Bridal Expo

Remember last year when I was ranting and raving about the cake-pop and how it would be the biggest thing in wedding desserts since cupcakes stole the show about three years ago? Well, turns out I was right. Not only that – this little gem has inspired many to start an entire business catering to and serving only cake pops.

For those of you who missed my introduction last February to the darling of the dessert world, I would like to introduce you to the ” Cake- Pop”. For those of you who were with me while I extolled the virtues of the delightful smidgen of cake on a stick, lets re-familiarize ourselves with the cake-pop.

Cake Pops were ‘invented’ in 2011 by a woman who goes by the name ‘Bakerella’. On her website you will see a very happy young woman who says she was inspired to start blogging about her baking attempts after taking a cake decorating class.  I saw her website, I hope she got an A+. Maybe she didn’t invent them but she certainly is credited with bringing them into everyday conversation and to wedding sweet tables everywhere . Thank you, Bakerella.

In my quest to find out everything there is to know about cake pops I found that there are two different kinds:

1) Traditional cake-pops are made by crumbling an entire cake with some frosting into a bowl, smashing it into balls, inserting a popsicle or lollipop stick and dipping in hardening chocolate.

2) The newer version of the cake pop is made with a special baking pan that you fill with cake batter and cover with th accompanying  lid that completes the sphere to bake a  perfect circle every time. Insert stick, dip in chocolate and voila!

Of course cake-pops are not intended to replace the traditional wedding cake (but you could), they are adding another layer of deliciousness and pizazz to the sweet table (which they will). You can dip them in all kinds of toppings, sprinkles or have a great time decorating them. They are small and easy to work with, because they are on a stick and they are just the right shape. No mess, no fork, no plate, these little wonders will have you wondering…. what will they come up with next?

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago

It was just last year that the biggest trend on wedding sweet tables and at receptions was the cupcake. The cupcake was the hippest, hottest must-have for weddings in 2011 and I thought there couldn’t possibly be anything more fun or festive for a wedding sweet table. Guess what? I was dead wrong. I would like to introduce you to the ” Cake- Pop”.

Take a good look at this sweet little gem, you are going to be seeing a lot of it.

Cake Pops were ‘invented’ in 2011 by a woman who goes by the name ‘Bakerella’. On her website you will see a very happy young woman who says she was inspired to start blogging about her baking attempts after taking a cake decorating class.  I saw her website, I hope she got an A+. Maybe she didn’t invent them but she certainly is credited with bringing them into everyday conversation and to wedding sweet tables everywhere . Thank you, Bakerella.

In my quest to find out everything there is to know about cake pops I found that there are two different kinds:

1) Traditional cake-pops are made by crumbling an entire cake with some frosting into a bowl, smashing it into balls, inserting a popsicle or lollipop stick and dipping in hardening chocolate.

2) The newer version of the cake pop is made with a special baking pan that you fill with cake batter and cover with th accompanying  lid that completes the sphere to bake a  perfect circle every time. Insert stick, dip in chocolate and voila!

Of course cake-pops are not intended to replace the traditional wedding cake (but you could), they are adding another layer of deliciousness and pizazz to the sweet table (which they will). You can dip them in all kinds of toppings, sprinkles or have a great time decorating them. They are small and easy to work with, because they are on a stick and they are just the right shape. No mess, no fork, no plate, these little wonders will have you wondering…. what will they come up with next?

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago

 Many couples are opting for smaller, more intimate gatherings where their dollars are spent on quality vs. quantity; having  a luxurious, lavish affair for 75 people rather than a cookie cutter convention  for 350 people.  The problem is, where do you draw the line?

Make your guest ‘wish’ list and decide on the exact cut off number. This list is the closest people in your life, the people you cannot live without.  Decide immediately if you will be able to allow  single guests to bring a date or  parents to bring their children, stick to your guns and be prepared to have to defend this decision. These are people who have been with you for your whole life, people who will be there forever and ever, not co-workers or bosses or recent neighbors.

From the beginning, tell anyone who asks that you are planning a small, intimate gathering. This will prevent most from asking if they are invited. Be polite and tell them honestly, ” Jason and I have decided to have a small wedding and we will only be inviting family and our closest friends.” Of course, this means you should not be constantly talking about wedding plans to co-workers who are uninvited, save the juicy details for the maid of honor or your sibling. Remember, if you are having pre-wedding parties, they are restricted to invited guests only. Can’t invite people to a bridal shower and not invite them to a wedding, after all.

 Keep the wedding party small. There is no hard and fast rule for this but, if the guest total is 75, stay with one or two attendants. Kate Middleton had only one bridesmaid and her wedding was enormous, keep that in mind.

