Wedspiration Wednesday: Wedding Cakes We Love | Charleston, Greenville, Atlanta, Destination Wedding Planners | Scarlet Plan & Design

#wedspirationwednesday is all about that cake, cake, cake, cake, cake! 

Get ready for some serious wedding cake goals! We're thrilled to share our Top 20 absolute favorite Scarlet Plan & Design wedding cakes with you today! Enjoy!

As just about any wedding planner will tell you, going on wedding cake tastings with our clients is definitely a favorite perk of the job! 

We absolute love some of the unique wedding cake designs that our brides and grooms have served up at their weddings! From teeny-tiny elopement cakes perfect for just the happy couples or grandiose mega wedding cakes to share with hundreds of happy guests and even cakes that aren't even made out of "cake", each of our favorites brings something very special to the wedding reception. And the options are simply endless when it comes to creating a design that is perfectly unique for your own wedding! 

We're smitten with these trend-setting lovelies and hope you find loads of inspiration for your own Big Day! We've got fabulous geode wedding cakes, cakes covered in wild foraged greenery, traditional buttercream cakes with fresh flowers, hand painted watercolor cakes, cakes made entirely out of CHEESE WHEELS (OMG!), pancake wedding cakes, rustic cakes and much much more!

Watercolor wedding cake by Sablee Pastry, photo by Click Chick Photography

Geode cake by Vintage Soul Cakes, photo by You Are Raven Photography

The bride & groom chose to serve their favorite family recipes and each cake was lovingly baked up by a family member!

Photo by Ben & Colleen Photography

Custom cheese wheel wedding cake by Charleston Artisan Cheese House, photo by Catherine Ann Photography

Elopement cake by Sweet Rhi, photo by Natalie Gray

Brunch cake, treat station and pancake cake by Cakes by Kait, photos by Catherine Ann Photography

Cake by Sablee Pastry, photo by Click Chick Photography

Geode cake by Vintage Soul Cakes, photo by You Are Raven

Cake by Legendary Events, photo by VUE Photography

Cake bar by Cakes by Kait, photo by Catherine Ann Photography

Rustic wedding cake by Confection Perfection, photo by VUE Photography

Cake by Sugar Magnolia Cake Boutique, photo by The Click Chick Photography

Naked cake by Sweet Rhi, photo by Sea Star Arts Photography

Day of the Dead cake by Vintage Soul Cakes, photo by Gemini & the Bear

Wedding Cake & Yeti Cooler Groom's cake by Merci Beaucoup Cakes, photo by Jules Photography

Rustic wedding cake by Sweet Rhi, photo by The Click Chick Photography

Cake by Seersucker Sweets, photo by Catherine Ann Photography

My Life as a Wedding Planner Told in GIFS | Scarlet Plan & Design

I'm gonna tell you what life is like to be a wedding planner, but I'm gonna do it using GIFs so nobody gets too offended.

Welcome to the highs, the lows, our pet peeves, the good, the bad, the ugly and everything in between in the life of a professional wedding planner. Wedding planners don't always have the sunshine and rainbows job that J Lo gave everyone the impression we did. Sometimes things are downright batshit crazy, and other times we're on top of the world. But I'll let the GIFs show you what I'm talking about. Enjoy!

via GIPHY

When your dream couple books you for full planning, design AND styling.

via GIPHY

When your clients have realistic budget expectations.

via GIPHY

When the couple gives you creative freedom to work your magic.

via GIPHY

When a couple tries to pay me in "exposure".

via GIPHY

When a couple picks the worst possible color palette and you have to somehow make it work.

via GIPHY

When the wedding is outdoors in the summer in the deep South.

via GIPHY

When they hire a club DJ and he acts like he's spinning at Burning Man.

via GIPHY

via GIPHY

When a bride sends you her Pinterest board and its full of your designs.

via GIPHY

When everyone wants to give their input at the rehearsal. 

via GIPHY

When a couple ignores your expert advice and does the dumb shit you told them not to do.

via GIPHY

Your face when the dumb shit they done did blows up, like you said it would, and somehow you're expected to magically fix it. 

via GIPHY

When you've assembled a #DreamTeam of vendors and you know this wedding is about to slay. Hope you're watching, Martha.

via GIPHY

When the preacher just won't stop talking, and talking, and talking, and talking.

via GIPHY

When the dance floor is #DEAD asf but a couple drunk bridesmaids stay live all night long.

via GIPHY

When the bride says she's got 15+ bridesmaids.

via GIPHY

When you turn into Wonder Woman in an emergency and pull off straight up magic. #JustCallMeMarthaMacGyver

via GIPHY

What the couple thinks their choreographed dance with the wedding party is gonna look like:

via GIPHY

What their dance actually looks like...every. single. time:

via GIPHY

My greatest fear every single time they start doing the Hora.

via GIPHY

When a new inquiry tries to hide her inner-psycho but you see right through her at the consultation and you're not about that life.

via GIPHY

When a really promising couple tells you they hired a friend as the planner because you're just too expensive.

via GIPHY

When the florist suggests Mason Jars, shepherd's hooks or burlap.

via GIPHY

When the couple tries to cram 6 cake tastings in on one day.

via GIPHY

When they booked that one caterer and you know the vendor meal is about to be worse than an episode of Kitchen Nightmares. #youknowwhoyouare

via GIPHY

Discover & share this FOX TV GIF with everyone you know. GIPHY is how you search, share, discover, and create GIFs.

When an inquiry comes in for a BOMB destination wedding but you're already booked that weekend.

via GIPHY

When you finally see the reception space fully set up and realize everything is absolutely perfect.

Discover & share this High Five GIF with everyone you know. GIPHY is how you search, share, discover, and create GIFs.

When the bride send you Pinterest pics from a six-figure wedding and wants you to recreate it on a four-figure budget.

Discover & share this No GIF with everyone you know. GIPHY is how you search, share, discover, and create GIFs.

What it's like to try to eat dinner during a wedding reception. 

via GIPHY

When the kitchen throws your full plate of dinner out when you run out to check on the reception... and there's no more food left.

via GIPHY

When a couple tells you half their "vendors" are actually random friends/family members with no experience.

via GIPHY

When there's no such thing as a "sick day" because, its Wedding Season.

via GIPHY

When the couple picks super inappropriate parent/child dance songs.

via GIPHY

When the bride asks you to help her do something unmentionable in the bathroom because her gown is too big and she can't reach.

via GIPHY

When the bride pulls up the day before the wedding with a U-Haul filled with half-done DIY shit she never told you about, but you now NEED to finish.

Discover & share this Oh No GIF with everyone you know. GIPHY is how you search, share, discover, and create GIFs.

When someone asks how the wedding went last night.

via GIPHY

When the DJ plays Shout for you during breakdown and you get that final jolt of energy to finish strong. (shout out to David, Nick, Joel & Mike, y'all the real MVPs)

via GIPHY

How we feel the day after a wedding. #WeddingHangover

Discover & share this The Good Place GIF with everyone you know. GIPHY is how you search, share, discover, and create GIFs.

When you see your favorite couple for the first time after the wedding is over. 

via GIPHY

But let's keep it real, all we wedding planners ever really want is to be like Martha.

via GIPHY

#amiright?

via GIPHY

7 Reasons Why You Can't Afford NOT To Have a Wedding Planner | Charleston, Atlanta, New York Nontraditional Wedding Planning & Design

Oftentimes I hear brides and grooms telling me all the reasons they can't afford a wedding planner and I just want to BEG them to reconsider that stance for sooooooo many reasons. You can't afford NOT to have a competent wedding planner on the ground handling all the details you've worked so long and so hard to put together. Here are just a few reasons why you should think twice before skipping a planner. I'm likely going to repeat myself a few times here, but trust me, I speak the truth!

I'm not going to touch on Destination Weddings in this post because we've got one specifically dedicated to that in the works so just stay tuned!

1. Peace of mind!  

This is the biggest and the most important reason you should have a wedding planner that is both competent (and I stress that word) and professional (another word that deserves much emphasis) handling all the details of your big day. A real true event planner will have a whole team with her (or him!) so that no detail goes unnoticed.  

Oh, what's that? Your auntie used to work at a flower shop in college back in '87 and she's going to do all the planning AND the flowers? Oh, your mom's cousin's best friend's step-brother's nephew's girlfriend does planning on the side? First of all, no. Second, do you really want your loved ones or some random person "working" your wedding instead of enjoying it? Don't you want to spend that wonderful day WITH your friends and family versus ordering everyone around and making sure people have done their "jobs" as well as making sure the vendors are on point? Wouldn't it be brilliant to have someone there to make sure all that happens while you get to be the Bride and not the Planner?  

Furthermore, that person is more than likely not a professional wedding planner. Without the experience of a seasoned planning professional, when the average person gets hit with a high-stress, highly unpredictable day things can go very wrong. I'm not trying to scare you, but if things get hairy, can your mom/sister/cousin/aunt/friend handle the stress? And do you even want to expose her to that? Don't put the people you love to work at your wedding. The margin for error, stress and drama is exceptionally high when you do that! 

