• The wedding cake is an important element at any reception. It serves as a centrepiece on the big day, and is often one of the most spoken-about things (along with the bride’s gown and the décor!) at the wedding. As hard to believe as it may be, though, some people don’t enjoy cake. We’ve found some alternative options for those who aren’t a fan of this soft, baked dessert, or for any couple who wants to try something different.

    1. Croquembouche Wedding Cake

    Croquembouche is a French dessert made up of choux pastry puffs. It usually forms a cone-like shape and is strewn with strings of caramel. There are many variations, including chocolate, sugar-coated, or fruit-topped.

    2. Pancake/Crêpe Wedding Cake

    Sounds odd, right? But for all the pancake and crêpe lovers out there, you can finally fulfill your fantasy and have a cake, made up of layers and layers of the thin flat cakes. They are stacked to form a ‘typical’ wedding cake shape. They can create a one-tiered ‘cake’ which at first glance looks like a normal cake. This is called Mille cake. The crêpes can however also be spread out and be made up of various sizes to have a multi-tiered wedding cake.

    3. Doughnuts galore

    Who doesn’t love a good doughnut? If you answered yes, you may want to look into a doughnut wedding cake. They come in all shapes and sizes. There are oversized one-tiered ones, doughnut-hole cakes and multi-tiered cake stands filled with normal doughnuts.

     

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    What better way to say ?? to your wedding diet being over | @saltimages_

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    4. Macaroon Wedding Cake

    Layers of macaroons are stacked to give the illusion of a tiered cake. You can choose to have one colour, or many! The options are endless.

     

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    #macaroons#macaroonweddingcake#shaadibymarriott#cheflife#chefscroll!

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    5. Cheese cake

    Not cheesecake. This wedding cake is comprised of various cheeses – yes, you read that correctly. It’s a savoury-lover’s dream!

    6. Pies, pies and more pies

    You can go sweet or savory with this one. Have them on different layers to create pie-tastic centerpiece.

     

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    Don’t want a traditional wedding cake? Celebrate with a Freshly Baked Pie instead! We loved being a part of Cat and Daniel’s day and baked a delicious #weddingpie just for them!⁠ ⁠ .⁠ .⁠ .⁠ Planning: @purelavishevents @purelavish_lauren⁠ Catering/Bar Service/Desserts (including pie): #CanyonCatering⁠ Florals, Design, Shot Glass Wall: Bottles & Blooms⁠ Specialty Rentals: @JakeDukeStudios⁠ Napkins & Chargers: @BBJLinens⁠ Photography: @AllieMarion⁠ Venue: Private Home, Corona⁠ DJ/Silent Disco: @Extreme DJ⁠ Dancefloor: @StarEventProductions⁠ .⁠ .⁠ .⁠ #canyoncatering #passionatelycreative #weddingplanning #wedding #weddinginspiration #weddingcatering #dessert #catering #weddingfood #ocwedding #weddinginspo #instawedding #desserttable #weddingdetails #coronawedding #californiabride #cutthecake #cakecutting #letthemeatpie #eventcatering #weddingfoodideas #backyardwedding #weddingplanning

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    7. Actual (little) cakes

    You can have a wedding cake made up of cute cupcakes or, alternatively, have mini individual cakes for everyone! A dessert cup stand is a great idea too.

    8. Cookie cake

    Stack some cookies to create a wedding tower or have a giant cookie be your ‘cake’.

    Picture: Pexels

    The wedding is over. Now you can finally relax, right?

    Nope! There is still one thing left to do – send out thank you cards. This may seem like a daunting task, but it has to be done. The general rule for sending out thank you cards after a wedding is that you have 3 months to do so, but try to do it as soon as possible.

    Some tips for making this process as easy as possible:

    • When opening gifts, keep a list of every gift received and who it was from. This will help you when you are actually writing the cards as you won’t have to rack your brain trying to remember who gave what.
    • Keep a pen and your wedding stationery next to your bed so that you can write a few cards each night when you get into bed. This is better than writing them all at once as you want the cards to be as appreciative and sincere as possible which can be hard to maintain after you’ve already written 50 cards. It also takes the pressure off finding time to sit down and write them all.

