Best-Dressed Desserts

Spring/Summer 2013

WRITER CREDIT:

PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT:

Best-Dressed Desserts | Beautiful things happen when three Charleston cake pros are inspired by a host of stunning, locally designed gowns

Charleston Wedding charleston fashion week fashion fashion week wedding wedding cake Wedding Cakes by Jim Smeal White Carol Hannah Whitfield Flowers gown lulakate pearls Rachel Gordon

Style intern Kristy Lui and Charleston Weddings Editorial Assistant Molly Hutter carry gowns and mannequins (on loan from LulaKate) into the house at Lowndes Grove Plantation

Kristy steams LulaKate’s “Novak” gown smooth. The cover of the 2008 Charleston Weddings was shot in this room

The “Versailles” corset and skirts from Carol Hannah Whitefield were flown in from Los Angeles just for the day, as they on loan from a trunk show there. After they debut on the runways, the gowns travel throughout the states at trunk shows and photo shoots; getting them in can be tricky business as their itineraries are as packed as any celeb’s.

The corseted bustier retails for $2,095.

Katherine McDonald of LulaKate suggested we add this handmade flower to the “Novak” gown for a little embellishment.

6lauren_creel0095_0.jpg

The mannequin was a size 4 and “Versailles” fit it like a glove, but still, Kristy needed a little help from Charleston Weddings editor Melissa Bigner to zip it up.

Tada! Here “she” is, all pieced together.

Photographer Andrew Cebulka, of HeirloomCreative, captures details of the dress to show what inspired the corresponding cake.

Of course some options needed real champagne.

Hayden of Ashley Bakery left a repair kit for her cake, and in moving it, the icing got smudged, so Melissa tried to brush out the ripple. It may seems silly, but when you want a smoothly iced cake, sugar water and a paint brush and icing spatula are handy.

Yes, we ate it after shooting it. And yes, it was amazing.

We tried several scenarios with the cakes and dresses, and eventually we decided to pull back the pretty rugs as they competed too much with the cakes, gowns, and draperies.

Rachel Gordon's "Sirenia" gown

Check out the diamond patterns Tammy Pilcher of Cakes by Kasarda fashioned to mimic the beading on Rachel's gown. She says she stayed up till 4 a.m. the night before working on the cake.

We loved the "Versailles" gown from Carol Hannah Whitfield so much we had it flown in for the day from Los Angeles.

The handcut details on the corset give a lacey look to the fabric.

A firm believer that a cake has to taste as good as it looks, Hayden marbled the layers and spread decadent filling between each one.

LulaKate’s “Novak” trumpet gown

A custom floral pin appliqué from LulaKate inspired what Jim Smeal called “big, floppy flowers” on the cake.

The back gathering room at Lowndes Grove Plantation provided a stately backdrop for the shoot.

Jim’s collection of cake stands is rivaled only by the antiques in the plantation home, including this scrolled side table.

For the shoot, we chose Carol Hannah’s “Versailles” corset and paired it with one of her a long, flowing skirts. You can also order shorter skirt pairings for a flirty look.

The corset’s cutouts and appliqués gave Hayden plenty of design inspiration.

Tammy layered strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate cake for a Neapolitan effect.

DECADENT DESIGN: White gown, white cake—see the connection? Show off the intricacies of your fancy frock by recreating details (floral appliqués, lace patterns, beadwork) in icing and fondant for everyone to enjoy. The cake becomes sculptural, and the gown’s finer points are showcased. Scroll down to see the gowns and cakes we commisioned for this story, and click on the galleries at right for bonus images and backstage shots of the shoot.

The Cake:
“The beadwork motivated me to recreate the pearls on the cake in edible decorations,” says Tammy Pilcher of Cakes by Kasarda. “Neapolitan” cake flavors (vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate) make up the 12 layers, which are filled with fudge, buttercream, and strawberry jam. Serves: 90 ($1,030)

The Dress:
A blanket of pearls sewn into diamond patterns envelops the bodice of the “Sirenia” dress by Rachel Gordon. Each of her gowns is custom-designed for brides who come to her ONE LOVE atelier on King Street.

