Tag: flowers

The Queen of Gems and The Gems of Queens

December 19, 2019

pearl-wedding-inspiration-anneli-marinovich-photography-99

I thought I’d share with you another styled shoot conceived, planned and styled by me. Yes I know cakes are my thing, but once in a while I love to unleash my creativity by collaborating with some of the best luxury wedding suppliers in the industry. Some of my previous shoots include Tulip Fever, The Two Fridas, Van Gogh’s Lucid Dreams , which all went viral, so I was a tad nervous when I came up with Pearlencia.

The premise of pearlencia was the pearl; unique and often known as the “Queen of Gems”. The favourite of Her Majesty the Queen (she is reported to have at least 3 duplicates of her often worn three strand pearl necklace), they symbolise unblemished perfection, modesty and purity.

The most popular adornment in bridal wear historically, they are often used to embellish wedding dresses and other bridal accessories.

The sole gem that is borne inside a living organism, the pearl is really a matchless gift of nature. Every pearl is unique, one of a kind and a very special creation.

I envisioned and created this shoot as an ode to the pearl, taking inspiration from the image of a gloriously beaded pearl head band created by my good friend Boe of Botias.

THE VENUE

The light and airy atrium of 10-11 Carlton House Terrace was the perfect setting for the shoot. The premises, built in 1831 to designs by John Nash, are steeped in history. The building was previously occupied by four-times Prime Minister William Gladstone, and was a First World War Hospital for Wounded Officers.

DECOR AND DETAILS

The chosen palette was a smorgasbord of pearly tones including white, iridescent cream, ivory, very pale pink and grey and hints of gold and silver.

The tablescape flowers consisted of large white and cream avalanche and bianca roses, a variety of spray roses and hydrangeas beautifully arranged in groupings in bud vases by renowned florists, All for Love.

The clear back white Louis chairs and the crystal candlelabras topped with hand made beeswax candles in pearl white were supplied by Kashi of Eden Event Design Ltd and London Event Hire.

Each place setting featured tableware from Duchess and Butler. We used their beautiful white ceramic pearl dinnerware set with beaded border, fiori crystal glasses and milk white vintage goblets.

The exquisitely embroidered and pearl beaded linen napkins, lace edged handkerchief and garter were made by Heidi of Extra Special Touch and the table linen was from Over the Top Rentals.

The specially commissioned elegant stationery was designed and created by Ananya cards. The invitation and menus were painstakingly hand embroidered with seed pearls and inscribed with silver calligraphy. They also created the iridescent marble pearl disc name cards which were a very cool addition.

The incredible 9 foot high balloon installation which served as a ‘pearl’ backdrop to the tablescape was by luxury balloon stylist, Balloonista. She used a mix of white, cream and grey pearlised balloons to create a wonderful effect.

HE DRESSES

For the first look, the model wore the glamorous lace and pearl embroidered ‘Truth’ by Ersa Atelier. The figure hugging fit and flare dress was paired with a number of Botias accessories, which included the earrings, an incredible pearl studded headband, a matching cathedral length veil and pearl slingbacks.

For the second look the model wore ‘Aime’ by Alon Livne White. The strapless silk dress worked perfectly with the rather magnificently crafted Elizabethan pearl cape Botias accessories created specifically for the shoot.

BEAUTY

The hair and make up was by the amazing Boe of Botias who expertly made up the model, coiffing her hair to perfection. She used a soft and natural palette of blush and rose pink, keeping the bridal make up light and natural. The hair for the first look was a sleek low bun with a centre parting studded with pearls. The hair for the second look was a voluminous up do which reflected the avant garde look we were aiming for perfectly.

THE CAKES

Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium created six pearl inspired luxury wedding cakes for the shoot, in her distinctive style. They included an ornate 4 tier bas relief and pearl studded split cake, a fault line cake surrounded by large pearl bubbles, rough textured pearl cascaded cakes and a dramatic 4 tiered ‘pearlode’ carved cake. The main 7 tiered cake was decorated with wafer paper frills, wafer paper circles of different sizes and edible pearls, finished off with edible silver leaf and paint.

PHOTOGRAPHY

All this was captured beautifully by fine art photographer Anneli Marinovich . We can all agree that she has succeeded in capturing the essence of the pearl in this rather special shoot.

