Do you want to get married surrounded by nature in all of its glory? If you do, you’re not alone. Many women enjoy planning outdoor weddings that take advantage of spring and summer’s balmy beauty.

Whether you’re considering a casual beach wedding or an outdoor wedding festival with all of the bells and whistles, we can help you to prepare properly and get the results you want.

Here are some tips and tricks for planning the ideal outdoor wedding celebration:

Have A Plan B

Mother Nature is unpredictable – you’ll need a Plan B to make things work at your wedding. If you’re planning an outdoor ceremony or reception, you must make sure all of your wedding flowers, decor, and seating can be moved inside quickly. Lightweight chairs, trellises, and floral arrangements will be the best choices for an outdoor wedding.

Make sure the building you choose for your Plan B is comfortable, clean, and prepared for the event. Without a Plan B, you may be subjected to sudden downpours or gusts of wind that will ruin your white wedding dress and your wedding photos. An onset of bad weather will cause your guests, who are also dressed for a special occasion, to feel uncomfortable – and cold. No matter what the weather forecasts predict for your wedding day, be certain to have a backup plan.

A pretty indoor powder room is a must – this room should have optional heat and be well-stocked with decorative soaps, lotions, and a good, well-lit mirror. The comfort of your wedding guests should be priority one, no matter where you are.

Find The Right Wedding Photographer

Many photographers are versatile – however, you should definitely look for a photographic artist that specializes in working outdoors. To get wedding photos you’ll treasure forever, explain to a photographer exactly where the wedding will take place – also let them know your backup plan, and what type of lighting will be available indoors. Look at sample photos – does the photographer create the poignant, dreamy feel you want for your wedding photos. Pictures should be crisp, vibrant, but still romantic. Your bridal dress and bridal jewelry should be in the spotlight.

The skill of your photographer will have a great impact on whether or not you enjoy looking at your outdoor wedding photos. Ask a potential wedding photographer what tools and tricks he or she will use to get perfect results. Shop around and be sure to take any advice about doing your hair and makeup to get premium results while posing outside in your wedding gown.

You may want to find some nice props – such as a vintage garden bench or trellises. Your photographer may have some props he or she can bring along to get a variety of fun effects. Ask the wedding photographer to experiment with different backdrops that expose the beauty of your chosen locale.

Create Atmosphere

Are you planning a wedding at a resort in the mountains? Time your ceremony to take advantage of the splendor that is all around you. There will be peak times each day (such as late afternoon or sunset) when the background will be at its most stunning. If you’re at the beach, consider the tides and plan accordingly. Once you’ve set a time for your wedding, add some fun elements to your wedding decor.

Wedding flowers that echo that environment should be chosen – wildflowers will work well for fields, parks, and mountain areas. Classic roses will be ideal for an ornamental garden or manicured park. If you’re in the country, rustic wooden chairs may work well for guest seating – daisies and grosgrain ribbons can be tied on for a touch of homespun beauty. Creating a mood and a special atmosphere can be easy when you know exactly what sort of ambiance you want to create.

Choose The Menu Carefully

When dining outdoors, certain foods and beverages can amp up the mood. Roasting meats will smell heavenly, and they are always easy to prepare outside. Side dishes can be served family style at each table, or stored in chafing dishes, buffet style. Fresh salads with homemade vinaigrette will add lightness to a heavier meat entree – these two dishes will give a menu proper balance.

Crisp, white wine and cold champagne can be lovely on a warm spring or summer day. Seafood can spoil easily, as can side dishes with eggs or mayonnaise. Consider your refrigeration needs when you decide on a menu – the last thing you want is guests becoming ill from food spoilage. To make things pretty, line up picnic tables and cover them in white table linens – add good flatware and glasses, as well as floral centerpieces. You must still create a luxurious feel, even if your wedding feast is an old-fashioned barbecue.

Add spring or summer beauty to wedding cakes by choosing styles adorned with bright, cheerful flowers…

With these tips, you can begin to plan an exciting and memorable outdoor wedding. Once you’ve found a bridal boutique and chosen bridal rings and wedding dress, you can use their style and details to decide on the right mood and atmosphere for your outdoor wedding. Wedding dresses and wedding veils should be chosen with the climate and background in mind.  Your bridesmaids dresses should also be comfortable and appropriate for the time of year and expected temperature.

