Life - Maxblog

WEDDING CAKES

Cakes by Lottie McPhees, specialise in bespoke wedding cakes and celebration cakes. Owned and run by Lorraine Wiley-Kaunispaik, Lorraine has been in the wedding cake business for more than 15 years. Starting out from her dainty coffee shop in Gosforth where the name ‘Lottie McPhees’ was created.

The Name

The name came about when her husband Paul had a play around with some names within the family and so ‘Lottie’ came from her youngest daughter Charlotte, the ‘Mc’ came from her mums maiden name McLaughlin and then ‘Phee’ came from her eldest Pheobe…as so Lottie McPhees was created.

Location

Based in Cramlington, Northumberland Lorraine specialises in luxury bespoke wedding cakes designed to suit her clients themes and colour. All Lorraines consultations work around her clients busy schedules and her cake samples are sent through the post once a month.

The Cakes

Every cake is handmade within Lorraine’s little garden bakery. Specialising in luxury bespoke naked, semi-naked, buttercream and fondant wedding cakes all her cakes are homemade sponge cakes. Each creation is also delivered to your venue and set up so you have no concerns about transporting your masterpiece! Here Lorraine talks about her designs.

‘For me, this seasons most popular designs have been buttercream, semi naked with amazing fresh flowers. It is my favourite combination for wedding cakes! I love working with couples to add own unique touches such as cake toppers, colour combinations or the addition of macaroons or a dessert bar. But the most important part remains the flavours that my clients want to serve their guests. Above all my clients want their wedding cake to taste amazing.

My most popular wedding cake flavours are Raspberry & White Chocolate, Strawberry & Prosecco and Toffee Caramel and Classic Victoria Sponge. If you can be more daring I can also recommend Pistachio & Rose Water, Pink Gin & Lemonade or Espresso & Baileys!

One venue on the doorstep of Cake by Lottie McPhees is Horton Grange Country House. This beauty was created for Sarah and Michael who had their wedding day at Horton Grange in May 2022. It featured classic buttercream Victoria Sponge with fresh flowers.

MUSIC FOR YOUR WEDDING

Choosing music for your wedding is so important. It helps set the mood of your day and can make or break your evening party. Here are 5 tips to guide you through the process from music expert Nicola Holliday from Live Music North Ltd.

ONE

Get your venue booked before the band! If you are a muso it’s likely you already have a good idea of what music or entertainment you want at your wedding. You may already have had your fave act picked out for months! (If you have no idea or you are somewhere in between that’s ok too !) It’s crucial you have your venue booked first as there are some really key points a band needs to know. Space and power availability, inside or outside, any sound / volume limitations. You may have your heart set on a 7 piece funk soul band but if you book a hotel in a residential area with an 80db sound limiter it simply isn’t going to work and end in disappointment and faff!

TWO

Visualise, imagine the flow of your day. How do you want the day to feel? How do you want your guests to feel at different points in the day? We’ve all been at weddings that seem to drag on for all eternity with lots of awkward milling about, not knowing what’s going on or what to do. This will tell you where you might need some entertainment for your guests. If you are unsure what to have, get yourself to a few wedding fairs and see what’s out there. Chat to suppliers about options and then contact the ones that tickle your fancy for a chat about the possibilities. A great supplier is one that guides you through multiple options and how they could collaborate with others too.

THREE

Meet the act. This goes hand in hand with my next point too. As a business owner I LOVE having a good old chinwag with my clients. Getting to know them, what they envisage for their day – regardless of the stage they’re at in planning and booking. This could be in person or over zoom and gives you a chance to get a vibe for each other. Are you on the same wave length? Do you trust this person with entertaining your guests to the highest possible standards? Are they warm, friendly and professional from the word go? Trust your gut on this one, it will pay off.

FOUR

See and hear your act perform live! This sounds obvious but you’d be amazed how many don’t. Now they may not have a public gig as such you can go to, but ask if they have live videos or are showcasing at any exhibitions or wedding fairs. How did you feel when you watched them? Where is this music going to occur in your day? Was it fun? Did they work the crowd? Did they create the perfect ambience or did they nail that perfect ‘entrance’ song? Do they live up to the spiel on their socials and website? The proof is in the pudding….. or the performance in this case!

FIVE

Paperwork! The boring but really blooming important bit!

Make sure you have a contract, not just emails, a formal contract detailing the exact level of service you have discussed and make sure you have read it inside out! Ask questions and be 100% comfortable you can fulfil the terms of that contract as a client too. Most suppliers are happy to work directly with venues to take the stress off the couple but it’s your responsibility as a client to make sure that it’s possible to fulfil before signing. An experienced band will provide all the necessary info as part of the contract or rider. Believe me…turning up to a venue as a 6 piece band and realising you only have a 3×3 meter space to set up and play in makes for a very tight squeeze! The very expensive band you have booked and paid for just won’t be able to play to the best of their ability.

