Blog, Cakes
I wrote a blog a few months ago, all about the Naked Wedding Cake phenomenon that took over Wedding Cake designs around 2015, but I thought I’d update the hints and tips I mentioned before, as the Naked Wedding Cake idea has shifted sideways a little and I wanted to give you some fresh ideas. You can read the last blog here for some inspiration >> CLICK HERE
I am excited to say that couples are being drawn to the ‘Semi Naked’ style of Wedding Cake, which is a brilliant move in my opinion for several reasons, which I’ll explain later in this blog.
Semi Naked Wedding Cake with fresh flower arrangements at The Carriage Hall
What is the difference between Naked and Semi-Naked Wedding Cakes?
Let me explain the differences between a Naked and a Semi Naked Wedding Cake, in case you’re confused
A Naked Cake is just that…. Naked!
All of the layers are visible, the fillings and sponges are open to the elements, but that’s the beauty of the design for some couples, especially those who don’t like the taste of traditional icing.
Naked Wedding Cake at The Vicarage Boutique Hotel
A Semi Naked Wedding cake has a layer of buttercream coating to the outer surface.
The thickness of this buttercream layer can differ to meet each couple’s personal choice.Scraped back to a minimum or thicker, with some areas of the sponge beneath visible as part of the overall design, even this simplistic style has plenty of choices to think abou,t to ensure you get the best look for your style of wedding.
Semi Naked Wedding Cake with silk flowers & Moon Arch at Shottle Hall
The biggest consideration when choosing to go naked or semi-naked
There is one big thing to be aware of if you go fully naked (oh er!) and that is about how long your cake will be displayed because the longer it is out on display, the drier it will become because of the way the cake is made up. Let me explain.
As well as the visual differences, the addition of a layer of buttercream that creates the Semi Naked look has other benefits when it comes to displaying your Wedding Cake, and the final taste.
With a semi-naked cake, the buttercream coating acts like a barrier to the air. It helps to keep the moisture of the sponge where it’s most important… in the cake! By its own nature, a Naked Cake doesn’t have this protection from the elements because there is nothing covering the sponge, causing it to dry out if it’s displayed for too long, which doesn’t give the best impression when it’s eaten. With a semi-naked cake, a buttercream coating will crust, but that’s another taste sensation for your guests to enjoy really. This shouldn’t necessarily put your off having a naked cake, but it is something to be considered if you are planning on having your cake out on display for the day.
Semi Naked Wedding Cake with sugar flower arrangements & resin cake topper at The Carriage Hall
Let’s talk decorative style next
The decorative style for both Naked and Semi Naked Wedding Cakes is very much the same.
Fresh flowers always make a fabulous display on any cake, but they seem to suit the Naked & Semi Naked style wedding cakes to perfection. A full floral cascade or smaller, more delicate, perfectly placed arrangements look stunning and can be designed to match your colour scheme and bouquet choice.
Let’s talk flavours and the visual impact
One huge tip to share with you when designing your Semi Naked Wedding Cake is your flavour choices.
Let’s say you want a dark chocolate layer in your cake. The colour of the sponge would mean that you would have a dark layer in the visual look of the cake, which will have a huge impact on the way the cake looks.
Having the dark parts peeping out from under the buttercream layer also makes that sponge look burnt… not the sort of impression you want to give!
With this in mind, I like to steer my couples away from this choice, or look about how we can build it in as part of the intentional design.
But don’t worry if your dream wedding cake includes a chocolate tier, as we can always do a ‘cutting cake’ for you, which goes straight to the kitchen at your Venue, solely to be cut and served as part of your evening buffet, which is generally when the rest of your cake is offered to guests.
Semi Naked Wedding Cake with Moon Arch at The Nottinghamshire
Naked and Semi Naked cakes may look simple, as most people see that with them not having a traditional iced surface, or time consuming decorations, they don’t take long to put together.
In reality, it’s quite the opposite, as the making and construction of Naked and Semi Naked Wedding Cakes need to be very last minute to ensure that everything is fresh for you and your guests to enjoy on the day and afterwards too… if there’s any left of course!
Any fresh flowers used to decorate the cake also need to be in perfect condition, so are usually arranged as the cake is delivered and set in place. [Read the blog about using flowers on your cake here .
