You've had a beautiful wedding ceremony and now it's time to enjoy yourself at the wedding reception. So, what's one of the first things that guests notice as they walk into your beautiful wedding reception? Yes, they may check out and see what's to eat and take a look at how you've arranged everything, but they're mainly interested in the wedding cake. You need to have a wedding cake that represents the theme of your wedding and a cake that will wow them! So, as part of Wedding And Party Network's cake week, we've come up with a few ideas that will amaze your guests at your wedding.

Wedding Cupcakes – Instead of going with the traditional wedding cake, choose wedding cupcakes! Cupcakes are simply great for any event! You can feature them in a variety of flavors to suit everyone's taste and are designed to fit the theme of your wedding.

Plus, you won't have the added stress of trying to find someone to cut and serve the cake. You'll be able to feature, strawberry, vanilla, chocolate, red velvet, oreo, banana or butter pecan cupcakes to your guests, something that you wouldn't be able to do with a wedding cake. They make a wonderful bite sized cake that guests can pop into their mouth.

Miniature Wedding Cakes -Another great idea that your local baker can create is miniature wedding cakes. If you'd rather settle on a 2 tiered wedding cake, serve mini replicas of your wedding cake to guests. How cute would that be? You can feature different flavors to appease each guest and have it created to look like a wedding cake with a cake topper and all. If you're serving up lots of delicious food, you can place to-go boxes for the mini wedding cakes and they can serve as part of your wedding favors.

Cake Pops – If you want a delicious bite that guests can easily pop in their mouth while mingling, cake pops are a great idea! As part of cake week, we've featured the how-to video for cake pops below. They are extremely delicious and you can come up with lots of ideas to make them your own. First off, cake pops are cake with icing mixed into it which are then dipped into chocolate.

You can use milk chocolate, white chocolate or use food coloring to dye the white chocolate to fit your wedding colors. You can even press the cake mixture into miniature cookie cutters to create fun designs. Get a miniature wedding cake cutter and mold the cake into that and stick it on a lollipop stick. You can even decorate it with a cute little heart topper and sprinkles to make it look like a wedding cake even more.

Make It Your Own -The main thing to remember when designing your wedding cake is to always create with you in mind. If you're the traditional bride, stick with the traditional wedding cake and your colors. However, if that's just not who you are, create a wedding cake that fits you. Maybe purple and green are your favorite colors or you both enjoy a certain sport, incorporate it into your wedding cake. Remember, it's your wedding day.

These 4 wedding cake ideas are sure to amaze all your guests. Providing them with a tasty creation and a work of art will add such a great element to your wedding day. Always keep in mind that this is your day, therefore, design the wedding cake for you!

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The Cake Lady is Murray, Kentucky's one-stop-shop for your next big event. The Cake Lady has everything you need to create your ideal birthday party, anniversary celebration, or themed party! And to top things off, the Cake Lady creates stunning, one-of-a-kind cakes to rival any bakery in the country!

Why look elsewhere when the Cake Lady can handle all of your wedding and party needs? From napkins to luscious desserts, the Cake Lady has you covered!

The Cake Lady adds a big dose of whimsy to her creations. Her cakes and pastries are guaranteed to please the eyes, taste buds, and spirit! Add balloons, napkins and a few other of the Cake Lady's specialty decorations, and you will have a party to remember!

The Cake Lady has something to offer ages 1 to 90.  She carries hundreds of balloons and decorations for every event imaginable!

The Cake Lady specializes in wedding cakes, birthday cakes and theme cakes for a wide variety of occasions. Let her creativity and skill go to work for you for your next big event! The Cake Lady can handle your entire setup, including a chocolate fountain that is guaranteed to be a hit!

The Cake Lady's unique and personalized service will make your wedding or party stand out from the crowd. Give her a call today and experience spot-on decorating and mouth-watering desserts!

Every bride knows her wedding cake MUST be perfect, not just the look but the taste, smell, color – all of it. Ellen's Creative Cakes goes beyond that! They custom create the cake of your dreams based on your own design. This is a great way to crank up the fun at a themed wedding! (Or party!)

Traditional wedding cakes are not the only choice anymore. So many savvy brides are picking something a little more personalized! If your unique wedding colors are red and white, then have that red velvet cake with white icing and fancy red embellishments.  Or maybe something even wilder than that!

Custom wedding cakes are all the rage right now, especially for groom cakes. Often, the groom's cake reflects his personality; is your man really into fishing or sports?

Give him a cake he will appreciate – if you can dream it, Ellen's Creative Cakes can make it happen. How about a cake supporting his favorite college football team or a NASCAR cake for his favorite driver? The possibilities are endless!