A few last words….

Get in there and book! Don’t faff about! If you have your venue and you’ve found a great supplier that feels right and you’d love to work with, get that deposit paid and lock ‘em in!

Traditionally you could book a band at around the 9 month mark but as most suppliers will tell you we are booking dates now that are 2 to 3 years ahead.

FALL RUSTIC MOUNTAIN WEDDING WITH BREATHTAKING VIEWS

Nora and Bret are a nature- and mountain-loving couple, so they planned their wedding day around the most spectacular view of the Presidential Mountain Range. The Inn at Pinnacle Mountain played host for the gorgeous couple’s rustic mountain wedding, and we can’t get over the jaw-dropping scenery and ambiance surrounding the venue. If the great outdoors speak to you more than an elegant ballroom, we know you will be inspired by all the lovely details and decor.

Nora & Bret’s Rustic Mountain Wedding

LOCATION: West Paris, Maine

VENUE: The Inn at Pinnacle Mountain

DETAILS:The cozy feel, flora and fauna in the surroundings (and those bouquets!) are thoughtfully placed throughout their day to create the elegantly rustic mountain feel they were going for. Nothing can beat the gorgeous views, fresh air, and lush greenery that surrounded their day. Plus, with their wedding in the fall … it made for an even more stunning and colorful day!Their celebration was full of beautiful personal touches (including a super-pretty MagnetStreet invite!), and Emily MacCabe Photography captured every moment marvelously.

CHOOSING THE DRESS

“The wedding dress I wore was nothing like the dress I originally envisioned. Fortunately, I had excellent help at the Blush bridal salon and they picked out a style I didn’t know I loved. I couldn’t be happier with my wedding dress!”

SOMETHING BORROWED, BLUE, OLD, AND NEW

“I had a lot of fun picking out these little details. My something old was a 100+ year old ring from my Great Grandmother, who was present on our big day. She gifted me the dainty pearl embellished ring, which I will cherish forever. My something new was my wedding dress and veil! My something borrowed was a bracelet from my mom, and my something blue were my baby blue block heel shoes (which were perfect for an outdoor ceremony and reception because the heels didn’t sink into the grass!).”

THE FIRST LOOK

“We knew right away that we wanted to do a “first look”, and are so happy that we did. It took a lot of pressure off the ceremony itself and allowed us to fully concentrate on one another during the first look, and then take in all the other emotions that came with the ceremony.”

ON THEIR WEDDING THEME

“We love the outdoors, so our theme was nature and all the fall colors that come with an October wedding in Maine!”

YAY, CAKE!

“We opted for a small cake to cut and lots of cupcakes, because they’re easier for people to grab and eat. We are lucky enough to have a friend who is a very talented baker and took the time to really personalize it all for us. The apple spice cupcakes were made from apples that came from apple trees on the bride and groom’s property!”

ADVICE TO OTHER COUPLES

“Try not to get too caught up in all the little details or you’ll stress yourself out. Remember to have FUN with the planning. One thing Bret and I did which I would suggest to any bride and groom is this: When first starting to plan, think about the top three things you want from the day (it could be very specific such as wanting a ginormous bouquet of red roses and an open bar, or it could be more broad such as wanting an indoor ceremony and reception so you don’t have to worry about weather). Write it down so that throughout planning you can go back to that list and remind yourself of what is most important. I would also recommend the bride and groom writing their top choices separately, to make sure the day encompasses what is most important to BOTH.”

BEAUTIFUL BOTANICAL GARDEN ENGAGEMENT SHOOT IN ST. LOUIS

Spring is right around the corner. We can smell it (even under the 3 feet of snow here in the Midwest)! Myra and Kevin’s botanical garden engagement shoot is just the ticket to get us in the spring state of mind. The gorgeous couple met online, got engaged last summer … and now we are elated to share their fantastic engagement session captured by photographer, Carli Hannah. She perfectly captured the love between this fun-loving couple, and it’s guaranteed to bring you joy.

The Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis provided the backdrop for this sweet couple’s session. The many lush gardens, ornate fountain, and indoor conservatory on the grounds is simply breathtaking. From Myra and Kevin’s classic formal to fun football-themed photos, this is one botanical garden engagement shoot you have got to see. Their story and save the date magnet from MagnetStreet is also just as sweet!

