Joshua Clark, she explained it to me exactly like that. Think of it like a glaze. You have to keep the cake itself incredibly simple so the topping can really take center stage. She described it as if we took glass from a window, melted it down, and poured it over the cake to create this stunning, crystalline, uneven lattice that catches the light beautifully—especially if you set it on a mirrored base. Personally, I’m picturing something more like a translucent slab of ice. Oh man, I am definitely overcomplicating things, aren't I? Thanks so much for taking all this time to listen to me.
Thanks, Joshua Clark, but I’m afraid we haven't quite hit the mark yet. You were much closer with that glass 🙂 thing—honestly, I'm not even sure what it was supposed to look like. My aunt tried describing it to me, but she didn't have a photo handy. That said, you really did dig up some gorgeous cakes. This seafoam white one is absolutely stunning.
Joshua Clark, those are absolutely stunning. Any chance you could track down that one crystal I mentioned earlier? You know, the one with that gorgeous glaze that looks like someone spilled liquid glass all over it—it just catches the light perfectly. Please! It would mean so much to me. P.S. I really hope you aren't running on fumes again while posting all these beautiful photos 😘
Joshua Clark, the absolute queen of surfing the web and hunting down anything imaginable🙏 😁, any chance you could dig up that photo of the cake I described in one of my posts from a few weeks back? It’s the one with that glaze that looks just like crystal or poured glass. Thanks a million!
We stopped by an old family friend's place today to talk about cake options, and she gave me this really interesting suggestion. She recommends keeping the design incredibly minimal—no fancy frosting swirls or busy decorations—just a smooth, single layer of glaze poured over the top. She described it as looking like liquid glass draped over the cake, catching the light like crystal. I’m having a hard time visualizing exactly how that would turn out! Does anyone have any idea what kind of finish she’s talking about? Unfortunately, she didn't have a photo on hand, so if anyone has a picture of something similar, I’d be so grateful!
Walter Phillips4, thank you so much. You truly made my evening with that description of the venue. It fits my vision perfectly. I honestly can't wait for us to head out there and check it out.
Since we have experience dealing with this back in Green Valley, I’ll give you my two cents, and maybe velvetjackal752 can jump in with some extra details. If your guest list tops 100 people, you actually don't have to worry about a separate venue rental fee—you just pay me directly. For $24 per person (and that price drops even lower if you have a larger crowd), we get a full first course dinner featuring soup, three types of meat, various sides, salad, and bread, plus an open bar for wine, beer, soda, and sparkling cider. On top of that, they throw in a complimentary welcome cocktail for the wedding party and newlyweds, a midnight champagne toast for the VIPs, sparklers for the cake cutting, and a stay at their property (they actually just upgraded from a motel to a Marriott recently!). They have their own website, though I can't seem to track it down right this second, but here is the link so you can check out the setup and grab their contact info http://www.marriott.com/en/location...tionType=hotel You can also opt for a second course—a hearty stew $6.75 per person. Now, if you're leaning toward lamb or pork, you can either bring your own or order it through them, though I'm not entirely sure what the surcharge would be. If you decide to bring your own meat, there's just a $1 per person service fee since they provide all the extra bread and salad for that . Man, if the manager at Green Valley knew how much we were hyping them up, we might actually score a discount! 😬 Let me know when you're in St. Louis if you need anything at all
The Glaser hall used to be on Strossmayer Avenue—well, I say "used to be" because when we were asking around, they were talking about tearing it down just to build something brand new. Scott Smith68, does our Green Roof carry chair covers, and if so, what’s the damage? Are you planning on stocking them? It’s definitely a pricey hobby, but I still find myself daydreaming that if someone unexpectedly comes through with some cash, I might actually be able to swing it. Oh, and I haven't made it over to see the new hall yet. Have you been?
hiddenrider6, are you located somewhere near Indianapolis? We’re actually heading out to a small town in Indiana for 🙂, and I can tell you a thing or two about the area. There's the Hotel Central, the Mursa, and even a Classic Ali over on the outskirts. If you're looking for something specific, there's a local spot near the fire station—I think it's Route 95—and you can find some great deals at the Kopika meat market over in Tenby. Feel free to shoot me a DM if you want more details!
marija36, I was actually wondering if you could share your recipe? I wouldn't dream of attempting a wedding cake myself—that’s definitely a job for the pros—but I’d love to try making some cakes for birthdays and other celebrations at home. Thanks in advance!
Over at the hobby shop near the waterfront, I think they have $2.75/some really gorgeous envelopes that come with pre-cut cardstock inserts ready for printing. They also carry this $5.50 lovely embossed paper with rose patterns—it’s hard to describe, but the roses have this beautiful raised texture. It comes in three colors: cream, gold, and a shade of red. Their tracing paper is definitely the cheapest around—just $0.17/standard A4 size—whereas everywhere else you’ll see prices hitting nearly a dollar per sheet, which adds up fast when you need 150 pieces like I do! We ended up grabbing our cardstock at Staples instead, and I decided to customize the tracing paper by printing a subtle, light pattern on it. They should be finished soon, so stay tuned! 😍
Check out what’s available at Chase or even that stationery shop over in St. Louis near the AFL-CIO. We actually managed to track down some beautiful pearlescent paper, 70x100 size, over at $3.50. You can find some stuff at Hobby Lobby too, though they tend to be a bit pricier than the local discount spots. I’m not entirely sure about envelopes, but if you hit a dead end, try searching the other threads—maybe under invitations or wedding planning links. There should be a link to a site there that gives you templates for making your own envelopes in all sorts of sizes and shapes.
