How to Plan a Wedding in Two Weeks: Other Important Necessities

Miss Boa's big three, (venue, dress, and photographer,) were decided upon in a crazy short amount of time! This is one determined bride, lol.

But a few things were still needed...

1) Someone to marry them and make it official
2) Someone to get the party started at the reception
3) Something to eat for dessert
4) Something to invite the guests

The Officiant:

Finding an officiant in short notice was becoming similar to her photographer search, many were booked already and were simply out of the running by default! D:

One of the groomsmen mentioned a family member of his officiated weddings, Miss Boa had met him before and for a while was considering him to officiate, but she still had pending potentials at the time that she found on WeddingWire.

Finally, she received a reply that one of the potential officiants was free! She ending up going with D and J Ministry. They only book one wedding per day, and the ceremony and rehearsal cost $250.

Most important part of the wedding, (the actual marriage): check!

The DJ:

Miss Boa really lucked out on this one, because she used one of the best things in the wedding industry---a friendor!

A friendor is an awesome friend who does something wedding-related and is willing to help you out on your special day! Usually at a lovely, discounted friends-and-family-only price, lol.

After discussing the details with said friend from Blackrrock Sound Solutions, an outdoor ceremony and indoor reception, he suggested that two separate systems be set up: one for the indoor party and one for the outdoors, so Miss Boa's carefully selected ceremony music could be played and so the ceremony could be heard clearly by all guests!

Always a tragedy when the most beautiful vows are spoken yet no one can hear them!

Usually this would have cost quite a pretty penny, given that Blackrrock Sound would need double the amount of equipment to make the event work, not to mention an extra employee to help with setup... But Miss Boa was given the wonderful offer of half the price of the whole package! :D

And this, my friends, is why friendors ROCK!

(Miss Boa plans to tip her pal handsomely for his generosity and hard work. :) )

The Cake:

Miss Boa know where she was getting her cake long before getting engaged!

The sweet confections of Dessert Deli has enchanted many a female in the Western NY area, including me! *sighs*

Their cakes are luscious and decadent, not to mention just plain gorgeous:

Some tasty cakes being offered this month that I have yet to sink my teeth into... *drool*
Miss Boa's favorite has always been their red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting.

So naturally she ordered a red velvet tiered cake, with alternating ivory and dark brown tiers. (fillings to be decided later) It will be decorated with climbing branches dotted with delicate teal cherry blossoms.

I haven't seen the design, but it will probably look something like this, except in the proper colors:

Ooooo, ahhhh! So pretty. :)

And there's an extra bonus too! If you get your wedding cake through them, you get 10% off all future cakes and cookies for life. o.0 So much cake...so little time! XD

The Invitations:

Getting her invitations was simple enough, due to the fact that they were the only thing she needed to purchase to obtain her fabulous wedding planner! As long as she purchased the invitations through her, Miss Boa would receive her guidance and assistance.

And surprisingly, there was a wide selection of price points, she ending up spending only $2 per invite for a invite/envelope/RSVP suite in her wedding colors!

Affordable invitations without the agony of printing, cutting, pasting, stamping, etc. over 100+ pieces of paper?! Sounds like a good deal to me!

She does plan on saving money on calligraphy by printing out the envelope addresses on her own. Very smart, I approve. :)

She mentioned that the design was hard to describe, so I guess I'll have to wait until I help her with addressing the envelopes...

---

So by the time the holidays ended, Miss Boa managed to scratch off the following wedding to-do items:

-Wedding planner
-Venue
-Ceremony Site
-Food
-Rentals (included with venue package)
-Wedding dress
-Photographer
-Officiant
-DJ
-Cake
-Invitations

Whew! Makes me tired just looking at it! XD

A big round of applause please to Miss Boa!

She has done something I know I could never do, haha.

I Am A Wedding Schizophrenic.

Hey guys,

I apologize for the lack of posts lately, but I found myself slightly uninspired (soon to be fixed by the Royal Wedding coming up soon...)

So I decided to organize all that wedding inspiration I have been saving up the past year and place it into neatly organized folders, with the potential to go onto Google Docs so I would have access to my stuff from anywhere!

Once I was done, I wondered where my focus for wedding planning was going, so I opened up each folder and looked at the elements I had...

And I found out something slightly troubling...

I'm a wedding schizophrenic. XD

With each category of wedding planning, the dress, the flowers, the decor, the invitations, I had at least three or more major themes.

