<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/katie-and-phil.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1240" alt="katie and phil" src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/katie-and-phil.jpg" width="500" height="500" /></a>This past weekend, my second cousin, Katie, married her sweetheart, Phil.  Wasn't she a stunning bride??  Wow!  (You gotta love Facebook...since I was setting up the desserts, I missed the ceremony.  I found these really awesome pix online, taken by one of the bride's friends.)</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Back up a little bit...more than a year ago, there were rumors about their pending nuptials.  With cake baking on the mind, I shot off a quick email asking her if she would like me to do the cake.  Who would turn down an offer for a free wedding cake?  Of course, she said yes.  And, here we are.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/IMGP2244-2.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1239" alt="wedding cake" src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/IMGP2244-2.jpg" width="404" height="500" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Katie was the easiest bride in the world to work with.  She took the "you know best" approach to things and gave me very few guidelines.  This seemed to work out well since I knew exactly what I could do and how things would work best.  And, I'm pretty sure she didn't worry about much.  We chose a simple buttercream-iced cake just for the bride and groom to cut.  Katie's florist provided a few flowers, and she picked out the adorable motorcycle topper.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/IMGP2243-2.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1238" alt="motorcycle wedding cake topper" src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/IMGP2243-2.jpg" width="331" height="500" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Too cute, right?</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/IMGP2234-2.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1237" alt="simple wedding cake" src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/IMGP2234-2.jpg" width="500" height="331" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">I think it's best to keep things clean and simple when it comes to wedding cakes.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/IMGP2222-2.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1236" alt="wedding cupcake tower" src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/IMGP2222-2.jpg" width="500" height="327" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">The guests at the <a href="http://www.patrickhaleymansion.com/">Patrick Haley Mansion</a> (a stunning venue) enjoyed a choice of chocolate or vanilla cupcakes.  I was able to order the gigantic, 200 cupcake-holding tower on <a href="http://cupcake-stand.com/">Cupcakestand.com</a> and received a huge discount for my work with Icing Smiles.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/IMGP2220-2.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1235" alt="wedding cupcake tower" src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/IMGP2220-2.jpg" width="500" height="331" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Yum.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/IMGP2215-2.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1234" alt="wedding cupcakes" src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/IMGP2215-2.jpg" width="406" height="500" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">They were such a hit that every single cupcake was gone by 11 pm!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/IMGP2210-2.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1233" alt="wedding cupcakes" src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/IMGP2210-2.jpg" width="318" height="500" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Again, I chose to keep the decorations simple: white buttercream swirl, white/ pearl dragees, and a white fondant heart cutout.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">While I have done small contributions to weddings before (<a href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/113-wedding-bells">here</a> and <a href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/1148-congratulations-mr-mrs-madel">here</a>), this was the first one where I did the whole thing.  It turned out great, and I was so happy Katie let me play this role in her big day.  Wishing the newlyweds many happy years together.  Cheers!</p>