
We’re all about creative and colorful cakes, and we absolutely adore a stunning wedding cake. But there’s something to be said for nontraditional wedding desserts as well. Take for instance, interactive dessert tables: They’re a blast. And one-of-a-kind sweet treats –those are what are going to leave your guests oohing and awing. If you need further evidence of such delight, set your sights on these 20 sweet wedding-day treats.
1. Hand Pies: These custom hand pies make everyone feel like family. Plus, what’s more perfect than ending your wedding day with a cherry on top? (via Green Wedding Shoes)
2. Ice Cream Truck: We’re totally on board with food trucks showing up at the affair. Your guests will be so excited when they hear music from a vintage ice cream truck. And the best part is they can choose their flavor so it’s a win-win for everyone! (via Ruffled)
3. Cotton Candy: It’s sticky, sugary and brings back memories of your days at the carnival. There’s something sweet and whimsical about cotton candy. So when we saw this romantic table lined with it, we couldn’t wait to share. (via Paper and Home)
4. Donut Cake: So, your guilty pleasure is cake and your boo is obsessed with donuts. The fix is in – an adorable tiered donut cake. (via One Wed)
5. Macarons: The perfect bite! If you’re looking for a dainty dessert that’s light, airy and not doused in sugar, then macarons it is! Did we mention how pretty they are? Well, you can probably see that for yourselves. (via The Bridal Detective)
6. Candied Apples: If your wedding vision entails the words “relaxed” and “fun,” then you’ll love these. Not only are candied apples fun to eat, you can dip them, top them and serve them any way you like. We’re smitten. (via United With Love)
7. Fruit Tartlets: Nothing says elegant like bite-sized tarts. It’s a fresh change from heavy desserts and perfect for a romantic wedding. (via Katie Larkin Cakes and Confections)
8. Cheese Cake: Not into sweets? Call us crazy but we love the idea of a savory alternative. This tiered cheese platter brings a whole new meaning to “cheese cake.” (via Green Wedding Shoes)
9. Rice Krispies: We all know it’s one of our favorite desserts, so serving it at your wedding only makes sense. And it’s possible to glam it up a bit with some florals. (via Mikaela Ruth)
10. Milk and Cookies: A shot of milk and a cookie chaser? We’re in. (via Belle)
11. Ice Cream Sandwiches: What better excuse to shove dessert down your throat at lightning speed than “Hey, it’s going to melt.” If you’re going to serve ice cream at your wedding, layer it with two cookies. For us, please. (via Project Wedding)
12. Strawberry Shortcake: You might not think it’s proper etiquette to serve your wedding dessert in a tin pan, but somehow, strawberry shortcake trumps etiquette. (via Dylan and Sara)
13. Whoopie Pies: You better believe your guest are going to want to make this kind of sweet whoopie. (via Loverly)
14. S’mores Bar: Those guests. They just come to your wedding and expect to be waited on hand and foot. Make ’em make their own dessert with a custom s’mores bar. We definitely encourage taking it a step further with flavored marshmallows and custom topping. (via Intimate Weddings)
15. Oreos: We’re all about going homemade. Serving a gourmet version of a household favorite cookie is deliciously genius. (via Green Wedding Shoes)
16. Waffle Cake: Um, need we say more? It’s basically creating the perfect brunch-themed wedding. (via Grey Likes Weddings)
17. Mini Pop Tarts: Everything is better when it’s miniature and on a stick. (via Sweet Cheeks)
18. Brownie Bites: Brownies – an oldie but a goodie – they never disappoint. (via Austin Wedding Blog)
19. Milkshakes: As you know, they bring all the boys to the yard. But you’re already taken. Sorry, fellas. (via All Sorts of Pretty)
20. Crepe Cake: Could it get any more elegant? Doubtful. (via Sweet Violet Bride)
Are you getting creative with a nontraditional dessert for your wedding? Share your ideas in the comments below!
Welcome to Selfmade Finance School, our new money series with Block Advisors to help small business owners with their tax, bookkeeping, and payroll needs year-round. This week, we explore the tax implications of bringing family members into your business.
The question for today is this: Does hiring your family members make sense for your business? Let me be clear. This is not a piece about whether hiring your family members makes sense for your relationships with those family members. As someone who is part of a family business, I could fill up a lot more than 600 words on my opinions about that. For today's purposes, we focus on whether it makes sense from an overall "good business and tax implication" perspective. As it turns out, there is a decent amount of tax nuance when it comes to employing your family. Let's break it down based on relationship to the employee:
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Spouses Who Are In Business Together
Personally, if I had to be in business with my husband, it would not go well. However, many couples build viable, strong businesses together and I say, good for them! Depending on how you have your business entity structured, it will make a big difference on the tax treatment of you and your spouse working as partners. Because a business jointly owned and operated by a married couple is generally treated as a partnership for Federal tax purposes, the spouses must comply with filing and record keeping requirements imposed on partnerships and their partners. The election to file two Schedule C (Form 1040) forms, (one for each spouse) permits certain married co-owners to avoid filing partnership returns, provided that each spouse separately reports a share of all the businesses' items of income, gain, loss, deduction, and credit. Under the election, both spouses will be subject to self-employment tax and on net earnings from self-employment and receive credit for Social Security earnings.
One Spouse Employs Another
If you have a dynamic where your spouse is an employee of your business, then your spouse's wages are subject to income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes. If you are self-employed (not a corporation or a partnership), your spouse's pay does not have to be included in your federal unemployment tax account (FUTA) contributions and payments. However, if your business is a corporation or a partnership you must include that spouse's pay in your unemployment tax contribution calculation.
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You Employ Your Child
First, let's be clear. I work in my family business, but I am an adult, so I am treated just like a normal employee. However, if you, for example, run a family restaurant and want to hire your children under 18 to work for you, there are some tax benefits. But first, you should check with your state for rules on how many hours minors can work (in non-agricultural jobs) and reference the Fair Labor Standards Act for information on limitations on the kinds of work children can perform.
"This is an often overlooked or under-utilized strategy. Paying your children for true services they provide in your business can be a powerful tax-saving tool," says Cathi Reed, Block Advisors Regional Director. "If you are a sole-proprietorship or single member LLC, and the child is less than 18 years of age, the business is not required to withhold FICA or payroll taxes. The child can use his or her standard deduction against income you pay."
You Hire Your Parent
Oh dear. If you are brave enough to do this, know that you will need to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your parent's wages and make the appropriate withholdings, but you don't have to pay unemployment taxes. Now all you have to do is convince your parent that you are the boss. Have fun with that!
Is Hiring Family Members Worth It For The Tax Benefits?
"There are some positive tax advantages to hiring family members. It's important to treat a family member like any other employee. Hiring your children can result in substantial savings for businesses. Make sure your child has real, age-appropriate work to do and a reasonable pay rate, comparable to other employees. Consult with a Block Advisors small business certified tax pro to ensure that you are complying with all requirements," advises Reed. "Block Advisors, a team within H&R Block, is dedicated to meeting the tax, bookkeeping and payroll needs of small business owners year-round. To start working with the tax experts at Block Advisors, visit blockadvisors.com."
In my opinion, you should not hire a family member solely because of the tax benefits. You should always hire based on whether that person is right for the job and keep in mind how this hire could materially impact your relationship with that person and others in your family. Finally, as I mentioned, make sure you have a tax professional on your team when making these determinations. As you can see, things can get a little tricky!
*All details were sourced from IRS.gov and blockadvisors.com
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regards to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results. Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. O'Keeffe Financial Partners and any other entity listed herein is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS Investor Disclosures: https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures