Jumping on the Cakesicle Bandwagon

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We’re back with a twist on our classic cakesicle tutorial! These fun drip cakesicles look like mini ice creams but won’t melt in this hot weather!

(N.B. chocolate might go a bit soft if left out in the heat)

Go wild with whatever colour you want to create these eye-catching sweet treats.

They would work perfectly as wedding favours, hen party treats or even canapés after your ceremony. I doubt anyone would be able to resist picking up one of these!

One of the best things about making cakesicles is that you can use any cake you fancy to create the insides of these cute treats. If you have leftover cake (what’s that?!) or offcuts then you can easily use those and you can bask in the knowledge that you’re also reducing food waste!

A top tip for creating a natural looking drip is to hold the cakesicle vertically when adding the melted chocolate/candy melts with a piping bag to the coated cakesicle. Gravity will work it’s magic and the ‘drips’ will travel down the cakesicle.

Make sure to add your sprinkles before your drip has set. Sprinkles will stick to the melted chocolate but won’t once it has set.

For the drip tutorial we used some chocolate cupcakes we had leftover, but you can use your favourite cake recipe or check out the simple vanilla cake recipe we used for our original cakesicle tutorial below.

Vanilla Cake recipe – (will make approx 18 cakesicles)

  • 115g butter
  • 115g caster sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1tsp vanilla extract
  • 115g self raising flour

We used an 8″ cake tin. Bake at 160ºC (fan) for approximately 20 minutes.

Buttercream/frosting –

  • 75g butter
  • 175g icing sugar
  • 1tsp vanilla extract

Approximately 400g chocolate to coat all the cakesicles

Cakesicle mould used – Silikomart Mini Ice Cream Silicone Bar Mould Set, Classic, White* (Affiliate link – we receive a small share of any sales made through this link)

Funcakes Pink Deco Melts – https://bit.ly/33YwYJB

-Bride Society

Good Things Come in Small Packages

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The Perks of Small Weddings

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So we have found ourselves in the unexpected age of the ‘small’ wedding, thanks COVID-19.  Although it may not have been what you planned and hoped for, it dawned on us that there are a few very good reasons why the petite wedding deserves its day in the spotlight, that isn’t all about germs!  

If you’re here because the pandemic has forced you to make the choice between downsizing or postponing, firstly we want to acknowledge how much that genuinely sucks. We’re so sorry your special day isn’t going to plan and for all the stress and anxiety that has likely come with that. We appreciate there are pros and cons to whatever decision you have made / make from here and you’ve no doubt been having those continuously circulating around your minds for the past few months.

Or indeed if you’re reading this in post-Covid times (hooray!) and are trying to weigh up how you want things to go down, then take a gander at this!  You do you, bigger is not always better…

With this in mind, we decided to take a look into the pros and perks of the smaller wedding…sharing our thoughts, keeping it positive and sharing our experiences of attending smaller weddings…and even how to get the best of both worlds.

To all those of you out there who’s wedding ceremonies and receptions continue to be impacted by the ongoing pandemic and government restrictions around the world, know that our hearts go out to you.

–Bride Society

Ice Cream without the Chill

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How to make Neapolitan ‘Ice Cream’ Cupcake Cones

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We’re back with the sweet treats this week, and while they may not cool you down like an ice cream would, these cupcake ‘ice cream’ cones are certainly a crowd pleaser!

Perfect for a summer treat, or how about a unique alternative to a wedding/party cupcake tower.

Three flavours of cake batter (chocolate, vanilla and strawberry) make up these Neapolitan cupcakes and we’ve kept the decoration classic with a ’99’ buttercream swirl and flake. But you could decorate however you fancy! Why not add sprinkles or a sauce (or both!)?

Recipes (to make 6 cones):

Vanilla cake –
2oz butter
2oz caster sugar
1 egg
2oz self raising flour
1tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate cake –
2oz butter
2oz caster sugar
1 egg
2oz self raising flour
1oz melted chocolate

Strawberry cake –
2oz butter
2oz caster sugar
1 egg
2oz self raising flour
1tbsp strawberry jam

Add a spoonful of each mix into the cones (as 3 layers). Leave room at the top of the cone to allow the cake to rise. Bake at 160oC (fan) for 20 minutes.

