Wedding Recap: Our Cake!

Chicago had it's first snow of the season today, and this event is making me nostalgic for my winter wedding! It's hard to believe that our 2 year anniversary is quickly approaching! I have yet to share pictures of our lovely wedding cake, and decided it was high time to do so, in case any other winter brides are looking for inspiration.

My husband and I knew we wanted a traditional round cake, though square was our second choice, and even that minor detail was a tough decision! We met with Dottie Lovely, aka "The Cake Lady," and she helped turn my vision of a winter-themed cake into reality. I loved that she used snowflakes and pearls, while combining the gorgeous silver, blue, and white flowers we had in our wedding.

I could not have been happier with the final result, but the best part was that the cake tasted amazing! We chose buttercream because it tastes far superior to fondant, and had layers of red velvet, marble, and carrot cake, so there was something to please everyone.

And on to the best part: Cutting the cake!

All photos by Seth Kammueller

A Pink Palette

Much to my dismay, I am almost out of my favorite perfume, Flowerbomb (which I of course wore on my wedding day). So I decided to turn my obsession with this pink perfume into an inspiration board for all you brides. This board combines a few of my favorite things (J.Crew, peonies, candy, and horses).

Happy weekend everyone!

Vendor I Heart: Dottie Lovely

There are so many great vendors out there that one of the hardest jobs for a bride-to-be is choosing the one that fits her needs.  For even the most savvy brides, it can still feel impossible to even know where to start.  My mother always told me that when feeling overwhelmed, it's best to just pick one small thing and begin.  If you try to focus on the big picture, you can easily get lost or misguided.  Her wisdom inspired me to do the same while planning my own wedding.  Hence the genesis of my Featured Vendor series.  I plan to bring you fresh, inspirational and affordable vendors, one at a time, to help you plan your big day!

I'm proud that my first post in this series is by a vendor that I chose to make my wedding cake. Dottie Lovely (The Cake Lady) is based in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts.  Here's what I love about Ms. Lovely: first and foremost, her cakes are not only beautiful and unique, but taste absolutely delicious.  I think that it's easy for brides to get caught up in the aesthetic appeal of their cake, and forget that their guests have to eat and enjoy it! The second great thing about her is her affordability.  For no extra charge, Dottie will make each layer of the cake a different flavor, and decorations are included in the price. There are no hidden costs, unlike with many bakers! Additionally, she only charges a $10 delivery fee, while most vendors on Cape Cod charge $50.  Lastly, Ms. Lovely is the perfect name for her, she's the sweet grandmother every bride wishes she had!

Fall Inspiration

I live in the middle of the city, which offers many wonderful advantages, but one downside is that I don't normally get away often to appreciate the beauty of nature.  This weekend, however, I took a drive through the country to visit my fiance, who was out of town for work.  Along the way, I passed a pumpkin patch.  Other than reminding me of fond childhood memories of fall and Halloween, I was really struck by the beauty and richness of the orange pumpkins.  Orange has always been one of my least favorite colors, so I never considered using it for my own wedding colors (plus I'm getting married in the winter, so it would not really be appropriate).  But after feeling inspired by the beauty of this wonderful fall color, I decided to make an inspiration board with pumpkins as my theme.  Now that it's complete, I'm starting to feel jealous of fall brides!