So, you want to see some behind the scenes
from the wedding?
Of course you do. I was overwhelmed deciding how to share all the wedding photos and moments. What should I show? How should I present it? Would anyone even care? In the end I stopped overthinking and decided to break it down into a few sweet escape posts, starting with the cupcakes.
When my daughter and I began planning the wedding, we wanted a youthful, fun dessert that fit a beach-town vibe. Cupcakes and a candy bar felt right. They weren’t original ideas, but they were perfect for our celebration and proved to be big hits. We took inspiration from many wedding blogs and magazines as we planned, and borrowed lots of ideas along the way.
To find the perfect cupcakes we visited local bakeries and sampled dozens of flavors. (Yes, I admit I gained a few pounds from taste-testing.) The bakery prices quickly added up—regular cupcakes were running over $3 each—so we asked ourselves: how hard could it be to make our own?
Baking at home was manageable—until you factor in a heat wave and the logistics of a destination wedding. We baked most cupcakes in Portland, drove them to Gearhart to frost, then transported them to the beach house where the reception would be held. Transporting hundreds of delicate cupcakes intact turned out to be the real challenge, not the baking itself.
Yes, she knows Red Bull is not healthy — she regrets this picture lol.
Why we chose to make our own cupcakes:
- Cost savings compared to bakery prices
- Ability to match frosting and decorations to wedding colors
- Memories of baking and frosting together—flour on our faces and laughter in the kitchen
In the end we decided on three varieties: chocolate brownie cupcakes with mint-green accents, and two styles of white cupcakes—one with pink frosting and white sugar pearls, the other with white frosting and pink pearls. We used a white bakery cake recipe for the vanilla cupcakes and learned to use a piping bag for frosting.
The chocolate brownie cupcakes were a standout—topped with chocolate curls and mint-green chocolate bark. We used a Ghirardelli brownie mix for convenience, and yes, that felt perfectly acceptable. The results tasted amazing and saved us time on an intense wedding weekend.
Were we judged for not using a high-end bakery? Maybe, but choosing what worked for our family and budget felt right. We focused on creating delicious, personalized treats and making memories in the process.
We used a friend’s beach house in Gearhart for frosting and final assembly. She generously offered her kitchen and accommodations for some of the wedding party, and we took full advantage of the space the day before the wedding. In the middle of it all a real estate appraiser arrived to photograph the kitchen—cue embarrassment over the flour-covered countertops!
We also used the house to assemble breakfast, lunches, and care packages for the wedding party. A large farm table was perfect for prepping food and organizing last-minute items. Once the cupcakes were frosted we faced the big transportation task: moving 200 intact cupcakes without stacking them for the half-hour drive to the beach reception, along with suitcases, a wedding dress, and other essentials packed into a minivan.
Was it worth the effort? Absolutely. Beyond the cost savings and color coordination, the experience of baking, frosting, and transporting the cupcakes together created lasting memories. If you enjoyed seeing the cupcakes, stay tuned for Part Two: the candy bar—one of my favorite decorative elements at the reception.
Are you new here and curious who the wedding was for or what the beach house looked like before the event? Explore the other posts in this series for full details and more behind-the-scenes photos.