While the setting varies from woman-to-woman, there’s a universal monologue that occurs to almost brides-to-be as she realizes this is the moment he’ll drop to one knee and pop the question. It’s a little dazed and confused — and a lot joyful. Here’s what it looks like.

1. Another beautiful day. The sun is shining, the birds are singing — I’m so glad my boyfriend suggested a trip to the beach.

2. But, wait. Why is he wearing a suit to the beach? I mean, I know it’s not exactly swimming weather, but jeez. Take it down a notch, buddy.

3. Why are we headed to the most secluded area possible? This is kind of weird.

4. And it’s actually a little windy. Maybe that’s why he’s jacket-clad. I think we should totally call it a day and head back to the car.

Photo: The Notey

5. OK, calm down, dude. We can totally hoof it another half mile while I freeze my buns off. No problem.

6. He’s digging in his pocket. He’s getting down on one knee. There’s a ring. Oh. My. God. This all makes sense now. I’m about to be proposed to!

7. Tears. So many tears.

8. And now, a complete blackout. I can see words are coming out of his mouth, but I’ll have to plead the fifth if anyone asks me what he actually said.

9. Why are you just staring at me? Oh! Yes! Of course yes. A thousand times yes!

10. Let’s call everyone we know. And let’s tell everyone we see on the walk back to the car. Hey! Look at my new ring that my fiancé gave me!

Photo: Cosmopolitan

12. OK, no more calls. We are the only two people in the world, and this is what Facebook’s for. *Changes status.*

13. So this ring is mine now? And I wear it on public transit every day? Without a bodyguard?

14. How do people take those ‘Pinteresty’ ring pics? Do I hold my hand in the air or put it on a table? Fingers together or separate? Wow, I never noticed that my fingers look like craggy witch fingers.

Capture

15. I should’ve gotten a manicure. Of course my left ring finger is the one that looks all chipped and shitty. Why couldn’t it have been you, right thumb?

16. Why do I look insane in all these Just Engaged selfies? Oh, because I’m grinning like the Cheshire goddamn cat instead of doing my perfectly rehearsed and controlled Picture Smile.

17. How do I tell my coworkers?

18. Wait, let’s give it a day to enjoy being engaged. I guess I don’t have to buy everything in the wedding ads all over my Facebook right this second.

19. I will stop staring at my hand. No, I won’t.

Photo: The Brides:

 

Article courtesy of : Brides
Cover Photo: The plunge

Being the bride at the end of a wedding means somehow balancing a desire to keep the party pumping with wanting to collapse from an extreme level of exhaustion. Don’t worry! You don’t have to be the last one standing. 

 

Photo by Weddingelation

All of a sudden toward the end of your wedding night, the exhaustion from months of planning and weeks of not sleeping is going to hit you like a runaway steam train. You probably think you’re going to want to party into the wee hours, but there will come a point in time when an ibuprofen and a huge glass of water never sounded so good. Hopefully, you’ll be having such a fantastic time that you won’t notice that pounding headache until you make it back to the wedding suite and sit down for the first time in hours, but with the week you’ve had, we wouldn’t be shocked if a few straggling guests were ready to keep the party going long after your bedtime. Lucky for you, the bride has a permanent pass card for the night, and excusing yourself at an appropriate time is more than acceptable.

 

When should the bride and groom leave the reception?
7% 1 hour before the reception is scheduled to end
2% 2 hours before the reception is scheduled to end
55% Stay till the very end
32% Stay till 30 minutes before the end
5% Other

 

The party won’t last long after the bride and groom leave. After all, you two are kind of the glue holding the whole operation together. So keep in mind that your departure in a way signals the end of the party to the rest of the guests. You’ve put plenty of time and money into planning this celebration, and you want them to enjoy every second. If you choose not to stay on the dance floor until the last song, which typically resembles a group rendition of “Piano Man” or anything by Frank Sinatra, then consider a formal send-off near the end of the evening, leaving guests to cap off the evening with 20 to 30 more minutes with the DJ and bar. Plus, this gives you an exit strategy to avoid any awkward questions from great aunts about wedding night ‘jitters’ or tipsy bridesmaids attempting to lure you to a local pub after the reception.

