Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Cake Tuesday: the perfect pair.

I know some people are anti-"themed wedding", and I can appreciate that. It is certainly easy to take something way (way) too far, and it's a quick step from thoughtfully cool to completely hokey and eye-roll-inducing.

That said, we had a pseudo-theme, and I think (hope) it was subtle and fun - favorite or appropriate quotes incorporated into all of the wedding materials.

Our save-the-dates had a Lyle Lovett quote surrounding a photo:

"If Ford is to Chevrolet what Dodge is to Chrysler,
what Corn Flakes are to Post Toasties,
what the clear blue sky is to the deep blue sea,
what Hank Williams is to Neil Armstrong -
can you doubt we were made for each other?"

My older brother took the photo, which is a hitching post, for those of you not from the south. (Get it? Cause we was gettin' hitched?)

The invites themselves had a more serious (Sophocles) quote screened on an overlay that framed the engraved invitations:

"One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life - that word is love."

The favors, which were pralines from Aunt Sally's*, were each wrapped with silly quotes about conversation and wit, since these were on the tables when guests sat down, a welcoming treat that prompted discussion.

And at the end of the night we had a sparkler send-off, and had tied sparklers to matchboxes** with a suitably appropriate quote, on lots of levels ("Come on baby light my fire," if you're having trouble reading it):

Anyhoo, it's fun, when clients DO have a bit of a theme, to be able to tie the cake in as well. This couple was "the perfect pair" with pears on their invitations, which carried through onto programs and menu cards.

I created sugar pears for each corner of the hexagonal cake, anchoring the pale pink swags.

The pears were cute on their own, but really pulled the cake together in a dignified way. Everything was elegant with a touch of whimsy - I loved the pink-striped table cloths.

The point is, don't dismiss a theme or element because you're not into "themes" - it can be a great way to make your wedding unique and really special for you and your guests.

*These were yet another element (like the cake) that I had to let go of making myself, in the interest of cross-country planning and my sanity. Taste-testing from half a dozen praline companies was part of the fun, though, and Aunt Sally's were by far the best.

**These were square, like everything else, as you may have noticed. There are themes and there are consistent elements, I guess - this was a consistent element that I took a little too far. In hunting for square matchboxes, which were almost impossible to find, I finally found some beautifully made wooden matches in sturdy boxes - I could even order silver tips! - from a company in Colorado. The problem was, the minimum order was 2,000. TWO THOUSAND. (And we had a very small wedding.) Could I let this go, given how ridiculous a surplus of 1900+ matchboxes would be? Suffice it to say, whenever anyone comes to visit they leave with a shrink wrapped six-pack of excellent matches.