Credits

Concept, Planning, Styling and Cakes Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium https://www.elizabethscakeemporium.com

Venue https://10-11cht.com/

Photographer http://www.annelimarinovich.com/

Bridal Styling, Hair and Make Up https://www.botias.co.uk/

Bridal Shoes, Accessories and Pearl Cape https://botiasaccessories.co.uk/

Dresses Truth by Ersa Atelier and Aime by Alon Livne White at https://morgandaviesbridal.co.uk/

Floral Design – https://www.allforlovelondon.com/

Chairs https://www.eventhirehub.com/

Table Decor and Accessories https://www.edenevent.com/

Balloon installation https://www.balloonista.com/

Stationery https://www.ananyacards.com/

Chargers, plates, and crystal https://duchessandbutler.com/

Napkins, handkerchief and garter https://www.extraspecialtouch.co.uk/

Table Linen https://www.ottrentals.com/

Van Gogh’s Lucid Dreams

August 26, 2019

THE CONCEPT

The idea for this Van Gogh’s lucid dreams shoot came to me during a chat with Joanne Fleming, one of the most talented couturiers I know. I love, love doing styled shoots. It’s one of the best ways to test out luxury wedding cake ideas and concepts, build a portfolio and show clients your style.

To me, Vincent van Gogh is unmistakably one of the best known painters in the world. A pioneer of modernism, this master of colour and innovator produced an impeccable oeuvre which continues to inspire many artists today.

As a young painter in Holland, he had loved yellow and used it liberally in his early paintings.

In honour of the major exhibition at the Tate which brings together his dedication and thoughtful art, I came up with the concept of a happy, joyful styled shoot based on Van Gogh’s love of yellow and blue.

THE VENUE

Number 10 and No. 11 Carlton House Terrace currently houses the British Academy. The premises built in 1831 to designs by John Nash, is steeped in history. It was previously occupied by four-times Prime Minister William Gladstone, and was a First World War Hospital for Wounded Officers.

The atrium with its very high ceilings and beautiful light was the perfect setting for this shoot. Whilst the white alcove with the yellow gold baroque detailing provided exquisite framing for a number of the shots, we took the presence of the modern art paintings on the walls in the shoot colours as a sign that our Van Gogh’s lucid dreams shoot would be best presented at the venue!

DECOR AND DETAILS

For this shoot, we tried to capture in 3D form, the textures and vivid tones found in several Van Gogh’s paintings including Cafe Terrace at Night, Irises, Chair, Girl in White and of course Starry Night. We also referenced the fact that he loved a tipple or two and his pipe. The tablescape created by Wild About featured their signature tall and elegant floral design. The outstanding overhanging flower canopy ran across the length of the table and featured different hues of yellow flowers from the deepest ochre VanGogh was famous for, to the palest and creamiest yellow. The flowers used included sunflowers, roses, oncidium dancing lady orchids, cymbidium orchids, Craspedia, Fritillaria, tulips as well as assorted greenery.

The texture and tone theme continued with WildAbout using texturised vases some in glass, crackle glaze and velvet, in different hues of blue, including midnight blue, navy, teal and cerulean. The vases housed clever groupings of more gorgeous yellow flowers. The gold candlesticks were topped with candles in royal blue and cornflower blue.

Each place setting featured ornate gold charger plates which were topped with yellow plates sourced from Italy and hand carved sunflower ceramic plates. The charger plates, etched gold rimmed crystal and gold cutlery were from Classic Crockery.

Ananya Cards, created beautiful deep blue stationery edged in gold which featured a specially created monogram and the most elegant calligraphy. The menus were placed on mini easels, as a nod to the artist. The table linen was from Just 4 Linen and gold edged yellow velvet chairs completed the look.

WildAbout also created three bouquets for the shoot. Two were yellow and the third made up entirely of Irises.

THE DRESSES

Reminiscent of Van Gogh’s Girl in White, for the first look, our model wore a high waisted skirt with boned foundation and deep pockets made in heavy ivory French linen and paired with a silk chiffon and swiss-dot tulle peasant bodice for an informal bridal look. The skirt embellished with a pair of Victorian embroidered sunflowers from Joanne’s collection of vintage trims, and the luxuriously ruffled sleeve cuffs were made from lengths of unused old stock antique lace.

The look was finished with a pair of Harriet Wilde’s classic block heel ‘Lana’ shoes in bridal ivory, and the hat from Jo’s personal collection which is trimmed with the same Swiss-dot tulle as the blouse.

