Don’t be fooled.  As much as we cake artists love cake, it’s not all sugar and lollipops!  There are long hours and sometimes moments of utter frustration that are necessary in order to deliver the cake of someone’s dreams.  For me, I find the toughest cakes are those that are made for someone close to me.  Not so much when it comes to celebration cakes, but definitely wedding cakes. 

I don’t know what it is exactly.  I’m prone to perfectionism (a hated and loved personality trait!) and maybe there’s an added pressure to deliver something far more spectacular than even requested.  Or maybe I subconsciously view it as an opportunity to push my own boundaries, knowing that if I spend an extra 4 hours it’s ok, because it’s coming from the heart. 

Whatever it is, and whatever the steps to completion are, none of that matters once the cake is standing.  Because in the end there’s always a smile, a hug and a gesture of gratitude.  Three things that could in themselves change the world.  

Congratulations Erin and Brian! xo

Photo taken by the very talented Bassem Wahba.

www.bassem.ca.

On a side note, if you’re ever in downtown Toronto near the St. Lawrence market and are looking to grab dinner check out Trevor Kitchen & Bar.  The food is FABULOUS!! 

http://www.trevorkitchenandbar.com/

Toronto, Cambridge, Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo Wedding Cakes, Wedding Cupcakes, Cake Pops

With the holidays quickly approaching this only means that the 2012 wedding season is just around the corner.  And for those of you who are tying the knot next year, it’s time to work out some of those smaller details of your big day.   Yes…those details that you may have even overlooked.  (Unless you have that infamous timeline checklist stamped on your forehead!)

Last summer I came across a photographer’s blog and to my surprise the bride in the photos had decided to ditch the traditional floral bouquet for something a little more unique.  If you haven’t seen these yet you’re in for a treat!  Although I absolutely love flowers, I have to admit that I love these even more.  I’m talking about brooch bouquets and they are quickly becoming the next best substitute to the traditional bridal bouquet.

Now, I’ve spent quite a bit of time looking at these bouquets and the key is to find a designer who can do several things:

• Have the ability to design an aesthetically pleasing colour palette with the use of good quality jewelry.
• Have the skill to properly assemble and secure the bouquet.
• Have a proven reputation of providing excellent and efficient service.

I finally found someone who has all of these!!  Mind you, she’s located in the United Kingdom but don’t let that stop you.  The company is called Hair Bows WonderWorld and Lynn’s bouquets are works of art.  After seeing a variety of uncoordinated and lopsided bouquets on other sites I was thrilled to come across her work. 

She offers bouquets made entirely of jewelry, but also has combination bouquets where she has used jewelry and handmade flowers.  Ready-made bouquets can be purchased at her Etsy shop and she also takes custom orders of certain designs.  So if you see something you like but want a different colour scheme, just message her your request. 

Why would you consider a brooch bouquet?  Well no two bouquets will ever be exactly the same because of the type of jewelry used, it won’t die (making it a great keepsake), and the most important…it is creatively stunning!  Yes, you’ll pay a premium above what a real floral bouquet would cost, but it’ll definitely be captured as one of those memorable details of your wedding day.

Here are some of my favourites from Lynn’s collection:

You can find Hair Bows Wonderworld on Etsy and Facebook. 

AND starting today Hair Bows Wonderworld is running an Advent Calendar promotion.  Each day during the month of December a $75 or $100 voucher will be offered on a different bouquet so keep an eye on her Facebook page for the deal of the day!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/hairbowswonderworld

https://www.facebook.com/hairbowswonderworld

It was the perfect weekend to celebrate here in Southern Ontario.  Not only did the 25+ temperatures make for a beautiful Thanksgiving, but it was an added bonus for Ileana and Ryan who were married in Waterloo on Saturday. 

I met Ileana while studying in college and about 6 weeks ago she contacted me about making her wedding cake.  Now in the realm of wedding planning this is REALLY short notice as some brides plan their cakes a year in advance!!  Luckily for Ileana I had deliberately left Thanksgiving weekend “cake free” for a bit of a break.  She had actually forgotten that she needed a cake so I made an exception and shelved my “break” in order to help her out.

