A UK wedding blog with the aim of inspiring brides to create a day which will make them and their guests beam with delight.....whilst of course with a glass of champagne in hand.
Alternative Wedding Cakes
I know that for many couples the wedding cake is simply a ‘tick in the box’ purchase. For us, we have saved this process by creating a ‘cake table’ and asking some of our nearest and dearest to bake up a storm. Yum!There are many creative alternatives to the traditional wedding cake and I wanted to share with you a few ideas.
- Create a doughnut table - Dove and Sparrow via Style Me Pretty
- Rice Krispie Cake - Lucinda Photography via The Knot
- Ice Sculpture with jagermeister - photo jenic via subzeroicesculptures.co.uk
- Profiteroles - Ben the Cake Maker via You & Your Wedding
- Pizza Cake - Staggered.com (no surprises that this website is aimed at the grooms!)
- Marshmallows dipped in chocolate - Jackiefo.blogspot.co.uk
- Macaroons - besosdesigns.blogspot.com
- Pancake Stacks - Once Wed
These buttonholes have been created out of sheets of music. Incredible!
Photo Credit: Christa and Ivy via Style Me Pretty
Confetti Cones
All of these cones are from The Confetti Cone Company and just go to show that cones do not have to be boring.
You can personalise them or just choose a design that you love. I love the union jack ones - my patriotism is coming out again!
Photo Credit: The Confetti Cone Company
Lady Brady’s Cake Toppers
I am very excited to share with you today a unique way to get a touch of ‘you’ into your W-day. Helen is an uber talented lady with a forte for personalised cake toppers. I beamed when I first saw her creations as the detail that goes into them is incredible.
Oh and if that’s not enough, she is also a professional make-up artist…what did I tell you, one uber talented lady.
To tell you more, the lady herself:
Wedding cakes are often the focal point of your reception venue. There are so many different styles of cake and cake decorations to choose from and if you would like something particularly personalised, a unique cake topper might be just up your street!
My name is Helen Brady and I make the figures at Lady Brady’s Cake Toppers.
My models are all hand-made to your specification: I work from photographs and descriptions of the bride and groom, the wedding dress and accessories and try as faithfully as I can to replicate these details. I often use fabric, lace and bead-work to echo the design of the dress and jewellery. The cake toppers are made of clay and because of this they can be kept as an ornament and serve as a memento of your special day.
There’s something magical in hand-crafted decorations. I love discussing ideas (no matter how bizarre!) with each of my customers and I really try to create something that they will treasure.
‘Like’ Lady Brady’s Cake Toppers on Facebook to be kept up-to-date with news and special offers www.facebook.com/ladybradyscaketoppers
Or find me at www.ladybradyscaketoppers.co.uk (which is currently being updated)
I am also a professional make-up artist and offer discounts to brides-to-be who book both bridal make-up and cake toppers. Visit my Facebook make-up page for more details:
www.facebook.com/norawalkermua
Thank-you (and thanks Jess for letting me be a part of your fabulous blog!).
Love The Lady Xx
Amazing work. Get ‘liking’ and your orders in…
Wedding Fair - 22nd April
If you’re not busy this weekend then get yourself down to Tythe Barn, Oxfordshire and check out this new wedding fair WED.
Signature Cocktails…
Serving your favourite cocktail at your wedding reception is a brilliant way to get an extra piece of ‘you’ into the wedding. I love cocktails and we decided rather early on that a cocktail hour is never enough so we will be having ‘cocktail 2 hours’ for our reception in August. So now, all we need is to decide which cocktails to serve.
Some ideas…
Champagne Cocktail
- Dry Champagne
- 25ml Brandy
- 1 White Sugar Cube
- Angostura Bitters
Douse the sugar cube in Angostura Bitters and place into a Champagne flute. Add the Brandy, then gently top up with Champagne.
