Fashion repeats itself cyclically – don’t we all know that? The same holds true for wedding cake trends, and so many, many of my past couples’ cakes are “of the moment” again! Here’s a walk down wedding memory lane – and at the same time, a preview of next year’s hottest trends!
Nostalgia and kitsch
YES!! The kitschy cake topper is back… (if it was ever really gone!)
Cake by Studio Cake; Nathan Worden Photography
Artistic pleats and sculptural decor
There is renewed appreciation for technically complicated, highly artistic cakes – we’ve had quite a few of those over the years, spectacular ones!
Cake by La Vie Douce Designs; Danny Dong Photography
Cake by Avocado Catering; Sandra Fazzino Photography
Fruit decor
A perennial classic!
Cake by Krumbs Cakes; Frank J. Lee Photography
Huge, towering cakes
This one certainly “takes the cake!”
Cake by Cake Expressions; Toanven Photography
Unusual shapes
These are really fun cakes – from vintage suitcases to ladies’ slippers…
Cake by Cake Coquette; Maria Hedengren Photography
Cakes and Petit Fours by Morgane Ric; Vicens Forns Photography
Floral decor – from edible flowers to sugar confections
Needless to say – the more elaborate the decor, e.g. a whole cascade of handmade sugar flowers, the higher the price tag…
Cake by Krumbs Cakes; Megan Reeves Photography
Cake by Cake Coquette; Tuan B Photography
And “all that glitters:” metallic accents!
Sheer gold never fails to impress…
Cake by Ritz-Carlton SF Patissier; Usman B Photography
And now YOU have the very difficult task to decide which one YOU want!!
For a while it looked as if printed wedding invitations might become a thing of the past – with an increasing number of couples going “fully digital.” But – the tide is turning, and for an elegant wedding, beautifully designed printed invitations are still the gold standard.
We asked our all-time favorite wedding stationer – Jacques Oskanian of Hyegraph in San Francisco – which trends to expect for next year. In-house designer extraordinaire Munnie Tran breaks it down for us.
Sculpted Embossing
Texture and tactile impression is everything these days, and sculpted embossing has emerged as a luxurious touch to add to custom wedding invitations. While standard embossing creates a raised impression, sculpted embossing adds another dimension with even more depth and detail. From delicate flower petals to intricate monograms, the results of sculpted embossing are quite literally like a sculpture. Every fine detail appears hand-carved and is crisply defined on heavyweight paper stock.
Vellum
Vellum is a lightweight material that is semi-translucent. It is very versatile and is frequently used to embellish wedding invitations, whether by adding a belly band, gate fold wrap, or a folder. Thinking beyond the invitation suite, it can also be used for the wedding day of stationery, on items such as menus, programs, place cards, and more. Its sheer appearance adds a touch of softness and romance to any style, and the possibilities are endless as you can print any design or color on it.
Unique materials
Traditional paper invitations are both timeless and classic; you can’t go wrong! However, if you are looking for something that is sure to wow your guests and stand out amongst the crowd, consider utilizing unique materials. Some examples include acrylic, wood, velvet, suede, handmade paper, and so much more. Keep the traditional paper invitation, but use these special materials in other areas, such as envelope liners, belly bands, pocket folder, or enclosure cards.
Die Cut Shapes
When you think of a wedding invitation, you may picture a 5” x 7” rectangle, as it is pretty standard. However, you can definitely think outside of the box and do all sorts of unique sizes and shapes. Whether it’s a simple geometric hexagon, or detailed shapes of states, animals, and more, this is a great way to add character and dimension to your wedding invitation suite.
Well – what’s your favorite? Are you even able to choose? At least you’ve gotten a LOT of inspiration for your own totally unique invitation design!
In short: corsets (sometimes with dropped waistline); everything that glitters; bold textures (from 3D appliques to feathers) and the return of the tulle skirt – plus the eternal lace!
Corsets:
Every collection had at least one – open or hidden, giving the upper body a sculpted silhouette. Examples below from the new brand Wiederhoeft, from KYHA and WONÁ Concept.
Wiederhoeft
Drop waist/basque waist:
A U- or V-shaped dip at the waistline for a sculpted, nipped-in look thanks to the curve of the fabric. Enaura showed it with finely beaded styles and Galia Lahav with lace-covered gowns. Rime Arodaky incorporated the silhouette in fabrics like duchess satin for a softer, yet still sculpted look.
