The “royal” wedding of Kim Kardashian had some really awesome stuff that is kind of unique! Black and white attire is one that is a show stopper, IMO.

But they took it to the next level with a 6′ dummy cake (hmmm, was that a cost saver? Time Saver? Or they just couldn’t fathom digging in to something so gorgeous!) Either way, that cake towered over the 5’2″ “starlet” (I hate to call her a starlet- I mean what has she ever really done to have that level of fame? _

Now wouldn’t we all love to go tasting at Hanson Cakes!?!?!? (my reaction would be the same!!!)

So here is her cake!

I must say that I am not impressed (maybe I would need to see it up close and for SURE taste it- well the real cake and not the dummy)

So let’s take some inspiration from her and see what else is out there on the web!

Stunning and elegant! So while you may gain inspiration from the celebrity weddings, the options to make it your style and grand, are endless.

Top (left): Cake by Flour Confections, Pickering, Ontario

Top (right): Cake by Ron Ben-Israel Cakes, New York City

Bottom (left): Cake by Miso Bakes, Los Angeles; jewelry by Style by Yoon

Bottom (right): Cake by Sweet and Saucy Shop, Long Beach, CA

My obsession with cupcakes is getting to be comical at this point (maybe i should just write a cupcake blog lol) Cupcakes are growing up and I am so proud to see what they have become

One of my new followers on Twitter has the funnest idea about cupcakes……. I happen to love kits that make life simple (even though i really do love the decorating…….. one of these days i will learn gumpaste flowers cuz my roses rock!!!)

So you want to have a fun spin on your wedding shower?

How about a treat to celebrate the upcoming football season (this is when i tend to bake anyway……… stay away from the TV lol)

But since we are in baking mood (for me, that would be ALWAYS!!!) lets talk about a great option for a Halloween Party… Show up to any party with these and I guarantee you will be the hit of the party! (who will care if you even dress up?)

There are so many more listed on Cupcake Cuties and the kits are perfect for 2 Dozen and all you need are cupcakes!  The rest is in the simple and complete kits!

I have had so many questions lately about booking wedding vendors and the confusion many of the websites suggestions. The bottom line is, you want to book them as soon as possible! Don’t think that every vendor you want will be available on your wedding day! You want to hire the best, but so does every other bride! I am booking weddings for 2013 already….. So the early bird does catch the worm (although I am in NO WAY referring to wedding industry folks as worms lol!!!!)

I went to the a few planning websites to see what timelines they are suggesting to brides.  Some of what I found made sense, but certain parts of each “wedding vendor checklist” didn’t seem to match reality.  I’ve broken them down their advice by vendor type, and added my two cents as well.

Wedding Planner:

The Knot:  9-11 months
Wedding Wire: 9 months
Brides.com: 11 months
My suggestion: 12+ months
Notes:  There is a general rule of thumb that you can follow when booking your wedding vendors, “If it requires a specific person, do it as soon as possible.”  Certain wedding vendors provide products (like cake, flowers, and invitations) and can provide those products to multiple couples in a single day.  Anything else needs to be secured as quickly as you can, because they are a scarce resource.  Wait too long and the one you want will probably be booked.  A wedding planner will have the greatest amount of utility to you and can help with the rest of your purchases, so start here.  If you’re not sure if you need (or want) a wedding planner or coordinator you may want to schedule a consultation (ours are FREE) and find out more.  I highly recommend hiring one — you’ll thank me later.

Wedding Venue (Reception Site):

The Knot: 9-11 months
Wedding Wire: 9 months
Brides.com: 11 months
My suggestion: 12+ months
Notes:  ASAP.  This is another scarce resource, and some reception venues will book up to two years in advance of a popular date.  Contrary to popular belief, simply saying a date is your wedding date does not mean that is your wedding date — unless it doesn’t matter to you where you have your wedding.  You do not have a wedding date until you put down a deposit on your ceremony and reception sites.  Without a firm wedding date, you can’t hire any of your wedding-related services.  Hence, this is the place to start.

Wedding Caterer:

The Knot: 9-11 months
Wedding Wire: 9 months
Brides.com: 6 months
My suggestion: 9-12 months
Notes:  Catering may be included at your reception venue, so you may be able to skip this one, but if it isn’t , you will want to book a cater once you book the venue.  Every caterer has a limited number of events they can do on any given date, and booking early ensures that you will be able to choose the one you want.  I would also advise you not to wait for a tasting if it’s more than a month into the future — you should be able to get a clear picture of a caterer’s quality and their style of food from their website and reviews.  This is another area where a wedding planner can help a lot.  They have probably worked with every good caterer in your area and know who is good, who is not, and who will fit your budget.

