Have Your Friends And Family Help Out With Dessert At Your Reception

Although the big event at any wedding is the actual moment the happy couple says "I do," everyone looks forward to the reception, as it comes with great food, drinks and the newlyweds' first dance as man and wife. This is the part of the nuptials where everyone who got all gussied up for the big event lets loose, and despite looking great in their formal attire, dances the night away as if they were at a night club or high school dance.

The meal, however, is the main focus at any reception - after all, you'll need to have something to eat in order to fuel your moves on the dance floor later in the evening. After hors d' oeurves are served, a few glasses of champagne have been thrown back and the catering staff has cleared the plates from the main course, you'll need to be sure that you feed every one's sweet tooth with some dessert they'll never forget.

Picking just one dessert that everyone at your party will enjoy can be tricky. While you may love a slice of pecan pie, some guests may hate nuts, or if others have an unquenchable craving for chocolate, still others might prefer a fruity dessert that is more refreshing than sugary.

Give everyone a few options by setting up a buffet table at your reception for this portion of the meal. This is a great way to transition from the sit-down portion of the night into the part where attendees from different tables get up and start to mingle.

You'll of course be serving some wedding cake, but complement it with a series of bite-sized creations so

Rustic dessert buffet by Once Upon a Wedding Cake

that guests can fill their plates with several different mouth-watering treats. This is yet another fun way to get your friends and family involved - not to mention save a few bucks on catering costs - by asking your closest bridesmaids to bring some baked goods or other creations to serve at the table. If your aunt has a famous brownie recipe, for example, or your maid of honor makes a praline worth writing home about, they would probably be more than happy to whip up a batch for you as part of your wedding gift.

Decorate the table with personalized wedding napkins and plates, and let your beautiful wedding cake do the heavy lifting aesthetically by serving as the table's centerpiece. Place your other treats in a circle around the cake or on either side of this centerpiece at the buffet.

Image Credits: Wedding Dessert Buffet, Rustic wedding dessert buffet

Unique and Unusual Wedding Cakes

Wedding cakes are more than just dessert. They are one of the most memorable parts of your reception. Couples have always chosen cakes that had a certain "wow" factor, but lately it seems like brides and grooms are looking for a completely custom cake that is as unforgettable as it is beautiful and delicious.  Cake artists are rising to the challenge and creating gorgeous confectionary masterpieces that are unique and sometimes a little unusual. We've chosen some of our favorite cakes that are distinctive yet still dazzling. We also broke them down into a few different themes that have recently caught our eye.

Inspired by Art

Lovers of fine art will appreciate these wedding cakes inspired by famous works of art from the likes of Van Gogh and Gustav Klimt.

Image Credits: Starry Night from Rosesen, Tiffany from Maggie Austin Cake, Gustav Klimt from Finishing Touch

Colorful Confections
Gone are the days of the pure white or ivory wedding cake. A pop of color is what brides want to see these days, even if it is just in a small decorative touch like the patterned bunting on the cake below.

Image Credits: Ombre Hearts from Erica Obrien, Colorful Bunting from 100 Layer Cake, Cubes from Project Wedding

High Romance

Frills, flowers, and a blush of pink are all details we love in this romantic, victorian look. Your hubby-to-be might demand a more masculine version for his groom's cake, but that would be a fun compromise that could only set off the feminine beauty of these ruffled desserts.

Image Credits: Ruffles from The Cake Blog, Roses from Peggy Porschen, Pink Love Letter from Martha Stewart

Playful Cakes

Nontraditional colors and shapes can come together to create a wedding cake that cheerfully defines the personalities of the newlywed couple.

Image Credits: Topsy Turvy from Pink Cake Box, Nautical from Pink Cake Box, Whimsical Cake Tiers from Confetti Cakes

Wedding Cake Trends for 2012

We are beginning the engagement season and soon many brides to be will be planning their 2012 weddings. One of the key ingredients to your wedding and also usually the focal point of your wedding reception is your wedding cake. What are the hot trends for 2012, you ask, well we have made a list below of a few things to keep in mind when planning your 2012 wedding cake.

Wedding Cake Flavors:  Expect new and exciting flavor options for 2012 wedding cakes such as, passion fruit, pomegranate and fig. Not only will brides be shopping for fruit flavored cakes but also the old flavors. Expect to also have options of chocolate-orange or chocolate and strawberry. Just remember, even if fruit seems to be the trend, you will want to get the flavor you and your groom like the most, or several flavors, depending on the amount of cake tiers you want.

Vintage Wedding Cakes: Vintage cakes will remain popular in 2012. Vintage cakes normally display a large amount of texture, such as lace or fabric looking fondant and are adorned with many details. Bows and brooches will be a popular add-on for the vintage style as well, but color is not. If you want a large splash of color, vintage is not what you are looking for.

Hand Painted Wedding Cakes:  Another popular trend in 2012 will be very basic cakes that are painted to your specification. Of course with a cake of this nature you will need to find a fabulous cake artist. If you do, the sky is the limit and you can have the cake of your dreams designed for your big day.

Size of Wedding Cake: It also looks like tall cakes are making a comeback. Bride’s want to make a huge impression with their wedding cakes. If you are interested in a taller cake, keep in mind that taller does not always mean more money. You can have faux tiers added to the cake and you can also have the tiers made not as wide to keep the cost down as well. This will get the dramatic effect you are looking for without breaking the bank.

Flowers on Wedding Cakes: In 2012 roses, calla lilies and hydrangeas will be moving out and ranunculus, peonies and magnolias will be moving in. If you want to have real flowers added to your wedding cake, don’t forget to consider cost, and the time of year you are getting married.

Royal Influenced Wedding Cakes: Of course there are going to be many brides that will want to duplicate or come as close as they can to Will and Kate’s royal wedding cake. This will be a hard cake to duplicate but with the many fabulous cake artist of today, I’m sure there will be many of you that will get the Royal wedding cake you are looking for.

Shop around and find what works best for you, your budget and your taste.

 Good Luck