For the second look Jo wanted to conjure those iconic VanGogh paintings of yellow ochre wheat fields and Provençal sunflowers. The corset waist skirt was constructed in slubby silk tussah for a homespun rustic look, and embroidered with knee high stalks and ears of wheat. The high ruffle-necked blouse was made from tulle embroidered with little sunflowers that have all been hand tinted in shades of golden yellow and burnt sienna. Again, Jo used a length of antique Victorian lace, hand painted to match, for the collar and cuffs, to provide that connection to the past.

A wonderful flower trimmed yellow straw hat by inspirational milliners Lomax and Skinner references the straw hats VanGogh depicted in several of his paintings.

The shoes are a pair of Kurt Geiger ‘Daisy’ linen platform sandals, with the daisies converted to sunflowers with the help of silk paints!

For the third look, Jo created a more sophisticated look inspired by that glorious yellow ochre shade that glows from so many of Vincent’s paintings of the South of France. Supple shimmering silk satin skims and flows around the body, catching and reflecting the light. A huge stylised sunflower is the only embellishment on this gown, which is paired with Harriet Wilde’s fabulous ‘Arabella’ shoes in midnight blue velvet….. the combination of golden yellow and rich blue evoking the jewel tones of ‘Starry Night over the Rhone’ and ‘Café Terrace at Night’. A Lomax and Skinner curled feather headdress adds a little Moulin Rouge showgirl glamour to the look.

BEAUTY

The hair and make up for this shoot was by the amazing duo of Sylwia Kunysz and Stacey Goodwin. For the first Girl in White look, we used a soft and natural palette on the face, the hair in a soft tousled up do with some loose tendrils framing the face, working with the models own natural curls to create a relaxed look. It was good way to pay homage to the painting, giving it a modern twist. For the second look, the hair was soft and loose, the team creating a 30s inspired look with bold lip to complement the gorgeous silk ochre dress.

THE CAKES

For this shoot, I created four luxury wedding cakes, cupcakes, cookies and mini chocolate magnums. The main cake was a 7 tiered Van Gogh mottled deep blue baroque confection. The baroque detailing gave the cake grandeur and the yellow sugar flowers adorning the cake were in different shades of yellow. The handcrafted sugar flowers included tulips, roses, dahlias, peonies and gold leaves. The second cake was a blue gravity defying split cake with hundreds of yellow sugar flowers seemingly cascading out of the centre. This cake was created to reflect the prolific art that poured out of Van Gogh despite the darkness that often over took him. The other cakes were distressed and decorated with bas relief, gold leaf, wafer paper and crackled effect and symbolised the fact that art is often never perfect!

PHOTOGRAPHY

We were honoured to have one of the most sought after luxury fine art photographers in the UK, Roberta Facchini capture this shoot in all its glory. We can all agree that she has succeeded in showcasing the essence of Van Gogh’s Lucid Dreams.

_{SUPPLIER CREDITS}

_VENUE

_{10-11 Carlton House Terrace SW1 5AH htttps://}_10-11cht.com_@10-11cht

_{CONCEPT, PLANNING, STYLING AND CAKES}

_{Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium}_{https://www.elizabethscakeemporium.com}

_{@elizabethscakeeemporium}

_{FLOWERS AND FLORAL STYLING}

_WildAbout_{https://www.wildabout.co.uk/}_{@wildaboutflower}

_{DRESSES AND BRIDAL STYLING}

_{Joanne Fleming}_{https://joanneflemingdesign.com/}_{@joflemingdesign}

_PHOTOGRAPHER

_{Roberta Facchini}_{https://www.robertafacchini.com/}_{@Roberta Facchini}

_{HAIR and MAKE UP}

_{Sylwia Kunysz}_{http://www.sylwiamakeup.co.uk/}_{@sylwiakunyszmua}

_{Stacie Goodwin}_{www.staciegoodwinhairdressing.co.uk}_{@staciegoodwinhairdressing}

_STATIONERY

_{Ananya Cards}_{https://www.ananyacards.com/}_@ananyacards

_{CHARGERS, CUTLERY AND CRYSTAL}

_{Classic Crockery}_{https://www.classiccrockery.co.uk/}_{@classiccrockery}

_RINGS

_{The Exquisite Collection}_{http://www.theexquisitecollection.co.uk/}_{@theexquisitecollection}

