Chapter 12: Choosing wedding cake is a sweet treat for our June Bride

With our wedding day quickly approaching,

Josh and I realized we absolutely had to decide on a cake. After all, it's the centerpiece of the reception.

I knew I wanted our wedding cake to stand out. I'm not fond of a plain white cake but I didn't want anything too bright and funky. I went to the Bridal Expo at Rock Springs and sampled the wonderful creations made by pastry chef Laura Neal, owner of LaLee's Kitchen in Greenville. I immediately made an appointment with her.

My mom and I visited LaLee's and stayed for an hour, trying different kinds of delicious samples before settling on an Irish Cream cake with amaretto icing. We decided to have a five-layer square cake, because I wanted a unique shape. And we found out that a square cake actually feeds more people.

The exterior of the cake will alternate between a layer of blue icing with white cornelli lace (which are precious little squiggles that look like ornate lace made of icing) and white icing with quilted-looking details and a small blue pearl at the edge of each quilted corner.

Since both Josh and I are both avid Tar Heel fans but East Carolina University graduates, the groom's cake will be half Carolina blue with a white icing trim and half purple with yellow trim. It will be decorated with North Carolina's mascot, Rameses, on one side and ECU's mascot, Peedee the Pirate, on the other. And it will be Josh's favorite flavor, just plain vanilla .

Lauren Harrell, an ECU alumnus, is marrying Josh Edmondson, also an ECU alumnus, on June 13. Josh loves cake almost as much as he loves Lauren.