In today’s Parade Magazine, one of their Unexpected Food Trends reminded us of a blog post we’ve been meaning to write for a while now.  Here’s the trend:

Many brides and grooms are skipping tiered wedding cakes in favor of childhood favorites like cupcakes. "Red velvet and chocolate are most popular," says Patty Rothman, owner of More Cupcakes in Chicago. Meanwhile, Brooklyn-based baker Sarah Magid says her biggest request is an organic spin on another childhood staple: Twinkies. "I also have made silver-dusted Ring-A-Dings," she says. Other sweets such as doughnuts and s'mores are popping up on wedding buffets, too. And some couples say, "I do" to Cracker Jacks and lollipops. Talk about happy endings.

(http://www.parade.com/food/slideshows/unexpected-food-trends.html?index=2)

We read this as we nibbled on a gourmet cupcake from Mimi’s Bake Shoppe in Cranberry Township.  Something we've needed in the North Hills area has finally arrived--a gourmet bakery!  We first met the folks from Mimi's at several bridal shows, and enjoyed their cake samples.  A lot.  Their wedding cakes are delicious.  Mimi's is a good as anyone at making your basic wedding cake, but where they truly excel is in the artistic cakes.  You can check out their photo gallery for samples of their work.

Mimi’s creates their cupcakes in a dizzying array of flavors.  So many flavors, in fact, their “Flavor of the Day” is really five or six.  You can check out their Flavor of the Day calendar so you know when to stop in and try some of your favorites (hint: their cherry cola is scary good).

Another trend we’ve seen that Mimi’s also does well is custom cookies you can use as seating cards.  These cookies also double as favors, and are customized with your guest’s names.

Mimi’s is easy to find, they’re located in the little plaza on Route 228 across from Quaker Steak and Lube and Uno Chicago Grill.

Planning a wedding just got a little more difficult.  Conde' Nast, publisher of Modern Bride and Elegant Bride, has decided to end publication of these two magazines.  These titles may become an electronic edition as several other titles Conde' Nast has closed, but no word on that right now.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review recently published an article about how couples are saving money and still having great weddings.

Look for ways to recycle flowers, which can cost $2,000 on average. Maybe you can take flowers from the ceremony and turn them into centerpieces.

Great advice, and we see this often.  Altar pieces become buffet or entry decor, and unity candle arrangements become head table centerpieces.

In some churches, the altar flowers are considered a gift to the church, and cannot be removed, while other churches and ceremony locations don't have this rule.  Most of our brides arrange to have a family member or good friend move the flowers after the ceremony.  We can also be hired for move the flowers.

Another idea is to use your bridal and bridesmaid bouquets as decor on the head table.  For a really cool effect, we make greenery pillows you set your bouquets on, or for a cheaper option, we rent vases you can use to hold the bouquets and return the following week.

Consider using cheaper flowers like carnations and baby's breath, rather than roses.

More good advice, especially in arrangements that are some distance from the guests.  Even in your bouquet, we can substitute a number of less expensive flowers to give you the same look and feel at a lower cost.

Consider having your wedding any day other than Saturday, or during an off-season month like January, in order to save about 20 percent.

For the most part, your savings will come from the reception.  Flowers aren't really cheaper on other days.

One final piece of advice not mentioned in this article--opt for simpler designs, and a smaller variety of designs.  The main cost of your flowers is the labor to create them, not the actual flowers.  By choosing simpler designs of similar or the same style, you can greatly reduce the labor cost to make your flowers.

Rea the full article at Couples cut costs and still have great weddings.  And, check out one of our tips for saving money on your centerpieces.

Through October 31, 2009, printed envelopes are free with all Birchcraft invitation orders.  Not just wedding invitations, either--the free printed envelopes offer is good on anniversary and Bat/Bar Mitzvah invitations, too!

Normally, blank envelopes are included with your invitation order, and having your return address printed on the envelopes is an extra charge.  Until Oct 31, having your return address printed is free.

There are two ways to receive the free return address:

Come visit us in person, and order from a Birchcraft album.  We'll automatically apply the discount when we calculate your total.

or

Order your invitations online from http://www.yourinvitationplace.com/Default.aspx?WebName=bloomeryweddings, and enter "FREE Printed Envelopes" in the Special Instructions field.  It's important you enter "FREE Printed Envelopes" in Special Instructions, or you won't receive the discount.

For additional information, read Birchcraft's information at http://www.birchcraft.com/Social/FreeEnvelopePromotion/BirchcraftStudios-Promotion.pdf.

No matter which way you order, you will also receive our everyday 30% discount in addition to the free return address printing.

