Wedding cake decorations are becoming increasingly unique, but altogether still the same good ol' stuff that your parents and grandparents loved. When discussing your wedding cake ideas with a local bakery, consider these trends concerning wedding cake styles, frosting and cake toppers.

A Glimpse at Traditional Wedding Cakes

Traditional wedding cakes are beautifully formed of either buttercream frosting or fondant icing. Cake toppers typically centered around the bride and groom standing together arm-in-arm as if standing at the altar. White wedding cakes were popular, both as the choice of flavor and icing color. Decorations were elegant but simple; not understated nor over the top. These are beautiful wedding cakes for any reception, but their classic style has since been pushed to the side by more original, unique wedding cakes.

Take A Peek At Popular Modern Wedding Cakes

Wedding cakes for the modern bride tend to take on a very different appearance. Wedding cake ideas are limitless as the modern bride favors unique cake designs that showcase personality and style. Cake toppers range from a groom dipping his bride to kissing couples. Monogrammed cake toppers are also used often. The idea surrounding modern wedding cakes is that each should be a reflection of the bride, so creative designs are very popular.

Ever The Same For Wedding Cake Components

Buttercream frosting and fondant icing are still popular, but modern wedding cakes take these two classic components to the next level. Contemporary cake designs offer a wide range of designs that call for creative use of both sweet treats. Your local wedding cake bakeries can offer more details about the differences between buttercream and fondant. Regardless, fondant wedding cakes and cakes with buttercream icing will forever grace the food tables at wedding receptions.

Cake toppers may look slightly different these days but their popularity as the crowning feature of the wedding cake remains the same. Whether embracing one another as a couple or declaring the initial of the couple's surname, cake toppers are among the most well received wedding cake decorations.

Let Your Heritage Add Spice To Your Wedding Cake

Cultural wedding cake themes are seeing a big rise in popularity as wedding ceremonies reflect the ethnic traditions of the bride and groom. As more and more couples tap into their heritage to inspire their celebration, wedding cakes are also following suit with an increase in cultural wedding cakes. This could include a red and white wedding cake for Chinese couples following the traditions of lucky colors and other similar practices. When heritage and ethnicity play an important role at the wedding, discuss how to incorporate many of these traditions with your wedding cake bakery.

A Seasonal Theme Deserves A Seasonal Wedding Cake

Seasonal themed wedding cakes are also very popular. Fall wedding cakes make excellent use of bronze, amber, burnt reds and similar colors. Falling fondant leaves cascading down tiers of colorful wedding cake is a portion of the wedding reception that no autumn bride should be without.

Seasonal wedding cakes are also appropriate and beautiful for the other seasons of the year. Winter wedding cakes, summer wedding cakes, and spring wedding cakes each bring their own unique set of shades to the palette but every pairing is as beautiful as the next. Each hue creates a unique dimension that brings to life the season of the wedding. What a great way to celebrate the day and the time of year!

Make It Funky-Unusual Wedding Cakes Are In Now

Unusual wedding cakes are also becoming very popular. Tiers that appear to be skewed are a fun alternative to traditional pieces. Heart shaped wedding cakes add an extra dose of romance and flair to the reception. Whatever the shape and style, unusual wedding cakes are seeing a big boost among brides wishing to have a truly unique wedding.

Celebrate Your Roots With A Location-Specific Wedding Cake

Don't forget location specific themes for the wedding cake! Everyone loves a good bit of dessert, but themed wedding cakes stand out with their fun and quirky appearance. Beach destination weddings are very popular as are the beach wedding cakes that come with them. Another popular style remains with western wedding cakes. A fondant cowboy boot atop buttercream delight is a tasty way for everyone to celebrate nuptials. Don't be scared to contact your local wedding cake bakery about the many different location-specific themes for your cake.

With most brides planning their wedding several months in advance, what better time to discuss the biggest winter wedding trend of 2009? Stay far ahead of the latest wedding gown trends during your winter wedding by following this simple tip.