Buttercream (for 6 cupcake cones plus leftover)
125g butter
295g icing sugar
2tsp vanilla extract (optional)


These flat bottomed cones are perfect as they stand up easily by themselves!

We’d love to see your pictures if you give them a go. Tag us in your photos over on Instagram.

-Bride Society

We Are Three!

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This week we turned 3, which got us thinking about the journey that’s brought us here.

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1.9k Instagram followers

860 YouTube subscribers

500 Instagram posts

158 YouTube videos

To date, you lovely lot have viewed our videos 163.7k times and spent 6.1k hours watching them!  Thank you!  We spend a lot of time, energy and passion on this project – as you might imagine, so much more goes in to everything you see from us than just that finished product…so we truly do appreciate every minute each of you takes out of your lives to spend time with us on YouTube and our other platforms.  You’re the best!

We have loved being a part of this bridal community (…we may have been in denial that our own weddings were over…be gone post wedding blues!) and we really hope that you find a gem of wisdom or a spark of inspiration amongst these 158 videos that helps you on your own wedding planning journey (and if we haven’t already said so, congrats on your engagement!).

2020 has been a strange year for all of us, but we’re excited to see what the year ahead holds, especially in what is set to be a bumper wedding year!  Love is not cancelled! (For those of you that cannot currently see me, I’m fist bumping the air right now!)

We hope you enjoy this quick look back at the past 3 years in a nostalgic trip down Bride Society Lane as we say, “Happy Birthday, Us”…

Thank you for being along for our ride and we hope this is only the beginning of the excitement.

With love,

Rebecca and Laura at Bride Society xx

Dipped Delight

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Chocolate Coated Strawberries

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The perfect dessert – hits the sweet spot AND provides you with healthy vitamins!  Strawberry season is in its stride…Wimbledon may not be on this year, but the strawberries are still coming out!

Chocolate strawberries are the ideal summer wedding (or party!) treat, served with afternoon tea, or as part of your dessert table.  And FYI, we’re ALL about the dessert table!

Dark or white chocolate (we’ve used both!), so many toppings and ways to decorate…you’ll have just as much fun making them as you will eating them, I’ve made sure!  Serve them up as favours, or simply pop favours bags next to them on the dessert table so your guests can pick their favourites and take them home (bonus: no worries about your guests being too full after the wedding breakfast to enjoy the ‘extras’!).

Check out this week’s video to learn how to create your own gourmet strawberry masterpiece!

We are using:

  • Strawberries
  • White chocolate
  • Dark Chocolate
  • Crushed Oreos
  • Crushed Biscoff
  • Chopped nuts
  • Desiccated coconut
  • Gold sprinkles

Having a go? Tag is in your photos of your chocolate strawberry creations over on Instagram!

NB. If possible, when using white chocolate, try to avoid any containing Madagascan vanilla – although extra tasty, it is harder to work with in melted form (I forgot to read the small print whilst shopping!).

*Please take care not to touch the sides of the porringer with your hand, it will be hot.

—Bride Society

Paper Flower Power

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Tissue Paper Peonies

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Peony season is coming to an end, but it doesn’t have to!  Peonies are up there in my list of favourite flowers…maybe it’s because before they fully open, they look like delicious scoops of ice cream!  Just me?  In fact my own wedding bouquet was mostly made up of white peonies, so they’ll always mean something special to me now. 

You may have guessed by now; peonies are the inspiration for today’s video!  We’re making these high-impact, statement flowers out of tissue paper!  I’m using tissue paper I have left over from various sources, like delivery packaging, shopping and birthday gifts to give it a second life – hello upcycling – by turning it in to a decoration you could use on your wedding day.

