Jessica's Cakes Archives – Studio Laguna Photography

Lyra’s Frozen Birthday Party

April 29, 2014 By katrina 1 Comment

Our kids don’t get birthday parties every year, but when they turn five they get a big one. And naturally Lyra chose Frozen as her theme. Which fit well considering we are still wrapping up a crazy winter even well into spring.

We were so incredibly fortunate that Jessica, owner of Jessica’s Cakes and Sweet Blooms, has a soft spot in her heart for my kiddos and agreed to make the cake. We knew the cake would be the centerpiece and based everything else around it. Cotton “snow” was thrown everywhere, and blue and white rock candy and other desserts were scattered on the table. Since I decorate our Christmas tree with silver and blue, we had a ton of snowflakes in the needed colors and just frosted everything. It was awesome. And magical.

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Lyra chose a mango and vanilla cake, and Jessica wowed us ALL with the cake’s design. Frosted trees, and shards of sugar ice full of color and texture. It was stunning.

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I hung my vintage 50s ice cycles from our giant gold frame in our studio, and had silver sparkles in every little nook.

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Kids drank “melted snow” (water) and could add silver or blue sprinkles to it (like they needed more sugar).

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John drew winter scenes for kids to color and we had a couple other activities followed by a screening of the movie.

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Such a happy day for our youngest!

Ainsley’s Fairy Birthday Party

November 18, 2012 By katrina Leave a Comment

We don’t do birthday parties every year…so when the kids turn 5, they get a big bash. Our little Ainsley is inquisitive, shy, mischievous, dainty, and bright. She truly IS a pixie…here is some evidence, though it is difficult to catch her on camera ; )

So when it came time for Ainsley’s birthday party, it was pretty natural to get into a fairy theme. We aren’t all about pink and glitter and girly stuff, so when the newer Tinkerbell movies came out, we were super excited. YAY for intelligent female leads that do things other than smell flowers and braid their hair! In the Tinkerbell movies, the fairies gather Lost Things and tinker with them to build useful tools. Since we already have fun little items from years of photo shoots and crafts, it was easy to decorate. These little guys have been in our garden for two years now and perfectly show our kids’ personalities, so they greeted guests at the door.

Over the last few weeks, we started making and collecting food and decor items. Oranges, yellows and purples along with moss and neutrals gave us the woodland theme we were looking for. We kept all the leaves in our yard and took down the prints in our front studio to be replaced with giant butterflies (thanks Marie!), leaves, and paper florets. We made sure the kids were involved in everything to keep them excited and create some fun memories.

Healthy food as well as some goodies were on the tables for people to graze on. We even had sparkly fairy grown up juice for the parents (ie beer) and tried to keep everything organic and natural to keep the fairies happy. Cake pops and macarons from Cocoa and Fig were a huge hit naturally, as were the basil citrus bites from Jessica’s Cakes. Since Jessica has transitioned from baking to creating cake details (www.sweetbloomssugarcraft.com), I was super nervous that we wouldn’t be able to have her delicious treats at our birthday parties anymore. But I camped outside her shop and cried and cried until she finally agreed to bake one last cake for Ainsley. (I know, I’m shameless…but her cake is THAT GOOD) She designed a little fairy for the top of the cake that Ainsley will get to keep!

John led the kids on a scavenger hunt. Luckily, he is a PE teacher and knows how to wrangle masses of young children. Also luckily, the weather was AMAZING so we could use the outdoors.

The final part of the hunt led the kids with flashlights in the dark basement to quietly search for something…and they discovered A REAL LIVE FAIRY!!!!! Her name is Clove, and the kids were completely mesmerized by her.

After reading everyone a story, Clove and Ainsley quietly colored…

…while Stephanie entertained the more boisterous kids…

…and experienced a bit of Lord of the Flies. Nothing like getting kids riled up and then giving them back to their parents!

Here is another picture of beautiful Clove, also known as Emily. She is one of the sweetest people I know and not only is a very talented dancer and actress but also is an amazing floral and event designer. You should check out her company, Prairie Fair!

The afternoon sun started to set, children went home (and will hopefully sleep well tonight) and our little fairy had the biggest grin on her face. SO WORTH IT =)

Mike and Sarah

September 29, 2012 By katrina Leave a Comment

Mike and Sarah were married today!

Mike and Sarah couldn’t have picked a more gorgeous day for their wedding. The leaves were turning, the sun was warm, and the sky was blue. Mike’s excitement was palpable as he got ready and he was over the moon when he saw Sarah all dolled up in her wedding day finery. We spent the first part of the day roaming the grounds of Mt. Olivet Lutheran taking pictures and enjoying the quiet before the business of the day.

Since Sarah is from South Africa she wanted the flower protea to be featured in her floral designs. Pazzobello did an amazing job taking these blooms and designing a soft romantic bouquet.

In front of friends and family that had literally traveled from all over the world to witness the event, Mike and Sarah exchanged vows and were pronounced husband and wife. You should have SEEN the grin on Mike’s face after the first kiss =)

Mike is a veteran of the wedding industry, and we were so honored when he and Sarah chose us to photograph their wedding. They issued us a challenge to really be creative and get some artistic shots. And Sarah rose to that challenge by being adventurous herself! When I asked if she’d venture into a less than clean area for a picture, she jumped right to it (with the help of some fantastic groomsmen!). SO worth it!

After some sun drenched Stone Arch Bridge pictures, we headed over to the Weisman Art Museum for the reception. Eclipse Transportation did a fantastic job taking us around and navigating some tough corners! At the reception, we did a few more pictures outside (which included cartwheels and heel kicks) and then headed inside.