The wedding colours for this event were black, white, and red with a bit of sparkle.   Ileana also requested that some sort of damask-inspired print be incorporated.  So here’s what we came up with 5 days before the wedding…(talk about cutting it close!).  A spray of black-dyed ostrich feathers and a jeweled brooch finished off the top tier.

Congratulations Ileana and Ryan!  Hope you’re enjoying your cervezas on the beach as I write this!

Toronto, Cambridge, Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo Wedding Cakes, Wedding Cupcakes, Cake Pops

To avoid any confusion, Kaitlyn and Sydney are not twins.  They’re not even related!  BUT they were born a day apart and are also neighbours and friends who have been attending eachothers parties over the last 3 years.   

I’ve had the pleasure of making all three of Kaitlyn’s special birthday cakes and two of Sydneys which have always been based on some specific theme.  This year was no different except that for me the chosen themes were like stepping back in time.  

Ever notice how some ideas never die?  Everything from fashion to television programming comes into being for a short time, disappears, and then appears again years later.  Having noticed this pattern many times I was not surprised when I was asked to make a Care Bears themed cake for Kaitlyn and a Strawberry Shortcake cake for Sydney.  As a kid I adored both of these, but was especially fond of Strawberry Shortcake.  I even had a collection of Strawberry Shortcake figurines and stickers that were scented!! 

Over the years the Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake have undergone makeovers and are not exactly the characters I remember them to be.  They’ve been modernized to some extent (not a shocker in this digital age).  But some elements remain the same and I’m happy to see that there are still some good old-fashioned cartoons out there that don’t have a parental advisory attached!

Here’s a shot of Kaitlyn’s cake flavoured in marble cake with Oreo buttercream.  (Unfortunately I didn’t get a photo of the Care Bear stick figures before the cake was picked up, but you get the idea.)

And here are a couple of shots of Sydney’s cake flavoured in marble cake with strawberry buttercream:

Happy birthday to Kaitlyn and Sydney!   Maybe someday Rainbow Bright will also be resurrected from the depths of the cartoon vaults….

Toronto, Cambridge, Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo Wedding Cakes, Wedding Cupcakes, Cake Pops

It’s Labour Day weekend here in Canada and while most people packed up their cars with camping gear, coolers, and a bittersweet desire to celebrate the last long weekend of summer, Karen and Rob were busy getting ready to tie the knot at The Cambridge Mill!

I was excited about delivering another cake to The Mill as it gave me a second opportunity to see one of their beautiful reception rooms.  Karen and Rob chose the Waterfront Room which connected to the Terrace – a glassed in area that had the option of opening up to the outdoors.  It definitely had a different feel to it than the Gallery which is where last week’s cake was displayed.  It was intimate and classy with gorgeous chandeliers that looked like water droplets.

Anyways, back to the cake!  After reviewing several designs, Karen and Rob chose a romantic, abstract floral pattern with lots of pearl.  Their colours were light pink and grey and their theme was largely vintage-inspired to coordinate with the venue.  

When I sketch a cake I have a certain vision in mind and I find it can occasionally be difficult to communicate that vision to people in a 2 dimensional image so I hope that my vision and their expectations are aligned when I execute that sketch.   But sometimes as I start to piece a design together even I can be surprised at the end result as it morphs into a real life display.   I absolutely adore the design on this cake! 

Karen and Rob gave out strawberry jam favours to their guests with a pink and white gingham cloth wrap over the lid.  In the days leading up to their wedding I came across a small rolling pin imprinted with a beehive pattern which totally reminded me of the gingham cloth!  I knew I had to use it so I scrapped my original thought of using a scroll print and I think the substitution worked beautifully with the handpainted pearl lines.  The use of mixed pearls over the boards also looked stunning.

As for flavours they chose vanilla cake with strawberry buttercream (of course!), striped marble with mocha buttercream, and lemon cake with lemon buttercream.

Here’s a close-up of the layered offset floral pattern which served as the focal point.

Congratulations Karen and Rob!  I loved working with you on this gorgeous cake!!  All the best as you continue your lives together.

Toronto, Cambridge, Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo Wedding Cakes, Wedding Cupcakes, Cake Pops