Open House at The Hidden Jewel in Blue Ridge

There's no other way to say it.....2020 is off to a rocky start! January and February were fabulous months for everything, and then in March the bottom dropped out due to Covid-19 and everything got put on hold. I've personally been self-quarantined at home for 31 days now and we still have another month to go. Things are looking up though, and we're staying strong and continuing to plan our events that will take place once this crazy pandemic has blown over.

In the meantime, we're reflecting on some of the wonderful events and vendors from January and February! We were asked to participate in an open house at a beautiful new venue in Blue Ridge called The Hidden Jewel on February 23rd. It was an absolutely fabulous event with over 300 attendees and so many wonderful vendors participating! There was a ribbon cutting ceremony with the chamber of commerce, tons of amazing food and beverages, beautiful décor displays for a styled shoot, and all the vendors you would need to plan any fabulous wedding or event.

I highly suggest contacting JC and Michele at The Hidden Jewel to schedule a tour once the world opens back up for business! This is a stunning new venue with an amazing group of folks who own and run the place. I can't explain how thrilled I am to have met them and to have the opportunity to continue to work with them!

Thanks to these amazing participating vendors!

The Bridal Shoppe of Wylie
Cakes by Tayte
CFM Designs
CMC Creations
Dina's Catering & Concessions
Double Blessing Events
Dream Designs Dallas
The Hay Loft
HD Liquid Catering
Jillian Wise Photography
Juniper Cake Co.
Lonestar Letter
Lucero Cervantes Photography
Men's Wearhouse
Michell Events LLC
The Murchison-Honaker House
Prestige Bartending Services
DJ Bob Noell
Redwine's BBQ Eats N Sweets
Saddles & Sapphires
Simply Sarah Jane
S-S Catering
Taco Taxi Company
Uniquely You Photography
Urban Crust

Picking Up Your Own Wedding Cake?

If I had to choose one thing I heard the most over 2019, it would be horror stories about wedding cakes being picked up from the bakery by family or friends and the nightmare that followed. It's understandable that everyone is watching their budget and trying to make helpful cuts anywhere possible, but honestly there are some things that are best left to the professionals....and cake delivery/set up is one of them!

I actually planned and coordinated a wedding where this issue was addressed, and I counted my lucky stars that they bride took our advice and decided not to have a family member pick up the cake! This was a small three tiered buttercream cake for an afternoon wedding in North Texas in June. First of all, June in Texas is HOT and buttercream melts. On the trip from the bakery to the venue the sun had it's way with the cake melting the icing, and the tiers did some sliding during transport. While the cake looked like a hot mess when it arrived, there were no worries. The bakery had touch up supplies on hand and had it all put back together and looking beautiful within half an hour. If a family member arrived with a melted cake, it would have been one of those wedding day nightmare stories.

Picking up a sheet cake or two from a local store is not what I'm referring to. Tiered cakes, decorated cakes, multiple different cakes.....most of the time, these cakes are heavy, delicately decorated, and require extreme caution with carrying, loading and unloading. If it melts or gets bumped during delivery, the baker is experienced and can fix it quickly. They do this every day, so they fully know what to expect and what to do when these things happen.

Wendy Kromer Confections

In the grand scheme of things, saving a hundred or two by having someone pick up the cake isn't worth the worry. You might even incur additional cost by replacing the damaged cake at the last minute. Your planner can always assist you with many different ways to cut back on the budget and save money, and those are ways that won't put the cake for your special day in jeopardy!