_SHOES

_{Harriet Wilde}_{https://www.harrietwilde.com/}_{@harrietwildeshoes}

_{Kurt Geiger}_{https://www.kurtgeiger.com/}_@kurtgeiger

_HATS

_{Lomax and Skinner Bespoke Millinery}_{https://www.lomaxandskinner.co.uk/}_{@lomaxandskinner}

Introducing Luxury Wedding Planner Lindy Dowling

June 27, 2019

On today’s blog post, I thought I’d switch things up a bit and have a guest blog post. In our 13 years of making cakes we have worked with many amazing wedding planners. Those that stand out to us are those that put their clients at the centre of all they do and treat their suppliers with kindness and dignity.

Lindy Dowling is an awesome luxury event planner we’ve had the pleasure of working with a number of times and every time has always been a delight! She attracts clients from all walks of life, as she is always calm, lovely and unflappable. She tells us a little about herself and her plans for the future.

Tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Lindy, I’ve been planning weddings and events for a very long time now, predominantly covering London, The Home Counties and The Cotswolds. I have experience with all budgets and pretty much every wedding you can imagine over the years and I have loved being a part of each one.

I’m a calm, confident, positive person. I take pride in the experience I have and love nothing more than planning new events, meeting new clients and developing long lasting relationships along the way.

How did you get into wedding planning?

I had my own floristry business for a short while, after taking a break from my City job of 10+ years. Luckily I met a wonderful planner at a wedding fayre, who I then began working alongside. She gave me the motivation to set up my own business. I’ve always been incredibly organized and reliable as well as being very passionate about weddings, so it felt like a natural progression for me to break into the wedding planning industry.

What is a typical day like for you?

First tea! I start my day by checking emails, my to-do lists for the weddings I’m currently working on, followed by calls or meetings with my lovely clients and suppliers alike. You won’t find me on social media much. I’m quite old school in that respect and humble with my work. Predominantly my day is spent liaising with suppliers and working on my client’s schedules and budget sheets – very glamorous!

Your most favourite wedding to date?

I come away from every wedding thinking it’s my new favourite. I’ve been incredibly lucky to plan many glitzy, glamorous and high profile weddings over the years. However, some of my most memorable weddings have been those with a simple ceremony at a London Town Hall, followed by a classy, elegant reception. I love having the ceremony in a separate location away from the reception – it allows for the wow factor when guests arrive full of anticipation (and a glass of bubbly) at the reception.

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Five tips for couples looking to get married;

1. Set a budget and aim to stick to this throughout the planning process. If you don’t have a clear budget set, it’s too easy to be dazzled and before you know it your costs are spiralling out of control.

2. Be realistic about guest numbers and invite those family and friends who are important to you – not just because you feel under pressure to have them there. It’s your day after all.

3. It’s never too early to start work on your table plan. Most of my clients find this the most stressful part, but it doesn’t need to be if you begin this way ahead of time.

4. Book your Photographer asap! The best photographers get booked up super fast, so it’s always key to book at the very beginning of your wedding planning journey. I always say ‘After the big day has been and gone, you’re left with wonderful memories, a wedding ring and your photos’. Don’t scrimp on the photographer as it’ll end up being so much more important as years go by. I still look at my Grandparent’s wedding album now – it’s something I’ll treasure forever now they’re gone.

5. Take time out to enjoy the planning process. Book a weekend away before your big day – just the two of you and relax, leave the plans at home and enjoy each other’s company.

What lessons have you learned along the way?

Gosh, I could write a book on my experiences and the lessons I have learnt throughout my time as a wedding planner! That’s why I value my experience so highly. I get countless emails each day from people wishing they were a wedding planner, regarding the profession as being uber glamorous with days spent sampling cakes and wine. In reality it is extremely hard work and much more labour intensive on the day than you would imagine. Most wedding planners will tell you the day after a successful wedding you feel like you’ve been hit by a bus – but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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Name your top 5 venues and what venue would be your dream venue to work with?

The Wallace Collection, The Savile Club, Claridge’s, Aynhoe Park and Petersham Nurseries. I don’t really have a dream venue in mind which I’d like to work with, as for me it’s more about finding my dream client. I’ve been extremely lucky over the years to have worked for so many lovely clients, whom have become friends.

What has been the biggest wedding catastrophe you successfully averted?

