"Birds of a Feather" Wedding Cupcakes

My sweet friend from college was planning her wedding when she asked me to make cupcakes for the celebration. I was so flattered and excited to be a part of her special day! Crystal is someone I have a huge admiration for because of her creative craftiness and keen eye for pretty, vintage things. Her wedding was pretty much all DIY and so gorgeous! iDropPhoto took the above picture of my cupcakes and took many more beautiful photos of the ceremony and reception.

{They are seriously so adorable!}

{Argyles and Toms...so charming!}

{Crystal's handmade brooch bouquet}

{The best seats in the house}

{At the reception tables}

{A sitting area in the back of the reception. A great spot to chill and drool over some pretty cupcakes in the back right corner!}

SUCH a beautiful wedding and beautiful pictures to capture it all! Now here's my iPhone pics. Don't laugh!

{They made all the cake stands with plates and candlesticks}

{I got a special spot in their program! Made me blush}

Flavors:
Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate buttercream frosting
Vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting
Cocoa coconut cupcakes with coconut buttercream frosting and topped with toasted coconut
Hummingbird cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and topped with pecans

Hummingbird cupcakes aren't as popular here in California as in the south. They include banana, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, pecans, and pineapple. My husband says it tastes a lot like banana nut bread, which I thought was perfect for guests that like their cupcake with much less sweetness.

Congratulations Luke and Crystal! Thank you so much for letting me celebrate with you on your beautiful wedding day!

Chocolate and Vanilla say "Thank You"!

My sweet Aunt Joann {my hubby's dad's cousin's wife...yeah, we'll just go with "Aunt" on that one!} is so appreciative of all the excellent care she has been getting from her therapists and caregivers that she wanted to tell them "thank you" the best way anyone can...with cupcakes!

These are vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream and candy pearls, and chocolate cupcakes double-dipped in chocolate ganache and topped with strawberries and chocolate ganache on the tippy top.

My own strawberry cupcakes recipe

I was really excited to make these last night for Justin! It's my 2nd attempt at my own strawberry cupcakes recipe even though Justin and our friend David absolutely LOVED the first batch (I thought they were terrible because they came out so soggy). I've never made up my own recipe for anything before (besides something like, Tuna Sandwich!) and I was all proud of myself for knowing how to make them better.

Just as a testimony of how good these little tasties are, Justin ate four of them...one right after the other...in about five minutes...that's FOUR whole cupcakes! Complete with strawberry buttercream frosting and everything! Now I know exactly what you're thinking: "oh well that's because he's married to you and it's his duty as a husband to not hurt your feelings so OF COURSE he's going to eat half the batch!" Well, let me tell you something, my friend. My husband is the most honest person I know and I always try to encourage that, even if it means he tells me he doesn't like something I cook or bake. I would much rather he tell me that he's "not a big fan" of a new recipe I tried instead of me continually making it and him fake smiling through nauseous chewing (okay I don't think my cooking has ever been THAT bad). I always appreciate his feedback, good or constructive.

So last night, I have to say that I had overwhelmingly good feedback from Justin on how good these strawberry cupcakes were. Let me know if I can ever make them for you!