Wooden Wedding Goods

There are several trends on the rise for fall weddings this year. One of which is this take on paper goods. Rather than choosing to print your invitations, menus, place cards, or even programs on Cardstock or Vellum try choosing from a selection of very thin sheet wood. Wooden goods will certainly compliment your nature-themed wedding, or could help set the tone for a casual and warm-toned affair.

Order your wooden wedding goods here.

A History Lesson : The Wedding Cake, Part Two

My experience with picking out a wedding cake felt rather fast. When we were planning our own wedding and decided we wanted cupcakes, we scheduled a tasting at one cupcake shop and ordered our cupcakes as we were tasting them. There was no comparing with another shop, nor was their much consultation between my husband and I. To the tasting, I brought along my hubby-to-be (of course), my maid of honor and my mom to help us decide but because of a very rushed tasting (and not-to-mention uncomfortable - stools and not much of a table - really? passing a plate between our laps wasn't exactly what I had pictured) and a pushy cake-lady, we placed an order an hour later. You would think that with this type of experience we would've walked away, but the truth is that we didn't really know what we were doing; mostly, we didn't go in with one cohesive plan. So with a little bit of confusion and one previously mentioned cake-shop-owner we ordered the cake, it was yummy cake I assure you, and I was liking the ideas we had come up with. However, I should have guessed that the rushed tasting experience wouldn't be the end of the unfortunate service. Upon calling to confirm our order two weeks before the wedding I discovered that they no longer had our contract and that we needed to fill out a new one, which I did right then and there over the phone. Our cupcakes and small bride + groom cake tasted delicious and looked the way they were suppose to (except for the use of fondant rather than buttercream on our small cake). I've seen worse cake disasters, but all of this is just to say: do what you can to ensure your wedding cake experience is a smooth, enjoyable one. Next up, I have broken down for you into categories the primary topics to assess before stepping into your first cake tasting.

General
After deciding on the budget and style of your wedding, collect images of cakes and details that you like; this way you have some visuals to present to your baker.  Read some reviews of different shops in your area. Make sure that all parties involved agree and are on the same page with what you want your outcome to be before stepping into your first cake tasting.

Cost
The more elaborate your wedding cake the more pricey it will be. The most costly factor is your baker's time, so keep that in mind when choosing a cake design. On average, wedding cakes cost around $3.00 per serving, depending upon your location, the popularity of the shop and your design. So, multiply that by the amount of guests you wish to serve and you'll likely be in the correct ball park. The good news is that most bakers will work with you to accomplish your dream cake within your budget, just be sure to communicate with your baker and be open to ideas that can save you some money here or there.

Cake and Frosting
There are countless cake and frosting options to consider. You should be prepared to give the bakery shop of your choice a list of what options you are seriously considering so they know how to prepare for your tasting. For example, if you know that chocolate is a must in your wedding cake, let them know. Do some research so you can get a general idea of what different frostings are. For example, Buttercream is a more popular choice and like the name suggests, its very creamy and rich; whereas Fondant is thick, ideal for creating that smooth look you often see on wedding cakes, and in my opinion doesn't taste as good as Buttercream.

What to Expect While at a Tasting:
Remember that a cake tasting is given to couples who have done their research and are seriously considering making a purchase from that bakery. At the tasting, cake samples will be brought to you either "naked" or fully prepared. A naked sample is when the cake, filling, and frosting samples are brought to you separately which allows for isolated tastings as well as an easy way to try out different combinations. Fully prepared samples will be assembled cakes and will likely reflect the bakeries most popular options. While tasting the cake, be sure to note the texture and moisture of the cake. If you already know what other types of food you are serving at the reception, consider what might pair well. After your tasting is over, do not feel obligated to place an order. Be honest and appreciative but do not feel pressured to commit to anything you are not 100% sure of.

The following is a list of commonly asked cake questions that you too should ask of your bakery shop.

