yellow

since it is our wedding colors.

Slide the definitions into the frames (since Tolsby is two sided, you can put numbers

on both sides.  I didn't, but you can! I liked the idea of the 

guests being able to see what it is).

Hot glue the back.  I've noticed that more is better, especially at the edges.

Then smack them on your frame.  Press each part until sealed completely.

Tada! Table #7 and Table #14 look vintage & dapper, I must say.

It was funny to see that a definition of kiss is "a baked confection of egg whites and confectioners' sugar" & that the term "sweetheart" started in the 1200s.  And I love the way that they turned out.

Did you whip out the craft supplies for your table numbers?  Did you stick with traditional numbers or do something more creative (like sea creatures or exotic locales you visited together)?