Tennessee Gardens Round Two

Made our second deposit to Tennessee Gardens.

While we were there we also samples more cake and talked a little about what we'd want. We saw some example cakes in the bakery. Eddie liked the square cakes set at different angles on top of each other (I think this is called "off set"); l don't really have a preference about the shape, just about the design and taste ;)  With square cakes for 250 people, we would need four layers. Eddie definitely wants carrot cake as one layer, and we both also like the strawberry Victorian cake. So I get to choose the other two layers. I'm thinking a chocolate layer, well two actually. One is a chocolate cake with three creams: mocha, toffee, and chocolate. I had it for the for first time yesterday and it was SO delicious! The other might be another chocolate, I'm not really sure yet. 

Apparently they won't cut what is on the top layer and will instead give it to us to take home.  So in addition to the flavors we also have to figure out which flavor goes on which level. I'm not sure how popular carrot cake is so I was thinking it would go on the second layer (if the first isn't cut and is going home with us), then the strawberry Victorian on the third layer, then the chocolate three cream on the bottom. Except then there would be more chocolate slices of cake than any other, and personally I think the strawberry Victorian is the best.

Another thing about having different layers is that I think they serve the cakes as they're cut, which means that you might get served carrot cake while that table further down gets the delicious chocolate three cream! So something else that I have to ask about is the possibility of cutting the three layers and letting people get their own cakes. But that may be a problem logistically, as 250 slices of cake probably takes up a lot of space. So I guess we'll see.

Am I picking too much at the details?

Let Us Eat Cake

We have a meeting at Michelle's bakery on Friday when we bring the second deposit for the venue... So wanted to get some more definite ideas for the cake...

Just thought this was a cute cake topper :)

Like the concentration of swirls vs. the swirls over all

Like the use of ribbon, and the details on the curls

Like the ribbon and the placement of the swirls...though maybe a little too concentrated on the top... and maybe too symmetrical with the points coming down?

Like the alternate layers of swirls...Not the initials though

Groom's Cake

So I've been watching that show Amazing Wedding Cakes...and boy do they have some Amazing Wedding Cakes!  Though the really cool ones are the groom's cakes.

I wonder if I could do this...

I'd wanted to do some kind of cool groom's cake...was thinking of something along the lines of a Wild Turkey bottle or Simpsons or... I don't know... in Funfetti.

Simpson cake toppers are at least $70!
I'd DIY it...find some figures,
make some clothes...

Maybe we could serve it at the rehearsal dinner.

Tennessee Gardens and Michelle's Bakery

This morning I had a meeting at Tennessee Gardens at 10. I showed up at about 10:05, mostly because I missed the place the first time, and after I found it, I drove in circles trying to find the office, which didn't really matter, because the lady I was meeting was late anyway.

Tennessee Gardens (named for the street that it is on) is a garden type of venue tucked behind a florist and a bakery (the Garden is owned by the same woman who runs the bakery). It's pretty much a green lawn, some white fencing, trees with lights, and a covered "dance floor"/patio. But it can fit $250, and I did like the lady even though she was running late.

So I'm snooping around trying to figure out where I'm supposed to meet this lady, when this guy with some crazy tats on his legs and wearing Metal Mulisha shoes asks me if I need some help. So I tell him I'm supposed to meet someone to tour the Gardens and he calls the lady on the phone, but gets no answer. He tells me that I can wait in the bakery and the lady is pretty good about calling back right away. Once I'm in the bakery, he tells me that his grandmother is coming down and she'd be able to show me around if not give me all the pricing.

