Let Them Eat Cake!

Last week my MOH and I met with Jennifer Luxmoore, the cake lady and owner of Sin Dessert. Jennifer is as sweet as her cakes. She is also quite attentive and is very creative, which is reflected in her work. Her cake shop won the title of R.I Monthly Best Wedding Cake so it made sense to set up a cake tasting with her. I chose a few flavors and fillings from the menu on her website but Jennifer paired some complimentary fillings that charmed our taste buds. I was pleasantly surprised with the Mexican Ganache (pepper flakes and cinnamon) filling and Banana cake. However, I knew that most of our guests would favor the Coconut and lemon filling because the sweetness was more subtle. Our least favorite pairing was the hazelnut cake with the raspberry filling but it is simply because we don't fancy raspberry. As for the chocolate cake, it reigned supreme with its absolutely sinful hazelnut filling. I saved a piece for FI and he loved it! Overall, the cakes were rich and moist and I simply love the butter cream frosting, which is light and fluffy (not too sweet). It was difficult to decide on just one flavor so we chose three; the coconut, banana and chocolate. Jennifer sketched me a beautiful lotus inspired cake with lotus leaves detail spiraling down the cake in the shades of my wedding colors and gold trimming as accent. The top of the cake will have a large lotus flower identical to the lotus candles I will have as reception decor. The inspiration for the cake came from an ornate three tier peacock cake featured on her site from an Indian wedding. Aside from the cake, we will have cupcakes too! Yes, double the pleasure. I loved everything about Sin but I will have to wait for their proposal and I still have two more cake bakeries to meet with before we can make any decisions. However, my birthday is coming up so I might treat myself to one of Jennifer's sinful creations. I know there will be a party in my mouth!

Visit Sin Dessert

Inspiration Board: Here comes the bridesmaids

Lela Rose dress, origami earrings by moi, etsy peacock hair pin, etsy custom clutches, Christian Louboutin hot pink pumps, pink floral bouquet (roses and peonies) in a teal clutch wrap.

Photographer Wanted

It's been a real challenge for me to find a photographer that offers full day (unlimited) wedding coverage, complimentary engagement session and the rights to digital negatives/high resolution files within my modest budget of $3500. I am also looking for a certain style of photography - fine art and editorial, which equals expensive. I want a photographer who will do post production and digital enhancements. Of course the pictures don't determine everything. I also have to click with my photographer, my wedding day memory keeper. So where do I find one that will fit the bill? Well I have a short list of potential photographers but my favorites are slightly over my budget and one photography team charges hourly rates. I am keeping my options open to all areas of New England. If anyone has any recs to add to my list, let me know!

The Roll Call
(List complied based on basic coverage rates)

1. Mandy Mayberry MA - $850
www.MandyMayberry.com

2. Kelly Prizel CT - $2,100
www.kellyprizel.com

3. Kevin Trimmer RI - $2,200
www.KevinTrimmer.com

4. Sweet Jane Photography MA - $2,800
www.SweetJanephotography.com


$3500 and above range

5. Avenna Studios MA (hourly rates)
www.Avennastudios.com

6. Val McCormick CT
www.ValMcCormick.com

7. Public Image Photography R.I
www.publicimagephotography.com

8. Lisa Rigby MA (over budget)
www.lisarigbyphotography.com

9. Raw Photo Design Studio CT (over budget)
www.rawphotoimage.com

Filene's Running of the Brides: Boston

The biggest, baddest bridal gown madness sale is taking place today in Boston. G.L to all the brides looking to score a dress for their special day. I was going to attend the event but due to schedule conflict and a few other reasons, I decided to hold off until closer to my wedding. Most of the gowns sold at the sale are priced between $249-$699. For the Frugalnista (budget) bride, this is a fab way to score a designer gown for a really good deal.

The dates for 2010

Boston Hynes Cvn Ctr Friday, Feb 19 Event Details	Atlanta Friday, March 19 Event Details	Chicago State St Friday, July 23 Event Details
Wash DC Mazza Gallerie Friday, July 30 Event Details	Cleveland Warrensville Heights Friday, Aug 27 Event Details

For more info and new event dates please visit Filene's Basement Official Website

And for some tips and tricks of the trade, check out Boston Photographer, Shang Chen's article

The Culture Clash: Wedding Etiquette

Planning a wedding is definitely stressful. And as the times change and weddings evolve, traditional rules of etiquette have followed suit, but only to add to the confusion. It's even worse when you have two sets of wedding etiquettes to follow. I'm trying to find the right balance and choose what works best for each guests. After all, it is about treating people with courtesy and making them feel comfortable. However, the cultural clash between what American and Cambodian customs dictate does create some stressful dilemmas. Here are just a few examples.

