Wedding Style: 10 Inventive Wedding Style Ideas

Individual Centerpieces

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Fresh flowers at every place setting not only guarantee a wow factor, but also preclude fighting over who gets the centerpiece. Find bowls like the one shown above at Jamali Garden Supplies, $8, JamaliGarden.com.


Bouquet Toss Alternative
Serve up mini wedding cakes to your most eligible friends -- guys and girls. The one who finds the ring inside is next in line to marry. Gail Watson Custom Cakes, $5–$10 each, (212) 967-9167

Unity Wine
Combine two varietals (one for the bride, one for the groom) that have special significance (try ones from your ancestral land) to create a special blend.

Low-Tech Slide Show
Let guests follow your love story from childhood to courtship with a framed photo wall. It’s the perfect welcome to your reception space, and makes for enjoyable eye candy as they wait to sign the guest book. Frames, $25 each, PotteryBarn.com

Pew Accents
Real idea: Capture the spirit and style of a garden wedding(burgundy dresses) by using herbs in unexpected places. A eucalyptus leaf wreath is a fresh alternative to a classic pew marker -- plus its lovely scent will waft through your ceremony space.

Edible Art
Presentation is everything, and your cocktail hour is no exception. Follow the latest food trend and serve light bites in a cone, like tuna bites dressed with a dollop of wasabi crème fraîche and placed in a bed of black sesame seeds.

Crystal Escort Cards
Straight from the pages of decorating magazines, crystals are praised for their multifaceted beauty and spiritual powers. What we see them for? An innovative (and gorgeous) escort card display. Prisms, $0.80–$8, ChandelierParts.com

Fans for Maids
Real idea: A twist on the bridesmaid bouquet? Instead of flowers, give your attendants beautiful fans to carry. They make a dramatic fashion statement while providing cool relief for an outdoor summertime ceremony.

Cookie Bar
A sweets buffet filled with secret family recipes and childhood indulgences is one of our favorite foodie favors. Add small bottles of milk and you have one memorable midnight snack. Mike’s Wife's Cookies, $18 for one-dozen bag, (646) 387-4080; old-fashioned milk jugs, $2.50 each, RonnyBrook.com

Farewell Toast
Serve guests a refreshing coffee cocktail (ours blends ginger ale and Starbucks Coffee Liqueur) at the end of the night, along with a heartfelt thank-you. For an added bonus, you can flag the after-party address on cocktail stirrers. Wineglasses, $10 each, CrateandBarrel.com; glass swizzle sticks, $4 each, Broadway Panhandler

Destination Wedding Basics: Why Marry Away in a Destination Wedding?

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In the past, marrying away from home usually meant eloping. The couple would steal away in the night to flee family disapproval or expectations and tie the knot on their own terms. Today, the idea has shed its stigma and a growing number of couples are hightailing it away from the traditional formal affair to a casual, intimate occasion in their dream honeymoon spot.
These destination weddings involve just the couple; the couple and a select handful of friends and family (often just another couple); or the couple plus enough guests to constitute a bona fide weeklong family -- or college -- reunion. Then, the just-marrieds can take a second week to disappear on their own. The "reception," if any, is more like a big party and held when the couple returns home. Why are destination weddings a growing trend?

1. They're Virtually Stress-Free
Pop in the classic movie "Father of the Bride" and you'll soon understand why destination weddings are so popular. They are almost guaranteed to be simpler (and faster!) to plan than a traditional wedding and reception for two main reasons:
1) Honeymoon-happy resorts and cruise lines around the world have made it easier and more appealing to wed on-site. Many have full-time wedding coordinators on staff who are familiar with that country's marriage license requirements and who offer wedding packages that take care of all your ceremony essentials (photographer, cake, minister, etc.). You step off the plane and sign the papers; they take care of the rest.
2) Tourist boards are jumping on the bandwagon, with brochures listing ceremony sites and local wedding vendors in their area. Even governments are working to ease restrictions and attract to-be-weds.
If you're not getting married at a resort, you can hire a stateside wedding planner who specializes in destination weddings, contact a wedding planner in the town you plan to wed, or start early and do it yourself. Either way, you won't have to plan a reception, and won't that be a relief?!