Shorter or asymmetrical hemlines are good for “all-wedding” but especially for dancing – look up Elie Saab; lingerie-inspired designs e.g. by Milla Nova and shimmering disco looks by KYHA.
An incredible discovery today: a historic mansion, literally minutes away from downtown Austin in a quiet neighborhood – and once you pass through the wrought-iron gate onto the flagstone driveway, you find yourself in a different world.
The Mediterranean-inspired architecture of the mansion with its neoclassical influences, the surrounding manicured park with mature trees (many magnolias among them!) and the peace and serenity of the 10-acre estate transport you in a zen-like state of mind; I guarantee it.
An additional building of the same vintage – the 1920s – houses a gym and spa, and then there is a hotel building with 52 rooms which looks and feels exactly the same; hard to believe it’s just a few years old! Designer extraordinaire Ken Fulk managed the nearly impossible – both for the mansion which was gently renovated while preserving its historic charm, and for the new hotel building which was constructed using historic materials including encaustic tile and reclaimed wood floors and a classical architectural vocabulary like this interior courtyard surrounded by arcades. Nothing is “fake” – it all breathes authenticity and luxurious understatement.
And then – did I already say that it’s the most exclusive wedding venue in all of central Texas? With just over 30 wedding events per year – maximal 6 of them buy-outs – the venue makes sure that each couple and their guests receive the full attention and effort of the dedicated staff. In short, they are treated like royalty!
Indoors, the mansion exudes the quiet charm of its beginnings a century ago, with period furnishings and decor, but without the feel of a museum; rather like a well-aged private home, handed down through the generations and lovingly cared for.
The property, under the umbrella of the luxury hotel group Auberge, prides itself on extraordinarily good food: from the same kitchen and the same chefs who run the onsite Michelin-starred restaurant.
For all its elegance and sophistication, it’s a cozy, warm and welcoming space with a French-Mediterranean atmosphere – and it even has a patio with outdoor seating.
Back to weddings! There are several outdoor ceremony areas to choose from…
… all equally beautiful and with the option to use the back facade of the mansion as the gorgeous backdrop for your vows!
Just imagine the possibilities… with draping and flowers and and and…! And if you’d rather not chance the weather, you can have your ceremony in the former chapel which otherwise serves as a stylish space for dancing. In short… you can have it all, and all here, onsite – a complete, unforgettable wedding weekend with your guests. For me, Commodore Perry Estate was a true revelation. I’m charmed!
Cake baker extraordinaire Gabrielle Feuersinger and I as a wedding planner and designer go back more than a decade. I deeply admire Gabrielle’s talent, enthusiasm and unrelenting perfectionism in creating the most wonderful wedding cakes for my couples. Who better to ask about all aspects of “wedding-cake-decision-making” – than HER?!
So here we go…
– How did you get into wedding cake baking and design?
I make cakes for all and any occasion, but making wedding cakes is my favorite because I get to work with fun, inspiring couples to design something original, meaningful and something that will be in their memories forever. It has to be perfect and I put a lot of extra love into my wedding cakes.
A charming basketweave design (all piped in buttercream!) with buttercream flowers – for a garden event
A true “labor of love” in Wedgwood blue.
– What makes an exceptional cake?
An exceptional cake is a cake that looks amazing and tastes excellent. Wedding cake got a bad rap for a long time, but my cakes are delicious and I am really proud of my flavor offerings. I get a lot of positive feedback.
Elegant Art Deco decor
Photo: Shhivika Chauhan; Gabrielle made this cake literally overnight for an emergency wedding, and it’s glorious!
– Which factors should couples consider when choosing their cake and its decor? E.g. transportation, ambient temperature, setting, style…
I encourage cakes to be displayed indoors for overall safety. I think the venue and guest count should be considered when deciding the size of a cake. A wedding for 450 people in SF city hall for example shouldn’t be a 2 tier displayed on the steps. I’m not pushing for a 450 display cake, but something in the middle looks better.
– Which factors influence the price of a wedding cake?
Price reflects time. If I am making details that are time consuming and intricate, like fine lace piping details or detailed sugar flowers, this will be the biggest factors in pricing.
Handmade floral motifs and gilded detail
Intricate lace decor
Photo: Tuan B. Photography – a cake with handmade sugar flowers and gold accents
– What are the latest trends in wedding cakes?
Right now, 2025, the look is vintage, Lambeth style buttercream piping. I love it… so easy and quick (for me). It doesn’t break the bank.
– Anything else you want to add…?
