Cut the Cake

Impress Your Wedding Guests with a Custom Dessert Table or Candy Buffet

Cake is undoubtedly a traditional wedding element, however experts estimate that only 60 percent of wedding guests actually eat and enjoy the perfectly frosted slice of cake that they are served. How can this be when brides and grooms agonize over the perfect cake-filling-frosting trifecta? The biggest reason why wedding guests pass on cake, is due to preference. Believe it or not, there are some people who simply do not like chocolate (I know, right?!) or butter crème frosting, or even raspberry filling.

Another one of the biggest factors that impacts the amount of uneaten wedding cake, has to do with how it is served. Some banquet facilities and restaurants will give each guest a piece of cake, even if they don’t want it. Others will ask each guest if they would like cake and serve it accordingly, and still others will cut the cake, put it on small plates on a large table, and allow guests to take a slice if they are so inclined. With so much wedding cake going to waste at weddings across the nation, there has to be a better option that will delight guests while still fitting the couple’s overall theme, and adding a visually dynamic element to the overall wedding motif.

Enter the dessert table.

Brides and grooms across the country are increasingly cutting the cake from their wedding day menu in place of a custom dessert table or candy buffet. Why the appeal of the desert table?

Variety.
Forget trying to appease each and every guest with only one dessert. Your guests have given you the gift of spending the most important day of your life with you. Treat them to whatever type of sweet they crave the most. Forget chocolate or vanilla and instead pick both, and add to that cake pops, chocolate covered pretzel sticks, chocolate covered Oreos and macaroons.

Visual Interest

Wedding cakes are lovely and they can certainly act as interesting displays at your reception, but once they have been cut, that design element is gone. Dessert tables and candy buffets add visual interest and will last throughout the evening.

They Enhance Your Theme.
Wedding cakes can be designed to fit the style of your wedding, but only a candy buffet can offer dozens of elements designed to fit your unique wedding color theme.

 

 

They Appeal to Every Type of Post-Dinner Craving
We all have our sweet preferences. Some of your guests are likely to reach for a soft, sweet, frosted cupcake, while others are going to crave salty, crunchy pretzel sticks, or the long-lasting enjoyment of brightly colored rock candy, and still others will be enticed by sour, gummies. Why offer only one dessert option when your guests crave so much more?

They Serve as Additional Wedding Favors
Many of our couples elect to set small baggies out at their candy buffet table at the end of the night and encourage their guests to take a sample of their favorite sweets with them to go. After an evening of celebrating, dancing, laughing and crying tears of joy, what better way to send your guests off at the end of the evening than with a colorful, delicious reminder of a wonderful evening.

They are Perfect for More than Just Weddings
Dessert tables aren’t just a growing trend for couples planning weddings. They are popping up at all types of special occasions. From baby showers, first communions, and mitzvah’s, to birthdays, engagement parties, corporate events, and anniversaries, candy buffets and dessert tables offer event planners a modern alternative to traditional dessert plating’s.

For more information on custom dessert tables and candy buffets, contact the creative team at Sweet by RSVP to me today.

Sweet by RSVP to Me: Edible Party Favors!

“Don’t forget your favor!” We’ve all attended and/or hosted celebrations where favors are given out at the end as a small way of saying thanks for coming! If you could choose what the favor would be at the end of your next party, what would it be?

I bet you didn’t say one of these: candle, matches, coasters, key chain, mini picture frame, hand soap, seeds, bookmark, playing cards, mug, shot glass, letter opener, or trinket box. Instead, I bet you’d chose something that you can EAT! Who doesn’t love a tasty treat?

This is why candy buffets are becoming popular for all kinds of celebrations! A candy buffet is a gorgeous display of candy that is personally designed to complement the theme and/or colors of your event. Guests fill up bags with goodies to eat on the spot or take home with them!

Take a peek into two candy buffets that we have set up recently… the first was for a First Communion celebration.  

And this one for a special Bat Mitzvah celebration!

   

No matter what the occasion, a candy buffet is an awesome option! Consider contacting us for your next event, whether it be a wedding, bridal/baby shower, bar/bat mitzvah, birthday, anniversary, graduation, holiday, first communion, sweet sixteen/quinceanera, welcome home, or bon voyage celebration. We would love to design and assemble a candy buffet that is just right for your special event!

Something Sweet to Welcome their Long-Awaited Sweetheart!