The Cake:
“The flowing, wavy lines on the fabric inspired the design,” says Jim Smeal of Wedding Cakes by Jim Smeal. The almond cake with almond-praline filling and iced in Italian buttercream is just as noteworthy for its lack of fondant as it is for its sublimely sophisticated look. An ace with buttercream, Jim fashioned the fluffy flowers from icing alone—a true feat. Serves: 150 ($1,200)

The Dress:
Katherine McDonald of LulaKate calls this gown from her 2013 collection the “Novak,” as its va-va-voom namesake (silver screen legend Kim Novak) made waves every time she donned her signature fitted, femme gowns. Made of cotton-silk embroidered organza imported from Spain, the strapless dress wears a wave pattern, and looks especially fetching with a LulaKate fabric posy pinned at the waist.

The Cake:
“The texture of the gown made me want to touch it!” says Hayden Campbell of Ashley Bakery. Carol Hannah’s modern interpretation of lacework and floral embellishments led Hayden to mimic those elements and offset the top tier in an irreverent way. The taste is still decadently traditional: vanilla cake marbled with chocolate ganache and filled with chocolate mousse. Serves: 45 ($700)

The Dress:
Carol Hannah Whitfield’s two-piece “Versailles” gown is crafted of silk mikado and chiffon with a bodice that cascades into a peplum of hand-cut organza. Tiny silver-gray pearls add shimmer to small flowers that dot the corset, lovingly designed by the fashionista who got her start at Charleston Fashion Week®.

Shot on location at Lowndes Grove Plantation, www.lowndesgrove.com

The Wedding Row

December 20 2018

Heather & Peter | The William Aiken House

Although Heather and Peter grew up in the same town in New Jersey, they didn’t officially meet until he noticed her wearing a Ridge High School lacrosse sweatshirt at a Lafayette College fraternity...

December 19 2018

Lindsay & Tyler | Magnolia Plantation & Gardens

High school romances can be so very, very awkward. Take Chapin, South Carolina, natives Lindsay and Tyler, for example. “He claims he charmed me when I fell up the stairs to our Spanish class and he...

December 18 2018

Ross & Chase | Historic Rice Mill

Charleston residents Ross and Chase met online back in 2014, got engaged in 2016, and invited one and all—Ross is one of 30 grandchildren—to their seriously wonderful wedding in 2018. Family...

December 17 2018

Styled Shoot | Middleton Place

While the event maestro Kim Newton orchestrates plenty of weddings in her own neck of the woods (that’s Alexandria, Virginia), she also has clients who say “I do” here in Charleston. While on one...

December 14 2018

Sara & Collin | Lowndes Grove Plantation

Happy Friday, brides! Do you remember these two? To trigger your memory, here’s a link to when we posted Sara and Colin ’cycle-centric engagement photos by shutterbugs Aaron and Jillian. Well, now it...

December 13 2018

Lindsey & Andrew | The Gadsden House

You know we’d only share a gorgeous wedding with you. So we’ll pause on the descriptors of this couple’s Big Day for a moment and tell you a little about the pair themselves, because when...

December 12 2018

Gina & Alexander | Wingate Plantation

You know about “designated travel companions,” right? It’s when someone who works for an airline gets to pick a “buddy” who can travel at the same nominal fees (we’re talking taxes and regulatory...

December 11 2018

Olivia & Micah | The William Aiken House

Today’s couple hit it off one night at a Baltimore bar. Credit for the first move goes to Olivia, who made her intentions mighty clear on her way out by hip-checking another girl out of the way so...

Feature

Breath of Fresh Air

The Cedar Room on East Bay gets a cool, girly makeover with this summery wedding

Feature

Romance Rules

Fast friends leads to one stunning special day at Lowndes Grove Plantation

Feature

Pretty in Pink

See the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island come alive in hues of magenta, hot pink, and gold

Feature

Of Barbecue & Blush

Wanna see how one of Beyoncé's wedding photogs captures a Big Day at Middleton Plantation, AKA America's Oldest Gardens?

Feature

Amazing Lace

As lace makes a bigger statement in bridal couture, Jean Brueser, owner of Jean-Paul’s Creative Cakes, artfully incorporated the intricate, delicate, and oh-so-feminine embellishments to these inspired confections.

Feature

Scared of Setting a Table?

See how mixing patterns and textures can be a hit—not a hot mess—at Charleston's Lowndes Grove plantation

Feature

Once & Again

A rustic wedded retreat at The Lake House at Bulow

Feature

Naturally Elegant

Katie Martin & Blair Marshall September 19, 2015 / William Aiken House

Feature

Blush & Bashful

Summer never looked so sweet as on this Mount Pleasant couple's wedding day, which was dressed in pale blush florals, gold accents, glittery linens, and warm lighting