For those of you considering doing your own wedding cake, take a look at this gorgeous damask wedding cake stencil from Designer Stencils! You can purchase stencils for each layer individually if you want a smaller cake or want to mix and match your favorites. You can also get the entire 5 layer set together.
They also have a great selection of other culinary stencils available.
And here we are again, with the last of our series on great silver star eBay finds. I actually only have one item to show you today, but I liked it so much I thought it deserved it’s own post:) This wedding cake topper has a very unique, modern look to it, and would be perfect on top of a simple white wedding cake. The cake topper is available from Twinkle Designs for about $20, so it’s very affordable as well.
This cake topper would work well for a July 4th theme, a white & black theme, or a masquarade ball theme.
A year and a half ago, my brother-in-law asked his girlfriend to be his wife: and I began a mission to learn how to make a wedding cake. It was a wonderful experience. I took a local cake decorating course to learn how to work with fondant, and then proceeded to use my new-found skills to produce a half decent, three tiered white wedding cake with silk flower accents.
So can you do it yourself? Is it possible to make your own wedding cake? Well, yes it is but it takes some time and commitment. And of course, a simpler design is a smarter project for a first time cake maker. If you are considering making your own cake, or making a cake for a friend or loved ones wedding - here are some great books on the market with recipes and instructions for basic, beautiful wedding cakes for beginners.
Yeah, I thought that would get your attention, lol. Brides is giving away a free wedding cake - to enter, check out their selection of wedding cakes and vote for your favorite! Sounds easy right? Well - here are just 2 of the 50 you have to pick from. Easy? I think not!
Whenever you plan a wedding theme, the first thing to do is pick a key point. For a beach wedding, this might be the color blue, or sea shells. For a 4th of July or Memorial Day wedding, red, white and blue – and flags, are the obvious choice. So, how do you plan a red, white and blue wedding that is gorgeous and affordable? Well, let’s take a look:
Start with the clothing. For the bride, a stunning red and white wedding gown, like ANNA shown here. For the groom, a white or navy blue suit with a red vest and tie. The flower girl will look beautiful in a red gown with a navy blue sash, to match the navy blue bridesmaid gowns. The groomsmen would be in navy or white tuxedos with navy vest and tie. Personally, I think white would look amazing. Tuxedos with tails and top hats would also be stunning. Finish of the look with red necklaces for the girls, and blue for the bride – and red roses for the bouquets and boutinierres.
For wedding invitations, use a navy blue cardstock, with a frosted vellum overlay printed with your information. Tie the two together with a red ribbon, and seal in an envelope with a flag sticker or a wax seal.
For the ceremony, decorate the center aisle with a white aisle runner. At the edge of each pew or row – place a pew bow of white tulle decorated with red and blue ribbon, ivy and a tiny US flag. If you need to fit into a smaller budget – put them only on the first few rows were immediate family and honored guests will be sitting. If you want an archway at the alter, decorate it with white tulle, red and blue ribbon, ivy and tiny flags to match the pew bows.
There are two unique guest book ideas that come to mind. You could take a large piece of parchment and have your names, date and place written on top in old fashioned calligraphy. Distress the paper, and tie it with a ribbon for a week or so before the wedding – so it has the just unrolled look. Have guests sign – just like the fore fathers did. Of, find a flag that is large, but small enough to still hang on a wall. Have your names and dates embroidered on the center, and then have guests use fabric pens to sign on the flag. This flag can then be framed and hung later on.
Remembrance – You may want to do something to remember those who gave their lives as well. Place a small side table with three candles – red, white and blue somewere were it will be seen. Place a wreath of red, white and blue flowers in front. This could be placed by the guestbook table, or near the entrance to the sanctuary. It could also go in the reception hall near the cake table or in front of the head table if you wanted.
