Rock and Roll Decadence

Please forgive this lengthy tome and allow me to tell you a story…

It’s a typical grey October morning in the English Surrey countryside and I’m setting up a cake at Botleys Mansion after nearly a year of ideas, planning and excitement.

Holly got in touch with me after falling in love with the original Marie Antoinette cake and we immediately hit it off. Her enthusiasm was infectious, her bold ideas something a cake designer can really get her teeth into. As I looked at our inspiration board of images, I summed up the feel as ‘if Marie Antoinette was a rock chick’, and that was it, the tone was set. Colourful, tall, embellished and oh so decadent.

Back to the big day and I’m filling the round table which is hidden behind doors for a grand unveiling later in the day, with cake and cupcakes and vintage china and flowers. Endless beautiful flowers. I’ve only just met Emma, the owner of Emma Lappin Flowers, and we’re styling the table together, adjusting, adding, moving, in harmony without conflict. We both agree that more is more in this case and relish the opportunity to let over the top decadence spill out of our creative minds. She brings along miniature pumpkins painted gold and asks ‘too much?’, which is a crazy question because it is this kind of detail that is making the table completely awesome!

I love every minute of the set up and when Ben the groom visits me flanked by his wingmen and wingwomen, his hug and offer of a drink from the bar (which isn’t open yet, it’s only 11am!), makes me think that I may just sneak in for the whole wedding. Steve Gerrard the too cool for school photographer arrives as Emma and I are finishing up and looks slightly bemused by our pleas for him to take amazing photos of it all as it’s ‘very close to our hearts’. Of course he will, he’s Steve Gerrard.

I reluctantly leave, Emma whizzing about creating floral magic everywhere, the party about to begin. The email from Holly in New York sharing their video a couple of weeks later makes me feel like I was part of one hell of a party, with a bride and groom deeply crazy about each other, and lots of hilarious moments of guests playing with the cupcakes and smooshing cake in their faces- moments I don’t usually get to see but now I feel a part of.

I send Ben and Holly the sketch of their cake framed when I know they’re back in the country and Holly’s response- ‘I have put it up in my dressing room so that I can look at it every day and be reminded of the day I felt like a princess, and had a cake fit for a queen!’- brings me happy tears. What a wedding. What a couple. They will always have a place in my heart.

Copyright Steve Gerrard Photography

Copyright Steve Gerrard Photography

Copyright Steve Gerrard Photography

Copyright Steve Gerrard Photography

Thankyou Steve for providing me with these fantastic shots.

Ode to 2012

Wow, that went by fast! The first official year of Olofson Design luxury wedding cakes was amazing and it’s only stopping to look back that I realise just how much we achieved. And so, jumping on the New Year band wagon, and really as a bit of a self indulgent recap, here are some of the highlights of 2012 for Olofson Design!

We started our year with a towering wedding cake, contemporary elegance the aim. This remains our tallest cake to date and required a step ladder to place the final tiers!

We contributed 60s themed cupcakes and branded biscuits for the epic Oxfam Weddings charity photoshoot, which included a staggering number of incredible suppliers. Curated by Annabel of Love My Dress, you can find a write up here.

At the bride’s request, an understated and classically elegant design, this was the first wedding cake we’ve made for a close friend and so was a special highlight to March 2012.

Wedding Magazine approached us to collaborate on an ambitious photoshoot involving 3 dessert tables with distinct themes. We designed the main wedding cake and associated treats with an emphasis on fresh flowers. It was wonderful working again with the lovely Helen of Jermyn Photography
and Amy of Wookie Flowers, who brought my ideas to life!

Creating three fresh and modern designs for the Laban photoshoot in April was such a fantastic project to get into. A departure from the more classic wedding style, the entire shoot was bursting with nods to architectural lines, origami details and pops of vibrant colour. Photography by Anushé Low. Check out colour loving wedding planner Always Andri for more images!

We couldn’t miss this crazy cake out of the round up, and how can anyone miss it with the bright colours, miles of ruffles, retro lettering and hearts gilt with 24ct gold?!

Sadly, I cannot share images of the cakes we designed for this book as it is all under wraps for now, but when released in March 2013 all will be revealed! I can say that they have a distinct art deco feel and it was marvellous to be involved in Miss Annabel Beeforth’s debut book. You can pre-order here.

It was wonderful to work closely with Yaz and Andy to create a very personal dessert table for their wedding. We got to know each other along the way and had a lot of fun working through every detail.

