Wedding Trends of 2015: Semi-Naked Wedding Cakes

Look alert wedding peeps - there's a new trend in town. Hot on the hills of last year's naked wedding cakes, bakers have started dressing their cakes again! But not too much. Just a touch of frosting, a whisper of white, a hint of what's to come. They're pretty much the prettiest cakes in town. Feast your eyes! P.S. This semi-naked look is sooooper easy to DIY.

Sources: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

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The Cutest Wedding Toppers In The World

We didn't have a wedding cake topper. I forgot to find one, and needless to say, it wasn't exactly top of my husband's list. It didn't matter on the day, because the caterers provided a truly dreadful, and therefore hilarious cake topper to finish off our croquembouche wedding cake. However it has led to a slight obsession on my part. I'm now always on the look-out for the wedding cake topper I would have chosen. My current favourites are these DIY'd kokeshi dolls from Wood and Grain. They're just the right combination of cute and cool, with a lovely dash of vintage and rustic. Plus they're custom-made, so you can ask designer Christine to hand-paint them to match your wedding attire and hair-style {and pet!}. They're a lovely idea for a wedding anniversary present as well.

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Wedding Trends of 2015 - Pretty Meringue Kisses

First spotted on the streets of Shoreditch, the Meringue Girls have made meringues trendy again. They're the new macaroons - pretty, perfect mouthfuls that melt on the tongue. They call them 'kisses', and they're mallow in the middle with a delicious crisp exterior. I'd be tempted to go the whole hog and theme my entire wedding around their pastel shades, with meringue favours and a giant meringue cake {made by Fondant Fox and decorated with meringue kisses}. You could even learn how to make meringues on your hen do, thanks to their popular Master Classes!

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Wedding Trends of 2015 - Surprise Inside Wedding Cakes

Multi-coloured wedding cakes have been a huge trend for the last couple of years, but it's only now that it's taken a twist. Instead of icing, it's all about the sponge. Surprise your guests by choosing a traditional white wedding cake, with secret interior, that's only revealed when you cut the cake. Such a fun idea! Take a look at Pinterest for more inspiration.

{Photo Credit} Rainbow Heart Cake picture by Susan Powers Photography. Recipe from Surprise-Inside Cakes by Amanda Rettke

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How To DIY Your Wedding Cake - Butterfly Theme

Take one simple white wedding cake, add a flock of butterflies, and caboom! you've got an incredible, dramatic work of art. Just goes to show what a touch of DIY can do. Each butterfly is handmade, complete with antennae {!}, and they come in a variety of species and colours. Buy your beautiful bugs from Butterfly Bazaar, and learn how to decorate your cake in a special tutorial here. For plain white wedding cakes, you can't do better than good old Marks & Spencer.

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Pale & Romantic, Peach & Pink Wedding Inspiration

Brides looking for a romantic theme to their wedding day are going to love my next three wedding inspiration features. They're all part of the same pale and romantic styled shoot, shot by Annie Beedy of Mim & Honey, featuring flowers by Riley Messina of Erba Floral Design and wedding cakes by Cambria Goodwin of Butter. Annie's long been one of my favourite photographers - her pictures were some of the first I ever featured on Before the Big Day. So when she emailed me offering these exquisite shots, I jumped at the start. In this pink and peach-themed shoot, I'm loving the luxury of the multi-layered roses, the pink sponge interior to the wedding cake, and the simplicity of the plain white candles planted in old wine bottles. Ask your wedding cake designer to texture the icing for a similar rustic look, and add old keys, antlers and vintage crocheted mats to your wedding tables to recreate the rustic-chic look. Incredible!

♥ Want more peach-themed weddings? ♥ Or how about wedding cake ideas? ♥

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Before the Big Day Wedding Trends of 2013 - Bright Cakes

The days of the traditional white tiered cake are long-gone. Last year naked wedding cakes were all the rage, but wedding fashions have flown by, and now it's all about the bright cake. Make a statement with contrasting cake and icing, or pick a pastel shade. Ombre shading is still a huge trend, although rainbow cakes are making a come-back, and I reckon we'll see the end of ombre by the end of the year. Cake toppers are changing too - it's no longer about figurines - abstract and floral toppers are top dog. Take a look at my fab wedding cake board on Pinterest for more amazing bright cake inspiration!

More posts like this one: 
✽ Incredible Ombre Wedding Cakes
✽ Glamorous Ombre Wedding Dresses

♥ Want to see wedding cake ideas? ♥ Or how about more wedding advice? ♥

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Loving Cute Bird Cake Toppers

Choosing your wedding cake is double-decision time! First you need to select your cake style and flavour, and then you need to accessorise with a cake topper. What do you think of these? Aren't they gorgeous? They're made by Lauren Alane, and you can either choose one of her ready-made couples, or have a bespoke design just for you. Get your order in quick - she's struggling to keep up with demand.

More posts like this one: 
✽ Perfect Pastel Wedding Cake Stands
✽ The Cutest Wedding Cake Toppers

♥ Want to see wedding cake ideas? ♥ Or how about more bird themed weddings? ♥

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Say Cheese with a Wedding Cake

If you'd choose savoury over sweet any day of the week, then you might not want a wedding cake. But what to have instead? Well to keep with the tradition of tiers, why not try a multi-level cheese cake? You could create the cake yourself, but for a guaranteed beauty, check out these Cheese Shed wonders. The West Country shop sells several off-the-peg designs, but are more than happy to provide a bespoke service for the picky cheese-eaters among you!