Sarah worked hard on the design of the wedding. She chose a vibrant teal, silver, and fuschia color scheme and added a damask pattern to keep it more formal. Tall vases with fushia orchids caught the setting sunlight and Jessica’s Cakes created the perfect light and simple cake for the couple (and oh boy did it taste good!). Guests enjoyed wandering the art museum and were entertained with the guestbook and a jenga set they were asked to write marriage advice on (and stack up). There were even CDs of the night’s wedding soundtrack available, which isn’t surprising since half the guys were DJs.

The white walls of the Weisman were perfect to show off the uplighting skills of Instant Request, and they decked this reception out! Lighting changed colors throughout the night, and each room had its own color. The bar had a custom gobo, and the dance floor became vibrant as the colors shifted with the mood of the songs. After the grand march, Mike and Sarah went immediately into their first dance (I love this tradition, it flows so nicely!) and then everyone sat down to enjoy a truly scrumptious meal from Kafe 421. Seriously, the food was WONDERFUL.

After speeches, the dance was underway. Instant Request pumped the jams and everyone rocked out!

And to truly knock our clients’ socks off, John produced THIS. BOOOYA! It was almost as much fun watching John run around creating this as it was seeing Mike and Sarah’s face when we showed them the picture.

A Dragon Ball Z wedding perhaps? Wizards sending out love spells? We’ll let you decide ; )

Mike and Sarah, thank you so much for choosing Studio Laguna to photograph your day. We had an amazing time and hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

Chris and Sarah

September 7, 2012 By katrina 8 Comments

Chris and Sarah were married today!

Their lovely wedding, produced beautifully by The Wedding Guys, incorporated Sarah’s laid back aesthetic with Chris’ stylish vintage one. Neutrals were used along with sparkles and glitz to add to the natural beauty of Camrose Hill Farm.

Following an anxious morning of getting ready, their first sight was AMAZING.

Chris and Sarah are magnetic. You are just drawn to them. In fact, over the course of the night we heard many stories of how friendships were formed over this “instant bond”. The love these two have for life and each other is palpable.

In true Minnesota fashion, the weather couldn’t quite decide what to do. There were two short rain showers before the ceremony, but everything cleared up right before it was time to go down the aisle. In one of my favorite moments of the day, the bride’s cottage was filled with the sound of singing as everyone sang “Goin to the Chapel” (in 3 part harmony no less!). Appropriately, the rain stopped and the sun came out, right before Sarah walked down the aisle to “Here Comes the Sun”.

Chris and Sarah wrote their ceremony, and it was lovely, funny, touching, and sweet. The personalized vows included Sarah promising to be Chris’ Sunny Day and Chris promising to be Sarah’s Shady Tree.

After the ceremony, guests enjoyed the beautiful cool weather. Croquet and badminton games started, champagne was passed around, and friends and family reunited. Camrose Hill has so many nooks and crannies to explore, and each space was a little unexpected vignette. Antique dressers, couches, and other pieces of furniture from Lime Canary Vintage Rentals and BeEvents were arranged throughout the many spaces so guests could cozy up.

QUITE the fun wedding party…

Lettuce Cater provided food that not only tasted amazing, but looked gorgeous! Food stations gave variety and interest to the reception, and stayed full the entire night to encourage constant snacking. The desserts, by Jessica’s Cakes, were devoured in no time! The layout of the space, quality of the food, and use of antique furniture as serving pieces kept the vibe refined yet relaxed.

Time for the first dance…

Dances and speeches were scattered throughout the night, and Level 11 did a great job emceeing and keeping the dance floor packed.

These people knew how to have a really REALLY good time =) I’m not sure when the craziness truly started…maybe when the bottle of Jameson started to be passed around, or maybe when guests started playing air guitar, maybe when the ties started coming off and ended up as Rambo headbands, or the heels came off and were replaced by cowboy boots…

Oh, AND there was an afterparty at a local bar…and guess who got on stage?

Chris and Sarah, thank you so much for having us be a part of your day. It was such a joy telling your story! John and I will now join the crowd of people that consider their lives more the richer having meet the two of you. Enjoy your sneak peek!

Engagement Party

August 12, 2012 By katrina 3 Comments

Victor and Laura had their engagement party today.

The couple met while working in Central America and both love to travel the world. Their wedding next year will be in Victor’s home country of Nicaragua, so this engagement party also served a little bit as a wedding reception for all of Laura’s Minnesota friends and family. The friends planning the event were many, as Laura and Victor are fiercely loved. A bilingual wedding brunch with a travel theme was put together at a private residence, and the details were a lovely mix of clean and vintage.

The Vintage Type provided all of the furniture pieces. The aqua dresser served as the focal point, with dark wood tables, vintage folding chairs and red leather club chairs giving a welcoming ambiance. A vintage globe, crisp white linens, and silver serving pieces filled with white hydrangea were used as decor. The Vintage Type also custom designed the crest and created the food labels. Artist, Steph Guidera designed and made the chalk board signs.

Brunch is a lovely thing. You get to mix desserts with fruits and other light foods. Chowgirls Killer Catering provided french toast bites, salmon salad on endive and deviled eggs. Croissants, fruit, and danishes were fresh and delish! Sangria, beer, and cucumber water were on hand as well as a plethora of amazing desserts from Jessica’s Cakes, who wowed everyone there with not only her attention to authentic Latin flavors, but how fantastic her desserts tasted.

Laura and Victor played the always laugh inducing shoe game, and even more laughs happened when the Gourmet Club gave them a pair of aprons embroidered with “double cities” instead of “twin cities” in Spanish.

A competitive game of croquet rounded out the afternoon full of friends, family and laughter.

Victor and Laura, it was so fantastic to be a part of this day! Enjoy your sneak peek!