One of my clients bridesmaids left her dress in a taxi on the morning of the wedding. After numerous calls, I was able to track down the driver whom I arranged to meet to collect the dress. Luckily the bride was none the wiser! I also remember fixing a damaged wedding cake alongside a wonderful florist many years back now. Again, my clients had no idea and the cake looked great!

What are we to expect from you in the future?

I don’t have any grand plans to expand or evolve. My future plans are to continue to create wonderful, memorable, timeless events for my clients. After all – it’s always about them for me.

For incredible wedding inspiration and to contact Lindy, visit her website at https://www.lindydowling.co.uk/

Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium presents Karen Tran’s Floral Opulence at The Savoy London

April 22, 2019

It’s spring time in London and for the second year running, the undisputed floral queen, Karen Tran, brings her floral masterclass to another iconic London venue. The most anticipated gala event in the UK events industry calendar, it was held on a perfect spring day. These beautiful photos from Stuart Wood Photography and video from Perfect Moment Films perfectly captures the opulence and fun of the incredible event held at the iconic Savoy Hotel in London.

Jane Riddell of Planned to Perfection was approached by Sasha Cullen and Penny Clements of Savoy Weddings to plan and execute the event, and she was supported by Leanne Roberts-Hewitt of WildAbout and Elizabeth Solaru of Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium.

The Venue

The Savoy is the only luxury hotel on the River Thames, perfectly placed in the heart of London, one of the world’s most exciting cities.

At the forefront of the luxury hotel scene for almost 130 years, The Savoy has a reputation for the excellence of its unrivalled hospitality.

Overlooking Embarkment Gardens and the Thames, The River Room with its light and airy ambience, chandeliers and grandeur was ideal to showcase the amazing florals created over three days by Karen Tran and her students. The room has the distinction of having the royal seal of approval, being the room where HM Queen Elizabeth was first seen in public with Prince Phillip when they both attended a wedding there in 1946.

The Flowers

Opulence was the keyword for this masterclass. The floral palette consisted of an abundance of the most incredible statement florals in classic whites, creams and blush. Karen ably assisted by the incredible WildAbout and students who came from all over the world, transformed the River Room and painted an unforgettable floral landscape using thousands of roses, hydrangeas, tulips, peonies and phaelanopsis orchids supplied by Rosa Prima Roses and Piet Van Kampen of G Fresh.

The tablescape featured gold mirrored topped tables with Karen’s signature tall cascading arrangements on specially created gold pedestals and floral runners across the length of the tables that cascaded onto the floor. The tables were dressed with tall gold candlesticks which complimented the china, cutlery and crystal from Whitehouse Crockery. Linen from Just for Linen and menus and specially scented paper roses from Ananya Cards completed the look.

The floral tunnel and archway of beauty that framed the middle of the River Room stood at an impressive 14 feet tall and 18 feet wide and was a sight to behold. Decorated with a flower carpet made up of thousands of roses, hydrangeas and orchids, there were also similarly decorated flower walls and even the pillars were dressed with incredible flower cascades.

Luminaire events provided all the event production and support and such was their attention to detail, they even created a special gold floral motif for their gorgeous dance floor. the gold and white chairs were from Event Decor Hire.

The Cake

Elizabeth Solaru of Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium created an impressive cake in gold and white for the event. 8 tiers in total, it stood over 6 feet tall and featured two petal shaped gold base tiers. She painstakingly hand crafted the white sugar rose appliques, rose bas relief and sugar flowers in blush, cream and white that adorned the cake. The specially created pedestal featured an asymmetrical floral swag of pink roses to finish the look.

The Gala Dinner

Once the guests had been assembled, the doors of the River Rooms were opened to reveal Karen’s floral wonderland. There were audible gasps as guests took in the beauty of the room .

The guests included a mix of the best event planners, editors of bridal magazines, bloggers, and some of the best influencers in the UK. They sipped on specially created floral inspired cocktails, the finest Champagne and canapes from the very talented chefs at The Savoy.

During the cocktail hour guests were entertained by performances by Dream Performance and ballerinas from Sophie Adams Ballet Company. Karen was warmly applauded and cheered as she made her entrance into the room wearing Galia Lahav from Brown’s Bride and jewellery from Boodles. The guests were then welcomed and all the partners thanked in speeches by Jane and Karen.

The 5 course meal started with beautifully presented English oysters and black pearls of the most delicious caviar.

