Choosing your wedding cake

It is suggested that you decide on the theme of your bridal outfits and reception décor first, and then organise your cake to reflect this.  Having decided how your cake fits into your own theme, will help to shape the discussion with your cake designer and make the whole process smoother and less pressure.   

Your wedding cake is a great opportunity to make a statement about who you are as a couple.  In the same way you design your bridal outfits and flowers and even your wedding vows to reflect your personal style and tastes, you should aim to do the same with your wedding cake. It is a crucial part of your wedding event and should have pride of place in your reception.
Centuries ago your wedding cake would have been made of wheat which is a symbol of fertility and future wealth.  As a fertility rite, the cake would have been thrown at the bride!  Interesting!
These days however your cake is less about fertility and more about a reflection of the themes of your wedding which in turn reflect both of your personalities.  And we can do away with wheat.  Contemporary wedding cake makers of course offer a wide range of decorations that can look amazing on the outside and ingredients that taste fantastic on the inside.

So how do you go about creating this personalized piece of sheer indulgence?


In your initial planning consider the following tips:-

Your personalized theme:
Remember also the sooner you know your theme, the sooner you will have some ideas about your cake and the sooner you book your cake the greater the chance of you having exactly what you want.  Plan early.

Budget:
The size of your cake will obviously be dependant on the number of people you are inviting to your big dayand your budget. Again along with the theme, these details will help your cake designer to advise you of your options and help ensure you have the cake you would really like. 

On a low budget? Well there is room for improvisation. You can order a small cake and have sheet cakes which can be made of the same flavour to serve. The whole set of tiers do not have to be made of real cake.  Your designer will show you how to cut costs.

Dessert or guest takeaway:
Do you want your cake to be the main dessert of the meal or do you want your guests to be able to take a slice home with them?

So you know your themes and your budget, below are some things you may wish to discuss with your cake designer.


Fantastic Insides……
There are many different types of cake to choose from. Classic wedding cakes are traditionally made from rich fruit soaked in brandy for many weeks and covered with marzipan and sugar paste. Although many couples are choosing cakes other than traditional cakes, remember a tier of the cake can be kept to use for an anniversary or for the birth of your first child. Contemporary wedding cakes may be made of fresh Madeira cake or a moist succulent carrot cake with a cream cheese filling.  These ingredients are light and easy on the stomach.
Chocolate wedding cakes are the ultimate in indulgence, a tier of which could be combined with either tiers of the classic or modern style cake types.  Finally you may wish to dispense with a single, tiered cake and provide imaginative, individual cup cakes.
Bear in mind, a number of flavours in competition maybe distracting. Some flavours are overbearing like chocolate.  Make sure you can taste subtle flavours like almonds.
In many ways the sky is the limit but use your designer to help you to see what is possible.     
Whichever cake you finally decide on make sure your designer has offered you samples of the different cakes available and have lots of fun tasting them.  You can’t obviously satisfy the tastes of all your guests so choose the one that makes your mouth water!   Here’s a little something to ponder….. Marie Antoinette  a famous French Queen was reputed to have flippantly said “Let them eat cake” when the peasants had no bread to eat.  Well as the Queen at your feast here’s a variation – Let them eat my cake! As it’s your special day, your guests will no doubt happily join you in your indulgence.

…And Amazing outsides
With the trend towards personalizing cakes, many couples are choosing to use a whole range of uniquely personal symbols on their cakes.  Your hobbies and interests can be a source of imagination.  Are you golf fanatics?  Do you both share a passion for Star Trek? Did you meet at an unusual place and have a symbol for this? Obviously the colours and themes from your overall reception can also be used. A good designer will make every effort to realize your creativity. Check if using fresh flowers whether they have been sprayed with pesticides and which ingredients are likely to melt.
Cake toppers are a way to accentuate your cake. Whether you use a figurine,   traditional, sugar flowers or your own personal symbol, your cake topper can be used for dramatic effect – have fun with it. Designers can show you previous work to get some ideas.
It’s your day, do it your way.

Presentation
Many cake designers consider their cakes to be works of art.  Indeed the time, effort and passion involved would make them worthy of that accolade.  With this in mind your specially created work of art should have a special table in your reception.  Your cake not only says something about the people who created it but more importantly about you.  It will rank high as one of the things people will remember when they recall your wedding.  Decorate the table with your theme. Colours flowers and symbols reflect this. Sumptuous fabrics create elegance. Round tables for round cakes, rectangular tables for rectangular cakes.
In planning your special day be no less meticulous in your hunt for a great cake designer than you would for your dressmaker or photographer. The cutting of your cake is a special ceremony, make sure you find someone who can create something you will enjoy looking at and relish eating

For more information and advice speak to Need-A-Cake in Woodley near Reading (www.need-a-cake.co.uk)

Your UK Wedding Directory is a free UK wedding directory where you can submit links and add articles. We have categories on Wedding Planning, Wedding Caterers, Wedding Cakes and lots more!

Wedding Night Feet

Article provided by Joyce Connor, owner of Brides and Beauty

On your wedding day you should look and feel beautiful literally from top to toe, but don’t forget the wedding night.  When the ceremony and reception is over and your wedding night beckons you want to be confident about every part of you, so don’t ignore your feet in your beauty plan.  After all, with all the rushing about you have done prior to the wedding they will have taken quite a bruising.  Treating them to a regenerating and beautifying pedicure could be expensive, so if you need to save on expense - do it yourself.
Follow my foot care tips once a week for a month prior to the wedding, and on the day before, and you will achieve satin smooth and attractive feet that will look truly elegant when slipped out of your shoes on your wedding night.

For a home pedicure start by removing old nail polish by soaking a cotton pad in an acetone free nail polish (this type is less drying to the nail). Press the damp cotton pad against the nail for 10 seconds and it should soak through the polish for easier removal.

Using a hard skin or callus removal tool slough away the hard skin on the heels and balls of the feet. This is best done on dry feet as it won’t shred the skin like it would on softened, damp skin.

Next soak your feet in a foot spa or bowl of warm water for 5 minutes. Remove the feet and towel dry, but don’t discard the water just yet. Use a granular foot exfoliator (or make your own with olive oil and granulated sugar or coarse sea salt by mixing 1 heaped teaspoon of salt/sugar with a tablespoon of oil) and massage over tops and soles of each foot before returning your feet to the bowl of water or foot spa to rinse off.

Have two hand towels ready and wrap each foot to keep them warm.

When ready unwrap one foot and cut the toenails straight across with toenail clippers. Cut them slightly longer than the desired finished length and use an emery board to smooth and seal the cut edges. Apply foot cream thickly over the whole foot up right up to the ankles and including the soles. Wrap the foot in cling film and put a sock on over this. Repeat with the other foot. Leave on for 10 minutes.

Remove sock and cling film, massage any excess cream into the foot. Push back the cuticles with an orange stick. If you want to paint your toenails de-grease them with acetone free nail polish remover on a cotton pad first.  Always use a base coat before applying nail colour. Paint 2 coats of your favourite polish and finish with a coat of clear topcoat. Now your feet are ready for dancing!

Tools:

• 3 hand towels
• Foot cream
• Foot exfoliator
• Toenail clippers
• Emery board
• Cling film
• Acetone free nail polish remover
• Orange stick
• Bowl or foot spa
• Hard skin / callus remover

Foot Notes
Take special notice of these tips during the month before your wedding:

• Remove hard skin regularly
• Always cut toe nails straight across to prevent ingrown nails
• Push back cuticles regularly to stop them sticking to toenails
• Use a foot cream containing urea as this also exfoliates the dead skin
• Always wear socks in boots to stop bare skin rubbing against the sides as this can cause calluses.

Well cared for feet will enhance, not detract, from your wedding day beauty. Try to make your feet as much a part of your beauty plan as your hands and face, so that the top to toe elegance you achieve on your special day will always be remembered.

Article provided by Joyce Connor, owner of Brides and Beauty

Your UK Wedding Directory is a free UK wedding directory where you can submit links and add articles. We have categories on Wedding Planning, Wedding Hairstyles, Wedding Beauty and lots more!