At the height of wedding season we took on a birthday celebration too fabulous to miss! A decadent brief, some of my favourite edible gold leaf and a visit to the chic St James Hotel to set up, all made this a thoroughly enjoyable detour from weddings in July.

August saw a departure from the decadent ruffles and dragged us into the 21st century. You can see Andri’s
touch in this Summer wedding at Kew Gardens, with pops of vibrant colour, clean lines and attention to detail. Agonising hours of letter cutting in the middle of a heatwave was worth it, to see a cake so befitting the couple and theme!
Image copyright: spheresis.com

From the moment that Holly got in touch with me at the beginning of the year, I knew that her cake was going to be amazing, extravagant, over the top and a lot of fun! One of the most creatively satisfying projects of 2012, Holly had such fantastic ideas and an already established theme, which she gave to me to run with. Having someone trust you completely as a designer is so exciting and makes you connect with your work, I was quite emotional setting this one up. I also got to work closely with Emma Lappin on the flowers and styling, which enriched an already wonderful commission!
Image Copyright Steve Gerrard Photography

This was the first wedding cake that I’ve done for family of a friend, and Kaileah was such a lovely bride, having coffee with mum and bride was brilliant after lots and lots of brainstorming emails for months! As we finalised the design, Kaileah revealed that her husband to be was keen on a larger, more decadent looking cake than planned. Et voila, I added in some false tiers and a posy for a towering vintage inspired cake!

Ending the year with a very special cake for a very special couple. My journey with Vicky and Tom began in 2011 when they came to me to design their perfect English Garden in Summer wedding cake. Life had other plans, however, and after an extremely harrowing time which meant they were forced to cancel the wedding days before the big day, things levelled out and they were able to reschedule for a Winter wedding. After sharing a bottle of wine together we had a revised design and promises that it would be even better than the original draft!

Merry Christmas!

It’s very nearly Christmas week and to celebrate I have a gorgeous little frosty post to share. The lovely Helen, of Jermyn Photography and I had the bright idea last time we met for a catch up to put together a little mini-shoot just before Christmas. And so off we set with a box of iced biscuits, camera kit and fantasies of sparkly frosty silver birch branches, clear blue skies and perhaps a robin or two to pop into frame.

Iced snowflake biscuits make a stunning wreath

For me, Christmas decorations are all about snowflakes. I can’t get enough of their limitless geometric designs!

Of course, this is England and so our frosty Winter experience actually involved grey skies, lots of mud and numb fingers. But nevertheless, lots of fun was had and it certainly put us in the festive mood. The mulled wine might have helped a bit too…!

Pesky misbehaving snowflakes spinning in the breeze! My face says it all!

Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and here’s to 2013!

Biscuit icing masterclass: Gift Vouchers now available

I’m really excited to announce a rare opportunity to take private tuition from the owner of Olofson Design herself, Ceri Olofson. As wedding specialists, we don’t usually do Christmas, but the festive cheer is infectious this year and so we have made an allowance! We are releasing a limited run of 5 gift vouchers for an afternoon masterclass covering the art of beautifully piped biscuits. Vouchers are priced at £150 and include private tuition in the comfort of your own home (within London only) for 2.5 hours, a selection of hand baked biscuits and royal icing to play with, full notes, and all of Ceri’s tips and tricks of the trade on how to get a beautiful professional finish to impress. You can even add up to four friends to your session at £75 per person!

An afternoon learning the art of professionally iced biscuits

This would make a sensational gift this Christmas, from absolute beginners to keen cake decorators wishing to brush up on their royal icing piping and flooding. Gift vouchers are beautifully packaged and trimmed with ribbon, ready to wrap and put under the Christmas tree!

To take advantage of this rare offer please contact Ceri directly for booking details: ceri@olofsondesign.com

Details and T&Cs:

AN AFTERNOON LEARNING THE ART OF PROFESSIONALLY ICED BISCUITS

Learn the tips and tricks of the trade to beautifully decorated biscuits from Ceri herself, owner of boutique luxury wedding cake company Olofson Design. Ceri will teach you in the comfort of your own home, providing exclusive private tuition, starting with basic royal icing piping techniques before moving onto decorating a range of hand baked biscuits together. By the end of the session you will have a stunning selection of hand piped decorated biscuits and the confidence to continue independently with your own designs to impress!

• Gift voucher experiences are redeemable within 6 months of purchase date, after this time the voucher is void.

• You must contact ceri@olofsondesign.com to book your 2.5 hour session for a mutually convenient time.

