Countries all over the world have their own special touch that they put in the traditional wedding cake. I was curious how people make their wedding cake unique and special in various countries so I did a little research and here is what I found.

Asia Wedding Traditions

Japan: Many Japanese actually use imposter cakes at wedding receptions. Made of artificial rubber, these faux confections are iced with wax — and even feature a slot for the bride and groom to insert a knife. Believe it or not, some models have even been known to produce a puff of steam! Other dupes consist of elaborately frosted Styrofoam dummy cakes. While the imposters are just for show, sheet cakes hiding out in the kitchen are cut and served to guests.

Korea Wedding Cakes: Many American-style wedding cakes would be considered too sweet for Koreans. They opt instead for a cake made of ground steamed rice covered in red bean powder. A tiered sponge cake covered in nondairy whipped cream is also a popular treat.

China Wedding Cakes: The traditional Chinese wedding cake is a massive, many-layered creation known as lapis Surabaya. The layers represent a ladder of success for the couple. Traditionally, the bride and groom cut the cake from the bottom up, starting with pieces for each parent and grandparent, who are all fed by the newlyweds.

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While most professional wedding photographers may charge $1,500 for their services, an award winning wedding photographer will generally charge about $10,000. It should be noted that this price is outside the range of most couples who are getting married, and they are generally only used by exceptionally wealthy people. However, this does not mean that you can’t get a high quality photographer for this price. Many high end photographers will start their prices at about $3,000 for a premium package. It is important to not be afraid of prices when you are looking for a photographer. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’ve seen the prices that photographers typically charge for weddings, it is easy to see that they are earning significant profits, especially if they are working with a large number of clients in the course of a year. The typical going rate for a professional wedding photographer is $3,000 per event, and this means that a photographer with a large work volume could earn in excess of $100,000. Because wedding photograph has become a popular trend in the last decade, it is a lucrative field for those who are looking to start a business without a great deal of business capital up front. Read the rest of this entry »

Check With Your Reception Venue
Before you begin your cake quest, inquire whether your venue has certain regulations regarding wedding cakes. Some require that you use particular bakers (in-house or otherwise), while others may charge a fee for using your own. Next, find out if the cake designer meets the requirements of the local health department. (Most reception sites will not allow a baker without a license to serve cake on the premises.) Ideally, you should start shopping for a cake designer at least four to six months before the wedding — some of the country’s best cake designers can be booked a year in advance. If you have your hopes set on a marquee name, get on his or her calendar as soon as possible.

Consider The Cost
The price of wedding cake is generally calculated per slice, or according to how labor-intensive the design is. Prices can range from a few dollars to $15 per slice. Consider your cake: Will it require numerous layers? How many tiers? Do you want intricate designs, or something plain and simple? Will it require an engineering degree to get it in the door? All of these things will affect the price of your cake.

When it comes to decoration, adornment costs run the gamut. The most inexpensive option is fresh fruits or flowers that, in some instances, can be applied by your florist for a minimal fee. On the high-end is gumpaste or sugarpaste flowers, which are handmade and extremely delicate, painstakingly constructed one petal at a time. But here’s the bottom line: All add-ons — including marzipan fruits, chocolate-molded flowers, and lace points — will raise the rate. Read the rest of this entry »

Here comes the bride, all dressed in… what? What to wear?

All eyes will be on you, so you’re probably looking for something a bit special but you’re also thinking about the ethical and green credentials of your outfit too.

Tricky! So what are your options? So how in the world do you have a green wedding and still pull off the look that you want?

The charitable bride
Why not take a look at the range of wedding dresses in your local charity shop. Some even have entire branches dedicated to wedding dresses, many of which are shop seconds rather than second hand.

And if you can’t find exactly the right fit, ask a local dressmaker to adjust it for you.

Win ethical brownie points for reusing and recycling and for supporting a charity. You can even donate the dress back again when you’ve finished with it!

Take a browse around the UK’s charity shops with dedicated bridal departments.