The most stylish brides understand that often style and comfort do go hand-in-hand. We've all heard about layering clothes to stay warm in the winter, so why not layer the skirts of our wedding dresses to stay warm during the ceremony? This trend is all the rage these days and is sure to stick around through the chilly winter weddings taking place in 2009 and early 2010.

As you shop for your wedding dress, remember that layers can be very appealing. Some come in Read the rest of How You Can Have The Trendiest Winter Wedding Dresses »

Following in the footsteps of just about every other wedding accessory trend is the modern popularity of using color on the wedding cake. From pretty in pink wedding cakes to tiers of frosting and cake in blue hues, every color of the rainbow (and sometimes even rainbow patterns) can appear on the wedding cake.

So what makes colorful wedding cakes such a big deal? Traditional weddings taking place even a generation ago rarely strayed from creamy tones of icing and white wedding cake. While this style is still beautiful and Read the rest of Let Them Eat Colorful Wedding Cakes! »

2009 Entertaining Calendar

Just as clothes, cars, and music change, so does the art of entertaining guests. Over the years, styles and fashions of many different types of parties may have changed, but the desire to host a fashionable and memorable event certainly has not. Guests will look forward to your seeing old and new friends in a comfortable yet exciting atmosphere.

Hosting monthly parties yourself or rotating hosting responsibilities through a group of friends is a great way to get together and have a great time. For 2009, the entertainers guide to hosting great parties is all about creativity. Below we have gathered some ideas to assist you in making a year of entertaining not only memorable for guests, but also effortless for the host.

New Years Day

New Years Day party ideas are usually quite standard, but because there is no real theme to the New Year you can let your creativity and your imagination really flow. Decade theme parties are always a blast. This New Years Day party, host a 70's or 80's themed party fully embracing the theme through music and clothing. Guests dressed up in themed clothing help set the mood and provide much of the decoration for the event. Also, disc jockeys have a tremendous library of music to keep your decade-dressed guests dancing all night long.

Valentines Day

Romance is in the air for the month of February. Entertaining for Valentines Day calls for a romantic dinner party for couples to come and enjoy good company and great food. Dinner parties are low key social get-togethers that allow all guests to really socialize over a gourmet meal and maybe enjoy some subtle entertainment such as a professional pianist resounding soothing romantic music. To assist the host in planning for a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner, a professional chef may be of service in presenting a fabulous meal to guests, which allows the host to entertain guests as they arrive.

St. Patrick's Day

Green leprechauns, though always appropriate, are a little bit cliché for St. Patrick's Day parties this year. 2009 calls for creative floral arrangements and imaginative food creations. With the help of a professional florist and caterer, a St. Patrick's Day party will be as easy as 1, 2, and 3.

First, arrange for a florist to create "all green" floral arrangements for the tables of the party venue. Whether a dinner party or cocktail party, these great St. Patrick’s Day arrangements will be the center of attention. Second, great food is the key to a great party. A professional caterer or chef can assist the party host in creating unique "green" dishes from appetizers to desserts. Each course will bring a new exciting layer to the St. Patrick's Day party.

Easter

Easter is the time of year when spring is in the air and new life is brought about by the new season. Easter parties such as teas or luncheons are very appropriate for the spiritual holiday. Delicious desserts paired with tasty teas suit the season as well as the theme of the party. Easter decorations are most exemplified by fresh flowers. Creative, edgy designs using pastel colors can bring a modern twist to an otherwise traditional arrangement. Simple table arrangements with modern tableware will add to the contemporary Easter theme of the party.

Cinco de Mayo

Nothing says "summer" like a sizzling Cinco de Mayo party. The yearly Cinco de Mayo party seems to be the unofficial release of summer. Fresh grilled pineapple shrimp and chicken paired with an assortment of mixed drinks will be sure to keep your guests entertained all night long. Spice things up at your Cinco de Mayo party with a professional mariachi band to entertain guests with festive music. With great grilled food and sensational live music, your Cinco de Mayo party will surely be a hit.

