Cake tastings are surely one of the most exciting parts of wedding planning, right? But, with the plethora of cake flavors out there it can get a little overwhelming. How is anyone supposed to choose between red velvet and lemon poppy seed! Sometimes sticking to the classics works the best, especially if you’re a chocolate lover. If you’re going for a chocolate wedding cake, don’t hide it underneath layers of fondant. We’ve picked out 10 cake ideas for you to tempt your guests with.

1. Naked Cake 

Chocolate cakes are one of the best sponge flavors to display in a naked cake. This wedding trend is getting increasingly popular, as the cakes look delicious, but they’re also a great DIY option.

2. Contrasting Sugar Flowers

We love the look of real flowers but you can’t deny the artistry of sugar flowers. They are such a great decoration, and bright blooms provide a lovely contrast to a dark chocolate cake.

3. The Sauce

A delectable looking cake can be achieved simply with neat buttercream and a chocolate drizzle on each tier.

4. Tiers of Brownies

We owe whoever thought of this delight some serious gratitude. Everyone loves a brownie, so why not stack them up with some cascading flowers? There you have it, a DIY wedding cake that will be a firm favorite with your guests.

5. All Buttercream 

A single-layer cake has to be extra yummy to live up to its tiered counterparts. With the lashings of chocolate buttercream on this beauty, there will be no worries!

6. Pink and Brown 

It’s not all about the dark chocolate. Milk chocolate fans should rejoice with this stunning cake, decorated with pink roses. It’s such a simple design but the pink and brown color combination really works. Plus, your guests will thank you for the tasty milk chocolate buttercream.

7. Dessert Cake

For a small gathering, your wedding cake can also be your dessert. To turn it into something even more delicious, add profiteroles, chocolate sauce and shavings for a luxurious and simple dessert.

8. Dark and Bold

Fondant gives a polished finish to cakes so you can still give the impression of a chocolate cake with black fondant. It will look amazing when paired with a dark chocolate cake inside.

9. Caramel Topping 

A salted caramel drizzle will add a depth of flavor to a chocolate cake, not to mention how decadent it looks. If you’re having copper decorations in your wedding, it will also work well with the theme.

10. Cut It and See

If you still prefer the look of non-chocolate frosting, still keep the impact by going for a seriously rich chocolate cake. A dark cocoa powder will provide the deep color and a swiss meringue buttercream will give the white contrast. A lovely flavor and color combination when you cut into the cake.

Peonies make gorgeous wedding flowers. Bouquets, centerpieces and table settings can all be enhanced by incorporating peonies. Blooming in spring, these stunning flowers are the perfect addition to a spring or summer wedding. We’ve rounded up 10 of our favorite ways to use peonies in your wedding. 

1. Bold Bouquet 

These breathtaking pink blooms look great when combined with leaves and ivory flowers. A small but stunning bouquet that will work well with so many wedding styles.

2. Sugar Peony

Give your cake the floral treatment by opting for some sugar work. These cake toppers are such a lovely way to decorate your cake if you don’t want to use fresh flowers.

3. Bohemian Bouquet

This bouquet is the epitome of ‘pretty in pink’ and when paired with greenery it makes for a truly bohemian-inspired look.

4. Pink Table Setting 

Place a few flower stems on top of napkins to add to your decor. They’re a nice addition to floral centerpieces or runners.

5. Purple Blooms

With the beautiful ombre effect that these flowers have, you don’t even need to include any other blooms in your bouquet.

6. Chair Decor

Give your ceremony chairs a makeover with some pale pink peonies. Adding them to the chairs at the end of the rows will also frame the aisle.

7. Peonies and Wildflowers

The mix of wildflowers with the peonies adds some unexpected color to the bouquet, but still has a cohesive look.

8. Oversized Cake Topper 

For a single-layer cake, you can get really creative with your decorations. This oversized peony is a stunning way to add some color to a white wedding cake.

9. Single Blooms

If you want to keep things simple but still elegant, then go for single blooms. Simple and striking!

10. All White Bouquet

The texture of the peonies has a dramatic look when you go for an all white bouquet. You can also have your bridesmaids carry a white bouquet if you are going for a bolder color palette.

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Perler beads aka fused beads or Hama Beads aren’t just for kids. These awesome DIY geometric coasters are made from Perler beads – and they are a perfect way to had some whimsy to your wedding decor. Place a coaster at each table setting, or place coasters in groups of four and give them as wedding favors.

DIY Perler bead coasters are a bit time-consuming, but the process is incredibly meditative. In fact, this project might just be the perfect antidote to your wedding planning stress! Why not get together with your bridesmaids and have a Perler Party, complete with some fun, adult beverages.

How to make Perler Bead Coasters

You will need:

• Assortment of Perler Beads (if you can, buy them pre-sorted by color to make the process of creating your coasters much quicker.)
• Iron
• Ironing Paper
• Perler Beads Square Pegboard
• Tweezers
• Perler Bead pattern (Feel free to use any of these patterns, or make up your own. There is also heaps of inspiration online.)

Place your beads onto your pegboard in desired pattern. These coasters are 19 beads wide x 20 beads tall.

This is how it will look when it is ready to iron. Be very careful lifting it or your beads will pop off!

