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Our CupCakery created a buttercream-covered confection that looks as smooth as fondant.

Cake THE ICING ON THE

Think all icings are created equal? Think again.

BY PETER TONGUETTE

In the great tradition of such rivalries as Ohio State versus Michigan, or Roger Federer going head-to-head with Rafael Nadal, we have before us the war of the wedding cakes.

Or, to put it more precisely, the skirmish between various wedding cake icings.

Chocolate ganache and gold leaf set apart this cake, from The Suisse Shop Bakery.

Does the sturdy dependability and supe- rior design capabilities of fondant come out ahead? Or does the tasty familiarity and unprepossessing simplicity of buttercream take the cake?

Among Central Ohio wedding cake cre- ators, it’s a draw.

Sue Baisden of Capital City Cakes in Grove City says that wedding cake orders at her establishment are evenly divided between customers requesting fondant and those attached to buttercream.

“They’re both really good for what the bride is looking for,” Baisden says. “We tell them that there are some designs that we can’t do in buttercream, but most of them we can.”

Which is not to say that both varieties of icing are lacking in partisans.

Fondant could have few more enthusias- tic advocates than Jan Kish of Jan Kish-La Petite Fleur in Worthington, who points to the ease with which designs can be executed using the icing.

“Fondant allows you to do design on it and then structural design with it that you can’t do with a buttercream, because the buttercream can’t sustain it,” Kish says.

For many, taste is fondant’s main draw- back; most fondants are made with con- fectioner’s sugar, water, glycerin, glucose or corn syrup, and gelatin, and aren’t as sweet as other icing types. But Kish has a solution for this, too. Her fondant uses a special recipe that makes it as delectable as it is beautiful.

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Fondant is topped with hand-painted designs and sugar flowers and leaves in this cake created by Jan Kish-La Petite Fleur.

The Cake Studio piped intricate designs onto a fondant-covered cake for Semira Ibrahim and Bilal Mohammed. (Hillary Ferguson Photography)

Beyond being easily moldable, thanks to the gelatin, fondant is also known to be durable, especially for couples who have opted to hold their ceremonies or receptions outdoors during the summer months.

“Fondant will go to at least 104 degrees outside,” Kish says. By contrast, cakes spread with American buttercream—an icing arrived at through the creaming of butter with confectioner’s sugar and milk or cream—do less well if given a moment in the sun.

“Let’s say it’s 95 degrees out there and you put a block of butter on the sidewalk— what is it going to do?” Kish says. “You can’t ask it to do something it’s not capable of doing. Buttercream outside in the summer is not a great idea, because you’re just setting yourself up for a disaster unless you don’t really care if people see the cake or only see it for a few minutes.”

But don’t count out buttercream, which—in a base recipe as well as a range of flavored varieties—makes up about 90 percent of wedding cake sales at Our CupCakery in Dublin.

“We have a lot of people who come in and say, ‘I love the way fondant cakes look, but I don’t like the way fondant tastes. Is that OK?’” says Laura Kick Molter of Our CupCakery. “To that we say, ‘Yes, absolutely.’”

The bakery has a technique that splits the difference: Its American buttercream icing successfully imitates the smooth-assilk appearance of fondant while retaining the inviting flavor of buttercream.

Even so, Kick Molter does not recommend leaving even a fondant-esque buttercream cake outside in temperatures higher

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Capital City Cakes used the edge of a spatula to create the stucco texture with buttercream on this trendy ombre cake.

Katie and Sean Rowley cut into their cake, which featured live flowers and alternating tiers of buttercream and fondant icing. (Hillary Ferguson Photography)

than 75 or 80 degrees. More resilient than traditional buttercream is shortening-based buttercream; the melting point of shortening exceeds that of butter. “If you put butter on your tongue, it’s going to melt and slip right down,” Kish says, but shorteningbased icing will hang in the mouth longer.

Other options include French buttercream, which calls for a recipe of butter and egg yolks. Resilient it isn’t, but it boasts a taste that is tough to top. “It doesn’t have powdered sugar in it, but it has sugar and water that has been made into syrup,” Kish says. “It tastes great, slips down like you wouldn’t believe.” There’s also Italian and Swiss meringue buttercreams, each of which use egg whites and sugar.

