Los Angeles—with its lush vistas, gorgeous weather and the ideal mix of laid-back charm and glamour—is a perfect destination for your big day. With that in mind, here's a list of services you'll need to consider for a wedding ceremony to treasure for a lifetime.
The first part of our primer includes wedding cakes, catering services and custom cocktails. This exclusive guide is curated by celebrity wedding expert Kristin Banta, and is provided courtesy of Frontiers, L.A.’s largest and oldest LGBT magazine. You can't go wrong with your nuptials if you follow her recommendations for some of L.A.'s best wedding services.
CAKE
Fantasy Frostings has served the West Coast since 1971, offering custom cakes, cupcakes and dessert bars for every imaginable occasion. The family owned and operated cake company recently relocated to South Pasadena. With an eye for design and a keen understanding of flavor, their team of talented cake artists, led by owner Leslie Maynor-Anderson, can help you create a delicious masterpiece that reflects your style and palate. Each dessert is individually crafted to surpass your expectations in both presentation and taste. The almond cake and the banana pecan cake are particularly to die for.
At The Butter End Cakery, Kimberly Bailey heads a small team of foodie-artists who only use local, cage-free eggs, organic milk, hormone-free butter and amazing chocolate and vanilla bean in their recipes. And instead of fondant, they use a premium rolled chocolate covering to decorate their cakes. Each cake is not only delicious, but truly a unique work of art. The Chocolate Almond Cherry Cake with Cherry Cream Cheese Buttercream is my absolute favorite.
Named by Los Angeles magazine as one of L.A.’s top bakeries, the Vanilla Bake Shop has been featured by industry tastemakers such as Martha Stewart and the Food Network. Amy and Jeremy Berman, along with their team, create stunning cakes and confections with a focus on high-quality ingredients and impeccable design. Whether you're looking for a cake or an unforgettable dessert bar, they’ve got you covered. And for the record, their French macarons are so good they make me feel a little dirty.
Cake Alternatives
Porch Pies is an artisan bakery that specializes in Southern pies. Each pie is made to order with the finest ingredients and highest attention to detail. From rustic to classic, these pies are the perfect fit for any celebration where foodies gather and love is celebrated. From large pies to mini-pies, with ingredients ranging from berry to chocolate, these are absolutely my favorite pies on earth. The buttermilk pie in particular is simply poetry. Porch Pies delivers throughout Los Angeles, and ships anywhere in California and across the country.
By using only premium ingredients, Sweet Arleen’s has garnered a reputation for delivering uncompromising quality product and balanced flavor profiles. Sweet Arleen’s is currently the undefeated, three-peat champion of Food Network’s Cupcake Wars and The Cooking Channel’s Unique Sweets bread pudding favorite. For something different and memorable, I recommend serving a selection of the bread puddings, as they are truly magical.
CATERING
Savore Catering is a boutique catering company with an exclusive clientele. Chef/Owners Richard Lauter and Erez Levy, formerly of Spago Beverly Hills, base their menus on the highest quality seasonal products available. They specialize in social fine dining and multi-course tasting menus, often providing modern interpretations of global comfort foods. With a passion for cutting-edge culinary theory, but always focused on flavor, Lauter and Levy create menus that are unique to their clients’ preferences, resulting in “one-of-a-kind” dining experiences. The service staff is an all-star roster of our city’s most talented and gracious event industry professionals, operating with the finesse and precision of a ballet company.
Urban Palate will work with you to artfully create an incredible dining experience that expresses who you are as a couple, and also celebrates your unique palates. They use fresh, seasonal ingredients provided by local farms, creameries and vineyards and love to turn traditional dishes on their heads. Their staff is kind and professional, and their chefs are warm and gifted.
Taking its cues from its legendary chef/owner, Wolfgang Puck Catering always personalizes each event with passion, designing a customized seasonal menu and attending to every detail of your unique celebration. Whether it’s seated, buffet, small plates, or globally inspired stations, it's totally about style, and they can accommodate anything you can dream up. From an intimate gathering of 10 to a gala event with 2,000 guests, the Wolfgang Puck team never fails to deliver gracious hospitality and culinary innovation.
COCKTAILS
Renowned for its finely crafted cocktails and world class mixologists, The Roger Room features off-site bar catering for private parties and events. Which means that all of their award-winning cocktails are now available for any event. The Roger Room provides a full bar with premium beer, wine and spirits as well as organic fruit and juices. For that extra special touch, the expert bartenders are happy to create original cocktails tailored specifically for clients' needs.
Formerly a roving, underground speakeasy, Pharmacie is a craft cocktail catering service that specializes in creating custom cocktails that reflect the personality and palates of each couple. They believe the bar should be as special as everything else at your wedding. All of their juices are fresh-squeezed, and all proprietary syrups, tinctures and shrubs are handmade in their kitchen. The barmen are stylish, affable and educated. This is where I would spend most of my time if I were your wedding guest.
INFO
The Butter End
2709 Santa Monica Blvd. #C, Santa Monica, 90404
310.943.9241
www.thebutterend.com
Fantasy Frostings
301 Pasadena Ave., South Pasadena, 91030
626.799.2900
www.fantasyfrostings.com
Pharmacie
323.928.2306
www.pharmaciela.com
Porch Pies
323.632.4816
http://porchpies.com/
The Roger Room
370 N. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, 90048
310.854.1300
www.therogerroom.com
Savore Catering
3655 S. Grand Ave. Suite 235, Los Angeles, 90007
310.786.1777
www.savore.com
Sweet Arleen’s
960 South Westlake Blvd. Suite 4, Westlake Village, 91361
805.373.7333
www.sweetarleens.com
Urban Palate
950 South Flower St. Suite 105, Los Angeles, 90015
877.402.2002
http://urbanpalate.com/
Vanilla Bake Shop
Westfield Century City
10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, 90067
310.284.7937
www.vanillabakeshop.com
Wolfgang Puck Catering
800 W Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, 90015
213.744.1677
www.wolfgangpuck.com/catering-events