Seven teams of vendors collaborated to create a color themed styled shoot for the most recent issue of Seacoast Weddings. I had the honor of creating the sweets for 4 of those teams. Lots of work, but the outcome speaks for itself! Here's a little behind the scenes info on each of the cakes...
Team purple was all about glam! The fantastic team at Pepperberry's Flowers lead the group and provided the initial concepts for us to work from. Touches of bling and feathers accented the rich purple tones. I have these very glam cupcake stands, that totally go with this concept. I liked the idea of doing a small cake and cupcake display that was elegant and not too cutesy. The 6" round cake is covered in a "tufted fondant" technique that gives the illusion of upholstered fabric. It's topped with a white sugar flower and hand cut rice paper "feather".
The glammed up cupcakes were baked in purple "tulip" cups, wrapped with laser-cut paper lace and topped with edible pearl sprinkles.
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Team pink's inspiration was driven by all things candy! My kind of theme :) On a personal note, one of the best things about working on this shoot was the chance to work creatively with my cousin Shelley of Albertine Press. We worked together on the pink, purple and orange teams. Her style is so clean and modern, so it was really fun to watch her apply that style to so many different concepts. She's also mommy to Sadie, the cute little flower girl pictured above! She even snuck my little guy's name in on one of the escort "pops" :)
With a theme like candy, how could I not do a buffet! The cupcakes were baked off in fun pink wrappers and garnished with various pink lollipop and fondant toppers. Sugar cookie "confetti" filled tiny vintage ice cream parlor cups.
The cake was actually the first thing I sketched when working on this design. I created a cascade of fondant lollipop swirls in shades of pink. The base is decorated with tiny dots, reminiscent of the paper dot candy we all enjoyed as kids! The cake is sitting on one of my vintage cake carriers that I repurposed as a stand. I just love the graphic on the front, perfect for a wedding!
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Team orange's inspiration was drawn from the shape and texture of orange dahlia's. The place settings, stationery and cake design all reflect the petal-y starburst design. Little did we know at the time that Pantone would declare "Tangerine Tango" the color of the year!
The starbursts on the sides of the cake were created by molding orange fondant into silicone molds made from real lace. The molded fondant pieces were then brushed with a bit of gold at the tips. Hand-made sugar ranunculus, buds and gold leaves, finish the cake and give it an elegant touch.
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Making the cake for team yellow was kind of a last minute thing! They were down a baker and needed a cake. I already had my hands full with the other 3 teams I was working on. By chance, the concept Heidi (now of Sweet Leaf Flowers) was working on, just so happened to match up with a display cake I had been working on in the shop separate from the shoot. A few quick changes and voila, a perfect fit! I loved the touches of wheatgrass and galvanized steel. The overall feel was clean, bright, natural and modern.
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Here's the full list of talented vendors from each of the teams:
Purple: Flowers: Donna Fucaloro, Danielle Gallant Maccini, and Courtney Fucaloro/Pepperberry's Flowers, Byfeild, MA; Bridesmaid dresses: Flair of Boston; Stationery: Shelley L. Brandes/Albertine Press, Somerville, MA; Hair: Lena/Hair That Moves; Makeup: Kathy McDonald/Beliza Spa; Photography: Leah Haydock Photography.
Pink: Flowers: Heather Good/Heather Caron Floral Design; Stationery: Shelley L. Barandes/Albertine Press, Somerville, MA; Hair: Lena/Hair That Moves; Makeup: Kathy McDonald/Beliza Spa; Model and Assistant: Brandi Lawrence; Photography: Lindsey Flanagan Photography.
Orange: Florals/Design: New Leaf Flores, Jamaica Plain, MA; Cake: Bridal gowns/bridesmaid dresses: Flair Boston; Stationery: Shelley L. Brandes/Albertine Press, Somerville, MA; Hair: Lena/Hair That Moves; Makeup: Jana Lamas; Bracelet: Stella + Dot; Jewelry/other accessories: Salmagundi, Jamaica Plain, MA; Orange Hat: Anthropologie; Shoes: Zappos.com; Linens and place settings: Bloomingdale's Chestnut Hill; Photography: Kate McElwee Photography
Yellow: Flowers: Heidi Hamblett & Melissa Tetrault/Chalifour's Flowers, Manchester, NH; Stationery: Ana/Anastasia Designs, Portsmouth, NH; Hair: Lena/Hair That Moves; Makeup: Kathy McDonald/Beliza Spa; Model: Lindsey Sheilds; Photography: Chris Smith, CA Smith Photography.
Rivermill at Dover Landing hosted the shoot and the fabulous Kate Parker of Kate Parker Designs helped orchestrate the day!
