With Mother's Day just around the corner I thought I'd share some images of a photoshoot I did a few years ago that was featured in Confetti Fair Magazine as well as on the Life's Little Celebrations blog.

The theming was based on a Parisian style high tea and was styled by the lovely Sara from Events by Sara in collaboration with a number of very talented ladies (see credits below for full details).

I loved the illustrations used in the backdrop created by Danielle from Eve and Co Stationery and chose to use that as the inspiration for my hand painted cake.

Whilst I love being spoiled by my kids at home on Mother's Day and receiving hand made cards and gifts, I sure wouldn't mind attending a soiree like this one to celebrate such a special day.

Vendor Credits
Venue | @lepetitekidsteaandspa
Event planning, styling, organising, and setup | @eventsbysara
Photographer | @andreas__photography
Balloons | @balloons.by.agustina + @love_floats_
Custom illustration + graphic design |@efstathiacreative 
Candle holders, napkin, napkin rings, centrepieces, table cloths | @eventsbysara
Teapots, high tea stands, plates, cutlery | @lepetitekidsteaandspa
Cake | @cakefromtheheart 
Cookies |@parla_boutique 
Cupcakes and cake-pop |@mrskbakeddelicacies 
Chanel chairs | @uniquepropsandevents 
Clear plinth |@littleluxeevent 
Custom acrylic and cake topper |@alisoncarolinedesigns 
Flowers | @eventsgd
Lollipops| @sweetpartypops
Mini tarts | @tartalicious_ 
Hot chocolate bottle mix |@sweethealthcookiemix
Printing | @bamboo_printing

I set myself some pretty big goals in 2023 but I never thought having my cakes be involved in a hit television show would be one of the highlights of the year!
 
When I was initially approached to create the cakes for season 11 of MAFS, I was definitely apprehensive, I’d never been involved in working with a television show before and really had no idea what to expect.  The creative team at Married at First Sight were a pleasure to work with.  Each wedding is completely unique with it’s own theming and I can’t even begin to imagine how many hours went into the design and planning of each event, not to mention the actual execution on the day of each wedding.
 
Everything happpened at super lightning speed, from receiving design briefs from the creative team, to drawing design concepts for each cake, getting sign off from the powers that be, then creating each cake and delivering to each of the secret shoot locations.  I knew that I had to work as efficiently as possible to be able to meet the very tight deadlines and last minute change requests and I feel like I delivered some of my best work.
 
I’m not going to lie, when I was told that 4 of the cakes would be traveling all the way from Sydney to the Gold Coast and surrounds, I was nervous, but I’ve worked on cakes for long enough now to understand how to design something that will withstand the long travel distance and I was so happy to hear that they all arrived on site in exactly the same condition as they left me in.
 
Here are the beautiful images captured from each of the weddings for Season 11 of Married At First Sight (images courtesy of Nine).

Sara & Tim's reception featured a towering pink double barrel cake with hot pink stencilling to match the gorgeous fresh hot pink blooms topping the cake and adorning the reception area.

Now this was a fun cake, more like a party cake the a traditional wedding cake.  Cassandra & Tristan's three tiered beauty featured ombre yellow crackled fondant with wafer paper embellishments in pink, yellow, purple and orange to match the bright coloured florals at the venue... and the couple's beautiful bright personalities.

This cake screams drama!  Swifts Mansion where the reception was held is a beautiful heritage listed gothic revival style mansion located in Darling Point.  Of course, the cake had to match the gothic theming and decor so the design featured tiers in black, deep red and gold.

Peacock blue with a touch of gold was the brief for Lucinda & Timothy's wedding cake.  The bright peacock blue was hand painted onto the tiers along with stencilled gold details.

Natalie and Collins' wedding reception was held at the beautiful Deckhouse at Woolwich.  Their three tiered cake was covered in torn fondant and wafer paper in creams and mauve with highlights of coper to match the reception decor.

Eden and Jayden's wedding cake featured two large cubes covered in white fondant, framed with a dramatic burnt orange border to match the flowers and decor at their reception.