Despite the dominance of fondant and buttercream on the wedding cake scene, other icings are available for those willing to buck trends.

Cakes iced with whipped cream would not be ideal for extreme temperatures, but Kick Molter says they have their place. “That’s not ideal for a tiered wedding cake, but could be used for maybe sheet cakes or something like that that can be kept refrigerated,” she says. It could also serve well among couples who opt for a single-tier cutting cake, for the all-important photo op, that’s supplemented with cupcakes or other desserts.

Similarly, cakes topped with chocolate ganache may have a limited fan base, but it is a vocal one. “America is still in its chocolate phase—about the third decade now,” Kish says. “If you’re really into chocolate, you’re liking the idea of chocolate ganache.” Kick Molter says that ganache also is useful for those who want the messy-on-purpose look of a drip cake. “The ganache is a really nice way to add that,” she says. œ

FINISHING TOUCHES

Wedding cake icing in any form can be a blank canvas. Bakers can add interest using any number of finishing touches.

Royal icing: Egg whites and powdered sugar are combined to create this icing, which hardens when dry and can create designs ranging from fencing to flowers.

Isomalt: The sugar substitute can be melted and formed into blown globes or other colorless elements, like a faux window pane. With food coloring, it can be used to create other hard candy decorations.

Spun or pulled sugar: This dramatic-looking element starts with a basic caramel that’s flung across a work surface to create long, delicate strands of sugar that can be gathered into a loose nest. Thicker strands can be pulled and formed into spirals or other shapes.

Modeling chocolate: Through the incorporation of corn syrup, white or traditional chocolate can turn sufficiently pliable for bakers to mold it into an edible character or structure.

Gum paste: Made with egg whites, confectioner’s sugar, shortening and a specialty baking ingredient called tylose powder, gum paste starts out soft and pliable, then hardens to a crunchy, candy-like finish. It’s often used to create sugar flowers and other 3D embellishments.

Edible glitter: Tiny, sparkly sprinkles or colored sugar crystals give the appearance of glitter on a cake. Ask your baker to dust your whole cake with silver or white glitter for an all-over shimmer, or ask them to pack a colored glitter densely onto a single statement layer.

Gold and silver leaf: Yes, you can have a gilded or silvered cake! It likely will need a smooth base for the edible leaf to adhere to. Be careful not to go overboard; stick with a single accent tier or a light allover application.

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CATERERS

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Cameron Mitchell Premier Events

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Carfagna’s Catering

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Catering by Scott

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L.A. Catering

la-catering.com 614-358-5252 670 Harmon Ave., Columbus

Schmidt’s Restaurant Banquets and Catering

schmidthaus.com 614-444-5050 DESSERTS

Capital City Cakes

capitalcitycakesoh.com 614-277-9338 4009 Broadway, Grove City

Jan Kish-La Petite Fleur

jankish.com 614-841-9794 633 Oxford St., Worthington

Our CupCakery

ourcupcakery.com 614-659-1555 54 S. High St., Dublin

Sadie Baby Sweets

sadiebabysweets.com 614-723-9323 1171 W. Third Ave., Columbus

The Suisse Shop Bakery

thesuisseshop.com 614-846-5102 2119 Polaris Pkwy., Columbus

RECEPTION VENUES Please see our full reception venue directory on Page 80.

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WEDDING-DAY PHOTOGRAPHY 118 • ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY 128 VIDEOGRAPHY 131 • REAL WEDDINGS 136

No Boring Portraits Allowed

Photographers reveal how they put nervous couples at ease, capture staged moments that feel 100 percent genuine, and create incredible portraits that stand the test of time.

BY JACKIE MANTEY

We’ve all seen a wedding portrait before. The yellowing photograph of your grandparents or great-grandparents standing in front of an altar, a formula recycled for a few generations. Though they’re invaluable artifacts of a time that feels forever ago, these wedding portraits can also read a tad cliché—the smiles stiff, the poses forced.

That said, the infamous wedding portrait—and its brethren, the individual portrait—aren’t going anywhere. They’re just getting a contemporary touchup.

