Guide to Wedding Cakes From Suffolk

Wedding Cakes are one of the most important parts of any wedding celebration. It is often the centrepiece of the Head Table, or brought out during the reception to amaze the guests. It is often colour-co-ordinated to fit in with the bride's dress, wedding the flowers or the wedding reception decor, and is a main feature in wedding photographs - "cutting the cake" can provide you with an excellent opportunity for photographs, which will be cherished for the rest of your lives.

Suffolk is home to a number of fantastic cake makers & suppliers, all more than glad to discuss your requirements with you, ensuring your wedding cake, like the rest of your happy day, will be perfect.

Here are some important things to remember when ordering your wedding cake from Suffolk:

Design of your cake - nowadays, wedding cakes come in all shapes and sizes, including the traditional tiered cakes (how many tiers, that is the question!) to more modern and unique designs.

Wedding Cakes - Choosing Your Wedding Cake

Choosing a wedding cake to suit your wedding theme can be a chore if you haven't a clue where to start. There are tons of cakes ideas and you are presented with dozens of choices but the tricky part is choosing the best baker, one who understands your wishes and can show an amazing portfolio.

Budget and Cake Size

Before embarking on the wedding shopping, brides must have a definite wedding theme in mind. This guides them throughout the wedding preparation and managing the budget; after choosing the motif for the wedding invitation and the wedding dress; the next big task is shopping for the wedding cake. Currently, bridal shops carry a wide range of wedding needs, including exquisite wedding cakes. But before seizing the first proposal offered, stand back and go over these important details.

How much can you spend for one and how many guests are you expecting for the wedding party? The number of guests determines the size of your wedding cake. Size is a factor that adds up the expenses for the wedding cake. A regular-sized single layer cake cannot treat a hundred guests. You are looking for a cake of epic proportions to give all the guests a generous slice of the wedding cake.

Wedding Flower Arrangements For a Winter Wedding

The most popular winter wedding flower is the red rose, closely followed by red tulips and mums. The color red seems to have a great deal of significance for winter weddings. Perhaps it is the need for some color other than white especially if you live in a snowy part of the world.

However, if red is not your color and roses, tulips or mums are not your favorite flower then you are in luck with the help of crepe or mulberry paper you can create wedding flower arrangements for a winter wedding out of any color and any flower your heart desires!

Whether you are making your bridal bouquet, toss away bouquet, female bridal partys' bouquets or the flower girls basket or centerpieces for the tables you can add a lovely touch of winter wonderland to them all.

Many brides spend most of their time concentrating on the actual flowers and colors when they make their own crepe or mulberry paper flowers. There are so many other items you can add to the flower arrangements that they are often overlooked.

Christmas Wedding Flower Ideas

The holidays are a wonderful time of the year to get married especially Christmas time. Everyone is already as merry as can be why not add to the joy of the Christmas season with a beautiful wedding. There are plenty of Christmas Wedding Flower ideas so you will not have any trouble creating a beautiful Christmas theme wedding.

In this article we will look at a few Christmas wedding flower ideas that you can use for the bouquets, ceremony and the reception. You will want to stock up on your mulberry and crepe paper in reds, greens, silvers, and gold colors for these flower ideas.

Bouquets - The majority of brides choose red flowers for their Christmas wedding with lots of greenery. Although you should not rule out the silver and gold colors they really accent the red and green colors. A nice bridal bouquet for a Christmas themed wedding is red roses surrounded by the greenery with a silver and gold or one of the other attached to the bouquet holder that flows down.

For the toss away bouquet you can make a mini replica of your bridal bouquet and add a few plastic Christmas ornaments such as gold or silver bells.

3 Simple Wedding Flower Ideas

If you are a simple kind of gal and enjoy the simplicity of life, then your wedding should represent just that. There are plenty of wedding flower ideas you can work with to create the wedding you always wanted.

In this article we will take a closer look at 3 simple wedding flower ideas for your wedding.