Another design:

And another:

And last but not least:

Place ironing paper directly over your pattern and iron the beads so that they fuse together. This is how they look when they are finished:

We love how they resemble the handmade look of cross-stitch. A pretty cute favor, don’t you think?

Wanting to make their wedding day unique, Christi and Richard rented a house in Cape Cod, filled it with their closest family and friends, exchanged their vows in a sunrise ceremony, and celebrated with brunch and an impromptu pool party. Despite the early morning wake-up call and some unexpected hiccups, the couple turned their nuptials into a week long celebration with their loved ones, making their wedding day a truly unforgettable affair!

Special thanks to Kathy Davies for sharing all the stunning photos with us!

Christi, 30 & Richard, 31

Cape Cod, MA

Wedding Date: September 6, 2014

Number of Guests: 15

Wedding Cost: $5,000

Wedding Ceremony Location: The Knob Falmouth, MA

Wedding Reception Location: Moonakis Cafe, Falmouth MA

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

It was important that we keep it about the two of us and having an intimate wedding allowed us to do just that. We both knew we wanted something unique so I came up with the idea of a sunrise ceremony. Our family and friends are truly the best and we were very grateful they went along with our crazy idea!

What are some of the challenges that you faced planning an intimate wedding?  

One of the hardest things for me was finding a salon that was willing to open at 3:30am so I could get my hair and makeup done. Another challenge for us wasn’t exactly in the planning, but in the execution. We didn’t receive our rental farm tables for our reception forcing us to come up with an alternative plan the night before the wedding.

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list?

Not particularly. We only invited immediate family and a few close friends.

Did you have any ‘issues’ with the small guest list from friends and family? If so, how did you address them?

We didn’t have any issues when it came to our guest list. Our friends and family were very supportive and understanding of our vision.

What were the highlights of the ceremony?

There were so many meaningful moments throughout the ceremony – we had the most stunning location, having my Dad walk me down the aisle, writing our own vows – but most importantly having everyone we love in one place as we became husband and wife.

What were the highlights of the reception?

We decided against a traditional reception. Instead, we took our guests to one of our favorite restaurants for brunch. Being able to sit back, relax, and spend time with everyone was really special. After brunch we all went back to the house for an impromptu pool party!

What was the best thing about having an intimate wedding?

Having the wedding we really wanted. To keep costs to a minimum for our guests, we rented a house so everyone could stay with us, turning it into a week long celebration!

What advice do you have for couples who are considering an intimate wedding?

Do it! If you follow your heart and do want you want, you’ll have the wedding of your dreams.

Vendors:

Gown: Amy Michelson from The Gown Shop

Veil: Handmade by Karen Gasiewski (the bride’s sister)

Jewelry: Vintage 1920’s pearl bracelet found on Etsy

Hair and Makeup: Headlines Salon and Spa

Groom’s Suit: J.Crew

Shoes: Allen Edmonds

Watch: Vintage Omega Seamaster

Florist: Verde Floral

Officiant: David Plunkett (friend of the Bride and Groom)

Music: The Mozart Academy of Music

Photographer: Kathy Davies Photography

Wanting to limit their guest list without hurting anyone’s feelings, Katharina and Christoph chose to have a destination wedding. Coming from Austria, the couple flew to the little-known region of Versilia in Northern Tuscany with a handful of their closest family and friends to exchange their vows in the beautiful Church of Sant’Ermete in Forte dei Marmi and celebrate their nuptials by the sea. The Villa Grey provided the couple with the perfect venue for their intimate celebration and its private beach and boardwalk served as the ideal backdrop for a romantic photo session with their photographers Cristiano Brizzi and Lara Emme of Facibeni Fotografia who were kind enough to share all the beautiful photos with us today!

Katharina & Christoph

Tuscany, Italy

Wedding Date: May 17th, 2014

Number of Guests: 38

Wedding Ceremony Location: Church of Sant’Ermete in Forte dei Marmi

Wedding Reception Location: Villa Grey

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

For us, it was clear from beginning that we didn’t want to have a big wedding. We didn’t want to have people around us that we don’t usually see during the year. We just wanted to have our family and our closest friends there and it was the best decision we could have ever made! And since the wedding was far away from home (we life in Austria) nobody who was not invited was sad since it was quite clear to them that we couldn’t take 100 people with us. And on the other side, those who were invited felt extremely flattered to be included. We had 38 guests at our wedding and we booked the entire Villa Grey which was the perfect destination!

What are some of the challenges that you faced planning an intimate wedding?

The planning wasn’t difficult at all since Villa Grey, especially the Manager Laura Parigami, was a real treasure! She helped us doing everything! Starting with the decorations, seating arrangements, appointments with the priest, the church, organizing the best photographer on earth etc., she did it all.

What were the highlights of the ceremony?

The highlight of our day was the ceremony in the church. We had two priests and one of them was speaking German with an adorable Italian accent. Furthermore, we asked to have somebody singing during the ceremony and it was breathtaking!

What were the highlights of the reception?

The party we had in the garden of the Villa Grey after the ceremony was the second highlight of our day. The arrangement was incredible as was the food, the service and the atmosphere!

Vendors:

Venue: Villa Grey Hotel

Groom’s Suit: Gucci

Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo

Photographer: Facibeni Fotografia