I’ve seen cupcakes doled out during cake cuttings and cupcakes stacked as centerpieces all reception long, which meant that some guests were noshing on cake before dinner was even served! What role haven’t I seen cupcakes take on? Well, I’ve never seen cupcakes given away as a wedding favor. This is probably because cake is smushy-mushy and must be boxed well lest it be rendered inedible during travel.

So how do you render little cakes fit for transport? If you’re the lovely and talented Bakerella, you make them EVEN LITTLER! And, sometimes, but not always, you put them on sticks:

Bakerella’s tiny cupcake tutorial makes it look so easy, which usually means that the project at hand will be really difficult. Not this time, however. As long as you’re patient enough to wait for melted chocolate to dry (just eat some while you wait) and mold a bunch of cakeballs into cupcakes, you’ll do just fine. The best thing about these…besides the fact that they’re so dang simple to make…is that there is icing mixed right into the cake. Yum!

If you’re looking for a fun DIY favor, think about whether you fancy spending a bit of time in the kitchen baking, rolling, and icing one or more mini-mini cupcakes for your guests. Should it happen that the answer is yes, go thank Bakerella for posting such a well written and easy-to-follow tutorial. I’ll be doing just that when I whip these up for my impending book release party!

EDIT — Here’s an alternate, even easier tutorial!

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No one threw a bachelorette party for me. I know, wah wah wah. My bridal shower ended up being slightly weird because a goodly handful of my friends never received invitations. This was probably due in part to the fact that my MOH was 16 years old. All I know is that I dutifully gave up the names and contact info they asked me to provide and that’s where my responsibility ended.

I heard from numerous girlfriends in the days leading up to the affair, all of whom were sooo sorry they couldn’t attend but they’d only just heard about it and simply couldn’t travel out of state on such short notice. At the time I was too busy working three jobs and planning a wedding to lost much sleep over it, but it was a tad disappointing.

To make a long story even longer, a bachelorette party would have been nice, but the only person who suggested one was my soon-to-be ex-stepmother and her idea of a good bachelorette party is going out for a rowdy evening with the gals the night before the wedding. Get hitched with a hangover? No thanks!

So what goes into planning a solid bachelorette bash? That depends on the bride, of course, but I found a list of 50 ideas over at CustomizedGirl, a cute blog with an unfortunate name taken from its host site, a custom t-shirt shop. While “Pinups and Phalluses” are on the list, there are plenty of less-than-stereotypical tips, recipes, and achtung items as well. Here’s a sample:

5. Wine Tour: Going on a tour of local wineries combines lots of interest into one. First, there’s great wine; second, there’s a road trip; third, there’s beautiful scenery. And did we mention great wine? Not all bridesmaids will have this option readily available, since not every state has a booming wine region, but you would be surprised at how many do exist outside of California.

28. Pizza Bianca: A light pizza made with rosemary, garlic and olive oil makes a light alternative to pizza or a nice, thin bread to accompany a salad or pasta meal.

40. Disposable Cameras: Don’t let a minute of this hilarious and fun evening go undocumented. Give everyone a disposable camera to take along with them. At the end of the evening, develop all the film and make a keepsake album for the bachelorette.

48. Don’t Rule Out Men: It may sound counterintuitive to the bachelorette party tradition, but if the bride to be has a best guy friend that she holds near and dear it’s OK to invite him along. Or maybe you want to reserve some time for just the girls? Then invite him to attend a portion of the festivities, maybe right at the beginning or at the end. The point of the party is to honor your friend and surround her with love so don’t leave out the people that matter to her most.

What would my ultimate bachelorette party have looked like? A tipsy trip to the art museum, perhaps. Maybe a wine-soaked picnic at the arboretum. I’m not down with dicky straws and penis pasta, but YMMV. It’s a relatively new “tradition,” so anything goes, really. I know one gal who had a sex toy party and another who just went out for a relatively tame night at her local pub.

If you had a bachelorette party, tell us about it. Was it everything you hoped it would be and more?

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Now, when I start thinking “oh I wish I’d done/bought/used such-and-such a thing” I just plan a fabulous house party that incorporates all those products and ideas. Favors aren’t just for kiddie birthdays and weddings. Brides don’t have a monopoly on fresh blooms. And there’s no reason not to dress to the nines if you feel comfortable in a gown…the trick is learning to feel comfortable in a gown when everyone else is wearing slacks. Master that, and you’re golden!