Thoughts of a cake designer
For me, semi-naked wins every time. I think the layer of buttercream makes the cake look more like a Wedding Cake. Whether it’s a thin smear, leaving lots of visible sponge beneath, or a thick, luscious layer, the pale coating gives the whole design a cohesive, elegant look.
I even have a magic trick that makes the buttercream whiter. By its nature, buttercream has a yellow tinge to it, which isn’t the best background for a lot of colours, so it’s possible to tone this outer layer down, giving a whiteness to the coating and a more pleasing finish to your Wedding Cake.
Buttercream coated Wedding Cake with sugar flower cascade
My last blog described the difference between using fresh, silk or sugar flowers on Wedding Cakes, which will hopefully help you with the decoration options available to you. http://www.icedandspliced.com/flowersonyourweddingcake/
But I’m always happy to chat through ideas and make suggestions that will result in you having the Wedding Cake you’ve always dreamed of
Drop me an email, or a message through social media, whichever is easier for you. I’m here to help in any way I can.
Jo
x
Blog, Cakes
Should I have Sugar Flowers or Fresh Flowers on my Wedding Cake?
Flowers often play such a big part of a wedding, with the beautiful textures, colour tones and fragrance they add to the day. Using the same flowers and colours throughout your entire wedding gives the whole day a cohesive, well planned elegance. And the flowers you use for your wedding help create a lasting memory, when you see them or smell them years down the line you are reminded of your wedding day. I adore flowers and often have a fresh vase of them in my home.
In the blog today I wanted to talk about using wedding flowers on your wedding cake, looking at the impact flowers have on your Wedding Cake design and the options available to you.
Split wedding cake with silk flowers at Shottle Hall
Using Fresh Flowers to dress your Wedding Cake
Using fresh flowers on your Wedding Cake allows your Florist and Cake Designer to work as a team, making sure that all flowers match perfectly.
Bouquets to buttonholes, table centre to floral arrangements or cascades for your cake, the same shades and shapes create a polished, cohesive finish and this adds to the flow of your day.
There are some things to consider when using fresh flowers on your cake.
As a lot of flowers aren’t edible, with some even being poisonous, so you have to be very careful with your floral decorations when it comes to them coming into contact with the cake itself.
There is specialist equipment that cake designers can use to make sure no sap or petals touch any part of the cake surface, without affecting the scrummy taste of the cake, so ask your cake maker how they’d resolve the problem, keeping your Wedding Cake 100% safe. We have used this with couples where they are set on the flowers they want on the cake.
Semi Naked wedding cake with fresh flower cascade at The Nottinghamshire
From my many years (I am not revealing my age here…) of experience, florists can be a little nervous of dressing wedding cakes for fear that they will dislodge a tier or have some minor (or major) disaster! So when I work with a couple who do want to use fresh flowers, I will always try to position the flowers myself, with the style that the couple are looking for in mind. This makes everyone less nervous (me included!).
I know how the cake is constructed, the correct items to use to prevent contamination, but most importantly, I’ve worked on the cake design with that couple and know exactly what they have envisaged their dream Wedding Cake to look like.
Close up of sugar roses & foliage at The Nottinghamshire
Let’s talk about sugar flowers – my love language!
Sugar Flowers are my passion. Even after 25 years of making them, I’m still learning new techniques and ways to make them look as realistic as possible. The results are just amazing!
By their nature, they’re edible, although sugar flowers can have some wires or hidden centre to create the correct dimensions and shapes, but there’s never any poisonous sap to worry about.
Sugar flowers can take hours to make and a lot of skill.
From cutting, shaping and drying the petals, to dusting them to create depth and textures of the real thing, the intricacies of a flower are time consuming, but so worth the effort. I can really get lost in my sugar flower world when I am making them. It is intense work!
4 tier wedding cake with sugar flower cascade & fresh flower cushion at Osmaston Park
If I’m making sugar flowers to match real flowers used elsewhere in your wedding, I like to liaise with your Florist, so I can get a comprehensive list of all of the flowers, foliage and colours they plan to use and make sure that the edible versions match those in your bouquet and other major parts of your Bridal flowers as much as possible. This little bit of extra effort from me, really adds extra wow to your day.
If there are any last minute hitches with getting the fresh flowers originally planned, having sugar flowers that would have matched your ideal flower means that you still get to have them at your wedding – just edible instead!