I’m sure you heard about famous confectioners and confectioneries, that employ confectioners that in my opinion are artists, nevertheless. Their imagination is flowing and they are creating delicious masterpieces! The problem is… the better they are, the higher the price you have to pay to have at your wedding the craftsmanship of these people. But you won’re regret it, it will be unforgetable!

They went so far that they even used Swarovski crystals in one wedding cake. Over 50,000 individual crystals were used. It was a masterpiece and the first time Swarovski crystals were used in a cake. Who would’ve thought these crystals would end up among chocolate, cream and other sugar-based ingredients?

Some other expensive wedding cakes imply cushions, an amazing lace work or even details resembling filigree work. The confectionres must really be masters in what they are doing to craft such impressive wedding cakes! Are you willing to pay big sums of money for such cakes? Only if having a unique one at your wedding means something to you. When you look at them, you don’t even want to cut them and give slices to the guests, they’re like a cake you won’t even touch because you are afraid you will ruin all the work the chefs put into it.

Well, those are almost nothing among the really expensive wedding cakes. For example, the most expensive one in the world was unveild in 2006 in Beverly Hills. It is said it was worth $20 million. It was covered in unique and almost priceless diamonds. It was probably not eaten, taken into cosideration it’s value. Of course, it was guarded each second by a very well trained security crew. Trying to take its place, another confectionery and jewel makers make in 2010 another weddign cake, said to be now the most expensive. It is decorated with sapphires and diamonds, but its price reaches only $1,3 million, in comparison to the one displayed in 2006.

So what do you think, are these expensive cakes worth something? Could you eat something like this? I belive they lost their meaning from the moment it was decided they have to be like porcelain dolls: see, but not touch. A wedding cake should be eaten! What will you do if you swallow a diamond while eating from this extraexpensive wedding cake? Did you ever thought of that?

Choices for Wedding Cakes

Deciding about having a wedding wins hands down over not having a wedding cake because wedding cakes are the central pieces in wedding feasts. The cake could be a towering stunning creation or a simple round cake with all the trimmings. Similarly to the wedding dress, cake details big and small have to be carefully scanned to make sure that it is worth the money and the apprehensions spent over it.

With so many cake recipes, types of icing and decorations at hand, it becomes a puzzling project to decide which cake is for you and how much should you spend on it. Before losing sleep over it, decide on the deciding factor, the budget. No matter how much you can spend or can’t spend on your wedding cake you can have your cake and eat it too.

If you cannot afford an expensive four-tiered German chocolate cake for your wedding, you can still have a single layer of this cake and make up for it with sumptuous desserts for the guests. Generally, the wedding cakes are supposed to be the sweets served after the wedding meal but wedding packages include great desserts and guests don’t bother themselves with a slice of the wedding cake later.

This solves your wedding cake budget and you get your favorite cake recipe, which makes the wedding feast and your wedding day very memorable. If you opted for a German chocolate cake to serve 50 guests, you might be paying $3 per slice; multiply that by 50 and that’s about $150 for the cake, but wait, the price can jack up with the type of icing and decorations used for the cake. The fancier the icing, decorations and cake topper, the pricier your cake is.

The choices for wedding cakes start with the budget. The baker can provide you further ideas to whittle the cost of the cake down. If you have money to burn for your cake, by all means get all the trimmings to make your cake the best centerpiece ever and the tastiest yet.

If You Don’t Want a Wedding Cake

The new generation of brides has other ideas. Instead of traditional wedding cakes, they prefer to have mouth-watering desserts served and order a cardboard cake for a pretty picture effect. Meanwhile, a ceremonial cake slice is ready for the sharing of the cake in keeping with wedding traditions.

There are several alternatives to having a wedding cake. You won’t be the first bride to choose cinnamon rolls, funnel cakes, chocolate truffles, chocolate fountain, fancy pies, and fruits dipped in chocolate. It’s a bet that brides always chocolates, aren’t everybody chocolate nuts at heart? Just watch guests line up at chocolate fountain.

