I am doing some styling and consulting for a local bakery that’s excited about offering Colorado brides wedding cakes. Mid-way through a conversation the other day, it came up that she makes a croquembouche. I was so excited. I’ve seen them from time to time on wedding and party blogs, but wasn’t aware of anyone in the area willing to make one.

If you’ve never heard of or seen a croquembouche, you’re in for a treat. As Wikipedia describes, it’s a French cake or dessert often served at important celebrations, including weddings. It’s essentially a cone of cream puffs that are adhered to the structure with carmel and then usually decorated with threads of spun sugar and sometimes adorned with flowers, sugared almonds or ribbons.

They’re dramatic, beautiful and French. Need I really say more?

photos :: Martha Stewart Weddings, Scarlet Poppy, and Flickriver

Cake stands are all the range for weddings…and new homes. If you’re considering utilizing a stand to give your cake some height (from a design perspective, this can be a really good thing), you should check out Sarah’s Stands. They’re certainly wedding-worthy, but will also be a fun new addition to your new home!

 all from Sarah’s Stands via The Inspired Bride

“Thank you so much for everything, it was so much freaking fun!” That was the initial response from Caki when I wrote her to make sure she was ok with me posting their wedding photos. She captured it perfectly, their wedding was a ton of fun. It was, like all my favorites, perfectly the two of them.

They incorporated her father’s collection of glass lamps on the mantel of the fireplace at the front of the ceremony, Caki put her incredible graphic design skills to use and made all kinds of little cute paper touches and signs, they played off his last name, Cook, and their love of food and gave each guest a small tin of rub for meat, they brought in a rockin’ gospel choir for their first dance and they laughed and played and were so much fun. It was truly a pleasure!

Photography: Adam & Imthiaz Photography
Venue: University Club, Denver 
Lighting: Decor ‘N More, Inc.
Floral Design: Cori Cook Floral Design
Mini Desserts:  Happy Cakes
Wedding Day Coordination: Talia Events

I had a great time putting together the ModYarn styled shoot with some of Denver’s incredible wedding vendors earlier this spring and am equally as thrilled to have it published today on the popular wedding blog, Style Me Pretty. Take a look!

photo by Keri Doolittle Photography

This Style File was created for a couple planning a destination wedding in Vail next July. They live in Northern California and love vacationing in wine country. When we first spoke, the bride mentioned that she doesn’t really have favorite colors and didn’t really want to have wedding colors. She does, however, envision a classic wedding of white, grey and a few touches of black.

With these and a number of other pieces of information in mind, I created a Style File I affectionately called Just Tipsy. I wanted to be sure that the idea of incorporating wine into their reception didn’t mean that the entire thing was drowning in a wine theme per se. As I wrote:

…I’m imagining just a tipsy-ish touch of wine with fresh, summery white flowers and green grapes rather than red and just a few touches of cork and wine bottles. The inclusion of wine is subtle ensuring that it’s not a ―drunken‖ wine themed wedding, but rather a beautiful, crisp, Colorado affair that shows off the wine and wine country you love.

These are photos of just a couple of my favorite ideas:

It may be tough to see, but this cake stand is actually filled with moss and foliage. My idea is to create a similar stand to give some height and depth to their small cake, but fill it with wine corks the bride’s collected over the years.

Using wineglass tags for escort/place cards would create consistency and give guests something to talk about as they’re headed to their seats for dinner.

This is just a glimpse into this couple’s Just Tipsy Style File. Give Talia Events a call or send us an e-mail to discuss creating one for you and your big day!

photos from top: Design Sponge, Green Wedding Shoes, and This Wine is Mine.

I was often asked if I was planning my own wedding. I did and as you can imagine, loved the process. But, practicing as I preach, Chelsey came in to coordinate the day. She was, as always, incredible! I know I’m biased, but I can’t tell you how nice it was to sit back and just enjoy the day and not worry if everything was in order and flowing correctly. Again, I’m biased, but hire a Wedding Planner!

Now, for the day’s details…

Flowers

As I mentioned on Monday, I was really excited about our wedding flowers. I have always found myself drawn to the fillers and “stuff” more than any particular flower. In talking with Cori Cook, a dear friend and our Floral Designer, I found myself saying that I just knew I wanted lots of stuff over and over again.

And stuff she delivered! Our bouquets were a mix of cabbage/garden roses, tuberose, heather and lots of interesting, textural stuff tied with simple velvet ribbons. If I’m honest, I didn’t want to put mine down I loved it so much!

As you saw yesterday, the centerpieces followed suit with a mix of flowers and textural fillers. The pew decorations were clusters of heather and green wheat embraced by burlap and trails of printed cotton fabrics and at the end of the aisle two large barrels were topped with silver vases filled with a mix of flowers.

Each flower girl carried a wreath of significant flowers or herbs down the aisle. There was rosemary for remembrance, wheat for friendliness, heather for wishes to come true and stock for a happy life. For the littlest of the bunch, it proved to be a great toy during the ceremony!

