Okay, so conventional I ain't.
Posted on 03/29/2002 10:25:53 AM PST by billbears
Chuck the rice and garters. Go for the glaze instead.
The betrothed are forsaking frosted, fluffy tiers at their wedding receptions in favor of a fried yet familiar cake base -- Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
Typically a morning ritual or a warm, sinful snack, the popular pastry is emerging as a new core ingredient for wedding cakes and a souvenir from the ceremony.
Doughnut-crazed customers conjured up the concoction last year, and the cakes -- along with the token gifts -- have been catching on ever since.
"We have had people coming in who buy dozens as departing gifts," said George Ray, manager of the Krispy Kreme store in Marietta. "One woman ended up buying 35 dozen. She wanted to make sure when the reception was done, [guests] had a doughnut for the ride home."
Neighborhood stores and corporate offices in Winston-Salem, N.C., are taking a flurry of calls -- as many as 20 to 40 a week -- as the trend simmers. They even have a sort of doughnut wedding planner who helps ease fears that go along with building a wedding centerpiece from a snack.
"Most people are using their imaginations so when it comes time for the wedding they're doing it themselves," said special events coordinator Catherine Hawkins-Speller. "We're doing more than weddings; bar mitzvahs, birthdays."
Amanda Albright of Atlanta will pass out a truckload of pastries after her "I do's" on Oct. 26.
"We were looking for a fun way to end it and thought it would be fun to have the Krispy Kreme doughnut [truck] come up and add a little whimsy," said Albright, who's opting for doughnuts instead of an actual cake. "The plan is to have the limo drive away and have their Krispy Kreme truck pull up. If only they could deliver them warm."
For those who do want cakes, they have evolved from a simple tiered stack of doughnuts. As more ornate creations were requested, Krispy Kreme Executive Chef Ron Rupocinski realized it was time to showcase the starches more regally.
"Customers have taken it upon themselves to buy our doughnuts and have a local cake decorator make something for them," said Rupocinski, who typically brainstorms the monthly doughnut flavors. "You don't need to be a graduate from a culinary school to do this."
In fact, any grocery store or local bakery can morph the treats into tiers. Simple facts, like how many guests, are necessary.
The guideline? One doughnut per guest. Any flavor -- from cake to custard-filled -- can be used. For the calorie conscious, each glazed has 200 calories and 11 grams of fat. Before the icing.
Rupocinski has whipped up several templates -- soon to be available at local stores in picture form -- for brides to browse. These patterns are then passed to local chefs where the wedding will take place. They work with Krispy Kreme to carry off this unusual task.
Matthew Rybczynski of Baltimore, one of the first to take this pastry plunge last year, helped assemble his cake of more than 150 glazed doughnuts, while his bride, Sherri, was putting on her veil. Guests at the wedding -- including the band -- all wore white paper hats with the doughnut giant's nostalgic logo.
"Even to this day people still talk about it," he said. "We're such big fans that how could we not include it in our wedding. It kept people around until the end."
InStyle Weddings may have kick-started the trend. In spring 2001, the magazine listed the fried confections as a way to add a touch of the unusual to nuptials.
If a cake seems over-the-top, there's another way to incorporate doughnuts into the big day.
"We're also doing two and four packs as gifts for wedding guests," Hawkins-Speller said, noting that the delivery driver can pass these out as well. "That is like the totally, hot item. Some brides are making stickers with the bride and groom's name and sticking them on the boxes. It is so cool."
Wedding planners aren't surprised the trend is emerging.
"Can you think of anything more to die for?" said Sandy Springs wedding consultant Sue Winner. "I haven't done it, but I will."
Winner, the author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Budgeting for Your Wedding," said comfort and intimacy are the focus of weddings this year. People are seeking refuge in fun and familiarity in the post 9/11 atmosphere.
She's attended recent weddings where Krispy Kremes and a morning paper are passed out as guests make their exit. But doughnuts, apparently, aren't the only odd ingredient emerging.
She's currently planning a reception where the groom's cake will be made out of Rice Krispies Treats.
"Didn't you love them as a kid?" she said
How romantic.
I have a soft spot for Krisp Kremes, but I don't need to hijack 10,000 donuts!
Pictures! heh...heh...
Now a Rice Krispies treat Cake, I could go for that!
The prize for the best Groom's cake I've ever seen would HAVE to go to the Armadillo Cake (Red Velvet Cake with a Gray icing in the shape of a big old armadillo) that was shown in the movie "Steel Magnolias"! After a few servings were cut away, the remaining cake looked like road kill! LOL!
LOL! I'd wangle an invitation if it were a Krispy Kreme "cake".
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