 

Photo by: Studio1250

 

Article Courtesy of: The Brides’s Katie Schroeder
Poll: Wedding Bee
Cover Photo: The Lovely Find

Make sure your menu looks as good as it tastes by opting for a food station at your reception or cocktail hour!

Wedding Food Bar Ideas: Bread Stand

 

A fruit stand featuring an array of fresh peaches, cherries, and oranges for guests to take home.

Wedding Food Bar Ideas: Fruit Stand

 

A build-your-own crostini station with breads, toppings, and sides served on wooden platters and earthy tableware.

Wedding Food Bar Ideas: Crostini Station

 

An olive oil tasting station with olives, bread, and dried fruit.

Wedding Food Bar Ideas: Olive Oil Tasting Station

 

A mac-and-cheese station with a hand-lettered chalkboard menu.

Wedding Food Bar Ideas: Mac and Cheese Bar

 

A cheese board featuring an assortment of apples, jams, walnuts, and grapes.

Wedding Food Bar Ideas: Cheese Wine Fruit Station

 

An ice sculpture raw bar featuring tiers of fresh crab legs and oysters.

Wedding Food Bar Ideas: Ice Sculpture Raw Bar

 

A build-your-own taco bar with fresh toppings like salsa, cilantro, lime, and onions.

Wedding Food Bar Ideas: Taco Bar

 

A vintage-inspired vegetable stand using re-purposed card-catalog drawers.

Wedding Food Bar Ideas: Vintage Inspired Vegetable Stand

 

A Cajun-themed menu featuring a tiered stand lined with glasses of seafood salad topped with blackened shrimp.

Wedding Food Bar Ideas: Seafood Stand

 

An array of paired cheeses served on standing silver forks.

Wedding Food Bar Ideas: Paired Cheese Fork Appetizers

 

An eclectic cheese-and-prosciutto station with assorted fruit displayed against a wall of wild succulents.

Wedding Food Bar Ideas: Cheese and Prosciutto Station

 

A modern sushi bar featuring an arrangement of sashimi, tuna rolls, and California rolls.

Wedding Food Bar Ideas: Sushi Bar

 

A rustic pizza station with pies served on a picnic table decorated with mason jar candles and potted plants.

Wedding Food Bar Ideas: Pizza Bar

 

A biscuit bar lined with honey and jams featuring a hand-lettered chalkboard sign and a hanging frame.

Wedding Food Bar Ideas: Biscuit Bar

 

A bread-and-cheese station with a chalkboard menu, bread baskets, and a vintage headboard backdrop.

Wedding Food Bar Ideas: Bread and Cheese Station

 

A retro-themed spud bar featuring potato wedges, baked potatoes, fries, and tater tots.

Wedding Food Bar Ideas: Spud Bar

 

A rustic bread, cheese, and charcuterie table decorated with a centerpiece of lush greenery and white peonies.

Wedding Food Bar Ideas: Bread Cheese Charcuterie Table

 

A crab cake station and bruschetta bar served on wooden platters.

Wedding Food Bar Ideas: Crab Cake Station

 

A farmer’s market-inspired vegetable stand featuring locally grown produce and assorted breads.

Wedding Food Bar Ideas: Vegetable Stand

 

A DIY french-fry station served in metal baskets with assorted dipping sauces.

Wedding Food Bar Ideas: French Fry Stand

 

Have your guests enjoy a Midwestern corn on the cob bar.

 

Hot chocolate bar

 

 

Courtesy of: Brides.com
Cover Photo courtesy of: alchemyfineevents

 

 

The language of wedding cakes can seem like a very strange beast indeed. Fondant, sugar flowers, ganache, petal dust … they’re all terms you’re going to come across in choosing your perfect cake. But what exactly do they mean?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t stress if you don’t know, as that’s where this glossary comes in – with a crash course in common terms that will guide you through the process of ombre, over the top and more. Let the sweetness begin…

Dragees

Dragees may sound like something that’s vaguely Scottish, but they’re not. Far from it in fact. They’re actually the little sugar balls used to decorate cakes. They commonly come in silver or gold but, as with anything modern weddings, bespoke creations can cover the full gamut of hues and of tastes.