1. How do you price your wedding cakes?
2. How far in advance should I order my wedding cake?

3. Do you offer a free wedding cake tasting consultation?

4. How many people can join me in the tasting?
5. Do I need to bring anything to the meeting?
6. How do I confirm my wedding cake agreement?
7. Will you deliver my wedding cake to the venue?
8. Who provides and decorates the cake with flowers?
9. Do you provide cake toppers?
10. Do you rent cake stands?
11. Do you offer sheet cakes as back up cake to the wedding cake?
12. Do you provide a box for the top tier?
13. Up to how many tiers do you offer?
14. What method of payment do you accept?
15. Is my wedding cake deposit refundable?
16. How long have you been baking cakes for?
17. May we see a portfolio?

I hope you all enjoy your wedding cake experience. Though ours may not have been ideal, we have fond memories and enjoyed our cake immensely. Happy cake shopping!

A History Lesson : The Wedding Cake, Part One

The wedding cake is often deemed "the focal point" of an entire wedding. How did an object of such importance come to be? Well, the story is actually quite cute. The wedding cake found its beginning back in medieval times when guests of the wedding were to bring with them a small cake. This was the gift (a far cry from wedding registries and gift cards wouldn't you say?)! The abundance of small cakes would then be stacked into layers, and then it would be considered good luck if the bride and groom could kiss over the top of the cakes. The act of layering and stacking individual cakes is how we evolved into the three tiered wedding cake of the twentieth century. This three tiered cake was traditionally made with a twenty pound fruit cake as it's base with each layer atop of it getting slightly smaller. The only type of frosting used was royal icing because it was hard enough to keep out moisture in a time when refrigerators weren't available.  From this very traditional three tiered wedding cake came the elaborate cake creations we see today: cupcakes, groom cakes, cakes that look like fish tanks, square cakes, and cakes of every color. With weddings today having grown into the huge events that they are, cakes have evolved into quite the spectacle as well. With shows like: Cake Boss, and Ace of Cakes, its no wonder people expect so much of the wedding cake.

Of course, when the words "wedding" and "cake" come together in the same sentence it is likely the name Sylvia Weinstock will soon follow. Sylvia Weinstock is the queen of cakes. If you watch the wedding channel on TV or have ever done a minimal amount of searching for a wedding cake, you've probably seen her; and if you don't remember her face, you will surely remember her for her glasses. 

 Doesn't she just make you smile? 

Sylvia has also been noted as "the Leonardo Da Vinci of wedding cakes." She has more than 30 years of experience in the industry and when asked "why she was attracted to fancy cakes" she replied "...I was a pastry chef so I wanted to do something that nobody else was doing. People were baking cakes, but they weren't making wonderful, beautiful cakes." Simple philosophy, and extraordinary cakes. Sylvia's shop is (of course) located in New York, NY. Here is a video of the sweet Queen of cakes herself:

Next up for Part II of The Wedding Cake, I will break down the many decisions and options one has as they go to order their own wedding cake.

D.I.Y. Monday : Summer Popsicle Invitations

Back at the beginning of June, I spotted this adorable invitation project on the lovely Design Sponge. Talk about a fun way to kick off summer! Not only would these be great for a summer party, they'd also make for unique, and informal rehearsal dinner invitations, or post-wedding party invites. Here is my take on Popsicle Invitations, enjoy!

Supplies Needed:
a pencil, scissors, glue, popsicle sticks, colored paper of choice, and scrap paper.

First, you will need to create a stencil so that all of your "Popsicles" are the same.

Rip off an appropriate size of scrap paper to work with.

Fold the piece of paper in half to ensure that your "Popsicle" will be symmetrical.

Start to cut out the shape you would like.

Unfold and -Tada!- You have your popsicle stencil.

Next, print off a copy of the text you would like to have on your invitations. Make sure that your stencil and layout match up okay size-wise.

Then, print out your text on your colored paper of choice.

Trace your stencil over the text.

snip, snip, snip.

Continue until you have cut out all of your invites.

Next, cut out backs for all of your "popsicles" by tracing your stencil on some blank paper.