Everything in your wedding can be planned like a military operation, but every now and then the fresh flowers arrive and aren’t the shade expected.
It’s no one’s fault. Flowers are a natural thing and although a specific shade is asked for, the flowers may not develop the expected intensity or size.
There has also been the odd occasion where a particular bloom isn’t even available on the date they’re ordered for, due to problems with growers, the weather or not arriving with your Florist in tip top condition.
Cupcake tower with fresh & sugar flowers at Swancar Farm
As a Sugar Artist, I know the delicacy of the flowers I make, so I often leave their construction until a few days before the wedding, during the final stages of the Wedding Cake’s creation.
This allows me to position the flowers while their petals are still slightly pliable, avoiding breakages as the petals are thin and fragile. It also allows the arrangement to dry naturally in place, creating a realisticflow.
But the main benefit of my working in this way means that it allows me to touch base with your Florist to check that the planned flowers and shades are still on track, or if any little changes need to be made as a flower has had to be swapped to an alternative at the eleventh hour. Only if you want it to be of course.
Top Tips from a Wedding Cake designer
If fresh flowers are the direction you want to use for your wedding cake, I’d always recommend giving your Florist the image that your cake design is based around. That way they know exactly what your end goal is and how many flowers they need to quote you for and have available for your cake designer on the day, so your cake vision is waiting for you as you enter your Wedding Breakfast room.
Asking for ‘Some flowers for the cake’ won’t give you what you are looking for and your florist will be unsure as to how many you need. Flowers for a cake that will serve 30 people will be much different to a cake that serves 90.
I know from experience that having three flowers and a couple of sprigs of leaves isn’t going to create the dramatic cascade you may have in your vision.
Blush Pink ruffle wedding cake, with sugar flower cascade at Swancar Farm
Your cake designer will have their own portfolio of images to wow you with, giving you options they have worked on in the past for real flowers and sugar flowers so have that conversation with them to get what works for you. or
As a sugar artist, I will admit that I do a happy dance each time a couple ask me to create the flowers for their wedding cake in sugar.
But I’m also very happy to work with silk or fresh flowers too, as it’s your cake and your style I’m here to create for you.
Naked wedding cake with fresh flowers at Shottle Hall
Naked wedding cake with sugar flowers at Swancar Farm
So, if you have any questions you’d like to ask or want to find out more about what I do and how I can help you create your dream wedding, please feel free to ask
Get in touch and let’s have a chat >>> http://www.icedandspliced.com/contact/
Blog, Venue Styling
How do you pick your perfect Wedding colour scheme?
When it comes to picking the colour palette for your wedding, where do you start? Do you base things on your favourite shade? Could your future spouse insist that the colour of their football team is included in the wedding? Or do you pick a colour to complement the season your wedding is set in, to allow flower selections to fit nicely into the scheme too?
The honest answer is YES… to all of the above.
It’s your wedding, so you get to pick whatever you want.
Plum, Ivory & Lilac Colour Scheme at Shottle Hall
In saying that, there are some things to consider to ensure that you have a colour scheme that works well and in this blog post I am going to share with you some things to consider when choosing the colour palette that will run through your day.
1. Look at the decoration & colours within your chosen Venue.
Your venue will likely have a certain aesthetic, whether that be modern and contemporary, traditional, quirky, or plain and simple. It is important to consider the canvas in which you are placing your colours.
Will the wallpaper and soft furnishings that are already in place clash with the colours you are considering?
Will the carpet clash with the tones of colour you have been thinking about?
If the venue has a certain style already in place, I would often suggest looking at neutral colours for your chair dressings and centerpieces to ensure that the design elements you have chosen are not lost in the noise of the room.
Work with the space you have by dressing stationary items, like tables and chairs, in muted colours, while the more mobile parts of a wedding… also known as Bridesmaids… can wear the colour you love.
When I first start working with a couple we get straight down to where they are having their wedding so that I can suggest colour palettes that will work well with both the venue and the uniqueness of the couple. There are clever ways you can bring colour or elements in your day without it taking over the entire theme.
Blush Pink & sparkle at The Nottinghamshire
2. Colours can be arranged into ‘warm’ & ‘cool’ tones.
This is something I like to go into detail about during a consultation meeting.
