12 Hot Wedding Trends for 2009

What’s hot for weddings in 2009?

DRESSES

1.     Gray is the “it” color for wedding apparel this year, with fabrics ranging from silver-gray to lavender-tinged gray to deep, dark steel gray. Gray looks great with yellow or pink, and it’s striking with a deep purple.

2.     Pink continues its comeback in 2009, with shades of it showing up on details within the bride’s dress, in large splashes on bridesmaids’ gowns and in bouquets.

3.     Chocolate brown, so popular last year, remains high on the color wheel of choices for brides in 2009.

If you’re intrigued by the idea of gray, pink or chocolate, but not sure about accent colors, take a tried-and-true hint from interior designers. Visit the paint department of your favorite home improvement store and collect strips of paint chips. Take them home, arrange them, and rearrange them. You’ll soon find your favorites emerging as you ponder the possibilities.

CAKES

4.     Influenced by elaborate cake decorating challenges on cable TV shows, we’re seeing more and more asymmetrical wedding cakes. These askew masterpieces are often quite colorful, which is another trend we’re seeing plenty of in 2009 – fewer white-on-white wedding cakes.

5.     For a trendy reception, brides are taking a cue from the  recent return of the cupcake fad. Cupcakes situated on a tower continues to be a popular option, but the new trick is to order cupcakes in geometric shapes instead of the expected round.

6.     If you desire a more traditional wedding cake rather than cupcakes, the geometric-shaped trend carries over into larger layers, as well. Square-shaped or hexagonal-shaped layers are popular this year, and stacking the layers can create a unique, eye-catching look.

7.     Monochrome cakes still have their place, especially when the bride opts for the ever-popular black-and-white wedding theme. While black icing in moderation can be quite striking against a stark white cake, some brides step it up a few notches with intricate lacey details and splashes of black on their cakes.

FOOD

8.     Sample stations have emerged as a popular alternative to a sit-down dinner or buffet.

9.     Wine and cheese pairings, champagne bars, coffee, and dessert stations are popping up at receptions from coast to coast. Other options include potato bars with plenty of toppings, sushi, seafood, and Tex-Mex stations.

Sample stations can be a very considerate way to pamper your guests who may have special dietary needs. How about a selection for diabetics, vegetarians, or those with specific food allergies?

Multi-cultural couples also use food stations as a way to introduce their unique cultures to each other and to their guests.

LIGHTING

10.  On the wall or on the dance floor, projecting your names or initials in light against a surface can be a striking addition to your reception décor.

Choose a traditional-looking monogram with the bride’s initial on the left, the groom’s initial on the right, and the initial for the groom’s last name in the center. Or, if the bride is keeping her own name, go with your first names or initials. Another option is to have a graphic designer create your own custom logo, incorporating something sentimental from your courtship with your names or initials. Whether you realized you were meant for each other while high at the Eiffel Tower or on a Ferris wheel, little details like this can be fabulous touches for your ceremony and reception.

Check with your DJ to see if they have the equipment needed to reflect your initials or logo at the reception.

GREEN WEDDINGS

With concern for our earth growing, it’s easy to make subtle changes to make sure your wedding has less of an impact on the environment.

11.  Minimize the amount of driving for your guests by holding the ceremony and reception in one spot. Sometimes this just isn’t possible. For example, your church won’t allow you to have a champagne toast or an open bar at your reception. In that case, choose a reception site that doesn’t require guests to drive to another town.

12.  Recycled paper for wedding invitations is another easy way to go green. Or, take that a step farther and use one of the many beautiful papers with seeds embedded, and ask recipients to plant them and enjoy the flowers in their yards.

Other ways to go green include wearing a vintage gown, choosing organic or homegrown flowers, beeswax or soy-based candles, and tossing biodegradable confetti as the couple makes their getaway.

Beyond the Plastic Bride and Groom: 4 Fresh, Fun Ways to Top Your Wedding Cake

What will be on display at the top of your wedding cake, attracting attention from the crowd and living on in photos?

