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Southern Weddings

Tag: mini desserts

Meghan + Michael’s wedding is after my own heart. An outdoor ceremony under a giant tree AND guests were greeted with hot apple cider? If that’s not Southern hospitality, then what is? After some sweet vows were exchanged, the newlyweds and their friends and family settled down for a reception on the lawn of Glenview Mansion, planned by SW favorite Atrendy Wedding. We are a teensy bit jealous that we weren’t able to play corn hole and nibble on s’mores on a stick and mini creme brulee, but these photos by Kate Headley absolutely make up for it. I adore Meghan + Michael’s casual-but-cute getaway outfits and ribbon streamers. They look marvelous in the afternoon light!

Could these bouquets by Holly Chapple Flowers be any more perfect for a fall wedding?

Describe the proposal. I was living in Florida at the time and Michael was living back home in Maryland. I knew he was planning to fly down and visit me over my birthday, but instead, he surprised me by flying down a few days earlier and popping the question! He proposed at night by the pond near my house, surrounded by candlelight. Afterward, my closest friends surprised me with an engagement party and showered us with love and excitement.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Shabby chic, sweet and detailed
In what month did you get married? October
How many guests attended your wedding? 145
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: There were so many to choose from, but I loved the ceremony site. We had so many beautiful flowers all around and guests were greeted with beautiful music and hot apple cider as they arrived.
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? We had our wedding and reception outside at a beautiful vintage mansion in Maryland. Guests enjoyed lawn games during the cocktail hour. Our reception we held under a beautiful open tent.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I had tried on several dresses but nothing was wowing me. I saw an image of a gorgeous lace dress at a bridal store but they didn’t carry the dress. I went online and searched for the gown and found a bridal shop that had it in store! As soon as I put it on, I knew it was the perfect dress and that it would fit my outdoor, shabby chic wedding.
Describe your wedding flowers: Color, color, color. I wanted to incorporate all the beautiful colors of autumn. My bouquet had purple, orange, red, yellow and green flowers. Each of my bridesmaids bouquets were made up of one type of flower from my bouquet.
Describe your wedding cake or dessert: Our wedding cake was three-tiered red velvet cake with chocolate ganache and spiced apple with cinnamon icing. It had fresh flowers cascading down one side.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? The biggest challenge we faced was accommodating all of our family member’s wishes. There were some conflicting ideas that were difficult to work through.
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? The wedding planner. She was so helpful throughout the entire process. She saved me so much time and stress and it was a huge blessing not to have to worry about anything the day of the wedding.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Walking down the aisle and seeing each other for the first time. It was a special moment that neither one of us will ever forget.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We currently work together for a non-profit organization and we will be relocating to Washington, D.C. We are hoping that in the future our jobs will take us overseas full-time and that we will begin a family there.

Photographer: Kate Headley // Planner: Pam Barefoot from A Trendy Wedding // Ceremony venue: Glenview Mansion // Reception venue: Glenview Mansion // Florist: Holly Chapple //Wedding Cake or Dessert Baker: Fluffy Thoughts Cake // Caterer: Windows Catering Company // Rentals: Sugar Plum Tent Rentals // Linens: Windows // Lighting: Windows // Paper Products: invitations done by Heather Bianchi // Bride’s Dress: Allure Bridals // Bride’s Hair Accessories/Veil/Jewelry: Hairpiece and earrings from Etsy, veil and garters handmade by the mother of the bride // Bride’s Shoes: Nine West // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Jasmine Bridal

Atrendy Wedding is a fabulous member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

Want to see similar lovely weddings?
Claire + Brian’s intimate fall garden wedding here and here
Sara + Bill’s rustic Virginia wedding here and here

nicoleyang Written with love by Nicole
10 Comments
  1. avatar Brit {Colure Weddings} reply

    Love the colors in the florals! Stunning!

  2. avatar The Friday Fresh Squeeze | Floridian Weddings reply

    […] the Bride wore….orange!I know it is almost the first official day of Spring, however, I am loving this very Fall wedding, including the apple cider. Wow, what a beautiful wedding and I love that the couple gave out […]

  3. avatar NC Wedding Planner- Orangerie Events reply

    The floral arrangements were eye catching! The colors were beautiful and so fresh! Thanks for sharing!

  4. avatar Atrendy Blog reply

    […] the gals over at Southern Weddings blogged Meghan & Mike’s charming wedding. Thank you Meghan and Southern Weddings for the […]

  5. avatar Tim Duncan reply

    The cake looks delicious!

  6. avatar One to Wed – Fall Wedding Trends reply

    […] Style Me Pretty, Pinterest via Etsy, Pinterest, Etsy, I Love Southern Weddings Magazine, Martha Stewart Weddings /* TweetRelated posts:Old Hollywood (in honor of the […]

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    […] Bliss, Elly B Events via Assaf Photography, Martha Stewart Weddings, Pinterest, A Vote and a Vow, I Love Southern Weddings Magazine, One Stylish Bride /* TweetRelated posts:The IndustrialistVintage DetailsTrend Alert: Wedding […]

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Welcome back to my wedding planning journey, guys + gals! Today we’re talking cake + sweets – an important component of any wedding!

Call me traditional, but when I think wedding cake, I think tiered, white, and lovely, like these pretties below:

All cakes from Martha Stewart Weddings except bottom left, which is from Southern Weddings (photo by Tec Petaja)

In fact, that cake in the upper left is my all-time favorite wedding cake — it’s absolutely perfect in my mind!

However, after tasting the cakes at my sister’s wedding, I pretty much decided that I could never serve a tiered confection at my wedding. For me, tiered cakes are always too dense and/or dry. I’m not a baker, but I think this is because they have to be denser in order to support the weight of the tiers — I’m not sure a fluffy tiered cake is possible! (However, should any pastry artists out there wish to prove me wrong, I am always up for taste tests!)

Besides, we don’t really have the budget for a gorgeous tiered cake, anyway. Instead, we’re going to be serving an assortment of mini desserts (to go along with our mini food!). We’ll also have a small cutting cake, but more about that in a minute. First, let’s feast our eyes on some delicious-looking + diminutive desserts!

There’s mini pecan pies…

mini key lime tarts…

mini fruit tarts…

mini cookies…

and even more exotic offerings, like mini donuts, milkshakes, candy apples, and waffle bowls with ice cream!

Pecan pie photos by Caroline Joy (via SW) and Braedon Flynn (via SW); key lime tart photos by Karen Wise (via Style Me Pretty), Jessica Lorren (via SW), and Jodi Miller (via SW); fruit tart photos from Cannelle et Vanille and Martha Stewart Weddings; mini cookies both from Martha Stewart Weddings; mini milkshakes photo by Julie Lim (via SW); waffle bowls and candy apples from Martha Stewart Weddings; donuts photo by Chris Court

We’re still debating which, exactly, mini desserts we’ll be servings at our reception, but I do know that mini fruit tarts will be in the mix – they’re John’s favorite, and one of his only requests! I also know we’re going to be serving a special treat made by my Momma — I’m not going to spoil the surprise for any of our guests that might be reading, but I will say that all of my high school friends could probably guess correctly right away — these little treats have been a staple at the Ayer household for as long as I can remember! I’m so grateful that our caterer, A Thyme to Cook, is willing to transport and set out our homemade treats along with theirs — it makes it so much more possible to contribute family recipes and still have everything move smoothly and flow seamlessly!