Top 10 Tips For Beautiful Bridal Hair

1. Choosing the style
You’ll want to look wonderful on your wedding day, so take control.  Rule out the styles that you wouldn’t personally feel comfortable with; this will help with the final choice. It does not matter what your mother, sister, best friend or hairstylist like - what really matters is what you want and like.
2. Browse Magazines and the Internet for ideas
Before booking a stylist, try to develop a good idea of what type of hairstyle suits you best. Cut out pictures of your favourite styles from magazines, print pictures from the Internet and take them with you to the trial appointment. If you can't find any pictures, be prepared to give a very clear description to the stylist.
3. Does it go with the dress?
Purchase your wedding dress first and then decide which hair style and accessories will best compliment both you and the dress. Take a picture of your dress with you when you visit the stylist so they can give you the best advice on how to achieve total harmony between dress and hairstyle.
4. Trial Run
Have a trial run before your wedding day. I would recommend this trial run to be 6 weeks before the day itself. If the hairstyle that you dreamed of does not look as good as you’d hoped, you'll be glad you found out before the big day! Bear in mind that the thickness and length of your hair may not be suitable for your chosen style. Make sure you take your veil, tiara or any other accessories along to the appointment.
5. Comfort Levels
During the trial run if the pins or hair accessories are causing discomfort, let your stylist know so they can be adjusted. The last thing you need on your wedding day is painful pins!
6. Take pictures
At your trial appointment take along a digital camera to take pictures. Ask the stylist to take pictures from all angles. The photos will give you a better idea of how the style would look to other people.
7. A Fresh Approach
If you want to have your hair coloured, or to have any other chemical treatments for the big day, try to have these done a few weeks before so that the colour has time to settle down. Have your final trim or cut no later than two weeks prior to the wedding date.
8. No Change Here
Just before your wedding is not the time to try out a drastic new look, such as cutting your long hair into a short style or completely changing the colour. Your husband and guests will be left wondering if it’s the same person!
9. Tall or Short
If you are taller than the groom or you are both the same height, avoid a high hair style as this can add quite a lot of height to the bride. Also take into account the height of your shoes. A bride that is much shorter than the groom can use a ‘hair up’ style to even out the height difference for those all important wedding day photos.
10. Sleek and Glamorous
Try not to have too elaborate a hairstyle. While it is undoubtedly a very important part of your whole bridal look, on the most important day of your life it is beautiful you, not just your hair, that should be the point of your guests’, and your groom’s, attention.

Article provided by Joyce Connor, owner of Brides and Beauty

Your UK Wedding Directory is a free UK wedding directory where you can submit links and add articles. We have categories on Wedding Planning, Wedding Speeches, Bridal Hair and lots more!

Top 10 Health and Beauty Wedding Tips

Two weeks before the wedding:

1. Try to get 8 hours of sleep a night. Getting regular good nights sleep can help improve your skin tone and also help you to de-stress so that you can totally glow on your big day. If you have trouble sleeping, avoid sweets or caffeine before bed and try relaxation exercises such as yoga or meditation. Aromatherapy can also help, so try a few drops of lavender on your pillow and it should help you sleep like a baby.
2. Drink 2 litres of water every day. Drinking lots of water is an easy way of helping to achieve a radiant complexion, bright clear eyes and also gives you that added burst of energy. If you find it difficult to drink so much water, try carrying a bottle with you wherever you go. Or if you find water tasteless to drink, then simply add a few splashes of fresh lemon or lime into it.
3. Full body exfoliation 3 times a week. This is a sure fire way of reducing lines and wrinkles as well as helping your skin look and feel radiant.
4. 15 minutes of stretches every day. Keep limbered and stress-free for your wedding day with 15 minutes of stretches. Stretching regularly will help reduce any build-up of tension, as well as your posture. You don’t need much space and you can even do some at work (www.glo-wellbeing.co.uk/deskercises.html)
5. Have a make-up test run. Whether you are employing a professional make-up artist or doing it yourself, make sure that you have a trial run just to make sure that you get the look that you really want and that you are not allergic to any of the make-up being used.
6. Pamper yourself. Treat yourself to a facial, manicure or massage, so that you feel relaxed and look
   gorgeous. Hen pamper parties are a great way of you and your girlfriends enjoying some beauty and health treatments before the big day.
7. On the wedding day:
   Use concealer one tone lighter than your skin tone. This lightens dark circles, brightens your face and helps you look rested. Lock it in with loose powder applied over the top.
8. Use waterproof mascara. Most brides cry on their wedding day, so make sure you are wearing waterproof mascara – even if you don’t think you are the crying type – why take the chance?
9. Have an emergency health/beauty kit. Make sure that you or your chief bridesmaid has an essential stash of emergency items. Hair spray, clear nail varnish (if your tights ladder), powder and concealer for any blemishes, lip stick, hair grips, hairbrush and a sewing kit , as well as anything else you think you may need.
10. Relax. You have planned so long for this day, so make sure you enjoy it and are totally relaxed. Make sure that you set aside some YOU time on the day whether its by taking a long relaxing bath, lighting some candles of simply reading a favourite book.

If you would like to pamper yourself and your friends with the ultimate mobile spa for your hen party then please contact www.glo-pamper.co.uk / 020 7096 0385 and we can organise everything for you. Look out for any special offers that we might be running too.