If brides don’t want to skip the tradition of wedding cakes altogether, they can stock up on sweet treats artfully decorated and order a regular sized cake with all the trimmings for sentimental and practical reasons. Think about it. Would you forego the wedding cake? If no, start looking around for the best wedding cake baker.

For your wedding cakes, wedding favours and wedding decorations, Toronto bridal shops have the best of these. Visit BestforBride.com today.

Budget and Cake Size

Before embarking on the wedding shopping, brides must have a definite wedding theme in mind. This guides them throughout the wedding preparation and managing the budget; after choosing the motif for the wedding invitation and the wedding dress; the next big task is shopping for the wedding cake. Currently, bridal shops carry a wide range of wedding needs, including exquisite wedding cakes. But before seizing the first wedding cake proposal offered, stand back and go over these important details.

How much can you spend for a wedding cake and how many guests are you expecting for the wedding party? The number of guests determines the size of your wedding cake. Size is a cake factor that adds up the expenses for the wedding cake. A regular-sized single layer cake cannot treat a hundred guests. You are looking for a cake of epic proportions to give all the guests a generous slice of the wedding cake.

A round three tier cake at 6′, 9′ and 12′ gives a finger size serving to each guest and can cost $600. That’s for the size alone. Larger cakes for a hundred guests will cost more but servings are generous to delight guests with a sweet tooth. Generally professional bakers determine the prices of wedding cakes by the slice not by the size. The price of the cake escalates with the cake trimmings, decorations and wedding cake toppers, and the type of cake icing used. There’s the delivery cost too for elaborate several tiered cakes. Cake Icing

Wedding caterers also provide wedding cakes in their wedding package. Like all wedding cake providers, caterers have a long list of cake icing for different budgets and the most expensive cake icing to date is fondant icing. Fondant icing gives a satin finish to cakes and very tricky to make. Some fondant icing does not taste good and guests peel off the icing to get a bite of the cake. The latest fondant icing is however tasty but notches up the cake price per slice more.

Buttercream icing is another favorite. It is tastier and gives a splendid finish to cakes; in the hands of cake artists, buttercream icing can assume fantastic designs and colors. But there is a limit to what can be fashioned from buttercream. Although this is cheaper than fondant icing, it melts at an 80 temperature, thus won’t do for an outdoor or garden wedding.

Sugar icing is way cheaper than fondant but as expected is very sweet and can be very dry. This can keep for days, which makes this icing type a favorite for outdoor weddings and the best white icing for a traditional wedding theme.

Cake Decorations

To slash the cost on wedding cakes decorations, bakers use fresh flowers and fruits to adorn cakes. Ribbons and colored candies are added to add texture to the decorations. The more expensive cake decorations include faux pearls and semi-precious stones. The more elaborate the cake decoration, the more expensive the wedding cake. Choose your baker when shopping for your wedding cake. Experienced bakers have spectacular portfolios of their creations or get a friend’s recommendation for wedding cakes.

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Baking for Weddings

If you have been baking since your brownies days and shifting towards tricky wedding cakes, there are a lot of things you should before you embark on this baking career. Basic baking classes can start you off in the right direction but if you content yourself with textbook knowledge and don’t roll up your sleeves, you can’t be the best wedding cake baker. Learning to bake the super cake prepares you to bake your own four-tier wedding cake.

So you want to try baking wedding cakes? Whether it is for business or a preparation for your own wedding, baking great wedding cakes can be lucrative and rewarding. Before starting out, master the basic butter and white cake recipes. Try new recipes, such as the Italian Light Coconut Cake and other cake recipes for prospective customers who might request cakes generally baked back home – Mexican cakes, German chocolate cake, strawberry shortcakes, and cheesecakes.

While learning different cake recipes for wedding cakes, shop for different baking equipments. Cake recipes call for specific baking utensils and equipment. Making do with what you have may not yield the best results so prepare to invest heavily in quality baking utensils and equipment. You will need food processors, different sized baking pans, custom-made pans, two heavy duty cake mixers, on top of the oven. To save on money, buy your mixers and food processors direct from the manufacturer or distributor.

Various cake decorating tools that can handle wear and tear are best additions for the baking collection. Familiar brands of these items can be bought online or from the super mart. All baking tools and equipment should be kept scrupulously clean. Pans should not rust or have dents. Everything must be in perfect condition for each baking session.

Baking Your Own Wedding Cake

Wedding cakes are baked days before the wedding. Baking a four or five layer cake is best baked three days before the wedding. The final touches can be a day before wedding day. Baking four or five cakes in different sizes can take you an entire day; icing and decorating one or two days. So time your schedule to have your very own wedding cake ready for the reception.

During the first day, that’s the baking day, cakes should be cooled for thirty minutes before these are removed from the pans. To remove, carefully run a knife around the pans’ insides and turn the pans upside down to slide cakes out. When the cakes are completely cooled, cover with foil until you are ready to assemble the cakes.

If you cake recipe calls for filling, use a serrated knife to cut cake into equal layers. This is tricky so do this slowly lest the cake should break. The fun part starts when you ice and decorate the cake. If you are copying wedding cakes designs from magazines, be sure to have everything ready and ribbons measured and pre-cut. The day before the wedding do the icing and decorating. Make sure that people transporting your cake to the reception secures the cake in position. Final touches can be done at the venue by a friend or the hotel’s chief baker.

If you can’t bake your own wedding cake, order yours from trusted bakeshops months ahead. You can also order your cake from a one-stop bridal shop.

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Wedding cakes are an important part of the wedding ceremony. The slicing of the cake is very symbolic – representing the very first thing that the couple does together. As such, this tradition talks about commitment and unity.

Be that as it may, it becomes important then that you properly choose your wedding cake. Aside from being a tradition, wedding cakes also serve as the centrepiece in your wedding decor. Properly choosing your wedding cakes means having a heart-to-heart talk with your baker. This way, you can communicate your expectations, and he/she can confirm if they can deliver.

So before you sign any contract, ask your baker the following points first:

1. Their portfolio

The portfolio will act as the resume of your baker. This will be a collection of the different designs and styles of wedding cakes that your baker has made. By simply looking at them, you will have an idea as to the creativity and “craftsmanship” of your baker. The portfolio will also make you see if that particular baker has what it takes to be your supplier. After all, you will be putting in his hands one of the most important aspects of your wedding day.

By looking at their portfolio, you also get to check if your baker has prior experience in customizing wedding cakes. Most brides would prefer to have a cake that is made and designed especially for them.

2. Will there be free tasting?

Another important thing to do is to ask your confectioner if there will be a tasting. Most suppliers of wedding cakes will agree to this – so confirm if the vendor that you are eyeing for will be able to grant you this request.

With free tasting, of course, you’ll have an idea as to how each kind of frosting tastes. This shall give you peace of mind during your actual wedding day. After all, it is always best that you know how the food – including wedding cakes – in your reception will taste like. The last comment that you want to hear is how awful your wedding cake tastes like.

3. When will it be prepared?

Another important thing to ask your baker is the time/date at which your wedding cake will be baked. Make sure that your wedding cake will not be baked more than 10 days before your wedding. To ensure freshness, make sure that the icing will be made not more than 2 days before the wedding date.

4. Set up and Delivery Arrangements

You must also check if your supplier would deliver the cake and even set it up for you. Some wedding cakes are so huge that they need expert hands – something that your baker has solid experience on.

These are but few of the things that you need to ask your prospective baker. Once you get an affirmative answer to each of the questions, then you’re good to go. So, order away!

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There are many kinds of icings on wedding cakes. Therefore, the task is not only limited to deciding on the design and the number of layers of the cake, it extends to knowing which type of icing should top the wonderful layers as well. Deciding on the type of icing is as complicated as looking for cheap wedding dresses.

Deciding the type of icing on your wedding cake need not be complicated, however, if you know what you are looking for. You simply have to understand what each type is, and what it is for.

