It seems June is still a month that’s sought after for brides even when the weather is not in their favor. Saturday, June 27th was no exception. It was indeed the 12th day of 90+ weather in a row and in fact, another 96 degree wedding with about 110% humidity…that’s just a guess of course.
This bride, Lisa, has become a wonderful addition to my circle of friends and was extremely active in every aspect of planning her wedding. I first mentioned Lisa in the “A family that cakes together” blog. She is very detail oriented and had very classy and elegant ideas she was bringing to life through her vendors. Mike was an active groom as well and they bounced ideas off one another frequently before making decisions together.
Lisa and Mike chose to get married at the Parthenon at the heart of Nashville’s Centennial Park. There is something absolutely breathtaking about the architecture, history, and detail in the Parthenon so it was a perfect fit for the couple. I would like future brides to be aware however, that there is not air conditioning on the upper half where the reception takes place. I have to say that it was simply sweltering which can cause many situations that I’ll talk about in further detail later.
Mike and Lisa’s wedding colors were Champagne and Royal Blue with gold accents. Liberty Party Rental decked the entire place with Bichon fabrics in those regal colors and beautiful place settings trimmed with gold. The couple also used gold chairs which accented the room beautifully, especially because Athena (the main attraction at the Parthenon) is gilded with 24kt gold leaf. At 42ft tall, that’s a lot of gold!

Athena at night-an extraordinary sight!
Debbie’s Weddings and Things brought in breathtaking displays of flowers. There were more flowers than I could even imagine and the smell was divine. The bouquets were accented ever so slightly with peacock feathers and crystals that glimmered in the soft lighting. They were absolutely equisite. I have honestly never seen more beautiful displays anywhere.
Mike and Lisa chose to serve heavy appetizers instead of a full meal and Rita of Down South Delights delivered with ease. The couple chose 19 different appetizers ranging from gulf shrimp cocktail shooters, tiny Bourbon beef tenderloin on cream biscuits, and amazing cocktail meatballs to fresh fruit, spinach dip, and cucumber dill canapes. I will fully admit that I tried 17 different appetizers and they were all delicious. I had the opportunity to talk quite lengthly with Rita and I would recommend her to anyone. It isn’t easy to prepare all of those appetizers and transport them to a venue without as much as a kitchenette available!
And then there was cake…Lisa and Mike had several different ideas before Lisa settled on a design similar to one she saw on the Knot. She wanted offset squares covered in champagne colored buttercream and adorned with thousands of sugar and fondant pearls. It was a very unique and classy cake which fit the theme of the wedding nicely. They insisted on the almond cake and buttercream-Lisa’s family favorite.
I was told the groom loves donuts so Lisa wanted to surprise him with a butter cake with Bavarian cream filling and chocolate ganache icing. I painted a cartoonish picture of the groom on fondant to resemble a vintage valentine that a friend had emailed to Lisa. It made Lisa think of Mike immediately. Mike thought he was getting a cake to look like a Viper wheel…imagine his surprise!

The Bride's cake - 4 tiers of Sour Cream Almond with Almond Buttercream.

The Groom's Cake - Butter cake with Bavarian Creme Filling and Chocolate Ganache Icing
At this time I’d like to mention that I stated earlier there was not air conditioning where the reception took place and the cakes were iced with buttercream and ganache. The bride’s cake was extremely beautiful before it sat too long at the reception site. We were graciously allowed to wheel the cakes downstairs to the gallery where the air is a cool 75 degrees or so. It stopped the melting but not before some damage had occured. Optimal temperature is 75 or under which is why that is stated in most cake contracts, including mine. Several guests commented that they would not have noticed any problems in the looks of the cake but as a decorator that takes great pride in her work, it was not the cake I would have liked my beautiful friend and her new husband to cut. Nor was it the cake that I would have liked Gina Bilyeu Photography to take photographs of.
It is extremely important for the bride, the planner, and all of the vendors to know the exact conditions they will be dealing with before they show up at the reception site. I, for one, will check the venue myself in the future ensure a similar situation will not happen again. I take responsibility for not doing that in the first place. There is no blame on anyone else whatsoever. <whew…let’s move on!>
Lisa had also contracted Covered with Icing to make edible favors for each guest. They were chocolate covered sandwich cookies, one in white chocolate with either a pearlized miniature bride and groom or a heart with the word “love” inscripted on it and one with dark chocolate with an edible gold dusted “C” monogram to match the monogram on top of the cake. They were boxed in sets of two for each guest in beautiful gold boxes from Nashville Wraps, then a sticker in ivory color with a royal monogram was placed on each and then tied with a royal blue ribbon. They were a huge hit as I saw several guests taking extras on their way out. :) Anyone who knows me will tell you that I’m not a fan of sandwich cookies or of white chocolate, but when you put the two together it’s a taste like no other. Delicious!

Dark and White Chocolate dipped sandwich cookie favors

Wedding Favors
In spite of unfavorable conditions, the wedding was one of the most beautiful and classy affairs that I’ve seen. The guests had a wonderful time, dancing to the sounds of Blue Tone Music at Athena’s feet and sipped sangria and peach ice tea that was delicious and refreshing. The couple had a great time and there’s no doubt in my mind that they waited until the time was just right to enjoy a long and happy life together.

Cake with Monogram topper

Enjoying the cake!
Lisa and Mike, may your fiery passion always burn hotter than your wedding day!

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham!



