Wedding Bliss

Well, here I am for a Third day in a row.  This is the most committed to something I have been in a while, and I'm hoping that it doesn't wear off.  I'm not the type that typically finishes a big project, though I've been working on that for quite some time.  I typically get started on a project in full gusto, and then, around 3/4 of the way finished, I get burned out.  Then said project sits on a shelf and waits for me to decide I want to finish, which sometimes can take months or even years.  For instance, my sister and I started my son's 1st-year scrapbook 2 years ago, and nearly finished it.  All I really have to do is go back and glue the pictures into their spots.  Have I done that?  Nope.  Will I?  Probably. :)

Today is Wedding Cake Day.  We'll start with the first and move to the most recent.

Here is my first wedding cake: my brother's wedding cake I made around Thanksgiving of 2009.  He and his then-fiance decided they wanted to have a beach-themed wedding and I immediately started looking for pictures of beach wedding cakes.  I came across a few that I really liked and sent them photos and they asked me to copy one that they liked.

It was SO fun to do!  I had never done a completely blue cake before!  Because the bride needed a recipe that is low protein, we only made the top of the cake actual cake.  The other two layers are Styrofoam, frosted and covered with fondant. All of the seashells on the top layer of the cake were edible (thanks to my little sis for painting them in our time crunch), and the rest of the shells were ones we picked up at a local craft store.

What I learned:  Wedding cakes are FUN!  Sure, there's all that pressure, but it's worth it!
(and)  it's easy to create a fancy base for a cake.  Just turn a few glasses upside down, set the cake on top, and put flowers underneath.  Instant pretty!

Wedding Cake #2 - The first wedding cake I have been paid for.  (My last was the gift to the bride and groom.)  This was done for a girl in my church who had been referred to me via Word Of Mouth (I LOVE WOM!!!).  She, just like every bride, was sticking to a pretty strict budget and wanted something really nice. She brought me a picture of the exact cake she wanted, and during our consultation, she mentioned that her colors were black, red and yellow with a bit of orange.  I immediately asked her if she'd be interested in a black cake.  She was VERY interested, called her fiance, and we decided to go ahead with it.

The original cake was white with red-ish ribbons and cherry blossoms, so we doctored it a bit and made it black with her roses.  Beautiful roses, by the way, with the red, orange and yellow all infused to one rose.  I don't remember what she called them, but WOW.  Striking against the black fondant.  I purchased an air-brush machine so I could color the fondant easier (black fondant is REALLY hard to make... it takes a TON of color), and the cake came together in about a day.

What I learned:  black fondant will turn your teeth black.  Luckily, the bride didn't have that problem during her photo ops at the wedding!

Cake #3 - Beach Themed and Whimsical!  A friend of mine called me a couple of days before her son's reception and asked if I had time to make a cake.  (Of COURSE I have time!  I ALWAYS have time for another cake!)  She explained to me that her son and daughter-in-law had already had their wedding in Hawaii, but they were doing a reception here in the area and they needed a cake for a centerpiece!  Okay!  We talked about a few different ideas and she told me that they already had the really nice, elegant wedding cake at the actual wedding, and they'd like to have something more whimsical.  I can DO whimsical!

This cake was pretty easy.  Took a little extra time with all the elements I added to the cake.  All figurines, aside from the Bride and Groom, are fondant.  The sand is made from finely chopped graham crackers.

What I learned:  Palm Trees are harder to make than they look, and can break easily!  I really need to learn to use Gumpaste...

     I hope you enjoyed these cakes!  They have been sooo fun for me!  I really appreciate those of you who have asked me to make cakes so I can get more and more practice.  I love having a creative outlet!

Cindy