Independence Day

July 4th is the ultimate time for a backyard barbeque for family and friends. Get creative this year for Independence Day by hosting a barbeque contest. Invite guests over, grills in tote, to face off in the ultimate Independence Day cook off. Not only does the competition give purpose to the party, but also provides other guests with delicious food to munch on all day long.

Labor Day

Also a big grilling holiday, Labor Day parties signify the end of the summer season. Step up your classic outdoor party this year with a professional band to play live music as guests enjoy great food and good company. Create great memories for guests by hiring a professional photographer to take pictures of guests enjoying themselves. Combine the action shots with a fun photo album and you’ve got yourself a creative souvenir for all of your guests.

Halloween

Costume parties are always appropriate for this spooky holiday. However, 2009 brings a new spirit to the ghostly affair. This year, create a creepy haunted house atmosphere for your Halloween party with dim lighting, fake spider webs, antique décor, and several candles of all shapes and sizes. Candles filling a room with just enough light create such a spooky ambiance and a great setting for a Halloween party. Don’t have enough candles to create the look? Several party or wedding vendors carry candles to buy or even rent for one time use.

Thanksgiving

Tradition is tradition for the Thanksgiving holiday. Nothing beats a Thanksgiving celebration like some good food and great company. Invite friends and family over to celebrate the fall season over a fabulous meal. To simplify the hosting duties, hire a caterer or a professional chef to do all the work. Utilizing professionals while hosting a party can relieve stress and allow the host to visit with guests instead of messing with hosting duties.

Christmas

Holiday parties can be as serious or as carefree as the host desires. Sit-down Christmas meals are always appropriate for a traditional get-together. However, with so many families having traditional sit-down dinners, friendly gatherings usually try to embrace a more relaxed side of Christmas. This year try hosting an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party, where all guests are required to wear a Christmas sweater that even their tacky great aunt would be ashamed to wear. Your guests will be laughing all night long.

As the years pass, so do the trends of entertaining. Just remember that classy and creative is always in style when it comes to entertaining guests. As a host, let your personality shine through in the atmosphere of the party and don't forget to use the professionals every now and then to ease the workload!

Contributor: Jordon Robinson

It may not be a completely new trend, but adding a splash of color to your wedding gown is definitely a hot, hot trend in 2009 weddings. No matter how you choose to do it, wedding dresses with color are A-list items this wedding season. Here are some examples of how you can stay with the in-style crowd this year.

* Add a colored sash around the waist of your wedding dress. These draw attention to the bodice of the gown while accentuating the train as it drapes down.

* Many wedding gown designers are creating elaborate wedding dresses with colored trains. These usually Read the rest of Wedding Gowns With Color–The Hot New Trend In 2009 »

Have you heard about the latest wedding reception trend? Candy buffets are all the rage these days. I know! It's a dream come true, right? Indulging on gourmet chocolates and candies only makes the wedding day seem even sweeter.

Jordan almonds have been a longtime favorite wedding favor. Well, these and other candies such as gourmet chocolates, sweetheart mints, gumballs and others have also seen a rise in popularity.

The natural evolution from individual treats has progressed into a candy buffet bar for the wedding reception. This wedding trend is really picking up steam as modern brides search for unique and eye-catching ways to decorate the wedding reception. Read the rest of The Sweetest Part of New Wedding Reception Trends »

Going green is all the rage these days, from household products to building materials and even weddings. In Omaha, Nebraska, where the land and its’ resources are a vital part of life, being environmentally conscious and responsible is becoming a more customary part of weddings. Many of the resorts around Omaha help a bride and groom go the extra mile—as mid-westerners are used to doing—to have an environmentally friendly wedding.

Many of these resorts have on-site wedding specialists who work to personalize weddings and receptions to Read the rest of Omaha Goes Green for Weddings »

What Color Should Our Wedding Attire Be?

When planning your wedding, the chances are great that you've asked yourself this question more than once. Well for the blushing bride planning her wedding ceremony in 2009, Wedding and Party Network has come to the rescue with the wedding attire color trends of the year. Fret no more; instead, simply decide which colors work together with your plans for Read the rest of Wedding Attire Trends For 2009: The Colors of Choice! »