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Decorating Wedding Cupcakes

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Fun and (Relatively) Simple

My first experience with decorating wedding cupcakes came from decorating the cupcakes for my sister's wedding. I'm definitely no expert, so if you're looking for some simple decorating tips that just about anyone can pull off, you've come to the right place.

I find the baking of the cupcakes a bit tricky (our mom did the actual baking). There's no shame in using a baking mix, although I personally prefer making my own frosting (mixing up sugar, cream cheese, and butter is something I can do!)

Images by Emma Larkins, unless otherwise noted.

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Finished Chocolate Cupcake

Elegant, No?

Oh, How Plans Change

The Original Idea

Okay, so, full disclosure: the cupcakes above weren't exactly what I had in mind. Instead, I was hoping to create something like you see to the right and below (which was an early, test wedding cupcake version). We bought some great decorating tips, and I was super excited to use them.

Unfortunately, on the day of the wedding, there was just too much going on to finish the decorations. We did manage to frost the cupcakes and apply some nice pearlized sugar, but the icing we whipped up for the final decorations just wasn't thick enough to hold its shape.

More Piped Frosting on Cupcakes 

Tips For Decorating Wedding Cupcakes

It's Not As Hard As You Think!

  • 1Dream big. Start thinking about your wedding cupcakes early, and don't be afraid of dreaming big. Do you want to commemorate the day you first met? Or a shared love of sports, perhaps? The sky is the limit!
  • 2Start practicing. Who wouldn't want to make and decorate practice cupcakes? I mean, this is the best part! Long before W-Day, make sure you get a firm idea of what you want to do, and know that you can pull it off.
  • 3Don't be afraid of shortcuts (or asking for help). If you're doing a lot of the wedding planning yourself, you'll need to take shortcuts at some point. If you're not a great baker, use a mix, or have a friend or family member bake for you. Buy sprinkles and pre-made tubes of frosting, if you want. No one is going to complain that you're not Martha Stewarting everything.
  • 4Don't wait until the last minute. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT plan on baking and/or frosting your cupcakes the day of your wedding.

Cupcake Decorating Techniques, Tips, and More

Everything Is In This Book

Hello, Cupcake!: Irresistibly Playful Creations Anyone Can Make

Hello, Cupcake!: Irresistibly Playful Creations Anyone Can Make

by: Karen Tack, Alan Richardson

Amazon Price: $7.00 (as of 05/30/2012)Buy Now

From learning what tools you'll need for the decorating to filling the cupcake cups, this book has it all. It discusses things such as how to frost and how to make flower leaves and petals out of frosting. Although not all the designs are wedding-geared, you'll find plenty of great ideas inside.

Cupcake Flower Tutorial

This Is What I Was Going For

I never did get around to making flowers for the wedding cupcakes, but if you get a chance, here's a great video tutorial.
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DIY Wedding Cupcakes: Awesome or Awful?

Share Your Opinion!

Should People Decorate Their Own Wedding Cupcakes?

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Sounds like a delicious recipe for really making your wedding your own!

Sounds like a recipe for disaster.

 

A Great Cupcake Decorating Kit

Everything In One Place

Wilton 2104-2546 53 Piece Supreme Cake Decorating Set

Wilton 2104-2546 53 Piece Supreme Cake Decorating Set

Amazon Price: $17.75 (as of 05/30/2012)Buy Now

Although decorating these cupcakes wasn't quite what I imagined, I'd still love to experiment more with frosting. I especially want to make some pretty frosted flowers! By the way, I strongly suggest getting the special frosting bags, and not just the tips. Plastic zip bags don't work nearly as well, and have a tendency to explode :(

Finished Lemon Cupcake

I'm Pretty Happy with the Results

Your Experience With Decorating Wedding Cupcakes

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Just the Frosting Tips

(And Bags)

If you don't want to get a whole kit with a guide, you can just purchase frosting tips. They're available online (click below to learn more), or you can purchase them at many local craft stores (such as Michael's or Joann).
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Here's Another Great Flower Frosting Video

Chrysanthemums!

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Wedding Cupcake Things

Check Out My Sites for More Info

If you're interested in recipes, liners, and trees for your wedding cupcakes, check out these sites to learn more.
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Pearlized Sugar: The Easy Way to Get the Wedding Look

It's Not Cheating, I swear!

These metallic decorating sprinkles are great for giving your cupcakes a more elegant look. When the piping failed me, I was glad to have these on hand!
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More Great Cupcake Inspirations

Photos From Flickr

Wedding cupcakes are breaking the traditional "wedding cake" mold. So why not go all the way, and have the cupcakes of your dreams? Don't let yourself be constrained by what other people think is right. As long as they taste good, people will love them!
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Wilton Cake Decorating Lesson Plans

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emmalarkins

If I could decorate wedding cupcakes with little to no prior experience, then you can, too!

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A Great Cupcake Decorating Resource 

Hello, Cupcake!: Irresistibly Playful Creations Anyone Can Make

Hello, Cupcake!: Irresistibly Playful Creations Anyone Can Make

by: Karen Tack, Alan Richardson

Amazon Price: $7.00 (as of 05/30/2012)Buy Now

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