Amazing Wedding Cakes by Sedona Cake Couture

The Globetrotting Groom and I visited Sedona, AZ this spring and one of the highlights of our trip was getting to meet Andrea Carusetta-Blaut, founder of Sedona Cake Couture. Andrea's beautiful artisan cakes have been enjoyed by celebrities such as Tom Cruise and Kirstie Alley as well as guests lucky enough to be invited to some of the Southwest's most distinctive weddings!

Andrea personally meets with every bride and groom to talk about their wedding, helping them envision their dream wedding cake which ties in all of their important wedding elements (every single cake is one of a kind!). From there, decisions are made regarding colors, cake flavors, fillings and final design. Andrea graciously prepared some cake samples for us and I can definitely say her creations taste as good as they look. Yum!


You may have seen her impeccable designs on the Food Network but if not, here is a little taste. Traditional, quirky, elaborate and simple, Sedona Cake Couture has done it all:

This 5' 2" cake, featuring 1,000 hand made sugar flowers, was designed for an elaborate pink-themed wedding. The couple requested a cake taller than the bride!



This luxurious gold and dark chocolate wedding cake came with matching individual cakes for every guest!

This bride requested a cake with sugar peonies that matched her bouquet:

A Cinderella inspired wedding cake:

I love this trendy new wedding cake topper - Sugar Shoes!

A bridal shower cake for a bride who loves black and white:

A Sedona inspired groom's cake:

Andrea has a great blog too so be sure to take a peek for more cake inspiration. And, tune in next week to learn about some of Sedona's hottest wedding and honeymoon spots.

Have a great weekend!

Looking to incorporate an Indian twist into your wedding?

Love the thought of your very own Monsoon Wedding? If you want to add some exotic Indian wedding traditions into your festivities, here are some ideas:

- You could wear a colorful sari to your rehearsal dinner.

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- You could incorporate vibrant Indian colors and fabrics in your decor.

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- You could have a Mendhi ceremony where brides are intricately decorated with henna "temporary tatoos" pre-wedding. My sister and I had this done on a recent family trip to Texas:

- Or if you're not sure you want to commit to the Mendhi on your body, why not incorporate it into your cake? Just check out this this cake that incorporated this lovely tradition from Lazy Bride.

Ice Ice Baby! Easy DIY project to spruce up your ice!

How pretty are these ice cubes? They are super simple to make so why not add some flair to your summer events? Directions here.



From Primadonna Bride and Brides.

Sugar, Sugar! Thinking Candy Buffet?

Nobody does the candy buffet with more class than Amy Atlas. Check out her super fun, Pucci inspired creations spotted on Style Me Pretty:




Are you the DIY type, check out my exotic candy suggestions here.

Got a Sweet Tooth? Check out this Dylan's Candy Bar Wedding!

If you've ever been to NYC's Dylan's Candy Bar, you know what a fun place it is. I knew it was a popular spot for kid's birthday parties but I had no idea they could do weddings! How fun is this real life wedding? This is certainly not for the shy....

Click here to read the New York Times Vows story about this unique couple who had an on again, off again relationship for 20 years!

The bride wore a borrowed dress made of candy wrappers that was designed for Project Runway.

The wedding canopy was made of giant Whirly Pops and candy-colored balloons.



How cute is this cake? The guests dined on peanut butter and jelly tarts and candy sushi while the couple danced to "Sugar, Sugar."

Wow is all I can say! I'd love to attend a fun-filled party like that.

Skinny Girl Margaritas! Ole!

I learned on Cinco de Mayo that a typical margarita has about 740 calories! I had no idea my favorite cocktail could be as fattening as a cheeseburger...

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Since I love The Real Housewives of New York, I thought I'd share with you Bethany Frankel's recipe for The Skinny Girls Margarita that was featured on the show last week:

The Skinny Girls Margarita

On the Rocks

What you’ll need:

* 2 oz of clear Tequila (100% agave, Patron Silver) count 1, 2 while you pour, no need for measuring
* A splash of fresh lime juice
* A splash of Cointreau, Grand Marnier or Triple Sec

Combine all ingredients over a glass of ice

Garnish with a lime wedge and salt (or sugar) if you’d like.

Since everyone loves a margarita, why not mix up a batch of these for your next bachelorette party or summer BBQ? I think they would also make a great signature cocktail for engagement parties and weddings too.

Give me some sugar!

Prima donna bride posted about these DIY sugar cube hearts and I just had to share.


How fun would they be for a bridal tea party, bridal shower brunch or with after wedding coffee? Click here for the DIY directions.

Willy Wonka would love these Edible Escort Cards!

I saw these Candy Bar Escort Cards over at Elizabeth Anne Designs and immediately said "WOW" out loud. What a super fun, clever and yummy idea!

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These favors/escort cards are easy to DIY with some king-sized Hershey bars and fancy paper. Just click over here for more details.

Jonesing for a cool customized wedding touch?

I love personalized touches for wedding related events so these customized soda bottles from Jones Soda caught my eye.