(Photo Credit: Jamie Oliver)
Gin Rickey
- 50ml Gin
- Fresh Lime Juice
- Sugar Syrup
- Soda
- Lime Wedge
Pour the Gin, a large dash of fresh lime juice and a large dash of sugar syrup into a Highball glass filled with ice. Top up with soda, and garnish with a lime wedge.
(Photo Credit: Food52)
Pimm’s Cocktail
- 50ml Pimm’s No 1 Cup
- Lemonade
- Cucumber
- Mixed Fruit
- Sprig of Mint
Pour Pimm’s over ice into a Highball glass and add the lemonade, leaving ample room for the fruit. Then add a sliver of cucumber peel, a slice of orange, lemon and strawberry and a sprig of mint. Serve with a straw and a swizzle stick.
(Photo Credit: Londonista)
These are some of my favourite cocktail images from Style Me Pretty:
Wedding Favours
If money wasn’t an issue (why is it always an issue?!) then I would have loved to have a mini moet for each guest, it would have been a hat trick - name card (they would have been personalised of course), favour and your toast for the speeches. But alas, my budget and HTB will not allow it.Instead, I think the chocolate mini champagne bottles will more likely be our favours!
There are some truly ingenious favours out there though - from filling these brilliant sweet bags with sweets to making home made jam and personalising them with these stickers.
I know some of my Irish/Gin loving friends would love the excuse to serve mini Gin bottles!
I love the idea of the modern day ‘mix tape’ - a home made CD of you and your HTB’s favourite music for each guest to take home.
For a summer wedding or even better a destination wedding then fans are multi-purpose as they allow for some vintage air conditioning as well.
Photo Credit: Style Me Pretty, A Wedding Less Ordinary, Not On The Highstreet & Intimate Weddings
Photobooths
Ok, so they may have been done to death but I still love them. They are a fun way of capturing a different side of your guests.Although many companies now offer the ‘photobooth service’ we are still planning on making it a DIY project. It will also serve as our guestbook…guest strikes pose, instant photograph is produced, guest sticks this into a scrap book and writes a note alongside.
I just love the idea of looking back on a book full of everyone’s silly pictures in years to come.
For now, all I need to do is sort out props, a camera, a backdrop, some lighting, a scrapbook and sticky substance….easy right?!
Photo Credit: Style Me Pretty
Cake pretty
Organising the food is one of the most favourite parts of my W-day. In fact, its one of my favourite parts of everyday. Some wedding cakes are pieces of art - you only have to watch ‘My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding’ to realise some of the grandiose designs cake designers come up with.
If I’m truly honest though, the Victoria sponge is my desired cake; simple and tasty. Nom, nom, nom!
Photo Credit: Wedding Bee
Get me to the Church on time….
I think the classic car is a brilliant way to arrive in style; it’s chic, timeless and probably about the only time you’ll ever experience one. However, there are so many other ways to get you there that I want to share….
I love, love, love these cars – pure genius.
The red London bus is the perfect way to transport all your guests in style. I can just picture granny on the back seat, bride at the steering wheel and groom as conductor….love it!
I just can’t help but grin when I look at this bride rocking up on the back of a tractor. Ingenious and she still manages to look chic…although why do I get the feeling that I would definitely fall off….into mud.
This is brilliant. I didn’t even know this was possible in England. A bridal tuk tuk is surely one of the best ways to arrive with a great big smile on your face.
If only I was getting married near a river I would steal this idea in an instant. Bobbing along as Mr and Mrs = Perfection. Although I would so have packed a picnic on board….!
Such a beautiful picture. A tandem may seem energetic but the pictures will be so wonderful I think it’s worth it.
I am lucky that our venue is less than a mile away from the Church, so our perfect solution (weather permitting) is to walk down the lanes with our guests in tow after the service. We are planning on a vital ‘pit stop’ or two to keep everyone going – something along the bubbles variety (of course!) I just love the idea of sticking on a pair of wellies and having a joyful stroll, drink in hand, with all the wonderful people who have attended our day.
- Photo credit: Style Me Pretty, The big red bus, Take a Tuk Tuk & Fotografica - Images by Alicia Scott
