A little bling never hurt anyone...

My friend Kristen got married this weekend, and of course she asked me to provide the cake for her! I've known Kristen for a few years, so I knew that she would need something equally elegant and quirky for her wedding day!

Kristen's cake used the modern "telescoping tiers" look, in which we make each tier of cake taller than the one below it. This gives the cake a statuesque, avant-garde look.

The cake was adorned with hand-made sugar flowers adorned with real rhinestones and a real rhinestone chain at the base of each tier. The flowers were painted with silver leaf dust, which is edible (but expensive!). This is a great way to include a little bling on your cake without harming your guests. Since the flowers are removed from the cake before cutting, you don't need to worry about your guests biting into a rhinestone while enjoying their dessert. The flowers can then be preserved and saved for years to come!

Kristen's cake is a great example of a cake that did not necessarily use elements from her reception. Although she used red roses and black damask throughout the wedding, we both knew that repeating those elements on her wedding cake would make the room start to look very matchy-matchy. By giving me a feel for her reception and allowing me to have some creative freedom, we came up with this beautiful cake that fit right in on her wedding day!

Congratulations, Kristen!