Cake!

We had only ONE cake tasting. And then, I wrote out the deposit check. Yes, the cake tasted that great. And well... okay... I was eager to get another item checked off my "to-do" list.

As a designer, I was more concerned about how the cake would look, than about how it would taste. This is why Elise, came along for the ride. I think that perhaps one of the most important aspects of the wedding (for Elise) is how the cake tastes. And this is a lucky thing for you (!) since you will be eating it! Only the photographer and I will care about how it looks.

Just as an aside, I have to mention that I had a great conversation with a rep from Paula DeLuc (catering). And she asked me this question at the end of our phone call, "If there was one thing that you'd want your guests to remember at the conclusion of your wedding celebration, what would it be?" I was stumped. I could not think of anything that I'd particularly want my guests to specifically remember. But after a minute, an answer came to me. However, the answer did not involve the guests. (Now you will know what is really important to me...) I said, "Well, I don't know if I care about what the guests will remember. However, I can tell you want _I_ want to remember! I want to remember that everything looked stunning! I really really care about how everything looks." Then I launced into my routine about how I am a designer and all I ever care about is how things look. If I forgot to eat for a week I wouldn't care or perhaps even notice if I could sit inside the Ritz Carlton, SF and enjoy the marble counter tops and $900 per night decor while starving. John has to frequently remind me to eat. In fact, he basically has to put food in front of me so that I will eat on time. How did I survive before John? Well, I ate a lot of packaged lunch meat and cottage cheese with canned mandrin oranges. Now I get gourmet meals 3 times a day. He just recently asked me to start chipping in to the food budget. I said that was fine, but I might have to go back to buying canned food because it's cheaper... (I'm kidding). In any case, my point is - I don't care much about food. But I care A LOT about how food looks.

Now that I have made my point about my lack of interest in food... I will completely contradict myself and say that this cake:6" and 14" Belgian milk chocolate cakes filled with Hazelnut pastry cream and whipped Belgian Milk chocolate ganache - is one of the best things I've ever tasted in my entire life. Only Kay from Beaux Gateaux could make me say that. Okay, it seems that the people at Butterfly Cakes are on par with Kay. But lucky for me, Butterfly Cakes is on maternity leave in June 2007. So that's one less vendor appointment.

And with respect to how the cake will look: Iridescent spiral drape on 14", edged in thin ribbons accented with silver and burgundy and bordered with silver ribbon; top three cakes with carved "waists", silver ribbon borders have silver fleur de lis and burgundy dots; fresh flowers to be provided by florist. If I could paste a picture here, I would. However, I don't have one. You will have to imagine what it looks like, from the words. I will say that the cake design was inspired by my dress. I sent the dress photo to Kay ahead of time, and it appeared that she did nothing but dream about how my amazing dress design could and would be translated into a cake design in the intervening 7 or so days.

Oh yes, and for those of you who think you might not want to eat the most amazing milk chocolate cake you've ever laid eyes on, then there will be this: 8" and 10" Italian cream cakes filled with Vanilla bean pastry cream and Key lime mousse, all serving 130; stacked on 18" board; all enrobed in white fondant. It's a win-win. I'm eating the chocolate. And I think I will request that the entire top layer of the cake (which is milk chocolate) be hand-delivered to my hotel room that night. And I will not bother photographing it before I eat it :)

Today we me with a photographer, and in some of her photos of past weddings we noticed that people had chosen to serve cup cakes! Can you imagine? Cupcakes are missed design opportunity. You simply cannot design a cupcake, the way you can design a "cake" serving 130 people. Have a look at Beaux Gateaux's website, and you will understand.