And glue away...

And there you have it!

Soon to come: homemade envelopes for oddly shaped invitations such as these. Stay tuned!

Cake Please

The miniature cupcake, one of the most popular wedding cake alternatives of the last five years.

I'll take one of each please!

Image from The Weekly Spade

Why I Love Weddings ...

Warning: This video is so beautiful, you might shed a tear. There really isn't anything like a wedding. Enjoy!

Charlie + Morgan "This Tree is Home" from Sandbox Love on Vimeo.

The Intern Diaries : Day One

DAY ONE is complete!

I loved every bit of my first day as an intern. If I haven't stated already, my internship is with a florist. Even though at this point my goal is to be a wedding planner, I felt it necessary to get my foot in the door in any way possible. I truly believe there is something to be gained from every opportunity and so why not learn more about flowers? My first day proved that this is exactly what I should be doing right now. Lets break it down.

I arrived to the flower studio at 9 a.m. to help load up the truck with floral arrangements, and decorations for two separate weddings. One wedding was a lavender/wood theme, the other was a citrus/beach theme. Myself, the Florist, and a Wedding Planner (friend of the Florist) loaded up the truck as well as my car and headed northbound for an hour long drive to Yacolt, WA where the Lavender wedding was to take place.

This was the back of my car. Full of lavender wreaths, jars, boutonnieres, and tree trunk decorations.

The Wedding venue was called Pomeroy Historic Farm, and let me tell you: it was gorgeous. Unbelievable setting with cottagey-barn, horses, rolling hills, and trees everywhere. We unloaded the cars and decorated the alter/archway. I was honored to be working alongside people who have actually made careers for themselves in this industry. It was also great just to be involved in someone's wedding day. The groom was calmly observing the preparations, and a newly engaged couple was touring the place to see if it was for them.

Next we were to wait for some friends to bring the wedding cake that they had picked up from a bakery that morning. Once the friends arrived, I experienced my first ever wedding day catastrophe. As we opened the box that contains the two-tiered cake we were suppose to decorate, we discovered that the cake is lopsided, and cracked along the bottom tier. The only way to fix the cake it seemed was to start over. Needless to say, we couldn't decorate the cake, we had to inform the groom of the problem and give our most empathetic apologies. We cleaned up our things and this ended my day one on the job. I hope their cake was fixed!!

Next Saturday on Day Two of my internship I will be starting my day off by transporting 200 cupcakes + labels to a high-end wedding an hour away. You can bet I'm a little intimidated and very excited.

All in all, after day one, I can honestly say I am so excited about the opportunity to be working with these people. I met some pretty great people just after the first day. I wonder what else these next 3 months have in store for me.

Inspiration Board : Marisa's Pretend Wedding

I am very excited today to finally share with you my first "pretend wedding." As you may have read on the pretend wedding form or in my introduction post, this is just for a bit of fun. It is a way for me to be inspired by real people's fresh ideas. I then take the submitted ideas and let my mind run with them as I look at blogs, and wedding sites on the web. So now I'd like to introduce you to Marisa's pretend, natural themed wedding.

Marisa submitted a wedding that was centered on all things natural: natural lighting, bark, stones, wild flowers, etc.


The Color Palette:
Light grey, a soft yellow, a sunset orange, and a muted green tea ice cream green.

Location:

Marisa requested an outdoor ceremony in a meadow with mountains as the backdrop. :) I like your style, and in fact 3 different locations come to my mind.
- Pomeroy Historic Farm in Yacolt, WA:-Hume Lake, CA:

-and Sauvie Island, OR:


When thinking about a nature themed wedding I think of burlap sacks, twine, herbs, wild flowers, moss, and stepping stones to lead guests to the reception area. Which, in Marisa's case, would like her reception to be held in a nearby barn of sorts.