This weekend, July 31 to Aug 2, 2009, Lydia's Place will be holding a benefit bridal dress and gown sale:

Lydia's Place, a nonprofit agency Downtown that helps incarcerated women and their children rebuild their lives, is collecting for its bridal and formal dresses sale, a fundraiser that will take place at The Mall at Robinson from Friday through Sunday. The sale is aimed at brides and their families who are looking to reduce costs or who want an environmentally sensitive wedding.

…

"People are very generous," said Ms. Sirockman. So far her organization has received about 800 items, including bridal gowns, flower girl dresses, mother-of-the-bride dresses, bridesmaid dresses and prom dresses.

source: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09210/987019-53.stm

As we set up a wedding, we can tell when we've done a good job by the comments from the serving staff and others in the venue.  While we were setting up a recent wedding at The Edgeworth Club, a little girl walked onto the balcony overlooking the dining area and exclaimed "Wow!"  That made our day, and pretty much summed up what people thought about the flowers.

As guests passed through the foyer, they were greeted by a large arrangement of hydrangea, dendrobium orchids, pink peonies, pink garden roses, hot pink roses, peach spray roses, curly willow and mixed greenery placed in the curve of the club's beautiful spiral staircase.

Guests found their seating cards under a lush arrangement of white hydrangea, pink peonies, hot pink roses, orange spray roses, curly willow and mixed greenery in a cut crystal vase.

Prior to the reception, guests enjoyed cocktails in two rooms outside the banquet hall.  The living room was decorated with a centerpiece of pink stock, hot pink roses, white hydrangea, orange spray roses and pink peonies in a crystal vase.

The bar area was decorated with arrangements of white hydrangea, pink peonies, hot pink roses and orange spray roses in crystal bowls.

Guest tables were adorned with either high or low centerpiece.  High centerpieces were made of white hydrangea, pink peonies, pink garden roses, hot pink roses, orange spray roses and pink stock.  The entire arrangement was placed on top of a pilsner vase, with a single hot pink rose inside.

Low centerpieces were comprised of white hydrangea, pink peonies, pink roses, hot pink roses, orange spray roses and pink stock in a crystal bowl.

Designs for this wedding were created by Polly Berginc, AIFD.

For some time now, couples have put disposable cameras on their guests' tables, the guests would take photos, and leave the cameras behind.  Couples would develop the cameras and have candid photos and memories from their receptions.

Recently, fewer and fewer couples have been doing this, partly as a move to save expenses, and partly because so many guests are bringing higher quality digital cameras and giving photos to the couple on a CD.

Enter The Wedding Lens.  As they describe themselves:

The Wedding Lens allows you to create a customized online wedding album filled with photos from you and your guests. Everyone uploads their photos into one online album that is only accessible by you and your friends. From there, you can download and print whichever photos you like – regardless of who uploaded them to the album.

It's a cost-effective and eco-friendly way to have the equivalent of disposable cameras on each table. But it’s even better because you don’t have to print blurry photos and everyone (not just the bride and groom) get to see all of the fabulous photos from the event.

When you register, you get a customized domain name, which you email to your guests.  Your guests then upload their photos to your album.  The Wedding Lens stresses your guests do not need to register, all they need is the web address, their email address and password.  You and your guests can then upload as many photos as you want, and all guests can see and comment on photos in your album.  You and your guests can download the photos you want to keep, or have them all burned to DVD.

If you're trying to decide to place cameras on your guest tables or not, maybe you should consider The Wedding Lens.

P.S.  If you're the lovely bride planning her wedding we talked to at the Airport Doubletree today, this is the blog post we promised you.

One wedding industry tracking group calculates the average wedding cost in 2009 was slightly under $22,000, not including the honeymoon or rings.

In a recent Post-Gazette article reporting how brides are planning smaller and less expensive weddings, our pal Herman Heyl helps make a point we've wanted to for a while:

Brides are opting to use more greenery and less expensive flowers, such as daisies and carnations. Smaller bouquets might save a little on price because fewer flowers are used, but the charge for labor is nearly the same as for a larger bouquet.

One great way to save money on your wedding centerpieces is to buy your own glassware and apply your own elbow grease.  If you're lucky enough to live near an Ikea, that's a great place to get inexpensive glassware, such as the rectangular vase below (much of their glassware is also available online at http://ikea.com):

One of our recent brides did just that--she purchased her own glassware, and some ribbon, and decorated the vases herself.  We then made simple arrangements of white hydrangea, orange spray roses and green hypericum berries, and delivered the final piece to the reception site, Greystone Fields.

Working together, we were able to create an elegant centerpiece that fill well within her budget.

Not every florist is cool with the idea of brides supplying glassware, so you may have to ask a couple to find one willing to work with you.  Remember to buy and decorate a few extra vases, just in case.