Meet Wedology 101: Bill Gilliam and Choice Entertainment*

To me, Choice Entertainment has always been synonymous with Richmond Weddings. I still contend that one of my favorite moments during each wedding is when I was waiting for the new Mr. and Mrs. arrive at the reception, and my Choice DJ would come out in a tux and say, “Ladies, it’s Saturday night.”

Today, we’re chatting with Wedology 101 teamster Bill Gilliam, owner of Choice Entertainment. Bill and his group of seasoned consultants blow the lid off of the old DJ stereotypes of yore. Ever the professional and ever the team player, Choice Entertainment was one of the first calls I made when I got engaged last year.

So enough about why I love Choice Entertainment- here’s Bill--

Why does Choice Entertainment stand out from the rest?

How much is REALLY good advice worth? When you speak with a Choice Entertainment Consultant about a wedding, you are talking to someone who has guided literally thousands of couples to the right DJ or band for their weddings...even better yet, all of the Consultants at Choice are also among the most respected entertainment directors in the wedding business...performing at dozens of local weddings every year. The advantage to Choice clients is advice from someone who knows every venue in town, understands how wedding receptions REALLY work, and has the experience to offer creative ideas and suggestions that are based on the latest trends in wedding entertainment. Choice consultants make the process of finding a great DJ or band easy and fun.

What is one of your favorite “bridal moments” over the years?

As wedding entertainers, we often sit around swapping stories about specific receptions we have performed for, and one type of "bridal moment" comes up over and over again.
When a really skilled entertainer connects with a really fun, happy, energetic crowd, something happens as you move this group through and evening of fun and dancing...and as you come down to that last hour or so, and the party literally takes on a life of its own, we call that the "magic time". This is where we are literally hanging on with this audience as we take them on a dancing, partying "rollercoaster" ride. It is the most fun you can have as an entertainer and the most satisfying too! If you do your job well, you leave them exhilarated, but tired and wanting just "ONE MORE SONG!!"

What is your biggest Wedding Day “Don’t”?

Don't get too caught up in having a wedding reception timeline that is timed down to the minute. Hire an experienced wedding planner, and an experienced wedding entertainer to keep things running smoothly...even if it's a few minutes different from what you planned.

What are some of the biggest challenges facing brides today with their wedding plans?

The biggest challenge we see in wedding planning is all of the poor advice, on-line and in magazines, from sources who have never really "worked" at a wedding reception. Often this advice is a thinly disguised ploy to sell a product or service, or advice from a well-intentioned writer who has done some research, but has never really "worked" at a wedding. The best advice comes from wedding veterans with hundreds of successful weddings to their credit.

What should a bride always have handy when planning her wedding?

When planning her wedding, every bride should always have a number of trusted friends handy (available by phone or in person) to render very honest and frank opinions on any buying decisions. Take them with you on appointments, to wedding shows etc

If you had one piece of advice to share with our brides, what would it be?

My ONE piece of advice for brides... the internet is a great place to begin your research, but nothing replaces face-to-face meetings with professionals who you will hire. If they will be providing a service you value highly, beware of anyone unwilling to meet. Insist on meeting in a professional office to see if they are as professional as they present themselves on-line!

To learn more about Choice Entertainment, please visit their web site. You can also meet Bill at Wedology 101 coming up in two short weeks on August 15 at Wyndham Virginia Crossings.

16 days and counting- who’s excited?!

Cheers,
Meghan

Meghan Ely is one part of the Wedology 101 team, and owner of OFD Consulting, a niche Marketing/PR firm servicing the wedding industry and the Managing Director of the Richmond Bridal Association. She is a contributing writer with Virginia Bride magazine, and has been published in Premier Bride Richmond. She and Jennifer write a Wedology 101 column for the Richmond Times Dispatch's Celebration section. She loves late harvest sauvignon blancs, letterpress anything and cakes shaped like Death Stars.

Meet Wedology 101: First Things First of Greater Richmond

When Jenn and I first sat down to iron out the Wedology 101 details, plenty of vendor categories came to mind- music, rentals, flowers and so on and so forth. What’s great about working with Jenn though, is that we both agree that at the end of the Big Day, there is now a marriage, the most important thing of all.

