#weddingwirecommunity

We had such a fantastic time during our 101 Workshop: Delectable Desserts event last week! Brides, grooms, wedding party, and friends joined together at The Paisley & Jade Showroom for an evening filled with all things wedding sweets. Jan with Appletree Cake Company led the charge and schooled us on the ins and outs of frosting, filling, and flavors, while answering all of our cake questions. We had no idea there were so many different types of buttercream!

We kicked off the event on a sugary high note, with sweet samples of mango chai and chocolate cherry cupcakes. One word: incredible. While attendees munched on minis, Jan began a lively q&a session that was not only filled with helpful information, but was also interactive. Each guest was given a taste test of two different buttercreams – one American (with real butter) and one commercial (no real butter; note: Jan does not use this in her bakery) – and compared notes on their preferences. Our biggest takeaway? Buttercream is sinfully delicious and we would include it in every meal if we could.

Some of the hot topics of the evening’s discussion included:

It’s important to factor in the weather when deciding on frosting for your cake: Fondant holds up well regardless of the weather, while buttercream is more susceptible to heat. Work with your cake baker to determine the best frosting for your cake based on your venue and options for temperature-controlled storage.

If you have guests with dietary restrictions, there are a few great options to consider. One is to ask your cake baker to make cupcakes that your gluten-free or vegan guests can eat. Another is to ask for an entire cake tier to be made specially for these guests to enjoy (but make sure the servers know which tier is vegan or gf!). Dessert buffets are popular as well, so a third option is to offer alternative sweets for guests to enjoy in addition to cake.

The inside of your cake can be a beautiful surprise for guests – consider including colorful fillings that will provide an additional wow factor when you cut into the cake. 

After everyone’s cake questions were answered and tastebuds were sufficiently frosted, each attendee got a chance to decorate their own cupcakes! Jan demonstrated how to create the classic rosette pattern, and then each guest decorated his/her own masterpiece. We had such fun trying our hand at cake artistry, and all of the results were impressive!

Thank you so much to Jennifer Ling Photography for capturing this sweet affair on camera! And thank you to Appletree Cake Company for letting us sample such crave-worthy cupcakes and sharing your amazing wedding cake insight with us! Also, a huge shout out to Paisley & Jade for providing such a perfect venue for our workshop – we can’t get enough of their incredible decor!

We had a blast and can’t wait until our next WeddingWire Richmond shindig on 6/23 from 6-8pm! RSVP here and mark those calendars for another awesome evening. And in the meantime, we’d love to see your planning photos – just download the free Wedsocial App and join using code “wwcommunityrva″.

We’re loving this image from last night’s Delectable Desserts event with Appletree Cake Co., courtesy of Kathryn S.! Maybe we even dreamt about buttercream...

Thanks for sharing, Kathryn – we hope you had fun!!

If you want to be featured on our blog, share your wedding planning photos with us via WedSocial (code:wwcommunityrva).

We’re so looking forward to a fun, informative, and sweet evening with Appletree Cake Co. and Jennifer Ling Photography at the gorgeous Paisley & Jade Showroom. See you tonight!

We all want our wedding to be the best day ever. A beautiful, personal, love-filled day devoid of any stress, right? Well, when Carolyn L.’s special day arrived, she knew it would be seamless because of the perfect planning from Kat with Best Day Ever Studios. Carolyn’s complete confidence in her planner is oh-so-evident from her gushing review:

“I feel like crying every time I think about how incredible Kat is, and what a fantastic job she did. She is truly the most lovely person!... she coordinated two walk throughs, as well as the rehearsal, and arranged for all of the vendors to arrive by a particular time. She did such an incredible job that the morning of the wedding I said to my bridesmaids ‘OMG nothing is going wrong...the only thing that could go wrong now is my fiancé not showing up!’ LOL don't worry, he did, but that just goes to show that I knew that EVERYTHING else was handled.” – Carolyn L., married 3.28.15

Congratulations, Carolyn! We’re so thrilled that your big day was so perfect, stress-free, and filled with joy! Thank you for sharing your wedding planning experience with us! To read Carolyn’s full review, head on over to WeddingWire. 