When coming in for a meeting I love to see all the details you have been working on; the invitation, dress, plates, linens, venue….all these details get my creative juices flowing and I can bring something fun to your cake.
Here are two examples of Gabrielle’s incredible creativity: for a couple of mathematicians who love traveling (!!), she designed a wedding cake in the shape of a vintage suitcase, complete with stickers of the bride’s and groom’s favorite travel destinations, and topped with a stack of professinal math books that looked so lifelike that their fellow mathematician guests tried to pick them up and leaf through them!
Photo: Maria Hedengren
And for another couple with a “Tiffany” wedding theme, she designed a cake in the shape of stacked Tiffany boxes, held together with a bow – incorporating (at the groom’s request) a REAL Tiffany box containing a pearl bracelet (do you see it in the photo?). This cake had to be guarded until cake cutting time!
When planning your wedding reception, you might be in doubt what’s better, more beautiful, more practical – round or rectangular dining tables?
While there is certainly no “right” or “wrong” and no “one-size-fits-all” solution – there are several aspects to consider.
1.) How much room do you have, relative to your guest count? Rectangular tables are more “space-economical” than round ones.
Studio Ma Photography
2.) What’s the shape of your dining/ballroom? Square or very open spaces (like, e.g. a lawn) look better with round tables, narrow rectangular floor plans look better with rectangular tables.
Gavin Farrington Photography
3.) How formal is your event? Round tables signal more formality, while rectangular tables, especially if arranged in long rows, are considered more informal.
Sandra Fazzino Photography
4.) What’s your design vision? Tall, round floral centerpieces are best displayed on round tables;
Danny Dong Photography
floral/greenery garlands look best on long rows of end-to-end rectangular tables.
Vicens Forns Photography
5.) Practical necessities: aisles need to be 36 inches wide for guest movement and for waitstaff/service.
Mae Stier Photography
Advantages and disadvantages of round tables:
They facilitate interaction between guests and feel more intimate, but as we stated above, they take up more space than rectangular ones.
Advantages and disadvantages of rectangular tables:
Guest interaction is more limited to the persons seated to the immediate left and right and to the person across the table. Rectangular tables are great for buffet set-ups, food stations and bar set-ups and for very structured dinner layouts, but they might need some extra dress-up in order not to look too basic.
Can you mix round and rectangular dining tables?
YES! But it should not be done haphazardly, but preferably in a symmetrical pattern. Look how beautiful this can be:
Danny Dong Photography
I hope this all will help you in envisioning YOUR perfect dinner setup!
Weddings are joyous celebrations, but they can also generate significant waste and carbon emissions. Fortunately, couples today are embracing eco-friendly choices that reduce environmental impact while keeping the day just as magical. A sustainable wedding is not about compromise—it’s about creativity and conscious decision-making.
Eco-Friendly Venues Choosing a venue that prioritizes sustainability is a powerful first step. Outdoor settings like gardens, vineyards, or family properties minimize the need for excess décor. Many venues now integrate renewable energy, water conservation systems, and waste reduction programs—making it easier for couples to celebrate responsibly. But even forbidding disposable serveware and plastic-bottled water in favor of real china and real glassware ONLY (like, for example, several high-end venues in the SF Bay Area do), is actually a great step towards less waste.
Danny Dong Photography
Sustainable Décor and Florals Instead of single-use décor, couples are opting for rentals, repurposed items, or natural elements. Locally grown flowers reduce carbon footprints while supporting nearby farmers. For an eco-chic touch, consider potted plants that can be gifted and that will live long after the wedding – something I frequently recommend. Potted orchids in particular are a hit with my couples! Here are a few examples from previous weddings:
Mae Stier photography
Frank J. Lee Photography
OR you could use your dessert in lieu of a floral centerpiece! We’ve done it last year – have a look:
Frank J. Lee Photography
Conscious Catering Food is often the largest contributor to waste. Sustainable catering emphasizes seasonal, locally sourced ingredients and plant-forward menus. Farm-to-table food is fresh and delicious – the way to go! Especially for Cocktail Hour appetizers and dessert bars (see below an example from one of my weddings), it is so easy to do that. Donating leftovers to local shelters ensures that nothing goes to waste while extending the joy of your celebration to the community – this is something we do on a regular basis.
ToanVen Photography
Attire and Accessories From renting gowns to choosing ethically produced fabrics, fashion choices can also go green. Brides and grooms increasingly select attire they can wear again, or they repurpose vintage pieces—giving garments a second life. These two of my brides had a wedding dress re-tailored: Ali right below wore her grandmother’s dress, and Nicole had her mother’s wedding dress cut short and taken in – and it fit her like a glove!
