Comfort Zones? Go Out Of Them!!

 My First Full-Blown Wedding Baking Experience

Scary, But Oh So Worth It!

I distinctly remember receiving a text from one of my best friends shortly after she got engaged! (Exciting times for sure!) She proceeded to ask me if I was up to baking all of the baked goods for her wedding. Cake, cookies, and cupcakes. I'm not going to lie, I was SO honored that she asked, but filled with a tremendous amount of fear as well! Even though I have made desserts for a few weddings in the past and continued to build a larger baking portfolio, I would not consider myself a professional by any means. Wedding desserts carry a different sort of pressure versus an order for a child's second birthday. 

Despite my worries about being able to pull off this task in the best way possible, I happily accepted and I don't regret a single thing! Not only was this wedding an amazing way to gain exposure for my business, but it taught me a valuable lesson. If I continue to turn down baking projects because I am simply intimidated or scared, I will never improve in my craft. I will stay at the same level I have always been. Instead, I need to press on and trust in the abilities that have been graciously gifted to me. All of this to say, embrace what scares you! You never know, it might not seem so scary on the other side when all is said and done!

One of my favorite quotes from my all-time favorite movie, Cinderella Story, goes like this: 

"Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game"

(This quote is more well-known as being said by Babe Ruth, a Hall of Fame Baseball Player)

While baking isn't exactly like the great sport of baseball, the quote still rings true. Step up to the plate and take your best swing at it! Maybe you will fail or maybe you will win, but you will never know unless you try.

Let's Get To The Good Stuff!

It was so fun planning out every delicious treat for this extremely special day! Let's take a quick look through the dessert menu!!

LJays Bakery--Wedding Menu:

Cupcakes

• Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes: A cinnamon sugar cupcake with a decadent cinnamon buttercream frosting 

• Toasted Vanilla Cupcakes: A classic vanilla bean cupcake with vanilla buttercream frosting and a sprig of lavender to garnish

• Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes: A pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting and a light dusting of cinnamon on top

Wedding Cake

• Bottom Tier: A rich chocolate cake with homemade raspberry filling

• Top Tier: An earl grey tea cake with lavender-infused buttercream frosting

       *All coated and decorated in a layer of vanilla buttercream

Cookies

• Custom vanilla sugar cookies with three different designs:
• Branch: A white flooding base and a forest green leaf design
• Rosettes: Floral-shaped cookies decorated in neutral pink and grey
• Elegant Circles: White flooded circles with the couple's initials piped in gold

I love the flavor diversity present in this menu! Every single item was carefully planned and executed in its own unique way. It is easy to look at this menu and think that all of these flavor combinations will never work together. Let me assure you, everything worked out beautifully!

Picture Time!!

Receiving photos of my baking projects or even taking them myself brings me such joy! Yes, I love viewing the tasty treats I have created, but I also LOVE the significance each one holds! When I look through my cookie pictures, I am able to relive valuable memories. Sometimes I see a past cookie photo and remember the frosting catastrophe that put me three hours behind schedule or remember the happiness of mastering a new piping technique. These pictures you are about to see hold an element that those other two examples didn't. They represent a time when I was able to hold a special part in one of my best friends' special days. Each and every picture holds meaning and the remembrance of the most wonderful evening! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

*Click on the photos for clearer images!

CUPCAKE SPOTLIGHT!

     

A VERY low-quality photo of me with the cupcakes!

COOKIE TIME!

     

LAST, BUT NOT LEAST! THE CAKE!

    

OH LOOK! IT'S ME!

A Little Note of Encouragement!

I genuinely hope that you had fun looking through the wedding dessert photos! I know that I sure did! This was definitely a baking experience that I wouldn't trade for the world. I proved to myself that I have the ability to bake for a whole wedding on a large scale. There is nothing to be afraid of! Will I still have lingering fears for future orders? I can almost guarantee it, but I can't let fear continue to rule my life. Just look at what I would have missed out on if I hadn't committed to this wedding order! 

Don't be afraid to go out of your comfort zones! Whether you are leaping out or simply taking a step, anything is considered progress in my mind. The next time someone asks you to do something that scares you, stop and really think it over before you provide your answer. Stop settling for the easy or convenient path in life. Be daring and expand your horizons!