The next course consisted of seasonal English white asparagus with wild garlic hollandaise and Iberico Ham. A particular favourite was the creamiest saffron risotto served with edible spring flowers. The main course was a lotus flower wrapped steamed halibut with park choi, vegetables and a sesame dark soya source. Dessert was a very pretty and delicious mix of strawberries and cream, vanilla pana cotta, elderflower and buttermilk ice cream presented on a floral bed of dry ice.

During the course of the dinner, guests were completely serenaded and captivated by The Function Band who delivered world class entertainment. They had guests on their feet and up on podiums all night with many commenting on what an unforgettable night it was.

Jane of Planned for perfection who meticulously planned the event, said – “Thank you to a wonderful team of outstanding suppliers for helping us ensure that the gala was perfectly planned and to Karen and her team for the magnificent floral designs. The masterclass was a huge success and the gala exceeded all expectations. The memories will live in our hearts forever”

WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Venue:

The Savoy

https://www.fairmont.com/savoy-london

Wedding & Event Planner:

Planned for Perfection www.plannedforperfection.co.uk

Cake:

Elizabeths Cake Emporium –www.elizabethscakeemporium.com

Support Florist:

WildAbout

www.wildabout.co.uk

Party Entertainment:

The Function Band

www.thefunction.band

Stationery:

Ananya Cards

www.ananyacards.com

Photographer:

Stuart Wood

www.stuartwoodweddings.com

Videographer:

Chris Buckley

www.perfectmomentfilms.co.uk

Hair /Make up:

Gemma Sutton Hair and Make up

www.gemmasutton.com

Entertainment:

The Dream Performance

www.thedreamperformance.com

Lighting, Sound & Production:

Luminaire Events

www.luminaireevents.com

Crockery, Cutlery & Glassware:

WhiteHouse Event Crockery www.eventcrockeryhire.co.uk

Jewellery:

Boodles

www.boodles.com

Chair Hire:

Event decor hire

www.eventdecorhire.com

Linen:

Just 4 Linen

www.just4linen.co.uk

Illustrator:

Live Event Artist

www.liveeventartist.co.uk

Karen Tran’s Evening Dress:

Browns Bride

www.brownsbride.com —

Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium Is Delighted To Present Karen Tran’s Opulence At The Savoy

March 18, 2019

Karen Tran Royal Gala Dinner at the Lanesborough in London

We are delighted that for the second year running, Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium will be partnering with the iconic hotel The Savoy, Jane Riddell of Planned to Perfection and WildAbout to welcome the flower empress, world-renowned floral designer Karen Tran for her annual three-day Floral Experience Masterclass from 16-18^th April 2019.

This masterclass will then culminate in a by invitation only, VIP gala dinner on Thursday 18^th April in The Savoy’s stunning Lancaster Ballroom.

Last year, Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium was instrumental in creating what was considered to be the event of the year and we are really looking forward to creating another luxury wedding cake masterpiece to compliment the stunning florals.

Karen will share her expertise of transforming any location into a breath-taking event space with her masterclass students. She will teach them how to create the most astonishing floral designs and show-stopping displays, while sharing her knowledge of the luxury weddings and events industry. The masterclass will also feature a select number of guest speakers from the events industry.

On Thursday 18^th April, “Opulence at The Savoy” will conclude in a magnificent gala dinner, brought to you by award winning luxury Wedding Planner, Jane Riddell, from Planned for Perfection, in association with wedding cake designer, Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium, and Karen’s UK support florist, WildAbout. The Savoy and Karen Tran will host the event, where VIP guests will enjoy an evening of timeless glamour in the London landmark hotel.

“I am absolutely delighted that The Savoy is hosting this year’s London Masterclass and I cannot wait to see my floral designs in one of the most prestigious hotels in London. I very much look forward to welcoming students from around the world to the masterclass and to a magnificent gala dinner celebration” says Karen Tran.

Sasha Cullen, Wedding Sales Manager at The Savoy says: “We are really excited to be hosting the Karen Tran Floral Masterclass at The Savoy. We have such incredible creative’s in our Industry who continue to inspire us throughout our events careers and Karen is one of them. We cannot wait to see what she creates; and what better venue to host this extravagant spectacle than where Glamour first began”.

