In keeping with the cake theme this week, I just had to share one of my most recent and favorite finds!  When I was at Safeway last week I saw Stay Brite baking cups from Reynolds.   They are lined with foil so the design on the outside stays vibrant even after cooking.  Of course, I was super excited, and hesitant to believe the advertising, so I had to give them a try to see for myself…

The black and white ones I found would make a perfect cupcake wrapper for a bridal shower or DIY wedding!!

According to the Reynolds website they can be found at major grocery stores, and mass retailers such as Target.  If you are looking for a great recipe, I found my recipe on www.allrecipes.com using the Heavenly White Cake and Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.  Happy baking!

I confess, I would rather have cupcakes over a cake. Yes, they are a bit “done” right now in the world of weddings, but I love being able to try different flavors and pop them in my mouth versus waiting for a server to hand over a plop of cake on a plate. And if they are mini cupcakes I rejoice as there is even less guilt as I pop two, three, maybe even four little cakes into my mouth. One of my brides introduced me to a fabulous lil’ Bay Area shop Marisa Cakes. And let me tell you – these cupcakes are TO DIE FOR! Her flavors are traditional with a twist and oh so yummy. I mean, seriously the best, and only, Peanut butter and Jelly cupcake (Peanut Butter Mayhem) I have ever tasted. I won’t lie, I thought it would taste funky…it was AH-MAZING.  And with other flavors like The Devil Wears White (devils food cake, white cake, chocolate ganache, chocolate butter cream and coconut) and Rock n’ Mudslide (chocolate cake, marshmallow frosting, with chocolate ganache and caramel filling) each bite will lead you to believe you have died and gone to dessert heaven. The photo below is from a recent wedding we worked on together – gorgeous right?!? Marisa makes amazing cakes as well and even some gorgeous wedding invites! Take a peek at her site – it is super cute and it will make you hungry!

Photo Sources: Top photo by Gabriel Harber Photography, bottom 3 photos from MarisaCakes.com

By Erin Frank

When I got married I never even entertained the idea of making my own wedding cake—namely because I thought it would be impossible. But there’s a craft tool for everything these days, including one that makes professional-looking cake decorations a snap for even the most novice of bakers. The Cricut Cake is a machine specifically designed for decorating cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and more. It cuts perfect, and at times intricate, shapes out of sheets of frosting you run through the machine. Choose a shape, a size, and press “cut.” Then top your basic, plain cake with it for instant color and style. You can make stylish swirls, colorful monograms with your initials as a couple—the possibilities are pretty much endless. Use it for your wedding cake, then to bake birthday cakes and cupcakes in the years to come.

Have any brides had experience with the Cricut Cake? We’d love to hear if it worked for you, so please leave a comment!

I found this adorable reply card book mark and it led me to wonder what details a book themed wedding would be full of…I found some fabulous things out and about on the internet and wanted to share! I went a little girly with the floral details, and chose soft pastels and greens. I am loving the ring pillow that is actually a book with a sweet secret pocket inside! Also coveting this lavender cake, so elegant and simple with the gorgeous topper! I wanted to find that perfect photo of the table centerpiece full of books, creating fun different heights for flowers or candles, but never did manage to find the right balance – but I know it is out there, so if you have seen it please do share!Photo source clockwise from top left MOK DUK by Anne Benjamin via Simple + Pretty, Saipua.com, Frostyweddings.com, Such Pretty Things.com, The Wedding Informer.com, Martha Stewart Weddings.com

The Sir Francis Drake hotel is smack dab in the middle of San Francisco, around the corner from the historic Union Square, and right next door to Saks Fifth Avenue (the mother ship of all high fashion!). Sky scrapers, Tourists, cable cars, shopping, and gorgeous display windows surround this beautiful hotel built in 1928. When I received an email from a lovely bride-to-be about designing her wedding flowers at this venue, I was jumping out of my skin. This was going to be the perfect mixture of urban living and glamor!Click here to see all the floral details of their fabulous day.

I have fallen in love with this palette of rose, light pink, blush, black and white and think when combined they would make a lovely winter wedding. And how can you not adore the paisley! So much fun, a touch of softness to contrast with the black and white. I think too much paisley can be over kill but hiding it in the details, the cake, a tie, the favor boxes adds just the perfect amount of swirl. Mixing textures is a great way to take a palette where you are using the shades of one color – like pink – and break it up. The clean modern lines of the blacks and whites also help balance the shades of pink and the fun paisley.Photo sources clockwise from top left: Martha Stweart Weddings, Tara Guérard Soirée, Minted.com, J&J Photography via Elizabeth Anne Designs, David Lau Photography via The Knot, Tara Guérard Soirée and Martha Stewart Weddings

By Erin Frank

Photo by Michael Venera

Across the bridge from San Francisco lies Cavallo Point, an unforgettable wedding venue that may not even be on your radar. Located in Horseshoe Cove and originally inhabited by the coastal Miwok tribes, this site used to be Fort Baker, which was established long before there was a Golden Gate Bridge. Once an active military base, the fort became part of the National Park system when it was no longer needed by the military. Now its historic buildings, and a few new ones, make up Cavallo Point—The Lodge at The Golden Gate.

Cavallo Point Lodge covers 14,000 square feet of indoor venue space and 12,500 feet of  outdoor space with views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay. It offers several different venues for weddings, brunches, rehearsal dinners, and more, plus on-site catering by Chef Joseph Humphrey. Typical receptions include trays of passed canapés, an artisan cheese station, drinks, an amuse bouche, a 2-course plated meal, and a wedding cake. Plus, you can opt for features like an iced shellfish or petit four station for your guests along with house-made chocolate favors. An $8,000 facility fee rents space for the ceremony and reception for 6 hours, basics like chairs/tables/linens, a dance floor, setup and breakdown, a dressing room for the bride, and a suite for the bride and groom on their wedding night.

Beyond the beauty of their surroundings, your guests will love the lodging on site and all the activities Cavallo Point has to offer. Guests can take hikes and historical walks around the property, attend a private or group yoga class, take cooking school classes on site, kayak under the Golden Gate Bridge, try their hand at sailing and yachting, and turn your wedding weekend into a wine country exploration of nearby Napa and Sonoma Valleys. They’ll love this quiet, romantic getaway, and so will you.

Cavallo Point
The Lodge at Golden Gate
601 Murray Circle
Fort Baker
Sausalito, CA 94965
415-339-4700
groups@cavallopoint.com
www.cavallopoint.com

Someday, I want to make my wedding party do this too!

Some brides like to go literal with their color schemes, others like to use their favorite color as an accent. These shower arrangements are about as literal as you can get with the color palette that was at hand; Green and purple!

The vases were made from recycled yogurt tubs wrapped in wax paper and white floral mesh, and topped off with a pretty purple and white striped ribbon.

The floral shopping list: Green Spider Mums, purple-ish/pink Spider Mums, green and purple Hydrangeas, and some cool looking dyed purple branches.

A few flowers here, and a little branch there, and the arrangements are ready for your bridal shower. The best part about these arrangements is that they can be taken home by your guests as little treats.