Wedding Photographer:

The Knot: 6-8 months
Wedding Wire: 6 months
Brides.com: 6 months
My suggestion: 10-12 months
Notes:  NO NO NO NO!!!!!!! I was actually surprised by the “expert” timelines on this one.  Six months?  Really?  Most couples think the photographer is an important part of their wedding, and I can tell you that most of the top-tier wedding photographers are going to be long gone at 6 months to go.  In my opinion, you should include the wedding photographer in the group of vendors you hire immediately after setting your wedding date.  The top talent will book first, so hiring a wedding photographer close to a year before your wedding is a good idea.

 Wedding Disc Jockey:

The Knot: 9-11 months
Wedding Wire: 9 months
Brides.com: 6 months
My suggestion: 10-12 months
Notes:  This was one of the services that the timelines didn’t seem to agree on.  The same rule from above applies to your wedding DJ as well — you are hiring a specific person to be your disc jockey and the top talent in your area will be the first to get booked.   Waiting too long to book your wedding DJ will leave you with a limited number of available DJs to choose from.

Wedding Videographer:

The Knot: 6-8 months
Wedding Wire: 6 months
Brides.com: 6 months
My suggestion: It depends.
Notes:  If you’re going to hire a wedding videographer (and I SERIOUSLY think a video is a cherished gift years down the road), you need to decide how important the wedding video is to you.  If a fabulous, amazing wedding video is a high priority for you, then you need to treat the videographer the same as the photographer and book them as early as possible.  If it’s a low priority and you’re just going to hire the cheapest person you can find, it can probably wait until later.

Ceremony Officiant:

The Knot: 9-11 months
Wedding Wire: 6 months
Brides.com: 11 months
My suggestion: 9-12 months
Notes:  I personally think that finding the right ceremony officiant is crucial, assuming that your ceremony site doesn’t come with a pastor/priest/rabbi included.  A really good officiant can make your ceremony magical and since you’re hiring a specific person, the same rule applies and I recommend booking them early in the process.  This is yet another area where a wedding planner (as well as your photographer, videographer, and disc jockey) can really help – we’ve all seen great (and not-so-great) ceremonies and can offer suggestions based on what type of ceremony you want.

Wedding Florist:

The Knot: 6-8 months
Wedding Wire: 6 months
Brides.com: 6 months
My suggestion: 6-9 months
Notes:  Now we’re getting into the wedding vendors who can do multiple weddings in one day.  Most florists can handle a few weddings at a time depending on the size, so booking one at a year before your wedding isn’t as crucial.  That being said, I think that it also depends on how important the flowers are to you.  If you have your heart set on a certain florist or a certain style, then I say pull the trigger and put down a deposit.  The really good florists in our area still sell out during the busy season, so you can’t wait too long.

Wedding Cake:

The Knot: 6-8 months
Wedding Wire: 6 months
Brides.com: 6 months
My suggestion: 6-9 months
Notes:  Most wedding cake bakeries can do multiple wedding cakes on any give date, so you’re safe waiting for a little while.  I highly recommend visiting multiple cake shops and sampling their cakes.  Note that some cakeries may charge for a tasting (that may or may not be applied to booking with them!)  Plus, you’ll end up making a better decision if you shop around a little bit. Not everybody has the same palate so multiple tastings are a good idea!

Wedding Invitations:

The Knot: 6-8 months
Wedding Wire: 6 months
Brides.com: 5 months
My suggestion: 6 months
Notes:  Since you’re not going to be mailing your invitations a year before your wedding, you don’t need to buy them that early either.  However, I do recommend sending “save the date” cards to your guests as soon as you secure your reception site and wedding date.  Find a good stationer in your area that carries the styles and brands you like, and use them for both.  They will save you time, offer suggestions on confusing wording, send you a proof and take care of errors!

