{noteworthy} cupcakes, cupcakes & more cupcakes!

Nothing says summer quite like a cupcake tour in Manhattan!  Oh, is that not an actual saying?  Well, it should be.  It was such a fun way to spend a beautiful summer day with my sister!  That's us, enjoying our sugar tour above.  Knowing how much I adore cupcakes, my aunt had purchased two tickets for The Cupcake Tour of New York by Great New York Tours for us as a Christmas gift.  We saved the tour for a sunny, warm Sunday, when walking through the city & tasting cupcakes sounded perfect.

    
The great cupcake tour met at Union Square, arguably my favorite part of the city, & we walked half a block to Baked by Melissa, a tiny place I have walked past a million times.  Baked by Melissa is famous for its bite-sized, mini cupcakes.  We tried the flavor of the month, Pina Colada, & it was delicious.  Someday I will return to try the signature tie-dye cupcake!

Next, we stopped at Amorino Gelato Artigianale.  Yes, gelato on a cupcake tour!  But once we sampled the incredible, refreshing mango gelato, it became quite clear why a gelato place is included in a cupcake tour.  The gelato is that amazing!

Hands down the cupcake bakery that has my heart, we went to Crumbs Bake Shop next.  I'm a huge fan of Crumbs' gourmet cupcakes & I frequent the Hoboken location a little too much.  I'm happy to report the cupcakes were just as yummy in this NYC location!  We were given our choice of a mini cupcake from their best-seller pack & I was lucky enough to score a tasty cookies and cream cupcake.

After walking through scenic Washington Square Park, we arrived at the charming Molly's Cupcakes to build our own custom cupcake.  Just to sugar us up more than we ever could have imagined, they ran out of mini cupcakes & they offered us regular-sized "Molly" cupcakes instead.  I created a basic vanilla cupcake with french buttercream frosting & topped it with pastel sprinkles.  It looked pretty cute & tasted so good!

When we arrived at the adorable Milk & Cookies Bakery on a charming, tree-lined street in the West Village, my sister & I decided we would take our treat to go.  We skipped the cupcakes in favor of their famous cookies, specifically the Salted Oat Surprise.  I simply couldn't wait until I got home to try it so I ate half of my cookie & I was instantly in cookie heaven! 

Last but not least, we found ourselves on a sweet corner in the West Village at Magnolia Bakery.  Sex & The City fans may recognize this little bakery!  We were treated to a full-size red velvet cupcake with whipped vanilla icing.  My sister & I finally raised our white flag in sugar surrender.  I guess there is such a thing as too many cupcakes.  Those red velvet babies came home with us & my husband & I loved them!

If you're looking for something different to do in Manhattan, I highly recommend The Cupcake Tour of New York.  & not just for the treats, although the cupcakes are obviously the highlight.  The cupcake tour is a fun way to explore the city too.  It gets you away from the hustle & bustle of midtown & showcases some of the more unique, delightful neighborhoods of the city.

One last thing.  Per Molly's Cupcakes, did you know there are cupcake rules?

May your weekend be lovely & sweet!

Photography: Kate Corpuz for Koru Wedding
  

{Wedding Cakes} sweetly green

When I started collecting green images for my St. Patrick's Day theme, I was really surprised & excited to discover a darling collection of green wedding cakes.  I ditched my original idea to feature a few beautiful green wedding details.  After all, these green beauties deserved a post of their own!
  
Green ruffles upon green ruffles make this wedding cake too cute for words:

What is green all over & decorated with icing emeralds & pearls?  An absolutely regal, emerald-inspired wedding cake:

Just the perfect shade of mint green for a lovely wedding cake:

The saying goes an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Does it count if the green apple sits atop a delightful ombre polka dot wedding cake?

A beautiful emerald & white wedding cake demonstrated why emerald is ranked as the Color of 2013 by Pantone, :

It may not be easy being green but these green wedding cakes sure make it look pretty sweet! 

Photo 2: via; Photo 1: via; Photo 2: via; Photo 3: Apryl Ann Photography via; Photo 5: Dallas Curow Photography via

naked

True story- once or twice or many times, I took a tub of cake frosting & a bag of animal crackers & called it dinner.  Yes, I am a huge fan of cake frosting!  Buttercream frosting, cream cheese frosting, vanilla frosting- you name the frosting, I love it.  Still, unfrosted wedding cakes are really growing on me.  I'm not sure I would want to eat one but the naked wedding cakes sure are pretty!