Obviously, I'm already confused with the winter vs. summer wedding, and that doesn't help matters.

With winter, I'm showing a more nature-oriented and rustic look:



But the summer one is still having an identity crisis...

I don't know if I want more modern, elegant and sleek look:



Or a detailed, lush, romantic, girly affair:



I seem to approve of both ends of the spectrum! XD

I'm sure this wedding confusion is not going to end for a while, not until I start actually plotting out the nitty gritty details, and a focus starts to appear from my now blurry daydreams...

But until then, I guess being prepared for anything is a good thing, right?!

...right?

XD

Rosette Madness!

Whew! That whole My Fair Wedding series was a doozy! Sorry about the lack of posts, home improvement projects are keeping me busy now! :D Now we're back to our normally scheduled wedding prettiness! :D

Spring has officially sprung! :D

Even though it takes a while in chilly Buffalo to actually believe it, all last week we were blessed with wonderfully warm, sunny weather!

Call me fickle but my purple, flowery, summer wedding vision is sounding better and better each day! XD So I figure I"ll talk about my summer plans for the Thousand Islands wedding in the spring and summer, and shift focus to my Buffalo winter wedding plans in the fall and winter. Then I'll always be relevant to the season! lol

Another reason for wishing for warmer wedding days and the great outdoors? The wonderful, romantic, addicting trend of rosettes!

I. Love. Them. I WANT THEM!!!

These better still be around when I get engaged, XD because I don't know if I can live without them!!!

These big, beautiful flowers are popping up everywhere in fashion lately:

On wedding dresses:

*drool*This is a stunning prom dress from Sherri Hill, style 2223, covered in rosettes and comes in white! However be careful with most prom/bridal sites online, many of them have a no return policy or a ridiculous restocking fee...

On shoes:

These grey suede heels are from Forever 21 and are just $25.80! So cute!

On purses:

This cute little number is a pink rose clutch going for $29.50 at Bag Madness. Yes, the only color they're selling is pink, but if that's your thing, grab one for the spring season!

On hair accessories:

This cute little hair pin is from Etsy! Brydferth sells many pretty and delicate rosette accessories, and this bobby pin for $12 is just one of the many she sells.

And also making a stunning appearance in other wedding aspects too!

On cakes:

This cake is from I Am Baker, and it's SO FRIGGING ADORABLE! I can't wait to make something like this when I actually have company over! lol You can find the tutorial here! :D

On table runners:

This runner is from an Etsy seller, floratouch, and sells the most beautiful runners I have ever seen! Yes they are pricey at $18 each, :( but they are beautiful! *sighs*

Dear rosettes,

Please be so frigging popular that you are still around in a couple years...or at least let me get an "out-of-style" rosette wedding dress for a killer price! :D Love ya always,

Sarah

How to Get A Phantom Wedding Like David Tutera's My Fair Wedding: Cake

Step 6: Get a romantic wedding cake.

Okay, let's face it, after DIY-ing the lighting, the linens, the bouquets, and the centerpieces, there is no way in hell we would even want to attempt to pull off the skyscraper of a cake presented in My Fair Wedding - Phantom of the Opera episode:

Yeah...not happening
So what's a budget girl to do?!

There are workarounds.

Looking back at my DIY wedding cake post, I would go with the deconstructed tiered cake in this situation. Why? Because you do not have to mention that your cakes are for a wedding! And partially avoid the Wedding Industrial Complex (WIC).

Photo copyright and courtesy of B. Scott Photography
Wait, what? No really you can! Bear with me.

You look around for some good, reputable, reasonably priced bakeries in your area, and ask for a quote for 4 or 5 round cakes in different sizes. Because it is not a tiered cake or even cupcakes, (which are trendy now so even those will be expensive,) they have no reason to think that it's for a wedding.

If you want to bring your finance with you, just look with him the first time, ask about your options, don't mention the wedding, then leave. Come back on your own a couple weeks later. Even if they remember you, I don't think it would be too problematic, they do want your business after all.

Say it's for a big 50th birthday party, a big fancy gala, a huge family reunion, whatever. If they greatly question your reasons, you probably shouldn't work with them anyways, because they're trying to suck every penny out of you. Look elsewhere.

If you want that true metallic gold look, you will have to pay extra for fondant, because this will be easier to cover with metallic luster. If you can handle having a gold colored cake only, buttercream will be a more budget-friendly option.

