Inspiration Shoot on JuneBug Weddings!

When Jamie, Jessica and Claire of Simply Chic Events and Anne and Bill Holland of Holland Photo Arts came over to tell me about their magically inspired photo shoot at Clifton Inn, I knew it would be a blast and of course, beautiful! Over chai and cake, they filled me in on the inspiration...the modern chevron print, with pops of color in corals and pinks...the gorgeous backdrop of Clifton Inn, real life lovelies, Eric and Lora Kelley (with their own successful business' of their own), florals from Pat and Sherry of Pat's Floral Designs, and of course, the beautiful papers from Rock, Paper, Scissors. I was so thrilled to be a part of this shoot. What fun it was to create 3 small cakes incorporating the chevron design and including the fabulous colors. Thank you for thinking of me to be included...it is an honor. The fabulous pics speak for themselves...for more, check out Anne and Bill's blog...http://hollandphotoartsblog.com/2011/09/29/inspired-shoot-a-garden-reception/



Venue: Clifton Inn

Event Design: Simply Chic Events

Floral Design: Pat’s Floral Designs

Make-Up: Lora Elaine Kelley

Hair: Jennifer with Elan

Stationary: Rock Paper Scissors

Wedding Cake: Maliha Creations

Signage and Calligraphy: Nichole Creative

Wedding Dress: Romona Keveza

Groom’s Apparel: J. Crew

The Best Thank You!

For a wedding vendor, there is nothing better than receiving a note from a bride or groom detailing their joy with your work. When I opened my email and received the following from a previous bride, I was of course, thrilled that they enjoyed my creations so immensely, but I was also reminded of why I love my job so much. The opportunity to be involved in some of the happiest moments of my clients lives, from new babies, to weddings and everything in between, is a never-ending thrill. Thank YOU, Marjorie, for choosing me to create your wedding cakes!

"Dear Anita,

Ryan, our families and I cannot thank you and your husband enough for our two divine, delicious and highly detailed cakes on May 28th, 2011!! The fern cake was elegant, delicate and perfectly fit into our wedding theme. The UVa football stadium was ABOVE and BEYOND what we ever imagined! The lights? The UVa good old song? The field, the fans and the colonnade? The deep, delicious red velvet? Seriously, it was one of the many highlights of the wedding and many, many people refereneced how fabulous it was. I know that Patricia Lyons will have many photos of it, so we will make sure to connect you.

As well, on Sunday May 29th, it was so lovely to run into your husband and your daughter to get to discuss the amazing depth of engineering that went on to get this cake to perfection. It was really a family effort and we utterly appreciate your time, energy and creativity!

More photos to come!"

Cobalt blue...

Kally and Ben were married at the gorgeous Veritas Vineyard this past summer. Kally's inspiration was beautiful cobalt blue glass. There were hints of cobalt blue throughout their wedding...from the bridesmaid dresses, to the flowers, to backdrop lighting on the sheers surrounding the ball room. We created this cake for Kally and Ben by forming dozens and dozens of hydrangea blooms. After the blooms had dried, we airbrushed them with a cobalt blue edible food coloring. Once dried again, they were artfully placed on the cake. Their yummy cake was Vanilla Butter cake with Raspberry Buttercream and Chocolate Ganache...a classically delicious combination! A special thanks to Meg Runion Studios for beautiful images.

Scott Stadium...in Cake!

When I met Marjorie, her mom, and her fiance, Ryan last year we had a great time tasting different cake options and mixing and matching until we came up with the perfect wedding cake for Marjorie and Ryan. She had decided on a cake decorated in a fern motif...easy, peasy, I knew I could handle that!

Then she mentioned that she wanted a cake in the shape of Scott Stadium..."uhhh, no problem," I answered. And with that we were off. As her wedding date neared this cake was on my mind, morning, noon and night! I had to get blueprints from the University (it had to be 100% to scale and accurate), licenses for the logos (we wanted to keep everything Kosher) and I must have driven by Scott Stadium dozens of times (to get a feel for the real thing!). We spent hours online looking for lights (oh yes, this stadium had real working lights blazing over the field) and a way to play the University of Virginia fight song (it played back with the push of a button).

This cake had to be one of the largest undertakings I have had to date. Over 18 sheet cakes and 12 batches of buttercream...this cake fed over 300 people! The sheer size was just to provide all of the detail that we wanted to incorporate.

Some of the biggest challenges I knew I was going to face were the pergola at the entrance, as well as the fact that Scott Stadium is at street level on the student side and below ground on the opposite side.

So without further adieu, here are pics of the Scott Stadium. I will be blogging about some of my trials and tribulations and some pics of the process soon, but here is the finished product so expertly photographed by Patricia Lyons Photography Thank you Patricia, for capturing the Scott Stadium so perfectly. When I heard you were photographing it, my worries were washed away!

Adventurous Cake for an Adventurous Couple!

When Natalie and her mom came in for a tasting, I knew we were in for a fun time. Natalie and Michael are both adventurous spirits...they love the outdoors...whether skiing, surfing or something in between, they are happiest outside. Natalie saw a cake in my tasting room and fell in love with the design...an all white number with differing height tiers and lots of texture. We decided to incorporate a wave pattern on one of the middle tiers to bring in her love of the ocean. It was very subtle and it went perfectly with the cake. Natalie chose wonderful flavors for her wedding cake...Sour Cream Almond Cake with fresh pitted cherries and Vanilla Buttercream and Vanilla Butter Cake with Vanilla and Lavendar Buttercreams!

Here are a few pictures of their cakes. Beautiful pics courtesy of Jody Miller Photography.





A few weeks before Natalie and Michael's wedding, I received a call from Judy (Natalie's mom)...turns out Natalie's birthday is on her wedding day! She wanted to surprise Natalie with a custom surfboard and a birthday cake. We decided on a ski mountain with 2 kittens surfing down. The cake was a Vanilla Butter Cake with Coconut and Lime Buttercreams! Their lovely wedding took place at Montpelier, home of James Madison.

Bloomin' Magnolias

I have been so behind on my blogging this summer! I have lots of fabulous wedding cakes to share...bear with me! I met with Katie and her mom early this year for a tasting and consult and I adored them both immediately! Katie is such a delight to be around...warm, sweet and she has the loveliest smile, which she flashes often! Katie decided on a clean style for her cake and wanted to include large magnolia blooms. The week of her wedding, while driving around Charlottesville, I noticed the magnolias on the trees outside were in FULL bloom...it was so perfect! Katie, thank you for choosing Maliha Creations to design your wedding cake. It was such a joy to work with you and your family and I wish you and Steve a lifetime of wedded bliss!

For more details of this gorgeous wedding check out Aaron's blog!

Here are some images of their special day captured by Aaron Watson Photography. I have gotten a chance to do several weddings with Aaron this summer and I am always thrilled with his images. Thank you, Aaron!


Gorgeous full blooms to match the beautiful day!


Aren't they adorable!

Katie's shoes were the same bright red as Steve's tie...perfection!

Prince Michel Vineyard Wedding

After a few bumps in the road, Rachel, Jeff and I finally had a chance to enjoy a chat over some cake and coffee. Their vision for an elegant, lovely, and most of all, fun, wedding was achieved at Prince Michel Winery a few weeks ago. They chose a cake with gumpaste grapes, as well as a gumpaste plaque with their names on it. I enjoyed working with both of them so much. Their easygoing and fun-loving personalities were evident in throughout their wedding...from custom m&ms to Qdoba for catering!!! Aaron Watson Photography photographed their wedding and sent me this FABULOUS picture of their cake. Love the way the sun is bursting behind the cake...what a great shot, Aaron! Check out his blog for more!