Here we go!

Jeremy P and I are leaving today for our wedding weekend. It has been so much fun being engaged, and now we're on to another adventure! We will be joined in La Jolla by family and friends, then we'll leave for Italy early next week.

I never could have imagined when I left Italy two years ago, that the next time I came back would be on my honeymoon! How things have changed since December 2007.

To my sweet DoBianchi: thank you for appearing out of blogspace, and taking me into a new life, I love you :)

Countdown to Cake (and our wedding)

If there is one thing that I like more than cake, it's more cake.

That being said, one of the most fun aspects of wedding planning has been our collaboration (i.e. TASTING) with La Jolla's own jewel, Michele Coulon. Her desserts are beyond delicious and her cakes are proof that those of the wedding variety can be great.

Having attended so many weddings in my life, I am convinced that most couples don't give a hootin' holler about the cake. It's an important part of the ceremony, everyone expects it, yet most are entirely forgettable.

Lately, there has been a heightened awareness of wedding cake thanks to so many reality shows featuring fondant-covered creations. These shows have raised the standard of aesthetics and creativity, but have brought too much focus on the outside, while continuing to IGNORE the importance of what's underneath.

Round one, tracie b vs. cake

Michele has been a beacon, showing us that her cakes are as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside. She will have nothing to do with fondant (take THAT all of you hipster-Betty-Paige-tattooed-reality-TV-cake-decorators!), but works magic with butter cream and molded white chocolate. All of her ingredients are organic and EVERYTHING is made from scratch--no mixes. I am a believer.

Round 2, she get's a little help from Jeremy P

We will have 3 tiers, 3 flavors. First (Gateau Aileen): Hot milk sponge cake layered with creme Chantilly and fresh berries. Second (Torte Lion Belge): Triple chocolate loveliness...chocolate cake layered with chocolate merengue and chocolate mousse AND chocolate cream. Third (Nathan's Lemon Cake): Dense organic lemon cake with delicate glaze, heart-breakingly subtle.

Oh, she's a trooper! Hang in there...

Check out her cake flavor menu here.

We're incorporating our colors and theme with robin's egg blue butter cream and red pomegranate shapes.

Couldn't you just die? Imagine our delight at having to taste through two trays of her cake flavors. They are all balanced, fresh and incredible, so choosing was tough, but we pulled through.

Victory! She made it! And definitely played favorites.

My sweet fiance' DoBianchi graciously let me take charge since I have the colossal sweet tooth in this union.

I will eat my way through that cake on our wedding day, dress be damned! I know she's going to make something beautiful for us, and you better believe we will be blogging it.

Oh yea, and she also has an incredible savory menu with a French Bistro bent, open for lunch. Go NOW. Yum.