The cakes seem to have a lace-like design on the bottom as a border, and possibly minimal design on the sides, small S designs or something like that. This should not induce any extra charges, but check because you never know. The piping isn't that important, it just needs to give the cake some personality so it isn't as plain.

Since you are ordering multiple cakes with minimal decorations, the cost should be less than that of an average wedding cake.

You might be thinking, "But Sarah, that cake is covered with sugar flowers! Every bride knows those are expensive!" And yes, you are right. But the key is to not ask the bakery to do the sugar flowers.

No, I will not say to DIY them. I already gotten a sugar flower kit, and tried to make some myself. My roses aren't half bad, but other flowers? Sad little things. An orchid?! So pitiful. Maybe I can improve my skills later, but without formal training, don't even think about it! XP

You can however, buy them yourself, then just insert them in the cakes the morning of the wedding. A little bit of DIY, but that's the easiest way I can think of, given all the other wedding aspects!

The only place in my opinion to buy your sugar flowers was mentioned in my previous cake decoration post, DiscountSugarFlowers.com!

Here is where you can buy all the pretty and lovely red flowers you would ever need!

Gladiola flower, 3.5in wide, $1.11 eachHibiscus flower, 2.5in wide, $0.72 eachTulip flower, 1.5in wide, $0.78 eachLily flower, 4in wide, $1.11 eachRose flower, 2in wide, $0.72 eachIf these are too red and not enough burgundy for your liking? Then buy some desert plum or red terracotta lust dust for $2.99 a jar, (a powder made for coloring sugar flowers,) and a small quality paintbrush. Dip your dry brush into the powder, tap off excess, and softly brush where you want the color on the flower. The more swipes you put on, the more intense the color.

I gave you a variety of red flowers just because they don't have the exact kind of look as the flowers given on the Phantom cake, (and that luster dust can only go so far color-wise,) so I tried to give the flowers a varied texture.

How many do you need? Well, this is now a bit debatable. Because the Phantom cake is so lush, the number of flowers you need will add up quickly since you want to completely cover the tops of each cake.

The way I estimated the number of flowers you may need is I first calculated the approximate area covered by each flower, then calculated the price per square inch. (Excel helps out a lot with quick calculations.) Then I calculated the area of each tier. Then I divided the area into slices for each flower, cheaper flowers per square inch got a larger slice than more expensive flowers per square inch. In this way I got the cheapest combinations for the cakes, while still having a variety of flowers. Note that I used only half the surface area of the 6" inch cake, leaving room for a cake topper.

Let's say you have a 6", 8", 10", and 12" cakes.

I'll spare you the details, (email me if you do want the spreadsheet!) but you need 24 Gladiola flowers, 31 Hibiscus flowers, 48 roses, 27 tulips and 18 lilies. However, you can only buy them in specified amounts, so you end up buying 27 Gladiolas, 50 Hibiscus, 54 roses, 36 tulips and 18 lilies, costing you a total of $152.88.

Since sugar flowers can last up to a year in a sealed tupperware container, you can buy all your sugar flowers a month or so in advance to take care of breakage issues or color issues before the big day. As long as you can transport them carefully things should work out fine, you probably will have extras anyways. Place the larger flowers on the cake first, then work the smaller flowers around them.

Yes, even buying them yourself is still very expensive, but the labor involved with asking your bakery to make a couple hundred sugar flowers...I'm sure this is the cheaper option, lol.

So what if you don't have $150 lying around for sugar flowers? Reduce their number. It won't look as lush as the Phantom cake, but you will still get the feel. Buy one less box of flowers for each kind of flower, and now the cost is down to $87.93. Buy one box each of flowers, and the cost goes down to $64.95. It's all up to how much you love the original design and how much you are willing to pay to get it.

In order to figure out pricing, I searched online to look for pricing in the Buffalo area. I found two places that posted their prices, Delish! and Dolci Dessert Bakery.

Dolci has a nicer menu since it gives the option of a mini cake that's even smaller, (and cheaper,) than the 6"!

-Mini cake = $11.50
-6" cake = $20.50
-8" cake = $31.50
-10" cake = $47.00

Since we're using smaller cakes, I'm deducting one box from each sugar flower, making the cost of the sugar flowers $87.93.

Total cost for cakes from Dolci Dessert Bakery = $198.43, plus any extra charges for fondant, metallic coating, etc.