1. RSVP

American: Yes, required for obvious reasons.

Cambodian: No. My parents' guest and my FI's family and their friends are not required to RSVP. This is according to Cambodian wedding etiquette. Guests can also bring guests without informing the couple. It presents a BIG problem because I have to give guessimates to my venue and caterer. I will also have to make extra favors. This is why most Asian weddings are HUGE. It' s not very budget friendly as all these things will definitely incur additional costs. There are a few things you can do to make this matter less stressful.

- Ask the venue/caterer to arrange extra table and food for 10-20 more guests. However, make sure you are not going over your venue capacity. Work closely with your caterer and see if they can offer lower plate rates for guests that don't show up.
- Ask the parental units to invite close friends and get a head count for each family member that is attending.


2. Seating chart / Escort Cards

American: Yes, required for the guests that RSVP

Cambodian: No, it is not proper wedding etiquette to assign seats to guests. Cambodian weddings serve as a social function for guests to mingle freely. People tend to seat themselves with their friends. This sounds like chaos to me but somehow it works at Cambodian weddings. I will have escort cards in place for our guests that RSVP and for our immediate family.


3. Programs

American: Not required but for formal or elaborate affairs it is highly recommended.

Cambodian: No, the traditional ceremonies are familiarized by the guests but the younger generation or non-Cambodian guest might not know what the heck is going on because these ceremonies are so long and complex. I will print out programs for some of my guests to inform them of the different traditional ceremonies. I'm going to print out a separate time line for vendors and my wedding party to make sure we are all on schedule.


4. Postage Stamps on Invites

American: Yes, definitely required to send out invitation

Cambodian: No, custom dictates that the engaged couple and their parents must personally invite the guests by going to their home. The exception to this is if they are out of state or international. In that case a postage stamp is needed but a formal phone call must be made too. I will be saving on postage stamps but this is no big deal. I don't mind giving guests invitations in person. I'd like to host a dinner party or meet up with friends and hand them out.


5. Adult Only Reception

American: Yes, included on invite with carefully chosen words

Cambodian: Absolutely NOT! I suggested this to my parents and they were horrified. I want to have my nieces and my little cousins present but I can't include the children in my family and exclude my guest's children. So I can only hope that my wedding won't be run amok with little rascals. I've been to a few Cambodian weddings where the children are high on sugar and they are running around everywhere!

Inspiration Board VI

Reception Inspiration

My reception space at the Easton Beach Rotunda Ballroom is a blank canvas

I finally came across an inspiration picture similar to the design concept I had in mind for my reception. Instead of the pomanders/kissing ball hanging over each table, I will have decorative hanging lanterns. The lanterns will become part of the centerpiece display. I will definitely have to work closely with the florist to perfect this vision. I love how this look has a big impact on a small budget. BTW I scored 24 inch colored lanterns for $2.73 from Asianideas.com for a total of $75.00 for 24 lanterns (few extras) and that includes S&H.

Bridal Hair: Romantic Side Swept & Updo

Inspiration Board: The Bridal Look Book

I stumbled upon this inspiration board but I don't know the designers so I can't give proper credit. If anyone can help me identify them, let me know because I love the teal pumps with the bow detail and the silk berry colored layered cocktail dress. Love, love the white dress with the gold swirl design and the two bridal gowns, the off white floral piece I believe belongs to the Priscilla of Boston designer collection.

Lanterns Galore

I love how lanterns can transform a space from standard to stunning. The soft glow gives the venue a very romantic feel. And the best part is they come in a myriad of colors and patterns to fit any bride's style. Mixing and matching different sizes and colors give off extra visual appeal. Lanterns are also very budget friendly, which is probably why they are popular wedding decor.


My venue is a blank canvas, it's a large space to fill so to save myself from a logistic nightmare and some money in the process, I decided not to fill the entire ceiling space with lanterns. I want to create an intimate feel by hanging a single lantern over each table. This way I can incorporate the lantern into the centerpiece design, creating a bigger impact on the overall look. A 24 inch lantern in the traditional shape but with a unique pattern design will give it some texture. Tassels will be attached to each lantern too. My inspiration comes from Curbly who used dots applied to plain white lanterns.

http://curbly.com/swelldesigner/posts/6309-diy-dotted-tissue-paper-lantern