I was honored when Emily, of Emily Photography, asked for my help as she was planning a “Welcome Home” party for their recently adopted daughter, Lyla. I was beyond happy for this amazing family! I just have to share a glimpse into their story…

I met Emily back in 2013 at a wedding that we were both working and we hit it off right away! I learned a bit about her that evening … how she had two adorable and spunky boys at home, but a piece of her heart was overseas. Emily and her husband were in the process of adopting Lyla from Africa. They knew it would be a long and difficult journey, but had no idea of the emotional roller coaster that was in store for them over the next 2 years.

Emily and I stayed in touch, and every time I saw or spoke with her, I hoped for good news on the adoption front! I was excited with her when gains were made, and when Emily went to meet and visit with Lyla for the first time. But, I shed tears on her behalf when I heard of delays and the roadblocks they faced in trying to bring their daughter home. I stood in awe of Emily and her family as they worked through each hardship and sacrificed so much of their time, energy, and resources to do whatever they could to bring this sweet girl home to her forever family.

That’s why, over TWO YEARS later, I was SO THRILLED to learn that Lyla was finally HOME! This was certainly something to CELEBRATE!

So a princess-themed celebration was planned! Emily chose some of her favorite colors, pink and gold, and asked for my help with glittery invitations and a table full of gorgeous goodies for the party! I had so much fun with this custom invitation design, and choosing sweet treats for all of the guests to take home as favors. I loved seeing pictures from this event, especially Lyla’s incredible SMILE! She is where she belongs and you can see it all over her face!

All photos by Emily Photography of course!

I am over-the-moon excited for this special family, especially Emily, whose heart is whole again! (And is NOW bursting with love and joy as they look forward to welcoming another baby boy into their family very soon!) I LOVED working with them for this special event, and I look forward to watching their family grow in numbers and LOVE for one another.

Scooooooby Dooooby Dooo Candy Buffet

Our guests were relieved of all their Mystery guessing skills once they got the invites for the celebration.  The invite was riddled with clues that they were in for one Scooby-riffic party! The tag on the outside of the envelope was the custom dog-tag with our guest of honor’s initials.

The card on the inside was accented with Scooby’s fur pattern along with “Scooby-riffic” to ensure all the guests knew they were attending a one-of-kind Scooby Doo Extravaganza! LIKE ZOINKS!!!

We did it again, another fabulous “mini” dessert table!  We tried to get as much on the table as possible…we would’ve gotten away with it too if it weren’t for those meddling kids and mangy mutt! A special THANK YOU to our friends over at Anna Hurt Photography for capturing these amazing photos and to Sweet & Flour Confections for these yummy treats.

Keeping with the Scooby theme, we had a tower of cookies designed like Scooby’s fur and cookies designed like Scooby’s dog-tag, but of course customized for our special birthday boy!!

It wouldn’t be Scooby Doo without ghosts, right?  Well, we put some spooky flair to Rice Krispie pops and had them as ghoulie ghosts in typical “sheet ghosts” fashion.

What way to top of the treats other than a bag of Scooby snacks?? It was a must-have!  It completed our look and was a huge hit with the kids.

Like ZOINKS!!! We can’t leave Scooby’s bearded best friend off the table!  We snuck in some sugar cookies with Shaggy’s famous saying.

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves with this table. The smiles and cheers as the kids saw the goodies made all the planning and hard work worth it.

I hope as you read this, you find yourself both drooling over the yummy treats, and reminiscing about your favorite childhood mystery solvers!!

“Tee Hee Hee Heeeeee”
                    -Scooby Doo


Phtographer: Anna Hurt Photography  
Goodies: Sweet & Flour Confections

‘RSVP to me’ Best of 2013

We can’t believe 2013 has come and gone so quickly! Thanks to SO many wonderful clients, ‘RSVP to me‘ had an amazing year. To celebrate the last few hours of 2013, we’re taking a look back and highlighting some of our favorite moments. Sit back, relax, and countdown with us before the clock strikes midnight!

10. It’s officially engagement season and we recently shared all types of wedding stationery to cover every step of your engagement. Save the Date cards are a great way to ask guests to mark their calendars ahead of time. This piece of stationery will be the very first piece of mail they’ll receive, so have fun with the design and set the tone for your big day! Below is a calendar style Save the Date designed in a bright shade of coral.

9. In addition to custom invitations and stationery for weddings and special events, we also design promotional material too! We LOVE how this pocket came out for EV Band. Inside, they added a CD sample of their amazing music. Thank you to one of our designers, Cassie Garcia, for putting together the logo and layout of this design!