While the traditional bride-and-groom figurines are still an option, today’s brides are ditching the plastic columns and fountains that were so popular in the past, and choosing something less cheesy.

WEDDING CAKE JEWELERY

Glitzy wedding cake jewelry is a fairly new trend that looks great on top of layers and icing. Wedding cake jewelry usually stands anywhere from three inches to five inches high and are available as letters with or without Swarovski crystals as accents.

A favorite is to choose the couple’s initial for the top of the cake. Add the bride’s initial on one side and the groom’s on the other, or let the single initial stand on its own.

If initials are included on the side, order them a bit smaller than the letter in the center. If that isn’t possible, be sure to sink the side initials a little deeper into the cake and let the middle letter stand up a bit higher, just to offset them for visual interest.

The letters will be anchored to thin spikes that will plunge into the top layer of the cake. The letters will look fine by themselves on the cake, or with flowers along their base. Just make sure the flowers don’t rest directly on the food.

Jewels are easy to find online, at wedding shops, or at bakeries.

CLEAR ACRYLIC TOPPERS

Crystal-clear acrylic cake toppers can be an elegant alternative.

They are available in several shapes and may be personalized. A heart-shaped acrylic topper could be personalized with your names and the date. Or a square topper could be engraved with hearts and your initials.
Since they’re lightweight, they will sit on top without risk of sinking into the cake.

FLOWERS

Fresh flowers are always an elegant way to top off a wedding cake.

The most important thing to remember, however, is to keep the flowers from touching the cake itself. While some flowers are edible and considered safe to eat, there is always a possibility that a non-toxic flower may have been treated with a toxic chemical before the flower made its way to you or your baker.

Place a thin, clear barrier between the icing and the flowers to make sure the cake isn’t compromised.

Many of the most beautiful wedding flowers are unsafe for human consumption, including calla lilies, hyacinths, lilies of the valley, tulips, hydrangeas, birds of paradise and carnations. If you’d like to place fresh flowers on your cake, do some research first to make sure you’re not putting anyone’s health in jeopardy.

FIGURINES

If you had your heart set on figurines atop your cake, plenty of options are available to you. Buy something brand new, whether traditional or whimsical, or enjoy a leisurely day looking around vintage shops or on eBay in search of something with a retro look.

Three Surprisingly Easy Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding Cake

Budget-conscious brides are always on the lookout for unique ways to save money without skimping on any aspect of their wedding or reception. and many brides are surprised to learn how easy it can be to save money on the wedding cake.

With the average wedding cake’s price ranging from $2 to $10 per slice, or more depending on where you live, many brides are anxious to take a look at saving money at the bakery.

1.    RENT A CAKE

One fairly recent trend is to rent a faux wedding cake. Check around your area and you might be able to find bakeries that rent fake cakes, or your own baker might be able to rent you one of the sample cakes she takes to bridal shows if it’s in good shape and not dusty.

Why choose a false cake? They’re often larger and more elaborate, which would make a bigger impression on your guests and have more of a presence sitting on a table at the reception.

Ask your baker about setting one real layer of cake into the fake cake’s setup so you and your spouse can have the traditional cake-cutting ceremony. While you’re feeding each other the first piece of cake, all eyes will be on the two of you, which creates the perfect distraction. Your sheet cakes, in the same flavor as the layer you just cut, will be hidden in the kitchen so that your servers may begin bringing trays full of small plates of already-cut cake out for serving.

2.     SMALL TRADITIONAL CAKE + SHEET CAKE

If you’d like to save money without the hassle of locating a rental cake, another option would be to order a traditional wedding cake, but in a much smaller scale. Instead of one giant, layered monstrosity to feed 300 people, order an elegant, scaled-down cake in a size that would feed 50 or 75 people, and be prepared with sheet cake for the crowd.

The smaller cake doesn’t need to skimp on beauty to come in at a smaller price tag than if you would have ordered a larger version of the same cake design.

Again, while you are cutting the cake and feeding your groom, someone behind the scenes can be in charge of slicing and serving sheet cake. Be sure to order it in the same flavor as the traditional cake so it won’t be as obvious that you’ve pulled the old switcheroo.