♥ Want more wedding cake ideas? ♥ Or how about more rustic wedding ideas? ♥

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Butterfly Themed Wedding Cake

Butterfly-themed weddings must be amongst the most popular for brides looking for a simple but sweet wedding motif. It's a lovely symbol for your wedding day, as in Chinese culture, two butterflies flying together symbolises love. DIY your butterfly theme with these gorgeous colourful, edible, butterflies from incrEDIBLEtoppers. Add them to a simple white wedding cake, or add one to the napkin or glass of each table place at your wedding reception. For more easy DIY butterfly wedding ideas, don't miss my Pinterest page.

♥ Want more destination wedding ideas? ♥ Or how about more peach-themed weddings? ♥

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Perfect Pastel Wedding Cake Cake Stands

How gorgeous are these cake stands? Whether you choose a three-tier wedding cake, or millions of delicious cupcakes, these perfect pastel stands will add pizazz. Etsy seller, Wendy from Marsh Home finds vintage glass cake stands and brings them back to life with a permanent glass glaze wash. Request your favourite colour, and she will hand-paint it to perfection. Love!

♥ Want more wedding cake ideas? ♥ Or how about pastel wedding ideas? ♥

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The New Wedding Trend - Naked Wedding Cakes

Have you considered getting naked for your wedding day? Getting a naked wedding cake, that is? It's the US wedding trend this summer season, {Hilary Duff even had one at her wedding}, and it looks set to spread across the Atlantic for British brides' autumn and winter weddings. I'm really loving the non-icing look - it's charming and whimsical, and perfect for DIY brides looking to bake their own wedding cake. For decoration, just add flowers, fruit, dripped icing, or succulents, plus anything else that might fit in with your wedding theme. For a glamorous twist on the naked cake look, why not try a French croquembouche wedding cake. We had one at our wedding, and it went down a storm! For more wedding cake inspiration, do check out my Pinterest page.

{Picture Credit} Naked Wedding Cake by Stardust Bakery. Picture by Katherine O'Brien Photography, via Green Wedding Shoes

♥ Want more wedding cake ideas? ♥ Or how about whimsical wedding ideas? ♥

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Happy Easter from Before the Big Day Wedding Blog

Hello everyone! A big Happy Easter to you all - I hope you're enjoying this fabulous sunshine as much as we are, here at Before the Big Day towers. I'm most excited by the effect the sunshine has had on my basil seedlings, which have finally hatched. Still waiting for the poppies to emerge....Enjoy your chocolate eggs, and prepare for the extravaganza, which will be next week's Royal Wedding. I'll be keeping you up with all the details via Twitter, plus pics of my own Royal Wedding BBQ, complete with Union Jack accessories {woohoo!}. What are you doing on the extra Bank Holiday?

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Wedding Cupcakes - The Next Level

So say you've settled for cupcakes instead of a traditional three-tier wonder - all you need to decide is the flavour and the colour of the icing, right? Wrong! With these amazing wrappers from Paper Orchid Stationery, you can pimp your cupcakes, and make them a work of art in their own right.  And if you want favour boxes to match, they do those too! Make your own cupcakes with this recipe, or buy them from Crumbs & Doilies.

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Supporting Japan Part 2

With the crisis in Japan on all our minds, here's one way you can support their local businesses, and donate money to the Relief Fund. Pick up some of these gorgeous creations from independent craft sellers on Etsy. Don't you love these Japanese cake toppers from Kikuike? I'll be featuring more ideas all day.

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Happy Halloween!

Ever thought of celebrating your big day in spooky style on 31st October?  If you did, these cake-topper Frankensteins from Baby Gimp would be a must!  I love the detailing - the bride even has a spider-web tattoo on her elbow - how cute!

Piece of Cake

Mmmmm, I've had such fun collating the pictures of these gorgeous cakes, although it means I've been feeling peckish for days.  Just take a look at these fabulous designs, from my four favourite boutique bakeries.  You'll never consider going for three simple tiers ever again!

Product Credits - Top Collage: ChoccyWoccyDooDah, Middle Collage: Venus Cakes, Bottom Collage: The English Cheesecake Company.  Bottom Cake: Janet Mohapi-Banks

Is It Wrong?

That we love this cake from the Fairytale Cake Company?  It reminds me of how many inspirational cake designers I spotted at the National Wedding Show - you could see their stands from a mile off, thanks to the hoards of hungry brides snaffling free samples.  Don't miss my feature next week, when I'll be trying to fit all the latest trends into one article. Believe me, you'll never think of settling for plain white, plus three tiers ever again!

           

Edible Treats

One way of creating a truly memorable big day is to surprise your guests - so how making everything edible? Instead of flower displays, buy these baskets of cleverly carved fruit from Edible Arrangements and save on desert!  Alternatively, DIY-it by dipping strawberries and pineapple into chocolate, and arranging them on sticks, in florist foam wrapped in ribbon.

If you're a fan of flowers, then why not add them to your wedding breakfast (or lunch or dinner)?  There's a bunch of blooms that can add colour and curiosity-value to your dishes and drinks.  Hibiscus flowers will slowly unfurl in champagne cocktails, and there's nothing more romantic than a rose-petal, rum cocktail.  Check out this New York Times article for more inspiration, and First Leaf for their fantastic range of tasty petals.

Imagine telling your guests that if they're still hungry after their meal, they can eat their plates! The Edible Plate Company promises that their crockery and cutlery is fully digestible, as it's all made out of cassava.  Perfect if you're planning a picnic or BBQ for your wedding, and what's more, they're totally eco-friendly.