2. No Family Drama
The second reason destination weddings rule? No scene-stealing family drama.
For Jennifer and Marc Schwartz, the initial family strategy session began to foreshadow a very large get-together of extended family and business associates. Predictably, each set of parents had their own ideas. One set thought the wedding should be held in New York City because most guests were from the area. Another set had a problem with the expense of a big-city wedding. Jennifer says that she and Marc never stopped feeling that the event is, first and foremost, about the two people getting married. "It's great if the two families are in rapport, but if not, who needs all that negative stuff?"

3. They're Cost Effective
The affordability of a destination wedding has many couples speeding off to the airport faster than you can say "I do." For instance, a couple can fly to an all-inclusive resort in Jamaica, get married, and stay for a deluxe weeklong honeymoon for a few thousand dollars, including lodging, meals, drinks, and airfare. Compare that with your average 150-guest wedding costing about $22,000 -- which can easily skyrocket to more than $40,000 in big cities -- plus a few extra thousand for a honeymoon. To ease the financial burden, many couples opt to travel to a place where they can get married, have a honeymoon, and still have some money left over to start their new lives together.

4. You Call The Shots
While formal weddings hold meaning for many couples, linking them to the traditions of their ancestors and culture, others want the experience to be unique, with a ceremony and location that reflect their true colors. Perhaps an "Out of Africa" experience? A snowy mountain-peak ceremony? The world is your altar.
Best of all? You make the rules! Feel free to wear a sundress or shorts (even a bikini!), go barefoot, carry fern fronds, hire a ukulele band, and toast your love alone on your balcony at sunset -- nude! If you can dream it, you can do it.

5. They're Simply Perfect for Second Marriages
Been-there-done-that couples who are getting married for the second or third time choose destination weddings because they're simple and private. Either the bride and/or groom have done the Hollywood-scale production before and want something quieter or less expensive this time around, or they want to be someplace anonymous, without the watchful eyes and whispers of the hometown crowd. (Get married at a kid-friendly, all-inclusive resort or cruise to help your new Brady Bunch do some solid bonding.)

6. They're a Once-in-a-Lifetime Reunion Opportunity
At a typical wedding, you're on the run, meeting and greeting. Destination weddings are on vacation time. You're usually required to arrive a few days early to fill out the paperwork, so by the time your wedding rolls around, you've had two to three days of fun with your sweetie, family, and friends. How often do you have the opportunity to spend no-rush quality playtime with dear, far-flung friends? This is your chance.

Destination Weddings: Marrying in the Cayman Islands

Why Here?

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Discerning couples who want more than a destination wedding in a box head to the Cayman Islands for the ultimate in hospitality and tropical romance. Whether you choose to marry at a smaller resort or a five-star hotel, this destination has the resources to cater to every couple's personal style, guest list size, and whim. Not to mention the backdrop is absolutely gorgeous. Think tranquil turquoise waters, and sugary white sandy beaches dotted with palm and pine trees.
For More Info
Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, (345) 949-0623, or CaymanVows.ky

What to Know?
All three islands are home to a wealth of reputable wedding(short wedding dresses) vendors, from full-scale event planners to photographers, florists, and bakers, so there is little need to BYOV.
High season begins the week before Christmas and goes through April 16. Avoid hurricane season, which is May-November.
There is no live/outdoor music allowed on the island on Sunday, which means that if you are saying "I do" beneath a tent on the beach or poolside on a Saturday, your band or DJ must wrap it up by midnight.
The Cayman Islands is practically the safest destination in the Caribbean, which makes it a great destination for multigenerational families.

Highlights for Guests
What's nice about the Cayman Islands is that your guests have plenty of options should they have some downtime in between wedding events. Stingray City is just a 10-minute catamaran boat ride away, where adventure seekers can swim with tropical fish and snorkel among the reefs. At the Turtle Farm at Boatswain's Beach, kids and adults alike will marvel at hundreds of giant turtles and other creatures of the deep. For landlubbers -- and shoppers -- there is also historic Georgetown, where sparkling jewelry retailers abound.

Marriage Requirements
Residency Requirements: None
Necessary Documents: Non-residents need a marriage license, letter from authorized marriage officer, proof of citizenship and age, proof of marital status (legal divorce decree or death certificate, if applicable), Cayman Islands Immigration Department pink entry slips, and two witnesses
Island Plus: Your event planner or hotel can arrange for an officiant to come to you for all the paperwork, and then he or she can go to the courthouse to get everything certified, so you'll be free to tend to any last-minute details.

Best Places to Get Married in Grand Cayman
The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman Recently opened in December 2005, the Ritz has brought five-star luxury to the Cayman Islands. Poised on the famous Seven Mile Beach, ceremonies and receptions can be set up on the Great Lawn, by the sea on the hotel's private beach, or in a the 9,000-square-foot Cayman Islands Royal Ballroom. The Ritz is staffed with an in-house team of four floral designers, as well as a pastry chef to create your wedding's requisite bouquets and confections. What's more, Silver Rain, a La Prairie Spa at The Ritz-Carlton, has a menu of indulgent spa treatments that not only celebrate the energies of water, but are guaranteed to wash away any last traces of prewedding stress or jitters.
Wedding Packages: $3,400-$20,000
For more info: RitzCarlton.com

Hyatt Regency Grand Cayman Also on Seven Mile Beach, the Hyatt Regency is ready to host your wedding(pink prom dresses) on its rooftop sun terrace, boasting panoramic views of the island. You can also marry here toes-in-the-sand or on the Turtle Pool Deck, which is perfect for smaller groups. Both the terrace and pool deck are lined with whitewashed British Colonial columns, providing a gorgeous contrasting backdrop against the clear blue sea. From a tropical buffet to a four-course, sit-down dinner, the catering staff can accommodate up to 200 of your closest friends and family.
Wedding Packages: $1,350 - $2,700
For more info: GrandCayman.Hyatt.com

Grand Old House If you love the beach, but also want a little formality infused into your day, this plantation-style site will do the trick. Perfect for indoor or outdoor weddings, the Grand Old House features a seaside gazebo (perfect for oceanfront vows or your own private sweetheart table), plus enough space to seat 150 in its air-conditioned, elegant dining rooms and on its quaint screened porch; or 130 on the site's Water's Edge patio. For rehearsal dinners, the Wine Room comfortably seats a party of 10 against a backdrop of wall-to-wall wooden wine cellar racks
Wedding Packages: $590-$2,500
For more info: GrandOldHouse.com

The Great House at Pedro St. James The Grand Cayman's national historic site is also a gorgeous place to wed. Situated on seven landscaped acres on the water, the Great House is a restored three-story eighteenth-century house with stunning mahogany verandas that your guests can stroll through as your tented reception takes place below. This picture-perfect setting can accommodate up to 800 for an over-the-top affair complete with a fireworks finale.
Wedding Packages: upon request
For more info: PedroStJames.ky

Rum Point Home to the best mudslides on the island (think signature drink), Rum Point is situated on the opposite side of the island's Seven Mile Beach. This spot has a casual beachside bar and grill (great for a laid-back rehearsal lunch or reception), an adjacent resort to accommodate your guests, and a convenient whitewashed pier that juts out into the crystal-blue sea for a vow exchange directly over the water.
Wedding Packages: upon request
For more info: GrandCayman.Hyatt.com

The Reef Resort Whether you want to sneak away a deux for the most private of nuptials, or arrive with your entire family in tow, The Reef can accommodate up to 120 people. This all-beachfront-suit property is a stress-free destination courtesy of in-room whirlpool tubs, four-post king-size beds, private balconies, and its own beach bar. Ceremonies can take place on the dock, while the party begins on the beach or in the resort's air-conditioned restaurant overlooking the sea. Bonus: This site only hosts one wedding per day, so you are guaranteed the staff's undivided attention.
Wedding Packages: $1,995-$5,095
For more info: TheReef.com

The Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa For luxurious amenities combined with a laid-back vibe, look no further than the Westin. This four-star hotel has everything you need to put together a formal wedding (the beachfront Governor's Ballroom, a preferred vendors list, and a deluxe banquet menu and wine list), plus the means to make you -- and your guests -- feel like you are truly on a tropical island (think swim-up pool bar, full-service spa, and oceanfront dining options specializing in lip-smacking Caribbean fare).
Wedding Packages: upon request
For more info: WestinCasuarina.com

Wedding Songs: 30 Cheeky First Dance Songs

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If you're not up for the much-hyped sentimental first dance, don't feel you have to adhere to tradition. Forgo the schmaltz by opting for a song that's slightly tongue-in-cheek, or select something so lovey-dovey or overdone that it's outrageous. Suddenly, all the pressure's gone. Here are 31 offbeat wedding songs for newlyweds who believe in healthy doses of wit, levity, and laughter.

1. "A Fine Romance" (Joe Derise)
2. "After The Loving" (Englebert Humperdinck)
3. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (Ashford & Simpson)
4. "An Old Fashioned Wedding" (from "Annie Get Your Gun")
5. "Ain't That A Kick In The Head" (Dean Martin)
6. "Because" (Dave Clark Five)
7. "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love" (The Spinners)
8. "Destination Moon" (Dinah Washington)
9. "Happy Together" (The Turtles)
10. "I Got You Babe" (Sonny & Cher)
11. "I Love You, Always Forever" (Donna Lewis)
12. "I Only Want To Be With You" (Vonda Shepard)
13. "I Say A Little Prayer" (Aretha Franklin)
14. "I Think I Love You" (The Partridge Family)
15. "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" (Burt Bacharach & Elvis Costello)
16. "I'm A Believer" (The Monkees)
17. "Islands In The Stream" (Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers)
18. "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off" (Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong)
19. "Love And Marriage" (Frank Sinatra)
20. "Love Is Strange" (Mickey & Sylvia)
21. "Loving You" (Minnie Riperton)
22. "Memories Are Made Of This" (Dean Martin)
23. "Never Knew Love Like This" (The Spinners & Dionne Warwick)
24. "Oh, What A Night" (The Four Seasons)
25. "Orange Colored Sky" (Nat King Cole)
26. "Orange Colored Sky" (Natalie Cole)
27. "She's An Angel" (They Might Be Giants)
28. "Sometimes When We Touch" (Dan Hill)
29. "With Plenty Of Money And You" (Count Basie & Tony Bennett)
30. "You're My First, My Last, My Everything" (Barry White)

Wedding Song Ideas: Real Brides' Must-Play Lists

Stumped on what to play for a particular special dance? Don't worry -- plenty of brides have been in your shoes (and worn them out on the dance floor)! Check out their top reception song picks.

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First Dance Songs

"We're Man and Wife" (Michelle Featherstone)
"Bless the Broken Road" (Rascal Flatts)
"Carried Away" (George Strait)
"Thank God I Found You" (Mariah and 98 degrees)
"Cross My Heart" (George Strait)
"I Need You" (Tim McGraw and Faith Hill)
"It's Your Love" (Tim McGraw and Faith Hill)
"Remember When" (Alan Jackson)
"Love Song" (311)
"Lost in This Moment" (Big and Rich)
"At Last" (Etta James)
"Three Times a Lady" (Commodores)
"Spend My Life" (Eric Benet)
"All I Ask of You" (Phantom of the Opera)
"Set Me as a Seal" (Matt Maher)
"Chasing Cars" (Snow Patrol)
"Stay Forever" (Ween)
"Book of Love" (Peter Gabriel)(short summer wedding dresses)
"The Luckiest" (Ben Folds)
"Love of a Lifetime" (Firehouse)