• Classes are held in the comfort of your own home and we will travel to any address within London. We regret that we cannot provide private classes outside of London.

• All ingredients and kit will be provided for you, all that is needed is a small table space to decorate on. It is your responsibility to protect your table and furnishings with appropriate coverings. Further information on necessary preparations will be provided upon booking.

• Full notes including recommended suppliers will be provided for you to keep.

• You may add up to 4 additional people to your lesson, at the reduced price of £75 per person. This must be arranged directly through Olofson Design and confirmed at the time of booking your session.

• Olofson Design reserve the right to decline session bookings which we deem to be logistically unsuitable, such as space limitations, destination being outside of our travel area, or similar. In such a case, a full refund will be offered.

A Decadent Tea Party in Mayfair

Ruffled textures have been my most requested design feature this year, and it’s easy to see why. They provide real visual impact, whilst remaining uncomplicated and the perfect partner to luscious fresh florals.

So, what could be better for a birthday tea party with a little bit of a vintage luxe Mad Men flavour? I can’t think of a more fabulous birthday tea party, with my closest friends at the gorgeous St James Hotel and Club in Mayfair.

Ivory ruffles tinged with flakes of gold leaf. Cupcake favours for the lucky guests.

The main cake was a light rose soaked sponge with raspberry meringue buttercream. The cupcakes were white chocolate with salted caramel and lavender with lemon.

Just look at those rose petals! Total abundance and luxury.

The St James Hotel and Club was also a wonderful part of this commission for me. It is a relatively small hotel tucked away near the flashier Ritz and similar of Mayfair, impeccably decorated with art deco references and rich wood, and it just oozes understated elegance. The attention I received as a supplier was above and beyond, the exuberance of the staff infectious as I was treated to a little tour and history. I can’t recommend the St James Hotel and Club enough, for utter comfort and luxury, I really didn’t want to leave!

Introducing Style Me Vintage: Weddings

Annabel Beeforth, vintage wedding blogger extraordinaire of Love My Dress fame has only gone and written a gorgeous hardback book! Covering all you need to know about putting together an individual vintage style wedding, it includes fantastic visual inspiration brought to you by some of the best suppliers in the country.

I was delighted to be asked by Annabel to contribute to a very special photoshoot, which is under wraps and top secret until the book is released in early 2013! There was a brilliant buzz of activity and energy at the super cool Dalston Heights studio when I arrived with my contribution, so many incredibly gifted suppliers and beautiful proppage all in two awesome loft rooms. It’s especially nice that Annabel has left no part of the wedding out- cakes are given as much importance as the stationery or dress, which is what makes it such a rich source of inspiration. You can pre-order Style Me Vintage: Weddings on Amazon.

Annabel’s original post breaking the news, over on Love My Dress.

An ombre ruffle cake table at medieval Berkeley Castle

It’s been the Summer for ruffled cakes here at Olofson Design. This style has caught on in a big way and I’ve had countless requests to get my ruffle on. This wedding had a cake table with an ombre ruffle 2 tier cake as its centrepiece, bringing together 3 trends in one go, although the lovely couple’s focus was always about making it as personal as possible. I love meeting my clients and working with them to design something unique to them, but it’s especially lovely when a couple pour their personalities into the wedding and you get to know them a little bit along the way. Every component for this cake table has significance to the couple and it is all tied together by the colour scheme of burgundy wine, ivory and pink. The table was set up at the amazing Medieval Berkeley Castle, and there was a real richness to the table with the backdrop of textured stone walls and old window panes. Thankyou to the gorgeous couple for being such a joy to work with and letting me share these photos with you.

*Special thanks to Matt Davis Photography for allowing the sharing of these fantastic shots*

The flowers give it slightly rustic Medieval feel I think.

The Australian groom’s favourite chocolate bar is Cherry Ripes, so we made lamingtons with this coconut, chocolate, cherry combination.

The bride was born in the year of the dragon, so these fondant fancies were topped with gold dragons.

Chocolate biscuits iced with a design of the front of Berkeley Castle.

Cake pops with cherry blossom flowers and burgundy ribbon bows. We also custom made matching displays with label for each sweet treat.

A guest seems to be taking an interest in the Cherry Ripes lamingtons- an Aussie perhaps?!