· The Bouquet - The arm bouquet is the simplest of the bridal bouquets. It is a lovely arrangement. It is carried in the crook of the arm by the bride or Maid of Honor and bridesmaids as they walk down the aisle. Similar to how a beauty pageant winner carries their roses after winning the title. It can also be held in the hands by the stem, which is bound together by green tape or crepe paper.

You can use as few as one flower or as many as six for this simple bouquet. The bride will usually have six flowers, the maid of honor has four and the bridesmaids will have two or three flowers. The flower girl can also have this type of bouquet with one single flower. That is if you choose to forgo the flower basket filled with petals to be sprinkled down the isle.

Wedding Flower Design Ideas For the Reception

There are so many wedding flower design ideas you can use to decorate the reception hall. Most brides opt for a traditional flower centerpiece on the tables at the reception.

If you are willing to think outside the box you can easily create wedding flower design ideas that will amaze your guests and leave them in awe! In this article we will look at a few unique "garden" designs that you can create or at least will hopefully inspire you to create your very own one of a kind masterpiece.

The best flowers to use for these designs are going to be made from either crepe paper or mulberry paper. These two types of paper are sturdy and very easy to work with, using any other type of paper will make your flower projects much more difficult and you may even become agitated with the paper before you get the first flower finished.

Garden design entrance way. Many brides often have an archway or the doorway its self decorated with flowers. A unique and beautiful flower design is a garden themed entrance. You will need a lot of paper flowers for this beautiful garden.

An Artificial Wedding Flower

What is an artificial wedding flower? There are many types of artificial flowers that are used for weddings, the most common are mulberry paper flowers, crepe paper flowers, and silk flowers.

Most mulberry paper flowers are handmade and the mulberry paper is also handmade. This is a paper that is also eco-friendly, because the mulberry trees are not harmed. The only part of the tree that is used is the bark and the way the bark is striped off does not hurt the tree itself. When the bark is striped from the tree it grows back in about twelve months and can be harvested again at that time.

Also there are no chemicals added to the pulp when it is made into the paper and even the dyes are natural. This is one of the most natural of the artificial flowers for weddings.

They can be found on the Internet on websites that deal with mulberry paper flowers; you can find them as just single flowers to make your own bouquets and other flowers for the wedding ceremony and also to decorate the reception area or you may find them already made up in bouquets, corsages, boutonnieres, centerpieces, or any type of flower that you will need for your wedding.

Wedding Flower Ideas For Every Season - Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring

Take a cue from the seasons with these inspiring wedding flowers ideas for every season...

Winter Wedding Flowers and Decor

Winter theme weddings can be uber chic and ethereal. Use these ideas to create your wonderland...

• Color palette - new-fallen snow - use whites and creams accented with silver or gold; winter sparkle - ice blue or navy accented with silver; black tie- black is especially suited for a winter wedding when paired with white, silver or gold.
• Go glam - deck your halls with crystal detailing for a sparkling winter effect- adorning linens and chair covers or sprinkled over table tops. The result is deliciously glam and oh so fab.
• Liberal use of candle light - the glow will add warmth and elegance.
• Holiday theme - decorate with potted evergreens, pine branches, wreathes, poinsettias, ornaments, bells, or twinkling white lights.
• Added interest and texture - incorporate holiday greenery or tiny crystals into your arrangements.
• Creative bouquets - instead of flowers, carry tea lights, votive candles or cascading bells.
• Tossing alternative - have your flower girl throw silver glitter or sprinkle fake snow.

Winter Flowers In Season

• White stephanotis, poinsettia, holly, amaryllis, camellias, roses.

Spring Wedding Flowers and Decor

The tulips are blooming, the temperatures are rising - what a perfect time for a wedding! Get inspired with these ideas for spring flowers...