Jane Riddell, owner and creative director at Planned for Perfection, added: “I am thrilled to have been asked by Sasha and her team at The Savoy to bring the Masterclass to London again this year. Last year’s gala dinner was a huge success and this year’s floral experience is all set to be another incredible few days”

Tickets can be purchased at

www.thefloralexperience.com/course/london/

ABOUT THE SAVOY

www.thesavoylondon.com

The Savoy is the only luxury hotel on the River Thames, perfectly placed in the heart of one of the world’s most exciting cities. 267 rooms and suites are accompanied by some of the most well-known restaurants and bars in London, alongside magnificent and varied meeting space.

With exceptional service at the heart of everything, a Savoy experience is built on memories created and stories told across the generations. You don’t just stay at The Savoy, The Savoy stays with you.

OFFICIAL PARTNERS

Karen Tran – www.karentran.com

The Savoy – www.thesavoylondon.com

Planned for Perfection – www.plannedforperfection.co.uk

WildAbout – www.wildabout.co.uk

Elizabeths Cake Emporium – www.elizabethscakeemporium.com

2018 IN REVIEW : A LOOK BACK AT THE CAKES, PEOPLE AND PLACES THAT SHAPED ELIZABETH’S CAKE EMPORIUM

January 1, 2019

Happy New Year everyone! It’s days into 2019 and it’s time to reflect on the incredible year we left behind. We enjoyed some amazing highs and quite a few ‘pinch me’ moments but above all we are very grateful and deeply honoured to serve all our amazing clients who trusted us to create their luxury wedding cakes and celebration cakes.

At Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium, we pride ourselves on delivering some of the best wedding and celebration cakes for our most cherished clients to locations across the globe. Below are some of our few snapshot moments and highlights of 2018.

THE STAND OUT CAKES

Karen Tran Gala Dinner at The Lanesborough with Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium

The year got off to an incredible start when we were asked by world renowned celebrity florist Karen Tran to help plan her London masterclass and royal gala dinner for early Spring. The only venue we thought had the right grandeur and ambience for the event was The Lanesborough in Hyde Park. We also asked one of our favourite wedding planners, multi award winning Jane Riddell of Planned for Perfection to work with us and with WildAbout, one of the most celebrated florists in the UK, we put on what was arguably the industry’s event of the year. The event received incredible press and we are very grateful to all our partners who worked so hard and brought their A game to the culminating gala dinner.

Opulencia on the Beach

The next stop in our luxury wedding cake adventure was a private beach in Ibiza, The Amante Beach Club. The bride absolutely loves opulence and wanted a really huge cake for her wedding on the beach. We got to work with the utterly amazing and very helpful Paula Rooney Flowers which is always a bonus. Although we were warned that the venue was up a cliff, the sight of the cake being carried up such a steep face is one I will never forget!

Chanel Inspiration at The Lanesborough

In between the record number of luxury wedding cakes we made this summer, we made some rather awesome luxury celebration cakes too. We were lucky to make this Chanel themed luxury dessert table for the most beautiful 16 year old who wanted an intimate sophisticated lunch with her friends. For this lush cakescape we created a number of cakes including two macaron towers, black and white cakes with the Chanel logo, cupcakes, cookies, cakesicles and the cutest chocolate perfume bottles. We got to work with our dear friends from WildAbout and Plume Design UK to create a beautiful setting in the wood panelled room St George’s room at The Lanesborough.

Jewelencia at The Lanesborough

We were back again at The Lanesborough Hyde Park for the most special of events. Event Imagineer, Tony Marklew, designed the most impressive floral wonderland we have ever seen and at Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium and we have certainly seen quite a few floral designs in our time! The cake was designed to reflect our client’s love for the colour green, gold and everything regal. This 7 tiered green marble cake had sugar jewels including a hummingbird and sugar flowers, and a monogram of her initial. She was absolutely delighted with her cake and could not get over how incredible it looked and tasted.

bold-and-beautiful

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS AND JUDGING DUTIES

GT Bank Food and Drink

It was an absolute honour to be the first luxury wedding cake maker to be invited to demonstrate at the largest food fair in Africa alongside food gurus such Lorraine Pascale and Ed Kimber. The hospitality was incredible and the thirst for knowledge inspiring. The bank’s holistic approach to empowering local communities is one to emulate.