The benefits of a smaller wedding are many; you can spend more money on things that really matter to you like an exclusive location,  maginficent meal, extraordinary flowers, glamorous gown, extravagant shoes, elaborate invitations,  A-list photographer and a sumptuous sweet table. In the end it truly is a matter of quality versus quantity.

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago

It is often said you can never be too rich or too thin. Personally, I am in no danger of being either one so I can only speculate on how difficult it must be to be both at the same time (insert eye roll). Some of the wealthiest, most beautiful women in the world are not high-profile celebrities and although they do have their share of wedding dilemmas,  it can’t compare to the pressure and burden of being Angelina Jolie during the planning of her eventual wedding to her equally high -profile (megastar) fiance, Brad Pitt. Especially since she is often critiqued about being too thin and probably too rich as well.

Of course she can hire planners to do everything, have stores closed down for shopping, visit designers showrooms and have all wedding attire custom designed and fitted to perfection. However, there comes a day (the wedding day) when all eyes are upon her and she has to find a gown that can stop the critics dead in their tracks… that is, if she cares at all. Critics (like me) who can be cynical and in other cases downright unkind.

The question remains, if you are Angelina Jolie, what will your wedding be like? My guess is completely toned down. Think of Kim Kardashian’s fairytale (staged) wedding and imagine the exact opposite. Not to the degree where people are eating off paper plates but you can bet that the wedding will not be televised unless the profits go to AMFAR or one of this power couple’s other pet projects.

Personally, if I were in her shoes, I would find a diaphanous gown of varying pastel shades, have all the children suited accordingly in matching pastels, find  a secluded spot in the English countryside, invite only close family and friends (and their kids) and have a charming afternoon event that is more about the ceremony than a lavish reception. If it were me, and I was thin and rich and high-profile, I would completely engulf myself in the Victorian/Antique theme that is so hot right now. I would do anything and everything to have  a casual, rustic, family gathering with Peonies, Hydrangeas,wildflowers  and antique china place settings. I would make it intimate, heartfelt, and completely understated. Kids? Yes. Foreign dignitaries? No. More than anything, I would make sure the vows are extraordinary and memorable.

Most of all (dare I say?) I would not have a strapless gown no matter how good I looked in it – just to protest the lack of options and being a super-powerful, mega-wealthy Hollywood star, you can do anything you want!

…..and what would you do?

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago

Last night was the first awards show of 2012 and my personal favorite of all awards shows. The reason I love the Golden Globe Awards is many but, the main reason is that although still a very formal awards ceremony, the nominees and presenters seem to be genuinely having a good time. Maybe it is because dinner is included, maybe it is because some see it is a dress rehearsals for the Academy awards but, personally I  suspect it is because they can drink in their seats! The one thing that really stood out to me was that all of the same trends we are seeing  in bridal fashions were right there on the red carpet; each of them  beaded, belted, sequined and accessorized to perfection. It was a glamorous and yet confusing night but, I walked away with a better knowledge of red carpet fashion! This is what I learned from last night:

How to wear an all over sequined gown- Laura Dern in Andrew Gn. While I am not a big fan of these tiny belts or all over sequins, this one works. Also, the neckline had some detail which broke up the ‘all-overness’ of the sequined dress and the plunging ‘V’ showed off her svelte figure.

How to be boring and glamorous at the same time – Michelle Williams  in a beautifully fitted yet boring Jason Wu gown. The gown had no design interest and once again she  fell short for lack of proper accessories.  The tiny black belt and black headband were of no consequence and did nothing for the overall look.

How to wear Reem Acra. One of our favorite bridal designers had a great showing last night - Diane Lane’s gown was my favorite of the three and the most flattering on her. Madonna ‘s (too much material, girl) gown had way too much going on  and Julie Bowen’s gown didn’t have enough.

Why not to let your children pick your clothes- Sarah Michelle Gellar flopped in Monique Lhuillier. Tye dye? Really?

How to wear a simple geomtric look – Zooey Deschanel was adorable (as always) in Prada. Selma Hayek dropped the ball when she picked this Gucci getup.

How to wear silk chiffon – Kate Becksinsale’s Roberto Cavalli silk chiffon gown was embellished with beaded detail and a flowing skirt while the details of Charlize Theron’s Dior gown  were in the design and execution. Both looked incredible.

How to stop traffic at any age – Jane Fonda looked so incredible that she rendered George Clooney speechless.

Speaking of which, Stacy Keibler was all smiles as she shows how to perfectly accesorize.

How to do “Grannies Gone Wild” – Jessica Biel in Marchesa.

How to be a great host -  while it seemed a risky move having him return after offending so many A-listers in 2011, it paid off big time for the Hollywood Foriegn Press as the comedian showed us he really could emcee the event  in a relaxed, casual and confident manner. His tuxedo choice was smashing but I would have preferred to see a tie! What can you say about Johnny Depp? He is just so darn cool.

