281/365
Today was my seventh and final wedding of the year. Steph I and Ben got married and it was absolutely wonderful. The two of them are two of the best people I know. I’ve known Steph I since college and every time I see her, it’s such a joy. She has a way of making you feel great about yourself no matter what. The first time I met Ben, I could tell they were such a great pair. Ben is engaging and accomplished and when you talk to him, you feel like he truly cares about everything you are saying. I’m so happy they got married. Months ago they asked me to make their wedding cake and of course I said yes. Planning and designing the cake has been an iterative process since they chose a unique cake flavor and an original design. One of Steph’s young friends drew her a picture of what she imagined her wedding cake to be and we used that drawing as a template for the cake. The bottom tier is for Ben since he is a city planner. The gray skyline is New York (where Steph is from) and the black skyline is DC (where Ben is from). The cake is pumpkin carrot which I was a little skeptical of the first time she suggested it, but after some sampling, I was totally on board. The pumpkin adds such a depth of flavor and moistness to the carrot cake that is a perfect choice for the fall.
Andrew and I got there early to deliver the cake and I have to say, transporting a cake is the most harrowing experience of making a cake for someone. Every turn, every bump in the road, and every second involves me sitting on the edge of my seat, staring at the cake, and just praying. Transporting the cake into the city this time was a rough experience, but the cake got to the venue. Also, over the course of this season, Andrew has proven himself to be a capable delivery guy. He’s the only person I trust to carry a cake anywhere, but not after a long, supervised trial period. Seventy pounds of cake is nothing to joke about.
This wedding was an interesting one because of the guest list. I know Steph from college and only met Ben a few years ago. Steph and I have very few overlapping friends, but it turns out Ben and I know a lot of the same people. His parents belong to the same temple as me and Andrew so there was an entire Adat Shalom contingent who are all Ben’s parents’ age, but are who we often socialize with at temple. The officiant for the wedding is the founding rabbi from our temple and Andrew and I got a lot of confused looks from the Adat Shalomers when they walked into the wedding and saw us there. It was just a random coincidence, but it was fun getting to see these people away from the temple. Mel was also at the wedding, being part of our college crew and it was a ton of fun to hang out with her. Somehow this year, Mel has become our wedding buddy. The three of us have really stepped up our wedding guestbook entries multiple times. Also, she’s completely entertaining.
Steph and Ben’s wedding was a great time and wonderful evening celebrating with an amazing couple. I was honored to make their cake and so happy to get to share in their special day. Congrats Steph I and Ben!