We’ve got step-by-step instructions for you here.  All you will need is:

  • 9 x sheets 15cm2 pink tissue paper (or whatever colour you want your peony to be!)
  • 1 x sheet 15cm2 yellow/cream tissue paper (to represent the pollen)
  • Garden wire
  • Scissors

(Makes 1 flower)

Having a go?  We’d love to see your floral creations!  Tag us in your photos over on Instagram @bridesociety_uk.

—Bride Society

Start the Day the Tasty Way

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Bridal Brunch: Cinnamon Buns (/Rolls)

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The perfect morning pastry, served warm that melts in the mouth.  So basically works on any given day, but if you’re starting to think about your wedding morning, this would have to be up there as the perfect way to start the day with your ‘maids.

I started making these at home after I learnt what a family favourite they were for my OH.  We’d stay at my MIL’s house and I’d wake up to the smell of freshly baked cinnamon buns for breakfast (well, in truth I’d wake up to the banging of pans and whirring of the electric mixer, but eventually the alluring smell reaches me!). 

I’ve experimented with and tweaked my recipe over time, my husband has put in the hard yards as taste tester – a sacrifice like no other, and now that I’m told my cinnamon baking skills have reached perfection, I figured it was time to spread the cinnamon love.

So enjoy your bridal brunch, or indeed any brunch, any day!  I hope you find this recipe tasty and that these step-by-step instructions make the process easy.

Here’s what you need…

Ingredients (makes 10-13 buns)
Dough:
• 300ml whole milk, lukewarm
• 25g caster sugar
• 2 tsp dried active yeast
• 500g strong white flour (plus extra for dusting)
• 1 tsp salt
• 85g unsalted butter, softened

Filling:
• 50g unsalted butter, softened (plus extra for topping)
• 80g soft dark brown sugar
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 50g raisins (optional)

Serving these buns of joy?  Tag us in your photos over on Instagram @bridesociety_uk, we’d love to see your baking creations.

—Bride Society

A Hen’s Gotta Do What A Hen’s Gotta Do

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Virtual Hen Party Ideas

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Lockdown and social distancing have definitely put more than just a spanner in the works for so many of your plans, including your hen party / bachelorette! And whilst we know your plans are postponed rather than cancelled, we thought it would still be a great idea to mark your original date with a virtual celebration! It may not be the one you planned, but it’ll certainly be unique and memorable! With that in mind, we’ve put together some of our favourite ideas for what you can get up to at your ‘Virtual Hen Party / Bachelorette’! Cluck cluck!

Got other virtual hen / bachelorette party ideas? Share your ideas with other hens / bachelorettes in the comments below and tag us in your photos over on Instagram @bridesociety_uk.

—Bride Society

Hanging with the Best

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DIY Personalised Wedding Hanger

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On the wedding morning as the bride-to-be is getting ready, the photographer always tries to capture a shot of the wedding gown.  They know how many hours you spent looking at dresses, travelling to boutiques, trying so many of them on until you found ‘the one’…so of course they would capture it in all its pristine glory as a memory for you to treasure.

In fact it’s hard to believe that the current trend of personalising wedding dress / bridesmaid dress hangers hasn’t been around for longer!  Such a beautiful touch for the photos, but also something your bridesmaids can keep after the day…with the added bonus that it prevents confusion over who’s dress is who’s!

We’re mixing it up from the more common approach of attaching vinyl directly to the hangers, by adding a ribbon.  Change the colour of the ribbon and the text to suit your colour scheme and style…you can easily add your wedding date and ‘bridesmaid’, ‘bride’ or ‘flower girl’ text to the name once you’ve learnt the steps.

For this tutorial we’re using a Cricut Maker machine.  If you’re new to Cricut and are crafting for your wedding, this DIY is the perfect place to start with step-by-step instructions to get you on the road to vinyl success!

Materials we used (with product links if you need them!):

NB. This video is not made in association with Cricut or Hobbycraft. There are no affiliate links listed here. If you choose to use other materials or equipment to make this project, please refer to the Cricut website as instructions will vary slightly. The Cricut website has a really useful heat guide for transferring your vinyl if you’re using different equipment/materials to ours, take a look.

