Centerpiece Idea - The PASH Wedding Forums and Message Boards

sparklesweetie · #1 01-21-2006, 02:35 AM

I read this in a magazine, and not quite sure what I think about it. It suggested having small cakes (about 6 in.) decorated with fresh flowers as the centerpiece for tables. Of course, the guests could eat it. I think it'd be different, and something I could definitely do myself, but not sure how it would look. What do you guys think?

Lizbet · #2 01-21-2006, 03:06 AM

I think it sounds like a neat idea. But, fresh flowers are expensive. It would look nice, but I would look into other "topper" options.

ljeagle · #3 01-21-2006, 03:08 AM

I have seen it on TV b-4. Only problem I see was the wedding cake it self never got touched. I think it would look great as a centerpiece...

SuzyBride · #4 01-21-2006, 03:14 AM

I think that would be cool! Might want to use fake flowers though cause like Liz said fresh are expensive!

sparklesweetie · #5 01-21-2006, 03:28 AM

I would probably use fake, partially because the bouquets will be made with fake flowers, and I've heard that you have to be careful about putting real flowers on food b/c of chemicals. If I did this, I would definitely have a smaller wedding cake. Now, if they made edible glitter, I wouldn't have to hunt for toppers.

Ok, so now I wonder which would be more cost effective. Pillar candles (or votives...some kind of candles) on mirrors, with the added posibility of ivy running the length of the table, or cakes....hrm, something to contemplate.

breezy · #6 01-21-2006, 03:53 AM

edible glitter can be found here: http://www.candylandcrafts.com/edible_glitter.htm

If you are making the cakes I am sure that that would be more cost effective... depending on what you are going to display the cakes on?

ljeagle · #7 01-21-2006, 04:55 AM

If u are going to make your own cakes it would be cheaper. But are u going to have the time to make that many cakes right b-4 your wedding. I think it would be a neat ideal...

deputysgurl · #8 01-21-2006, 04:58 AM

My sisters wedding had centerpiece cakes, My grandma made them. She had to stay up all night to do 50 of them. Poor Grandma. I love the idea of edible glitter. I used to put glitter on everything, I guess that is what I get for being a Cheerleader. But we decided on nothing sparkly besides me.

cru5h · #9 01-21-2006, 01:25 PM

I read about that last night in a magazine myself. I think it sounds cool. They suggested still getting a cake for the traditional cutting as well, but if you're not into tradition you don't necessarily have to do that. Maybe the cake centerpiece for the head table could be different and be used for the cutting.

sparklesweetie · #10 01-21-2006, 04:52 PM

Dep, I am a glitter addict, so whatever I can make sparkly will most likely be sparkly. (Don't worry, I manage to balance it out to make it look nice, lol.) And if I did have the cakes, I would make them myself. I would probably make them during that week, and freeze them until I was ready to ice them. And I wouldn't be elaborate on the icing, so I could have some BM's and my mom help. (My mom and I both make cakes on the side.) I would still have the traditional cutting cake as well, and since the table cakes would be plain flavors, I could get my strawberry flavored layer and no one would complain.

And maybe just have it two layers, or have the other layer carrot cake, since that's what FH loves.

Kim&Bob2004 · #11 01-21-2006, 06:56 PM

Sounds like a great idea if time wouldn't be a factor! I will want to see pics if you do it!

gymrat · #12 01-21-2006, 07:28 PM

There is product sort of like glitter for cakes, cookies, and such desserts. Wilton makes these:

http://www.wilton.com/store/site/pro...0EF1DB7697E8A1

Sorry, I do not have any pics with these but I have a few colors.

Just noticed on the Wilton site sprakling sugar and shimmering dust. Never seen or used them.

Also, there are more things let a paint that make things a bit shiner that is called luster/lustre dust. There is also pearl dust. This site just shows the container:

http://www.kitchenkrafts.com/search....ss=luster+dust

Another site for luster dust:

http://www.cakesbysam.com/store/cata...t_cat_252.html

Found this while looking for luster dust. It is called sparkle dust:

http://www.doitwithicing.com/productDetail.asp?id=1205

This is my friend's cake that I did. I added champagne luster dust to the fake flowers. You can see where I applied it in the tips of the flowers bc the center does not sparkle.

bebe · #13 01-21-2006, 07:53 PM

Fresh flowers wouldn't be too terribly expensive if you just purchased whatever was in season in bulk from a local florist or even a grocery store. I bought 2 dozen red roses to make my toss bouquet the day before the wedding, and it only cost me $12.00. I bought them at the local Safeway.