Your UK Wedding Directory is a free UK wedding directory where you can submit links and add articles. We have categories on Wedding Planning, Wedding Dresses, Wedding Beauty and lots more!

Wedding Centrepieces – The Latest Trends

This article has been provided by Sally Cherri of Bomboniera Events

There are many factors that go into planning a successful wedding, which could in fact be the most important social event of your life. Every detail helps add up to the grand picture of a truly memorable day, and wedding centrepieces are one of these details that can really help set up a unique atmosphere. These will be admired by guests during the reception, generally. You want to make sure that they are the ideal size, so that they will not overwhelm the table, but will manage to be a topic of interest and capture the imagination of your guests at the same time.

To this end, there are a number of prevailing trends that have gone into the current state of wedding centrepieces. Floral pieces are the most traditional, but they can receive a new shot of modernity if you arrange them in unique or unexpected combinations. One of the most popular types of floral centrepiece is one that utilizes tropical flowers, or orchids. These are classic yet have a bit of a twist or flair that will help saturate your wedding with colour. Displaying flower bulbs instead of fresh cut flowers can have a unique effect, and is another example of how to make your piece stand out.

Fruits and vegetables are another hot trend in wedding centrepieces. If the ultimate effect that you are trying to achieve is something that is eye-catching and colourful, these could do the trick much in the same way that flowers are able to do. Baskets of fruit give a festive feel and one of abundance, and are also traditionally thought to be good luck. Some of the little twists that wedding planners and decorators have been giving these arrangements include using carrots instead of flower stems, or filling a clear vase up with various coloured fruits. The possibilities are virtually endless variations on a theme.

Within the realm of fruits, flowers, and other accessories to liven up these various wedding centrepieces, you can also think about how to then place them on the table. They need not always go directly in the centre, and could be placed on their own mat or directly on the table. Placing flowers on mirrors can add extra dimension and depth to the arrangement, as this helps amplify the image. It’s a good idea to experiment with a variety of different arrangements before making this important decorating decision.

If you would like to visit Your UK Wedding Directory, you can find out more about Wedding Planning, Wedding Stationery, Wedding Accessories, Wedding Rings and Wedding Flowers.

Green Wedding Tips

Article provided by The Wedding Planner School

Reducing the carbon footprint is very important but how do you ensure that you are environmentally responsible when it comes to your wedding. The Wedding Planner School gives their top ten tips for making your wedding not only eco-friendly that will also help to keep it in budget….

1. Keep it Local – Choose a wedding venue that is local to you or to the majority of your guests, which reduces carbon monoxide and other car emissions and saves money on fuel. When it comes to researching suppliers and venues think local and use the internet and telephone to do most of the research for your shortlist.
2. Potted Decorations – Instead of cut flowers that are generally imported from Holland or Africa and die a few days after your wedding, source potted plants & flowers that are grown locally thus reducing your carbon footprint and ensuring fair trade. Consider having organic non-genetically modified plants, which can be used both for decoration and given as favours or gifts at the end of the day. If you prefer the idea of candles adding to the ambience opt for those made from soyawax rather then beeswax.
3. Stationery & Communications – Using the internet and telephones to invite your guests reduces the need for paper, ink and postage. E-reply cards should also make for quicker responses. Where invitations need to be sent in hard copy choose a simple design on chlorine-free paper with organic inks or opt for a postcard design saving paper and money and don’t forget to recycle stationery such as Orders of Service. Consider a wedding website to provide details, directions and a gift list without doing any printing.
4. Wedding Planner - The Wedding Planner School offers a free graduate wedding planner service for brides nationwide. If you are enjoying planning your eco-friendly wedding so much you want it to last forever book yourself onto a course to learn how to turn your passion into a successful career, money saving tips and how to avoid nasty surprises!
5. Fashionable Green – Vintage dresses are very fashionable so you can be socially responsible and bang-on-trend. Consider renting or borrowing a dress or alternatively have a dress made to measure with locally sourced fabrics. Charity shops do second hand dresses, which are so popular that in 2007 stocks were exhausted, and you can donate them back afterwards.
6. Rings – Buy antique rings instead of new ones as diamonds, platinum, silver and gold always have to be imported and may contain blood diamonds.
7. Food Miles – Opt for locally sourced, organic food, which is in season. Thus reducing food miles and the use of chemical fertilisers.
8. Gifts – If you have already set up home have an ethical gift list so that your guests can make donations of time or money to charity.
9. Transport – A romantic horse-drawn carriage is a very eco-friendly way to travel to your venue or you might want to walk if it is nearby. Imagine how beautiful a procession of your guests led by you and new husband would look strolling through town. If you want to arrive by car consider using a regular car rather than a limousine or vintage car, which only do about ten miles to the gallon.
10. The Honeymoon – You don’t have to go abroad to enjoy a wonderful honeymoon so consider honeymooning in the UK or if you do want to head abroad use public transport to reach your destination. Some travel agents will actually calculate the carbon footprint resulting from the honeymoon so you can plant trees to offset the carbon emissions.

