Let Me Eat Cake, Yo!

Since our lovely changes to the wedding I haven't discussed our cake situation. Our changes brought financial difficultly, and we weren't sure what to do about cake/dessert in general. Our package at Buca included tiramisu or cheesecake, so that was an easy possibility. But, we still wanted our delicious Holy Cow, Cupcakes! cuppies. (Remember our tasting? MAPLE BACON?) The only issue was cost. Funds are tighter than ever now that we are getting zero help.

That's when my friend Laura stepped in - and said she'd do our cake for us as a wedding gift! We know first hand that her cakes are amazing. She makes a cake called "AYFKM Cake" (Are you -- kidding me?) and has brought it to some of our pug get-togethers. (Yes, she has a pug too!) For our get-together around my birthday last year, she made this cake:

Best part? Ok there are two. The pugs on the cake are cookies, and are decorated to look like my pugs Dixie, Sophie, and Harley! The other- it is red velvet! A two-layer red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting and white chocolate shavings on top of the icing between the layers. She gave this to us to take home and we ate it for like, weeks.

See how excited I am!?

We haven't decided what she's making yet. It will depend on the number of RSVP's, etc. We will do either cupcakes or a small cake for the Buca dinner. If it works out that our friend will host an after-party, we might do a second sheet cake (like the pictures) for the party.

Part of the reason I love cupcakes is that I'm not a fan of the overly-decorated cakes you see everywhere. I think fondant tastes nasty. I think designs and flowers are overkill. I like a plain buttercream cake. Old school.

I searched "plain buttercream wedding cake" and this came up. SERIOUSLY?

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Something more like the one below- simply decorated and nothing over-the-top. Just... take off the flowers and put some pugs on top, k thanx.

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However, Laura has a cupcake tower, and I'd love to do cupcakes at the Buca dinner too. This would probably be an easier option for Laura as well- and we could still do a small cake on top to save for our 1 year anniversary! (Or one month, let's be honest.)

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Yes, our colors are green, black, and white. But when you're not having a true reception - and the inside of the restaurant you're having dinner at is CRAZY with red & white checkered tablecloths- you have to let go a bit. So I did, I let go. I think I could, in fact, embrace it with checkered red and white cupcake liners and red sprinkles. It goes with the fun Italian atmosphere inside the restaurant.

My only problem? I want my Holy Cow, Cupcakes! Maple Bacon screams my name, and of course, their Cookie Dough cuppies have a place in my heart. Solution! Our Indiana backyard celebration this summer. We can get an array of cupcakes and set them out at the party instead of a cake or other dessert. Brilliant! Then we can even be more creative, since I'll be doing themes/colors for the summer celebrations. Summer = bright colors right? I can't wait!

What lucky breaks helped you out when you needed it most? What are your likes and dislikes you discovered while looking at cakes? Are you buttercream all the way or a fondant groupie?

Table for Miss Pug, Pity Party of One?

I'm happy with our new wedding "situation." Truly, I am. I still get to get married on 3/20, we still get to use our kickass photographer, I still get to wear my dress. And, really, we do still get to celebrate. Mr Pug is ready to move on, which you can read more about here on Weddzilla. That being said, Mr Pug expects me to be happy with what we have decided on, since we have decided on it and are moving forward. And let's be clear... I am happy. We're not going to be any more in debt than we already are (DIE ALREADY 2009! YOU NEED TO BE OVER, MONEY-SUCKING YEAR FROM HELL!) and we will be MARRIED! The most important thing!

Ok now that I've cleared that with you all... it's time for some sad, bratty, "why-me?" venting. Originally, my family dominated our wedding guest list and my side was going to be all fluffy and full and vibrant and Jersey and fun.

What is it like now? Well let's see. I went over my "family & family friends" list with my Mom a night or two ago. My family & family friends list was at 91. Remember, huge family, tons of cousins? Guess where we are for "definites" now?

I'm going to wait a second for effect.

Because it's that sad.

Nine.

Gratuitous sad picture here. Thanks for the sourpuss, Bugg.

Don't worry- it gets sadder. One of those 82 no-shows will be my Bridesmaid S. She was laid off and financially it won't work for her. And how can you NOT understand that? I am completely understanding about that situation- I was there! I missed a wedding I really wanted to go to because of my unemployment. But I'm still sad. She's the friend I've had the longest in my life and I'm sad she won't be there on this super-important-life-changing-day. Maybe I can make a life-size cardboard cut-out? (Maybe I can make them for ALL no-shows? And fill my side of the church? The side that was supposed to be overflowing and will now will be empty??? SCHEMES! I love them!)

To be fair, there are about 11 of the no-shows who my Mom said will be "not coming. I think." To which I said "OK THAT MEANS MAYBE!" But what it really means is my Mom is checking and they're "probably not" coming.

Of my twenty-five cousins? None. Maybe POSSIBLY one. She's on that elusive maybe list. They're the only true maybes- my aunt is trying to get 3 of her 5 airline tickets refunded so she and her daughter can come, but if she can't refund only 3 of the 5, they will all stay home.

From my friends, a few will still come, many didn't respond to my initial email, a bunch emailed me a "that's so sad we'll see you in the summer" type message basically saying they weren't coming, and a few were honest and candid about not being able to attend and were enthusiastic about the summer. This brings me to two issues: Mr Pug's friends & relatives, and our summer celebrations.

Regarding Mr Pugs' friends and family, they are mostly all here, in Indianapolis. Those who aren't here, were here previously, and have many family members and friends to stay with for free... unlike my friends and family. Which means, his side will be FULL. Not all will be able to come to our after-ceremony dinner, of course, but they'll be there at the church. They get to experience the wedding because they live here, or because they can easily get here. Life isn't fair, I know, yada yada, but it still makes me jealous and sad!

And the summer celebrations. Plural. Two. One for Indiana and one for New Jersey, which is pretty much one for Mr Pug's family and friends and one for mine. They won't all get to meet. None of my friends will fall madly in love with a Midwestern boy and live happily ever after growing corn on the Jersey shore.

Additionally... I'm not sure how seriously people will take them. They're backyard parties. I want people to be summer-dressy... sundresses and khakis, that sort of thing. I want people to put it on their calendar... not leave early for some other occasion. ZERO of my friends from New Jersey are engaged or married. I don't think it's a priority for some people at 24 years old... they don't get the same wedding excitement that I do. Which is totally fine. It might just be because I live far away, but the enthusiasm for my wedding hasn't much come out of the Garden State. Maybe if I lived there it would be different. And this could just be me playing the world's tiniest violin while crying inside and being a big baby. But I just feel like it will get the blow off from some people, which makes me sad. Hell, my Aunt did the same thing... the one Aunt who doesn't live in New Jersey, she lives in Arizona. Cool Aunt. And Cool Aunt got married in AZ, but had a backyard "reception" in New Jersey. I did not attend, since I had gotten a bad haircut that day.

I'm not even joking.

I was in middle school, so yea, I've matured a tad bit, but had it been a "real" wedding reception that evening, at a reception venue, would I have gotten out of it because of a bad haircut? Something to think about.

Ok that's enough whining for one day. Seacrest, OUT.