Wedding Wednesday: Cake~ The Best of the Wedding Experience

This is some cake inspiration I discovered on The Knot. I am to a point where I am about to schedule cake tastings. I know there will be no fondant involved! I am hoping to find a bakery on the coast that can do a cake that is a crowd pleaser, but a little different. Italian Cream with buttercream has been on my mind. The wedding experience for me, when I am a guest, is centered around the taste of the wedding cake. All too often it is dry! So that will be my goal in a baker, someone with a nice product that tastes great. Speaking of bakers, once I get through Girl Scout cookies I hope to get back to baking. My Kitchen Aid Mixer is getting lonely!

* I have to love the words!*

*Cupcakes are so clever*

*TOO CUTE!*

*Blue is the thing*

*Petit Fours in the shape of mini cakes!*

*This is so classy*

*Hydrangeas and a classy ribbon look great to me*

Wedding Wednesday: Beyond the Guest Book

Going through the details of a wedding is mind boggling. I have lately been planning on going with something other than the traditional guestbook. Here are some very unique ideas I found on Etsy.

Wish you well stones by ThePaperyNook

*Card File by Itsmyday*

*Will you sign my log? By Inspired by Marie*

*Typing a happy message to the married couple on a typewriter is a fantastic idea! I recently purchased a vintage typewriter*

*This one is in two parts...

*The guests sign the back! By BellaPuzzleToo*

I have one more trick up my sleeve, but you will have to come to my wedding to find out!

Wedding Wednesday: Bridal Show

** Bridal Pin given to me by my MOH Leah!**

Sunday I went with my Maid of Honor, Leah and bridesmaids Ashlei and Linda to the Biloxi Bridal Premier Show at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum. It was a jungle in there! I am pretty sure there were less people last year when Leah and I went to it. After a very congested registration process (involving two lines) we entered wedding wonderland. Almost every aspect of wedding was covered except for invitations and limos for some reason. It was not as overwhelming today because I already have my venue. Also a good idea of what DIY touches that I will be attempting for my wedding, and what things I will be hiring sometime to do. My two biggies to take care of are the wedding cake, and the caterer.

However, I will never get over how outrageous prices are for anything with the title “wedding” or “bridal” attached to it. Even though it is an event very personal to every couple, it is a business. (A multi-million dollar industry actually.) Many of the same tablescapes and favor tables were similar to last year. I think I saw a half a dozen candy tables. Some of my favorite booths included the lovely ladies managing The Redding House, the great food at Broome’s Catering, and the creativity of Tilley Photography.

All in all it was nice to see my fellow friends that are brides as well, and get some contacts. But I think I will stick to The Knot, blogs, magazines, and a little imagination to create my wedding day vision.

**Bridal Show Goodies**

Wedding Wednesday

Yesterday was the eight month mark for my wedding. Therefore, I need to get my tail in gear. I have two big details in the works, and hope to get some more leads at the Bridal Premiere show on Sunday at the Coast Coliseum. However, I have all the little details really bugging me. Like what shade of blue to use? What flowers should I choose? Where is the sign in table going to go? The list goes on and on... However, I have found relief from my plight. These are some of my favorites details from Etsy.com and theknot.com

*These Bouquets?*

*Or these??*

*I LOVE the hair pieces! They are way cooler than veils*

*This cake topper is the coolest ever*

*They match the cake toppers!*

Wedding Bells

**My own Engagement Ring!**

With my upcoming wedding in the next year I have decided my first cluster of themed reading will do with the big day! I have a list of over thirty books to get through that are both fiction, essays, histories, and wedding planning. The vast amount of books on wedding planning helped me make this decision. Also my guilty pleasure of chick lit which almost always deals with dating, weddings, or divorce.

When I first got engaged in November I promised myself I would only buy this one wedding planning book. I have certainly broken this promise thanks to swaptree and amazon. However, if I was going to buy one book the first one I bought could walk me through the entire wedding planning process. It is The Knots Book of Wedding Lists created by the pentacle of wedding planning websites www.theknot.com created by Carley Roney. I live by lists. So this book is my ultimate dream. Each chapter is broken down into a different aspect of the wedding such as flowers, reception, ceremony, etc. There are also side notes that give tips on how things such as "Five Alternatives to Veils" or "Ways to Save." My personal favorite page is the complete budget breakdown by percentages. This gave me the starting point for me to create a wedding budget. There are also helpful illustration and fun facts scattered throughout the books. As far as wedding books go I give it five stars!