Definitions
Cake
Buttercream is a light, creamy icing made with shorting (softened butter), confection's sugar and light cream (butter and cream are not in the non-dairy buttercream). This uncooked icing is beaten until light and creamy. It can be flavored in many ways and is used both as a filling and icing for a variety of cakes and pastries.
Fondant is a beautiful rolled icing with the consistency of a tootsie roll. It has a smooth satin finish and is especially resilient to heat. It is made of sugar syrup and glucose, which is cooked to a specific temperature and then kneaded to a smooth, soft paste. This paste can then be colored and flavored and used as an icing for cakes.
Royal Icing is smooth, hard-drying icing is perfect for making decorations that last. It is also useful as a "cement" to fasten decorations together. Royal icing is edible, but not recommended for icing cakes.
Gumpaste is icing in dough form made of sugar, cornstarch, and gelatin. Used to mold realistic looking details, such as monograms, flowers, or fruit. It is similar to fondant.
Marzipan is an almond and sugar paste used to ice cakes and other pastries or sculpted into a variety of shapes to be eaten as candy or used as cake decorations. Marzipan is simply a mixture of almond paste, powdered sugar, and a moistening agent such as water, corn syrup, glucose, fondant, or egg whites. After the ingredients are mixed, marzipan reaches a consistency of dough or soft rubber and can be rolled, shaped, cut, or molded.
Wedding
Sand Ceremony
The "Blending of the Sands" ceremony can be a beautiful and meaningful alternative to the " Unity Candle" ceremony. Like a Unity Candle Ceremony, the pouring of two different colored sands together is used to symbolize the joining of the bride and groom or the joining of their families. Sand from the desert, a favorite beach, or vacation spot also works.
Unity Candle
The lighting of a unity candle is a relatively recent addition to the traditional wedding ceremony, most popular in the United States. The unity candle ceremony uses two taper candles with a large pillar candle (called the "unity candle") in the center. At the beginning of the wedding ceremony, a representative from each family (usually the mothers of the bride and groom) light the two taper candles. Later in the ceremony (usually after the formal vows), the bride and groom use the two taper candles to light the large pillar (unity) candle together.