The number one thing I wish I’d known about would have to be Bluefly. I didn’t start seriously thinking of this shop to end all shops as a source for reasonably priced, re-wearable bridesmaids’ garb until after I’d had a pickle of a time badgering my own ‘maids into picking something, anything, because we’re really getting down to the wire, here. Maybe telling them to go to Bluefly would have made everything easier for everyone…then again, probably not.

We gave each of our attendants gift bags full of good stuff, and if I’d known about Pre de Provence soaps I would have thrown some in of their fab samplers. Ah well, there’s always birthdays and Christmas.

Looking back, I have conflicting thoughts about my gown. It was too busy, but it photographed well. I loved the neckline, but the dang thing was just too big by the time my wedding rolled around. This dress from Cicada Bridal has a similar neckline without all the geegaws and doodads, and I simply adore the fact that the model wearing it doesn’t look totally evil or chronically malnourished.

All of the great paper on Etsy–I’m a huge Etsy fanatic, but somehow it never crossed my mind to do a search there for things like thank you cards and other stationery. Jewelry, yes. Paper goods? Not so much. Ah well, you live and you learn, and you buy things you don’t exactly need because they are beautiful. This fantastic specimen is from K&K Baby Boutique.

Candy sushi? HECK TO THE YES. Suedy’s Koo-ki Sushi creates chocolate and sugar “sushi” that looks so much like the real thing that the vegetarian in me gets a little freaked out. Single boxed pieces are tres expensive, but one could always deconstruct the bento boxes and re-package them in bits of tulle.

What got me thinking about all of this is the advance copy of iDo that’s making its way to my doorstep as I write this. With less than a month until my first book is officially released (and my second book proposal is wrapped up), I have weddings on the brain even more so than usual! Add to that the fact that my one year wedding anniversary is in a mere seven days, and you have a recipe for wistfulness.

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Speaking of mothers…

I have a couple questions about the role of the mother of the bride in modern weddings. I hope this will encourage a lively discussion.

What role did/do you expect your mother to play in your wedding planning? Is/was it her show? Yours with her input? None of her business?

What about mother of the bride outfits? Something you want(ed)? Something she want(ed)? Or something you both feel/felt is/was unimportant? Are/were the choices designed for the purpose too frumpy? Too sexy? Just right?

Any other thoughts on the subject?

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Anyway, I saw two shows about a show I’d never heard of before, but now intend to watch for news about with eagerness: The Oklahoma State Sugar Arts Show Wedding Cake Contest. I couldn’t believe some of the things I was seeing on television. Of course, it seemed the cameras cut away far too quickly from the ones that I found most intriguing from a distance, but one day I’d love to come visit the show. Contestants come literally from all over the world to compete (one of the shows aired followed four contestants in their bid for sugar art fame, including one man from Sri Lanka), but only the best of the best take home prizes.

Of course, after watching all of that, I found myself wanting to peruse more cakes. I didn’t have a cake at my wedding. I don’t in any way regret that, mind. It was virtually the only thing I managed to do for Mr. Twistie, who is not fond of cake, because it was nearly the only opinion he expressed. Besides, those individual fruit tarts were a huge hit with our guests. But every now and again, I want a really gorgeous cake with fabulous decorations and I don’t really have an excuse to go out and have one made. A bit of window shopping usually scratches that itch and allows me to go on without regret. Usually.

Then I found this site. I have no idea what her prices run. I sincerely doubt she’d ship a cake to California. I don’t care. I want one of her cakes and am willing to do Really Stupid Things to get one.

Cake artist Ruth Seidler started out in art restoration, but when she had her second son, she left the world of museums. She still did private art restoration work, but more and more started playing with decorating cakes. The results are amazing. She has done painted cakes based on everything from Persian tiles and Renaissance drawings to the works of Henri Rousseau and Pablo Picasso to - I kid you not - a mattress cover. She’s done designs based on Tiffany and Frank Lloyd-Wright stained glass. She does incredible sculpting work in marzipan, sugar paste, and molded chocolate.

Best of all, the cakes themselves sound delicious. Take this combination used in a cake whose decorations were inspired by Chinese ceramic and embroidery designs:

Double chocolate buttermilk cake filled with orange curd
and chopped candied orange peel. The rolled fondant is flavored with ginger.

