Best-Dressed Desserts

Spring/Summer 2013

WRITER CREDIT:

PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT:

Best-Dressed Desserts | Beautiful things happen when three Charleston cake pros are inspired by a host of stunning, locally designed gowns

Charleston Wedding charleston fashion week fashion fashion week wedding wedding cake Wedding Cakes by Jim Smeal White Carol Hannah Whitfield Flowers gown lulakate pearls Rachel Gordon

Style intern Kristy Lui and Charleston Weddings Editorial Assistant Molly Hutter carry gowns and mannequins (on loan from LulaKate) into the house at Lowndes Grove Plantation

Kristy steams LulaKate’s “Novak” gown smooth. The cover of the 2008 Charleston Weddings was shot in this room

The “Versailles” corset and skirts from Carol Hannah Whitefield were flown in from Los Angeles just for the day, as they on loan from a trunk show there. After they debut on the runways, the gowns travel throughout the states at trunk shows and photo shoots; getting them in can be tricky business as their itineraries are as packed as any celeb’s.

The corseted bustier retails for $2,095.

Katherine McDonald of LulaKate suggested we add this handmade flower to the “Novak” gown for a little embellishment.

6lauren_creel0095_0.jpg

The mannequin was a size 4 and “Versailles” fit it like a glove, but still, Kristy needed a little help from Charleston Weddings editor Melissa Bigner to zip it up.

Tada! Here “she” is, all pieced together.

Photographer Andrew Cebulka, of HeirloomCreative, captures details of the dress to show what inspired the corresponding cake.

Of course some options needed real champagne.

Hayden of Ashley Bakery left a repair kit for her cake, and in moving it, the icing got smudged, so Melissa tried to brush out the ripple. It may seems silly, but when you want a smoothly iced cake, sugar water and a paint brush and icing spatula are handy.

Yes, we ate it after shooting it. And yes, it was amazing.

We tried several scenarios with the cakes and dresses, and eventually we decided to pull back the pretty rugs as they competed too much with the cakes, gowns, and draperies.

Rachel Gordon's "Sirenia" gown

Check out the diamond patterns Tammy Pilcher of Cakes by Kasarda fashioned to mimic the beading on Rachel's gown. She says she stayed up till 4 a.m. the night before working on the cake.

We loved the "Versailles" gown from Carol Hannah Whitfield so much we had it flown in for the day from Los Angeles.

The handcut details on the corset give a lacey look to the fabric.

A firm believer that a cake has to taste as good as it looks, Hayden marbled the layers and spread decadent filling between each one.

LulaKate’s “Novak” trumpet gown

A custom floral pin appliqué from LulaKate inspired what Jim Smeal called “big, floppy flowers” on the cake.

The back gathering room at Lowndes Grove Plantation provided a stately backdrop for the shoot.

Jim’s collection of cake stands is rivaled only by the antiques in the plantation home, including this scrolled side table.

For the shoot, we chose Carol Hannah’s “Versailles” corset and paired it with one of her a long, flowing skirts. You can also order shorter skirt pairings for a flirty look.

The corset’s cutouts and appliqués gave Hayden plenty of design inspiration.

Tammy layered strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate cake for a Neapolitan effect.

DECADENT DESIGN: White gown, white cake—see the connection? Show off the intricacies of your fancy frock by recreating details (floral appliqués, lace patterns, beadwork) in icing and fondant for everyone to enjoy. The cake becomes sculptural, and the gown’s finer points are showcased. Scroll down to see the gowns and cakes we commisioned for this story, and click on the galleries at right for bonus images and backstage shots of the shoot.

The Cake:
“The beadwork motivated me to recreate the pearls on the cake in edible decorations,” says Tammy Pilcher of Cakes by Kasarda. “Neapolitan” cake flavors (vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate) make up the 12 layers, which are filled with fudge, buttercream, and strawberry jam. Serves: 90 ($1,030)

The Dress:
A blanket of pearls sewn into diamond patterns envelops the bodice of the “Sirenia” dress by Rachel Gordon. Each of her gowns is custom-designed for brides who come to her ONE LOVE atelier on King Street.