Wedding Transportation:

The Knot: 2-3 months
Wedding Wire: 2 months
Brides.com: 6 months
My suggestion: 5-6 months
Notes:  Seriously? TWO months lol?   If you are going to hire professional transportation (limos, shuttle buses, whatever), then you need to hire someone good and you need to do it more than 2 months before your wedding.  Any wedding planner will tell you that the wedding vendors they have the most trouble with are limo drivers.  The good ones will provide you with a clean, great looking ride and get you to the church on time.  The bad ones will show up late (or not show up), get lost, and make you late for the wedding you’ve paid so much to plan.  My advice is to do this about 6 months before your wedding, and pay a little extra to hire the best company you can find.  Ask your wedding planner for advice on who to hire, chances are she’s had a bad experience with more than one of the limo companies in your area.

***Additional note:  If you are getting married from late April through the beginning of June, you really need to jump on your limo situation.  Most brides don’t think about it, but its prom season — most limo companies will completely sell out on Fridays and Saturdays.

As you can see, the “experts” don’t even agree on the wedding planning timeline.  The best advice I can give is: a) hire a wedding planner, b) book your reception site and set your date immediately, c) book anything that requires a specific person as soon as possible, and d) do your homework when you hire your vendors!

If you have been reading my blog for a week or so  (lol) , you know that i am a sweet-a-holic. I have reconnected with The Crepe Company in Orlando and when I saw this photo I started thinking about their delicious crepes filled with Nutella. Oh how my mouth just watered over this……

I can imagine a rustic wedding with an untraditional twist on a wedding cake like this!  Hmmm, now I cant wait to find a bride willing to do this one…. (cause I want the first slice of heaven!)

What do you think?  Are you untraditional to do something this unique?

I dont know about you but there are two desserts that just send me in to a tailspin!  Cupcakes has to be at the top of the list.  Little mini cakes with huge flavor.  The second has got to be an amazing smore. Sweet Marilyn chocolates in Orlando turned me on to her amazing fresh homemade marshmallows………. OMG, what a tasty treat (once you have homemade, you will never go back to opening a bag of processed ones)

Now, the combination of the two just makes me too happy! So check out this recipe that just makes your mouth water…… Imagine these on a dessert bar at your wedding or ANY day lol. Easy recipe and full of taste!

S’mores Cupcakes

Adapted from  Martha Stewart

Makes 14 cupcakes

For the graham cracker crust:

• 1 C graham cracker crumbs
• 1/8 C sugar
• 4 T unsalted butter, melted
• Pinch of salt
• 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

For the chocolate cupcakes:

• 1 C + 1 T sugar
• 14 T unbleached all-purpose flour*
• 7  T unsweetened cocoa powder*
• 3/4 t baking powder
• 3/4 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 C milk (the original recipe called for whole but I used 2%)
• 1/4 C vegetable oil
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1/2 C boiling water

For the frosting:

Adapted from Food & Wine

• 3/4 C sugar
• 1/3 C water
• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/4 t cream of tartar
• 1 t vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line cupcake pan(s) with foil liners and move rack to center of oven.

To make the crust: In a small bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, melted butter and salt with a fork. Drop about 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of the mixture into each cupcake liner and press down firmly. Reserve remaining mixture for topping cupcakes. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of chopped chocolate on top of each crust and bake for about 5 minutes (until edges of crust are golden). Remove from oven but leave on at 350° F.

To make the cupcakes: Sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir lightly with a fork to combine. In a mixing bowl, combine egg, milk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Combine dry and wet ingredients and mix on low speed for a minute, then medium speed for 1-2 more minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl in between if needed. Add boiling water and mix just until combined. (Note: The batter will be very thin at this point.)

Pour 1/4 cup of batter on top of each crust (mine were a little over 3/4 full). Sprinkle each with remaining graham cracker mixture and chopped chocolate.  Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until tops are firm and toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean. Let cool completely.

To make the frosting:

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water over high heat. Once it starts boiling, place the egg whites in a mixer bowl with a whisk attachment and begin mixing at medium-high speed. Once they become foamy, add the cream of tartar. Continue to beat at medium speed until stiff peaks form.

Once the sugar mixture reaches 242°F, remove from heat and slowly pour into the egg whites with the mixer on low speed. Increase speed to high and beat for 5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add vanilla extract and mix to combine.

*These are measured in tablespoons because I halved the original recipe and it was the easiest way to reduce the measurements (half of 1 3/4 and 3/4 cup)
Thank you to 52 Kitchen Adventures for the adaption of this amazing recipe!