Cupcakes!

Cupcakes are an option that not a lot of people think about for weddings, but the idea is definitely gaining steam. Bakeries devoted to cupcakes are cropping up all over (my favorite is the Cupcake Station in downtown Birmingham, Michigan--see the picture at the left--, but definitely on the list to try is the Cupcake Kitchen in Clinton Twp., Michigan).

It's true that on the surface, they seem less formal than your four tiered masterpiece, and it's obviously not for everyone, but the benefits are definitely there. My favorite thing is that everyone gets their own. Say kids are coming to the wedding. Maybe the kids don't like the carrot cake you have your heart set on. So you buy a dozen of the cupcakes with traditional vanilla cake and frosting.
Or what if you can't decide on a flavor? Get half the cupcakes with strawberry cake and half with raspberry.

Of course, some wedding cake traditions are made a little more difficult with cupcakes, but you can still feed your new spouse cake. If you like the tradition of cutting the cake together, but also like this cupcake idea, consider getting a small or miniature cake for just you two and the bridal party, and put it on the top tier of the cupcake display. That way you have something on which to put that antique topper your grandmother saved.

(Picture at the right taken from mrandmrssweets.com)

Ann Taylor Tulip Jacquard Dress http://www.anntaylor.com/

The other day, I tried on my bridesmaid dress for an August wedding and was pleasantly surprised to find that although the dress had been tailored for someone else, it fit me perfectly! Before the wedding some minor modifications will need to be made, such as removing some cream accents added to it by its owner, so that it will match the other bridesmaids' dresses. A wrap of sorts is in order, and right now we are planning to make them out of light green shimmer organza. The stiffness of the new fabric is giving us a little trouble right now, since it resists draping softly around the shoulders and instead stands up high at the neck. Perhaps washing it will help, and if not, we may decide to tailor the wraps to a more fitted shape. The bridesmaids will also be wearing simple veils of white tulle edged in green satin ribbon. We have decided to add a sash to define the waistline of the dress a bit more, most likely in a coordinating shade of green, either of satin ribbon to match the edging of the veil or organza to match the wrap. White shoes will finish off the bridesmaid's outfit. Since the wedding colors are green, white, and yellow, the bride has been thinking about having her maids carry small bouquets of daisies. These dresses will look perfectly elegant for my friend's summer wedding!

Sunflower wedding inspiration board

An elegant black-and-white wedding gets a pop of sunshine from a favorite summer bloom:

Top row:
Sunflower invitation from Acorn Designs
Bouquet from For the Love of Floral Design
Cake from Josef's Vienna Bakery, titled "Meghan's Cake"

Center:
Satin pick-up ballgown from David's Bridal, style BR1010

Bottom row:
Dress from David's Bridal, style 81371
Table setting by Exquisite Events
Lemonade from MarthaStewart.com (see link for a collection of Martha Stewart lemonade recipes)

Theresa's Invitations

Ah! I know, it's been forever. Let's just say that May turned out to be an extremely busy month for Lily and me.
But that's all over and it is time to enjoy the summer! So I want to share with you all the invitation I received from Theresa, the lovely and resourceful lady whose wedding I am in on August 1st.
Theresa balked at spending hundreds of dollars on expensive, professional-made invitations, so she decided to make her own!


Theresa fell in love with the "pocket" style of invitation when her sister was getting married a few years ago, so she incorporated that and filled the pocket with tiered information cards. I think the postcard RSVPs make a lot of sense, too--not only do you save money on postage, you save paper, they take up less space, and there's nothing for you to spend time opening upon their return.

Theresa bought the basic brown invitation/pocket holder and cut out the different-sized cards that have information on the rehearsal dinner, accommodations, directions and an RSVP. She made her own templates on Microsoft Office and printed them on a new printer she bought from Apple.

The best part is not only that Theresa saved money, but that she got exactly what she wanted. While she had to spend a considerable amount of time doing this, the end product was definitely worth it--these are beautiful!