I love the simplicity of this cake:
–Square pan.
–Colored frosting.
–Piped dots around the edge.
–Candles indicating the number of years being celebrated.
And there you have it! A beautiful celebration cake.

I’ve always been a big fan of the “wedding wish” idea at weddings. Instead of a guest book, set out little note cards for guests to write advice, wishes, or a special memory for the bride & groom. The wishes can be dropped in a beautiful vase or other container that complements the wedding decor. While simple slips of paper would suffice, I do love Martha Stewart’s idea of creating pre-made “conversation starters” for guests to write their wishes on. Martha has made this one super easy with templates in several different colors. After the wedding, having the sweet wishes to read over and over again is far more interesting than just a book full of names!
This fun idea need not be used exclusively at weddings. Why not collect wishes at an engagement party, anniversary, or other major milestone? The “wish station” can add an interactive element to any party.
In case you wondered about this cupcake craze we’ve been going through in recent years? Yah, it’s not going away. It’s alive and well and growing stronger day by day — especially here in DC. New “cupcakeries” are popping up left and right and established cupcake purveyors are expanding, confirms a recent Washington Post article on the sweet trend.
If you’ve been hit by the cupcake craze and are planning on serving them at your wedding or next event, why not embellish the cupcakes with special toppers to give your event an even more customized appeal?
Here are a few cupcake toppers that I love (check out the captions for sources and click on the photo to take you there); they’d be fabulous for a wedding, shower, birthday, retirement party, anniversary… you name it!
I love traditions — creating new ones and following time honored ones. And while not every longstanding family or cultural tradition always make sense to follow, many are still very sweet and relevant.
Take for instance, the practice of giving a particular item according to each anniversary year: paper for the first year, cotton for the second, leather for the third, and so on. I love the idea of playing off of the particular year’s theme in a creative way that honors the tradition itself, but reflects the style of the recipient and the thoughtfulness of the giver, as well.
I came across this beautifully bound book of love poems from Smythson recently, which I think would be an absolutely stunning gift for a first anniversary (paper). It could be paired with another gift or just as easily be given just on its own.