Just visit myjones.com, upload your photo and personalized text, pick the soda flavor and voila, two-three weeks later, you're personalized sodas are at your doorstep. The flavors are super-fun (think berry lemonade, blue bubblegum, fufu berry, green apple, etc.) and colorful (blue, pink, green. peach, red, etc.). I test drove three flavors and they were all delicious (must be the pure cane sugar). The flavors rotate so be sure to check the site often to find the flavor/colors that match your event.

I think they would be a really fun touch for a bridal shower, engagement party or casual wedding. I also think they'd make great party favors along with a recipe for a signature cocktail.

Eat. Shop Guides for wedding guests and globetrotters

If you're looking for a great destination guide for your Out-of-Towner bags (or your next vacation) you'll want to hear about Eat. Shop Guides.

Currently available for Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, Montreal, New Orleans, New York City, Paris, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Rhode Island, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Twin Cities, Washington D.C (and coming soon for Kansas City, Miami, New England and Vancouver) , these 100+ page glossy guidebooks are filled with fabulous recommendations for tourists and locals alike.

They start with background on neighborhoods, a list of 20 Favorite Things and pages for notes. Inside, you'll find a slew of restaurant picks ranging from street vendor, quick noshes and coffee shops to exotic lounges, ethnic favorites and gourmand pics. The shopping section is equally interesting with suggestions for everything from clothes, antiques, to stationary, baby clothes, home accessories and beauty finds. Each page is filled with photos and enough suggestions to keep you busy for a month or two.

They retail for $14.95-$16.95 but the price drops to $8-10 when you buy more than 74 books or $11-$13 for a half-case (26 books). They're offering Globetrotting Bride readers FREE GROUND SHIPPING on all orders of half-case or larger. Email kaie@eatshopguides for bulk orders.

They'd be a great keepsake for any wedding and a great take along if you're honeymooning in any of these spots.

Snap, snap. I've won the picture tag award

The lovely Jane from In the Waiting Lane tagged me with this fun Picture Tag Award. Here are the instructions:

1) go to your pictures on your computer

2) go to your 6th folder

3) choose the 6th picture in that folder

This not particularly flattering picture of me and my friend Eric is from April 2005. We were having dinner with our then newly engaged friends Beth and Isaac at Spice Market in New York's Meatpacking District. Eric is definitely one of my more fearless friends when it comes to trying new foods. We had a delicious meal and for dessert Eric ordered this pungent Durian ice cream. It was absolutely awful and I don't think we took more than a bite each. I checked the menu and they no longer serve it so the coast is clear.

I pass this along to the following six bloggers:

Amy Jean at The Relentless Bride

Ellen at To The Max

Jamie at It's a Jamie Thing

Jeana at My Dream Ring

Nina at According to Nina

Rachel at Rachel's Ramblins

Globetrotting Bride's Top 10 Valentine's Gifts for Guys

For the guys in your life, here are the top 10 Valentine's gift ideas for guys from the Globetrotting Bride. I won't tell you which one of these I'm getting for the Globetrotting Groom in case he's reading...

For the martini lover, how about this modern Cubist Cocktail Set? I think a Cosmo would look pretty cool in these too.

Here's something he probably doesn't already have...Personalized Boxer Shorts in red, black or gray.

You can't go wrong with cuff links and these Watch Movement Cuff Links will impress the watch lover and gadget guru alike.

Feeling domestic? Why not bake him these adorable Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies or any other delicious looking treats from Bakerella.

For the insomniac, this Projection Alarm Clock and Weather Monitor displays the time and temperature on the ceiling. Much more fun than counting sheep.

For the couch potato, these fuzzy UGG Slippers will keep his toes warm.

Got a foodie? Make him a Personalized Apron with your photo. Here's one I made for the Globetrotting Groom (and yes, I bedazzled it too!).

Speaking of photos, here's a cool Leica Camera that takes amazing close up shots. I used this for my Mexico ring shots.

You can't go wrong with a Wii, Wii Fit, or the million games that will keep him entertained for hours...

Last but not least, this Sling Bag is big enough for his gym clothes or a weekend away, super sturdy and actually looks pretty cool in person.

Globetrotting Bride's Top 10 Valentine's Gifts for Couples

Looking for a Valentine's gift for your favorite couple? Check out Globetrotting Bride's top 10 Valentine's gifts for couples:

I don't know if the Globetrotting Groom would actually wear these but I think these I'm with Cupid his and hers PJs are fun.

These From My Heart To Yours pillowcases or couple's keychains would be cute for the couple who lives together.

How about a heart shaped fondue pot for the couple who likes to entertain?

These Inside Out Champagne Glasses are great for celebratory toasts. Why not add some fancy bubbly too?

For the couple looking to light a fire, these Kissing Candle Holders will do the trick. We got them as an engagement gift and they're great.

They say the way to the heart is through the stomach. How about a decadent dinner for two in your home complete with waitstaff to serve and clean up? Sign me up for the Love Conquers All dinner.

And, last but not least, personalized gifts are always a big hit. I love this Conversation Hearts Personalized Mug (on sale) and these adorable love notes.