Mmmmm...cake

Yesterday, I took one of my brides to design a groom's cake for her fiancé (since it's a surprise, I won't say who). We had a blast meeting with Courtney Clark of Cake Nouveau at her adorable shop in downtown Ann Arbor. We came up with a super fun design and of course, the cake was amazingly delicious. Courtney has competed in (and won) many Cake Challenge competitions on the Food Network, so you'd expect nothing less.

On the drive home, I started thinking about all of the unique groom's cakes our clients have done over the years. It's a great way to incorporate a bit of the groom's personality into the wedding or rehearsal dinner, and makes your event that more memorable.

Here are a few of our favorite cakes from client weddings:

It was the battle of Michigan vs. Michigan State at Lisa and Jim's wedding.
Cake by Cake Nouveau

Todd is a neurosurgeon, so Amy surprised him with a brain cake at their rehearsal dinner
(the cake was red velvet!)

At Sarah and Matt's wedding, this cake was the perfect way to spotlight Matt.
Cake by Iversen's Bakery
Photo by Abby Rose Photo

Mike is a car fanatic, so Karen picked out this elegant design for his cake.
Cake by Home Bakery


Maria surprised Dan with every man's dream...an Xbox 360 cake.
Cake by Cake Nouveau



Keith's basement is an homage to the Detroit Tigers and the day after the wedding included an outing to Comerica Park, so it's only fitting that Shannon picked this out for him.
Cake by Michelle Bommarito
Photo by Special Moments Photography


Joe is a big kid at heart and loves Batman. He saw this in the bakery window and asked Donelle if he could have it for his groom's cake. Donelle is a good woman. :)
Cake by Home Bakery

Photos by Abby Rose Photo


Justine and Charlie planned on taking an extended honeymoon in Australia, where she is originally from. Displayed at the rehearsal dinner, this cake documented their travel plans.
Cake by Cake Nouveau

- Laura

Oh, the places you'll go - Ann Arbor!

Yesterday, Laura and I spent the day in Ann Arbor visiting with vendors and checking out some sites. We had a ton of fun exploring the area and catching up with friends!

Our first stop of the day was to visit Linda Wan at her photography studio. We had a great chat over tea. Linda shoots entirely in black and white with the traditional film method, something very rare to find in this digital age. Here are a couple of shots from Linda’s website.



We visited Bryant Stuckey of Decadent Delight for the grand opening of his bakery shop. We indulged in freshly baked cinnamon buns and delicious fruit tarts – it’s a tough job, I know, but someone has to do it.

Laura with the maize-and-blue cookie she bought for her kids

(I got a kick out of this since she’s a diehard Spartan, and her husband and I are both Michigan fans!)

At the Bell Tower Hotel, Sara was kind enough to give us a tour. This cozy, European-styled boutique hotel is located in the heart of downtown Ann Arbor. There are a variety of rooms and suites for wedding guests, bridal party and newlyweds, and it’s the perfect place to stay on your wedding night. We were impressed by the hospitality and felt at home entering the lobby.

We then visited the University of Michigan Law Quad – what a great backdrop for photo opportunities! The amazing architecture of the buildings and the stained glass windows from the library is a favorite of many photographers in the area.


We also took a quick tour of the Ann Arbor Art Center. With two levels of rentable space, this blank canvas could be turned into the perfect place for a ceremony or reception. I can’t wait to find just the right clients for this venue.

Photo from the Ann Arbor Art Center website

Photo from the Ann Arbor Art Center website

Next we met with Abby Rosenbaum of Abby Rose Photo. She is energetic and passionate about her trade and that’s translated immediately when you meet her. She was the wedding photographer for Donelle & Joe and Sarah & Matt, and we always love working with Abby. She recently got engaged and we can’t wait to hear more about her wedding plans…congratulations, Abby!

Our last stop of the day was Zingerman’s – a MUST for any trip to Ann Arbor (or even when you’re remotely close to it!) The ambience of the deli shop is an experience in itself (it smells amazing), but that’s just the beginning; their top-notch food and customer service is the icing on the cake. Paul Metler and Laura Gillis, from the catering department, were absolutely delightful to chat with – it was like sharing a meal with old friends!

- Marianne

Delightful Dining

Back in September, Ambassador Magazine invited us to be a part of their holiday table settings photo shoot. Marianne and I had a great time designing our vision of the perfect holiday table. We wanted to think outside of the box and stay away from some of the more obvious interpretations of "holiday", so we focused in on an all-white design concept, bringing in layers of texture with linens, crystals and feathers.

A special thank you to Shannon from Emplume, Todd from Colonial Event Rental and Todd from Chair Covers & Linens, who graciously provided us with everything we asked for to execute our vision, especially on such a short notice.

Enjoy!

Here are a few detail shots from my camera:

- Laura

We Won!

Last night, a few of us from the team attended the annual Detroit NACE awards gala, the "academy awards" of our industry. We were thrilled to win the award for Best Team Event for Justine & Charlie's amazing wedding last November. Thank you to our industry peers for recognizing us with this honor...it truly means so much to us!

I'd like to thank my amazing team who worked with me on this event: Marianne, Kelly, Leah, Ali and Lindsey (our honorary team member!) You ladies are incredible and I appreciate each one of you more than you know!

I'd also like to thank the many NACE members who share in this award and helped us pull off this extraordinary wedding in only 4 1/2 months!
· Royal Park Hotel
· Blossoms
· Colonial Event & Party Rental
· Chair Covers & Linens

· Arising Images
· Epic Motion
· Shutterbooth

Thank you so much!
- Laura

Leah, Laura & Kelly

A few photos from the event, courtesy of Arising Images

In the News

We're excited to have been mentioned in the Detroit News business section today in their People on the Move feature. We were recognized for being named one of the top 3 wedding planners in Metro Detroit. Click here to see the article.

The results are in!

The results of WDIV's 2009 "Vote 4 the Best" Contest were announced today, and we're excited that Laura Davis Events has been named one of the Top 3 Best Wedding Planners in Metro Detroit. There were 79 companies in our category this year, and we're delighted to be recognized for doing the job that we love so much. We’d like to thank our clients, vendors, families and friends for your amazing support!

We need your help - please vote for us!

The WDIV "Vote 4 the Best" contest is coming to an end, and thanks to our incredible clients, vendors and friends, we're currently in 2nd place! We need your help to reach number one, so please take a few minutes to vote for us here: http://wdiv.cityvoter.com/details.aspx?business=15869.

Voting ends on August 31st. Thank you so much for your support!