From Delish! we can order:

-6" cake = $26
-8" cake = $48
-10" cake = $65
-12" cake = $85

Total cost for cakes from Delish! = $376.88, plus any extra charges for fondant, metallic coating, etc.

Not bad... *sighs* One can only DIY so much, lol.

On to Step 7: Bridesmaid Dresses!

Even More Comfy Cozy Winter Wedding Inspiration!

Considering the amount of snow days being given throughout the US lately, I figured more winter wedding inspiration would be quite fitting!

This post is best enjoyed with a mug of hot chocolate :)

Or better yet, a mug of hot buttered rum! :D


The recipe can be found at Real Simple's blog Simply Stated. Am I a dork for thinking of Harry Potter's butterbeer every time I see hot buttered rum? XD

An easy way to get a winter wonderland feel is to include these cute but inexpensive Icelandic bowls from Country Clean Paper Supplies.


Starting at $1.50 for a regular 16oz bowl, $5.50 for a 3.5qt bowl, and just $12 for a giant 12qt punch bowl, how could you go wrong?!

This pretty snowflake wedding cake is easy to execute given that the royal icing snowflakes can be done in advance! So then you can bake, assemble and frost, (fondant optional), then add the royal icing snowflakes in small groupings around the cake.


It looks like some of the snowflakes were pressed onto the frosting to make an imprint of a snowflake as well as having the royal icing ones attached. However I think doing that technique could easily backfire on a novice cake decorator like I. I would try doing in a pretty blue color though :)

For help on creating the snowflakes, start reading the tutorials at Mahalo and Martha Stewart Weddings. Also check out this forum discussion at Wilton to read more on the difficulties of removing these icing lovelies from wax paper.

o.0

*swoon*
So gorgeous for winter, they're frigging perfect! Found on At Home with Kim Vallee, in reference to Fauchois Fleurs florist. You know it's a good florist when you don't care that their site is in French. XD

A cute and creative way to display sweets for a dessert table would be to include these easy-to-make meringue cookie trees!


This tutorial at Little Dishy gives her version of the meringue tree, including a rum-flavored icing that will make the cookies easily removable for your guests to enjoy!

I'm loving this beautifully ruched, a-line wedding dress, Cleo by Maggie Sottero:


Such clean and modern lines, with a romantic flower sash and corset back...stunning. Usually I don't go for dresses that do not have a lot of beading, but for some reason this seems to have enough character that it doesn't need anything aside from the sash.

Gah, this is the problem though with looking at designer dresses, you're not going to find them used anywhere until they had time to become a little out of style, had the time to be worn for a wedding. So all the latest fashions now won't start popping up until several months pass by.

I tried looking for this model online, and got prices around $900-$950 for sites that did not accept returns XP So I can only assume that this lovely will cost about a grand in a wedding dress boutique. For now.

Maybe I'll be stalking this dress in the used dress classifieds in the fall :) lol, you never know!

Conquering the DIY Wedding Cake: Decisions, Decisions

So, you read my first DIY wedding cake post, and you still feel that you have what it takes! Good for you! Here are some of your options:

1) The tiered cake


I would only recommend this option to the seasoned baker or pastry chef. The simple fact of the matter is you have two options: Last minute assembly before the reception, or nail-biting transport of the cake.

This is due to the fact that a tiered cake will have seams in between each of its layers, so decoration of piping, fondant strip, flowers, etc. will be needed to dress up the area where the tiers meet. If you do this all beforehand, are you really going to guard that 4-tier cake from every bump on the road on the hour car ride to your reception!? Transporting a cake with the tiers separated makes sense for transport.

However then the question is who is going to assemble the tiers once you get it safety to the venue? And who could you trust to do it right? This is why I would personally stay away from this DIY option, if you can help it.

But if you can pull it off, you have the most grand option at your wedding for a fraction of the cost! The real question here is whether all that trouble is worth it.

2) The tiered display cake


This cake would be similar to this display cake constructed by Weddingbee's own Mrs. Deviled Egg. (I thought this was an original idea of mine, just goes to show every wedding idea has been done! lol) This is a cake made of mostly Styrofoam, covered with fondant, with one cake layer for the cake cutting event.

This is a great option for a DIY bride because this can be done in advance. You and your handsome groom will be the only ones to eat this cake, so if you wanted to make it a week beforehand, go for it! This one gives the bride the most room to breathe. You can either order plain sheet cake from a bakery or you could make the sheet cakes yourself, but at least you wouldn't have to worry so much about decoration when dealing with the sheets, just (relatively) match the base color of the cake, and tada! No one will even notice.

