Battle of the bakers: Pièce montée vs Wedding cake

While it’s doubtful that people would come to punches over pastry, passion runs deep regarding wedding desserts and the different traditions are worth understanding.

“In this corner…”
The “Pièce montée” (literally “assembled piece” or “mounted piece”) is usually a conical-shaped construction of croquembouche cream-filled puffs, held together by caramel or spun sugar or macarons the French sandwich cookies made famous by Ladurée.

…and in the other corner”
The traditional wedding cake, usually multi-tiered cake covered in frosting and decorated in myriad ways. The trend has been towards fondant icing, which gives a smooth modern look. Nowadays it’s rare to see bride and groom figurines perched on the top tier; brides prefer to have the cake topper incorporate fresh flowers or other decorative elements that tie into their wedding theme colors.

Wedding music

Finding the perfect music may seem like a daunting task, but a well chosen piece can take your wedding to a whole other level. Here are some of our suggestions, ranging from the traditional string arrangements to jaunty accordion pieces.

The Prelude sets the tone as your guests arrive
Vivaldi, The Four Seasons: “Spring”
Bach, “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”
Pachelbel, Canon in D

The Processional marks the entry of the wedding party; a second piece can be chosen for the bride’s entry
Handel, Largo from “Xerxes”
Purcell, “Trumpet Voluntary”
Clarke, “The Prince of Denmark’s March”
Wagner, “Bridal Chorus”
Charpentier, Te deum (prelude)

The Recessional signals the end of the ceremony and accompanies the exit of the bride and groom
Mendelssohn, “Wedding March”
Handel, “La Rejouissance”
Purcell, “Trumpet Tune”
Edith Piaf, “La Vie en Rose”
Yann Tiersen, “L’autre valse d’Amelie” (Amelie’s other waltz)

Spring’s best flowers

For the lucky brides marrying in March, April and May, there are many beautiful
seasonal flowers to include in your arrangements.

Spring Flowers
Lily of the Valley
Tulip
Iris
Daffodil
Pansy
Peony
Sweet Pea
Lilac
Ranunculus

All-season flowers include: rose, lisianthus, stargazer lily, gardenia, freesia, orchid, gerbera daisy, snapdragon