Real Weddings 2012 :: Kate & Bernie 5.26.12

Kate & Bernie's wedding day was filled with loads of bright colors...perfect for an early summer wedding! Kate and I started planning nearly 2 years before their big day, which gave us plenty of time to perfect all of the details. With the help of the fabulous Mocha Rose team, the flower arrangements were stunning and definitely one-of-a-kind!

Kate & Bernie's day started off with a spa treatment for Kate and her bridesmaids right onsite at Chestnut Ridge...not a bad way to start your wedding day, huh? The girls got ready in the spa, and the guys got ready next door at the Hampton Inn. Since everything was within walking distance to Chestnut Ridge, Kate & Bernie got lucky and didn't have to rent any transportation for the day...definitely a big bonus! 

May 26th was a HOT one, but that didn't stop the bridal party from setting out onto the golf course property to snag a few photos before the ceremony began. Kate & Bernie wanted to keep things traditional, so with the help of the couple's photographer, Leeann Marie, we kept the two of them separated until it was time to say "I Do". 

Kate & Bernie tied the knot inside the Crystal Terrace room at Chestnut Ridge. It was a short and sweet ceremony officiated by Rev. Mark DeNuzzio.

Following the ceremony, guests headed over to the London Ballroom (just steps away from where the ceremony had taken place) where they enjoyed a three-course sit down meal, some photo booth fun, an amazing dessert spread, and an evening full of dancing. No detail was overlooked. Kate even treated her guests to a few extra surprises - flip flops for the ladies and a cigar bar for the guys. Oh, and I can't forget the cake - Kate & Bernie's wedding cake was probably the most talked about cake ever. Kudos to Tammy from Cakes by Tammy for designing this gorgeous cake! :)

It was an awesome night, and we couldn't be more happy for this great couple! Congratulations again, Kate & Bernie!!

The Wedding Team

Wedding Planner Simply Perfect Weddings

Ceremony + Reception Venue Chestnut Ridge Golf Resort

Photographer Leeann Marie Photography

Videographer Nate Sherer Video

Floral Designer Mocha Rose Floral Designs

DJ 5th Ace Entertainment

Bakery Cakes by Tammy 

Photo Booth Photobooth Pittsburgh

Ceremony Musicians Steven Vance Strolling Violins

Officiant A Simple Vow (Rev. Mark DeNuzzio)

Rentals (Chiavari Chairs) All Occasions Party Rental

All photos courtesy of Leeann Marie Photography.

Cake Pops :: Cake on a Stick!

Incase you haven't noticed, cake pops are all the rage in the wedding world right now. These super cute bite-size treats make the perfect favor to send home with your guests. They can even substitute for your entire wedding cake (as pictured above)! Lovebites, a Pittsburgh based bakery makes these delicious little sweet treats if you are interested in giving them a try. Check out their wedding section for details on cake flavors and various packages available. 

P.S. Rebekah, the owner/creator of Lovebites, has so graciously offered a discount to all SPW brides, so if you're interested, give me a buzz, and I will fill you in on all the details : )

Photo courtesy of Magic Your Way Weddings & Photography via Lovebites.

Wooden Doll Cake Toppers

Adorable, right?! This wooden doll cake topper is from our August 28th wedding of Marisa & Daniel. I love the modern twist of these toppers. These doll cake toppers are available on Etsy, and can be customized to match your exact personality and style (you can even include your pets!). 

To see all of the cake toppers that are available head on over to Etsy. 

Photo courtesy of Craig Photography. 

Cupcake Escort Cards

 

I think I actually squealed out loud in excitement when I came across these cupcake escort cards on EAD! These unique escort cards can double as a favor + dessert for your guests. Perfect for a smaller wedding, bridal/baby shower, or even rehearsal dinner. No matter what type of event you choose to make these for, they are sure to be a big hit with your guests!

For more details on these too-cute-to-pass-up cupcake escort cards, including instructions on how to make them, please visit Elizabeth Anne Designs.

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Anne Designs. 

Mini Desserts in a Jar

What's not to love about mini desserts in a jar?! Good for your waist line and oh so adorable! Perfect for weddings, bridal showers, and holiday parties! 

Photo Credit 1 :: Green Wedding Shoes

Photo Credit 2 :: Cakies Blog
Photo Credit 3 :: Our Best Bites  

Groom's Cakes

Traditionally a Southern wedding custom, groom's cakes are an excellent way to show your hubby a little extra love on the day of your wedding. For those that may be unfamiliar with the origin of the groom's cake, it is a long-standing tradition primarily seen in the South; although, they are making an ever growing appearance all over the U.S. these days. I know I've personally seen quite a big jump in groom's cakes here in the Pittsburgh area over the last several years. 

So, what exactly is a groom's cake? It is simply a gift in the form of a cake from the bride to her groom. Groom's cakes are typically much smaller than a wedding cake, and are decorated in some fashion to honor the groom - whether it be his favorite hobby, favorite sports team, or his alma mater. 

Groom's cakes can be served in a number of different ways. Traditionally, they are served at the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding. Although, many brides choose to serve them at the actual wedding reception, in addition to the wedding cake. Either way is completely acceptable. If you do choose to serve the groom's cake at the wedding, it's always a good idea to choose a different flavor from your wedding cake; typically groom's cakes are chocolate. To switch things up a bit, consider surprising your hubby with his groom's cake at the reception, or provide individual cake slices in to-go boxes for guests to take home at the end of the night.

The groom's cake pictured above was from one of our recent October 2010 weddings - the groom is a huge baseball fan (not to mention he worked for a baseball team!), so naturally, it was only fitting that the bride surprise him with this Boston Red Sox cake.

What are your thoughts on groom's cakes? Will you be surprising your soon-to-be husband with one? We'd love to hear your thoughts!

Photo courtesy of Caryn Azure Photography.

Cupcake Wrappers

You've probably heard by now that serving cupcakes at weddings is a rapidly growing trend. Couples are choosing to use cupcakes in a variety of ways...some choose to replace the traditional wedding cake all together with cupcakes, others are serving cupcakes in addition to wedding cake, and some are serving cupcakes at their pre-wedding celebrations such as their rehearsal dinners, bridal showers, and engagement parties. Since cupcakes seem to be everywhere lately, I thought that these custom monogram cupcake wrappers from Paper Orchid Stationery were too cute to pass up!

If you're looking to serve cupcakes at your wedding, check out these two fabulous cupcake vendors {Dozen Bake Shop and Vanilla Pastry Studio} in the Pittsburgh area!

Photo courtesy of Paper Orchid Stationery.

DIY Wedding Cake

I recently found this great 'how-to' video on making your own wedding cake from one of my daily blog reads, The Wedding Cabaret. As soon as I saw it, I realized I had to share it with our readers as well!

This 'how-to' video is about 10 minutes long, and is packed full with helpful tips on how to make your own wedding cake. This is a great idea for the DIY bride, or for the bride looking to save some $$. Enjoy!




Video courtesy of YouTube - REALMEALS.TV: DIY Wedding Cake

Yellow Design Inspiration

I'm not particularly a huge fan of the color yellow; however, something about this pale yellow has me dreaming of Spring (*sigh*). I put together this small design board to see this color come to life for a wedding design and I must say that I've changed my mind about yellow! Yellow is versatile enough to pair with other colors, but vibrant enough to stand out on it's own and would work wonderful for a spring wedding!

Photos courtesy of The Knot.

Black + Yellow Design Inspiration

In honor of The Steelers playoff game tomorrow afternoon, I thought I would post this beautiful black + yellow design inspiration board by Bliss Weddings. I've seen quite a few black + yellow inspiration boards, but none quite like this. This board has the perfect balance of black + yellow and neither color over powers the other. So, Pittsburgh brides...thinking of having a black + gold wedding to honor the Steelers, but can't quite picture yourself decorating your venue with the terrible towel, then why not try this wedding design instead?!

For photo credits, see The Bliss Weddings Blog.

White + Khaki Design Inspiration

One of my Fall '09 brides was recently having trouble choosing her wedding colors + overall design theme, but knew she wanted something simple, yet romantic with an all American feel. It just so happened that I was wearing a white dress shirt + khaki pants that day and pointed out that we could design her wedding colors based upon this all American look, but with a romantic twist to it. So, I came home and made this mini design inspiration board for her and she immediately decided these were her colors! This just proves that wedding inspiration doesn't always have to come from wedding magazines and if you take a look around, you just might find what you're looking for!

Photo credits: Top + bottom right photos courtesy of The Knot. Bottom left photo courtesy of Brides.com

Vendor Spotlight: CakeRental.com

Cake rentals have become increasingly popular over the last few years; however, the concept of 'renting a cake' is still foreign for some people. Therefore, I wanted to talk a little more about this available service for brides on a budget. CakeRental.com (Fun Cakes Rental) is a cake rental company available to brides nationwide (they have shipped to just about all of the 50 states). If you've never heard of this concept before, you're probably asking yourself 'how does all of this work exactly?'. Well, here's how...Fun Cakes uses real fondant & cake decorating techniques to cover foam tiers. Your wedding cake will look and feel very real...just as if you would have ordered directly from a bakery. Inside one of the foam tiers will be a piece of real cake for the bride & groom to cut into for the traditional cake cutting ceremony. Once the cake cutting ceremony is over, the cake will be brought into the kitchen and guests will receive a slice of sheet cake from a local bakery. After the wedding is over, you will ship the cake back to Fun Cakes...hence where the term 'renting a cake' comes from. This service is available for a fraction of the cost of a real wedding cake...custom design & order a traditional 3-tier wedding cake for only $250 (plus shipping) or choose from one of Fun Cakes pre-designed cakes and receive a 3-tier wedding cake for only $150 (plus shipping). Not bad, huh?!

To summarize, here's how to get your very own cake from CakeRental.com:

• Choose your cake design from Fun Cakes' many pre-designed cakes or feel free to design your own (they will custom make your cake exactly to your specifications)


• Secure your wedding date with a refundable deposit ($200)


• Fun Cakes will design your cake & ship it directly to your door in a sturdy wooden box prior to your wedding date


• On your wedding day, slide the cake out of the box and display at your reception. Guests will receive a slice of sheet cake from the back and will never know that they weren't eating the exact cake that was originally displayed!


• Once the wedding is over, place the cake back into the wooden box, ship to Fun Cakes and your $200 deposit will be refunded back to you.
  

Berry-Topped Cupcakes

Check out this delicious cupcake recipe I found on Parents.com - these would be the perfect treat for a bridal shower luncheon or part of your dessert table at your reception.

Berry-Topped Cupcakes

{This recipe makes 16 cupcakes}

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups fresh strawberries, trimmed and chopped
4 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons strawberry-flavored gelatin
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk

Frosting:
3 cups confectioners' sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°. Line 18 indents of 2 cupcake pans with paper or foil liners.
2. In small saucepan, combine 1 cup of the strawberries, 4 tablespoons of the gelatin and 2 tablespoons water. Heat over medium heat for 9 minutes or until bubbly. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool 30 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt. In large bowl, beat butter until smooth. Beat in sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
4. On low speed, alternately beat flour mixture and buttermilk into butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Stir in cooled strawberry mixture. Divide batter among liners, about 1/3 cup in each.
5. Bake at 350° for about 24 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly pressed. Cool cupcakes in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to a rack; let cool.
6. In small saucepan, combine remaining 1/2 cup strawberries and remaining 2 teaspoons gelatin. Cook 5 minutes over medium heat until gelatin is dissolved. Cool 20 minutes.
7. Frosting: In bowl, blend sugar, butter, milk and vanilla until smooth. Once cupcakes have cooled, spread with frosting, about 1-1/2 tablespoons for each. Make a small indent in center of frosting with a spoon. Spoon scant 1/2 teaspoon cooled strawberry mixture into indent on top of each cupcake. Chill 15 minutes, or until set.

Enjoy!

Photo courtesy of Parents.com

Real Weddings: Jessica & Brian 08.16.08

Yesterday we had the privilege of working with Jessica & Brian at their gorgeous summer afternoon wedding. Their wedding ceremony was held at Victory Family Church in Cranberry Twp followed by their reception at the Cranberry Highlands Golf Course. Jessica's vision for the day was to create a simple, yet elegant theme that incorporated shades of light blue, gerbera daisies, and lillys...perfect for a summer afternoon wedding! Brian's grandmother, Lilly, who recently passed was honored at the reception by using lilly's throughout the centerpieces. The wedding was beautiful and we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful afternoon!

Here are a few pictures I snapped with my camera throughout the day:

Room set up

One of the biggest hits of the evening ~ adorable cupcakes from Dozen Bakeshop!

Close up of lilly centerpiece

Seating cards

The traditional Pittsburgh cookie table - all the cookies were made by the groom's mother. She did an excellent job designing the cookies and even incorporated the sky blue color theme!

Here is a listing of wedding day vendors:

Church: Victory Family Church

Reception: Cranberry Highlands Golf Course

Bakery: Dozen Bakeshop

DJ: Pittsburgh DJ Co

Florist: Reed & Petals

Linens: Terri Yoho (Yoho's Chair Cover Rentals)

Photographer: Joseph Kennedy (G & G Studio)

Wedding Planner: Simply Perfect Weddings


Congratulations again to Jessica & Brian!!