Putting colours into the same tonal group helps to make sure that all colours really do complement each other. If you’re really stuck with what to use as an accent colour for your day, have a look at a ‘colour wheel’ (just google it and you will see one!)
This is a great tool for checking that the colours you’re drawn to sit well together. I bet you didn’t think it was so involved, choosing that perfect colour palette – it is one of my favourite things to do!
So, how does a colour wheel work?
Colours that sit side by side are ‘complementary’ to each other, meaning that shades of those colours blend well, giving a pleasing effect to the overall look of the colour together – they just work well together.
Colours that are opposite each other are known as ‘contrasting’ colours. They still work well together, but neither is a dominant shade.
Think about the way you decorate your home. Choosing colours for the walls and the furnishing so they just “work” well together, they flow, they complement each other. This is what we are doing with your wedding scheme.
Navy & Blush Pink at Shottle Hall
3. If you have a specific theme in mind for your wedding, your colour palette will probably be led by any colours that are linked to that style.
For example, Rustic weddings tend to have a neutral undertone, using burlap, twine & natural shades. This tends to be the colour palette that naturally unfolds when you have a wedding of this style. You can also incorporate colour into this theme through by using coloured hessian which gives an instant pop of colour. Rustic doesn’t have to be all twigs and berries if you don’t want it to – you can blend the style with other complementary styles. I’ve loved adding some glamour to our woodland inspired wedding designs by introducing subtle bling to the centrepieces and details.
It may be that you want to theme your wedding around your favourite film or TV series and you can have lots of fun doing that. Again, it is important to look at the space you are dressing to make sure that the styles match together and you can either go all in and theme in a big way or you can include little nods to references of a film, TV series or football team for example by adding in some subtle elements without it taking over the entire colour palette and style.
We can look at ways to include your favourite things in interesting ways to represent you as a couple, while giving your guests something interesting to read or wonder about – a great conversation starter!
Harry Potter themed colours at The Nottinghamshire
Marcel DC Inspired Reveal Cake
Tips from a Venue Stylist
I’d always recommend adding a splash of your chosen colour to your tables for the Wedding Breakfast, this really helps to tie the day together. This could be the same as your bridesmaid dresses or a complementary colour (remember the science of the colour wheel!)
It also helps deal with a vast expanse of white table linen which can overwhelm some centerpieces, or makes the table look lacklustre. You want a polished finish for every part of your wedding day.
Unless your colour scheme is white, adding runners to you tables, which match your chair dressings, breaks up the plainness of a table, drawing the eye towards the centre and all of the prettiness on display there.
Using accent colours on your table stationery and favours adds detail, but in a subtle way.
All White elegance at Shottle Hall
Personally, I’m drawn to certain colours, which you may see in my branding.
There tends to be a trend in the colour palette on my social media feeds too, but that’s all down to what our couples decide to choose.
I’ll admit that I do do a little happy dance every time a Bride mentions the immortal words ‘Blush Pink.
Throw in ‘with a Navy accent’ and I’m in colour heaven.
The term ‘pale and interesting’ really resonates with me.
I immediately imagine elegant drapes, muted tones and lots of florals and twinkly candlelight.
I recently invested in some gorgeous books about the anatomy of colour and how they blend and work together. It’s amazing to learn about the origins of colours, how they were developed and the history behind them.
I’m enjoying learning new ideas on how to mix palettes, with more meaning.
This knowledge helps me to help you in finding the right ways to include your favourite shades into your dream wedding day, making everything a true reflection of the two of you.
If you would like to chat about how to put your colours together, along with other little bits of advice, please let do get in touch and we can arrange a consultation www.icedandspliced.com/contact
Happy colour planning!
Jo
x
Blog, Cars
“The car’s here!!!!”
A rally cry often heard by our team of highly experienced I Do Wedding Cars Chauffeurs, the two Tony’s, Trevor & Pete.
It means that all the morning’s preparations, preening, hair curling and dress steaming has come to an end, and if you haven’t already been strapped into your gown, you need to get a wiggle on.
Suddenly people are clamouring for help to get into their shoes, or making sure they have their lipstick topped up and have the correct bouquet, before pouring out of the door,heading off for the exciting part of the day – the “I Dos!”.
