Ask the Expert: Q&A with North Texas Planner Donnie Brown Weddings

Planning a wedding entails forming a team of experts to help you along. With so many aspects and services needed, choosing the best vendor team can be overwhelming, but with Donnie Brown Weddings and Events, you’ll find expertise and a team that can serve as a one-stop-shop for many of your needs, from planning and design to styling, lighting, floral and more. We sat down with Donnie to chat about some of his best wedding styling tips, especially as they pertain to a statement-making element: the cake! Find Donnie’s answers below!

Photo // Kiss Me for Eternity by Thisbe Grace and Co.

Where is the best place to display the cake to make a statement?

The cake is the centerpiece of the wedding reception. It must be front and center. We usually display it to be the first thing you see when you enter the reception. Because nothing says “wedding” like a beautiful bride’s cake.

What styling elements can really make your cake stand out?

We love cake arches and we love suspension cakes. Suspension is only viable if the reception venue has rigging points in the area where the cake should be hung. If suspended, make sure that the mechanics are covered with either flowers, select foliage, fabrics or ribbons. This includes any wires or chains, and the base that the cake rests on. There should also be ample lighting for the cake from all sides. After all, it is the focal point of the reception and should be highlighted for a 360-degree view. Monograms, textures, flowers, shimmers, metallics, unusual shapes such as spherical tiers are all good ways to create a statement.

Any advice on choosing a wedding cake design that fits the wedding design?

The cake should be what everything else is designed from. The colors, the theme, the style of the cake should be carried out through the wedding. If you’re using square tiers, try including at least some square tables, square chargers, etc. if spherical, try a round dance floor, round stage, etc. Tie everything together beautifully. When you see the cake design, you should have a good idea of how the reception will look and flow.

What other statement-making wedding elements are you loving right now?

Of course lighting is critical. It’s the lipstick of the event. Fully dressed place settings are a must. This should include chargers, napkins, full series of silver and crystal, a place card, perhaps a favor, a menu card, etc. This is the first thing your guests see when they take their seat. I love to have something special for them to open and see. We offer chocolate menu cards. They are wrapped in a box. The guest opens it, reads the menu and then has a large Belgian chocolate to take home with them after.

Big thanks to Donnie Brown for sharing his wisdom with us today. His years of experience sure add up to plenty of expertise in all things wedding planning! To inquire with Donnie’s team about planning and designing your ultimate wedding, reach out through his Brides of North Texas vendor profile.