Sandra Fazzino Photography
Megan Reeves Photography
Invitations, Escort Cards and Favors Digital invitations and RSVP platforms dramatically cut down on paper waste. For those who love tangible keepsakes, recycled paper or seed-embedded stationery is both stylish and eco-friendly. As for favors, you could gift experiences, offer edible treats (macarons or chocolates!), tree seedlings or seed packets (which could actually do double-duty as escort “cards!”) or donations to environmental causes instead of disposable trinkets. The photo below is from the wedding of a dog-loving couple – they made a donation to an animal charity on behalf of their guests.
By weaving sustainability into each detail, you can create a wedding that not only celebrates your love but also honors the planet—leaving behind cherished memories, not excess waste. We at A Day Like No Other have been doing this from the outset (some of the photos in this article are 13 years old!), and so we have gained extensive experience with environmentally friendly practices. Plan your wedding with us! We’ve got the ideas, the experience AND the expertise!
Not the “core” choice of wedding flowers, for sure – but these flowers have a LOT going for them. They are first and foremost Fall flowers, and I would recommend using them in season as that is when they are the freshest, you have the largest selection and the lowest price for them.
Both asters and chrysanthemum varietals (“mums” for short) are great team players in wedding arrangements and bouquets, going well with roses, calla lilies and even with orchids, as a textural contrast. Their colors run the gamut from light yellow and peach, pink, coral red to wine red and from lavender hues to darkest purple.
Let me show you what we have!
Spider Chrysanthemum
Exotic, thread-like sculptural petals creating a dramatic, airy and elegant bloom —great for dramatic bouquets or as standout florals for a “fireworks” effect.
Decorative chrysanthemum
Full, rounded blooms (pom-poms) that add fullness and texture or intricate blooms (quill variey) ideal for detailed floral arrangements.
New England Aster
Tall, late-season asters in shades of purple—perfect for garden bouquets
Michaelmas Daisy (an aster varietal)
Compact asters with delicate lavender petals with golden centers, ideal for elegant accents, symbolizing late-season charm.
These images showcase the richness and variety you can work with in floral design—ranging from sculptural impact to textural softness. Use them individually or layered together in a mood board to convey bloom diversity, textures, and color palette.
And here are examples of these beautiful flowers used in bridal bouquets and wedding arrangements:
A Tropical Paradise of Culture, Nature, and Romance
Nestled in the heart of the South Pacific, Fiji is an archipelago of more than 300 islands, each surrounded by crystal-clear turquoise waters and vibrant coral reefs.
Located approximately 2,000 km northeast of New Zealand, its two main islands—Viti Levu and Vanua Levu—are home to most of Fiji’s nearly 920,000 residents. The islands’ geography ranges from lush rainforests and volcanic mountains to white-sand beaches and secluded lagoons, creating a breathtaking natural canvas.
Fiji enjoys a tropical marine climate, with warm temperatures year-round averaging 77–86°F (25–30°C). The dry season from May to October is especially popular with tourists, while the wetter months bring lush vegetation and dramatic tropical showers. The islands boast rich biodiversity, from exotic birds and fruit bats to flowering hibiscus, towering coconut palms, and vibrant coral gardens teeming with marine life.
Fijian culture is a warm blend of indigenous Melanesian traditions and strong Indian influences, rooted in community, hospitality, and connection to nature. Visitors can experience traditional village life, enjoy a kava ceremony, or watch firewalking and meke dance performances. English is widely spoken, though Fijian and Hindi are also national languages. Christianity is the dominant religion, alongside Hinduism and Islam, creating a rich tapestry of festivals and traditions.
A traditional thatch hut, a “bure”
For travelers—and especially honeymooners—Fiji offers an unmatched blend of luxury and authenticity. Whether you’re sipping cocktails in an overwater bungalow, diving with manta rays in the Yasawas, snorkeling in the pristine coral reefs…
… or enjoying a private beach picnic on a deserted sand cay …
Fiji invites romance at every turn. Resorts often incorporate Fijian design and local produce, enhancing the cultural immersion without compromising comfort. Locals are generally very friendly and welcoming (though business-minded…), the beaches offer powdery white sand and crystal-clear water, and the technicolor sunsets create an unforgettable backdrop for beginning a new chapter in life.
In every sense, Fiji is not just a destination—it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience of serenity, wonder, and romance in the tropics.