Vintage bride
In the same reusing and recycling vein, cast your eye over the swathes of gorgeous vintage wedding dresses that are flooding the stores online and in style-conscious streets and feel like a bride from a more romantic era. Read the rest of this entry »

In recent years, wedding photography has become one of the most lucrative fields in the world. Couples are paying thousands of dollars to have their weddings photographed, and many professional photographers have turned this hobby into a business that has given them a six figure income. Having said that, it should also be noted that wedding photography is a field that continues to grow. Technologies such as the Internet and digital cameras have reduced the cost of cameras, and it has also increased the number of technical opportunities. To succeed in the field of wedding photography, you must have talent and vision.

While there is a large segment of the wedding photography industry that uses traditional techniques for its posing, as well as the recreational events, many couples today are demanding a lot more for their wedding industry. A lot of couples today want an approach that is more contemporary. In the last ten years, all the trends have indicated that the industry is moving more towards a photojournalistic approach. A photojournalistic approach is a method in which the photographer will not require the couple to pose for the camera. Read the rest of this entry »

Thank goodness for the internet these days – planning a wedding is hard – but with the great tools and resources that you’ll find online, it has become much easier. You can get wedding vendor reviews and check out the latest wedding trends for 2008 or anything else!

If you’re starting the search for wedding ideas or vendors, here’s a few great tools online that will help out with your wedding planning.

Online party planning site My Punch Bowl can help you plan your party, with ideas and advice for every step of the way. This is a great place to find wedding venues and reviews of some of the great places to hold a wedding reception.

Whatever theme or color scheme you’re going for, Pearl River Mart and Plum Party are my favorite online party retailers — they have a ton of awesome party favors and decorations, and supply products in bulk. Buying your wedding reception supplies online is a great way to save money and shop around at multiple places without having to drive.

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Couples have traditionally opted to dance to their favorite love song using a basic step. However, the newest trend among more adventurous couples is to perform a finely choreographed opening number. This usually entails hours of lessons and hard work, but can be well worth the time and effort. A dance routine is fun to perform and will wow your guests. One of our good friends did this and while it was a really cool thing to watch, I opted not to do one of these Choreographed First Dances during my first dance. My wedding was busy and stressful enough to plan in the weeks before - I didn’t need 1 more thing to throw into the mix!

If you feel that you lack the coordination for a complicated number, you can still learn an easier routine. Ask your instructor to stick to basic steps with small touches of flair, such as a couple of twirls or a dip. You can also learn popular ballroom dances, such as the tango, foxtrot, and waltz.

The song you choose to accompany your first dance as newlyweds will depend on your taste and style. Just about anything that symbolizes your love and reminds you of each other can be “your song.” This is a pretty good list of the top First-Dance songs:

*“The Way You Look Tonight” (Frank Sinatra)
*“Unforgettable” (Nat King Cole)
*“It Had To Be You” (Harry Connick, Jr.)
*“Wonderful Tonight” (Eric Clapton)
*“From This Moment On” (Shania Twain)
*“At Last” (Etta James)
*“All I Ask Of You” (from Phantom of The Opera) (Andrew Lloyd Webber)
*”When I Said I Do” (Clint Black)
*”By Your Side” (Sade)
*”What A Wonderful World” (Louis Armstrong)
*”When I Fall In Love” (Nat King Cole)
*”Isn’t It Romantic?” (Johnny Mathis)

Flexibility is key to figuring out creative attendant situations. There are no formal rules here, except the legal requirement that you have two witnesses stand up for you during the ceremony. The rest is up to you.

Many religions dictate proper order for the wedding processional. Check with your church or temple’s wedding coordinator to see if you can break with tradition. In most cases, you can. In Christian, Jewish, and civil ceremonies, bridesmaids and groomsmen typically enter individually or in same sex pairs. An example of how to tweak tradition: If a guy is standing up for the bride, the bride might choose to have him and the rest of her bridesmaids each walk down the aisle by themselves to eliminate all female pairs and one male-female pairing. Or, the bridesmaids can walk in pairs and the guy can walk alone. Read the rest of this entry »