The photographer that captured the table is none other than Mel Barlow. Mel is one of Darcy Miller’s favorite photographers and a quick glance at Mel’s work will tell you why. I had the opportunity to meet Mel at the Martha event and she was pure loveliness. Just like her photographs.

What do I love about this table aside from EVERYTHING? Well…the color palette for one. It’s so stunning. So vibrant, fresh, fun. Every detail threads back to the perfectly chic color palette with the graphic print on the cake totally stealing the show. Love, love, love.

Amy has been sweet enough to share a bit of her inspiration…

The design was a geometric diamond motif and was largely inspired by a rug pattern. I always say that you can take your inspiration from anywhere! We thought that bold colors like bright pink and yellow would complement the pattern perfectly. We created mini cherry ice cream cupcakes with EDIBLE pink chocolate cupcake wrappers.   These completely edible mini cupcakes are ideal for parties since guests can eat the whole cupcake without having to worry about throwing away a wrapper. We also made a diamond-shaped stained-glass cookie garland and a fondant cake with the diamond patter. Add to that, raspberry-lemon panna cotta and cake-filled truffles covered with pink and yellow sprinkles. Voila!

I don’t know how the girl does it but every table that Amy gets her hands on is total perfection. She has a great sense of style…chic and yet restrained. Her work is always edited to perfection so that the table and all of its perfect details can really shine.

Coming up next, we have a Lisa Vorce wedding that is sure to make your fall out of your chair.

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Post tags: Amy Atlas, Dessert Buffet, Dessert Table, Mel Barlow
Post categories: The Blog, Wedding Cakes, Wedding Decor, Wedding Details

Your wedding cake can be a huge part of your design element … why not show it off to the utmost! After years of planning and designing weddings, Kathy Jo Peterson saw a need in the wedding industry and set out to solve it!  Thus was born “Raise The Cake.”

Amanda and Michael embraced that idea as they set about planning their own August wedding at the Ritz-Carlton in Dana Point, CA!

Their wedding is a terrific example of starting with a central color palette and building on that with elements of depth, texture and just out-’n-out fun. LOVE the adorable peek-a-boo bloomers! Not to mention the paper poms and flower girl wand!  

Amanda looks SO graceful and poised … ready for the beginning of their new lives together …

Congratulations to Amanda and Michael on a beautiful, beautiful wedding!

Flowers from Fantasy Floral; Cake by It’s All About The Cake; Photos courtesy of Michelle Photography.

To see more of Kathy Jo’s sensational cake stands … spend some time on Raise The Cake’s website ~

Photo Gallery,  Pre-Designed Stands,  Design Studio with Fabric, Ribbons & Bling!, Custom Stands 

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Post tags: raise the cake
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Cakes, Wedding Details

I had the sheer pleasure of meeting Amy at the Martha Stewart Event last week and get to see one of her little creations in person…and it SERIOUSLY didn’t disappoint! Filled to the brim with probably the most perfect details I’ve ever seen, Amy’s tables are just about as good as it gets. Plus, she is a complete doll and you can just see the creativity stirring in her brain!

Take a peek at Amy’s blog and website if you are in the need for some major eye candy and wedding temptations. Both are basically a bride’s dream come true!

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Post tags: Amy Atlas, Dessert Table, Elizabeth Messina
Post categories: Wedding Cakes, Wedding Decor, Wedding Details

all photographs courtesy of Boyfriend/Girlfriend Photography

We’ll let Clementine tell their story …

We were married on July 26th 2009, in the heart of Toronto. Although we had really turbulent weather the whole day, our day was still PERFECT! The sun came out every time I would have to step outside, it was truly magical!

My husband and I are from different cultures and so we decided that the wedding should incorporate and blend the eastern and western traditions. We are both modern and traditional at the same time. So we had our ceremony at a gorgeous church housed with an ever impressive pipe organ. I wore a Jim Hjelm ivory silk satin trumpet gown with alencon lace detail. For the reception, we opted for a hipper downtown hotel reception where we had our Chinese tea ceremony, followed by a western cocktail, a Chinese dinner banquet and a dessert buffet to die for. In the evening, I changed into a gorgeous lace Chinese wedding cheongsam and Jon changed up his white orchid boutonniere to a red rose to match me!

I’m all about simple elegance so I chose ivory and silver as the base colour but injected bright fuchsia and green colors as accents, since it’s a summer wedding after all! I chose to use hydrangeas and orchids as my main flowers.

I’m an architect, so naturally I LOVE DIY projects. I made pretty much all my wedding stationary. Ceremony programs, menus, table numbers, escort cards, the escort card board, and even wish cards to go with the photo guest book. The polaroids for the photo guest book was especially successful!

Our congratulations to Clementine and Jonathon!

Our thanks to Jess and Vanessa at Boyfriend/Girlfriend photography for these stunning photos.