Event & Wedding Planner jobs have landed on the top 5 lists of most stressful jobs for the last 5+ years. Simply put, we're used to this shit! 

2. You will get access to our connections!

We've spent years carefully curating a list of vendors* we trust and highly recommend.  We've built relationships with people and we know how they operate, we know that they are true professionals and we can attest to their abilities to deliver on their promises.  We know exactly who to match you up with to fit your design and budget.  We know who to guide you toward and who to steer you away from.

And even aside from discounts, we can open doors to vendors that may only work with clients that have wedding planners. That's right, there are many venues and vendors that will only work with people that have a planner. Without one of us, you'd likely never even know about them!

*PLEASE know that our Preferred Vendor list is not built on kickbacks, charging vendors commissions or referral fees. We find kickbacks to be not only dishonest, but wholly unethical and would never suggest a vendor based on them paying us to do so. 

3. We can help you SAVE money!  

Yes, you heard me right. We can save you money by helping you spend it smarter and negotiating better terms with your vendors. And sometimes our Preferred Vendors will offer discounted rates or throw in a little something extra for Scarlet brides. I'm not saying we will definitely be able to get you discounts and freebies with every single vendor, but sometimes it will happen. We work very closely with our preferred list for many reasons and occasionally they'll toss in a little lagniappe (a little something extra) for our clients. Let me reiterate that, we cannot guarantee discounts from everyone, but sometimes they will be offered.  Do not go into a relationship with a planner simply because you think she's going to get you bajillions of discounts and get you a free wedding because you will be sorely disappointed, but certain vendors are able to extend discounts and upgrades for the clients of a planner they love.

We can also help you spend your money smarter by showing you where you can source things for less, talking you OUT of wasting $250 on a custom aisle runner you will probably trip on, and introducing you to the wonderful world of new talent!  Love a high-end designer's flowers but can't afford it?  We can introduce you to new talent that is very similar to their design aesthetic for a fraction of the cost.  Bringing me right back to point #2 again, we know people!

4. Time!  

Did you know it takes roughly 250-300 hours to plan a wedding for 125 people? Do you really have that much time on your hands? We do!

5. We can handle the drama!  

If we know beforehand that Aunt Carol and Uncle Victor don't get along we can make sure they don't have any run-ins during the wedding. We can help you with the seating chart and make sure to seat them far, far away from each other at the reception (and we even keep an eye for trouble!) instead of them accidentally ending up at the same table and someone getting stabbed. This has legit happened. Buy me a margarita and I might just tell you that story!

6. We are your new, super organized, wedding loving best friends!  

In addition to all the normal stuff like putting your timeline together and creating floorplans, we are one of the only people you know who will never get sick of your wedding! We spend hours gathering all your important personal belongings, helping you make your seating chart, putting together and delivering your Welcome Bags, helping keep you calm when your future sister-in-law gets a mad classy, monstrous new skull & crossbones tattoo right across her throat 2 days before your super traditional cathedral wedding (airbrushing isn't that expensive and works really well!), performing amateur relationship counseling when the groom insists on wearing his ratty old beat up Chucks with his custom Vera Wang tux (just let it slide!), coming with you to fittings, helping you pick out just the right shoes and earrings and then helping you again when you change your mind, keeping you hydrated & fed the day of the wedding, and answering every call and text you send our way. We keep track of payments for your vendors, help the best man and the MOH write their speeches if they need us, hand out all the tips, and we keep your event running seamlessly, handling whatever gets thrown our way.

And, honestly, the only thing we want at the end of the night is for you to hug us and tell us that you love us before you head off into Happily Ever After. That's the stuff we live for.  Make your planner feel like she's loved and we will move mountains for you. Always. 

7. We have brilliant ideas!  

What? It's true Sure, you've seen all kinds of cool stuff on Pinterest but so have 100 million other Pinners. Most wedding planners & event designers strive to create unique events customized to the exact taste & budget of each client. And that means we get to know you as a couple and then come up with truly unique ideas for just y'all. We don't just copy our other weddings or another designer's work. 

Or maybe you want to do something completely wild? We have crazy out of the box ideas (and the right connections!) to take your event to the next level! Want to hear more? Schedule your complimentary consultation with a Scarlet Wedding Planner today!

I know some of y'all are still worried that you cant afford a planner, but here's one last piece of advice, the ages old saying: "You'll catch more flies with honey than vinegar" is one that will never go out of style. There is not one client that's been genuinely being kind and honest about their needs that has walked away without us finding a way to help them. 