The main issue with this option is making sure that the display cake will still look the same after it's been sitting around for an extended period of time. No one will spill anything on it, dust will not dirty up your pristine white fondant, the humid summer air will not melt your buttercream flowers, etc.

Since most of the cake is Styrofoam, you could glue the layers together (minus the cake layer!) for added stability with transport. A tiered display cake assembled in this way will have much more stability than any real cake. If your still worried about the cake layer falling off, make a partial cake layer by cutting out a portion of the Styrofoam and fill it with cake layers. Now every layer can be securely glued together! Just remember where you put the actual cake for the cutting! :)

3) The tiered cake deconstructed

Photo copyright and courtesy of B. Scott Photography
This is what I am considering doing for myself. Instead of dealing with the stress of assembling/transporting a tall, tiered masterpiece, do a more modern twist of the wedding cake and do deconstructed, separate layers with varying sizes. Extremely similar to what Weddingbee's Mrs. Pencils did with her cakes.

This way, one doesn't have to worry about having a "fake" display cake, and have all the cake out there for all to see. But this wouldn't be as hard to transport with the individual layers and could be done a couple days in advance as well! The only setup with these cakes would be placing each on a cake stand, which should (hopefully) be easy enough for any helper :)

Another note: Ever heard of the budget saving tip "Don't tell your vendors it's a wedding?" Well it doesn't always work out so easily, (*cough* venue! *cough*) but with this deconstructed style, you can have your cake and at a discount!!! Say it's for a fancy birthday party, 50th anniversary, whatever. Since it's not the usual style of a wedding cake, they won't think twice about it.

4) Small tiered cake with cupcakes or sheet cakes in the back


Very similar to the previous choices, but now the fancy decorated cake is much smaller, making it easier to manage for a new-comer to baking. Smaller pieces of fondant are easier to drape over cake, less decorations are needed, less worries about the structural integrity of the cake, all equals less stress for the bride!

Similar to the display cake, the sheet cakes do not have to be lavishly decorated, and cupcakes described below will only need minimal decoration, making their execution much easier. This can also be done a couple days in advance.

5) A homestyle cake buffet


This I believe is the easiest for any bride to do because you don't even have to do anything professional looking! You're going for the homestyle, comforting, straight-from-Mom's-kitchen look, so just swirl your frosting around or smooth it a bit and be done with it! Pick a variety of different flavors to make more interesting! Very stress-free, and great for any causal daytime wedding!

6) Mini-cake favors


Probably the most time consuming option, giving all your guests their very own mini wedding cake. It doesn't seem that way at first glance, but realize that unlike cupcakes, your doing all the steps involved with one full wedding cake. So while it's a really fun idea...make sure before you start that you can handle doing something as time consuming as stacking, cutting, frosting, rolling fondant, covering, and decorating 50 times over and not go crazy. XD Which is why I would highly recommend recruiting help for this project!

If one does dare to attempt this, it would truly be a hit with your guests!

I would ask your baker if this would cost more or less than doing that tiered cake you may be considering, however it may end up costing more just due to the amount of labor. But you never know.

(This could also be a good candidate for the "don't mention it's a wedding" tip)

7) Cupcakes


This can be one of the easier options if the right elements are chosen. The main goal for this is finding a way to dress them up enough so they look like "bridal" cupcakes. A fancy garnish for each one, some pretty piping, or some lacy cupcake wrappers, will all help elevate your cupcakes to fit in with your wedding.

So if the difference between making your cupcakes "bridal" and "ordinary" are these complicated tiny sugar orchids you're supposed to make yourself...yes, cupcakes will be difficult. If it's adding a small edible flower to each one, then yes, they will be easier. Remember, everything will have to be done 50+ times over!

Another option is filling your cupcakes with special tip made for filling pastries and a pastry bag with some yummy jelly or buttercream. This will help give your cupcakes a special something and make them more like regular wedding cake.

As I'm sure many of you brides know, bakery cupcakes are usually cheaper than traditional bakery wedding cakes. You could also use the "don't mention it's for a wedding" card here, although since they're becoming more popular for weddings, it may or may not be harder to pull off.

8) Dessert buffet


Not a cake person? They DIY may be perfect for you! Go crazy doing anything from pies, to cheesecakes, to a whole dessert assortment! Your only limited by your time and resources before the big day, (ask for help for multiple desserts!) so make sure you do practice runs for this option as well, and set aside time wisely!

So that's the list, I hope I was through enough to include all wedding cake options, and I hope you can find something that's a great fit for you!

Conquering the DIY Wedding Cake: The Beginning Steps

Whew!

How does anyone take a break from the wedding blog world?!

So many blog posts to catch up on! So many posts needed for this blog!

But I finally finished Weddingbee's updates, and that's the hardest part, in my opinion. (Those ladies know how to post! So many 0.o)

Anywhoo, a post that has been a long time in the making, the wedding cake.

DIY wedding cake.

A three-word phrase that almost every bride runs away screaming from. Baking cake the day before the wedding? Learning difficult pastry techniques? Not going to happen.

But I believe it can be done!

You just have to find the right fit for you.

All options however, have the same three elements in common:
1) a great cake recipe
2) cake decorating skills and techniques
3) prep work a couple days before the wedding

But not all of these elements have to be scary or difficult.

Finding a luscious cake flavor:

Now, everyone has different tastes when it comes to cake. Fluffy and moist is a good place to start, however I have found my family considers "moist" cake to be almost raw...and mushy. Not quite what I had in mind XP There are thousands of cake recipes and techniques out there. How's a girl to choose?!

Practice runs.

I know most are watching your waistlines, but the only tried-and-true way of finding the special concoction is to taste it. You only have to make one regular-sized 8-9in cake to taste it, and I'm sure you'll have family/friends/coworkers/etc who would love to take the rest off your hands if you're really worried :)

Also the practice runs will give you valuable information on how long it takes to make the recipe and how difficult it is to execute. If you have your heart set on a technically challenging cake, I recommend you recruit help, for the wedding cake AND at least one practice run, to make sure you have the team working together smoothly.

I plan on doing a fun winter cake to test my skills, so I will keep you posted on my cake recipe findings :)

Getting in touch with your inner Ace of Cakes:

No matter if your plans are cupcakes, buttercream cake, or a fondant masterpiece, you have to consider the fact that all of these need pastry skills. Know your limitations or take course to hone your skills!

Joann Fabrics, Michaels, and many other craft stores usually has Wilton cake decorating courses, which is the best way for the average bride-to-be to learn the pastry arts. If you look for special discounts and 40% off coupons for supplies, they can be more affordable. I highly recommend this if you have ANY DIY cake plans. So of course, I plan on taking these classes in the very near future, just need to check to see if it conflicts with the puppy's obedience school :)

At the very least, watch cake decorating shows on TV (there are TONS of them these days, and I adore them!) they do give out little tips here and there, plus you get to see masters at work, and I personally learn from example! Some recommend viewings are Ace of Cakes, Amazing Wedding Cakes (if you get the WE channel), Food Network Challenge (some are food, some are cake), Ultimate Cake Off or even Top Chef: Just Desserts if they have a cake episode.

My absolute favorite? Ace of Cakes!!! Total. cake. eye candy. :D :D :D

Cake Boss and Cupcake Wars are baking shows too but they're not my favorite. Too many other elements, not enough cake making.

I am extremely curious and excited to try a fondant cake, and I know I'm going to try this recipe, from Peggy Weaver's Baking Corner, which seems to be a very good source for wedding cake decorating and fondant tips and help. It is also mentioned that the taste of her marshmallow fondant is a bit better than other varieties! Tutorial to come!

Putting aside time for the cake...right before the wedding:

This is a fairly crucial element. Cakes can be done a little bit further in advance than, say, bouquets and boutonnieres (which should be done the day before or the day of), however if you don't have time 2 or 3 days before the wedding, the DIY route probably won't work for you. I personally would not let cake sit around for more than 3 days for such a special occasion.

Depending on the number of people you need to feed, it could take a good part of a day to construct your cake. The practice runs will help you calculate how much time is needed, but overall I would try your hardest to not make this a rushed process.

Time will be needed to transport and construct the cake the day of as well, whether it's putting tiers together or displaying cupcakes on their stands.

Well, I didn't say it wouldn't be time consuming XP

But for now, those are the beginning building blocks for a successful wedding cake: good recipes, some skills, time and planning.

Some of you may be thinking: "Errr...Sarah...you're not really helping". But wait! Hear me out. I have some clever ideas that make the whole thing a bit easier. And every bit helps right?