Beautiful Botanical Garden Engagement Shoot in St. Louis

Myra & Kevin’s save the date from MagnetStreet

“I found out about MagnetStreet from an engagement group I’m a part of on Facebook. There were several sites I checked out, but when I saw MagnetStreet’s site … I knew I was going to get my magnets from them.”

How they met

“I was scrolling on Facebook one day when I saw Kevin’s Facebook profile under my ‘people you may know.’ And he immediately caught my eye. I was too afraid to actually friend him or speak, so I clicked the “poke” button feature on Facebook to get his attention. It worked because he poked me back and then sent me a friend request and send me a message. I was the happiest person ever. We immediately hit it off and I couldn’t have been happier. (Thanks Mark Zuckerberg!)”

Favorite photos of the day

“I loved all the photos by the water fountain. Such a beautiful backdrop!”

The proposal (with that stunning ring!)

“It all started at his parents house, I came to town to spend the holiday with and according to him it was just supposed to be a 4th of July cookout with family. When I got to their house, it was more family than I thought would be there, but everything seemed pretty normal until his mother called me upstairs to look at photo albums. She kept showing me the same photos over and over and over … little did I know she was just trying to stall. The next thing I know, his sister comes running upstairs to get us because she wanted to show us something. But when I got downstairs, the room that was crowded with people was now completely empty. I was so confused but followed his mother and sister outside. The first thing I saw was bubbles blowing and the song I told him I wanted to walk down the aisle to if I ever got married, ‘This is Why I Love You’ written by Major playing. I looked up and saw all of our family standing there and Kevin, the love of my life, on his knee under an arch that was beautifully decorated. I immediately began to cry as I walked to up and tried to contain myself as I stood and listened to his sweet words. I SAID YESSSS to spending the rest of my life with my best friend!”

Why the botanical garden engagement shoot?

“We chose that place because it’s absolutely beautiful. The highlights were just dressing up and having fun posing with Kevin. It was his first photo shoot so he was very nervous … but he did amazing!”

The wedding details

“Our theme is #HappilyEverAdams (After)/enchantment/fairytale. Everything is fairytale … from the cakes to our white horse and carriage for our send off. Our colors are blush pink, rose gold, champagne, ivory, with a little sage for the greenery.”

MODERN & CLASSIC NAPKIN FOLDING FOR WEDDINGS

Wedding receptions are all about decking out the tables and adding dashes of personality to your space. Napkins, of all things, provide an easy way fun to dress up your wedding reception tablescape with creative napkin styling that will have guests talking … and that adds that extra-special touch to the day’s decor. Be inspired by these simple napkin folding ideas that you can easily do yourself (or encourage your wedding venue to do).

Pretty Napkin Folding for Weddings

It doesn’t have to be complicated, nor do you need to attend an origami class to to learn how to fold napkins! Take your venue to the next level with our little intro to napkin folding for weddings from real receptions and tablescapes.

Draped NapkinsLikely the most common and trendy, yet elegant way to “fold” your napkins. Draped napkins that are tri-folded add a pop of color at every angle. (Photo credits: Ashleigh Laureen Photography | Renee Nicole Photography)

Simple TrianglesYou can’t go wrong with easy elegance! Simply fold a square napkin into diagonals until you have a chic layered triangle. (Photo credit: Sarah Beach Photography)

Tableware Pocket NapkinsTuck some or all of the tableware into these neat, perfect little pockets. What a chic way to stow the utensils! (Photo credit: Marlayna Photography)

Tent-style Napkin FoldThis is another popular napkin fold we’re seeing in so many weddings lately! It’s romantic, adds dimension, and serves as a great way o tuck your wedding favors under. (Photo credits: Jennifer B. Photography | Molly Jo Collection)

Elegantly Rolled Napkins to Prettify PlatesYou can kind of go off the cuff with these rolled napkins that have a layered look! Think of a “messy bun” hairstyle and translate that to napkins. Roll them until they satisfy your style. (Photo credits: Lacy Matusek Photography | Jenna Hidigner Photography)

Classic Fan Napkin FoldThis wedding napkin has been around a long time, and it is still exquisite as ever! Simple to do, as you just fold it as you would a paper fan. (Photo credit: Fornear Photo)

Basic Napkin Fold Between PlatesSuper simple, and a great way options for formal dinners that have a lot of dishes as part of each place setting. Fold in half or a trifold and place vertically or horizontally underneath a salad or appetizer plate. (Photo credit: Mr. & Mrs. Photography)

Basic Folded Napkins on PlatesThis is super simple, but definitely spruces up your tablecape. Simply fold your napkins in half or in a trifold, and place your menu cards across the top. (Photo credit: Leigh Wolfe Photography)