Staying On Top of Latest Wedding Trends Makes Waldorf Astoria Orlando A Much Desired Wedding Destination
Part I of Three-Part Series On Latest Trends in Wedding Cakes, Wedding Decorations and Wedding Entertainment
Part I: Pleated Fondants, Silver Dragees, Rhinestone Ribbon, Peacock Feathers, Oreo Filling: It’s Definitely Not Your Grandmother’s Wedding Cake
Pastry Sous Chef Lia Brigner sleeps, eats and breathes her work of making exquisite wedding cakes for Waldorf Astoria Orlando weddings. It’s important that the wedding cakes she shows brides-to-be represent the finest orchestrations of classic, elegant and the latest trends out there. “I would say the most popular cake being requested right now that we show on display in our Wedding Salon is the six-tier pleated fondant cake,” said Brigner. “The classic white pearl finish is so elegant. The individual pieces of folded sugar dough, or fondant, look like a pleated fabric. ” It takes Brigner seven days to create one from start to finish.
She says her “bling cake” which is sparkly, glittery and very reflective is also quite popular. It features silver “dragees”, a fancy word for “ jaw breakers”, and rhinestone ribbon at the base of each tier. This Brigner original takes three days of labor.
When it comes to wedding cake fillings and flavors, Brigner says Waldorf Astoria Orlando brides tend to be traditional, wanting to select something that most guests will enjoy, rather than take a risk with something too unique. Most popular filling requests are cream cheese, almond, chocolate and vanilla, coconut and oreo filling. “I also get many requests for our custom marble cake which is a layer of chocolate, a layer of vanilla and another layer of chocolate all in one tier,” Brigner noted.
But there are some brides out there wanting to do something a little different or a little bit daring. For them, Brigner has created the “peacock cake” which is four layers of very vibrant and bold colored cake layers, adorned with sugar flowers and actual peacock feathers. “It’s definitely an impact piece,” she added.
And then there is the “groom cake,” which is quickly gaining popularity, according to Brigner. She says brides-to-be will usually tell a story about something special the groom likes and then has the cake made for him as a surprise he doesn’t see until he actually walks into the wedding reception. “It usually represents the groom’s special hobby or favorite sports team,” said Brigner. “I just did a full-size monkey cake for a groom because he liked monkeys. I dressed the monkey up in a suit and made it really fun.” Brigner’s next groom cake challenge will be a three-dimensional life-size football helmet.
“I’m a perfectionist,” she admits. “It needs to look the best and be executed properly to put it out there for our Waldorf Astoria Orlando brides.”
Destination: Orlando Weddings 