Wedding Cakes- Almost too Pretty to Eat!

SugarBlossom love everything sweet and sugary, so wedding cakes, whether wacky, whimsical or elegant, are always a highlight of our planning! Having a wedding cake is an old tradition, but one that has evolved over the years- in medieval times it was sweet bread that was thrown at the couple to determine how many children the couple would have and a sign of good fortune. Thankfully, today the wedding cake is motionless and displayed in a prominent position to be admired. Your cake is a fantastic opportunity to be creative and dream up elaborate ideas with your wedding planner to reflect your personalities. Specialist wedding cake companies can make these a reality to the extent some seem more like pieces of art!

Little Venice Cake Company, MaisieFantasie and Peggy Porschen are all well known for their stunning wedding cakes and come highly recommended by us, also favoured by many celebs.

If you have the tastes of the celebrities, but not necessarily the budget, we also absolutely adore The Cake Fairy (http://www.thecakefairy.com/) they create incredibly tasty works of art without the price tag to match! Guidelines for servings: Round sponge: 6” = 14 8” = 28 10” = 46 12” = 66 Square sponge: 6” = 18 8” = 32 10” = 50 12” = 72 Round fruit: 6” = 28 8” = 48 10” = 80 12” = 112 Square fruit: 6” = 36 8” = 64 10” = 100 12” = 144

Marriage- The Perfect Excuse For an Extravagant Holiday…

Your honeymoon is a once in a lifetime opportunity to go somewhere exotic or incredibly romantic to celebrate the start of your new life as a married couple.

Whether you are looking for pure indulgence on an island retreat or exploring far flung culture, here are some locations to consider depending on the season you are getting married:

• Winter (Jan to Mar) This is an ideal time to visit the Caribbean or the Indian Ocean, particularly Sri Lanka & the Maldives
• Spring (Apr to Jun) South East Asia is great at this time of year with a mix of city and fantastic beach options, we love the Vietnamese vibe in Hanoi followed by Langkawi’s fantastic beaches
• Summer (Jul to Sep) There are more choices closer to home in the summer, why not try the romance of the Amalfi coast or the glamour of the Côte d’Azur?
• Autumn (Oct to Dec) Venture to the other side of the world to benefit from New Zealand's or Australia's summer weather, perfect for a mix of adrenaline activities and beautiful scenery.

Lastly wherever you choose to go; Don’t forget to take a copy of your marriage certificate and let everyone know you’re on honeymoon to get complimentary extras like room upgrades, massages, fruit, wine etc… Also if you are going to change your passport into your married name make sure that all documents and booking details are all in the same name and not a mixture of maiden and married name.

Image is from our collection

Flower Flair on a Budget

We love flowers here at SugarBlossom and would never let a limited budget put us off- in fact we relish the challenge and enjoy thinking creatively with our clients to stimulate some amazing ideas. Obviously the easiest way to save money is to have fewer flowers or not opt for the fussier styles. Here are our top 3 tips for saving money on flowers:

1. Give flowers that may seem dull on first impressions a chance; for example carnations in a pomander ball look stunning
2. Buy seasonal flowers – over the year the cost of flowers fluctuates due to what’s in season and key events like Valentine’s Day and Mothers Day.
3. Give flowers more than one role! Move the ceremony flowers to your reception and pop the bridesmaids bouquets in vases or bouquet holders

Ten Ways to Have an Eco Chic Wedding

From earth friendly invites to nature loving honeymoons, going green no longer means you have to compromise on the style of your big day. The average UK wedding can produce 14.5 tonnes of CO2 emissions (Findings from the offset company Climate Care). By incorporating SugarBlossom's green ideas into your wedding planning you can help reduce the size of your wedding's carbon footprint on the environment. 1. Pick your venue Choosing a location that is as close to as many of your guests as possible will reduce your wedding’s impact in a big way. Also research locations where the proceeds support eco-friendly causes, the National Trust is worth investigating. 2. Greener transportation You’ve picked the venue, now how will you and your guests get there- try to provide as much information on local transport options as possible. Also why not arrive at the reception with your groom on a romantic tandem bicycle? 3. Source locally Almost anything can be found locally, but some things are more important than others. Food and drinks are a great place to start and to show off your region’s best. To find local food producers, visit www.bigbarn.co.uk 4. Ideal invites There is an increasing number of suppliers of recycled, handmade, or tree-free invitations out there, Cherry Gorgeous is one of my favourites- their cards are both ethical and stylish. 5. Dress the part Recycle a dress—whether it's your mother's gown or a gorgeous find from a vintage shop. Borrowing jewellery also makes a great "something borrowed”. 6. With this ring… Pledge your commitment to the earth and each other by choosing a ring made with environmentally conscious precious metals and conflict-free diamonds.

7. Flower power Before choosing your bouquet, look for a florist that supports organic flower farms and uses seasonal wildflowers- you could cut the emissions that would be generated by shipping flowers from far away. 8. Do the environment a favour When it comes to wedding favours, why not share a living gift, like a small potted plant, with each guest. Packets of seeds and soy soap also make great green favours. 9. Gifts of conscience Ethical gift lists are on the rise; the Oxfam Unwrapped service has tripled in the last year and By Nature’s unique wedding list service have a selection of green, organic and ethical products. If you have all you need, why not create an online donation list to a worthy cause or ask guests to dedicate trees to you both in the MarryMeWood (www.carbonneutral.com/weddings). 10. Enjoy an all-natural honeymoon Plan a honeymoon where you can commune with nature at an eco-resort that preserves the environment. Both Responsible Travel and Ecoescape have lots of dream destinations. A wedding planner can assist you in designing a wedding to your unique specifications, even more helpful when you wish to infuse eco-chic elements into the celebration. Working with an expert, such as SugarBlossom is the best possible way to cut through the clutter to discover the things you believe in, and will love.

Candy Bars Are Not Just for Children!

These are massively popular in the US and are getting more and more common over here too- which is great news , they look as good as they taste. SugarBlossom are organising a pretty ivory coordinated candy bar for an approaching wedding, it is an adult only wedding- but we are confident the guests will love filling paper bags with retro style sweets. We have found using different style vases, some on cake stands for height, create a gorgeous display.

Image from Suzanneblack.co.uk