Now about that cutting cake. We were originally going to have A Thyme to Cook make it, as well, but as we took a harder look at our budget, we realized that this was one detail we could pretty easily take care of ourselves, and save some money while doing so. I don’t think I would be brave enough to make a cake a few days before our wedding that I’d actually be feeding to our guests, but since John and I will be the only ones tasting this cake, I’m not that worried! All we have to do is make it edible and decently pretty on the outside. Here’s some of the “doable” cake inspiration I’ve been gathering:

Bow cake photo by Braedon Flynn (via SW), meringue cake photo by J. Malahy (via SW), white cake buffet photo by The Nichols (via Style Me Pretty), heart cake buffet photo by Brooke Images (via SW), ruffled cake photo by Melissa Schollaert (via SW), flag cake photo by The Nichols (via Style Me Pretty), and raspberry cake photo by Aaron Delesie

Surely my family and I can pull off something like the above – what do you think? Oh yes, and we’ll totally be making the cake itself from a box — no way am I going “from scratch” on this one!

I’d also love to hear what y’all will be serving for dessert at your weddings. A traditional cake? A cake buffet? Pies? Mini desserts? Please comment + let me know!

In case you missed a post…
The main characters
Where we’re getting married
I go dress shopping
We choose a photographer
I ponder bridesmaid style
Mini food!
The music
We’re renting a tent!
We discuss bouquets + boutonnieres
We send out our save the dates
I gather hair and makeup inspiration

Jessica Lorren, Brooke Images, Jodi Miller Photography, and Melissa Schollaert are fabulous members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

emily Written with love by Emily
17 Comments
  1. avatar Laura reply

    We’re planning on having a dessert buffet of pies, cupcakes, and doughnuts (Krispy Kreme, of course!), but I also wanted to have a very small cake for our actual cake-cutting. I hadn’t thought about making it myself, but like you said, we’ll be the only ones eating it and it would be far more economical. How far in advance will you make it? I just wouldn’t want to be worrying about it the day before or the day of.

    • avatar Emily reply

      Hi Laura! That all sounds DELICIOUS! We’ll probably make ours the Wednesday before the wedding. I don’t really care if it’s all that fresh, since I’ll probably just be eating a bite or two anyway! :) You could also make the cake layers a few weeks or even months before your wedding and freeze them!

    • avatar Laura reply

      That is true. I think you may have inspired me to bake my own wedding cake!

  2. avatar Haley reply

    Hiya Emily! My fiance and I are doing a tiered cake and mini pies. We can’t wait! We’ll be using my apple pie recipe and my mother will be making my grandmother’s chocolate chess pie. YUM! Your wedding is going to be lovely! Congratulations!

    • avatar Emily reply

      Hi Haley! YUM! Mini pies are just the most adorable thing to me… I’m sure yours will be lovely!

  3. avatar Brittany R reply

    I love the idea of mini desserts! They will be a huge hit.

    We opted to do a cake buffet with 5 flavors-they are each a 2-3 layer round cake like you would by from a bakery…only we ordered 2 of all of them, so we can have backups for when they run out. My grandmother has been gifting me milk glass cake stands for the past few years, and unbeknownst to her, we will be using them for our cake buffet! I thought that was a sweet way to pay homage to her. :)
    In place of a traditional groom’s cake, he opted to do a cobbler bar with vanilla ice cream…so far, everyone loves the idea!

    • avatar Brittany R reply

      Brittany R: sorry, typo! “like you would *buy from a bakery

    • avatar Emily reply

      Hi Brittany! A cobbler bar sounds AMAZING, and I love the idea of using the cake stands from your grandmother as a surprise! I’m sure she’ll be thrilled!

  4. avatar Madelynne Miller reply

    Hi Emily!

    We are doing 2 cakes – a groom’s cake and a bride’s cake. His cake is going to alternate between tiers of chocolate and strawberry w/ vanilla buttercream and will be grey on the outside with one tier possessing the pattern from his argyle sock! My cake is going to be lemon w/ lemon buttercream and will be all white on the outside with one tier possessing the chevron pattern we used on our stationery and table linens! We are going for a very modern look with one tier taller than the rest and both cakes will be the same size. Our cake is definitely contributing/enhancing the decor!