    A few things to include in the card: specify the gift that was received so that the card is personalised, write something personal about the giver, and comment on the joy that the gift will bring you.

    The best tip I can give when writing a thank you card is: NEVER start with thank you. Start with any other sentence. If you start with thank you, you won’t know what to say next.

    A great thank you card doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be done.

     

    Image: Unsplash

     

     

    Although wedding favours are not compulsory, they are a great sentiment. It is recommended to give something that is either edible, reusable, or an item that is fun and functional to use at the wedding; this will reduce the risk of ‘wasted’ favours.

    1. Anything that is edible (or drinkable)

    Something yummy to eat or drink is a great favour as it will generally always be eaten.

    2. Tea towels

    You can have a romantic quote printed on the tea towel to personalise it slightly, but still make sure it is usable in every day life. Plus, you can never have too many tea towels, especially when it reminds you of a special day that you were a part of.

    3. Personalised blankets

    This is a great favour for a winter wedding. It can be used by guests at the wedding who can’t handle the cold and it’s always nice to have an extra blanket in the house, especially if it also warms your heart by reminding you of fond memories.

    4. Sunscreen

    The perfect favour for a summer wedding and easy to take home. Sunscreen can be cute, personalised and will definitely not go unused.

    5. Flip flops

    Recommended for a beach wedding, but also works for a summer wedding. Those in heels will thank you and the memories of your big day are sure to accompany those special to you on many adventures in future.

    6. Luggage tags

    A perfect favour for a destination wedding, your guest are sure to appreciate and cherish these gifts for years to come and they conveniently double up nicely as escort cards too.

    7. Scented candles

    Maybe it’s just us, but candles always seem to be forgotten as they are not a necessity but they are great to have in the home as they provide a nice atmosphere. The colour and scent of the candles can be matched to the wedding theme and are sure to used by your guests long after the big day.

    8. Shawls

    It is hard to find warm outerwear that goes with your formal dress –  a shawl is the answer. This may be less suited to your male guests but you can always prepare a separate option for the gentlemen attending your special day.

     

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    Wrap yourself in Love ? #pashminafavors #customtags #bridalshowerfavors #divinepartydisplay

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    Before the “I do’s” come the infamous bachelor parties. Fuelled by movies like The Hangover, there are certainly some crazy and shocking stories out there. Here are a few stories from anonymous brides- and grooms-to-be of stag do’s that didn’t go quite as planned.

     

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    In one groom’s story, the stag do started out fairly tame, with everything fairly in order. As the party proceeded however, along came the stripper. Organised by his group of friends, the groom-to-be was unaware of who the woman was. It was only upon her arrival that he saw the stripper was his ex-girlfriend’s mother – certainly not a pleasant surprise.

    In a separate story, the bachelor spent the night before the big day drinking copious amounts of alcohol. The menu included a fifth of rum, 30 beers, a bottle of whiskey, and more – followed by a head injury and a blackout. The husband-to-be only woke up just four hours before the wedding and managed to make it there just in time, an hour before the ceremony started.

    Another man had been dating his fiancée for a few years. She had recently made friends with a man at work. The groom-to-be had mixed feelings about the colleague but somehow this man ended up being a groomsman. At the stag do, after a lot of alcohol, the bachelor broke down in tears and left his own party. The partygoers later found out that the suspicious co-worker was having an affair with the bride-to-be.

    Hoping to be a little smarter than others, one bachelor decided to have his party a week before the wedding. He also not-so-smartly indulged in a little too much alcohol (we’re starting to see a pattern here) and fell off a deck, three floors above the ground. He attended his wedding with two broken wrists and a shaved head due to the stitches he needed above one of his ears.

    A different groom-to-be decided to party it up in Vegas. He met a girl there and the two exchanged numbers, to his fiancée’s knowledge. The bride-to-be was at home with a tablet that must was linked to the bachelor’s phone, and received all the texts between the two. The wedding was called off.

    So whether it’s confirming that you DON’T know the stripper, knowing your alcohol limits, trusting your gut or steering clear of high-rise venues, here are some of the crazy stag do situations you definitely want to steer clear of experiencing yourself.

     

    Picture: Pixabay