When his grandmother comes down - Cecilia, this cute old lady with some European accent - she moves me to the shaded area of the bakery, piles binders of beautiful cakes in front of me, and feeds me cake while I'm waiting for "her daughter" Michelle, the owner of the bakery and Tennessee Gardens. She tells me about how she sent her daughter for school in France 27 years ago, and how she's been in the cake business for 25 years. All the recipes are Michelle's...and they are delicious! I tried the Toffee cake, the strawberry Victorian cake, the raspberry Victorian cake, and the orange poppy seed. Yum! Cecilia proceeds to tell me how to get the most bang for my buck (small cake in back, sheet cake cut up and ready to go in back if we're getting our cake from elsewhere or paying for a Michelle's cake for a different venue - they deliver everywhere - why just last weekend she was driving to Santa Ana with a 7 layer cake; but if we're going through the Gardens, our cake will be free and to put it all up front in one gorgeous, giant cake). We discuss flowers on cake (best to let the cake shine through and not to have too many flowers on it, and that the florist will do the flowers on the cake so they match with whatever flowers we have), special designs (I can bring in any picture and any design and they can recreate), and the cake business (they did 700 cakes last year alone).

Michelle eventually shows up, and she brings me for a short tour around the Garden. There's a covered patio which serves as a dance floor. The green lawn can accommodate 250 guests. There's a place where they set up the sweetheart/head table (which by the way, we still haven't decided what we want...though I am leaning towards head table; and I'm not sure if Mei will sit up with us or with her family...I guess again depending on what she wants). There's a smaller "dance floor" usually used for smaller parties and which, says Michelle, would serve as a nice place for our first dance etc as it is set apart from everything else. There's a gazebo that is set up as a bar. There's a pond/waterfall, white fencing, twinkle lights on all fencing and trees, rose bushes galore (though whether they are in bloom is another story). There is also a reception hall which stays open and will be set up with tables - we probably can do our cocktail hour in there or have our buffet tables in there. The reception hall is a nice place for elderly people to go when it is too hot/cold and they want to get out of the elements and can watch the goings on from the doorway.

Included in the wedding package are the tables (60in rounds), chairs (white wood/cushion), linens (a million choices) and overlays, napkins, flatware, stemware, silverware, cake, DJ w/AV equipment and screen, use of mirrors, votives, gold rimmed hurricane lanters, umbrellas/heat lamps for outside. There is no cake fee, but there is a champagne toast fee if we choose to do so. There is also champagne for the head table.

We can bring in our own caterer, but the bar must be done through the venue. Without the alcohol, and without a caterer of our own, the total is $6868 and change...which is DEFINITELY within my budget!!

I'm bringing Eddie to see the place on Monday evening, that way we can see what it looks like with the lights all twinkling and pretty.

Cross your fingers! This may be affordable AND the garden setting AND we won't have to go to the Mitten Building.

The thing I like about peacock colors is that there is such a bright, vibrant variety.

Take these cupcakes for example.

Peacock feathers!!

I'm totally feeling peacock feathers! And wouldn't it go well with our plum?







Peacock feather with purple.




I like how the feathers go with gold.








The problem with peacock feathers in bouquets is that they kind of stick out all crazy.

•DID YOU KNOW?.
•In China, the Peacock represented divinity, rank, power and beauty. It was also reckoned that a woman could get pregnant if a Peacock glanced at her!.
•Older Christian churches believed that the peacock feather represents immortality, resurrection, and a pure soul.
•Peacocks are claimed to be a guardian at the gates of paradise according to one Muslim religion.
•A peacock was often used as a sign for a tailor in the 18th Century. Generally it was someone who dealt in custom fine clothing.
•Peacocks became a favorite bird on the coats of arms of some of the great houses of Europe. During the days of chivalry, to 'swear on the peacock' was considered a solemn oath.
•The Greek goddess Hera was believed to have a chariot pulled by peacocks.
•Peacocks are the national bird of India..
•Peacocks have been domesticated for over 3,000 years!.
•Myth has the peacock representing fidelity, as it dies of grief, or remains single, if it loses its mate.

More colors...

So for the pixes from before...ix-nay on the pale green...not enough color...

Not necessarily the style, but this is more the color Eddie pointed out.

Is this too bright (something?) a green?

As far as the orange...something with more of a sheen...nothing flat...

Love the limes! A little too much pink though...

Floating candles over submerged flowers in pink

Gerbera daisy with the green...

Pinks and greens... I like the green apples...yummy!

Really like this set up...the orchids against the blue.


Teal as the dress color?

On an unrelated note, cakes are something we have yet to get to... We did see a cake that Eddie liked when we were at the first florist. I think this is what it looked like...with the swirls?