Ellen's Creative Cakes is known for more than their style – the taste  is OUTSTANDING! All of Ellen's wonderful cakes are made from scratch with only the best ingredients! She is also aware of dietary restrictions and gives options like glutton free, vegan and more. No matter what your needs are, Ellen can whip up the right cake for you!

Her gourmet cake toppings and fillings are decadent. You can mix and match each cake tier with your choice of cake, as well as the layers of fillings. With hundreds of combination to choose from, you are certain find the perfect custom cake for your taste buds. If you're interested in this Huntsville AL Bakery, stop by for some delicious samples!

One look at the extreme grooms cakes by Crystal Wedding and you can see what sets them apart from other bakeries. The craftsmanship on their unique wedding cakes is mind blowing! Who would have ever thought to build LSU Stadium into a cake?? (Well they did! Several other Stadiums too.) The patience that the mother-daughter team put into their cake design is really remarkable.

Experience is definitely needed to create these masterpieces. Growing up in her mother Mary Boudreaux's bakery, its no wonder Crystal Williams joined the team. Together they have some 50 years experience under their belts. Knowing the importance of quality, they and their staff bake and cook in the finest of American, French and European traditions. Everything made by hand with the freshest ingredients.

Speaking of traditions, ever heard of a King Cake? They are a uniquely New Orleans Mardi Gras tradition perfected by the Lafayette, Louisiana bakery. It looks like a giant festive pastry that serves 20-25 people! All cakes have a small trinket inside and who ever finds it in their piece has the privilege of buying next years cake! How festive! (They also ship these anywhere!)

A Mardi Gras themed party is not complete without the King Cake, but if its a wedding coming up Crystal Wedding's is your go-to source in for all your wedding planning needs. They have everything you need from toasting glasses, chair covers and cake toppers, to floral centerpieces, candelabras and topiaries. But of course, wedding cakes and grooms are their specialty! So if you are looking for an extra special wedding cake with an artistic flare Crystal Wedding is your place!

Want to add a personal touch to your wedding? Feel like making yours different and less traditional? If you're in the mood for a wedding that everyone will remember, try some of these ideas when you're planning your wedding.

Personal & Memorable — write your own wedding vows

Writing your own wedding vows allows you to say how you really feel. Personalizing your vows also makes each word matter. You may not be able to recite them with the same rote intonation, but you will remember every word for the rest of your life.

It's hard to forget the sweetest words you've ever heard and that's exactly what these will be. Standing there looking into your groom's eyes, you know that he means exactly what he's saying. Every word you speak to one another floats through the air and somehow manages to stay with you through the memory fog that the excitement of the day creates.

Create A Romantic Atmosphere — have a reading and get guests involved

Some of your friends may not be in the wedding party. Some of your favorite relatives may not have positions in the wedding party either. Having a reading at your wedding ceremony will help involve close friends and family.

So what do they read? Many couples choose romantic poems that read like vows. An extra personal touch for the creative couple is to write their own poem(s) and have honored guests read stanzas from that. Each guest reads one stanza until the poem has ended. Once it is over, the whole room feels unified.

Homage & Honor – Set up memorial tables for deceased loved ones

Many brides and grooms feel strongly bonded to people that have passed. The wedding becomes somewhat bittersweet when they realize that something so important will not be witnessed by their deceased loved one. To honor that person (usually a relative), a table with their picture and a few small mementos is a wonderful way to pay homage to these special people. The table can be set up near the sign-in table, where the couple's picture is displayed, or at the wedding reception where they would have sat.

Mementos for the memorial table can include a small poem with the theme of "gone but not forgotten, not here but here in our hearts", a small flower arrangement to accent the pictures, a unique picture frame to hold the pictures, and other items.

Trendy & Different — personalize your wedding decorations

Your wedding decorations reflect your personality. Many couples highlight their table centerpieces with engagement photos. Take that thought a step further by using decorations such as photo cubes on the reception tables.

Also consider the color of your wedding decorations. Many contemporary weddings feature colors that are a far stray from the traditional pinks and creams. Instead, modern brides are personalizing their wedding by including fancy colors such as silver, gold, ruby, and black or bright colors such as lime green, orange, yellow, and hot pink. An instant "wow" factor comes from using color in your wedding.

Fun & Humorous — choose a unique wedding cake & cake topper

There are some wedding cakes that guests cannot take their eyes off of once they hit the reception hall. Sometimes it's the height of multiple tiers that makes the wedding cake unique. Four or five tiers of buttercream delight is enough to turn heads of both young and old. Fountain wedding cakes with unique platforms also get the neck turning.

