Love Is Sweet
One of my closest friends, Bridget, was married to her bestfriend Jay this past June. During an extremely hot ‘first day of summer’ inrural Manitoba, they pledged their commitment to each other in front oftheir closest friends and family. It was a perfect summer wedding—outdoorceremony with lawn games and iced tea before the tented BBQ style reception.The property where the wedding took place simply blew my mind—the house was theepitome of Pinterest gorgeousness and the yard had enough various landscapingareas to create nothing but flawless pictures.
The lovely couple was married on top of a bridge with aheart shaped pond under them, iced tea was served in mason jars with chalkboardlabels so you could keep your glass all night, and custom printed wine bottles anduniquely potted succulents created a simple focus at each table. This picture-perfect outdoors summer wedding was exactly what the bride and groom wanted and they couldn’t feel more joyful in how everything worked out.
As favours for the wedding, and as for snacks for guestsbetween the ceremony and reception, Bridget requested a Cookie Bar! As a ladywho loves to bake I couldn’t help but say yes and immediately start tobrainstorm cookie flavours and set up options. One of the reasons it was cookiebar, and not something more generic like a candy bar, has a lot to do withBridget and Jays relationship. Since the beginning of their relationship,Bridget has always baked Jay chocolate chip cookies for his lunch kit. Everyweek she would make a big batch and by the end of the week they were always allgone! To this very day, Bridget still bakes Jay chocolate chip cookies everyweek. It’s such a cute story so it’s no surprise cookies were going to be afeature!
For the guests to enjoy and take home were over 6oo cookieswith the appropriately named Jays Chocolate Chip being the main attraction (andlargest cookie jar!). The classic chocolate chip cookie was joined on the tablewith Ginger Crinkles, heart-shaped Sugar cookies filled with sprinkles, PeanutButter cookies, Oreo Chocolate Chip cookies and Lemon Coconut Crinkles. It wasso fun to bake such an exciting variety specifically picked to please the taste of every sweet tooth in attendance. The cookie bags themselves were incredibleadorable—hand stamped with the name of the happy couple, their wedding dateand the extremely fitting sentiment of ‘Love is Sweet’. The great thing aboutthe stamp, it can be used for Thank-You cards!
The Cookie Bar featured hand-painted signs letting guestsknow it’s a cookie bar and, of course, “All you need is Love… and a fewcookies!” Decorated with heart sprinkles, dashes of coconut, lemon slices inone jar and chocolate chips in another, and vintage crates for visual interest.All the cookie jars were decorated with lace-tape around them (so much harderto put on than you would expect—just ask a fellow bridesmaid and I) andhand-written chalkboard labels. Of course, a frame with the story of JaysChocolate Chip Cookie was there for guests to read to explain the cookie barand share a little insight into one of the couple’s special moments.
Seeing folks enjoying the cookies was like icingon the cake to an already flawless wedding day for one of my best friends. Itwas an honour to be in her bridal party, give the ‘toast to the bride’, andcontribute to her special day using one of my passions. I pray for theirgrowing love to be as perfect as freshly baked chocolate chip cookies- soft andsweet on the inside when they share their intimate moments together and crispon the outside, to shelter their love from the harshness of the world and to keep each other safe and strong.
*All images courtesy of the always gorgeous Steph Schulz Photography