Today is my fiance’s birthday, so this post is dedicated to him. I actually haven’t provided much background on Niall in this blog, mostly because he is a pretty private person. Oh and wedding planning isn’t exactly his go-to hobby. But there is one thing I am particularly proud of about Niall that we plan on highlighting in our wedding.

Niall is a Marine so we are planning to have a sword ceremony at our wedding.

A sword ceremony gives a symbolic pledge of loyalty to the newly married couple from their Marine family. Immediately after the marriage ceremony is officiated, the Marines position themselves just outside the doorway of where the ceremony took place. On the command, the Marines raise their swords into a high arch and the newly married couple proceeds through the arch. Oh and sometimes they tap the bride’s behind…

Although no longer in active duty, Niall left a promising career in finance as a 26-year old to enter Officer Candidates School and later deploy to Iraq. I didn’t know him then and am truly grateful for that, because I think his deployment would have driven me crazy with worry. I had actually never met anyone my age who was in the military before meeting Niall. So to meet someone who left his career in his mid-twenties to serve his country was astonishing to me, completely selfless and brave, but astonishing.

Isn’t he handsome…

He gets uncomfortable when people thank him for his service, because, as he says, there are plenty of people who gave their life and he got to come home. Nor does he think he has done anything all that special or worth bragging about (I am sure he will be very embarrassed by this post!). But to me, he is one of the most gallant and honorable men I have ever met.

The sword ceremony is just a small tip of the hat to Niall’s life as a Marine and of course to all those men and women who have served our country. I am so proud to be marrying a man like Niall, and I bet Madeline and all of the other soon-to-be wives and husbands of our military feel the same.

So on that note, and because I am tearing up too much to see my computer screen, Happy Birthday, Niall! I am truly honored that I get to spend the rest of my life with you. Teammates…

Credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

I’m loving all the personal details this bride put together to make this day truly unique to them. From the handspun florals, to the vintage baseball details, and of course, those fabulous invitations, it is easy to get a sense of what this couple is all about. I just love weddings screaming with personal style, don’t you?

I am halfway through a 30 day sugar detox. Yes, this was self-imposed and yes I am crazy. After a splurging on way too many holiday treats, I decided to take a break from the sweet stuff for a month in the hopes of get my cravings back in check. Consequently, all I can think about is sugar as of late! So I thought I would channel this into something productive and start salivating searching for some awesome cake décor ideas!

My fiancé is still unsure about having a full-blown cake. He would like a dessert bar with lots of options for people to choose from. Given that this is one of the only things he has expressed an opinion about (the other thing was hors d’oeuvre – are you sensing a theme?), I think I have to give it to him. But I still would like a cake – likely a small one – in order to capture the obligatory cake-cutting moment. And I also love the tradition of freezing the top layer and enjoying it together on your first anniversary (“enjoy” might not be the right word – does it still taste good after a year?).

So far I am leaning toward all white! I absolutely love these eyelet ones I have come across.

Credits clockwise from top left: 1, 2, 3, 4

And these flower cakes are breathtaking!

Credit clockwise from top left: 1, 2, 3, 4

Credits: 1, 2

Since one of our colors is gold, I would also be open to incorporating that into the cakes, especially if they look like these!

Credit: 1, 2, 3

Finally, I might enhance the Art Deco theme a bit more by highlighting it in our cake.

Credits: 1, 2, 3

Which one do you like the best? Please let me know in your comments below!

P.S. I know I didn’t say a single word about flavor and that is because I don’t discriminate when it comes to cake – I like it all! And this is exactly the reason why I need a sugar detox!