Now that the big day is over, you’re left with a bunch of flowers, some yummy cake and lots of center pieces you have no idea what to do with. Don’t fret my friends, I have some answers !
Wedding Cake:
The wedding cake has been an important part of the wedding celebration since Roman times when a thin wheat cake, representing bounty, was crumbled over the bride’s head to ensure her fertility. Today, many couples save the top tier of their wedding cake. This tradition took root in the late 19th century when ingredients like flour and sugar were more expensive. As a result, wedding cakes often double as christening cakes, assuming a celebration of this sort would be in order a short time after the wedding. Today the tradition has morphed into saving the top tier of your wedding cake for consumption on your first anniversary. But freezing a cake for an entire year can prove tricky.
Here are some tips to saving your cake:
- To avoid a stale cardboard taste, ensure the cake sits on wrapped cake board. A cardboard cake board should be wrapped with foil.
- Place the cake in a freezer until the icing becomes firm, 20 minutes to three hours, depending on the icing.
- Cover all of the cake’s surface area with a generous amount of plastic wrap, avoiding air pockets.
- Follow plastic wrap with two layers of aluminum foil.
- Place wrapped cake in an airtight storage container and freeze for a year.
To enjoy the cake:
- One day before your first anniversary, begin defrosting the cake: transfer it from the freezer to the refrigerator.
- After two hours, remove the cake from its wrapping. Continue to defrost in the refrigerator.
- Bring the cake to room temperature before consuming.
- Serve and enjoy.
If you know you’ll be moving within your first year, lack the freezer space, or simply don’t want to bother with the process of freezing your wedding cake, order a small, six-inch anniversary cake from the same bakery. Ask for similar cake flavors and fillings and have it adorned like your wedding cake (you can even save your cake topper to be placed on it). Use the cake knife and serving set from your wedding, and enjoy the memories of the special day with fresh cake.
Wedding Bouquet & Flowers:
Freeze Dried Flowers (Courtesy: Forever Flowers)
Wedding are special and your bouquet will undoubtedly mean a lot to you and what you do with it will be remembered for years to come. But what alternatives are there?
One option is preservation. Your mom or grandmother probably have their bouquets either freeze dried or pressed. Both are beautiful options, but Victorian or even “Southern”, in my opinion. Well now you can have your flowers preserved and turned in to jewelry. I found this option right before my wedding and I loved it! There are so many different pieces they can make and the process is pretty cool. It takes a few weeks, but the jewelry will last MUCH longer than the flowers.
Flower Petal Jewelry (Courtesy: Forever Flowers)
I found Forever Flower in Columbia. They do it all.. freeze dry, press, petal jewelry, etc etc They also do a really cool monogram with the petals so you can have a framed piece with your new initials. The great thing about this company too is that you can ship your flowers directly to them if you live outside of the Midlands. You can visit them online at www.myflowersforever.com.
Other ideas for your flowers – donate them to a local nursing home or hospital, place some on the gravesite of someone who couldn’t be at your wedding but was there in spirit, or make mulch of them for a garden in your new home.
Other Leftovers:
No, I’m not talking about food. I’m talking about vases, candles, table cloths, aisle runners, frames, signs, decorations etc etc. Chances are you bought some things for displaying pictures or favors, or you bought some vases for centerpieces. And the chances that you’ll need 12 new vases for your new home are slim to none. So many websites now offer a “Marketplace” for brides to sell there unwanted items. It’s also a good place for brides looking for things to find items at a reasonable deal. Some brides even create their own “For Sale” page on a blog. Here are some links to ones I have found:
tlcevents 