Here are some of the most common types of wedding cakes icings:

Fondant This is perhaps the most common type of icing used on wedding cakes because, first and foremost, this does not need refrigeration. Therefore, you can make your precious wedding cake as the centrepiece of your reception without worrying if the icing will melt and the cake will deform.

This type of icing looks stiff and is sometimes regarded as having an appearance like that of a helmet. This smooth cream confection is made of corn syrup and gelatin.

Butter Cream Unlike fondant, butter cream is sensitive to extreme heat. Therefore, this type is not a wise choice for outdoor weddings.

In its simplest form, butter cream is made from powdered sugar and butter. If you want to add a little color, you can always add cocoa powder or vanilla extract. Although this is a popular topping for cupcakes, this is also widely accepted as a creamy and rich icing for sponge cakes.

Ganache Wedding cakes experts would only recommend this type of icing if the venue of your reception has a stable condition: no heat, no humid weather. Why?

This icing is made from chocolate and cream, usually 2 parts chocolate, one part cream. As such, this is a “heavy” type of icing that will give your cake a glass-like chocolate finish. Without the desired room temperature, you run the risk of having the icing slide right off your cake.

Royal Icing This type of icing is made from egg whites, powdered sugar, milk, and sometimes, lemon juice. It is a hard white icing. Usually, glycerine is added in order to prevent the icing from becoming too hard.

Royal icing is not only popular among wedding cakes; it is also widely used on Christmas cakes and gingerbread houses because it can create many decorative effects. Its properties allow it to be the perfect icing used in forming flowers, dots and other figures.

The type of icing that you’ll use largely determines the beauty and extravagance of your wedding cake. Therefore, you must choose it well, just as how you would choose bridal shops in Mississauga or how you would select wedding favors.

Wedding cakes are an important part of the wedding ceremony; it’s but proper that they be given enough attention from color, to number of layers, design, and even type of icing!

Whether your aim is to find bridal shops in Mississauga, buy cheap wedding dresses or get hold of delectable wedding cakes, you will find all these in one stop.

Don’t Order it Hurriedly

Wedding cakes are not made overnight especially when these are custom-made to fit your wedding motif. You have to order at least 3 months in advance to allow the baker to assemble it. Well, if you want a very simple cake that comes off the bakery shelf, well then, go ahead. It’s your cake, anyway, and you have to eat it, too.

Don’t Let it Stay in the Sun

Too long or too short – it does not matter. Your wedding cake is not designed to withstand heat especially when it is made of butter cream icing. Always place it in the shade preferably in the coolest area of the reception venue since you want it to hold its shape.

Don’t Expose it to the Wind

If you have a beach wedding, it is best to provide protective netting around your wedding cake. This way, bugs, insects, seagulls, birds, windblown debris and even the wind cannot take a shot at it before you and guests have enjoyed its sumptuousness.

Don’t Let It Tip

This one is a no-brainer. Most wedding cakes are designed to be placed on a flat and level surface. You have to ensure that whatever platform your wedding cake is on, it must be level; otherwise, you can say goodbye to edible cake and hello to critters.

Don’t Let It Alone

This does not mean that you have to watch it like a hawk, hence, preventing you from enjoying your wedding day. However, you can assign a catering staff to watch it like a hawk for you. This is especially true when there are invited children in the reception, not to mention the young members of the wedding entourage. Wedding cakes, after all, present an irresistible challenge for children much like how they can’t resist dipping their hands in a birthday cake.

Don’t Place It in the Center of the Room

Sure, wedding cakes are meant to be displayed prominently. After all, these are the highlight of the menus! However, this can be the disastrous beginning of the end of your wedding cake’s beautiful existence. Think of the many people who can tip it over with a single accidental bump, not to mention the children boisterously running around. Instead, place it a location where there is lesser traffic but can still be seen my most of the guests.

Don’t Shove It in Each Other’s Face

Sure, it looks cute but it is messy, this shoving-of-the-cake-in-each-other’s-face stuff. You will end up with stains on your wedding dress, a ruined makeup, a food fight and not-so-funny memories especially when you are fighting. Besides, there’s a proper place for a food fight and it’s called the high school cafeteria.

