Parrot Head

So I get this phone call from a bride looking for a wedding cake that will reflect the fact that she's marrying a Parrot Head. Now, I don't know much about Parrot Heads, but I know that love can overcome anything, even what sounds to be a horribly disfiguring disorder.

Okay, so maybe I was a touch off-base with the terminology, but much to my relief, a Parrot Head is simply the term for a Jimmy Buffett fan. Well, that makes the cake design a whole lot easier than I thought!

Ann and Tyler had a great party planned for their wedding. The reception would be held on a the Padelford Riverboat "Betsy" on the Mississippi on what turned out to be the most glorious late spring day of the year. The groomsmen wore hawaiian print vests of a black background with painted sage green tropical leaves and little Parrots, Cockatoos, and Toucans intermixed in the foliage. I immediately wanted to copy that fabric. The centerpieces on the tables incorporated bamboo and fuschia orchids...done and done! Add a couple of frosting flip flops, some seashells, and a two tier waterfall (the groom's idea) and we were ready to cruise!


But, a Parrot Head's cake would not be complete without a little hidden humor, so Tyler suggested that we add a bottle of Landshark beer, and a pair of board shorts and bikini top littering the back side of the cake (after all, they are married now).

My full-timer Jenna was all over these details, she hid the bikini top from me until it was finished so that I could get the full effect (or maybe so that I wouldn't micromanage, you decide) and it was perfect! Our new girl, Kim, came up with the method for shaping the bamboo, and she and Jenna had a stockpile of it by the time I painted the leaves for the cake.
Overall, it was one of those blissful decorating days, where, everything I was unsure of, just came together. Aaah, those don't happen too often. Must be that laid back Parrot Head vibe coming through.
Ann and Tyler finished off their reception with an all Jelly Belly candy buffet. They chose several Jelly Belly blend recipes, and we mixed full jars of them (you know, One Orange Juice jelly bean plus one Cherry, plus two Margarita beans equals Tequila Sunrise). It was quite the hit!
Thanks Ann and Tyler for once again, reminding me that I have the Best Job Ever.