Katie and Sean Rowley are silhouetted against the sunset as they gaze into each other’s eyes. (Hillary Ferguson Photography)

Organic laughter from Calvin Choi and Miryoung Kim, combined with atypical composition, make for a sweet and striking photo. (Nicole Dixon Photographic)

“Although I love being a fly on the wall and documenting real moments, portraits are an important part of the wedding day,” says Comfort Witcher of Comfort Pho- tography. “Photographs of the bride and groom together, looking at the camera, is an important tradition that will never go out of style.”

Today’s professional wedding photogra- phers are experts at ensuring that the clas- sic portrait’s emotional intention remains, but is infused with modern visual aesthetics and captured through the unique lens of the individual couple’s story and personality.

So when one-size-fits-all wedding por- traits will not do, how do photographers do it? How do they compose a kind of pho- tograph that’s been done a million times over and still manage to make it look like the first?

Turns out, it’s a lot like love.

Make sure the relationship works While cost certainly matters, couples should consider more than just pricing, Witcher says. They should look at a photographer’s prior work, examples of which are typically on their website or blog, and they should be sure to meet with the photographer before hiring them.

“They should try to imagine hanging out with their potential photographer for up to 12 hours, because the photographer is the one vendor that they will have to spend the most time with,” Witcher says. “There would be no point in booking a photogra- pher whose work you loved if you hated

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Perfect, moody lighting and a relaxed posture make Christopher Belmarez’s portrait stand out. (Derk’s Works Photography)

their personality. How does this person make you feel, and is that how you want to feel on your wedding day? Assuming that [couples] are only meeting with photographers whose work and pricing are comparative, they should look for a genuine connection with the person they decide on.”

Ben Hartley of Style & Story says a photographer should “build connection and trust with the couple as humans rather than someone who has hired you as a vendor. I listen to what they actually want to be reflected in their images, rather than tell them about ‘my style.’”

Having good chemistry with your photographer can not only make your weddingday photographs the best they can be—it can help you find a portrait photographer for life, someone who you hire for every major milestone of your time as a couple.

Reflections frame James and Allie McKenzie in this compelling image. (Nicole Dixon Photographic)

Nicole Dixon of Nicole Dixon Photographic photographed a couple’s wedding in 2018, having previously flown to Seattle with them to do an engagement session, and in 2019 photographed them with their new dog. Who knows what’s to come? Regardless, she’s looking forward to photographing it, because the three of them have established such a connection.

“It’s super cool that I get to photograph their engagement, wedding, first dog,” Dixon says. “It’s an honor to document the parts and places of their life together.”

Trust your partner Regardless of how familiar you are around a selfie stick, expect day-of jitters in front of the camera.

“Ninety-nine percent of couples get a little nervous,” Dixon says. “Everyone thinks

Danielle and Alex Press share a moment at Jorgensen Farms Oak Grove. (AddVision)

they’re unique, feeling awkward in front of the camera, but it’s very common. I try to reassure them that we’re just having fun and going to make great pictures. I also tell them that those awkward laughs in the beginning can translate to a very cute photo.”

Witcher agrees, often letting a couple laugh it out for the first few minutes of a portrait session.

“Laughter makes everything better, so I talk to and laugh with my couples all day long,” says Witcher, who builds 20 to 30 minutes into the wedding day timelines in order to get the best portraits without feeling rushed. “For some couples that are extra nervous, I will sometimes start the session by telling them to look at each other for the first several photos, instead of looking directly into the camera. That tends to ease the nerves of having the camera pointed at them.”

During the day-of portrait session, it’s important to remember that you did your homework and trust that you picked the right person to do this job—a professional who knows your best angles, understands what you want, and has made you the day’s No. 1 priority.

“I work with [couples] on the timeline for the day to make sure they get enough time

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Noelia and Christopher Mobley get silly at Creekside Conference & Event Center. (Comfort Photography)

for photographs as they would like,” Hartley says. “[I also] know my craft so damn well that I don’t have to think about it during the photo shoot. I can be 100 percent present with whoever is in front of my lens.” Indeed, a great photographer will have the physical skill, mental clarity and necessary experience to be genuine, so that genuineness will be reflected back in the photograph. “The goal is making the couple comfortable. That really comes across as genuine,” Dixon says. “I might set up a moment for them to have but then hang back and let them continue to have those moments together. I’ll set up an instance or might have a few cues that will invite them to be themselves, to have a little convo on their own, maybe give each other a peck on the cheek.”