What did you learn from last night’s Golden Globes?

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago

Last week we unveiled one of the wedding trends that began developing in 2011 and will most likely continue into 2012 is downsizing. Many couples (not just those with budget restrictions)  are opting for smaller, more intimate gatheringe where their dollars are spent on quality vs. quantity; having  a luxurious, lavish affair for 75 people rather than a 350 person sit down dinner.  The problem is, where do you draw the line?

How to keep your small affair a small affair:

1) Make your guest ‘wish’ list and decide on the exact cut off number. This list is the closest people in your life, the people you cannot live without.  Decide immediately if you will be able to allow  single guests to bring a date or  parents to bring their children, stick to your guns and be prepared to have to defend this decision.

2) From the beginning, tell anyone who asks that you are planning a small, intimate gathering. This will prevent most from asking if they are invited. Be polite and tell them honestly, ” Jason and I have decided to have a smaller wedding and we will only be inviting family and our closest friends.” Of course, this means you should not be constantly talking about wedding plans to co-workers who are uninvited, save the juicy details for the maid of honor or your sibling. 

3) Be prepared to get some flak. Some people will a) not think this is a great idea and b) be offended they are not invited. This is your celebration, it is your choice to handle it as you see fit. Whatever reason they give you for their dissenting opinion –  ignore them.

4)  As soon as you have whittled the guest list to the desired number, find and book your location.  Once you have secured your location, everything will begin to fall in place and any negative feedback will be drowned out by the beauty of what you can accomplish for the same amount of money.

5) Keep the wedding party small. There is no hard and fast rule for this but, if the guest total is 75, stay with one or two attendants. Kate Middleton had only one bridesmaid and her wedding was enormous, keep that in mind.

The benefits of a smaller wedding are many; you can spend more money on things that really matter to you like an exclusive location,  maginficent meal, extraordinary flowers, glamorous gown, elaborate invitations,  A-list photographer and a sumptuous sweet table. In the end it truly is a matter of quality versus quantity.

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago

There must be a little “Love Potion # 9″ in the water supply because this past week has given us a rash of celebrity engagements. From pop stars to sports legends,  from the unlikely to the hopeless romantics, it is obvious that 2012 is starting out to be the year of matrimony.

Britney Spears – Engaged to Jason Trawick, released the news via Twitter. Her Neil Lane engagement ring was custom designed with the help of Jason to look like a mini-tiara. Wishing that third time is a charm for the pop princess. Although this is her third trip down the aisle (if you count the Vegas debacle) there is no reason she can’t don a bridal gown again. In fact, wouldn’t she look stunning in this gown by Ines di Santo?

Matthew McConaughey popped the question on Christmas day to his longtime girlfriend Camila Alves. This previously confirmed bachelor was giddy as he notified his fans, also via Twitter. This couple looks great every time they appear on the red carpet and for all his shirtless antics, Matthew cleans up nicley in every  tuxedo he is photographed wearing. Can you inagine how fabulous Camila would look in either of these couture classics by Yumi Katsura? 

Steven Tyler of Aerosmith and more recently, American Idol fame, also popped the question over the holidays to his girlfriend of 6 years, Erin Brady, with a 5 carat ring designed by his personal jeweler, Loree Rodkin. Tyler is a Rock and Roll legend so I would guess the most important part of his celebration will be the music. The lineup will likely include some of his dearest R& R friends… maybe Bon Jovi since he is still alive and kicking?

Justin Timberlake and Jessica Beil reportedly became engaged over the holidays and if recent photos are any indication, couldn’t be happier. JT has long been a style icon for twenty-something men and is always willing to take a fashion risk. Will he go traditional tuxedo or something edgy? Jessica Beil, known for her stunning figure as much as her acting ability will stop traffic  in anything she wears.  This gown by Jorge Perez would certainly do the same, proving the back of the gown is just as important as the front.

Michael Jordan (#23)  proposed to Yvette Prieto over the holidays with a ring  that is reported to be in the 7 figure range. No photos, yet and still no reports as to where the wedding will take place. Having a line of his own  tuxedos in the 1990′s gives Michael the ‘home court’ advantage when it comes to selecting his attire for the wedding. Although now defunct, the Michael Jordan Tuxedo Collection took the 199′s by storm… much like he did.

Other recent celebrity engagements include Wynona Judd, Chris O’Brown (from the Bridesmaids movie), and LeBron James. There certainly are a lot of high-profile engagements. Personally, I cant wait to see them unfold because if there is anything I love more than a wedding, it is a celebrity wedding! Best Wishes to everyone who got engaged over the holidays and here’s hoping your ‘happily’ is forever after!

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago