written by
Robbi Ernst III
this article is an excerpt from of "Great Wedding Tips
From the Experts" copyrighted 2000 & used with
permissionOn
your anniversaries, pull out that list and call your
favorite florist. Too, the new bride or wife can order a
fresh boutonniere to be present in your room on the
honeymoon and all of your anniversaries to come. I once
had a bride who had a passion for gardenias. Fortunately
she was sensible and recognized that gardenias have a
powerful fragrance. One should consider twice before
using them in abundance as centerpieces for the dinner
tables. Actually one should avoid any floral fragrance
that is going to compete with the aromas and flavors of
the food. The bride flew her wedding party into San
Francisco and hosted them at the world famous Pan
Pacific Hotel(Sue Robbins 415 771 8600). The bride and
groom ordered gardenias floating in shallow water filled
clear glass containers and sent to the rooms of the
parents and the wedding party. Later, I called the
florist and ordered similar gardenia arrangements to be
placed on the couple's nightstand of their honeymoon
suite in Bora Bora.
e). Is your wedding or reception taking place in the
town hall, the local Elks' Lodge or Knights of Columbus
Hall? Not to worry. Cover those pictured covered walls
with hanging drapes of fabric from ceiling to floor. Use
a color that compliments your wedding flowers and
attendants' dresses. Later the fabric can be sewn into
table clothes and given as gifts. For an even more
dramatic flare, uplight the walls...."wash" them in
color.
3. Cake(s):
a). Have different flavors for the tiers. Serve
your guests smaller
portions of two flavors.
b). One of my brides and grooms getting married in a
California French
Chateau decided to be very bold. They had their cake
designer (Elegant Cheesecakes, owner Susan Morgan,
www.elegantcheesecakes.com) make a small traditional
fondant cake as "the wedding cake". For each dining
table, instead of using floral arrangements, Morgan
designed individual cakes using fondant and rolled white
chocolate (some she colored)shaped into woven baskets
containing hand sculpted, edible grapes and grape leaves
with a small bottle of champagne wrapped partially in
similar fondant or rolled chocolate. After the bride and
groom cut THEIR cake and posed for photographs, to the
amazement of the guests, a waiter removed the table
centerpieces, set them onto serving carts next to each
table and began cutting and serving the centerpieces! So
realistic were the "basket of grapes and leaves" that
the guests did not realize it was dessert!
c). Caketops and Cake Decorations:
(1) Stay away from those ugly white plastic columns (or
have the pastry chef cover them with icing)
(2) Instead of the cheap looking plastic and tulle bride
and groom
caketop, use fresh flowers, pastry molded and shaped
flowers, an elegant Lladro statue, a favorite momento
that is precious to the bride and groom. Or, if you or
someone close saves "collectibles", consider borrowing a
favorite piece or add or start your own collection with
your caketop.
(3) Be creative:
Two of my clients had met on a back-packing excursion
and began making back-packing trips together. In
addition to the wedding cake, we had a groom's cake. The
pastry chef created a "hillside forest" with blue food
coloring to give the semblance of a stream running
through the woods. Ken and Barbie dolls were costumed in
back-packing and hiking attire and placed on one of the
"trails" of the cake. Another couple had met in a
hot-tub (I don't ask too many questions). The groom
built a miniature hot tub with a working pump and
bubbling water. The wedding cake was created around the
"hot-tub" in the center of the top tier. Ken and Barbie
were this time outfitted in bathing suits and sat as if
relaxing in a whirpool of water bubbling around them. |