rYou see this part of the wedding planning process in movies all the time and I have watched enough girlie wedding flicks to know that it is one of the top perks of wedding planning.r
My fiancé and I are planning what I hope will be sort of a romantic, home-style wedding with seersucker and lace, flowers galore and everything sweet. (I have described this in a lot of ways over the past six months, and while I struggle with finding the words, the idea remains the same.) In that fashion, rather than a traditional wedding cake, I envisioned homemade ice cream and pie; reminiscent of 25 years of sweet summer nights and family affairs. Mmmmmmm. It makes me smile and sigh every time I think about it.
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It came to my attention, however, that the logistics and financial efficiency of serving homemade ice cream and pie to one hundred people in the middle of summer are a little more complicated than I would have expected of my sweet little idea. You only get eight slices from one pie, and with one hundred people, that is a lot of pies. And ice cream? Outside? In August? Who will make it, and transport it, let alone scoop it? I was just about to give up on the idea when I met Rachel, and stumbled upon the website for her business, Cakes by Rachel.
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I pitched my idea to her and she loved it. With energy and excitement that matched mine, she graciously welcomed my fiancé and myself, along with two of my sisters and my parents (did I forgot to mention this wedding planning includes an entourage?) to a pie tasting. And a tasting it was. We tried blueberry, cherry and key lime pies. Strawberry shortcakes and fruit tarts. The red velvet cupcake with cream cheese icing she threw in for good measure was to die for. And there was more than enough for everyone in my party to try. We even took home doggie bags! It was literally the best hour of this entire process.
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With budget-friendly prices, total support of the ideas for our big day, and genuine excitement that fed my excitement, I left totally thrilled and thankful I had a doggie bag—after all, I knew I wouldn't need to schedule any more tastings.
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My excitement for wedding planning has been restored, and I am looking forward to more planning over the next few weeks and months. And if I have to swing by and pick up a mini pie or a cupcake to refresh this feeling, well, I guess that's just a sacrifice I'll have to make.
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I wonder what excuse I'll use in September…
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(Note: I am withholding both photos and specific flavor decisions to allow for some element of surprise. If you're at work or otherwise unable to dart out to the nearest bakery, you can thank me later. After the wedding, I'll post photos, but consider yourself warned. It won't be a bad idea to have a sweet snack on hand that day.)
