Countdown: (6) Cake and a well-balanced life

My fiancé and I were surprised yesterday by a cake celebrating our upcoming marriage at a potluck dinner for his program. Theresa Ramirez, a pastry chef whose wedding cakes you might remember reading about here, made this beautiful and delicious cake. Thank you so much, Theresa!

Even though I’m on the inevitable pre-wedding diet that I tried to avoid, I enjoyed a nice, big piece.

So, I tried to swear off a pre-wedding diet. I’ve been inundated with information (otherwise known as “ads”) about how to lose weight quickly before your wedding. They are in wedding magazines, Facebook ads, Google ads, etc. They are disheartening and could make anyone sad for the unrealistic expectations on women’s bodies.

It is important to lead a healthy life, which includes healthy food and exercise. Trying to focus on that instead of the wedding clothes, my fiancé and I joined a gym. It is the Meri Lou Murray Recreation Center, a reasonably priced county gym. It hasn’t been too hard to go regularly.

Unlike some gyms I tried in NJ where many of the patrons looked like Soprano’s extras, this gym isn’t daunting. There are a wide-range of folks there, from kids who look like they might be on a team to senior citizens who park their walkers in the corner. 

So, we go to the gym regularly and eat good cake when we can. That’s a well-balanced life, if I’ve ever heard of one.

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Faking It: Ultimate Fake Cakes

In this economy, couples need to find ways to cut corners. What if they want to cut their cake at the same time? I recently met Emily and Liz from Ultimate Fake Cakes. They create fake cakes to help couples save money and still have a beautiful cake to display at the wedding. A sheet cake in the kitchen is ready for slicing, serving and eating. (Keep your fingers out of the fake cake!)

 

Who knew that was possible? I hope you enjoy reading about their Cakes. 

 

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How did you come up with the idea for your company?  

 

I received a couple of requests for foam cakes from teachers at my children’s school.  I made the first cake and Emily and I did the 2nd one together.  It was a few months later that the idea hit us, this could be a business.  We both really enjoyed it and thought why not?

 

Do you create custom cakes to order?

 

We do custom orders.  We encourage our brides to visit wedding cake sites, find that  perfect cake, and bring it to us.  It is one of the perks of our job to see all the different designs that each bride brings to us.

 

 

Do you re-use cakes or is each one new for a new customer?

 

We can reuse them if the cake is returned to us in original condition.

 

What is the best advice (regarding the cake) that you’d offer to a couple who is trying to keep the costs down?

 

The size of the cake is what is going to determine your price.  If they are looking for a lower price a cake with fewer tiers is your better option.  Sugar flowers will cost extra so if you are looking to keep the cost down real or silk flowers are available.

 

What do brides serve to their guests that order fake cakes? 

 

Typically, with our cakes sheet cakes, dessert tables, or cupcakes are served. 

 

Would you ship outside of the area? How would the couple best return the cake to you?

 

Yes, we ship nationwide.  When we purchase the shipping label we can either choose one way or round trip.  If they wish to return the cake we will enclose a return label in the box along with their cake.  They are required to keep the box and all of original shipping packaging to send it back to us. 

 

What would you recommend to the “un-bride”? How could she and her love best incorporate your cakes into a wedding?

 

Our cakes can represent any theme or nontraditional ideas.  We encourage them to bring their idea to us and we will work with them to create their dream wedding.

 

How would a couple handle the cake-cutting ceremony if the cake isn’t real?

 

We have 3 different options.

1.         The top layer can be a real baked cake from your baker.

2.         A slice can be placed in one of the tiers where a cake knife can be inserted giving you the “look of cutting the cake”.

3.         A cake compartment can be placed on the bottom tier in the back where a slice of real cake can be placed.

 

How do you work with the baker? Do you have a preferred bakery that you like to work with?

 

We are willing to work with any baker.

Thanks to Emily and Liz for the interview!

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The V2V Bridal Show, Ann Arbor

(Thanks to The Ann Arbor Chronicle for mentioning this blog post!)

 

 

I attended my first bridal show this weekend at V2V , a lovely boutique in Ann Arbor, MI.

 

I was smitten with V2V and their dresses when I saw a silk gown with a gathered front hanging in their window recently. Last week, I tried on a few dresses and spoke with Julia and Tracey. They told me about the “Bridal Event” this weekend. It sounded good, but I had no idea how much fun it would really be to attend.  

 

My friend Shasta kindly drove up from Indianapolis to help with wedding plans and we went together. Saturday, we had an appointment to try on dresses from the trunk sale. There were some beautiful Jenny Yoo and Siri that we loved. I haven’t decided on a dress yet, but I have a better sense of what I might like to buy.

 

Sunday was the Bridal Event. Shasta and I arrived at 2:30, a little before the second fashion show of the day. When we walked in, the woman gathering the tickets said that we had to try the meatballs right away. I wasn’t sure what she meant until we walked up the stairs and saw the vendors sharing samples of their foods. Who knew we should have come on an empty stomach?

 

We wandered around the tables of vendors. After tastes of almond cake, raspberry chocolate truffles, meatballs, apple cider and more, we felt like we were at an exclusive party dedicated to crafting original and sincere weddings.

 

Here were some highlights:

 

TeaHous is a Kerrytown-area store that specializes in tea and tea products. They had sample earl gray lollipops that would make wonderful favors.

 

Cakes by Rubina  offered a pure almond chocolate cake bite. It tasted like a true Italian dessert.

 

Decadent Delights  shared moist chocolate cake with us. They make custom cookies and can even make cookies that match your cake.

 

I had walked by Schakolad , the chocolate factory, a number of times in Ann Arbor and never stopped. That was clearly a mistake. I tasted a raspberry champagne truffle and wanted to create a distraction so Shasta could steal us the entire silver tray of chocolates.

 

When we found Zingerman’s, we found the meatballs. At this point I was too full to want to squeeze in extras, but it was delicious. Shasta enjoyed some of the apple cider.

 

The ultimate high point was the ten minute chair massage by Bellanina I was a new woman after that (why did I have to get up?)

 

The fashion show was great fun. The models walked down the runway in the dresses carrying lovely bouquets of flowers. Here are some pictures from the show:

 

 

 I highly recommend attending future shows there. The cost was $8.00 in advance, $10 at the door. This was exactly the place to be for a bride who is looking to create an authentic wedding day without the excess of impersonal, commercial vendors.  

 

Thanks to V2V and Shasta for a wonderful weekend. I’m brimming with good ideas and cake.

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