Bridelux Symposium

The first ever Bridelux symposium was held in London and was a resounding success for the founder James Lord and his team. It was an honour to be part of a line up that included Johhny Roxburgh, Colin Cowie, Ceci Johnson, Banana Split and many others. Our panel included celebrity florist Rob Van Helden who did the most divine flowers autumnal flowers for Princess Eugenie’s royal wedding.

Expert spot on The BBC’s Best Christmas Food Ever

A pinch me moment was filming my segment for the first season of the BBC’s Best Christmas Food Ever presented by Paul Ainsworth and Catherine Fulvio. I was asked to create the best luxury Christmas cake table I could think of in classic Christmas colours. It was lots of fun and the crew were absolutely amazing. If anyone is interested, the programme is available on BBC iplayer and You Tube. Search for Season 1 Episode 4 and somewhere in the middle of the programme is my segment.

Italian Wedding Awards

We were again invited back as a judge at the annual Italian Wedding Awards. Anyone who knows us knows of our love for Italy and this time, the awards were held in Venice! Although we had seen photos and paintings of the canals of Venice but didn’t realise that water is literarily everywhere and we mean everywhere. Taking our first ever water taxi from the airport was indescribable. After a while, we all got used to traveling within the city that way.

We stayed at the Hotel Danieli, the first ever luxury hotel in the city and we can confirm that it really does have the best roof top views and food. Huge congratulations to the organisers and award winners. We look forward to seeing you all again later this year.

COLLABORATIONS AND PRESS

Styled shoots

2018 was an incredible year for collaborations at Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium. We absolutely love a great styled shoot. Give us an idea or a concept and watch us run with it. The year before we stopped giving our ideas away. Last year we really stepped up and explored some very cool concepts. This resulted in a number of shoots and one that went completely viral.

Bruce Oldfield Promotional Shoot

We were absolutely over the moon when we were asked to style a promotional shoot for world renowned Bruce Oldfield by The Lanesborough to celebrate their joint new bridal offering. The very talented WildAbout provided the amazing florals and San of Sanshine Photography worked her magic behind the lens.

Frida Kahlo Shoot

Billed as the best set of images on Instagram, this shoot was based on Frida Kahlo’s most famous painting, Las Dos Fridas – The Two Fridas. The shoot was about celebrating the duality of a feminine feminist icon and it coincided with the first showing of her personal effects outside of Mexico at the Victoria and Albert museum.

The incredible dresses which provided the inspiration for the shoot were designed by the very talented Joanne Fleming who is one of the most talented individuals I know. Leanne of WildAbout and her team designed the most beautiful floral canopy which left everyone in awe. Special thanks goes to the wonderful Roberta Facchini Photography who captured all the beauty. It was a joy to direct this shoot and work with a great team of immensely talented suppliers.

The shoot was featured in so many blogs and magazines including Vogue, Rock My Wedding, Strictly Weddings and 100 Layer Cake and also in the annual 2019 International Trend Report. We are so glad that we held on to the vision, concept and story line, overcoming many obstacles to make sure we executed it to perfection.

Cake International

We were asked by renowned chocolate and cake guru Daniel Dieguz to collaborate with him on an epic installation at the Cake International show in Birmingham. We created a fantasy head and bust cake, Madmoiselle Opulencia, the mistress of all things patisserie. It was quite a challenging piece and a bit of a departure from our usual luxury wedding cakes but we did make sure she was all pastries and glamour.

In all, our cakes received and enjoyed an unprecedented level of press madmoiselle-opulencia being published and shared by international and national print and online press including Vogue Japan (twice) Wedluxe, Strictly Weddings, Rock My Wedding, Love My Dress, Condenast Brides, You and Your Wedding, Wedding Ideas, Karas Party Ideas, 100 Layer Cake etc

AWARDS

For those in the know, Cake Masters awards are the Oscars of the cake industry and very highly coveted. 2018 saw around 200,000 nominations! For the first time in the UK, Cake Masters recognised the top ten cake designers in the UK and we made the list. Now considering that there are literarily thousands of very talented cake makers out there, to be acknowledged means a great deal. Thank you Cake Masters!

TRAVEL

Our adventures took us to a number of continents, countries and over 30 cities including Paris, Bahamas, Ibiza, Venice, Lisbon, Madrid, Berlin, Amsterdam, Africa and the Middle East.

We don’t know what 2019 holds but early indications suggest another exciting, prosperous and wonderful year ahead in our world of luxury wedding and celebration cakes. Best of blessings to all and watch this space!

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