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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. |