And while you’re at it, take a peek at some of Best Day Ever Studio’s stunning styling:

Do you have a vendor dream team of your own? Show them some love by writing your own reviews. Then, drop us a line ([email protected]) for a chance to be featured on the blog!

You know what they say, “a party without cake is just a meeting!” That’s why we’re shining the sweet spotlight on wedding cake at our next WeddingWire Richmond community event!

Join us on Thursday, May 28th to sample sweets, ask all of your cake questions, and learn how to decorate cupcakes with a workshop led by Jan from Appletree Cake Company. Talk about a fun, flavorful, and informative evening!

• When: Thursday, May 28th, 6:30-8:30pm

• Where: The Paisley & Jade Showroom, 3119 W Moore St. RVA, 23230

• How: RSVP here to save your spot!

We have had a last minute venue change -- we are excited to announce that tonight’s Delectable Desserts event will now be held at Sweet Treets Bakery, giving you the full wedding cake experience!!  We will still have wine pairings and more! : )

NEW LOCATION: Sweet Treets Bakery & Cafe 6705 W Highway 290 Ste 601 Austin, TX WHEN: TONIGHT, Thursday, May 14, 2015 6:30pm - 8:30pm

Click here for all of the event details. Please email [email protected] with any q’s. See you tonight!

Just reminiscing about that time we created floral crowns... thanks to Carly H for sharing this snapshot from our Fresh Florals workshop with Petals & Twigs!

What do you get when you combine talented stylists, beautiful brides, bubbly, tasty treats, and a gorgeous venue? WeddingWire Richmond’s Bridal Beauty event at Lou Stevens Glam Squad!

The Glam Squad welcomed the WeddingWire RVA community into their stunning studio for an evening filled with big day beauty inspiration. While attendees learned all about wedding hair and makeup, everyone enjoyed a scrumptious spread of sweets from The Renaissance. Chocolate covered strawberries, fresh fruit, petit-fours, fresh-baked cookies, and creamy brownies paired perfectly with our pretty party!

The evening kicked off with an informative presentation and lively Q&A, led by The Glam Squad’s Lou and Amanda. Some of our favorite bridal beauty tips include:

Bring photos of your “everyday” self to your trial, so that your stylist and makeup artist can understand your typical beauty routine. Also, bring a photo of yourself when you were the most dressed up – and tell them what you liked or didn’t like about that look.

In addition to bringing examples of hair and makeup styles that you like (hello, Pinterest boards!), also bring images of what you DON’T like to your trial. These can be just as informative for your stylist, and will help them to create a look you love.

Talk about your dress, your venue, and your wedding vibe, as all of these elements play into the perfect look for your big day.

If you want a floral headpiece, work with your florist to create the look you want. Your hair stylist will incorporate this into your look on the big day, but they won’t be the ones actually creating the headpiece. Communicate your vision with your stylist, so that they can prepare accordingly!

After answering everyone’s burning questions, the Glam Squad went all out and treated guests to mini makeovers at six different beauty stations! With options that included braids, lips, eyes, curls, and airbrush, there was something to appeal to all tastes – and gave the gals a chance to try something new! Guests were able to visit multiple stations and truly experience the star treatment with a night of pampering. A huge shout out to the entire Glam Squad for such an incredible evening.

Check out the gorgeousness that ensued:

Thank you SO much to our photographer extraordinaire, Heather Michelle Photography, for the beautiful images that captured the evening perfectly.

We had so much fun and can’t wait until our next WeddingWire Richmond event on 5/28 – details to come, but mark your calendars for a sweet affair. In the meantime, we’d love to see your planning photos – just download the free Wedsocial App and join using code “wwcommunityrva″.