    PS: Y’all can totally handle a traditional small cake! You should do funfetti!

    • avatar Emily reply

      Hi Madelynne! Love that you’re using patterns pulled from other places in your design — so fun!! And you’re right, those cakes will TOTALLY add to the overall vibe/decor!

  5. avatar Desiree reply

    Hey Emily – So, I made a small layered cake for a photoshoot last year. I would highly recommend getting the following tools: round shallow cake pan, skinny knife for trimming top layers, those plastic pipes that you shove in the cake to support the layers, a good icing spatula, cardboard platter that you wrap in pretty paper and construct the cake on (dang near impossible to move a cake once its layered and iced…duh.) and you might want to find a DEEP freezer. My cake melted in the car ride bc I didn’t have it frozen beforehand. ALSO – get one of these:
    http://www.amazon.com/Progressive-International-Collapsible-Cupcake-Carrier/dp/B002C741M2

    I carried mine it just a general rubbermaid box and you guessed it, cake all over the place. It’s totally doable but you just need the right tools. Go add those things to your registry ;o) xoxo

    • avatar Emily reply

      Hi Desiree! Thanks for the tips! I actually learned a bit about cake making from the owner of Sugarland a few years ago for an SW feature, and one tip she had was to use bubble tea straws for the supports! They work great!

  6. avatar Elizabeth | Glessner Photography reply

    OBSESSED with that Pecan Pie tower… my absolute favorite dessert (my grandmother’s recipe is the best of. all. time). I’m just jealous I didn’t think of it for my own wedding :)

  7. avatar Lindsay Ann reply

    Emily, I love the mini dessert idea. It reminds me of the cookie table tradition in a lot of Italian American weddings that I attended while growing up in Northeastern Ohio. There were always lots of pizelles, tarts, and oh so heavenly clothespin cookies. Yum!

    • avatar Emily reply

      Hi Lindsay Ann! I completely agree with the similarities! Also, you’ve really got me intrigued as to what a “clothespin cookie” is…

  8. avatar Allie@HoneyBeeInvites reply

    You’re going to be a gorgeous bride Emily! And I know how you feel so many dessert options! We just picked donuts for our mini dessert bar options. I am obsessed with donuts so it was a total “duh” moment when we selected Glazed in Charleston to create the fun flavors! They are the best!
    Good luck planning girl!! xo

  9. avatar Kelcey H. reply

    I LOVE that you’re making your own cake! As an aspiring self-taught baker I think everything is better (and sweeter) homemade. The rose cake you have shown above is actually super easy (even for a not so regular cake baker). There are tons of how to videos online if you’d like to give it a try. Plus, no one would ever know you made it yourself.

    Happy Baking!

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I have a particularly delicious Southern Weddings V4 feature to share with you today! Melody of My Sweet & Saucy took our request to re-imagine classic Southern desserts and ran with it. Braedon Flynn captured the tiny treats beautifully. Shall we take a walk down the buffet line?

First we have tiny individual pound cakes with fresh raspberries.

Melody scooped layers of red velvet cake and frosting into mini mason jars, and cut out the most perfect, tiny Krispy Kremes lookalikes. (Yes, I’m drooling, too. It’s okay.)

Blueberry cobbler served in mini skillets — I die!

These mini pecan pies would be perfect at the end of the night, or as a take-home favor!

On the left we have mini key lime tarts for Florida celebrations, and on the right, adorably rustic hand pies.

Perhaps my favorite idea? Banana pudding shooters. Yum!

Be sure to pick up our latest print edition to see the rest of our mini dessert ideas! And tell me: Will you or did you serve any dessert besides cake at your wedding?

The talented vendors who brought this shoot to life:

Desserts: Melody Brandon of My Sweet & Saucy // Photography: Braedon Photography

P.S. More Southern dessert goodness:
Hummingbird cake and peach pie
Strawberry shortcake cake
Mini key lime tarts
Divinity

emily Written with love by Emily
3 Comments
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