At that point the quiet descends. You are there, looking beautiful in your stunning dress, just you and whoever is walking you down the aisle. The quiet. The last few moments you will be known as a Miss.
I remember all of these emotions from my own wedding day 25 years ago. Total chaos when we realised the time had passed so quickly and we only had minutes left to get to the Church on time. It all added to the excitement!
Ready for the ceremony at Prestwold Hall in Elanor
These minutes of quiet help to centre your thoughts.
Anxiety and excitement in equal measures. Not wanting to sit down for too long in case you crease. Twitching the curtains to see if the car has returned and when it does it is time to go.
This journey is very special. Not only are you on your way to marry the love of your life, but you get that brief period of time with the person giving you away. In my case, that was my Dad and I don’t think I’ve seen him as proud of me than in that moment. Apparently he cried like a baby walking me down the aisle. I was too fixated on getting to the Altar without blubbering myself that I didn’t notice.
My Dad & I arriving at Church
Another enjoyable benefit of having a Bridal Car on your wedding day is the ‘escape’ journey between the Church and your Reception Venue after you have said your “I Do’s”.
Just the two of you. No one telling you how fabulous you look (which obviously you do). No one trying to kiss you, then dabbing frantically at the lipstick mark they’ve left on your cheek.
This is the time to sit back and take it all in.
You’re married!!
The formal part is done. You can relax and enjoy the celebrations you’ve been planning for so long.
Even if you have a Civil Ceremony planned, having your Bridal Car remain for photos after the ceremony and an ‘escape’ journey factored into your timings adds some alone time for you both.
Photos of a stolen kiss, enjoying a bottle of something fizzy to help you chill a little and a private chat about the events of the morning before the wedding are all precious memories.
I loved our journey in the car we booked. The car rattled a little, but I’m sure at the same age as she was, I’ll rattle a little too.
The photos of the two of us in the car, just before leaving the Church, are my favourites. It is a physical reminder of how happy we were on that day and how much we loved each other. And still do! Soppy I know but those stolen moments on the day, where it was just us, were so so special.
Pete & I on our wedding day
I know I’m bias when it come to Bridal Cars, as we have three of the most beautiful Vintage cars to offer our couples.
We didn’t have our own cars when we got married, but in a strange turn of events, we have worked with the company we hired our car from on other weddings since having our own fleet. I like to think that we’ve come full circle in our journey to where we are today. I know that the experience we had as a newly married couple, sitting in the back of our bridal car, has been a memory that is still fresh today and it is one of the reasons we decided to add bridal cars to our services because we want our couples to feel like we did on that first journey as husband and wife.
Having a car whisk you to and from your ceremony adds so many memorable moments to your day. I really can’t recommend enough considering adding a Bridal Car to your wedding plans.
Elanor, Evie & Bonnie at Swancar Farm
The Happy Couple arriving at their reception in Elanor
A special moment at Prestwold Hall
The Bridal Party in transit in Evie & Bonnie
As you know, I love talking about all things wedding. So if you have any questions about our Bridal Cars, what the service includes and how having a car can add to your day, or any of our other services for that matter, please feel free to contact me through the website, on social media messenger or email.
How to book your bridal car with us
- You can look at images of our Bridal cars on our bridal car website www.idoweddingcars.uk
- Each car has its own dedicated page, complete with an availability calendar, so you can check if your preferred car is available for your date. It’s a good idea to check with us though, in case we’re holding a car for a couple while they put the final pieces of their jigsaw together before confirming their booking – you can do that by just emailing us through the website.
- Some information I’d need to be able to give you a quote would be the date, approx collection time, ceremony & reception addresses, with a postcode if possible so I know I have the right place. A list of who you’d like to transport would be ideal too. That’s Bridesmaids, & anyone else that may need to be taken ahead of you & the person giving you away. If you don’t know those details, don’t worry, we can still have a chat and we can talk you through what normally happens – you know, those logistical questions you may have. Last little question is about the age of younger Bridesmaids. Are any under the age of 3 years old?
- This lets me know exactly what you need on your day, allows me to suggest the correct car or cars for the event, along with a cost and explanation of the service you’d get by booking an I Do Wedding Cars vintage Bridal car.