Want. Now.

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Long? Short? Get it? Damn…it’s hard to be witty on a rainy, gloomy Friday when there’s laundry that needs folding and garlic asking to be chopped and a bag that simply has to be sewn by tomorrow because it’s supposed to be a gift long overdue. Gah!

If the two dresses above aren’t to your liking, go and check out their other bridal offerings. Pickings are still slim in the Torrid Bride world, and they don’t exactly make the line easy to locate on the web site, but at $140 to $220 there’s no reason not to take a quick peek!

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I’m guessing that toilet paper producer Cottonsofts was a sponsor the contest, considering the rules were pretty specific when it came to just how much Cottonsofts participants were allowed to use (hint: two four-packs of the double length).

The winner, pictured above thanks to Stuff.co.uk, was one Vicky Heir. Good for her, I say. I wouldn’t have the slightest notion as to how to begin crafting an entire gown out of TP. It’s more than tough enough to get my sewing machine to behave when I’m dealing with plain cotton. I imagine crafting with toilet paper requires a great deal of sticky glue and a very steady hand.

Even though the contest took place some time ago, I can’t seem to find out if Ms. Heir won anything other than tickets to the expo. If I were the winner, I’d be hoping for something more like an opportunity to go to, say, a pool party with New Zealand’s sexiest exports. But that’s just me…

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And yet I know my opinion counts for very little because asymmetry is in. Even when hemlines run parallel to the floor, there are diagonal overskirts, listing waistlines, and necklines in need of some V-8.

An asymmetrical neckline from Lara Hélène:

An asymmetrical skirt from Ian Stuart:

An asymmetrical waist from Sottero & Midgley:

An asymmetrical…something-or-other from an older Anne Barge collection:

I love the Lara Hélène gown because it feels classic, and I love the Ian Stuart dress because it feels modern. On the other hand, I hate the Sottero & Midgley gown. As much as I like the color, the wrapped and ruched waist looks clunky and awkward to me.

And the Anne Barge? I hate myself for loving it. The back is horrid–utterly and truly–but there’s just something about it that makes me dream of walking through Manhattan in the early morning hours. I’m wearing large jewels and gloves. I am in desperate need of coffee and a pair of cheap drugstore sunglasses but all my money is in the clutch I forgot at the party I hurriedly left after an eruption of unwanted emotional drama.

Perhaps I can’t help loving clothes that spark my imagination. What say you, oh, astute and clever readers?

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Los Angeles lawyers Melissa and Eric Bakewell were the first among their friends to conduct online wedding polls. For their August 2006 wedding, they registered at Crate and Barrel, did a foxtrot during the first dance and served mojitotini cocktails and white-chocolate cake, all choices directed by majority vote.

I’m going to take a wild guess here and say that couples are putting polls on their wedding web sites as a “value add,” like picture slideshows and quizzes, rather than a revolutionary new way to make decisions.

Grays, gunmetals, pewters, and silver are hot right now. So here are two dresses for two bridesmaids who are taking part in what are obviously two very different weddings:

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How else would those of us who went the traditional route and learned to fox trot know that it’s all right to do a Hammer Time first dance duet instead of the boring old seventh-grade shuffle?

Some of the kooky couples who ditched All I Ask of You for something funkier have gotten flack from critics who say a first dance should not be a performance. To that I say an impassioned, “Whateverrrrrrr.” I’m just jealous that I couldn’t convince The Beard to go all out and let me come up with a wicked complex song and dance number!

If you’re keen to take your first dance to the next level, watch the videos below and take notes.

Surprise everyone:

Skip the slow stuff altogether:

Start serious, get sexy:

The ever-popular Dirty Dancing routine:

The somewhat less popular Napoleon Dynamite routine:

I know some of these are old news, but I’d wager that there are plenty of newly engaged ladies and lads out there who haven’t seen ‘em since these things tend to hit the groupbrain in waves.

And now for something completely different…an engagement blog written by a guy. I’m adding The Engaged Guy to my blogroll. I’m not sure that his assertion that his blog is “the world’s first liveblog of an engagement,” seeing as that women have been blogging their pre-nuptial pains and pleasures for ages, but we’ll let it slide.

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