Jars hanging from twine could be used to form walk-ways, or to tell guests where to be seated. Oo! If you were to do the latter, how awesome would it be to have guests untie their candle and bring it to their seat to add to the centerpieces?
I spotted this adorable, and simple centerpiece on none other than the BHLDN website. I like the DIY look it gives. Plus, using herbs for centerpieces in place of flowers can be an inexpensive way to add some fresh greens to the table.
I love the look of bark and tree stumps. Use these that have slits in them to place table numbers into or use a couple of them on the guest book table to hold signs.
I also like the idea of using herbs to toss as the bride and groom depart. Give guests there very own little burlap sack full of clippings.


Ways to incorporate your colors:
Incorporating your colors would come largely from table linens and flower choices: bouquets and centerpieces. Since this wedding is set in the summer months, ensure that the orange doesn't move things into fall by pairing it with greens and yellows and staying away from brown. Here are some I found that I think would be lovely.




Last but not least, some fun guestbook/ favor ideas:

engraved stones as paperweights on the guest table or as place cards on the tables
I also like the idea of guests writing a word on a stone to describe the couple and then adding the stone to a garden or vase for the couple to keep.

oh and two final images:
Check out these cool birch wood napkin rings.
and gray bridesmaid dress from jcrew:


Marisa, thank you for daydreaming with me!

Sources: Where did I get these images?
1. & 2. http://theyoungrens.com/blog/weddings/jenny-and-graham-hotel-del-coronado/
3. In Writing Planter: http://www.bhldn.com/product/in-writing-planter#
4. Tree stumps: http://classifieds.weddingbee.com/topic/wood-slices-and-small-tree-stumps
5. http://ravenmoonlight.com/catalog/index.php/cPath/113_116
6. & 7. & 8. & 9. http://weddings.theknot.com/
10. http://www.elizabethannedesigns.com/blog/2011/03/01/hudson-valley-farm-wedding/
11. http://holyordinary.blogspot.com/2010/03/30-days-of-hearing-silent-stones.html
12. http://www.bhldn.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/productID/ab73ad72-9ff8-47f0-8a98-db22c5d745e8/categoryID/ad446e74-6c33-4f83-b8e9-38d24d3fc7e6
13. http://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/dresses/eveningdinner/PRDOVR~41367/41367.jsp

The Intern Diaries : It Starts

Life has been busy and guess what? It's only going to get busier. Day one of my internship with the florist starts on Saturday. I will be helping with transport of flowers and unloading supplies. Then next Saturday I really get to get my hands dirty with an eight-hour day and more responsibility. The florist is actually coordinating this wedding and therefore has many more tasks to delegate. I will be that person who picks up the cupcakes, sugar flowers, and other important things; then prays that everything stays in place for an hour long drive to the wedding venue. I've heard this wedding will be one for the books and I can't wait to see what the florist does with it: 200 guests, lounge area, elaborate centerpieces, etc. I'm excited to see how it all turns out and I will certainly be reporting back! I am plugging away at the Pretend Weddings that have been submitted so far and loving the fresh ideas. Thank you for this inspiration.

Friday Favorites

A list of some of my favorite things this week:

My Favorite store:

Noun on Belmont
My Favorite Video:

This Beet Cake recipe video. Absolutely gorgeous and so inspiring.


My Favorite Artist:

Banksy

My Favorite Purchase:
These Scissors....

My Favorite Song:

My adult self has learned much from this song this week.


My Favorite Image:


I hope everyone has a nice weekend!

Introduction: Do It Yourself Mondays

Another regular to be showing his face around My Paper Airplane would have to be Mr. "Do It Yourself Mondays." These posts stem from the observation that:

a. "Doing things yourself" seems to be pretty popular these days.

and

b. That there are many -gazillion-bazillion-trillion- D.I.Y projects presented out there and few that actually provide you with step-by-step, thorough instructions.

My plan is to find D.I.Y projects that have been presented elsewhere on the internet, and then document myself doing them with any tips or suggestions I have for making the process more efficient or more appealing. I will be presenting these posts on Mondays, so forget beginning-of-the-week-blues, come stop by My Paper Airplane and be inspired by whatever Do It Yourself Monday project is taking place.