Modern meet Tradition: India

Lions and Tigers and Grooms Cake oh my!

Groom's cakes are often a moment a chance for the bride and groom to be a

little silly or fun. These cakes are no exception! Whether it's a reflection

of his work, hobbies or even dinning preference

 these cakes are just FUN!

This Chipotle Burrito cake just blew my mind! A local cake maker in Austin made

this for a brother's wedding and I insisted he send me a pic, WOW!! He only takes

referrals, so if you are as obsessed as me email me and i'll refer you.

 When I arrived to this wedding I saw the cake sitting from 50 feet away and literally thought 

it was a camera. The detail and perfect proportions were spot on! 

 I had to include both pics of this cake so you could see the red inside. A cake made

by his grandmother, Clint and Erin went straight to the most famous grooms

cake of all time! Inspired by Steel Magnolias this armadillo cake was

a perfect fit for their Southern and Texas inspired wedding.

Cake of the Week: Krissy's Cakes

 This is a very gorgeous and tasty cake by Krissy's Cakes! I was very

honored to work with them on this great Glamor meets the Old West shoot

for Bliss Bridal Magazine. I had to include a couple extra pics, partially because I 

took them ;) but also so you could see the overall scape of the cake table

and the side cakes she made to really amp up the WOW.

Photos: Cari Wible Photography

Navigating the Wedding: Brides and their Bridemaids

As someone who has participated in a lot of weddings, not just as a photographer but also as a bridesmaid, maid of honor and general do it all girl, i've seen the good, bad and UGLY of the relationships between the bride and bridal party. Here are a few first hand lessons for navigating those relationships.

#1 Choosing your Girls
  When we get ready to celebrate this day the tendency is to ask anyone and everyone to be a bridesmaid. Just remember with more girls, come more personalities and opinions. You should also talk to you groom about how many guys he wants to include. Often your groom has a smaller number of guys in mind. Blood is thicker than water, and when it comes to your bridal party, sisters and sister-in-laws are an important bridesmaid to consider. Even though your relationship might not be super close at the moment, 30 years from now when you remember this day you'll most definitely wish your sister was there with you. Bringing in your grooms sister is also important to show him and his family that you accept them as your own. Overall consider your long term dynamic with the ladies, who is going to truly be a calming force during this stressful time, and who truly represents you and your groom.

#2 Flexible Planning
  Many of us start planning this day when we are little girls, so by the time he proposes we have very specific ideas in mind. When planning it's important to be flexible too. Bring in general ideas or even create a Pinterest board of ideas and trends you'd like to incorporate. Now take a breathe and trust your vendors and bridesmaids. Most vendors want to please you! I know that might shock a few of you but they really do!! Not only are you paying them, but you are a review that could make or break their business and a potential resource for referrals. Ask them "can you do this" or "do you have an idea similar." Wedding vendors are typically a very dedicated and talented group of people, who love what they do, so if you do your do diligence finding the good ones TRUST THEM! And trust your GIRLS. You bridesmaids want the best for you and are ready to do whatever you need. Remember though, while this event probably absorbs your every waking moment... they have lives too ;) Communicate your needs and the timing you need them in and then back off. Don't micromanage them, they are your friends and family, not your employees.



#3 Being a Good Bridesmaid
  Here is the sticky part. Every bride has different expectations and needs of her girls. When you accept the job, you accept a lot of crazy. Let me say this again, a lot of CRAZY!! As I stated before every girl dreams of this day. Your job as a bridesmaid means doing everything within your own sanity to make it happen. That means wearing that color you think is atrocious, tying hundreds of ribbons to DIYed invitations and spending every free Saturday helping her plan. Now this doesn't mean you are suppose to be her punching bag, but if she needs you... you need to be there when possible. The wedding day is the most important example of this. Even if you are bored out of your mind watching other people's hair get curled, stay by her side. Also don't take it so personal! Very little of what goes on that day is about you... it's humbling to recognize that fact, but it will go a long way for helping her stress level. Remember the bride wants you there because you are important to her, so make her important to you!!

#4 Being Friends AFTER the Wedding
  Make an effort before the big day to talk about non wedding stuff! It will be VERY hard!! But after the big day life will have moved on and it's important to have a relationship based on more than just wedding chaos. Also don't be afraid to take a little break after the wedding. You and your girls have officially been to war and survived, and the emotions of that day need to be left there. Take a moment to breathe, get back to normal and move on as friends.

Pictures from : Cari Wible Photography

Cake of the Week: Frosted Art Bakery

Arguably one of the best cake designers in the country 

Frosted Art Bakery is a truly talented group of culinary artist.

You may recognize their fearless leader as "that chick that wins all the time"

on Food Networks Extreme Cake Challenge. As someone who was blessed

to taste some of their cake flavors, I have to say AMAZING!! Now to be fair

the cake they made for the wedding I attended did have a color matching issue. 

However, it was flawlessly designed and when approached with the mistake, they

graciously offered a partial refund.... We did eat it after all :D The cake below, while

not a complete translation of their design mastering, it does show a strong foundation of 

piping detail and flawless execution. Enjoy!!

Image by Jonathan Ivy Photography

Jar Head..... The girly kind

 Whether it's as a piece of chic and trendy table decor, guiding lights on your path

to happiness, or a fun take away for your guest; Mason Jars are a fun and easy way to 

bring a little Country Sensibility to your wedding!!

 

 

 

 

1. Bravo Bride 2&7 Cari Wible Photography 3. Elizabeth Anne Designs 4.Brigids Fancy 5. Heavenly Blooms Blog 6. Beaux Arts Photographie

Sweet Treats: Sugar Hearts DIY

I found a great DIY that is perfect for weddings and parties. 

Custom Sugar Cubes

 

Simply get your mixing bowl and add 1 cup of sugar,

Throw in 1-2 tablespoons of water,

Stir together until it's damp and mold able

Press firmly into your favorite mold and brush away excess sugar,

 Immediately release them from the mold onto parchment paper

 and let dry for a few hours. Enjoy!

 

Thanks to Ruffles and Stuff for the directions and PS by Dila for the pictures and inspiration.

Cake of the Week: Maggie Austin

I am in LOVE with this cake. The simplicity and elegance in the detail

is just gorgeous! Maggie Austin who designed this cake is phenomenal,

check her out!

Maggie Austin Cakes

Pretty in Purple

Gotta LOVE a Pop of Purple!

 

 

2. Damion Hamilton Photography 3. Style Me Pretty 4. Bridal Shoppe 1,5&6 www.CariWiblePhotography.com

Cake of the Week: Buttons

This week's cake actually comes from one of my brides. Neil and Bethany were Married June 2011 at Kindred Oaks in Georgetown,TX. Their cake really reflected a mix of vintage details and modern lines. LOVE!!

cake by http://www.michellespatisserie.com/

Two Step Tuesday 3/20/2012

Christina Perri and Katy McAllister, beautiful and soul full songs that can really focus you in on each other.... LOVE!!!

Bliss Magazine

I had planned to do a little blog about my photography at the end of the month, featuring some of my more recent shoots. However, I was very blessed to be featured recently in an online magazine blog, and am super excited to share the news. I've included several of the pictures that were featured in the blog as well as a link to the actual feature.

 

www.CariWiblePhotography.com

Cake of the Week: Cotton and Crumbs

I just really love this cake! The soft colors and modern detail, make this cake timeless. Then you top off a modest sized cake with matching cupcakes and everyone wins. Just a great design by Cotton & Crumbs.

Let's hear it for the BOYS!!!

"While everyone is looking at her, she'll be looking at you." That Men's Warehouse commercial gets me every time. So in honor of staring him down from the end of the aisle, I've dedicated this post to the looks that make your heart skip a beat.

 

 

 

1. Aislinn Events 2. Photo Pink NYC 3. Sarah Winward Photography 4.Alexandra Weddings 5. The Knot 6. Rebekah Westover Photography 7. DesmoinesWeddingSavvy 8. CariWiblePhotography.com

Sweet Tweats: Donuts

If sweets are a weakness of yours, too, here is a fun way to incorporate something sweet into your special day.  

Donut Cake....... Yummmm

This first item is a great way to give your guest a little snack before or after dinner. This second item is perfect for an after dinner snack combining a donut hole and hot chocolate. It's sure to warm up your guest and get them ready to dance the night away.

You can also, just use them as sweet goodness that represents your love of sweets and your unique sense of style!

1.Style Me Pretty 2.RuffledBlog.com 3. Harwell Photography 4. SprinklesBakes.com 5. Style Me Pretty 6.UrbanScarlet.com