Very quickly, we decided that Bob Ruthazer with First Things First of Greater Richmond, simply had to be a part of Wedology 101. Yes, it’s important to know how to survive planning your Big Day- but even more important are the skills for enjoying a lasting marriage.

Bob stopped by today, to give us a sneak peek into First Things First of Greater Richmond--

Why does First Things First of Greater Richmond stand out from the rest?

Before you tie the knot, Let us show you the ropes! First Things First is all about strengthening families for a better community and we believe that the most important way to do that is to help couples have strong, lasting marriages. Our dream is every child growing up in a home with a mother and father who love each other and love their children. I think that’s a dream that most couples have when they think about getting married—a relationship that will endure even as children transform the nature of that relationship. We believe that the best way to ensure those happily ever-afters is to help couples prepare for a life together through mentoring and counseling and to reinvigorate their relationships through a variety of great dates, seminars and getaways. Our proven marriage skills programs can be found at http://www.firstthingsrichmond.org/

What is one of your favorite “bridal moments” over the years?

Actually there have been many, but what comes to mind is a recent ceremony where almost two dozen couples renewed their vows. Some had been married just a few years, some had been married 40 years or more. The room was filled with much of the same joy and delight that I’ve seen at weddings. What was surprising was the number of couples who had experienced great challenges in their marriages, had overcome them, and are now living out the life that many envisioned on their wedding day

What is your biggest Wedding Day “Don’t”?

Don’t forget to stop, look around and inhale the moments that make the day so special but remember: a wedding is a day but marriages is forever. Brides and grooms invest so much in the planning and execution of the wedding and reception, and get so caught up in meeting and greeting that they sometimes forget that this is their moment. They have to look at videos and photos to see what happened. I’d suggest that they have their wedding planner make a point of pulling them out of a crowd, to get them quiet on the edge of the reception and just observe the people who are invested in their happiness. They should observe the setting—the tables, the flowers, the food—all of it. A minute focused on their friends and another on each other will help a couple embed indelible memories of their wedding day.

What are some of the biggest challenges facing brides today with their wedding plans?

The biggest challenge is balancing plans for the wedding day with plans for a lifetime. Since most of their lives will be spent after the wedding, we encourage couples to spend a few hours getting ready for after the honeymoon. For many years First Things First has been offering courses like It Takes Two: Keys to a Rewarding Relationship. We have also trained more than 100 mentor couples who volunteer to meet with engaged couples (and some that are thinking about getting engaged) to help them prepare for the transition from singleness to marriage. They utilize a very effective inventory called Prepare-Enrich. This inventory uses a series of questions to gather and compare data that reveals strengths and growth areas for each couple who sign up for the mentoring sessions. The mentors are seasoned married couples, not counselors, who share what they have learned in their marriages that will benefit newlyweds. Some of our volunteers work primarily with blended families and those who were previously married. Others work with those who are marrying for the first time. Mentors can be found in churches throughout the metropolitan area or can be located by contacting info@firstthingsrichmond.org.

What should a bride always have handy when planning her wedding?

She should have a calendar that not only includes all the important activities that lead up to the wedding, but also includes some planned dates with her husband during their first year of marriage. The bride and her fiancé should set dates three, six and nine months out to talk about what’s working and what isn’t and to draw up plans to keep the relationship fresh. Those dates will help ensure that the first anniversary celebration will be great. One of those post wedding dates should be a marriage seminar, like the Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage event that will be here in Richmond August 20th and 21st. Getting together with other couples, learning more about the differences between men and women, laughing together—these activities will enliven a marriage and get couples talking about why they got married in the first place. And the planned dates provide a forum for addressing little problems before they become major ones.

If you had one piece of advice to share with our brides, what would it be?

Treat your wedding like the beginning it is, not as an ending. Save enough energy to really enjoy your honeymoon and come back refreshed so your first weeks of marriage are as delightful, vibrant and romantic as your wedding and honeymoon.

Remember you family will always be YOUR family… if there is a family challenge, have blood deal with blood… do not ask your fiancé to deal with YOUR family issues.

To learn more about First Things First, please visit their web site.

You can also meet Bob at Wedology 101 coming up in three short weeks on August 15 at Wyndham Virginia Crossings.

Cheers,
Meghan

Meghan Ely is one part of the Wedology 101 team, and owner of OFD Consulting, a niche Marketing/PR firm servicing the wedding industry and the Managing Director of the Richmond Bridal Association. She is a contributing writer with Virginia Bride magazine, and has been published in Premier Bride Richmond. She and Jennifer write a Wedology 101 column for the Richmond Times Dispatch's Celebration section. She loves late harvest sauvignon blancs, letterpress anything and cakes shaped like Death Stars.

Meeting Wedology 101: A Cake to Remember*

Today is a particular fun introduction for me, because I’m a long time client of this Wedology 101er. Kara Buntin with A Cake to Remember here in Richmond is not only fabulous at what she does- but she’s a straight shooter and doesn’t (warning- pun ahead!) sugar coat things for you. If you have an outdoor wedding in July, she’ll tell you why buttercream is a no go, and I respect that about her.

She and I always got along well because I’d come to her with the most outlandish of ideas (case in point: Death Star wedding cake), and she’d make them into a reality. More importantly, she’d be just as excited as you were when all was said and done.

So you can imagine I did a little happy dance when Kara signed on to Wedology 101- I just know the brides are going to love her!
So enough about my cakes, let’s give the floor to Kara--

Why does A Cake to Remember stand out from the rest?

A Cake To Remember was never meant to be a cake assembly line. I give a lot of attention to every cake that I make, which includes baking them from scratch and not using mixes, and doing a limited number of cakes per week. It’s more of a boutique cake business, as opposed to a bakery that does a lot of production and bakes cakes using mixes and freezes them. I design cakes individually with each client, and I do everything custom so that each cake is unique to the couple and the event.

What is one of your favorite “bridal moments” over the years?

Without a doubt, I love the moments when a couple comes to a cake design meeting and starts by saying “This is going to sound kind of weird.” That’s the moment that I know they have an idea for a cake that’s going to be really crazy. A wedding cake that’s different is a conversation piece at the reception, and usually ends up being much more fun to make than a “standard” white wedding cake.

What is your biggest Wedding Day “Don’t”?

Please, don’t smash the cake in each other’s faces. It’s just a bad idea.

What are some of the biggest challenges facing brides today with their wedding plans?

I’d say that budget is always number one on the list, as well as just having so many choices. There are so many sources of information, pictures and ideas in magazines and online, people start to get confused about what they really want. It’s good to have options, but you get to a point where it can be overwhelming and you get paralyzed. Hiring a good wedding planner and other professionals who can help you narrow down the options is a good way to deal with wedding overload.

What should a bride always have handy when planning her wedding?

“The Binder” with all of the lists…I’m a list-maker, and when I see brides who have “the binder” I know that I’ll be able to get all of the questions that I have answered. I’ve filled out entire information sheets with “to be decided” because the bride doesn’t have any information with her yet. It just reduces the amount of follow-up on everyone’s parts if you can get the information that you need without having to hunt the bride down later.

If you had one piece of advice to share with our brides, what would it be?

Don’t believe everything that you read in wedding magazines. They exist as a way to sell wedding dress advertising, and a lot of the articles on other subjects are thrown together by people with no experience in those areas. Ask questions to the professionals who you hire and don’t assume that just because something is in print somewhere that it’s right. Also, ask around for referrals to professionals to hire. If you hear the same names over and over that’s a good indication that they’ll do a good job for you. But that’s two pieces of advice…

To learn more about A Cake to Remember, please visit her web site as well as her Blog. You can also find Kara tweeting away at @acaketoremember

You can also meet Kara at Wedology 101 coming up in four short weeks on August 15 at Wyndham Virginia Crossings.

Cheers,
Meghan

Meghan Ely is one part of the Wedology 101 team, and owner of OFD Consulting, a niche Marketing/PR firm servicing the wedding industry and the Managing Director of the Richmond Bridal Association. She is a contributing writer with Virginia Bride magazine, and has been published in Premier Bride Richmond. She and Jennifer write a Wedology 101 column for the Richmond Times Dispatch's Celebration section. She loves late harvest sauvignon blancs, letterpress anything and cakes shaped like Death Stars.

Meet Wedology 101: Meghan McSweeney Photography*

Today at Wedology 101, we sat down with Meghan McSweeney with Meghan McSweeney Photography, a gal whose heart is as big as her talent. Her swoon worthy style always puts an extra bounce in my step.

For those who may not know, Meghan has received quite a bit of attention for her work as of late, as she’s been recently featured in Style Me Pretty, Snippet and Ink and Grey Likes Weddings. She was also handpicked to be a part of Lara Casey’s coveted It List. Plus, she’s just plain fun to be around.

You can then imagine how thrilled we were when Meghan decided to join the Wedology 101 team.

So without further ado, here’s Meghan--

Why does Meghan McSweeney Photography stand out from the rest?

I feel like I try as a photographer to really relate to my clientele. I get them to fill out extensive questionnaires so that I get to know their story as well as what is important to them as a couple. I love knowing how they met, more about their group of friends, their style as a couple, places they have been together, the parts of the wedding that are important to them. I feel like it sets me apart that I really take the time to get to know them during the whole process from their engagement sessions to their bridals and then to the actual day of the wedding and beyond. I am really lucky that a lot of my clients end up being very easygoing and lovely people to work with. I feel like it is reflected in how I shoot them and how we work together. I work very hard to make sure that they are comfortable with me and that they trust me when it comes to the wedding day.

What is one of your favorite “bridal moments” over the years?

I have certain times of the day that are my favorite throughout a wedding. When the bride and groom write their own vows and really make an effort to step out of their comfort zone pronouncing their love of each other. As for photographic moments throughout the day, I love taking pictures of the grooms face as the bride turns the corner and walks down the aisle. I also love when they have just been married and they turn and come down the aisle. There is typically so much joy in their faces and it is my ABSOLUTE favorite when they look at each other when they are traipsing down the aisle. Other than that, I really just love to capture the emotion of the couple throughout the day. It really is a special thing to be able to capture for them the love and joy that they are feeling throughout that day. It makes me feel good that they will always have that to come back to throughout their marriage.

What is your biggest Wedding Day “Don’t”?

My biggest wedding don't is when a bride is so stressed out from planning her day that she really isn't able to enjoy herself. It is one of the many, many reasons why I recommend hiring a wedding planner!

What are some of the biggest challenges facing brides today with their wedding plans?

I really think that the biggest challenge with planning a wedding is that bride and grooms have so many options at their disposal. If they aren't in the industry or completely obsessed with their wedding, it's really hard to know all of those options like where the best place to go for a unique linen or if they want a tent that is different or a band that isn't completely mainstream. I think it is really easy to get bombarded and overwhelmed by the choices that are available hence some of the other reasons that I think it is a really important thing to hire vendors whom you trust.

What should a bride always have handy when planning her wedding?

A planner or at least a really good an efficient type-a person helping them out.

If you had one piece of advice to share with our brides, what would it be?

My biggest piece of advice to brides is to remember to enjoy themselves. It's a day that only happens once and it's really important to be able to let go of all of the nitpicky details once you get to a certain point so that you can enjoy each other and your day. I think it is really important to be able to sit for a second and enjoy each other's company. I find it really sad when bride and groom's are running around like crazy during the reception talking to all of the guests and they aren't able to just be together for a little while. While I think it is important that you recognize your guests and that people made a big effort to get to your wedding for you both, I think it is also important to be able to take a minute to soak it all in and appreciate the love between each other and your community that gathered for you.

To learn more about Meghan McSweeney Photography, please visit her web site as well as her Blog. You can also find Meghan tweeting away at @McSweeneyphoto

You can also meet Meghan at Wedology 101 coming up in four short weeks on August 15 at Wyndham Virginia Crossings.

Cheers,
Meghan

Meghan Ely is one part of the Wedology 101 team, and owner of OFD Consulting, a niche Marketing/PR firm servicing the wedding industry and the Managing Director of the Richmond Bridal Association. She is a contributing writer with Virginia Bride magazine, and has been published in Premier Bride Richmond. She and Jennifer write a Wedology 101 column for the Richmond Times Dispatch's Celebration section. She loves late harvest sauvignon blancs, letterpress anything and cakes shaped like Death Stars.

Meet Wedology 101: Elizabeth Howard and The Cordial Cricket*

Today, we’re starting a series of Blog posts featuring our Wedology 101 team. While you will have the opportunity to meet them in person on August 15, Jenn and I wanted to do a little pre-event bragging, because we simply can’t help ourselves.

Elizabeth Howard was an easy choice, as I’ve had an industry crush on The Cordial Cricket since we met last summer. Not only do they carry only the most swoon worthy of items, but you know from the moment you walk in the door, that you’re in great hands. In addition to invitations, The Cordial Cricket can handle your programs, thank you notes, table numbers- they sky really is the limit.

And do keep in mind that I’m not only a bragger, but also a client. I thought I’d throw a bridal shower in the mix of what’s shaping up to be a busy summer. My wonderful friend, and co-hostess with the mostess, decided to take the lead on the invitations and I sent her running to The Cordial Cricket just days ago. Elizabeth accommodated our tight turnaround time with ease and has assisted us in ensuring this little soiree is

So enjoy your little sit down with Elizabeth below--

Why does The Cordial Cricket stand out from the rest?

The Cordial Cricket stands out from the rest for a couple of reasons. One being the close relationships we work to form with our brides. We are fortunate to have been able to foster very close relationships with the brides whom we've worked with over the years. We meet with them one-on-one to consult with them on all aspects of their wedding stationery from Save the Dates to invitations, programs, thank you notes, table cards, rehearsal dinner invites, ceremony accessories, you name it. We find out all about their wedding, which vendors they are using, which items they still need vendor recommendations for and even guide them with proper wedding etiquette advice. We become so much more than the store they purchased their wedding invitations. Using this consultative approach we have found that the brides trust us and reach out to us for advice throughout their entire wedding planning process. The second reason that we stand out from the rest is due to the etiquette expertise we are able to offer our brides. Elizabeth Howard, owner of The Cordial Cricket, will soon complete her etiquette consultant certification through The American School of Protocol. Most stores don't take things to this level. We offer the ability to work with certified etiquette professionals free of charge. We receive phone calls and questions from people daily on etiquette related matters, related not only to weddings, but entertaining, children's etiquette and much more. We consider it an extra value for all of our customers including our brides that they have us as this valuable resource. To top it all off, we carry many custom wedding invitation and stationery vendors that are not sold anywhere else in Virginia and work incredibly hard to keep our selection unique and not just offer items from mainstream manufacturers.

What is one of your favorite “bridal moments” over the years?

This is a very hard question, to pick just one moment! Since we are not with our brides at their actual weddings, our moments with them take place well before their events occur. We relish the moment with every bride we work when they see their final wedding invitation for the very first time. Another of our special bridal moments is that we have actually been invited to and attended the weddings of some of our brides, only after getting to know them while working with them in our store. We have been so touched by their desire to have us join them on their special day!

What is your biggest Wedding Day “Don’t”?

Our biggest wedding day don't is not to leave anything to the day of that has to be assembled, put together, etc. Brides are doing more DIY projects than ever before, both for budget reasons and simply because they are very creative ladies. We have sometimes heard horror stories about leaving projects until the day of or the night before and how stressful it becomes on not only the bride, but her wedding party family and friends.

What are some of the biggest challenges facing brides today with their wedding plans?

One of the biggest challenges facing brides today is the overwhelming amount of selection, options and information that they are presented with. We are certainly living in the information age more than ever before and brides are presented with so many choices and options to choose from whether at bridal shows, magazines, wedding blogs, their "been there, done that friends" who've gone before them, reality wedding TV shows and so much more. I think that brides can get so quickly overwhelmed with determining what they really want for their big day and lose some of their unique identity. Although the endless selection of options related to all things wedding is wonderful to have, brides should not feel obligated to review everything that is presented to them. Keeping it simple and keeping it their taste is most important.


What should a bride always have handy when planning her wedding?

A bride should always have handy her guest list in two formats. One with guests listed individually, which is most often the only list they have, and one version with their list by couple, invited group/household. You would be surprised how often they need to know other versions of the number of invited guests rather than just the total number of individuals. This is specifically important to us regarding ordering things like save the dates, wedding invitations and thank you notes.

If you had one piece of advice to share with our brides, what would it be?

The one piece of advice that we would share with brides is not to "over do it". With everything from invitations to favors to decor, it is very easy to "over do". One example being how more thoughtful favors like a donation to a favorite charity turn out making the biggest impact on your guests. Simple style is stunning and elegant, often understated touches go a very long way and do not require elaborate amounts of effort and cost.

To learn more about Elizabeth and The Cordial Cricket, please visit their web site as well as their great Blog. You can also find Elizabeth tweeting away at @cordialcricket

You can also meet Elizabeth at Wedology 101 coming up in four short weeks on August 15 at Wyndham Virginia Crossings.

Cheers,
Meghan


Meghan Ely is one part of the Wedology 101 team, and owner of OFD Consulting, a niche Marketing/PR firm servicing the wedding industry and the Managing Director of the Richmond Bridal Association. She is a contributing writer with Virginia Bride magazine, and has been published in Premier Bride Richmond. She and Jennifer write a Wedology 101 column for the Richmond Times Dispatch's Celebration section. She loves late harvest sauvignon blancs, letterpress anything and cakes shaped like Death Stars.

Been There, Done That Bride: Heather LaMont

John Lennon once wrote- Life is what is happening when you're busy making other plans. Well I'd like to revise that a bit today- Life is what keeps happening while you're busy planning your wedding!

This story particularly holds true for today's Been There, Done That bride. I've enjoyed getting to know Heather over the last few years through mutual friends. Heather is fresh off her Big Day, and is here to share with us how she managed to stay calm while balancing plans as well as taking on a new career.

Take it away Heather--

Why are you a “Been There, Done That” Bride?
I consider myself a “Been There, Done That” Bride because of the big year I had. Not just in planning my wedding, but because I just started a new job as the company’s trainer for an industry I’d never worked in. There were so many new people to meet and a whole industry to master. Usually after a stressful day at work, a girl can come home, prop her feet up, and have a glass of wine. Not me! I came home and picked up right where I left off in my wedding planning. Vendor appointments, phone meetings, and planning were in order!

What surprised you most about your wedding planning?
How stressful it really can be. I can’t imagine doing it on your own. Or in a short amount of time. My fiancee and I were engaged 18 months, so we had plenty of time to choose our vendors carefully. I don’t know what I would have done if I felt pressed for time with my decision-making.

What caused you the most stress during your wedding planning? How was it handled?
I am originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I’ve lived in the Richmond area only a couple of years. It was difficult for me to plan everything for the biggest day of my life in a city that I knew so little about. I was able to trust in a few close friends for guidance in choosing vendors, locations, and even little details. I just wanted everything to be perfect, of course. Once I had all of my vendors in place, the stress level went down significantly. Well, that is, until the last few weeks before the big day!

What could you have absolutely not lived without during the planning?
MY MOM! Without a doubt. It just so happened, for my dad’s job, my parents moved to Richmond 6 months before my wedding. My mom worked day and night making phone calls, sending emails, and taking care of all the little details and last minute issues for the wedding while I was at work. I was so lucky to have her! Oh yeah, another thing I couldn’t have lived without: notebook tablets. I made lists of my lists… haha!

What would you have done differently?
That’s a tough one. Honestly, everything went so well! Like most brides, I would say just to enjoy every waking moment of the day. From the second you get up, to getting your hair done, getting ready in the bridal room, to the actual wedding and reception. I took this advice from many and it made all the difference. The day goes by so fast!!

If you had one piece of advice to share with our brides, what would it be?
If you want something so badly, GET IT! In my case, I thought a unique and interesting detail for the wedding would be the use of a Photobooth at our reception. My mom thought it was too much money, but I convinced her to see my side (with just a little begging!) It ended up being one of the highlights of the reception. Our guests LOVED it. We had unlimited use of the Photobooth and so many of my favorite, silly, and crude pictures from the evening were from the Photobooth. If you really want something, trust in your instincts! I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend that money.

Heather teaches us that sometimes giving yourself a little extra planning time during one's engagement really can make all of this difference. Plus- if you want something bad enough, try your best to make it happen.

Interested in being featured? Simply email me at meghan {at} ofdconsulting {dot} com. Have friends trying to plan their Big Day? Then join us August 15 at Wedology 101!

Cheers,
Meghan

Photo credit: dm foto

Meghan Ely is one part of the Wedology 101 team, and owner of OFD Consulting, a niche Marketing/PR firm servicing the wedding industry and the Managing Director of the Richmond Bridal Association. She is a contributing writer with Virginia Bride magazine, and has been published in Premier Bride Richmond. She and Jennifer write a Wedology 101 column for the Richmond Times Dispatch's Celebration section. She loves late harvest sauvignon blancs, letterpress anything and cakes shaped like Death Stars.