Love that looks authentic, a moment that feels natural even when it’s obviously posed—these are the antidotes to antiquated wedding portraits of yesteryear.

“During our time together, my goal is to evoke natural responses from the couple, so I give them prompts and suggestions to get them interacting,” Witcher says. “I also give them a few minutes to themselves, to interact however they like. I encourage them to remain close, to show each other love, and to be themselves. I want the portraits to be a true representation of who they are and how they felt on their wedding day. Also, long before the wedding, I encourage all of my couples to do an engagement session with me so that they can practice.”

A genuine, excited smile from Fran Stricker feels animated in this portrait. (Style & Story)

Be open to new ideas Witcher says her happiest couples always express something similar about their final portraits.

“What I hear the most is that the photographs really capture who they are. Authenticity is what matters most,” Witcher says. “For example, one of my grooms was super silly this summer and during the portrait session, I captured a photograph of him pretending to lick the bride’s forehead when he was supposed to be kissing her forehead. That might be a throwaway image to some, but I included it for them because it genuinely tells us all something about their personality and their relationship!”

These portraits can be influenced by more than you and your fiancé’s individual personalities as well.

“I’m really good at reading people and determining what type of relationship they have, either together as a couple or with their families, and I incorporate that into the photograph,” Dixon says. “Maybe it’s a more formal family. I’ll let that influence the style. Or if I know they love moments, I’ll focus more on that.”

Regardless, her in-the-moment work and decision-making is led by the conversations she’s already had with the couple.

“After doing this as long as I have, I’ve really found that I’m good at understanding what they need or want in a portrait,” Dixon says. “I also make sure I have talked to the couple about the style they want. I have them show me photographs they

COMPELLING TECHNIQUES

As the photo subject, you won’t be responsible for coming up with ideas to make your images shine. But you should be aware of some of the techniques photographers use, so you can understand their process and help facilitate the perfect shot. Here are a few examples of techniques a photographer might use:

Dramatic lighting (natural or artificial) Unexpected angles or compositions Movement (dancing together or playfully lifting each other) Silhouettes Reflections or shadows Funny moments or big smiles Plays on perspective or height (zoomedout sweeping skylines or close-ups of a shared look or kiss) Voyeuristic, foregrounded style to convey a sense of intimacy Texture from the décor or wedding dress Meaningful props (a clear umbrella on a rainy day or your canine best man) Unique emotional moments (parents’ first look at the bride in her wedding dress) Framing with the venue’s architecture or building details

like, which can speak volumes to the style they’re looking for. I reaffirm those stylistic qualities. Maybe they want something more journalistic? Something more posed? Something more dramatic? We talk about what their expectations are in those types of posed photos.”

When the big day rolls around and it’s time to take the portraits, your photographer might make a decision or suggest a pose that you don’t quite understand. This is normal, and photographers are ready for questions. As for Hartley, he keeps it human. If a couple seems nervous during their portrait session, “I slow down,” he says. “I encourage them and talk through what I am doing and how amazing the results will be. I show them an image of what I created.”

It seems apropos that photographic success on something as emotional as a wedding day relies on generating positive feelings.

Hartley says the couples in his best portraits “felt like the most important people in the world. They were able to enjoy the process of creating imagery with me and were able to have complete peace of mind knowing the photographs were going to look incredible.” œ

Hillary Belmarez’s bridal accessories surround her and Christopher Belmarez’s invitation. (Derk’s Works Photography)

Slay the Flat Lay

This popular photo aesthetic captures the small details of your big day, in a big way.

BY JACKIE MANTEY

Thank you, Instagram. We all have the beloved social media platform to credit for popularizing the flat-lay aesthetic. A flat lay is a picture of a collection of objects shot from above, typically with one or two items acting as a focal point or “hero” piece. Not only do these photographs deserve a thumbs up for sharing later on social, the flat lay is a great way to capture the small details from your big day that might otherwise go unnoticed in the hustle of the event.

They can serve a sneakier purpose, too. Flat lays are best photographed early in the day, because oftentimes the details needed to nail them will be in action later (think hair accessories, jewelry, cufflinks). That means they might be one of the first things your photographer shoots on the day of your wedding, giving your loved ones in the room—and even yourself— a little bit of time to get used to the photographer being there and taking photos. By the time the photographer starts snapping shots of you and the others, everyone will be more comfortable and candid because they will have gotten used to the camera’s presence.