Lauren and Jono's wedding cake was earthy and rustic with an Australiana theme, featuring a rough textured ganache finish and decorated with a gold hoop entwined with gun leaves and native flowers to match the flowers at the reception.

Andrea and Richard celebrated with a simple two tier cake decorated with dehydrated lemons, fresh orchids and olive leaves to match their Positano style wedding theme.

Ellie and Ben's wedding was held at Horizon's on Maroubra Beach - such a lovely location right on the sand.  Their cake was simple and understated, covered in white chocolate ganache decorated with gorgeous bright, fresh flowers completing the stunning tropical look.

Michael & Stephen's wedding cake may just be my favourite from this season.  They celebrated their wedding with a three tiered cake covered in white fondant which was subtly textured.  Rustic vines entwined each tier along with bright yellow wattle and daisies to match the venue's decor.

The brief for Jade and Ridge's cake was modern with bright pastels to match their flower decor.  Their three tiered stunner was covered flawless white fondant with pastel panels cascading down the front.

The brief for Madeleine and Ash's wedding cake was "Blossom" so with that in mind I created a beautiful two tier dessert.  The bottom tier was covered in textured grey fondant, the top tier in white with hand painted blossoms.  Sugar flowers and fresh blossom branches and jasmine were added to finish the look.

I get to see and be involved in the most stunning weddings and events but some just instantly take your breath away.  That's the way I felt when I walked into the reception for Kevin & Andriana's wedding.  Leafy green foliage with stunning white flowers adorned the bridal and guest tables creating the most enchanting scene.

With over 500 candles in the room I can only image how romantic the room looked when they were all lit.

Their cake was a modern classic featuring two hexagonal tiers and two round, gold personalised monogram, white sugar flowers and foliage as well as stencilling to create beautiful additional subtle detail.

Andriana was such a lovely bride to work with and so easy going.  It was a pleasure creating her wedding cake and I almost cried when I received the most beautiful feedback after her big day.


"Thank you for creating such a magnificent wedding cake for Kevin and me.  Your exceptional talent and attention to detail truly made our special day even more memorable.

The cake was not only a visual masterpiece but also a delectable delight.  Every layer, every flavour, and every bite left our guests in awe.  It was evident that you poured your heart and soul into its creation, and we are incredibly grateful for your dedication.  The cake was not just a dessert;  it was a centrepiece that added beauty, elegance and deliciousness to our celebration."

Venue:  Curzon Hall
Flowers & styling:  Elena K Weddings
Candelabras:  Harbourside Decorators
Flooring & main table:  Classique Occasions
Cake:  Cake From The Heart

If you're looking for inspiration for a beautiful Baptism then look no further than this gorgeous setup that I was involved with recently.

Held at the beautiful Bivianos in Dural, the setting came to life with all white linen and chairs as well as a beautiful beige backdrop adorned with stunning white orchids, roses and baby's breath.

The brief for the cake was to create something organic and free flowing in design in white with accents of beige to match the backdrop.

All the elements from the various suppliers came together perfectly to create a magical event to celebrate Grace's baptism.

Vendors -

Venue:  www.bivianosdural.com
Cake:  www.cakefromtheheart.com.au
Backdrop, props and florals:  www.facebook.com/GlamorousOccasion/

Remember when your mum used to cut up a cake or dessert for you to eat and she'd cut those big wedge shaped slices?  While that serving style is great for dessert at home, for an event there's actually a different way that we cut the cake which is not only easy but will maximise the number of slices you'll get from your cake.

Traditionally for an event, you'll either serve coffee sized portions or dessert sized portions.  A coffee sized portion is a 1 inch x 1 inch x 4 inch finger portion of cake while a dessert sized portion is double, so a 1 inch x 2 inch x 4 inch slice.  The height of cakes has changed over the years and you'll notice now that most cakes are taller than 4 inches but regardless the way you cut the cake will remain the same.

When people come to collect their cake from me, the first thing they worry about is transporting it home or to the venue safely (we'll cover that in another post) and the next thing they worry about is how on earth to cut it.

The diagram below takes all the guess work out for you.  Save it for your next event!
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