Dessert

Sal and I decided to indulge our guests in a few of our favorite and a few traditional desserts. I love French Macarons and Paula at Teacup Shop created some fabulous fall-flavored treats. They were salted carmel, tiramisu (in reference to Sal’s Italian heritage), and chocolate mole. Additionally, she baked a number of pear and apple tarts and a mix of fall-flavored cakes. My mother baked a traditional Norwegian cake called a kransakake as homage to my Norwegian heritage. Sal’s mother created bundles of Jordan almonds Italians call “confetti” and give out at celebrations.

Little things

Our ring bearer bowl was actually an antique drinking bowl from my grandfather’s family in Norway. One of our ring bearers carried and the other, his sippy cup—ah, the agenda of a two year-old! He stole our hearts!

Our guest book was a wooden bench that will sit on our porch for years to come.

Hay bales, luminaries and the bridesmaids’ bouquets decorated the building’s stage.

I wore a charm bracelet of photos of our grandparents and loved ones who had either passed or weren’t able to join us for the day. It was our way to bring them close in spirit.

My mother made several strings of pennant flags to indicate the path for our guests.

It was a day of details, all of which were in some way important to the two of us, even the sippy cup!

photography: Tyler Jones Photography

cinematography: Rising Moon Video Productions

flowers: Cori Cook Floral Design

location: Planet Bluegrass, Lyons, CO

catering: Greens Point Catering

cake and desserts: Teacup Shop

makeup: makeup by janine

hair: Girls and Curls

bride’s dress: Jenny Yoo from Anna Be Bridal Boutique

wedding design and planning: Talia Events

It seems that people are either sweet or savory. I am clearly a sweet lover. I will choose chocolate, a brownie, a Snickers bar or a spoonful of Nutella over chips, cheese and crackers, pretzels or even fries any day. For those who are savory lovers, however, there’s a budding trend of replacing or adding a cheese cake to a traditional wedding cake.

Shaped similarly to a tiered wedding cake, a cheese cake is simply made out of a series of cheese rounds. I don’t know of anyone in Colorado making cheese cakes, but am sure someone could if we asked.

What do you think? Do you like it?

found on Polka Dot Bride

Sarah and Sunny gave Talia Events a call just a couple months before their summer wedding. They had taken care of a good deal of the pre-planning, but needed our help refining their wedding’s design and assistance with some last-minute logistics. 

They chose to get married at Pastures of Plenty, a working farm just outside of Boulder that hosts weddings, dinners and gatherings. Sarah at Painted Primrose created brightly colored bouquets and floral arrangements to infuse the day with an understated Asian influence. Each centerpiece was designed in a low glass bowl with a sloping bed of rocks, like a beach. In the water at one end, we placed a floating candle and at the other a Ikebana-inspired floral arrangement. The cake from Shamane’s Bake Shoppe carried on the bright red with a band of ribbon around each layer and fresh flowers adorning the top.

Guests were treated to cookie favors. Each guest picked up a small bag that they were invited to fill with a few of the couple’s favorite cookies.

It was a pleasure working with the two of them to create a day that was refined, yet rustic, made the best of the scenery around Boulder and was indicative of their roots.  Congratulations Sarah and Sunny, thanks for making Talia Events a part of your Boulder wedding! 

photography :: Wayne Yuan Photography
flowers :: Painted Primrose
venue :: Pastures of Plenty Farm
cake :: Shamane’s Bake Shop
wedding planning :: Talia Events

Slice, a bakeshop in Longmont, CO is giving away a wedding cake to one lucky couple getting married next year. Here’s the story from their blog:

Slice – The Designer Cake Studio is pleased to announce a wedding cake give-a-way for 2011!!  As we wrap up 2010, this has been an amazing year, but I can’t help but look forward to 2011 – but I’m also looking for someone to win the cake of their dreams!

What’s the Prize?

A wedding cake for the lucky bride and groom will be delivered anywhere in Colorado within the 2011 calendar year.   The lucky couple does not have to live in Colorado, but the reception venue must be here.  No limitations on size here, folks!

How do I enter?

Entries must be received by Dec. 1st, 2010.  I want you to tell me (show me) what the cake of your dreams looks like!!  Please feel free to submit a sketch, computer rendering, photograph – you name it.  I want this cake to reflect your style – Be unique!    You’re welcome to include a story about why you want to win, why you want Slice to make your cake, or how/why you chose this design – but it’s not necessary to win.

Visit their blog for more details and information about how to enter.

It was truly a pleasure to be a part of Michelle and Eric’s wedding! We could gush about them as people and about their friends and family–they are just delightful!

They got married in late July in a beautiful outdoor ceremony at Sunrise Amphitheater in Boulder. Festivities continued into the evening at Rembrandt Yard in Boulder. Their wedding was beautifully adorned by Cori and April at Cori Cook Floral Design and captured magnificiently by Becky from Becky Young Photography.

wedding coordination :: Talia Events

photography :: Becky Young Photography

floral design :: Cori Cook Floral Design

wedding ceremony location :: Sunrise Amphitheater, Boulder

wedding reception location :: Rembrandt Yard, Boulder

hair and makeup :: Girls and Curls

catering :: Greens Point Catering

DJ :: Tip Top Music Entertainment