Sometimes it's the design of the wedding cake itself that gets attention. Uniquely shaped wedding cakes, specific icing patterns, colorful wedding cakes–these are all examples of personalized wedding cakes designed with the bride's tastes in mind.

Another example is something shocking. Cakes with a little personality of their own let guests know that the bride is one-of-a-kind with a great sense of humor. For example, brides wanting an esoteric wedding cake can ask for a cake decorated with girly skulls. Why not? The groom gets a cake that shows off his personality and interests. Why not bring the same feeling to the wedding cake?

Monogrammed cake toppers help personalize the wedding cake. The initial of your new surname is a wonderful addition to the cake. You could also choose the initial of your married surname surrounded by smaller initials of your name and your groom's.

Speaking of unique cake toppers, the style of cake topper where the bride and groom are arm-in-arm as if in motion down the aisle is going out the window quickly with modern brides. It's not unique or original. Instead, try a unique cake topper like a licensed character set. Or, go back to the "shocking" and try something very different that will garner a laugh faster than the best man's toast.

Altruistic & Generous — choose personalized wedding favors or charitable donations

Many couples are opting for personalized wedding favors. These are the same great favors but they feature the couple's name and wedding date. They also think about what they would want if they attended a wedding. This helps them choose a unique wedding favor for their guests. Anything that newlyweds can put their names or faces on is a great way to personalize the wedding.

Charitable donations are also being requested by newlyweds in lieu of wedding favors. Small envelopes with the announcement "a donation to (your favorite charity) has been made in your name" are becoming huge with environmentally friendly or activist couples.

Respectful & Classy — incorporate your parents wedding accents

This idea may seem a bit traditional but there's still a way to make your parent's stuff help your wedding feel personal. It also helps that it's YOUR parents stuff which means that no one else has had it or used it or will use it with maybe the exception of your siblings.

To personalize your wedding by using things your parents wedding accessories, make sure that you use these things where they enhance your personality. Your mother's bouquet may not be what you carry but it can be the inspiration for the bouquet centerpieces at the wedding reception. Perhaps your mother wore her mother's necklace during the ceremony. You may have something else in mind for your neck but many florists can secure the jewelry to your bouquet which means that you'll have it the entire time. Just find a twist for these items and it's the same good old feeling with a personal touch.

Furry & Faithful – include your pet(s) in the ceremony

Some couples are very attached to their pets. If you have a small dog or other trained pet, consider making them part of your wedding party. Attach the wedding ring to a pillow on the dog's collar. Of course, you have to keep in mind the personality of your pet. If they are nervous or excitable, consider a smaller role.

The more you plan your wedding the easier it will be to find unique ways to personalize it. Whatever you choose to do, make sure that it is a reflection of you and of your groom. It's your big day! Make it special and something that everyone will remember with great tips on wedding planning from Wedding And Party Network!!

Special thanks to:

Bake My Day, a wedding cake bakery in Louisville Kentucky, for the use of their polka dotted contemporary wedding cake photo.

Beautiful Weddings On A Budget, wedding coordinators in Fort Campbell Kentucky, for the use of their personalized photo cube table decorations photo.

Briar Rose Cottage Flowers, a wedding florist in Jesup Georgia, for the use of their wedding ceremony photo.

Escape Concepts, a wedding supplier in Charlotte North Carolina, for the use of their cake topper photo.

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.

Wedding cakes come in many shapes and sizes. However, did you know that wedding cakes also come in many flavors? Now it’s ok to save the plain white for the wedding dress and opt for more bold flavors with the wedding cake. Chocolate and white cake are the standards but there are many other flavors that the modern bride may wish to choose.

• “For Richer or Poorer” – The richer the better for some and chocolate wedding cakes are a huge hit because, let’s be honest, who doesn’t like chocolate cake?
• “Forsaking All Others” – For the sake of yummy vanilla wedding cake. “Plain white” though it may seem, this decadent dessert is just as tasty as many others which is why it has remained a standard.
• “To Have and To Hold” – Have your cake, eat it too, hold it in your hand and shove it in your groom’s mouth. Marble which blends two or more flavors, spice, carrot, red velvet and other flavors are perfect for this standard part of the wedding reception.
• “In Sickness and In Health” – If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, why not try an apple wedding cake?
• “Til Death Do Us Part” – It’s easy to feel this attached to popular wedding cake flavors such as banana, pumpkin, lemon, orange, and coconut.

Whichever favorite flavor the bride chooses, wedding cakes are a huge part of the reception. Whether a standard like chocolate or a fresh idea like butter pecan, wedding cakes flavors help the bride savor another part of her wedding. When the first anniversary rolls around and it’s time to revisit the top layer, the bride will be reconnected with special moments from the big day.