8. Bridal shows are a great way for engaged couples to enjoy a night out and meet with some of the best vendors in the wedding industry! Here we are showcasing our beautiful custom invitations and stationery at the (201) Bride show, which was held at the Ramsey Golf and Country Club back in October.

7. Wedding invitations have come a long way over the years. Couple’s now have options to include just about anything they want to showcase their personalities and wedding theme. These boxed invitations embellished with starfish surely gave guests something to talk about!

6. We also began honoring some of our outstanding couples by sharing “Real Wedding Spotlights.”We first met Ashley and her fabulous mom back in November of 2012. We all worked together to create a beautiful invitation that incorporated the colors and style they had in mind. Below is their rustic, yet very elegant wedding invitation. You can read more about their wedding details and view more of the wedding photographs here!

5. Back in August, we announced a new addition to the ‘RSVP to me‘ family. Jen is one of our custom invitation designers, who we absolutely love working with us. Here’s one of the fabulous proofs Jen has worked on and don’t forget to read her Q&A here if you missed it!

4. When we’re not designing and assembling invitations and day-of stationery, we’re creating one-of-a-kind candy buffets and dessert tables with our sister brand, ‘SWEET by RSVP to me‘. Over the past year, we had so much fun [working alongside some of the best in the industry] creating eye-catching tablescapes. Below is a nautical candy buffet we designed for a very special fundraising event at The Old Mill Inn.

3. Glitter invitations has been a HUGE trend here at ‘RSVP to me‘! It’s modern, fun, elegant, and will really WOW your guests! Below is one of our custom glitter invitations adorned with lace and a rhinestone brooch all wrapped up in a pretty metallic pocket fold!

2. Hard work and dedication always pays off and it’s wonderful to be acknowledged. We’re always grateful when our designs are featured in top magazines and wedding blogs. This year, we’ve been blessed to be seen in Contemporary Bride Magazine’s Spring/Summer 2013 and Fall/Winter 2013 editions.

Contemporary Bride Magazine Spring/Summer 2013 Features

Contemporary Bride Magazine Fall/Winter 2013 Features

1. Although we shared in so many wonderful occasions, the birth of our daughter, Remy Alexandre, is the best moment that’s happened to us in 2013. We announced her arrival with polka dot pattern card stock, along with her photo and details. This custom birth announcement is one that will hold a very special place in our hearts forever.

Thank you to each and every one of our clients and friends for making 2013 an amazing year! Here’s to an even better 2014!

Life is Short, Eat SWEETS!

If you don’t know already, all of us here at ‘RSVP to me‘ are completely obsessed with all things pretty AND SWEET. It’s actually two of our guilty pleasures! When we’re not designing and assembling custom wedding invitations and day-of stationery, we’re creating one-of-a-kind candy buffets and dessert tables with our sister brand, ‘SWEET by RSVP to me‘. This fun trend has become a staple for any type of party that combines three of our favorite things- candy, chocolate and stationery. Custom candy buffets and dessert tables are a great way to not only thank guests for being a part of your special day, but it can also become an eye-catching detail for your reception. From apothecary jars, decorative glass, and platters to coordinated table linens, decor, customized labels, and more, you’re guests will be in for a delicious and fun experience that will leave a lasting impression! Here’s a small look at some of our past custom candy and dessert tables we designed, but we must warn you that these special treats are sure to tempt! Don’t forget, this is a great idea for ANY occasion, especially weddings and even your upcoming holiday party.

Custom red, white and blue candy buffet designed by ‘SWEET by RSVP to me’

Chocolate-covered Oreos & favor boxes with custom monogram labels

Custom green and yellow candy and dessert bar designed by ‘SWEET by RSVP to me’

No candy buffet is complete without this all-time favorite candy! Do you agree?

Martine & Kurt’s candy display featuring French macarons.

Shore/Nautical themed candy display – Don’t you just love the props?

Chocolate & Malts Candy

A winter-themed candy display isn’t complete without mini chocolate SNO-CAPS and blue raspberry rock candy for a little sparkle.

Once the dancing is over and your special day comes to an end, there’s no better way to send guests home than with sweet memories and savory favors! Contact us today for a SWEET experience!

"The Glam Fairy", Alexa Prisco of ‘Jerseylicious’ is having a baby!!

