Florida Peach Sweets Bakery in Tacoma, WA

I'll be honest you guys... I never used to be a cake person. For Cody and my wedding we even did pies instead because cake just wasn't our thing. Until one day... I worked with Kendall from Florida Peach Sweets Bakery, located in Tacoma, WA. When I tell you that my mind has forever been changed on the cake front, I am telling you the truth.

Kendall has lived in many different states, however, she considers Georgia and Florida where she grew up. Hence her business name Florida Peach Sweets. When asking her some questions for this blog post she said she went back and forth for ages about choosing a name for her business. She knew wanted it to be a reflection of her roots, where she came from. She said, "While I may be a born Georgia Peach, my time as a Florida Orange really shaped who I am today. So I just combined the two!"

Kendall just recently moved to Washington in 2019 from Alaksa. Her and her sister have been in the wedding circuit together for almost 10 years now. Her sister owns her own Cakery in North Carolina and is that one who got Kendall interested in the world of baking. Her sister has been doing custom cakes for over 15 years now and is very sucessful. So Florida Peach Sweets has been in the making for some time now, but over the last three years its really grown into its own identity.

Kendall has always loved working in the kitchen, after she completed culinary school she knew she wanted to focus more on pastry and baking. She said, "It's so methodical for me and such a great way to destress and focus on detail-oriented tasks." I can completely tell by the cakes I have seen of hers in person that her attention to detail is something that she takes very seriously and it makes for the best experience for us as clients.

I asked Kendall a series of questions and here are her answers below.

Q. What is your favorite thing about what you do?

A. "Oh gosh, haha. I think what I love the most is bringing the creativity of the design and flavors together with that Southern homebaked feel and creating a happy customer. There's no better feeling. I get anxious and excited every time waiting for a customer to try their cake, like it's the first time."

Q. What is your all time favorite cake you've made?

A. "Oh lawd! That's difficult! As much as I love the more alternative themed ones I have done, I think my most recent fave would have to be your birthday cake! I had SO much fun picking out all the candies and chocolates and then of course hand-tweezing the placement of them all! All my OCD dreams came true, haha."

Q. What is your favorite flavor of cake?

A. "Gosh you know how to ask hard questions. Is it even allowed to have a favorite as a baker?? If I had to choose, favorite to eat: Red Velvet, favorite to make: probably Strawberry Pink Champagne.:

Q. What inspires you to work in this industry?

A. "I think I enjoy the challenge, trying the newest trends, pushing the boundaries for flavors and styles. I love being able to surprise my customers and really see that "wow" on their faces."

Q. Tell me about a time when you felt like a hero at work.

A. "Anytime I get a vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free cake haha. They're always a challenge, and when I can really impress a customer with one that actually tastes good, I can toot-toot my own horn a little bit!"

Q. If you had an unlimited budget, what would you want to create?

A. "Now we're talking! I would probably do some major fondant sculpting. I absolutely love it. Do a crazy horror movie theme like Beetlejuice or The Shining."

Q. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

A. "In five years I will be committed to doing my day job in the US Navy but if you know me, you know I don't know how to slow down. So I'll probably be sneaking some cake baking in there on the side!"

As of now I have hired her three times for personal events and she never disappoints. We have asked her to make a birthday cake for my mom that was German chocolate and oh so tasty. She has made a strawberry champagne cake with a buttercream that was to die for for a girls night in event. And most recently she made the most epic cake I have ever seen/tasted for my 30th birthday. It was a chocolate and Oreo cream cake (featured above) with the most amazing specialty chocolates on top. I have gone on to refer her to every client I have for Wedding Planning that is still looking for that Vendor. I highly recommend her to you all! Hire her for your next event and I promise you will not regret it.

Getting Married at Laurel Creek Manor in Sumner, WA

Located in Sumner, WA among fields of daffodils is the beautiful wedding venue called Laurel Creek Manor. Established in 2004 by Laurel Cabodi when it came time to find a wedding venue for her son and they found this gorgeous home and after a lot of hard work and an eye for romance - Laurel and her husband Al remodeled the 1917 estate.

When it came time for my now husband and I to begin our search for a wedding venue I did a map search and saw it was close to where I was living (in Puyallup at the time) so I figured we would kick off our search local. I honestly was expecting to visit a few different places but as soon as I stepped out of our car and onto the property I knew that we had found our venue.

It's truly the perfect setting for a summer wedding. It's the best of both worlds because the property is large and there is a ton of room for parking and different photo opportunities. Yet once you step into the garden it feels like quaint, lush and romantic. The Manor on the property is so charming, from the vintage wall paper to the beautiful front porch and large window in the bridal suite. Every detail is well thought out and allows for a perfect space to get ready upstairs and welcome guests downstairs.

Throughout the planning process the owner Kirsten was so amazing at helping us answer all our questions and gave us plenty of solutions for how we could best plan the day. You could tell how proud of the property her and her family were and they worked so hard to make sure our day was perfect. When I asked Kirsten what her favorite thing was about owning a wedding venue she said the following. "It is so wonderful to do something that makes me happy and feels meaningful. Maintaining a 100 year old historic home, getting the opportunity to be creative with the estate grounds (I love gardening), always striving to offer our clients a beautiful escape for their wedding, and service that feels like you are part of “the family.”

The ceremony area is lovely as well and comes with a large white arbor and lots of space on the grass for guests. The simple white of the arbor allows for such a variety of decor depending on your wedding style. The layout is great because as a bride you stay hidden inside while guests are arriving and when it is time to walk down the aisle there is a lovely path way leading you to the aisle from the beautiful french doors of the Manor.

The reception is honestly the ultimate layout as well. They have a huge stunning white draped tent perfect for your entire wedding to enjoy dinner. Not only is it large and beautifully draped but they also have two stunning chandeliers that just adds the perfect ambiance. When it comes time to dance in the moonlight they have a perfect dance floor with lights overhead that creates a beautiful ambiance.

From their perfectly manicured grounds to the winding paths and fountains, the decorations really didn't have to be over the top which made things even easier for us. The day felt so perfectly us. We had the best time partying it up on the dance floor and when they tell you the day goes by fast... THE DAY GOES BY FAST my friends. Looking back on this day brings a huge smile to my face because it truly was perfection. I highly recommend you check it out if you are looking for a venue in the Sumner, WA area. Kirsten and her team will surely take the best care of you and your day will be absolutely stunning, I promise.

When I asked Kirsten what their favorite moment on wedding days were she replied, "I have two answers for this. My favorite moment of my OWN wedding day was a quiet moment on the front porch of The Manor right after the ceremony. My husband and I got to toast and reflect on how amazing it all felt. For the weddings we host- my favorite moment comes when the sun is setting and dinner is over, dancing has begun and I look around seeing the gorgeous setting I have worked so hard to build being enjoyed to the fullest. The joy of the guests and the couple hits me at that time and always reminds me of my mother and why she created Laurel Creek Manor."

• All photos were taken by the amazing and talented Lloyd Photographers. I highly recommend them if you are looking to hire someone for your wedding day.