The Wedding Line

It seems like it was only yesterday when I attended the glorious Cake Walk Event at the Grand Central Station in NYC…in fact it was almost exactly 3 years ago (May 2005). It was here that I had the fabulous opportunity to meet Preston Bailey, creator of events extraordinaire to the celebrities and stars, as well as brides with deep, deep pockets.  His signature style consists of elaborate floral arrangements or installations (since they are magnificent works of art) and lighting.  His vision and creativity goes way beyond the client’s dreams.  He’s the one who designed Oprah Winfrey’s 50th birthday bash.

The Cake Walk was a showcase of the finest and most unique wedding cakes made by bakers from all across the USA.  This event was sponsored by BRIDES magazine and MARTINI & ROSSI Asti, celebrating the latest trends in artistic confections. I’m sorry that I don’t have the exact names and baker’s name for each cake, but here are a 2 names that I can remember: Sylvia Weinstock, Colette Peters.

This gallery-like wedding cake exhibition was open to the public for a few days…and for one evening it was by invitation only…this was the night that I attended.

A 20 foot high crystal champagne fountain, cake tastings, meeting Preston Bailey and a generous goodie bag (swag bag) containing a bottle of MARTINI & ROSSI Asti, along with 2 crystal champagne flutes were some of the highlights of the evening.

Here’s a delightfully whimsical wedding cake with fairies, snails and even toads in tuxedos!

The “first time”…everyone always remembers their “first time”.  For me, the first time tasting a Parisian macaron from Laduree was “heaven on earth”.  I had read about these in a guide book and it so happened that we were staying in a hotel on the Champs Elysee, right across from the famed Laduree shop.

 I highly recommend adding this to your “list of things to do before you die”.   These little bites from heaven are a delicate marriage of  meringue made with ground hazelnut, then filled with a delicious cream filling.  Not only do they “make your tastebuds sing”, but they are also a feast for your eyes.  They come in a rainbow of colors and a host of flavors too.After stepping into the dimly lit shop, it reminded me of a little jewelry boutique…my senses were heightened by the sweet aroma of les macarons.  The shopkeepers behind the marble counters were all white gloved, carefully placing each lovely macaron into equally charming boxes, all hand selected by each customer.  I had to just stand there and “take a moment” since taking a photo was not allowed. Behind the glass counter, there were a myriad of individual desserts, but one could easily see that macarons were their specialty. 

A rainbow of vibrant and pastel colors, each represented different flavors of les macarons.  I was apprehensive to buy them since each macaron was about $2 US each and they were only 1-1/2” diameter round…gone in 2 dainty bites…but my hubby, being the generous guy that he is, persuaded me to buy a box of 18.  I did not eat any until we got home to Vancouver, since I wanted to have an afternoon tea and share them with my family and close friends. The first bite was a slight crunch as my teeth pierced the meringue, then slight chewiness, then a symphony of rich flavored cream.  I think that they can even make a wedding cake of macarons for you….that is if you are having a reception in Paris or any other city where they have shops.  

MORAL OF THE STORY…when trying something new, be sure to eat it right away…if it tastes good, buy more to bring home. ps  the next time we were in Paris, a few years later, we hand carried $300 US worth of these precious little “babies” home.  Pure bliss!

All photos are from the official Laduree website

Wedding cake toppers traditionally consisted of a bride and groom figurine or a pair of love birds.  But nowadays, since alot of couples are of different ethnicities or having same sex marriages (gay and lesbian marriages), the “sky’s the limit” when in comes to choosing wedding cake toppers.

You can choose from different colored skin tones, different hobbies or occupations too.

You can even choose personalized Monogram acrylic cake toppers with the bride and groom’s names or just use their inititals with Rhinestone Monogram Cake Toppers, which are also know sometimes as cake jewelry…since they are full of bling!

Click here to see more wedding cake toppers

 Some wedding cake toppers are so racy that you just might want to hide it from your Grandma and put it on the cake at the very last minute!

Click here to see more modern bride and groom figurine wedding cake toppers

You know that weddings are “a good sell” when even UPS and Scotties tissues are using wedding themes to sell their shipping services and tissues!

Like all of you, I am a big fan of Sex and the City…if there’s nothing on the tube, I’ll happily watch a re-run, even if it’s the 4th time I’ve seen it.  You’re talking to a gal who has watched the final episode in Paris over 6 times!  While living in New York City, I got a real good taste of the Big Apple.

Above photo from The Official Blog for New Line Cinema’s Sex and The City: The Movie

I’ve often wondered…do things like that really happen?  Remember the scene, where Carrie’s computer dies and she did not know about “backing up” her data?  Well, I know how helpless she felt since that was my feeling too, when I had to give up my lap-top to the Geek Squad guy for a few days.  It was like giving away your own first-born!

Dog walkers on the show always intrigued me and low and behold, we had a regular dog walker in our neighborhood of the UES.  I always hoped to get a picture of them but I never had a camera with me.

Notice how the gals never cook at home…that’s because no one has the time and in some areas it feels like there are more restaurants than people!

Remember when Miranda calls her favorite Chinese restaurant and she felt that the gal was mocking her?  Once you get accustomed to an area, you tend to stick to it.  My fave was China Fun and East Ocean for Japanese.

Can’t wait til May 30…opening day for SATC! Me,  along with my BFFs V and L are getting all glammed up and having a fabulous party after seeing the movie.  Are you gals doing anything special?