Honestly, my godmother is such a breeze to work with, so I know she’ll whip up an incredible wedding cake for us. I really need to dig through my mom’s old recipe books; I think there might be a perfect one tucked away in there somewhere. We actually asked some relatives to handle a whole spread of other treats too—we're talking fruit cakes, Black Forest, maybe something cheesecake-based, chocolate, and Dobos. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! I caught up with my aunt yesterday—she's the one helping with the desserts—and she gave me some professional perspective. She mentioned that for a restaurant setting during the summer, you'd want about 65 pounds of cake for 120 guests, plus extra if we want to send slices home with people. But if we were doing this at a house party, she said 7 pounds would be plenty. Of course, Mom is still convinced that’s nowhere near enough. 🙂 Regarding the wedding cake specifically, she pointed out that here in the Midwest, it isn't exactly a huge tradition to serve a massive cake where everyone gets a slice; she said I’d be lucky if even 65 people grab a bite, which saves me the headache of having to lug leftovers over to the neighbors so it doesn't go to waste! I also asked her about the icing, and she warned me that getting a perfectly smooth finish with white chocolate can be tricky—it works okay for the top, but it’s a nightmare on the sides. She also got a little grim when she heard the bride and groom figurines were made of plaster 🙂 and suggested the servers place them on top right before the grand entrance, otherwise they might actually sink right into the cake. Anyway, hopefully, these little bits of unsolicited advice help someone else out!
That cake is absolutely stunning. I am obsessed with those satin ribbons they use for decoration—they just add such a classy touch. We actually considered using fondant for ours, but I honestly had no clue if the flavor was going to be hit or miss. Now you’ve got me second-guessing everything 🙄 we might just pivot to white chocolate instead. I have a huge soft spot for those cakes decorated with butterflies, though I don't think ours will go quite that route. I would love to use some fresh roses as a garnish, but my husband is totally freaked out by the idea of bugs crawling on them or some hidden pesticides getting onto the food. I keep trying to gently suggest that we could just place them on a layer of clear cellophane so they don't actually touch the cake. Maybe if I play my cards right, I can finally talk him into it 🙂
Yay, finally a dedicated thread for us Midwesterners! 🙂(I say that with a tiny bit of hesitation, because there might have been one before and I just missed it.) We’ve checked out quite a few restaurants and hotels, though obviously not every single spot in Indianapolis and the surrounding areas. We eventually settled on the Zelenkrov motel near Čepin because we had heard nothing but glowing reviews; the pricing was fair, the atmosphere was lovely, and they truly felt like consummate professionals. For the best deals, we found Bendek to be very affordable, as was that hall in Tenji run by the owners of either Dolac or Severus (I can't recall which one). It’s definitely worth calling around to the local hotels (like those in Indianapolis, Waldinger, Central, or Mursa...), and checking out spots like Vatren '98, Kopika, El Paso, and so on. You can expect prices to range from $33 for a single dinner up to... Here is a link featuring some various restaurants and catering services: As for wedding dresses, you can rent, buy, or even have one custom-made. There are plenty of boutiques in Indianapolis, plus a couple in Sarvas and Čepin. Honestly, it might be worth driving out to Buffalo, the Corridor, Canada, or even just Vinkovci if you want to save some money. You can pick up cheaper bowties, balloons, boutonnieres, or fabric for sewing there... and they also offer dress rentals that come with all the accessories—you can keep them for a week without any customs headaches. For rings, I highly recommend the d.b. jeweler on Kapucinski; their prices are great, and they offer excellent rates for gold buybacks (we’re actually trading in some old gold for our new rings, so it’s going to work out super for us 🙂). They can craft any design from a photo, and you get a certificate along with a lifetime guarantee for any repairs or alterations. Regarding live music, I’d suggest Vigor or Joker. For flowers, you can get some beautiful, budget-friendly arrangements from the florists at the market. Of course, the other florists do gorgeous work too, especially Alstromeria. If you need invitations, Grafoart in Đakov offers the most reasonable prices. If you're feeling crafty and want to DIY them, there is some great paper available at hobby shops like Hobyart and Zlatan Ruka. You’ll find a huge selection of wedding supplies (cake toppers, ribbons, dessert boxes, decorations, balloons...) at Vigus (located on Strossmayerov or right behind Super) and at Bračni Voda in Blok Centar 2. For more affordable glass bowls, decorative stones, or candles, check out stores like Pevec, Home Depot, and similar places. And don't be afraid to pop into those little discount shops—you can often find really sweet, inexpensive items there. The Yellow Pages should give you a mountain of phone numbers to start your search. Goodness, that was a long one. Sorry! If anyone has questions, please feel free to ask! 🙂