• Color palette - green and white - an elegant accompaniment to a garden setting; yellow and green -another fresh, natural color pairing; preppy - combine hot pink with green or mango (think polka dots and gingham); chocolate brown - this trendy hue works well for spring - pair with pale blue or pink.
• Go wild with patterns - create a playful effect - think gingham, polka dots, eyelet lace, swiss dots and stripes
• Add some greens - grasses and greenery are a natural for outdoor garden settings. Drape over arbors and incorporate in arrangements
• Creative containers - put your arrangements in simple, homespun containers like wicker baskets, watering cans, teapots, or urns.
• Potted plants - potted arrangements create a natural, organic look. Best of all, you can plant them for a timeless reminder of your wedding

Spring Flowers in Season

• Classics include tulips, daffodils, lilies (especially calla lilies and easter lilies), magnolias, gardenias, hydrangeas, gerbera daisies, apple or cherry blossoms.

Summer Wedding Flowers and Decor

Set the stage for a sunny summer wedding with vibrant colors and inspirations from the great outdoors...

• Color palette - bright and bold - hot pink and deep red or mango and fuchsia; nautical - navy and white is a clean summer classic, accent with touches of yellow, red or gold; seaside - combine aqua with beige, peach or white
• Go casual - summer weddings lend themselves to a casual decor scheme - fitting of a backyard barbecue. Think checked table clothes, benches and picnic tables.
• Go natural - incorporate natural decor elements like fruits, vegetables, even insects (like ladybugs or dragonflies, not necessarily roaches!)
• Get lit - light up an outdoor evening reception with lanterns or torches.
• Fruits - fruits like lemons and limes look whimsical and chic when filled in tall clear vases
• For a beach look - incorporate shells, sand, and sea glass in your arrangements

Summer Flowers In Season

• Abundant flowers are always in style at a summer wedding. Use bright and cheerful blooms like sunflowers, peonies, hydrangea, mums, daisies, dahlias, zinnias, and roses. Or create a breezy, airy look with white on white - using roses, stephanotis, calla lilies, snowball mums and daisies - and incorporate a touch of blue - like blue hydrangea.

Fall Wedding Flowers and Decor

Get autumn-spiration with these flowers and decor ideas with a fall twist...

• Color palette - colors of the season - adhere to mother nature's fall color palette: reds, oranges, browns, rusts, and yellows; jewel tones - make a rich, interesting twist to the traditional autumn color scheme; mix with metallics - gold, copper, bronze - for added pizazz
• Back to nature - use simple decor to subtly enhance the season's natural bounty. Use the autumn harvest for inspiration; think gourds, pumpkins, squash, gold dipped fall leaves, bales of hay, jugs of cider...you get the idea.
• Go fall glam - you're not confined to rustic and casual in the fall. Create a posh autumn ambiance, and drape lush velvet (a traditional fall/winter fabric) in a rich chocolate brown or gold throughout your reception space. Accent the scene with antique broaches, crystal candelabras and stemware.
• Autumn harvest - add pears, apples, cranberries to your arrangements
• Natural texture - incorporate leaves, acorns, sprays of wheat
• Creative containers - hollow out pumpkins or realistic fake ones, or use stained wooden boxes, terra cotta pots, or rustic lanterns
• Tossing alternative - have your flower girl toss leaves or acorns instead of flower petals

Fall Flowers in Season

• Popular fall flowers include montbretia, hypericum, mums, sunflowers, roses, and daisies. Consult our complete list of fall wedding flowers

Get even more ideas and advice to help you plan your wedding flowers.

Cori Russell is editor for Elegala.com and Gala Weddings Magazine. Elegala.com is a complete wedding planningresource with a national directory of wedding venues and services, along with articles, expert advice, checklists and photo galleries to lead brides through every step of the planning process. Brides can request wedding vendor quotes from top vendors across the nation.

Adding Accessories to Wedding Flower Arrangements

You can put more than just flowers into your wedding flower arrangements. You can add bows, candles, balloons, or plastic novelties.