And ~ a special thumbs up to Little Black Book member ~ I Do! Wedding Cakes …

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Post tags: Boyfriend/Girlfriend, Desert Buffet, I Do Wedding Cakes, Jim Hjelm, Toronto, Traditions
Post categories: Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Cakes

Jennifer and Aamer’s Malibu wedding took place at the Adamson House this past May.

from Jennifer …

The inspiration for our wedding style was modern, fresh, and FUN! My fiancé and I didn’t want anything to feel too formal, and we wanted a wedding that really reflected us. Growing up in Southern California, my one requirement was that we HAD to get married by the beach.

Aamer and I are huge music fans, and we wanted to find a way to incorporate our love for music into our wedding. It all started with our invitations that were designed by Tifany at Gourmet Invitations. She came up with the fabulous idea of our invite actually being a CD! She also incorporated a sound wave design, which we carried over into other aspects of our wedding.

invitation suite photography courtesy of The Shooting Gallery

CEREMONY
We were very fortunate in finding the Adamson House in Malibu!  It is a beautiful historical house right on the beach, with a gorgeous sycamore tree and garden.  Our pre-ceremony music was songs that we loved by bands like Radiohead, Coldplay, and The Smiths ~ performed by a string quartet.  I chose to walk down the isle to Teardrop by Massive Attack, which had personal meaning to my groom and me. 

The wedding ceremony was performed by a dear friend of ours under the beautiful sycamore tree.  He did an excellent job of keeping it light and entertaining, while not detracting from the intimate and meaningful moments.  We wrote our own vows, which really personalized the ceremony.  At the end, we released doves in honor of my mother, who had recently passed away.  It was a very touching moment that we will never forget.

COLOR PALETTE
Our main color was burgundy, which we highlighted with a light pink.  Burgundy has always been my favorite color, and even though we had a spring wedding, I insisted that we still use a dark color.  It turned out that the burgundy really popped against the greenery at the Adamson House, which was an unexpected bonus!

FLOWERS
Our flowers were designed by Floral Art.  I carried a burgundy bouquet made from maroon cymbidium orchids, black calla lilies, baccara roses, and burgundy peonies.  I love the way the flowers looked with my white wedding dress.  The bridesmaids carried pink bouquets made from pink lisianthus, roses, and pink cymbidium orchids.  Aamer wore a miniature black calla lily, and the groomsmen wore miniature pink cymbidium orchids to match the bridesmaids bouquets.

Our cake was designed by Vanilla Bake Shop and was actually tiers of baby cupcakes, with a small cake on top.  To keep things fun, we used Batman and Wonder Woman to top it off!

My dress was designed by Rivini and available exclusively at Lili’s Bridal in Tarzana.  When the sales person showed it to me, I didn’t even want to try it on.  I had a completely different idea of the kind of dress that I wanted to wear.  However, once I reluctantly put it on, I never wanted to take it off!

We wanted a very clean and simple look to our centerpieces.  It took some time, but with the help of our fabulous wedding coordinator, Stephanie Lairson, we came up with the idea of submerging flowers in water.  The centerpieces consisted of 3 cylindrical glass hurricane vases in varying heights filled with submerged flowers, that alternated between black calla lilies pink cymbidium orchids, and burgundy cymbidium orchids.  They were all placed on a round dark wood tray and surrounded by votive candles

Our table numbers were actually names of our favorite bands.  One side had the band name written out with the sound wave design and the other side had a CD cover from that band.  The menus were done in our color palette with a burgundy back plate to help them pop against the white table linens.

We absolutely LOVED all of our vendors, but one key person in pulling everything together was Stephanie, our wedding consultant.  Our wedding day was flawless because of her help, ideas, and support.  We can not thank her enough for keeping things running so smoothly!

In addition, our photographers, Mark and Candice from Mark Brooke Photography, were absolutely fabulous!  They take fun and funky images, and are incredibly easy to work with. They did an amazing job making us and our day look flawless.

invitation suite photography courtesy of The Shooting Gallery

MUSIC
Our music was of course a key factor.  We had a fantastic DJ, Richard Blade, who also served as our MC.  Together, we made sure the dance floor was full throughout the evening!

ADVICE
The one piece of advise that I have to give to brides planning their wedding, is to find ways to incorporate little things that reflect you as a couple.  Personalizing your wedding is what will make you and your guests really remember your special day.  Don’t feel like you have to follow any particular set of rules.  Just do what feels right to you, and remember to have fun!

Congratulations Jennifer and Aamer! We thank you so much for sharing your lovely day with us!!