In the prettiest shades of purple, the mini-ombre cake is just fabulous:
 

The three-tiered cake lets its natural beauty shine through with just a perfect dash of powdered sugar, fruit & daisies:

Red velvet cake is a new love of mine; naturally, I adore an unfrosted one that lets its red roots show proudly:

If you're taking the unfrosted wedding cake route, go big or go home with an amazing naked wedding cake display:

Sometimes unfrosted cakes seem a bit messy with the frosting between layers having a mind of its own but here is a clean cut, unfrosted wedding cake decorated with berries & flowers.  A real winner in my eyes:

Naked wedding cakes have never looked so good!  Are you a fan?  More importantly, have you ever eaten cake frosting for dinner?  Please don't let me the only one.


Photo 1: via; Photo 2: via ; Photo 3: via; Photo 4: via; Photo 5: via  

{wedding rings} S'mores Memories

S'mores = YUM!

S'mores + Wedding Rings = Very Cool!

For me, s'mores are not only yummy treats, they hold fond childhood memories.  I can't count the number of times my Grandma & Grandpa gathered as many grandkids as they could for a hot dog & s'mores roast at Huntington Beach in California.  To this day, I can still recall everything: my family laughing, the ocean waves crashing & the warm campfire roasting my marshmallow to perfection on those priceless evenings.  It's never as often or quite the same but we still have fun hot dog & s'mores roasts in Corona Beach, Mexico.  There is just nothing as delicious as a freshly roasted marshmallow sandwiched between graham crackers & chocolate!

That was my long-winded way of telling you why I love this unique wedding ring photo so much!  Any unique wedding ring photos catching your eye lately?

Photography: Paige Winn Photo via

Steel Magnolias

Raise your hand if you love the movie Steel Magnolias.  Is your hand raised?  Mine too.

Now raise your hand if you agree that dear Shelby, she of blush & bashful pink wedding fame, would approve of this precious pink wedding cake decorated with gum paste magnolias!  Is your hand raised again?  Mine too.

I couldn't help but think of Steel Magnolias when I spied the magnolia cake above.  Steel Magnolias is one of my favorite movies, one that grows better & better with age.  I appreciate the idea of women as beautiful, delicate beings who are strong, resilient creatures when needed.  I see more & more examples of steel magnolias as my women friends, family members & I experience heartbreak & tragedy.  It never breaks our beauty or spirit, only makes us shine brighter & better.  Steel magnolias are everywhere!  

Come to think of it, isn't that the perfect description of marriage?  A beautiful, delicate partnership that is strong & resilient when the going gets tough.   

P.S. The pink magnolia cake is much better than the armadillo cake :-)

Photo via

{Sneak Peek} Melissa & Phillip

Here's a juicy sneak peek at the fabulous wedding coming next Wedding Wednesday:

I promise you that it's a beauty that you don't want to miss!  With a sweet love story & a darling autumn wedding to match, Melissa & Phillip's wedding story is sure to inspire.  I can't wait for you to see it!!  Color me very excited!

Till then, Happy Weekend!

Photo by Lauren D. Rogers Photography

white is right

A typical Bride chooses white for her wedding gown; why not choose white for your wedding cake?  White is a simple & classic choice.  These wedding cakes prove white is beautiful!

I like the clean white on white presentation here.  & don't even get me started on the delicate, white sugar flowers cascading down the white cake- LOVE!

Once a classic, always a classic.  I like the fresh flower adornments & silver riser that make this classic white beauty stand out.  

At first glance, I mistook this for a traditional basketweave cake.  Nope, it's just some amazing piping work that makes this a sweet, white beauty of a wedding cake!

The ruffles, the darling white ruffles on this white wedding cake make it pretty special!

Last, but certainly not least, is my favorite white cake in this collection.  The wedding cake is a timeless legend with its tiny dots & (look closely) dainty patterns.  

Divine, every one of these white cakes is absolutely divine.  Almost too divine.  Who would want to cut into these & ruin their beauty?!

Photo 1 Edyta Szyszlo Photography via Photo 2 Laurie Bailey Photography via Photo 3 Fondly Forever Photography via Photo 4 Oh Darling! Photography via Photo 5 Shira Weinberger Photography via

colorFULL

Heaven knows why it's been so long since a fabulous wedding cake has graced the posts of Koru Wedding Style.  Clearly, this situation needs to be fixed right now. Viola, done!