You can set a theme for your wedding using accessories in your arrangements. For example, you can add a duck, chick or bunny for an Easter wedding, you can add little wreaths or candy canes (real or plastic) for a Christmas wedding, or you can add hearts for a Valentines wedding. Whatever accessories you decide to add, you personalize your flowers in this way and add your own personal touch

Novelties

Many novelties already have a wire pick inserted at the bottom, so you can very easily insert this directly into the floral foam along with the flowers. If your accessory has no pick, simply take a piece of heavy wire, heat up one end of it by holding it in a flame, and the insert the heated wire into the base of your novelty. If you novelty moves on the wire (up and down or around and around), put some glue right where the wire enters it. This should secure it

Balloons

Balloons add a festive feel anywhere. They can be filled with helium to float in the air in your arrangement. Helium balloons need to be securely anchored. You can do this by having them tied to colorful ribbon. Tie the ribbon to a little wooden pick and knot them firmly. You can then insert the wooden pick into your floral foam. The wood will expand from the moisture, making your pick all the more secure

Candles

Candles area favorite at weddings. They create a beautiful, soft, romantic atmosphere, making them perfect for weddings. You can purchase plastic candle holders that look like a little "cup" with a large plastic point below it that can be inserted into your foam . These holders come in different sizes. Your candles should fit into them snugly - that way you know they will be secure. The base of the holder anchors into your floral foam and keeps your candle from tipping over.

If you can't find a candle holder the right size, you can push the candle directly into the floral foam. First cut the base of the candle to a bit of a point to make insertion easier. Push the candle slowly, straight down.

Do not twist the candle as this could make the hole larger than it needs to be and make the candle less secure. Only try this method with narrower, smaller candles. Larger pillar candles will be too top heavy and will fall over easily

You can also make your own candle holder. You take at least 5 wooden picks about 4 inches long and use rubber florist's tape to tape them evenly spaced to the base of your pillar candle. You can then gently insert the picks into your floral foam. You don't have to use florists' wooden picks, you can use less expensive wooden skewers for kabobs.

I prefer not to have the candle actually rest on the floral foam. The moisture of the floral foam could travel up the wick of your candle. The best way to prevent that is to use the florists' plastic candle holders. Second best is to make your own holders with the wooden picks.

Whatever type of accessory you choose to add to your wedding flower arrangements, it will be the focal point. Place it low in your arrangement to keep it balanced.

Nadine Visscher has arranged flowers for more than 15 years and has written The Beginner's Guide to Wedding Flowers found athttp://www.WeddingFlowerDirections.com

Seven Ways to Cut Your Wedding Flower Costs

Most people have a set amount of money that they can spend on flowers for a wedding. Usually the cost of wedding flowers is about 10% of the entire wedding budget. Of course this number is flexible - you might want to splurge in one area (e.g. your invitations) and tighten the reins in another (e.g. your flowers). Here are 7 different ways you can lower your flower costs:

1. Use less expensive flowers rather than exotic ones. Chrysanthemums, carnations, alstroemerias, and baby's breath are beautiful flowers and can make a stunning display. These flowers cost a lot less than roses and lilies yet can do the same job.
2. Use exotic blooms very sparingly such as only in your bouquet or your fiance's boutonniere.
3. Use flowers that are in season. They will be less expensive and you have a greater chance of them being fresh.
4. Avoid getting married around times where flower prices are higher - Mother's Day, Valentines's Day, Christmas, and Easter.
5. Use less expensive look-alikes. For example, roses tend to be costly, so to cut costs, you can use lisianthus.
6. Use smaller bouquets and arrangements. Instead of having 40 roses in your bouquet, cut it down to 25 roses. If you have your heart set on a certain size, you can then add ivy, berries, herbs, or other affordable flowers to fill up your bouquet. Your bridesmaids can carry single stems down the aisle. That can be both dramatic and elegant. Sometimes less is more.
7. Use your ceremony flowers at your reception. Arrange for someone to transport any arrangements that you may have to your reception. Use your bridesmaid flowers to decorate the cake table and yours to dress up the head table.

These are just a few ideas for how to trim your wedding flower costs. Keep them in mind when planning and you will save yourself a significant amount of money. It is possible to have very beautiful wedding flowers without breaking the bank.

Nadine Visscher has arranged flowers for more than 15 years and has written The Beginner's Guide to Wedding Flowers found athttp://www.WeddingFlowerDirections.com