Father-Daughter Dance Songs
"My Girl"(The Temptations)
"Butterfly Kisses" (Bob Carlisle)
"I Loved Her First" (Heartland)
"My Wish" (Rascal Flatts)
"Last Date" (Floyd Cramer)
"Little Miss Magic" (Jimmy Buffett)
"De Nina a Mujer" (Julio Iglesias)
"Main Theme" (John Williams; Star Wars)
"Sweet Caroline" (Neil Diamond)
"What a Wonderful World" (Louis Armstrong)
"Kind & Generous" (Natalie Merchant)
"There You'll Be" (Faith Hill)

Mother-Son Dance Songs
"Because You Loved Me" (Celine Dion)
"A Song for my Son" (Rita Heatherington) OR (Mikki Viereck)
"My Wish" (Rascal Flatts)
"Angels" (Randy Travis)
"Oh Mother" (Joe W)
"A Song for Mama" (Boyz II Men)
"The Man You've Become" (Molly Pasutti)

Last Dance Songs
"Theme from New York, New York" (maternity hospital gowns tori spelling)(Frank Sinatra)
"Remember When" (Alan Jackson)
"Fantasy (Remix)" (Mariah Carey Featuring ODB)
"You Never Can Tell" (Chuck Berry from Pulp Fiction)
"Bless the Broken Road" (Rascal Flatts)
"Wonderful Tonight" (Eric Clapton)
"Last Dance" (Donna Summer)
"Where Everybody Knows Your Name" (Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo; Cheers)
"The Way You Look Tonight" (Frank Sinatra)
"Margaritaville," (Jimmy Buffett)
"From This Moment On" (Diana Krall)

The Songs In-Between
"The Way You Look Tonight" (Frank Sinatra)
"Ain't No Other Man" (Christina Aguilera)
"Inside Your Heaven" (Carrie Underwood)
"SexyBack" (Justin Timberlake)
"That's Amore" (Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin)
"Ain't That a Kick in the Head" (Dean Martin)
"Let's Get Loud" (Jennifer Lopez)
"Hotel" (Cassidy)
"Where the Party At" (Jagged Edge)
"Tell Me" (P. Diddy Featuring Christina Aguilera)
"Paradise by the Dashboard Light" (Meat Loaf)
"Sexy Love" (Ne-Yo)
"Pour Some Sugar on Me" (Def Leppard)
"Take Me Home, Country Roads" (John Denver)
"At Last" (Etta James)
"Fast Cars and Freedom" (Rascal Flatts)(wedding dress 2012)
"Dream a Little Dream of Me" (Louis Armstrong) OR (The Mamas & the Papas)
"Rocky Top" (Phish) OR (Dolly Parton)
"We Are Family" (Sister Sledge)
"You've Got a Friend in Me" (Randy Newman; Toy Story)
"Rock With You" (Michael Jackson)
"Big Pimpin' (Jay-Z)
"Brick House" (The Commodores)
"Le Freak" (Chic)
"Super Freak" (Rick James)
"Funky Cold Medina" (Tone Loc)
"Get Down Tonight" (KC and the Sunshine Band)

Wedding Customs: Hawaiian Wedding Traditions

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If you are getting married in the Hawaiian Islands, you are undoubtedly enamored not only of each other, but of the physical beauty and the culture of the place. Most couples choose to add a bit of Hawaiian culture to the their weddings, whether that means the music of a slack-key guitar or a groom wearing all-white. We've collected Hawaiian wedding traditions; it's up to you to choose which you would like to embrace.