Click here for another SATC blog.

When one thinks of royal weddings, images of opulence, formality and pomp & circumstance comes to mind.  Jenna Bush, the daughter of President Bush is getting married this Saturday, May 10 but it will not be held in the White House.  She and her husband to be, Henry Hager wanted something a little more “low key” and will be married at the president’s 1,600-acre Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford, Texas.

Here’s a photo of their Save-the Date Card, courtesy of the L.A. Times.

The 200-250 guests will be very well protected since the wedding will be “off limits” for miles by the paparrazi via land and sky.  We’ll just have to wait with baited breath to see her gorgeous gown and wedding details…more to come, next week.

Click here for more info about wedding Save-the-Date cards and magnets.

We love giving stuff away….and we’re so excited about our weekly contests.  So here’s how it works…as long as we get more than 20 comments, then the contest is weekly.  If there are less than 20 comments, then it gets carried onto the next week. 

Week of: Sunday May 4 - Sat May 10 midnite

A set of 14 “Will you be my ________? “cards

Includes 4 bridesmaids cards, 1 maid of honor card, 2 flower girl cards, 5 groomsman cards, 2 ring bearer cards.  Value of $80…no cash value, cannot be returned or exchanged.

Click here to see more info about the above bridal party cards.

Please leave a comment about how many people you are having in your bridal party and where your wedding is taking place (city and state).

A moment on the lips, forever on the hips!  Borrowing this phrase from an ol’ friend, there are still some cravings that are totally worth the calories.  Hey, how good can your life be if you cannot eat what you love?

In Vancouver, BC some of my personal faves are:

Beard Papa’s cream puffs in Richmond, be sure to get the original flavor.  If you get there at 11 am (opening time), you might be able to score some of their Fondant au Chocolat mini chocolate lava cakes -  limited quantities.  Take it home and microwave according to their instructions and you’ll be in chocoate heaven.  Whatever you do…be sure to leave some for me!

Ganache Patisserie in Yaletown  Peter Fong, the owner and pastry chef has got to be one of the hardest working bakers in this town.  If you want a wedding cake from him, be sure to book early!  His desserts are to die-for…especially the Matcha-Exotique (green tea mousse, mango-passionfruit gelée, lychees, black sesame biscuit joconde).

Confucius also says: “Warm weather, warm hearts and warm food will prevail on your wedding day”.  Hey, if you can think of better fortune cookie sayings, you can be an eloquent poet by giving out your very own personalized fortune cookies in take out boxes as wedding favors for your wedding day.   Whether you are of Chinese descent or not, fortune cookies are a treat for everyone. Did you know that fortune cookies were originally made in San Francisco and not from China?

Here’s a true story that I read about in the New York Times, a few years ago.  For a particular Power Ball lottery game, there was a winner whose ticket had all 6 winning numbers.  Then after a few days, there were a few more winners…and a few more after that…in total 110 winners!  The lotto corporation thought this was a hoax and began asking all the winners…”How did you choose with your winning numbers?”  Guess what? All of them said…they were from a fortune cookie.  In NYC, most Chinese restaurants give diners a plate of fortune cookies for dessert….if you order take out, you will get some cookies too.

So imagine, the great pleasure of all your guests, if they won the lottery with your lucky numbers from your wedding fortune cookies!  If they are really good friends, they will be happy to share part of their good fortune with you. 

Click here to order your fortune cookies

 Click here to read more about the New York Times article…

On a beautiful, bright sunny day on August 15, 1971….a young and happy couple were married in a traditional non-denominational church ceremony in Vancouver, BC, CANADA.  The bride wore a slim fitting gown of matte white satin and the groom wore a smart tuxedo with bow tie. 

The bridesmaids were “pretty in pink” and the groomsmen wore black suits.  After the ceremony, a photo session took place in the Quarry Bowl of Queen Elizabeth Park.  

Guests dined on a  10 course tradional Chinese banquet, followed by a cake cutting ceremony where they fed each other cake and a bouquet toss.  The “just married” wedding car was a dark navy blue Pontiac, embellished with pom-poms.  The couple honeymooned on Long Beach, Vancouver Island.

I’m happy to report that this was my parents’ wedding and not too much has changed in the world of weddings since then. They will be celebrating their 37th wedding anniversary this year on August 15, 2008!

As you can probably tell by now…I have little bit of a sweet tooth….maybe make that a BIG SWEET TOOTH.  Whenever I am in NYC, I always make bakeries, patisseries and chocolate shops a priority on my “must-see” list.  A few of my absolute faves are:

Lady M Confections, over on the UES (upper east side).  Famous for their Mille crepe cake; 20 layers of very thin crepes, with  custard creme in between each layer and finished off with a carmelized brulee.  I think I’m gaining weight just thinking about it!

If you are with a few friends, I would highly recommend the Gateau Nuage cheesecake, Banana Mille Feuille and Strawberry Shortcake to share too!  If you are hungry, their baguette sandwiches are good, but a little on the hard side.

photo from www.plateoftheday.com

After 3pm, you’ll see a mini rush of UES mothers and their children coming in for an “after school” snack.  There are very few tables and chairs; a very sparse minimalist decor (i won’t show you a photo…you’ll have to check it out yourself), service is “comme ci, comme ca” or so-so.  But the cakes are worth it!  If I was planning a wedding, this place would be on the top of my list for a yummy tasting wedding cake.