Advantages of Attending a Bridal Show

Join us tomorrow January 27 at 7:00 pm for the Elegant Bridal Show at the Sheraton Hotel in Mahwah, New Jersey. There are myriad advantages to attending bridal shows early in your bridal planning process. Instead of running around to multiple vendors -- wedding cake designers, wedding dress boutiques, wedding planners, caterers, invitation designers, florists and musicians to name a few -- you will find all these in one convenient place. This allows you to compare pricing easily and begin developing the plan for your wedding. Also, many vendors offer discounts, give-aways or perks to the brides they meet at such events. http://www.sweetgrace.net/

Check-Out The Average Cost of Weddings in Your Area

Wedding costs vary tremendously by area of the country and even by region here in New Jersey. Sweet Grace, Cake Designs is located in Northern New Jersey, where the average range of wedding costs are $46,000 to $116,000. The wedding cake portion of this budget ranges from $700 to $1,900. Sweet Grace, Cake Designs provides excellent workmanship and artistry at attractive prices -- see price guidelines on our webite - http://www.sweetgrace.net/.

Check-out this website that allows you to enter your zip code and see the range of prices for weddings in that area -- http://www.costofwedding.com/.

Toxic Flowers Should NOT Be Used to Adorn Wedding Cakes

While nature provides a stunning array of flowers that would add beauty to your wedding cake, one needs to be aware of the safety concerns when combining fresh flowers and food. We recommend the use of sugar flowers on a cake since fresh flowers are often sprayed with pesticides and many fresh flowers are toxic. When using fresh flowers after considering these saftey concerns, you should request that the florist put the stems in picks to prevent the water flowing from the flower into the cake. Stems should never be stuck into a cake! http://www.sweetgrace.net/

Below is a compilation of toxic flowers, but this list should not be considered absolute.

African Violet

Amarylis

Anemone

Anthurium

Arum Lilies

Autumn Crocus
Azalea
Bird of Paradise
Bittersweet
Black-eyed Susan
Bleeding Heart
Bluebell
Buttercup
Caladium
Calla Lily
Carnation - pink family
Carolina Jasmine
Clematis
Crocus
Daffodil
Daphne
Delphinium
Four O'clock
Foxglove
Fuchsia
Gardenia
Gloriosa Lily
Goldenseal
Holly Berry
Honesty
Hoya
Hyacinth
Hydrangea
Hypericum
Iceland Poppy
Iris
Ivy
Jasmine
Jessamine
Jonquil
Laburnum
Lantana
Larkspur
Lily family
Lily of the Valley
Lobelia
Lupins
Marsh Marigold
Mistletoe
Monkshood
Morning Glory
Narcissus
Nightshade
Oak
Ohio Buckeye
Oleander
Oriental Poppy
Periwinkle
Philodendron
Poinsettia
Primula
Privet
Rhododendron
Rock Poppy
Snowdrop
Spring Adonis
Star of Bethelem
Sunflower
Sweet Pea
Tobacco
Trumpet Vine
Tulip
Virginia Creeper
Water Hemlock
Wild Cherry
Windflower
Wisteria
Wolfsbane
Yellow Allamanda
Yellow Oleander

The list of edible flowers include:

Calendula
Carnations
Clover
Cornflower
Dame's Rocket
Dandelions
Day Lilies
English Daisy
Fruit Blossoms
Fuchsia
Garden Sorrel
Gladiolus
Herb Flowers
Hibiscus
Hollyhock
Honeysuckle
Hyacinth
Impatiens
Johnny-Jump-Ups
Lilac
Linden
Marigold
Nasturtiums
Pansy
Peony
Phlox
Pineapple Guave
Primrose
Queen Anne's Rose
Roses
Scented Geraniums
Snap Dragons
Sunflower
Sweet Woodruff
Tuberous Begonia
Tulip Petals
Violets
Yucca Petals

Winterwonderland Cake

I'm entering in the New York City Wedding Cake Competition with this Winter Wonderland cake. The bottom tier has brush embroidery snowflakes, the middle tier is coated with sugar crystals and fondant snowflakes and the top tier emmulates a candle (a real candle could be used for a short period of time). Throughout the cake are gumpaste Christmas Roses (which actually bloom in the winter). The base is covered in white sugar crystals and snowflake embossing. http://www.sweetgrace.net/