by Rebecca Druckenmiller

So I may not have a date set quite yet (we’re almost there) -

But like many soon to be brides I do have this whole wedding planned out in my head already so as I was doing some wedding “browsing” on Etsy the other day and I came across some really amazing cake toppers. 

 I find it incredible how trends change so drastically over time. 

Cake toppers used to look like this:

And now we’re seeing everything from cute little birds…

 

 

 

 

 

 

{from etsy seller: heahea}

 

To jeweled or funky letters..

 

 {Kirah and Kyle’s wedding}

 {Leigh ann and Paul’s wedding}

Or fun and unique “clay people” {as I refer to them}

 {Sarah and Blake’s wedding – by weddingcollectibles.com}

 {Alycsa and Drew’s wedding}

Even tree toppers!

 {Maura and Bill’s wedding- by etsy seller red light studio}

Wedding décor should be personalized to your taste and who you are as a couple.  Don’t be afraid to get creative with all the details, even with your cake toppers!   

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Life as a wedding planner is tough…

Especially this time of year in Philadelphia, everyone wants to show you their new products, venues and there’s lots of networking going on….

NOT the time to be trying to diet….

So a week ago when the email came – “What is a good day to drop off a box of cupcakes?”  I wanted to jump for joy, but knew an entire box of cupcakes would kill my diet….

Especially since the were from Zoë Lukas of Whipped Bakeshop….

So we set up a meeting at her bakeshop – figuring I could check out her studio {being a former chef I love to check out behind the scenes for clients}, I could sample and not  be tempted to eat an entire box of the tasty treats.

Zoë was too, too cool and set up a small tasting plate with sample cupcakes representing various cake, filling and frosting styles and flavors…{I was good and did a slice off each to taste them}….even when it came to my favorite RED VELVET {YUM!}

I was really intrigued by a display of Valentine’s Day cookies featuring some fun, retro, Victorian Valentine’s Day cards done with an edible screen printing…. {hey, I’m the Queen of Hearts, Valentine’s Day’s my day!}

I really enjoyed their work, they make great favors for weddings…. and they also showed me some of the beautiful weddings cakes they’ve done…

I got to spend time learning about her background and that not only has she worked for several of the top bakeries in the city before venturing out on her own..

BUT while working at one of those places she actually did one of my FAVORITE entries in Let them Eat Cake….A really YUMMY, lemon curd and coconut cake…

Thanks Zoë – it was great tasting your work and finally getting to meet you

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As everyone’s sugar buzz from the charity event – Let Them Eat Cake – starts to wear off…

We look back on what a huge success our fifth year was….

David Hall and the staff of the Loews Hotel Philadelphia were nothing short of AMAZING…. The beautiful Millennium Ballroom was just the right size for the 30 professional pastry chefs and a record breaking 14 pastry art student competitors to show off their stuff!

They truly rocked the house… people could not get enough amazing cake and I know there was a lot of interest in hiring the various pastry shops for wedding and special event cakes…

People loves the sound of Back2Life one of the new sound sensations from Brandywine Valley Talent- Korbel kept the champagne flowing, and people were very generous in purchasing raffle tickets to win items ranging from wedding planning assistance, to gift certificates from local restaurants, to the top tier of some of the wedding cakes on display!

I can say enough about our celebrity judge Colette Peters of Colette’s Cakes- this superstar who is probably best known for her appearances of various Food Network cake competitions- could not have been nicer or more patient; taking time to talk to students, professional pastry chefs and foodies alike…

I honestly can’t thank her enough…

This year’s winner for Best Theme of Ethnic Wedding Cake was Granny Schmidt’s Cakes who traveled in from the Lehigh Valley to compete.

Competitors tied for Best Tasting – Night Kitchen Bakery from Chestnut Hill

With Meil Patisserie

Who stole the show by taking top prize in Most Artistic as well and scoring high enough in the two categories to win the award for Best of Show!

Congratulations to all of the winners, but also to all those of competed and supported City of Hope.

Special thanks to Eli Allen of Majestic Images Photography for supporting the event and sharing his images….

It makes me crazy….

When I see photos from random weddings where brides put TONS of time into the tiniest details and then leave the execution to chance…

Prime Example: The Wedding Cake

Bride do a tasting, sift through a dozen flavors and a dozen more fillings, spend weeks on finding the right combination of dots, swags, bows and fresh flowers only to stick the cake in a random corner, next to the dj or off to the side of the band…. in the dark

Bad form…

Sorry guys, but the wedding cake is the second most photographed thing at a wedding only surpassed by the bride! (I apologize in advance to the grooms).

I always try to give it a place of honor -

One of my favorites is when we have an entrance to a ballroom that is a straight on shot to a dance floor or stage- I position the sweetheart table at the head of the dance floor … the cake directly behind them.

If I can line the escort card table up in the background outside the room all the better…

The ideal is that a) everyone entering the room will pass the cake in display on the way in, and b) when shooting photos of the bride and groom sitting at their sweetheart table (for toasts, or just spending time together) the immediate background shot is their cake and in the far background the Grand Arrangement on the Escort Card Table…

Check this out:

These are tight shots of a cake by Cake Art Studio from Summer and Marc’s recent wedding

 It’s beautiful as cakes go…..Now check it out as a design element-

We positioned the cake directly in between the sweetheart table and the fire place – we raised the cake up on a 30″ round high top table to layer the visual interest…

So shots of the couple included the linens and floral décor on the table, the beautifully detailed cake, the architectural elements of the fireplace mantle and additional flowers and candles (by Offshoots Décor).

Layering of cloths, additional elements of height, flowers, candles all added to the maximum impact of the cake a design element and focal point.

Tickets for Tuesday night’s (04.14.09) STELLAR event Let Them Eat Cake are still available through City of Hope by calling 800-344-8169

Advance sales have eclipsed those of all previous years!

There are in excess of 30 professional pastry chefs and over a dozen culinary students competing for prizes in this years event…

We’ve packed the Loews Hotel’s Millennium Ballroom with the best of the best…

There will be cake to view, taste and even some to win and take home…

Champagne by Korbel and some of Philadelphia’s best wedding professionals…

Tickets will also be available the day of the event ‘as space allows’ for $50.00

All proceeds of this annual event benefit Breast Cancer research and treatment in memory of my mother Lois Kingsdorf who died of breast cancer November 24, 1986.

We thank you for your support!