 

A quirky wedding cake in bold ombre colours

Mostly couples look to their wedding theme and colour scheme for the wedding cake inspiration, but who says it can’t be a centrepiece in its own right? For this wedding the bride had a very classic theme of white and green running through the flowers and tableware but was very clear that she wanted a cake that was vibrant, fun and had real wow factor. We discussed various ideas and my mind was buzzing after our meeting, so the designs flowed easily, and in the end she went for something that I had thought of as we chatted- a play on the ever popular ombre theme, colour blocking the gradient. The venue was The Crazy Bear, a veritable treasure trove of interior design style statements where items that shouldn’t work together, create a look that is decadent and fun.
Flowers by the fabulous Karen Woolven.

Flowers by the very talented Karen Woolven

Flowers by Karen Woolven

Morroccan style lanterns and tented ceilings

Bedouin tent styled area for guests to relax

Olofson Design featured in Wedding Flowers Magazine

I’m delighted to share with you a gorgeous 6 page feature which we did for Wedding Flowers magazine a few months back and has just been published in the July/August 2012 issue. After printing the miniature fresh flower cakes that Helen Jermyn and I created last Summer, the Wedding Flowers style editor got in touch asking if we’d be interested in taking the concept a bit further. Alison sent over mood boards with the initial ideas for 3 different themes incorporating cake tables and fresh flowers and asked me to come up with the cake designs and co-ordinating sweet treats. On the day, Helen worked her magic photographing each table as the next one was being set up- for the record 3 fully co-ordinated cake tables is a helluva lot of work to pull together- but somehow it all came together and we were all delighted with the results! Amy at WOOKIE Floral Design was there on the day and I was so thrilled with the way she took my vague sketches and ideas and managed to create floral pieces which were exactly how I imagined them. She is one creative cookie who I very much hope to work with again on an unconventional cake and flower collaboration. The resulting images are the reward for a very intense photoshoot that took a week to prepare for and I think each theme provides fantastic inspiration whatever your wedding style.

I thought I would also share a little bit of the work and inspiration that went into the final photographs. Enjoy!

Retro Greens

The retro green moodboard I put together in response to Alison’s initial ideas.

The rough sketch of the main cake, featuring a gypsophila ‘cloud’ underneath the cake and matching posy on top.

Wedding Flowers July/August 2012

Vibrant Pinks

The vibrant pink moodboard I put together in response to Alison’s initial ideas.

A rough sketch of the main feature cake for the vibrant pink table, featuring a cascade of rununculus and anenome, I wanted this to have a looser, wild flower feel which Amy at WOOKIE Floral Design executed so perfectly!

Wedding Flowers July/August 2012

Elegant Blues

The cool blue and lavender moodboard I put together in response to Alison’s initial ideas.

The sketch for the cool blue and lavender cake table, featuring a fresh flower garland, a little classic piping and rustic flower topper. I was going for a sort of Provencal/Country chic style.

Wedding Flowers July/August 2012

Do you have a favourite?! I’m not sure I can choose, but the peach and pink cake with that fabulous floral cascade won my heart on the day- it’s just WOW.

Eco Weddings at The Garden Museum, London

We are delighted to announce that we are the preferred wedding cake supplier for the new Eco Weddings Package at The Garden Museum, London. We are very excited to be part of this fantastic package, which offers couples the chance to offset the impact their wedding has ecologically, through the venue’s sustainability initiative and carefully selected suppliers. The Garden Museum is a beautiful venue on the River Thames, rich with historical detail and tranquil grounds, and makes for a truly romantic wedding in central London.

So, what are we doing that’s a little bit green? Our vast menu of exciting flavour combinations are locally sourced, organic and fairly traded wherever possible, with some options available seasonally in response to this. We are proud to be working towards reducing our impact on the environment, with 80% of all waste recycled, while the rest is taken to a nearby Energy Recovery Facility. It’s important to us that we deliver outstanding style without compromising our environmental conscience and we hope that this Eco Weddings package inspires couples to look at ways they can make their wedding a little greener.

We’re in good company! Other fantastic suppliers include:

Suzanne James Ltd, London’s award winning sustainable caterer and purveyor of outstanding food.

Jay Archer Floral Design, the flower whisperer, growing many of their own blooms and letting their natural beauty sing.

Sophie Mutevelian Weddings, capturing the special fleeting moments and printing on recycled materials.

Enhance Lighting and Design, transforming atmosphere and creating ambience with energy saving lighting.

Ecoigo, a stylish fleet of hybrid cars with emissions offset by projects in deprived areas of London.

Eco Chariots, unique transport solutions with bespoke decorated rickshaws, pedicabs and cycle taxis.

For full information please see the press release and contact The Garden Museum for further information.