For reception décor, use white table clothes. Decorate the head table with tulle, ribbon, ivy and tiny flags as you did the pew bows. For the guest tables, you can use small flower arrangements of red carnations with blue and white ribbons, and a little flag in the center. Accent the centerpiece with red, white and blue confetti. Oil lanterns with an old fashion look would also make great centerpieces. If they are clear –red and blue oil make a great touch! If you are using table markers – name each table after a founding father or a state. A rose bowl with a floating candle would make a great centerpiece as well – just tie red and blue ribbon around the top.
This is the perfect wedding theme for an All American Bar-B-Que! For an informal wedding, offer a buffet of freshed grilled beef and chicken burgers, fruit salad, potato salad, coleslaw, etc. For a more formal wedding, bar-b-qued chicken with baked potatoes is perfect. A cake or dessert dish decorated with strawberries and blueberries is the perfect end to the meal. We have another article posted on red, blue and white wedding cakes for a 4th of July wedding as well -you can read it here.
And for a finishing touch – don’t forget to leave the wedding in a bang: yes I mean fireworks. Plan for a fireworks display to take place as part of your farewell as you and your new husband leave the wedding! If you are not able to have fireworks, opt for some amazing 36” sparkles for guests to use to see you off!
AFTERTHOUGHT: Eagles would also make a great addition to your decor for a July 4th wedding. Don’t think eagles are romantic? You might change your mind. Eagles are one of the few animals on earth that mate for life. When a pair of eagles meet, they will soar together as high above the clouds - male chasing female. Then, she will allow herself to fall. If the male catches her on his back - they will remain together for the rest of their lives! What a wonderful display of love, trust, and faithfulness. “When you soar, I will soar with you. When you fall, I will catch you.”
FOR MORE 4th of July Wedding Ideas and Wedding Favor Suggestions, Click Here.
Okay - there is definitely NOTHING budget friendly about this, but if you’re like me, you’ll want to just sit and look at it for a while……
Now, if you really really love it, you could do something similar on a smaller table like your cake table, etc. Now, stop drolling and get back to wedding planning. (More pictures on Hostess with the Mostess)
A cold supper reception is wonderful because all the food can be made in advance and you save a great deal of money by not needing to hire a caterer! You may also save money on the reception hall rental, because many halls charge less if you are not using the stoves. This is also a great option for an outdoor reception. Basically, you plan a menu of items that can be made the day before without going bad. You will need to enlist the help of friends and family to prepare and store the food the day before the wedding. Here are some ideas for items that can be offered:
“Make Your Own Sandwiches” - buns or bread with toppings available so guests can make their own sandwiches
Toppings could include cold cuts, cheese, pickles, butter, jam, tuna, egg salad, lettuce leaves, onions, tomatoes, mustard, etc.
Jello Salads
Potato or Pasta Salads
Fruit Salad but without apples or bananas - or add them just before if you want
Crackers with cheese
fruit or veggie platters
many many desserts
There are more, but those are a few ideas to get you started:)
Okay seriously, the Weddingbee’s ROCK!! Check out this amazing gable box they found on MrTakeOutBags.com! I love it - it’s a little big for a favor box (smallest size is 8×5x5) but it would be awesome for out-of-town guest packs or for kids at the wedding. Fill with a little coloring book, crayons and other little “keep me busy” type things and place one on each spot that will be filled by a little one.
Another adorable idea would be to do a picnic-style buffet for a garden wedding. Have your caterer (or yourself) fill each one with a picnic meal for two, and set up your reception area with picnic blankets, pillows, lounge chairs, etc.
Oh and the best part - these cost 55 cents each!!!! That’s it!!! (but you have to buy 100 at a time - $55 for 100)
Buffets seem to be the thing to do in weddings right now - and I don’t mean for dinner. There are some great buffet ideas hitting the top weddings and I thought I would compile a run down of my favorites and why I think they are worth considering.