If you would like to visit Your UK Wedding Directory, you can find out more about Wedding Planning, Wedding Stationery, Wedding Accessories, Wedding Rings and Wedding Flowers.

Fairytale Themed Wedding Tips

Article provided by The Wedding Planner School

Every bride wants to feel like a fairytale princess on her wedding day. If you want to bring some magic and sparkle to your big day too, The Wedding Planner School, trainers of top wedding planners worldwide, offers some great ideas for all budgets…

1. Stationery Fit for a Princess – Model invitations in the form of Cinderella’s shoe, which needs to be returned to its owner as soon as possible or as a story book, where guests can read all about the fairytale wedding. Name your tables after fairytales with Cinderella (top table), Sleeping Beauty etc and why not have carriages holding your place cards or table centres.
2. Colour Scheme – Silver and pink are the colours of a fairytale princess. Incorporate them into all aspects of the big day from pink champagne to silver candles; decorate the venue with swathes of pink and silver fabric – tulle and net are on trend for bridal gowns and bridesmaids dresses in 2010.
3. A Magic Castle – Castles are a big feature but if they are out of budget introduce some regal decorations instead such as swan ice sculptures, sparkling chandeliers and if Posh and Becks can have thrones so can you!
4. Glass Slippers – Maintain that soft fairytale look by contrasting the feminine pinks with your dashing groom in grey tails or a chic white suit. Don’t forget the all important shoes, which are available as clear ‘glass’ slippers.
5. Romantic Ringlets – Soft up or half up hairstyles with romantic ringlets held in place by your very own tiara!
6. Storybook – Have the story and pictures of your lives and your fairytale romance displayed in a storybook for all your guests to read.
7. Horse and Carriage – The perfect arrival for a princess in your own horse drawn carriage (provided they don’t turn into mice)! You could even have some doves (or dove balloons) to release after the ceremony.
8. Flowers – Roses with their thorns removed so that ‘Prince Phillip’ can reach his ‘Sleeping Beauty’!
9. Fairy Cakes – A wedding cake made up of lots of little fairy cakes would bring the fairytale and modern tastes together. Alternatively opt for a beautiful castle-shaped cake or a plain tower with an icing shoe on top!
10. Fairy Godmother – No fairytale would be complete without a fairy godmother overseeing events and ensuring that everything is magical for your special day. In other words …. a wedding planner. The Wedding Planner School offers a free wedding planner service or to learn the tricks of the trade, why not book on one of their courses for yourself!

If you would like to visit Your UK Wedding Directory, you can find out more about Wedding Planning, Wedding Stationery, Wedding Accessories, Wedding Cakes and Wedding Flowers.

Free For Brides

Getting Married? Would you like your WEDDING DAY planned or co-ordinated for free?

The Wedding Planner School requires engaged couples from various locations across the UK who would like either a free consultation or free wedding day co-ordination to help their newly qualified wedding and event planners get some hands-on work experience.

The students will be given full guidance and instruction before the placement and they will be on the other end of their phone during the wedding itself.

If you feel you could benefit from some help from the most enthusiastic and devoted wedding & event planners in the country, please download this information sheet and application form or contact the school office for more information now.

You are not obliged to pay the graduates while on work experience placements and they are fully insured under The Wedding Planner School's employers liability insurance. A contribution to travel expenses is welcome, but not compulsory.

Brides needed from all across the UK - especially in and around London and the Home Counties to have their weddings co-ordinated for free during 2010

Are you a wedding planner who would like to have a work experience candidate to help out? They are willing to assist at live weddings or during the planning phase...some may even like to help with your marketing...

We do ask for a deposit from all couples of £95 to secure their commitment. In the past The Wedding Planner School have had couples let down the planners or not treat them very nicely, so this helps to encourage polite interaction between all parties. If the placement goes through smoothly, your £95 will be refunded in full on request, no delays. The Wedding Planner School hope this is acceptable to you.

For more information please see The Wedding Planner School website.

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