Recently, I had the pleasure of helping during the design for a very special baby shower…for “The Glam Fairy” herself, Alexa Prisco – of ‘Jerseylicious’ fame.  It was such an honor and pleasure to work with such a fine and fun group of women during the design – to name a few…Kim Myl of Lulu’s Event Design who planned the entire gorgeous event; Trish of ‘Karma Flowers’ who provided the amazingly beautiful florals & candle decor; and Kenia of ‘I Love Cake Pops’, who provided her delicious cake pops that always go over SO well!  The event was as chic and glamorous as one would expect for “The Glam Fairy”.  Needless to say, doing the stationery and the custom candy buffet was such a treat for me.

Alexa Prisco had hopes of having a true one of a kind bash that was nothing but glamorous and stylish.  Kim from Lulu’s Event Design helped to turn these dreams into a reality for The Glam Fairy, and I am so honored to have been part of this celebration.

‘RSVP to me’ created the adorable “It’s a Girl” tags for the OPI nail polish favors – SUCH a cute idea for favors, right?!  They definitely went along with the whole “glamorous” theme!  The custom word find puzzles were also fun to create for Alexa’s guests. Finally, the idea of a candy buffet table was thrown into the mix and it seemed to be the hit of the party. Alexa stated in her blog the following: “One of my favorite parts of the party was the Candy Bar by RSVP to me!  This was such a hit with all my family members who have just as much as a sweet tooth as I do.  An incredible interactive way for guests to have fun and embrace their inner child!  I loved the oversized vintage candy jars with customized labels and fun black damask bags for guests to fill that said “Alexa’s Baby Shower!” (see the whole blog at http://www.theglamfairy.com/blog/?p%3D647).

So, I just wanted to take a minute and thank Alexa Prisco, “The Glam Fairy” herself, AND Kim of Lulu’s Event Design for allowing me to be a part of this fabulous celebration! We wish Alexa and Danny all the happiness in the world, especially when they welcome their sweet baby girl!!

* All photos courtesy of JargaPix*

David Tutera’s "My Fair Wedding" with RSVP to me airing again on Thursday the 27th at 2pm and 10pm eastern

If you missed the premier airing of the episode of David Tutera‘s My Fair Wedding that featured RSVP to me‘s wedding stationery, you are in luck. The Wizard of Oz episode will air again on Thursday, January 27th at 2pm and 10pm eastern time on WEtv.

If you like RSVP to me’s wedding stationery, you should check out the candy buffets. Sweet by RSVP-to-me creates custom candy buffets and dessert tables for all occasions.

Here is a blog post on the candy buffet Sweet by RSVP to me created for a bar mitzvah at the Hard Rock Cafe at Yankee Stadium.

Sweet by RSVP to me’s candy buffet at the Hard Rock Cafe – Yankee Stadium

Here is a picture of the candy buffet Sweet by RSVP to me created for a bar mitzvah at the Hard Rock Cafe at Yankee Stadium. It was a HUGE hit with the kids. They were literally “like kids in a candy store” as they devoured the delicious treats on the table. We did Reese’s cups and Milky Ways, chocolate baseballs, candy coated chocolates, Mike and Ikes, taffy, licorice, sour straws, rock candy and lots more. The best were the 3 inch whirly-pops that looked awesome all lined up.

Definitely check out the Hard Rock Cafe at Yankee Stadium. It’s a cool place.

Photo by Anna Hurt

A sweet response to ‘Sweet’

I am so happy with the response I’m getting to the new ‘sweet’ candy buffet business. In the few short weeks it’s been around, I’ve had some MAJOR venues interested in contracting my services.

A few weeks ago, I displayed a full candy buffet table at the Celebrate Party Showcase in Tarrytown, NY. Elise and Flora put on a great show, thanks!! There was enough candy for 200 people – and I brought along some custom decorated chocolates too! The response was overwhelmingly positive. People literally stopped in their tracks to take a look (and a taste) of the blue and green themed candy. I brought along 200 special chocolate favors to hand out to the guests of the show. They were completely gone in two hours. Unfortunately, the show lasted for five hours and I had to fight off the crowd the rest of the time to keep my display intact. Went through 150 brochures also….I’ll bring more next time.

At the end of the show, I handed out the custom chocolates that I brought for the display. They were a HUGE hit. Of course, I had to eat some too…the brownie pops are the best!!! There also were chocolate covered oreos, chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate lollipops and chocolate covered marshmallows on a stick (my husband’s favorite). I met some great people at the show, including some venues that are interested in ‘Sweet’.

I’ve got the new brochure up on the web. It tells you all about ‘Sweet’. Click HERE to see it.

The website is under construction, but it should be up and running soon. The web address is www.rsvp-to-me.com/sweet.htm .