The modern, colorful cake is AMAZING!  Yes, this justifies all caps.  When I first spied the wonderful creation, I thought the tall cake was covered in jelly beans.  Maybe an effect of my Easter state of mind?  Anywho, I realized my mistake- the entire cake is piped from the deepest purple to the whitest white & every color in between.  WOW.  Yup, we need all caps again.  This rainbow creation is just so bright & happy & beautiful.  I can only imagine it tastes as good as it looks!

Are you consistently amazed by the artistry of wedding cakes or is it just me?

Photo by riseandshinebakery

pink

Isn't this pretty, pink cake & its dramatic display oh so romantic?!  

I couldn't think of a better way to end Valentine's Day week than with this heart-stopping image.  Enjoy~ 

Photo by Christian Oth Studio via

Sprinkles on Top

One of my favorite desserts is simple: one scoop of vanilla ice cream with rainbow sprinkles on top.  It's as pretty as it is delicious.

Naturally when I saw this cake covered in rainbow sprinkles, I thought I'd died & gone to sprinkle heaven.  The sprinkles make this cake so bright, colorful & happy- just the right tone for a wedding!  & the satin ribbon is that perfect touch of elegance.  This cake is a sweet winner in my eyes!  


Would you let your favorite dessert topping inspire your wedding cake?  


Photo by Monique Simone Photography via

It's A Wrap! Halloween-Style

Hello, my pretties!  Are you loving the Halloween vibe on Koru Wedding Style?  I sure hope so.  The spooktacular thrills aren't over yet!!  It's A Wrap! is dedicated to creepy & glamorous touches of Halloween weddings.  Let's take a walk on the dark side . . .

The most perfect invitation to a sophisticated Halloween wedding:

 Image by Susan Dean Photography

via Style Me Pretty

Hello, spiderweb Halloween blooms:

Image by Art of Love

via Style Me Pretty

A simple touch of candy corn adds instant fun to this Halloween wedding:

Image by Turn Lose the Art

via Style Me Pretty

"Tricks" Guest Book for a Happy Halloween Marriage:

Image by Amy & Stuart

via Style Me Pretty

A sweet pumpkin ring shot that stills my Halloween-loving heart for this rustic Halloween wedding:

Image by Tonhya Kae Photography

via Style Me Pretty

A vintage Halloween vibe for the frightful dessert table:

 Image by Meg Perotti
via Style Me Pretty

Oh, I love Halloween so & I could go on & on with the stylish inspiration.  In case you're dying for more inspiration, be sure to click the via Style Me Pretty link under each photo.  Now I shall leave you to have a hauntingly good time on this Halloween weekend!  Trick or treat~ 

Fall Spice

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes {Made by Me!}

If there is one thing you haven't seen on Koru Wedding Style, it's cooking & baking.  Let's just say I do not have a natural talent in the kitchen.  Natural disasters in the kitchen, well, I have plenty of those.  However, when I ran across this yummy Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes recipe on Hey Gorg & none of the ingredients or instructions scared me, I decided to give it a whirl.  

Please indulge me as I recount one of my first positive baking experiences.  Ever.

First things first, I lined up my ingredients & supplies.  The less surprises & fruitless searches, the better:

I know lots of great bakers who add just a little bit of this & a little bit of that but I followed the recipe to the letter.  Soon, I had a concoction that looked & smelled like pumpkin spice:

Here is my sous chef Beagle Bailey.  He's pouting at my feet because I had not dropped anything delicious his way:

Soon, my pumpkin spice cupcakes-to-be were ready for the oven:

20 minutes later, these perfect cupcakes emerged from the oven.  I couldn't believe it!

Naked pumpkin spice cupcakes in pink foil for Breast Cancer Awareness Month:

Now the recipe calls for homemade Chocolate Ganache frosting.  I knew I had already pushed my limited baking skills with the cupcakes.  Store bought cream cheese frosting?  Yes, please.

The Pumpkin Spice cupcakes are surprisingly easy & sooooo delicious- I definitely recommend them!  They draw rave reviews that swell this non-baker's heart.  So far, I have brought them to a new Mom & Dad while visiting their newborn & to a hungry crew at a Jets tailgate.  They're just perfect for Halloween parties, Thanksgiving & Fall weddings too!