Lei
Almost everyone who gets married in Hawaii includes the flower garlands known as lei as a part of the wedding ceremony. Lei are a symbol of love, respect, and all-around aloha. It is common for the ceremony to commence with the bride and groom exchanging lei. You may start with the groom wearing the bride's lei and the bride wearing the groom's, then switch. Or you may have a flower girl earn her title by presenting the lei at the appropriate moment. The groom usually wears a garland of manly green maile leaves (sometimes with small white flowers, called pikake, woven in). In a traditional Hawaiian wedding ceremony, the kahuna pule, or holy man, would bind the couple's hands together with a maile lei. Brides often wear several strands of pink and white pikake, which can be entwined with orchids or rosebuds. The bride might also wear a headpiece of haku flowers and greenery. Some couples present their mothers with lei; and at smaller weddings, why not give everyone one?

Hawaiian Language
Whether you are a born-and-bred Hawaiian twosome, or if this is your first time to set foot here, you will want to know some of the most romantic words from a very romantic language. Drop a few Hawaiian words onto your invitations or favors; and if you are really brave, practice a few to use in your toast. Our favorites come from our Hawaiian friends.

To cherish, love, or express affection: ho'oheno
Celebration: ho'olaule'a
Friend: hoa aloha
Man: kāne
Woman: wahine
Joy: hau'oli
Kiss: honi
Sweetheart: ipo
Darling: hiwahiwa
Music
Hawaiian music is so romantic, it would be silly to pass up a chance to have some of the real thing at your wedding ceremony. The slack key guitar and ukelele are the regional instruments that make the music of the islands famous. You can hire musicians, and you can also hire hula dancers to interpret the songs. The "Hawaiian Wedding Song," made famous by Elvis crooning it in the film Blue Hawaii is so perfect, and so universal at weddings here, that we suspect there may be some obscure law requiring it.

Dress
At a traditional Hawaiian wedding, the bride wears a long, white dress that is sort of -- now, don't be thrown by this word -- muumuu-ish. What that means is that the dress is flowing. It moves in the Pacific breeze, and has its own unique elegance. The haku lei, that ring of fragrant Hawaiian flowers, is worn around her head.
Grooms get to wear white, too, in the form of a white shirt (on the flow-y side) and white slacks. He wears a brightly colored, usually red, sash around his waist, and the green maile lei around his neck.

Thanks to a heavy Asian cultural influence in the Hawaiian Islands, kimonos are also worn at weddings here.

Feast
There are certain foods that you can't miss in Hawaii. Poi, a paste made from pounded taro root, is one of them. Laulau is a method of preparing meats, including fish and chicken, by wrapping them in ti leaves. Poke is diced raw fish flavored with vegetables and seaweed; kulolo is coconut pudding with brown sugar and taro flavorings. These days, the fresh fish and excellent produce of the islands take center stage, graced by a multi-ethnic mélange of flavors. Asian and Indo-Pacific influences like Thai, Japanese, and Polynesian have made Hawaiian cuisine a fascinating adventure. Ahi, or tuna, is seared and crusted in sesame; seafood is cooked in a Hawaiian bouillabaisse; fresh fruit sauces made from guava, papaya, pineapple, and lychee add flavor. When you plan your wedding feast, be sure to take advantage of your setting by highlighting these fresh seafoods, fruits, and veggies. If a luau is your thing, be open to modern interpretation - but don't skip the luscious kalua pig.

Wedding Cakes: A World Tour of Wedding Cake Traditions Asia

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Japan: Many Japanese actually use imposter cakes at wedding receptions. Made of artificial rubber, these faux confections are iced with wax -- and even feature a slot for the bride and groom to insert a knife. Believe it or not, some models have even been known to produce a puff of steam! Other dupes consist of elaborately frosted Styrofoam dummy cakes. While the imposters are just for show, sheet cakes hiding out in the kitchen are cut and served to guests.

Korea: Many American-style wedding cakes would be considered too sweet for Koreans. They opt instead for a cake made of ground steamed rice covered in red bean powder. A tiered sponge cake covered in nondairy whipped cream is also a popular treat.

China: The traditional Chinese wedding cake is a massive, many-layered creation known as lapis Surabaya. The layers represent a ladder of success for the couple. Traditionally, the bride and groom cut the cake from the bottom up, starting with pieces for each parent and grandparent, who are all fed by the newlyweds.