Of course, if you do have any questions, just reach out and we are here, I’m here to help in any way I can, especially during these unusual & difficult times as we navigate Covid-19
The Happy Couple arriving at Stubton Hall in Elanor
Blog, Cakes
Love is sweet, so take a treat.. Or maybe a Cake Pop?
Some words of love from me to you today if you have been affected in any way by Covid-19 and if you have had to move your wedding date. It is an emotional time right now and having to change plans can be stressful but never lose sight that you will marry the love of your life when the time is right and your love for each other won’t change, even if your date has to.
Let’s lift the spirits and talk about my favourite thing – something yummy! Perhaps this will get you thinking about how you can improve the plans you already have in place, of what you can add if your budget will stretch that little bit further now you’ve more time to look at options.
Purple Cake Pops and Sweet Table at Shottle Hall
Sweet Treats with our beautiful Candy Pantry
Offering your guests a sweet treat doesn’t have to involve a cart. A simple table full of colour coordinated sugary goodness is as much of a feast for the eyes (and the tummy!).
Our ‘Candy Pantry’ table service is designed to offer more than just cola bottles and strawberry laces in jars. We can dress the area in line with your venue style, options include beautiful silver containers, champagne buckets and vintage style steps to display your perfect combination of sweet treats! What is your childhood favourite? What can you not resist? These are always good choices! We have an extensive sweet list, supplemented with dessert style extras, including, mini doughnuts and pop corn for those with a more savoury tooth!
Designed around your own colour palette, with the addition of our unique mini cupcakes and colour coordinated cake pops, the Candy Pantry is so much more than a table of sweets. It can be truly customised and designed to your requirements, making it a really flexible way to add some more yummy treats and personalisation to your day.
Crystal Cupcake stand with Mini Cupcakes as part of a Candy Pan…lham House Hotel
Cake Pops for your favours
Another way to add some yummy gorgeousness to your day is to have sweet treats as your favours. How about Cake Pops! Something for your guests to devour during speeches, or to cure those midnight hunger pangs in the cab home after a night of celebrating at your Reception?
Colour coordinated to your scheme the options can be totally designed to your requirements. Perhaps chocolate covered or sprinkles for the sugary crunch! They’re a lovely way to add some colour to your place setting and look gorgeous in photographs. Your photographer will love snapping these little details.
A few ideas – A Cake Pop favour dusted with edible Rose Gold at Colwick Hall and a Silver sprinkle Cake Pop with matching name on Blush Runner.
Pink Cake Pop with Navy ribbon at each place setting at Shottle Hall
They can also double up as place cards!
Your cake pops can even have a small tag attached to the ribbon that we use to secure them in their tiny cellophane bags (colour coordinated of course), so the pops become a Place Card as well as a favour. The Cake Pops are such a versatile addition to any table.
As a favour, as part of a full sweet table, or as a styled Dessert Table arranged around your cake, they’re sure to make your guests drool.
Wedding Cake & Dessert Table display at The Folly at The Farmhouse
Not just for the kids!
If you’re considering having a sweet display, but don’t think it will be visited much as you aren’t inviting that many children to your wedding… stop right there.
It’s not the kids who go mad for the sugar rush… it’s the adults!
When was the last time you bought some cola cubes for yourselves? Or whatever you childhood favourite was (chocolate limes for me)!
The aftermath of a Candy Pantry is a joy to behold. Finding empty buckets, or a stray marshmallow randomly cast aside is a sign that everyone enjoyed the treats to the maximum.
My job is complete and all who saw it enjoyed it too.
I also like to think of the pictures your photographer will be able to capture – Granny looking cheeky sneaking another marshmallow!
Some examples of Simple Cake Pop displays – the options are endless!
I hope the images attached have got your mind whirling with possibilities. If you’d like more information about our Candy Pantry or Cake Pop favours, then please do drop us a note here http://www.icedandspliced.com/contact/ and I can send you some more information and we can look at options in a style that would fit perfectly with your day.
If you have any questions at all right now then please do reach out. We are here for you.
With love
Blog
What exactly is a ‘Consultation’?
There is so much to think about when it comes to planning your Wedding. People will ask if you’ve done this, that and the other, which can lead you to feeling overwhelmed and under immense pressure to tick all the wedding boxes.
But if you approach Wedding Planning in an order that makes sense to you and what pops up as the most important things on your Wedding Wishlist, there’s no reason why planning your big day can’t be a pleasurable experience.