* * *

For more fantastic weddings from today’s featured Little Black Book members, here are some links to their websites and blogs …

Gourmet Invitations … Blog and Website 

Stephanie Lairson … Website and Gallery

Vanilla Bake Shop … Website and Cake Gallery

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Post tags: Adamson House, California, Cupcakes, Doves, Gourmet Invitations, Malibu, Rivini, Vanilla Bake Shop
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Cakes, Wedding Invitations & Stationery, Wedding Planners & Designers

Kakes by Karen is located in Naples, Florida … I LOVE the chic designs and delicate work that went into these cakes!

Here’s what Karen says about her creations on her website, “We pride ourselves in making hand elaborated, custom-made cakes that are never refrigerated, providing our customers a promise of freshness. Our cakes are decorated in high quality, glycerin free, delicious rolled fondant. Each cake is designed separately, working with the client, using only fresh ingredients to ensure quality. Some of our designs have been influenced and inspired by techniques learned from international chefs, as well as various judges and Food Network Cake Challenge winners.”

There are tons more photographs of her work in her cake galleries … all sizes and styles … and her cupcakes are just too pretty! So if you’re anywhere in her area, definitely give her a call!

Next up … candy stations …

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Post tags: Cupcakes, Florida, Fondant, Kakes by Karen, Naples
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Cakes

For me, the best cakes are those that are edited, tailored and timeless. Those that are inspired by fashion, by design, by all things chic. And Sweet and Saucy just has that touch!

Love, love, love!

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Post tags: sweet and saucy cakes, Wedding Cakes
Post categories: Wedding Cakes

photographs by April Reed Cake Design

April’s silhouettes are so chic, so incredible modern and her attention to detail is, well…perfection. She approaches each design as if it were her one and only, infusing style and creativity that are beyond belief.

The first cake (above) was inspired by a chic farm affair…elegance defined with an ivory and gold palette using Dogwood flowers to add intrigue. The second cake was made for a wedding at the Gramercy Park Hotel and uses the fabulous Mokuba ribbon as an accent.

Garden Rose cake photographed by Antonis Achilleos, Large Truffle Cake photographed by April Reed, Purple Winter Cake photographed by Erik Ekroth

This set is my fav. Starting in the top left (clockwise), the Garden Rose cake was featured in The Knot New York mag recently. The large truffle cake was made for a wedding on the Tribecca Rooftop and the Purple Inspired Winter cake was perfection featuring Mokuba ribbon.

I am head over heels (if you can’t already tell) with all things April Reed. From her towering truffle cakes to her more demure, sweet designs…every little bit is purely delicious.

Yellow Cake photographed by Andrew McCaul, Carnation Cake photographed by Patricia Heal, Small Truffle Cake photographed by April Reed

That fabulous yellow cake was made for a feature in Brides magazine and again features Mokuba ribbon (clearly an April Reed favorite), the small truffle cake was made for Martha Stewart magazine and is so incredibly unique. LOVE.

Thank you so much, April, for yet again inspiring us to no end. Your cakes are little pieces of heaven…that have started a complete revolution in cake design! xoxo

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Post tags: April Reed, Wedding Cakes
Post categories: Wedding Cakes

So stinkin’ cute, I just had to share! Thanks Tallant House…loooove!

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Post tags: Bling, Tallant House, Wedding Cakes
Post categories: Wedding Cakes

From Cynthia …  

Ashley and her husband, Christian, had such a gorgeous wedding in Houston this past November and put so much love and thought into every last detail that I just had to share. The bride worked with Monogram Inc. in NYC to design a gorgeous monogram that they used throughout their wedding including on the letterpress invitations we designed and printed. Their ceremony was held at the First Presbyterian Church in Houston with the reception following at The Junior League of Houston.

Ashley wore a beautiful French lace dress by Amsale, purchased at Louise Blum Bridal Salon, a gorgeous little bolero and the prettiest Kate Spade shoes, while Christian wore his own classic black tuxedo. {ps…Abby got her gown at Louise Blum’s as well … Melody became our new best friend!}

After watching an Oscar de la Renta fashion show last fall, Ashley designed her bridesmaids’ dresses based on a dress she fell in love with, working with Arlene Gamble in Houston to make her vision a reality. The beautiful rich deep purple of the bridesmaid dresses was carried throughout the event, paired with gorgeous reds and greens to create a really festive feel as a way to kick off the holiday season. 

All of the lovely photos are credited to their photographer, Tanja Lippert Photography {Little Black Book Photographer} out of San Jose, CA and I just love how blissfully happy they both look in all of their photos. It has been such a pleasure for me to flip through all of their images!

Ashley and Christian wanted to create a really warm and inviting atmosphere, combining old world elegance with modern sophistication. No stone went unturned, from coordinated paper products with a custom wedding monogram to unique wedding favors, the bride and groom paid special attention to every small detail.

Rich colored flowers and seasonal red berries filled the room, guests sipped champagne and lined up at the potato martini bar.

Guests danced the night away to the tunes from the Grady Gaines Band. Favors were fabulous chili mix packets.