 

Photo:  Cake-geek

Buttercream

Just like the name suggests, buttercream is a delicious blend of butter, sugar and eggs, which can be used as a delicious filling or as a rich type of icing. One of the drawbacks of using buttercream is that it does not withstand heat particularly well. That means you need to consider your venue before placing your order. Otherwise, you could end up with a melted wedding cake guaranteed to melt your good mood. But if you do have access to good air-conditioning, it’s rich, creamy and looks especially beautiful with a tint.

 

Photo: Bestofnj

Fondant

Fondant is a type of sugar dough which is fairly elastic and can be used to cover cakes to ensure a beautifully smooth finish. It can also be embossed to create texture or to add draping and moulded elements across tiers. Best of all, it doesn’t need to be refrigerated, making it perfect for outdoor weddings.

 

Photo: Hoyummy

Ganache

Ganache is a rich chocolate filling which is not quite as dense as fudge but is slightly thicker than a mousse. It is most often used as a filling in between the layers of a wedding cake but, if you’re looking for a real taste sensation, it can also serve as the icing.

 

Photo: Onewed

Tiers

Chances are, you already know what this one means. But just in case, let’s recap. A tier equates to one level of a wedding cake. They shouldn’t be confused with layers, though, as there can be several layers joined with filling in a single tier.

 

Photo: Elizabethannedesigns

Pulled sugar

Pulled sugar is an incredibly intricate decorative technique which takes lots of patience and practice. It involves pulling and twisting hot sugar into such designs as ribbons and bows. As you can imagine, the final result is incredibly fragile, so it’s definitely one you need to handle with care.

 

Photo: Bakepedia

Piping

Piping is a very delicate art needing a fine touch and plenty of patience. Needless to say, the bakers and decorators who are skilled at this art can create breathtaking designs. Their work involves using a pastry bag filled with royal icing to ‘draw’ various designs, including flowers, lace, borders and more. The end result is always spectacular.

 

 

Dotted Swiss

Dotted Swiss is another style of piping, which is particularly popular for wedding cakes. It replicates the appearance of dotted Swiss fabric by using lots of tiny dots of icing. These can be particularly striking in monochrome or if you have coloured tiers with white dots.

Photo: Snippetandink

Basketweave

Basketweave is one of the most common decorative techniques you will see on a wedding cake. As per the name, the design features interwoven lines which, you guessed it, resemble a wicker basket. You most often see basketweave created in white on a white cake to add texture to a restrained and simple wedding cake design.

 

Photo: Nicholaslodge

Royal icing

This type of icing is made from egg whites and sugar and forms a thick and sturdy frosting that is ideal for intricate piping. The only thing to watch for is that as it dries it becomes harder and more brittle, so you need to treat it gently.

 

Photo: Imtopsyturvey

Sugarpaste or gumpaste

Sugarpaste, also commonly known as gumpaste, is a type of sugar dough used to create decorations such as ribbons and flowers. It seems very similar to fondant, but the main difference is that it hardens when it dries, making it better suited to decorative elements.

 

Photo: Martha Stewart Wedding

Latticework

With the same principles as latticework in the garden, this involves strips of icing being crisscrossed in order to create a regular pattern of open spaces.

 

Photo: Craftsy

Petal dust

Petal dust is a shimmering powdered pigment which can be used to add lustre, sparkle and shine to a cake. It is often used to create realistic shading in sugarpaste flowers or leaves, and is one of those little details which can really take a wedding cake to the next level.

 

Photo: Creating A Wedding

Cornelli

This is an elaborate piping technique which helps to give cakes a more vintage feel. The pattern it produces has almost a lace effect and, like basketweave, it is often fashioned in white on white.

 

Photo: The Bride Guide

Pillars

Pillars are a handy tool for people who don’t want to just rest the tiers of their wedding cake on top of each other. Not only are they a practical way to give the tiers breathing room, they also add height to the confection and, usually being made of wood or plastic, can be styled to suit the theme of the cake and wedding.

 

 

Article courtesy of: Easy Weddings
Featured photo: Belle The Magazine

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