Just remember these don’ts of your wedding cake and you can have your cake and eat it, too!

BestforBride.com is one of the best bridal shops in Mississauga that offers cheap wedding dresses and wedding cakes that will fit your every wish.

Best for Bride is proud to present GRAND OPENING with Special Discounts and Absolutely FREE Wedding Planning Seminars. It’s your opportunity to meet vendors that will help you to plan a Wedding of Your Dreams.

Topic: It’s YOUR Day and WE Want to Help

Date: Sunday, February 21th, 2010
Time: 11am – 5pm
Location:
Barrie Store Location:
303 Dunlop St. West (at Highway 400)
Barrie, ON, Canada, L4N 1C1

Wedding planning is a lot of work and can be a disconcerting task. With the average wedding eating up to 250 hours; So many choices, so many decisions, a strenuous timeline and a budget that can quickly get out of hand. This is your opportunity to learn everything you need to know to plan a Wedding of Your Dreams.

Seminar is presented by a Certified Wedding Planner Debbie Savic.

Topics of Discussion:
Wedding and Bridesmaid Dresses by Denise from Best for Bride)
Wedding Cakes by Dianna from Yours to Savour (http://www.yourstosavour.com/)
Destination Weddings by Dan from American Express Travel Services (http://www.onthekingsway.com/)
Invitation Wording & Etiquette
Budgets by Debbie Savic from Fresh Occasions (http://www.freshoccasion.com/)
Flowers & Decor
Photography & Videography
DJs & Entertainment
Catering
Trends…and much more! by Debbie Savic from Fresh Occasions (http://www.freshoccasion.com/)

During the Roman times, the concept of elaborate wedding cake decorations and icings was not yet a reality. For instance, the groom is supposed to eat part of the wedding loaf. He would then break the remaining portion and it must be broken over the bride’s head. This symbolizes the groom’s dominance over the bride. This tradition, however, has long been eradicated possibly because of its chauvinistic implications.

Also, in the olden times, small cakes (more like today’s cupcakes) are stacked to form the wedding cakes. The notion of a white wedding cake is also very popular and was connected to affluence. Because ingredients used to make up the white icing are hard to come by, only those who can afford to travel to other places just to get hold of these cake “materials” can come up with white wedding cakes.

Interestingly, in the 17th century, the idea of sleeping on a piece of cake became very popular. They say that if you put a piece of the wedding cake underneath your pillow, you will dream about your future spouse. In the 18th century, this tradition on wedding cakes evolved into the brides passing tiny cake crumbs through their wedding rings. These crumbs are then placed underneath the pillows.

Later on, the traditional wedding cake slicing that we see today came about. The bride, with the help of the groom, creates two slices, and together, they eat that part of the cake. As this is the first task that that the couple does together, this act symbolizes their never-ending promise of supporting each other for the rest of their married life.

Then came the multi-layered and elaborately designed cakes of many colors that we see today. Wedding cakes are not only white in color; today, the couple can experiment with different colors, usually making it consistent with the theme and the motif of the wedding.

Still, another interesting fact about this tradition is that the couple tries to save the topmost tier of their wedding cakes. They preserve and freeze it for use during their first anniversary. But you don’t get to see this anymore today as the elaborate decorations make the cake more vulnerable.

What proved to be a traditional and simple creation of cakes — or loaves of bread as in the olden times — now became a design extravaganza. Numerous cake and pastry houses specialize on the design of wedding cakes. The internet even has a wide selection of wedding cakes.

In conclusion, just like the wedding ceremony itself, the history and tradition of wedding cakes have come a long way. Some practices have long been eradicated while others survived the test of time and modernity.

If you prefer a traditional wedding, then you’d surely insert some of the practices that survived in the ceremony and at the reception. Otherwise, you can skip these and just go directly to the sole purpose of the occasion. The most important thing however, is that you’ve respected the solemnity of the event and the importance of this sacrament.

BestForBride.com is all about weddings – from wedding favours to designer wedding dresses and wedding cakes. Visit us today.