July 4th Wedding Inspiration & a Happy Birthday Present to You!

Make A Declaration
You know, I always thought that getting married on the 4th of July was sort of weird. People are dang crazy on this day - gathering, eating, drinking, merriment. Wait a minute? Isn't that what a wedding is all about? Plus, being a national holiday, you get time off, friends and family can get together with a little lee way on either side...what better way to usher in beginning of summer BBQ’s and picnics, fireworks and the beach...ok fine, you convinced me.

Let's celebrate independence from your parents and the rest of the world by getting married!

Photo via Ruffled Blog

GOOD STUFF ALERT! A little gift in honor of independence and birthdays - how about 20% off the entire Wedding Paper Divas site now through July 5th? Not a lot of time but you get a lot of savings. Enter JULYWED at check out and you are in like Flynn. If you are in need of Save the Dates or Wedding Invitations, do it NOW! Seriously, how cute is this?

Via Wedding Paper Divas

Since I'm trying to dispense with the cheese factor, here are some tasteful July 4th inspired boards and photos for your viewing pleasure. Confession: As much as I'm not a fan of the ol' Red, White and Blue  wedding palette, the colors for my second wedding (I married the same man twice...joy) were turquoise and red, just a hair shy of the same color family as these patriotic goodies. Happy 4th ya'll!

Photo via Poetry Booth

Inspiration Board via Simply Stunning Nashville

I am super smitten with these sparkler wedding favors! And the matches - a perfect combo to tie up the theme! Remember wedding branding is about carrying your theme from the first Save the Date sighting to the last smoldering sparkler!

Photo via Tried and True Weddings

Inspiration Board via Wonderful Day Weddings

Photo via Ruffled Blog

Inspiration board via Wedding Bee

I am so dying for these DIY Cake Pops right now. What a super cute and delicious idea! And hey look, we've got your Cake Pop Recipe right here...man, ask and you shall receive.

Photo via Laced in Weddings

Have you ever thought of getting married on July 4th? Would you decorate Patriotic, Just Red, White and Blue, or something a little more subtle? We'd love to know your plan!

Hope you have a happy and safe 4th of July! And please take a moment to join our Facebook Fanpage and follow us on Twitter! Thanks a bunch, friends.

{Bridal Confessions} I Chose a Vegan Wedding Cake

Hey Ya'll! I'm Princess Askew, the newest blogger here at deLA. Livin' life a little off kilter, hence the Askew and I have a bridal confession. I like cake but I'm having a LOVE affair with Red Velvet!  

I adore the flavor, texture, and color; I can't get enough.  It just looks and smells decadently rich, like good dark moist potting soil. Not that it smells like dirt but it is a grounded and savory flavor and when you inhale deeply, it fills up every possible nook and cranny, lingering for a sweet reward later on. But I am getting a little ahead of myself.

Photo via Tang Cakes

There are so many choices when it comes to wedding cakes, flavor, colors, decorations. We have seen the amazing creations by high end cake companies, the over the top designs, the layer upon layer of expensive confectionary. Lovely, fabulous, delicious in their own right. I'd eat them all! 

Photo via Fancy Wedding Cakes

So given my STRONG feelings Red Velvet, drool, it may be kindof CRAZY that I decided to try a vegan wedding cake.  WHAT no EGGS, no MILK, NO BUTTER? Are you nuts? You will serve your guests flavored cardboard! I know, all that crossed my mind. A non-vegan hears the word vegan and thinks: BORING and TOFU. I am NOT about boring and I don't do Tofu.

I chose to go vegan because of my excellent friend, co-worker and vegan baker extraordinaire Jack, who doesn't DO boring either. I've tasted heaven sent delicacies but I must admit, I still had some misgivings. His cake may LOOK good but how would it taste?  I mean the man makes a chocolate ganache like you have never had in your life, we are talking GET YOU HIGH ganache. If the wedding cake was anything like his other creations, we'd be just fine!

Photo via Simply Recipes (Not Jack's Ganache but it looks like it)

Flash forward: Our wedding day, it's hot outside the air is under the tent, and there sits our vegan wedding cake in all her shining glory.  Will she withstand the heat, will her vegan-ness come though, i.e cardboard, will the scrolls Jack so lovingly placed on the sort of crusted over frosting, stay put long enough to photograph? My trusty baker friend had worked days to devise, create, construct a cake mounting plan; spent hours slaving in the hot kitchen and many more hours just for the frosting.  It sure looked good but looks can be deceiving. 

Photo by DP Photography

DJ announces, "And now time to cut the cake." The moment of truth; after months of waiting, and talking and testing - Jack actually made a complete second cake in the event something happened to the real one - collaborating, creating....oh my god, it was here and I was there with my new husband and then...we sliced effortlessly through that creamy off white frosting, which matched my dress by the way, and released that savory, decadent, rich soil smell I had been waiting for, wafting in the air around me.  

Photo by DP Photography

I closed my eyes and savored my Red Velvet bliss....
no vegan cardboard, no tofu, nothing boring in the least.

I don't remember much about my wedding reception, the day flew by so fast. But I do remember it stopped long enough for me to enjoy a little slice of heaven.  It may have been the love Jack added - this was his present to us - that made it taste so sweet but let me tell you, if I ever get married again, I am going vegan all the way cause it is possible to have a great cake and be ethical in our food choices. 

Photo by DP Photography

Ingredients:

Cake: Flour, water, soy milk, beets, undutched cocoa powder, sugar, white vinegar, baking soda, red food coloring, vanilla, chocolate extract.  

Icing: powdered sugar, shortening, soy margarine, vanilla, coconut extract, soy milk, corn syrup.

LOVE.

It was almost, ok not really, fat free AND red velvet. My two favorite things. So here's to making your wedding AND your cake your own way. Remember, there is no right or wrong, no handbook, no do or don't list...don't let them tell you that you can't have a vegan wedding cake. They are delish!

What is your Bridal Confession? We'd love to know all the juicy details! We'd love if you would become a FACEBOOK fan and a follower on TWITTER...great conversations happening.

Have a delicious day,

Princess

P.S. I talked to Jack who wrote up his own version of the Red Velvet 2010 incident.  He also said he used over 22 pounds of sugar for both cakes. Thanks Jack!