Latest news with #OliviaWilson
Forbes
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Why We're Loving Long Cakes Right Now
Long cake makes a stunning centerpiece in this dessert display. Move over, tiered cakes — 2025 belongs to the long cake. These striking, centerpiece-style desserts are reshaping what celebrations look like, stretching across party tables and commanding the room with their playful flair. From weddings to birthdays and everything in between, long cakes— typically slender sheet cakes that span anywhere from two to six feet or more — are fast becoming the go-to for trend-forward hosts looking to blend drama with functionality. 'I started making long centerpiece-style cakes in 2023,' says Olivia Wilson, a Richmond-based baker known for her elegant, floral-forward designs. 'My first client was open to experimentation, so we did a super skinny long cake to serve as the centerpiece of her massive grazing table for a birthday party.' That experiment sparked a trend Wilson couldn't have predicted. 'The following year, almost all of my wedding cakes were six feet or longer,' she adds. 'My clients have been excited about this new option for their event — I think folks appreciate the drama, while retaining the cake's approachability and whimsical nature.' Sugared fruit, leaves, and elegant swirls adorn this extra long sheet cake. It's not just aesthetics that are winning people over. The elongated sheet cake style, typically frosted and adorned with edible florals, fruits, herbs, or even custom signage, doubles as an edible runner or showpiece. Because it's low and horizontal rather than tall and , it allows for more accessible slicing and a more interactive presentation. 'For me, it's a logical option,' Wilson says. 'It makes it easier on the catering side or for whomever is tasked with slicing and serving — and that makes me happy to not add more stress to their night.' Event planners agree. With long cakes, there's no need for a big ceremonial cut or the awkward logistics of disassembling tiers. Guests can simply slice and serve themselves, grazing as they would from a charcuterie board or dessert table. It's self-serve, but with style. The length of these stylish cakes allow for easier cutting and sharing. The appeal of long cakes also taps into a broader trend in the dining and events world: maximalist minimalism. These cakes are often rectangular and unstacked, a design choice that feels minimalist at first glance. But the real magic is in the decoration. With ample real estate, decorators can build elaborate scenes; mossy forest paths using fresh thyme, cascades of figs and berries, or trails of freshly picked wildflowers and edible glitter. 'This style also serves as a very fun canvas for creating a little fairy wonderland with fresh produce and flowers,' Wilson notes. 'I also make long bûche De Noëls,' she adds, referring to her holiday offerings, which leaned into a quaint, log-style format. 'It really took off.' Social media, of course, has played its part. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are flooded with videos of long cakes being dressed like enchanted gardens or delicately sliced by wandering guests. The visual payoff is undeniable. And compared to traditional cakes, these are easier to photograph and harder to forget. For the new generation of hosts—many of whom are seeking ways to make large events feel more casual and communal—the long cake hits all the right notes. It's shareable. It's stylish. And it turns the humble sheet cake into something worthy of a toast. Though some purists may argue that it lacks the grandeur of a traditional multi-tiered confection, Wilson disagrees. 'There's a softness to them that people love,' she says. 'They're grand, but not intimidating.' In other words: long cakes are here to stay, and their moment has only just begun. If you're hosting a wedding, birthday, or art-forward supper club, there's never been a better time to think outside the (tiered) box.
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
No more bouquets? Brides to walk the aisle without wedding flowers due to shortage warning
Image credits: Getty Images One of the most important parts of the bridal ensemble in a classic white wedding is a wholesome and gorgeous floral bouquet that not only serves as a blessing for the marital life ahead but also adds a layer of charm and beauty to the bride's look. Now it seems that brides in the UK might have to walk the aisle empty-handed as wedding flower growers in the kingdom have warned of a flower shortage due to the UK experiencing its driest springs yet. British growers sell around a tenth of flowers bought in the UK but this year farmers say they are battling unpredictable weather. With the UK having its driest spring in more than a century, Yorkshire and the northwest are officially in drought. Depending on the amount of rainfall received in the coming weeks, other areas could also be declared in drought. Image credits: Getty Images "I'm trying to meet deadlines for weddings, so timing is really critical. The drought has pushed everything back," said Roisin Taylor, owner of Verde Flower Co in Northumberland to the Times. "It's given me shorter stems. The water collection has been an absolute nightmare. So it has had quite a significant impact." She also added that the weather conditions have also affected the species of flowers she grows, saying it's become less predictable every year when a crop will be available. Image credits: Getty Images Olivia Wilson, who owns a flower farm at Bellingdon, Buckinghamshire, shared that her plants have been 'stress flowering' due to the heat, meaning they have been producing flowers early. "You keep thinking that next week it's going to arrive but it hasn't. It's got to the stage where it's beyond repair" said Martin Williams, a farmer in Herefordshire. This dry spell comes after an extremely rainy 2024 that left fields underwater. Thus, for many farmers it's not the drought but the unpredictability of the weather and thus the produce that is raising concerns. For brides having a wedding soon, it would be better to pre-book your bridal bouquets this time.
Daily Mail
04-07-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Here comes the bouquet-less bride! Wedding flower shortage warning as Britain hit by driest spring in more than a century
Wedding flower growers have warned of a shortage after struggling with one of the UK's driest springs on record. Around a tenth of the flowers bought in the UK are from British growers but this year farmers say they are battling unpredictable weather. Yorkshire and the northwest are officially in drought as the UK has had its driest spring in more than a century. Depending on rainfall in the coming weeks, drought could be declared in other areas, while one water company is set to announce a hosepipe ban. Roisin Taylor, who runs Verde Flower Co in Northumberland, told the Times: 'I'm trying to meet deadlines for weddings, so timing is really critical. The drought has pushed everything back. 'It's given me shorter stems. The water collection has been an absolute nightmare. So it has had quite a significant impact.' Ms Taylor added that the weather conditions have affected the species she grows, saying 'it's become less predictable, year on year, when a crop will be available'. Concerns were also raised by other flower growers at the Groundswell farming conference, as many farmers are facing the same issue. Olivia Wilson, who has a flower farm at Bellingdon, Buckinghamshire, said: 'It's been very difficult because of drought.' A lot of her plants have been 'stress flowering' due to the heat, meaning they produce flowers early. The dry weather comes following an extremely wet 2024 that left many fields underwater. 'I keep thinking, "This year will be more normal". Last year was incredibly rainy. It's not the drought per se, it's the unpredictability,' Wilson said. Martin Williams, a farmer in Herefordshire, added: 'You keep thinking that next week it's going to arrive but it hasn't. It's got to the stage where it's beyond repair.' Cissy Bullock of Flowers from the Farm, a trade association, said its farmers are the ones who 'sit on the front line' and 'feel the changes in climate first'. Environment secretary, Steve Reed, spoke at Groundswell, telling farmers that land that yields little food may need to be taken out of production for needs of of nature, housing and energy. He ssaid: 'It envisions taking some of the least productive land out of food production [and] supporting the more productive land to increase production.'