One of my absolute favorite past clients was on a tight budget and totally overwhelmed with planning, but she reminded me so much of my little sister, and on top of it she was absolutely delightful and gave me all the warm fuzzies when we talked for the first time that I knew I had to work with her and she's become one of my dearest friends (love you, Em!). So don't let your idea of what you can and can't afford stand in your way of at least talking to a wedding planner! 

Happy planning, my loves!

Sara

enjoy a few photos of the SPD crew in action!

: photos courtesy of :

the click chick photography | catherine ann photography | milanes photography | VUE photo

Unplugged Weddings | The Importance of Being Present | Put Your Damn Phone Down & Let the Pros Handle It!

OK, so this might come off as a tad ranty, but hear me out! I'm soooooo tired of looking at wedding photos and all I see are guests hidden behind their damn cellphones. Where is the bride walking down the aisle with her father? Hidden behind Auntie Carol's gigantic friggin' iPad, 17 cellphones, Uncle Bob squatting in the aisle because he has a DSLR and now fancies himself a photographer, and even a couple of disposable cameras. Seriously? Where did you even get that fossil?

Y'all, stop!  For the love of all things sacred and sugar-glazed, please stop it! Tell me this has not become the norm.

Oh, but it has! Everyone thinks they are entitled to get that special shot. But let me clarify this for you, you're not entitled to any such thing. You were invited by the happy couple to take part in witnessing and celebrating their union and the only thing you're entitled to is that, so feel free to just enjoy the moment and make memories. I'm not telling you not to take any photos...oh, wait, that's exactly what I'm telling you. PUT THE PHONE/CAMERA/IPAD (really? you carry an iPad around with you in real life situations?) DOWN AND ENJOY THE MOMENT. At least wait until after the ceremony to break out the devices again.

Buy this sign here: Paper and Pine Co.

If the happy couple hasn't already decided to make their wedding unplugged, let me break down why you, my dear guests, should just go ahead and turn off your devices for a hot second.

Now let's have a chat about "Uncle Bob"

Uncle Bob is the cousin/uncle/father/friend with the "fancy" camera and the eye for ruining a pros shot. (That's what we folks in the wedding biz call "that guy".) Believe it or not, the happy couple actually hired a professional to take their wedding photos. Can you imagine the nerve?! They had the gall to spend thousands of dollars on a professional photographer and, in some cases a videographer, to capture images of the most important day of their lives. And you, my overly eager - ahem, obnoxious - friend, are in their way!

Let me repeat myself. You are in their way. When you hold up your camera while they are having their first dance, everyone who looks at the wedding photos will see that bright little light in your hand or (worse) you blocking the photographer. When you lean into the aisle when they are exchanging vows, having their first kiss, entering the church, you are blocking the photographer. And more often than not, churches have very specific rules when it comes to where the photographer can be. The photographer will painstakingly research the best place for them to set up their cameras and then most of the time they cannot leave that location for the duration of the ceremony. But if you decide to hop into the aisle, you will be the only thing people will focus on when they see the photos. And I hate to break it to you, but the only images the couple will really and truly care about come from the photographer they hired. Your photos, while appreciated, are not the ones they are most looking forward to. Sorry.

Now, about the flash.

And, no, I don't mean a super fun flash mob! The photos are trashed when you use the flash. That flash and the awful red dot that accompanies it can be seen like a beacon fire on a mountaintop! Yes, that's how it looks. That cannot be edited out. Once the flash goes off, the photo is ruined.

Bruh, we need to talk about social media etiquette.

I can't even count how many times we've seen overly excited bridesmaids or random guests/family members post a photo of the bride in her gown on Facebook, Snapchat or Instagram before the ceremony. I actually had a bride tell her wedding party that if they posted a pic of her online before the ceremony that she would smash their phone with a hammer! I kid you not, she pulled out an actual hammer. Don't even ask me where she found a hammer at the beach...

But seriously, y'all, it's not OK to post photos of the bride or groom on the internet before the ceremony or First Look. We get it, you're super excited about your bestie getting hitched, and OMG she really does look totes fabs, but just slow down, tiger, this isn't your moment to share. We've had many grooms see their brides beforehand and it's really heartbreaking for that special moment to be ruined. Please just don't do it.

And now what you've been waiting for...the photobombers in action!  Enjoy the awfulness.

photo credits- the click chick charleston, cordele photography, style me pretty, liz yeakle, tulle & grace, patrick hall, jessie mary, krista photography, corey ann, michelle dyer