Keep in mind, though, that not all photographers consider flat lay photography a part of their standard style. If you’d like this type of photograph in your final wedding album, be sure to include some flat lay examples in the inspiration images you show your photographer during early discussions of what you’re looking for. This will lead to a conversation about the timing and logistical juggling required to set up and source pieces for the flat lay photo of your dreams.

“I make a detailed list of items for the bride to have ready for me to shoot when I show up,” says Hillary Ferguson of Hillary Ferguson Photography. “That way I have all of the details laid out in front of me to work with and compose a cool shot. I typically shoot lay flat images of the invitation and all of its parts.”

Indeed, the wedding invitation is a popular focal point of wedding flat lays. They give the photos a classic, romantic quality, especially if they feature personal handwriting from the couple. Perhaps set aside an invitation, unaddressed, before mailing them to guests; keep it with your accessories or dress so it doesn’t get lost before it’s time for the photo shoot.

Last but not least, essential to the flat lay composition, of course, is the backdrop. Your photographer will have final say in what works best behind the items in your flat lay, but you could provide a few options that speak to the thematic or emotional qualities of your day. Some backdrop examples include lace (ask the seamstress for extra material, post-gown alterations), a rug, a serving tray or a map. When all else fails, a simple wooden or stone floor can look lovely with the right details. The flat lay can be as personalized, planned or improvised as you want. œ

FLAT-LAY DETAIL IDEAS

Here are a few popular flat-lay items to consider for your own image:

Invitation Rings Handwritten love notes Guest book Individual flowers Flower petals Reception china Vintage photographs from family weddings Engagement photos Venue details (such as hotel soaps, or a passport or sand and shells for a destination wedding) Seasonal details (such as sunglasses, pinecones or ornaments) Champagne or coffee Breakfast fruit, dressing room hors d’oeuvre, etc. Ceremony reading printouts Vow notecards or notebooks Shoe box or garment bag Perfume Shoes Lipstick Jewelry in or out of boxes Hair accessories Garter Handkerchief Ribbon Custom dress hanger Something old, new, borrowed, blue Belt Cufflinks Tie Cologne Hat Flask Watch Boutonniere Lapel pin Shaving brush Dopp kit Socks

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT, a groom’s flat lay from Korey Wilson’s wedding (Hillary Ferguson Photography); an invitation suite and accessories from both Saacha Mohammed and Spencer Matthews (Style & Story); a macro flat-lay featuring Julia Gaskill’s accessories; a minimalist composition using Andrew Juszczak’s accessories (Derk’s Works Photography, 2).

Our Favorite Photo

Our favorite aspect of Our Favorite Photo? The unexpected images that some newlyweds name as their all-time favorite weddingday images. Often, the photos selected aren’t the most technically perfect or artistically beautiful; instead, couples tend to choose the photo that makes them feel a certain way, or evokes a cherished memory. We only have room for four such images here; the rest will appear on our Bustled blog in a weekly series. See more favorite photos from this issue’s couples (and submit your own!) at cbuswedmag.com/Bustled. —Emma Frankart Henterly

The candid pictures of Alex and I laughing capture us perfectly and show how genuinely happy we are!

—Danielle Press, married Alex Press on May 4, 2019, at Jorgensen Farm Oak Grove (AddVision)

It’s candid and shows real emotion. The setting is absolutely beautiful.

—Julia Gaskill, married Ben Gaskill on May 4, 2019, at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church (Derk’s Works Photography)

Oddly, my favorite photos are right after the wedding, when everyone is carrying my dress through the kitchen and the bridal party is celebrating with me. … It’s just such a great progression of shots, and really shows how happy we are that the ‘performance’ is over.

—Saacha Mohammed, married Spencer Matthews on May 25, 2019, at the Westin Great Southern Columbus (Style & Story)

We just look so happy. It’s a good representation of how we felt that day—so happy, in love, and excited to finally be married!

—Tyler Dehan, married Justin Dehan on June 1, 2019, at the Wells Barn at Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens (Nicole Dixon Photographic)

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