The Cake:
“The flowing, wavy lines on the fabric inspired the design,” says Jim Smeal of Wedding Cakes by Jim Smeal. The almond cake with almond-praline filling and iced in Italian buttercream is just as noteworthy for its lack of fondant as it is for its sublimely sophisticated look. An ace with buttercream, Jim fashioned the fluffy flowers from icing alone—a true feat. Serves: 150 ($1,200)

The Dress:
Katherine McDonald of LulaKate calls this gown from her 2013 collection the “Novak,” as its va-va-voom namesake (silver screen legend Kim Novak) made waves every time she donned her signature fitted, femme gowns. Made of cotton-silk embroidered organza imported from Spain, the strapless dress wears a wave pattern, and looks especially fetching with a LulaKate fabric posy pinned at the waist.

The Cake:
“The texture of the gown made me want to touch it!” says Hayden Campbell of Ashley Bakery. Carol Hannah’s modern interpretation of lacework and floral embellishments led Hayden to mimic those elements and offset the top tier in an irreverent way. The taste is still decadently traditional: vanilla cake marbled with chocolate ganache and filled with chocolate mousse. Serves: 45 ($700)

The Dress:
Carol Hannah Whitfield’s two-piece “Versailles” gown is crafted of silk mikado and chiffon with a bodice that cascades into a peplum of hand-cut organza. Tiny silver-gray pearls add shimmer to small flowers that dot the corset, lovingly designed by the fashionista who got her start at Charleston Fashion Week®.

Shot on location at Lowndes Grove Plantation, www.lowndesgrove.com

The Wedding Row

July 23 2021

Rethink the Traditional Bridal Portrait

Been wondering why go the extra mile for a bridal portrait shoot? While the tradition began in Southern Europe, at a time when affluent families would hire an artist to paint the picture, we’ve come...

July 8 2021

Alice DuRant & Quinn Foster | Runnymede Plantation

Like any solid relationship, Ali DuRant and Quinn Foster’s foundation began in friendship. They met at a July Fourth party on Sullivan’s Island in 2013. But it was a fated bus ride to a USC vs. UGA...

June 24 2021

Lauren & Bo | The Parsonage

You can’t have your cake and eat it too. Or can you? The old adage implying you can’t have it both ways didn’t ring true with Lauren Margaret Snyder and Robert “Bo” William Bledsoe’s May 1st...

June 14 2021

Wedding Color Palette | Add Panache with Metallic Rose Gold

Need ideas for your wedding color palette? If you missed this bold and beautiful mock wedding (inspired by a to-die-for metallic rose gold Shelby Cobra convertible) in the latest installment of...

April 29 2020

Brittany and Philip | Magnolia Plantation & Gardens | Carriage House

Love’s Timeline New Yorkers Philip (Phil) and Brittany (Britt) Mcphail’s first brief meeting was at a concert. Five years later, at Britt’s cousin’s house, the two happened to...

April 28 2020

Laura-Brooke & Ryan | Charleston Rehearsal Dinner

A Charleston Rehearsal Dinner | Introductions Laura-Brooke and Ryan both grew up in Florence, South Carolina, but they didn’t meet until a college spring break trip to Myrtle Beach in 2015. The S.C....

April 23 2020

Krista & Tony | Magnolia Plantation & Gardens | Wedding Rain Plan 101

But What If It Rains? Anybody who has ever planned a wedding has asked themselves this question. When you’re spending big money and planning for months, nobody wants the forecast to quite...

April 22 2020

Stacy & Andrew | Historic Rice Mill

“Falling” In Love Picture this. You’re in college, on your way to class. Your crush steps out of the building door two feet in front of you … and you immediately trip over your shoes. You...

Feature

Rich in Love

Two foodies—he’s worked at Oceana, The Obstinate Daughter, and Wild Olive and she’s penning her first cookbook—tie the knot on All Hallows’ Eve at the bride’s family home on Sullivan’s Island