Everyone enjoyed both a delicious chocolate peanut butter groom’s cake and a white almond wedding cake.

The cakes were made by Little Black Book Vendor Susie’s Cakes & Confections … both of Abby’s sisters’ wedding cakes were created by Susie! You should SEE the incredibly beautiful cake gallery on her website. And to say her flavors are fantastic is a massive understatement!

Ashley and Christian departed under a spray of sparklers!

Congratulations Ashley & Christian! And thank-you Cyd for sending us these beautiful examples of the stunning invitations your so, so, so talented team creates at Bella Figura!

Additional Vendor Credits: Save-the-Date Cards, Programs, Welcome Packets, Thank You Cards by PH Designs (Printing) ~  Calligraphy by Blooming Quill ~ Flowers by Gaye Jackson Price,  Houston & Dallas, Texas 

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Post tags: Amsale, Arlene Gamble, Bella Figura, Grady Gaines Band, Groom's Cake, Houston, Kate Spade, Letterpress Invitations, Louise Blum, Monogram Inc, Sephora, Susie's Cakes & Confections, Tanja Lippert Photography, Texas
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Cakes, Wedding Invitations & Stationery, Wedding Photography

Carly & Matthew’s wedding is the perfect mix of classic natural beauty with a splendid touch of whimsy …

Everything about their wedding is just so darned pretty … the flowers are very simple and so very delicate…

And then … there’s the cake! Wow! So cool …

So, who are these extra-special Little Black Book vendors?

The awesome photography team was Dave Miyamoto & Company. The positively perfect florals were from Designs by Hemingway.

Cakelava … of course … designed the fabulous cake. All you have to do is take one look at the cake and you just KNOW it’s one of Rick’s, right?

I read on Rick & Sasha’s blog …

Carly and Matthew gave us plenty of artistic leeway when designing their cake. Their requests were funky, pink and green and white, and swirls, so Rick worked his magic. For their cake flavors, they chose Guava Lava, a completely pink cake, which couldn’t be more fitting for this wedding, and our Hot Fudge Sundae, a nice combination.

Dave really captured the fun … and the sweetest emotions of the day!

The term “fairy tale wedding” might seem cliché … but Carly looks like … she feels like … a princess! And Matthew? Her dashing young prince, of course.

We love it when we can show you that our Little Black Book vendors are all we say they are … and more!

Thanks Dave, for sharing Carly & Matthew’s wedding day with us!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: cakelava, Color Palette Pink Green, Dave Miyamoto, David's Bridal, Designs by Hemingway, Hawaii, Military
Post categories: Bouquets, Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Wedding Cakes, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Photography, Whimsical

You can even customize your flavor, add a personalized label, make it totally and completely your own. And the best part? Gourmet Gift Co. is gifting a $100 gift certificate towards a custom cupcake mix favor to one lucky SMP reader!

All you have to do is leave a comment as to what you would use the gift certificate for…favors for your guests? Treats for your maids? Then, we’ll choose a random winner tomorrow afternoon! Easy as pie, or in this case…easy as cake!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 245 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: cupcake favor mix, Giveaway, gourmet gift co. cupcakes
Post categories: Contests, Wedding Cakes, Wedding Favors & Gifts

Swoon. Completely and madly in love with this cake. Here is a close-up shot so that you can really see the pure gorgeousness of the detailing…

La, la, LOVE! So much more to come throughout the day! In the meantime, check out K. Rose’s website for ridiculous amounts of eye candy and inspiration or click here to see some of her other designs that we’ve featured on SMP!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 21 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: K. Rose Cakes, Silhouettes, Wedding Cakes
Post categories: Wedding Cakes

I mean, come on! How gorgeous is that cake? The second is just as fabulous, inspired by Springtime in France, perfect for a small, quaint wedding or a fancy shmancy bridal shower…

Ahhhhh…love, love, love. I am a little bit obsessed with the first cake, but I have to say the gold monogram paired with the red and white stripes and teeny tiny flower accents on the second cake is basically perfection. Papillon Cakes, based in Toronto, has so many unbelievable cake inspirations on their site,they are a definitely must have.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: France Inspired, Gold, Wedding Cakes, Yellow
Post categories: Wedding Cakes

Ahhh, I haven’t seen navy and pink in a while and I certainly haven’t seen it done this well…and on a cake to boot! Now, take a peek at this sweet but modern, black and white floral design…

And beneath that incredible cake, well…perfection!

It just keeps getting better and better! Vanilla Bake Shop is always surprising me with their fresh, chic approach to wedding cake design. I would honestly wear most of their creations, as they are often inspired by great fabrics and prints. If you haven’t checked their website lately, it’s a must! They now have an entire section devoted to sweets and those fabulous dessert bars that they design!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Vanilla Bake Shop, Wedding Cakes
Post categories: Wedding Cakes