Sheet cake is a great option to save money because it can be ordered in the same color and flavor as your traditional cake but, since it requires less decorating and less labor, the price is usually significantly less than your traditional wedding cake.

3.     NO, IT’S NOT A WEDDING CAKE

Some bakeries jack up the price of a cake at the mere mention of the word “wedding.” To get around this, don’t mention that it’s going to be served at a wedding. When you ask questions about the flavors and sizes offered, don’t let the words “wedding” or “reception” cross your lips. If the bakery asks if this is for a wedding, just tell them you’re having a party.

Order three plain white layer cakes in graduated sizes. After all, simplicity is elegance.
If you plan ahead and give yourself enough time to taste around town, you’ll be able to find out which reasonably priced stores offer a cake that will be good enough for your wedding. The local Sam’s Club in my town, for example, makes a coconut cake to rival any cake created by the bakers that exhibit at the annual bridal expos.

Rent a cake stand that will hold the three layers nicely. Wilton, a company long associated with the cake-decorating industry, manufactures several stands that would work and are often purchased by party rental companies to offer their customers. One cake stand that comes to mind has three graduated surfaces, with a vertical metal bar along the back of the stand. When three cakes are placed on the surfaces, they appear to be suspended in mid-air, with the metal bar in the back easily unnoticed once flowers have been situated on top of each layer.

It’s much cheaper if you pick up the cakes yourself and deliver them to your reception site. Although this is a task I wouldn’t recommend anyone attempt with a large, ornate, traditional wedding cake, it won’t be difficult at all if you’ve opted for three individual cakes. Each should be boxed well, making them easy to place on a flat surface in your vehicle where they won’t slide around during the journey. Once you’ve arrived, the cakes will be easy to place on your rented cake stand.

Is it safe to place fresh flowers on a wedding cake?

Fresh flowers can add the perfect touch to a beautiful wedding cake. Whether you choose to have the flowers for your cake taken care of by your bakery, your florist, or you take care of them yourself, there are some important things you’ll need to know.

Some flowers are edible. These can often be found at gourmet grocery stores. If you choose edible flowers to place on your cake, they should be ready to use as soon as you take them out of the container. Be sure to eat flowers only if you are absolutely positive that they are an edible variety and have been grown free of pesticides. Common types of edible flowers include daylilies, dianthus, lilacs, pansies and roses.

Other types of flowers are toxic. Common toxic flowers used for weddings are calla lilies, hyacinths, lilies of the valley, tulips, hydrangeas, birds of paradise and carnations. Ivy can also be toxic. Do your research and ask plenty of questions before placing any type of flower against your cake.

Any type of flower, whether known to be toxic or not, may be safe in theory yet may have been tainted by pesticides used while they were growing. For this reason, it’s important to ask your floral supplier about the origins of any flower that might come in contact with your cake. A small, clear barrier might need to be used to keep the flowers from directly touching the cake.

If you would rather not risk it or it seems like a lot of trouble to determine which flowers might be safe for your cake, you can always choose silk flowers for your cake. These days, many higher quality silk flowers have a remarkably life-like appearance, so if you choose well, no one will notice that the flowers weren’t real. Do keep in mind, however, that it would be difficult to determine whether the silk flowers may have been exposed to anything toxic during the manufacturing process. For this reason, it’s wise to use an inconspicuous barrier between the silk flowers and the cake. An inexpensive, easy-to-find option would be to use a clean soft drink cup lid from a fast food restaurant. When positioned well, the lid will disappear under the flowers.

When it’s time to add flowers to the cake, there are several options to consider. If each layer of the cake is suspended, you’ve probably got room to place blossoms between the layers. A small cluster might be placed on top of the cake, with or without a garland cascading toward the bottom layer. Or small clusters might be placed strategically in various points on the cake.

Discuss the options with your florist and baker plenty of time in advance, and your wedding professionals are likely to have great ideas to help make your cake the center of attention at your reception.