Ceremony dressing at Kelham House
That’s where our Iced & Spliced consultation process can help you, as it is designed to take the stress out of all those ideas spinning around in your head.
But what is a Consultation all about? And what happens during one?
It’s nothing scary. There’s no obligation to book either, although I do hope you see the benefits of using one supplier for multiple services (Read blog here), love what we offer and book on the spot of course…lol!
The consultation takes place in our purpose-built Showroom, which is part of our home and has all our sashes and drapes available to view, along with some of our popular centrepieces too. It’s a really relaxed way to talk about your wedding and what we can offer to help you create your dream wedding, without any horrible pushy salesy stuff, (neither Pete or I are like that!).
Crystal Candelabra with floral dressing at Iced & Spliced by Cakey Wakey
You get to meet George, our wonderful Coffee machine (yes, we have given him a name as he is essentially a key part of the team!!). If Coffee isn’t your preferred tipple, we have you covered so don’t worry – not that you are coming for the drink but it is good to know!
Once you’re settled on the sofa, we get down to essential information, such as your date and venue. It seems such a simple thing, but knowing your venue helps me to visualise the spaces you’ll be using and what to suggest what would work best for your colour palette, table scapes and styling. We work with so many of the venues that our couples get married at, we know them inside out so can really help you make the right choices.
We move on to images you may have saved on Pinterest or from magazines, things that you like and we talk about what your dream wedding would look like. Again, this helps me to see what inspires you and how we can get it from your head and into the real world.
Meeting space at Iced & Spliced by Cakey Wakey
To really help you visualise your ideas, I have a couple of the chairs used by our most popular venues, so we can look at how your desired colour scheme sits against that style of chair. Our couples find this so helpful because it really starts to bring the vision to life and that is one of the reasons we offer free consultations as part of The Iced and Spliced Experience.
It can be beneficial to have your Bridesmaids gowns ordered at this point, as having one to hand, or at least a swatch of the fabric, let’s us look at our extensive range of sashes and drapes, allowing us to pick the closest shade or look at alternatives for a more neutral look, if there’s no immediate match. But if you are not that far down in your planning, that is fine, we can meet closer to the date to finalise the colours and the choices.
Seeing a chair being dressed before you, appreciating the attention to detail that goes into making them look perfect for you, helps you to relax, knowing that all these little design elements are in a safe and knowledgeable pair of hands. Mine! I dress every chair at every wedding and, let me tell you, it is not as easy as it may look! It is nice for you to know that the person dressing your wedding (me!) is wanting for it to be as perfect as possible
If you’re interested in our bespoke Wedding Cake service, we’ll chat about how many people you need the cake to feed, I explain some of the traditions around the Wedding Cake and we look at designs you like. Again we will look at anything you have seen that you like and we can design something that will fit perfectly with your styling and your budget. Oh, and the best bit, at the end of the consultation, you get to take a box of our delicious cake samples home with you! This way, you can share the tasting experience with family members who may want to help you with your selections, or could be paying for your Wedding Cake as your wedding gift. There are always family members who just can’t resist cake! You can of course eat them all yourself, just remembering which one you liked the best!
The Moon Arch Wedding Cake backdrop
The Iced & Spliced Experience
My aim is for you to leave your Consultation meeting feeling relaxed and excited, knowing that I ‘get’ what you want to achieve and what experience you want to give you guests, while enjoying the Best Day Ever.
Your detailed quote follows on a day or so after the consultation, along with any Mood Boards I design for you or details that we discussed. These help you during meeting with other colour based suppliers, like your Florist, as the visual aides help them to understand your desires too.
Bespoke Mood Board example
So, it’s not all as daunting as you thought. There are no obligations and no charges associated with us meeting for our chat. All you need to bring are any colour swatches you may have plus images of what you’d love your venue, chairs & Wedding Cake to look like on your big day and we will talk you through your options in a really relaxed and friendly setting.
Wedding Chair dressing designs at Shottle Hall
Fancy arranging a Consultation? Pop a message over on our contact form, or find us on Social Media, sending a message through your preferred platform and we can look for a time and date to get together.
Let’s get your first step into the #icedandsplicedexperience booked
P.S. I know you are wondering about George – here he is – all styled up as you would expect!