1. Candy Buffet - How didn’t LOVE walking into a candy bar as kids? A candy buffet is a fun way to relive that memory at your wedding. A candy buffet replaces traditional wedding favors and gives your guests a chance to pick the candy THEY want. Surveys continually show that guests prefer edible favors - the a candy buffet has been a HUGE hit over and over again. A candy buffet is not always a cheap option, but check out our Candy Buffet section in the side menu for ideas on how to make more affordable.
2. Popcorn Buffet - This is a new one I read about last week and it sounds like a great alternative or addition to the candy buffet. Basically, you set this up like a candy buffet but with different flavored popcorns, regular popcorn with seasonings, etc. You can also look into renting a popcorn maker an offering theatre style fresh popcorn at your reception. There are plenty of types of caramel and flavored popcorns that you could make yourself and this could be a very very affordable alternative to candy and a affordable wedding favor.
3. Coffee Buffet - This is something I haven’t seen often but read about recently and loved. It’s like having a coffee bar at your wedding. If you have decided not to offer alcohol but want something more exciting then punch this might be just the ticket. A coffee buffet would include basic coffee, espresso, etc. You should also have things like teas and hot chocolate for those who don’t drink coffee. Your coffee buffet can also include dessert items like coffee cake, biscuits and other desserts that you might find at a local Starbucks or other coffee shop. A coffee buffet can be a very chic and affordable alternative to alcohol and it makes a wonderful addition especially for a winter wedding.
4. Dessert Buffet - Basically, the idea with a dessert buffet is to offer a selection of desserts rather then a wedding cake. If you want a wedding cake, you can have a smaller cake and then offer the buffet rather then cake for dessert. A dessert buffet has a great number of benefits. In many cases, a dessert buffet will be cheaper then a cake but that will depend on your caterer and the desserts you choose. If you aren’t having a caterer, you can get desserts at the local grocery store or bakery - or even bake them yourself. If you do them yourself, aim for desserts that can be made a week or two earlier and frozen so that you aren’t baking the night before. Another benefit of a dessert buffet is the selection. Not everyone likes cake and no matter what type of wedding cake you pick, some guests won’t like it. A dessert buffet offers more selection, and most guests will find something that will suite their tastes.
Alcohol has a tendancy to be a very touchy topic in wedding planning. Open bar, cash bar, no bar, limited bar, etc - everyone’s opinions very on what is or is not okay. SO, I thought I would take a moment to touch on some of those issues and give you ideas on how you can save money in this area.
1. Responsibility and Etiquette
- Many people argue that not offering alcohol at your reception makes you a bad host and shows bad etiquette. The first thing you need to understand is that THAT is NOT true. Your responsibility as a host is to provide a fun evening, which include food and refreshments suitable to the time of the event. There is no rule or tradition that say that refreshments have to include alcohol. Serving alcohol is an option, not a must. Keep that in mind when making your choice.
2. Know Your Area and Your Guests
- The truth is, every region and family group is different. I have never ever been to a wedding with a full open bar and I am sure there are many people who would say they exact opposite of their area. If you want alcohol, and you know your guests would expect and except a cash bar - more power to you. But, if you live in an area or are from a group where most people would find a cash bar to be offensive then you need to choose either an open bar or no bar.
3. Saving Money
- So, if you have decided you do want to offer alcohol at your wedding, and a cash bar is just not an option - there are still plenty of ways that you can save money. Here are a few great money savers:
a. Instead of a full bar, serve a signature drink or offer a signature selection of drinks. Some brides have even themed their drink selection to suit their wedding theme, the location or even the time of year.
b. Offer beer and wine - the majority of guests will drink one or the other and like above, this allows you to limit the amount supplies you need on hand. Plus - no mixes, etc.
c. Buy wine in bulk, or wholesale. When you purchase wine in cases, you will often save even more and while you have to pay a corkage fee to your caterer it is often still cheaper then offering the wines that your caterer provides. You can also save by buying magnum bottles (double size) which are cheaper and cut your corkage fee in half.
d. Limit the open bar. Offer a signature cocktail or champagne before dinner, bottles of wine during dinner, and then open the bar after the first dance.