Having a go?  We’d love to see your hanger creations!  Tag us in your photos over on Instagram @bridesociety_uk.

—Bride Society

Get Them Started

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Engagement ‘Starter Pack’

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When I was planning my wedding, a big part of what made the whole experience so special was how much everyone around me seemed to love a wedding…the interest, the positivity, the excitement! So now when friends / family announce their engagements, I’m immediately so excited for them and always want to find a way to help make the experience extra special for them too…enter ‘the engagement starter pack‘!

So if you’re looking for a gift idea for the newly engaged couple in your life, I’ll let you have this one! Simply assemble a selection of items focussed on helping them on their wedding planning journey. In this video we are showing you what we put in ours to give you a little inspiration for what you can do…. (Once we’re allowed out again that is!)

Putting together your own engagement pack? Let us know what you’re putting in yours in the comments below and tag us in your photos over on Instagram @bridesociety_uk.

NB. Please note this video footage was filmed prior to the Covid-19 lockdown in the UK and therefore social distancing was not in place at this time. We are both now safely in our own homes.

— Bride Society

For Adults Only

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Elderflower and Prosecco Ice Lollies

Adults only treat inspiration to cool down on these warm and sunny days!

These elderflower and prosecco ice lollies can be taken to the next level by adding edible flowers (we’ve used borage) or fruit such as raspberries or lemon slices.

It could not be simpler – all you need is a mould that will fit in your freezer. If you haven’t got a mould that has sticks included, you can use traditional lolly sticks. Just wait for about an hour into freezing to add them to the lollies. This stops the sticks from falling over in the liquid.

These lollies need to be eaten quickly once removed from the freezer. (Although I’m sure they won’t be around for long anyway!)

If you don’t fancy an alcoholic lolly, why not substitute the prosecco for lemonade?

If you’re planning a summer wedding, these could be perfect for your guests to enjoy during your drinks reception.

-Bride Society

Something Blue

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Inspiration for your ‘something blue’.

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I guess right now a lot of us might be feeling somewhat blue, but this ‘something blue’, is all positive.  There are many, many traditions associated with weddings, and amongst them I’m sure many of you have heard the rhyme;

“Something old,
something new,
something borrowed,
something blue,
and a sixpence in her shoe.”

This rhyme has been a such a strong tradition for many years with couples, myself included, giving at least a nod to it by incorporating some or all the elements in to their day.  For me, I had a handkerchief that was my grandmother’s which had blue flowers on it – so old, borrowed and blue were all covered off in one go – efficient!  The ‘new’, well that was basically everything else and whilst I didn’t have a sixpence in my left shoe, a guest did give me one as a gift. 

We set about thinking of ways you could incorporate the ‘something blue’ (which is said to represent love, purity and fidelity) into your wedding, ranging from flashy to subtle, modern to sentimental for today’s video.  Check out what we came up with here:

Do you have other ‘blue’ ideas?  Let us know in the comments if you’re planning on honouring this tradition and how.  Remember you can check out our Pinterest board that goes with this video here.

NB.  Please note this video footage was filmed prior to the Covid-19 outbreak in the UK and therefore social distancing was not in place at this time. 

—Bride Society

Hoppy Easter!

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Bunny Napkin Folding DIY

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This spring presents more challenges than most, perhaps you’ve had to postpone your wedding or your Easter Sunday family gathering is not going to be what you’d envisioned.  This year is going to be different for sure, but we’ve been trying to concentrate our thoughts on what we can still do…so whether it be for a smaller than expected Sunday dinner with those you live with, or you’re thinking ahead to your wedding reception this time next year when all of this is over, we thought these adorable bunny napkins would be a great addition to your tables.

It’s something crafty to do, either by yourself or with the kids (crafts are not just for kids!) that really doesn’t require many materials –seeing as access to supplies is limited right now, and can be done well ahead of time.  You literally just need a paper napkin, NOTHING ELSE!!