British Isles

Great Britain: A fanciful fruitcake takes center stage at British weddings. Usually the cake is made with cognac-soaked dates, prunes, raisins, currants, and orange peel, to create a very moist cake. Popular frostings include marzipan, brandy butter, or fondant. And rather than saving a piece for their first anniversary, Brits hang on to the entire top tier, called the christening cake, until the birth of their first child.

Ireland and Scotland: Fruitcakes are also popular in Ireland and Scotland, where the heady, three-tiered confection is often times laced with bourbon, brandy, or whiskey and each layer is spread with almond paste.

Caribbean Islands

Caribbean: Caribbean couples traditionally feast on fruitcakes. The cake is often dark and filled with dried fruits and sherry, wine, or rum.

Bermuda: In Bermuda, it's common to have a small cedar sapling top off a wedding cakes. The sapling is said to symbolize the couple's growing love, and is usually replanted after the ceremony.

If you're having a traditional white wedding cake, consider ordering up a groom's cake that reflects your heritage.

West Indies: Party guests in the West Indies pay for a lucky peek at the wedding cake hidden under a fine white tablecloth. Here a rum-laced fruitcake is the sweet of choice.

Central Europe

Germany: Though American-style wedding cakes are slowly making their way into Europe, countries such as Germany are hanging onto their own traditions. German couples often serve up a rich nut or genoise sponge cake to their guests. The cake is usually laced with liqueur or syrup; filled with jam, marzipan, or nougat; and covered in fondant or ganache. Any use of artificial coloring on a cake is considered a major faux pas.

France: The French traditionally serve up what is known as a croquembouche. This tall tower of cream-filled pastries is coated in caramel and formed into a pyramid shape, and makes quite a statement.

Italy: Wedding cakes are regional in Italy, and in some areas cake is not served at all. At those where they are, taste trumps decoration. In many areas, the custom is to serve a mille-foglia, an Italian cake made from layers of light filo pastry, chocolate, and vanilla creams, and topped with strawberries.

Eastern Europe

Lithuania: In Lithuania, the wedding cake is actually a cookie-like pastry shaped into a Christmas tree. Baked to a sunny yellow hue, the pastry, called a sakotis, displays fresh flowers and herbs protruding from the top peak.

Ukraine: Ukrainian couples share a type of wedding(prom gowns outlet) bread known as Korovai. Decorated with designs representing eternity and the joining of the two families, the bread is considered a sacred part of the wedding feast.

Northern Europe

Norway: Shying away from cake altogether, Norwegians serve brudlaupskling, a type of wedding bread first developed when white flour was a rarity on farms in Norway. Any food containing wheat was once highly prized, so the wedding bread was considered a true treat. Topped with cheese, cream, and syrup, this unique bread is folded over and cut into small squares and served to all the guests.

Denmark: The Danish are known to feast upon a cornucopia cake. Made of almond cake and marzipan, the ring-shaped confection is decorated with pastilage and filled in the center with candy, almond cakes, fresh fruit, or sorbet. Sometimes marzipan portraits of the bride and groom are attached to the outside of the cake. To avoid bad luck, the newlyweds cut the cake together; all the guests must eat a slice.

Iceland: Icelanders enjoy a kransakaka at weddings. Made up of ring-shaped almond pastries piled on top of one another to form a pyramid, the hollow center of the tower is filled with fine chocolates or candies.

The Mediterranean

Italy: No Italian wedding (debut dress 2012)would be complete with out zuppa inglese. Scrumptiously filled with chocolate custard, vanilla custard, rum cream, and fruit, tiers of pound cake are elaborately trimmed with flower blooms of royal icing.

Greece: These days, most Greek couples prefer a flourless almond cake, which is filled with vanilla custard and fruit, and covered in sliced almonds. The traditional rendition of a Greek wedding cake consists of honey, sesame seed, and quince, which is said to symbolize the couple's enduring commitment to each other. Sourdough wedding bread decorated with beads and blossoms is also a traditional treat.