I LOVE the cake centerpiece idea! You could still get a regular wedding cake, just get a smaller one to be shared by the wedding party/head table (if you are having one. And here is an idea to add to it; at the time when you cut your cake, you could have either the newest couple at each table or the longest married couple at each table cut their cakes along with you.

syringa · #14 01-21-2006, 09:27 PM

On a 6" cake you could use one gerbera daisy for the topper and it would be very attractive. I have had brides who had a cake for each table as the centerpiece. The issue in every case was making and icing the cakes. Some have done it themselves. Others had their baker provide the cakes, which resulted in a huge bill for labor. Be sure that you can transport all of the cakes without a problem. If you can't, they may have to be iced at the last minute at the reception site.

On the candles, be sure that your reception site allows an open flame or plan on using a hurricane glass on the pillars if you go that direction. You could also place a cake in the center of the table and have votives around it.

sparklesweetie · #15 01-21-2006, 09:48 PM

Syngria, the reception site does allow open flames. And the issues that you pointed out are ones that I've thought of. I think it would be neat to do, but I'm still undecided. Also, I was thinking, how bad would the cakes dry out if they sat out all day?

gymrat · #16 01-21-2006, 10:13 PM

If the cakes are properly wrapped (I do 2 or 3 pieces of plastic wrap) they should not dry out. I can wrap a cake for a day or two before I have to frost it and it is still extremely moist.

sparklesweetie · #17 01-22-2006, 03:11 AM

Thanks for all the links ladies.

You guys are always so helpful. I've tried to find pictures online, but all my search turned up were pictures of fake cake centerpieces. Now, I like cake and all, but what would be the point of a "dummy" cake that would tempt guests and they can't eat it? To each their own I guess. Since the cakes would be iced before arriving at the reception, any suggestions on how to cover them w/out messing up the icing? (This is my downfall with cake making.) Unless....get boxes maybe?

wembley · #18 01-22-2006, 03:30 AM

This is kind of what we're doing. We're having cheesecake and one will be put at each table. It will be on a small stand, that has yet to be made or designed, and then on top of each one we're putting one flower. I think we'll end up putting a pretty paper layer between the cheesecake and the flower so there won't be anything contaminated and then each of the cakes will have a more uniform look, since there will be a couple of different flavors.

We'll have a two tier version for the head table and that we can do the more traditional cutting of the cake stuff. I think we'll end up doing the flower on that one too but I want to use the cake topper my parents used as well. They had two small angel-like figurines that are leaning in to kiss. I haven't run that one by FH yet so we'll see

sparklesweetie · #19 01-22-2006, 03:49 AM

Mmmm....cheesecake. Or, now that I'm thinking of cakes that don't have to be iced, what about pineapple upside down cake? Hrm....of course, now that I know they make edible glitter, I want to use it.

It might look a little funny on pineapple cake, lol. Ooh, ooh, angel food cake. Yeah. I could even have bowls of strawberries set up with the buffet. That would be kind of expensive though I bet.

ljeagle · #20 01-22-2006, 04:31 AM

I love Cheesecake and that is FH favorite.

wembley · #21 01-22-2006, 04:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljeagle

I love Cheesecake and that is FH favorite.

That's why we decided to go this route. FH doesn't particularly like regular cake and we both love cheesecake so we decided to look into it. It turned out to be a good price and it will cut down on decorating costs. Bonus for us!

ljeagle · #22 01-22-2006, 04:50 AM

I have thought about doing cheesecake and skip the grooms cake. We have enough cake with the wedding cake and then the cheese cake would give people that don't like cake something to eat...

gymrat · #23 01-22-2006, 02:43 PM

You could get boxes especially if you have to stack (someone would certainly have to hold them) in order the transport them. For my cake I hade the 10" sitting on the 14" already and the 14" had the plate under it already. The 6" topper had its own plate bc it was up on pillars. For my friend's wedding cake, I transported the entire cake stacked. It had the big board under it to sit on the table with but we need more the grap when moving so we just used plywood my Dad had.

So basically, what I am saying is that your cakes should already be on something (either cardboard which is covered or plate).

Here are the various cardboard and plates I used:

Cardboard - they have different shapes, sizes, foiled or not which I cannot find online
http://www.wilton.com/store/site/pro...6AFB5A10FB5844

Plates - they have different shapes, sizes, colors
http://www.wilton.com/store/site/pro...58F82BF466B5B5

sparklesweetie · #24 01-22-2006, 04:15 PM

Gymrat, thank you for all the links you're posting. You're loads of help! We have a birthday party for FH's nephew today, so I'm going to run this by his mom and one of the BM and see what they think. (Not that it utimately matters, because in the end I'm going to do what I want....but I'll just get their opinions.

)