My personal napkin supply was running a little low when I shot this tutorial, so I had to resort to using this slightly scrappy one that’s been used as a prop in previous Bride Society videos/photos, but it does the job and it’s a time for being resourceful! 

NB, Materials: My paper napkin is 19x19cm – I wouldn’t recommend starting much smaller than that if you can avoid it as the folding process makes them fairly petite.  You can alternatively use fabric napkins, they are just a little less cooperative.

I realised after making this, with the intention of it being used for dining purposes, that it also makes quite a fun finger puppet!  Do with that what you will.

Cute, fun, practical and relaxing…time to start folding!

Share your bunny photos with us over on Instagram by tagging us @bridesociety_uk.

Hoppy Easter, with love from Bride Society x

A Peek Behind the Curtain

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A Week in the Life of a Wedding Supplier – Exhibiting at a Wedding Fair

N.B. What a difference 6 weeks makes! Please note this was filmed in February before everything escalated in the UK. We hope you’re all keeping safe and staying home if you’re able to.

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If you’ve ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of preparing to exhibit at a wedding fair then you’ve come to the right place! Alongside Bride Society, I (Laura) also run a wedding cake business in the East Midlands. Back in February I exhibited at the Wedding Event with a Difference in Nottingham and thought I would film the week running up to the fair to give you a glimpse of what goes on.

So get ready for a week in the life of a wedding supplier; involving a lot of chat, paint, polystyrene fake cakes, dried flowers and some actual real cake!

Despite the lovely weather in the week, unfortunately Storm Dennis hit on the day so it wasn’t ideal conditions for heading out. But that didn’t seem to put a dampener on things and lots of couples braved the storm to come and enjoy the wedding inspiration (and chat about cake!).

-Bride Society

This will have you clucking

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Paperchase Hen Party Haul 2020

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Another year, yes, another Paperchase Haul…and that’s because we love them!  The 2020 range is here, so we’re showing you what we picked up from their hen party (bachelorette) collection in this week’s video. 

The Paperchase game is strong once again, they have never let us down yet!  They have your night covered from badges and fun accessories, to games, decorations and keepsakes.  So whether you’re a bridesmaid reading this for some ideas or the bride-to-be looking for some hints to drop, we think you’ll love what’s on offer.

Our favourite item this year?  There’s lots of good stuff, but my mind immediately jumps to one stand out item over all the rest, the ‘Hen Party Scrap Book’ – a keepsake for the VIB (aka Very Important Bride).  Someone at Paperchase has clearly sat down and given this item some proper thought – sending Paperchase a blogosphere high-five for this one.  It’s a hardback book filled with prompts to help the Bride capture the whole night with memories to treasure.  Interested? Check it out in more detail in our video or buy it here.  All product links are below in order of appearance, with time stamps if you want to jump ahead to check out a specific item – handy!

After more Hen Party/Bachelorette inspiration?  Check out our YouTube playlist.

Product Links (in order of appearance, inc. video time stamps):

  1. (00:58) Hen party team bride wrist ties, 6 pack, £3.50.
  2. (01:31) Wedding bride tote bag, £10.
  3. (02:23) Team bride hair clips, 2 pack, £2.50.
  4. (03:08) Bride to be crown headband, £6.
  5. (03:48) Hen party team bride photo props, £5.
  6. (04:38) Hen party team bride lanyards, 6 pack, £10.
  7. (05:57) Hen party group scrapbook, £10.
  8. (07:42) Hen party bridal party pin badges, 8 pack, £6.

View their full hen party range here.

Interested in what Paperchase has in their 2020 wedding range?  Check out our haul here.

Picking up any of these products?  We’d love to see!  Share your photos with us over on Instagram @bridesociety_uk.

NB. All views and opinions expressed in this video are that held by Bride Society and are in no way affiliated with PAPERCHASE. All pricing and other information provided in relation to the products mentioned were correct at the time of filming to the best of our knowledge.

—Bride Society